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July 29, 2016

Bookreporter.com Newsletter July 29, 2016
Pool Chair, Take Me Away; It's Time for Floating and Reading!

It has been one very busy week with sizzling temperatures in the early part of the week that coaxed the pool water temperature up to 86 degrees. Nicest side effect. On Wednesday night, I headed to the pool for some reading (I love the extended daylight hours for this). I read I WILL SEND RAIN by Rae Meadows, which will be in stores on August 9th. The story is set in Mulehead, Oklahoma in the mid '30s during the early years of The Dust Bowl. Annie, the protagonist, has a lot on her mind as she chases the dust swirling around her, and struggles with who she is and who she wants to be. Her daughter is going through those same motions. It’s one of those books I was immediately drawn into. A future Bookreporter.com Bets On selection has been lined up.

Last weekend, we spent time with both sides of the family, which was great fun. My sister, Diane, is an amazing artist working in many mediums. Over the holidays, I gave her a copy of the LOST OCEAN coloring book. Instead of coloring it as one might have done with colored pencils, crayons or markers, she BEADED one of the pictures for me and gave it to me last week when we saw her at the beach. You can see the final amazing product above, and you also can click through some close-up photos on our Facebook page here. I have been getting notes on how wowed people have been by this since I posted it!

Seeing everyone was fun, but it did not allow for much downtime for reading. I did finish THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict, our current Sneak Peek title. For those who liked THE PARIS WIFE and THE AVIATOR’S WIFE, this will be one you want to pick up. I always knew Einstein was a complicated man, but I was bowled over by the story of him and his wife that was uncovered here. Reading about Marie’s research was just wonderful. In anticipation of the novel’s October 18th release, we’re awarding 50 advance copies to readers who can commit to sharing their comments on it by Friday, September 16th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, August 4th at noon ET.

I am listening to BLACK-EYED SUSANS by Julia Heaberlin, which was advertised on the site earlier this summer. I heard raves about it during ThrillerFest, and with good reason. It may be a coincidence that the black-eyed Susans in our garden (which you can see above) seem to have burst into color as I am listening.

When we left off last week, a group of us were at the Random House Open House where again there were lots of our readers in attendance. They had a stellar author lineup, including Paula McLain (CIRCLING THE SUN), Curtis Sittenfeld (ELIGIBLE), Emma Cline (THE GIRLS), Imbolo Mbue (BEHOLD THE DREAMERS), Martha Hall Kelly (LILAC GIRLS), Catherine Banner (THE HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF NIGHT) and Kimberly Williams-Paisley (WHERE THE LIGHT GETS IN), among others. Catching up with Paula, she shared that her next book is about Hemingway’s third wife, Martha Gellhorn, which is very exciting. And the praise for LILAC GIRLS from the audience was gushing, which was fun to see! Martha has made MANY fans! Imbolo's book is coming on August 23rd, and it's a fave of mine, thus it was lovely to have readers get a chance to meet her in advance of publication. I had listened to Kimberly’s book on audio; she was even more passionate about the subject of her mother Linda’s illness --- primary progressive aphasia --- from her early-onset diagnosis at the age of 62. We also got caught up on where her mom is now. Rebecca Munro has our full report here.

Over lunch, I got to talk with other attendees about Jodi Picoult’s SMALL GREAT THINGS, which is coming out on October 11th, in the form of an informal book group discussion. Readers were raving about it --- and talking about how much it moved them to think more about race and the differences between people in a new way. I loved being part of this conversation; many of those in this informal discussion have it slated to be discussed with their groups.

Now to this week’s update…

Liane Moriarty has established herself as a master of family drama and realistic thrills, and TRULY MADLY GUILTY is a perfect summer read. Sam and Clementine have a busy but thriving life together. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends, but as with many deep connections, theirs is complicated. Two months after Erika invites them to her neighbors’ barbecue, Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves one question: What if we hadn’t gone? Secrets emerge, and the four must struggle with long-buried tensions brought to light.

