May 20, 2023
 May 20, 2023 Long BooksRaise your hand (or twirl your mouse) if you are slightly intimidated by the size of a thick book. Can you see my hand waving? So when I saw that Oprah had picked a 736-page book for her latest Book Club selection, I gulped. But I enjoyed Abraham Verghese’s THE TENNIS PARTNER (I still remember so much about that one) and decided I did not want to miss out on reading THE COVENANT OF WATER like I had with CUTTING FOR STONE (658 pages). So I am going to read along with Oprah in what feels like it will be 100-page segments. You can read more about that here. I also listened to this interview with Abraham on the “Poured Over” podcast. Who else is reading along? I realized that one of my favorite books of last year was FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark, and that was 592 pages; I savored reading every page. This year I loved HOMECOMING by Kate Morton, which was 560 pages; I inhaled it. Read on for links to my interviews with each of these authors. I think I am ready to make a resolution to drive book-length intimidation away, one page at a time. Who is joining me?  Last Friday, we hosted our 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians, book club leaders and bloggers. Representatives from 10 publishers presented more than 55 titles perfect for book groups that will be published between now and November. You can watch the event here. Please note that we have timestamped the video, so if you want to hear from a specific publisher, you easily can do that! If you would like to know more about the books, click here to access a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation of the featured titles, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title, along with a sheet to take notes. I hope you make a list of what you would like to read with your group!  In a recent “Bookreporter Talks To” interview, Kate Morton joined me from Australia to talk about her New York Times bestseller, HOMECOMING, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. During the early days of the pandemic, Kate headed to Australia with her family for what was to be an Easter visit. As they realized that their time there was going to be longer than planned, Kate put aside a manuscript that she was working on. Inspired by the Australian landscape and the idea of her own homecoming, she began this book. In this interview, Kate shares how the story evolved. Beautiful homes, places and landscapes draw her eye (as witnessed on her Instagram page). From there, the characters and plot take shape. There is also a book within the book here --- a true crime book that sparks the characters to learn more. In our conversation, I forgot to ask Kate if she wrote this true crime story first, so I circled back to her about it in email. Kate replied: “I made notes for Daniel Miller’s book in its entirety and knew from the start that it would have two basic parts: the Turner family’s activities on the last day of their lives, and the investigation afterwards. In concept, I thought the second part would be longer than it was. But as I progressed, I realized that I didn’t need to show the investigation via Daniel Miller, because Jess’ research provided so much of the necessary information. I wrote the first part, covering the Turner family’s final day, in one fell swoop; the rest I wrote as it appears in the book.” We cover a lot of ground here! HOMECOMING is worth the five-year wait since Kate’s last book, THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring the discussion guide, which you can check out here.  I also had the pleasure of chatting with Alice Elliott Dark about her book, FELLOWSHIP POINT, which took 20 years to write. Newly released in paperback, it was one of my favorite books of 2022 and, of course, was a Bets On pick. I read it more slowly than usual, enjoying both the story and the brilliant use of language. Alice shares how the characters evolved and points out that one of them had a central role until she saw the story was headed in a different direction. The development of the friendship between Agnes and Polly was one that felt very natural to her, with its ebbs and flows. And the secrets that they kept from each other only enhanced them as characters. The plot has at its core a piece of land that has been held by family members for centuries, and what should happen to it as this generation passes. Agnes wants it to be held by a land trust, but can that prevail? Alice also talks about her current project, where she is picking up with the characters who readers came to know in her story, “In the Gloaming,” which first appeared in The New Yorker in 1993 and inspired two memorable film adaptations. The discussion is brisk, and from it listeners will come to see why Alice is so beloved --- and why we want the next book in less than 20 years. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. I am going to watch one of the versions of In the Gloaming on HBO, which also was Christopher Reeve’s directorial debut back in 1997.  This is your last ReadingGroupGuides newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Tuesday, May 30th at 8pm ET. Our guest will be Laura Dave, and we will be talking about THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, a Bets On pick that recently released in paperback and is now a limited series on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner. This twisty page-turner is about a woman who thinks she has found the love of her life --- until he disappears. Rebecca Munro has this to say in her review on Bookreporter: “With a ripped-from-the-headlines mystery at its heart, it’s easy to see why THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME is instantly gripping. But Dave uses the budding relationship between Hannah and Bailey to elevate it into something far more than just a solid suspense novel. Motherhood comes in many forms, and though I've read about the stepmother figure numerous times, I’ve never seen one quite as fleshed out and explored as it is here.” You can register for the event by clicking here. If you would like to ask Laura a question about the book on camera during the event and chat with her in our virtual green room before the event, please email me with your question using the subject line “Laura” by Tuesday the 30th at noon ET. Be sure to include your name, city and state, as well as your question. If you do not want to appear on camera but still would like to ask a question, please note that you want to be off camera, and share your question --- adding your name, city and state.  Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live! Here's the premise: During his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees Sadie Green. