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THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE is December's pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” book club, and THE LIBRARY BOOK will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick
Book club napkins available on B&N's website
Wrapping Up November with a Fun Idea
I saw the book club napkins above and smiled. I immediately wrote my book club about them on our private Facebook page and said that we should think about what our pie chart would look like. We have yet to talk about what anyone is wearing; we do talk about our children a lot, and as many of them have young children, I do lots of reminiscing (one woman is expecting a baby in April, and we are excited for our first book club baby). But we also spend a lot of time talking about the book! As for wine, it gets poured, but it's not the focal point of the evening.
Someone mentioned that many book clubs do something instead of a book discussion in December, so for our next meeting we are planning to watch Crazy Rich Asians and eat Chinese food. We also are going to vote on the book that we read and discussed that we liked the most; we may need categories for this, as we had a number of them that we really enjoyed.
I am very glad that my friend Tara asked me to join this club back in the spring. I thoroughly enjoy our discussions, as yes, we spend a lot of time discussing the book and our moderators are always prepared. Imagine that! Last month, we all had crazy schedules with school breaks for kids, a crazy snowstorm and Thanksgiving prep, thus none of us finished the book that we had assigned ourselves, A PLACE FOR US by Fatima Farheen Mirza. There was no guilt about this; instead, we decided to talk about what we had read, and made that into a very good discussion. Knowing we all were not going to finish it, I read the last 100 pages to chime in with that part of the discussion. I know, it sounds like we cheated, but we all still got the essence of the book, and realized that we needed a much less busy month to have appreciated it. It's a learning curve; we still are finding our way each month.
We had a couple of readers share thoughts on food inspired by books.
Miriam said, “When I saw your ideas about food posting this week, it made me want to tell you about what we did for KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal for our January 2016 book club meeting. We all live in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. We each wrote up a recipe for a bar cookie and a hotdish. (I do have to tell you that I am a transplanted Minnesotan, so I know all about hotdishes --- and bar cookies.) Using the recipes from the book and those from our book club, I created a cookbook from our own kitchens of the great Midwest. For our book club, I passed out the cookbook and made the Mississippi Mud Bars from the book and my own secret brownie recipe. We spent some time talking about our recipes and had a good book discussion. It was one of our favorite meetings.
"Then, to add to the interesting notes about the book, one of our book club members, Cheryl, has a son, Matt Rodbard, who lives in New York and is a food writer. He had just published a cookbook called KOREATOWN, and had been hired by a major publisher --- can't remember which one --- (note from Carol: it’s Clarkson Potter) to produce a cooking website called Taste. He, in turn, hired Ryan Stradal to be a contributing editor because his mother had passed on the book KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST to him. I had a lovely conversation with Ryan about my hometown of Duluth and his connection to the bakery owned by the parents of two high school friends. The bakery played a prominent role in the book. My blog posting about KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST is here.”
On the same subject of food inspired by books, Robin wrote, “In TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Calpurnia makes a reference to a 'Lane Cake' and the fact that Miss Stephanie has been after her recipe for years! Love every reference from this book: scuppernong jelly, cracklin bread!"
I love hearing from our readers; some of our best ideas have come from YOU!
Oprah’s latest Book Club pick is Michelle Obama’s memoir, BECOMING. The former First Lady, the first African American to serve in that role, invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. Says Michelle, “I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey. In sharing my story, I hope to help create space for other stories and other voices, to widen the pathway for who belongs and why.” Be sure to check out these links --- the discussion guide, our review on Bookreporter.com, an interview with Michelle --- and click here for Oprah’s thoughts on the book.
Other guides we’ve added to this update are WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens, a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick and my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selection; A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, Amor Towles’ 2016 bestseller that will be adapted for the small screen as a miniseries starring Kenneth Branagh and will air sometime in 2020, according to the author; and THE SPLENDOR BEFORE THE DARK, the sequel to Margaret George’s THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO, in which ancient Rome's most infamous emperor cements his place in history.
