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So Many Great Books to Discuss!
This year has been such a great one for reading. I know that I can barely keep up, let alone get ahead. I feel like every week there is another book that I want to discuss with my group.
We will be reading SALTWATER by Katy Hays for our next discussion. Then, for the following month, we already have decided that we will be talking about THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly. A few of us met Martha a couple of years ago at an event that took place at the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, so selecting her book, which is just out this week, was an easy decision. (See the guide later in this newsletter.)
Thank you for the great ideas that you have been sending for our 25th anniversary! Keep them coming in notes to me with the subject line “25”. Right now, the plan is to hold off on celebrating until September. Two reasons: We know that many groups do not meet during the summer. And it will give us time to pull our plans together.
We are thrilled to announce that Fiona Davis will be June’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 24th at 8pm ET, and you can sign up here for it. We will talk about her novel, THE STOLEN QUEEN, a New York Times bestseller and a Bets On selection. The book, which my group read and enjoyed, transports readers from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.
There will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Fiona.
For the first part, those who are asking a question on camera will be featured. This includes spending time with Fiona backstage in our virtual green room before the show starts. If you would like to ask your question "live on screen" this way, please email me with the subject line "Fiona" by noon ET on June 24th. Be sure to include your name, city and state, as well as your question. If you do not want to appear on camera but still would like to ask a question, please note that you want to be off camera, and share your question --- adding your name, city and state.
Then we will take questions from other members of the audience.
LAST REMINDER: Please keep in mind that we will be hosting our 14th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event on Friday, June 13th at 1pm ET.
If you are a bookseller librarian, or book club leader of four or more groups, and would be interested in attending this event, please email me and tell me a bit about yourself using the subject line “Speed Dating.” Although this is a “trade only” event, we will be sharing the publisher videos, PowerPoint slides and other materials with you in the late June newsletter.
We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to tell you about in this newsletter.
First up is Chris Pavone. His latest thriller, THE DOORMAN, will be a Bets On selection and is being called a modern-day BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, which is spot-on. Chris talks about the book’s setting, the Bohemia, which drew inspiration from the apartment building where he now lives. He had long conversations with Johnny, one of the building’s doormen, and shares what their friendship brought to the story.
The novel takes place over the course of just one day, focusing on the doorman and a couple of the building’s personnel, as well as the occupants of two apartments in the Bohemia. Chris has a number of book ideas that he is noodling at any one time, but he explains how this one spoke to him to be written, and how he pivoted along the way. He also muses about New York City today, and how much has changed from when he was growing up in Brooklyn.
Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring the discussion guide and our review on Bookreporter. And don’t miss my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
I also had a terrific conversation with Janet Skeslien Charles, who discusses THE PARISIAN CHAPTER, an audio original novel with a multi-cast recording (Pauline Chalamet and 10 other voice actors perform). The book is about a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter.
Janet talks about the structure of the story, which provides listeners with a wonderful audio experience, and how she wrote to have the script work for an audiobook. She also praises the narrators who introduce each character, making this a brilliant gateway audio for those who have never listened in the past. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
Book groups will have a lot to discuss after reading Martha Hall Kelly’s latest novel, the aforementioned THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB, which is inspired by true events. The author of four previous books --- LILAC GIRLS, LOST ROSES, SUNFLOWER SISTERS and THE GOLDEN DOVES (all of which are book club favorites) --- returns with the story of two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II who find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women.
Our Bookreporter reviewer Rebecca Munro has this to say about the book: “In Kelly’s deft hands and lyrical cadence, a decades-old mystery unfolds, and readers will delight in uncovering the connections between past and present as Mari learns the truth about her history. Pair that with plenty of military intrigue, a forbidden romance, and --- I really can’t say it enough --- a book club subplot, and you have the makings of a perfect book club or summer beach read.” Click here for the full review and here for the guide.
We also have added guides for these five books:
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MANSION BEACH: A sophisticated escapist novel filled with light humor and surprising observations, Meg Mitchell Moore’s new book explores the depth of human relationships, our cruelly classist society, and the price of secrets that refuse to stay buried.
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AFTERTASTE: Set in the bustling world of New York restaurants and teeming with mouthwatering food writing, Daria Lavelle’s debut novel is a whirlwind romance, a heart-wrenching look at love and loss, and a ghost story about all the ways we hunger --- and how far we’d go to find satisfaction.
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THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE: Kristina McMorris’ captivating tale of resilience and hope explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.