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard her name being called, but then she turns around and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends borrow money and beg favors --- and before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Not even 25 years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Three groups will win 12 copies of TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, June 14th at noon ET. The guide is now up on our site, so the winners of this contest will have plenty of questions to ponder during their discussion of the book. I have this one on my shelf to read! In our previous “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the five books mentioned most frequently by book groups that they have read: LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus, HORSE by Geraldine Brooks, THE MAID by Nita Prose, THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb, and MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.  As I mentioned earlier, Oprah’s latest Book Club pick is THE COVENANT OF WATER. Abraham Verghese's latest novel is set in Kerala, South India, and follows three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret. It’s a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Oprah says, “It’s one of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive. Many moments during the read I had to stop and remember to breathe. I couldn’t put the book down until the very last page. It was unputdownable!” Abraham appeared with Oprah on “CBS Mornings” to talk about the book and how his family's history inspired it. Click here to watch the interview. Be sure to join Oprah, Abraham and Oprah's Book Club readers for a special discussion of THE COVENANT OF WATER on OprahDaily.com, following the reading schedule that you can find on this page.  Patti Callahan Henry’s instant New York Times bestseller, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA, is an Indie Next pick for May, a Barnes & Noble Book Club selection, and Simon & Schuster’s latest pick for their Book Club Favorites program. In 1939, 14-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to live with a family in a rural village to escape the horrors of WWII. Hazel fills their days with games to distract Flora, including one that she creates for only her sister --- a fairy tale about a magical land called Whisperwood, a secret place all their own. But the unthinkable happens when Flora vanishes while playing near the river. Twenty years later, Hazel is working at a rare bookstore in London, and her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years? We have added the guide, an interview with Patti and our review on Bookreporter. On Tuesday, May 23rd at 1pm ET, members of the Simon & Schuster team will talk to Patti about the book. You can RSVP by clicking here. Then, on Tuesday, June 6th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a live virtual event with Patti. She will be joined in the discussion by Shannon DeVito, the Sr. Director of Book Strategy and Customer Experience at B&N, and Miwa Messer, B&N’s Editorial Director. Click here to sign up.  ASK AGAIN, YES author Mary Beth Keane is back with her latest novel, THE HALF MOON, in which a couple in a small town must navigate the complexities of marriage, family and longing. Malcolm is a longtime bartender turned owner of the Half Moon. His wife, Jess, is a successful lawyer. For years they’ve been trying to have a baby, but financial pressures and the ongoing struggle with infertility have caused rifts in their marriage. When a blizzard hits their small town and everyone is snowed in, shocking secrets emerge, and the couple must confront some tough decisions --- both together and as individuals. Set over the course of one week, THE HALF MOON is about a couple in crisis that asks: What does it take to save a marriage? To make a family? To forgive? Click here for the guide and here for our Bookreporter review. We also have added guides for these three books, all of which are debut novels and book club picks:
For more May selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here. Celebrating Father’s Day on Bookreporter  We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event last Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 33 books releasing between now and June 6th, plus nine from July, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch the presentation here and see a list of the featured titles here.  Next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event will take place on Wednesday, June 14th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between June 13th and July 4th, in addition to a few from August, 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. I fear that my schedule next week is going to keep me from attending my book group meeting and their discussion of THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick. However, on June 4th, we are headed to Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, the home of Caroline Ferriday, to meet Martha Hall Kelly in our first book group trip. We read LOST ROSES years ago and spoke with her as part of our discussion of that book. I am so looking forward to this! Enjoy your discussion this month. Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])    ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 12th Annual Book Group  On May 12th, ReadingGroupGuides.com hosted its 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians, book club leaders and bloggers. Ten small, medium and large-sized publishers shared their May through November 2023 recommendations for book groups --- more than 55 books perfect for discussing! You can watch the entire presentation here. The video is timestamped, so if you want to jump ahead to a specific publisher, be sure to use the links below. Hachette Book Group • Harlequin Trade Publishing • Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group • Random House Publishing Group • Simon & Schuster • Soho Press • Sourcebooks • If you would like to know more about these titles, here is a link to a page with a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title, along with a sheet to take notes. Click here to watch our 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event.  "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of 
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 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 TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin --- an instant New York Times bestseller, a Fallon Book Club selection, and the winner of both the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction and the Book of the Month Club’s Book of the Year. This novel steeped in nostalgia and innovation follows three friends as they come of age in the world of video games, creating stories and worlds that enhance, redefine and preserve their rich bonds while attempting to defy the limits of mortality. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, June 14th at noon ET.
