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Panting...I Can’t Keep Up!
Ever feel like you do not have time to read all the books that you want to read? Even with reading advance copies and print books, and listening on audio whenever I can, I cannot stay on top of all the books that I want to read. I filled bookshelves with books from last year that I was not able to get to. And already this year, I feel like I am prepping for finals but have barely read the syllabus.
Every month when we do our book preview events, I see so many titles that I want to read. The promotion copy and About the Book content have drawn me to add a number of books to my “to be read” pile. I wonder if you are the same way. But yes, there are times that I start reading and am not as caught up in a book as I would like, so I put it aside. I have the “life is just too short” attitude when I am not engaged.
I am listening to Anna Quindlen's MORE THAN ENOUGH, which is narrated by Kristen Sieh. In it, the women are in a book group where they select a book and buy it, but do not read it. They get together each month and talk under the guise of being in a book group. It’s a very amusing concept.
In our book group, we are free to admit that we did not finish a book but still can be part of the conversation. In between our meetings, there is a great text chain going where we talk about other books we are reading, or life events that we want to share. For me, it’s a club where we talk about not just the book that we have assigned ourselves, but also what other books we have heard about that sound interesting. I am grateful to have this streamlined opportunity for book-themed discussion in a world where on many days I feel like social media and streaming everything may swallow me.
What about your group? How do you handle your discussions? Do you “converse” outside of your meetings? I always am curious about what other groups do.
This is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Wednesday, March 25th at 8pm ET.
Our guest will be Patrick Ryan, and he will discuss his debut novel, BUCKEYE, a New York Times bestseller and a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
After I talk to Patrick, we will give readers the chance to share a question for him on screen. We have special sign-in directions for these attendees, and they will get to chat with Patrick in our “backstage green room” before the program starts. Then we will turn to questions that have been dropped into Zoom’s Q&A feature. Click here to register for the event.
If you would like to ask Patrick a question, please fill out this form by Wednesday, March 25th at noon ET. Be sure to include your name, city, state, email address and phone number, as well as your question. And indicate if you would like to be on camera or off.
This also is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for our “Bookaccino Live” Spring Preview evening event, which we are hosting on Wednesday, March 18th at 8pm ET.
I will present a number of books releasing this spring 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. Click here to register for the program.
As we do with all of our “Bookaccino Live” book preview events, 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.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Patricia Finn. Her novel, THE GOLDEN BOY, is a complex, non-linear narrative about marriage, friendship and redemption that spans multiple timelines. The book explores themes of memory, identity, exile and atonement through the lives of Stafford and Agnes, a wealthy couple who are living on Maui when readers first meet them. The novel’s structure consists of three parts: marriage (a 24-hour period on Maui), friendship (non-linear memories) and found family.
This is Patricia’s first novel at the age of 71, and she talks about how her background --- which includes television writing, ghostwriting, corporate communications and crisis management --- informs her literary approach. She notes that she used the real-life trial of Steven Truscott from 1959 to explore themes of justice and moral choices.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring the discussion guide for THE GOLDEN BOY in this newsletter.
THIS Monday, March 16th at noon ET is the deadline to enter our special contest for Brisa Carleton’s debut novel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY.
Set amongst the glittering backdrop of London’s iconic Savoy hotel, Cinnamon Scott is forced to confront her troubled past as she uncovers the story of the hotel’s first female bartender who has been erased from the history books.
Three book groups will win up to 12 copies of the book, which is a Bets On pick, and they will get to talk to Brisa in May or June. We also are awarding one copy to 25 readers. We ask that they give us their feedback on the book, tell their book group members about it, and recommend that they discuss it in June, July or August.
As I’ve mentioned before, my book group and I had such a wonderful time talking to Brisa about the book for our last meeting of 2025. So I know firsthand how much fun a book group chat with her can be!
Also, if you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Brisa from November, be sure to watch or listen to it. We cover so much ground, including her award-winning career as a Broadway producer.
On Bookreporter.com, we’re running a special contest for THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson, which releases on April 20th. You may remember that Susan and James teamed up three years ago for their joint debut novel, THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER, which they wrote with Susan DiLallo.
Here’s the new book’s premise: Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- more often discuss the books on their nightstands via text than in-person meetings. So it’s an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, all building toward the book club’s trademark “Night of Secrets.” But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations.