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SLEEP: Warm and generous, unflinchingly human, and ultimately joyful and empowering, Honor Jones’ first novel is about the cycles of motherhood and childhood, the cost of secrets and the burden of love, and what’s on the other side of silence: the world, rich in possibility.
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MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE: In Mary Dixie Carter’s second psychological thriller (following THE PHOTOGRAPHER), a gardener becomes mesmerized by her rich employer's lavish life. After an unthinkable accident, she slowly begins to assume parts of her life and identity.
We also are continuing to feature the guide for A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER, the third book in Colleen Cambridge's An American in Paris Mystery series.
In April, we hosted a contest where 25 readers won a copy of the opening installment of the series, MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER.
Kay, one of the winners, said, “Thank you! Thank you! I was looking forward to reading this series that was talked about on the monthly 'Bookaccino Live' event and had put it on hold at our local library. Now, I have my own copy and can pass it on to my Francophile friends who I meet with each Friday for book discussions in French. I really enjoy your monthly presentation of books coming out. Thank you so much.” Another winner, Kathy, said, “I am so excited! Thank you!”
This is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for our next “Bookaccino Live” book preview afternoon event, which will take place on Wednesday, June 11th at 2pm ET.
The focus will be on titles releasing between June 10th and July 1st, in addition to a few from August, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those who join us live 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.
Six days later, be sure to join us for a special “Bookaccino Live” Summer Preview evening program on Tuesday, June 17th at 8pm ET. I will be talking about a number of books releasing this summer that we think you will enjoy reading over the next few months. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction. You can sign up for the event by clicking here.
On Bookreporter, we’re featuring Brenda Coffee’s MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival in our Nonfiction Author Spotlight. This searingly honest and unforgettable memoir challenges women to rethink everything they know about survival, resilience and finding their voice.
Lee Woodruff says that the book “reads like a Netflix series. Brenda Coffee’s compelling memoir reminds us of the importance of seizing our power.” And according to Laura Munson, “This riveting memoir reads like a thriller. Beautifully written with courageous self-reflection, Brenda Coffee’s harrowing story of survival took my breath away.”
Bronwyn Miller has our Bookreporter review and notes, “A memorable opening line sets the tone for every great book. In Brenda Coffee’s MAYA BLUE, the reader is warned upfront: ‘It was a fairy tale until it wasn’t.’” The book at times “read[s] like a page-turning thriller,” and Bronwyn says, “In this searing, unflinchingly honest memoir, which fans of 'Breaking Bad' will appreciate, Brenda Coffee divulges the tortuous highs and lows she withstood, and not just as a record of her personal endurance...”
We look forward to interviewing Brenda soon about this action-packed, surprising and inspirational true story.
Enjoy your next book group discussion!
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:
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB
by Martha Hall Kelly
THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
In 2016, 34-year-old Mari Starwood travels to Martha’s Vineyard with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Deveraux. Mari isn’t sure what to expect when she finally makes it to the reclusive artist’s stunning waterfront property, but she is shocked to find out that her relationship to the island runs deeper than she ever thought possible. In 1942, the Smith sisters are faced with the impossible task of holding their family farm together during WWII as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard and their brother ships out to fight on the front lines. In an attempt at normalcy, the girls start a book club that soon grows in both number and influence. But their lives are upended when a mysterious man washes up on the shore, and they find themselves questioning who they can truly trust in these turbulent times.
- 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 DOORMAN by Chris Pavone
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone (Thriller)
Chicky Diaz is everyone’s favorite doorman at the Bohemia, the most famous apartment house in the world. But gathered in the Bohemia’s bowels, the building’s almost entirely Black and Hispanic working-class staff is taking in the news that just a few miles uptown, a Black man has been killed by the police, leading to a demonstration, a counterdemonstration, and a long night of violence across the tinderbox city. As Chicky changes into his uniform for tonight’s shift, he finds himself breaking a cardinal rule of the job. Tonight, he’ll be carrying a gun, bought only hours earlier, but before he knew of the pandemonium taking over the city. Chicky knows that there’s more going on in his patch of sidewalk in front of the Bohemia than anyone is aware of.