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
On a bitter cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money and beg favors --- and before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even 25 years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. - 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 visit Gabrielle Zevin's website. - Click here to connect with Gabrielle Zevin on Instagram. Click here to enter the contest. New Guide: THE COVENANT OF WATER  THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese (Historical Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA  THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry (Historical Fiction) » THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA is May's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, June 6th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Patti Callahan Henry. She will be joined in the discussion by Shannon DeVito, the Sr. Director of Book Strategy and Customer Experience at B&N, and Miwa Messer, B&N’s Editorial Director. Click here to sign up. » The book is also this month’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. On Tuesday, May 23rd at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will talk to Patti about it. Click here to sign up. - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: HOMECOMING by Kate Morton  HOMECOMING by Kate Morton (Mystery) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane  THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR?  DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR? by Crystal Smith Paul (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS  CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Dystopian Fiction/Satire) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide. New Guide: THE NIGERWIFE by Vanessa Walters  THE NIGERWIFE by Vanessa Walters (Literary Thriller/Mystery) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here for the discussion guide.    Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for May 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 May'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 LibraryReads Target Book Club Costco's "Buyer's Pick" Oprah's Book Club Barnes & Noble Book Club Reese's Book Club Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club "Good Morning America" Book Club Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites Our Most Popular Book Group Selections for April's "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest  In April's “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the 15 books mentioned most frequently by book groups that they have read:
Click here to see all the titles that book groups recently read. Announcing Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual  Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 18th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our six featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, June 16th at noon ET. This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest. Bookreporter.com's 19th Annual  Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here. This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details    From left to right: Laura Dave, Meg Mitchell Moore, Patti Callahan Henry Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events Here are a number of upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register. Sunday, May 21st at 7pm ET: The Back Room: Join authors Liv Constantine, Robyn Gigl, Harini Nagendra and Lisa Scottoline for an evening of great conversation! The event will start with a short introduction to each author. The audience will then be divided into four breakout rooms where they will remain for the rest of the program while the authors visit each room in turn. Monday, May 22nd at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Liv Constantine (the pen name for sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine) will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about their new book, THE SENATOR'S WIFE, a seductive novel of psychological suspense. Tuesday, May 23rd at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Patti Callahan Henry will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her latest novel, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA, which is May's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites. Wednesday, May 24th 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 Kate Morton and Lee Smith about their latest novels: Kate's HOMECOMING and Lee's SILVER ALERT. Appearing on the Aftershow will be Susan Meissner, whose new book is ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL. Wednesday, May 24th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: J.T. Ellison will talk about THE WOLVES COME AT NIGHT, the latest installment in her series starring Lt. Taylor Jackson. This time, Taylor will be brought face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started. Tuesday, May 30th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author and former FBI director James Comey for a live virtual discussion of his gripping crime fiction debut, CENTRAL PARK WEST, as part of the B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Comey will be in conversation with the author of the Vanessa Pierson series, Valerie Plame. Tuesday, May 30th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Laura Dave about her novel, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, which is now in paperback and is a limited series on Apple TV+. Laura also will answer questions from guests who will be "on stage," as well as from other members of the audience. If you would like to be one of our featured audience guests and ask Laura a question on camera, please send Carol an email with the subject line “Laura” by Tuesday the 30th at noon ET. Wednesday, May 31st at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Meg Mitchell Moore about her latest novel, SUMMER STAGE. Appearing on the Aftershow will be Audrey Bellezza and Emily Hardin, whose debut novel is EMMA OF 83rd STREET. "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: Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
Click here for a complete list of our    Our Latest GuidesWe currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com: CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Dystopian Fiction/Satire) THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese (Historical Fiction) THE CUBAN HEIRESS by Chanel Cleeton (Historical Fiction) DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR? by Crystal Smith Paul (Fiction) THE GOLDEN DOVES by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction) THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane (Fiction) HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry (Romantic Comedy) HOMECOMING by Kate Morton (Mystery) THE NIGERWIFE by Vanessa Walters (Literary Thriller/Mystery) SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal (Fiction) THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry (Historical Fiction) SYMPHONY OF SECRETS by Brendan Slocumb (Mystery/Thriller) TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction) WITH MY LITTLE EYE by Joshilyn Jackson (Psychological Thriller)
BULLY MARKET: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs by Jamie Fiore Higgins (Business & Economics/Memoir) FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark (Fiction) HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman (True Crime) THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian (Historical Thriller) THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (Historical Mystery) THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford (Historical Fiction) THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig (Fiction) THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub (Fiction) TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone (Thriller) Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com Find a Guide by Title | Find a Guide by Author | Find a Guide by Genre Please visit the other websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: Bookreporter.com and AuthorsOnTheWeb.com. |
