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Latest Update on Our GoFundMe Campaign
Thank you to those of you who have donated to our GoFundMe campaign. So far, with online and snail mail donations, we have raised $38,339 of our $50,000 goal.
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Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
We kick off 2021 with two new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews.
First up is Ashley Audrain, who talked to Carol about her debut novel, THE PUSH, which is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Carol had a wonderful time catching up with Melanie Benjamin about her new historical novel,
THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD, which also is a Bets On pick.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
In November/December's “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest,
the five books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read were
ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman, THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett,
THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes,
and THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson.
You can find the Top 15 in Carol's opening note, and to see all the books that
our groups recently read, click on the image above.
On Monday, January 25th at 3pm ET, members of the Simon & Schuster team will host a
Facebook Live Book Club chat featuring Susie Yang, whose debut novel,
WHITE IVY, is January's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
Click on the image above to RSVP for the event.
Great Year of Reading Ahead for Book Groups!
I am so excited about the 2021 books that I have been reading. Seriously, I feel like one is better than the other. And there are so many that are perfect for book group discussions. We have LOTS to share with you this month, so read on.
First, we’re very excited to announce a BIG contest for the audiobook edition of THE FOUR WINDS, Kristin Hannah’s upcoming historical novel, which releases on February 2nd. I read an advance copy a few months ago, and yes, it will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Here’s what it’s about: Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work, and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance. In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli --- like so many of her neighbors --- must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life.
We’re giving 30 book groups the chance to win up to 12 digital copies of the audiobook, which is read by Julia Whelan, and share their comments on it. All the contest details can be found here, and the deadline for your entries is Wednesday, February 3rd at noon ET. As a special bonus, the audiobook includes a conversation between Kristin and Julia, which is a fun and informative listen. We’ll be adding the discussion guide and sharing a link to an audio clip soon! Trust that this is a book that your group is going to want to talk about. And I am looking forward to interviewing Kristin!
Oh, and for those of you who are fans of Kristin’s work, please note that the television adaptation of her book, FIREFLY LANE, will debut on Netflix on Wednesday, February 3rd. Here's the latest trailer. Click here to add it to your watch list on Netflix. A new novel for her on February 2nd and a TV series the next day. Talk about an exciting 48 hours for an author!
Our latest “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title is THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING, a deeply personal memoir from Jacqueline Winspear, who many of you know as the author of the award-winning Maisie Dobbs series of mysteries.
Winspear’s story tackles the difficult, poignant and fascinating family accounts of her paternal grandfather’s shellshock; her mother’s evacuation from London during the Blitz; her soft-spoken animal-loving father’s torturous assignment to an explosives team during WWII; her parents’ years living with Romany Gypsies; and her own childhood picking hops and fruit on farms in rural Kent, capturing her ties to the land and her dream of being a writer at its very inception.
Three groups will win 12 copies of THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING, which is a Bets On pick; to enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, February 3rd at noon ET. In the meantime, be sure to check out the guide, our review on Bookreporter, my Bets On commentary, and my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Winspear (click here for the video and here for the podcast). There are so many wonderful stories in this book. I feel like I came away knowing her family.
In our previous “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the 15 books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read: ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman, THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett, THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson, AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LaRUE by V.E. Schwab, BORN A CRIME: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, FIFTY WORDS FOR RAIN by Asha Lemmie, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng, THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett, THE GOWN: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson, and ONE DAY IN DECEMBER by Josie Silver.
Over the last two months, we asked you to tell us your favorite book that you read with your book group in 2020 and your favorite book that you read outside your group. The results are in, and we’re happy to share them with you here! Not surprisingly, AMERICAN DIRT was the top pick in both categories.
A special congratulations to our contest winner, Anne W. from Pinehurst, NC, who won six titles releasing this year that I think will be great for book group discussions: THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin, ETERNAL by Lisa Scottoline, the aforementioned 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. Anne, we will be getting those books out to you shortly. To all those who contributed, thank you for sharing!
