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Anonymous , author of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt: A Memoir

BECOMING DUCHESS GOLDBLATT is two stories: that of the reclusive real-life writer who created a fictional character out of loneliness and thin air, and that of the magical Duchess Goldblatt herself, a bright light in the darkness of social media. Fans around the world are drawn to Her Grace’s voice, her wit, her life-affirming love for all humanity, and the fun and friendship of the community that has sprung up around her. @DuchessGoldblat (81-year-old literary icon, author of AN AXE TO GRIND) brought people together in her name, and, along the way, brought real friends home --- foremost among them, Lyle Lovett.

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Camilla Läckberg, author of The Golden Cage

Faye has loved Jack since they were students at business school. Jack, the perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard to bury a dark past. When Jack needs help launching a new company, Faye leaves school to support him, waitressing by day and working as his strategist by night. With the business soaring, Faye and Jack have a baby, and Faye finds herself at home, caring for their daughter, wealthier than she ever imagined. But none of the perks of wealth make up for the fact that Jack has begun to treat her coldly, undermining her intelligence and forgetting all she sacrificed for his success. When Faye discovers that he's having an affair, the polished façade of their life cracks wide open.

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Katherine Center, author of What You Wish For

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn’t always that way. Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen. But he wasn’t always that way. And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before --- at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him --- but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. And then Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there. He is now a suit-and-tie-wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

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Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever

Atlantic City, 1934. Every summer, Esther and Joseph Adler rent their house out to vacationers and move into the small apartment above their bakery. Despite the cramped quarters, this is the apartment where they raised their two daughters, Fannie and Florence, and it always feels like home. Now Florence has returned from college, determined to spend the summer training to swim the English Channel, and Fannie, pregnant again after recently losing a baby, is on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy. After Joseph insists they take in a mysterious young woman whom he recently helped emigrate from Nazi Germany, the apartment is bursting at the seams. When tragedy strikes, Esther pulls the family into an elaborate web of secret-keeping and lies, bringing long-buried tensions to the surface.

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Daniel Silva, author of The Order

When Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, Gabriel Allon is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, however, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope’s death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life. A letter that was addressed to Gabriel. While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book… The book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy of the New Testament’s depiction of one of the most portentous events in human history.

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July 17, 2020

We want to know what book groups are doing these days during the pandemic. One of my book clubs has not met at all. The second, which has a number of young moms in it, has met a few times on Zoom, just to catch up socially; they have not had a lot of time for pleasure reading. We are planning to try a socially distanced meeting outside next week to discuss BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner. May the weather cooperate!

Special Request: This had us wondering what other book groups are doing. We see many are meeting virtually or via email. Others are hosting author chats. With this in mind, we put together a survey where we ask what your group is doing. Please take two minutes (seriously, that is all the time it is going to take) and answer it here!

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July 17, 2020 - July 31, 2020

Here are reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for the contest period of July 17 - July 31.

In March, we asked if your reading habits had changed due to the pandemic. Four months later, we are curious to know about your current reading habits and how they compare to the results we received from the previous poll. Please check all that apply.

July 17, 2020, 633 voters

Interview: Michael Brandman, author of Stealth: A Buddy Steel Short Story

Jul 17, 2020

Michael Brandman is a New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter and producer. He has written, adapted and produced nine films based on his Jesse Stone novels, and has produced over 40 motion pictures. His e-book short story, STEALTH, is his latest Buddy Steel mystery and follows the acting sheriff as he races against the clock to solve a series of mysterious disappearances --- before a triple kidnapping becomes a triple homicide. Brandman talks to Michael Barson, who has worked in book publicity since 1984, about his approach to writing a short story versus penning a novel; the possibility of a Buddy Steel movie or television adaptation and his dream cast; and the effect of the global pandemic on his plans for future novels and films.

Karen Salmansohn

You don't cure emotional eating by removing all comfort foods. You do it by learning how to comfort yourself.

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Karen Salmansohn