June 17, 2022

June 17, 2022

Book Group Guilt

My book group is reading A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith for this month...or we were reading it for this month. Every night I would see the book on the coffee table in the family room. I had bought it instead of hunting down a copy that I KNOW I have in the attic. Each night it would be staring at me like it had high beams flashing, saying, “Read me,” but there was a lot of “Bookreporter Assigned Reading” on my plate. But, ah, the guilt every time I saw the book sitting there with no pages read.

My problem was solved earlier this week when Kathleen, our book group leader, admitted to not having time to finish the book. Whew, then I did not have to admit that I had not started it. As most of my book group is made up of young moms, we moved the book group discussion to July when school is out and summer camps are in full swing. So now I can “assign myself” a set number of required reading pages each night like we used to do in school to make next month’s deadline. Saved by the book group leader!

Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live!
Our new “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title is CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it released in hardcover last August and will be available in paperback on June 28th.

In 1944 Chicago, a Japanese American enclave has popped up as the US government begins to release prisoners from what was once euphemistically termed “internment” in concentration camps like Manzanar. This little-known episode in American history --- the resettlement of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans who had had everything they owned taken away from them --- was a moment of trauma, unrest, unprecedented social upheaval and new horizons. In other words, the perfect setting for a crime novel.

Three groups will win up to 12 copies of CLARK AND DIVISION. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, July 6th at noon ET. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Naomi from last year, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.

In our previous “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the five books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles, THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See, and THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.

Emily Giffin recaptures a gilded moment in American history in her new novel, MEANT TO BE, which I am happy to say is a Bets On selection. Here she tells the story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it…and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.

According to our Bookreporter reviewer Norah Piehl, “[Giffin] does a masterful job of asking key ‘what if?’ questions and then going on to answer them in imaginative, thoughtful ways…. MEANT TO BE is a chic, history-inspired summer read that you will want to take with you to the beach.” Click here for the discussion guide and here for Norah’s review. Also, my Bets On commentary is here. Emily was on “Good Morning America” recently to talk about the book; if you missed it, you can watch the segment here.

In her new novel, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS, Therese Anne Fowler introduces us to the Geller sisters: Beck, Claire and Sophie, a trio of strong-minded women whose pragmatic, widowed mother, Marti, will be dying soon and taking her secrets with her. Enter C.J. Reynolds, an enigmatic southerner ex-con with his own hidden past who complicates the situation.

Our Bookreporter reviewer Rebecca Munro says, “[Fowler] keeps the plot moving by employing her keen eye for relationship dynamics in marriage, sisterhood and found family. There’s no doubt that the characters are beautifully rendered and smartly written, but the true tension comes from the dramatic irony she uses to tie each of their plotlines together.” Click here for the guide and here for Rebecca’s review.

Oprah’s latest Book Club pick is Leila Mottley’s NIGHTCRAWLING, a debut novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system. Oprah says, “It always brings me joy to help introduce new writers to the reading community, and this young poet wowed me with her ode and elegy to Oakland, and her acute and insightful depictions of youth, injustice, the legacy of incarceration, and the resilience of community and chosen family.”

On June 30th, a livestream conversation between Oprah and Mottley, along with four followers of Oprah’s Book Club, will air on “Oprah Daily” beginning at 7pm ET. In the meantime, you can access the guide here.

We also have added guides for these four books:

• HORSE: Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Geraldine Brooks’ latest is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
   
• COUNTERFEIT: Kirstin Chen’s latest novel is Reese’s Book Club pick for June. Reese says, “This page-turner follows Ava, a rule-abiding lawyer who has ticked all of life’s boxes until she gets wrapped up in a counterfeit handbag scheme with one of her best friends. COUNTERFEIT is full of compelling twists, riveting adventures, and of course luxury handbags. Can you spot the fake?”
   
• MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW: Katie Gutierrez’s debut novel is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. Gutierrez told “GMA,” "It's about marriage and motherhood, female desire and ambition, and our cultural obsession with true crime. It's also about how little decisions become big ones and the secrets we keep from those we love.”
   
• HALF-BLOWN ROSE: Leesa Cross-Smith, the award-winning author of THIS CLOSE TO OKAY, is back with the story of a woman remaking her life after her husband’s betrayal leads to a year of travel, art and passion in Paris. On Tuesday, July 5th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a live virtual event with Leesa to discuss the book, which is B&N’s Book Club pick for June. Click here to sign up.

