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New Books or Older Titles?
Our book group read SUNFLOWERS SISTERS by Martha Hall Kelly this month (which we all loved), and for next month we are reading THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave. We typically read new books --- we have fun at our meetings talking about what’s new that we want to explore. Reading through the submissions for our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?" feature, we see there is a whole range of timing for book releases in what you are reading. And I see the same thing when I answer requests from readers who write looking for discussion guides. I often get a request for a guide for a much older or lesser known title, and I really should ask the sender what had them gravitate towards that book. I love that there is not “one kind” of book group, but rather a wonderful variety of them.
Last Thursday night, we hosted our third "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event with Kim Michele Richardson as our guest. Her 2019 novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, was inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s.
With this opportunity to have a live book group discussion, Kim Michele dove deep into the book without the fear of spoiling anything. Stay tuned to hear the great questions from our readers…and if you already have read THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK (as we know many of you have from “What’s Your Book Group Reading"), there is plenty of background you will take away from this interview. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Kim Michele had a wonderful time at the event and sent me this link to a companion booklet that readers of the novel will want to take a look at. It includes a conversation with Kim Michele, authentic recipes and household hints from the Pack Horse Librarians, historical photos, and lots more bonus material, all of which is fascinating and will greatly enhance your discussion and understanding of the book.
Please keep in mind that next month’s “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event will take place on Wednesday, May 12th at 2pm ET. I will cover a number of books releasing between May 11th and June 1st, in addition to a few from July, 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.
Announcing Our New Special Contest --- and an Author Chat Opportunity!
We have a new contest to tell you about in this late-month newsletter. It’s for MASQUE OF HONOR by first-time novelist Sharon Virts, which was a Bets On pick when it released in February. 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. Susan Koch, an Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker, has glowing praise for Sharon and her fiction debut: “Sharon Virts is a natural storyteller and evocative writer with a keen eye for historical detail and drama. Set in 1816 and based on the true story of the rivalry between two Virginia gentlemen, MASQUE OF HONOR unfolds as an epic tale of romance, politics, ambition and power --- and paying the ultimate price to defend one’s honor.”
Three groups will win up to 12 copies of the book, along with a Zoom chat with Sharon. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 20th at noon ET. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Sharon, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. Also, there is an enhanced book club guide on her site that we encourage you to check out. Here you will find "Behind the Book" material, food and drink recipes that are specific to the 19th century, and many more resources that are sure to spice up your discussion of the book.
Sharon is an absolute delight. She loves talking about books. In our next newsletter, I am going to interview her about the book group that she started and has been running. They have had some wonderful discussions about a whole range of books; you can see her recent discussion selections here.
Last Chance to Enter Our Two Previously Announced Contests
This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our contest for Gabriela Garcia’s debut novel, OF WOMEN AND SALT, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. According to bestselling author Roxane Gay, “Gabriela Garcia captures the lives of Cuban women in a world to which they refuse to surrender, and she does so with precision and generosity and beauty." And Angie Cruz, the author of DOMINICANA, says, “I am a sucker for intergenerational family dramas with fraught mother and daughter relationships. Garcia’s vivid details, visceral prose and strong willful women negotiating how to survive in this world are easy to fall for.”
If you’d like to be one of the five groups who will win up to 12 copies of the book, all you have to do is fill out this form by Wednesday, May 5th at noon ET. You may remember that Gabriela was a recent “Bookreporter Talks To” guest. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast if you haven’t already.
Wednesday, May 5th at noon ET is also the deadline for our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest. The big prize is WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker, a March Barnes & Noble Book Club pick and a Bets On title. We posted a rave review of the book on Bookreporter from Joe Hartlaub, who said, “Chris Whitaker’s book left me shattered like a fresh egg dropped on a summer-heated sidewalk…. Reading the last quarter of the novel may take a little longer than normal because you will want to digest the exquisite plot twists that go off like a string of explosives, moving backward through the book and forward past its conclusion.”
