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—Richard Russo, author of CHANCES ARE...

—Sarah Blake, bestselling author of THE POSTMISTRESS

—Lori Ostlund, author of AFTER THE PARADE

—Elizabeth Kostova, author of THE HISTORIAN

June 10, 2021

We have had some blistering hot days here; summer weather is ahead of the calendar. But it got us in the mood for summer reading! There are sooooo many wonderful books out now and coming this summer --- and this newsletter is featuring some favorites. 

My book club met on Monday night, and we all loved Laura Dave’s THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME. Next up, we are reading THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The plot-within-the-plot concept intrigued them. We have been meeting outdoors at various locations; next month will be poolside, or maybe IN the pool, at our house! When we were heading to our cars the other night, someone mentioned that we should do a destination book group getaway. While we quizzed you last month asking if any of your groups have done this kind of a reading retreat, we didn't receive any replies. So we may just have to be trailblazers on this among the ReadingGroupGuides audience.

Bookaccino Event on July 14th

Lynn Austin, author of Chasing Shadows

Lena is a wife and mother whose faith has always been her compass. But can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death? Lena’s daughter, Ans, has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy. Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. But as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she never could have imagined. The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking ways.

Tia Williams, author of Seven Days in June

Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning novelist who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York. When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that 15 years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can't deny their chemistry --- or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years. Over the next seven days, amidst a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect --- but Eva is wary of the man who broke her heart.

Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.