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It has been beastly hot in the New York area since June, so my book group meeting this month was held IN the pool at my house. It has been so warm that the pool water was 90 degrees! We proved that you a) can discuss a book, and b) can share what you have read while bobbing and floating.
Liz Moore’s latest novel, THE GOD OF THE WOODS, is July’s Barnes & Noble Book Club selection, as well as the #1 Indie Next pick, the Fallon Book Club Summer Pick and a Bookreporter.com Bets On title. A missing child’s disappearance sends equal shock waves through three very different worlds --- an opulent Adirondack summer estate, the rustic teen summer camp that operates in its shadow, and the blue-collar community that serves them both.
In her Bookreporter review, Norah Piehl calls the book “exquisitely plotted.” She goes on to say, “Throughout, Moore --- in addition to crafting a riveting story --- comments explicitly or implicitly on the economic and class impacts of a family like the Van Laars establishing a compound like Self-Reliance in the midst of an otherwise working-class area…. Unless you happen to have a child away at summer camp, THE GOD OF THE WOODS is an ideal summer novel. It’s thought-provoking and chilling, a page-turner with both substance and style.” Click here to find out why I'm betting you'll love this book as much as Norah and I did.
On Tuesday, August 6th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a live virtual event with Liz, along with special guest Kiley Reid, which you can sign up for here. A discussion guide and an original essay from Liz can be found in the B&N Book Club Exclusive Edition of the book.
We have three new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.
First up is Marjan Kamali. We are featuring the discussion guide for her new novel, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, which is a Bets On selection. Marjan shares the genesis of the story and how she built on it from there. She delves into her personal history coming to the US as a child and what it means to be a “lion woman.” We learn about how class and culture mattered in the relationship between Ellie and Homa, as well as how motherhood would change Homa. Marjan also discusses how she parsed some of the story to add intrigue --- and what her writing/editing process was like.
Persian food is mentioned throughout the book, and Marjan talks about what food means beyond just nourishment. There is one recipe that I am keen on making. Book groups, take note! Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Be sure to take a look at our Featured Guide page, which has links to discussion questions, critical praise and more. Also, you can read our review and my Bets On commentary on Bookreporter.
My book group is reading THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN for August. I already am thinking about making the ice cream with pistachios that is featured in the book. The ice cream maker is in the closet with things like the Belgian waffle iron that we had to have at some point, which is next to the tortilla press.
Next up is Beatriz Williams, whose latest novel, HUSBANDS & LOVERS, is a Bets On pick. Here, for the first time, Beatriz sets one of her story threads in the present day, while the other takes place in 1950s Cairo. She loves reading about history and actually began developing the older storyline before moving over to the later one.
Readers of THE SUMMER WIVES will note at least one character who finds his place in HUSBANDS & LOVERS. I ask about Beatriz’s inspiration for Monk, the rock star in the book, as well as the iconic bracelet that finds its way through generations. And she talks about what’s next for her. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Also available are links to the guide, our Bookreporter review and my Bets On commentary.
I also had the pleasure of speaking with Caro Carver, whose newly released thriller, BAD TOURISTS, is a Bets On title. For those who may not know, Caro has written thrillers and mysteries as C.J. Cooke.
Caro's inspiration for the book came from a trip to the Maldives. It seems like an idyllic setting, but one where a lot more nefarious things might happen. Caro talks about her three characters, who are bound together by a past event, and why she chose a “divorce trip” as the reason for all of them to get away. She also explains how another couple on vacation at the resort was incorporated into her storytelling.
Caro shares a lot about her writing process for the book, as well as what’s next for her. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Also, click here for our review on Bookreporter and here for my Bets On commentary.
THE CLIFFS, J. Courtney Sullivan’s new novel, is this month's Reese’s Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. Reese teases, “If you stumbled upon a curiously abandoned house, would YOU go inside? Our July pick follows main character Jane’s journey as she uncovers the past lives of a home. It’s an entrancing spin on a generational novel and filled with mystery.”
