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So who else is watching "Big Little Lies" on HBO? I am loving it and am sorry that the last episode airs next weekend. I read the book by Liane Moriarty years ago and confess to not remembering the entire story. As I am watching, I am so tempted to re-read it. There were two plot points that changed for the miniseries (beyond it being set in Monterey instead of Australia like in the book). I want to be in a Books to Screen book group where we can discuss the differences between the book and the film. For those who are watching who have read the book, here is a piece that notes why some of the changes were made with the screen version.
My friend Ann recently went on a vacation, and she and one of the friends she was vacationing with each read BIG LITTLE LIES and discussed it on the beach. Yesterday I went to lunch with a friend, and she mentioned that she and a friend had had their own book group discussion about Ariel Levy's THE RULES DO NOT APPLY. My friend has limited time, as she has a toddler, but there was enough time over coffee to meet and discuss the book.
This got me wondering about book group spinoff discussions. You know who in your group reads books that you like --- and you do not have time to discuss them all with your book group. What about creating 2-3 person spinoff discussions? It could be a lighter version of your book group meeting, but still full of the kind of brilliant discussion that you crave.
For those of you in the Tri-State area who love group outings along with your discussion, may we suggest a visit to the Brooklyn Museum for the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit showing there through July 23rd, along with a discussion of GEORGIA by Dawn Tripp?
Have any of you done something either travel- or theme-related that you would like to share? I would love to hear about it. Send me at note at [email protected].
We know you love contests, and in this newsletter we have two of them for you.
First, we have the opportunity for groups to win copies of LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly, which already is a bestseller in paperback; it achieved that status in hardcover as well. Readers constantly tell me how much they love this book. You can see my Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary about LILAC GIRLS here and a review on Bookreporter.com here, along with the discussion guide here.
In it, Caroline Ferriday is a New York socialite with a huge social conscience. Her mission is to rescue Polish Jews who have had their lives upended when Hitler invaded Poland. Based on a true story of a New York socialite who championed a group of concentration camp survivors known as the Rabbits, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades. We are celebrating its paperback release by giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 6th at noon ET.
As I was watching BIG LITTLE LIES, I saw a number of previews for the movie adaptation of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot, starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne, which will premiere on April 22nd at 8pm on HBO. You can see the trailer for it here and a wonderful video of Rebecca talking about the book here. (I was thinking it will have the same power as Hidden Figures as I watched the trailer.) I have to read it before the film airs!
Thus I am so happy that THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS is this month's “What’s Your Book Group Reading?" contest title. This #1 New York Times bestseller captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. We know that this book will make for a wonderful discussion. As usual, we’re giving three groups the opportunity to win 12 copies of the book; enter here by Thursday, April 6th at noon ET for your chance to win.
I also am happy to share that we have a discussion guide for Christina Baker Kline’s latest novel, A PIECE OF THE WORLD, which became an instant New York Times bestseller when it was published a few weeks ago. You can read my Bets On commentary about it here and our Bookreporter.com review here.
Since our last newsletter, we have one new featured title to tell you about: EVERY WILD HEART by Meg Donohue. What does a woman like radio personality Gail Gideon, who has staked her career on being single, do when she finds herself falling in love? And is the person who is harassing her a misguided fan or a true danger to Gail and her daughter, Nic? Plagued by a fear of social situations, 14-year-old Nic is most comfortable at the stable where she spends her afternoons. But when a riding accident lands Nic in the hospital, she awakens from her coma changed. She suddenly has no fear at all, and her disconcerting behavior lands her in one risky situation after another. Although no guide is available for this book, be sure to check out this fun interview between the author and her protagonist.
In this month's poll, we pulled together a list of new and upcoming books by book group-favorite authors. Which are you looking forward to reading with your group? Let us know here!
Finally, we’ve updated our New in Paperback and Reading Roundup features for March, both chock full of reading suggestions.
Here's hoping your next discussion with your book group is a great one. We’ll see you in a couple of weeks with our early April update!
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest:
Enter to Win 12 Copies of the Movie Tie-In Edition of
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS
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 the movie tie-in edition of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, Rebecca Skloot's #1 New York Times bestseller that captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Thursday, April 6th at noon ET. The film adaptation, starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne, will premiere on April 22nd at 8pm on HBO.