- 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 Chris Pavone.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
THE DOORMAN will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide: MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore
MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore (Fiction)
It’s the beginning of the summer, and Nicola Carr has just arrived on Block Island, RI, eager for a fresh start and some R&R. But her plans for a tranquil summer are derailed as the extravagant parties from the grand home next door pique her curiosity. She soon discovers that the home belongs to Juliana George, an enigmatic entrepreneur with a past shrouded in mystery. Juliana George, CEO and founder of a hot fashion-tech company, is at the top of her game. She’s spending the summer on Block Island preparing for a major IPO. But she’s chasing her dreams in more ways than one. This summer she hopes to rekindle a flame with a man from her past --- a man who has a surprising connection to her neighbor, Nicola.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Featured Guide:
A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER
by Colleen Cambridge
A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER: An American in Paris Mystery by Colleen Cambridge (Historical Mystery)
If there’s one art the French have mastered as well as fine cuisine, it’s haute couture. American expat Tabitha Knight and aspiring chef Julia Child are already accustomed to Fsampling the delights of the former. Now fashion is returning to the forefront in Paris, as the somber hues of wartime are replaced by vibrant colors and ultra-feminine silhouettes, influenced by Christian Dior’s “New Look.”
Tabitha and Julia join a friend for a private showing at an exclusive fashion atelier, Maison Lannet. The event goes well, but when Tabitha returns later that evening to search for a lost glove, she finds the lights still on --- and the couturier dead, strangled by a length of lace. The shop manager suspects that a jealous rival --- perhaps Dior himself --- committed the crime. Tabitha dismisses that idea, but when another body is found, it’s apparent that someone is targeting employees of Maison Lannet.
Meanwhile, Tabitha’s Grand-père and Oncle Rafe are in the midst of their own design-related fracas, as they squabble over how to decorate their new restaurant. And there are strange break-ins at a nearby shoe store. But are the crimes related? It’s up to Tabitha to don her investigative hat and find answers before someone commits another fatal fashion faux pas.
Click here for the featured guide, which includes discussion questions,
info about Colleen Cambridge, and more.
New Guide: AFTERTASTE by Daria Lavelle
AFTERTASTE by Daria Lavelle (Fiction)
Konstantin Duhovny’s father died when he was 10, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can’t exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he’s never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he’s tasting. He discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones --- at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he’s prepared. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE
by Kristina McMorris
THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE by Kristina McMorris (Historical Fiction)
Oregon, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of Portland's notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she's a "shanghaied" victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival --- being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment --- she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance. As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets can prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: SLEEP by Honor Jones
SLEEP by Honor Jones (Fiction)
Ten-year-old Margaret hides beneath a blackberry bush in her family’s verdant backyard while her brother hunts for her in a game of flashlight tag. Her family life requires careful maintenance. Her mother can be as brittle and exacting as she is loving, and her father and brother assume familiar, if uncomfortable, models of masculinity. Then late one summer, everything changes. After a series of confusing transgressions, the simple pleasures of girlhood slip away. Twenty-five years later, Margaret hides under her parents’ bed, waiting for her young daughters to find her in a game of hide and seek. She’s newly divorced and navigating her life as a co-parent, while discovering the pleasures of a new lover. But some part of her is still under the blackberry bush, punched out of time.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE
by Mary Dixie Carter
MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE by Mary Dixie Carter (Psychological Thriller)
Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon known for her garden parties, high-end business ventures, and being the muse behind the famous Serge Kuhnert painting, Marguerite by the Lake. For the last few years, Phoenix has been the gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, home of Marguerite and her husband, Geoffrey. When a storm threatens the launch party for Marguerite’s latest book, Phoenix rushes to Geoffrey’s side to save him from a falling tree. Geoffrey is grateful --- perhaps too grateful. Marguerite is…jealous. Phoenix becomes embroiled in an affair that could destroy her career. But soon after the affair begins, Marguerite falls to her death. Now Phoenix has another secret, one that haunts her even as Geoffrey invites her to move into the manor with him.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
May’s New Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Here are a number of books releasing in May 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.
AUSTEN AT SEA by Natalie Jenner (Historical Fiction)
Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.
BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Fiction)
Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women --- and each other --- after their world is turned upside down.
THE DARK MAESTRO by Brendan Slocumb (Mystery/Thriller)
A propulsive and moving story about sacrifice, loyalty and the indomitable human spirit, THE DARK MAESTRO is Brendan Slocumb at the height of his powers.
THE END IS THE BEGINNING: A Personal History of My Mother by Jill Bialosky (Memoir)
Jill Bialosky, the poet behind the “tender, absorbing, and deeply moving memoir” (Entertainment Weekly) HISTORY OF A SUICIDE, returns with a lyrical portrait of her mother’s life, told in reverse order from burial to birth.
THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel by Lori Foster (Fiction)
Love, forgiveness and renewal take center stage in the haven of a quiet lakeside town when two very different women bond over one man’s betrayals in this uplifting new series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster.
THE LAST FERRY OUT by Andrea Bartz (Psychological Thriller)
On a trip to the tropical paradise where her fiancée died, a young woman begins to suspect the death was no accident --- and the killer is still on the island --- in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of WE WERE NEVER HERE.
LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS: From Preschool to the Present by Sarah Ruhl (Memoir/Essays)
Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award–nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl has penned an inspiring meditation on the life-altering bonds between teacher and student, and the ineffable wisdom imparted both inside and outside the classroom.
THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center (Romantic Comedy)
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating in the newest laugh-out-loud, all-the-feels rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center.
MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
A film student struggling with self-acceptance finally stops looking away from his traumatic past in a powerful novel by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE by Isabel Allende (Historical Fiction)
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA and THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father --- and herself.
RUN FOR THE HILLS by Kevin Wilson (Fiction)
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of NOTHING TO SEE HERE.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins
and HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins (Fiction)
After reading AMERICAN DIRT, I was looking forward to what Jeanine Cummins would write next. I was so happy to see that she really delivered again with the generational story in SPEAK TO ME OF HOME. I know many people who have migrated to this country, and sometimes I wonder if they are torn between two places. While life here has so many freedoms and opportunities, I have often considered what it is like to think in two languages and think of home as more than one place. It was very much on my mind as I read this book.
- 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 more of Carol's commentary on SPEAK TO ME OF HOME.
Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Jeanine Cummins in the next newsletter.
HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
I confess that I knew little about the Harlem Renaissance before reading HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Robin Miles. Each time I tuned into it, I found myself ensconced in the time period.
Victoria includes wonderful details not just about the writing that happened at The Crisis, the NAACP’s literary magazine, but also about the music, fashion and social scene that filled the times. The novel is set in 1920s Harlem, during the days of Prohibition, as well as enlightenment in the Black community. When I talked to Victoria about the book, she was quick to note that these strides for Black people had happened just 50 years after the end of slavery.
- 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 our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Victoria Christopher Murray.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on HARLEM RHAPSODY.
Our Nonfiction Author Spotlight on Bookreporter.com:
MAYA BLUE by Brenda Coffee
MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival by Brenda Coffee (Memoir)
At 21, Brenda Coffee surrendered herself to her marriage and became a woman who would do almost anything her charismatic and powerful older husband, Philip Ray, wanted. Regardless of whether it was dangerous, adventurous, sexual or illegal, she wanted to be the one woman he couldn’t live without.
Brenda and Philip’s life together was a fairy tale until it wasn’t. Until Philip, the founder of two high-profile, groundbreaking public companies, began making real cocaine in their basement and became addicted. Until the Big Six tobacco companies threatened their lives for creating the first smokeless cigarette --- Brenda coined the terms vape and vaping --- and brutal Guatemalan military commandos forced her into the jungle at gunpoint.
A suspenseful, fast-paced memoir that reads like a thriller, MAYA BLUE will strike a chord with those who have lost their voice or had trouble finding their power. It will resonate with those who live with an addict or have grieved the loss of a spouse. But above all, it is an inspiring reminder that as long as you never surrender your voice and always keep your wits about you, you can survive almost anything.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more in our Nonfiction Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our interview with Brenda Coffee in the weeks to come.
Bookreporter.com's 21st Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature.
We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win.
We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
From left to right: Kaira Rouda, Kristin Harmel, Kimberly Belle
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are eight upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Every Monday night through July 7th at 7:30pm ET: “Lisa Live”: Join Lisa Scottoline on Facebook as she reveals her inspirations behind her upcoming novel, THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, and shows videos from her research trip to Tuscany. Then, on July 14th, join “Lisa Live” for her Virtual Publication Celebration.
And be sure to enter the Pre-Order Sweepstakes for THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, where you have a chance to win prizes, such as an iPad mini or the Grand Prize of a Gucci Mini Bag. Lisa will be giving away an exciting prize each week during her “Lisa Live” events, leading up to the book’s publication on July 15th.
Monday, June 2nd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: James Lee Burke will talk about his latest novel, DON'T FORGET ME, LITTLE BESSIE. This epic story of a remarkable young girl who fights against potentially overwhelming forces is a welcome return to his beloved Holland series.