According to Bronwyn Miller in her Bookreporter review, “J. Courtney Sullivan expertly walks the fine line between an engagingly creepy mystery and the troubled history of the Pine Tree State and its subsequent sanitation…. It takes a steady, adroit hand to entertain as well as educate, and Sullivan does just that with THE CLIFFS.” Click here for the guide and here for my Bets On commentary.
In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together in Emily Giffin’s latest novel, THE SUMMER PACT. In this tender portrayal of grief, love and hope, Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides, helping us pick up the pieces?
In her review on Bookreporter, Norah Piehl calls the book “a great vacation read, filled with descriptions of wonderful food, fashion, breathtaking landscapes and, eventually, romance. It has just enough serious topics --- ranging from infidelity to suicide to alcoholism --- to lend its situations and characters heft and substance, and to make their eventual happy endings that much harder-won.” I agree; so much happens in this book. Stories of long friendships always interest me. Click here for the guide.
We also have added guides for these four books:
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THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH: Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other’s lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat. This forces a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line in this highly anticipated sequel to Liv Constantine’s THE LAST MRS. PARRISH, which is a CBS New York Book Club choice.
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ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY: With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters have come to Maine to claim their family-owned hotel, the Precipice. But with a hurricane looming and each of the sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air --- and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out. I loved Jamie Day’s debut, THE BLOCK PARTY, and look forward to reading this one!
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BEAR: Julia Phillips, the celebrated author of the National Book Award finalist DISAPPEARING EARTH, has written a mesmerizing novel of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor. It's a tale of family, obsession and a mysterious creature in the woods.
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THE HEART IN WINTER: In Kevin Barry’s first novel in five years --- and his first ever to be set in America --- a hard winter approaches across the Rocky Mountains. A thunderbolt love affair takes spark between the two protagonists, but the choices they make will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
We hosted July’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event earlier this month. I talked about 30 books releasing between now and August 6th, plus 15 from September, 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, August 14th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on titles releasing between August 13th and September 3rd, in addition to a few from October, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
The photo you see above is courtesy of Roberta Jaffe. She and her group, Babes and Books in Bellingham, WA, won copies of GOOD NIGHT, IRENE by Luis Alberto Urrea in a “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest earlier this year.
Here’s what Roberta wrote me: “The books arrived this afternoon, and since this is the second Monday of the month, we had a book club meeting already scheduled for tonight. What fun to be able to hand them out! Although we are usually a living room-based group, tonight's hostess lives on a lake, so we held book club on her boat as we cruised around the lake. We all look forward to discussing GOOD NIGHT, IRENE at our next meeting.”
Book group meetings in or on the water --- a theme for July.
Here's to a great book group discussion in August...whether on land or water!
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!
Now Available: THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore
July's Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection,
the Fallon Book Club Summer Pick,
and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore (Literary Thriller/Mystery)
Early morning, August 1975. A camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any 13-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished 14 years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Liz Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.
» THE GOD OF THE WOODS is July's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, August 6th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Liz Moore. Click here to sign up. A discussion guide and an original essay from Liz can be found in the B&N Book Club Exclusive Edition of the book.
» The book also is the Fallon Book Club Summer Pick. Click here to watch Jimmy Fallon make the announcement on "The Tonight Show."
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
New Featured Guide:
THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali (Fiction)
In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.”
But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.
Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Marjan Kamali.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to visit Marjan Kamali's website.
Click here for the featured guide, which includes
discussion questions, critical praise and more.
New Guide: THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan
Reese’s Book Club Pick for July
and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)
On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother. Twenty years later, Jane returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career as an archivist and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, has gutted it and is convinced that it’s haunted. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers is even older than Maine itself.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HUSBANDS & LOVERS by Beatriz Williams
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
HUSBANDS & LOVERS by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne’s 10-year-old son, Sam, suffered acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom. Now, searching for a donor kidney, Mallory is forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption and her romance with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams, which was cut short by a devastating betrayal. Cairo, 1951. Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has married a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men --- and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Beatriz Williams.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin
THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and an aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm. As their college years fly by, the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. They make a pact, promising to always be there for one another. Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads.
