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These last couple of years, I have not spent much time in New York City. Since we closed our office and went remote, there has not been much reason to be there. Events on Wednesday night and the next two weeks are more the exception rather than the rule.
There was a cocktail party on Wednesday night for Paula Hawkins to celebrate her forthcoming thriller, THE BLUE HOUR, which will be out on October 29th. It was held in a private book-lined room at the Whitley Hotel, which was just perfect. Amusingly, many of us dressed on point in various shades of blue. I loved that fashion moment in publishing and coveted Paula’s dress.
Paula read from the book to give us a taste of it as few had read early copies. She explained her interest in art and how it inspired part of the book. And she talked about the line that she kept thinking about writing as she lounged while on vacation after spraining her ankle.
I had a lovely conversation with Paula and her editor, Kate Nintzel, who also edits Kate Morton, so our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event with Kate from last month came up as we chatted. I noted that I would love to interview Paula when the book is out, so fingers crossed.
Next week is the U.S. Book Show, which I will be attending with Tom Donadio. It will be a full day of presentations by publishers, editors and agents about the business of publishing. Then the following week, we will be at the kickoff party for ThrillerFest. These are all very good reasons to leave the house and talk books and authors. But wow, there are a lot of emails by the time I get home!
The newly released LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick, is the latest book we’re featuring in our Fiction Author Spotlight. This is Terah Shelton Harris’ second novel, following last year’s debut, ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH.
“Heir property” is a form of ownership that began during Reconstruction when many Black people did not have access to the legal system and began to pass on land to their heirs without a legal will. The Department of Agriculture recognizes heir property as the leading cause of involuntary land loss among Black families. Without a clear title, it only takes one family member with interest in the land to spark a sale. This, painfully, is what happens to the siblings in LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE and what sets the stage for an emotional and poignant family drama about intergenerational trauma and the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children.
We have our review this week from Rebecca Munro, who has this to say: “Told in alternating viewpoints, LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE is a truly resonant, one-of-a-kind novel. It’s ambitious but earnest in its scope and, against all odds, succeeds in quite literally every facet... If Terah Shelton Harris wasn’t an auto-buy author for you before, she will be now. Be prepared to follow what this reviewer hopes is a long, storied career.”
I enjoyed talking to Terah about the book this morning. We look forward to bringing you that interview in next week’s newsletter and my Bets On commentary in two weeks.
Our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight of THE STOLEN CHILD, Ann Hood’s new novel and an upcoming Bets On selection, continues this week with our review.
According to Sarah Rachel Egelman, “Hood does a wonderful job allowing the setting to help tell the story, which adds to the overall richness of the book. From the French countryside to Rhode Island, from Paris to Naples to Capri, and from diners to museums, she lets her characters explore the world as they explore their own emotions and motivations, needs and choices…. [T]he narrative is engaging and entertaining with interesting and nuanced characters. THE STOLEN CHILD is a sweet and charming tale of love, purpose and self-acceptance.”
If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Ann, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here. My Bets On commentary will appear in next week’s newsletter.
A man presumed dead is suddenly wanted for murder in THINK TWICE. This 12th entry in Harlan Coben’s series featuring sports agent Myron Bolitar is a thriller of secrets, lies and dangerous conspiracies that threaten to cover up the truth.
According to our reviewer Ray Palen, the book “is about friendship, family, loyalty, secrets, lies, homicide and, most of all, the chance for redemption. It is also a sleekly written murder mystery that will have you guessing right up until the end and puts you firmly in the shoes of our very plausible and likable protagonist.”
In Kate White’s latest psychological thriller, THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM, a woman is left reeling when her former fiancé appears to take his own life, and she becomes desperate to prove it was actually murder.
Pamela Kramer has our review and calls the book “an engrossing murder mystery with an engaging main character who is determined to do right by the man she loved but couldn't marry…. This is yet another win that Kate White will be able to claim in her long list of intriguing and complex psychological thrillers.”
We also are spotlighting these two reviews:
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AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY: Beloved historian Doris Kearns Goodwin artfully weaves together biography, memoir and history as she takes you along on the emotional journey that she and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, embarked upon in the last years of his life.
