August 2015

Thanks again to all of you who participated in our 2015 Book Group Survey. We’re going through the results; you shared with us a wealth of information that we look forward to transforming into programs and features that will enhance your book group experience! Congratulations to our lucky winners, who won prizes for completing the survey. Please note that we already have sent out some of these gift certificates, and others will go out by the end of next week. As promised, we are awarding the prizes to the stores that you requested, thus it’s taking a bit of time to do all the outreach needed to customize the prizes!

We’re excited to share FIVE contests with you this month! Who says that August is a quiet month? The first is for #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles’ first book in five years, NATCHEZ BURNING, which is now available as a trade paperback. It’s the first installment in an epic trilogy featuring southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage that weaves crimes, lies and secrets past and present into a mesmerizing thriller. My husband read this over our Christmas vacation, and he was so wrapped up in enjoying it that we joked we were calling him back from Mississippi for meals! It's been loved by so many readers, and you can read our review here. We’re giving 10 groups the chance to win 10 copies of the book. Click here to enter by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

Our next contest is for AFTER THE WIND: 1996 Everest Tragedy -- One Survivor's Story, Lou Kasischke’s harrowing memoir about the events that led up to the 1996 tragedy on Mount Everest. Near the top of the mountain, on May 10, 1996, eight climbers died, and in his book, survivor Kasischke relays his own account of what went wrong --- including why the climbers were so desperately out of time as the rogue storm struck --- and how a miracle of love saved his life. In anticipation of the September release of the film Everest, which Lou served as a consultant on (Emily and Nicole saw the trailer and cannot wait to see the film), we’re giving 10 groups the chance to win 10 copies. Additionally, 25 readers can win single copies of the book.

I read AFTER THE WIND in an afternoon and loved it; I was completely caught up in the story. I have read a lot about Everest and this storm/tragedy, but Lou’s storytelling, as well as the beautiful maps and drawings in the book, finally had me understanding what happened on that climb. The beauty of this story has stayed with me. What’s beautiful about this storm?: The bond between Lou and his wife, Sandy, who he credits with saving his life on that mountain. Sandy was home in Michigan, so you need to read to see how she showed him his way home. Everest has been back in the news again both this year and last with deadly avalanches that have again underscored the treachery of this mountain. Whether you and members of your group are hearty outdoors people, armchair travelers or those who love an adventure story with heart, this is for you. Click here to enter by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

And if you’re interested in reading up on the rest of our top adaptations hitting the screen between now and December, check out our Books on Screen bookshelf. Whether you’re looking for high-tech thrills or new iterations of classic stories, you’re sure to find something exciting in our latest roundup.

In our third contest this month, we’re celebrating Dana Gynther’s THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH by giving away 10 copies. Set in the romantic glow of 1920s Paris, it’s the captivating story of New York socialite and model Lee Miller, who is determined to make herself known amidst the giddy circle of celebrated artists, authors and photographers currently holding court in the city. She seeks out the charming, charismatic artist Man Ray to become his assistant, but soon becomes much more than that: his model, his lover, his muse. Click here to enter by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET. I must get this on my “to be read” pile!

We’re also celebrating the release of THE GUILTY ONE, Sophie Littlefield’s riveting tale of loss and revenge, by giving away 10 copies of the book. Maris’s safe suburban world was shattered the day her daughter was found murdered, presumably at the hands of the young woman’s boyfriend. Her marriage crumbling, her routine shattered, Maris walks away from her pampered life as a Bay Area mom the day she receives a call from Ron, father of her daughter’s killer. Wracked with guilt over his son’s actions (and his own possible contribution to them), he asks Maris a single question: Should he jump? Click here to enter by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET. For those of you who love thrillers, add this to your reading list!

Our prize book in August’s “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest is BIG LITTLE LIES, #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty’s follow-up to her smash hit (and RGG favorite) THE HUSBAND’S SECRET. BIG LITTLE LIES follows Madeline, a funny and biting divorcee; Celeste, the beautiful mother of rambunctious twin boys; and Jane, a young single mother with doubts about her son. When Madeline and Celeste take Jane under their wing, no one realizes how she and her little boy will affect them all. As usual, we’re giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book; click here to enter and let us know what your group is reading this month for your chance to win. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

We featuring two guides this month. The first is for Kim van Alkemade’s much buzzed-about debut, ORPHAN #8. Inspired by a true story, it’s about Rachel Rabinowitz, who is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Mildred Solomon, who subjected her to X-ray treatments that left her disfigured as a child. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveals to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. Click here for the featured guide. You can also click here to see advance readers' comments and here for a review on Bookreporter.com. I read this and found myself thinking of the work of Sarah Waters’ THE PAYING GUESTS; it is so well done! Note that this is a Target Book Club pick for August.