We are awarding a copy of the book to 25 readers and giving them the chance to share their comments about it with us. Winning means that you are committed to reading THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB and giving us your feedback on it by Friday, April 17th. If you can do this, please fill out this form by Friday, March 20th at noon ET.
Please note: For this contest, you can choose which format of the book you'd like to receive --- the print edition, e-book or audiobook. This is the first time that we're giving you a choice of formats, so we're excited to be doing this!
Also, I plan to interview Susan Patterson sometime next month, and the winners will be able to submit a question that they would like me to ask her. From all the questions we receive, I will select a number of them to ask during the interview.
In IT GIRL, which is inspired by Evelyn Nesbit (America’s first “It Girl”), Allison Pataki tells the sensational story of Evelyn Talbot as the first modern female celebrity of American pop culture at the dawn of the 20th century. In Pataki’s talented hands, we see Evelyn find the power to change not only the world around her, but also her own destiny.
According to our Bookreporter reviewer Rebecca Munro, “Though IT GIRL moves at a fast, exciting pace and treats readers to endless displays of glamour and wealth, it is Pataki’s breakdown of beauty --- its trappings and its possibilities --- that makes the novel absolutely soar. It undoubtedly will inspire insightful, thought-provoking conversations, especially among book clubs.” Read more of Rebecca’s thoughts here, and click here for the guide.
The women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time and redo one moment in their lives. That’s the intriguing premise of ONCE AND AGAIN, the latest novel from Rebecca Serle, whose previous books include IN FIVE YEARS, ONE ITALIAN SUMMER and EXPIRATION DATES.
Rebecca Munro has this to say about the book: “Perfect for fans of Sally Koslow and Jamie Brenner, ONCE AND AGAIN is a thoughtful, deep and deceptively nuanced trek to the beaches of Malibu. Readers are greeted not just by golden sand and salty air, but by the spellbinding Novak women and their impossible choices. Book clubs and those in need of a soul boost will devour this sweet, satisfying novel.” Click here for the guide and here for the full review.
Award-winning author Corinne Demas’ most recent novel is DAUGHTERS, a moving story about the sometimes volatile but ultimately unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters. I enjoyed the book, and that is a spot-on description of it.
Here’s more about the book from Corinne: “The novel begins when Meredith suddenly arrives on the doorstep with her young daughter, Eloise, in tow. Meredith has fled her marriage and her life in L.A. and is hoping to build a new one in her old home. Although the reader is made privilege to the reason, Meredith keeps this information a secret from her mother, which creates tension and dredges up a lot of issues from their past.”
We are featuring the guide in this newsletter, which you can check out here. We also are sharing the news that through the end of March, you can buy the e-book of DAUGHTERS for just $2.49. If you have Kindle Unlimited, it's free!
We encourage you to read the book in the format of your choice and post your thoughts about it on Amazon, Goodreads, and other places where you voice your feedback about books.
We also have added guides for these four books:
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LAKE EFFECT: Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s latest novel is March’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. It’s a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.
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LADY TREMAINE: Rachel Hochhauser’s debut novel, which is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick, is a reimagining of Cinderella’s stepmother that explores motherhood, family and the pressure to be perfect.
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WAIT FOR ME: Amy Jo Burns’ latest novel is March’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick. Jenna says, “We meet Elle Harlow, who disappears in the ’70s right upon her big break as a folk singer, and Marijohn, who, years later, is searching for her own type of future. As these two women’s lives connect, we explore secrets long passed.”
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THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS’ WIVES: Elizabeth Arnott’s debut thriller is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer.
For more March selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On selection is IT’S NOT HER by Mary Kubica. In this twisty thriller, for which we featured the guide last month, two families at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime. Click here for my commentary.
We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview afternoon event on Wednesday. I talked about 27 books releasing between March 10th and March 31st, along with eight from the second half of April and 12 from May, 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, April 8th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on books coming out from April 7th to May 5th, in addition to some June titles, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up.
Here’s to a great discussion with your book group the next time you meet.
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: IT GIRL by Allison Pataki
IT GIRL by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
At the dawn of the 20th century, New York’s streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt --- and the It Girls. As artists’ muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom because of their talent, charisma and irresistible beauty. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn Talbot is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl. When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life. In the media frenzy that spirals around her, Evelyn realizes that to survive, she will have to write her own ending.