Doris was the keynote speaker at Simon & Schuster’s Author! Author! Centennial Celebration last month, and she talked so movingly about the book. You can watch her presentation, along with dozens of other authors who spoke that evening, on Simon & Schuster’s YouTube page. We also were told that the entire event, along with backstage footage and author interviews, will be posted soon. We will let you know when that is up!
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EXTINCTION: With a nod to Michael Crichton, Douglas Preston’s latest thriller explores the possible and unintended dangers of the very real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct animals. Ray Palen says that the book “hits all the marks of a scientifically sound technothriller that will challenge all you thought you knew about a particular subject...”
Announcing Our Mother’s Day Contest Winners
Congratulations to the five winners of our Mother’s Day contest!
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Elaine W. from Birmingham, AL
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Linda D. from Decatur, IL
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Mary B. from Morrisville, NY
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Mary M. from Lexington, KY
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Patti C. from State College, PA
These lucky readers will receive all 11 of our featured titles. I am planning to mail these prizes next week as we are waiting for the last two books to arrive!
A BIG Contest for Dads!
Now we shift our attention to the dads, as our Father’s Day contest is back for a 19th year! Once again, we’re giving away fiction and nonfiction titles that we think dads will love. Five readers will win all seven of our prize books for themselves or their dad. Among them are ALL THE GLIMMERING STARS by Mark Sullivan and ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds by Tom Seeman (more on the latter towards the end of this opening note). Be sure to enter here by Friday, June 14th at noon ET.
Summer Reading Contest Update
ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE is one of the titles we gave away in our Summer Reading contests this week; the other was THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. Next week’s prize book will be SUCH A LOVELY FAMILY by Aggie Blum Thompson; the contest for it will be up on Tuesday, May 21st at noon ET.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My two latest Bets On picks are SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews and I WILL RUIN YOU by Linwood Barclay, both of which we reviewed last week (the latter is a Father’s Day prize book). Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary. And if you missed my interview with Mary Kay, be sure to watch it here or listen to the podcast here.
Revisiting Two “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews
Out in paperback this week are THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain and GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen, both of which are Bets On selections. I talked to Ashley and Sarah when their books came out in hardcover, so if you’d like to check out these interviews, you can watch the videos or listen to the podcasts using the links below.
Word of Mouth Reminder
Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win our current Word of Mouth prizes: LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan and ONE PERFECT COUPLE by Ruth Ware. Be sure to submit your entries by Friday, May 24th at noon ET.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask which of my Bets On picks that are now or soon will be in paperback you have read or are planning to read. Click here to let us know by Friday, May 24th at noon ET.
We heard the sad news this week that beloved author Alice Munro passed away on Monday at the age of 92.
Munro wrote 13 collections of short stories --- including DEAR LIFE, RUNAWAY and TOO MUCH HAPPINESS --- as well as a novel, LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, the first Canadian author and the 13th woman to be awarded the prize, and was hailed as a “master of the contemporary short story.”
Among the numerous other awards and prizes she received were three Governor General’s Literary Awards and two Giller Prizes in Canada; the Rea Award; the Lannan Literary Award; the National Book Critics Circle Award; and the International Booker Prize.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Linda wrote, “I recently received FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, which I won in your Spring Preview contest. Thank you. When I finish it, I will donate it to my library. I enjoy your newsletters and Zoom talks.”
Lisa wrote, “On a cold rainy Friday, this is a welcome surprise! Summer Reading and THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB! I look forward to reading and sharing on social media. I read MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND years ago and enjoyed it.”
Kelly wrote, “Thank you! I just finished SUMMERS AT THE SAINT that I won in your Summer Reading contest. Very exciting to win something and surprising when the city you live in is mentioned in the story (Spartanburg). Your newsletters and reviews are so interesting, and I look forward to them every week. Thank you again, and have a great summer!”
Cherie wrote, “Thank you for SUMMERS AT THE SAINT. I plan to start reading this weekend. I adore all your sessions and what you do.”
Diane wrote, “Thank you for the copy of THE STOLEN CHILD. It sits prominently on my TBR bookshelf. I will send my thoughts after I read it.”
“The Tattooist of Auschwitz” on Peacock: We finished watching this series the other night. It is so well done, and there is lots to think about after watching it.
“A Man in Full” on Netflix: I had not read the book by Tom Wolfe, but I enjoyed this series. Jeff Daniels is great. Diane Lane is having quite a year in both this and “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”. There are so many wild moments; you will know them when you watch.