We’re also featuring the guide for Belinda Alexandra’s historical romance, GOLDEN EARRINGS. Paloma Batton is the granddaughter of Spanish refugees who fled Barcelona after the Civil War, who lets little get in the way of her career...until she receives a mysterious pair of golden earrings. She begins exploring her Spanish heritage and becomes fascinated by la Rusa, a woman who rose from poverty to become one of the great flamenco dancers of modern times before committing suicide. As Paloma begins to unravel the secrets of the past, she discovers more than one person who had good reason for wanting la Rusa dead --- including Paloma’s own grandmother. Click here for the featured guide.

As promised, we bring you the guide for GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee. In our recent poll, we asked if you planned to read this with your book group; 63% of you told us you were. Click here to see the full results. We learned from our survey that you love reading and discussing historical fiction with your group, so this month, we want to know which of 15 historical fictions titles you've read or are planning to read with your group. Click here to let us know by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

In March, we ran a contest for THE POCKET WIFE by Susan Crawford in which five Georgia groups won copies of the book and had the author join them for their discussions. We reached out to the groups to share their experiences, and two of them were kind enough to share details with us! Here, Patricia from McDonough, GA and Iris from Dunwoody, GA talk about what it was like to have Susan join them to discuss her novel. They also give some tips for preparing for a chat with the author.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our newest feature on Bookreporter.com, “Sounding Off on Audio.” We like to think of it as “Word of Mouth” for audiobooks: Let us know what audiobooks you’ve listened to, along with comments about both the audio performance and the content of the story, and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. Three winners will be randomly chosen to win the digital version or a CD of both GO SET A WATCHMAN written by Harper Lee and performed by Reese Witherspoon, and THE ENGLISH SPY written by Daniel Silva and performed by George Guidall. The deadline for the current contest period is Friday, August 21st at noon ET.

Enjoy this last full month of summer. May you have lots of time for reading so you can make suggestions for your upcoming book group discussions! We’ll see you in September where we will be featuring CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain, which we got word will be debuting on the New York Times list at #4 on Sunday, August 16th! Just great news!

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!
 

We are celebrating the release of #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles' NATCHEZ BURNING --- the first installment in an epic trilogy featuring southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage --- by giving 10 groups the chance to win 10 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

NATCHEZ BURNING by Greg Iles (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles returns with his most eagerly anticipated novel yet and his first in five years --- NATCHEZ BURNING ---the first installment in an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern lawyer and former prosecutor Penn Cage.

Growing up in the rural Southern hamlet of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned everything he knows about honor and duty from his father, Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor and pillar of the community is accused of murdering Violet Turner, the beautiful nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the early 1960s. A fighter who has always stood for justice, Penn is determined to save his father, even though Tom, stubbornly evoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses to speak up in his own defense.

The quest for answers sends Penn deep into the past --- into the heart of a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the Double Eagles, a vicious KKK crew headed by one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the state. With the aid of a local friend and reporter privy to some of Natchez's oldest and deadliest secrets, Penn follows a bloody trail that stretches back 40 years, to one undeniable fact: no one --- black or white, young or old, brave or not --- is ever truly safe.

With everything on the line, including his own life, Penn must decide how far he will go to protect those he loves…and see justice done, once and for all.

Rich in Southern atmosphere and electrifying plot turns, NATCHEZ BURNING marks the brilliant return of a genuine American master of suspense. Tense and disturbing, it is the most explosive, exciting, sexy, and ambitious story Greg Iles has written yet.

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

In anticipation of the September release of the film Everest, we're giving 10 groups the chance to win 10 copies of AFTER THE WIND, Lou Kasischke's harrowing memoir about the events that led up to the 1996 tragedy in Mount Everest's history, which the movie was based on. Lou was a consultant on the film. We also will be giving away single copies to 25 additional readers. We ask that winners be available to read the book in either late September, October or November in order to share comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

AFTER THE WIND: 1996 Everest Tragedy --- One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke (Memoir)
Near the top of Mount Everest, on May 10, 1996, eight climbers died. At the time, it was the worst tragedy in the mountain's history. Lou Kasischke was there. AFTER THE WIND tells the harrowing story of what went wrong, as it has never been told before --- including why the climbers were so desperately out of time as the rogue storm struck. His personal story, captured in the title AFTER THE WIND, tells about the intense moments near the top. These moments also revealed the love story that saved his life.