Rebecca Munro has our review and says, "[Moriarty's] talent for character development and pacing is truly remarkable, as is her ability to inject even the minutest scene with tension and drama.... The writing of TRULY MADLY GUILTY was phenomenal, and I loved Moriarty’s ability to totally encapsulate a friendship as complicated as Erika and Clementine’s." Liane has a piece in the New York Times this week that you can read here.

Dave Eggers has only become more in tune with America’s literary and cultural landscape. HEROES OF THE FRONTIER is a sprawling and captivating journey that is at once a heartfelt coming-of-age novel and an insightful adventure. Josie and her children’s father have split up, her career is in danger, and she’s grieving the death of a young man senselessly killed. When her ex asks to take the children to meet his new fiancée’s family, Josie makes a run for it. She and her kids, Paul and Ana, rent a rattling old RV, and at first their trip feels like an adventure. But as they drive, pushed further and further north by the unforgiving landscape, Josie is chased by enemies both real and imagined, past mistakes pursuing her and her family, even towards the far reaches of civilization.

According to reviewer Norah Piehl, HEROES OF THE FRONTIER is "full of small details, offbeat scenes and genuine hilarity, making it a novel that, like the Alaskan frontier, can both reward and surprise around every turn."

Author of the celebrated Wayward Pines trilogy, Blake Crouch is no stranger to intricately plotted thrillers --- yet his new novel, DARK MATTER, is an altogether game-changing venture. “Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. He awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. He never married his wife, his son wasn’t born, and his forays in science have led him not to teaching but to celebrated revelations. Is it this world or the other that’s a dream? Can he make it back to his other life? Does he want to?

Reviewer Joe Hartlaub proclaims that the book “spoke and sung to me…. Exciting, suspenseful and frightening, yet also poignant and heartwarming, DARK MATTER is one of the best books of any year…or any reality.” Note that I kept thinking about the film Inception as I read DARK MATTER.

Bestselling author Megan Abbott explores the merciless world of competitive gymnastics in YOU WILL KNOW ME. Katie and Eric Knox have dedicated their lives to the career of their 15-year-old daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful. But when a violent death shatters their close-knit gymnastics community just weeks before a crucial competition, everything they have worked so hard for feels suddenly at risk. Katie tries to hold herself and her family together, but she finds herself drawn into the drama --- and close to the crime itself. Abbott delves into the question many competitive families may encounter, with frightening consequences: How far would you go to achieve a dream?

Ray Palen has our review and says, “Abbott does a nice job of not letting the reader inside Devon's head as most of the novel features her mother…. YOU WILL KNOW ME is a true suburban nightmare that Megan Abbott strips away piece by piece before letting you in on what is actually going on.” This is at the top of my reading pile!

We’re awarding YOU WILL KNOW ME, along with SWEET TOMORROWS: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber (which we’re reviewing next week), in our Word of Mouth contest. Let us know by Friday, August 5th at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading for your chance to win both novels.

Our latest New Release Spotlight title is Brenda Novak’s THE SECRETS SHE KEPT, the thrilling follow-up to THE SECRET SISTER. The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it's suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it. Keith bears many scars from his childhood --- he walked away from his fraught, abusive relationship with his mother and forged a new life for himself. But as soon as he learns of his mother’s death, he feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire back together --- and he’s determined to find his mother’s killer. However, coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother’s final days may reveal secrets about his new life that might be better off undiscovered.

THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware, which we reviewed last week (and I just found out is hitting the New York Times bestseller list at #4!), is my latest Bets On title. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love this book, and why fans of Ruth’s debut, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, will not be disappointed.

In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away AGE OF CONSENT by Marti Leimbach, BACHELOR UNFORGIVING by Brenda Jackson, and GOOD AS GONE by Amy Gentry. Next week’s prize books will be AFTER YOU by Jojo Moyes, ENCHANTED AUGUST by Brenda Bowen, THE NURSES: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital by Alexandra Robbins (I loved this book), and A TAPESTRY OF SECRETS by Sarah Loudin Thomas. The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, August 1st at noon ET. Please note that because of a technical glitch we experienced, we were unable to post our contest for Noah Hawley’s BEFORE THE FALL (a Bets On title) on Thursday. So we'll be giving you until Monday at 11:59am ET to enter!

