May 2015

It’s hard to believe that 15(!) years have passed since we first launched this site. Thanks to all of you who have welcomed us into your mailboxes, shared feedback, posted comments and read over the last decade and a half. We are cooking up a number of plans for a year-long celebration, and we’ll start by announcing a couple here.

First up is our 2015 Book Group Survey! The last time we did a survey on this scale was back in 2009, and so much has changed since then. Our last survey was so comprehensive that for the last six years it’s been referenced again and again when discussing book group plans; you shaped that conversation, and we would like you to help us do that again. We would love you to answer this survey and also ask you to share it with ALL members of your book group. We are looking for as much individual feedback on book groups as possible, so the more respondents, the merrier! We know your time is valuable, thus once you complete the survey, you will be eligible to enter to win the following prizes: a Grand Prize of one $250 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice, ten (10) $100 gift certificates to the bookstore of your choice and fifty (50) $25 gift certificates, again to the bookstore of your choice. We did the math for you; that is a $2,500 prize package! The survey will be open until July 15th, but may we ask that you jump on this as quickly as possible, as we are really looking forward to hearing what YOU have to say? Oh, and if you are in more than one book group? Then answer for one group, and then take it again for the other group(s) that you belong to!

Second, our latest poll question. In honor of our 15th anniversary, we’ve rounded up 15 well-known fiction and nonfiction titles for book groups from the past 15 years and ask which of them you read with your group. We dug back here for these to get some “oldies but goodies” onto our lists, so enjoy this trip down book group memory lane and let us know the ones you and your group have read. Click here to let us know. Last month’s poll was answered by 908 of you (thanks to all who replied)! We asked, ”Which of the following 15 popular book group titles have you discussed (or have upcoming plans to discuss) with your book group?” The top choices were ORPHAN TRAIN (68%), ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE (52%), THE INVENTION OF WINGS (50%) and STILL ALICE (48%).

This is just the start of the celebration; look for something each month in the year ahead to mark this milestone. Anniversary trivia: Crystal is the traditional way to celebrate 15 years, and watches are the more modern way. Given the advent of smartphones, I question how modern the last idea is!

Now moving back to the present, we have a great update for you this month!

First up, we are celebrating the release of critically acclaimed author Lily King's EUPHORIA --- an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration and sacrifice, inspired by the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead --- by giving 25 readers the chance to win a copy of the book. Enter here by Wednesday, June 3rd at noon ET. This book has gotten rave reviews, and is a must-read for fans of literary fiction! EUPHORIA is one of those books that I meant to read when it first released in hardcover; my confession is that I first fell in love with its very distinctive cover. I am reading it now and am quickly seeing why this book has received so many prizes and accolades. They had me at this promo line: "Three gifted anthropologists of the 1930s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and ultimately their lives." What a way to learn about anthropology! We also have a wonderful video interview with Lily King, which you can watch here.

Our prize book in May’s “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest is bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank's THE HURRICANE SISTERS. Once again, we go deep into the heart of the magical South Carolina Lowcountry, where we meet three generations of women buried in secrets: The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle; her daughter, Liz, whose emotionally demanding career will eventually open all their eyes to a terrible truth; and Liz's daughter, Ashley, whose dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future keeps them all at odds. Click here to enter by Wednesday, June 3rd at noon ET. Dottie, as I know her, captures both setting and character here in a book sure to spark lots of conversation. You can get the guide here.

We have three featured guides to share with you this month. The first is for bestselling author Deeanne Gist’s TIFFANY GIRL. It’s the compelling historical story about a progressive “New Woman,” Flossie Jayne, the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel, and the love that threatens it all. Click here for the featured guide. You’ll recall that we ran a very special contest for this book back in February, where we gave one group the chance to win a dinner with Deeanne. We’re happy to share that Deeanne had a fabulous time with the winning group, the “Rambunctious Readers” from Orlando, FL; they even got to visit the Tiffany Chapel, which is located in the Morse Museum! Click here to read all about their experience and see some photos from the event.