In the spring of 1996, Lou Kasischke joined renowned climber Rob Hall's Mount Everest expedition. When he said goodbye to his wife, Sandy, he knew he faced major physical and mental challenges against rock, snow, ice, avalanches and extreme high altitude to climb the highest mountain in the world.

What Lou didn't know was that he also stood at the threshold of a living hell. Six weeks later near the top, things went wrong. Lou and his fellow climbers faced a challenge even greater than the mountain --- the internal struggle about what to do when you are close but out of time. There were no second chances. Decisions were made. Some lived. Some died. It was the worst tragedy in Mount Everest history.

Lou wrote his account of the events 16 years ago in the aftermath of the tragedy, but only now is he ready to let it go. He tells two stories. One is about the historic events. His perspective and analysis about what happened and what went wrong have never been told, and his account differs markedly from what others have written. The truth in the story depends on who is telling it.

Lou also tells a very personal story about how he came back home. An inspiring story about where to go for inner strength when facing a tough decision. A story about his wife Sandy's part in his survival. A story about what he heard, after the wind --- the voice of the heart. A love story.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

We are celebrating the release of THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH --- Dana Gynther's richly drawn, tempestuous novel about a talented and fearless young woman caught up in one of the most fascinating times of the 20th century --- by giving away 10 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH by Dana Gynther (Historical Fiction)
Set in the romantic glow of 1920s Paris, a captivating novel of New York socialite and model Lee Miller, whose glamorous looks and joie de vivre caught the eye of Man Ray, one of the 20th century’s defining photographers.

1929, Montparnasse. Model and woman about town Lee Miller moves to Paris determined to make herself known amidst the giddy circle of celebrated artists, authors and photographers currently holding court in the city. She seeks out the charming, charismatic artist Man Ray to become his assistant but soon becomes much more than that: his model, his lover, his muse.

Coming into her own more fully every day, Lee models, begins working on her own projects, and even stars in a film, provoking the jealousy of the older and possessive Man Ray. Drinking and carousing is the order of the day, but while hobnobbing with the likes of Picasso and Charlie Chaplin, she also falls in love with the art of photography and finds that her own vision can no longer come second to her mentor’s.

THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH is the richly drawn, tempestuous novel about a talented and fearless young woman caught up in one of the most fascinating times of the 20th century.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

We are celebrating the release of Sophie Littlefield's THE GUILTY ONE --- the riveting story of a woman who holds the fate of the father of her daughter's murderer in her hands --- by giving away 10 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

THE GUILTY ONE by Sophie Littlefield (Psychological Suspense)
A man stands on the Golden Gate Bridge, poised to jump…if a woman on the other end of the phone tells him to.

Maris’s safe suburban world was shattered the day her daughter was found murdered, presumably at the hands of the young woman’s boyfriend. Her marriage crumbling, her routine shattered, Maris walks away from her pampered life as a Bay Area mom the day she receives a call from Ron, father of her daughter’s killer. Wracked with guilt over his son’s actions (and his own possible contribution to them), he asks Maris a single question: Should he jump?

With a man’s life in her hands, Maris must decide, perhaps for the first time, what she truly wants. Retribution? Forgiveness? Or something more? Having lost everything, she’s finally free to recreate herself without the confining labels of “wife,” “mother” or “mourner.” But will this shocking offer free her --- or destroy her?

-Click here for the reading group guide.
 

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.

This month's prize book is BIG LITTLE LIES, the latest from #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty. It's a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 9th at noon ET.

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)
Sometimes it's the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal...

A murder...a tragic accident...or just parents behaving badly?

BIG LITTLE LIES follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She's funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline's youngest (how is this possible). And to top it all off, Madeline's teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline's ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?)

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn't be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all. 

BIG LITTLE LIES is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

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

ORPHAN #8 by Kim van Alkemade (Historical Fiction)
A stunning debut novel in the vein of Sarah Waters’ historical fiction and inspired by true events, ORPHAN #8 tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage.

In 1919, Rachel Rabinowitz is a vivacious four-year-old living with her family in a crowded tenement on New York City’s Lower Eastside. When tragedy strikes, Rachel is separated from her brother Sam and sent to a Jewish orphanage where Dr. Mildred Solomon is conducting medical research. Subjected to X-ray treatments that leave her disfigured, Rachel suffers years of cruel harassment from the other orphans. But when she turns 15, she runs away to Colorado hoping to find the brother she lost and discovers a family she never knew she had.

Though Rachel believes she has shut out her painful childhood memories, years later she is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Solomon. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveal to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. She realizes that a person’s fate --- to be one who inflicts harm or one who heals --- is not always set in stone.

