July 29, 2023

July 29, 2023

Summer Book Group Reading

Last weekend, I floated in the pool and read THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND by Elin Hilderbrand to prep for my book group meeting. Yes, we went for a beach read this month, and I was hosting with a plan to spend the meeting discussing the book IN the pool. That was before the rainstorm that caused the trees --- the full-grown ones with lots of leaves on them --- to sway in the breeze, and the rain came down sideways. Luckily, there were covers on the couches on the deck so I could tug them off right before the meeting.

But the vibe of “chillaxing” and discussing the book in the pool was shattered. Instead, we hung on the deck, ate brownies and cheese and crackers, and the rosé was flowing. Well, this was better than our last poolside book group meeting. Last year, the rain was coming down sideways as we huddled in what I call my “Cleopatra” reading tent as it pounded on the roof and through one side of it.

Back to our book group discussion. Yes, we talked about who we would invite to our own five-star weekend and brainstormed a book group trip to Nantucket. We talked about the food. Julia in the group had ordered her book from Mitchell's Book Corner; she had a leave-behind with recipes in it, and more. Since this was the first time that I had read an Elin Hilderbrand book, I was walked through the locations in the book that are recurring --- and how we could visit them on the island. Count me in for the trip; I’ll drive, and we can reserve the ferry! Wait, we also had talked about a trip to Martha’s Vineyard for Martha Hall Kelly’s next book. We can be the island-hopping book group!  

We are meeting at my house again next month and will start the discussion in the pool. Note that it will rain on August 30th. You can just about set your weather map on it now.

In the last newsletter, I mentioned that Cindy, one of our readers, asked what a good gift for her book group would be to celebrate their 100th meeting. I had suggested engraved bookmarks but wanted to reach out to our readers for their ideas. Here are the replies that we got:

Beth: “Regarding your reader’s question about a gift to celebrate a book club milestone: A dear friend who also belongs to a small book group gave each member a lovely hand-quilted book bag. They were created by her daughter-in-law for her to give. I also belong to a 20-plus-year-old book club of 16 members. Gifts from me to them have included a copy of our history done as a scroll and many handmade bookmarks.”

Nancy: “We had mugs made with member photos on them.”

Patricia: “Our book club (founded in 2010) celebrated our 10th anniversary a few years back with a sumptuous afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton. At our age, it's about experiences, not tchotchkes!”

Seana: “I also immediately thought of bookmarks. I think taking a nice group photo and using that for personalizing a bookmark, a mug/wine glass, or even pillow covers would be great. I can't envision it, but maybe the photo can be incorporated into a bookend?”

Sandra: “What about a nice leather bookmark with names imprinted and the date? Or a leather notebook (from Levenger) with names imprinted and the date?”

Denise: “I love thinking about bookish gifts! Bookmarks are fantastic! How about a t-shirt or cup with titles of all books read? One of my book club members made us all tote bags with the club name on them! (And what reader doesn’t love a tote?) I love Personalization Mall, which has a 30% off sale right now. I hope they will share what they do!”

Sharon: “When my book club hit 100, we met at a member’s house with appetizers, champagne and our reading list. Instead of discussing a new book, we reflected on and discussed what books we loved, liked and disliked. It was interesting to hear our thoughts and reactions to the first 20 books compared to the last 20. The consensus was that our tastes, expectations and knowledge had changed due to reading books together rather than alone. Also, some books we originally disliked were remembered more fondly than expected, became a movie, or led to other books we may not have considered. This is why we read. I will be interested in learning how other groups have celebrated the 100-book milestone!”

SA: “Order coffee mugs from VistaPrint or Shutterfly personalized with the book club name and/or a photo of the group.”

Kathy: “Our club, Book Divas, votes at the end of each year on the book that affected us the most/made us think, and a second vote for the book that we enjoyed the most/was pleasurable. I am in charge of prizes and have given book-related mugs and water bottles, plus bookmarks (the square ones and the metal ones are great), from Amazon. I have also given socks that have words on the bottom, such as Do Not Disturb/I Am Reading. This is our sixth year, and there are 12 of us. I compose a five-to-seven-page newsletter monthly for the group.”

Thanks to everyone who shared ideas about this question. If you have a question for us to ask readers next month, let me know!

Mariner Books recently welcomed four iconic Pat Conroy books to their Mariner Books Classics imprint --- THE PRINCE OF TIDES, THE WATER IS WIDE, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE and THE GREAT SANTINI --- all of which are now available in e-book and audiobook formats. They asked us to write discussion questions for these titles, and our Bookreporter reviewer Bronwyn Miller was eager to take on this assignment. So we are excited to be featuring all four guides in this update. For those of you who haven’t read these books or would like to revisit them, perhaps with your group, now would be the perfect time to do that.

