Skip to main content

May 24, 2013

Bookreporter.com Newsletter May 24, 2013
“Summer” Has Arrived

While summer does not officially arrive until next month, it’s here. You all know what I mean. Once Memorial Day hits, it’s summer! After a few days of warm sunshine here, we are back to overcast and bleak, and it does not look like it’s going to be beach/lounging poolside weather here this weekend.

We still have our epic backyard project going on that began as just pool tiling, coping and patios last fall, but escalated into something more complex when six 75’ pine trees were felled during Hurricane Sandy. We now have a gaping hole to fill, and there are way too many conversations about fences, shrubs and trees. The pool is going to be painted white this week. While I was rooting for pale blue, it ends up that we need to use some official Sylvan pool paint, but their lightest shade of blue is too dark. I suggested that we mix our own color with a tint of blue, but I was shot down on this concept as getting the color right would be tough if we (meaning Tom, not me) were trying to be sure we had enough paint on hand. Of course, now it's going to rain, so by the time this is done, they may invent a new shade!

Meanwhile, I am over thinking flowers and herbs. I can see myself escaping to enjoy my “to be read” pile! Books and reading are such a lovely escape from the real world!

This May has been THE month for blockbuster book releases. Last week, it was Dan Brown’s INFERNO; this week, it’s Khaled Hosseini’s AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED. In this much-anticipated new novel, the bestselling author of THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another --- and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Alexis Burling has high praise for the book in her review: “In the end, the urge to take flight, to rage, to reinvent, while simultaneously hanging on and embracing what life has in store, is what drives AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED and what makes it so poignant to read.” I LOVE this book, and to me it’s his best book to date. I cannot wait to see what our readers have to say about it.

In the weeks leading up to the book's release, we asked readers to share with us their thoughts on THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, both of which were featured in our Enduring Bestseller Spotlight earlier this year. We've compiled their comments, and you can read them here. Many thanks to all who participated!

Another big release this week is Jo Nesbo’s new Harry Hole thriller, THE REDEEMER. One of the singers in a Salvation Army concert is shot in the head at point-blank range and killed. Investigator Harry Hole has little to work with. As the search closes in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and Harry’s chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia. Yet it’s when he returns to Oslo that he encounters true darkness: among the homeless junkies and Salvationists, eagerly awaiting a savior to deliver them from misery. According to reviewer Joe Hartlaub, “By the time you reach the conclusion, you’ll be amazed by and a little dizzy from all of the twists and turns that Nesbo has put you through, but you’ll be the more entertained for it.”

In our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight of Nicole Baart, we have our review of SLEEPING IN EDEN and an interview to share with you. The lives of two people who will never meet weave together, linking the past to the present, when Dr. Lucas Hudson is called to act as a substitute coroner in a suicide case. When he discovers another, hidden body, along with a mysterious token, the first domino is set in motion as he strives not only to solve the mystery, but also to heal his broken marriage to his true love. Reviewer Terry Miller Shannon calls SLEEPING IN EDEN “the very definition of a page-turner, centered on an intriguing mystery and peopled with characters we grow to care for, making for a rather urgent reading situation… Baart skillfully pens a unique and elegant narrative form, in which the past and the present interweave to form a seamless whole.” Nicole talks about this unique narrative form --- and much more --- in an insightful interview conducted by Terry.

Our newest Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title is LOST by S. J. Bolton. In this third installment of her series featuring Lacey Flint, the young detective constable and a courageous, lonely 11-year-old boy must work together to unmask a killer before it’s too late for them both. I had not read Bolton before LOST and can see I should have listened to Joe Hartlaub, who has been raving about her work; her DEAD SCARED was one of his favorite books of last year! We have 25 copies of the book, which releases on June 4th, to give away to readers who would like to read and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, June 6th at noon ET.

We’re continuing our giveaway of LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews, which we’re featuring in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there? The book releases on June 4th, but we have 25 advance copies to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 30th at noon ET. By the way, I love the covers on Mary Kay’s books. They just scream “read me this summer!”

For the EIGHTH year in a row, we’re celebrating dads with our Father’s Day Contest and Feature. From now through June 10th, readers will have the chance to win a collection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five winners will receive all the books we’re featuring, along with a cooler that is touted to keep contents cold for two days, a flashlight, and an iTunes gift card. Click here to see all our featured titles and plot your “Dad’s Day” shopping.