We’re also featuring the guide for acclaimed actor Alan Cumming’s moving memoir, NOT MY FATHER’S SON. In it, he shares the story of his complicated relationship with his emotionally and physically abusive father and the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career. He integrates stories from his childhood with those detailing his experiences as a successful actor today in a memoir that is suspenseful, deeply moving and wickedly funny. Click here for the featured guide. I am reading this, but am planning to give it a listen as well. Cumming narrates, and audio listeners have been writing me to swoon over his storytelling. I have heard more than once, “I love his accent!” and “I could listen to him all day!” so keep that in mind as you plan your reading/discussion of this title.

Our third featured guide is for Neel Shah and Skye Chatham’s ingenious take on modern dating, READ BOTTOM UP. It follows the not-so-straightforward romance between Madeline and Elliot through a series of thrilling, confounding and funny exchanges with each other and with their best friends (a.k.a. amateur love doctors). The result is a brand new kind of modern romantic comedy, both in format and in content. It also includes some adorable illustrations, to make this book quite the multimedia experience. Click here for the featured guide.

If you have not yet registered for our BEA event, “Great Book Club Titles for Fall/Winter 2015 – Speed Dating for Booksellers, Librarians & Book Group Leaders,” NOW is the time to do it as reservations close on May 18th! 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 have 27(!) participating publishers --- including representatives from Penguin Random House, HarperCollins and Grove/Atlantic --- so there is sure to be something for everyone.

We are VERY excited about the program this year, which we’re officially considering a 15th anniversary event! We have some special plans to celebrate this milestone with YOU at the event. Advance registration is required and ends on Monday, May 18th at noon ET. 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. Oh, and if you are not going to be there, we plan to share the selections mentioned with you in our June update.

Mother’s Day is THIS WEEKEND. I know, get ready to be feted or to fete others. Stuck on what to give/ask for? Then check our 27 suggestions in our Bookreporter.com Mother’s Day Feature and then enter our 10th Annual Mother’s Day Contest. Up for grabs are 25 prize packages, which includes a selection of five of our featured Mother’s Day titles, along with some delicious Ghirardelli chocolate, tea from Tea Forté and Yardley Bar Soap. The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 11th at noon ET. Click here to peruse our impressive selection of titles and fill out our entry form.

Along with the feature, we’ve also been running our Mother’s Day Blog series this week, where authors share some fond memories of how their mothers inspired their love of books. So far, we’ve heard some lovely stories from Robyn Carr, Anne A. Wilson, Harriet Evans, the trio of Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth and Meg Moseley, Jamie Brickhouse, Katie Schickel and Margaret Dilloway. We’ll keep adding blogs until Mother’s Day, and we look forward to hearing from Kathryn Springer and Susan Mallery over the weekend. Make sure to look out for that!

Our Spring Preview contests on Bookreporter.com wrapped at the end of April. Many thanks to all who entered these 21 contests…and a big congratulations to all our winners, which you can see here. You won’t be deprived of these 24-hour giveaways for long, as on May 15th we kick off our Summer Reading feature/contests! You can sign up for Summer Reading newsletters here.

We’re trying to pull together a list of the best online book clubs. Do you belong to an online book group? Let us know which one!

Got news this week that Barnes & Noble will host discussions of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at all 649 stores on Thursday, May 14th, exactly two months before the publication date of GO SET A WATCHMAN. The retailer also plans a related movie discussion at all stores on June 18th, as well as a July 13th MOCKINGBIRD readathon. Definitely worth checking out!

I close by thanking you for being a part of ReadingGroupGuides.com over the last 15 years; we truly appreciate your reading and contributing to the site. Read on for much, much more…

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!
 

Welcome to the 2015 Book Group Survey, presented by ReadingGroupGuides.com. The results of this survey will be shared with publishers and authors for the purposes of creating programs and promotions to enhance your book club experience.

We invite you to take our 2015 Book Group Survey. It should take about 15-20 minutes to complete it.

If you belong to more than one group, as you answer the survey please select one group to answer the questions about. If you would like to supply replies about another group, please take the survey again once you have completed it.

Those who complete the survey will be eligible to win one of the following prizes:
1 (one) Grand Prize - $250 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.
10 (ten) First Prizes - $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.
50 (fifty) Second Prizes - $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.

The survey will be open through Wednesday, July 15, 2015. We appreciate your participation!
 

We are celebrating the release of critically acclaimed author Lily King's EUPHORIA --- an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration and sacrifice, inspired by the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead --- by giving 25 readers a chance to win a copy of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, June 3rd at noon ET.