Tuesday, June 3rd at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: This latest episode of Killer Author Club is to die for! Killer Kaira AND Killer Kimberly will be in the hot seat as they talk about their new novels: Kaira Rouda's JILL IS NOT HAPPY and Kimberly Belle's THE EXPAT AFFAIR. PLUS there will be surprise hosts!
Wednesday, June 4th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a Summer Kick-Off Beach Party featuring Mary Kay Andrews, Annabel Monaghan, Meg Mitchell Moore, Martha Hall Kelly, Wendy Francis, Amy Mason Doan and Brooke Lea Foster.
Thursday, June 5th at 7pm ET: Buzz Books Editors & Authors Nonfiction Panel: Mary Ann Naples will host the first-ever Buzz Books Editors & Authors Nonfiction Panel, a virtual event sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association. Four breakout authors will chat with their editors about their forthcoming titles.
Wednesday, June 11th at 2pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between June 10th and July 1st, along with a few from August, that we would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Wednesday, June 11th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Kristin Harmel about her latest book, THE STOLEN LIFE OF COLETTE MARCEAU, an electrifying novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.
Wednesday, June 11th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: A. J. Landau, the pseudonym for Jon Land and Jeff Ayers, will talk about their latest novel, COLD BURN. This second National Parks thriller marks the return of Agent Michael Walker as multiple deaths at Glacier Bay National Park are just the first steps in a potential global disaster.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. 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:
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Janet Skeslien Charles (THE PARISIAN CHAPTER: An Audio Novel) Video | Podcast
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Chris Pavone (THE DOORMAN) Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Julie Clark (THE GHOSTWRITER)
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Jeanine Cummins (SPEAK TO ME OF HOME)
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Lori Foster (THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel)
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Kaira Rouda (JILL IS NOT HAPPY)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
AFTERTASTE by Daria Lavelle (Fiction)
What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR with the high-stakes culinary world of SWEETBITTER, AFTERTASTE is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.
THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone (Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON and THE EXPATS comes a pulse-pounding novel of class, privilege, sex and murder.
THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS by Ocean Vuong (Fiction)
Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER: An American in Paris Mystery by Colleen Cambridge (Historical Mystery)
American expat Tabitha Knight has found a new life in postwar Paris, along with a delightful friend in aspiring chef Julia Child. Yet there are perils in peacetime too, as a killer infiltrates one of the city’s most famous fashion houses.
THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE by Kristina McMorris (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of SOLD ON A MONDAY and THE WAYS WE HIDE shines a light on shocking events surrounding Portland's dark history in this gripping novel of love, lore and betrayal.
THE MANOR OF DREAMS by Christina Li (Gothic Fiction)
MEXICAN GOTHIC meets THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.
MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore (Fiction)
From nationally bestselling author Meg Mitchell Moore comes a sparkling new novel following a young woman entwined in the opulent lives of her neighbors on Block Island, set against a backdrop of scandal, secrets and a not-so-subtle love triangle.
MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE by Mary Dixie Carter (Psychological Thriller)
From Mary Dixie Carter comes an atmospheric, tense novel about the death of a glamorous garden designer, a widower trying to keep his secrets buried, and the beautiful young gardener who finds herself entangled in their lives.
THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events.
MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life 25 years later.
THE NAMES by Florence Knapp (Fiction)
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Florence Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, in an extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER by Jemimah Wei (Fiction)
In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.
SLEEP by Honor Jones (Fiction)
From a dazzling new talent comes the story of a newly divorced young mother forced to reckon with the secrets of her own childhood when she brings her daughters back to the big house where she was raised.
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story that asks: What does it mean to call a place home?
WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE by Mary Alice Monroe (Historical Fiction)
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman's life across multiple generations in the American South.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
BLUE SISTERS by Coco Mellors (Fiction)
Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister’s death in this unforgettable story of grief, hope and the complexities of family.
THE GREAT DIVIDE by Cristina Henríquez (Fiction)
THE GREAT DIVIDE is a powerful novel about the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved and labored there.
LIBBY LOST AND FOUND by Stephanie Booth (Fiction)
LIBBY LOST AND FOUND is a book for people who don't know who they are without the books they love. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and the chapters of our lives we regret. Most importantly, it's about the endings we write for ourselves.
LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropical wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners from the iconic author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy.
LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE comes an exhilarating novel about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and the wild legacy of trauma and inheritance.
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.
YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls (Romance/Humor)
From the internationally bestselling and Booker Prize-longlisted author of ONE DAY, one of the most enduring love stories of its generation, comes an uplifting and unputdownable love story about second chances.
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