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I read somewhere that last Thursday was the last time that sun would be in the sky after 8pm in the New York area. Yes, the days of summer are being whisked away.
You can just about guarantee that it will rain or be overcast the night of August 30th as I am hosting book club at my house. We will be talking about ONE ITALIAN SUMMER by Rebecca Serle, with a goal that we virtually can be swept away to Italy. Last month when we had book group here, we had a torrential storm a few hours before we met. Luckily the couches that we were going to sit on were covered. We want ONE gorgeous night where we can discuss the book IN the pool!
In the last newsletter, we brought you answers to a reader question about what to do to commemorate a book club milestone; in this case, the group was celebrating their 100th meeting. We loved seeing the ideas that were sent in.
Do you have a question that you would like to get some input on for your group? If so, send me an email at [email protected] with the subject line “RGG Question.”
We have THREE new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.
First up is Naomi Hirahara, who joined me to talk about her latest mystery, EVERGREEN, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. The story once again features Aki Ito, who readers met in CLARK AND DIVISION, which also was a Bets On title. Aki has now moved back to Los Angeles from Chicago where her family was displaced during World War II.
Naomi talks about her research for this book, some of which was drawn from relatives, as well as her work over the past decades. She explains how EVERGREEN works well as a stand-alone novel and what brought her and the publisher to call these books Japantown mysteries. I also share how they give an insightful look into this time as historical fiction, as well as a mystery. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Don't miss my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
EVERGREEN continues to be the prize book in our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest. You have until Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET to let us know what your group is reading (or what you read last month); three lucky groups will win 12 copies.
Next up is Tracey Lange, whose second novel, THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN, also will be a Bets On selection. Tracey talks about the Connelly siblings, what she thought was special about each of them, and how her background in behavioral health helped her in developing them and their various situations.
The themes of loyalty and love are at the core of this book, and Tracey discusses how they came together. And yes, she explains where she got all the jokes that Conor tells and the story behind the fairy tale. She also touches upon her debut novel, WE ARE THE BRENNANS, and what’s next for her. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. We will feature the discussion guide and my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
Finally, I had the pleasure of speaking with Liz Nugent about her new thriller, STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND, which is a Bets On pick. Liz reminded me that we spoke back in 2017 about her debut, UNRAVELING OLIVER. It was her first interview! She explains how she developed the character of Sally. I was astonished to learn that this latest novel was not plotted, but rather written stream-of-consciousness.
Liz also talks about letters that were shared with Sally and why they worked with the copy. She notes that while there are a lot of dark things insinuated in the book, they are not written on the page. Those visuals are what come to play in the readers’ minds. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. And find out why I'm betting you'll love this book here.
TOM LAKE, Ann Patchett’s first novel in four years, is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick and Barnes & Noble Book Club selection. In this eagerly awaited new book, three sisters shelter on the family cherry farm during the pandemic and urge their mother to share details of an early romance with a now-famous actor.
Here’s what Reese says about the book: “This story follows Lara Nelson as she tells her three curious daughters about her summer romance with famous actor Peter Duke. This comforting summer read has it all --- summer theater, a gorgeous Michigan cherry farm, young love, sibling rivalry, and deep mother-daughter relationships.” Click here for the guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.
On Tuesday, September 12th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Ann Patchett. 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, the Executive Producer and host of B&N's “Poured Over” podcast. Click here to sign up.
Lisa Jewell’s newly released psychological thriller is NONE OF THIS IS TRUE, which is about two women who have just turned 45 on the same day. Alix Summer is a popular podcaster, and Josie Fair believes she would be a good subject for the podcast. Eventually, Alix learns that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets. When Josie suddenly disappears, she realizes that her life and the lives of her loved ones are in serious danger.
