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Editorial Content for Too Old For This

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Rebecca Munro

Samantha Downing, the bestselling author of MY LOVELY WIFE and HE STARTED IT, returns with her most unassuming protagonist yet in TOO OLD FOR THIS. This gritty thriller features Lorena Mae Lansdale, a septuagenarian serial killer forced to come out of “retirement” for one last job…and then another, and another. Read More

Teaser

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her. Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that. But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime just might be the death of her.

Promo

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her. Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that. But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime just might be the death of her.

About the Book

A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left --- what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime just might be the death of her.

Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Wiley 

Editorial Content for Mercy

Book

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

Given Joan Silber's impressive resume, I'm surprised that it's taken me this long to pick up one of her novels. MERCY, her 10th, is a mature, sophisticated and thoughtful work that certainly will prompt me to seek out some of her previous books. Read More

Teaser

In the gritty East Village of 1970s New York, Ivan and his best friend, Eddie, a popular local bartender, are dabbling in drugs following a short tour of Europe. One night, as Ivan and Eddie experiment with heroin, things go horribly wrong. In a panic, Ivan rushes Eddie to a crowded local ER and, believing his friend is about to die, makes the awful choice to leave him there. This one act of abandonment haunts Ivan his entire life. He keeps this secret from his friends and later his family, forever searching for mercy from "a remorse that never dies." Ivan's decision also ripples across time through an extended community, affecting a host of other people unknowingly connected to that night.

Promo

In the gritty East Village of 1970s New York, Ivan and his best friend, Eddie, a popular local bartender, are dabbling in drugs following a short tour of Europe. One night, as Ivan and Eddie experiment with heroin, things go horribly wrong. In a panic, Ivan rushes Eddie to a crowded local ER and, believing his friend is about to die, makes the awful choice to leave him there. This one act of abandonment haunts Ivan his entire life. He keeps this secret from his friends and later his family, forever searching for mercy from "a remorse that never dies." Ivan's decision also ripples across time through an extended community, affecting a host of other people unknowingly connected to that night.

About the Book

A rich and nuanced story beginning with a moment of fear and abandonment that will reverberate across decades and change the course of many lives, by a beloved PEN/Faulkner and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author.

In the gritty East Village of 1970s New York, Ivan and his best friend, Eddie, a popular local bartender, are dabbling in drugs following a short tour of Europe. One night, as Ivan and Eddie experiment with heroin, things go horribly wrong. In a panic, Ivan rushes Eddie to a crowded local ER and, believing his friend is about to die, makes the awful choice to leave him there.

This one act of abandonment haunts Ivan his entire life. He keeps this secret from his friends and later his family, forever searching for mercy from "a remorse that never dies." Ivan's decision also ripples across time through an extended community, affecting a host of other people unknowingly connected to that night.

Following a bold cast of characters across decades, and set against the changing social and sexual mores from the 1970s onward, MERCY is Joan Silber's most ambitious and expansive novel yet, proving once again how we are all connected in mysterious and often unknown ways.

Audiobook available; read by L.J. Ganser, Nan McNamara, Christina Moore, Alyssa Bresnahan, Helen Laser and Nick Walther 

Editorial Content for American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Stuart Shiffman

The publicity surrounding AMERICAN KINGS started several months ago. In Chicago, home of my beloved Bears, ESPN suggested that Caleb Williams, who had been the first player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, was so concerned about playing for the franchise “where quarterbacks go to die” that he and his father considered ways to avoid that possibility and subvert the draft itself. Based in part on this small nugget of promotional material, I knew the book would be on my late-summer reading list. Read More

Teaser

The quarterback: the American equivalent of royalty, long glamorized, mythologized and worshipped. Still, long before the Super Bowl trophies, massive contracts, brand deals and millions of social media followers comes the dream. From the backyard to Pop Warner, from high school to college, from the NFL to the Hall of Fame, becoming the country’s ultimate idol requires single-minded focus while navigating a maze of bad breaks, insecurities, jealousy, pressure and fame. Long known as the outsider’s guide into this elite world, Seth Wickersham’s fresh reporting goes deep into the quarterback journey, measuring the distance between what the men who have traveled it expected and what they found at the end of the road.

Promo

The quarterback: the American equivalent of royalty, long glamorized, mythologized and worshipped. Still, long before the Super Bowl trophies, massive contracts, brand deals and millions of social media followers comes the dream. From the backyard to Pop Warner, from high school to college, from the NFL to the Hall of Fame, becoming the country’s ultimate idol requires single-minded focus while navigating a maze of bad breaks, insecurities, jealousy, pressure and fame. Long known as the outsider’s guide into this elite world, Seth Wickersham’s fresh reporting goes deep into the quarterback journey, measuring the distance between what the men who have traveled it expected and what they found at the end of the road.

About the Book

Pull back the curtain on the most powerful position in all of sports.