Also kicking off this week is our Summer Reading Contests and Feature, where we’re giving away a different book on select days through July 31st. We posted contests this week for MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND by Matthew Dicks and a collection of three books by Lisa Jackson: TELL ME, READY TO DIE and SOMETHING WICKED (co-written with Nancy Bush). Next week, we’ll be giving away PASTORS' WIVES by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (which I just started and am enjoying) and THE EXPATS by Chris Pavone, which recently won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Click here to see all our featured titles. Are you signed up for our Summer Reading newsletter so you get word as soon as our contests go live? If not, click here to get signed up!

If you’re fan of Lisa Jackson’s thrillers, or just love to throw a party and have a good time, have we got the perfect contest for you! Lisa’s publisher, Kensington Books, is celebrating the June 25th release of TELL ME by throwing 250 “Lisa Jackson's TELL ME Summer Secrets House Parties.” When you apply to be a host for one of your own parties, you’ll be entered for a chance to win an exclusive Party Pack that contains an advance copy of TELL ME, samplers of Lisa’s 2013 novels, including TELL ME (for guests), tote bags, a recipe card for Lisa's favorite drinks, snacks, and more! Click here for all the details and to apply to be a host. You only have until Wednesday, May 29th to apply, so click on the link NOW.

A CERTAIN SUMMER by Patricia Beard is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. I talked about this book at the beginning of the year, and I’m happy to see that it’s now in stores. Set in 1948 at an idyllic beach community called Wauregan, it introduces readers to Helen Wadsworth, whose husband has been declared missing since an OSS operation in France during World War II. She is currently vacationing with her 14-year-old son, Jack, as they always have done. While she waits for news about what happened to her husband and longs for his return, two other men fall for her, which brings much drama to the summer. Read more of my thoughts about this wonderful debut novel here.

We’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature with THE RITHMATIST by Brandon Sanderson (who wrote the final three volumes in the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series), THOUSAND WORDS by Jennifer Brown and YELLOWCAKE by Margo Lanagan. Click here to see all the YA books we think would be great reads for adults.

We have a new Word of Mouth contest up and running. Let us know the books you’ve read, and you’ll have the opportunity to win a copy of BIG BROTHER by Lionel Shriver, THE KILL ROOM by Jeffery Deaver, and REVENGE WEARS PRADA: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger, the latter of which is, yes, the follow-up to THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Friday, June 7th at noon ET.

I watched the last four episodes of the final season of “The Big C” starring Laura Linney on Showtime the other night. This was some of the best-written television that I have seen in a while. The final episode was just brilliant. What made it work was the dialogue and plotting, which brought the storyline to a satisfying close. So often in books, as well as in broadcast programming, that does not happen. Also, I loved hearing the executive producer talk about each episode. While this show originally ran in half-hour episodes, for this final season they moved to an hour, and it gave viewers a longer storyline, which worked well. Many times, I think books can be shorter and still tell a great story. This time, the extra time allowed for the plot trajectory to work.

As we have readers all over the country, we never know when tragedies like the tornadoes in Oklahoma will affect you. Watching the footage from Moore the other day, I was hoping that none of our readers were in harm’s way. Ann Bruns, who had worked with us in 1999, reminded me that when the original storm hit Moore, she was living in Tulsa. When we talked the other morning, she was giving me background on what it’s like when a tornado strikes. For those of us in the New York area, this is something we have not experienced, but remembering the winds and seeing the destruction here last fall, the concept of 200 mph winds was all the more daunting.

A funny thing happened this week in the “we do not know where our readers are” category. Our Editorial Director for GraphicNovelReporter.com went home to Waterloo, Iowa, last weekend. When he wrote about his visit in the GraphicNovelReporter.com newsletter, a reader shared that she lived there and wished she had known he was in town so she could have met him. We never know where we will run into our readers --- maybe in our hometowns!

Speaking of running into readers... If you plan to be at BookExpo America next week, let me know so we can meet up to say hi. From Wednesday through Saturday, our staff will be combing the floor of the show looking for upcoming books for the fall/winter seasons that we want to share with you. It’s a complete whirlwind few days, and we always relish the time when we get back to the office and meet to discuss “our finds.” We are looking forward to hosting two Book Group Speed Dating sessions that give us a chance to get to see upcoming books AND meet readers. A nice combination. Oh, and it’s not too late to sign up to attend Power Reader Day if you have not done so already.