EUPHORIA by Lily King (Fiction)
Winner of the 2014 Kirkus Prize
Winner of the 2014 New England Book Award for Fiction
Finalist for the National Book Critic Circle Award for Fiction

New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2014; TIME Top 10 Fiction Books of 2014; New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books of 2014; NPR Best Books of 2014; Entertainment Weekly’s 10 Best Fiction Books of 2014; Washington Post Top 50 Fiction Books of 2014; Kirkus Best of 2014; Amazon 100 Best of 2014 #16; Publishers Weekly Best Fiction Books of 2014; Our Man in Boston’s Best of 2014; Oprah.com 15 Must Reads of 2014; Buzzfeed 32 Most Beautiful Book Covers of 2014; A Vogue Top 10 Book of 2014; A New York magazine Best Book of the Year; Seattle Times Top Books of 2014; San Francisco Chronicle Top 10 Books of 2014

From New England Book Award winner Lily King comes a breathtaking novel about three young anthropologists of the 1930s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their ca­­reers, and, ultimately, their lives.

English anthropologist Andrew Banson has been alone in the field for several years, studying the Kiona river tribe in the Territory of New Guinea. Haunted by the memory of his brothers’ deaths and increasingly frustrated and isolated by his research, Bankson is on the verge of suicide when a chance encounter with colleagues, the controversial Nell Stone and her wry and mercurial Australian husband, Fen, pulls him back from the brink. Nell and Fen have just fled the bloodthirsty Mumbanyo and, in spite of Nell’s poor health, are hungry for a new discovery. When Bankson finds them a new tribe nearby, the artistic, female-dominated Tam, he ignites an intellectual and romantic firestorm between the three of them that burns out of anyone’s control.

Set between two world wars and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead, EUPHORIA is an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration and sacrifice from accomplished author Lily King.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
-Click here to watch a video interview with the author.
 

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 bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank's THE HURRICANE SISTERS. Once again, we go deep into the heart of the magical South Carolina Lowcountry, where we meet three generations of women buried in secrets: The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle; her daughter, Liz, whose emotionally demanding career will eventually open all their eyes to a terrible truth; and Liz's daughter, Ashley, whose dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future keeps them all at odds. Click here to enter by Wednesday, June 3rd at noon ET.

THE HURRICANE SISTERS by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Once again Dorothea Benton Frank takes us into the heart of her magical South Carolina Lowcountry on a tumultuous journey filled with longings, disappointments and a road toward happiness that is hard earned.

Three generations of women are buried in secrets. The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle, at 80, is a force to be reckoned with. Her daughter, Liz, is caught up in the classic maelstrom of being middle-aged and in an emotionally demanding career. And Liz's beautiful twentysomething daughter, Ashley, has dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future that keeps them all at odds.

Mary Beth, Ashley's dearest friend, tries to have her back, but even she can't talk headstrong Ashley out of a relationship with an ambitious politician who seems slightly too old for her. Actually, Ashley and Mary Beth have yet to launch themselves into solvency. So while they wait for the world to discover them, they placate themselves with a harebrained scheme to make money...and threatens to land them in huge trouble with the authorities.

So where is Clayton, Liz's husband? Ashley desperately needs her father's love and attention, but what kind of a parent can he be to Ashley with one foot in Manhattan and the other one planted in indiscretion? And Liz, who's an expert in the field of troubled domestic life, refuses to acknowledge Ashley's precarious situation. The Lowcountry has endured its share of war and bloodshed like the rest of the South, but this storm season we watch Maisie, Liz, Ashley and Mary Beth deal with challenges that demand they face the truth about themselves.

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

TIFFANY GIRL by Deeanne Gist (Historical Fiction)
From the bestselling author of IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR and FAIR PLAY comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman” --- the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel --- and the love that threatens it all.

As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany --- heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire --- seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen.

But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.”

TIFFANY GIRL is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world.

As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?

And look out for our review, which will be on Bookreporter.com later this month.

-Click here to read a blog post about Deeanne's dinner with our contest winners, the "Rambunctious Readers."
 

READ BOTTOM UP by Neel Shah and Skye Chatham (Fiction)
Madeline and Elliot meet at a New York City food event. Flirtation, online, ensues. A romance, potentially eternal, possibly doomed, begins.

