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We have two new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews to share with you.
First up is Jane Harper, whose latest novel, THE SURVIVORS, will be a Bets On pick.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
Carol chatted with Alex Berenson about his new novel, THE POWER COUPLE,
his first stand-alone thriller and a Bets On selection.
Click on the image above for the video and here for the podcast.
On Wednesday, March 10th at 2pm ET, we will host our next "Bookaccino Live" event.
Carol will talk about a number of books coming out from March 9th to April 6th, and a few
from May, that she would like to get on your radar. Click on the image above to sign up.
For this month's “Bookaccino Live” event, Carol presented 22 books releasing
between February 9th and March 2nd, as well as six publishing in April.
Click on the image above to watch the presentation. You also can see a list of the featured titles here.
Line Them Up: Book Club Books to Look Forward To!
One of my book groups has a Facebook group page, and we chat there about the books that we are reading --- and want to read. We are skipping this month and picking up in March to discuss THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah, which is a "Read with Jenna" pick for February and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I have to share the links to Kristin’s appearances this week on "Today with Hoda & Jenna" and Instagram Live.
Then in April, we already have selected SUNFLOWER SISTERS by Martha Hall Kelly, which is releasing on March 30th. The group loved LILAC GIRLS, so when one member saw that this book was coming, she immediately posted a mention of it to our page, and others quickly chimed in that they wanted to read it. We spoke with Martha shortly after this group was formed, and she confidentially shared the title of the book and ran the plot by us. So it’s really fun for us to have a moment to now come together and read SUNFLOWER SISTERS. We will have to see how much we remember from her talk!
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, this Monday, March 1st at 8pm ET, I will be moderating a Women’s History Month Extravaganza featuring Lauren Willig, whose new novel, BAND OF SISTERS, releases on Tuesday. Joining us will be Marie Benedict (THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE), Kristin Harmel (THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES), and Vanessa Riley (ISLAND QUEEN), all of whom will talk about their latest books as well. Lauren shares details here on how you can purchase a ticket. I look forward to a lively and spirited discussion; this will be such a fun way to kick off Women’s History Month!
Next weekend, I will be virtually attending the Tucson Festival of Books and interviewing three amazing authors. On Saturday, March 6th at 3pm ET (1pm MT), Lisa See will discuss the backstory of her latest bestseller, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN, as well as her prolific writing career; she is being honored with this year's Founders Award. Click here for more details. The following day, at 5pm ET (3pm MT), I will chat with Susie Yang and Francesca Serritella about their debut novels, WHITE IVY and GHOSTS OF HARVARD. Click here for more details. All events for Tucson are free and open to the public. Simply click on the event link for each program to join. I was told that each "room" holds 1,000 attendees. You can see the full schedule here.
This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest for THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly. Fellow bestselling author (and book club favorite) Fiona Davis says that the book "encompasses everything I love in historical fiction: a dramatic setting depicted so vividly I could’ve sworn I was strolling through the gardens of Highbury House as I turned the pages, and a series of stories that intertwine each other effortlessly, echoing the theme of love lost and found. A delight." To enter, please out the form on this page by Wednesday, March 3rd at noon ET. It is worth noting that THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND was one of the top five most anticipated books from readers who attended our “Bookaccino Live” event in January.
Speaking of “Bookaccino Live,” our third event for book groups will take place on Thursday, March 25th at 8pm ET. I will talk to Kim Michele Richardson about her bestselling novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, which has been a top pick for many months among readers who have participated in “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Click here to register for the event. If you would like to be one of our featured audience guests and ask Kim Michele a question on camera, please send me an email with the subject line “Question for Kim Michele.” She also will be answering questions from other members of the audience who are not “on stage.”
Our next "Bookaccino Live" afternoon event will take place on Wednesday, March 10th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between March 9th and April 6th, along with a few from May, that I think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. 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 February 10th event, where I talked about 22 titles coming out from February 9th to March 2nd, along with six April releases, you can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here.