- 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 NEXT MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine
THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
Hard work and immaculate planning turned Amber Patterson Parrish from invisible wallflower to prominent socialite. Less than a year after her husband Jackson’s tax-evasion scandal, Amber reigns supreme over the Bishops Harbor community. But with Jackson being released from prison, Amber’s free time --- and money --- is vanishing. Meanwhile, Daphne Parrish left Bishops Harbor after her divorce from Jackson, swearing she would never go back. But when one of her daughters runs away from home, desperate to see her father, Daphne agrees to return for the summer for their daughters’ sake. When a ghost from Amber’s past emerges looking for revenge, these three figures find unlikely allies in one another. But who is playing who?
- 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: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day
ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day (Domestic Thriller)
The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters --- Iris, Vicki and Faith --- have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air --- and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out. Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s 19-year-old chambermaid, Charley Kelley, who is smart, resilient, older than her years and in desperate straits. The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or, even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run?
- 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: BEAR by Julia Phillips
BEAR by Julia Phillips (Fiction)
Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes, while Elena bartends at the local golf club. But even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence. Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, a terrified Sam is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.
- 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 HEART IN WINTER by Kevin Barry
THE HEART IN WINTER by Kevin Barry (Historical Fiction)
October 1891. A hard winter approaches across the Rocky Mountains. The city of Butte, Montana, is rich on copper mines and rampant with vice and debauchery among a hard-living crowd of immigrant Irish workers. Here we find Tom Rourke, a young poet and ballad-maker of the town, but also a doper, a drinker and a fearsome degenerate. Polly Gillespie arrives in town as the new bride of the extremely devout mine captain Long Anthony Harrington. A thunderbolt love affair takes spark between Tom and Polly, and they strike out west on a stolen horse. But a posse of deranged Cornish gunmen are soon in hot pursuit and closing in fast. With everything to lose and the safety and anonymity of San Francisco still a distant speck on their horizon, the choices they make will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
- 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 July
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads. We also feature a number of other prominent selections, including the Barnes & Noble Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, the PBS Books Readers Club, the "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and the Target Book Club.
Below is a preview of July's "Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks." For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.
Indie Next
#1 Pick: THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo
SANDWICH by Catherine Newman
BEAR by Julia Phillips
LibraryReads
Top Pick: THE SPELLSHOP by Sarah Beth Durst
BUSINESS CASUAL by B. K. Borison
THE GAME CHANGER by Lana Ferguson
THE NEXT BEST FLING by Gabriella Gamez
THE BRIGHT SWORD: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman
Barnes & Noble Book Club
THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore
"Good Morning America" Book Club
THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE by Kirsty Greenwood
PBS Books Readers Club
JAMES by Percival Everett
"Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker
Reese's Book Club
THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan
Target Book Club
IT'S ELEMENTARY by Elise Bryant
New July Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Here are a number of books releasing 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.
BOSS LADY by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (Fiction)
In this funny and inspiring novel from the authors of THE BETTER HALF, a mess of a heroine is desperate to resolve her past so she can finally rediscover who she was always meant to be.
THE BRIAR CLUB by Kate Quinn (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE DIAMOND EYE and THE ROSE CODE returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C., boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.
THE CONDITIONS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
Everyone’s favorite moral philosopher and amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, is back and once again finds herself facing a number of tricky situations and philosophical questions, both public and private.
THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST by Amy Neff (Fiction)
Unforgettable and utterly romantic, THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST is a heart-wrenching, life-affirming novel that asks: How much would you sacrifice for the one you love?
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER by Kimberly McCreight (Domestic Thriller)
A daughter races to uncover her mother's secret life in the wake of her disappearance in this thrilling novel of emotional suspense that questions the damaging fictions we cling to and the hard truths we avoid.
LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fiction)
This exhilarating novel is about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and the wild legacy of trauma and inheritance.
