|
Adding New Book Group Members
After never belonging to a book group, I have been in two book groups over the last couple of years. One, with members in my neighborhood, fizzled during the pandemic, while the other, comprised mostly of young moms, continued to meet --- first virtually, then outdoors (we became adept at campfire discussions), and recently in-person indoors.
We lost one of the group’s founders when she moved to Colorado in December. With her departure, our regular meeting place at a firehouse where her husband volunteered also vanished. Recently we have been a dedicated band of five, with other members dropping in and out of meetings.
When we last met, we decided we wanted to add some new members, and we all took it upon ourselves to decide how to augment our merry band. As a result, I think there will be four to five women joining us next month for the first time. I recruited the forty-something woman who had founded our neighborhood group, and am happy she will be with us. We are reading THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, and we will be meeting at my house --- we are hoping for poolside. I am looking forward to the discussion and meeting/introducing the new members.
I would love to hear how you have brought in new members. Drop me an email with the subject line "New members."
Jimmy Fallon has announced the "Tonight Show" Summer Reads winner. It’s THE PLOT! This was such fun to see, and I am happy to share that I already did a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Jean Hanff Korelitz. My book group is feeling really good about this selection. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we read THE PLOT earlier this month and talked to Jean; I think we should consider ourselves to be trendsetters. Jean is scheduled to appear as a guest on "The Tonight Show" sometime after August 9th (the exact date hasn't been determined yet), so please be on the lookout for that!
I was a guest on Adriana Trigiani’s weekly Facebook Live show, “Adriana Ink”, last Tuesday night. Adriana is a huge supporter of book groups, and we reminisced about her meeting with groups as she did laundry. Above you can see a photo of the two of us from the show. Trying to get a half-decent screenshot of two women talking a mile a minute with hands in motion is really tough. We had such fun catching up and talking about what we have been doing at The Book Report Network. You can watch it here; I come in at 1:58:53. Adriana had a great lineup of author guests that evening, as well as the cover reveal for her upcoming novel, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE, which happens at the start of the video; it will be in stores on April 12, 2022. Here are the cues for the other segments of the show:
8:37 - Daniel Silva (THE CELLIST)
36:25 - Taylor Jenkins Reid (MALIBU RISING)
57:03 - Bunny Williams (LOVE AFFAIRS WITH HOUSES)
1:38:58 - Paige Rien (LOVE THE HOUSE YOU’RE IN)
Barbara, one of our readers, wrote, “Caught you last night on 'Adriana Ink.' You and Adriana were so much fun to watch. You both are filled with so much energy. I truly appreciate the work you ladies are doing for the promotion of books and authors. As you mentioned, before people like yourself and Adriana, the only way for the vast majority of us to meet authors was to watch C-SPAN's 'Book TV.' They only focused on authors of nonfiction. I think getting to know the author adds so much to the promotion of a book. Watching last night, I learned about a new-to-me author, Daniel Silva. Now I am not a big fan of thrillers, but I have put one of his books on my to-read list just because of what I learned about him last night. Keep up the good work. It is GREATLY appreciated. BTW, I have been following you since early Bookaccino days.” Thanks for watching, Barbara. That conversation was really fun; I still laugh thinking about parts of it.
Announcing a BIG Bookreporter Contest!
On Bookreporter, we are featuring a very special contest for LIGHTNING STRIKE, a prequel to William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, which releases on August 24th. If you enjoyed ORDINARY GRACE and THIS TENDER LAND, you will love LIGHTNING STRIKE!
The book takes place during the summer of 1963 in the small town of Aurora, Minnesota, and introduces readers to a 12-year-old Cork O’Connor. When Cork stumbles upon the body of a man he revered hanging from a tree in an abandoned logging camp, it is the first in a series of events that will cause him to question everything he took for granted about his hometown, his family and himself. Cork’s father is Aurora’s sheriff, and it is his job to confirm that the man’s death was the result of suicide, as all the evidence suggests. In the shadow of his father’s official investigation, Cork begins to look for answers on his own.
