The Greatest Author Panel There Ever Was
BookExpo, the annual industry trade show, was held last week at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. The show brought together publishing professionals, booksellers, librarians and bloggers, who came from across the world to learn about the upcoming books for fall, attend panels on publishing-related topics, and meet debut, mid-list and bestselling authors. It is closed to the public, unlike BookCon, which was held on Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday AM’s Adult Book and Author BookExpo Breakfast was one of the show's highlight events. Nick Offerman, the beloved cast member of “Parks and Recreation,” hosted the 90-minute-long event, which provided belly laughs and big smiles throughout. He was joined on stage with his wife and fellow P+R teammate Megan Mullally as they introduced their upcoming book, THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD: An Oral History, which hits stores on October 2nd. They shared reading the chapter titles of their love tome (which was really an entire story itself) and the introduction, which explained to the crowd how the book came about. Their witty banter incited a plethora of chuckles (both on stage and off), and Offerman’s cheeky giggles and deadpan humor was carried throughout all of the speaker’s presentations. For anyone who is curious, yes...his comedic energy is as magnetic IRL as on the screen.
Following the lovebirds, Trevor Noah talked about his upcoming book, THE DAILY SHOW PRESENTS: THE DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL TWITTER LIBRARY, a print version of a weekend-long NYC exhibition of the same name that highlighted some of Trump’s more noteworthy tweets of the past couple of years. The book hits shelves July 31st and will feature pictures from the exhibit along with categories of his tweets, as displayed in the museum itself, which became instantly viral last summer.
Barbara Kingsolver was up next to discuss her upcoming title, UNSHELTERED, which will be available on October 16th. Kingsolver went on to say how supported and grateful she is for her fans letting her do the thing that she loves most in the world: writing. While both soft spoken and sweet, Kingsolver showed the crowd her more rebellious nature when she told a long story about growing up in the middle of nowhere. She was a voracious reader who escaped her dismal reality through books, and because of her telling this story, she became the most relatable woman in the room. Charming and edgy, she was a perfect choice for the panel.
Nicholas Sparks took the mic next and spoke primarily of his writing process. After THE NOTEBOOK, he thought he was done entirely...and the same has gone on with his subsequent titles. Once he’s finished with a book, he feels the ultimate sense of relief and doesn’t think he has another story in him. His ideas are singular and only develop into real stories over time. His latest work, EVERY BREATH, is out on October 16th, and in true form, it is a love story that takes place in North Carolina and heavily focuses on letters.
Jill Lepore (personally my favorite panelist of them all) is a professor of history at Harvard. Her book, THESE TRUTHS: A History of America, is a brief history of America since its inception. Unlike the other authors, Lepore supplemented her presentation with a Powerpoint --- visuals for the win --- showcasing works of art, both old and contemporary, that represent the changing political, social, economic and racial climate of America. Jill was quirky, endearing, frighteningly smart and a pure delight. THESE TRUTHS comes out September 18th, but if you’re looking to gear up for it, check out THE SECRET HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN, her very well-received book from 2015.
The 20SomethingReads.com seventh annual Beach Bag of Books Feature/Multi-book giveaway is now live! Enter now through Monday, July 9th at noon ET for your chance to be one of five lucky winners who will receive a copy of each featured title. Scroll down to see all the included books, or click here to go right ahead and enter. If you’re looking for a beach/park/pool read right now, all seven featured titles come highly recommended!
Father’s Day is right around the corner --- Sunday, June 17th --- and maybe you’re still thinking of good gift ideas. If so, look no further. Bookreporter.com’s 13th annual Father’s Day feature/contest, Best Books for Dad, highlights some of the best books for gift-giving right now. Look to it for inspiration or, even better, enter now through Monday, June 18th at noon ET for your chance to win a copy of each of the featured titles. Keep them for yourself or give them to someone special in your life --- it’s all the same to us. Click here to see the feature, the titles included and enter the contest.
Also, the Bookreporter.com Summer Reading daily contests that run until the very end of August are alive and well. On select days throughout the week, we’ll feature a title and run a 24-hour contest for your chance to win one of fives copies. Be sure to sign up here for the dedicated newsletter so you’ll never miss your chance to win. You’ve got to play to win, so be sure to check out today's contest here and see the books being offered in May, June, July and August.
Here are some books to check out now:
In CALYPSO, David Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most when he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. With CALYPSO, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality.
Cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces in NOT THAT BAD: Dispatches from Rape Culture that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence and aggression they face, and where they are “routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied” for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union, and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz and Claire Schwartz.
Stephen King’s latest, THE OUTSIDER, begins when an 11-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens: Terry Maitland, a Little League coach, an English teacher, a husband, and the father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, THE OUTSIDER kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?
Happy reading!