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE has been praised by a number of bestselling authors, including Gillian McAllister, who calls it “[a] moody, slippery novel where nobody is as they seem. As breathtaking story is revealed within story, readers peel back the layers to find revenge, a meditation on the damage done by the past, and characters who could walk into the room and sit on your sofa. Here Jewell cements her position as queen of character-led fiction.” Click here for the guide and here for our Bookreporter review.
THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE is the latest novel from James McBride, who wrote the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick DEACON KING KONG and the National Book Award–winning THE GOOD LORD BIRD.
The book starts in 1972 when workers in Pottstown, PA find a skeleton at the bottom of a well while digging the foundations for a new development. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, a neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side for decades. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened, and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community --- heaven and earth --- that sustain us.
The aforementioned Ann Patchett sums up THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE like this: “I keep thinking every time I read one of his books, ‘That’s his best book.’ No. THIS is his best book.” High praise indeed! Click here for the guide.
In honor of the book’s 25th anniversary, Jenna Bush Hager has selected SUMMER SISTERS --- Judy Blume's adult debut --- as this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. This classic novel of reminiscence and awakening is about two women, two families and the friendships that shape a lifetime.
According to Jenna, “It's about that time in your life where you're trying to figure out who you're going to be. It is the perfect, perfect beach read but that doesn't mean that it's an easy read. It's a beautiful read and it will make you think about growing up and that friend of yours who you adored, but maybe didn't know if they were good for you.”
We also have added guides for these three books:
For more August selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event last Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 25 books releasing between now and September 5th, plus 13 from October, 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, September 13th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between September 12th and October 3rd, in addition to a few from November, 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.
Based on the terrific feedback we received from our “Bookaccino Live” Summer Reading evening event in June, we have scheduled a Fall Preview program for Wednesday, September 20th at 8pm ET. I will be talking about a number of books releasing this fall that we think you will enjoy reading over the next few months. You can sign up by clicking here.
Phew…there is a lot going on! Here’s to you having a great discussion with your group this month. And if you are meeting outside, here’s to no rain!
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: TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
Reese’s Book Club Pick and the
Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection for August
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and they are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
» TOM LAKE is August's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, September 12th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Ann Patchett. 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, the Executive Producer and host of B&N's “Poured Over” podcast. Click here to sign up.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th birthday. A few days later, they bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and Alix can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets. Before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life --- and into her home. But as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix realize that her life and her family’s lives are under mortal threat.
- 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 HEAVEN & EARTH
GROCERY STORE by James McBride
THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride (Historical Fiction)
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe.
- Click here to read more about the book.
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
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 EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara, an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available. In this follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning CLARK AND DIVISION, which also was a Bets On title, 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. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET.
EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
It’s been two years since Aki Ito and her family were released from Manzanar detention center and resettled in Chicago with other Japanese Americans. Now the Itos have finally been allowed to return home to California --- but nothing is as they left it. Aki is working as a nurse’s aide at the Japanese Hospital in Boyle Heights when an elderly Issei man is admitted with suspicious injuries. When she seeks out his son, she is shocked to recognize her husband’s best friend, Babe Watanabe. Could Babe be guilty of elder abuse? Only a few days later, Little Tokyo is rocked by a murder at the low-income hotel where the Watanabes stay. What secrets have the Watanabes been hiding, and can Aki protect her husband from getting tangled up in a murder investigation?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Naomi Hirahara.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to visit Naomi Hirahara's website.
- Connect with Naomi Hirahara on Facebook and TikTok.
EVERGREEN will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide: SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume
August’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume (Fiction)
In the summer of 1977, Victoria Leonard’s world changes forever when Caitlin Somers chooses her as a friend. Dazzling, reckless Caitlin welcomes Vix into the heart of her sprawling, eccentric family, opening doors to a world of unimaginable privilege, sweeping her away to vacations on Martha’s Vineyard, an enchanting place where the two friends become “summer sisters.” Now, years later, Vix is working in New York City. Caitlin is getting married on the Vineyard. And the early magic of their long, complicated friendship has faded. But Caitlin begs Vix to come to her wedding, to be her maid of honor. And Vix knows that she will go --- because she wants to understand what happened during that last shattering summer. And, after all these years, she needs to know why her best friend still has the power to break her heart.
