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Books, a Movie, Some Cookies and Lots of Cars
While being back at work meant my “book-a-day habit” was not able to be maintained this past week, I did read --- and thoroughly enjoy --- DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which is coming out on March 5th. It’s novel about an iconic 1970s band and their oh-so-very hot lead singer, finally telling the tale of why the band broke up. It’s fiction, but people have been speculating on what band this could be based on; a few rumblings I have heard from librarian pals is that Daisy could be based on Stevie Nicks. While many books these days are told chapter by chapter by different narrators, here we have the story told paragraph by paragraph from the points of view of the six band members and Daisy. It’s a wickedly smart way to tell a story, and Taylor completely pulls it off.
It’s full of period moments that are special, like the Rolling Stone writer following the band to tell their story, reminding me of the days when a cover story on Rolling Stone was coveted. (For the record, I have 20 years of Rolling Stone magazines neatly boxed in my attic; not sure why I am holding onto them.) It has the whole rock ’n’ roll life wrapped on the pages --- the music, as well as groupies, sex and drugs. Taylor includes song lyrics at the end that were created for the book; she could have a second calling as a songwriter. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick, both for the storyline and the original way her storytelling was conceptualized. I hear there is also a playlist; I will need to check that out.
On Monday night, I went to a screening of The Children Act, which is based on the book by Ian McEwan. It's a measured film and a strong adaptation of the book; McEwan wrote the screenplay. The movie stars Emma Thompson as Fiona Maye, an eminent High Court judge in London whose cases look at family law. She rules on a case about Adam, a boy who is months from his 18th birthday and whose parents refuse the blood transfusion that will save his life. What happens when they meet sets the story on a new path. It felt to me that, in Adam, Fiona is seeing much of her life, which slipped away due to her focus on following the law. It's a very smart film; I confess to not loving the ending shot, but that is the critical film editor in me. It’s a very elegant movie. One of the tough things about adapting Ian’s books is that they are so smart and cerebral. There is a lot of inner dialogue that makes the pacing slower than a typical film. It’s tough to translate emotions. It's in theaters and on demand now. My friend Beverley’s aunt and uncle saw it in the UK and raved about it! Take a look at the trailer here.
Although I was disappointed to have missed out on this year’s Bouchercon, which took place last week in St. Petersburg, Florida, I was so pleased that 12 writers and publishing professionals in the mystery/thriller literary world attended and were eager to report back to us on their experiences at the convention. Many thanks to Linwood Barclay, Laura Benedict, Lou Berney, Alison Gaylin, William Kent Krueger, Clair Lamb, Carla Neggers, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Alex Segura, Wendy Corsi Staub, Sarah Weinman and Kate White for their enthusiastic participation! Read this coverage, and you will feel like you were there eavesdropping; their stories are brilliant. Why would they not be? They all are authors!
On Saturday, the winners of this year’s Anthony Awards were announced at a special ceremony held during Bouchercon. They included BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD by Atticka Locke (Best Novel), Y IS FOR YESTERDAY by the late Sue Grafton (Best Novel in a Series), and KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Best Critical/Nonfiction Work). Click here for all the winners and nominees.
I am listening to THE MARS ROOM by Rachel Kushner, which is also narrated by her, and am reaching the end. I figure I'll need two more round trips to yoga to finish it. It’s set in 2003 in a women’s prison in central California, where Romy Hall is serving consecutive life sentences. Her young son, Jackson, is on the outside, and she has lost touch with him. Reading the book, you feel like you are inside the prison walls, and incarceration is stifling on so many levels. Infractions lead to penalties; the opportunities are slim. Throughout, you wonder exactly what Romy did, and that story is unfolding right to the end. We get background on the other prisoners as well. You can say it’s like ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, but it feels smarter and bleaker, maybe because so much internal storytelling is going on. For all its darkness and tough storytelling, I found myself looking forward to listening each day. It’s been out since May, but it will be a Bets On selection in audio. I will share that next week.
