|
Another Year of Book Group Reading Comes to a Close
'Tis the season for book groups to meet for the last time of the year. Some will be doing this in person at gatherings where books may, or may not, be discussed and holiday celebrating will be happening. Others will be meeting virtually.
My book group’s last meeting was two weeks ago via Zoom, and we had a great discussion about GOING THERE by Katie Couric, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. We all enjoyed the book, and there was a very spirited discussion about it. Some members had to duck out and others came in later, but we still had a robust conversation, which was fun. If we were meeting in person, those who were arriving late might have opted to not come at all; this way, they were comfortable to drop in. And it was nice that they were able to pick up on the conversation thread and keep it going!
For next month we’ll be reading TASTE: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci, and I am looking forward to that discussion. I love how varied the interests of this group are, and how well read they are. They always have great suggestions, and I always come away with new perspectives on the books we discuss. We have really thoughtful meetings where sharing different viewpoints is not just allowed --- it is expected.
We are winding down a VERY busy year at The Book Report Network...and as we do, we bring you lots to explore.
On December 8th, we hosted a very special and FUN “Bookaccino Live” event. As part of Bookreporter.com's 25th anniversary celebration, 10 of our longtime reviewers --- Sarah Rachel Egelman, Megan Elliott, Pauline Finch, Harvey Freedenberg, Bronwyn Miller, Rebecca Munro, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, Ray Palen, Norah Piehl and Stuart Shiffman --- talked about their three favorite books of 2021. Their selections cover a wide variety of genres, and there may be a few titles here that you didn’t have on your radar that you will want to check out.
Please note that Jana Siciliano, who was to be our 11th reviewer guest, was not able to join us due to illness. She did submit notes about her three selections, and we were planning to read them towards the end of the program. But as the event ran a bit longer that we had anticipated, we turned her comments into a blog post, which you can check out here.
If you missed the event, click here to watch the full presentation and here to listen to the podcast. We have timestamped the program, so if you would like to hear from a specific reviewer, you easily can do that! Also, a list of all the featured titles (including Jana’s picks) are here. Above you can see me with Tom Donadio, our Editorial Director, and all 10 reviewers as we appeared on Zoom, “Brady Bunch”-style.
You can check out more 2021 faves from these reviewers and many others in our annual Reviewer Picks feature. See which of their fiction and nonfiction selections you agree or disagree with --- and which titles you may want to add to your 2022 reading lists or discuss with your group.
Please keep in mind that our next “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event will be on Wednesday, January 12th at 2pm ET. I will present books that are releasing between January 4th and February 1st, and give you a sneak peek at a few March titles. Click here to sign up. Remember that 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.
THREE Contests You Will Want to Enter!
There’s still plenty of time to enter our End-of-the-Year Contest. By sharing your favorite book that you read with your group in 2021 and your favorite book that you read outside your group, you will be eligible to win eight titles releasing in 2022 that are perfect for book group discussions.
The prizes are THE GOOD SON by Jacquelyn Mitchard, HER HIDDEN GENIUS by Marie Benedict, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain, THE MAGNOLIA PALACE by Fiona Davis, THE MAID by Nita Prose, OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS by Jessamine Chan, and VIOLETA by Isabel Allende. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, January 12th at noon ET. We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you in our next newsletter.
Also continuing from last month is our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, where three groups will win up to 12 copies of SUNFLOWER SISTERS. This final installment in Martha Hall Kelly’s trilogy releases in paperback on December 28th and gives us one last opportunity to learn about Caroline Ferriday’s family, following LILAC GIRLS and LOST ROSES.
Inspired by true accounts, SUNFLOWER SISTERS 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. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, January 12th at noon ET.
On Bookreporter, we’re awarding all 44(!) of my 2021 Bets On selections to the Grand Prize winner of our End-of-the-Year Contest. Eleven other winners will receive a selection of four of these titles. Be sure to enter here by Friday, January 7th at noon ET. Scroll further down the newsletter for more details about this BIG contest. You may want to suggest that others in your group enter as well, so you can share the prize if you’re one of the winners!