- 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 "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo
August’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo (Fiction)
Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides she wants a living wake --- a party to bring her family and community together to celebrate the long life she’s led --- her sisters are surprised. Has Flor foreseen her own death, or someone else’s? Does she have other motives? She refuses to tell her sisters: Matilde, Pastora and Camila. But Flor isn’t the only person with secrets: her sisters are hiding things, too. And the next generation, cousins Ona and Yadi, face tumult of their own. Spanning the three days prior to the wake, FAMILY LORE traces the lives of each of the Marte women, weaving together past and present, Santo Domingo and New York City.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen (Domestic Thriller)
Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home and begin a new career. And Ruth will do anything to prevent that from happening. Ruth thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.
- 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.
GONE TONIGHT will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide: THE ST. AMBROSE
SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Jessica Ward
Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites Pick for August
THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Jessica Ward (Psychological Thriller)
When Sarah Taylor arrives at the exclusive St. Ambrose School, she’s carrying more baggage than just what fits in her suitcase. St. Ambrose’s queen bee, Greta Stanhope, picks Sarah as a target from day one. Thankfully, Sarah makes an ally out of her roommate, Ellen “Strots” Strotsberry, a cigarette-huffing, devil-may-care athlete. Also down the hall is Nick Hollis, the devastatingly handsome RA, and the object of more than one St. Ambrose student’s fantasies. Between Strots and Nick, Sarah hopes she can make it through the semester, dealing with not only her schoolwork and a recent bipolar diagnosis, but Greta’s increasingly malicious pranks. But when scandal unfolds, and someone ends up dead, her world threatens to unravel in ways she never could have imagined.
» THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS is August's pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. On Wednesday, August 23rd at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will talk to Jessica Ward about the book. Click here to sign up.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for August
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 August'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: SHARK HEART: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell
THORNHEDGE by T. Kingfisher
CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead
LibraryReads
Top Pick: HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim
FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo
VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by Isabel Cañas
THE BLONDE IDENTITY by Ally Carter
KISS THE GIRL: A Meant to Be Novel by Zoraida Córdova
Target Book Club
LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See
Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
Barnes & Noble Book Club
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
Reese's Book Club
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume
"Good Morning America" Book Club
FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo
Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Jessica Ward
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 12th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day
and STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND by Liz Nugent
THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day (Domestic Thriller)
How well do you really know your neighbors? You will be thinking about that as you read about the affluent Alton Road neighborhood where THE BLOCK PARTY is set.
When the book opens, it’s the day in May when the annual summer block party happens. Yes, people are gathering for fun, but immediately tensions start riding high. And then, just as a shot is fired and things start to get out of control, author Jamie Day shifts the action to a year earlier on Alton Road.
And poof! Whatever happened that day of the block party is well into the future. Whew! But then we start to see where these tensions may have come from.
- 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 read our interview with Jamie Day.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE BLOCK PARTY.
STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND by Liz Nugent (Psychological Thriller)
I have been a fan of Liz Nugent’s books since her debut, UNRAVELING OLIVER. So when STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND got on my radar, I had a feeling that I would be in for a terrific psychological thriller. And boy, did it deliver, with a very interesting premise and execution.
As the book opens, Sally’s father has passed away, and she has followed the instructions that he told her in one of their conversations --- that after he died, she should put him out in the bin. And well, since garbage is typically burned, she takes steps to try to burn him. Readers quickly see that Sally has some challenges with taking things literally. She clocks in on the neurodiverse spectrum and does not always get an implied joke. From this action, the town is now paying attention to Sally.
- 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 Liz Nugent.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary
on STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND.
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:
- 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: AJ Pearce, Alice Hoffman, Jessica Ward
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.