And, like most things in life today, their early exchanges are very public, available to be scrutinized and interpreted by well-intentioned friends (a.k.a. amateur love doctors) who are a mere click away. Of course like all good email trails, this one reads from the bottom up.

Madeline and Elliot’s relationship unfolds through a series of thrilling, confounding and funny exchanges with each other and with their best friends. The result is a brand new kind of modern romantic comedy, both in format and in content. READ BOTTOM UP is a brilliant, fresh portrait that captures how enchanting, exciting and downright confusing falling in love 21st-century style can be.
 

Home is where the books are. Enter to win a year of books from PenguinRandomHouse.com!

Ready to build your own literary landscape? Now that we’re merging our libraries, we want to help you create and polish your own home collection.

Have a favorite genre? Pick and choose from our list of literary fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, romance, non-fiction, young adult, and more! One winner will randomly be selected to win 5 books in their favorite genres a month for a year.
 

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.
 

Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books and goodies for you or the special lady in your life in our 10th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 11th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our 25 prize packages, which includes a selection of five books listed below, along with some delicious Ghirardelli chocolate, tea from Tea Forté and Yardley Bar Soap. (Please note that two of these titles --- the eShorts CAT AND JEMIMA J by Jane Green and WHAT SHE REALLY WANTS by Barbara Delinsky --- are available for free download on Amazon Kindle beginning May 5th.)

With books that are moving, uplifting, humorous and informative, look no further than Bookreporter.com for the perfect gift for Mom.

To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, May 11th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles are:

• AMERICAN WIFE: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith, and Renewal by Taya Kyle with Jim DeFelice
• THE ART OF BAKING BLIND by Sarah Vaughan
• AUNT DIMITY AND THE SUMMER KING by Nancy Atherton
• THE BEAUTY OF GRACE: Stories of God's Love from Today's Most Popular Writers edited by Dawn Camp
• BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarity
• THE BOOK OF JOAN: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation by Melissa Rivers
• CAT AND JEMIMA J by Jane Green
• THE DANDELION FIELD by Kathryn Springer
• DANGEROUS WHEN WET: A Memoir by Jamie Brickhouse
• A FINE ROMANCE (audiobook) written and read by Candice Bergen
• THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY by Susan Mallery
• GLITTER AND GLUE: A Memoir by Kelly Corrigan
• GOING OFF SCRIPT: How I Survived a Crazy Childhood, Cancer, and Clooney's 32 On-Screen Rejections by Giuliana Rancic
• HOUSEWITCH by Katie Schickel
• HOVER by Anne A. Wilson
• THE HURRICANE SISTERS by Dorothea Benton Frank
• THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd
• LEAVING TIME by Jodi Picoult
• A LETTER TO MY MOM by Lisa Erspamer
• MISS JULIA LAYS DOWN THE LAW by Ann B. Ross
• NEVER TOO LATE by Robyn Carr
• ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes
• A PLACE FOR US by Harriet Evans
• SISTERS OF HEART AND SNOW by Margaret Dilloway
• SPRING BRIDES: Three Novellas by Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth and Meg Moseley
• TRUE AND CONSTANT FRIENDS: Love and Inspiration from Our Grandmothers, Mothers, and Friends by Kelley Paul
• WHAT SHE REALLY WANTS by Barbara Delinsky

Our mothers inspire us in all kinds of ways; for some of us, one of the most important things we learned from our moms was how to love books. This is especially true for this group of brilliant authors, who were kind enough to contribute their stories to our 2015 Mother's Day Blog series. From Robyn Carr, who can't seem to stop accidentally spoiling books for her daughter, to Anne A. Wilson, whose practical mother can still appreciate her daughter's romance novels, to Jamie Brickhouse, who proudly belonged to a book club of two with his Mama Jean, we've heard some wonderful memories of moms and books. Make sure to check those out, and more from Harriet Evans, the trio of Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth and Meg Moseley, Katie Schickel and Margaret Dilloway. We’ll keep adding blogs until Mother’s Day, and we look forward to hearing from Kathryn Springer and Susan Mallery over the weekend.
 