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot (Science/Biography)
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells --- taken without her knowledge --- became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than 60 years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons --- as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia --- a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings and voodoo --- to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the reading group guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
Special Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of
LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly for Your Group
Based on a true story of a New York socialite who championed a group of concentration camp survivors known as the Rabbits, LILAC GIRLS, Martha Hall Kelly's acclaimed debut novel, reveals a story of love, redemption and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades. We are celebrating its recent paperback release by giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, April 6th at noon ET.
LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Based on a true story of a New York socialite who championed a group of concentration camp survivors known as the Rabbits, this acclaimed debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades.
Caroline Ferriday is a former Broadway actress and liaison to the French consulate whose life is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939 --- and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, sinks deeper into her role as a courier for the underground resistance movement. In Germany, Herta Oberheuser, a young doctor, answers an ad for a government medical position --- only to find herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents, as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.
- Click here for the reading group guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here for Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here to enter the contest.
Now Available: EVERY WILD HEART by Meg Donohue
EVERY WILD HEART by Meg Donohue (Fiction)
Passionate and funny, radio personality Gail Gideon is a true original. Nine years ago when Gail’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce, her ensuing on-air rant propelled her local radio show into the national spotlight. Now, “The Gail Gideon Show” is beloved by millions of single women who tune in for her advice on the power of self-reinvention. But fame comes at a price. After all, what does a woman who has staked her career on being single do when she finds herself falling in love? And is the person who is harassing her in increasingly troubling ways a misguided fan or a true danger to Gail and her daughter, Nic?
Fourteen-year-old Nic has always felt that she pales in comparison to her vibrant, outgoing mother. Plagued by a fear of social situations, she is most comfortable at the stable where she spends her afternoons. But when a riding accident lands Nic in the hospital, she awakens from her coma changed. Suddenly, she has no fear at all and her disconcerting behavior lands her in one risky situation after another. And no one, least of all her mother, can guess what she will do next.
- Click here to read an interview between Meg Donohue and the book's main character, Gail Gideon.
Click here to read more about the book.
Featured Guide:
ALL SUMMER LONG by Dorothea Benton Frank
Now Available in Paperback
ALL SUMMER LONG by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
ALL SUMMER LONG follows one charming New York couple --- prominent interior designer Olivia Ritchie and her husband Nicholas Seymour, an English professor and true southern gentleman. They are seemingly polar opposites, yet magnetically drawn together and in love for more than 14 years.
As they prepare to relocate to Charleston, S.C., Olivia, the ultimate New Yorker, has reservations about the promise she made to retire in the Lowcountry, where Nick wants to return home and lead a more peaceful life. They are moving north to south, fast pace versus slow pace and downsizing. Nick is ecstatic. Olivia is not. She can’t let Nick know that their finances are not what he thought. Her client list is evaporating, their monetary reserves are dwindling and maybe that house she picked out on Sullivans Island needs too much work. Thank God, for her assistant, Roni Larini, her right (and sometimes left) hand.
As they find themselves pondering the next step of their lives, Olivia and Nick travel with her billionaire clients and their friends and are swept up into the world of the ultra-rich and explore the globe with a cast of zany eccentrics over one tumultuous, hot summer. All as Olivia grapples with what lies ahead for her and Nick.
This is a story of how plans evolve and lives change in unexpected ways, how even those who have everything are still looking for something more. Even the most successful people can often struggle to keep things together. ALL SUMMER LONG asks the ultimate question: can money buy happiness? From Sullivans Island to Necker Island to Nantucket to the beaches of Southern Spain, we’ll come to recognize the many faces of true love, love that deepens and endures but only because one woman makes a tremendous leap of faith. And that leap changes everything.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY by Daphne Merkin
THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY: A Reckoning with Depression by Daphne Merkin (Memoir)
“Despair is always described as dull,” writes Daphne Merkin, “when the truth is that despair has a light all its own, a lunar glow, the color of mottled silver.” THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY --- Merkin’s rare, vividly personal account of what it feels like to suffer from clinical depression --- captures this strange light.