“House of the Dragon” on HBO and Max: Here’s the official trailer for the second season of this series, which is based on George R. R. Martin’s FIRE & BLOOD. Set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones”, it tells the story of House Targaryen. Expect me to be more lost than I was the season before. I literally watch this show and ask Tom what happened afterwards.
Allison Pataki at the CBS New York Book Club meetup: Did you miss Allison’s interview with Mary Calvi? You can give it a watch here.
Books that we give away often inspire me to read them as well. I am about one-third of the way through the aforementioned ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE by Tom Seeman. Tom is still a young child at this point, living in the projects with his family of 14. I am seeing the world through his eyes --- and I am looking forward to seeing how these early years influence his adulthood.
I took advantage of it not raining this afternoon (a complete anomaly these days) to FINALLY head to the garden center to stock up on flowers and herbs. Yes, FINALLY! My husband and I filled a huge cart. He put the brakes on me grabbing a second cart as he thought we already had enough for me to have to hold something on my lap on the way home. Ha! That did not happen. We could have done another half a cart. But hey, that just means we will head back there.
Now the next step is to get these in the ground or in pots, etc. If it rains this weekend, I am tempted to set up a tent outside to plant, plant, plant. Now watch, the rain will then stop, and we will have to get out and water every day. Oh, and the pool is not yet open; fingers crossed that we also do that this weekend.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
Featured Review: THINK TWICE by Harlan Coben
THINK TWICE by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Steven Weber
Three years ago, sports agent Myron Bolitar gave a eulogy at the funeral of his client, renowned basketball coach Greg Downing. Myron and Greg had history: initially as deeply personal rivals, and later as unexpected business associates. Myron made peace and moved on --- until now, when two federal agents walk into his office, demanding to know where Greg Downing is. According to the agents, Greg is still alive --- and has been placed at the scene of a double homicide, making him their main suspect. Shocked, Myron needs answers. Myron and Win, longtime friends and colleagues, set out to find the truth, but the more they discover about Greg, the more dangerous their world becomes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE LAST TIME
SHE SAW HIM by Kate White
THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM by Kate White (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Brad Holbrook
As Kiki Reed heads out to a party at a friend’s house in the Connecticut countryside, she’s more than a little nervous. Her ex-fiancé, Jamie, will be attending, and she hasn’t seen him since she broke his heart a few months earlier. But when they come face to face, their exchange is brief and pleasant, which is a huge relief. Then, as the party is winding down, a noise pierces the night. The last few guests run outside to find Jamie inside his car, dead from a gunshot wound. Shocked and grieving, Kiki learns that the police believe Jamie took his own life, but she knows he was moving on from the breakup and just doesn’t believe it. Determined to find the truth, she searches for any evidence that will get the police to take her seriously. But as she peels away the layers, she uncovers something far more sinister than she’d imagined --- and it may be her life on the line next. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Memoir/History)
Audiobook available, read by Doris Kearns Goodwin with Bryan Cranston
Dick and Doris Goodwin were married for 42 years --- and married to American history even longer. In his 20s, Dick was one of the brilliant young men of John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier. In his 30s, he both named and helped design Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and was a speechwriter and close advisor to Robert Kennedy. Doris Kearns was a 24-year-old graduate student when selected as a White House Fellow. She worked directly for Lyndon Johnson and later assisted on his memoir. The Goodwins’ last great adventure involved finally opening the more than 300 boxes of letters, diaries, documents and memorabilia that Dick had saved for more than 50 years. They soon realized they had before them an unparalleled personal time capsule of the 1960s, illuminating public and private moments of a decade when individuals were powered by the conviction that they could make a difference. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: EXTINCTION by Douglas Preston
EXTINCTION by Douglas Preston (Technothriller)
Audiobook available, read by David Aaron Baker
Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent, hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire's son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators. As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection --- but extinction. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 19th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 19th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our seven featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, June 14th at noon ET.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
New Fiction Author Spotlight & Featured Review:
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by Terah Shelton Harris
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by Terah Shelton Harris (Fiction)
"Don't let the white man take the house."
These are the last words King Solomon says to his son before he dies. Now all four Solomon siblings must return to North Carolina to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home and 200 acres of land, from a development company that has their sights set on turning the valuable waterfront property into a luxury resort.