In our late January newsletter, we will let you know the 30 guides that you accessed the most last year.
This month, we are featuring the guide for Elena Ferrante’s new bestseller, THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS, which is translated by Ann Goldstein. Giovanna’s father thinks that his daughter’s pretty face is turning ugly and that she’s resembling her Aunt Vittoria more and more every day. Is she really changing? Is she turning into her aunt, a woman she hardly knows but whom her mother and father clearly despise? Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves from one to the other in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape. Click here for our review.
Even before its release in September, it was announced that Netflix is planning to adapt the book as a series, just as HBO has been doing with Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (I devoured the first two seasons of "My Brilliant Friend," though my Italian did not improve by watching them). We will share more details on this project as soon as they become available.
Ashley Audrain’s much-talked-about debut novel, the aforementioned THE PUSH, is January’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. "This is a novel that will open up conversations about motherhood that you never had before," Audrain told “GMA.” "The more challenging things about being a mom that we don't often talk about. But second, this is not just a book for mothers. So much of this story is about what we inherit from our past, families we come from, the debate of nature versus nurture --- which is certainly something we all have opinions about." Click here for the guide, here for our review and here for my Bets On commentary. I had the pleasure of chatting with Ashley recently for a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview; click here for the video and here for the podcast.
This month’s Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick is Anna North’s new novel, OUTLAWED, which the publisher describes as “THE CRUCIBLE meets True Grit.” Reese has this to say about the book: “Centered around a fugitive on the run, Anna North’s OUTLAWED is a riveting story unlike anything I’ve read before! This feminist Western will keep you on the edge of your seat on a high stakes ride through the old West. The search for identity and the desperation to survive drive the intensity of this women-on-the-run adventure!” Click here for the guide and here for our review. I loved hearing the publisher’s pitch for this book in our Book Group Speed Dating event in November.
BLACK BUCK by debut novelist Mateo Askaripour is January’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. A young Black man is given a shot at stardom at a mysterious, cult-like and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems. According to Jenna Bush Hager, “Mateo Askaripour’s voice is so fresh. The writing is so intimate. At moments, it's satirical and funny and then at moments, it's heartbreaking…. The details are so intimate, spot on and beautiful. I found myself underlining constantly.” Askaripour says, “I wanted this book to truly double as a sales manual… I was first and foremost, honestly, writing for myself. This is something that I would want to read, and then secondly, writing for people who have been in situations like Buck." Click here for the guide and here for our review.
Barnes & Noble has selected BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME by Julia Claiborne Johnson as their Book Club pick for this month. It’s 1938, and women seeking a quick, no-questions split from their husbands head to Reno, Nevada. But they have to wait six weeks to become “residents.” Many of these wealthy, soon-to-be divorcees flock to the Flying Leap, a dude ranch that caters to their every need. Twenty-four-year-old Ward spent one year at Yale before his family lost everything in the Great Depression; now he’s earning an honest living as a ranch hand at the Flying Leap. Two new guests are about to upend everything he thinks he knows: Nina, a St. Louis heiress and amateur pilot back for her third divorce, and Emily, whose bravest moment in life was leaving her cheating husband back in San Francisco and driving herself to Reno. Click here for the guide and here for our review.
On Tuesday, February 2nd at 7pm ET, Julia Claiborne Johnson will be live on B&N’s Facebook page to discuss BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME with fellow author Julie Schumacher. The publisher has a fun trailer for the book, which you can watch here. It turns out that Julia and I were working at Mademoiselle magazine at the same time in what feels like a lifetime ago! What fun to have my worlds collide.
Sarah Pinborough’s latest psychological thriller, DEAD TO HER, is now available in paperback. Marcie’s affair with Jason Maddox catapulted her into the world of the elite. Old money, old ties, old secrets. Marcie may have married into this world, but she’ll never be part of it. Then Jason’s boss brings back a new wife from his trip to London. Nobody can take their eyes off of young, attractive, reckless Keisha --- including Marcie’s husband. Some people would kill for the life Marcie has. What will she do to keep it? Our Bookreporter reviewer Ray Palen wrote the guide for this book, which you can take a look at here.