We also have added guides for these two books:

• A TWISTED LOVE STORY by Samantha Downing: Wes and Ivy are madly in love, though their relationship is tumultuous, to say the least. But then a common enemy emerges in the form of a detective. On the night of their worst breakup, one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead. If they can stick together, they can survive anything --- even the tightening net of a police investigation. It would behoove them to do so, because one more breakup just might be their last.
   
• GOODBYE EARL by Leesa Cross-Smith: In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline and Kasey are winding down their time in high school. Fifteen years later, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school --- and she still hasn’t told anyone what really happened that summer after graduation and why she left so suddenly. But when she notices that one of her friends might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, though, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her.

Monthly Contest Reminder
There is still plenty of time to enter our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, where three readers will win 12 copies of EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara for their group. In this follow-up to 2021’s CLARK AND DIVISION, a Japanese American nurse's aide navigates the dangers of post-WWII and post-Manzanar life as she attempts to find justice for a broken family.

All you have to do is let us know by Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET what book you’re currently reading with your group, and you’ll have a chance to be one of our three lucky winners. I am hoping to set up an interview with Naomi to talk about EVERGREEN; I loved our discussion of CLARK AND DIVISION two years ago.

On Tuesday evening, Ann Napolitano appeared at the Ramsey Free Public Library in Ramsey, NJ to talk about her latest novel, HELLO BEAUTIFUL, a New York Times bestseller and Oprah's 100th book club pick. Nancy Sharko, one of our readers, attended the event and submitted this terrific piece where she talks about some of the insights that Napolitano shared with the audience. Many thanks to Nancy for this very thorough report!

Have a wonderful book club discussion with your group!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you check out the discussion guides and various features on our site, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!

New Guide: CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead

CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
1971. Ray Carney’s days moving stolen goods are over. It’s strictly the straight-and-narrow for him --- until he needs Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter and decides to hit up his old police contact Munson. But Munson has his own favors to ask of Carney. 1973. Pepper is Carney’s endearingly violent partner in crime who takes on a side gig doing security on a Blaxploitation shoot in Harlem. He finds himself in a freaky world of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, celebrity drug dealers, hustlers, mobsters and hit men. 1976. Carney's wife, Elizabeth, is campaigning for her childhood friend, the former assistant D.A. and rising politician Alexander Oakes. When a fire severely injures one of Carney’s tenants, he enlists Pepper to look into who may be behind it.

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

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day (Domestic Thriller)
The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other. On the night of the annual summer block party, there has been a murder. But who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold --- discovering that the real danger lies within their own block. Nothing, and no one, is ever as it seems.

- 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 our interview with Jamie Day.

Click here for the discussion guide.

THE BLOCK PARTY will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.

New Guide: CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker

CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Darby, Mary Beth and Rhea are on personal quests to reclaim aspects of their identities subsumed by motherhood --- their careers, their sex lives, their bodies. Their children, though, disrupt their plans when an unsettling medical condition begins to go around the Little Academy preschool: the kids are craving blood. Then a young teacher is found dead, and the only potential witnesses are 10 adorable four-year-olds. Soon it becomes clear that the children are not just witnesses, but also suspects...and so are their mothers. As the police begin to look more closely, the children’s ability to bleed their parents dry becomes deadly serious.

- 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.

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of
EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara for Your Group

New Special Contest on Bookreporter.com:
Enter to Win One of 25 Advance Copies of
THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger, Releasing September 5th

We are giving 25 readers the chance to win an advance copy of William Kent Krueger’s latest stand-alone novel, THE RIVER WE REMEMBER, which releases on September 5th. In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances. Winners also will have the opportunity to submit questions for Kent for a future interview. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, August 4th at noon ET.

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota, gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who recently has returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also to put to rest the demons from his own past.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit William Kent Krueger's website.

New Guide: A TWISTED LOVE STORY
by Samantha Downing

A TWISTED LOVE STORY by Samantha Downing (Psychological Thriller)
Wes and Ivy are madly in love. It's the type of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story? When it's good, it's great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears. When it's bad, it's really bad. Vengeful fights. Damaged property. Arrest warrants. But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconciliations needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy --- and she's a detective. There's something Wes and Ivy never talk about. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead. If they can stick together, they can survive anything --- even the tightening net of a police investigation. Because one more breakup just might be their last.

- 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: GOODBYE EARL by Leesa Cross-Smith

GOODBYE EARL: A Revenge Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith (Fiction)
In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible. In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school --- and she still hasn’t told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she’s determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her.

