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July 1, 2016

Bookreporter.com Newsletter July 1, 2016
Rhyming with Simon

Last night, Greg and I shared a memorable evening seeing Paul Simon at the Forest Hills Stadium. I first saw him there with Art Garfunkel on July 18, 1970 (it was my eighth-grade graduation present from my parents). That was the last time he sang there and, except for reunion tours, the last time he sang with Artie. This week, in an article in the New York Times, he talked seriously about this maybe being his last go-round recording and touring. Thus I savored every single moment of the night. He was bathing in the love of the crowd and then pouring it back over us. The band was soooo tight. If this was goodbye, it was perfect.

We had amazing seats thanks to my old friend, John, from my Mademoiselle days, who called during the week and offered me his floor seats. We then passed our upper deck seats on to two publishing colleagues. I loved that friends from through the years were all over last night, bringing together many parts of my life. It was one very, very special evening. You can see a photo of Greg and me above, which was taken to mirror the one with my parents and sister in 1970!

On Wednesday night, I went through some old Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel memorabilia, including a handwritten note from Paul that arrived after a day when I stopped by his office in the city (he wasn't there as he getting his wisdom teeth out). There were notes from his manager, record label and agent. The number of people who answered my teenage emails astounded me; the questions I asked still amuse me. I think that’s why I try to answer reader mail as much as I do! I have tracked down one woman, Sally Moore, who used to work at his music company; she is getting a note of thanks from me this weekend.

On Tuesday night, I spent a really lovely bookish evening at the Rockville Centre Public Library kicking off their Summer Reading event. I spoke to a really engaged group of readers, spotlighting 60 books that I thought they should have on their radar. Truly fun. Two women noted that they had won titles in our book group contests. Above you can see the cookies that they had on hand to celebrate summer! Elisabeth Egan will be there on August 10th to talk about her book, A WINDOW OPENS, which is releasing in paperback on Tuesday; it was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection last year.

Now to this week’s update...

Emily Giffin proves her astute eye for the modern woman’s struggle in her latest novel, FIRST COMES LOVE. Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland were close. But when tragedy strikes their family, their tight bond splinters. Fifteen years later, the two young women are following different paths --- one is single and desperate to become a mother, the other married and ostensibly successful, but dissatisfied. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, they must confront the issues that divide them and also come to terms with their own choices.

Norah Piehl has our review and says, "In FIRST COMES LOVE, Giffin almost scrupulously avoids satisfying readers’ expectations. Most of the time, this makes for an invigorating reading experience... As with many Giffin novels, the end intentionally leaves several plot points unresolved, ensuring that readers will continue wondering if and how Josie and Meredith will rise to the challenges that continue to face them." You can also see this interview that I did on Facebook with Emily at BookExpo America. And here she is talking to Hoda on "Today."

We’re awarding FIRST COMES LOVE to the winners of our current Word of Mouth contest, along with ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, YA author Megan Miranda’s first novel for adults, which we’re also reviewing this week. Let us know by Friday, July 8th at noon ET what books you’ve read for your chance to win both novels.

Beatriz WilliamsA CERTAIN AGE, our latest Women's Fiction Author Spotlight title, is a compulsively readable, lush novel that delves into the Roaring Twenties. As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, Mrs. Theresa Marshall has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano. While times are changing and she does adore the boy, divorce is out of the question, and there is no need; she has an understanding with Sylvo, her generous and well-respected philanderer husband. But then their relationship shifts when her brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor, leading to a love triangle and a bittersweet choice for Theresa.

I had the pleasure of writing the review of A CERTAIN AGE. Here’s a preview: “I loved reading about New York in the Roaring Twenties. I was very much amused by the descriptions of traffic that seem to mirror the way life in the city is today…. A CERTAIN AGE was a wonderful summer Sunday read that I read briskly and will remember fondly.” We also share an interview with Beatriz that you can read here and a discussion guide from ReadingGroupGuides.com here.

This week, we kick off our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight of Leah Stewart and THE NEW NEIGHBOR, which is now available in paperback. When an enigmatic young woman and her son move into the long-abandoned house across the pond, 90-year-old Margaret Riley finds herself drawn to them. Try as she might, she can’t figure out the truth about Jennifer, her son, his father or their past. The deeper Margaret digs, the closer she gets to the truth. But what dangers will she unearth when she does? And what secrets about Margaret herself will be exposed as she pursues this path?

Joe Hartlaub calls THE NEW NEIGHBOR “a terrific novel that makes a couple of demands in the early going, but more than adequately rewards the reader’s patience and time. It is also one of those rare books that almost begs to be read twice: once for the enjoyment and a second time to appreciate its construction.”

Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE MANDIBLES, a near-future novel from Lionel Shriver that explores the aftershocks of an economically devastating U.S. sovereign debt default on four generations of a once-prosperous American family; Camille Perri’s THE ASSISTANTS, a debut novel that the publisher describes as “a rallying cry for the leagues of overeducated and underpaid women who are asking themselves, How is it that after all these years, we are still assistants?”; and FRIENDLY FIRE, book eight in John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave thriller series (our reviewer, Dean Murphy, recently chatted with Gilstrap, and you can read the interview here).

In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away THE DAY OF THE DONALD: Trump Trumps America! by Andrew Shaffer; DETROIT HUSTLE: A Memoir of Love, Life, and Home, by Amy Haimerl; the aforementioned FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin; and UNDER THE HARROW by Flynn Berry. Next week’s prize books will be AN ELEGANT FAÇADE: Hawthorne House, Book 2 by Kristi Ann Hunter, ENCHANTED AUGUST by Brenda Bowen, and THE JAPANESE LOVER by Isabel Allende. The first contest of the week will go up on Tuesday, July 5th at noon ET.

We have a new Sounding Off on Audio contest to tell you about. This month’s prize books are the audio versions of Wendy Walker’s ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, read by Dylan Baker (his narration is brilliant, and the print edition will be an upcoming Bets On selection), and THEY MAY NOT MEAN TO, BUT THEY DO by Cathleen Schine, read by Cynthia Darlow (we reviewed the hardcover last week). Let us know by Monday, August 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both audio prizes.

Our poll continues to ask how you feel about book recommendation lists that appear either online or in print. Let us know your thoughts here! I’ll be sure to weigh in on the topic next week once the poll has closed.

News and Pop Culture:

Reader Mail: Susan wrote about the t-shirt manufacturer that we noted last week: "I have actually used this supplier and liked him very much. I just ordered a scarf from them that had parts of OUTLANDER on it. There is another supplier from Etsy who makes purses out of books. She makes them out of actual books. They're not big, but they sure make a statement. I ordered them for Christmas presents last year, and they were a big hit. People stop me all the time when I use it and talk books with me."

Behind the Battle Scene on "Game of Thrones": Great piece about the special effects in the penultimate episode of this season.

Why We Love Book Groups: Read this piece from Ann Hood about why we love book groups.

Seth Meyers: See here why he loves author guests on his late night show.

Ann Patchett: Her list of the 75 best books of the last 75 years.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS --- Whoa, 50 Years!: For the 50th anniversary of this innovative and trend-setting novel, Grove Press will publish a limited hardcover and a new and revised paperback edition of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, with a foreword by Simon Doonan and a new preface by Jacqueline Susann’s estate. The new editions will have a beautiful new cover design and reveal some of Susann’s substantial archive for the first time, including personal photos and an article she wrote in 1966 entitled “My Book is Not Dirty.” I am trying to remember if I have read
it. If not, the time is now!

Brad Thor (author of FOREIGN AGENT), Emma Straub (author of MODERN LOVERS) and BuzzFeed books editor Isaac Fitzgerald shared their summer must-reads with "Today." They gave their top book picks for every booklover --- from the history buff to the romance novel enthusiast. See their picks here.

Bill Cunningham: The passing of a legend. He was humble. He chronicled street style for years in the New York Times. You can read his obit in the Times here.

West Virginia Flooding: So saddened to hear of the destructive flooding in West Virginia. The Greenbrier is a beautiful resort where we spent a special anniversary for my parents; they have opened the hotel to those who are without homes and are collecting donations and offering health care. I love when people give back like that in a time of crisis and are part of the community; much of their staff was impacted.

When I see natural disasters around the country, I often wonder if our readers have been affected...and hope that they have not been.

Cory has friends coming for a party on Saturday; I half-joked that I could go visit our neighbor and sit by her pool that day if there are too many of them! The rest of the weekend will be summer kicked back. I started reading TRULY MADLY GUILTY by Liane Moriarty, which will be in stores on July 26th. Again she has written a story with chapters set in present day and others on "The Day of the Barbecue." You know something happened that day, but you still are trying to figure out what!

Next week will be ThrillerFest events. For me, Wednesday to Friday will be a swirl of parties, author meetups and panels with our thriller author friends. Our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, will be there through Saturday's awards ceremony. There are some debut writers who I am looking forward to meeting!

Make it a firecracker Fourth and make some memories! Read on, and have a great week.

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!