We have plenty of noteworthy books to talk about in this newsletter, and you may want to think about discussing a few of them with your group this spring.
First up is THE SANATORIUM by debut novelist Sarah Pearse, which is February’s pick for Reese’s Book Club. Here’s how Reese describes the book: “Picture this: Our digs --- A 5-star resort in the Swiss Alps. The reason for visiting --- to celebrate a sibling’s engagement. So far, this sounds like something you wouldn’t want to leave…until you can’t. When a blistering snow storm cuts off access to the hotel and a person turns up missing, you’ll follow a police detective as she uncovers the hotel’s eerie past to find out whodunit. Careful, this could get icy.” Click here for the discussion guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.
Acclaimed author Lauren Fox has written her first historical novel, SEND FOR ME, and it’s a “Read with Jenna” pick for this month (along with the aforementioned THE FOUR WINDS). Jenna says, "I’ve read so many books set in this time period leading up to World War II but this one felt really raw and fresh." Fox explains the personal connection she has with the book, which is based on a series of letters that her great-grandmother had written from Germany to her grandmother in Milwaukee: “I grew up in a really close family and I knew my family's history, that my mother and grandparents had come from Germany in 1938, and that they had left a lot of their family behind, but they didn’t really talk about the story.” She goes on to say, “I initially approached it as a memoir but it didn’t really work. It took me a long time to figure out that it was meant to be a novel." Be sure to take a look at the guide and our Bookreporter review.
February’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick is HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE, a debut novel from Cherie Jones, whose short stories have appeared in such publications as PANK, Cadenza, Eclectica and The Feminist Wire. Here’s how “GMA” describes the book: “Set in the tropical island of Baxter’s Beach, Barbados, the story opens with main character Lala’s grandmother Wilma telling the story of two sisters --- one good and one bad. They were each told as children not to go to the Baxter’s Tunnels, a place forbidden by mothers on the island. But when one sister disobeys, she returns with one functioning arm. Lala carries her grandmother’s cautionary tale with her until she’s an adult. She’s married to Adan, a petty criminal whose thwarted burglary of one of the beach mansions sets off a chain of events which forever connects the lives of four other characters in the book.” Click here for the guide and here for our review.
You may remember Jane Harper's debut novel, THE DRY, which was a #1 international bestseller. In her fourth and latest book, THE SURVIVORS (which will be a Bets On pick), Jane introduces readers to Kieran Elliott, whose life changed forever when a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. Be sure to check out the guide and our review; my Bets On commentary will appear in the March 5th Bookreporter Weekly Update newsletter. I had the pleasure of chatting with Jane recently for a “Bookreporter Talks To” segment; you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. Right after wrapping up the interview, we learned that THE SURVIVORS debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list!
Jennifer Ryan follows up THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR and THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE with her latest historical novel, THE KITCHEN FRONT, which was one of the titles I presented during this month’s “Bookaccino Live” event. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing during World War II, a BBC radio program called “The Kitchen Front” (think "Chopped") is holding a cooking contest --- and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would be life-changing. While they are giving it their all, they also are bending the rules. With so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart? Click here for the guide and here for our review.
Another work of historical fiction we’re featuring in this late-month newsletter is Susan Meissner’s new book, THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS, which takes place in early-20th-century San Francisco. Young Irish immigrant Sophie Whalen answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry widower Martin Hocking, even though she knows nothing about him. Despite falling in love with his five-year-old daughter, she is taken aback by Martin’s odd behavior. Ultimately, the fates of Sophie and two other women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake of 1906, leading them on a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve. Click here for the guide and here for our review.
IN FIVE YEARS by Rebecca Serle, which is now available in paperback and was a Bets On selection when it released in hardcover last year, is March’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. We will have details about their Facebook Live Book Club chat in our next newsletter. Sadeqa Johnson joined the S&S team yesterday to talk about YELLOW WIFE, their February pick (and another Bets On title). Click here for their discussion.
A reminder that on Tuesday, March 2nd at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their February book club pick, GOOD NEIGHBORS, featuring author Sarah Langan. You can catch the event on B&N’s Facebook page.