Three groups will win up to 12 copies of the book; be sure to fill out the form on this page before Wednesday’s deadline. If you didn’t catch my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Chris, who was so charming and such a delight to chat with, you can find it on YouTube here and on our podcast page here.
New Guides We've Added --- See more about them later in this newsletter!
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SUNFLOWER SISTERS: This is the final installment in Martha Hall Kelly’s trilogy of novels about Caroline Ferriday’s family, following LILAC GIRLS and LOST ROSES. It revolves around the story of Caroline’s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists.
As I mentioned above, I discussed SUNFLOWER SISTERS with my book group on Monday night. We all loved the way that Martha builds her characters. We talked about the many parallels between life during the time of the Civil War and today, and how more change is needed. We were united in loathing the character of Anne-May Wilson! And we are sad to know that this trilogy has come to an end, but we are looking forward to what Martha writes next.
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THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON: In her latest historical novel, Karen White tells a captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal that moves between war-torn London during the Blitz and the present day. According to our Bookreporter reviewer Amy Gwiazdowski, “[White] has a way of intertwining the stories of her characters that makes putting the book down impossible. THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON is heartbreaking and full of laughter, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure, which will keep you guessing until the very end.”
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THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO: YA author Donna Freitas’ first novel for adults is about a woman who thought she never wanted to be a mother --- and the many ways that life can surprise us. In her Bookreporter review, Sarah Rachel Egelman says, “Rose is an attractive character who is smart, honest and thoughtful. Freitas does a good job capturing the pressure women continue to feel to meet gendered expectations, even if her character ultimately bows to them.”
Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Sally Hepworth about her new book, THE GOOD SISTER, which is my latest Bets On pick. I interviewed her just hours after she learned that she had hit the New York Times bestseller list for the first time!
Here, we are introduced to twin sisters Fern and Rose. Fern has behavior issues that allude to being on the autism spectrum and always has relied on Rose. When she discovers that Rose cannot get pregnant, Fern decides to pay Rose back by bearing her a child. This means finding the right man, one who won't disrupt her calculated routine. In her well-meaning attempts, Fern stirs up things in the past that may have been better left hidden.
Sally and I talked about her inspiration for this page-turning domestic thriller, its lovely dedication, and her adventures with her own family during lockdown in Melbourne, many of which were hilariously documented on Instagram. My husband and I adore her younger daughter, Clementine! Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
May’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites is SUMMER DARLINGS by Brooke Lea Foster, which is now in paperback. Don’t miss their Facebook Live Book Club chat about the book featuring the author on Thursday, May 27th at 1pm ET. Click here to RSVP for the event. This week, Jennifer Weiner joined two members of the S&S team to talk about BIG SUMMER, their April pick, which recently released in paperback. Click here for their discussion.
Upcoming Barnes & Noble Facebook Live Event
A reminder that on Tuesday, May 4th at 3pm ET, Kirstin Valdez Quade will talk to fellow author Karen Russell about her latest novel, THE FIVE WOUNDS, which is April’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. You can watch the event on B&N’s Facebook page.
Celebrating Mother’s Day on Bookreporter with Two Special Features
Our Mother’s Day Author Blog series on Bookreporter is back! For the 12th year in a row, we’re sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers. So far we have heard from Laura Munson and Lea Geller. Still to come are contributions from Elizabeth Brundage, Mary Dixie Carter, Wendy Francis, Elin Hilderbrand, Virginia Hume, Andrea Lee and Deborah Goodrich Royce.
Lea Geller’s novel, THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS, is one of the books we’re giving away in our Mother’s Day contest, along with 14 other fabulous fiction and nonfiction titles --- including Jan-Philipp Sendker’s Art of Hearing Heartbeats series, FINDING FREEDOM: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French, THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn, and THE WINDSOR KNOT by SJ Bennett (we featured our guide for the latter earlier this year). Click here to take a look at all of the prize books and enter the giveaway, which will be open until Friday, May 7th at noon ET.
