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April 2015

ReadingGroupGuides.com Newsletter April 2015


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Bring on Spring Reading!

Between Easter, Passover and various Spring Break schedules (from what we see, the latter start in early March and carry on into mid-April), it’s been a busy time of year. Also, winter overstayed its welcome and clung to the calendar longer than its appointed time in most of the country.

Even with all the schedule interruptions that the year has brought, it’s been a stellar year for reading thus far. For those of you who like to stay on top of the books being released each week, may we suggest that you sign up for the Bookreporter.com “On Sale This Week” newsletter? It arrives in your mailbox on Tuesday nights with titles that will be published in hardcover and paperback both that week and the following. Click here to sign up.

In big news for book groups, INSIDE THE O’BRIENS, the latest book from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova, is on sale today. Many of you, like me, discovered Lisa with STILL ALICE, which became a major motion picture garnering Julianne Moore an Oscar, a Golden Globe and many other Best Actress accolades; it's one film where I liked the movie as much as the book. In INSIDE THE O’BRIENS, devoted husband and father Joe O'Brien is a respected police officer in Charlestown, Massachusetts, when he begins suffering from memory and attitude changes. When his symptoms worsen, he visits a doctor and is diagnosed with Huntington's disease, a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. As he struggles to maintain his composure, his four children --- each with a 50 percent chance of sharing his fate --- must decide whether or not to be tested.

I read an advance copy of this book months ago and felt the same way then that I did when I read STILL ALICE. The characters touched me enormously, and since then I have given much thought to them and to what I had learned about Huntington’s and its impact on the lives of families. Early readers on Bookreporter.com agreed with me, and you can see their comments here, and it will be an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. We will have a discussion guide for it soon, but in the meantime you can read our review on Bookreporter.com here.

For those of you who like to pair meals, drinks and desserts with your book discussions --- and who love mysteries --- we are excited to give a shout-out to THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK. The 100-recipe contributors include Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny and Scott Turow. We know one of these recipes well, as every year Wendy Corsi Staub bakes the MOST amazing rum cake for the staff at the holidays. Trust me; this alone is worth buying the book for. In her recipe preface, Wendy writes about the day she came to the office for a visit and I introduced her to the staff as "Wendy --- you know 'Rum Cake Wendy.'" Nikki, Emily and Shara have already taken Wendy’s recipe home and plan to have a rum cake bakeoff! Many of the other recipes are a complete hoot and a howl as is the surrounding commentary where the authors definitely strut their personal culinary styles.

Registration is officially open for our BEA “Great Book Club Titles for Fall/Winter 2015 – Speed Dating for Booksellers, Librarians & Book Group Leaders.” This year the event will be held on Friday, May 29th from 2:00-3:50 at the BookExpo America trade conference. As you know, this is a fabulous opportunity to hear about more than 100 forthcoming titles that are “book group perfect.” We’ve already heard from dozens of publishers --- including Penguin, Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette and Grove/Atlantic --- who will be there. We are VERY excited about the event this year as it coincides with our 15th anniversary in May. We have some special plans to celebrate this milestone with YOU at this program. Advance registration is required and ends on Thursday, May 18th at noon. To register, click here. One reminder: You must be signed up to attend BEA on Friday, May 29th to attend this session. If you have not already registered for BEA, you can do so here. For more information about pricing, click here. Questions, please let us know! Looking forward to seeing you there.

Now that spring is upon us, book festival season is in full swing. We absolutely love hearing from our readers all about the events they’re attending. A few weekends ago, the Tucson Festival of Books took place on the University of Arizona campus. With more than 250 exhibitors and new and veteran authors including Lisa See, Deborah Harkness, Daniel James Brown, Mitch Albom and William Kent Krueger in attendance, there was plenty for attendees to see. Luckily, Bookreporter.com reader Edy Alderson is an experienced festival-goer, and she was kind enough to navigate the scene for us. You can read all about that here. We all really loved Edy's enthusiasm!

We also heard from Bethanne Patrick, who attended the Virginia Festival of the Book. Bethanne received her MA in English from the University of Virginia and lived in Charlottesville twice; she has been involved with the Virginia Festival of the Book since 2000 and regularly moderates its Agents Panel. She also was on a panel about book groups, which had a wonderful turnout! You can read a Q&A about her experience at the festival here.