Featured Review: FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin
FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Foster and Catherine Taber
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a close relationship. But when tragedy strikes their family, they grow apart. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are following different paths. Josie is a first grade teacher with the yearning to become a mother. Meredith is a successful attorney, married and raising a four-year-old-daughter, yet questions whether this is the life she truly desires. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, they must confront the issues that divide them and also come to terms with their own choices. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read the review.
An Interview with Beatriz Williams, Author of A CERTAIN AGE --- Our Latest Women's Fiction Author Spotlight Title

Beatriz Williams follows up her Schuyler Sisters trilogy (THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT, TINY LITTLE THING and ALONG THE INFINITE SEA) with A CERTAIN AGE, a stand-alone novel that brings the Roaring Twenties brilliantly to life in an enchanting tale of intrigue, romance and scandal in New York Society. In this interview, Williams discusses Der Rosenkavalier, the Strauss opera that serves as the direct inspiration for the book, how she adapted the opera’s characters to make them more dimensional for a modern audience, and how she researches her meticulously detailed historical fiction (hint: Google doesn’t hurt!).

A CERTAIN AGE by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; performed by Mia Barron, Barbara Goodson and Adrienne Rusk
As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. While times are changing and she does adore the Boy, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question, and there is no need; she has an understanding with Sylvo, her generous and well-respected philanderer husband. But their relationship subtly shifts when her bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Beatriz Williams' bio.
-Click here to visit Beatriz Williams' official website.
-Connect with Beatriz Williams on Facebook and Twitter.

-Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
-Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.

Click here to read the interview.
Featured Review: THE GAMES by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
THE GAMES: A Private Novel by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jay Snyder
Two years after the action nearly spilled from the field to the stands during the World Cup championship match, Jack Morgan is back in Rio for the Olympics. But when prominent clients he's supposed to be protecting disappear, and bodies mysteriously start to litter the streets, Jack is drawn deep into the heart of a ruthless underworld populated by disaffected residents trying to crash the world's biggest party. As the opening ceremonies near, with the world watching in horror, Jack must sprint to the finish line to defuse a threat that could decimate Rio and turn the games from a joyous celebration into a deadly spectacle. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE MANDIBLES by Lionel Shriver
THE MANDIBLES: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by George Newbern
In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the “bancor.” In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation. The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their 97-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also the challenge of sheer survival. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Leah Stewart --- Our Latest Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Title, Now Available in Paperback
THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Leah Stewart (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dianna Dorman
Ninety-year-old Margaret Riley is content hiding from the world. Stoic and independent, she rarely leaves her Tennessee home, finding comfort in the mystery novels that keep her company --- until she spots a woman moving into the long-empty house across the pond.

Her new neighbor, Jennifer Young, is also looking to hide. On the run from her old life, she and her four-year-old son, Milo, have moved to a quiet town where no one from her past can find her.

In Jennifer, Margaret sees a potential companion for her loneliness and a mystery to be solved. But Jennifer refuses to talk about herself, her son, his missing father or her past. Frustrated, Margaret crosses more and more boundaries in pursuit of the truth, threatening to unravel the life Jennifer has so painstakingly created --- and reveal some secrets of her own.

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Leah Stewart’s bio.
-Click here to visit Leah Stewart’s official website.
-Click here to connect with Leah Stewart on Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.

Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: GHOSTS OF WAR, Brad Taylor's 10th Pike Logan Thriller
GHOSTS OF WAR: A Pike Logan Thriller by Brad Taylor (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, narrated by Henry Strozier and Rich Orlow
The Taskforce has stopped countless terrorist threats across the globe, operating outside of US law to prevent the death of innocents. But now, along the fault lines of the old Iron Curtain, the danger is far greater than a single attack. With Russia expanding its influence from Syria to the Baltic States, the Taskforce is placed on stand-down because of the actions of one rogue operator. Meanwhile, Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill travel to Poland, hired to verify artifacts hidden for decades in a fabled Nazi gold train, only to find themselves caught amid growing tensions between East and West. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri
THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Jorjeana Marie
Tina Fontana is a 30-year-old executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the CEO of Titan Corp. But after six years, the glamour of working for a media company in New York has completely faded, though her student loan debt has not. When a technical error with Robert’s expense report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off the entire balance of her loans with what essentially would be pocket change for her boss, she hesitates. As she begins to fall down the rabbit hole of her morally questionable plan, other assistants with crushing debt and fewer scruples approach her to say that they want in. Before she knows it, Tina is at the forefront of a movement that has implications far beyond what anyone anticipated. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Talks to John Gilstrap, Author of FRIENDLY FIRE, the Eighth Jonathan Grave Thriller
John Gilstrap has cornered the market on hostage rescue thrillers, told through dynamic characters who operate as a single unit. His previous novel, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, has been nominated for a Thriller Award by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his latest, FRIENDLY FIRE, is the most intense installment of his Jonathan Grave series to date. In this interview, Gilstrap chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about terrorism in America, his nonfiction book adapted for film, daily life in the Gilstrap household, and upcoming new genres.

