October 2016

Over the past two years I have been enjoying audiobooks. I’ve heard from book group members that they often listen to their selections, many noting that they do this when they are time constrained. Or people use them to refresh on characters and plot points --- or even pronunciations of characters and places. We love the idea of more of you exploring audiobooks, so we’re hosting a “Get Listening with Your Book Group!” Contest, where we’re giving away audiobooks to nine groups: three groups will win BEHOLD THE DREAMERS, written by Imbolo Mbue and read by Prentice Onayemi; three will win SMALL GREAT THINGS, written by Jodi Picoult and read by Audra McDonald with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos; and three will win THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, written by Colson Whitehead and read by Bahni Turpin. In order to qualify as a winning group, at least six members of your group must be able to commit to listening to and discussing the audiobook that you have won --- and sharing your feedback with us by Friday, January 27th. Once you finish, we also want to encourage your group to talk about these selections and your experience on social media, including reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookreporter.com’s “Sounding Off on Audio” feature.

In addition --- as a thank you for your participation --- each group coordinator who fully completes the project will win another audiobook of his or her choosing from a list that we will provide. We’ve mentioned before that we think audiobooks are fabulous for book groups; they’re a great way to perfect pronunciations, and you can also multitask while listening (we won’t tell!). If you think you can meet our deadlines, enter here by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon ET for your chance to win one of these amazing prizes.

SMALL GREAT THINGS is one of the biggest books of the season, and we are happy to share a discussion guide for it with you now. One of our longtime readers, Denise Neary, won advance copies for her entire book group, and they read the book a couple of weeks ago. We interviewed her, and she shared comments about their discussion. Her takeaway: “I think the book is book club gold. The writing is terrific, the story is compelling. The book provides a great avenue to talk about issues we don't want to talk about, and should. We really could not stop talking about the book --- we went well past our typical two-hour window.” Read the whole interview here.

We have an idea for those of you who have been in a book group for a while. Schedule a time to pause and evaluate what’s going on with your group with a Book Group Checkup. It gives your group an opportunity to do a self-check to be sure its goals are still being met. Pick a month that you are going to do this and make it an open forum where people discuss a number of questions, or you can have people write their comments anonymously. Read on later in this newsletter for the questions to ask, and read the responses from the SaddleBrooke’s 4th Tuesday Book Club here. We plan to continually add your responses to this blog as you send them in with the subject line "Book Group Checkup."

On a related note, in our poll this month, we’re curious about what word(s) you’d use to describe your group. We came up with things like “close-knit,” “opinionated” and “dysfunctional”; you can click on more than one word or add your own. Click here to let us know by taking our poll by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon ET.

The Hachette Book Group has their Annual Book Lover’s Brunch on October 22nd. At the present time, there is a waiting list! Click here for info. If you are attending and would like to report on this event for us, please send me a note with the subject line "Hachette Book Group Day." We have a few folks lined up to do this already and it should be fun! I am going to be at an Ocean County program that weekend and sadly cannot attend this event this year. I need a clone!

The National Book Festival was held last month in Washington, DC. The aforementioned Denise Neary was on hand there and shared her terrific report about the event here. Also the Morristown Festival of Books was held on October 1st. I moderated two panels and then enjoyed the rest of the day. We have a report from our own amazing Rebecca Munro here. See a list of more festivals here. Attending a book festival or another author event and want to report on it for us? Let us know! We can use a reporter for the Boston Book Festival this weekend!

And drumroll…I am going to be hosting a panel for book groups at the Miami Book Fair on Saturday, November 19th at 10am. I am going to be joined by Gayle Forman, the author of LEAVE ME. I have not been to the Fair in five years and am looking forward to it! Spread the word to groups in the South Florida area as I am going to be sharing a look at great book group titles, as well as giving some book group tips and discussing with Gayle what she has learned from her conversations with book groups through the years.

And that’s not all….

We’re also giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies of New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s riveting new read, FATES AND TRAITORS: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth. The subject of more than a century of scholarship, speculation and even obsession, Booth is often portrayed as a shadowy figure, a violent loner whose single murderous act made him the most hated man in America. In this sweeping work of historical fiction, Chiaverini brings to life Abraham Lincoln’s notorious assassin and the four women who kept his perilous confidence. Click here to enter by Wednesday, October 19th at noon ET. You can read our Bookreporter.com review of it here.

