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On November 13th, we hosted our "9 1/2 Annual" Book Group Speed Dating event
for booksellers, librarians and book club leaders. More than 70 books releasing in Winter/Spring 2021
that would make great book group selections were presented by 18 publishers.
Click on the image above to watch the presentation. You also can access various materials from the event, including a PowerPoint and an Excel spreadsheet with all the featured titles, here.
On November 19th, we hosted our first "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event.
Our guest was Jeanine Cummins, whose novel AMERICAN DIRT was a Bets On pick when it released
in January. Carol had a fabulous time talking about the book with Jeanine, who also answered questions
from eight readers who joined them "on stage" and other members of the audience.
Click on the image above to watch the event and here to listen to the podcast.
Our second “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event will take place on Thursday, January 21st
at 8pm ET. Our guest will be William Kent Krueger, who will talk about THIS TENDER LAND.
Click on the image above to sign up. If you would like to be one of our “live panelists”
and ask Kent a question, please fill out this form.
On Wednesday, January 13th at 2pm ET, we will host our first "Bookaccino Live" event of 2021.
Carol will present a number of books releasing between January 12th and February 2nd
that she would like to get on your radar. Click on the image above to sign up.
We have three new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews to share with you.
First up is Jacqueline Winspear, who talked to Carol about her memoir,
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Carol had a wonderful time chatting with Elizabeth Berg about I'LL BE SEEING YOU,
a beautiful memoir about her parents in their final years.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Our last "Bookreporter Talks To" interview of 2020 is with Sue Miller,
whose latest novel, MONOGAMY, is a Bets On pick.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
What’s YOUR Book of the Year?
I am always looking for innovative ways that book groups come together. Yesterday morning, the yarn designer Miss Babs announced that their 2021 Book Club was kicking off. They noted, “We've enjoyed reading and knitting along for the past 2 years. We'd like to invite you to join us for another year in the Miss Babs Book Club. We have chosen 3 works of fiction for 2021 that will spark your imagination and keep you guessing. Our designers and our dyeing will be inspired by the book selections. The projects will be shawls and wraps. The yarn weights included in the club will range from heavy lace to DK, and Babs will dye an original and club-exclusive colorway for each shipment. 2021's designers are Rose Beck, Michael Harrigan and Tiziana Sammuri."
I reached out to ask what they had read this year and what they had knit. Helena responded and shared, “This year we read CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER in March (and knit Selene by Tamy Gore); in June we read CIRCE (and knit Circe by Lavish Craft); and in September we read SPINNING SILVER (and knit Spinning Silver by Elizabeth Ravenwood).” I definitely have more questions for her about how they selected titles!
If you know any innovative ways that book groups are being offered, please let me know!
On November 19th, we hosted our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event with Jeanine Cummins, the author of AMERICAN DIRT, as our guest. We went with a new format for this program. I interviewed Jeanine at the start, and then we invited eight readers to join us to ask questions. We wrapped up with a Q&A from the audience.
I had been looking forward to this interview for a long time. I read an advance copy of the book in June 2019, and when it came out in January of this year (which feels like a lifetime ago), it was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. In our conversation, we talked about her research for the book, the stops and starts it had, and her various inspirations, as well as what the last 10 months have been like since it came out. Readers who joined us asked about the title, the cover design, her incorporating Spanish into the prose, and what she hoped people would take away from it. And there also was a lively conversation about the audio edition.
We covered a lot of ground, which is what I love about programs like this. Since we know everyone could not join us live, we are happy to share that we have both a video for you to watch and a podcast for you to listen to at your leisure. AMERICAN DIRT was one of the finalists in this year’s Goodreads Choice Awards, which we mentioned in the interview. We are happy to announce that the book received 67,226 votes in the Fiction category, right behind THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig (72,828 votes) and ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman (72,823 votes).
We all liked this format and are looking forward to our next “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event on Thursday, January 21st. Our guest will be William Kent Krueger, who will talk about THIS TENDER LAND, another Bets On pick. We have changed our signup system; you will now sign up directly via Zoom. We also will be looking for audience volunteers to ask questions, so if you would like to participate in this portion of the program, please share your question here. You still need to register for the event via Zoom; this is an additional signup. By the way, our long lead time gives you time to read the book before this event, as we will assume people have read it and will be talking spoilers.
On Wednesday, January 13th at 2pm ET, we will be hosting our next "Bookaccino Live" afternoon event. I will present titles releasing between January 12th and February 2nd, along with a few from March, that I would like to get on your radar. Click here to register. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win prizes.
