In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of January 18th and January 25th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.

This week, we are calling attention to two new contests on ReadingGroupGuides.com, both of which have a deadline of Wednesday, February 3rd at noon ET for your entries.

We have a BIG contest where we’re giving 30 book groups the chance to win up to 12 digital copies of the audiobook edition of Kristin Hannah's THE FOUR WINDS, read by Julia Whelan, and share their comments on it. The book releases on February 2nd and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.

In our latest "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest, three book groups will win 12 copies of Jacqueline Winspear's memoir, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING, which is a Bets On selection.

Scroll further down the newsletter for more details on these contests!

Also, be sure to check out Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews with Melanie Benjamin and Liese O'Halloran Schwarz.

A Bets On pick, Melanie Benjamin's new historical novel, THE CHILDREN’S BLIZZARD, is a story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888 and threatened the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren. In the interview, Melanie talked about her research, the level of realism at play in the novel, and the deeply personal stories she was able to explore that are so often lost in history books. She also shared how the characters here relate to her own life and the sources of inspiration that led her to write the book. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Also, you can read Carol's Bets On commentary here.

Liese O'Halloran Schwarz's latest novel, WHAT COULD BE SAVED, is about a family shattered by loss and betrayal, and the beauty that can exist even in the midst of brokenness. An upcoming Bets On selection, the book alternates between past and present as all of the family's secrets are revealed. Liese, who worked for decades as an emergency room doctor, talked with Carol about how writing was always a part of her life --- even as she was practicing medicine. Her relationship with her sister, fellow author Carla Buckley, was much different from that of her main characters but has found its way into her books. She also spoke at length about her writing process, but especially about the elements that make her fiction both engrossing and powerful. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in the January 22nd Bookreporter Weekly Update newsletter.

Our Next "Bookaccino Live" Book Group Event:
Thursday, January 21st at 8pm ET
We've Expanded Our Zoom Room, So Sign Up Now!

A reminder that this Thursday, January 21st at 8pm ET, we will host our second "Bookaccino Live" Book Group Event. Our guest will be William Kent Krueger, who will talk about his most recent novel, THIS TENDER LAND. With over 760 people already signed up for this event, we've increased the maximum number of participants in our Zoom room to 1,000! So if you haven't registered yet, be sure to sign up here by Thursday at 10am ET. If you would like to be one of our “live panelists” and ask Kent a question, please also fill out this form; we will feature those who have questions "on stage."