July 16, 2022

July 16, 2022

Book Club Joy!

It’s been a fun couple of weeks for me in the world of book groups.

Last Friday, I was in the Stone Harbor area after I presented a book preview program at the Avalon Free Public Library. I had caught up with Jen, Marilyn, Deb and the two Lisas (Lisa, our Contest Coordinator, is third from the right in the photo above) from the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor the day before and realized that their book group was meeting on Friday morning to discuss THE TOBACCO WIVES. While I had planned to join them virtually, it was so nice to join in person.

I was surprised with the terrific turnout for the program; there were 55 women in the room! Marilyn engaged the audience with some discussion questions and asked the group members to raise some of their own. Adele Myers, the author, joined via Zoom for a discussion of the book, and she was terrific. Various audience members shared their comments from a seat in front of the room. I had not read the book, but it’s been a “want to read” for a while now. What a lovely way to hear more about a book. I am so grateful to have been able to share this experience.

My book group met Thursday night to discuss our first classic read, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, which was first published in 1943. I confess to only having time to finish half of the book before our meeting due to a very busy reading schedule for author interviews, but I am enjoying it so much that I plan to finish it.

While we felt it could have been streamlined a bit with an edit, we had a great discussion about so many of the topics in the book and author Betty Smith’s use of language. We talked about the way that we saw Brooklyn then versus today when many parts have become a coveted place for twenty-somethings to live and home prices have skyrocketed. Yes, there are still downtrodden neighborhoods, but the overall impression is not that the borough is entirely a world of immigrants in various class stages that we saw in the book. We all shared thoughts about favorite passages and what we were moved by in both the plot and the characters. We followed a lot of the book’s discussion questions, and it was a very lively discussion.

There was a lot of respect for Smith, who made the character of Francie and her world come alive for us. A few of us would like to see a movie based on the book made. We were surprised to find that one had been done in 1945; we would love to see it adapted again. It was rich in both characters and a sense of place. And I am very curious about Smith's follow-up novel, TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER, which I also want to read.

Next up, we are planning to read THE TOBACCO WIVES, which we had been knocking around as an idea even before my visit to the book group in Stone Harbor. The discussion there just made me want to read it more.

Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live!
Our new “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title is LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it released in hardcover last August and is now available in paperback.

Perfect for readers of ORDINARY GRACE and THIS TENDER LAND, this bestselling prequel to Kent’s award-winning Cork O’Connor series tells the story of 12-year-old Cork in his hometown of Aurora, Minnesota. When Cork stumbles upon a dead body, he begins his first foray into detective work. His father, who is the sheriff of Aurora, needs to confirm that the man died by suicide, as all the evidence seems to suggest. But Cork takes matters into his own hands to find out what secrets have gone awry.

Three groups will win up to 12 copies of LIGHTNING STRIKE. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, August 10th at noon ET. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Kent from last year, you can watch it here or 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 LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave, HORSE by Geraldine Brooks, and THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.

This month we are featuring the guide for ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore. You may remember Margarita as the author of OONA OUT OF ORDER; it was a national bestseller and a “Good Morning America” Book Club pick when it released two years ago, and it’s currently being adapted for television by Amazon Studios.

Nearly a decade ago, iconic magician Violet Volk vanished mid-act and hasn’t been seen since. Cameron Frank is determined to finally get his big break hosting a podcast devoted to Violet. However, keeping his job hinges on an exclusive interview with Violet’s sister, Sasha, who has no desire to talk to him. As the 10-year anniversary approaches, she begins to experience an unsettling series of sleepwalking episodes and coincidences, which all lead back to Violet. Pushed to her emotional limits, Sasha must finally confront the most painful truths about her sister, and herself, even at the risk of losing everything.

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Katie Runde, whose newly released debut novel, THE SHORE, will be a Bets On selection. Set over the course of one summer on the Jersey Shore, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love and the weight of family secrets.

Katie talks about how her life influenced the writing of THE SHORE, as well as how the storytelling evolved over the years. We also share stories about the different towns that encompass the shore and how each town has its own personality. Plus, we delve into the characters --- and how they grow throughout the course of the book. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Also, be sure to check out the guide. We will feature my Bets On commentary in the late July newsletter.

