Early February 2017
 Early February 2017 Newsletter Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com Find a Guide by Title Find a Guide by Author Find a Guide by Genre   YOUR List of the Best Books of 2016!Your selections for Best Books of 2016 are in. We asked you to share your favorites from last year --- both books that you read with your group, as well as your favorite individual reads. In both categories you loved THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah and Fredrik Backman’s A MAN CALLED OVE. For the titles that you read with your book group, THE NIGHTINGALE was the most popular selection while A MAN CALLED OVE was the top selection when asked about your favorite reads beyond your book group. And each was your second choice on the opposite list! You can check out the full results here. Thanks for helping us out by sharing your selections for these lists --- we loved seeing what resonated with you. Lorraine B. from Spokane, WA is our winner of six titles that we think are destined to be big hits this spring --- A PIECE OF THE WORLD by Christina Baker Kline, THE HOPE CHEST by Viola Shipman, THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See, THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE by Jessica Shattuck, MUSIC OF THE GHOSTS by Vaddey Ratner and THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR by Jennifer Ryan. Speaking of Backman, this month's “What’s Your Book Group Reading?" contest title is BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE, his irresistible novel about finding love and second chances in the most unlikely of places. When the fastidiously organized Britt-Marie discovers her husband’s infidelity, she abruptly leaves him and embarks on a journey that will change her life forever. As usual, we’re giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies; enter here by Wednesday, March 8th at noon ET for your chance to win. The results of our most recent "What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest are in, and the aforementioned A MAN CALLED OVE dominated group reading by a wide margin. A good number of you also read WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR, the late Paul Kalanithi’s moving reflection on the challenge of facing death from a brilliant writer who was both a doctor and a patient. Another title worth noting was Jodi Picoult’s SMALL GREAT THINGS, the #1 New York Times bestselling author’s timely novel about the intersection of race and privilege, justice and compassion. Be sure to tell us what you are reading so we can include your group in our roundup. Click here for the full results. Speaking of SMALL GREAT THINGS, in October, three book groups won copies of the audiobook, and were asked to listen and answer some questions about their experience. Click here to take a look at feedback from them, and click here for more information on the audiobook. We will have reports from groups who listened to both THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and BEHOLD THE DREAMERS in an upcoming newsletter! Incorporating audio into my reading routine has given me the opportunity to explore so many more books. And I now can pronounce many more words correctly! We love hearing from our readers, so we were thrilled to receive this note from Terri M., one of the winners of December’s “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest: “I returned home after a book club meeting and found a very heavy box containing 12 copies of THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST. Timing was perfect as we could not reach a consensus as to what our reading list would be for the first quarter…. We met last night and I handed out THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST and everyone instantly read the inside jacket cover and could not wait to start reading it. We quickly moved our other books down a notch and slotted this one in as our next read.” Just wonderful! As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, on Saturday afternoon, March 11th, Simon & Schuster will be hosting book groups and readers for an event with authors at the Ed Sullivan Theater with author guests Anthony Doerr, Isabel Allende, Lisa See, Lisa Genova, Ruth Ware and Megan Miranda. Tickets, unfortunately, are already sold out, but they have a waiting list. Full details are here, including info on how to be added to the waiting list and how to sign up to receive video highlights of the event. I will be there and will be interviewing Isabel Allende. If any of you have read her books and have a question that you would like me to ask her, please drop me a note. We have two featured guides to share with you this month. The first is for THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth, now available in paperback. It’s the moving story of Anna Forster, who, at only 38 years old, is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and living at Rosalind House, an assisted living facility. There, she meets fellow resident Luke, and a relationship develops between the two. When Eve Bennett is suddenly thrust into the role of single mother, she finds herself putting her culinary training to use at Rosalind House. When she meets Anna and Luke, she is moved by the bond the pair has forged. But when a tragic incident leads Anna's and Luke's families to separate them, Eve finds herself questioning what she is willing to risk to help them. Click here for the featured guide, and we have links to our review and my Bets On commentary. And make sure to keep an eye out for Sally’s forthcoming novel, THE MOTHER’S PROMISE, in stores February 21st. This is a very moving story about an anxiety-ridden young girl, whose mother has sheltered her through the years. Their world crashes down as the mom becomes desperately ill. While in the hospital they find support from both a nurse and a social worker, each of whom has her own issues. These four characters come together and form a very special bond. It’s so well done. I have enjoyed every book that Sally has written; she crafts such different characters and makes you empathetic to them all. We're featuring the guide for bestselling author Beatriz Williams’ latest hit, A CERTAIN AGE, which is just out in paperback. Full of the glamour, wit and delicious twists that are the hallmarks of her fiction, A CERTAIN AGE is a beguiling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’ comic opera Der Rosenkavalier, set against the sweeping decadence of Gatsby’s New York. As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. But their relationship subtly shifts when her bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. Click here for the featured guide, and we have a review on Bookreporter.com. For those of you looking for a smart thriller with very strong writing, I recommend ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR by Elizabeth Brundage. When this book was published, it garnered praise from Stephen King, who said, “Ghosts, murder, a terrifying psychotic who seems normal, and beautiful writing. Loved it.” Elizabeth writes multi-dimensional characters and she places them in “in your face” situations; here we see two families entwined and a gruesome and unsolved murder. Her writing is multi-layered and her stories peel away like layers of an onion. I talked to her earlier this week and she was in Florida meeting with two book groups. If you want her to speak with your group, drop her a note here. In this month's poll, we’re asking you to take a look back at book group titles that were popular over the last eight years (we selected three from each year) and let us know which your group has read. Weigh in here. Don't miss your chance to enter our ongoing Word of Mouth contest on Bookreporter.com. Submit your comments about the books you’ve finished reading by Friday, February 17th at noon ET, and you’ll be in the running to win ECHOES IN DEATH by J. D. Robb and PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee. And be sure to tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to in our latest Sounding Off on Audio contest. During the contest period from February 1st to March 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Faye Kellerman's BONE BOX: A Decker/Lazarus Novel, performed by Richard Ferrone, and Christina Baker Kline's A PIECE OF THE WORLD, performed by Polly Stone. We've updated our New in Paperback and Reading Roundup features for February. Be sure to take a look at them. We’ll be back in two weeks with another update….here’s to a great discussion with your book group this month.    "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Enter to Win 12 Copies of BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE by Fredrik Backman for Your Group  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 BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE, international bestselling author Fredrik Backman's irresistible novel about finding love and second chances in the most unlikely of places. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, March 8th at noon ET. BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE by Fredrik Backman (Fiction) But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes. When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg --- of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it --- she is more than a little unprepared. Employed as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center, the fastidious Britt-Marie has to cope with muddy floors, unruly children and a (literal) rat for a roommate. She finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts --- and a handsome local policeman whose romantic attentions to Britt-Marie are as unmistakable as they are unwanted. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of big-hearted misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs? Funny and moving, observant and humane, BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE celebrates the unexpected friendships that change us forever, and the power of even the gentlest of spirits to make the world a better place. -Click here for the reading group guide. Click here to enter the contest. Featured Guide: THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth  THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth (Fiction) Eve Bennett, suddenly thrust into the role of single mother to her bright and vivacious seven-year-old daughter, finds herself putting her culinary training to use at Rosalind house. When she meets Anna and Luke, she is moved by the bond the pair has forged. But when a tragic incident leads Anna’s and Luke’s families to separate them, Eve finds herself questioning what she is willing to risk to help them. Eve has her own secrets, and her own desperate circumstances that raise the stakes even higher. With huge heart, humor, and a compassionate understanding of human nature, Sally Hepworth delivers a page-turning novel about the power of love to grow and endure even when faced with the most devastating of obstacles. You won’t forget THE THINGS WE KEEP. Click here for the featured guide. Featured Guide: A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams  A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction) As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue and Southampton, Long Island, has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. An intense and deeply honorable man, Octavian is devoted to the beautiful socialite of a certain age and wants to marry her. While times are changing and she does adore the Boy, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question, and there is no need; she has an understanding with Sylvo, her generous and well-respected philanderer husband. But their relationship subtly shifts when her bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. Engaging a longstanding family tradition, Theresa enlists the Boy to act as her brother’s cavalier, presenting the family’s diamond rose ring to Ox’s intended, Miss Sophie Fortescue --- and to check into the background of the little-known Fortescue family. When Octavian meets Sophie, he falls under the spell of the pretty ingénue, even as he uncovers a shocking family secret. As the love triangle of Theresa, Octavian and Sophie progresses, it transforms into a saga of divided loyalties, dangerous revelations and surprising twists that will lead to a shocking transgression...and eventually force Theresa to make a bittersweet choice. Full of the glamour, wit and delicious twists that are the hallmarks of Beatriz Williams’ fiction and alternating between Sophie’s spirited voice and Theresa’s vibrant timbre, A CERTAIN AGE is a beguiling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’ comic opera Der Rosenkavalier, set against the sweeping decadence of Gatsby’s New York. Click here for the featured guide. New Guide: ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR by Elizabeth Brundage  ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR by Elizabeth Brundage (Mystery) Recent transplants to Chosen, the Clares have not received the warmest welcome; once a thriving dairy farm, their home is haunted by the tragedy that left the former owner’s three sons orphaned and adrift. As one dark secret peels away to reveal others --- and as the Clare marriage reveals itself to have a sinister darkness that rivals the farm’s history --- Elizabeth Brundage offers a rich and complex portrait of the scars that can haunt a community for generations and the dark longings inside each and every one of us that drive us to do inexplicable things. Click here for the reading group guide. Get Listening with Your Book Group! Our Listeners' Comments on SMALL GREAT THINGS  In October, a selection of book groups won audiobook copies of SMALL GREAT THINGS written by Jodi Picoult, read by Audra McDonald with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos. The book groups were asked to listen to the audiobook and answer some questions about the experience. Take a look at some of the groups' comments on this page. -Click here for more information on the SMALL GREAT THINGS audiobook. Bookreporter.com's Third Annual Winter Reading Contests and FeatureAt Bookreporter.com, we are kicking off 2017 with our third annual Winter Reading Contests and Feature. On select days between now and February 24th at noon ET, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. 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 Tuesday, February 21st at noon ET. This year's featured titles include: THE ARRANGEMENT by Ashley Warlick Click here to read all the contest details.  Bookreporter.com's 12th Annual Valentine's Day Contest: Enter to Win Books and Sweet Treats for Yourself or Your Valentine! Valentine's Day is only a few heartbeats away. We can't think of a better way to celebrate this special day than to cuddle up with your loved one...and a good book, of course! We're giving readers the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day prize packages, which includes one copy of each of our featured titles and some delicious chocolates. Enter between now and Tuesday, February 14th at noon ET for your opportunity to be a lucky (and beloved!) winner. If you're feeling frisky, share with us your all-time book character crush. Don't be shy, we all got 'em! We'll post the top 10 literary loves and lusts --- along with the five winners --- right after Valentine's Day. This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.    Recent "Bookreporter.com Bets On" Selections HER EVERY FEAR by Peter Swanson (Psychological Thriller) -Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH by Lindsey Lee Johnson (Fiction) -Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
THE NOWHERE MAN: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz (Thriller) -Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book.
