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We have four new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews to share with you.
First up is Megan Miranda, whose latest psychological thriller, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Among many other fascinating topics, they talk about the double-sided nature of the media and how it can bear down on the lives of undeserving individuals.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
THE LAST FLIGHT is one of the most talked-about books of the summer (and a Bets On title),
so Carol was excited to chat with Julie Clark about it. Their discussion touches on the nature
of each character's past, and without spoiling anything, Julie opens up a conversation
about how secrets are so successfully revealed over the course of the novel.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Another Bets On pick is Stephanie Scott's debut novel, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS.
In this interview, Stephanie discusses her intense research into the cultural nuances
and legal system of Japan, and opens up about how her education in literature
evolved into her desire to tell this story, which has its roots in a real-life crime.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Carol had a wonderful discussion with Meg Mitchell Moore about her new novel, TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE, which is a Bets On selection. The book is set in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where Meg lives, and they talk about how she brings this town to life in her fiction using the businesses and beaches there.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
On Friday, May 29th, we hosted our 9th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book club leaders — the first time it was done virtually.
More than 80 books that would make great book group selections were presented by 25 publishers.
Click on the image above to watch a video of the presentation.
If you would like to know more about these books, here is a link to the PowerPoint presentation of the featured titles, as well as a spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title.
Virtually Talking Books in Lots of Places
Last Monday night, I had the pleasure of attending a virtual "Writers at Home" event that was a perk for frequent attendees of BOOKTHEWRITER's Pop-Up Book Groups. Jeanine Cummins was the author guest, and she and Jean Hanff Korelitz, who hosted the program, had a wonderful discussion about AMERICAN DIRT, with questions from the attendees. Jeanine shared how she wrote two complete versions of a novel with similar themes, and abandoned them before she penned the bestselling book that we all now know. The sudden death of her father in late 2016 devastated her, and for a while she just could not get out of bed. She started writing as a way to get her bearings again. She went to the desert to volunteer in a migrant camp, and by the time she left, she had the full arc of the story.
I learned a few interesting things from this discussion. The character of Javier is drawn from a friendship that Jeanine had in her own life. This relationship was written so authentically that this did not surprise me. The character of Luca is based on her nephew. One of the earlier versions was written from the point of view of Luca as an unaccompanied minor already at the border. There is another character based on a person she met at a shelter who she saw giving with great grace.
When the controversy over the book arose, Oprah told her to “return to your intention.” Wise advice, indeed. Jeanine is partnering with the International Rescue Committee to raise funds to help support severely under-resourced programs that offer protection and hope to the men, women and children waiting in Mexico. She will match every donation made through this fundraiser, up to $100,000, until July 31st. Here is the link if you are interested.
There is a LOT going on in my virtual life.
Last week, I had a blast being interviewed by Wade Rouse for his "Happy Hour/Live & Loose" program that he does every Thursday night on his Viola Shipman Facebook page. You may remember we featured the guide for Wade’s latest book, THE HEIRLOOM GARDEN (which he wrote under his “Viola Shipman” pseudonym), a couple of months ago. If you missed the interview and want to watch, here is the link. Wade filmed from his kitchen, as he wanted to show viewers and me his amazing retro fridge and stove, both in turquoise. I love this, and for those who want to see more about these, they are from a company called Big Chill. My husband gave them a peek on the screen and had a slightly panicked look that I was ready to order them. Well, I would love the stove. I need to find my tape measure! He fears my walking around with the tape measure and the phrase “I have an idea.”
I did four virtual Summer Reading events at libraries, and I am lining up events for late summer and fall now. If you are a librarian looking for a brisk program for your readers, I will be happy to share what I can offer!
New Plan: We have an idea to do a live event for our readers via Zoom sometime the week of July 13th. We want to select the best time for this event, so if you are interested, fill out this form and let us know what day of the week and time of day would work best for you to attend an event like this. We have a few ideas for it in mind. And if there is anything that you would like to see, let me know. It would be fun to “see” many of you.
DEACON KING KONG by James McBride is Oprah’s latest book club pick. "In a moment when our country roils with righteous anger and grief," Oprah says, "DEACON KING KONG reminds us that when we come together as a community in compassion and empathy, our love triumphs." You can hear more of Oprah’s thoughts on her new selection in this video. She plans to talk to McBride later this summer on her Apple TV+ series; we will share more details on this interview as soon as they become available. In the meantime, click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
We have five new discussion guides to share with you. First up is THE NICKEL BOYS, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, which is now available in paperback. Abandoned by his parents but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood Curtis is about to enroll in Tallahassee’s local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South of the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy. In reality, it is a grotesque chamber of horrors where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials and locals steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear "out back." The tension between Elwood's ideals and his friend Turner's skepticism leads to a decision, the repercussions of which will echo down the decades.
