Special Preview: Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer 2025
This Bookreporter.com SPECIAL PREVIEW Newsletter brings you a sneak peek at the titles that are included in our Holiday Cheer feature.
Each title below will be featured in a contest where you will have a 24-hour window of opportunity to enter for your chance to win a copy of the book being spotlighted that day. You will need to act quickly! Learn more about the feature here.
Editorial Content for Cursed Daughters
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Following the 2018 release of her smash hit, MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER, Oyinkan Braithwaite returns with CURSED DAUGHTERS, a heady mix of superstition and reality set in glittering Lagos, Nigeria. Read More
Teaser
When Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the day they bury her cousin, Monife, there is no denying the startling resemblance between the child and the dead woman. So begins the belief, fanned by the entire family, that Eniiyi is the actual reincarnation of Monife, fated to follow in her footsteps. There is also the matter of the family curse --- “No man will call your house home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” --- which has broken numerous hearts and caused three generations of abandoned Falodun women to live under the same roof. When Eniiyi falls in love, she no longer can run from her family’s history. Is she destined to live out her family's story of love and heartache? Or can she break the pattern?
Promo
When Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the day they bury her cousin, Monife, there is no denying the startling resemblance between the child and the dead woman. So begins the belief, fanned by the entire family, that Eniiyi is the actual reincarnation of Monife, fated to follow in her footsteps. There is also the matter of the family curse --- “No man will call your house home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” --- which has broken numerous hearts and caused three generations of abandoned Falodun women to live under the same roof. When Eniiyi falls in love, she no longer can run from her family’s history. Is she destined to live out her family's story of love and heartache? Or can she break the pattern?
About the Book
A young woman must shake off a family curse and the widely held belief that she is the reincarnation of her dead cousin in this wickedly funny, brilliantly perceptive novel about love, female rivalry and superstition from the author of the smash hit MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER.
When Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the day they bury her cousin, Monife, there is no denying the startling resemblance between the child and the dead woman. So begins the belief, fanned by the entire family, that Eniiyi is the actual reincarnation of Monife, fated to follow in her footsteps.
There is also the matter of the family curse --- “No man will call your house home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” --- which has broken numerous hearts and caused three generations of abandoned Falodun women to live under the same roof.
When Eniiyi falls in love, she no longer can run from her family’s history. Is she destined to live out her family's story of love and heartache? Or can she break the pattern, not only avoiding the spiral that led Monife to her lonely death but liberating herself from all the secrets and unspoken traumas that have dogged her steps since before she can remember?
CURSED DAUGHTERS is a brilliant cocktail of vibrant humor and hard-won wisdom, romantic love and familial obligation. It asks us what it means to be granted a second chance, and how to live both wisely and well with what we’ve been given.
Audiobook available; read by Diana Yekinni, Nnei Opia Clark and Weruche Opia
Editorial Content for Vagabond: A Memoir
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Tim Curry knows how to make a role his own, whether as an unhinged Transylvanian doctor attempting to create the perfect male specimen or a butler who must keep a mansion tidy despite the number of bodies that keep dropping. Before his near-fatal stroke in 2012, Curry had performed in the theater, on television and in motion pictures, playing parts that cemented his legacy in pop culture. Despite his enormous success, he always stayed true to his decision to move on from a project when he felt that the time was right. Read More
Teaser
There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast the kind of resume that Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance and a genuine understanding of human darkness. Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame --- from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time.
Promo
There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast the kind of resume that Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance and a genuine understanding of human darkness. Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame --- from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time.
About the Book
This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry's life’s work and a testament to his profound impact on the entertainment industry as we know it today.
There are few stars in Hollywood today who can boast the kind of resume that Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance and a genuine understanding of human darkness.
Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind the scenes of his rise to fame --- from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. He goes in-depth about what it was like to work on some of the most emblematic works of the 20th century, constantly switching between a camera and a live audience. He also explores the voicework that defined his later career and provided him with a chance to pivot after surviving a catastrophic stroke in 2012 that nearly took his life.
With the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th anniversary of Clue, there’s never been a better time for Tim to share his story with the world.
Audiobook available, read by Tim Curry
Editorial Content for After That, the Dark: A Cameron Winter Mystery
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Andrew Klavan has long been a superior writer of crime fiction and psychological thrillers, with some of his books being turned into feature films. Recently, his terrific series starring former spy turned college English professor Cameron Winter has given us stellar stories told in classic hard-boiled style. AFTER THAT, THE DARK is no exception. Read More
Teaser
After working up the courage to contact Gwendolyn Lord, Cameron Winter finds himself immersed in a heaven-sent passion. When Gwendolyn tells him about a true-life “locked-room mystery,” Winter is compelled to investigate. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Owen McKay suddenly went mad and killed his wife and child. Locked in a cell and monitored on video, he was discovered dead from a projectile fired into his head. Then another mysterious death, just like McKay's, takes place in Connecticut, and both murders seem linked to a sinister billionaire who once clashed with Winter's old mentor, the Recruiter. Winter's past and present are coming together in a dangerous conspiracy. And though Winter desperately wants to escape his career as an assassin, he will do anything --- and kill anyone --- to protect Gwendolyn.
Promo
After working up the courage to contact Gwendolyn Lord, Cameron Winter finds himself immersed in a heaven-sent passion. When Gwendolyn tells him about a true-life “locked-room mystery,” Winter is compelled to investigate. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Owen McKay suddenly went mad and killed his wife and child. Locked in a cell and monitored on video, he was discovered dead from a projectile fired into his head. Then another mysterious death, just like McKay's, takes place in Connecticut, and both murders seem linked to a sinister billionaire who once clashed with Winter's old mentor, the Recruiter. Winter's past and present are coming together in a dangerous conspiracy. And though Winter desperately wants to escape his career as an assassin, he will do anything --- and kill anyone --- to protect Gwendolyn.