Other guides we’ve added to the site include three future Bets On picks: THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict, which revolves around one of the most notorious events in literary history: Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926; the aforementioned THE CHILDREN’S BLIZZARD, Melanie Benjamin’s story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren; and Liese O'Halloran Schwarz’s aforementioned WHAT COULD BE SAVED, which is about a family shattered by loss and betrayal, and the beauty that can exist even in the midst of brokenness. We will feature these guides and talk much more about these books in the next newsletter. In the meantime, don’t miss my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Melanie Benjamin, which you can watch here and listen to here.
WHITE IVY, for which we featured the guide in November, is January’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. Debut author Susie Yang will join the S&S team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about the book on Monday, January 25th at 3pm ET. Click here to RSVP for the event. We encourage you to join the conversation with your comments about the novel and interact with your fellow readers. I had a wonderful time chatting with Susie about the book a couple of months ago, so I look forward to catching their discussion.
If you missed last month’s event, where two S&S team members talked about their favorite book club reads from last year and shared what they’re excited about reading this year, you can watch it here.
For more January selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
As for my book groups, one is on hiatus, and the other will be meeting via Zoom this month. We had met outside around a fire pit the past few months, but are opting for Zoom so that more will be comfortable joining in. We are reading HOLLYWOOD PARK by Mikel Jollett.
A quick reminder that our Bookaccino Live Book Group event with William Kent Krueger discussing THIS TENDER LAND will take place next Thursday night at 8pm ET. At the present time this event is "sold out." We will be sending a reminder email with a link to the event next week.
BUT one way to guarantee yourself a seat is to have a terrific question for Kent --- and to be willing to appear on camera to ask it. Think you have one? Then shoot me an email with your question and the subject line "Kent." We will get back to you if you are selected.
Here’s to your book group lining up a great year of reading. We will be back with another newsletter the week of January 25th.
Enjoy your next discussion.
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 Special Contest:
Enter to Win Up to 12 Digital Copies of the
Audiobook Edition of Kristin Hannah’s THE FOUR WINDS
for Your Group and Share Your Comments on It
ReadingGroupGuides.com is proud to host a very special audiobook contest for THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah, which releases on February 2nd. This upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On pick is an epic novel of love, heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras --- the Great Depression.
Thirty (30) book groups will win up to 12 digital copies of the audiobook, which includes a bonus conversation between Kristin Hannah and narrator Julia Whelan. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, February 3rd at noon ET.
In order to qualify as a winning group, your group must be able to commit to listening to and discussing THE FOUR WINDS, and sharing your group's feedback with us, by late May. We strongly encourage all winners to share their listening experiences on social media, including reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookreporter.com’s “Word of Mouth” feature.
THE FOUR WINDS (Audiobook) written by Kristin Hannah, read by Julia Whelan (Historical Fiction)
Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work, and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.
In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli --- like so many of her neighbors --- must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. THE FOUR WINDS is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
Click here to enter the contest.
“What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING by Jacqueline Winspear 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 THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING, a deeply personal memoir of Jacqueline Winspear's Kentish childhood and her family’s resilience in the face of war and privation. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, February 3rd at noon ET.
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir by Jacqueline Winspear (Memoir)
After 16 novels, Jacqueline Winspear has taken the bold step of turning to memoir, revealing the hardships and joys of her family history. Both shockingly frank and deftly restrained, her story tackles the difficult, poignant and fascinating family accounts of her paternal grandfather’s shellshock; her mother’s evacuation from London during the Blitz; her soft-spoken animal-loving father’s torturous assignment to an explosives team during WWII; her parents’ years living with Romany Gypsies; and Winspear’s own childhood picking hops and fruit on farms in rural Kent, capturing her ties to the land and her dream of being a writer at its very inception.