If anyone is attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books or the Southern Book Festival, let me know!

When we heard that bestselling author John Searles was visiting a book club in each of the 50 states to discuss his award-winning mystery, HELP FOR THE HAUNTED, we couldn’t help but be impressed by such an ambitious undertaking! Halfway through this exciting project, he took time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions about his whirlwind tour. Click here for our interview, where John talks about some of the most interesting groups he’s chatted with so far, the strangest question he’s been asked, and what makes HELP FOR THE HAUNTED such a terrific book for discussion. If your group is interested in discussing it, you can find the guide here.

We have a great update for you this month!

First up, we are celebrating today's paperback release of Holly Brown's gripping thriller, DON'T TRY TO FIND ME, with a special contest. It's the story of one family's search for their missing daughter, and the very public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets. We're giving 20 groups the chance to win 10 copies. Enter here by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET. I read this last weekend and noted that it would be an excellent choice for mother-daughter book groups. Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.

In an ongoing contest, we’re giving away 25 copies of New York Times bestselling author Marisa de los Santos' latest book, THE PRECIOUS ONE. It’s an unforgettable story of family secrets, lost love and dangerous obsession, told with the deep characterization, piercing emotional resonance and heartfelt insight that are the hallmarks of the author’s beloved works. Enter here by Wednesday, April 15th at noon ET for your chance to win. We have our Bookreporter.com review here, as well as an interview with the author.

Our prize book in April’s “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest is New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg's lush, historical novel, THE DREAM LOVER. It's the story of Aurore Dupin, who leaves her estranged husband, a loveless marriage and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name --- George Sand --- and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle. Click here to enter by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET; all you need to do is to tell us what YOUR book group is reading for April. Looks like last month a lot of you were reading Anthony Doerr’s ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, Paula Hawkins’ THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (contributing to its overnight success!) and Sue Monk Kidd’s THE INVENTION OF WINGS. All great discussion books!

We have featured guides for three fabulous books this month. The first is for #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory’s THE KING’S CURSE --- now available in paperback. It’s the story of lady-in-waiting Margaret Pole and her unique view of King Henry VIII’s stratospheric rise to power in Tudor England. This is a can’t-miss for lovers of historical fiction. Click here for the featured guide and here for our Bookreporter.com review.

We’re also featuring the guide for THE MEMORY HOUSE, the first in New York Times bestselling author Linda Goodnight’s brand new Honey Ridge series. Set today and during the Civil War in a wonderful old antebellum mansion in Tennessee, THE MEMORY HOUSE is the story of Julia Presley, who --- after a devastating tragedy that robbed her of her family --- finds comfort in the routine of running the Peach Orchard Inn. Life is calm and unchanging…until a stranger with a young boy and soul-deep secrets shows up in her Tennessee town and disrupts the loneliness of her world. Click here for the featured guide. We have our Bookreporter.com review here, as well as an interview with the author.

Finally, we’re featuring Judith Claire Mitchell’s A REUNION OF GHOSTS. It’s about sisters Lady, Vee and Delph, who share their family's apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. They love each other fiercely, but being an Alter isn't easy. In the waning days of 1999, the trio decides it's time to close the circle of the Alter curse. But first, they must write the final chapter of a saga lifetimes in the making --- one that is inexorably intertwined with that of the 20th century itself. We don’t yet have a guide for this title, but you can click here to read more about it.

Please note: We now have the guide for the latest installment in Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, A DANGEROUS PLACE. You can find that here and our Bookreporter.com review here.

We’re also excited to share the guide for Robin Oliveira’s I ALWAYS LOVED YOU. In it, she tells the story of Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt and her tempestuous relationship with Edgar Degas. Written with grace and uncommon insight into the passion and foibles of the human heart, I ALWAYS LOVED YOU brilliantly recreates the irresistible world of Belle Époque Paris. Click here for the guide.

As the paperback comes out today, we want to once again feature our unofficial guide for Donna Tartt's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, THE GOLDFINCH. Back in September 2014, we asked our readers to come up with discussion questions for the then- and still-guideless title, and you were more than accommodating. Thanks again to all the amazing readers who contributed. You can see the guide and its contributors here. Whether you have read THE GOLDFINCH on your own or with your group, these questions are worth looking at. And if you haven’t read it yet, don’t miss it in paperback!