This month's prize book in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest is MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of OLIVE KITTERIDGE and THE BURGESS BOYS. It’s the gorgeously told story of Lucy Barton, who is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage and her love for her two daughters. Enter here by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon ET and tell us what your group is reading this month for your chance to win.

We wanted to share that our top books from the contest that ran through September are A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman, CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain, ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes, and THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah. Be sure to tell us what you are reading so we can include your group in our reporting.

We’re featuring three guides this month. First, we have the guide for HOUSE OF THIEVES by Charles Belfoure, author of the bestselling THE PARIS ARCHITECT. In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city. When John Cross' son racks up an unfathomable gambling debt to Kent's Gents, Cross must pay it back himself. All he has to do is use his inside knowledge of high society mansions and museums to craft a robbery even the smartest detectives won't solve. But Cross' entire life has become a balancing act, and it will only take one mistake for it all to come crashing down --- and for his family to go down too. Click here for the featured guide. Click here to read our review and here for my Bets On copy.

Next it’s New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr’s latest, THE LIFE SHE WANTS. In the aftermath of her financier husband’s suicide, Emma Shay Compton’s dream life is shattered. When a friend encourages her to come home to Sonoma County, Emma must decide if she can face Riley Kerrigan, her ex-best friend. It turns out she can’t escape her husband’s reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she’d ever ask for help --- Riley. It’s an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they’ve made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other --- and themselves --- can each of them find the life she wants. Click here for the featured guide, here for a Q&A with the author and here for our review.

Last but not least, we’re featuring the guide for MENDING FENCES, Sherryl Woods’ heartbreaking 2007 story about rape in a small town that unfortunately still feels ripped from the headlines. For 10 years, Emily Dobbs and Marcie Carter have been the closest of friends. They've raised their kids together, shared joy and heartache, and exchanged neighborhood gossip over tea. But when Marcie's son, now a college freshman sports star, is arrested for date rape, the bond between the families could be shattered forever. As the Carters try to deal with the unthinkable, Emily discovers her daughter has been hiding a terrible secret…a secret that threatens the futures of both families. Click here for the featured guide and here for a Q&A with the author.

Our Fall Preview feature is back and going strong! On select days in September and October, we will spotlight a different title and offer a 24-hour contest to win five copies of the book. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce each day's title. If you have not already done so, you can sign up here to receive the Fall Preview newsletter.

We have a brand new Word of Mouth contest on Bookreporter we’d like to share with you. Let us know by Friday, October 21st at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll be in the running to win THE GIRL FROM VENICE by Martin Cruz Smith and THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict. We’re also giving you a chance to win the audio versions of Brit Bennett's THE MOTHERS, read by Adenrele Ojo, and Jodi Picoult's SMALL GREAT THINGS, read by Audra McDonald with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos, in our Sounding Off on Audio contest. Let us know by Tuesday, November 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve finished listening to, and you may be the proud recipient of both audio titles.

We’ve updated our New in Paperback and Reading Roundup features for October; for the latter, Indie Next titles include NEWS OF THE WORLD, Paulette Jiles' exquisitely rendered and morally complex work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor and trust (which is short-listed for the National Book Award); New York Times bestselling author Tilar J. Mazzeo's IRENA'S CHILDREN, the extraordinary and gripping account of Irena Sendler --- the “female Oskar Schindler” --- who took staggering risks to save 2,500 children from death and deportation in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II; and THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD, a hilarious and thought-provoking debut novel about a wealthy but fractured Chinese immigrant family that had it all, only to lose every last cent, by newcomer Jade Chang.

Library Reads is spotlighting Britt Bennett’s dazzling debut, the aforementioned THE MOTHERS, a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community --- and the things that ultimately haunt us most; TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT, about a day in the life of Eleanor Flood, forced to abandon her small ambitions and awake to a strange, new future, from Maria Semple, the bestselling author of WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE; and bestselling author Keith Donohue’s THE MOTION OF PUPPETS, a modern take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth --- a suspenseful tale of romance and enchantment.

I read an advance copy of Christina Baker Kline’s A PIECE OF THE WORLD, coming on February 21st. An excerpt is now available that you can read here. Today I am having lunch with Lisa See, whose new book, THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE, will be in stores on March 21st. Lots to look forward to in 2017 and take note of!