Enjoy your next book group discussion, and don’t forget to tell us about it in "What’s Your Book Group Reading"!
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 Copies of MASQUE OF HONOR,
a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title, for Your Group
and the Opportunity to Chat with Author Sharon Virts
In MASQUE OF HONOR, a 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. We are giving three groups the chance to win up to 12 copies of this Bookreporter.com Bets On pick, plus the opportunity to chat with its author, Sharon Virts, via Zoom. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 20th at noon ET.
MASQUE OF HONOR: A Historical Novel of the American South by Sharon Virts (Historical Fiction)
General Armistead Mason and John “Jack” Mason McCarty are brothers-in-law, second cousins and descendants of founding father George Mason IV. Ambitious and headstrong, together they set out to find love, acceptance and honor on their own merit. Armistead --- by nature a politician --- demands respect and strives for perfection. Jack --- by inclination a rover --- looks to forge his own path. When Armistead is challenged by corruption in the political machine and is denied a seat in the US Congress, the two become embroiled in a bitter dispute that sets in motion an irrevocable chain of events, leading them to the dueling grounds and an outcome that changes everything.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here for the enhanced book club guide, which includes "Behind the Book" material, food and drink recipes, and more.
- 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 Sharon Virts.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to enter the contest.
Special Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of
Gabriela Garcia’s OF WOMEN AND SALT, April’s
“Good Morning America” Book Club Pick and
a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title, for Your Group
OF WOMEN AND SALT, Gabriela Garcia's instant New York Times bestselling debut novel, is about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born. We are giving five groups the chance to win up to 12 copies of the book, which is April's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, May 5th at noon ET.
OF WOMEN AND SALT by Gabriela Garcia (Fiction)
In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. She is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother, a Cuban immigrant named Carmen, and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, Carmen must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.
- 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 read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Gabriela Garcia.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to see why the book is April's "GMA" Book Club pick.
Click here to enter the contest.
“What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of WE BEGIN AT THE END
by Chris Whitaker, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title, 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 WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker, a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. An instant New York Times bestseller, this genre-defying novel is about people who deserve so much more than life serves them. At times devastating, with flashes of humor and hope throughout, it is ultimately an inspiring tale of how the human spirit prevails and how, in the end, love --- in all its different guises --- wins. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, May 5th at noon ET.
WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. Now, 30 years later, Vincent is being released. Duchess is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Her mother, Star, grew up with Walk and Vincent. Walk is in overdrive trying to protect them, but Vincent and Star seem bent on sliding deeper into self-destruction. Star always burned bright, but recently that light has dimmed, leaving Duchess to parent not only her mother but her five-year-old brother. When trouble arrives with Vincent King, Walk and Duchess find they will be unable to do anything but usher it in, arms wide closed.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- 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 Chris Whitaker.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: SUNFLOWER SISTERS by Martha Hall Kelly
SUNFLOWER SISTERS by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
The 2016 bestseller LILAC GIRLS introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in SUNFLOWER SISTERS, Martha Hall Kelly tells the story of Ferriday’s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists. Inspired by true accounts, the novel provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience --- from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It’s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON by Karen White
THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON by Karen White (Historical Fiction)
London, 1939. Eva Harlow and her best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. All it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever. London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner, whose life has been marked by the tragic loss of her mother, travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. She finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, her enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide:
THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO
by Donna Freitas
THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO by Donna Freitas (Fiction)
Rose Napolitano is fighting with her husband, Luke, about prenatal vitamins. She promised she'd take them, but didn't. Their marriage has come to rest on this one question: Can Rose find it in herself to become a mother? Rose is a successful professor and academic. She's never wanted to have a child. The fight ends, and with it their marriage. But then Rose has a fight with Luke about the vitamins --- again. This time the fight goes slightly differently, and so does Rose's future as she grapples with whether she can indeed give up the one thing she thought she knew about herself. Can she reimagine her life in a completely new way? That reimagining plays out again and again in each of Rose's nine lives, just as it does for each of us as we grow into adulthood.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New April Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in April 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.