Jenna Bush Hager has selected THESE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS as this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. Salma El-Wardany’s debut novel is about three best friends navigating love, sex, faith and the one night that changes it all. "Just like in my own life, this book is about three strong women who are the heroines of their own stories," says Jenna. "This book perfectly portrays the power, vulnerability and solace I have always found in female friendship."

Book Club Event Reminder
Please keep in mind that this Tuesday, June 21st at 1pm ET, the Simon & Schuster team will talk to Brooke Lea Foster about her latest novel, ON GIN LANE, which is this month’s Book Club Favorites pick. Be sure to RSVP for the event here.

For more June selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.

We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 28 books releasing between now and July 5th, along with eight from August, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here.

Next month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event will take place on Wednesday, July 13th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between July 12th and August 2nd, along with a few from September, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.

Here’s to a great book group discussion!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Paperback Copies of
CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara 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 CLARK AND DIVISION, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that releases in paperback on June 28th. Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant mystery --- the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister's death --- brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, July 6th at noon ET.

CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled 2,000 miles away in Chicago, where Aki’s older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family’s reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train, and officials are ruling it a suicide. Aki’s instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Naomi Hirahara.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to enter the contest.

New Guide: MEANT TO BE by Emily Giffin
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

MEANT TO BE by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
The Kingsley family is beloved for their military heroics and political service. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But despite his best intentions, Joe III has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation. Cate Cooper also grew up fatherless, and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse?

- 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 read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
by Therese Anne Fowler

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS by Therese Anne Fowler (Fiction)
Meet the Geller sisters: Beck, Claire and Sophie, a trio of strong-minded women whose pragmatic, widowed mother, Marti, will be dying soon and taking her secrets with her. Marti has ensured that her modest estate is easy for her family to deal with once she’s gone --- including a provision that the family’s summer cottage on Mount Desert Island, Maine, must be sold, the proceeds split equally among the three girls. Enter C.J. Reynolds, an enigmatic southerner ex-con with his own hidden past, who complicates the situation. All is not what it seems, and everything is about to change.

- 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: HORSE by Geraldine Brooks

HORSE by Geraldine Brooks (Historical Fiction)
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner, becomes obsessed with a 19th-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley
Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick

NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley (Fiction)
Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to see why the book is Oprah's latest Book Club pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: COUNTERFEIT by Kirstin Chen
Reese’s Book Club Pick for June

COUNTERFEIT by Kirstin Chen (Fiction)
Ava Wong is a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son and a beautiful home. But beneath this façade, Ava’s world is crumbling. Enter Winnie Fang, Ava’s enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, 20 years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. She has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's Reese's Book Club pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide:
MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW
by Katie Gutierrez
June’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick

MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW by Katie Gutierrez (Literary Thriller/Mystery)
In 1985, Lore Rivera marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she is already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas, and they share twin sons. Through her career as an international banker, Lore splits her time between two countries and two families --- until the truth is revealed and one husband is arrested for murdering the other. In 2017, struggling true-crime writer Cassie Bowman encounters an article on the internet detailing that tragic final act. Cassie is immediately enticed by what is not explored: Why would a woman --- a mother --- risk everything for a secret double marriage? But the more time she spends with Lore, the more Cassie questions the facts surrounding the murder itself.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith
June’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick

HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith (Fiction)
At 44, Vincent enjoys strolling the streets of Paris and teaching at the modern art museum; she has a vibrant group of friends; and she’s even caught the eye of a young, charismatic man named Loup. But Vincent is also in Paris to escape a painful betrayal. Her husband, Cillian, has published a bestselling book divulging secrets about their marriage and his own past, hinting that when he was a teenager, he may have had a child with a young woman back in Dublin --- before he moved to California and never returned. Now estranged from her husband, Vincent has agreed to see Cillian again at their son’s wedding the following summer, but Loup introduces new complications.

» On Tuesday, July 5th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will welcome Leesa Cross-Smith for a live virtual event to discuss the book. Click here to sign up.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.

Click here for the discussion guide.

Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for June

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 June'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: THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub
WOMAN OF LIGHT by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
YERBA BUENA by Nina LaCour
NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley
TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN by Tom Perrotta

LibraryReads
Top Pick: THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY by Sulari Gentill
THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston
FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT by Jamie Wesley
FLYING SOLO by Linda Holmes
IONA IVERSON'S RULES FOR COMMUTING by Clare Pooley

Target Book Club
YERBA BUENA by Nina LaCour

Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
BY HER OWN DESIGN: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register, by Piper Huguley

Oprah's Book Club
NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley

Barnes & Noble Book Club
HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith

Reese's Book Club
COUNTERFEIT by Kirstin Chen

Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
THESE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Salma El-Wardany

"Good Morning America" Book Club
MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW by Katie Gutierrez

Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
ON GIN LANE by Brooke Lea Foster

Our Most Popular Book Group Selections for May’s
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest

In May's “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the 15 books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read:

• THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
• THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles
• THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger
• THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See
• THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles
• THE MAID by Nita Prose
• CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr
• THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah
• THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS by Lisa Wingate
• THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn
• EDUCATED: A Memoir by Tara Westover
• RUN, ROSE, RUN by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
• APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty
• BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson
• FENCING WITH THE KING by Diana Abu-Jaber

ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 11th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups

On May 13th, we hosted our 11th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians and book club leaders. More than 60 books that would make great book group selections for Summer/Fall 2022 were presented by 14 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.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
TRACY FLICK CAN’T WIN by Tom Perrotta,
TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone,
and TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY by Linwood Barclay

TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
There are times when I get a sneak peek at a book long before it comes out. That is what happened with Tom Perrotta’s TRACY FLICK CAN’T WIN, which I read last October. I completely disappeared into it on a warm Saturday afternoon on the deck.

Here, Tracy Flick is in line to become the new public school principal in a small town in New Jersey when the reigning principal, Jack Weede, announces his retirement to explore the country with his wife in a Winnebago. For a few moments, it looks like Tracy has it all nailed, and then… Well, Perrotta flips the story around again and again…and again. There were many laugh-out-loud moments, but more than that, I was in awe of his storytelling, which is both comic and so truthful. He shifted the story from chapter to chapter, which ramped up the pace and the action, and I just kept reading. He made me question the town’s heroes, as well as those with all the power. But in the end, it does feel like everyone got their due.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.

Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature

From left to right: Riley Sager, Julie Clark, Geraldine Brooks

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

As 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, June 20th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Julie Clark for a live virtual event to celebrate the release of THE LIES I TELL as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. She will be in conversation with Grace Atwood.

Tuesday, June 21st at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Brooke Lea Foster will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her new novel, ON GIN LANE, which is June's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.

Wednesday, June 22nd at 7pm ET: East City Bookshop: East City Bookshop welcomes bestselling author Emily Henry for a virtual discussion of her new release, BOOK LOVERS, in conversation with Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Wednesday, June 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 Julie Clark and Erica Ferencik about their new novels, THE LIES I TELL and GIRL IN ICE. Karen Cleveland, the author of the forthcoming THE NEW NEIGHBOR, will appear on the Aftershow.

Thursday, June 23rd at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Geraldine Brooks as she discusses her new book, HORSE, with fellow New York Times bestselling author Michael Lewis.

Monday, June 27th at 3pm ET: Murder By The Book: Kate White will talk about her new psychological thriller, THE SECOND HUSBAND, with Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello.

Tuesday, June 28th at 6pm ET: Northshire Bookstore: Geraldine Brooks will discuss her new novel, HORSE, a sweeping story of spirit, obsession and injustice across American history. She will be in conversation with Jacki Lyden.

Wednesday, June 29th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Riley Sager for a live virtual event to celebrate the release of THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. He will be in conversation with Megan Miranda.

Wednesday, June 29th at 4pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Alexis Schaitkin as she discusses her new book, ELSEWHERE, with Clare Beams, the author of the acclaimed debut novel, THE ILLNESS LESSON.

Wednesday, June 29th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Elin Hilderbrand and Jamie Brenner about their latest novels, THE HOTEL NANTUCKET and GILT.

Thursday, June 30th at 8pm ET: Anderson's Bookshops: Join Anderson's Bookshops, in partnership with fellow independent bookstores across the country, for a virtual event with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks to celebrate the release of her new novel, HORSE.