An eye-opening and heartfelt portrayal of a post-War England we rarely see, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING is the story of a childhood in the English countryside, of working class indomitability and family secrets, of artistic inspiration and the price of memory.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- 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 Jacqueline Winspear.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Featured Guide:
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS by Elena Ferrante
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS written by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Fiction)
Giovanna’s pretty face is changing, turning ugly, at least so her father thinks. Giovanna, he says, looks more like her Aunt Vittoria every day. But can it be true? Is she really changing? Is she turning into her Aunt Vittoria, a woman she hardly knows but whom her mother and father clearly despise? Surely there is a mirror somewhere in which she can see herself as she truly is.
Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves from one to the other in search of the truth, but neither city seems to offer answers or escape.
Named one of 2016’s most influential people by TIME Magazine and frequently touted as a future Nobel Prize winner, Elena Ferrante has become one of the world’s most read and beloved writers. With this new novel about the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, Ferrante proves once again that she deserves her many accolades. In THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS, readers will discover another gripping, highly addictive and totally unforgettable Neapolitan story.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read ELLE's interview with Elena Ferrante.
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain
January’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain (Psychological Thriller)
Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby, Violet, that she herself never had.
But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter --- she doesn’t behave like most children do.
Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.
Then their son, Sam, is born --- and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fallout forces Blythe to face the truth.
THE PUSH is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.
- 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 Ashley Audrain.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to see why the book is January's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: OUTLAWED by Anna North
January’s Reese Witherspoon x
Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
OUTLAWED by Anna North (Western/Adventure)
The day of her wedding, 17-year-old Ada’s life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.
She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she’s willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.
Featuring an irresistibly no-nonsense, courageous and determined heroine, OUTLAWED dusts off the myth of the Old West and reignites the glimmering promise of the frontier with an entirely new set of feminist stakes. Anna North has crafted a pulse-racing, page-turning saga about the search for hope in the wake of death, and for truth in a climate of small-mindedness and fear.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is January's Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour
January’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour (Satire/Dark Humor)
An unambitious 22-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the 36th floor.
After enduring a “hell week” of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as “Buck,” a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.
BLACK BUCK is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America’s workforce. It is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is January's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
by Julia Claiborne Johnson
January’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME by Julia Claiborne Johnson (Historical Fiction)
It’s 1938, and women seeking a quick, no-questions split from their husbands head to the “divorce capital of the world,” Reno, Nevada. There’s one catch: they have to wait six weeks to become “residents.” Many of these wealthy, soon-to-be divorcees flock to the Flying Leap, a dude ranch that caters to their every need.
Twenty-four-year-old Ward spent one year at Yale before his family lost everything in the Great Depression; now he’s earning an honest living as a ranch hand at the Flying Leap. Admired for his dashing good looks --- “Cary Grant in cowboy boots” --- Ward thinks he has the Flying Leap’s clients all figured out. But two new guests are about to upend everything he thinks he knows: Nina, a St. Louis heiress and amateur pilot back for her third divorce, and Emily, whose bravest moment in life was leaving her cheating husband back in San Francisco and driving herself to Reno.
A novel about divorce, marriage and everything that comes in between (money, class, ambition and opportunity), BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME is a hilarious yet poignant examination of the ways friendship can save us, love can destroy us, and the family we create can be stronger than the family we come from.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch the book trailer.
- Click here for details on Barnes & Noble's virtual Book Club event on Tuesday, February 2nd at 7pm ET.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: DEAD TO HER by Sarah Pinborough
Now Available in Paperback
DEAD TO HER by Sarah Pinborough (Psychological Thriller)
Marriage can be murder…
SOMETHING OLD
Marcie’s affair with Jason Maddox catapulted her into the world of the elite. Old money, old ties, old secrets. Marcie may have married into this world --- but she’ll never be part of it.
SOMETHING NEW
Then Jason’s boss brings back a new wife from his trip to London. Young, attractive, reckless --- nobody can take their eyes off Keisha. Including Marcie’s husband.