MEET ME AT THE STARLIGHT by Rachel Hauck (Historical Romance)
MEET ME AT THE STARLIGHT is a heartfelt tale of romance, perseverance and the enduring power of community set across three generations.
SLOW DANCE by Rainbow Rowell (Romance)
SLOW DANCE is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.
THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach (Fiction)
This propulsive and uncommonly wise novel is about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? by Shari Lapena (Domestic Thriller)
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 13th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker
and BAD TOURISTS by Caro Carver
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
I was a huge fan of Chris Whitaker’s previous novel, WE BEGIN AT THE END, and I have been waiting impatiently to see what he would write next. When the 600-plus-page ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK came to my house, I just wanted to hunker down and see where Chris was taking us now. Once again, he did not disappoint.
The book opens in 1975 in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, where we are introduced to its two young protagonists. The first is Saint, who is somewhat of an outsider. She is a pianist and a beekeeper. Her parents are absent, and she is being raised by her grandmother, Norma, who drives a bus and embraces the differences in her. The other is a boy nicknamed Patch because of the patch over his missing eye; his real name is Joseph. There is a bond between these two that is forged after Patch attempts to steal honey from Saint. He is like the bad boy who is always getting in trouble, and she is the girl who wants to set him on the right path.
- 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 see why the book is July's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK.
BAD TOURISTS by Caro Carver (Psychological Thriller)
Caro Carver’s BAD TOURISTS sets up as one kind of book but quickly flips to another. Then comes even more twists. Caro was inspired to write this thriller as she was on vacation in the Maldives. She envisioned a hotel, like Sapphire Island, a plush location where guests would have everything taken care of for them. This spectacular setting is a star and a character since the setup of these accommodations lends itself to the action. And the beautiful waters around them hide danger. There also is a page where Caro refers to a manta ray and shares, “How difficult can it be to tell innocent and villain apart?” That is the central theme of the novel, and a tone is set.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Caro Carver.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on BAD TOURISTS.
Bookreporter.com's 20th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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 early 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 are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
From left to right: T.J. Newman, Shari Lapena, Liz Moore
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.
Monday, July 29th at 4pm ET: Murder By The Book: Shari Lapena will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about her new thriller, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?
Tuesday, July 30th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Lauren Thoman about her new novel, YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE. Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss --- only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both.
Wednesday, July 31st 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 Marjan Kamali about her new novel, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, which is set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.
Thursday, August 1st at 1pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Michelle Moran as she discusses her new book, MARIA, with Rachel McMillan. This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria von Trapp to life as never before.
Monday, August 5th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Jessica Knoll about her most recent novel, BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN, which is soon to be released in paperback. This exhilarating thriller masterfully blends elements of psychological suspense and true crime.
Tuesday, August 6th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Liz Moore for a live virtual event to discuss THE GOD OF THE WOODS, July's B&N Book Club pick. Liz will be in conversation with Lexie Smyth, B&N's Fiction Category Manager, and bestselling author Kiley Reid.
Wednesday, August 7th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 international bestselling author Liz Nugent for a live virtual discussion of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Liz will be in conversation with the New York Times bestselling author of THE MIDNIGHT FEAST, Lucy Foley.
Wednesday, August 7th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Rhys Bowen about her latest effort, THE ROSE ARBOR, a haunting novel of suspense in which an investigation into a girl’s disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II.
Tuesday, August 13th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Rachel Howzell Hall about her new book, WHAT FIRE BRINGS, a twisting novel of suspense in which a writer’s search for her missing friend becomes a real-life thriller.
Wednesday, August 14th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Preview: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between August 13th and September 3rd, along with a few from October, that she would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Wednesday, August 14th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Greer Macallister about her latest novel, THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND. Based on a real woman from history, this fictional tell-all is narrated by the glamorous Aimee Crocker. Behind Aimee's public notoriety, there's private pain.
Thursday, August 15th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome T.J. Newman for a live virtual discussion of her explosive new novel, WORST CASE SCENARIO, as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. T.J. will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author James Patterson.