The trade paperback of THE GOLDFINCH is the latest Pennie's Pick from Costco. We’ve updated our monthly Reading Roundup feature with this news, along with the latest titles from Indie Next, LibraryReads and Target. Click here for all the top picks of the month.

Our Spring Preview contests on Bookreporter.com are still going strong. This week, we're giving away ALENA by Rachel Pastan, BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber, ORHAN'S INHERITANCE by Aline Ohanesian and THIS HEART OF MINE by Brenda Novak. Next week’s prize books will be THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD by Elizabeth Alexander, RE JANE by Patricia Park, THE ROCKS by Peter Nichols and VISIBLE CITY by Tova Mirvis. The next 24-hour contest of the week will go live tomorrow, April 8th at noon ET.

And last but not least, we'd love for you to weigh in on our new poll question. We've listed 15 popular book group titles, and we would like to know which ones, if any, your group has read or is planning to read. Click here to let us know!

Here’s to a great April discussion for you and your book group!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping for books, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!

Special Contest: Win Copies of DON'T TRY TO FIND ME by Holly Brown for Your Group

We are celebrating the recent paperback release of Holly Brown's gripping thriller, DON'T TRY TO FIND ME, with a special contest. It's the story of one family's search for their missing daughter, and the very public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets. We're giving 20 groups the chance to win 10 copies. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET.

DON'T TRY TO FIND ME by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
When a 14-year-old runs away, her parents turn to social media to find her --- launching a public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets and change their family forever, in this suspenseful and gripping debut for fans of RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA and GONE GIRL.

Don’t try to find me. Though the message on the kitchen white board is written in Marley’s hand, her mother Rachel knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

As the days pass and it sinks in that the impossible has occurred, Rachel and her husband Paul are informed that the police have “limited resources.” If they want their 14-year-old daughter back, they will have to find her themselves. Desperation becomes determination when Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter, and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn’t the only one with secrets.

With public exposure comes scrutiny, and when Rachel blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins. Now, the blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It’s not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally, anyway. But when it’s discovered that she’s lied, even to the police, the devoted mother becomes a suspect in Marley’s disappearance.

Is Marley out there somewhere, watching it all happen, or is the truth something far worse?

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here to enter the contest.
Special Contest: Win a Copy of THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos

We are celebrating the recent release of New York Times bestselling author Marisa de los Santos' THE PRECIOUS ONE --- a captivating novel about friendship, family and the redemptive power of love --- by giving 25 readers a chance to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, April 15th at noon ET.

THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of BELONG TO ME, LOVE WALKED IN and FALLING TOGETHER comes a captivating novel about friendship, family, second chances and the redemptive power of love.

In all her life, Eustacia “Taisy” Cleary has given her heart to only three men: her first love, Ben Ransom; her twin brother, Marcus; and Wilson Cleary --- professor, inventor, philanderer, self-made millionaire, brilliant man, breathtaking jerk: her father.

Seventeen years ago, Wilson ditched his first family for Caroline, a beautiful young sculptor. In all that time, Taisy’s family has seen Wilson, Caroline, and their daughter, Willow, only once.

Why, then, is Wilson calling Taisy now, inviting her for an extended visit, encouraging her to meet her pretty sister --- a teenager who views her with jealousy, mistrust and grudging admiration? Why, now, does Wilson want Taisy to help him write his memoir?

Told in alternating voices --- Taisy’s strong, unsparing observations and Willow’s naive, heartbreakingly earnest yearnings --- THE PRECIOUS ONE is an unforgettable novel of family secrets, lost love and dangerous obsession, a captivating tale with the deep characterization, piercing emotional resonance and heartfelt insight that are the hallmarks of Marisa de los Santos’ beloved works.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here to enter the contest.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of THE DREAM LOVER by Elizabeth Berg

Each month, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away.

Our latest prize book is New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg's lush, historical novel, THE DREAM LOVER. It's the story of Aurore Dupin, who leaves her estranged husband, a loveless marriage and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name --- George Sand --- and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle. Click here to enter by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET.