If you missed our November 11th “Bookaccino Live” event, where I talked about books coming out from mid-November to early January, along with four February releases, you can watch the presentation here and see a list of the featured titles here.
Last month, we hosted our “9 1/2 Annual” Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book club leaders. This is an event that we typically host just once a year in May. But this year, with everyone so far-flung, we elected to have publishers talk about Winter/Spring 2021 titles that are great selections for book groups. Eighteen publishers presented more than 70 books. You can watch the event in its entirety here. We also have broken out the presentations by publisher and included links to their individual videos on this page. If you would like to know more about the books, click here to access the PowerPoint presentation of the featured titles, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title.
Continuing from last month is our special End-of-the-Year Contest. By sharing your favorite book that you read with your group in 2020 and your favorite book that you read outside your group, you will be eligible to win six titles releasing in 2021 that are perfect for book group discussions: THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin, ETERNAL by Lisa Scottoline, THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah, THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain, THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn, and WHAT COULD BE SAVED by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, January 6th at noon ET. We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you in the early January newsletter.
In our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, we are giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of MISS BENSON’S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce, an uplifting novel about two women on a life-changing adventure, where they must risk everything, break all the rules and discover their best selves --- together. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by January 6th at noon ET. Along with the discussion guide that we posted last month, we now have our review, which you can read on Bookreporter here.
We have SEVEN new guides to share with you this month.
First up is Michael J. Fox’s inspirational new memoir, NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality. The actor and activist, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 29, shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Bronwyn Miller, one of our Bookreporter reviewers, wrote the discussion questions and has this to say in her review of the book: “With much reflection, and physical therapy with great doctors and therapists, Fox is able to fashion a new mindset to handle whatever life throws at him. He generously gives readers an honest peek into his daily life as he manages his disease and any other challenges that come his way, providing us with perhaps the most candid and authentic chronicle to date.”
THE CHICKEN SISTERS, KJ Dell’Antonia’s debut novel, is December’s Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. Reese says, “Three generations, two chicken shacks, and some big family secrets revealed… The December Reese’s Book Club pick, THE CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia is a charming, hilarious, feel-good story about the kind of bonds and rivalries only sisters can share. Also, a great present for your sister for the holidays!” Click here for the guide and here for our review.
This month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick is Sophie Cousens’ first novel, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, which “is already being compared to Love Actually. The book tells the story of Minnie Cooper and Quinn Hamilton through the years on their mutual New Year's Day birthday.” Cousens told “GMA,” "This is a heartwarming New Year's themed-romantic comedy that's going to get you in the mood for the holidays.” She went on to say, “If you love heartwarming rom-coms in the style of Richard Curtis, I think you're going to enjoy this one. This is a love story, but it's so much more than that. It's about friendship and family, fate and fortune." You can access the guide here and peruse our review here.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its publication, Jenna Bush Hager has selected Toni Morrison’s classic first novel, THE BLUEST EYE, as her “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick for December. Jenna explains why the book is so meaningful to her: “At the time I read it, THE BLUEST EYE was prohibited across some Texas schools. Knowing that some kids weren’t even allowed to read this made it an even more special treasure of a book. As Morrison’s debut novel turns 50 years old, it still holds incredible power to spark current conversations. While this fact is heartbreaking, it also shows how complicated and complex some of these themes are.” Click here for the guide.
Other new guides we’re featuring include DARK TIDES, Philippa Gregory’s latest work of historical fiction that tracks the rise of the Tidelands family in London, Venice and New England; HOW TO RAISE AN ELEPHANT, the 21st installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which finds Mma Ramotswe having to balance family obligations with the growing needs of one of Charlie's pet projects; and THE ARCTIC FURY, Greer Macallister’s new novel, in which a dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition --- and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don't come back.
We also are continuing to feature the guide for STILL COME HOME by Katey Schultz, a novel that explores how the decisions of three characters --- whose paths intersect over the span of three days --- will forever alter each other's lives. Roxana Robinson, the author of SPARTA, calls it "a beautiful book. I know what it means to get inside another world --- this one in particular --- and I'm full of admiration. I read this and felt as if I was standing right there, alongside the characters. Katey Schultz’s beautiful prose allows us into a place and time most of us don’t know, but which affects us all.”
This month’s Target Book Club pick is LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore, which is now in paperback and was my first Bets On title of 2020. Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different. Then one of them goes missing. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Liz, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.