5 Things To Obsess About This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. Remembering Philip Roth
2. HBO will air a docuseries, "The Case Against Adnan Syed," based on the Serial season one podcast
3. The cast for the sequel to Stephen King's IT has been revealed
4. This LA Times interview with Elena Ferrante
5. Timothée Chalamet and Robert Pattinson are making a period piece drama together
--- Nicole Sherman
Beach Bag of Books 2018 Feature + Contest
It's time to think about summer reading. We're talking about the kinds of books that you're glad you now have time to kick back with and enjoy. The way we see it, it wouldn't be summer without sun, surf and great reading. You supply the beach chair, and we'll provide the fantastic book ideas in our Seventh Annual Beach Bag of Books Feature and Contest. Enter now through Monday, July 9th at noon ET for your chance to be one of five lucky readers who will win a copy of each of the books listed below.
This year's featured titles include:
ATTICUS FINCH: THE BIOGRAPHY: Harper Lee, Her Father, and the Making of an American Icon by Joseph Crespino (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Dan Woren
The publication of GO SET A WATCHMAN in 2015 forever changed how we think about Atticus Finch. Once seen as a paragon of decency, he was reduced to a small-town racist. In ATTICUS FINCH, historian Joseph Crespino draws on exclusive sources to reveal how Harper Lee's father provided the central inspiration for each of her books. A lawyer and newspaperman, A. C. Lee was a principled opponent of mob rule, yet he was also a racial paternalist. Harper Lee created the Atticus of WATCHMAN out of the ambivalence she felt toward white southerners like him. But when a militant segregationist movement arose that mocked his values, she revised the character in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to defend her father and to remind the South of its best traditions. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
BY INVITATION ONLY by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Susan Bennett, Courtney Patterson and Sarah Naughton
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where BY INVITATION ONLY begins at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel to celebrate her son’s engagement. The bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range, while the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons. Soon the novel zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred’s second engagement party. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
CALYPSO by David Sedaris (Humor/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by David Sedaris
When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, David Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. With CALYPSO, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Imogen Church
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person --- but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE ENSEMBLE by Aja Gabel (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
Brit is the second violinist, a beautiful and quiet orphan; on the viola is Henry, a prodigy who's always had it easy; the cellist is Daniel, the oldest and an angry skeptic who sleeps around; and on first violin is Jana, their flinty, resilient leader. Together, they are the Van Ness Quartet. After the group's youthful, rocky start, they experience devastating failure and wild success, heartbreak and marriage, triumph and loss, betrayal and enduring loyalty. They are always tied to each other --- by career, by the intensity of their art, by the secrets they carry, by choosing each other over and over again. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly (Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available, read by Amy McFadden
Around midnight, three friends take their partying from bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as the weather deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes overboard. Is it an accident? The result of an unwanted advance? His body disappears quickly, silently, into the dark water. The circumstances are murky, but what is clear is that the other two need to notify the authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their friend has somehow made it safely to shore. As valuable time passes, they find themselves deep in a moral morass with huge implications as they struggle to move forward and live with their dark secret. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
In a beach town overrun with vacationers and newly colonized by socialites, Ruthie Beamish will go to extreme lengths when the life she loves is upended. Ruthie's house is her nest egg, recently renovated and located by the sea in a quiet village two ferry rides from the glitzier Hamptons. But to afford the house, she must rent it during the summer --- and this year to Adeline Clay, who is elegant, connected and accompanied by a “gorgeous satellite” stepson. Adeline forces herself into Ruthie's life, and when she's on the verge of losing everything, Ruthie discovers a new talent for pushing back. Nothing will be the same. Reviewed by Catherine Rubino.
HOW IT HAPPENED by Michael Koryta (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff and Christine Lakin
Kimberly Crepeaux is a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story. However, FBI investigator and interrogator Rob Barrett knows that Kimberly’s story --- a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood --- is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: Where are Jackie and Ian’s bodies? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A HOWL OF WOLVES by Judith Flanders (Mystery)
Sam Clair figures she’ll be a good sport and spend a night out at the theater in support of her upstairs neighbors, who have small parts in a play in the West End. Her boyfriend Jake Field, a Scotland Yard detective, agrees to tag along to what is apparently an extra-bloody play filled with dramatic, gory deaths galore. But as the curtain opens to the second act, a dummy is hanging from the rafters, who’s been made up to look suspiciously like Campbell Davison, the director of the production. When Sam sees the horrified faces of the actors onstage, she realizes that this is indeed not a dummy, but Davison himself --- and this death is not part of the show. Now everyone wants to know: Who killed Campbell Davison? Reviewed by Jennifer McCord.