FINDING ASHLEY by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
In this blockbuster novel from Danielle Steel, two estranged sisters get the chance to connect again and right the wrongs of the past.
THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth (Psychological Thriller)
Sally Hepworth, the author of THE MOTHER-IN-LAW, delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in THE GOOD SISTER.
THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD by Alena Dillon (Fiction)
From the acclaimed author of MERCY HOUSE comes a gripping new novel about a young woman’s dreams of Olympic gymnastic gold --- and what it takes to reach the top.
I HAVE BEEN BURIED UNDER YEARS OF DUST: A Memoir of Autism and Hope by Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin (Memoir)
This remarkable memoir is by a mother and her autistic daughter who’d long been unable to communicate --- until a miraculous breakthrough revealed a young woman with a rich and creative interior life, a poet, who’d been trapped inside for more than two decades.
REUNION BEACH: Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank by Elin Hilderbrand, Adriana Trigiani, Patti Callahan, Mary Alice Monroe, and more (Fiction/Short Stories)
In this warm and moving anthology, a group of bestselling authors and writers pay tribute to legendary, larger-than-life New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank and her literary legacy.
STRONGHEART: The Lost Journals of May Dodd and Molly McGill by Jim Fergus (Historical Fiction)
STRONGHEART is the final installment in the One Thousand White Women trilogy, a novel about fierce women who are full of heart and the power to survive.
UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Fiction)
Two childhood friends discover that love --- and family --- can be found in unconventional ways in this timely, moving novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Peachtree Bluff series.
WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain (Literary Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS WIFE comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?
WHEREABOUTS by Jhumpa Lahiri (Fiction)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE LOWLAND and INTERPRETER OF MALADIES has written her first novel in nearly a decade. Exuberance and dread, attachment and estrangement: in WHEREABOUTS, Jhumpa Lahiri stretches her themes to the limit.
YOUR INNER HEDGEHOG: A Professor Dr von Igelfeld Entertainment by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction/Humor)
In the latest entertaining and hilarious Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld novel, our hopelessly out-of-touch hero is forced to confront uppity librarians, the rector of the university, and a possible hostile takeover, all while trying to remain studiously above it all.
Bookreporter.com’s 16th Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in our 16th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Friday, May 7th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes 15 great fiction and nonfiction titles we think moms will love.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com’s 12th Annual
Mother’s Day Author Blogs
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 12th year! Once again, we are excited to be sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers.
This year's contributors are Elizabeth Brundage (THE VANISHING POINT), Mary Dixie Carter (THE PHOTOGRAPHER), Wendy Francis (SUMMERTIME GUESTS), Lea Geller (THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS), Elin Hilderbrand (GOLDEN GIRL), Virginia Hume (HAVEN POINT), Andrea Lee (RED ISLAND HOUSE), Laura Munson (WILLA’S GROVE), and Deborah Goodrich Royce (RUBY FALLS).
Click here to read Bookreporter.com's 2021 Mother's Day Author Blogs.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth
THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth (Psychological Thriller)
Sally Hepworth is an author whose thrillers I always enjoy, so it was such fun to read THE GOOD SISTER. The story features twin sisters Fern and Rose. Fern has challenges, and Rose has always been there for her. Rose wants to have a baby but has been unable to get pregnant. What will Fern do for Rose? As the story unfolds, who is really doing what to whom?