WHISKEY AND CHARLIE by Annabel Smith (Fiction)
WHISKEY AND CHARLIE by Annabel Smith tells the story of twin brothers Whiskey and Charlie, who were inseparable as children. Though carefree and daring, Whiskey often stole the limelight. The brothers kept close through a secret language based on the two-way alphabet. As adults, however, the two barely speak to one another --- until a tragic accident leaves Whiskey in a coma. Now alone, Charlie must confront his feelings about Whiskey in this truly special novel of brotherly love. It’s a rich story about how emotions can be tangled.

-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 to read an interview with the author.


INSIDE THE O'BRIENS by Lisa Genova (Fiction)
Many of you, like me, discovered Lisa Genova with STILL ALICE back in 2009. It was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, as were her later titles, LEFT NEGLECTED and LOVE ANTHONY, making her the first author to have three books noted as Bets On picks. She breaks another record now as INSIDE THE O’BRIENS receives the same honor. While each of these novels has been so well done, INSIDE THE O’BRIENS is tied with me for her best book.

-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 to read an interview with the author.


A FINE ROMANCE - Audiobook by Candice Bergen (Memoir)
I am not one who flocks to celebrity memoirs, but I loved A FINE ROMANCE by Candice Bergen, which I listened to on audio. The book is about the male loves of her life --- her husbands, Louis Malle and Marshall Rose --- and the person who lives in her heart: her daughter, Chloe. The book is wickedly honest. She admits her flaws, noting that she is not an easy woman to live with. She was married to her first husband, Louis, for 15 years, but they were apart for about one-third of that time. She talks about why that worked and why it didn’t. In this telling, there are lessons for all of us. She handwrote 400 thank-you notes after Louis’ death; if anything from this book, I learned that she is polite and definitely schooled on doing “the right thing.”

-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.
 

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD: A Memoir by Elizabeth Alexander (Memoir)
Elizabeth Alexander --- the celebrated poet invited to speak at President Obama’s 2009 inauguration --- has released her first memoir, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. In 2012, Elizabeth found herself at a crossroads after the sudden loss of her husband, Ficre, who was an artist, a chef, and a loving husband and father. Here, she combines her beautiful use of language into rich prose to convey the story of her love and loss. As she reflects on the beauty of her married life, the sudden trauma of losing her husband and the strength she found in caring for her sons, she realizes it is possible to find meaning in loss.

-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.
 

May's roundups of New in Paperback fiction titles include REVIVAL by Stephen King, a dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life; WINDIGO ISLAND, William Kent Krueger's 14th mystery featuring private investigator Cork O'Connor, who battles vicious villains, both mythical and modern, to rescue a young girl; DELICIOUS!, the debut novel of Ruth Reichl, Gourmet's editor in chief and the author of three bestselling memoirs; and CHARLESTON by Margaret Bradham Thornton, a lyrical and haunting story of missed chances and enduring love that probes the eternal question: can we ever truly go home again?

Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are NOT MY FATHER'S SON, in which acclaimed actor Alan Cumming opens up about his complicated relationship with his father and the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career; THE LION'S GATE by Steven Pressfield, which tells the story of the Six Day War in the voices of the young men and women who battled not only for their lives, but also for the survival of a Jewish state and for the dreams of their ancestors; and Maureen Corrigan's SO WE READ ON, which takes readers into archives, high school classrooms, and onto the Long Island Sound to explore THE GREAT GATSBY's hidden depths, revealing its surprising debt to noir, its rocky path to recognition as a "classic," and its profound commentaries on race, class and gender.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of May 4th, May 11th, May 18th and May 25th.

 

The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

THE ANCHORESS by Robyn Cadwallader (Historical Fiction)
What could drive a girl on the cusp of womanhood to lock herself away from the world forever?

THE ART OF ART OF BAKING BLIND by Sarah Vaughan (Fiction)
A delicious and heartfelt debut in which five amateur bakers compete in a baking competition only to discover that the recipe for happiness may not be so easy to follow.

THE BONE TREE by Greg Iles (Thriller)
THE BONE TREE is an explosive, action-packed thriller full of twisting intrigue and deadly secrets, a tale that explores the conflicts and casualties that result when the darkest truths of American history come to light.

DANGEROUS WHEN WET: A Memoir by Jamie Brickhouse (Memoir)
Bitingly funny, raw and insightful, DANGEROUS WHEN WET is the unforgettable story of a unique relationship between a son and his mother.