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

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guides: Four Iconic Pat Conroy Books
Now Available in E-book and Audiobook Formats:
THE PRINCE OF TIDES, THE WATER IS WIDE,
THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE and THE GREAT SANTINI

THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
A modern American classic and a family saga that spans decades, this is the story of the volatile Tom Wingo, his brilliant but troubled twin sister, Savannah, and the complex and damaging family legacy they share. Moving between the sparkling glamour of New York City and the vanishing beauty of the South Carolina low country, THE PRINCE OF TIDES is Pat Conroy’s masterwork.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.
 

THE WATER IS WIDE: A Memoir by Pat Conroy (Memoir)
Separated from the mainland of South Carolina by a wide tidal river, Yamacraw Island was accessible only by boat. For years, a handful of families lived proudly from the sea until waste from industry destroyed the oyster beds essential to their very existence. Already poor, they knew they would have to face an uncertain future unless, somehow, they learned a new life. But they needed someone to teach them, and their rundown schoolhouse had no teacher. THE WATER IS WIDE is Pat Conroy’s extraordinary memoir based on his experience as one of two teachers in a two-room schoolhouse, working with children the world had pretty much forgotten.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.
 

THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
Will McLean, a senior on the cadets’ honor court, is an outsider by nature: a basketball star at a school that prizes military prowess above athletics, a military man in training who dares to question the escalating Vietnam war. And yet his greatest struggle will be with the corrupt institution of which he is a part.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.
 

THE GREAT SANTINI by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
This is the story of Bull Meecham, the epitome of the Marine officer. Demanding, authoritarian, as tough a disciplinarian at home as at the base, Bull is a difficult man to please, and even harder to love. This is also the story of Ben Meecham, Bull’s oldest son. A gifted athlete whose best never satisfies his father, Ben must balance his own ambition with his father’s expectations --- and decide what course he will chart for himself and what kind of man he will become.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New July Releases of Interest to Book Groups

Here are a number of books that released in July for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site or in the newsletter) that we think will be of interest to book groups.

ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY by Ruth Madievsky (Fiction)
Rachel Kushner meets David Lynch in this fever dream of an LA novel about a young woman who commits a drunken act of violence just before her sister vanishes without a trace.

THE BETTER HALF by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (Romantic Comedy)
From comedy writing duo Alli Frank and Asha Youmans comes THE BETTER HALF, a sidesplitting spin on reaching the pinnacle of life, only to stare down a slippery slope on the other side.

EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena (Domestic Thriller)
Welcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families. EVERYONE HERE IS LYING is another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

MUST LOVE FLOWERS by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
Two women at different stages of life find themselves on a journey of renewal after undergoing hardships in this uplifting novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

PROM MOM by Laura Lippman (Psychological Thriller)
Amber Glass is desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but is compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for.

QUEEN OF EXILES by Vanessa Riley (Historical Fiction)
Acclaimed historical novelist Vanessa Riley is back with another novel based on the life of an extraordinary Black woman from history: Haiti’s Queen Marie-Louise Coidavid, who escaped a coup in Haiti to set up her own royal court in Italy during the Regency era, where she became a popular member of royal European society.

QUEEN WALLIS by C. J. Carey (Alternate History/Dystopian Thriller)
This thrilling sequel to WIDOWLAND is a feminist dystopian novel set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British alliance with Germany would look like if the Nazis had won WWII.

SOMEBODY'S FOOL by Richard Russo (Fiction)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of EMPIRE FALLS returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and to the characters who captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers in his beloved bestsellers NOBODY'S FOOL and EVERYBODY'S FOOL.

STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND by Liz Nugent (Psychological Thriller)
The internationally bestselling author of the “dark, captivating psychological thriller” (People) LYING IN WAIT returns with a wickedly dark, twisted and brilliantly observed new novel about an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past.

THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Fiction)
Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WEDDING VEIL and the Peachtree Bluff series.

ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 12th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups

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 •
William Morrow • W. W. Norton • Zibby Books

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.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur,
THE BETTER HALF by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans,
and HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler

LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur (Fiction)
I heard Adrienne Brodeur talk about LITTLE MONSTERS at a pre-publication event, and I knew from her presentation that I wanted to read it. It’s set in the summer of 2016 on Cape Cod, an area that she knows and loves. This place is as much a character in the book as the Gardner family whom we meet. The setting alone makes it work as a summer read.

