In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of August 24th, August 31st and September 7th 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 review of the newly released THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. This ambitious, emotionally resonant novel captures the hardship, oppression, opportunity and hope of a trio of women’s lives --- two English convicts and an orphaned Aboriginal girl --- in 19th-century Australia. 

Carol had the pleasure of chatting with Christina Baker Kline about THE EXILES in a recent "Bookreporter Talks To" interview. They talk about the challenges of researching this part of history and Christina’s extensive reading and travel for the book. Carol brings up one of the most interesting turns she has seen in a novel, which they discuss in very guarded terms to not give anything away. The book is multilayered, and their conversation gives it even more dimension for readers as they hear about the inspiration that led to the writing of it. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. You can read Carol's Bets On commentary in the September 11th Bookreporter Weekly Update newsletter.

Our second "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Fiona Davis, whose latest novel, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, is August's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bets On selection. As with her four previous novels, Fiona focuses on a landmark building in New York City. This time it’s the New York Public Library; she chose this setting after learning that a family lived in a seven-room apartment in the library during its early years. In the interview, Fiona shares the long history of the library, along with details that most New Yorkers haven’t even heard about, as well as a few secrets that she wasn’t able to add to the book. She also shows some vintage photos in the video interview, so podcast listeners should tune in there as well. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. And find out why Carol is betting you’ll love this book here.

We also are spotlighting A GIRL IS A BODY OF WATER, international award-winning author Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s new novel, which releases on September 1st. This much-praised book is a sweeping and powerful portrait of a young girl and her family: who they are, what history has taken from them, and --- most importantly --- how they find their way back to each other. Carol has been including it in her Fall Preview presentations! 

A Special "Bookaccino Live" Event:
Celebrate Bookreporter's 24th Anniversary with Some of Our
Longtime Reviewers on Thursday, August 27th at 8pm ET

We are so excited about our next “Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books” event, which will take place this Thursday, August 27th at 8pm ET. We are celebrating the 24th anniversary of Bookreporter with nine longtime reviewers of ours, and each will talk about three of their favorite summer reads. Our guests will be Sarah Rachel Egelman, Harvey Freedenberg, Joe Hartlaub, Ron Kaplan, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, Ray Palen, Norah Piehl, Stuart Shiffman and Katherine B. Weissman. We are so looking forward to introducing them to you, as they are such a part of the heart and soul of Bookreporter. If you would like to attend, click here to sign up by Thursday at 10am ET.

Last weekend, we had no company or obligations. So it was a two-book weekend, which is the kind of weekend I love!

I started with THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. You remember her as the author of ORPHAN TRAIN, which has sold more than three-and-a-half million copies. In THE EXILES, Christina takes us to Australia in the mid-1800s when the country was being populated with convicts from the UK, who were sent there by ship, in droves. She tells the story through the eyes of three young women: one from England, one from Wales and one from Tasmania. She gives us such a strong sense of the country, which was so primitive.

Next up was ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware, which also will be a Bets On selection. This is Ruth's sixth novel, and I have been a fan since book one. This latest work is her very best. It’s set at a ski resort...and on a very, very hot weekend, I found myself actually chilled as her storytelling was so atmospheric! Staffers from an app company called Snoop are off on a team-building retreat weekend at a luxury home where they will be attended to by two caretakers who are there to see to their every need. This will be challenging. A storm rolls in, there’s an avalanche, and if that's not enough, members of the Snoop team are being killed, one by one.