- 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: ONCE AND AGAIN by Rebecca Serle
ONCE AND AGAIN by Rebecca Serle (Fiction)
The women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time. Lauren has known since she was 15 that her mother, Marcella, saved Lauren’s father from a deadly car accident. Dave is alive and happy, and out on the Malibu waves. But ever since, Marcella has lived in fear of what she won’t be able to reverse. One summer, Lauren’s husband takes a job in New York, and she moves back into her childhood home. Lauren looks forward to surfing with her dad again and perhaps repairing an unspoken fracture in her relationship with her mother. What she doesn’t expect is for the boy next door to return home as well: Stone, who broke her heart nearly a decade before. As Lauren falls into familiar patterns, she finds herself thinking about all the choices that have brought her to this moment. And wondering, finally, if one of them should be undone.
- 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 GOLDEN BOY by Patricia Finn
THE GOLDEN BOY by Patricia Finn (Fiction)
After an involuntary retirement from his high-flying Hollywood career, Stafford Hopkins has retreated to a luxury estate on Maui, along with his wife Agnes, both grimly resigned to life in a paradise where neither feels fully at home. Stafford is ready to retreat into himself, too, when a letter arrives with shocking news. He has been named guardian of four children he didn’t know existed: the grandchildren of his late childhood friend, Bobby Shepherd, whose ghost he can no longer ignore. Returning to both the hardscrabble farming town and the dark secret he’d tried to forget for decades, Stafford is forced to confront his past in order to rebuild his future --- and to redirect the fates of his family and the four young people suddenly in his care.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Patricia Finn.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Special Contest & Author Chat Opportunity:
LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton
Enter by THIS MONDAY, March 16th at Noon ET!
Set amongst the glittering backdrop of London's iconic Savoy hotel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY is about a young woman who is forced to confront her troubled past as she uncovers the story of the hotel’s first female bartender who has been erased from the history books.
The author of this fascinating debut novel, which was a 2025 Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, is Brisa Carleton, a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer and investor who has been involved in shows such as Hamilton, Moulin Rouge and Beautiful.
In this special contest, we are giving three readers the opportunity to win up to 12 copies of LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY for their book group, along with a book group chat with Brisa in May or June.
We also are awarding one copy of the book to 25 readers who will agree to read it and give us their feedback on it, share it with their book group, and recommend it for a discussion in June, July or August.
To enter the contest, please fill out this form by Monday, March 16th at noon ET.
LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton (Historical Fiction)
Six years ago, Cinnamon Scott was a young writer on the rise in New York City. But since the sudden loss of her parents, she's been stuck in place. Despite their tragic loss, she and her older sister, Rosemary, have always had each other to lean on. But now, with Rosie living in London and about to give birth to twins, Cinnamon feels more lost than ever.
When Rosie is put on bed rest, Cinnamon flies to her sister's side, where she's temporarily living at The Savoy. She’s immediately swept away by the beauty and history of the legendary hotel and its famed American Bar. When the late-shift bartender tells her the story of Ada Coleman, the woman who crafted the cocktail recipes The Savoy popularized in its famous handbook a century ago, Cinnamon is inspired by the bartender's vivid stories of Ada's fearlessness and can't understand why Ada's name is nowhere to be found.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here for an enhanced book club kit that includes recipes of the cocktails mentioned in 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 watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Brisa Carleton.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to visit Brisa Carleton's website.
Click here to enter the contest.
Special Contest on Bookreporter.com: Enter to Win One of 25 Copies of THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson --- Share Your Feedback on the Book and Ask Susan a Question!
Susan Patterson and James Patterson's new novel, THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB, is the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller and book club favorite, THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER. It revolves around the emotional reunion of the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- which leads to surprising revelations.
The book doesn't release until Monday, April 20th, but we have 25 copies to give away to those who would like to read it and give us their feedback on it by Friday, April 17th. The winners also will have the option of sharing a question that they would like Carol to ask Susan Patterson during an upcoming interview.
To enter the contest, please fill out this form by Friday, March 20th at noon ET.
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson (Fiction)
Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2am texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it’s just as well, after what happened at their last get-together.
So it’s an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy’s Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, reminiscing fueled by “Como-politans,” and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club’s trademark “Night of Secrets.”
These friends, and sometime rivals, are close readers --- of novels, memoirs, and each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations.
- Click here to read bios of Susan Patterson and James Patterson.
- Visit James Patterson's website and YouTube channel.
- Connect with James Patterson on X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.