Next up is THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Claire Cook seems to have a perfect life, but appearances can be very deceiving, and she has worked for months on a plan to disappear. At an airport bar, Claire crosses paths with Eva, whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a split-second decision to switch tickets, believing that the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when one of the flights goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. With the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity --- and, along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.
I had so much fun chatting with Julie for a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. And find out why I’m betting you’ll love this book here.
WHAT’S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS is a debut novel from Stephanie Scott that also is a Bets On selection. In Japan, a covert industry has grown up around the "wakaresaseya," a person hired by one spouse to seduce the other in order to gain the advantage in divorce proceedings. When Satō hires Kaitarō, a wakaresaseya agent, to have an affair with his wife, Rina, he assumes it will be an easy case. However, things don’t go according to plan when she and Kaitarō fall in love, which sets in motion a series of violent acts that will forever haunt her daughter's life.
Stephanie also was a recent “Bookreporter Talks To” guest, and we had a fascinating conversation. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. And my Bets On commentary can be found here.
We also are featuring the guides for THE SECOND HOME by debut author Christina Clancy, a novel about second homes, second families and second chances (which is another Bets On pick), and THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST, the much-talked-about new novel from Chanel Cleeton, whose 2018 book, NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA, was a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick.
It was announced this week that FRIENDS AND STRANGERS by J. Courtney Sullivan is July's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick, and SEX AND VANITY by Kevin Kwan is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick. We will have much more on these books, along with many other July book club picks, in our next newsletter.
There is still time to enter our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, where three readers will win 12 copies of MONTAUK by Nicola Harrison, which is now available in paperback. This cinematic debut novel captures the glamour and extravagance of a summer by the sea with the story of a woman torn between the life she chose and the life she desires. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, July 8th at noon ET.
I am thrilled to tell you about a brand new feature on Bookreporter that I’ve been wanting to do for a while --- and it just so happens this year seemed to be the ideal time for it. As so many vacation plans have been put on hold due to the pandemic, we wanted you to experience amazing summer destinations in the comfort of your own home. Our “Virtual Vacation Reads” feature gives you the opportunity to virtually travel with our list of books set in idyllic vacation locales, like Cape Cod, Nantucket, Charleston, Pasadena and Montauk (yes, we included the aforementioned MONTAUK here). All the titles are hardcovers and paperbacks that have been published this year or will be releasing in the weeks to come. We also have included links to indie bookstores that are at or near each of these locations, so you can pay them a virtual visit and do some shopping as well!
Many thanks to our intern, Perri Smith, for her help in pulling this feature together, and my son Greg for the fabulous job he did on the artwork. I wanted the look of a vintage postcard, and he nailed it!
I also had great discussions recently with Megan Miranda and Meg Mitchell Moore about their latest books, both of which are Bets On picks that should give book groups plenty to talk about. Megan’s THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS is a psychological thriller about a young woman who is plagued by night terrors that are caused by a childhood trauma. She wakes up one evening while sleepwalking in her yard to find a corpse at her feet. With TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE, Meg has written a novel filled with small-town secrets, summer romance, big-time lies and spiked seltzer that fans of Liane Moriarty’s work will especially enjoy. You can find links to the videos and podcasts of these interviews, along with many others, on our “Bookreporter Talks To” Videos & Podcasts page.
Megan is in the midst of a virtual author tour for THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS. Be sure to visit her website to get up to speed on all of her upcoming events. A fun one that will take place tomorrow, July 2nd, is a “Murder Mystery Whodunnit”, where Megan will be joined by Jean Kwok, Wendy Walker and Michelle Cox, who will set the stage for their four suspenseful murder mystery novels. Then Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Steve Breen, with the help of an unnamed source, will offer a sketch artist demonstration, and you will see who the “murderer” turns out to be.
Every Wednesday at 7pm ET, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe talk books and writing on their “Friends and Fiction” Facebook group page. Tonight’s special guest will be Delia Owens, author of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon that has sold more than six million copies worldwide.
A reminder that on Tuesday, July 7th at 7pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their June book club pick, THE VANISHING HALF. It will feature author Brit Bennett in conversation with Kiley Reid, whose debut novel, SUCH A FUN AGE, was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Two days later, on Thursday, July 9th at 7pm ET, Celadon Books will hold their very first book club discussion live on their Instagram page. They will be talking about SAINT X, a Bets On pick from earlier this year, with author Alexis Schaitkin.