While fighting to save the Kingdom, the siblings also must save themselves from the secrets they've been holding onto. Junior, the oldest son and married to his wife for 11 years, is secretly in love with another man. Second son Mance can't control his temper, which has landed him in prison more than once. CeCe, the oldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled thousands of dollars from her firm's clients. Youngest daughter Tokey wonders why she doesn't seem to fit into this family, which has left an aching hole in her heart that she tries to fill in harmful ways.
As the Solomons come together to fight for the Kingdom, each of their façades begins to crumble and collide in unexpected ways.
Told in alternating viewpoints, LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE is a searing portrait of the power of family and letting go of things that no longer serve you, exploring the burden of familial expectations, the detriment of miscommunication, and the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children.
- Click here to read Terah Shelton Harris' bio.
- Click here to visit Terah Shelton Harris' website.
- Connect with Terah Shelton Harris on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight.
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's interview with Terah Shelton Harris in next week's newsletter, followed by her Bets On commentary in the May 31st newsletter.
Historical Fiction Author Spotlight & Featured Review:
THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood (Historical Fiction)
For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands --- and disappeared. In 1974, with only months left to live, Nick enlists Jenny, a college dropout desperate for adventure, to help him unravel the mystery.
The journey leads them from Paris galleries and provincial towns to a surprising place: the Museum of Tears, the life’s work of a lonely Italian craftsman. Determined to find the baby and the artist, hopeless romantic Jenny and curmudgeonly Nick must reckon with regret, betrayal and the lives they’ve left behind.
With characteristic warmth and verve, Ann Hood captures a world of possibility and romance through the eyes of a young woman learning to claim her place in it. THE STOLEN CHILD is an engaging, timeless novel of secrets, love lost and found, and the nature of forgiveness.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Ann Hood.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to read Ann Hood's bio.
- Click here to visit Ann Hood's website.
- Connect with Ann Hood on Facebook and Instagram.
Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight.
THE STOLEN CHILD will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in next week's newsletter.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews
and I WILL RUIN YOU by Linwood Barclay
SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
I love big hotels that have a lot of history to them, so I was immediately drawn to SUMMERS AT THE SAINT. Here, Mary Kay Andrews has all the elements for a perfect beach read --- a beloved hotel with a storied reputation, a great cast of characters, and a few mysteries that include a murder. And she parlays this into a page-turning story!
The St. Cecelia (which everyone refers to as “the Saint”) is being run by Traci Eddings, who grew up as “an Ain't,” meaning that she was not wealthy or connected enough to frequent the resort. She married a man whose family owned the hotel and took over his position running it when he died in a plane crash.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Mary Kay Andrews.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews' website.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on SUMMERS AT THE SAINT.
I WILL RUIN YOU by Linwood Barclay (Psychological Thriller)
I am a longtime fan of Linwood Barclay’s books, and I think I have read them all. I especially love the characters he delivers, all of whom are well drawn and relatable. Then he puts them in circumstances that upend their lives. Often I think, What would *I* do? And yes, I am happy that these are his characters’ problems, not mine.
In I WILL RUIN YOU, we start with a sadly familiar situation. A teacher is confronted by a former student armed with dynamite who is ready to blow up the school building and himself. Just as Richard has talked Mark into walking away, fate intervenes, and the young man trips. Bang! That is on page 11.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read Linwood Barclay's blog post about book banning.
- Click here to visit Linwood Barclay's website.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on I WILL RUIN YOU.