We also have added guides for these five books:

• FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark: Lifelong best friends Agnes Lee and Polly Garner own shares in Fellowship Point, a beautiful summer colony and bird sanctuary on the coast of Maine. As they turn 80, it’s time to make decisions about what will become of their legacy, a question that threatens to tear them apart.
   
• THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger: The Larsen-Hall family seemingly has everything. Their deluxe new Miami life has just clicked into place when Luna, the world’s first category 6 hurricane, upends everything they have taken for granted. When the storm makes landfall, it triggers a descent of another sort.
   
• HELLTOWN by Casey Sherman: In the winter of 1969, the bodies of four young women were discovered in a cemetery near the tip of Cape Cod. The perpetrator was Tony Costa, a serial killer who captivated literary icons and rivals Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer. I just finished reading this book and look forward to interviewing Casey soon!
   
• THE DEAD ROMANTICS: Ashley Poston’s adult debut novel is July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. Poston tells “GMA,” “Not only is it a ghost story, but it is a ghost romance. So it’s a little bit sexy and a little bit fun and a little bit swoony…and a lot dead.” She adds, “It is my ode to romance novels --- all of them. I am a connoisseur of romance and if you are too, I really hope you find some joy in THE DEAD ROMANTICS.”
   
• HONEY AND SPICE: Bolu Babalola’s debut novel is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick. Reese says, “It’s about a young Black British woman named Kiki with a ton of ambition, who has to work with her colleague Malakai to get ahead in her NYC internship. I got so caught up in this romance, as Kiki and Malakai go from enemies to friends to lovers. It even reminded me of some hilarious dating stories from my early twenties.”

Five Discussion-Worthy Books Perfect for the Summer
Continuing this month is our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature. Here we have five books from Harlequin Trade Publishing that we think book groups will enjoy discussing this summer. So sit back, relax and soak in the sun as you dive into BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sarah Morgan, THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery, A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera, THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster, and SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne.

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice. That is the intriguing tagline to Nikki Erlick’s debut novel, THE MEASURE, which is July’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. "It sounds ominous in many ways but actually, it is about love and how we choose to spend our days," says Jenna. "I think it will make everyone feel immense gratitude for the beautiful little moments." She adds, "After my husband and I read it, we had a long conversation about our life. I think it will lead people to really think about how they live."

This month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick is TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW. Spanning 30 years --- from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond --- Gabrielle Zevin’s new book revolves around two friends who come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On Thursday, July 28th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a live virtual event with Gabrielle to discuss the book. Click here to sign up. June’s pick was HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith. If you missed Tuesday’s event where Leesa talked about her latest novel, you can watch it here.

A reminder that this Tuesday, July 19th at 2pm ET, members of the Simon & Schuster team will talk to Tom Perrotta about his new book, TRACY FLICK CAN’T WIN, which is S&S’s Book Club Favorites pick for this month. Click here to RSVP for the event.

For more July 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 26 books releasing between now and August 2nd, along with eight from September, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here. It has been two years since we started this program, and we are thrilled that so many people still are joining us each month.

Next month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event will take place on Wednesday, August 10th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between August 9th and September 6th, along with a few from October, 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.

My husband and I are planning to see Where the Crawdads Sing on Tuesday night. I do love half-priced Tuesday night movies; this will be the third Tuesday night film we have seen.

Here’s to a great book group discussion this month!

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
LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger
for Your Group

New Featured Guide:
ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore

ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore (Fiction)
Nearly a decade ago, iconic magician Violet Volk performed her greatest trick yet: vanishing mid-act. Though she hasn’t been seen since, her hold on the public hasn’t wavered. Her sister, Sasha, took over their mother’s salon and built a quiet life for her daughter, Quinn. But Sasha can never seem to escape her sister’s orbit or her memories of their unresolved, tumultuous relationship. Then there’s Cameron Frank, determined to finally get his big break hosting a podcast devoted to all things Violet --- though keeping his job hinges on an exclusive interview with Sasha, the last person who wants to talk to him. Meanwhile, Sasha begins to experience an unsettling series of sleepwalking episodes and coincidences, which all lead back to Violet.