We’ve also been running some very cool summer contests on three of our other websites: 20SomethingReads.com, Teenreads.com and Kidsreads.com. The 20SomethingReads contest has a deadline of Wednesday, August 3rd at noon ET, while the other two end on Monday, August 1st at noon ET. So be sure to click on the preceding links, see what books we’re awarding in each giveaway, and enter before it’s too late. Great ideas for the children and grandchildren in your world!

Speaking of Teenreads.com, we’ve updated our Young Adult Books You Want to Read feature, reviews we’ve recently posted on that site that we think will appeal to an adult audience. This month’s titles are THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN by John Boyne, NEVER MISSING, NEVER FOUND by Amanda Panitch, and HOW TO DISAPPEAR by Ann Redisch Stampler.

Do you ever read the last page of a book first? That’s what we’d like to know in our latest poll. Click here to vote! I rarely do that, but did it this week by accident as I was looking for the acknowledgements.

You only have a matter of hours to enter this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, where you’ll have a chance to win 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. All you have to do is let us know by Monday, August 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you could be one of our lucky winners. August’s contest will be posted shortly thereafter, so please be on the lookout for that!

The longlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize was announced this week. Among the 13 books on the list are MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout and EILEEN by Ottessa Moshfegh. The shortlist of six books will be revealed on September 13th, with the winner being announced on October 25th.

News and Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Linda wrote, “As a long-time reader of Bookreporter, I read with interest that other readers who are also traveling this summer wait and catch up on their newsletters in their inboxes when they return home. I too travel back and forth from our home in PA to our beach home in Lewes, DE often with a group of friends with me. I also travel back and forth to my daughter's in VA. I have a suggestion: Why not take a tablet or small laptop with you? I have found that way I do not miss any copies of Bookreporter or the sister newsletters and can keep up to date with the book recommendations. Who knows, you may find a good read at a new book shop while traveling that is recommended in the newsletter. We also have family in town this weekend for my son Andrew's wedding to longtime girlfriend Nicole on Saturday. I know Sunday will be a day to just rest and start a new read as I have just finished reading LILAC GIRLS, which is an amazing read. Thanks so much for all you and your staff do to make the Bookreporter and all sister publications the great informational newsletters that they are.” Linda, congratulations on the wedding in your family. I love that you enjoyed LILAC GIRLS, and thanks for being such a loyal reader!

It was a much slower than average pop culture week with so much socializing last weekend and outdoor pool time three nights this week; I envy our friends, Scott and Karen, with a television outside that can be viewed from the pool.

My Only Word on Politics: I am glad the conventions are behind us, though I now wish we would not hear from either side until about Labor Day or Columbus Day. I could make that a law. And I wish campaign spending was capped as well. The amount of money that will be spent between now and November 8th really touches a nerve with me.

"Ray Donovan": Episode 5 was much better than the previous four.

HBO GO: HOW did I JUST NOW sign up for HBO GO when I could have done this years ago? Somehow, Friday night is the one night of the week that I do not read, except for a few pages before I go to sleep. Once the newsletter goes out, I decompress watching movies, TV shows or anything on video! There are many, many more selections for me to browse on HBO GO!

Left Behind: Many of you may be familiar with Left Behind, the 16-volume book series that sold more than 80 million copies worldwide. Sad news this week that one of the authors, Tim LaHaye, passed away. Here is a tribute from his co-author, Jerry B. Jenkins.

The Olympics: I am ready for the Opening Ceremony next Friday night. Bring on Michael Phelps (here is his swimming schedule), the gushy athlete backstories, and the only time I watch most of these sports. For some athletes, this will be my four-year check-in with them, and I will hear tales of how they have grown, etc. A week later, I will forget all this trivia that was jammed into my brain like dinosaur facts are shared with a three-year-old child.

Big news for Harry Potter fans (or parents of Harry Potter fans): HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD --- written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, and based on the play by Jack Thorne --- comes out this weekend, July 31st, just in time for The Boy Who Lived's birthday! I'm told that diehards are already lining up for the midnight release. It's nice of parents to let young ones stay out past bedtime. And it will be nice to have them talking about something besides Pokémon GO!