We are giving 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of LIGHTNING STRIKE. In addition, one Grand Prize winner will receive signed copies of all 18 Cork O’Connor mysteries! To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, August 6th at noon ET. I am planning to interview Kent shortly before the book’s publication. He is always such a joy to chat with!
We have added five new guides to this late-month update:
-
COUNT THE WAYS: Joyce Maynard returns to the themes that are the hallmarks of her most acclaimed work in a mesmerizing story of a family --- from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood, divorce and the costly aftermath that ripples through all their lives.
-
INTIMACIES: In Katie Kitamura's national bestseller, an interpreter who is looking for a place to finally call home is drawn into simmering personal dramas and is soon pushed to the precipice.
-
THE THERAPIST: B. A. Paris’ new work of psychological suspense revolves around a newly renovated house in a gated community that holds a shocking secret.
-
THE BONE CODE: Kathy Reichs returns with her 20th novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. An absorbing look at the sinister uses to which genetics can be put, this is Tempe’s most astonishing case yet --- one that gives new meaning to today’s headlines.
-
THE MAN WITH THE SILVER SAAB: In this third installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s hilarious series about the Department of Sensitive Crimes, Ulf Varg will have to muster all his detective skills and bureaucratic cunning to restore a famed art historian’s reputation --- as well as his own.
A few of our readers went to an event for COUNT THE WAYS, which was sponsored by the Cape May County Library and held at the Cape May County Zoo. Books were available for sale at the event through Stone Harbor Book Shop. From left to right, you can see Marilyn Timms, Joyce Maynard, Jen Gensemer and Lisa Hickman. Lisa is also our Contest Coordinator, so now you can attach a face to the name!
We have two new "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews to share with you in this newsletter. First up is my interview with the aforementioned Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, whose New York Times bestseller, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, is July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. The novel tells the story of J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, who purchased and catalogued his impressive collection of rare and high-quality books and artwork. What people did not know is that Belle was a Black woman who passed as white. Her secret was kept hidden, though her father had been the first Black man to graduate from Harvard University. Her complex backstory is as interesting as the collection itself.
Marie and Victoria discussed how and why they came together to work on THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, explained certain aspects of their research that made its way into the story they were trying to tell, and shared what they are up to next, both solo and as collaborators. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast --- and my Bets On commentary is here.
My second interview is with Megan Miranda, whose latest novel, SUCH A QUIET PLACE, is a locked-in thriller. The setting is the idyllic neighborhood of Hollow's Edge, where everybody looks out for one another. The community is reeling from the murder of two neighbors, Brandon and Fiona Truett, and a year later, this cozy oasis has become stifling. The residents can't sell their houses, and tensions are still at a high. One of the neighbors, Ruby Fletcher, was found guilty of murdering the Truetts, but her conviction was overturned and she has waltzed back into the neighborhood. Now Hollow's Edge turns on itself, and threatening notes are being spread. As they start to wonder who the next victim will be, Harper Nash, who lived with Ruby, is determined to uncover the truth.
Megan talked to me about the conflict that can grow in small communities, as well as how she gained experience to write a book with such a closeted setting. I happened to nail her favorite lines in the book, which give nothing away. As Rebekkah Ross has narrated all of her adult thrillers, Megan explained what she brings to the storytelling. We also touched on the upcoming adaptation for THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, which is being developed as a series by Dakota and Elle Fanning’s Lewellen Pictures and MRC Television. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
As promised, our July “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event is now available on our YouTube channel. Click here to see me present 26 titles releasing between July 13th and August 3rd, along with nine September titles, that I think will appeal to you.
Please keep in mind that next month’s "Bookaccino Live" event will take place on Wednesday, August 11th at 2pm ET. I will talk about a number of titles that are coming out between August 10th and September 7th, along with a few from October, that I would like to get on your radar. 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 a prize.