THE DREAM LOVER by Elizabeth Berg (Historical Fiction)
At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name --- George Sand --- and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle.

Paris in the 19th century comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frédéric Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval and Alfred de Musset. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach --- a dream?

Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, THE DREAM LOVER tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman.

Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Guide: THE KING'S CURSE by Philippa Gregory
THE KING'S CURSE by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Starz original series "The White Queen" comes the story of lady-in-waiting Margaret Pole and her unique view of King Henry VIII’s stratospheric rise to power in Tudor England.

Regarded as yet another threat to the volatile King Henry VII’s claim to the throne, Margaret Pole, cousin to Elizabeth of York (known as the White Princess) and daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, is married off to a steady and kind Lancaster supporter --- Sir Richard Pole. For his loyalty, Sir Richard is entrusted with the governorship of Wales, but Margaret’s contented daily life is changed forever with the arrival of Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon. Margaret soon becomes a trusted advisor and friend to the honeymooning couple, hiding her own royal connections in service to the Tudors.

After the sudden death of Prince Arthur, Katherine leaves for London a widow, and fulfills her deathbed promise to her husband by marrying his brother, Henry VIII. Margaret’s world is turned upside down by the surprising summons to court, where she becomes the chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. But this charmed life of the wealthiest and “holiest” woman in England lasts only until the rise of Anne Boleyn, and the dramatic deterioration of the Tudor court. Margaret has to choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical king, or to her beloved queen; to the religion she loves or the theology that serves the new masters. Caught between the old world and the new, Margaret Pole has to find her own way as she carries the knowledge of an old curse on all the Tudors.


-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
 
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Guide: THE MEMORY HOUSE by Linda Goodnight
THE MEMORY HOUSE: A Honey Ridge Novel by Linda Goodnight (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Linda Goodnight welcomes you to Honey Ridge, Tennessee, and a house that's rich with secrets and brimming with sweet possibilities.

Memories of motherhood and marriage are fresh for Julia Presley --- though tragedy took away both years ago. Finding comfort in the routine of running the Peach Orchard Inn, she lets the historic, mysterious place fill the voids of love and family. No more pleasure of a man's gentle kiss. No more joy in hearing a child call her Mommy. Life is calm, unchanging…until a stranger with a young boy and soul-deep secrets shows up in her Tennessee town and disrupts the loneliness of her world.

Julia suspects there's more to Eli Donovan's past than his motherless son, Alex. There's a reason he's chasing redemption and bent on earning it with a new beginning in Honey Ridge. Offering the guarded man work renovating the inn, she glimpses someone who --- like her --- has a heart in need of restoration. But with the chance discovery of a dusty stack of love letters buried within the lining of an old trunk, the long-dead ghosts of a Civil War romance envelop Julia and Eli, connecting them to the inn's violent history and challenging them both to risk facing yesterday's darkness for a future bright with hope and healing.

-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

 
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Title: A REUNION OF GHOSTS by Judith Claire Mitchell

A REUNION OF GHOSTS by Judith Claire Mitchell (Fiction)
Meet the Alter sisters: Lady, Vee and Delph. These three mordantly witty, complex women share their family's apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. They love each other fiercely, but being an Alter isn't easy. Bad luck is in their genes, passed down through the generations. Yet no matter what curves life throws at these siblings --- and it's hurled plenty --- they always have a wisecrack, and one another.

In the waning days of 1999, the trio decides it's time to close the circle of the Alter curse. But first, as the world counts down to the dawn of a new millennium, Lady, Vee and Delph must write the final chapter of a saga lifetimes in the making --- one that is inexorably intertwined with that of the 20th century itself. Unspooling threads of history, personal memory and family lore, they weave a mesmerizing account of their lives that stretches back decades to their great-grandfather, a brilliant scientist whose professional triumph became the sinister legacy that defines them.

Funny, heartbreaking and utterly original, A REUNION OF GHOSTS is a magnificent novel about three unforgettable women bound to each other, and to their remarkable family, through the blessings and the burdens bestowed by blood.

Note: We will be adding a discussion guide for this book very soon!

