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Back to the Books with a BIG Event
to Kick Off the Year!
We recently have added a number of new subscribers, so we wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter. We love to hear from our readers, so if you have any comments or feedback, let us know!
Happy New Year! We are excited to be kicking off another great year of bringing you books and authors. My group did not select a discussion book for January. We decided that we each will talk about what we read over the break.
Also, during our Christmas party, we chatted about Brisa Carleton’s debut novel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY. We all enjoyed it so much that we asked Brisa to join us via Zoom so we can discuss the book with her. While it is dry January, I can see myself mixing up both a mocktail and a cocktail for the occasion!
I am thrilled to announce that Allen Levi will be our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest of 2026. The event will be coming up very soon --- Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET --- so be sure to sign up for it NOW.
We will talk about Allen’s debut novel, THEO OF GOLDEN, which was self-published in 2023 and sold more than 170,000 copies. Simon & Schuster re-released it last fall, and it’s become a New York Times bestseller. Here’s the book’s premise: One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why. His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers.
I loved the book, and despite its 2023 publication date, I am wondering if I can make it a 2026 Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. This, like THE CORRESPONDENT, is a book that has been reader-driven. You have no idea how much I love hearing about books that have been built by word of mouth. With all the talk about TikTok and BookTok, I was holding onto the notion that, yes, people can build readership for a book by old-fashioned word of mouth!
There will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Allen.
For the first part, those who are asking a question on camera will be featured. This includes spending time with Allen 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 "Allen" by noon ET on January 27th. 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.
I am very much looking forward to this event and hope that you can join us for what promises to be a lively conversation. We are featuring the book’s discussion guide in this newsletter.
This is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for our “Bookaccino Live” Winter Preview evening event, which we will be hosting on Wednesday, January 21st at 8pm ET.
I will be presenting a number of books releasing this winter 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 register for the program by clicking here.
As we do with all of our “Bookaccino Live” book preview events, those who attend 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.
What You Loved Reading the Most in 2025
Over the last two months, we asked you to tell us your favorite book that you read with your book group and your favorite book that you read outside your group in 2025. The results are in, and we’re happy to share them with you here!
The #1 pick in the first category (book read with your group) is THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah, while the top selection in the second category (book read outside your group) is the aforementioned THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans. Both were Bets On picks. Other faves of yours include BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall, BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan, and THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb, all of which were Bets On titles as well. Click here to see the top 10 results in each category.
Congratulations to our contest winner, Donna M. from Wahoo, NE! Donna won six books releasing this year that we think book groups will want to discuss: DAUGHTER OF EGYPT by Marie Benedict, KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson, KIN by Tayari Jones, SKYLARK by Paula McLain, STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden, and WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS GROW by Terah Shelton Harris.
Last Year’s Most Popular Discussion Guides
Our Most Requested Guides of 2025 are now available. We pulled together the 30 guides that were accessed the most by you last year. In the top five are THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon, THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali, THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach, and MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman. We always love seeing which guides appealed to you the most!
My first “Bookreporter Talks To” interview of the year is with Rebecca Armitage. Her debut novel, THE HEIR APPARENT, was a Reese's Book Club pick and a Bets On selection.
Rebecca describes the book as a modern-day fairy tale. Lexi, who is living in Tasmania and training to be a doctor, is summoned home after a skiing accident kills her father and critically injures her brother. Her grandmother is the Queen of England; she is the heir apparent and must return to London. I loved the cinematic opening scene with the helicopter landing to whisk Lexi away from her life in Australia. Rebecca drew upon her experience as a journalist covering the royal family to create an authentic portrayal of their lives.
The story centers on Lexi's decision between duty to the crown and personal freedom, complicated by a secret that could prevent her from taking the throne. The relationships in the book highlight the sacrifices required by royal life and explore whether or not genuine connections can survive within the constraints of the monarchy.
Rebecca discusses the Australian setting, particularly Tasmania, and its significance in the book. She shares that she moved to Tasmania during the pandemic and realized that it was the perfect place for Lexi's escape. There is a contrast between controlled palace life and Tasmania's wild, natural environment.
Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
How far would you go for a second chance? That is the question at the heart of Laura Dave’s new novel, THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM, which continues Hannah Hall’s pulse-pounding journey. This highly anticipated sequel to THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME is this month’s Reese’s Book Club selection and #1 Indie Next pick, as well as my first Bets On title of 2026. Reese raves, “It is so good. I could not stop flipping the pages. I think people are gonna love to have this in their book club. They're gonna love to see the return of these characters.”