Adam Gardner is reluctantly retiring at the age of 70, even though he still wants to make one more discovery with the whales he loves. His son, Ken, is angling his chances to run for a congressional seat. He has enlisted his wife, Jenny, in this quest. She is the perfect spouse of a candidate, but is this who she wants to be? And oh, she has a wee bit of a drinking problem. Ken’s sister, Abby, is an artist who is very much coming into her own. Her brother has more control over her life than she would like. She’s also best friends with Jenny, which means they know a lot about each other’s lives before and after Jenny married Ken --- and there is a lot to stay buried there, too.

- 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 Adrienne Brodeur.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on LITTLE MONSTERS.

THE BETTER HALF by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (Romantic Comedy)
Once again, Alli Frank and Asha Youmans hit it out of the park with their third novel together, THE BETTER HALF, which has both heart and soul. At 43, Nina Morgan Clarke has arrived. She is the first Black headmaster of the very tony Royal-Hawkins School, which is mostly populated by students of wealthy white parents. She has a tolerable relationship with her ex-husband, and her daughter is on the east coast at a private school. Before she embarks on this new role, she goes on vacation with her best and longtime friend, Marisol. On that trip, she meets a man to whom she has an instant attraction and comes home with a challenge that will complicate her life.

- 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 Alli Frank and Asha Youmans.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE BETTER HALF.
 

HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler (Psychological/Legal Thriller)
In HER, TOO, just as she did in THE CAGE, Bonnie Kistler puts the action right up front. Kelly McCann is a fighter. She defends men who are accused of sex crimes, and she has a winning record. While it feels like she is a traitor to women, this role has made her very successful. She commands a large salary. She has a lot at home to protect, so she needs the money. But then, on the night of one of her biggest victories, she is sexually assaulted. From there, the tables are turned. The way that she was so proactive about her defense is how she is when she joins with other victims to get revenge.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit Bonnie Kistler's website.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on HER, TOO.

Bookreporter.com's 19th Annual
Summer Reading Feature

All summer long, we at Bookreporter.com have been sharing some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Feature. While our series of 24-hour contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at our featured titles for some sizzling summer reading ideas.

This year’s featured titles are:

• BANYAN MOON by Thao Thai
• THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day
• CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker
• FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN by Viola Shipman
• THE FAVOR by Adele Griffin
• THE GIRLS OF SUMMER by Katie Bishop
• HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler
• HOMECOMING by Kate Morton
• THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews
• THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA: A Royal Street Novel by Karen White
• LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See
• THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay
• MUSTIQUE ISLAND by Sarah McCoy
• PIECES OF BLUE by Holly Goldberg Sloan
• PROM MOM by Laura Lippman
• THE QUANTUM SOLUTION: An Evan Ryder Novel by Eric Van Lustbader
• WHAT REMAINS by Wendy Walker
• WINDFALL by Wendy Corsi Staub

- Click here to see the winners of this year's Summer Reading contests.

Click here to learn more about our featured titles.

From left to right: Shari Lapena, David Joy, Adrienne Brodeur

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are seven upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Sunday, July 30th at 8pm ET: The Lineup from Soho Crime: Historical Crime Fiction from Around the World: Join authors Katharine Beutner (KILLINGLY), Naomi Hirahara (EVERGREEN), Sujata Massey (THE MISTRESS OF BHATIA HOUSE) and Nilima Rao (A DISAPPEARANCE IN FIJI) for a live conversation about historical mysteries moderated by New York Times bestselling author Cara Black.

Monday, July 31st at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling authors Sandra Brown and Kathy Reichs for a live virtual discussion of Brown's OUT OF NOWHERE and Reichs' THE BONE HACKER as part of the B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. The conversation will be moderated by the USA Today bestselling author of THE HOUSE GUEST, Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Monday, July 31st at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: David Joy will talk about his latest work of fiction, THOSE WE THOUGHT WE KNEW, a searing new novel about the cracks that form in a small North Carolina community and the evils that unfurl from its center.

Tuesday, August 8th at 4pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Adrienne Brodeur for a live book club event to discuss LITTLE MONSTERS, July's B&N Book Club pick. She will be in conversation with Shannon DeVito, the Sr. Director of Book Strategy and Customer Experience at B&N, and Miwa Messer, the Executive Producer of B&N's “Poured Over” podcast.

Wednesday, August 9th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between August 8th and September 5th, along with a few from October, that she would like to get on your radar.

Wednesday, August 9th at 7pm ET: Joseph-Beth Booksellers: Shari Lapena will be in conversation with Sarah Pearse about her latest book, EVERYONE HERE IS LYING, another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

Wednesday, August 9th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Kathy Reichs will talk about her latest novel, THE BONE HACKER, her 22nd high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.

