We wrap up this year’s Holiday Author Blog series with John Hart, whose upcoming thriller, THE UNWILLING, releases on February 2nd. John’s parents read to him all the time when he was a kid, but the book that he remembers the most is DIVERS DOWN! by Hal Gordon, which his father gave him for Christmas when he was six years old. The book was not his favorite, and it took his father a month to read it to him, even though it was a little over 200 pages. So why does John have such fond memories of it? Read on to find out why!
Robert Half
There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.
Attribution
Robert Half
This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. These annual roundups always seem to spark lively discussions among readers as they reflect on their favorite books of the year. Although we at Bookreporter.com don’t have a “Best Of” list of our own, we’ve compiled a number of them for you here. See which of your top picks appear on these lists and which titles you feel should've been included but weren't. Perhaps you’ll even find some books to add to your reading list as we head into the new year!L. Dean Murphy
As a 1960s teen aspiring writer, I used phrases of the day: far out, I can dig it, groovy, peace, right on. Decades later, I still use the latter… In my email signature block and spell it Write on!
Attribution
L. Dean Murphy, Bookreporter.com reviewer
Sharon Virts is a successful entrepreneur and visionary who, after more than 25 years in business, followed her passion for storytelling into the world of historical fiction. Her debut novel, MASQUE OF HONOR, releases on February 9th. In this coming-of-age tale set in early 19th-century America, two sons of the Virginia aristocracy risk it all to defend their dreams and determine their own destinies. Sharon was a voracious reader from a very young age, so the Christmas present that meant the most to her growing up was a box of used books that she would find under the family tree each year. This treasure trove was lovingly assembled by her mother, whose visits to their local Goodwill store would yield an embarrassment of literary riches. But there was one book from that first box that turned out to be her favorite story of all.
December 15, 2020
In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of December 14th and December 21st 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 our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks feature for December, which includes Indie Next, LibraryReads, the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club, the Jenna Bush Hager "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, and more.
Also, we are sharing Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Sue Miller, whose new book, MONOGAMY, is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Set in a New England town, this is the story of Graham, a gregarious bookseller, and Annie, a shy photographer, who have been married for nearly 30 years. By all appearances, they are a golden couple. But when Graham suddenly dies, Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him? Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question if she ever truly knew the man who loved her. In the interview, Sue talked about her path to writing the novel, which took six years, and how photography became a part of it, as well as her narration of the audiobook. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Deborah Goodrich Royce was an actress in film and television for 10 years. Her first psychological thriller, FINDING MRS. FORD, was published in 2019 to rave reviews. Her second, RUBY FALLS, will release on May 4th and revolves around a fragile young actress, the new husband she barely knows, and her growing suspicion that the secrets he harbors may eclipse her own. 1978 was a difficult and challenging year for Deborah, but she was fortunate to have a close friend in her life, Nicky, who made her “feel lifted up from the world we inhabited.” That winter, he gave her a book that helped get her through those dark and uncertain times. It’s a novel that she cherishes to this day as it transports her to another world --- and serves as a powerful reminder of Nicky and his gift that will last a lifetime.