"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:

• Chris Pavone (TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON) Video | Podcast
• Kim Michele Richardson (THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER) Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Kimberly Belle (MY DARLING HUSBAND) Video | Podcast
• Katherine Faulkner (GREENWICH PARK) Video | Podcast
• Christopher Golden (ROAD OF BONES) Video | Podcast
• Jane Green (SISTER STARDUST) Video | Podcast
• Heather Gudenkauf (THE OVERNIGHT GUEST) Video | Podcast
• Bonnie Kistler (THE CAGE) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE LONG WEEKEND) Video | Podcast
• Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND) Video | Podcast
• Jacquelyn Mitchard (THE GOOD SON) Video | Podcast
• Allison Pataki (THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST) Video | Podcast
• John Searles (HER LAST AFFAIR) Video | Podcast
• Brendan Slocumb (THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY) Video | Podcast
• Wendy Corsi Staub (THE OTHER FAMILY) Video | Podcast
• Amanda Eyre Ward (THE LIFEGUARDS) Video | Podcast
• Charmaine Wilkerson (BLACK CAKE) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Kimberly Brock (THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE)
• Julie Clark (THE LIES I TELL)
• Meg Mitchell Moore (VACATIONLAND)
• Tom Perrotta (TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Guides

We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry (Romantic Comedy)
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming. BOOK LOVERS is an insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of BEACH READ and PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION.

CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant new mystery --- the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister's death --- brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II.

COUNTERFEIT by Kirstin Chen (Fiction)
For fans of Hustlers and HOW TO GET FILTHY RICH IN RISING ASIA comes the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise.

HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith (Fiction)
From the award-winning author of THIS CLOSE TO OKAY comes an irresistible story of a woman remaking her life after her husband’s betrayal leads to a year of travel, art and passion in Paris.

HORSE by Geraldine Brooks (Historical Fiction)
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history. From these strands, Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession and injustice across American history.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS by Therese Anne Fowler (Fiction)
Meet the Geller sisters: Beck, Claire and Sophie, a trio of strong-minded women whose pragmatic, widowed mother, Marti, will be dying soon and taking her secrets with her. Enter C.J. Reynolds, an enigmatic southerner ex-con with his own hidden past who complicates the situation.

THE LIFEGUARDS by Amanda Eyre Ward (Fiction)
The bonds between three picture-perfect --- but viciously protective --- mothers and their close-knit sons are tested during one unforgettable summer in a gripping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE JETSETTERS.

THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian (Historical Thriller)
A luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT.

THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (Historical Mystery)
From the New York Times bestselling team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White comes a novel of money and secrets set among the famous summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, spanning over a century from the Gilded Age to the present day.

MEANT TO BE by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins.

MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW by Katie Gutierrez (Literary Thriller/Mystery)
MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW is an evocative drama about a woman caught leading a double life after one husband murders the other, and the true-crime writer who becomes obsessed with telling her story.

NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley (Fiction)
NIGHTCRAWLING is a dazzling novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system.

THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub (Fiction)
With her celebrated humor, insight and heart, beloved New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub offers her own twist on traditional time-travel tropes and a different kind of love story.

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone (Thriller)
Tautly wound and expertly crafted, TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki (Fiction/Magical Realism)
This brilliantly inventive novel from Ruth Ozeki is about a boy who hears the voices of objects all around him, a mother drowning in her possessions, and a Book that might hold the secret to saving them both.

IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström (Fiction)
IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK is an arresting debut for anyone looking for insight into what it means to be a Black woman in the world.

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Thriller)
Urgent, propulsive and sharp as a knife, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL is an electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray have penned the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller)
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget. ROCK PAPER SCISSORS is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist.

SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE by Tia Williams (Romance)
With its keen observations of creative life in America today, as well as the joys and complications of being a mother and a daughter, SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE is a hilarious, romantic and sexy‑as‑hell story of two writers discovering their second chance at love.

WE ARE THE BRENNANS by Tracey Lange (Fiction)
In the vein of Mary Beth Keane’s ASK AGAIN, YES and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's THE NEST, Tracey Lange’s WE ARE THE BRENNANS explores the staying power of shame --- and the redemptive power of love --- in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets.

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.

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