- 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 featured guide.

Special Feature:
Summer-Themed Book Group Reads

Summer has arrived, and with it comes a number of books to enjoy as you’re relaxing on your front porch or in your backyard, lounging on the beach, or staying cool indoors. In our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature, we are spotlighting five recently released novels from Harlequin Trade Publishing that we recommend talking about with your book group this summer. Click on each of the titles for plot summaries, excerpts, discussion questions and more.

BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sarah Morgan (Fiction)
When Joanna Whitman's famous ex-husband dies in a car accident, she doesn't know what to feel. Their dysfunctional marriage held more painful secrets than she cares to remember. But when she discovers that the young woman with him in the crash is pregnant, Joanna feels compelled to act. As secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, an unlikely friendship is about to be put to the test.

THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
When fate brings three strangers to a charming space for lease on the California coast, the Boardwalk Bookshop is born. But while their business is thriving, their personal lives are not. As their bond grows closer, they challenge one another to become the best versions of themselves in this heartachingly beautiful story of friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of love.

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera (Historical Romance)
Luz Alana set sail from Santo Domingo armed with 300 casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love. In the City of Lights, she intends to expand the rum business her family built over three generations, but buyers and shippers alike can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color. Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, who has spent a decade looking for purpose outside of his father’s dirty money and dirtier dealings.

THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster (Romance)
When it comes to creating the perfect happily-ever-after, Yardley Belanger is a bona fide miracle worker. But when it comes to her own love life, she’s completely clueless. The 31-year-old has poured her heart and soul into her business and doesn’t have time for anything --- or anyone --- else. And that’s something not even the gorgeous older brother of her newest client can change. Right?

SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne (Fiction)
As the older sibling to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter was always the odd sister out. The divide grew even wider when their parents split up. While the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their mother, Cami moved to LA with her father. Nearly 20 years later, when Cami gets the terrible news that Lily has drowned saving a child’s life, her mother begs her to return home to help untangle the complicated estate issues her sister left behind.

Click here for our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature.

New Guide: FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark

FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark (Fiction)
Celebrated children’s book author Agnes Lee is determined to secure her legacy --- to complete what she knows will be the final volume of her pseudonymously written Franklin Square novels and permanently protect the peninsula of majestic coast in Maine known as Fellowship Point. To donate the land to a trust, Agnes must convince shareholders to dissolve a generations-old partnership. And one of those shareholders is her best friend, Polly Wister, who exalts in creating beauty and harmony in her home, in her friendships and in her family. Polly soon finds her loyalties torn between the wishes of her best friend and the wishes of her three sons. But what is it that Polly wants herself?

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger

THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction)
To all appearances, the Larsen-Hall family has everything. Their deluxe new Miami life has just clicked into place when Luna --- the world’s first category 6 hurricane --- upends everything they have taken for granted. Their home destroyed, two of its members missing and finances abruptly cut off, the family finds everything they assumed about their lives now up for grabs. Swept into a mass rush of evacuees from across the American South, they are transported hundreds of miles to a FEMA megashelter where their new community includes an insurance-agent-turned-drug dealer, a group of vulnerable children, and a dedicated relief worker trying to keep the peace. Will “normal” ever return?

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: HELLTOWN by Casey Sherman

HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman (True Crime)
In the winter of 1969, the bodies of four young women were discovered in a cemetery near the tip of Cape Cod. In a place once known as Helltown, the victims had been shot, stabbed, dismembered and mutilated. As investigators would soon learn, the perpetrator was a young, handsome serial killer named Tony Costa. A bizarre former taxidermist with a split personality and penchant for violence, Costa ultimately mobilized friends in the hippie community for support and retribution, and captivated literary icons and rivals Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer. Costa embarked on a daring cat-and-mouse game with investigators, who --- as the body count kept growing --- were desperate to put an end to the killing season on Cape Cod.