Long weekend ahead, which will be all about kicking it back a notch with reading, gardening and lots of just hanging out on the agenda. I also am planning to watch Behind the Candelabra on Sunday night. I hear there is an exhibit at the Time Warner Center of Liberace memorabilia. You know this is based on a book, right? It's one of our Books on Screen titles this month.

My husband Tom, the golfer, is reading 18 IN AMERICA: A Young Golfer's Epic Journey to Find the Essence of the Game by Dylan Dethier, which we’ll be including in our Golf Books roundup in June. When he was 17, Dylan felt he had not done anything with his life. So two months before his freshman year was set to begin, he deferred admission to Williams College. With the reluctant blessing of his parents, Dylan set out on his idea of the Great American Road Trip: to play a round of golf in each of the lower 48 states --- and along the way to find himself on the greens. Teenage wanderlust took him “from a municipal course amid the decaying factories of Flint, Michigan, to the emerald fairways of Pebble Beach to a dramatic par-3 in the Badlands of North Dakota to rubbing elbows with Phil Mickelson at Quail Hollow.” He looks beyond the courses to the people who play the game, not on the major tours but all across the country. If I see Tom with a map, I am going to tell him the book has been written and he should just keep playing at home and on vacation.

On Monday, we will attend the town parade, which is small and very hokey, but I enjoy it. There is a moment when planes fly overhead in the “missing man” formation that serves as a reminder of why Monday is a holiday, and a lump creeps into my throat every time. Something to note: the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Association will lay a wreath on behalf of IAVA before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday at 12:01PM. They are asking that, wherever you are at that time on Memorial Day, you gather your friends and family to pause in silence to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. They have a Pledge page here about this where you name who you will be honoring on Monday.

Read on….and enjoy….

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

Now in Stores: AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini

AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini (Fiction)
In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, the bestselling author of THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: THE REDEEMER by Jo Nesbø

THE REDEEMER by Jo Nesbø (Mystery/Thriller)
One of the singers in a Salvation Army concert is shot in the head at point-blank range and killed. Investigator Harry Hole has little to work with. As the search closes in, the killer becomes increasingly desperate, and Harry’s chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia. Yet it’s when he returns to Oslo that he encounters true darkness: among the homeless junkies and Salvationists, eagerly awaiting a savior to deliver them from misery. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read a review.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Nicole Baart, Author of SLEEPING IN EDEN

In SLEEPING IN EDEN, Nicole Baart deftly weaves together the present-day story of Dr. Lucas Hudson, whose own crumbling life is thrown into further chaos when he discovers a woman buried in a barn floor, and Meg Painter, who years earlier is caught between her deep and dangerous love for Dylan Reid and the security of her older neighbor, Jess. In this interview, Baart opens up to Bookreporter.com’s Terry Miller Shannon about creating characters from real life and from fantasy, the often unacknowledged pain of miscarriage and the healing joy of adoption, and how important it is not to take for granted life’s smaller pleasures.

SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart (Fiction)
The lives of two people who will never meet weave together, linking the past to the present, when Dr. Lucas Hudson is called to act as a substitute coroner in a suicide case. When he discovers another, hidden body, along with a mysterious token, the first domino is set in motion as he strives not only to solve the mystery, but also to heal his broken marriage to his true love. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Nicole Baart’s bio.
-Click here to visit Nicole Baart’s official website.
-Connect with Nicole Baart on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to see the 50 readers who were selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.

Click here to read our interview.
New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight and Contest: LOST by S. J. Bolton

We have 25 copies of LOST by S. J. Bolton, which releases on June 4th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, June 6th at noon ET.

LOST by S. J. Bolton (Thriller)
Like everyone reading the newspapers these days, 10-year-old Barney Roberts knows the killer will strike again soon. The victim will be another boy, just like him. The body will be drained of blood, and left somewhere on a Thames beach. There will be no clues for London detectives Dana Tulloch and Mark Joesbury to find. There will be no warning about who will be next. There will be no real reason for Barney’s friend and neighbor, Lacey Flint, on leave from her job as a London police detective, to become involved…and no chance that she can stay away. With the clock ticking, the violence escalating, and young lives at stake, Lacey and Barney both know they can’t afford a single wrong step if they hope to make it through alive.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read S. J. Bolton’s bio.
-Click here to visit S. J. Bolton’s official website.

-Connect with S. J. Bolton on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Featured Women's Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews

We have 25 copies of LADIES' NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews, which releases on June 4th, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 30th at noon ET.

LADIES' NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality.

When their “divorce coach” starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Mary Kay Andrews’s bio.
-Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews’s official website.