The kernel of the story came to Sally when she saw her two daughters squabbling one day. The younger one had misbehaved, and when Sally was reprimanding her, the older one came to her defense. Sally thought this was so lovely until the older one said something to the effect of “No worries, I will get her back later.” And that got the wheels turning in motion for the plot.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Sally Hepworth.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s "9 1/2 Annual" Book Group Speed Dating Event --- and a Look Ahead to May's Event
Last November, we hosted our “9 1/2 Annual” Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book group leaders. More than 70 books that would make great book group selections for winter/spring 2021 were presented by 18 publishers.
You can take a look at the entire video of the presentation here, or watch individual publisher presentations by clicking on the links below.
Bloomsbury • Grove Atlantic • Harlequin • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Ingram • Knopf • Random House • Simon & Schuster • Soho Press
Sourcebooks • Tin House • William Morrow • W. W. Norton
If you would like to know more about these books, here’s a link to a page with the PowerPoint presentation of the featured titles, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title.
Our 10th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event
Preparations are now underway for our 10th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event, which will take place virtually on Friday, May 14th from 1pm ET to 3pm ET. More than a dozen publishers will present books releasing this summer and fall that they think will be perfect for book groups to discuss.
If you have not joined us before --- and you are a librarian, bookseller or book group leader of multiple book groups --- and would like to attend this program virtually, please write Carol at [email protected] and tell her about your trade affiliation so we can get you added to the signup list.
Click here to watch our "9 1/2 Annual" Book Group Speed Dating event.
From left to right: Mark Sullivan, Mary Kay Andrews, Chris Bohjalian
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, May 2nd at 12pm ET: Eagle Eye Book Shop: New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews and Emily Giffin will celebrate the launch of Mary Kay's new novel, THE NEWCOMER.
Monday, May 3rd at 7pm ET: Phoenix Books: Join Phoenix Books to celebrate the release of Chris Bohjalian's latest novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH. Chris will be in conversation with fellow bestselling Vermont author Jennifer McMahon.
Monday, May 3rd at 9pm ET: Book Soup: Book Soup presents a virtual event with Laura Dave, author of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, in conversation with Lauren Levy Neustadter, President of Film and Television at Hello Sunshine.
Monday, May 3rd at 9pm ET: Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Mark Sullivan will discuss THE LAST GREEN VALLEY, his new historical novel inspired by one family’s incredible story of daring, survival and triumph.
Tuesday, May 4th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their April book club pick, THE FIVE WOUNDS, featuring Kirstin Valdez Quade in conversation with Karen Russell.
Tuesday, May 4th at 6pm ET: Politics & Prose: Politics & Prose presents a virtual event with Maggie Shipstead, who will be in conversation with author and critic Bethanne Patrick about her new novel, GREAT CIRCLE.
Tuesday, May 4th at 7pm ET: RJ Julia Booksellers: Join RJ Julia Booksellers for a tale of liberation and the original American witch hunt, as Chris Bohjalian will be in conversation with Lisa Scottoline about his new historical thriller, HOUR OF THE WITCH.
Tuesday, May 4th at 8pm ET: Country Bookshelf: Bozeman author Mark Sullivan will share his new book, THE LAST GREEN VALLEY, and discuss the writing and research process with local Bill Martell.
Tuesday, May 4th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Mary Kay Andrews, Queen of the Beach Reads, will be in conversation with Karin Slaughter about her next page-turner for the summer, THE NEWCOMER.
Wednesday, May 5th 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 throw a launch party for Mary Kay's new book, THE NEWCOMER.
Thursday, May 6th at 7pm ET: Gramercy Books: Join #1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline to learn about her first historical novel, ETERNAL. She will be in conversation with Gramercy Books owner and historical novelist Linda Kass.
Sunday, May 9th at 5pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": For this special Mother's Day episode, the "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to the Satellite Sisters: Julie, Liz, Sheila, Monica and Lian Dolan.
Tuesday, May 11th at 6pm ET: Bank Square Books and Savoy Bookshop & Café: Chris Bohjalian will be in conversation with Wally Lamb about his new book, HOUR OF THE WITCH. Chris and Wally also will be discussing the HBO adaptations of their novels, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT and I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE.