Last week, three members of the Simon & Schuster team talked to Lisa Jewell about her novel, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, which is newly released in paperback and is June’s pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites. Click here for their discussion (I logged on for this, and it was wonderful), and be sure to check out the comments section on Facebook to see what your fellow readers had to say about the book. July’s selection will be THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, a Bets On pick that is now in paperback.
Lisa See shared this great video about the Jeju women, who were featured in her book, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN. It’s terrific!
Looking ahead to fall/winter: For those of you who missed our virtual Book Group Speed Dating event on May 29th, you can watch a video of the presentation in its entirety here. Twenty-five publishers presented more than 80 books that they think will be of interest to book groups. And if you would like to know more about these books, here is a link to the PowerPoint presentation of the featured titles, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title.
A few weeks ago, I figured out how to watch YouTube videos on our smart television instead of on a laptop or mobile device. I share this now as I think it would be fun to watch this video presentation on a big screen. It is worth doing some exploring on your own television to see if you can do this.
As you can see, there are a lot of virtual events going on, and in our next newsletter we will share a number of others with you that you may want to have on your radar.
Have a firecracker 4th! And here’s to some reading time this long weekend and into July.
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!
Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick:
DEACON KING KONG by James McBride
DEACON KING KONG by James McBride (Historical Fiction)
In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and in front of everybody shoots the project's drug dealer at point-blank range.
The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of DEACON KING KONG, James McBride's funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award-winning THE GOOD LORD BIRD. McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood's Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself.
As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters --- caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York --- overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion.
Bringing to these pages both his masterly storytelling skills and his abiding faith in humanity, James McBride has written a novel every bit as involving as THE GOOD LORD BIRD and as emotionally honest as THE COLOR OF WATER. Told with insight and wit, DEACON KING KONG demonstrates that love and faith live in all of us.
While no guide is available at this time, be sure to check out our historical fiction discussion questions, which may help you in your group's discussion of the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to see why the book is Oprah's latest book club selection.
New Guide: THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead
The 2020 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Fiction
is Now Available in Paperback
THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.
Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, THE NICKEL BOYS is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
“What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Contest: Enter to Win 12 Paperback Copies of
MONTAUK by Nicola Harrison 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 MONTAUK by Nicola Harrison, which is now available in paperback. This epic and cinematic debut novel captures the glamour and extravagance of a summer by the sea with the story of a woman torn between the life she chose and the life she desires. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, July 8th at noon ET.
MONTAUK by Nicola Harrison (Historical Fiction)
Montauk, Long Island, 1938. For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending 12 weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor --- a 200-room seaside hotel --- while Harry pursues other interests in the city.
College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.
As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband --- stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future.
Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark (Psychological Thriller)
Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of 10, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.
A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets --- Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity and, along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Julie Clark.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: WHAT’S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS
by Stephanie Scott
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS by Stephanie Scott (Fiction)
In Japan, a covert industry has grown up around the "wakaresaseya" (literally "breaker-upper"), a person hired by one spouse to seduce the other in order to gain the advantage in divorce proceedings. When Satō hires Kaitarō, a wakaresaseya agent, to have an affair with his wife, Rina, he assumes it will be an easy case. But Satō has never truly understood Rina or her desires, and Kaitarō's job is to do exactly that --- until he does it too well. While Rina remains ignorant of the circumstances that brought them together, she and Kaitarō fall in a desperate, singular love, setting in motion a series of violent acts that will forever haunt her daughter's life.
Told from alternating points of view and across the breathtaking landscapes of Japan, Stephanie Scott exquisitely renders the affair and its intricate repercussions. As Rina's daughter, Sumiko, fills in the gaps of her mother's story and her own memory, Scott probes the thorny psychological and moral grounds of the actions we take in the name of love, asking where we draw the line between passion and possession.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to visit Stephanie Scott's website.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Stephanie Scott.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE SECOND HOME by Christina Clancy
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE SECOND HOME by Christina Clancy (Fiction)
After a disastrous summer spent at her family summer home on Cape Cod, 17-year-old Ann Gordon was left with a secret that changed her life forever, and created a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael.
Now, 15 years later, her parents have died, leaving Ann and Poppy to decide the fate of the Wellfleet home that's been in the Gordon family for generations. For Ann, the once-beloved house is tainted with bad memories. Poppy loves the old saltbox, but after years spent chasing waves around the world, she isn't sure she knows how to stay in one place.
Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long-ago summer. Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings must decide if they can continue to be a family --- and the house just might be the glue that holds them together.
Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again. It is about second homes, second families and second chances.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST
by Chanel Cleeton
THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST by Chanel Cleeton (Historical Fiction)
For the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler’s legendary Overseas Railroad, Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to forget the economic depression gripping the nation. But one person’s paradise can be another’s prison, and Key West native Helen Berner yearns to escape.
After the Cuban Revolution of 1933 leaves Mirta Perez’s family in a precarious position, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a notorious American. Following her wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can’t deny the growing attraction to her new husband, his illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life.
Elizabeth Preston's trip to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles after the Wall Street crash. Her quest takes her to the camps occupied by veterans of the Great War and pairs her with an unlikely ally on a treacherous hunt of his own.
Over the course of the holiday weekend, the women’s paths cross unexpectedly, and the danger swirling around them is matched only by the terrifying force of the deadly storm threatening the Keys.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New June Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books that released in June for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site) that we think will be of interest to book groups.
28 SUMMERS by Elin Hilderbrand (Fiction)
Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year, 28 SUMMERS explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love.
THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS by Karen Robards (Historical Fiction)
For fans of THE NIGHTINGALE, THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE and THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS, this exquisite novel illuminates three women’s strength, courage and capacity for unconditional love.
DADDY'S GIRLS by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
In Danielle Steel’s riveting novel, three women raised by their father on a sprawling California ranch now confront difficult truths about their past.
DANCE AWAY WITH ME by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romance)
At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart and the healing power of love.
THE DILEMMA by B. A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)
It’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there. Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter that, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core.
FRIENDS AND STRANGERS by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)
FRIENDS AND STRANGERS is an insightful, hilarious and compulsively readable novel about a complicated friendship between two women who are at two very different stages in life.
THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST HOUSE GUEST --- a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick --- comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense about a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma who wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet.
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie.
HER LAST FLIGHT by Beatriz Williams (Historical Romance)
Beloved author Beatriz Williams returns with a remarkable novel of both raw suspense and lyric beauty --- the story of a lost pilot and a wartime photographer that will leave its mark on your soul.
THE LIES THAT BIND by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
In this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ALL WE EVER WANTED and SOMETHING BORROWED, a young woman falls hard for an impossibly perfect man before he disappears without a trace.
MRS. LINCOLN'S SISTERS by Jennifer Chiaverini (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of MRS. LINCOLN’S DRESSMAKER returns to her most famous heroine, Mary Todd Lincoln, in this compelling story of love, loss and sisterhood rich with history and suspense.
NIGHT. SLEEP. DEATH. THE STARS. by Joyce Carol Oates (Fiction)
The bonds of family are tested in the wake of a profound tragedy, providing a look at the darker side of our society by one of our most enduringly popular and important writers.
SEX AND VANITY by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon CRAZY RICH ASIANS returns with the glittering tale of a young woman who finds herself torn between two men: the WASPY fiancé of her family's dreams and George Zao, the man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.
THE SWAP by Robyn Harding (Psychological Thriller)
Robyn Harding brings her acclaimed storytelling --- lauded as “fast-paced, thrilling, gut-wrenching” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the New York Times bestselling author of DAISY JONES & THE SIX --- to this dark and suspenseful thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Lisa Jewell.
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Meg Mitchell Moore (Fiction)
From the author of THE ISLANDERS comes a warm, witty and suspenseful novel filled with small-town secrets, summer romance, big-time lies and spiked seltzer, in the vein of Liane Moriarty.
Bookreporter.com’s Virtual Vacation Reads:
Books Set in Getaway Locations
Do the current stay-at-home measures have you craving a summer getaway? Bookreporter has a way for you to virtually travel with our list of books set in vacation locales. Escape to idyllic spots like Cape Cod, Nantucket, Montauk, Charleston and Pasadena --- along with many others --- with our "Virtual Vacation Reads" feature. Pick your book(s) to embark on the summer vacation you've been dreaming of. You’ll only have to figure out how to send postcards!
Please note: For your convenience, we have organized these books both by location and alphabetically by title. We also have included links to indie bookstores that are at or near each of these locations, so you can pay them a virtual visit as well! May we suggest that you buy these books from them?
Click here to see our "Virtual Vacation Reads" feature.
Bookreporter.com’s 16th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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 series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through the end of August, 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.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda,
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley,
and TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Meg Mitchell Moore
THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller)
THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda is a brisk suspense/thriller. In it, Arden Maynor was six years old when she sleepwalked away from her house, fell into a river and was swept away in a rainstorm. Days later, she was found alive and became a celebrity for it. But that celebrity was too much for her. She has changed her name and tried to move on from her unwanted “fame.”