Here’s what Rebecca Munro said about the book in her review on Bookreporter: “Paired together, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME and THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM are not just mysteries or ripped-from-the-headlines domestic thrillers, but searing, overarching stories of love and the faith they inspire. This double wallop of emotional suspense packs a punch and will leave readers hungry for more from an author who simply never disappoints.” Click here for the guide and here for the full review.
Please note that the second season of the series adaptation of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME starring Jennifer Garner will premiere February 20th on Apple TV+.
Another early 2026 Bets On pick is the aforementioned STRANGERS, a raw and intimate memoir that traces the collapse of Belle Burden’s marriage and her painful but ultimately empowering journey through betrayal, abandonment and rebuilding a new life. Joyce Carol Oates describes the book as “a beautifully written eulogy for the loss of a relationship that had been loving, trusting, ‘traditional’ (in the best, unironic sense of the word) --- riveting reading for its heartrending candor.”
Sarah Rachel Egelman reviewed the book on Bookreporter and calls it “an honest, raw and poignant look at partnership and loss.” She goes on to say, “Burden is forthright and sincere about her responses, thoughts and feelings, and STRANGERS is written with candor and emotional control…. [S]he asks some important and thoughtful questions about relationships, and her story is engrossing due to the strength of her writing.” Click here for the guide and here for the full review.
I look forward to sharing my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Belle and my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
January’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick is Paula McLain’s new novel, the aforementioned SKYLARK, which is a spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few --- the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above. The book chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.
According to Rebecca Munro in her review on Bookreporter, “Though there is little to initially connect the stories of Alouette and Kristof, it is McLain’s sumptuous, glimmering talent that expertly juxtaposes their tales of courage and resilience.... As sweeping and soaring as the lark it is named after, SKYLARK is a beautiful, surprisingly timely portrait of the human need to survive, and the incredible actions of the few who ensure that is possible for all of us.” Click here for the guide and here for the full review.
Keep an eye out for my interview with Paula in an upcoming newsletter.
We also have added guides for these two books:
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THE REST OF OUR LIVES: A finalist for the 2025 Booker Prize, as well as this month’s Barnes & Noble and “Late Show” book club picks, Ben Markovits’ latest novel is a story about what to do when the rest of your life is only just the beginning of your story.
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WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH: Lisa Ridzén’s international bestseller, which was a 2025 Bets On title, is an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs and atonement. I have thought about this book so often since I read it. My dad is 96, and I found myself thinking about life through his eyes.
This month’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick is HOMESCHOOLED by Stefan Merrill Block. This heartbreaking, empowering and often hilarious debut memoir is about a mother’s all-consuming love, a son’s perilous quest to discover the world beyond the front door, and the unregulated homeschool system that impacts millions like him. Jenna says, “I loved its raw honesty and the very American story of one little boy growing up in a family where love is obvious but so is dysfunction.” Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.
For more January selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here. Please note that there is no Oprah’s Book Club pick this month as Oprah is promoting her new book, ENOUGH: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like to Be Free, which she wrote with Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff.
Announcing This Year’s Winter Reading Feature on Bookreporter
Bookreporter’s Winter Reading feature is back for an 11th year! On select days in January and February, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five readers the chance to win it. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next contest will be up on Tuesday, January 20th at noon ET. The prize book will be Ashley Elston’s latest thriller, ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI, which will be a Bets On selection. Two women’s lives are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both. You may remember Ashley as the author of FIRST LIE WINS, which was a Reese’s Book Club pick two years ago.
We hosted our first “Bookaccino Live” book preview event of 2026 on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 33 books releasing between January 13th and February 3rd, along with 12 from March and five notable January 6th titles, 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 afternoon event will take place on Wednesday, February 11th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on books releasing between February 10th and March 3rd, as well as some titles from April, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up.
Enjoy your next book group discussion! We will be back in your inboxes at the end of the month.
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 FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave
Reese’s Book Club Selection and #1 Indie Next Pick
for January, and a Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they've forged a relationship with Bailey's grandfather, Nicholas, and are putting the past behind them. But when Owen shows up at Hannah's new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety --- and finds there just might be one way back to Owen.
- 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 see why the book is this month's Reese's Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: STRANGERS by Belle Burden
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (Memoir)
In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha’s Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together --- building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whiskey sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of 20 years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume. In STRANGERS, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal.
- 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.
STRANGERS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter, along with her "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Belle Burden.
New Guide: THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi
Sign Up for Our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Event
with Allen Levi on Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET!
THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi (Fiction)
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why. His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers. Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where 92 pencil portraits hang on the walls --- portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their “rightful owners.” With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to sign up for our "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event
with Allen Levi on Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET.
New Guide: SKYLARK by Paula McLain
January’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
SKYLARK by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
SKYLARK chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving. 1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette's efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined. 1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival.
- 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 see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Paula McLain in an upcoming newsletter.
Our Reader-Selected Best Books of 2025
In our special year-end feature, we asked you to tell us your favorite book that you read with your book group and your favorite book that you read outside your group in 2025.
The results are in! Below is a preview of the books that stood out to you the most last year. You can see the top 10 titles in each category here.
Top Books Read with Your Group:
Top Books Read Outside Your Group:
A special congratulations to our contest winner, Donna M. from Wahoo, NE, who won six titles releasing this year that we think will be great for book group discussions: DAUGHTER OF EGYPT by Marie Benedict, KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson, KIN by Tayari Jones, SKYLARK by Paula McLain, STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden, and WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS GROW by Terah Shelton Harris.
Click here for our Reader-Selected Best Books of 2025.
Most Requested Guides of 2025
Our Most Requested Guides feature for 2025 is now available. We took a look at all of the guides that you accessed last year, and from there we pulled together a list of the top 30 titles. Below are the 10 most popular guides, and you can click here for the full list. We love seeing which books resonated the most with you and your group!
Click here for the Top 30 Most Requested Guides of 2025.
New Guide: THE REST OF OUR LIVES by Ben Markovits
January’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
and “Late Show” Book Club Selection
THE REST OF OUR LIVES by Ben Markovits (Fiction)
When Tom Layward’s wife had an affair 12 years ago, he resolved to leave her as soon as his youngest child left the nest. Now, while driving his college-bound daughter to Pittsburgh, he remembers his promise to himself. He is also on the run from his own health issues and a forced leave from work. So, rather than returning to his wife in Westchester, Tom keeps driving west, with the vague plan of visiting people from his past --- an old college friend, his ex-girlfriend, his brother, his son --- en route, maybe, to California. He’s moving towards a future he hasn’t even envisioned yet while he considers his past and the choices he’s made that have brought him to this particular present.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide:
WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH by Lisa Ridzén
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH written by Lisa Ridzén, translated by Alice Menzies (Fiction)
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he has left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound, Sixten, to keep him company…though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for January
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" Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and the Target Book Club.
Below is a preview of January'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 FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave
SKYLARK by Paula McLain
IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP? by Emily Austin
MEET THE NEWMANS by Jennifer Niven
LOST LAMBS by Madeline Cash
LibraryReads
Top Pick: IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP? by Emily Austin
THE BOOKBINDER'S SECRET by A. D. Bell
ALL THE LITTLE HOUSES by May Cobb
ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI by Ashley Elston
WOMEN OF A PROMISCUOUS NATURE by Donna Everhart
Barnes & Noble Book Club
THE REST OF OUR LIVES by Ben Markovits
"Good Morning America" Book Club
SKYLARK by Paula McLain
Oprah's Book Club
Please note that there is no Oprah's Book Club pick for January. Oprah is focusing this month on promoting her new book, ENOUGH: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like to Be Free, which she wrote with Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff.
PBS Books Readers Club
ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES and WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy
"Read with Jenna" Book Club
HOMESCHOOLED: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block
Reese's Book Club
THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave
Target Book Club
TIME LOOPS & MEET CUTES by Jackie Lau
Click here for January's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 11th Annual
Winter Reading Contests and Feature
At Bookreporter.com, we are kicking off 2026 with our 11th annual Winter Reading Contests and Feature! On select days in January and February, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. 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.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 14 ½ Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups
From left to right: Jesse Q. Sutanto, Allen Levi, Jenna Blum
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are nine upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Sunday, January 18th at 6pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jim Butcher will talk about his latest novel, TWELVE MONTHS. Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day. But in this powerful entry in the Dresden Files series, can he save himself?
Monday, January 19th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jenna Blum will talk to special guest host Karen Odden about her latest thriller, MURDER YOUR DARLINGS, a wickedly witty look at today’s literary landscape and a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love.
Tuesday, January 20th at 7pm ET: Buzz Books Spring Summer 2026 Fiction Panel: Seven authors will chat with their editors about their upcoming books: Evelyn Clarke (THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF), LJ Ross (IMPOSTOR), Jan Saenz (200 MONAS), Emma Straub (AMERICAN FANTASY), Douglas Stuart (JOHN OF JOHN), Tia Williams (THE MISSED CONNECTION), and Kelly Yang (THE TAKE).