Click here to read more about this featured title.
New Guide: I ALWAYS LOVED YOU by Robin Oliveira

I ALWAYS LOVED YOU by Robin Oliveira (Historical Fiction)
The young Mary Cassatt never thought moving to Paris after the Civil War to be an artist was going to be easy, but when, after a decade of work, her submission to the Paris Salon is rejected, Mary’s fierce determination wavers. Her father is begging her to return to Philadelphia to find a husband before it is too late, her sister Lydia is falling mysteriously ill, and worse, Mary is beginning to doubt herself. Then one evening a friend introduces her to Edgar Degas and her life changes forever. Years later she will learn that he had begged for the introduction, but in that moment their meeting seems a miracle. So begins the defining period of her life and the most tempestuous of relationships.

In I ALWAYS LOVED YOU, Robin Oliveira brilliantly recreates the irresistible world of Belle Époque Paris, writing with grace and uncommon insight into the passion and foibles of the human heart.

Click here for the guide.
Now in Paperback: THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt

In honor of its recent paperback release, we wanted to once again feature our unofficial guide for Donna Tartt's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, THE GOLDFINCH. Thank you to all the amazing readers who contributed discussion questions.

THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt (Fiction)
It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love --- and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

THE GOLDFINCH is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here for the unofficial guide.
Featured Guide: A DANGEROUS PLACE by Jacqueline Winspear

A DANGEROUS PLACE: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (Historical Mystery)
Maisie Dobbs returns in a powerful story of political intrigue and personal tragedy: A brutal murder in the British garrison town of Gibraltar leads the investigator into a web of lies, deceit and danger.

Spring 1937. In the four years since she left England, Maisie Dobbs has experienced love, contentment, stability --- and the deepest tragedy a woman can endure. Now, all she wants is the peace she believes she might find by returning to India. But her sojourn in the hills of Darjeeling is cut short when her stepmother summons her home to England: Her aging father, Frankie Dobbs, is not getting any younger.

On a ship bound for England, Maisie realizes she isn’t ready to return. Against the wishes of the captain who warns her, “You will be alone in a most dangerous place,” she disembarks in Gibraltar. Though she is on her own, Maisie is far from alone: The British garrison town is teeming with refugees fleeing a brutal civil war across the border in Spain.

And the danger is very real. Days after Maisie’s arrival, a photographer and member of Gibraltar’s Sephardic Jewish community, Sebastian Babayoff, is murdered, and Maisie becomes entangled in the case, drawing the attention of the British Secret Service. Under the suspicious eye of a British agent, Maisie is pulled deeper into political intrigue on “the Rock” --- arguably Britain’s most important strategic territory --- and renews an uneasy acquaintance in the process. At a crossroads between her past and her future, Maisie must choose a direction, knowing that England is, for her, an equally dangerous place, but in quite a different way.

-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here for the featured guide.
Announcing ReadingGroupGuides.com's 4th Annual BookExpo America Speed Dating Event: "Great Book Group Titles for Fall/Winter 2015"

On Friday, May 29th, from 2:00PM to 3:50PM at BookExpo America, ReadingGroupGuides.com --- which is celebrating its 15th anniversary of connecting book groups with the books they want to read --- will host its 4th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event. Representatives from more than a dozen publishers will be in attendance in the Jacob K. Javits Center Special Events Hall to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians, book group leaders and bloggers an inside look at what book groups will want to know for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event. Advance signup is required. Seating will be assigned. Fill out this form to sign up.

Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo America in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register. For more information about pricing, click here.

Click here to register for the event.
Bookreporter.com’s Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve already caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by a list of great upcoming books. Here are some picks that we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We will be hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 21st. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Wednesday, April 8th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles include:

Click here to see our Spring Preview feature and sign up for our special newsletter.
Recent "Bookreporter.com Bets On" Selections: GOLDENEYE and MADEMOISELLE CHANEL

GOLDENEYE: Where Bond Was Born --- Ian Fleming's Jamaica by Matthew Parker (Biography)
I have a thing for the James Bond franchise that goes beyond gadgets and Bond Girls. As an Anglophile, it even goes beyond the fact that Bond is a British icon. Instead, I love to look at James Bond and Ian Fleming in their relation to the British psyche of the 1950s and 1960s, a reflection of a nation with a changing identity as the colonies that once made up so much of its identity started to peel away one by one, amidst the physical and mental rebuilding after the destruction of World War II.