Many of us have heard (and answered) the popular question, “If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be?” Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions that Rebecca Serle addresses in THE DINNER LIST, her debut novel for adults (she is well known in the YA world). When Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner, she finds at the table her best friend, along with three significant people from her past…and Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together.
Our very own Rebecca Munro has our review and says, "This story is full of pain, but it is the most delicious kind --- the kind that will make you feel as though you, too, have lost something, and will make you all the more grateful for the good things around you. Serle is new to millennial writing, but I hope that she continues to explore this time in every young person’s life in many more books, for her talent is limitless and her voice is profound." Rebecca was fortunate enough to attend the book launch party on Tuesday night. Click here to read her blog post about how the event went down at her favorite bookstore in New York City, McNally Jackson. THE DINNER LIST will be a Bets On pick; find out why in next week’s newsletter.
Vladimir Nabokov’s LOLITA is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time, yet very few readers know that the subject of the book was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of 11-year-old Sally Horner. The aforementioned Sarah Weinman’s true-crime debut, THE REAL LOLITA (which you may remember was one of this year’s buzz books at BookExpo), tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records and interviews with surviving relatives, Sarah uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing LOLITA.
Reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman calls THE REAL LOLITA “a well-researched tale” that is “compelling and powerful. It draws on the best aspects of true crime and literary criticism to create something riveting and revelatory. Weinman’s narrative is compassionate and informative, and I strongly recommend it.” I agree, and this, too, will be a Bets On selection next week.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE FORBIDDEN DOOR, the fourth installment in Dean Koontz’s series starring rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk; KATERINA, James Frey’s highly anticipated new novel, a sweeping love story alternating between 1992 Paris and Los Angeles in 2018; ROBERT B. PARKER’S COLORBLIND by Reed Farrel Coleman, which marks the return of police chief Jesse Stone, whose newest case hits right at the heart of the Paradise police force; and Wayétu Moore’s debut novel, SHE WOULD BE KING (another BookExpo Buzz book), which reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three characters who share an uncommon bond.
THE FORBIDDEN DOOR is one of the prizes in our current Word of Mouth contest; the other is BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross, which we plan to review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, September 21st at noon ET for your chance to win both these highly anticipated thrillers.
This year’s Fall Preview contests kicked off this week with our first three giveaways: THE DUTCH WIFE by Ellen Keith (our latest New Release Spotlight title), LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart (a current Bets On selection), and TRUST ME by the aforementioned Hank Phillippi Ryan (a Bets On pick from last week). Next week’s prize books will be THE BOY AT THE KEYHOLE by Stephen Giles (which we reviewed last week) and A SPARK OF LIGHT by Jodi Picoult (which releases on October 2nd). The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, September 17th at noon ET.
LAKE SUCCESS, which we reviewed last week, and THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (known as Team W), which we are planning to review in two weeks, are my latest Bets On picks. Click on each of the titles to find out why I’m betting you’ll love these books.
We’re awarding the audio version of LAKE SUCCESS, read by Arthur Morey and Soneela Nankani, and Christina Dalcher's VOX, read by Julia Whelan, in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Monday, October 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both these audio titles.
Our poll continues to ask which of 20 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read, if any. Be sure to let us know by Friday, September 21st at noon ET.
The longlists for this year’s National Book Awards were announced this week. Click here to see all 50 titles in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature (a new category), and Young People’s Literature. The finalists will be revealed on October 10th, followed by the announcement of the winners on November 14th.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, Delia Owens’ debut novel, is the latest Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. Here’s what Reese had to say about this national bestseller: “I can’t even express how much I love this book!... It’s about a young woman named Kya, who’s left to raise herself in the marshes of North Carolina when her family abandons her at a young age. There is so much to her story: romance, mystery, and a murder…and it takes place in the breathtaking backdrop of the South. I didn’t want this story to end!” Check out our rave review of the book here.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
I heard from Virginia, our reader who we want to celebrate with book donations, who said, “I’m awed by the kindness and grace of people. While I admit to being a little embarrassed, even uncomfortable, with a focus on me, I am at the same time humbled and touched with an incredible feeling of connection and gratitude. Thank you for making this happen. Truly out of the ashes, good things are coming. Thank you.” Scroll further down the newsletter for more info about this.