Click here to enter the contest.
New Guide: LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
March’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (Fiction)
It’s 1977, and an air of restlessness has settled on the residents of Cambridge Road in Rochester, New York. When Nina Larkin is given a copy of THE JOY OF SEX by her newly divorced friend, she no longer can dismiss the nearly nonexistent intimacy of her marriage. Just as her oldest child, Clara, is falling in love for the first time, Nina finds herself longing for the forbidden: a midlife awakening. An intoxicating fling with a prominent neighbor brings Nina a freedom she never thought possible --- but also risks the reputations of both families and unravels Clara’s world. Years later, Clara, now a successful food stylist in New York City, has never been able to move past the long-ago scandal. Drawn back home by the pull of a family wedding and wrestling with her own demons, she makes a pivotal decision that turns her life upside down.
- 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: LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser
Reese’s Book Club Pick for March
LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser (Historical Fiction)
Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband’s title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters’ future through marriage. When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters --- only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the well-being of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's Reese's Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: WAIT FOR ME by Amy Jo Burns
March’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club Pick
WAIT FOR ME by Amy Jo Burns (Fiction)
Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then she vanishes. Almost two decades later, 18-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive. But when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide:
THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS’ WIVES
by Elizabeth Arnott
March’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS' WIVES by Elizabeth Arnott (Historical Mystery)
Beverley, Elsie and Margot are wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, they form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes --- some of California’s most infamous murderers --- dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves. They know people look at them and think only one thing: How could they not have known what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet, when a string of local killings hits the news, the three women --- underestimated, overlooked, shrewd --- decide to get to work. After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: DAUGHTERS by Corinne Demas
DAUGHTERS by Corinne Demas (Fiction)
When Meredith flies home to New England with her daughter, Eloise, she leaves her husband and a life back in LA. A heartbreaking loss is killing their marriage. So she looks to her mother and siblings for the support she desperately needs. Meredith's mother, Delia, is thrilled by their sudden arrival at the family farm. But her husband braces for the chaos his stepdaughter and granddaughter will surely bring. Meredith’s announcement that she’s moved home for good takes the whole family by surprise and turns everything upside down. While wrestling with her future, artist Meredith is forced to confront her past --- and the disappointment she believes her mother, a violin teacher, felt when musically gifted Meredith abandoned the violin. As Meredith works to repair relationships with members of her family, an old flame turns up and further complicates her life.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to visit Corinne Demas' website.
- Connect with Corinne Demas on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. Corinne's new Facebook page is now up. If you were following her before, head to this new link now.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for March
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 March'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: AND NOW, BACK TO YOU by B.K. Borison
BRAWLER: Stories by Lauren Groff
AGNES AUBERT'S MYSTICAL CAT SHELTER by Heather Fawcett
KIN by Tayari Jones
THE RED WINTER by Cameron Sullivan
LibraryReads
Top Pick: NO MATTER WHAT by Cara Bastone
THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS' WIVES by Elizabeth Arnott
TWO KINDS OF STRANGER by Steve Cavanagh
THIS STORY MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE by Tiffany Crum
LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser
Barnes & Noble Book Club
LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
"Good Morning America" Book Club
THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS' WIVES by Elizabeth Arnott
Oprah's Book Club
To be announced
PBS Books Readers Club
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
"Read with Jenna" Book Club
WAIT FOR ME by Amy Jo Burns
Reese's Book Club
LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser
Target Book Club
THE LIBRARY OF AMORLIN by Kalyn Josephson
Click here for March's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: IT’S NOT HER by Mary Kubica
IT'S NOT HER by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Over the years, I have enjoyed Mary Kubica’s novels. But she has taken the craft of her thriller writing to a new level with the release of IT’S NOT HER.
In it, two families who are related --- Courtney Gray’s best friend, Emily, is married to her brother, Nathan --- are at a rustic resort in northern Wisconsin. We start with the oh-so-familiar vacation narrative about “who got the better cabin.” You know that if there are two places, this is bound to be part of the conversation. On the first night, Courtney’s daughter, Cass, begs to have a sleepover with her cousin, Mae, which Courtney allows. Courtney hears a scream in the night --- a blood-curdling one.
Emily and Nathan are found dead in their cabin.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
Bookreporter.com’s 15th Annual
Spring Reading Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases.
Bookreporter.com's 15th annual Spring Reading Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-April. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win.