Another Bets On pick newly released in paperback is SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE by Jean Kwok, which untangles the complicated ties binding three women --- two sisters and their mother --- in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge. I had the pleasure of talking to Jean when the book came out in hardcover last year. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
The PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” Book Club has chosen SEVERANCE by Ling Ma --- a satirical novel that takes place during a pandemic --- as their December pick. Here’s why: “While SEVERANCE feels like a particularly relevant pick amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ma’s book also grapples with enduring themes of family, immigration and identity while offering a pointed critique of modern-day office life and late capitalism.”
For more December selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
Please note: Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites will be hosting their final book club discussion of the year on Wednesday, December 16th at 3pm ET on their Facebook page. Rather than discuss a single title, they will talk about their favorite book club reads from this year and share what they’re excited about reading in 2021. So if you're stuck on picking a favorite, tune in to see what they have selected.
Last week, Kristin Harmel joined fellow author Kristin Woodson Harvey and S&S publicist Michelle Podberezniak to talk about her latest novel, THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, S&S's November book club pick. Click here for their lively discussion.
My final three “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews of 2020 are with Jacqueline Winspear (THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir), Elizabeth Berg (I’LL BE SEEING YOU: A Memoir), and Sue Miller (MONOGAMY). You can find links to the videos and podcasts of these interviews, along with many others, on our “Videos & Podcasts” page.
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING and MONOGAMY are just two of the 42(!) books we’re awarding to the Grand Prize winner of Bookreporter’s End-of-the-Year Contest, featuring all of my Bets On picks from this year. Fourteen other winners will receive a selection of three of these titles. Be sure to enter here by Monday, January 4th at noon ET. See more about this BIG contest below. You may want to suggest that others in your group enter as well, so you can share the prize if you win!
Also on Bookreporter, our Holiday Author Blogs are back for a 13th year! Once again, authors are sharing their favorite bookish holiday memories with us. So far, we’ve heard from Patricia Engel (INFINITE COUNTRY) and Janet Skeslien Charles (THE PARIS LIBRARY). Next week, be on the lookout for contributions from John Hart (THE UNWILLING), Deborah Goodrich Royce (FINDING MRS. FORD), Liese O'Halloran Schwarz (WHAT COULD BE SAVED), and Sharon Virts (MASQUE OF HONOR: A Historical Novel of the American South). Many thanks to these authors for their thoughtful and heartwarming pieces!
This is our last newsletter of 2020. We hope you find joy this holiday season, and we look forward to sharing more books with you in 2021. I have been reading ahead, and there are so many wonderful books to anticipate. Happy New Year!
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!
New Guide: NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE by Michael J. Fox
NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox (Memoir)
The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future; as Alex P. Keaton in “Family Ties”; as Mike Flaherty in “Spin City”; and through numerous other movie roles and guest appearances on shows such as “The Good Wife” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Diagnosed at age 29, Fox is equally engaged in Parkinson’s advocacy work, raising global awareness of the disease and helping find a cure through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the world’s leading non-profit funder of PD science. His two previous bestselling memoirs, LUCKY MAN and ALWAYS LOOKING UP, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. His new memoir reassesses this outlook, as events in the past decade presented additional challenges.
In NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox’s trademark sense of humor, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves and our losses.
Running through the narrative is the drama of the medical madness Fox recently experienced, which included his daily negotiations with the Parkinson’s disease he’s had since 1991 and a spinal cord issue that necessitated immediate surgery. His challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism and “get out of the lemonade business altogether.”
Does he make it all the way back? Read the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s "9 1/2 Annual"
Book Group Speed Dating Event:
Great Books for Book Groups
Special Contest:
Share Your Favorite Books of 2020
and Enter to Win SIX Great Book Group Titles
Releasing in 2021!
This is the time of year when everyone is posting “Best Books of the Year” lists. We would like you and your book group to help us compile ours! Click here to share both your favorite book that you read with your group in 2020 and your favorite book that you read outside your group by Wednesday, January 6th at noon ET.
One Grand Prize winner will be awarded six great book group titles releasing in 2021:
Please note: Your favorite book that you discussed with your group CAN be the same as your favorite book of the year. And they don't need to have been published in 2020. Also, please be careful with the spelling of book titles and authors’ first and last names to save us editing time.
We will have our reader-compiled "Best Of" list to share with you in the early January newsletter. We cannot wait to see what you select!
Click here to share your favorite books of 2020 and enter the contest.