Over the weekend, I read LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE by John Jay Osborn, which we featured in the last newsletter. The entire book takes place in a marriage therapist’s office. A couple is trying to work through the issues in their marriage, and their story unfolds with them sharing their thoughts on each other, either in solo or aux deux sessions. There is a chair in the room that sits empty. The therapist says that chair symbolizes the marriage. The book is short but very thought-provoking.
I am listening to and loving the audiobook edition of THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean, the print version of which we also featured in the first November newsletter. It will be a Bets On pick; you can see my commentary in the December 7th Bookreporter.com newsletter. While I have spent a lot of time in libraries through the years, and I have attended library conferences, I have learned so much about them while I listen to this book, which is narrated by Susan. There was a chapter on the shipping room where books get sent out for inter-library loan, which was terrific!
This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our special contest for Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, A SPARK OF LIGHT. Three groups will receive 12 copies of the book, which is set in a women’s reproductive health services clinic in Mississippi where a gunman has entered the building and fired shots, taking all inside hostage. All you have to do is fill out this form by Wednesday, December 5th at noon ET for your chance to win. You can see the discussion guide here and our review on Bookreporter.com here.
You still have plenty of time to enter our two-month-long “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, where three groups will be awarded 12 copies of THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL, Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story about a boy who was born with red pupils. To be in the running, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, January 9th at noon ET. Don’t miss our discussion guide here and our Bookreporter.com review here. I am reading this book now, and I see why Suspense Magazine selected it as its Book of the Year.
You also have until Wednesday, January 9th at noon ET to vote in our current poll if you haven’t done so already. We’ve listed 20 book group-favorite authors, and we’re asking you if you’ve read any of their books with your group.
Sarah Jessica Parker has selected Sarah Smarsh’s HEARTLAND: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth as her latest ALA Book Club Central Pick. According to Parker, “Ms. Smarsh writes with authority and urgency about the entrenched deprivation of overlooked Americans born into poverty across the country. Her straightforward, empathetic storytelling is motivated by a deeply-saturated love for her family and Kansas home and brings readers into the heart of what it means to live with brokenness and resilience every day.” We have a discussion guide for the book here and our review on Bookreporter.com here. Also, I recently made the audiobook a Bets On title; click here for my commentary. This book will make for a brilliant discussion.
The December pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” book club is THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLES HERE, Casey Gerald's coming-of-age memoir that we reviewed last month on Bookreporter.com and was one of this year's Book Expo buzz books, which gave me an opportunity to interview Casey at the conference. You can read more about this latest pick here.
THE ROOM ON RUE AMÉLIE by Kristin Harmel is the November pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites program. Three members of the S&S team talked about the novel in a Facebook Live chat today. Click here for the discussion, and see what readers had to say about the book in the comments section. As a special treat, Kristin joined the conversation on Facebook, answering readers' questions and replying to their comments.
There will be no December pick due to the holidays, but it was announced that January’s selection will be THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Kate Morton. This is great news, as I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate about the book twice: at Book Expo and at the Morristown Festival of Books. We also featured the guide in October and posted a review on Bookreporter.com.
We’ll be back to you the week of December 17th with our last newsletter of the year. Enjoy your book group discussion or holiday celebrations, if you are taking the month off from having a formal meeting.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping (including your holiday shopping), if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Guide: BECOMING by Michelle Obama
BECOMING by Michelle Obama (Memoir)
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America --- the first African American to serve in that role --- she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it --- in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise and revelatory, BECOMING is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations --- and whose story inspires us to do the same.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read an interview with Michelle Obama.
Click here for the featured guide.
Special Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of
A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult for Your Group
We are celebrating the recent release of A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult --- a powerful and provocative novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, December 5th at noon ET.
A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center --- a women’s reproductive health services clinic --- its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.
After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages, he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his 15-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.
But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the crosshairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.
Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.
Jodi Picoult --- one of the most fearless writers of our time --- tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A SPARK OF LIGHT is a story that will inspire debate, conversation…and, hopefully, understanding.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE
OF SAM HELL by Robert Dugoni 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.