This week, we posted my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Alex Berenson, whose latest thriller, THE POWER COUPLE, is a Bets On pick. Rebecca and Brian Unsworth are government agents --- one in the FBI, the other in the CIA. As the book opens, they are on a vacation in Europe with their teenage children as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. But when their daughter is abducted, Rebecca and Brian’s marriage is severely tested as they will do everything possible to find her. Alex talked to me about the tumultuous life of federal agents and how secrets can complicate their personal lives. We also discussed the book's cover, and Alex shared something that I had completely missed about the design. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Also, be sure to read our review and my Bets On commentary.
We launched our 10th annual Spring Preview feature on Bookreporter today. As we have done for the last nine years, we are spotlighting a number of new and upcoming releases that we think people will be talking about this spring --- and beyond. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these books on select days in March and April; five readers will be awarded the book that we are giving away that day. You can sign up here for alerts so you will be notified as soon as these giveaways are up. The first contest will go live on Tuesday, March 2nd at noon ET.
Here’s to your book group having a brilliant discussion the next time you meet --- whether you are live and socially distanced, or Zooming away.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
“What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of
THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly
for Your Group
Each month, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away.
Our latest prize book is THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly, a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, March 3rd at noon ET.
THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero, Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.
1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens --- and the people she meets --- promise to change her life forever.
1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.
In this sweeping novel reminiscent of Kate Morton’s THE LAKE HOUSE and Kristin Harmel’s THE ROOM ON RUE AMÉLIE, Julia Kelly explores the unexpected connections that cross time and the special places that bring people together forever.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Guide: THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah
A “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
for February and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed. Millions are out of work, and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail, water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa --- like so many of her neighbors --- must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves, or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
THE FOUR WINDS is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it --- the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, 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 read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to visit Kristin Hannah's website.
- Click here to see why the book is a "Read with Jenna" pick for February.
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Guide:
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS
WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho (Social Issues/Ethnicity & Race)
“You cannot fix a problem you do not know you have.” So begins Emmanuel Acho in his essential guide to the truths Americans need to know to address the systemic racism that has recently electrified protests in all 50 states. “There is a fix,” Acho says. “But in order to access it, we’re going to have to have some uncomfortable conversations.”
In UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN, Acho takes on all the questions, large and small, insensitive and taboo, many white Americans are afraid to ask --- yet which all Americans need the answers to, now more than ever. With the same open-hearted generosity that has made his video series a phenomenon, Acho explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation and “reverse racism.” In his own words, he provides a space of compassion and understanding in a discussion that can lack both. He asks only for the reader’s curiosity --- but along the way, he will galvanize all of us to join the antiracist fight.
- Click here to read critical praise.
- Click here to visit Emmanuel Acho's website.
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Guide:
OONA OUT OF ORDER by Margarita Montimore
February’s Pennie’s Pick for Costco
Now Available in Paperback
OONA OUT OF ORDER by Margarita Montimore (Fiction)
It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn 19, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain at home in Brooklyn to pursue her passion for music and be with her boyfriend? As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens 32 years in the future in her 51-year-old body. Greeted by a friendly stranger in a beautiful house she’s told is her own, Oona learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins OONA OUT OF ORDER.
Hopping through decades, pop culture fads and much-needed stock tips, Oona is still a young woman on the inside but ever changing on the outside. Who will she be next year? Philanthropist? Club Kid? World traveler? Wife to a man she’s never met?
Surprising, magical and heart-wrenching, Margarita Montimore has crafted an unforgettable story about the burdens of time, the endurance of love and the power of family.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is February's Pennie's Pick for Costco.
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse
Reese’s Book Club Pick for February
THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.
An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin has taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.
Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge --- there's something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.
Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: SEND FOR ME by Lauren Fox
A “Read with Jenna” Today Show
Book Club Pick for February
SEND FOR ME by Lauren Fox (Historical Fiction)
Annelise is a dreamer: imagining her future while working at her parents' popular bakery in Feldenheim, Germany, anticipating all the delicious possibilities yet to come. There are rumors that anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, but Annelise and her parents can't quite believe that it will affect them; they're hardly religious at all. But as Annelise falls in love, marries and gives birth to her daughter, the dangers grow closer: a brick thrown through her window; a childhood friend who cuts ties with her; customers refusing to patronize the bakery. Luckily Annelise and her husband are given the chance to leave for America, but they must go without her parents, whose future and safety are uncertain.
Two generations later, in a small Midwestern city, Annelise's granddaughter, Clare, is a young woman newly in love. But when she stumbles upon a trove of her grandmother's letters from Germany, she sees the history of her family's sacrifices in a new light, and suddenly she's faced with an impossible choice: the past, or her future.
A novel of dazzling emotional richness that is based on letters from Lauren Fox's own family, SEND FOR ME is a major departure for this acclaimed author, an epic and intimate exploration of mothers and daughters, duty and obligation, hope and forgiveness.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is a "Read with Jenna" pick for February.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER
SWEEPS HER HOUSE by Cherie Jones
February’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE by Cherie Jones (Fiction)
In Baxter’s Beach, Barbados, Lala’s grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister. It’s a cautionary tale, about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers and go into the Baxter’s Tunnels.
When she’s grown, Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven into the Tunnels by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom --- and their lives.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is February's "GMA" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE SURVIVORS by Jane Harper
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE SURVIVORS by Jane Harper (Mystery/Thriller)
Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.
The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.
Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.
When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Jane Harper.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
THE SURVIVORS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the March 5th
Bookreporter Weekly Update newsletter.
New Guide: THE KITCHEN FRONT by Jennifer Ryan
THE KITCHEN FRONT by Jennifer Ryan (Historical Fiction)
Two years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called "The Kitchen Front" is holding a cooking contest --- and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives.
For a young widow, it’s a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. For a kitchen maid, it’s a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For a lady of the manor, it’s a chance to escape her wealthy husband’s increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it’s a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.
These four women are giving the competition their all --- even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart?
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS
by Susan Meissner
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by Susan Meissner (Historical Fiction)
April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.
Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.
Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.
The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New February Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in February 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.
ALL GIRLS by Emily Layden (Mystery)
A keenly perceptive coming-of-age novel for fans of Sally Rooney, Curtis Sittenfeld and J. Courtney Sullivan, ALL GIRLS follows nine young women as they navigate their ambitions and fears at a prestigious New England prep school, all pitched against the backdrop of a scandal the administration wants silenced.
DARK HORSES by Susan Mihalic (Fiction)
At the intersection of a commercial page-turner and urgent survivor story, DARK HORSES takes the searing themes of abuse and resilience in Gabriel Tallent’s MY ABSOLUTE DARLING and applies the compelling exploration of female strength in ROOM by Emma Donoghue.
THE KINDEST LIE by Nancy Johnson (Fiction)
Powerful and revealing, THE KINDEST LIE captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.
MASQUE OF HONOR: A Historical Novel of the American South by Sharon Virts (Historical Fiction)
In this coming-of-age tale set in early 19th-century America, two sons of the Virginia aristocracy risk it all to defend their dreams and determine their own destinies.
QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES: England's Medieval Queens Book Two by Alison Weir (History)
Packed with incredible true stories and legendary medieval intrigue, this epic narrative history chronicles the first five queens from the powerful royal family that ruled England and France for over 300 years.
UNTIL WE ARE LOST by Leslie Archer (Psychological Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL AT THE BORDER comes a haunting thriller about one woman’s journey into the painful truths threatening to destroy her.
THE VINEYARD AT PAINTED MOON by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of love, family and wine.
WHEN HARRY MET MINNIE: A True Story of Love and Friendship by Martha Teichner (Memoir)
"CBS Sunday Morning News" correspondent and multi-Emmy-Award-winning Martha Teichner has penned a memoir of love and loss, of being in the right place at the right time, and of the mysterious ways a beloved pet can bring people together.