Book Club Event News
This Tuesday, August 3rd at 3pm ET, Miranda Cowley Heller will discuss her debut novel, THE PAPER PALACE --- the Barnes & Noble Book Club pick for July --- live on B&N’s Facebook page with Mackenzie Newcomb. I look forward to chatting with Miranda soon for a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview as the book is my latest Bets On pick. Find out why I’m betting you’ll love it here.
Earlier today, members of the Simon & Schuster team talked about ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman, July’s pick for S&S’s Book Club Favorites, which is now available in paperback. Click here for their discussion. YOURS CHEERFULLY by AJ Pearce is their August selection. Be sure to join the conversation on Tuesday, August 31st at 12pm ET. We will share the signup link in the next newsletter.
July is anything but a sleepy summer month around here. Here's to a great book group discussion at your next meeting.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
New Guide: COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard
COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard (Fiction)
Eleanor and Cam meet at a crafts fair in Vermont in the early 1970s. She’s an artist and writer, he makes wooden bowls. Within four years they are parents to three children, two daughters and a red-headed son who fills his pockets with rocks, plays the violin and talks to God. If Eleanor and Cam don’t make love as often as they used to, they have something that matters more. Their family. Then comes a terrible accident, caused by Cam’s negligence. Unable to forgive him, Eleanor is consumed by bitterness, losing herself in her life as a mother, while Cam finds solace with a new young partner. Over the decades that follow, the five members of this fractured family make surprising discoveries and decisions that occasionally bring them together, and often tear them apart.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura
INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura (Fiction)
An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court. A woman of many languages and identities, she is looking for a place to finally call home. She's drawn into simmering personal dramas: her lover, Adriaan, is separated from his wife but still entangled in his marriage. Her friend, Jana, witnesses a seemingly random act of violence, a crime the interpreter becomes increasingly obsessed with as she befriends the victim's sister. And she's pulled into an explosive political controversy when she’s asked to interpret for a former president accused of war crimes. Soon she’s pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her, forcing her to decide what she wants from her life.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Paperback Copies of
THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline 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 up to 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 EXILES by Christina Baker Kline, July's Target Book Club pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. This ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity and hope of a trio of women’s lives --- two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl --- in 19th-century Australia. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, August 4th at noon ET.
THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)
Seduced by her employer’s son, Evangeline, a naïve young governess in early 19th-century London, is discharged when her pregnancy is discovered and sent to the notorious Newgate Prison. Months later, she is sentenced to Van Diemen’s Land, a penal colony in Australia. During the journey on a repurposed slave ship, the Medea, Evangeline strikes up a friendship with Hazel, who was sentenced to seven years transport for stealing a silver spoon. Though Australia has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, the British government considers its fledgling colony uninhabited and unsettled. By the time the Medea arrives, many of them have been forcibly relocated, including Mathinna, who has been adopted by the new governor of Van Diemen’s Land.
- 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 Christina Baker Kline.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Special Contest on Bookreporter.com:
Enter to Win an Advance Copy of
LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger,
Releasing August 24th --- Plus a HUGE Grand Prize!
From William Kent Krueger, the author of the instant New York Times bestseller THIS TENDER LAND, comes LIGHTNING STRIKE, a powerful prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series. This highly anticipated novel is about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever. We are giving 25 readers the opportunity to win an advance copy of the book, which releases on August 24th. In addition, one Grand Prize winner will receive signed copies of all 18 Cork O’Connor mysteries! To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, August 6th at noon ET.
LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
Aurora is a small town nestled in the ancient forest alongside the shores of Minnesota’s Iron Lake. In the summer of 1963, it is the whole world to 12-year-old Cork O’Connor, its rhythms as familiar as his own heartbeat. But when Cork stumbles upon the body of a man he revered hanging from a tree in an abandoned logging camp, it is the first in a series of events that will cause him to question everything he took for granted about his hometown, his family and himself. Cork’s father, Liam O’Connor, is Aurora’s sheriff, and it is his job to confirm that the man’s death was the result of suicide, as all the evidence suggests. In the shadow of his father’s official investigation, Cork begins to look for answers on his own.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: THE THERAPIST by B. A. Paris
THE THERAPIST by B. A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)
When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive. As Alice is getting to know her neighbors, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before. Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets, and things are not as perfect as they seem.