Lush in historical detail, rich in atmosphere and based on true events, ORPHAN #8 is a powerful, affecting novel of the unexpected choices we are compelled to make that can shape our destinies.

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

GOLDEN EARRINGS by Belinda Alexandra (Historical Romance)
For fans of Colleen McCullough, Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley, a powerful saga of family, love, honor and betrayal set in historical Barcelona and romantic Paris, from the author of TUSCAN ROSE.

“You who judge me: come! Let me tell you a story…” Paloma Batton is the granddaughter of Spanish refugees who fled Barcelona after the Civil War. A disciplined student attending the school of the Paris Opera Ballet, Paloma lets little get in the way of her career until she receives a mysterious pair of golden earrings. She begins exploring her Spanish heritage and becomes fascinated by la Rusa, a woman who rose from poverty to become one of the great flamenco dancers of modern times before committing suicide. As Paloma begins to unravel the secrets of the past, she discovers more than one person who had good reason for wanting la Rusa dead --- including Paloma’s own grandmother.

Written with the same depth and emotion as Belinda Alexandra’s “rich, unforgettable saga” (Kimberly Freeman, author of WILDFLOWER HILL) TUSCAN ROSE, GOLDEN EARRINGS moves between two of the great cities of Europe: Barcelona in the lead-up to the Civil War and Paris in the 1970s. It is the story of two women and the extremes to which they are willing to go for love. And above all, it is a story of great passions --- and great betrayals --- where nothing is quite as it seems.
 

GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee (Historical Fiction)
An historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel, the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

Originally written in the mid-1950s, GO SET A WATCHMAN was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.

GO SET A WATCHMAN features many of the characters from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD some 20 years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch --- Scout --- struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

Exploring how the characters from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, GO SET A WATCHMAN casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee’s enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.

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

Summer has arrived! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a number of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days throughout the summer, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, August 10th at noon ET.
 

Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from July 31st to August 21st, THREE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the digital version or a CD of both GO SET A WATCHMAN written by Harper Lee and performed by Reese Witherspoon, and THE ENGLISH SPY written by Daniel Silva and performed by George Guidall.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 

THOSE GIRLS by Chevy Stevens (Psychological Thriller)
I can depend on Chevy Stevens to deliver me a page-turning thriller, one that I usually read in one sitting. And she does just that in THOSE GIRLS. The book opens in a small town in western Canada where the Campbell sisters --- Jess, Courtney and Dani --- live pretty much on their own. Their mom has died, and they have bonded together to survive life with their alcoholic father, whose appearances at home are sporadic and volatile. Fear surrounds them; it defines their world.

-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.


WHEN THE MOON IS LOW by Nadia Hashimi (Fiction)
I approached WHEN THE MOON IS LOW by Nadia Hashimi with the typical trepidation I feel when an author whose previous work I loved delivers her second novel. Her debut, THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL, was brilliant and one that I saw as on par with Khaled Hosseini's three works. But oh, does Nadia deliver! This book is just as brilliant. I loved the characters, the pacing, the story, and the way I empathized for all those who struggle each day to find new homes and lands when the worlds that they know have been forsaken by violence. The fear and sadness that is part of these people's lives is quite overwhelming.

-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.

BROKEN PROMISE by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
Linwood Barclay writes books that are fast-paced, full of drama and memorable characters. BROKEN PROMISE lives up to all of those expectations.

David Harwood is back in Promise Falls, NY, with his nine-year-old son. His wife has died, and his newspaper job has gone away; his life is unraveling. He's way down on his luck. But life on the home front in Promise Falls has its own set of challenges as this sleepy town has its own problems.

-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 see advance readers' comments.


CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
I loved THE PARIS WIFE and thus eagerly anticipated Paula McLain's new novel. I am happy to share that I feel the same way about CIRCLING THE SUN, which has Paula's signature writing style --- it informs, engages and entertains. I received an early edition back in February, which had no flap description copy to orient me. I did no research about the book in advance and instead just started reading. I settled into the story of Beryl Markham, who grew up in Britain but moved to Africa as a young child. She is an accomplished horsewoman, aviator and adventurer.

-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 a Q&A with the author.
 