The New York Times bestselling author of IT'S BETTER TO BE FEARED examines football’s QB lifecycle: high school, college, the NFL, retirement --- and all that comes with it.

The quarterback: the American equivalent of royalty, long glamorized, mythologized and worshipped. Still, long before the Super Bowl trophies, massive contracts, brand deals and millions of social media followers comes the dream. From the backyard to Pop Warner, from high school to college, from the NFL to the Hall of Fame, becoming the country’s ultimate idol requires single-minded focus while navigating a maze of bad breaks, insecurities, jealousy, pressure and fame.

Long known as the outsider’s guide into this elite world, Seth Wickersham’s fresh reporting goes deep into the quarterback journey, measuring the distance between what the men who have traveled it expected and what they found at the end of the road. Through unprecedented access into the lives of dozens of quarterbacks and generational greats such as Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon, Steve Young and others, as well as those figures striving to be remembered, like Caleb Williams and Arch Manning, Wickersham reveals how this one position has become emblematic of success in American life.

As an inside look into a uniquely American job and a uniquely American obsession with football, AMERICAN KINGS is a must-read for sports fans and anyone who wants to understand what the price of ambition tells us about the quest for achievement and status.

Audiobook available, read by Seth Wickersham

Editorial Content for Happiness and Love

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Sarah Rachel Egelman

When is a paragraph a novel? When it is Zoe Dubno’s debut, HAPPINESS AND LOVE. Read More

Teaser

Delivered in a single hilarious, brutal paragraph, HAPPINESS AND LOVE is the story of an evening that slowly self-destructs, as the guests sip orange wine and await the arrival of a newly famous actress. When the guest of honor finally does arrive, she sets in motion a disastrous end to the night, laying bare the depravity and decadence of the hosts’ empty little lives --- a hollowness that the narrator herself knows all too well.

Promo

Delivered in a single hilarious, brutal paragraph, HAPPINESS AND LOVE is the story of an evening that slowly self-destructs, as the guests sip orange wine and await the arrival of a newly famous actress. When the guest of honor finally does arrive, she sets in motion a disastrous end to the night, laying bare the depravity and decadence of the hosts’ empty little lives --- a hollowness that the narrator herself knows all too well.

About the Book

Following a young woman over the course of one outrageous and insufferable downtown dinner party at the home of her estranged best friends --- an artist and curator couple, whom she now realizes stands for everything she detests --- HAPPINESS AND LOVE is a “deliciously scathing” (Vogue UK) debut novel about brazen materialism, self-obsession, and the empty careerism of so-called cultural elites.

Delivered in a single hilarious, brutal paragraph, this is the story of an evening that slowly self-destructs, as the guests sip orange wine and await the arrival of a newly famous actress. When the guest of honor finally does arrive, she sets in motion a disastrous end to the night, laying bare the depravity and decadence of the hosts’ empty little lives --- a hollowness that the narrator herself knows all too well.

Audiobook available, read by Zoe Dubno

Editorial Content for One of Them

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pamela Kramer

In today's polarized world, certain individuals are often talked about as "them" or "those people," pejorative terms to say the least. In ONE OF THEM, Kitty Zeldis takes that phrase, those words, and exposes the microaggressions, the ignorance and the prejudice behind it. The book's two main characters attend Vassar College. While they are Jewish and from wealthy families, their approach to life is very different. Read More

Teaser

Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore --- one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real first name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier. As Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks and daily restrictions Jews face. But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by a girl not in her crowd. Delia Goldhush is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant and unashamedly Jewish. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand --- until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together. 

Promo

Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore --- one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real first name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier. As Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks and daily restrictions Jews face. But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by a girl not in her crowd. Delia Goldhush is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant and unashamedly Jewish. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand --- until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together. 

About the Book

The beloved author of NOT OUR KIND and THE DRESSMAKERS OF PROSPECT HEIGHTS returns with a story of secrets, friendship and betrayal about two young women at Vassar in the years after World War II, a powerful and moving tale of prejudice and pride that echoes the cultural and social issues of today.

Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore --- one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real name is or that her real first name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier --- as Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks and daily restrictions Jews face. She enjoys her college life of teas, late-night conversations and mixers. She turns a blind eye to the casual anti-Semitism that flourishes among her friends and classmates --- after all, it's no longer directed at her.

But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by a girl not in her crowd. Delia Goldhush is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant and unashamedly Jewish --- and seems not to care that she’s an outcast among the other students. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand --- until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together. 

Audiobook available, read by Gilli Messer

Editorial Content for Automatic Noodle

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Christine M. Irvin

Imagine a time when robots are nearly autonomous. In this futuristic sci-fi world, four robots team up to start their own restaurant making a special type of noodle. They all worked together before the war, under contract with a large corporation that opened a series of restaurants, each of which was short-lived. The robots were abandoned when the last restaurant went out of business, but while they were working, they learned valuable skills.