Bookreporter.com's 20th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! 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 early August, 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 contest will be up on Tuesday, May 21st at noon ET. The prize book will be SUCH A LOVELY FAMILY by Aggie Blum Thompson, a heart-pounding journey into the deep and dark underbelly of seemingly perfect suburban Washington, DC.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
THE 24th HOUR by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
SFPD Sergeant Lindsay Boxer, Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano and crime writer Cindy Thomas gather at one of San Francisco’s finest restaurants to celebrate exciting news: Cindy is getting married. Before they can raise their glasses, there’s a disturbance in the restaurant. A woman has been assaulted. Claire examines the victim. Lindsay makes an arrest. Yuki takes the case. Cindy covers it. The legal strategy is complicated by gaps in the plaintiff’s memory --- and the shocking reason behind her ever-changing testimony. As Yuki leads the prosecution, Lindsay chases down a high-society killer whose target practice may leave the Women’s Murder Club short a bridesmaid…or two. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE SHADOW OF WAR: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Jeff Shaara (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Paul Michael
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy inherited an ill-conceived, poorly executed invasion of Cuba that failed miserably and set in motion the events that put the U.S. and the Soviet Union on a collision course that nearly started a war that would have enveloped much of the world. THE SHADOW OF WAR brings to life the many threads that lead to the building crisis between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1962. It is told from a multitude of perspectives and voices --- from the Russian engineer attempting the nearly impossible task of building the missile launch facilities in Cuba, to the U.S. Navy commanders whose ships are sent to "quarantine" Cuba, to the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, desperately trying to maintain a challenging balancing act between the conflicting demands of various powerful forces. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jess Nahikian
Ru Evans taught herself euclidean geometry at age seven, has an eidetic memory, and is about to enter college at 13 years old. Boarding at a house near campus 150 miles from home, Ru meets 17-year-old Gabriel, an outsider himself who, like Ru, has trouble making friends --- until they form a fast sibling-like bond. Finding a relatable someone in the world to talk to is a first for both of them. But when Ru’s mother dies and the threat of living with her miserable aunt looms, Ru hatches an escape. It’s an impulsive road trip that takes Ru and Gabriel from California to Canada, where Ru can fulfill her ultimate dream: to see Atlantic puffins in the glorious wild. Mile by mile, Ru discovers the joy of friendship, found family, dark night skies and the aurora borealis, and she basks in going from being a smart person to just a person. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST by Alina Grabowski (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Abigail Reno, EJ Lavery, Maria McCann, Veronica Giguere and Jordan Claire McCraw
Nashquitten, MA, is a decaying coastal enclave that not even tourist season can revive, full of locals who have run the town’s industries for generations. When a young woman dies at a house party, the circumstances around her death suspiciously unclear, the tight-knit community is shaken. As a mother grieves her daughter, a teacher her student, a best friend her confidante, the events around the tragedy become a lightning rod: blame is cast, secrets are buried deeper. Some are left to pick up the pieces, while others turn their backs. And all the while, a truth about that dreadful night begins to emerge. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
WHEN SHE WAS ME by Marlee Bush (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Imani Jade Powers
Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions and true crime junkies. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost. Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable, each sister suspects the other knows more than she's letting on. Trapped in the isolating, claustrophobic wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened --- and the sinister truth lurking in their own pasts --- before it's too late. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SAFE AND SOUND by Laura McHugh (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jorjeana Marie
As kids, Amelia and Kylee were found unharmed in their upstairs bedroom the night their teenage cousin Grace, who was babysitting them, vanished from the farmhouse in Beaumont, Missouri, leaving blood all over the kitchen. Grace, the first in their family to go to college instead of getting married and working at the meatpacking plant, had been on the verge of escaping their dead-end town. Her disappearance is a warning to any local girl who dared hope for better. Now, as their own high school graduation looms, Amelia and Kylee dream about fleeing Beaumont, but the likelihood of that happening seems as low as that of Grace being found. When human remains are discovered in town, the sisters think they finally know who took Grace --- but as they dig deeper into her past, they unearth long-buried secrets and a growing list of suspects. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MISSING WHITE WOMAN by Kellye Garrett (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Ariel Blake
It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. Breanna’s new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything. But when Bree comes downstairs their final morning, she’s shocked. There’s a stranger laying dead in the foyer, and Ty is nowhere to be found. A Black woman alone in a new city, Bree is stranded and out of her depth --- especially when it becomes clear the dead woman is none other than Janelle Beckett, the missing woman the entire internet has become obsessed with. There’s only one person Bree can turn to: her ex-best friend, a lawyer with whom she shares a very complicated past. As the police and a social media mob close in, all looking for #JusticeForJanelle, Bree realizes that the only way she can help Ty --- or herself --- is to figure out what really happened that last night. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
DROP: Making Great Decisions by Dr. Helen McKibben (Self-Help/Personal Growth)
Audiobook available, read by Dr. Helen McKibben
Use neuroscience to retrain your brain and make better life choices. Dr. Helen McKibben's approach combines the study of the body, the brain, and the interaction between emotion and memory. She enables us to tap into the biomechanics of emotions, resolve triggered feelings and make better life choices. DROP is filled with interviews that illustrate how real people have applied this method to their lives. Dr. McKibben guides us through her revolutionary and innovative self-help technique of dropping to the blank screen to learn how to manage triggered feelings and to understand why we feel the way we do. By monitoring neuromuscular signals that indicate unconscious triggered emotions, we can work with the brain rather than against it. She teaches us a practical, self-reliant method to retrain our brains and change our responses to life's stressors. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 21st
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 21st 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 available the week of May 20th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
AND THEN? AND THEN? WHAT ELSE? by Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket (Memoir)
At once a personal memoir and a literary exploration, a how-to book and a critical inquiry, a sequence of stories and a series of events, AND THEN? AND THEN? WHAT ELSE? is a book not just for anyone curious about the creator of Lemony Snicket, but for anyone who loved books when they were a child and still loves them now.