Quiet weekend on tap with our friends, Cathy and Lisa, coming for dinner on Saturday night (we will talk books, which I love; last I talked to Cathy, she was binge-reading Harlan Coben), and nothing else on the agenda. Greg is headed to a friend’s house to do some off-road wheeling. Cory’s plans are up in the air. I need to pick a color to paint the almost-done guestroom, which has been a two-year project.

I have jury duty next week; I honestly think I have read too many mysteries and thrillers to qualify as a juror. Seriously, I will be waiting for the plot twist; may I not yell out in the courtroom, “I saw that coming!” As much as I want to fulfill my civic duty, it’s really tough to be out of the office like this. And Rebecca also has jury duty the same week. I did not want to postpone as seriously there is never an easy time to do this, but with a staff of just six, this really is going to be tough.

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: TRULY MADLY GUILTY by Liane Moriarty
TRULY MADLY GUILTY by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Caroline Lee
Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit busy life. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger-than-life personalities there will be a welcome respite. Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: HEROES OF THE FRONTIER by Dave Eggers
HEROES OF THE FRONTIER by Dave Eggers (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
Josie and her children’s father have split up, she’s been sued by a former patient and lost her dental practice, and she’s grieving the death of a young man senselessly killed. When her ex asks to take the children to meet his new fiancée’s family, Josie makes a run for it, figuring Alaska is about as far as she can get without a passport. She and her kids, Paul and Ana, rent a rattling old RV named the Chateau, and at first their trip feels like a vacation. But as they drive, pushed north by the ubiquitous wildfires, Josie is chased by enemies both real and imagined, past mistakes pursuing her tiny family, even to the very edge of civilization. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch
DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jon Lindstrom
“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. He awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined --- one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe. 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: YOU WILL KNOW ME by Megan Abbott
YOU WILL KNOW ME by Megan Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Fortgang
How far will you go to achieve a dream? That's the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. But then a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community, and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk. As rumors swirl among the other parents, Katie tries frantically to hold her family together while also finding herself irresistibly drawn to the crime itself. What she uncovers forces Katie to consider whether there's any price she isn't willing to pay to achieve Devon's dream. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read more about the book.
 
Click here to read the review.
Sneak Peek Contest: Enter to Win an Advance Copy of THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict and Share Your Comments on It
Our latest Sneak Peek Feature spotlights THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict, a compelling story that reveals the forgotten woman whose light was lost in Einstein’s enormous shadow. The book doesn’t release until October 18th, but we have 50 advance copies to give away to readers who can commit to previewing it and sharing their comments on it by Friday, September 16th. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, August 4th at noon ET.

For our Sneak Peek program, your commitment to participate is critical, so please only enter this contest if you truly will have time to read THE OTHER EINSTEIN and give us your feedback by the September 16th deadline.

THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva “Mitza” Maric is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich. For her, math seems like an easier path than marriage, until she falls in love with fellow student Albert Einstein. Charismatic and brilliant, Albert promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, is there room for more than one genius in a marriage?

This is the untold story of Albert’s first wife, a brilliant scientist in her own right, whose contributions to the special theory of relativity have been hotly debated.


-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Marie Benedict's bio.
-Click here to visit Marie Benedict's official website.
-Click here to connect with Marie Benedict on Facebook.
 
Click here to read more in our Sneak Peek Feature and enter the contest.
New Release Spotlight: THE SECRETS SHE KEPT by Brenda Novak
THE SECRETS SHE KEPT by Brenda Novak (Fiction)
Exciting, emotional and intense, THE SECRETS SHE KEPT is the thrilling follow-up to New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak's highly acclaimed THE SECRET SISTER. The things that happen in families are always surprising and sometimes shocking!


The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it's suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it.

Keith bears scars --- both physical and emotional --- from his childhood, but he’s worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he’s built a new life in LA. He’s also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother’s death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again --- and he’s determined to find his mother’s killer.

Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother’s final days and hours entails a very real risk.

Because the person who killed her could be someone he loves…

-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Brenda Novak's bio.
-Click here to visit Brenda Novak's official website.
-Connect with Brenda Novak on Facebook and Twitter.