Daphne Merkin has been hospitalized three times: first, in grade school, for childhood depression; years later, after her daughter was born, for severe postpartum depression; and later still, after her mother died, for obsessive suicidal thinking. Recounting this series of hospitalizations, as well as her visits to myriad therapists and psychopharmacologists, Merkin fearlessly offers what the child psychiatrist Harold Koplewicz calls “the inside view of navigating a chronic psychiatric illness to a realistic outcome.” The arc of Merkin’s affliction is lifelong, beginning in a childhood largely bereft of love and stretching into the present, where Merkin lives a high-functioning life and her depression is manageable, if not “cured.” “The opposite of depression,” she writes with characteristic insight, “is not a state of unimaginable happiness...but a state of relative all-right-ness.”
In this dark yet vital memoir, Merkin describes not only the harrowing sorrow that she has known all her life, but also her early, redemptive love of reading and gradual emergence as a writer. Written with an acute understanding of the ways in which her condition has evolved as well as affected those around her, THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY is an utterly candid coming-to-terms with an illness that many share but few talk about, one that remains shrouded in stigma. In the words of the distinguished psychologist Carol Gilligan, “It brings a stunningly perceptive voice into the forefront of the conversation about depression, one that is both reassuring and revelatory.”
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com that originated on HeadButler.com.
Click here for the reading group guide.
New Guide: THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC by Mark Tompkins
THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC by Mark Tompkins (Historical Fantasy)
What became of magic in the world? Who needed to do away with it, and for what reasons? Drawing on myth, legend, fairy tales and Biblical mysteries, THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC brilliantly imagines answers to these questions, sweeping us back to a world where humans and magical beings co-exist as they had for centuries.
Aisling, a goddess in human form, was born to rule both domains and --- with her twin, Anya --- unite the Celts with the powerful faeries of the Middle Kingdom. But within medieval Ireland interests are divided, and far from its shores greater forces are mustering. Both England and Rome have a stake in driving magic from the Emerald Isle. Jordan, the Vatican commander tasked with vanquishing the remnants of otherworldly creatures from a disenchanted Europe, has built a career on such plots. But increasingly he finds himself torn between duty and his desire to understand the magic that has been forbidden.
As kings prepare, exorcists gather, and divisions widen between the warring clans of Ireland, Aisling and Jordan must come to terms with powers given and withheld, while a world that can still foster magic hangs in the balance. Loyalties are tested, betrayals sown, and the coming war will have repercussions that ripple centuries later, in today’s world --- and in particular for a young graduate student named Sara Hill.
THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC introduces us to unforgettable characters who grapple with quests for power, human frailty, and the longing for knowledge that has been made taboo. Mark Tompkins has crafted a remarkable tale --- a feat of world-building that poses astonishing and resonant answers to epic questions.
Click here for the reading group guide.
ReadingGroupGuides.com's 6th Annual
BookExpo Speed Dating Event:
"Great Book Group Titles for Fall/Winter 2017"
On Friday, June 2nd, from 2:00pm to 3:50pm at BookExpo in New York, ReadingGroupGuides.com will host its 6th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event.
Publisher representatives will be in attendance to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians and book group leaders 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 by Monday, May 22nd at noon ET. Seating will be assigned. Fill out this form to sign up.
Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register.
March Releases of Interest to Book Groups
THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO by Margaret George (Historical Fiction)
In the Roman Empire, no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child. As a boy, Nero’s royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead. While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome.
THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN and ADMISSION comes a twisty new novel about a college president, a baffling student protest, and some of the most hot-button issues on today's college campuses.
THE HOPE CHEST by Viola Shipman (Fiction)
In Viola Shipman’s latest novel, the discovery of one woman’s heirloom hope chest unveils precious memories and helps three people who have each lost a part of themselves find joy once again.
IF NOT FOR YOU by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
When shocking secrets from Sam Carney’s past are revealed, Beth Prudhomme struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love.
MISSISSIPPI BLOOD by Greg Iles (Thriller)
The endgame is at hand for Penn Cage, his family, and the enemies bent on destroying them in this concluding volume of the Natchez Burning trilogy --- Greg Iles’ epic tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present.