BUTCHER by Joyce Carol Oates (Historical Fiction)
From one of our most accomplished storytellers comes an extraordinary and arresting novel about a women’s asylum in the 19th century, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world.
IN MY TIME OF DYING: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife by Sebastian Junger (Memoir)
A near-fatal health emergency leads to this powerful reflection on death --- and what might follow --- by the bestselling author of TRIBE and THE PERFECT STORM.
THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Stuart Turton (Dystopian Mystery/Thriller)
From the bestselling author of THE 7½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE and THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop and an audacious solution.
LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan (Fiction)
A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropical wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners from the iconic author of CRAZY RICH ASIANS.
LONG TIME GONE by Charlie Donlea (Mystery/Thriller)
When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a woman’s search for answers draws her to an ominous small town in Nevada and a dangerous web of corruption, power and lies.
THE LOST LETTERS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD by Michael Callahan (Historical Fiction)
THE LOST LETTERS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD is a tantalizing novel of two women bound by blood but divided by a long-buried secret, and the island that holds the key to the fateful summer that changed everything forever.
MIND GAMES by Nora Roberts (Romantic Suspense)
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of IDENTITY presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits.
ONE PERFECT COUPLE by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
Harking back to Agatha Christie’s classic AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.
WESTPORT by James Comey (Mystery/Thriller)
A suspenseful and intriguing tale of high finance and murder, WESTPORT features the characters first introduced in James Comey’s debut novel, CENTRAL PARK WEST, but also can be read on its own.
THE YANKEE WAY: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era by Andy Martino (Sports)
Andy Martino weaves two years of exclusive interviews with general manager Brian Cashman into a revelatory account of never-before-told stories about Derek Jeter, Aaron Judge, Alex Rodriguez, the complex front office, team ownership, and insights into the World Series wins and day-to-day running of the team that fans never get to see.
YOU LIKE IT DARKER: Stories by Stephen King (Supernatural Thriller/Short Stories)
From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of 12 short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Daniel Weizmann, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ann Napolitano
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are four upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Tuesday, May 21st at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Silvia Moreno-Garcia for a live virtual discussion of her thriller, SILVER NITRATE, as part of their Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Silvia will be in conversation with the national bestselling author of WOMAN OF LIGHT, Kali Fajardo-Anstine.
Wednesday, May 22nd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to Steven Rowley about his latest novel, THE GUNCLE ABROAD. Patrick O'Hara is called back to his guncle duties, this time for a big family wedding in Italy.
Thursday, May 23rd at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Ann Napolitano, the bestselling and award-winning author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL and DEAR EDWARD, to discuss WITHIN ARM'S REACH, the debut novel that put her on the map and is the B&N Fiction Monthly selection for May.
Thursday, May 23rd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Daniel Weizmann will discuss CINNAMON GIRL, a neo-noir dive into the dark side of LA’s rock scene that marks the return of Lyft driver-turned-sleuth Adam Zantz, whom readers first met in THE LAST SONGBIRD.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Which of Carol’s "Bets On" Selections Appeal to You the Most?
We have listed 11 of Carol’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks that are now or soon to be in paperback. Which of these books have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott
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DROWNING by T. J. Newman
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GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen
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HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim
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HOMECOMING by Kate Morton
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THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE by Rachel Beanland
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THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay
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LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur
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THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger
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THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER by Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo, with James Patterson
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THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 24th 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 read with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from May 10th to May 24th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan and ONE PERFECT COUPLE by Ruth Ware.
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.
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