 
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware
THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware (Mystery/Thriller)
I had the pleasure of discovering --- and interviewing --- Ruth Ware months before her debut bestseller, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, was published; it was a 2015 Bets On selection. Ruth was in the States from the UK for BookExpo America 2015, and we had a lovely chat in which she deftly explained her plotting and writing. You would never know from meeting her that she would write such twisted thrillers. I rather thought we would grab tea and look at photos of our kids. But clearly, behind the keyboard, she has a complete set of thriller chops.

I always look to sophomore novels from authors I love with trepidation, but Ruth nailed THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 as well. Here the story is set on a small luxury liner instead of in a cabin in the woods. I always wanted to go on a luxury cruise, but I am not so sure about that after this read!

Our protagonist, Lo Blacklock, has the dream assignment to take a luxury cruise and report on it. But amidst the cocktails, the well-appointed rooms and the swells on board, something is awry. Lo borrows mascara from the woman next door to her in Cabin 10 on the first night, only to be told later that there is no passenger in that cabin. She is sure she saw someone wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt, but where is that woman now?

The story rolls you up and down like a ship on the waves. Ruth again employs "a locked-in space with limited internet access" as a plot device --- and again it works. I’m looking forward to where she takes us in her next book!

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
 
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
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.

Due to a technical glitch on our sites, we were unable to post the contest for BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley on Thursday as we had originally planned. Thus you will have until Monday, August 1st at 11:59am ET to enter for your chance to win a copy. The first contest of the week will then kick off one minute later 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
BLUE MOON: Mundy’s Landing Book Two by Wendy Corsi Staub (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Ryan
A century ago, the Sleeping Beauty Murders terrified picturesque Mundy’s Landing. The victims, like the killer, were never identified. Now, on the 100th anniversary, the Historical Society’s annual “Mundypalooza” offers a hefty reward for solving the notorious case. Annabelle Bingham, living in one of the three Murder Houses, can’t escape the feeling that her family is being watched --- and not just by news crews and amateur sleuths. Having unearthed the startling truth behind the horrific crimes, a copycat killer is about to reenact them --- beneath the mansard roof of Annabelle’s dream home. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE MUSE by Jessie Burton (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Bahni Turpin and Maria Elena Infantino
England, 1967: Odelle Bastien --- a Caribbean émigré trying to make her way in London --- starts working at the prestigious Skelton Institute of Art and discovers a painting rumored to be the work of Isaac Robles, a young artist of immense talent whose mysterious death has confounded the art world for decades. Spain, 1936: Olive Schloss follows her parents to Arazuelo, a poor village on the southern coast. She grows close to Teresa, a housekeeper, and her half-brother, Isaac Robles. Insinuating themselves into the Schloss family’s lives, Teresa and Isaac help Olive conceal her artistic talents with devastating consequences that will echo into the decades to come. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE by Maggie O'Farrell (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Graham Rowat and Saskia Maarleveld
A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, Daniel Sullivan has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and a wife, Claudette, who is a reclusive ex–film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Claudette was once the most glamorous and infamous woman in cinema before she staged her own disappearance and retreated to blissful seclusion in an Irish farmhouse. But the life Daniel and Claudette have so carefully constructed is about to be disrupted by an unexpected discovery about a woman Daniel lost touch with 20 years ago. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE LOST GIRLS by Heather Young (Mystery)
Audiobook available, performed by Alice Rosengard and Laurel Schroeder
In 1935, six-year-old Emily Evans vanishes from her family’s vacation home on a remote Minnesota lake. Sixty years later, Emily’s sister, Lucy, lives in the lake house alone. Before her death, she writes the story of that devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves, along with the house, to her grandniece, Justine. Justine’s only neighbor is a strange old man who seems to know more about the summer of 1935 than he’s telling. Soon Justine’s troubled oldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily’s disappearance, her mother arrives to steal her inheritance, and the man she left launches a dangerous plan to get her back. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE UNSEEN WORLD by Liz Moore (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Flanagan
Ada Sibelius is raised by David, her brilliant, eccentric, socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston. Home-schooled, Ada accompanies David to work every day; by 12, she is a painfully shy prodigy. The lab begins to gain acclaim at the same time that David’s mysterious history comes into question. When his mind begins to falter, leaving Ada virtually an orphan, she is taken in by one of David’s colleagues. Soon she embarks on a mission to uncover her father’s secrets: a process that carries her from childhood to adulthood. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