-Click here to read more of Greg Fitzgerald's thoughts on the book.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.


MADEMOISELLE CHANEL by C. W. Gortner (Historical Fiction)
I started my career at a fashion magazine, so Chanel was a name I came to know well as an iconic brand, but I knew little about the woman when I worked there. A few years ago, I watched Coco Before Chanel and learned a tad more about Coco Chanel and her legendary career, but there still were holes. Thus I scooped up an advance copy of C. W. Gortner’s MADEMOISELLE CHANEL as soon as it was available and happily found it to be a wonderfully enjoyable book that rounded out my Chanel experience.

-Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
New Guides Now Available

The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

A DANGEROUS PLACE: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (Historical Mystery)
Maisie Dobbs returns in a powerful story of political intrigue and personal tragedy: A brutal murder in the British garrison town of Gilbraltar leads the investigator into a web of lies, deceit and danger.

DON'T TRY TO FIND ME by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
When 14-year-old Marley Willits runs away, her parents embark on a public social media campaign to find her, exposing all their darkest secrets and changing their family forever in this suspenseful and gripping novel.

THE DREAM LOVER by Elizabeth Berg (Historical Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the 19th-century writer George Sand --- which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins (Psychological Thriller)
Compulsively readable, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller, and an electrifying debut that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

I ALWAYS LOVED YOU by Robin Oliveira (Historical Fiction)
In I ALWAYS LOVED YOU, Robin Oliveira brilliantly recreates the irresistible world of Belle Époque Paris, writing with grace and uncommon insight into the passion and foibles of the human heart.

THE KING'S CURSE by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Starz original series “The White Queen” comes the story of lady-in-waiting Margaret Pole and her unique view of King Henry VIII’s stratospheric rise to power in Tudor England.

THE MEMORY HOUSE: A Honey Ridge Novel by Linda Goodnight (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Linda Goodnight brings a brand-new tale of tender love and a house that’s rich with secrets and brimming with sweet possibilities in the small town of Honey Ridge, Tennessee.

THE MEMORY PAINTER by Gwendolyn Womack (Thriller)
Two lovers who have traveled across time. A team of scientists at the cutting edge of memory research. A miracle drug that unlocks an ancient mystery.

MIMI MALLOY, AT LAST! by Julia MacDonnell (Fiction)
A "moving, funny masterpiece about love, memory, and the family ties we sometimes need to untangle" (Caroline Leavitt), MIMI MALLOY, AT LAST! is an unforgettable novel, alive with hope, unexpected romance and the magic of hard-earned insight.

THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos (Fiction)
From the bestselling author of BELONG TO ME, LOVE WALKED IN and FALLING TOGETHER comes a captivating novel about friendship, family and the redemptive power of love.


Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

THE FORTUNE HUNTER by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
A beautiful empress, a handsome horseman and a bluestocking heiress form a passionate love triangle in this historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE AMERICAN HEIRESS.

GEMINI by Carol Cassella (Mystery)
When an unidentified Jane Doe, the victim of a hit-and-run, arrives in Dr. Charlotte Reese’s intensive care unit, she brings with her mysteries --- both medical and personal.

THE WEDDING GIFT by Marlen Suyapa Bodden (Historical Fiction)
Marlen Suyapa Bodden's THE WEDDING GIFT is an intimate portrait of slavery and the 19th-century South that will leave readers breathless.

This Month's Poll
Which of the following 15 popular book group titles have you discussed (or have upcoming plans to discuss) with your book group? Please check all that apply.

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
THE AVIATOR'S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin
BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter
THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown
THE FORTUNE HUNTER by Daisy Goodwin
THE HUSBAND'S SECRET by Liane Moriarty
THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd
ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger
ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline
THE PARIS ARCHITECT by Charles Belfoure
THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL by Nadia Hashimi
THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion
THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS by Elizabeth Gilbert
THE SILENT WIFE by A. S. A. Harrison
STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova
None of these
 
Click here to answer the poll by Wednesday, May 6th at noon ET.

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Happy reading. We'll see you next month.

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Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

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