Announcing Bookreporter.com’s 10th Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air (or will be very soon)! We’ve already caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our 10th annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 23rd at noon ET. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles
and THE POWER COUPLE by Alex Berenson
THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles (Historical Fiction)
THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles is such a delight. It spans 60 years and brings readers from the lights of Paris to a small town in Montana. In 1939, Odile Souchet is a librarian at the American Library in Paris, whose patrons hail from many countries. It’s a dream job for her as she delights in sharing books with readers --- and the joy of working with her colleagues. Then the Nazis invade the city. And her twin brother is taken prisoner by the Germans as he fights on foreign soil. Life changes quickly with new rules coming down every day. At one point, it is dictated that Jewish people cannot receive library materials anymore. The librarians take this as a challenge and begin ferreting out this information on the sly, which brings danger at every checkpoint.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Janet Skeslien Charles.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE PARIS LIBRARY.
THE POWER COUPLE by Alex Berenson (Thriller)
I enjoyed Alex Berenson’s earlier books, including his debut, THE FAITHFUL SPY, but had not read his work in a while. In THE POWER COUPLE, he moves beyond his John Wells series with a stand-alone thriller. The press materials describe it as Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Taken, which is a great comp. It’s both a look at a marriage through the eyes of a couple and a brisk espionage story.
As the reader, you get to see a story that has been hidden between the main characters that takes on a slow reveal. It’s tough to pull off two very different plotlines so well --- the marriage and the espionage. It worked for me. And it has a terrific conclusion. Do not read the ending first!
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Alex Berenson.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE POWER COUPLE.
From left to right: Lauren Willig, Chris Whitaker, Isabel Allende
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.
Sunday, February 28th at 5pm 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 to Julia Kelly about her new novel, THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND.
Monday, March 1st at 8pm ET: Women's History Month Extravaganza: Join Lauren Willig as she launches her new book, BAND OF SISTERS, and celebrates Women's History Month with moderator Carol Fitzgerald and fellow bestselling authors Marie Benedict, Kristin Harmel and Vanessa Riley. See details about how to get a ticket here.
Tuesday, March 2nd at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Virtual Book Club Event: Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their February book club pick, GOOD NEIGHBORS, featuring Sarah Langan.
Tuesday, March 2nd at 7pm ET: Warwick's Virtual Event: Warwick's will host Chris Whitaker as he discusses his new book, WE BEGIN AT THE END, with Jeniffer Thompson, the Creative Director and co-founder of the San Diego Writers Festival.
Wednesday, March 3rd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Lisa Unger, whose latest novel is CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45.
Wednesday, March 3rd at 7pm ET: Warwick's Virtual Event: Warwick's will host Nicole LaPorte as she discusses her new book, GUILTY ADMISSIONS: The Bribes, Favors, and Phonies Behind the College Cheating Scandal, in conversation with Lacy Crawford.
Thursday, March 4th at 9pm ET: Book Passage Virtual Event: Dominican University of California’s Institute for Leadership Studies and Book Passage will welcome Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Isabel Allende, whose new book, THE SOUL OF A WOMAN, is a passionate and inspiring meditation on what it means to be a woman.
Saturday, March 6th at 3pm ET: Tucson Festival of Books Virtual Event: Lisa See, the winner of the Tucson Festival of Books 2021 Founders Award, will discuss the backstory behind her latest bestseller, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN, with moderator Carol Fitzgerald.
Saturday, March 6th at 4:15pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore Virtual Event: Lauren Willig will discuss her latest novel, BAND OF SISTERS, with special guest hosts Karen White and Beatriz Williams.
Sunday, March 7th at 5pm ET: Tucson Festival of Books Virtual Event: Debut authors Susie Yang (WHITE IVY) and Francesca Serritella (GHOSTS OF HARVARD) will keep you on the edge of your seat as they explore the darker side of humanity and the obsession of their journey with moderator Carol Fitzgerald.