Our latest prize book is THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL by Robert Dugoni, a coming-of-age story about a boy who was born with red pupils and endured bullying by his classmates. Years later, Sam looks back on his life and embarks on a journey that will bring into clear view what changed him, defined him and made him so afraid --- until he finally sees what truly matters. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, January 9th at noon ET.
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL by Robert Dugoni (Fiction)
Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border.”
Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom and his two other misfit friends.
Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.
Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design --- especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open --- bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: THE SPLENDOR BEFORE THE DARK
by Margaret George
THE SPLENDOR BEFORE THE DARK: A Novel of the Emperor Nero by Margaret George (Historical Fiction)
With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero Augustus commands the Roman empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendor. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is unquestioned.
But in the 10th year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swaths of the city to rubble. Rumors of Nero’s complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace --- and the politicians.
For better or worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome’s --- and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him, not understanding what drives him to undertake the impossible.
Nero will either survive and be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or be ensnared and remembered as the last radiance of the greatest dynasty the world had ever known.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles (Historical Fiction)
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read an interview with Amor Towles.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New November Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in November for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site) that we think will be of interest to book groups.
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE by Heather Rose (Fiction)
Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art sit across a table from the performance artist Marina Abramović. Although some go in skeptical, almost all leave moved. And the participants are not the only ones to find themselves changed by this unusual experience: Arky Levin finds himself drawn to the exhibit. He returns day after day to watch other people sit with Abramović --- and he begins to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do.
NIGHT OF MIRACLES by Elizabeth Berg (Fiction)
Thanks to the inspiration of her dearly departed friend Arthur Truluv, Lucille Howard has begun to teach baking classes. Her classes have become so popular that she’s hired Iris, a new resident of Mason, Missouri, as an assistant. Iris doesn’t know how to bake, but she needs to keep her mind off a big decision she sorely regrets.
NINE PERFECT STRANGERS by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)
Could 10 days at a health resort really change you forever? In Liane Moriarty’s latest page-turner, nine perfect strangers are about to find out.
THE NOEL STRANGER by Richard Paul Evans (Fiction)
This powerful new holiday novel from Richard Paul Evans explores the true power of the season, redemption and the freedom that comes from forgiveness.
TONY'S WIFE by Adriana Trigiani (Historical Fiction)
Set in the lush Big Band era of the 1940s and World War II, Adriana Trigiani’s latest novel tells the story of two talented working class kids who marry and become a successful singing act, until time, temptation and the responsibilities of home and family derail their dreams.
WITNESS: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Burger (Memoir)
Elie Wiesel --- a Nobel laureate, activist, adviser to world leaders, and the author of more than 40 books --- taught at Boston University for nearly four decades. With this book, Ariel Burger --- devoted protégé, apprentice and friend --- takes us into the sacred space of Wiesel’s classroom. There, Wiesel challenged his students to explore moral complexity and to resist the dangerous lure of absolutes.
New Guide: LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE
by John Jay Osborn
LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE by John Jay Osborn (Fiction)
Gretchen and Steve have been married for a long time. Living in San Francisco, recently separated, with two children and demanding jobs, they’ve started going to a marriage counselor. Unfolding over the course of 10 months and taking place entirely in the marriage counselor’s office, John Jay Osborn’s LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE is the story of a fractured couple in a moment of crisis, and of the person who tries to get them to see each other again.
A searing look at the obstacles we put in our own way, as well as the forces that drive us apart (and those that bring us together), LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE is a poignant exploration of marriage --- heartbreaking and tender.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE WIFE BETWEEN US
by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Now Available in Paperback
THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (Psychological Thriller)
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement --- a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.
Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's THE WIFE BETWEEN US exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage --- and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
Read between the lies.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens (Fiction)
I am playing catch-up on some books that are getting great buzz that came out this year that I never got to at the time of their release. One is WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens, which was published in August. I have been hearing friends talk about it for weeks, and those with such varied tastes loved it, so I was drawn to make time for it instead of doing my usual “reading ahead.” And I am glad that I did. It is a beautifully written story that will stay with me.