SOMETHING YOU CAN NEVER, EVER UNDO…
Some people would kill for the life Marcie has. What will she do to keep it?
Click here for the discussion guide.
Our Reader-Selected Best Books of 2020
Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for January
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 January'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: THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones, Jr.
WHAT COULD BE SAVED by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz
OUTLAWED by Anna North
THE HOUSE ON VESPER SANDS by Paraic O’Donnell
THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain
LibraryReads
Top Pick: THE WIFE UPSTAIRS by Rachel Hawkins
THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin
THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon
THE HOUSE ON VESPER SANDS by Paraic O’Donnell
OUTLAWED by Anna North
Target Book Club
THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett
Pennie's Pick for Costco
THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict
Barnes & Noble Book Club
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME by Julia Claiborne Johnson
Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club
OUTLAWED by Anna North
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour
"Good Morning America" Book Club
THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain
PBS NewsHour-New York Times “Now Read This” Book Club
TRICK MIRROR: Reflections on Self-Delusion, by Jia Tolentino
Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
WHITE IVY by Susie Yang
January’s New in Paperback Roundups
on Bookreporter.com
January's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles on Bookreporter.com includes THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett, a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go; THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP, a thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel from Susan Wiggs, who explores the meaning of happiness, trust and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"; BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN by Diane Chamberlain, a novel of chilling intrigue, a decades-old disappearance, and one woman’s quest to find the truth; and THE WIFE STALKER, a twisty psychological thriller from Liv Constantine about a woman fighting to hold onto the only family she’s ever loved --- and how far she’ll go to preserve it.
Among our nonfiction highlights are Anna Wiener’s memoir, UNCANNY VALLEY, a rare first-person glimpse into high-flying, reckless startup culture at a time of unchecked ambition, unregulated surveillance, wild fortune and accelerating political power; THE MOMENT OF LIFT, a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment from Melinda Gates, who shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world; FIGHT OF THE CENTURY, an anthology of essays curated by authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman about landmark cases in the 100-year history of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Emma Copley Eisenberg's THE THIRD RAINBOW GIRL, a stunning, complex narrative about the fractured legacy of a decades-old double murder in rural West Virginia --- and the writer determined to put the pieces back together.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
January 4th, January 11th, January 18th and January 25th.
From left to right: Marie Benedict, Nadia Owusu, Melanie Benjamin
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.
Tuesdays at 7:30pm ET: "Talking ETERNAL with Lisa Scottoline": Join Lisa Scottoline every Tuesday night at 7:30pm ET on Facebook as she premieres a new episode from her video series, "Behind the Book: Talking ETERNAL," which reveals behind-the-scenes looks at the inspirations of her upcoming historical fiction book, ETERNAL, releasing on March 23rd. And stay tuned because immediately following each video premiere, Lisa hosts a Facebook Live to talk about the video.
Tuesday, January 19th at 6pm ET: American Ancestors Virtual Event: American Ancestors and GBH Forum Network present a virtual event with debut author and Whiting Award winner Nadia Owusu, who will discuss her memoir, AFTERSHOCKS.
Tuesday, January 19th at 7pm ET: Watermark Books & Café Virtual Event: Watermark Books & Café invites you to attend a virtual event with bestselling historical fiction authors Melanie Benjamin and Kate Quinn. During the event, Melanie will be discussing her new novel, THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD, and Kate will be talking about her forthcoming novel, THE ROSE CODE.
Tuesday, January 19th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore Virtual Event: Lisa Gardner will discuss her new thriller, BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED, with special guest host and fellow New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager.
Tuesday, January 19th at 8pm ET: Third Place Books Virtual Event: Join Third Place Books for a virtual event featuring Marie Benedict, who will be in conversation with Kristina McMorris about her new book, THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE.
Wednesday, January 20th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk about books, writing and life in general.