FRIENDLY FIRE: A Jonathan Grave Thriller by John Gilstrap (Thriller/Adventure)

Audiobook available, read by Basil Sands
Barista Ethan Falk chases a customer into the parking lot and kills him. He tells police that years ago the older man abducted and tortured him. Then Ethan's story takes an even stranger turn: he says he was rescued by a guy named Scorpion. Of course, there is no record of either the kidnapping or the rescue, because Scorpion --- Jonathan Grave --- operates outside the law and leaves no evidence. As Grave struggles to find a way to defend his former precious cargo without blowing his cover, he learns the dead man has secrets that trace to an ongoing terrorist plot against the heart of America. Reviewed by Dean Murphy.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
 
Click here to read the interview.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 25th, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, July 5th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles include:

Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our featured titles.
More Reviews This Week
ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rebekkah Ross
It’s been 10 years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched. Told backwards --- Day 15 to Day 1 --- from the time Nic’s younger neighbor, Annaleise, goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her disappearance, revealing shocking truths about Nic's friends and family, and what really happened to Corinne that night 10 years ago. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

FIRST STRIKE by Ben Coes (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Hermann
Deep within the Pentagon, a covert, multi-billion arms-for-influence program was created. The objective was to protect the United States and its allies from terrorist acts by secretly enabling a hand-picked man to emerge as the most powerful leader in the Middle East. But the charismatic Tristan Nazir double-crosses America, twisting the program for his own violent ends to create ISIS. Now America is at great risk. Elite operative Dewey Andreas is sent to Syria to retrieve details about the source of ISIS’s funding, but his cover is blown mid-operation and chaos erupts in the streets of Damascus. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

WE COULD BE BEAUTIFUL by Swan Huntley (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
Catherine West has spent her entire life surrounded by beautiful things. Yet, despite all this, she still feels empty. One night, at an art opening, Catherine meets William Stockton, a handsome man who shares her impeccable taste and love of beauty. He is educated, elegant, and even has a personal connection --- his parents and Catherine's parents were friends years ago. But as he and Catherine grow closer, she begins to encounter strange signs, and her mother, Elizabeth (now suffering from Alzheimer's), seems to have only bad memories of William as a boy. Is William lying about his past? If so, is Catherine willing to sacrifice their beautiful life in order to find the truth? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE CHARMERS by Elizabeth Adler (Mystery)
When Mirabella Matthews’ Aunt Jolly dies unexpectedly and under mysterious circumstances, Mirabella suddenly finds herself the new owner of a villa in the South of France. But with the inheritance come unexpected mysteries…and dangers. On her way to the villa, Mirabella is run off the road by a motorcycle, and that’s only just the beginning. It turns out that Aunt Jolly had a past, and as the various men who were a part of it show up, Mirabella must find out who can be trusted and who is using charm to mask the face of a murderer. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

BURN WHAT WILL BURN by CB McKenzie (Noir Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Bon Shaw
Bob Reynolds is a newcomer to town who isn’t entirely welcome or on good footing with the sheriff. But he has interests other than drinking and spending his inheritance, including one that goes by the name Tammy Fay Smith and who may have caught the sheriff's eye as well. Reynolds would rather pretend he never saw the body in the creek, but when it disappears, he begins to doubt what little he knew about this secretive town. Try as he might, he just can't forget the body, despite the advice he's given to do so, and despite the evidence to suggest that he might be disappearing himself soon enough. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

MY FATHER AND ATTICUS FINCH: A Lawyer's Fight for Justice in 1930s Alabama by Joseph Madison Beck (Memoir)
As a child, Joseph Beck heard about his father’s legacy: Foster Beck had once been a respected trial lawyer who defied the unspoken code of 1930s Alabama by defending a black man charged with raping a white woman. Now a lawyer himself, Beck has become intrigued by the similarities between his father’s story and the one at the heart of Harper Lee’s iconic novel. This riveting memoir seeks to understand how race, class and the memory of the South’s defeat in the Civil War produced the trial’s outcome, and how these issues figure into our literary imagination. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

MELVILLE IN LOVE: The Secret Life of Herman Melville and the Muse of Moby-Dick by Michael Shelden (Biography)
Herman Melville’s epic novel, MOBY-DICK, was a spectacular failure when it was published in 1851. Because he was neglected by academics for so long and made little effort to preserve his legacy, we know very little about Melville, and even less about what he called his “wicked book.” Scholars still puzzle over what drove him to invent Captain Ahab's mad pursuit of the great white whale. Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Shelden sheds light on this literary mystery to tell a story of Melville’s affair with a married woman named Sarah Morewood, whose libertine impulses encouraged and sustained his own. Reviewed by Stephen Febick.