And if you want to know more about these books, there's a video and podcast!
I briskly talk about all of this year's Bets On picks in a video and podcast where I am in conversation with our producer, Austin Ruh. Whew, there was lots to remember about these titles, some of which I had read last January. But my passion for them has not waned in the last 12 months, and it was such fun chatting them up.
We have added five new discussion guides this month:
-
WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult: When the pandemic first started, all Jodi Picoult could think about was how to chronicle it and what lessons, if any, we have learned from it. She says, “Diana’s story is one we can all connect to: it’s one of isolation, adaptation, and survival. We woke up one day, and everything as we knew it changed. To say it was catastrophic is an understatement, but it also gave us a much clearer sense of what matters.” Jodi recently talked about the book on "Good Morning America." Click here to watch the interview. It already has been picked up by Netflix!
-
LUCKY by Marissa Stapley: What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in? This month’s Reese's Book Club pick poses this intriguing question. Here’s what Reese has to say about it: “This is such an electric story abut an unconventional heroine who is on the run from her past with a winning lottery ticket that could change her future forever. But here’s the catch…she can’t cash it in! I loved all the twists and turns of this adventure, not knowing where Lucky was going to end up next.”
-
DAVA SHASTRI’S LAST DAY by Kirthana Ramisetti: The “Good Morning America” Book Club has picked this book as their final selection of 2021. They call it “an entertaining debut novel about a multicultural family, in which a dying billionaire matriarch leaks news of her death early so she can examine her legacy. Ramisetti told “GMA,” "It's about family dynamics and dysfunction. Right now, we're in the middle of the holiday season, which means many of us will be gathering with our loved ones. And this novel is so much about how we love our family and can find them frustrating in equal measure."
-
THE ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET by Karen White: The conclusion to the Tradd Street series is here, and I was happy to talk to Karen about it in a recent “Bookreporter Talks To” interview. She discusses the importance of giving her characters a good wrap-up and how she wove little clues into the book that will tie into her next series, which will be set in New Orleans. She also announces her upcoming collaboration with Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig, THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT, and explains how writing during a pandemic impacted their usual writing style. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
-
THE JOY AND LIGHT BUS COMPANY by Alexander McCall Smith: Mma Ramotswe is dealing with a lot of tricky matters in this 22nd installment of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. But she knows that the most creative solutions are often found with the support of loving friends and family. Working together over a cup of red bush tea, she and Mma Makutsi will rely on their tact, humor and goodwill to ensure that all involved find the happiness that they deserve.
BRIGHT BURNING THINGS by Lisa Harding is this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. It’s a brave portrait of addiction, recovery and motherhood, which the publisher states is “as harrowing and intense as SHUGGIE BAIN.” According to Jenna, "I have never read a book that addresses mental health and alcoholism in as transparent and beautiful a way as BRIGHT BURNING THINGS." She goes on to say, "While heartbreaking at times, I found the book to be about resilience and the power of a mother’s love. The writing is raw and intimate. I felt like I was in their apartment with them." I read this book a few weeks ago, and it was so sharp. You felt for all of the characters, seeing the pain of addiction through varied eyes.
For more December selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature.
Please note that there are no December picks for the Barnes & Noble Book Club or Simon & Schuster’s “Book Club Favorites”. But if you missed their November events, you can watch Gary Shteyngart talk about OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS (the B&N selection) here and Julia Kelly discuss THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND (the Book Club Favorites pick) here.
New Guide: WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult
WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
Diana O’Toole is an associate specialist at Sotheby’s, and her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows that her boyfriend Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos. But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her. It turns out the whole island is now under quarantine, and Diana is stranded until the borders reopen. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.
- 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.
Special Contest: Share Your Favorite Books of 2021
and Enter to Win EIGHT Great Book Group Titles Releasing in 2022!
This is the time of year when we start seeing “Best Books of the Year” lists. We would like you and your book group to help us compile ours! Click here to share both your favorite book that you read with your group in 2021 and your favorite book that you read outside your group by Wednesday, January 12th at noon ET.