-Connect with Mary Kay Andrews on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com's Eighth Annual Father's Day Contest and Feature: Best Books for Dad

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? From now through June 10th, readers will have the chance to win a collection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five winners will receive all the books we’re featuring, along with a cooler that is touted to keep contents cold for two days, a flashlight, and an iTunes gift card.

This year's featured titles are:

Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Feature

Summer is just around the corner! 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 will be spotlighting a different title on select days from now through July 31st, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter. We also will be sending a special daily newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

This year's featured titles include:

Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, May 28th at noon ET.

Click here to read all the contest details and see our featured titles.
Now in Stores: A CHAIN OF THUNDER by Jeff Shaara

A CHAIN OF THUNDER: A Novel of the Siege of Vicksburg by Jeff Shaara (Historical Fiction)
Continuing the trilogy that began with A BLAZE OF GLORY, Jeff Shaara returns to chronicle another decisive chapter in America’s long and bloody Civil War. In A CHAIN OF THUNDER, the action shifts to the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. There, in the vaunted “Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” a siege for the ages will cement the reputation of one Union general --- and all but seal the fate of the rebel cause. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Now in Stores: THE FALL OF ARTHUR by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien
THE FALL OF ARTHUR by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien (Historical Fiction/Poetry)
THE FALL OF ARTHUR, the only venture by J.R.R. Tolkien into the legends of Arthur, King of Britain, may well be regarded as his finest and most skillful achievement in the use of the Old English alliterative metre. Unhappily, it was one of several long narrative poems that he abandoned. Associated with the text of the poem, however, are many manuscript pages in which the strange evolution of the poem’s structure is revealed, together with narrative synopses and very significant notes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read a review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: A CERTAIN SUMMER by Patricia Beard

A CERTAIN SUMMER by Patricia Beard (Historical Fiction)
I am crazy about A CERTAIN SUMMER by Patricia Beard, which is a perfect summer book. Set in 1948 at an idyllic beach community called Wauregan, this debut novel introduces readers to Helen Wadsworth, whose husband has been declared missing since an OSS operation in France during World War II. She is currently vacationing with her 14-year-old son, Jack, as they always have done. While she waits for news about what happened to her husband and longs for his return, two other men fall for her, which brings drama to the summer.


For anyone who has a place where they summer that they have adored, this book will stir up memories of the joys that a place like that can bring. For Helen, once she slips her shoes off when she hits the beach at Wauregan, she immediately becomes caught up in the traditions of the island, yet something is still nagging at her. What really happened to her husband? There are bits and pieces of information, but somehow they all do not make sense to her…and even as this summer lazes on, she still wonders what is missing. She journeys to Europe to try to figure it out for herself.

As the author layers in the mystery of what happened in the war, what was a “summer story” takes on a whole new tone, making A CERTAIN SUMMER one very satisfying read. Patricia Beard is known for her nonfiction work, and that background definitely infuses her first novel.


-Click here to read more about the book.
 

Click here to see all the books we’re betting you’ll love.
This Week’s Reviews

AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Fiction)
Ifemelu is a young Nigerian woman who has left her country’s military dictatorship to pursue her studies in the United States. There, she starts a popular blog known for its snarky but insightful posts about the experiences of “Non-American Blacks” in America. Now she has decided to return to Nigeria, where Obinze, the boyfriend she left behind, has become a wealthy property magnate. AMERICANAH is a perceptive commentary on race relations in America. Reviewed by Michael Magras.

THE OUTSIDER: A Memoir by Jimmy Connors (Memoir)
Jimmy Connors ignited the tennis boom in the 1970s with his aggressive style of play, turning his matches with John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl into prizefights. But it was his prolonged dedication to his craft that won him the public’s adoration. More than just the story of a tennis champion, THE OUTSIDER is the uncensored account of Connors's life --- from his complicated relationship with his formidable mother and his storybook romance with tennis legend Chris Evert, to his battles with gambling and fidelity. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

PIRATE ALLEY by Stephen Coonts (Thriller/Adventure)
A cruise ship is attacked and captured by a band of bloodthirsty Somali pirates, who threaten to execute all their hostages if their ransom demands aren’t met. But a far more dangerous conspiracy is afoot. Jake Grafton is assigned to negotiate with the brutal pirate chief, while his right hand man, Tommy Carmellini, and a team of CIA and Navy SEAL operatives mount an undercover operation to save the hostages and keep the U.S. from being maneuvered into a murderous war. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE BLACK COUNTRY: A Novel of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad by Alex Grecian (Historical Mystery)
When a well-known family goes missing in a small English village in the British Midlands, Scotland Yard gets a call. Believing it to be an easily solved case, Inspector Walter Day and Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith hope to be back on the train to London in a day or two. What they encounter is anything but expected, and the case is anything but easily solved. Secrets are buried deep and are well protected in the small village of Blackhampton. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.

