Lisa See Book Group Signup
August 22, 2026
August can be a slow time for book groups as it feels like part of the country is getting into their back-to-school routines and the other half is on vacation. This means that book group scheduling is often on the back burner, which gives you time to do something special if your group is not meeting. Read on to ensure that you have something to suggest for your next read.
My group met this week and discussed MAD MABEL, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Sally Hepworth was a new author for many of them. I hope they enjoy more of Sally's books as I have.
Editorial Content for Death Row
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Freida McFadden has become one of the most recognized thriller writers in the world. She also happens to be basking in the glow of the successful film adaptation of her novel, THE HOUSEMAID. A sequel already has been greenlit, based on THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET, and is scheduled to be released at the end of 2027.
McFadden’s latest book, DEATH ROW, is a novella. I was amazed by how she uses this structure to convey a story that immediately hooks readers with a clever premise and plenty of plot twists. This all happens in just under 75 pages! Read More
Teaser
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet her unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a man she's certain is her husband. The person she's been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed?
Promo
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet her unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a man she's certain is her husband. The person she's been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed?
About the Book
A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden.
Death is coming for her...unless she finds the truth first.
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet her unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored.
Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a man she's certain is her husband. The person she's been convicted of killing may not be dead after all.
But as the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed?
With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE HOUSEMAID.
Audiobook available, read by Lauryn Allman
Editorial Content for Stay Buried
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Jennifer McMahon has always been a more-than-reliable thriller writer. Lately, her novels have taken a more disturbing turn as she has delved into gothic horror, with THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL being perhaps the most frightening of her career. That is until her latest release, STAY BURIED, which provides a dual narrative. Read More
Teaser
1919: Frankie O’Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town’s knackerman --- a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts. 2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone’s Ferry and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. But some of the townspeople aren’t very welcoming --- and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.
Promo
1919: Frankie O’Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town’s knackerman --- a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts. 2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone’s Ferry and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. But some of the townspeople aren’t very welcoming --- and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.
About the Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of CHILDREN ON THE HILL comes a queer folk horror in which a woman must confront decades of secrecy and superstition to learn the truth about her mother’s death.
Some towns stay isolated for a reason.
1919: Frankie O’Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine, something the townspeople are wary of. When a mysterious illness strikes the town and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town’s knackerman --- a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts.
2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone’s Ferry --- a place they’ve heard of but their grandmother has always refused to talk about --- and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. The idyllic town is full of autumnal décor, picturesque farmland and small-town charm. But some of the townspeople aren’t very welcoming --- and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.
Audiobook available; read by Cassandra Campbell, Jeremy Carlisle Parker and Jennifer Pickens
Editorial Content for The Wound Is Where the Light Enters: A Memoir of Resilience
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Chris Young rose from an emotionally chaotic, violence-infused childhood to become a speaker, a writer and an inspiration, as he details in his powerful memoir, THE WOUND IS WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS. Read More
Teaser
If our world were more just, Chris Young would have been crossing a stage at college graduation at the age of 22. Instead, he was marched into a maximum-security federal prison, facing life under mandatory drug sentencing laws. Like far too many young Black men from his neighborhood in Clarksville, Tennessee, this was where his story was supposed to end. But one day in the prison library, a book caught his eye: an encyclopedia. As he began to turn the pages, Chris felt himself transported. He began to confront the nihilism around him, the trauma of his past, and the cruelty of a system determined to confine him. At his sentencing hearing, Chris gave such a moving speech that the judge resigned from his lifetime appointment to the bench and fought to free him.
Promo
If our world were more just, Chris Young would have been crossing a stage at college graduation at the age of 22. Instead, he was marched into a maximum-security federal prison, facing life under mandatory drug sentencing laws. Like far too many young Black men from his neighborhood in Clarksville, Tennessee, this was where his story was supposed to end. But one day in the prison library, a book caught his eye: an encyclopedia. As he began to turn the pages, Chris felt himself transported. He began to confront the nihilism around him, the trauma of his past, and the cruelty of a system determined to confine him. At his sentencing hearing, Chris gave such a moving speech that the judge resigned from his lifetime appointment to the bench and fought to free him.
About the Book
The inspiring memoir of a brilliant young man who, sentenced to life in prison, refused to surrender his future --- a story so powerful that it transformed even the judge who handed down the sentence.
If our world were more just, Chris Young would have been crossing a stage at college graduation at the age of 22. Instead, he was marched into a maximum-security federal prison, facing life under mandatory drug sentencing laws. Like far too many young Black men from his neighborhood in Clarksville, Tennessee, this was where his story was supposed to end.
But one day in the prison library, a book caught his eye: an encyclopedia. As he began to turn the pages, Chris felt himself transported. Knowledge became a portal. He began to confront the nihilism around him, the trauma of his past, and the cruelty of a system determined to confine him. From the library, his cell and even solitary confinement, Chris built an education from scratch, studying philosophy, art, anthropology, history, physics and politics. He learned to analyze the stock market and taught himself how to code without a computer. He trained his mind --- and refused to let prison dictate the limits of his imagination. At his sentencing hearing, Chris gave such a moving speech that the judge resigned from his lifetime appointment to the bench and fought to free him.
Started in solitary confinement and finished beyond bars, THE WOUND IS WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS is a powerful meditation on choice, consequence and human potential, told through the story of a man who was never given a chance --- and who fought until, at last, he was.
Audiobook available, read by Amir Abdullah
Editorial Content for You’ll Love It Here
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In the supremely clever, touching and very humorous YOU’LL LOVE IT HERE, Natalie Sue presents a protagonist --- just like in her debut, I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL --- who at first glance seems totally unlikable, completely reprehensible, and utterly untrustworthy. In both novels, there is an event, a catalyst, that forces that character to face her life and her goals. Read More
Teaser
After years of climbing at her marketing firm, Mona was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat. Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat “boundaries” as optional. As Mona gets pulled deeper into the building’s chaos --- and closer to the people inside it --- she’s forced to confront what, and who, she’s really been trying to outrun.
Promo
After years of climbing at her marketing firm, Mona was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat. Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat “boundaries” as optional. As Mona gets pulled deeper into the building’s chaos --- and closer to the people inside it --- she’s forced to confront what, and who, she’s really been trying to outrun.
About the Book
From the bestselling author of I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL comes a sharply funny, surprisingly tender novel about a woman stuck in place, her nosy neighbors, and the journey to find where she belongs --- with all the heart of a grown-up The Breakfast Club.
Mona thought her living situation was bad…but the real mess is just beginning.
One day is all it takes for Mona’s life to implode. After years of climbing at her marketing firm, she was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat.
Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat “boundaries” as optional. There’s the shouting couple, the mysterious shut-in, a possible panty thief in the laundry room --- and Sami, the relentlessly cheerful diner owner who keeps showing up with coffee and unsolicited ideas about community. As Mona gets pulled deeper into the building’s chaos --- and closer to the people inside it --- she’s forced to confront what, and who, she’s really been trying to outrun. Sometimes, the place you’re desperate to leave is the one that finally shows you who you are.
Wise, heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny, Natalie Sue’s sophomore novel is a story about burning out, starting over, and finding your people in the most unexpected places --- perfect for fans of THE WEDDING PEOPLE and ANXIOUS PEOPLE.
Audiobook available, read by Nasim Pedrad