GOOD AS GONE by Amy Gentry (Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available, read by Karen Peakes
Thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night, witnessed only by her younger sister. Her family was shattered but managed to stick together, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. And then one night the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is miraculously home safe. The family is ecstatic, but Anna, Julie’s mother, has whispers of doubts. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she begins a torturous search for the truth about the woman she desperately hopes is her daughter. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

REVOLVER by Duane Swierczynski (Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Rick Zieff, John Glouchevitch and Christine Lakin
In 1965, two Philadelphia street cops are gunned down in a corner bar. One of the fallen officers, Stan Walczak, leaves behind a 12-year-old boy, Jimmy. Thirty years later, homicide detective Jim Walczak learns that his father's alleged killer, Terrill Lee Stanton, has been sprung from prison. Jim stalks the ex-con, hoping to finally learn the truth. Fast forward 20 years: Jim's daughter Audrey, a forensic science student, reopens her grandfather's murder for a research paper. But as Audrey digs deeper, she comes to realize that Stanton probably didn't pull the trigger --- and her father may have made a horrible mistake. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING by Tiffany McDaniel (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Bramhall
Sal seems to appear out of nowhere --- a bruised and tattered 13-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town. When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, Ohio, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

COUSIN JOSEPH: A Graphic Novel by Jules Feiffer (Graphic Novel)
While in the midst of the Great Depression, Big Sam sees himself as a righteous, truth-seeking patriot, defending the American way against a rising tide of left-wing unionism, strikes and disruption that plague his home town. At the same time, he makes monthly, secret overnight trips on behalf of Cousin Joseph, a mysterious man on the phone he has never laid eyes on, to pay off Hollywood producers to ensure that they will film only upbeat movies that idealize a mythic America. But Sam himself is not in for a happy ending, as step by step the secret of his unseen mentor's duplicity is revealed to him. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE BEAUTY OF THE END by Debbie Howells (Psychological Thriller)
Ex-lawyer Noah Calaway is haunted by the memory of the beguiling young woman who left him at the altar 16 years earlier. Then one day, he receives a troubling phone call. April, the woman he once loved, lies in a coma, the victim of an apparent overdose --- and the lead suspect in a brutal murder. While Noah searches for evidence that will clear April's name, a teenager named Ella begins to sift through the secrets of her own painful family history. The same age that April was when Noah first met her, Ella harbors a revelation that could be the key to solving the murder. As the two stories converge, there are shocking consequences when the truth emerges at last. Or so everyone believes… Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

A MURDER OF CROWS by Terrence McCauley (Thriller)
For years, every intelligence agency in the world has been chasing the elusive terrorist known only as The Moroccan. But when James Hicks and his clandestine group known as the University thwart a bio-terror attack against New York City and capture The Moroccan, they find themselves in the crosshairs of their own intelligence community. When The Moroccan ultimately surrenders information that leads to the most wanted terrorist in the world, Hicks and his team find themselves in a strange new world where allies become enemies, enemies become allies, and the fate of the University --- perhaps even the Western world --- may hang in the balance. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
Next Week's Notables: Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 2nd
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 2nd 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 August 1st, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

THE ACCIDENTAL LIFE: An Editor’s Notes on Writing and Writers
by Terry McDonell (Memoir)

In this revealing memoir, Terry McDonell talks about what really happens when editors and writers work with deadlines ticking (or drinks on the bar). His stories about the people and personalities he’s known are both heartbreaking and bitingly funny. Here, too, is an expert’s practical advice on the editorial world.

AMERICAN HEIRESS: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin (True Crime)
The saga of Patty Hearst highlighted a decade in which America seemed to be suffering a collective nervous breakdown. AMERICAN HEIRESS examines the life of a young woman who suffered an unimaginable trauma and then made the stunning decision to join her captors’ crusade. Or did she?