NEVER LET YOU GO by Chevy Stevens (Psychological Thriller)
Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash took her young daughter and fled an abusive relationship. When her ex-husband, Andrew, is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has left the past behind her. However, she gets the sense that someone is watching her. Andrew claims he’s a different person, but is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?
QUICKSAND written by Malin Persson Giolito, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles (Thriller)
A mass shooting has taken place at a prep school in Stockholm’s wealthiest suburb. Maja Norberg is 18 years old and on trial for her involvement in the massacre. Maja has spent nine excruciating months in jail awaiting trial. Now the time has come for her to enter the courtroom. But how did Maja, the girl next door who was popular and excelled at school, become the most hated teenager in the country? What did she do? Or is it what she didn’t do that brought her here?
THE RULES DO NOT APPLY: A Memoir by Ariel Levy (Memoir)
When Ariel Levy left for a reporting trip to Mongolia in 2012, she was pregnant, married, financially secure and successful on her own terms. A month later, none of that was true. Here, she chronicles the adventure and heartbreak of being “a woman who is free to do whatever she chooses.” Her story becomes an unforgettable portrait of what in our culture has changed --- and of what is eternal.
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See (Fiction)
In THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, Lisa See --- author of such bestsellers as SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, SHANGHAI GIRLS and CHINA DOLLS --- explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter who has been adopted by an American couple
THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY by Hannah Tinti (Literary Thriller)
A loner who spent years living on the run, Samuel Hawley raised his daughter, Loo, on the road, always watching his back. Now that Loo is a teenager, Hawley wants only to give her a normal life. But as Loo uncovers a family history that’s darker than she could have known, the demons of her father’s past spill over into the present --- and together both Hawley and Loo must face a reckoning yet to come.
THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE by Jessica Shattuck (Historical Fiction)
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.
Recent Discussion-Worthy Books Featured on Bookreporter.com: THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE and MISSISSIPPI BLOOD
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See (Fiction)
Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual and routine, and it has been ever thus for generations. When Li-yan has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition, she wraps her daughter in a blanket and abandons her in the nearest city. While Li-yan slowly emerges from the insularity of her village to encounter modern life, her daughter Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins, and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Read Carol's commentary in the March 31st Bookreporter.com Weekly Update newsletter.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to watch Lisa See talk about the book.
- Click here to visit Lisa See's website, where you can find details about how to have your own tea tasting, as well as background on Lisa's research.
MISSISSIPPI BLOOD by Greg Iles (Thriller)
In this concluding volume to Greg Iles’ Natchez Burning trilogy, Penn Cage sees his family and his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone, his principles have been irrevocably compromised, and his father, once a paragon of the community that Penn leads as mayor, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover. Despite Penn's experience as a prosecutor in major murder trials, his father has frozen him out of the trial preparations --- preferring to risk dying in prison to revealing the truth of the crime to his son. The trial sets a terrible clock in motion, and unless Penn can pierce the veil of the past and exonerate his father, his family will be destroyed.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
NEVER LET YOU GO by Chevy Stevens
NEVER LET YOU GO by Chevy Stevens (Psychological Thriller)
In NEVER LET YOU GO, Chevy Stevens shows how she has matured the writing chops for which I came to know her in STILL MISSING, which was her debut novel. The protagonist, Lindsey Nash, was the victim of an abusive relationship. Eleven years ago, she fled one night with her young daughter, Sophie. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to prison for something that happened that evening that was not related to her flight. Flash forward and he’s set free, and while she thinks she has covered her tracks very carefully, she gets the feeling she is being watched. Her home has been broken into. She goes through her days consumed with unease, knowing something is not right.
At the same time, Sophie, who is now 17, is longing for a relationship with her dad, and she does not understand why her mother is so worried about him. Andrew is manipulative, constantly shaping those around him to suit his needs. But Lindsey knows all too well what he is like in his core. She also knows what really happened the night they fled, a secret she has been harboring. Andrew is not the only person who Lindsey needs to be afraid of, and her obsessive fear of him keeps her from seeing other clues of harm that may come her way.