August’s roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes John Grisham's latest bestseller, GRAY MOUNTAIN, in which Samantha Kofer’s new job at a legal aid clinic takes her into the murky and dangerous world of coal mining, and within weeks she finds herself engulfed in litigation that turns deadly; THE SECRET PLACE, a powerful, haunting exploration of friendship and loyalty, and a gripping addition to Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series; TERMINAL CITY, another breakneck thriller from Linda Fairstein, who this time turns her attention to one of New York's most iconic structures --- Grand Central Terminal; and BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty, a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan by Rick Perlstein, a dazzling portrait of America on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the tumultuous political and economic times of the 1970s; EISENHOWER, acclaimed historian Paul Johnson’s lively, succinct profile of Dwight D. Eisenhower's life and enduring legacy; Tom Clavin's RECKLESS, the unlikely story of a racehorse who truly became a war hero, beloved by the Marine Corps and decorated for bravery; and TIMELESS, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lucinda Franks' compelling memoir that tells the intimate story of her marriage to Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of August 3rd, August 10th, August 17th and August 24th.
 

The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

AFTER THE WIND: 1996 Everest Tragedy --- One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke (Memoir)
Lou Kasischke tells the harrowing story of what went wrong on May 10, 1996 --- when eight climbers died near the top of Mount Everest in what was the worst tragedy in the mountain's history --- and how, by a miracle of love, he managed to survive.

BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)
BIG LITTLE LIES is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

FLOOD OF FIRE by Amitav Ghosh (Historical Fiction)
FLOOD OF FIRE, an epic and sweeping story, is a richly populated novel, imbued with a wealth of historical detail, suffused with the magic of place, and plotted with verve. It is a beautiful novel.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE DESERT by Maha Akhtar (Historical Fiction)
The tale from the time of Lawrence of Arabia that you haven't read --- this thrilling work of historical fiction set during the fall of the Ottoman Empire tells the story of a circle of friends whose lives and loves become entangled in the crusade for freedom.

GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee (Historical Fiction)
Originally written in the mid-1950s, GO SET A WATCHMAN picks up 20 years after the events of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, as Jean Louise Finch --- Scout --- returns home to Maycomb to visit her father and struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

GOLDEN EARRINGS by Belinda Alexandra (Historical Romance)
For fans of Colleen McCullough, Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley, a powerful saga of family, love, honor and betrayal set in historical Barcelona and romantic Paris, from the author of TUSCAN ROSE.

THE GUILTY ONE by Sophie Littlefield (Psychological Suspense)
Edgar-nominated Sophie Littlefield (author of the critically acclaimed THE MISSING PLACE) writes suspenseful women's fiction sure to appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty or Gillian Flynn.

THE INVISIBLES by Cecilia Galante (Fiction)
In the vein of Meg Donohue and Jennifer Close comes Cecilia Galante’s adult debut about the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship --- a compelling, moving novel that is told in both the present and the past.

MISS EMILY by Nuala O'Connor (Historical Fiction)
Nuala O’Connor’s enchanting American debut novel, MISS EMILY, reimagines the private life of Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most beloved poets, through her own voice and through the eyes of her family’s Irish maid.

NATCHEZ BURNING by Greg Iles (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles returns with this highly anticipated first novel in five years and auspicious start of a trilogy featuring Penn Cage.

ORPHAN #8 by Kim van Alkemade (Historical Fiction)
A stunning debut novel in the vein of Sarah Waters’ historical fiction and inspired by true events, ORPHAN #8 tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage.

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

THE BARTER by Siobhan Adcock (Psychological Suspense)
A heart-stopping tale as provocative as is suspenseful, about two conflicted women, separated by one hundred years, and bound by an unthinkable sacrifice.

BEFORE I GO by Colleen Oakley (Fiction)
A heartfelt novel in the bestselling tradition of PS, I LOVE YOU about a young woman in Georgia with stage four breast cancer who undertakes a mission to find a “replacement wife” for her husband before she passes away.

THE STORY OF LAND AND SEA by Katy Simpson Smith (Historical Fiction)
Set in a small coastal town in North Carolina during the waning years of the American Revolutionary War, this incandescent debut novel follows three generations of a family --- fathers and daughters, mother and son, white and slave --- whose members search for redemption amidst a heady brew of war, kidnapping, slavery and violence.

THE STORY HOUR by Thrity Umrigar (Historical Fiction)
From Thrity Umrigar, the critically beloved, bestselling author of THE WORLD WE FOUND and THE SPACE BETWEEN US, comes a profound, heartbreakingly honest novel about the beauty of forgiveness.
 

Which of the following 15 historical fiction titles have you read or plan to read with your book group?

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
THE AVIATOR’S WIFE by Melanie Benjamin
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne
CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain
DOLLBABY by Laura Lane McNeal
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd
THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Philippa Gregory
THE PARIS ARCHITECT by Charles Belfoure
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
None of the above