- 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 BONE CODE by Kathy Reichs
THE BONE CODE: A Temperance Brennan Novel by Kathy Reichs (Thriller)
On the way to hurricane-ravaged Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, Tempe receives a call from the Charleston coroner. The storm has tossed ashore a medical waste container. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Tempe recognizes many of the details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she travels to Montreal to gather evidence. Meanwhile, health authorities in South Carolina become increasingly alarmed as a human flesh-eating contagion spreads. Someone is protecting a dark secret --- and willing to do anything to keep it hidden.
- 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 MAN WITH THE SILVER SAAB
by Alexander McCall Smith
THE MAN WITH THE SILVER SAAB: A Detective Varg Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery/Humor)
Detective Ulf Varg is a man of refined tastes who is quite familiar with the art scene in Malmö. So when art historian Anders Kindgren visits the Department of Sensitive Crimes to report a series of bizarre acts that have been committed against him, Ulf and his team swing into action. Fish stuffed into the vents of Kindgren’s car and a manipulated footnote in a recent publication would be cause enough for an investigation. But when a painting Kindgren had confidently appraised as genuine is later declared to be a fake, it’s clear that someone is out to tarnish his reputation. Meanwhile, Ulf is also weathering personal issues, which quickly spiral out of control. When blood belonging to his lip-reading dog, Martin, is found in the back of his classic Saab, Ulf finds himself the subject of a departmental investigation.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New July Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in July 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.
DEAR MISS METROPOLITAN by Carolyn Ferrell (Fiction)
Carolyn Ferrell is an extraordinary and original writer whose first novel explores the intersections of grief and rage, personal strength and healing --- and what we owe one another.
FIERCE LITTLE THING by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (Psychological Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s FIERCE LITTLE THING is a mesmerizing story of friendship and its reckonings.
FOR YOUR OWN GOOD by Samantha Downing (Psychological Thriller)
USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school --- complete with interfering parents, overeager students and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson.
FOX AND I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven (Memoir)
FOX AND I is a poignant and remarkable tale of friendship, growth and coping with inevitable loss --- and how that loss can be transformed into meaning.
ISLAND QUEEN by Vanessa Riley (Historical Fiction)
This remarkable, sweeping historical novel is based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.
IT'S BETTER THIS WAY by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
After her marriage ends, one woman’s struggle to pick up the pieces finally leads to a new beginning. But is the past truly behind her?
NINE LIVES by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
A woman who longs to avoid risk at all cost learns that men who love danger are the most exciting in this moving novel from New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller)
Fred and Sheila Merton are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew.
RADAR GIRLS by Sara Ackerman (Historical Fiction)
RADAR GIRLS is an extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.
SHOULDER SEASON by Christina Clancy (Fiction)
SHOULDER SEASON is a dazzling portrait of a young woman coming into her own, the youthful allure of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and what we lose --- and gain --- when we leave home.
SUCH A QUIET PLACE by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST HOUSE GUEST --- a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection --- comes a new riveting suspense novel about a mysterious murder in an idyllic and close-knit neighborhood.
THE THERAPIST by B. A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)
The multimillion-copy New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris returns to her heartland of gripping psychological suspense in THE THERAPIST --- a powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.
THE WOMEN'S MARCH: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession by Jennifer Chiaverini (Historical Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini returns with THE WOMEN'S MARCH, an enthralling historical novel of the woman’s suffrage movement inspired by three courageous women who bravely risked their lives and liberty in the fight to win the vote.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE PAPER PALACE, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN
and THE LAST COMMANDMENT
THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller (Fiction)
THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller came to my attention when Reese Witherspoon selected it, and then it debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #1. I love being on top of upcoming books, but this one was not on my radar. That said, once it was in my hands, I devoured it in 24 hours, not going to sleep until 2am and turning on the light more than once to say, “One more chapter.” It worked for me for all the things one loves in a book --- setting, timing and characters. The novel is set on Cape Cod, but not the Cape that I have read a lot about. There are more lakes and ponds than beaches. The houses are not palatial; in fact, where the Bishop family lives, it’s all utilitarian like a summer camp, where essentials are covered but overblown chic is missing.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE PAPER PALACE.
THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a book that you immediately want to talk about once you finish it. Like the subject of other novels that Marie has written, I wondered how I did not know the story of Belle da Costa Greene. Belle was J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian. She had an eye for collecting art and treasured manuscripts, along with the funds to pursue buying them in the United States and Europe. But as renowned as she was in these circles, she had a secret. Her name was really Belle Marion Greener. She was dark-skinned not because she was Portuguese, but because she was Black passing as white.
- 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 for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary
on THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN.
THE LAST COMMANDMENT: An Austin Grant of Scotland Yard Novel by Scott Shepherd (Mystery/Thriller)
THE LAST COMMANDMENT is Scott Shepherd’s first thriller, and I am very happy to hear that he is planning a series with his character, Metropolitan Police Commander Austin Grant. The book opens during Christmastime in London when Grant is weeks from his retirement at the end of the year --- and he is counting the days. He’s still grieving the loss of his wife, and the holidays are particularly tough for him. There have been three seemingly unconnected murders in London. But there is something that gives one pause about the cases. There are sequential Roman numerals on the heads of all the victims. What’s the connection? It’s quickly figured out that the murders are following the Ten Commandments.
- 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 Scott Shepherd.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to visit Scott Shepherd's website.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary
on THE LAST COMMANDMENT.
Bookreporter.com's 17th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through the end of August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 10th Annual
Book Group Speed Dating Event:
Great Books for Book Groups
On May 14th, we hosted our 10th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book club leaders. More than 75 books that would make great book group selections for Summer/Fall 2021 were presented by 21 publishers.
You can take a look at the video of the entire presentation here, or watch individual publisher presentations by clicking on the links below.
Bloomsbury • Consortium (And Other Stories, Blair, Deep Vellum, Feminist Press, Haymarket Books, World Editions) • Hachette Book Group • Harlequin Trade Publishing Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • Ingram (Godine, Keylight Books, Spiegel & Grau, Two Dollar Radio) • Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group • Random House Publishing Group
Simon & Schuster • Soho Press • Sourcebooks • William Morrow • W. W. Norton
If you would like to know more about these books, here is 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. Included in the video is a retrospective of the last 10 years of Speed Dating, where we spotlight 12 books from each year that have been popular with readers over the past decade. A spreadsheet of these titles also can be found here.
Click here to watch our 10th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event.
From left to right: Megan Abbott, Chandler Baker, Ash Davidson
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.
Monday, August 2nd at 7pm ET: Books Are Magic: Megan Abbott will be in conversation with Rumaan Alam about her mesmerizing new novel, THE TURNOUT.
Monday, August 2nd at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Chandler Baker will talk to Sara DiVello (a yoga teacher by day and mystery writer by night) about her new work of fiction, THE HUSBANDS.
Tuesday, August 3rd at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their July book club pick, THE PAPER PALACE, featuring Miranda Cowley Heller in conversation with Mackenzie Newcomb.
Tuesday, August 3rd at 7pm ET: BookPeople: Join BookPeople for a virtual celebration of Chandler Baker's THE HUSBANDS. Chandler will be in conversation with Angie Kim, whose debut novel is MIRACLE CREEK.
Tuesday, August 3rd at 7pm ET: Books & Books: Charlotte McConaghy will be in conversation with Laurie Frankel about her new novel, ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES.
Tuesday, August 3rd at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Megan Abbott will be in conversation with Gillian Flynn about her latest novel, THE TURNOUT.