I pride myself on cracking the clues in thrillers, but here Chevy completely surprised me. It has many twists and turns, and once again she has proven to be an amazing plot master. This was a complete ride of a read.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read our interview with Chevy Stevens.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
Bookreporter.com's Sixth Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our sixth annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 20th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
This year's featured titles are:
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AFTER THE DARK: A Killer Instinct Novel by Cynthia Eden
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ALL GROWN UP by Jami Attenberg
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ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout
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BECOMING BONNIE by Jenni L. Walsh
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BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley
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CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH by Colleen Oakley
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DIMESTORE: A Writer's Life by Lee Smith
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THE DISTANCE HOME by Orly Konig
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THE EXCELLENT LOMBARDS by Jane Hamilton
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FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin
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FOLLOW ME DOWN by Sherri Smith
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GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen
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THE HALF WIVES by Stacia Pelletier
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HARD-HEARTED HIGHLANDER: The Highland Grooms, Book 3 by Julia London
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THE HOPE CHEST by Viola Shipman
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THE HORSE DANCER by Jojo Moyes
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IF NOT FOR YOU by Debbie Macomber
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MY LAST LAMENT by James William Brown
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NEVER LET YOU GO by Chevy Stevens
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THE ONE-IN-A-MILLION BOY by Monica Wood
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THE SECRETS YOU KEEP by Kate White
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THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg
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THE THING ABOUT LOVE by Julie James
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Enter Our Ongoing Bookreporter.com Contests:
"Word of Mouth" and "Sounding Off on Audio"
The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO by Margaret George (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of HELEN OF TROY and ELIZABETH I now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history.
EVERY WILD HEART by Meg Donohue (Fiction)
From USA Today bestselling author Meg Donohue comes a mystery, a love story, and a mother-daughter tale about two women on a precarious journey to uncover their true selves.
THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC by Mark Tompkins (Historical Fantasy)
What became of magic in the world? Who needed to do away with it, and for what reasons? Drawing on myth, legend, fairy tales and Biblical mysteries, THE LAST DAYS OF MAGIC brilliantly imagines answers to these questions, sweeping us back to a world where humans and magical beings co-exist as they had for centuries.
LOVER by Anna Raverat (Fiction)
You can learn a lot about a husband by reading his email --- sometimes, too much. LOVER, the British writer Anna Raverat’s U.S. debut, is an observation of love, work and life as seen through the lens of a troubled marriage.
THE MERMAID'S DAUGHTER by Ann Claycomb (Fiction)
A modern-day expansion of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, this unforgettable debut novel weaves a spellbinding tale of magic and the power of love as a descendent of the original mermaid fights the terrible price of saving herself from a curse that has affected generations of women in her family.
A PIECE OF THE WORLD by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller ORPHAN TRAIN comes a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting Christina’s World.
THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY: A Reckoning with Depression by Daphne Merkin (Memoir)
THIS CLOSE TO HAPPY is the rare, vividly personal account of what it feels like to suffer from clinical depression, written from a woman’s perspective and informed by an acute understanding of the implications of this disease over a lifetime.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they released in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
ALL SUMMER LONG by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
The story of how plans evolve and lives change in unexpected ways, how even those who have everything are still looking for something more, Dorothea Benton Frank’s latest novel asks the ultimate question: Can money buy happiness?
TERRIBLE VIRTUE by Ellen Feldman (Historical Fiction)
TERRIBLE VIRTUE is the provocative and compelling story of one of the most fascinating and influential figures of the 20th century: Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood --- an indomitable woman who, more than any other, and at great personal cost, shaped the sexual landscape we inhabit today.
This Month's Poll: Which New and Upcoming Releases
are You Anticipating?
We pulled together a list of new and upcoming books by book group-favorite authors. Which are you looking forward to reading with your group? Please check all that apply.
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ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr (coming in paperback on April 4th)
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ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout (April 25th)
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BEARTOWN by Fredrik Backman (April 25th)
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GLORY OVER EVERYTHING by Kathleen Grissom (in stores now in paperback)
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IF NOT FOR YOU by Debbie Macomber (in stores now)
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INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins (May 2nd)
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KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani (June 20th)
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THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah (coming in paperback on April 25th)
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THE ORPHAN’S TALE by Pam Jenoff (in stores now)
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PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee (in stores now)
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A PIECE OF THE WORLD by Christina Baker Kline (in stores now)
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THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See (in stores now)
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Thursday, April 6th at noon ET.
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