NOT THAT BAD: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay (Gender Studies/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by various narrators
Cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence and aggression they face, and where they are “routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied” for speaking out. Contributions include essays from established and up-and-coming writers, performers and critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz and Claire Schwartz. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
OUR KIND OF CRUELTY by Araminta Hall (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Eleanor Matsuura and Nick Hendrix
Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely, life before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love; in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job; he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together. It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls. It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus. It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move, he’ll know just when to come to her rescue. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE OUTSIDER by Stephen King (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Will Patton
An 11-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens: Terry Maitland, a Little League coach, an English teacher, a husband, and the father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, THE OUTSIDER kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PAPER GHOSTS by Julia Heaberlin (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Catherine Taber
An obsessive young woman has been waiting half her life for this moment. Now she is almost certain the man who kidnapped and murdered her sister sits in the passenger seat beside her. Carl Louis Feldman is a documentary photographer who may or may not have dementia --- and may or may not be a serial killer. The young woman claims to be his long-lost daughter. He doesn’t believe her. He claims no memory of murdering girls across Texas. She doesn’t believe him. Determined to find the truth, she lures him out of a halfway house and proposes a dangerous idea: a 10-day road trip to examine cold cases linked to his haunting photographs. Is he a liar or a broken old man? Is he a pathological con artist? Or is she? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PRETEND I'M DEAD by Jen Beagin (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Candace Thaxton
Mona is almost 24, emotionally adrift and cleaning houses to get by. Handing out clean needles to drug addicts, she falls for a recipient she calls Mr. Disgusting, who proceeds to break her heart in unimaginable ways. In search of healing, Mona decamps to Taos, New Mexico, where she finds a community of seekers and cast-offs, all of whom have one or two things to teach her --- the pajama-wearing, blissed-out New Agers, the slightly creepy client with peculiar tastes in controlled substances, the psychic who might really be psychic. But always lurking just beneath the surface are her memories of growing up in a chaotic, destructive family from which she’s trying to disentangle herself, and the larger legacy of the past she left behind. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
ROBIN by Dave Itzkoff (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Fred Berman
From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in “Mork & Mindy” and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations --- all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.
SHOOT FIRST: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Tony Roberts
Stone Barrington is enjoying a round of golf in Key West when the game is violently interrupted --- and it seems as if the target of the disturbance may have been one of his playing companions, the brilliant businesswoman behind a software startup on the cutting edge of technology. It soon becomes clear that this incident is only the first thrust in a deadly scheme to push the beautiful young woman out of the way and put her company's valuable secrets up for grabs. Stone embarks on a quest to protect his lovely new companion while searching for the mastermind behind the plot against her. But he may find that her enemy is far more resourceful --- and dangerous --- than he could have anticipated. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
THAT KIND OF MOTHER by Rumaan Alam (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Vanessa Johansson
Struggling to juggle the demands of motherhood with her own aspirations, Rebecca Stone reaches out to the only person at the hospital who offers her any real help --- Priscilla Johnson --- and begs her to come home with them as her son’s nanny. Priscilla’s presence quickly does as much to shake up Rebecca’s perception of the world as it does to stabilize her life. Rebecca is white, and Priscilla is black, and through their relationship, Rebecca finds herself confronting, for the first time, the blind spots of her own privilege. When Priscilla dies unexpectedly in childbirth, Rebecca steps forward to adopt the baby. But she is unprepared for what it means to be a white mother with a black son. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
TIN MAN by Sarah Winman (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sarah Winman
Ellis and Michael are 12-year-old boys when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them --- cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more. But then we fast-forward a decade or so, to find that Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
FROM TWINKLE, WITH LOVE by Sandhya Menon (Contemporary Romance)
Audiobook available, narrated by Soneela Nankani and Vikas Adam
Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the Summer Festival, its a dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy, makes it a dream come true x 2. And when mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the adorkable Sahil. Reviewed by Jessica Cozzi.
FURYBORN (The Empirium Trilogy) by Claire Legrand (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Fiona Hardingham
When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first. One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter, Eliana believes herself untouchable --- until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined. Reviewed by Daniella R., Teen Board Member.
GEEKERELLA: A Fangirl Fairy Tale by Ashley Poston (Contemporary Romance)
Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield. So when she sees a cosplay contest for new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor playing Federation Prince Carmindor. Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.Darien Freeman used to live for cons --- before he was famous. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. Darien feels more like a fake --- until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. Reviewed by Taylor F., Teen Board Member.
LEGENDARY: A Caraval Novel by Stephanie Garber (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Rebecca Soler
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has escaped her father and saved her sister from a disastrous arranged marriage. But Tella isn’t yet free. She made a bargain with a criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name. The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more. If Tella can’t deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever. Reviewed by Katie T., Teen Board Member.
SAINT DEATH by Marcus Sedgwick (Contemporary Fiction)
On the outskirts of Juarez, Arturo scrapes together a living working odd jobs and staying out of sight. But his friend Faustino is in trouble: he’s stolen money from the narcos to smuggle his girlfriend and her baby into the US, and needs Arturo's help to get it back. To help his friend, Arturo must face the remorseless world of drug and human traffickers that surrounds him, and contend with a murky past. Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.
THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I by Carolyn Mackler (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Laura Knight Keating
It's been five months since 16-year-old Virginia Shreves thought her life was finally back on course: she has come to terms with who she is both inside and out, and she's even started to rebuild her relationship with her older brother Byron. But just as she's getting used to the new normal, Virginia's world turns upside down again. As Virginia struggles to cope, she meets Sebastian, an artist with his own baggage. The pair make a pact not to share their personal dramas. But secrets have a way of coming out, and theirs have the potential to ruin everything. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
WE'LL FLY AWAY by Bryan Bliss (Contemporary Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by James Fouhey
WE'LL FLY AWAY weaves together Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later --- from death row. Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke’s wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don’t drift apart first. If Toby’s abusive dad, or Luke’s unreliable mom or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn’t get in the way. Reviewed by Marco M., Teen Board Member.
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