Wednesday, August 4th at 7pm ET: Books Are Magic: Join Andrea Bartz for the virtual launch of her new novel, WE WERE NEVER HERE. She will be in conversation with Caroline Kepnes.
Wednesday, August 4th 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 to Lauren Willig, whose most recent novel is BAND OF SISTERS.
Thursday, August 5th at 7pm ET: Watermark Books & Café: Watermark Books & Café invites you to attend a virtual event with Ash Davidson, who will talk to Sarah Smarsh about her debut novel, DAMNATION SPRING.
Thursday, August 5th at 8pm ET: Women & Children First: Join Women & Children First for a joint virtual reading with Katie Kitamura (INTIMACIES) and Dana Spiotta (WAYWARD) introducing their new novels.
Monday, August 9th at 8pm ET: Blue Willow Bookshop: Chandler Baker and Miranda Beverly-Whittemore will appear in conversation with their editor, Christine Kopprasch, to celebrate the release of their new books, THE HUSBANDS and FIERCE LITTLE THING.
Wednesday, August 11th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between August 10th and September 7th, along with a few from October, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, August 11th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Taylor Jenkins Reid, whose latest novel is MALIBU RISING.
Thursday, August 12th at 3pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Christy Lefteri as she discusses her new book, SONGBIRDS, with Jeniffer Thompson.
Thursday, August 12th at 8pm ET: Highland Park Public Library: Join Highland Park Public Library for an evening with Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena as they discuss their new books, SUCH A QUIET PLACE and NOT A HAPPY FAMILY. They will be joined in conversation with Mary Kubica, the bestselling author of suspense novels.
"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:
-
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN)
Video | Podcast
-
Megan Miranda (SUCH A QUIET PLACE) Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
-
Megan Abbott (THE TURNOUT)
-
Chandler Baker (THE HUSBANDS)
-
Ash Davidson (DAMNATION SPRING)
-
Miranda Cowley Heller (THE PAPER PALACE)
-
William Kent Krueger (LIGHTNING STRIKE)
-
Taylor Jenkins Reid (MALIBU RISING)
-
Jonathan Santlofer (THE LAST MONA LISA)
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 BONE CODE: A Temperance Brennan Novel by Kathy Reichs (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her 20th gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, 15 years apart, of unidentified bodies ignite a terrifying series of events.
COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard (Fiction)
A story of holding on and learning to let go, COUNT THE WAYS is an achingly beautiful, poignant and deeply compassionate novel of home, parenthood, love and forgiveness.
THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)
The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller ORPHAN TRAIN returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant novel about three women whose lives are bound together in 19th-century Australia and the hardships they weather together as they fight for redemption and freedom in a new society.
THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis --- until a secret from her past threatens everything.
HELL OF A BOOK by Jason Mott (Fiction)
This astounding work of fiction from New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott --- always deeply honest, at times electrically funny --- goes to the heart of racism, police violence and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans, and America as a whole.
INTIMACIES by Katie Kitamura (Fiction)
From Katie Kitamura, the author of A SEPARATION, comes an electrifying story about a woman caught between many truths.
THE MAN WITH THE SILVER SAAB: A Detective Varg Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery/Humor)
In this hilarious new novel in Alexander McCall Smith's bestselling Detective Varg series, an eminent art historian is framed and the ace investigators of the Department of Sensitive Crimes are on the case.
THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller (Fiction)
In the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades.
THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR is a diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick THE LAST MRS. PARRISH and THE WIFE STALKER.
THE THERAPIST by B. A. Paris (Psychological Thriller)
The multimillion-copy New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris returns to her heartland of gripping psychological suspense in THE THERAPIST --- a powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.
Please note that this title, for which we already had the guide when it appeared in hardcover, is now available in paperback:
WHITE IVY by Susie Yang (Fiction)
From prize-winning Chinese American author Susie Yang, this dazzling coming-of-age novel about a young woman’s dark obsession with her privileged classmate offers sharp insights into the immigrant experience.
|