THE LIE by C.L. Taylor (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Penny Rawlins
Jane Hughes has a great boyfriend, a job in an animal shelter, and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been...but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist. Five years earlier, Jane and her best friends set off on what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but it rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of her friends. Ever since, Jane has tried to put the past behind her and lead a normal life. But someone out there knows the truth about what happened --- and they won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
Next Week's Notables: Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 5th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 5th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of July 4th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

BOBBY KENNEDY: The Making of a Liberal Icon by Larry Tye (Biography)
Robert F. Kennedy is remembered as the last progressive knight of a bygone era of American politics. But his liberal pantheon was actually the final stage of a journey that had its beginnings in the conservative 1950s, as Larry Tye illustrates in his portrait of Kennedy.

BUSH by Jean Edward Smith (Biography)
George W. Bush almost singlehandedly decided to invade Iraq, taking personal control of foreign policy, as Jean Edward Smith demonstrates in this comprehensive evaluation of the Bush presidency that will surely surprise many readers.

JONATHAN UNLEASHED by Meg Rosoff (Romantic Comedy)
Could a border collie and a cocker spaniel hold the key to life? That’s the question Jonathan Trefoil poses to himself when his brother asks him to look after his dogs, and his confusing, chaotic life and world view begin to shift.

JULIAN FELLOWES’S BELGRAVIA by Julian Fellowes (Historical Fiction)
Set in the 1840s but opening at the Duchess of Richmond’s now-legendary ball on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, JULIAN FELLOWES’S BELGRAVIA is the story of a secret --- and how one family’s life will change forever.

KICK: The True Story of JFK’s Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne (Biography)
Even within the group of overachievers that made up Rose and Joe Kennedy’s children, the irrepressible Kathleen stood out. Paula Byrne recounts in detail as never before the life of the lively, charismatic and extremely clever socialite fondly known as Kick.

MAGIC by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
For Jean-Philippe Dumas and the three couples he’s invited to join him, the White Dinner is a love poem to friendship, joy and the monuments of Paris. Interweaving the stories of seven individuals, lives will be forever changed by the magical possibilities of the White Dinner.

SOMEONE ALWAYS KNOWS: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller (Mystery)
The calm of moving into a new home is shattered when Sharon McCone and her business partner husband Hy are disturbed by the reappearance of Hy’s presumed-dead former colleague, Gage Renshaw. Meanwhile, Sharon’s new client leads her to searching for the individual who is obsessed with destroying her life.

UNDERGROUND AIRLINES by Ben H. Winters (Thriller)
In a version of America where slavery continues in four states called “the Hard Four,” a black man named Victor strikes a deal with the US Marshall Service, becoming a bounty hunter in exchange for his freedom. In his pursuit of the runaway Jackdaw, Victor discovers secrets about the country’s arrangement with the Hard Four that the government will preserve at any cost.
 
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Your Feelings about Book Lists
Tell us how you feel about book recommendation lists that appear either online or in print. Please check as many as apply.

  • I actively look for lists like these to plan my reading.
  • I look for the books that I already have read to validate the list.
  • I look for the books that I already have heard about.
  • I vow to try to read all or most of the books on these lists.
  • If I am looking at the list and it has some books that I know I am not interested in, I do not look at the rest.
  • I note the books that I want to read.
  • I often am overwhelmed when I come across a list like this and do not pick anything.
  • I often am overwhelmed when I come across a list like this, but still am able to choose the books I am interested in reading.
  • I often wonder why the books were selected, especially if that is not clearly stated.
  • I never look at book lists.
Click here to vote in the poll.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from June 24th to July 8th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda and FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin.

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 rules and guidelines, click here.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 
Click here to enter the contest.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from July 1st to August 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Wendy Walker’s ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, read by Dylan Baker, and Cathleen Schine's THEY MAY NOT MEAN TO, BUT THEY DO, read by Cynthia Darlow.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, 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.

-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 
Click here to enter the contest.

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