- 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 SHORE by Katie Runde
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE SHORE by Katie Runde (Fiction)
Brian and Margot Dunne live year-round in Seaside with their daughters, Liz and Evy. The Dunnes run a real estate company, but their future becomes quite precarious when Brian develops a brain tumor. Amidst the chaos and new caretaking responsibilities, Liz still seeks out summer adventure and flirting with a guy she should know better than to pursue. Her younger sister, Evy, works in a candy shop, falls in love with her friend Olivia, and secretly adopts the persona of a middle-aged mom in an online support group, where she discovers her own mother’s most vulnerable confessions. Meanwhile, Margot faces an impossible choice driven by grief, impulse and the ways that small-town life in Seaside has shaped her.

- 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 Katie Runde.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here for the discussion guide.

THE SHORE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the late July newsletter.

New Guide: THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston
July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick

THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston (Paranormal Romance)
Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem. After a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won't give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father. For 10 years, she's run from the town that never understood her, and it feels like nothing has changed. Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- 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: HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola
Reese’s Book Club Pick for July

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola (Romantic Comedy)
As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show “Brown Sugar,” Kiki Banjo has made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships,” players and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate late-night talks force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper?

- 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.

Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for July

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 July'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: TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin
A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY: A Monk and Robot Book by Becky Chambers
FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark
LAPVONA by Ottessa Moshfegh
NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ: Stories, by Morgan Talty

LibraryReads
Top Pick: WHAT MOVES THE DEAD by T. Kingfisher
BET ON IT by Jodie Slaughter
BIG GIRL by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
BOOKED ON A FEELING by Jayci Lee
GRACE UNDER FIRE by Julie Garwood

Target Book Club
THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA by Zoraida Córdova

Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware

Barnes & Noble Book Club
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

Reese's Book Club
HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola

Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick

"Good Morning America" Book Club
THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston

Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN by Tom Perrotta

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

In June'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 LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles
• THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
• THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave
• HORSE by Geraldine Brooks
• THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson
• THE MAID by Nita Prose
• THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline
• THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles
• PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir
• THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner
• THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT by Mitch Albom
• ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman
• HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford
• BORN A CRIME: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
• THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark

THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark (Domestic Thriller)
I was a huge fan of Julie Clark’s THE LAST FLIGHT and looked forward to seeing what she would do next. THE LIES I TELL did not disappoint. In it, she has two interwoven storylines featuring two women --- one is a con artist, and the other is ready to take her down.

Years ago, Kat Roberts was reporting on a story about an abusive school principal and the girls he had under his spell. She feels she is on to something when she learns that he was ratted out by his own girlfriend. But what happens after this submerges Kat’s career.

- 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 watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Julie Clark.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.

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

From left to right: Susan Wiggs, Sarah Pearse, Nikki Erlick

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

As many book and author events are still 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.

Tuesday, July 19th at 2pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Tom Perrotta will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss his new novel, TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN, which is July's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.

Tuesday, July 19th at 8pm ET: Fabled Bookshop & Cafe: Fabled's Book Club will discuss THE MEASURE for its July book club. Nikki Erlick will be on hand to talk about her debut novel, which also is this month's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick.

Wednesday, July 20th 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 Jennifer Weiner, whose latest novel is THE SUMMER PLACE. Mateo Askaripour, the author of BLACK BUCK, will appear on the Aftershow.

Tuesday, July 26th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Ashley Poston for a live virtual event to discuss THE DEAD ROMANTICS, July's B&N Book Club pick. She will be in conversation with Ali Hazelwood, whose new novel, LOVE ON THE BRAIN, is forthcoming.

Wednesday, July 27th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Jason Mott, whose most recent novel, HELL OF A BOOK, is now in paperback.

Wednesday, July 27th at 9pm ET: Best of Books: Join Best of Books and New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs to celebrate her newest novel, SUGAR AND SALT, a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.

Thursday, July 28th at 2pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Sarah Pearse will discuss her new novel, THE RETREAT, which finds Detective Elin Warner uncovering the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getaway.

Thursday, July 28th at 5:30pm ET: RJ Julia Booksellers: Join Sarah Pearse and Flynn Berry for a thrilling evening focusing on Pearse's latest book, THE RETREAT.