One Grand Prize winner will be awarded EIGHT great book group titles releasing in 2022:
Please note: Your favorite book that you discussed with your group CAN be the same as your favorite book of the year. And they don't need to have been published in 2021. Also, please be careful with the spelling of book titles and authors’ first and last names to save us editing time.
We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you shortly after the contest ends. We cannot wait to see what you select!
Click here to share your favorite books of 2021 and enter the contest.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of SUNFLOWER SISTERS
by Martha Hall Kelly for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" feature, 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 SUNFLOWER SISTERS, the final installment in Martha Hall Kelly’s trilogy of novels about Caroline Ferriday’s family, following LILAC GIRLS and LOST ROSES. This concluding volume, which releases in paperback on December 28th, 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. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, January 12th at noon ET.
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 for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Special Contest on Bookreporter.com:
Enter to Win Our End-of-the-Year Celebration,
Featuring All 44 "Bets On" Titles from 2021
We are thrilled to announce our End-of-the-Year Contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from 2021. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 44 books, while 11 other readers will receive a selection of four of these titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, January 7th at noon ET.
Here are this year's Bookreporter.com Bets On titles:
Our Year-End Video and Podcast!
Click here to watch Carol's End-of-the-Year video, where she talks about all 44 of this year's Bets On selections and why these books resonated with her so much. You also can listen to the podcast here.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: LUCKY by Marissa Stapley
Reese’s Book Club Pick for December
LUCKY by Marissa Stapley (Fiction)
Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity, when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam. When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. As Lucky tries to avoid capture and make a future for herself, she must confront her past.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- 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: DAVA SHASTRI’S LAST DAY
by Kirthana Ramisetti
December’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY by Kirthana Ramisetti (Fiction)
Dava Shastri has always lived with her sterling reputation in mind. However, a brain cancer diagnosis at the age of 70 changes everything, and Dava decides to take her death into her own hands. Summoning her four adult children to her private island, she discloses shocking news: in addition to having a terminal illness, she has arranged for the news of her death to break early, so she can read her obituaries. Dava expects to read articles lauding her philanthropic work. Instead, her "death" reveals two devastating secrets, truths she thought she had buried forever. In the time she has left, Dava must come to terms with the decisions that have led to this moment --- and make peace with those closest to her before it's too late.
- 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 to see why the book is December's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide:
THE ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET
by Karen White
THE ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET by Karen White (Mystery)
Melanie Trenholm’s husband, Jack, has asked for a separation. But their relationship issues are pushed aside when longtime nemesis Marc Longo comes to them with a proposition: allow their Tradd Street house to be used as the filming location for the movie adaptation of Marc’s bestselling book, and he will help Jack reestablish his stalled writing career. Despite Melanie’s hesitation, Jack jumps at the chance. But Melanie’s doubts soon prove to be well founded when she uncovers ulterior reasons for Marc wanting to be back in their house --- reasons that include a hidden gem so brilliant that legend links it to the most infamous jewel of all, the Hope Diamond.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Karen White.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE JOY AND LIGHT BUS COMPANY
by Alexander McCall Smith
THE JOY AND LIGHT BUS COMPANY: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (22) by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni attends a course hosted by the local chamber of commerce entitled “Where Is Your Business Going?” But rather than feeling energized, he comes back in low spirits, unsure how to grow the already venerable and successful Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Then an old friend from school approaches him about a new business venture that could be just the ticket. When it turns out he will need to mortgage his property in order to pursue this endeavor, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi wonder what this will mean for his current business --- as well as their own. Meanwhile, when a concerned son learns that his aging father’s nurse now stands to inherit the family home, he begins to doubt her intentions and takes his case to Botswana’s premier detective agency.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for December
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Costco's "Buyer's Pick." We also feature a number of other prominent picks, including Oprah’s Book Club, the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Reese's Book Club, Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites.
Below is a preview of December's "Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks." For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.