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit Megan Miranda's website.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Megan Miranda.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for more of Carol's commentary on THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS.
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley is set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The bride runs a magazine, and the groom is an actor with a hit show. The attendees include the best man’s fraternity brothers, who harbor a dark secret; the bridesmaid, who is a bit offbeat; the best man’s wife, who knows that her husband had a thing with the bride; and the wedding planner, who is holding it all together.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is the latest Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick (along with I'M STILL HERE: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown)
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE GUEST LIST.
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Meg Mitchell Moore (Fiction)
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE is a brisk read set in the beach town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, which is where author Meg Mitchell Moore lives. She made me want to visit there. The book is told from four points of view. One is from the Mom Squad, a clique of mothers who all have daughters the same age; the moms seem to be stuck in high school mode. A woman shows up in town with her daughter, and her past is rather murky. Who is she, and what is she hiding?
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Meg Mitchell Moore.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Bruce Holsinger (THE GIFTED SCHOOL)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Enter Our Ongoing Bookreporter.com Contests:
"Word of Mouth" and "Sounding Off on Audio"
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 June 12th to July 2nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of 28 SUMMERS by Elin Hilderbrand and THE PERSUASION by Iris Johansen.
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.
Please note: A new Word of Mouth contest will be up
on Thursday, July 2nd at noon ET.
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 July 1st to August 3rd at noon ET, one lucky reader will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Brad Thor's NEAR DARK, read by Armand Schultz, and Kristin Harmel's THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, read by Madeleine Maby.
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.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE BEAUTY OF BROKEN THINGS by Victoria Connelly (Fiction)
United by tragedy, can two broken souls make each other whole? That is the question Victoria Connelly poses to the readers of her latest novel, THE BEAUTY OF BROKEN THINGS.
A BURNING by Megha Majumdar (Literary Thriller)
For readers of Tommy Orange, Yaa Gyasi and Jhumpa Lahiri, A BURNING is an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise --- to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies --- and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.
EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes (Fiction/Humor)
This heartfelt debut is about the unlikely relationship between a young woman who has lost her husband and a major league pitcher who has lost his game.
HANNAH’S WAR by Jan Eliasberg (Historical Fiction)
A "mesmerizing" reimagination of the final months of World War II (Kate Quinn, author of THE ALICE NETWORK), HANNAH'S WAR is an unforgettable love story about an exceptional woman and the dangerous power of her greatest discovery.
THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark (Psychological Thriller)
For fans of Lisa Jewell and Liv Constantine, THE LAST FLIGHT is the story of two women --- both alone, both scared --- and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives.
THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST by Chanel Cleeton (Historical Fiction)
In 1935, three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys.
MONTAUK by Nicola Harrison (Historical Fiction)
An epic and cinematic novel by debut author Nicola Harrison, MONTAUK captures the glamour and extravagance of a summer by the sea with the story of a woman torn between the life she chose and the life she desires.
THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
In this bravura follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
THE SECOND HOME by Christina Clancy (Fiction)
Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, Christina Clancy's THE SECOND HOME is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with and won't soon forget.
THE SUMMER COUNTRY by Lauren Willig (Historical Fiction)
A brilliant, multigenerational saga in the tradition of THE THORN BIRDS and NORTH AND SOUTH, New York Times bestselling historical novelist Lauren Willig delivers her biggest, boldest and most ambitious novel yet --- a sweeping Victorian epic of lost love, lies, jealousy and rebellion set in colonial Barbados.
THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE MOTHERS comes a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds --- one black and one white.
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS by Stephanie Scott (Fiction)
A gripping debut set in modern-day Tokyo and inspired by a true crime, for readers of EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU and THE PERFECT NANNY, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS charts a young woman's search for the truth about her mother's life --- and her murder.
THE WIFE STALKER by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
The bestselling author of THE LAST MRS. PARRISH returns with a psychological thriller, filled with chilling serpentine twists, about a woman fighting to hold onto the only family she’s ever loved --- and how far she’ll go to preserve it.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
THE GIFTED SCHOOL by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction)
Smart and juicy, THE GIFTED SCHOOL is a compulsively readable novel about a previously happy group of friends and parents that is nearly destroyed by their own competitiveness when an exclusive school for gifted children opens in the community.
THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA by J. Ryan Stradal (Fiction)
From the bestselling author of KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST comes a novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer.
THE SECRETS WE KEPT by Lara Prescott (Historical Thriller)
THE SECRETS WE KEPT combines a legendary literary love story --- the decades-long affair between Boris Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who inspired DOCTOR ZHIVAGO’s heroine, Lara --- with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk.
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