THE GIRL BEFORE by JP Delaney (Psychological Thriller) -Click here to read more of Carol's thoughts on the book. Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.    February's New in Paperback RoundupsFebruary’s roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes Kathleen Grissom's GLORY OVER EVERYTHING, a heart-racing story about a man’s treacherous journey through the twists and turns of the Underground Railroad on a mission to save the boy he swore to protect; and the power of even the gentlest of spirits to make the world a better place and THE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR by Helen Simonson, a breathtaking novel of love on the eve of World War I that reaches far beyond the small English town in which it is set. Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are A MOTHER'S RECKONING, the acclaimed national bestseller by Sue Klebold about living in the aftermath of Columbine as she tries to come to terms with the incomprehensible; IN OTHER WORDS, Jhumpa Lahiri’s meditation on the process of learning to express herself in another language; SEX OBJECT, a memoir that reveals the painful, embarrassing and sometimes illegal moments that shaped Jessica Valenti’s adolescence and young adulthood in New York City; and THE BLACK CALHOUNS, in which Gail Lumet Buckley --- daughter of actress Lena Horne --- delves deep into her family history, detailing the experiences of an extraordinary African-American family from Civil War to Civil Rights. Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of February 6th, February 13th, February 20th and February 27th.    February's Reading Roundup: Top Picks from Indie Next, LibraryReads, Target and Costco Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Pennie's Pick for Costco. Indie Next titles include THE REFUGEES by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen, a beautifully written and sharply observed book about the aspirations of those who leave one country for another, and the relationships and desires for self-fulfillment that define our lives; bestselling author Min Jin Lee’s latest tour de force, PACHINKO, a sweeping saga of exceptional people in exile from a homeland they never knew and caught in the indifferent arc of history, which was recently featured on this site; and THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR by Jennifer Ryan, a lovingly executed ensemble novel that illuminates the true spirit of the women on the homefront, in a village of indomitable spirit, at the dawn of World War II. Library Reads is spotlighting I SEE YOU, a dark and claustrophobic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Clare Mackintosh in which a normal, everyday woman becomes trapped in the confines of her normal, everyday world; ALL OUR WRONGS TODAY, a a story of friendship and family, of unexpected journeys and alternate paths, and of love in its multitude of forms from debut author Elan Mastai; and New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella’s MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE, a sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world. Click here for the full roundup.   Enter Our Ongoing Bookreporter.com Contests: Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books! Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from February 3rd to February 17th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ECHOES IN DEATH by J. D. Robb and PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee. To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here. -Click here to enter the contest. Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks! 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 February 1st to March 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Faye Kellerman's BONE BOX: A Decker/Lazarus Novel, performed by Richard Ferrone, and Christina Baker Kline's A PIECE OF THE WORLD, performed by Polly Stone. 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. -Click here to enter the contest.    New Guides Now Available The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com: ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR by Elizabeth Brundage (Psychological Thriller/Mystery) BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE by Fredrik Backman (Fiction) A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction) DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD by Janie Chang (Historical Fiction) THE DRESSMAKER'S DOWRY by Meredith Jaeger (Historical Fiction) THE ODDS OF YOU AND ME by Cecilia Galante (Fiction) THE RAINBOW COMES AND GOES: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt (Memoir) THE RUNAWAY MIDWIFE by Patricia Harman (Fiction) THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth (Fiction) Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they released in hardcover, are now available in paperback: THE HEART by Maylis de Kerangal, translated by Sam Taylor (Psychological Thriller) THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton (Psychological Thriller) This Month's Poll Taking a look back at book group titles that were popular over the last eight years (we selected three from each year), which have your book group read? CUTTING FOR STONE by Abraham Verghese (2009) Click here to answer the poll by Wednesday, March 8th at noon ET. Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit the websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: Was this email forwarded to you? Then subscribe here. |