The character of Kya Clark is called the “Marsh Girl” by locals. She lives alone in the marshlands off the North Carolina coast in a town called Barkley Cove. She is abandoned there first by her mother, who had endured years of domestic abuse, and then by her father, whose fondness for alcohol brought out his violent side. Kya lives off the grid in a cabin that is ramshackle at best. She is unschooled and hides from the truant officer, who insists that she belongs in school. What she is best at is surviving. She sells mussels to make some cash so she can buy food and gasoline for her boat. She barters and lives simply with no creature comforts. She’s wild, free and very alone.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Bookreporter.com's Latest New Release Spotlight:
KINGDOM OF THE BLIND by Louise Penny
KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny (Mystery)
When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder.
None of them had ever met the elderly woman.
The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane?
Unknown Object
When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing.
But it isn’t the only menace Gamache is facing.
The investigation into what happened six months ago --- the events that led to his suspension --- has dragged on, into the dead of winter. And while most of the opioids he allowed to slip though his hands, in order to bring down the cartels, have been retrieved, there is one devastating exception.
Enough narcotic to kill thousands has disappeared into inner city Montreal. With the deadly drug about to hit the streets, Gamache races for answers.
As he uses increasingly audacious, even desperate, measures to retrieve the drug, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots. And the terrible things hiding there.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com’s Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature
At Bookreporter.com, we kick off the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, on select days in November and December, we are spotlighting a book and give five lucky readers the chance to win it. You have to visit the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter the 24-hour contest. As always, we are sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts.
This year's featured titles are:
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"
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
BECOMING by Michelle Obama (Memoir)
An Oprah's Book Club pick, BECOMING is an intimate, powerful and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States, who invites readers into her world as she chronicles the experiences that have shaped her.
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL by Robert Dugoni (Fiction)
Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border.”
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of RULES OF CIVILITY comes a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel.
THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean (Social History)
Susan Orlean, one of our most esteemed journalists and authors, turns her keen powers of observation and narrative gifts to the overlooked, underreported saga of the 1986 fire that ravaged the Los Angeles Public Library.
LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE by John Jay Osborn (Fiction)
Unfolding over the course of 10 months and taking place entirely in the marriage counselor’s office, LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE is about a married couple on the brink of divorce and a marriage counselor trying to save their family.
ONCE A MIDWIFE: A Hope River Novel by Patricia Harman (Historical Fiction)
Patricia Harman returns to the Appalachian Mountains of Hope River, West Virginia, in the third novel in her USA Today bestselling Hope River series.
A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
A SPARK OF LIGHT, the instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of SMALL GREAT THINGS, is a powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis.
THE SPLENDOR BEFORE THE DARK: A Novel of the Emperor Nero by Margaret George (Historical Fiction)
Ascending to the throne was only the beginning. Now Margaret George, the author of THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO, weaves a web of politics and passion, as ancient Rome’s most infamous emperor cements his place in history.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens (Fiction)
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING --- a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick --- is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder.
THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (Psychological Thriller)
Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's THE WIFE BETWEEN US exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage --- and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
Our Latest Poll: Which Book-Group Favorite Authors
Have You Read with Your Group?
We have listed a number of authors who have been favorites among book groups. Have you read any of their books with your group? Let us know by checking all that apply.
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Mitch Albom
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Fredrik Backman
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Chris Bohjalian
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Anthony Doerr
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Jennifer Egan
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Louise Erdrich
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Jamie Ford
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Kristin Hannah
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Ann Hood
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Christina Baker Kline
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Min Jin Lee
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Debbie Macomber
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Paula McLain
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Celeste Ng
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Jodi Picoult
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Lisa See
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Elizabeth Strout
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Amor Towles
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Adriana Trigiani
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Lisa Wingate
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None of these
Click here to vote in the poll by Wednesday, January 9th at noon ET.
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