THE DIMAGGIOS: Three Brothers, Their Passion for Baseball, Their Pursuit of the American Dream by Tom Clavin (Biography)
Acclaimed sportswriter Tom Clavin reveals the untold Great American Story of three brothers, Joltin’ Joe, Dom and Vince DiMaggio, and the Great American Game --- baseball --- that would consume their lives. A vivid portrait of a family and the ways in which their shifting fortunes and status shaped their relationships, THE DIMAGGIOS is an exploration of an era and a culture. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

POPPET: A Jack Caffery Thriller by Mo Hayder (Thriller)
Everything goes according to procedure when a patient, Isaac, is released into the community from a high-security mental health ward. But when the staff realizes that he was connected to a series of unexplained episodes of self-harm amongst the ward's patients, and furthermore that he was released in error, they call on Detective Jack Caffery to investigate. Will the terrifying little effigies Isaac made explain the incidents around the ward, or provide the clue Caffery needs to predict what he has planned? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE INNOCENCE GAME by Michael Harvey (Thriller)
The first day of class for graduate students Ian Joyce and Sarah Gold starts like any other --- until a fellow student, Jake Havens, pulls a wrinkled envelope from his backpack. Inside is a bloodstained scrap of shirt from a boy murdered 14 years ago and an anonymous note taking credit for the killing. The only problem is that the alleged murderer is already dead. Suddenly, the class has a new assignment: find the real killer. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE TIME OF MY LIFE by Cecelia Ahern (Fiction)
Lucy Silchester keeps receiving a strange appointment card and sweeping its gold-embossed envelope under the rug. Literally. But she is about to find out that this is one appointment she can't miss, when Life shows up at her door, in the form of a sloppy but determined man. Life follows her, and she learns that some of the choices she has made and the stories she has told aren't what they seem. Now her half-truths are about to be revealed, unless Lucy tells the truth about what really matters to her. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

THE STRANGER by Camilla Lackberg (Mystery/Thriller)
A local woman is killed in a tragic car crash, but it isn’t a clear-cut drunk driving case. The victim’s blood contains high alcohol levels, but she rarely drank a drop. Meanwhile, a reality TV show begins shooting in the town, and tempers start to flare. When a drunken party ends with an unpopular contestant’s murder, all eyes turn to the cast and crew. Under the unforgiving media spotlight, Detective Patrik Hedstrom tackles his toughest investigation yet. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

ONION STREET: A Moe Prager Mystery by Reed Farrel Coleman (Hard-boiled Historical Mystery)
It's 1967, and Moe Prager is wandering aimlessly through his college career and his life. All that changes when his girlfriend Mindy is viciously beaten into a coma and left to die on the streets of Brooklyn. Suddenly, Moe has purpose. He is determined to find out who's done this to Mindy and why. But Mindy is not the only person in Moe's life who's in danger. Someone is also trying to kill his best and oldest friend, Bobby Friedman. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE FAMILY MANSION by Anthony C. Winkler (Historical Fiction)
THE FAMILY MANSION tells the story of Hartley Fudges, whose personal destiny unfolds against the backdrop of 19th-century British culture, a time when English society was based upon the strictest subordination and stratification of the classes. Hartley's decision to migrate to Jamaica at the age of 23 seems sensible at first, but for all of its fabulous wealth, Jamaica was a difficult and inhospitable place for an immigrant. Reviewed by Melanie Smith.

Young Adult Books You Want to Read
Our company, The Book Report Network, has a number of websites about books and authors in addition to Bookreporter.com. Throughout the year, Bookreporter.com features adult books on Teenreads.com, our site for young adult readers, that we think will have definite appeal to a teen audience. In the spirit of sharing, we are now spotlighting a selection of titles each month from Teenreads.com that we believe are great reads that you might enjoy.

Here are our latest featured titles:

THE RITHMATIST by Brandon Sanderson (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist, a person who has the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. But as the son of a lowly chalkmaker, he can only watch. When students start disappearing, Joel and his friend Melody are assigned to help the professor investigate the crimes. They find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery, one that will change Rithmatics --- and their world --- forever.