Wednesday, May 12th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between May 11th and June 1st, along with a few from July, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will throw a launch party for Mary Alice Monroe's new book, THE SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND.
Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm ET: Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner for a live discussion of her new novel, THAT SUMMER, with Vogue’s Emma Specter.
"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 is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Linwood Barclay (FIND YOU FIRST)
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Zakiya Dalila Harris (THE OTHER BLACK GIRL)
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Dianna Rostad (YOU BELONG HERE NOW)
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Mark Sullivan (THE LAST GREEN VALLEY)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE GIRLS IN THE STILT HOUSE by Kelly Mustian (Historical Fiction)
Set in 1920s Mississippi, this debut Southern novel weaves a beautiful and harrowing story of two teenage girls cast in an unlikely partnership through murder --- perfect for readers of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING and IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE.
GOOD COMPANY by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (Fiction)
GOOD COMPANY is a warm, incisive new novel about the enduring bonds of marriage and friendship from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of the instant New York Times bestseller THE NEST.
LADY BE GOOD: The Life and Times of Dorothy Hale by Pamela Hamilton (Historical Fiction)
In her vibrant debut novel, Pamela Hamilton delivers glamour, romance, tragedy, a close and stormy friendship with famed playwright and Vogue and Vanity Fair editor Clare Boothe Luce, and the enchanting story of a woman navigating a world of incredible wealth and power in New York, Paris, Hollywood and grand estates of the Gold Coast.
THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON by Karen White (Historical Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Karen White weaves a captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal that moves between war-torn London during the Blitz and the present day.
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.
MOTHER MAY I by Joshilyn Jackson (Domestic Thriller)
The New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed NEVER HAVE I EVER builds on her success with this addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves.
THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO by Donna Freitas (Fiction)
A stunning novel about love, loss, betrayal, divorce, death, a woman's career and her identity, THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO is about finding one's way into a future that wasn't the future one planned, and the ways that fate intercedes when we least expect it.
NORTHERN SPY by Flynn Berry (Thriller)
The acclaimed author of UNDER THE HARROW and A DOUBLE LIFE returns with her most thrilling novel to date: the story of two sisters who become entangled with the IRA.
OF WOMEN AND SALT by Gabriela Garcia (Fiction)
OF WOMEN AND SALT is a sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born.
SUNFLOWER SISTERS by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Martha Hall Kelly’s LILAC GIRLS introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in SUNFLOWER SISTERS, Kelly tells the story of Ferriday’s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists.
THE VINES by Shelley Nolden (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
Across a century and against insurmountable odds, a woman with an astonishing immune system is unwillingly kept on an abandoned island off of Manhattan.
WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
With WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker has written an extraordinary novel about people who deserve so much more than life serves them. At times devastating, with flashes of humor and hope throughout, it is ultimately an inspiring tale of how the human spirit prevails and how, in the end, love --- in all its different guises --- wins.
YOU BELONG HERE NOW by Dianna Rostad (Historical Fiction)
In this brilliant debut reminiscent of Kristina McMorris’ SOLD ON A MONDAY and William Kent Krueger's THIS TENDER LAND, three orphans journey westward from New York City to the Big Sky Country of Montana, hoping for a better life where beautiful wild horses roam free.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
FRIENDS AND STRANGERS by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)
FRIENDS AND STRANGERS is an insightful, hilarious and compulsively readable novel about a complicated friendship between two women who are at two very different stages in life.
HELLO, SUMMER by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
After her new job at a New York City newspaper goes up in smoke, Conley Hawkins finds herself right back where she started, working for her family's small-town newspaper. Matters come to a head after Conley witnesses a car accident that ends in the death of a local politician --- a beloved war hero with a secret shady history whose death may not be exactly what it seems.
SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid (Fiction)
A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, SUCH A FUN AGE is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young Black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.
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