DIAMOND HEAD by Cecily Wong (Historical Fiction)
A sweeping debut, crossing from China to Hawaii, that follows three generations of a wealthy dynasty whose rise and decline is riddled with secrets and tragic love --- from a young, powerful new voice in fiction.

DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (History)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction Erik Larson comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania.

EUPHORIA by Lily King (Historical Fiction)
Set between two world wars and inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead, EUPHORIA is an enthralling story of passion, possession, exploration and sacrifice from accomplished author Lily King.

THE HURRICANE SISTERS by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Filled with her trademark wit, sassy, heartwarming characters and the steamy Southern atmosphere and beauty of her beloved Carolina Lowcountry, THE HURRICANE SISTERS is New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank’s enchanting tale of the ties and lies between generations.

NOT MY FATHER'S SON: A Memoir by Alan Cumming (Memoir)
In his unique and engaging voice, the acclaimed actor of stage and screen shares the emotional story of his complicated relationship with his father and the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career.

THE PREDICTIONS by Bianca Zander (Fiction)
From the author of THE GIRL BELOW, “a fantastic writer” (Curtis Sittenfeld), comes a new novel about fate, love, hippies and punk rock.

READ BOTTOM UP by Neel Shah and Skye Chatham (Fiction)
A charming novel about falling in love --- or like --- in the digital age.

SCENT OF TRIUMPH: A Novel of Perfume and Passion by Jan Moran (Historical Romance)
Set between privileged lifestyles and gritty realities, SCENT OF TRIUMPH by commanding newcomer Jan Moran is one woman's story of courage, spirit and resilience.

TIFFANY GIRL by Deeanne Gist (Historical Fiction)
From the bestselling author of IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR and FAIR PLAY comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman,” Flossie Jayne, the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel and the love that threatens it all.

UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY by Pamela Schoenewaldt (Fiction)
From the USA Today bestselling author of WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS and SWIMMING IN THE MOON comes a lush, exquisitely drawn novel set against the turmoil of the Great War, as a young German-American woman explores the secrets of her past.


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

THE BOOK OF YOU by Claire Kendal (Thriller)
Like the bestselling novels of Gillian Flynn and S. J. Watson, THE BOOK OF YOU --- an utterly original fiction debut --- is a sophisticated psychological thriller that will haunt you long after it reaches its terrifying, breathtaking conclusion.

THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd (Fiction)
From the celebrated author of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES: a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world.

LOVERS AT THE CHAMELEON CLUB, PARIS 1932 by Francine Prose (Historical Fiction)
A richly imagined and stunningly inventive literary masterpiece of love, art and betrayal, exploring the genesis of evil, the unforeseen consequences of love, and the ultimate unreliability of storytelling itself.

THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING by Erika Johansen (Fantasy)
A brilliantly imagined adventure --- the first novel in an eagerly awaited trilogy --- in which an untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness.

SMALL BLESSINGS by Martha Woodroof (Fiction)
Readers who loved MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND will adore this inspiring debut of a small-town college professor, a remarkable new woman at the bookshop and the 10-year old son he never knew he had.

THE SNOW QUEEN by Michael Cunningham (Fiction)
By turns heartwarming and heartrending, Michael Cunningham’s THE SNOW QUEEN is a haunting exploration of the longings that seem to define us and the love that sustains us.

THAT NIGHT by Chevy Stevens (Thriller)
A stunning breakout novel from the New York Times bestselling author of STILL MISSING in which a woman is convicted of her sister's murder.
 

Which of the following 15 fiction books have you read with your book group?:

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein
BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Mark Haddon
THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN by Mitch Albom
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
THE HELP Kathryn Stockett
THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford
THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini
THE LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See
THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
None of the above
 

Which of the following 15 nonfiction books have you read with your book group?:

ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt
CLEOPATRA by Stacy Schiff
THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson
EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert
THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB by Will Schwalbe
THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls
A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot
KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL by Deborah Rodriguez
ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY by David Sedaris
THE MIDDLE PLACE by Kelly Corrigan
NICKEL AND DIMED by Barbara Ehrenreich
READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN by Azar Nafisi
THE TENDER BAR by J. R. Moehringer
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING by Joan Didion
None of the above