“What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of MISS BENSON’S BEETLE
by Rachel Joyce 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 MISS BENSON'S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce, an uplifting novel about two women on a life-changing adventure, where they must risk everything, break all the rules and discover their best selves --- together. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, January 6th at noon ET.
MISS BENSON'S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce (Historical Fiction)
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist --- the golden beetle of New Caledonia.
When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Special Contest on Bookreporter.com:
Enter to Win Our End-of-the-Year Celebration,
Featuring All 42 "Bets On" Titles from 2020
We are thrilled to announce our End-of-the-Year Contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from 2020. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 42 books, while 14 other readers will receive a selection of three of these titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, January 4th at noon ET.
Here are this year's Bookreporter.com Bets On titles:
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: THE CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia
December’s Reese Witherspoon x
Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
THE CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia (Fiction)
In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state --- and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than 35-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to "Food Wars," the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.
The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda's sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, helping the fading Mimi's look good on "Food Wars" becomes Mae's best chance to reclaim the limelight --- even if doing so pits her against Amanda and Frannie's. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is December's Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens
December’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens (Romantic Comedy)
Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year's birthday is unlucky, and that it's all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she's never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year's Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990 --- and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it's no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.
When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year's party on their mutual 30th birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all --- while Minnie is on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?
A moving, joyful love story, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect --- no matter what the odds.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is December's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: DARK TIDES by Philippa Gregory
DARK TIDES by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
Midsummer Eve 1670. Two unexpected visitors arrive at a shabby warehouse on the south side of the River Thames. The first is a wealthy man hoping to find the lover he deserted 21 years before. James Avery has everything to offer, including the favour of the newly restored King Charles II, and he believes that the warehouse's poor owner Alinor has the one thing his money cannot buy --- his son and heir.
The second visitor is a beautiful widow from Venice in deepest mourning. She claims Alinor as her mother-in-law and has come to tell Alinor that her son Rob has drowned in the dark tides of the Venice lagoon.
Alinor writes to her brother Ned, newly arrived in faraway New England and trying to make a life between the worlds of the English newcomers and the American Indians as they move toward inevitable war. Alinor tells him that she knows --- without doubt --- that her son is alive and the widow is an imposter.
Set in the poverty and glamour of Restoration London, in the golden streets of Venice, and on the tensely contested frontier of early America, this is a novel of greed and desire: for love, for wealth, for a child and for home.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: STILL COME HOME by Katey Schultz
STILL COME HOME by Katey Schultz (Fiction)
The three characters in Katey Schultz’s novel are each searching for the best way to live --- all the while fighting cultural, societal and political forces far beyond their control. As their paths intersect, STILL COME HOME explores how their decisions will forever alter each other’s lives.
Exploring the tensions between loyalty to self and loyalty to country, STILL COME HOME reveals how three vastly different lives meet this challenge head-on, learning firsthand that remaining true to one’s self is the only way to survive, no matter the cost.
- Click here to read a Q&A with Katey Schultz.
- Click here to read critical praise for the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for December
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Pennie's Pick for Costco. We also feature a number of other prominent picks, including Oprah’s Book Club, the Barnes & Noble Book Club, the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club, Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, the PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” Book Club, and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites.
Below is a preview of December's "Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks." For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.
Indie Next
#1 Pick: WINTERING: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
A WEALTH OF PIGEONS: A Cartoon Collection by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin
THE BURNING GOD by R. F. Kuang
BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY by Lori Nelson Spielman
LibraryReads
LibraryReads Top Pick: HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING by Denise Williams
THE ARCTIC FURY by Greer Macallister
HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN: Runaway Royals, by Alyssa Cole
MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER by T.A. Willberg
PRETTY LITTLE WIFE by Darby Kane
Target Book Club
LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore
Pennie's Pick (Costco)
THE NIGHT PORTRAIT: A Novel of World War II and da Vinci's Italy, by Laura Morelli
Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club
THE CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison
"Good Morning America" Book Club
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens
PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” Book Club
SEVERANCE by Ling Ma
New December Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in December for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site or in the newsletter) that we think will be of interest to book groups.
THE CHANEL SISTERS by Judithe Little (Historical Fiction)
THE CHANEL SISTERS is a novel of survival, love, loss, triumph --- and the sisters who changed fashion forever.
THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES by Paula Brackston (Historical Fantasy)
THE GARDEN OF PROMISES AND LIES is the third installment in Paula Brackston's bewitching series that is "brimming with charm and charisma" and will make "fans of 'Outlander' rejoice!" (Woman's World Magazine).
THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM returns with a thrilling reconstruction of one of the most notorious events in literary history: Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926.