Nikki wrote, “This has been such a lovely experience, being given the chance to help a fellow book lover going through such a difficult time.”
Writing about this week’s contest for LAKE SUCCESS, Cheryl wrote, “I am absolutely thrilled with this news! Yahoo! I can’t wait to get my hands on the book, and I’ll let you know my thoughts once I read it. Thank you so much for your wonderful website and newsletters, and most of all, this fabulous surprise.”
"This Is Us": There will be a special about the show airing on September 18th; the new season begins on September 25th.
"The Sinner" on USA Network: Caught up on Season Two; two more episodes to go. So well done. Dark and gripping.
Brooklyn Book Festival: The week-long Brooklyn Book Festival ends Monday. Click here for all the info if you're interested in going.
Among the books I am eagerly awaiting this fall are two cookbooks. The first is OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE by Yotam Ottolenghi (on sale: October 16th); the second is COOK LIKE A PRO: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks by Ina Garten, which is out on October 23rd. I am following them both on Instagram and crave these books. While I am waiting, I made these Triple Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies from Nigella Lawson’s SIMPLY NIGELLA and these Super-Loaded Oatmeal Cookies, which have oatmeal, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and lots of dried fruit. I left out the nuts, as Greg is allergic, and added in an extra cup of various dried fruits. They both have been disappearing all week.
Greg came back from Georgia last weekend driving a big Penske truck with a trailer on the back, on which he had towed the Land Rover Classic that he bought. He had never driven a truck or towed a trailer until this trip. (Yes, I was stressed all weekend!) The flight down, truck rental and hotel stay overnight on the way back came to more than the price of the car, which he plans to rebuild. He gets this craving to rebuild cars from his father, who currently has three projects progressing way too slowly for me. I go to the dealer to buy cars, I do not buy ones that do not run and then fix them up. I like to go vroom vroom right away.
He also came home with strep throat; I am betting some passenger brought this aboard the Delta flight along with their carry-on luggage. Our driveway right now needs better organization, or a valet. Oh, but wait, the cars need to run to have a valet. I count three in the driveway and two in the garage that are not running. 3+2=5. That is old math. There are four that do run, including mine, and none is newer than 10 years old. You can do the rest of the math. They have lots of books on how to restore cars; I think they need to speed read and speed repair, and then not speed when driving.
Alas, there is an author tie-in here. Here’s a piece about Lee Child driving a Land Rover Series 1 on an expedition. Enjoy.
Oh, and speaking of Lee Child, while we were on hiatus, news came out that he is adapting all of his books for television. He also is donating all of his papers to the British Archive for Contemporary Writing at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Homemade pizza for five is on the agenda for tonight --- a nice way to end the week.
I have found a lovely lace pattern to add to the bottom of a skirt that I am knitting. This looks really complicated. Even my friend Annie, who is my pattern go-to person, said “whoa” when she looked at the instructions. "Whoa" does not sound like, “Carol, you can do this!” I see much reverse knitting in my future. I keep reading the pattern and looking at the pictures, and cannot figure this out for the life of me. I also see a trip to the yarn store in my future.
On Saturday night, we are going to a neighbor’s home as they gather to celebrate the passing of her father (I learned you do not sit shiva during the Jewish holidays). On Sunday, I am headed to a memorial service for a friend. I have been beyond sad all week for her husband and young son. Both of these sad moments remind me to take time to enjoy life! In other news, the sun may come out this weekend in the New York area; it's been a while since we have seen it. The weather has been damp.
If you are in the path of Hurricane Florence, you definitely are on our minds. Stay safe. If you are observing Yom Kippur, here’s wishing you a good fast.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
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!
Join Us in Helping to Rebuild a
Longtime Bookreporter Reader's Bookshelves!
In last week’s newsletter, we asked readers to help us with a project to help rebuild the book collection of Virginia Weber, a longtime reader of the site who lost her house last year in the Thomas Fire in California. Many of you wanted to share books with her at that time, but Virginia was waiting on a long-term rental solution so she would have room for books. She finally has that. There are THREE ways you can help.