"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:

• Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (THE BETTER HALF) Video | Podcast
• Carolyn Mackler (THE WIFE APP) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Linwood Barclay (THE LIE MAKER) Video | Podcast
• Rachel Beanland (THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE) Video | Podcast
• Adrienne Brodeur (LITTLE MONSTERS) Video | Podcast
• Alice Elliott Dark (FELLOWSHIP POINT) Video | Podcast
• J.T. Ellison (IT'S ONE OF US) Video | Podcast
• Nancy Horan (THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN) Video | Podcast
• Sadeqa Johnson (THE HOUSE OF EVE) Video | Podcast
• William Kent Krueger (THE LEVEE) Video | Podcast
• William Landay (ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME) Video | Podcast
• Kate Morton (HOMECOMING) Video | Podcast
• Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo (THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER)
  Video | Podcast
• Shelley Read (GO AS A RIVER) Video | Podcast
• Hank Phillippi Ryan (THE HOUSE GUEST) Video | Podcast
• Lisa Scottoline (LOYALTY) Video | Podcast
• Lisa See (LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Tracey Lange (THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN)
• Shari Lapena (EVERYONE HERE IS LYING)
• Liz Nugent (STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND)

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:

THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day (Domestic Thriller)
The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal. On the night of the annual summer block party, there has been a murder. But who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold.

CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of HARLEM SHUFFLE continues his Harlem saga in a powerful and hugely entertaining novel that summons 1970s New York in all its seedy glory.

CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
New York Times bestselling author Chandler Baker's CUTTING TEETH is a witty, thrilling story of parental love that asks: Is there anything a mother won’t do for her children?

EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
A Japanese American nurse's aide navigates the dangers of post-WWII and post-Manzanar life as she attempts to find justice for a broken family in this follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning CLARK AND DIVISION.

GHOST EATERS by Clay McLeod Chapman (Supernatural Gothic Thriller/Horror)
Get haunted with Clay McLeod Chapman’s terrifying Southern Gothic horror novel about a woman who takes a drug that lets her communicate with her dead friend.

GOODBYE EARL: A Revenge Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith (Fiction)
Four women take fate into their own hands in this big-hearted story of friendship, resilience and revenge on monstrous men, from the award-winning author of HALF-BLOWN ROSE.

THE GREAT SANTINI by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
Piercing, bittersweet and unforgettable, THE GREAT SANTINI is Pat Conroy’s semi-autobiographical lens into fathers and sons, and the powerful legacy one man can leave behind.

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center (Romantic Comedy)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE BODYGUARD comes a hopelessly romantic novel about finding love, confronting a haunting past, and figuring out what --- and who --- really matters.

HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler (Psychological/Legal Thriller)
Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client --- a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge in this addictively readable thriller from the author of THE CAGE.

LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur (Fiction)
From the author of the bestselling memoir WILD GAME comes a riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families and long-buried secrets --- for fans of the New York Times bestsellers THE PAPER PALACE and ASK AGAIN, YES.

THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is a novel about coming of age, brotherhood, betrayal and a man’s forging of his own personal code of honor.

THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy (Fiction)
A modern American classic and a family saga that spans decades, this is the story of the volatile Tom Wingo, his brilliant but troubled twin sister, Savannah, and the complex and damaging family legacy they share.

SAVE WHAT'S LEFT by Elizabeth Castellano (Fiction/Humor)
SAVE WHAT'S LEFT is an outrageously funny debut novel about a woman who moves to a small beach town looking for peace, only to find herself in an all-out war with her neighbors.

SUNSHINE NAILS by Mai Nguyen (Fiction/Humor)
This tender, humorous and page-turning debut is about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do whatever it takes to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high-end salon opens up --- even if it tears the family apart.

A TWISTED LOVE STORY by Samantha Downing (Psychological Thriller)
From the bestselling author of MY LOVELY WIFE comes a reckless, delicious thriller that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating.

THE WATER IS WIDE: A Memoir by Pat Conroy (Memoir)
THE WATER IS WIDE is Pat Conroy’s extraordinary memoir based on his experience as one of two teachers in a two-room schoolhouse, working with children the world had pretty much forgotten.

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

DAWNLANDS by Philippa Gregory (Historical Fiction)
Philippa Gregory's Fairmile series continues as the fiercely independent Alinor and her family find themselves entangled in palace intrigue and political upheaval in 17th-century England.

REPUTATION by Sarah Vaughan (Psychological Thriller)
The bestselling author of ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL --- now a hit Netflix series --- returns with a new psychological thriller about a politician whose less-than-perfect personal life is thrust into the spotlight when a body is discovered in her home.

THE RETREAT by Sarah Pearse (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE SANATORIUM, a Reese’s Book Club pick, Detective Elin Warner uncovers the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getaway.

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