We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each 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: Deborah Goodrich Royce, Patrick Ryan, Louise Erdrich
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are six upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Tuesday, March 17th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Will Dean about his new novel, ADRIFT, a high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.
Wednesday, March 18th at 8pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Spring Preview Event: Carol Fitzgerald will talk about a number of books releasing this spring 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.
Wednesday, March 18th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Deborah Goodrich Royce will talk about her new novel, BEST BOY, a gripping psychological thriller that teeters on the knife-edge of memory and identity when the arrival of a shocking letter threatens the carefully constructed life of a woman desperate to outrun her past.
Wednesday, March 25th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich for a live virtual discussion of her new book, PYTHON'S KISS. Louise will be in conversation with bestselling author Angeline Boulley, with a guest appearance by Louise's daughter, Aza Erdrich Abe, who contributed illustrations for the book.
Wednesday, March 25th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Virginia Evans and Allen Levi about their debut novels, which were two of the most talked-about books of 2025: Virginia's THE CORRESPONDENT and Allen's THEO OF GOLDEN.
Wednesday, March 25th at 8pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Patrick Ryan about his debut novel, BUCKEYE, a New York Times bestseller and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Patrick also will answer questions from guests who will be “on stage,” as well as from other members of the audience.
"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:
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 BOY by Deborah Goodrich Royce (Psychological Thriller)
A gripping psychological thriller, BEST BOY teeters on the knife-edge of memory and identity when the arrival of a shocking letter threatens the carefully constructed life of a woman desperate to outrun her past.
DAUGHTERS by Corinne Demas (Fiction)
From award-winning author Corinne Demas comes a moving story about the sometimes volatile but ultimately unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters.
THE GOLDEN BOY by Patricia Finn (Fiction)
An unexpected letter sends a man and his wife into their pasts --- and offers them both a shot at redemption --- in this captivating debut about love, mercy and second chances.
IT GIRL by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST comes a sweeping, sensational novel of America’s first “It Girl,” whose dramatic journey to center stage echoes through the decades.
KIN by Tayari Jones (Fiction)
Tayari Jones has written an unforgettable novel that sparkles with wit and intelligence and deep feeling about two lifelong friends whose worlds converge after many years apart in the face of a devastating tragedy.
LADY TREMAINE by Rachel Hochhauser (Historical Fiction)
LADY TREMAINE reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.
LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE NEST and GOOD COMPANY comes a wry and tender portrait of two families forever changed by one lovestruck decision that will reverberate for decades.
MORE THAN ENOUGH by Anna Quindlen (Fiction)
A woman confronts the surprising results of an ancestry test and begins to question the meaning of family and friendship in this wise, tender novel teeming with life.
ONCE AND AGAIN by Rebecca Serle (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle, the author behind the modern classic IN FIVE YEARS, returns with an unforgettable tale of a family of women with an astonishing gift: the ability to redo one moment in their lives.
THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS' WIVES by Elizabeth Arnott (Historical Mystery)
A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.
SO OLD, SO YOUNG by Grant Ginder (Fiction/Humor)
Five parties over the course of 20 years bring six college friends together, exploring the ways we run from and cling to our friends in love, life and death.
THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page (Fiction)
A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost --- a year of books, one for every month --- launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.
WAIT FOR ME by Amy Jo Burns (Fiction)
From the author of MERCURY and SHINER comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.
WHEN I KILL YOU by B. A. Paris (Domestic Thriller)
Multimillion-copy and New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris returns with an unsettling new novel of domestic suspense. Has the stalker become the stalked…or is there something even more deadly at play?
WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS GROW by Terah Shelton Harris (Fiction)
From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
DEEP CUTS by Holly Brickley (Fiction)
Moving from Brooklyn bars to San Francisco dance floors, DEEP CUTS examines the nature of talent, obsession, belonging and, above all, our need to be heard.
HAPPY LAND by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Historical Fiction)
A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom --- and her family’s ties to it --- in this enthralling novel from the New York Times bestselling and NAACP Image Award-winning author of TAKE MY HAND.
THE MAID'S SECRET: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose (Mystery)
A daring art heist on the eve of Molly’s wedding reveals long-buried secrets in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE MAID and THE MYSTERY GUEST.
THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict (Historical Mystery)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE comes a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder.
THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry (Historical Fiction)
Inspired by a true literary mystery, the New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.
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