Indie Next
#1 Pick: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan
PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD: Stories written by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Ted Goossen
DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY by Kirthana Ramisetti
THE ANOMALY written by Hervé Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter
WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult
LibraryReads
Top Pick: THE BALLERINAS by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND by Juhea Kim
BRIGHT BURNING THINGS by Lisa Harding
THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS written by Sosuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai
A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES by Shea Ernshaw
Target Book Club
ATOMIC LOVE by Jennie Fields
Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE by Diana Gabaldon
Reese's Book Club
LUCKY by Marissa Stapley
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
BRIGHT BURNING THINGS by Lisa Harding
"Good Morning America" Book Club
DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY by Kirthana Ramisetti
New December Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in December for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site or in the newsletter) that we think will be of interest to book groups.
THE BALLERINAS by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (Thriller)
"Dare Me" meets Black Swan and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE in a captivating, voice-driven debut novel about a trio of ballerinas who meet as students at the Paris Opera Ballet School.
BOY UNDERGROUND by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Historical Fiction)
During World War II, a teenage boy finds his voice, the courage of his convictions, and friends for life in an emotional and uplifting novel by New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
CREATIVE TYPES AND OTHER STORIES by Tom Bissell (Fiction/Short Stories)
From the bestselling coauthor of THE DISASTER ARTIST and “one of America's best and most interesting writers" (Stephen King) comes a new collection of stories that range from laugh-out-loud funny to disturbingly dark --- unflinching portraits of women and men struggling to bridge the gap between art and life.
THE LOVE CON by Seressia Glass (Romantic Comedy)
He’s cosplaying as her boyfriend, but their feelings for each other are real in this romantic comedy from Seressia Glass.
A MAN OF HONOR by Barbara Taylor Bradford (Historical Fiction)
For the first time, readers discover Blackie O'Neill's story: his tumultuous life, the obstacles facing him, the desire he has to throw off the impotence of poverty and move up in the world.
MOTHERS, FATHERS, AND OTHERS: Essays by Siri Hustvedt (Essays)
Feminist philosophy meets family memoir in this new essay collection from Siri Hustvedt, an exploration of the shifting borders that define human experience, including boundaries we usually take for granted --- between ourselves and others, nature and nurture, viewer and artwork --- that turn out to be far less stable than we imagine.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 10 ½ Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups
On November 12th, we hosted our 10 ½ 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 Winter/Spring 2022 were presented by 17 publishers. You can watch the entire presentation here. The video is timestamped, so if you would like to jump ahead to a specific publisher, be sure to use the links below.
Bloomsbury • Grove Atlantic • Hachette Book Group • Harlequin Trade Publishing • Ingram Publishing Group (Godine, Keylight Books, Restless Books, Scribe US, Zando) • Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group • Random House Publishing Group • Simon & Schuster • Soho Press • Sourcebooks • Tom Doherty Associates • 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.
Click here to watch our 10 ½ Annual Book Group Speed Dating event.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: GOING THERE by Katie Couric
GOING THERE by Katie Couric (Memoir)
Years ago, I thought being a host of a morning show would be a great career for me. Then I realized that I would be heading to work around 3:45am to do that job, and since I am not a morning person, I decided that never was going to happen. That said, I have been intrigued by network television, both for what goes into making a broadcast behind the scenes and how it has changed since its early days.
So I read Katie Couric’s GOING THERE with interest in not just her story, but how the programming has evolved and its challenges for women. Couric writes with unflinching honesty about what happened to her through the years --- from her start at a small station to moving to Washington, DC and then heading to New York. She discusses the highs as well as the lows, like missing her first daughter’s birthday to cover the Olympics and the housekeeper/nanny who betrayed her confidences. And of course, she talks about her biggest personal challenge: losing her husband, Jay, in his early 40s when she had two small children. While she knew he was gravely ill, the speed of his death still shocked her. I dare people to read those pages without a lump in their throats.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Spotlight Feature on Bookreporter.com:
"In Case You Missed Them…and a Look Ahead"
Featuring Heather Gudenkauf’s Books
Sometimes you hear about a book and just do not have time to read it. Other times, you have missed hearing about a book, and we would like to tell you about it. We do not want you to miss books that we think you will enjoy! In this feature, we are sharing books that you might not have read, and we also are getting the author’s next book on your radar. So then you never will need to say, “I missed them!”