Tuesday, August 20th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Zoje Stage about DEAR HANNA. This blood-chilling follow-up to her international sensation, BABY TEETH, takes readers back into the unsteady world of a young sociopath who’s all grown up.
Wednesday, August 21st at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Jessa Maxwell about I NEED YOU TO READ THIS, which is the F&F Pick of the Month. This sly and addictive new mystery is about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.
"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 this year include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Amy Neff (THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST)
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T.J. Newman (WORST CASE SCENARIO)
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Dawn Tripp (JACKIE)
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Chris Whitaker (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story and a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.
BEAR by Julia Phillips (Fiction)
From the celebrated, bestselling author of DISAPPEARING EARTH comes a mesmerizing novel of two sisters whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor --- a tale of family, obsession and a mysterious creature in the woods.
THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of FRIENDS AND STRANGERS comes a novel of family, secrets, ghosts and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine.
THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier (Historical Fiction)
From bestselling historical novelist Tracy Chevalier comes a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to the present day.
THE HEART IN WINTER by Kevin Barry (Historical Fiction)
Award-winning writer Kevin Barry’s first novel set in America is a savagely funny and achingly romantic tale of young lovers on the lam in 1890s Montana.
HONEY by Isabel Banta (Fiction)
HONEY is a coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-'90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom.
HUSBANDS & LOVERS by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Two women --- separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom --- reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE SUMMER WIVES.
JACKIE by Dawn Tripp (Historical Fiction)
In this mesmerizing novel about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, acclaimed author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss and reinvention.
THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali (Fiction)
From the nationally bestselling author of THE STATIONERY SHOP comes a heartfelt, epic novel of friendship, betrayal and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.
THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other’s lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat, forcing a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line, in this thrilling sequel to the million-copy-bestselling Reese’s Book Club pick THE LAST MRS. PARRISH.
ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Jamie Day (Domestic Thriller)
With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills and twists, Jamie Day's ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY delivers a unique brand of summertime suspense.
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo (Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.
SANDWICH by Catherine Newman (Fiction/Humor)
From the beloved author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS comes a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch and learning to let go.
THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
BLACK CANDLE WOMEN by Diane Marie Brown (Fiction)
This warm and wry family drama with a magical twist is about four generations of Black women, a family love curse, and the secrets they keep for and from each other over one very complicated year.
CASSANDRA IN REVERSE by Holly Smale (Fiction)
This morning, Cassie's boyfriend dumped her. By lunchtime, she has been fired from her PR job for not being a "People Person." Then her local café runs out of her favorite muffins. But now, something unexpected has happened: Cassie discovers that she has the ability to travel back in time and change the past.
THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange (Fiction)
From Tracey Lange, the New York Times bestselling author of WE ARE THE BRENNANS, comes THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN: a story about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love.
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.
HOW TO SAY BABYLON: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair (Memoir)
With echoes of EDUCATED and BORN A CRIME, HOW TO SAY BABYLON is the stunning story of Safiya Sinclair’s struggle to break free of her rigid Rastafarian upbringing, ruled by her father’s strict patriarchal views and repressive control of her childhood, to find her own voice as a woman and poet.
NO TWO PERSONS by Erica Bauermeister (Fiction)
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s NO TWO PERSONS is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.” (Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR)
THE SPARE ROOM by Andrea Bartz (Domestic Thriller)
Staying with a friend and her husband is sexier --- and deadlier --- than anyone could imagine in this provocative domestic suspense from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick WE WERE NEVER HERE.
THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE MAGNOLIA PALACE comes a thrilling story about love, sacrifice and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.
THE SUN SETS IN SINGAPORE by Kehinde Fadipe (Fiction)
Basking in Singapore’s nonstop sunshine, Dara, Amaka and Lillian are living the glamorous expat dream --- until a mysterious (not to mention handsome) new arrival infiltrates their tight-knit community and ruins everything.
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