Monday, March 8th at 7pm ET: Atlanta History Center & FoxTale Book Shoppe Virtual Event: Patti Callahan will be in conversation with fellow New York Times bestselling author Paula McLain about her new book, SURVIVING SAVANNAH.
Monday, March 8th at 8pm ET: The Strand Book Store Virtual Event: Isabel Allende will join PEN Out Loud to celebrate her book, THE SOUL OF A WOMAN. Following a reading by PEN/Bingham Prize finalist Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Allende will be joined in conversation with New York Times reporter Concepción de León.
Wednesday, March 10th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between March 9th and April 6th, along with a few from May, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, March 10th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": Join the "Friends and Fiction" authors for a virtual launch party of Patti Callahan's latest book, SURVIVING SAVANNAH, with surprise guests.
Thursday, March 11th at 2pm ET: Murder By The Book Virtual Event: S.J. Bennett will talk about THE WINDSOR KNOT, the first book in a series in which Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes while carrying out her royal duties.
Thursday, March 11th at 6:30pm ET: Books & Books Virtual Event: Books & Books and Miami Book Fair present "An Evening with Patricia Engel." Engel will be in conversation with Edwidge Danticat discussing her new novel, INFINITE COUNTRY.
"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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Chris Whitaker (WE BEGIN AT THE END)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (History/Sociology)
The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.
THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 bestselling author of THE NIGHTINGALE and THE GREAT ALONE comes a powerful American epic about love, heroism and hope, set during the Great Depression --- a time when the country was in crisis and at war with itself, millions were out of work, and even the land seemed to have turned against them.
GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Langan (Psychological Suspense/Mystery)
Celeste Ng’s enthralling dissection of suburbia meets Shirley Jackson’s creeping dread in this propulsive literary noir, when a sudden tragedy exposes the depths of deception and damage in a Long Island suburb --- pitting neighbor against neighbor and putting one family in terrible danger.
HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE by Cherie Jones (Fiction)
HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE is an intimate and visceral portrayal of interconnected lives, across race and class, in a rapidly changing resort town, told by an astonishing new author of literary fiction.
THE KITCHEN FRONT by Jennifer Ryan (Historical Fiction)
From the bestselling author of THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.
THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly (Historical Fiction)
From the author of the international bestseller THE LIGHT OVER LONDON and THE WHISPERS OF WAR comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden.
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by Susan Meissner (Historical Fiction)
From the acclaimed author of THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR and AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.
THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles (Historical Fiction)
Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of LILAC GIRLS and THE PARIS WIFE.
THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Set in the eerie and isolated Swiss Alps at Le Sommet, a luxurious, five-star resort built on the site of an abandoned tuberculous sanatorium, Sarah Pearse's debut novel beautifully balances a heart-pounding plot with intriguing, three-dimensional characters. You won't want to leave...until you can't.
SEND FOR ME by Lauren Fox (Historical Fiction)
SEND FOR ME is an achingly beautiful work of historical fiction that moves between Germany on the eve of World War II and present-day Wisconsin, unspooling a thread of love, longing and the powerful bonds of family.
THE SURVIVORS by Jane Harper (Mystery/Thriller)
Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets in THE SURVIVORS, a thrilling mystery by New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper.
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN by Emmanuel Acho (Social Issues/Ethnicity & Race)
This New York Times bestseller is an urgent primer on race and racism, from the host of the viral hit video series “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.”
YELLOW WIFE by Sadeqa Johnson (Historical Fiction)
Called "wholly engrossing" by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré (Fiction)
The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself, THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE is a simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams.
THE GLASS HOTEL by Emily St. John Mandel (Mystery)
From the award-winning author of STATION ELEVEN comes an exhilarating novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events --- a massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea.
OONA OUT OF ORDER by Margarita Montimore (Fiction)
This remarkably inventive novel explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even if those moments are out of order.
THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE is a sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty and changed the course of history.
WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King (Fiction)
Following the breakout success of her critically acclaimed and award-winning novel, EUPHORIA, Lily King returns with an unforgettable portrait of an artist as a young woman.
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