PERESTROIKA IN PARIS by Jane Smiley (Fiction)
From Pulitzer Prize-winning and bestselling author Jane Smiley comes a captivating, brilliantly imaginative story of three extraordinary animals --- and a young boy --- whose lives intersect in Paris.
PRETTY LITTLE WIFE by Darby Kane (Domestic Thriller)
Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: Shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?
A PROMISE OF ANKLES: A 44 Scotland Street Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
For the residents of 44 Scotland Street, life in Edinburgh's intriguing New Town is a thing to be relished. After all, there are new faces to excite Domenica's anthropological imagination, precious moments with his triplets for Matthew to savor, and the prospect of a trip to the promised land of Glasgow for young Bertie. But there are mysteries that need solving too.
THE WRONG FAMILY by Tarryn Fisher (Psychological Thriller)
Have you ever been wrong about someone? From the author of THE WIVES comes another twisted psychological thriller guaranteed to turn your world upside down.
December’s New in Paperback Roundups
on Bookreporter.com
December's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles on Bookreporter.com includes SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE by Jean Kwok, a poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women --- two sisters and their mother --- in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears and a series of family secrets emerge; Liz Moore's LONG BRIGHT RIVER, a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction and the formidable ties that persist between place, family and fate; THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS by Karen Robards, an exquisite WWII novel that illuminates the strength of three women in occupied Paris and showcases the extraordinary lengths one goes to save their family from a German prison; and AFRICAVILLE, Jeffrey Colvin's stunning debut novel that depicts several generations of one family bound together and torn apart by blood, faith, time and fate.
Among our nonfiction highlights are IN THE DREAM HOUSE, Carmen Maria Machado’s engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse; DISNEY'S LAND, a propulsive history chronicling the conception and creation of Disneyland, the masterpiece California theme park, as told like never before by popular historian Richard Snow; LINCOLN ON THE VERGE, in which Ted Widmer draws on new research to reveal President-Elect Abraham Lincoln as a work in progress, showing him on the verge of greatness, foiling an assassination attempt and forging an unbreakable bond with the American people; and LIFE ISN'T EVERYTHING, Ash Carter and Sam Kashner's up-close-and-personal portrait of legendary filmmaker, theater director and comedian Mike Nichols, which draws on candid conversations with his closest friends in show business and the arts.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
November 30th, December 7th, December 14th,
December 21st and December 28th.
Bookreporter.com's Holiday Author Blogs:
Authors Write About Their Favorite Holiday Memories
of Giving or Receiving Books
This week marks the return of our Holiday Author Blogs, which we’ve brought back for a 13th consecutive year. From now through December 17th, we will feature a new blog post from an author each weekday talking about the books that he or she has given and/or received during the holidays.
So far, we have heard from Patricia Engel (INFINITE COUNTRY) and Janet Skeslien Charles (THE PARIS LIBRARY). Still to come are contributions from John Hart (THE UNWILLING), Deborah Goodrich Royce (FINDING MRS. FORD), Liese O'Halloran Schwarz (WHAT COULD BE SAVED), and Sharon Virts (MASQUE OF HONOR: A Historical Novel of the American South).
Click here to read Bookreporter.com's 2020 Holiday Author Blogs.
Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Feature:
Books You Want to Wrap and Unwrap
At Bookreporter.com, we've been celebrating the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, we've been spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it.
Although the contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at this year's featured titles. These are books you'll want to read during the holidays --- and throughout the new year as well!
- Click here to see the winners of this year's Holiday Cheer contests.
Click here to see our Holiday Cheer feature.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING
by Jacqueline Winspear
and LITTLE CRUELTIES by Liz Nugent
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir by Jacqueline Winspear (Memoir)
Jacqueline Winspear’s memoir, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING, takes readers with her to post-War England, where she shares wonderful stories about growing up in a country recovering from war. Readers may know Winspear from her award-winning Maisie Dobbs series, but even if you do not, her storytelling here will completely captivate you. I interviewed her a few weeks ago, and I felt like I was talking to an old family friend. Her stories of her family brought them all so alive to me.
Winspear was raised in Kent, the child of working-class parents. She spent her childhood living, as we would call it today, a bit off the grid. She shares stories of how two World Wars took their toll on three generations --- two that lived through them and a third that watched as the scars of war influenced their elders’ lives.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Jacqueline Winspear.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING.