Wednesday, August 16th 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 Adrienne Brodeur about LITTLE MONSTERS and Melanie Benjamin about CALIFORNIA GOLDEN.
Thursday, August 17th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome New York Times bestselling author Kevin Wilson for a live virtual discussion of NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC, which is now available in paperback and is B&N's Monthly Fiction Pick. Wilson will be in conversation with Miwa Messer, the Executive Producer and host of B&N's “Poured Over” podcast.
Sunday, August 20th at 7pm ET: The Back Room: Join Brian Andrews & Jeff Wilson, Naomi Hirahara, Ken Jaworowski and Sarah Pekkanen for an evening of great conversation! The event will start with a short introduction to each author. Then the audience will be divided into four breakout rooms where they will remain for the rest of the program while the authors visit each room in turn.
Wednesday, August 23rd at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Jessica Ward will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her latest novel, THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, which is August's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
Wednesday, August 23rd at 4pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: AJ Pearce will talk about her new book, MRS. PORTER CALLING, a charming and irresistible novel featuring journalist Emmy Lake as she fights for her readers, her friends and her found family in London during World War II.
Wednesday, August 23rd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Ann Garvin about THERE'S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS and Ally Carter about THE BLONDE IDENTITY.
Thursday, August 24th at 8:30pm ET: Book Passage: Alice Hoffman will be in conversation with Luisa Smith about her new book, THE INVISIBLE HOUR, an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the enduring magic of books.
"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:
-
Melanie Benjamin (CALIFORNIA GOLDEN)
-
William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER)
-
Shari Lapena (EVERYONE HERE IS LYING)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE 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.
FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo (Fiction)
From the bestselling, National Book Award–winning author Elizabeth Acevedo comes her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican-American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives.
GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen (Domestic Thriller)
Nothing is as it seems in New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen's GONE TONIGHT, a novel about a mother's secrets to protect her daughter and what happens when they begin to unravel.
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.
THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride (Historical Fiction)
From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick DEACON KING KONG and the National Book Award–winning THE GOOD LORD BIRD, comes a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them.
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.
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author known for her “superb pacing, twisted characters and captivating prose” (BuzzFeed), Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.
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.
THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Jessica Ward (Psychological Thriller)
Heathers meets THE SECRET HISTORY in this thrilling coming-of-age novel set in a boarding school where the secrets are devastating --- and deadly.
SUMMER SISTERS by Judy Blume (Fiction)
No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume. SUMMER SISTERS is an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening --- an unforgettable story of two women, two families and the friendships that shape a lifetime.
TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself to be one of America’s finest writers.
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:
A MAP FOR THE MISSING by Belinda Huijuan Tang (Fiction)
An epic, mesmerizing debut novel set against a rapidly changing post–Cultural Revolution China, A MAP FOR THE MISSING reckons with the costs of pursuing one’s dreams and the lives we leave behind.
MIKA IN REAL LIFE by Emiko Jean (Fiction)
From Emiko Jean, the author of the New York Times bestselling young adult novel TOKYO EVER AFTER, comes a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny and utterly heartwarming novel about motherhood, daughterhood and love --- how we find it, keep it, and how it always returns.
THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd (Historical Fiction)
Based on a real-life event, this epic historical novel from the award-winning author of THINGS IN JARS illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, 300 years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.
RIVER SING ME HOME by Eleanor Shearer (Historical Fiction)
Rare. Moving. Powerful. This beautiful, page-turning and redemptive story of a mother’s gripping journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery is a remarkable debut.
SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller)
Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.
WHEN WE WERE BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL by Jillian Medoff (Historical Fiction)
The acclaimed, bestselling author of THIS COULD HURT returns with her biggest, boldest novel yet --- an electrifying, twisty and deeply emotional family drama, set on Manhattan’s glittering Upper East Side, that explores the dark side of love, the limits of loyalty and the high cost of truth.
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