Wednesday, January 20th at 7pm ET: Warwick's Virtual Event: Warwick's will host Melanie Benjamin as she discusses her new book, THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD, in conversation with fellow bestselling author Elizabeth Letts.
Thursday, January 21st at 7pm ET: Darien Library Virtual Event: Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore are delighted to welcome authors Marie Benedict (THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE), Melanie Benjamin (THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD) and Greer Macallister (THE ARCTIC FURY) for a historical fiction panel.
Thursday, January 21st at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group Event: William Kent Krueger will talk about his latest novel, THIS TENDER LAND. Click here to register. If you would like to be one of our “live panelists” and ask Kent a question, please also fill out this form; we will feature those who have questions "on stage."
Friday, January 22nd at 7pm ET: Quail Ridge Books Virtual Event: Quail Ridge Books presents a virtual event with debut author and Whiting Award winner Nadia Owusu, who will discuss her memoir, AFTERSHOCKS, with author Angela Belcher Epps.
Sunday, January 24th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": In a special Sunday evening episode, the "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to writers Susan Zurenda (BELLS FOR ELI) and Alison Hammer (LITTLE PIECES OF ME).
Monday, January 25th at 3pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites Online Event: Susie Yang will join members of the Simon & Schuster team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about WHITE IVY, which is January's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
Wednesday, January 27th at 5pm ET: Lewes Public Library Virtual Event: Join Lewes Public Library for a live online conversation with Sadeqa Johnson, author of YELLOW WIFE, who will be joined by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Quinn.
Wednesday, January 27th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Marisa de los Santos, whose most recent novel is I'D GIVE ANYTHING.
"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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Alex Berenson (THE POWER COUPLE)
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Lisa Gardner (BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED)
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Liese O'Halloran Schwarz (WHAT COULD BE SAVED)
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Sharon Virts (MASQUE OF HONOR: A Historical Novel of the American South)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME by Julia Claiborne Johnson (Historical Fiction)
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME is the eagerly anticipated second novel from the bestselling author of BE FRANK WITH ME, a charming story of endings, new beginnings, and the complexities and complications of friendship and love, set in late 1930s Reno.
BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour (Satire/Dark Humor)
For fans of Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street comes a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.
THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE AVIATOR’S WIFE comes a story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren.
DEAD TO HER by Sarah Pinborough (Psychological Thriller)
For fans of Liane Moriarty, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jewell, DEAD TO HER is a twisty psychological thriller about a savvy second wife who will do almost anything to come out on top.
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS written by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Fiction)
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS is a powerful new novel set in a divided Naples by Elena Ferrante, the New York Times bestselling author of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND and THE LOST DAUGHTER.
THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict (Historical Mystery)
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.
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.
OUTLAWED by Anna North (Western/Adventure)
THE CRUCIBLE meets True Grit in this riveting adventure story of a fugitive girl, a mysterious gang of robbers and their dangerous mission to transform the Wild West.
THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain (Psychological Thriller)
THE PUSH is a tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family, and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for --- and everything she feared.
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir by Jacqueline Winspear (Memoir)
The New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs series offers a deeply personal memoir of her Kentish childhood and her family’s resilience in the face of war and privation.
WHAT COULD BE SAVED by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz (Fiction)
Alternating between past and present as secrets are revealed, WHAT COULD BE SAVED is an unforgettable novel about a family shattered by loss and betrayal, and the beauty that can exist even in the midst of brokenness.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
Ann Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of COMMONWEALTH, delivers her most powerful novel to date: a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go.
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP by Susan Wiggs (Fiction)
In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
THE MOMENT OF LIFT: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates (Social Science/Women's Studies)
This debut from Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment.
THE RED LOTUS by Chris Bohjalian (Thriller)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of MIDWIVES and THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT comes a twisting story of love and deceit. An American man vanishes on a rural road in Vietnam, and his girlfriend, an emergency room doctor trained to ask questions, follows a path that leads her home to the very hospital where they met.
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