LITTLE CRUELTIES by Liz Nugent (Psychological Thriller)
Liz Nugent’s LITTLE CRUELTIES opens with this line: “All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral, although one of us was in a coffin.” It goes on to say, “Three is an odd number, so there had always been two against one, although we all switched sides regularly. Nobody would ever have described us as close.” It’s a great setup, and when I reread it, I saw just how clever it was.
So we meet William, Brian and Luke, and we track their lives in no particular order. They are brothers, but to me much of the time they seemed really alien to each other. And their growing up was quite dysfunctional. But hey, how many thrillers are written about well-functioning families?
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on LITTLE CRUELTIES.
From left to right: Lisa See, Lori Nelson Spielman, KJ Dell'Antonia
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register.
Sunday, December 13th at 5pm ET: Friends and Fiction: In this bonus episode, the "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk to Susan Mallery, whose upcoming novel is THE VINEYARD AT PAINTED MOON.
Monday, December 14th at 6pm ET: The Filson Historical Society Virtual Event: Acclaimed historian H. W. Brands will discuss his latest book, THE ZEALOT AND THE EMANCIPATOR, his thrilling and page-turning account of how two American giants shaped the war for freedom.
Tuesday, December 15th at 6:30pm ET: Pages Bookshop Virtual Event: Pages Bookshop is excited to host Michigan author Lori Nelson Spielman for her latest book, THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY. She will be in conversation with Lyssa Kay Adams, author of CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE.
Tuesday, December 15th at 8pm ET: Blue Willow Bookshop Virtual Event: Matthew McConaughey will appear in conversation with Brené Brown to discuss his new book, GREENLIGHTS.
Wednesday, December 16th at 7pm ET: Friends and Fiction: The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Lisa See, whose most recent novel is THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN.
Wednesday, December 23rd at 7pm ET: Friends and Fiction: Join the "Friends and Fiction" authors as they celebrate Christmas.
Wednesday, December 30th at 7pm ET: Friends and Fiction: The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to author Anne Bogel, creator of the blog Modern Mrs. Darcy and host of the podcast "What Should I Read Next?"
Wednesday, January 6th at 7pm ET: Gibson's Bookstore Virtual Event: Gibson's is thrilled to virtually present New Hampshire author KJ Dell'Antonia, whose debut novel is THE CHICKEN SISTERS. She will be joined in conversation by her friend Jessica Hunt, the producer of New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange."
"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:
-
Elizabeth Berg (I'LL BE SEEING YOU: A Memoir) Video | Podcast
-
Sue Miller (MONOGAMY) Video | Podcast
-
Jacqueline Winspear (THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir)
Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Enter Bookreporter.com’s 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 December 4th to December 18th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE LAST DAYS OF JOHN LENNON by James Patterson, with Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, and A WEALTH OF PIGEONS: A Cartoon Collection by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin.
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.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE ARCTIC FURY by Greer Macallister (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition --- and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don't come back.
THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison (Fiction)
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Toni Morrison's first novel, THE BLUEST EYE. Here, the Nobel Prize winner powerfully examines our obsession with beauty and conformity --- and asks questions about race, class and gender with her characteristic subtlety and grace.
THE CHICKEN SISTERS by KJ Dell’Antonia (Fiction)
Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster. Reese Witherspoon calls KJ Dell’Antonia's debut novel "[a] charming, hilarious, feel-good story about the kind of bonds and rivalries only sisters can share. Also, a great present for your sister for the holidays!”
DARK TIDES by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory’s new historical novel tracks the rise of the Tidelands family in London, Venice and New England.
HOW TO RAISE AN ELEPHANT: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (21) by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Mma Ramotswe must balance family obligations with the growing needs of one of Charlie's pet projects in this 21st installment in the cherished No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
MISS BENSON'S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce (Historical Fiction)
From the bestselling author of THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY comes an uplifting, irresistible novel about two women on a life-changing adventure, where they must risk everything, break all the rules and discover their best selves --- together.
NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox (Memoir)
In NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE, actor and advocate Michael J. Fox shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality.
STILL COME HOME by Katey Schultz (Fiction)
When the odds are stacked against you, doing everything right still might not be enough to protect yourself and the ones you love.
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens (Romantic Comedy)
Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn't be more different. After 30 years of missed connections, they're about to meet again.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore (Mystery/Thriller)
Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different. Then one of them goes missing.
SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE by Jean Kwok (Fiction)
SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE is a poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women --- two sisters and their mother --- in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge.
THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Historical Fantasy/Magical Realism)
From the National Book Award-winning author of BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME comes a boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom.
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