First, here is the link to her Amazon Wish List. Virginia noted, “I left out so many classics, though. Truly any books would be gratefully accepted. My husband loves history and Shakespeare and all the classics from English literature classes. My heart belongs to women storytellers --- mysteries and novels by Elizabeth George, Jodi Picoult, and so on.” So do not feel that you need to stick to the list.
Also, Virginia’s local indie bookstore has graciously agreed to join us in this bookshelves-rebuilding effort. Connie Halpern at Mrs. Figs' Bookworm said people can visit her website at www.mrsfigs.com, but they wouldn't be able to order books there to be delivered to Virginia. Instead, they can call her at (805) 482-1384 with their order or send an email to mrsfigs@mrsfigs.com, and she can get books there that Virginia can pick up.
Finally, for those of you who wrote saying that you would like to send books from your personal collections, feel free to mail them directly to Virginia. Her address is 2001 Mandrill Ave., Ventura, CA 93003. Note: These can be sent via media mail, to get a low rate, as long as there are just books in the box. We will be sending her books from our office as well.
Thank you in advance. We really look forward to making this something fun for all of us. Let’s get Virginia’s bookshelves filled again!
Featured Review: THE FORBIDDEN DOOR by Dean Koontz
THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. Equipped with superior tactical and survival skills, Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal. But if their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives --- against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Serle
At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her novel, THE DINNER LIST. When Sabrina arrives at her 30th birthday dinner, she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past…and Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
THE DINNER LIST will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don’t miss Carol’s commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Featured Review: THE REAL LOLITA by Sarah Weinman
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE REAL LOLITA: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
Vladimir Nabokov’s LOLITA is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet, very few of its readers know that the subject of the book was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of 11-year-old Sally Horner. Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, THE REAL LOLITA tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records and interviews with remaining relatives, Sarah Weinman uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing LOLITA. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
THE REAL LOLITA will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don’t miss Carol’s commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Featured Review: KATERINA by James Frey
KATERINA by James Frey (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by James Frey
KATERINA is a sweeping love story alternating between 1992 Paris and Los Angeles in 2018. At its center are a young writer and a young model on the verge of fame --- both reckless, impulsive, addicted and deeply in love. Twenty-five years later, the writer is rich, famous and numb, and he wants to drive his car into a tree, when he receives an anonymous message that draws him back to the life, and possibly the love, he abandoned years prior. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: ROBERT B. PARKER’S COLORBLIND
by Reed Farrel Coleman
ROBERT B. PARKER'S COLORBLIND: A Jesse Stone Novel by Reed Farrel Coleman (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by James Naughton
Jesse Stone is back on the job after a stint in rehab, and the road to recovery is immediately made bumpy by a series of disturbing and apparently racially motivated crimes, beginning with the murder of an African American woman. Then, Jesse's own deputy Alisha --- the first black woman hired by the Paradise police force --- becomes the target of a sophisticated frame-up. At the same time, a mysterious young man named Cole Slayton rolls into town with a chip on his shoulder and a problem with authority --- namely, Jesse. Yet something about the angry twenty-something appeals to Jesse, and he takes Cole under his wing. But there's more to him than meets the eye, and his secrets might change Jesse's life forever. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com's Fall Preview Contests and Feature
Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.
We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, 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 Monday, September 17th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
LAKE SUCCESS and THE GLASS OCEAN
LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart (Fiction/Humor)
In Gary Shteyngart’s LAKE SUCCESS, hedge-fund manager Barry Cohen is coping --- well, actually he is not coping well at all --- with an SEC investigation and his three-year-old son Shiva’s diagnosis of autism. So what does he do? He flees town. But he does not take a private jet, helicopter or Maserati like his typical bros might. No, he jumps on a Greyhound bus after disposing of not just his black American Express card, but all of his credit cards. He also trashes his cell phone. He is a man with a plan --- to track down his college sweetheart and a time when life was simpler, leaving behind his wife, Seema, who is smart and wise (there is a difference).
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary on LAKE SUCCESS.
THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (Historical Mystery)
If you read a book about the Lusitania, you can be pretty sure that at least one plotline is not going to have a happy ending. That said, I can imagine some very happy times when three bestselling authors --- Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White --- got together to plot and write THE GLASS OCEAN. Each wrote a section, and they are not sharing who wrote which, so it will be up to you to figure it out, should you so desire.
I like historical fiction books that span different times. THE GLASS OCEAN opens in 2013, and we meet Sarah Blake, who wrote a bestselling book and is under a lot of pressure to write another. Frankly, she needs the money. Her mom is in an expensive care facility, and Sarah must ensure that she can stay there. Her great-grandfather died on the RMS Lusitania, and she has found some clues among his possessions that could shed lots of light on something sinister that happened aboard that ship. To do that, she needs to head to England.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read more of Carol’s commentary on THE GLASS OCEAN.
Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight:
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE
by Stuart Turton
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed. Again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend. But nothing and no one are quite what they seem.
Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE is the most inventive debut of the year that twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Stuart Turton’s bio.
- Click here to connect with Stuart Turton on Twitter.
- Click here to see the 50 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
Click here to read more in our Debut Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE releases on September 18th. Don't miss our review of the book and interview with the author
in next week's newsletter.
An Interview with Mark de Castrique,
Author of SECRET UNDERTAKING
Mark de Castrique is the author of the Sam Blackman and Buryin' Barry series of mysteries, both of which take place in his home state of North Carolina. The newest installment in the latter series, SECRET UNDERTAKING, is now in stores and continues the adventures of funeral director and part-time deputy sheriff Barry Clayton. In this interview, de Castrique discusses his inspiration for the Buryin' Barry books, which grew out of personal history; the challenges he faces in keeping his two series characters distinct, though ponders a potential crossover novel in which Barry and Sam join forces; and the mystery authors who have had the most impact on his crime fiction.
SECRET UNDERTAKING: A Buryin' Barry Mystery by Mark de Castrique (Mystery)
When funeral director and part-time deputy sheriff Barry Clayton and his childhood nemesis, Archie Donovan, Jr., unite to create a fundraising float in Gainesboro's annual Apple Festival Parade, everything goes wrong. First, the Grand Marshal, NC Secretary of Agriculture Graham James, is attacked by a gunman and Barry's Uncle Wayne is critically wounded in the melee. The assailant is killed. Then, when the body of a convenience store owner is discovered less than an hour later with the gunman's food stamp card in his wallet, the case escalates. Two men are dead. What is the connection? Barry and Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins swiftly learn that their small town offers no protection against big-time crime.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the interview.
JUROR #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Megan Tusing
The murder of a woman from one of Rosedale, Mississippi’s oldest families has the town’s upper crust howling for blood, and the prosecutor is counting on defense counsel Ruby Bozarth's inexperience to help him deliver a swift conviction. As news breaks of a second murder, Ruby's ex-fiance, Lee Greene, shows up on her doorstep --- a Southern gentleman in need of a savior. As lurid, intertwining investigations unfold, no one in Rosedale can be trusted, especially the 12 men and women impaneled on the jury. They may be hiding the most incendiary secret of all. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SHADOW TYRANTS: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison (Thriller/Adventure)
Nearly 2,000 years ago, an Eastern emperor charged a small group with safeguarding secrets powerful enough to change the history of mankind. They went down in legend as the Nine Unknown Men --- and now two rival factions of their descendants are fighting a mighty battle. Both sides think they are saving the world, but their tactics could very well bring about the end of humankind. Soon, Juan Cabrillo and his team of expert operatives aboard the Oregon find themselves trapped between two power-hungry adversaries, both of whom are willing to use shocking means to accomplish their goals. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE WINTER SOLDIER by Daniel Mason (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Laurence Dobiesz
Lucius is a 22-year-old medical student when World War I explodes across Europe. He enlists, expecting a position at a well-organized field hospital. However, upon his arrival, he discovers a freezing outpost ravaged by typhus. The other doctors have fled, and only a mysterious nurse named Sister Margarete remains. But Lucius has never lifted a surgeon's scalpel. And as the war rages across the winter landscape, he finds himself falling in love with the woman from whom he must learn a brutal makeshift medicine. Then one day, an unconscious soldier is brought in from the snow. He seems beyond rescue, until Lucius makes a fateful decision that will change the lives of doctor, patient and nurse forever. Reviewed by Benny Regalbuto.
BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer by Lisa McCubbin (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Amanda Carlin
Setting a precedent as First Lady, Betty Ford refused to be silenced by her critics as she publicly championed equal rights for women, and spoke out about issues that had previously been taboo --- breast cancer, depression, abortion and sexuality. Privately, there were signs something was wrong. After a painful intervention by her family, she admitted to an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. Her courageous decision to speak out publicly sparked a national dialogue, and in 1982 she co-founded the Betty Ford Center, which revolutionized treatment for alcoholism and inspired the modern concept of recovery. Reviewed by Carole Turner.
SHE WOULD BE KING by Wayétu Moore (Historical Fiction/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Wayétu Moore
Wayétu Moore’s debut novel reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three characters who share an uncommon bond. Gbessa, exiled from the West African village of Lai, is starved, bitten by a viper and left for dead, but still she survives. June Dey, raised on a plantation in Virginia, hides his unusual strength until a confrontation with the overseer forces him to flee. Norman Aragon, the child of a white British colonizer and a Maroon slave from Jamaica, can fade from sight when the earth calls him. When the three meet in the settlement of Monrovia, their gifts help them salvage the tense relationship between the African American settlers and the indigenous tribes, as a new nation forms around them. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
THE CLASS: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America by Heather Won Tesoriero (Science/Education)
Audiobook available, read by Heather Won Tesoriero
Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school --- and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante’s unconventional class at Connecticut’s prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.’s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
SUNRISE HIGHWAY by Peter Blauner (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
In the summer of Star Wars and Son of Sam, a Long Island schoolgirl is found gruesomely murdered. A local prosecutor turns a troubled teenager known as JT from a suspect to a star witness in the case, putting away a high school football star who claimed to be innocent. Forty years later, JT has risen to chief of police, but there's a trail of a dozen dead women that reaches from Brooklyn across Long Island, along the Sunrise Highway, and it's possible that his actions actually enabled a killer. That's when Lourdes Robles, a relentless young Latina detective for the NYPD, steps in to track the serial killer. She discovers a deep and sinister web of connections between the victims and some of the most powerful political figures in the region, including JT himself. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
CRUDO by Olivia Laing (Fiction)
Kathy is a writer. Kathy is getting married. It’s the summer of 2017, and the whole world is falling apart. CRUDO unfolds in real time from the full-throttle perspective of a commitment-phobic artist who may or may not be Kathy Acker. From a Tuscan hotel for the superrich to a Brexit-paralyzed United Kingdom, Kathy spends the first summer of her 40s adjusting to the idea of a lifelong commitment. But it’s not only Kathy who’s changing. Fascism is on the rise, truth is dead, the planet is heating up, and Trump is tweeting the world ever-closer to nuclear war. How do you make art, let alone a life, when one rogue tweet could end it all? Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
FOE by Iain Reid (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jacques Roy
Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements already have been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone --- not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
BLACKOUT: An Ari Thor Thriller by Ragnar Jonasson (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Damron and Sarah Mollo-Christensen
On the shores of a tranquil fjord in Northern Iceland, a man is brutally beaten to death on a bright summer's night. A young reporter leaves Reykajvik to investigate on her own, unaware that an innocent person's life hangs in the balance. Ari Thor Arason and his colleagues on the tiny police force in Siglufjordur struggle with an increasingly perplexing case, while their own serious personal problems push them to the limit. What secrets does the dead man harbour, and what is the young reporter hiding? As silent, unspoken horrors from the past threaten them all, and the darkness deepens, it's a race against time to find the killer before someone else dies. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 18th
Below are some notable titles releasing on September 18th 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 September 17th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed. Again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend. But nothing and no one are quite what they seem.
BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross (Historical Thriller)
After a string of New York Times bestselling suburban thrillers, Andrew Gross has reinvented himself as a writer of historical thrillers. In his latest novel, BUTTON MAN, he delivers a stirring story of a Jewish family brought together in the dawn of the women's garment business and torn apart by the birth of organized crime in New York City in the 1930s.
DARK TIDE RISING: A William Monk Novel by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
Kidnappers have chosen Jacob’s Island as the site of a ransom exchange for Kate Exeter, the wife of wealthy real estate developer Harry Exeter. Harry asks the Thames River Police to secretly accompany him to the spot and ensure that no harm comes to him or his captive wife. But on arrival, Monk and five of his best men are attacked from all sides, and Monk is left wondering who could have given away their plans.
A FORGOTTEN PLACE: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd (Historical Mystery)
Though the Great War has ended, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford finds herself caught in deadly circumstances on a remote Welsh headland in this 10th entry of Charles Todd’s bestselling historical mystery series.
I KNOW YOU KNOW by Gilly Macmillan (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Twenty years ago, 11-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but questions still linger decades later. When a long-dead body is found in the same location the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Are the two crimes linked?
IN PIECES by Sally Field (Memoir)
In this intimate, haunting memoir, actress Sally Field tells her story for the first time, and in her own gorgeous words --- about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.
THE LABYRINTH OF SPIRITS by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Historical Thriller)
Carlos Ruiz Zafón returns to the magnificent universe he constructed in THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, THE ANGEL’S GAME and THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN in this riveting series finale that introduces a sexy, seductive new heroine whose investigation shines a light on the dark history of Franco’s Spain.
LEADERSHIP: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (History)
In LEADERSHIP, Doris Kearns Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely --- Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights) --- to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others.
LETHAL WHITE: A Cormoran Strike Novel by Robert Galbraith (Mystery)
Three years after the publication of CAREER OF EVIL, Robert Galbraith returns with the fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series, which is both a gripping mystery and a page-turning installment in the ongoing story of private eye Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott.
THESE TRUTHS: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore (History)
The American experiment rests on three ideas: political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people. And it rests, too, on a fearless dedication to inquiry, Jill Lepore argues, because self-government depends on it. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise? THESE TRUTHS tells this uniquely American story.
WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan (Historical Fiction)
George Washington Black, or "Wash," an 11-year-old field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is terrified to be chosen by his master's brother as his manservant. To his surprise, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor and abolitionist. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Christopher and Wash must abandon everything.
A WILLING MURDER by Jude Deveraux (Mystery)
New York Times bestselling romance author Jude Deveraux makes her debut in the world of mystery with a story of old secrets, deadly grudges, and an improbable group of friends who are determined to uncover the truth regardless of the consequences.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: September Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in September are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton
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BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross
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DARK TIDE RISING: A William Monk Novel, by Anne Perry
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DEPTH OF WINTER: A Longmire Mystery, by Craig Johnson
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THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Serle
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THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel, by Dean Koontz
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A FORGOTTEN PLACE: A Bess Crawford Mystery, by Charles Todd
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THE GLASS OCEAN by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
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THE GUILTY DEAD by P. J. Tracy
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IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS by Danielle Steel
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JOHN WOMAN by Walter Mosley
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JUROR #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen
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KATERINA by James Frey
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LAKE SUCCESS by Gary Shteyngart
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LEVERAGE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb
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THE MAN WHO CAME UPTOWN by George Pelecanos
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RED WAR: A Mitch Rapp Novel, by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills
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ROBERT B. PARKER'S COLORBLIND: A Jesse Stone Novel, by Reed Farrel Coleman
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TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson
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A WILLING MURDER by Jude Deveraux
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, September 21st at noon ET.
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 September 7th to September 21st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BUTTON MAN by Andrew Gross and THE FORBIDDEN DOOR: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz.
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.
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 September 4th to October 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Gary Shteyngart's LAKE SUCCESS, read by Arthur Morey and Soneela Nankani, and Christina Dalcher's VOX, read by Julia Whelan.
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.
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