THOUSAND WORDS by Jennifer Brown (Fiction)
Ashleigh is worried that her boyfriend, Kaleb, will forget about her when he leaves for college and decides to text him a picture of herself --- sans swimsuit. But when they go through a bad breakup, Kaleb forwards the text, making it go viral. Ashleigh feels completely alone until she meets Mack, who offers her a fresh chance at friendship. He is the one person in town who received the text and didn't look.

YELLOWCAKE: Stories by Margo Lanagan (Fiction/Short Stories)
YELLOWCAKE brings together 10 short stories --- each of them fiercely original and quietly heartbreaking. The stories range from fantasy and fairy tale to horror and stark reality, and yet what pervades is the sense of humanity. The people of Margo Lanagan's worlds face trials, temptations and degradations. They swoon and suffer, and even kill for love, as they seek solace and strength.

 
Click here to see all the young adult books we recommend you read.
Contests Running on Other Sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com

We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!

ReadingGroupGuides.com

THE INQUISITOR’S WIFE by Jeanne Kalogridis
We are celebrating the release of THE INQUISITOR’S WIFE by Jeanne Kalogridis --- a tale of love, loss and treachery set during the perilous days of the Spanish Inquisition --- with a special contest. Five readers will have the opportunity to each win a copy of the book, which is now in stores, for their group. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 4th at noon ET.


THE ONE-WAY BRIDGE
by Cathie Pelletier
We are celebrating the release of THE ONE-WAY BRIDGE by Cathie Pelletier --- an unforgettable portrait of loneliness, family, community, and the kinds of changes we make for love --- with a special contest. Three readers will have the opportunity to each win 12 copies of the book, which is now in stores, for their group. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 4th at noon ET.


THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN
by Wendy Webb
We are celebrating the release of THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN by Wendy Webb --- a modern take on a gothic ghost story with long-buried family secrets bubbling to the surface --- with a special contest. Three book groups will win a chat with Wendy (by phone, via Skype, or in person) and 12 copies of THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN, while 25 other groups will win one copy of the book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 4th at noon ET.


“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature

Let us know what your group is reading in May, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter, a story of flawed yet fascinating people navigating the rocky shores of their lives while clinging to their improbable dreams. We have 12 copies of the book, which is now available in paperback, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 4th at noon ET.


Teenreads.com

The Grisha Trilogy
In anticipation of the
June 4th release of SIEGE AND STORM --- the second installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy, which follows Alina back into the country she abandoned to fight the forces against Ravka --- we have a special contest that will give five readers the opportunity to win a copy of both SIEGE AND STORM and the first book in the series, SHADOW AND BONE. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 8th at noon ET.


Kidsreads.com

THE 39 CLUES: THE CAHILL VAULT, Book Two: SPYMASTERS by Clifford Riley
To celebrate the release of Clifford Riley's SPYMASTERS, the second volume in The 39 Clues: The Cahill Files series --- which features three stories previously published exclusively as eBook shorts --- we're running a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of these adventures through time. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 1st at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com

JENNIFER: An O’Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson
We are celebrating the release of JENNIFER: An O'Malley Love Story with a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of Dee Henderson's uplifting story about Jennifer O'Malley --- a woman whose faith is about to be tested, and in a way she never expected. The deadline for entries is Thursday, June 13th at noon ET.

FaithfulReader.com's Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, five readers will receive a copy of I'M NO ANGEL: From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model. In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria's Secret model Kylie Bisutti stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model. In I'M NO ANGEL, Kylie shares her story. The deadline for entries is Thursday, June 13th at noon ET.

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Could Win THREE Books!

Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from May 24th through June 7th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BIG BROTHER by Lionel Shriver, THE KILL ROOM by Jeffery Deaver, and REVENGE WEARS PRADA: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

Please note: You must enter your full address, using correct capitalization and filling in all fields if you would like to be eligible to win a prize.

One more important note: We realize that many times, your opinion of a book will change as you get further along into the story. Thus, to ensure that your comments and ratings accurately reflect your entire reading experience, we ask that you finish reading the book before you submit your comments about it.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.

 

Click here to enter the contest.

As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.

Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page. If you would like to reach me, please write [email protected]. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.

Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: www.20SomethingReads.com, www.Teenreads.com, www.Kidsreads.com, www.ReadingGroupGuides.com, www.GraphicNovelReporter.com, www.FaithfulReader.com and www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107
connect with us twitterfacebook