In our latest "In Case You Missed Them...and a Look Ahead" feature, we are spotlighting four psychological thrillers by Heather Gudenkauf: the previously released NOT A SOUND, BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND and THIS IS HOW I LIED, and the forthcoming THE OVERNIGHT GUEST, which will be in stores on January 25th. Click here to read more about these titles and for links to reviews and excerpts.
NOT A SOUND: When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again.
BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND: For 12-year-old Cora Landry and her friends, Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover --- movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom.
THIS IS HOW I LIED: Twenty-five years ago, the body of 16-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa --- discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold. For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened.
THE OVERNIGHT GUEST: True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace. As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls --- haunted by secrets of her own.
Click here to read more in our
"In Case You Missed Them...and a Look Ahead" feature.
From left to right: Julia Kelly, Jonathan Evison, Xochitl Gonzalez
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.
Wednesday, December 22nd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to María Amparo Escandón, whose latest novel is L.A. WEATHER, a Reese's Book Club pick.
Wednesday, December 29th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Sarah MacLean, whose latest novel, BOMBSHELL, is the opening installment of her Hell's Belles series.
Thursday, December 30th at 9pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Darby Kane as she discusses her new book, THE REPLACEMENT WIFE, a thrilling domestic suspense novel that asks: How many wives and girlfriends need to disappear before your family notices?
Tuesday, January 4th at 7pm ET: Books Are Magic: Jean Chen Ho will be in conversation with Cathy Park Hong about her debut novel, FIONA AND JANE, which traces the lives of two young Taiwanese American women as they navigate friendship, sexuality, identity and heartbreak over two decades.
Wednesday, January 5th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Sally Hepworth (THE GOOD SISTER) and Kelly Rimmer (THE WARSAW ORPHAN).
Wednesday, January 5th at 8:30pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jillian Cantor will talk about her new novel, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS, with special guest host Heather Gudenkauf.
Thursday, January 6th at 4pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Julia Kelly as she discusses her new book, THE LAST DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTE, with Kristin Harmel.
Thursday, January 6th at 7pm ET: Flatiron Books: Join Flatiron Books for the virtual launch of Xochitl Gonzalez's debut novel, OLGA DIES DREAMING, and an online celebration of Día de los Reyes Magos! Xochitl will be in conversation with actress and musician Jessica Pimentel.
Wednesday, January 12th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between January 4th and February 1st, along with a few from March, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, January 12th at 10pm ET: Third Place Books: Third Place Books welcomes one of their favorite local writers, Jonathan Evision, for the launch of his latest novel, SMALL WORLD. He will be joined in conversation by Robert Sindelar, Managing Partner at Third Place Books.
Thursday, January 13th at 7pm ET: Cuyahoga County Public Library: Jonathan Evison will be in conversation with Kristin Hannah about his new work of fiction, SMALL WORLD.
"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:
-
Xochitl Gonzalez (OLGA DIES DREAMING)
-
James Rollins (THE STARLESS CROWN)
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 ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET by Karen White (Mystery)
Return to the house on Tradd Street one last time in this hauntingly spectacular finale to Karen White's bestselling series featuring psychic medium Melanie Trenholm.
DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY by Kirthana Ramisetti (Fiction)
In this thought-provoking and entertaining debut novel about a multicultural family, a dying billionaire matriarch leaks news of her death early so she can examine her legacy --- a decision that horrifies her children and inadvertently exposes secrets she has spent a lifetime keeping.
THE JOY AND LIGHT BUS COMPANY: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (22) by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
In this 22nd installment in the beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe is tempted to put the brakes on a business venture before it even gets rolling.
LUCKY by Marissa Stapley (Fiction)
LUCKY is a thrilling rollercoaster ride about a heist gone terribly wrong, with a plucky protagonist who will win readers’ hearts.
WISH YOU WERE HERE by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult comes a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now (or soon will be) available in paperback:
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam (Fiction)
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND is a magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.
NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox (Memoir)
In NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE, actor and advocate Michael J. Fox shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality.
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.
|