"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:

• Katie Runde (THE SHORE) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Kimberly Belle (MY DARLING HUSBAND) Video | Podcast
• Julie Clark (THE LIES I TELL) Video | Podcast
• Jane Green (SISTER STARDUST) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE LONG WEEKEND) Video | Podcast
• Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND) Video | Podcast
• Jacquelyn Mitchard (THE GOOD SON) Video | Podcast
• Meg Mitchell Moore (VACATIONLAND) Video | Podcast
• Allison Pataki (THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST) Video | Podcast
• Chris Pavone (TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON) Video | Podcast
• Tom Perrotta (TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN) Video | Podcast
• Kim Michele Richardson (THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER) Podcast
• John Searles (HER LAST AFFAIR) Video | Podcast
• Brendan Slocumb (THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY) Video | Podcast
• Amanda Eyre Ward (THE LIFEGUARDS) Video | Podcast
• Charmaine Wilkerson (BLACK CAKE) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Jennifer Hillier (THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK)
• Casey Sherman (HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod)

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:

ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore (Fiction)
From Margarita Montimore, the author of the "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and national bestseller OONA OUT OF ORDER, ACTS OF VIOLET is a dazzling and twisty new novel about a famous magician who disappears, leaving her sister to figure out what really happened.

AND THERE HE KEPT HER by Joshua Moehling (Mystery/Thriller)
Unrelentingly suspenseful and written with a piercing gaze into the dark depths of the human soul, AND THERE HE KEPT HER is a thrilling page-turner that introduces readers to a complicated new hero and forces us to consider the true nature of evil.

BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sarah Morgan (Fiction)
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with the ultimate beach read, as one woman forges the most unlikely friendship of all and embarks on a summer of confronting her past in order to build the future she wants.

THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
With her unique brand of witty, emotional storytelling, Susan Mallery's latest is a heartfelt tale of friendship between three women brought together by chance who open a bookshop together on the boardwalk of the California beaches and ultimately become one another's family.

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera (Historical Romance)
Paris, 1889. The Exposition Universelle is underway, drawing merchants from every corner of the globe...including Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, heiress to the Caña Brava rum empire.

THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston (Paranormal Romance)
A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction)
A suspenseful read plotted on a vast national tapestry, THE DISPLACEMENTS thrillingly explores what happens when privilege is lost and resilience is tested in a swiftly changing world.

FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark (Fiction)
FELLOWSHIP POINT is the masterful story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories and buried secrets, tested in the twilight of their lives, set across the arc of the 20th century.

HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman (True Crime)
HELLTOWN transports us back to the turbulent late 1960s, revealing the secrets of notorious serial killer Tony Costa --- the most dangerous man on Cape Cod --- and unspooling the threads connecting Costa, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer in the seaside city that played host to horrors unlike any ever seen before.

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola (Romantic Comedy)
Full of passion, humor and heart, internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola’s dazzling debut novel centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about.

THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster (Romance)
From New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster comes a heartwarming, romantic story for fans of Jill Shalvis, Lori Wilde and Sarah Morgan. In THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE, locals of a quirky small town help their favorite wedding planner find her own happily-ever-after.

THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark (Domestic Thriller)
THE LIES I TELL is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.

THE SHORE by Katie Runde (Fiction)
Set over the course of one summer, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love and the weight of family secrets.

SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne (Fiction)
From the beloved bestselling author of SEASON OF WONDER and THE CLIFF HOUSE comes a poignant and uplifting novel about forgiveness, family, and all the complications --- and joy --- that come with it.

TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
Tracy Flick is back, and once again the iconic protagonist of Tom Perrotta’s ELECTION --- and Reese Witherspoon’s character from the classic movie adaptation --- is determined to take high school politics by storm.

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

COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard (Fiction)
In her most ambitious novel to date, New York Times bestselling author 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.

LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
The author of the instant New York Times bestseller THIS TENDER LAND returns with a powerful prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series --- a book about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever.

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.

WE WERE NEVER HERE by Andrea Bartz (Psychological Thriller)
A backpacking trip has deadly consequences in this “eerie psychological thriller...with alluring locales, Hitchcockian tension and possibly the best pair of female leads since Thelma and Louise” (BookPage), from the bestselling author of THE LOST NIGHT and THE HERD.

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