Tuesday, January 20th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Matthew Quirk will talk to special guest host Joseph Finder about his new book, THE METHOD, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a young actress who must go undercover in a deadly world of espionage to save her best friend…and herself.
Tuesday, January 20th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Jenna Blum about her new novel, MURDER YOUR DARLINGS. For every woman who’s ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss and deadlines.
Wednesday, January 21st at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Jesse Q. Sutanto about her new book, READ BETWEEN THE LIES, a claustrophobic psychological suspense novel in which the line between victim and villain blurs with every chapter.
Wednesday, January 21st at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Winter Preview Event: Carol Fitzgerald will talk about a number of books releasing this winter 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.
Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Allen Levi about his debut novel, the New York Times bestseller THEO OF GOLDEN. Allen also will answer questions from guests who will be "on stage," as well as from other members of the audience.
Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Paula McLain about her latest novel, SKYLARK, a spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few --- the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above.
"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 is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Belle Burden (STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage)
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Ashley Elston (ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI)
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Sadeqa Johnson (KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN)
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Paula McLain (SKYLARK)
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Wendy Walker (BLADE)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
BEST OFFER WINS by Marisa Kashino (Thriller/Dark Humor)
Dark, biting and laugh-out-loud funny, BEST OFFER WINS is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition and the modern housing crisis.
CANTICLE by Janet Rich Edwards (Historical Fiction)
CANTICLE is a masterful debut novel following a spirited young woman’s explorations of faith, agency and love in 13th-century Bruges.
THE EYE OF GOD by Aeternus Costin (Memoir/Metaphysics)
THE EYE OF GOD is a bold, accessible exploration arguing that Gravity fulfills the classical attributes of God, blending science, philosophy and personal transformation in a provocative reimagining of divinity.
THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall's pulse-pounding journey in this riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME.
THE HEIR APPARENT by Rebecca Armitage (Fiction)
THE HEIR APPARENT is an irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family --- or to her own heart,.
THE LAND IN WINTER by Andrew Miller (Historical Fiction)
An exquisite, page-turning examination of relationships, THE LAND IN WINTER is a master class in storytelling --- proof yet again that Andrew Miller is one of the most dazzling chroniclers of the human heart.
THE PERFECT HOSTS by Heather Gudenkauf (Domestic Thriller)
A couple’s gender reveal party turns deadly, and everyone is a suspect, in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of THE OVERNIGHT GUEST.
THE REST OF OUR LIVES by Ben Markovits (Fiction)
THE REST OF OUR LIVES is a triumphantly life-affirming road trip novel about marriage, middle age, and a man at a crossroads in his life.
SKYLARK by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
A spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few --- the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above --- Paula McLain’s unforgettable novel chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.
STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (Memoir)
STRANGERS is a gorgeous memoir about the sudden end to a seemingly happy marriage --- an aching, love-filled and transcendent account of surviving betrayal and discovering joy.
THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi (Fiction)
A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, THEO OF GOLDEN is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.
WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH written by Lisa Ridzén, translated by Alice Menzies (Fiction)
WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH is a profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man’s attempts to mend his relationship with his son before it’s too late. This emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs and atonement is an international sensation.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
THE JACKAL'S MISTRESS by Chris Bohjalian (Historical Thriller)
In this Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger.
KISS HER GOODBYE by Lisa Gardner (Mystery/Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner returns with the fourth installment in her addictive Frankie Elkin series, in which Frankie is called to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan refugee, whose friend suspects she is in grave danger --- before it is too late.
LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS by Pam Jenoff (Historical Fiction)
A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS by Emma Knight (Fiction)
This witty, atmospheric and brilliantly told novel offers compelling portraits of womanhood, motherhood and female friendship, along with the irresistible intrigue surrounding an extraordinary British family.
TARTUFO by Kira Jane Buxton (Fiction)
From the author of HOLLOW KINGDOM comes a fantastically funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village --- and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever.
TILT by Emma Pattee (Fiction)
Set over the course of a single day, this electrifying debut novel follows one woman’s journey across a transformed city, carrying the weight of her past and a fervent hope for the future.
THE WOMEN ON PLATFORM TWO by Laura Anthony (Historical Fiction)
In 1970s Dublin, all forms of contraception are strictly forbidden, but an intrepid group of women will risk everything to change that in this sweeping, timely novel inspired by a remarkable and little-known true story.
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