About the Book
In this newest entry in Andrew Klavan’s USA Today bestselling Cameron Winter series, the ex-spy turned English professor finds love --- and murder.
After working up the courage to contact Gwendolyn Lord, Cameron Winter finds himself immersed in a heaven-sent passion. When Gwendolyn tells him about a true-life "locked-room mystery," Winter is compelled to investigate.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Owen McKay suddenly went mad and killed his wife and child. Locked in a cell and monitored on video, he was discovered dead from a projectile fired into his head. Then another mysterious death, just like McKay's, takes place in Connecticut, and both murders seem linked to a sinister billionaire who once clashed with Winter's old mentor, the Recruiter.
Winter's past and present are coming together in a dangerous conspiracy. And though Winter desperately wants to escape his career as an assassin, his love for Gwendolyn is deepening quickly, and he will do anything --- and kill anyone --- to protect her.
Audiobook available, read by Adam Barr
Editorial Content for The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Joseph J. Ellis --- winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History for FOUNDING BROTHERS: The Revolutionary Generation and the National Book Award for AMERICAN SPHINX: The Character of Thomas Jefferson --- has long been regarded as one of the foremost contemporary scholars of the Revolutionary Era. Read More
Teaser
On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans were embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the 13 colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what Joseph J. Ellis calls the “great contradiction”: How could a government that had been justified and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase “pursuit of happiness” to mean the pursuit of Indian lands? In THE GREAT CONTRADICTION, Ellis addresses the questions that lie at America’s twisted roots.
Promo
On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans were embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the 13 colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what Joseph J. Ellis calls the “great contradiction”: How could a government that had been justified and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase “pursuit of happiness” to mean the pursuit of Indian lands? In THE GREAT CONTRADICTION, Ellis addresses the questions that lie at America’s twisted roots.
About the Book
A major new history from our most trusted voice on the Revolutionary era, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning FOUNDING BROTHERS and the National Book Award winner AMERICAN SPHINX, and featured in The American Revolution, a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, on PBS.
An astounding look at how America’s founders --- Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Adams --- regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A daring and important work that ultimately reckons with the two great failures of America’s founding: the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal.
On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans were embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the 13 colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what Joseph J. Ellis calls the “great contradiction”: How could a government that had been justified and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase “pursuit of happiness” to mean the pursuit of Indian lands?
With narrative grace and a flair for irony and paradox, Ellis addresses the questions that lie at America’s twisted roots --- questions that turned even the sharpest minds of the Revolutionary generation into mental contortionists. He discusses the first debates around slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, from the Constitutional Convention to the Treaty of New York, revealing the thinking and rationalizations behind Jay, Hamilton and Madison’s revisions of the Articles of Confederation, and highlights the key role of figures like Quaker abolitionist Anthony Benezet and Creek chief Alexander McGillivray.
Ellis writes with candor and deftness, his clarion voice rising above presentist historians and partisans who are eager to make the founders into trophies in the ongoing culture wars. Instead, Ellis tells a story that is rooted in the coexistence of grandeur and failure, brilliance and blindness, grace and sin.
Audiobook available, read by Kimberly Farr
Editorial Content for Lightbreakers
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Aja Gabel’s new novel returns again and again to a photograph of a woman standing on the edge. Perhaps she is falling or is about to jump, or she is bringing herself back from the brink of danger. The image is understood by characters in various ways, through differing lenses of art and science, personal experience and analysis. The book itself is at the edge of genres: a domestic drama flirting with sci-fi and speculative fiction. Read More
Teaser
Maya, an artist, and Noah, a quantum physicist, share an insatiable curiosity about the world. But their happy marriage has a shadow over it: Serena, the child Noah had with his first wife, who died before she turned four. When Noah is invited by the Janus Project to unravel the secrets of time travel, he jumps at the opportunity. At a laboratory deep in the Texas desert, he begins participating in a dangerous experiment that could result in something he thought impossible: seeing his daughter again. Meanwhile, Maya embarks on a journey back to her own past in Japan, and to a formative lover who once shattered her heart. As Noah and Maya grapple with hope and despair, new information emerges that the experiments might not be exactly what they seem.
Promo
Maya, an artist, and Noah, a quantum physicist, share an insatiable curiosity about the world. But their happy marriage has a shadow over it: Serena, the child Noah had with his first wife, who died before she turned four. When Noah is invited by the Janus Project to unravel the secrets of time travel, he jumps at the opportunity. At a laboratory deep in the Texas desert, he begins participating in a dangerous experiment that could result in something he thought impossible: seeing his daughter again. Meanwhile, Maya embarks on a journey back to her own past in Japan, and to a formative lover who once shattered her heart. As Noah and Maya grapple with hope and despair, new information emerges that the experiments might not be exactly what they seem.
About the Book
What would you give to relive the past?
Maya, an artist, and Noah, a quantum physicist, share an insatiable curiosity about the world. But their happy marriage has a shadow over it: Serena, the child Noah had with his first wife, who died before she turned four.
When Noah is invited by the Janus Project to unravel the secrets of time travel, he jumps at the opportunity. At a laboratory deep in the Texas desert, he begins participating in a dangerous experiment that could result in something he thought impossible: seeing his daughter again.
Meanwhile, Maya embarks on a journey back to her own past in Japan, and to a formative lover who once shattered her heart. As Noah and Maya grapple with hope and despair, new information emerges that the experiments might not be exactly what they seem.
A heartachingly moving novel, LIGHTBREAKERS plumbs the mysteries of human connection, and explores how to love in a world where time is both a healer and a thief.
Audiobook available; read by Ina Barrón, Jay Myers and Mirai