"It’s both interesting and scary to read about a time when robots and humans are so interconnected."

Teaser

You don’t have to eat food to know the way to a city’s heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food --- the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around --- for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war. But when their robot-run business starts causing a stir, a targeted wave of one-star reviews threatens to boil over into a crisis. To keep their doors open, they’ll have to call on their customers, their community and each other --- and find a way to survive and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for them.

Promo

You don’t have to eat food to know the way to a city’s heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food --- the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around --- for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war. But when their robot-run business starts causing a stir, a targeted wave of one-star reviews threatens to boil over into a crisis. To keep their doors open, they’ll have to call on their customers, their community and each other --- and find a way to survive and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for them.

About the Book

A cozy near-future novella about a crew of leftover robots opening their very own noodle shop, from acclaimed sci-fi author Annalee Newitz.

You don’t have to eat food to know the way to a city’s heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food --- the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around --- for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war.

But when their robot-run business starts causing a stir, a targeted wave of one-star reviews threatens to boil over into a crisis. To keep their doors open, they’ll have to call on their customers, their community and each other --- and find a way to survive and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for them.

Audiobook available, read by Em Grosland 

Editorial Content for An Echo of Children

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Ramsey Campbell has been writing stellar horror and psychological fiction as long as I have been alive. He is the UK’s answer to Stephen King, and his latest effort proves that he shows no signs of slowing down. Read More

Teaser

Coral and Allan Clarendon have just moved to the seaside town of Barnwall with their young son, Dean. If an uncommon number of children have died unnaturally in Barnwall throughout history, surely Dean must be safe with his parents. Could their house be a source of peril? Allan and Coral seem to think so, since they call for an exorcism. Allan’s father, Thom, believes his wife is wrong to think the ceremony has left Dean in worse danger. But if she’s alone in seeing the terrors that are gathering around him, how desperate will her solution have to be?

Promo

Coral and Allan Clarendon have just moved to the seaside town of Barnwall with their young son, Dean. If an uncommon number of children have died unnaturally in Barnwall throughout history, surely Dean must be safe with his parents. Could their house be a source of peril? Allan and Coral seem to think so, since they call for an exorcism. Allan’s father, Thom, believes his wife is wrong to think the ceremony has left Dean in worse danger. But if she’s alone in seeing the terrors that are gathering around him, how desperate will her solution have to be?

About the Book

A slow-burn, chilling horror in a gorgeous edition. Ramsey Campbell always delivers.

Coral and Allan Clarendon have just moved to the seaside town of Barnwall with their young son, Dean. If an uncommon number of children have died unnaturally in Barnwall throughout history, surely Dean must be safe with his parents. Could their house be a source of peril? Allan and Coral seem to think so, since they call for an exorcism. Allan’s father, Thom, believes his wife is wrong to think the ceremony has left Dean in worse danger. But if she’s alone in seeing the terrors that are gathering around him, how desperate will her solution have to be?

The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman

September 2025

I, like many of you, have read my fair share of fiction about World War II. What my historical education lacks is what happened after the war. I am not naïve. I did not think that people left the concentration camps, bought new clothes, and had a few good meals to celebrate their liberation. But I also was not sure how their stories would unfold. THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA gave me the chance to see how one fictional family navigated the weeks and months after their release.

The book has its history rooted in stories that Sharon Kurtzman’s mother shared with her of how her family survived after the fighting ended. They lived in Vienna, a city that was controlled by four different countries (I did not know this) and where violence still sprang up, food was scarce, and the black market was in full operation.

September 12, 2025

Last night, Tom (Editorial Director Tom, not Husband Tom) and I went into the city for a party that was hosted by the Publishers Publicity Association, which is made up of book publicists. We got to see a lot of industry folks, including a former staffer and a former intern. A number of the people we talked to mentioned how “ahead of the curve” we were.

First, by starting an online book site 29 years ago. Second, for creating a home for book groups with ReadingGroupGuides.com over 25 years ago (big celebration news is coming in the next few weeks). And third, how in early 2019, we were shooting videos in our office (primitively with a camera) talking about the books that were out that week.

Interview: Jack Du Brul, author of Clive Cussler The Iron Storm: An Isaac Bell Adventure

Sep 11, 2025

Detective Isaac Bell faces the horrors of the Great War while battling a mysterious anarchist group intent on bringing brutality to the shores of America in THE IRON STORM, Jack Du Brul’s latest thrilling adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series created by Clive Cussler. In this interview conducted by former publicity executive Michael Barson, who was Cussler’s primary publicist at G.P. Putnam’s Sons from 1999 to 2015, Du Brul talks about incorporating iconic figures into his stories, the importance of research to ensure that every detail is accurate, and why he loves writing historical fiction so much.