BRIGHT, PRECIOUS DAYS by Jay McInerney (Fiction)
Russell Calloway, an independent publisher, encounters an audacious, potentially game-changing opportunity. Meanwhile, his wife Corrine devotes herself to helping feed New York City’s poor. Soon they discover they’re being priced out of the newly fashionable neighborhood, and then Corrine’s world is turned upside down when the man with whom she’d had an affair suddenly reappears.

CROWNED AND DANGEROUS: A Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen (Historical Mystery)
With love on their side and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau, Darcy O’Mara, throw their cares to the wind until news that Georgie’s future father-in-law has just been arrested for the murder of a wealthy American. They head for Ireland where Darcy’s father insists he’s innocent, and it’s up to Georgie and Darcy to prove it.

THE SIXTH IDEA: A Monkeewrench Novel by P. J. Tracy (Mystery/Thriller)
A series of inexplicable crimes with a baffling link sends homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth 60 years into the past to search for answers --- and straight to Grace MacBride’s Monkeewrench, a group of eccentric computer geniuses who devote their time and resources to helping the cops solve the unsolvable.

SMOOTH OPERATOR: A Teddy Fay Novel Featuring Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall (Thriller/Adventure)
When President Kate Lee calls Stone Barrington to Washington on an urgent matter, Stone knows just the right man for the job: Teddy Fay --- ex-CIA, master of disguise, and a gentleman not known for abiding by legal niceties in the pursuit of his own brand of justice.

SWEET TOMORROWS: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Emily Gaffney, a young teacher, is staying at the Rose Harbor Inn while she looks for a home of her own. She has her eye on one house in particular, and although her inquiries about the house are rudely rebuffed, her rocky start with the owner eventually blossoms into a friendship, and then more. The inn seems to be working its magic again until innkeeper Jo Marie Rose receives shocking news.

A TIME OF TORMENT: A Charlie Parker Thriller by John Connolly (Thriller)
Jerome Burnel was once a hero. He intervened to prevent multiple killings, but destroyed himself in the process. In his final days, he tells his story to private detective Charlie Parker. Now Parker will descend upon a strange, isolated community called the Cut, and face down a force of men who rule by terror, intimidation and murder.
 
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Young Adult Books You Want to Read
Here are this month's books we reviewed on Teenreads.com that we think will appeal to an adult audience:

THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN by John Boyne (Historical Fiction)
When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy Austrian household. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching. And this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler. Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's wing and thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal from which he may never be able to escape. This title has Common Core connections.

NEVER MISSING, NEVER FOUND by Amanda Panitch (Psychological Thriller)
Stolen from her family as a young girl, Scarlett was lucky enough to eventually escape her captor. Now a teen, she's starting a summer job at an amusement park. There are cute boys, new friends and the chance to finally have a normal life. Her first day on the job, Scarlett is shocked to discover that a girl from the park has gone missing. Old memories come rushing back. And now, as she meets her new co-workers, one of the girls seems strangely familiar. When Scarlett chose to run all those years ago, what did she set into motion? And when push comes to shove, how far will she go to uncover the truth…before it's too late?

HOW TO DISAPPEAR by Ann Redisch Stampler (Mystery/Thriller)
Nicolette Holland is the girl everyone likes. And she’s pretty sure she can get away with anything...until a young woman is brutally murdered in the woods near her house. Which is why she has to disappear. Jack Manx has always been the stand-up guy with the killer last name. But straight A’s and athletic trophies can’t make people forget that his father was a hit man and his brother is doing time for armed assault. Just when Jack is about to head to college, his brother pulls him into the family business with inescapable instructions: find Nicolette and get rid of her. Or else Jack and everyone he loves will pay the price. As Nicolette and Jack race to outsmart each other, tensions --- and attractions --- run high.

 
Click here for more young adult books we recommend you read.
Our Latest Poll: Last Page First?
Do you ever read the last page of a book first?

  • Always
  • Most of the time
  • Some of the time
  • I often am tempted, but I resist.
  • No, it would ruin the reading experience for me.
  • No, but I would be open to doing this.
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 July 22nd to August 5th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of SWEET TOMORROWS: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie Macomber and YOU WILL KNOW ME by Megan Abbott.

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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