One last thing to note: Our next newsletter will be out early the week of October 24th to all subscribers, not just our Registered Book Group readers. Fall is so busy that there is lots of news to share. And included in that newsletter will be a survey about your book newsletter reading habits that we are conducting for a publisher. Complete it, and you will be eligible to win one of three $50 gift cards, which will come in handy around the holidays!

Read on, and have a great discussion with your group this month!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping for books, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
 

ReadingGroupGuides.com is proud to be hosting a very special contest! We are giving away audiobooks to nine groups in total: three groups will win BEHOLD THE DREAMERS, written by Imbolo Mbue and read by Prentice Onayemi; three will win SMALL GREAT THINGS, written by Jodi Picoult and read by Audra McDonald with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos; and three will win THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, written by Colson Whitehead and read by Bahni Turpin. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon ET.

In order to qualify as a winning group, your group must be able to commit to listening to and discussing your audiobook and sharing your feedback with us by Friday, January 27th. We also strongly encourage your group to talk about these selections and your experience on social media, including reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookreporter.com’s “Sounding Off on Audio” feature.

In addition --- as a thank you for your participation --- each group coordinator who fully completes the project will win another audiobook of his or her choosing from a list that we will provide.

BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue (Historical Fiction)
Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job, even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.
Read by Prentice Onayemi.

SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult (Fiction)
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders, or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime.
Read by Audra McDonald, with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood --- where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Like the protagonist of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey --- hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day.
Read by Bahni Turpin.

-Click here to read more on “Why Listen to Audio for Your Book Group Discussion” from Penguin Random House.

-Click here to visit the Penguin Random House Audio website to see more suggestions for listening and how to discuss an audiobook with your book group.
 

We are celebrating the release of New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini's FATES AND TRAITORS --- a riveting work of historical fiction following the notorious John Wilkes Booth and the four women who kept his perilous confidence --- by giving three groups the chance to win 12 copies. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, October 19th at noon ET.

FATES AND TRAITORS: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of MRS. LINCOLN’S DRESSMAKER returns with a riveting work of historical fiction following the notorious John Wilkes Booth and the four women who kept his perilous confidence.

John Wilkes Booth, the mercurial son of an acclaimed British stage actor and a Covent Garden flower girl, committed one of the most notorious acts in American history --- the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The subject of more than a century of scholarship, speculation, and even obsession, Booth is often portrayed as a shadowy figure, a violent loner whose single murderous act made him the most hated man in America. Lost to history until now is the story of the four women whom he loved and who loved him in return: Mary Ann, the steadfast matriarch of the Booth family; Asia, his loyal sister and confidante; Lucy Lambert Hale, the senator’s daughter who adored Booth yet tragically misunderstood the intensity of his wrath; and Mary Surratt, the Confederate widow entrusted with the secrets of his vengeful plot.

FATES AND TRAITORS brings to life pivotal actors --- some willing, others unwitting --- who made an indelible mark on the history of our nation. Chiaverini portrays not just a soul in turmoil but a country at the precipice of immense change.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
 

Each month, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away.

This month's prize book is MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON --- an extraordinary novel about a simple hospital visit that illuminates the tender relationship between a daughter and her mother --- by Elizabeth Strout, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of OLIVE KITTERIDGE and THE BURGESS BOYS. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon ET.

MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE

A simple hospital visit becomes a portal to the tender relationship between mother and daughter in this extraordinary novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of OLIVE KITTERIDGE and THE BURGESS BOYS.

Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human and truly unforgettable.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
-Click here to read a Q&A with the author.
 

THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr (Historical Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr brings together a poignant novel with a rich tapestry of characters. A moving story that will leave the reader laughing and crying, as two friends confront their pasts and move towards their futures.

In the aftermath of her financier husband’s suicide, Emma Shay Compton’s dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients’ life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband’s crimes. She is left with nothing.

Only one friend stands by her, a friend she’s known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn’t easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she’d rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.

Riley and Emma were like sisters --- until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can’t escape her husband’s reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she’d ever ask for help --- her former best friend. It’s an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they’ve made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other --- and themselves --- can each of them find the life she wants.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
-Click here to read a Q&A with the author.
 

MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods (Fiction)
For 10 years Emily Dobbs and Marcie Carter have been the closest of friends. They've raised their kids together, shared joy and heartache, exchanged neighborhood gossip over tea. But when Marcie's son, now a college freshman sports star, is arrested for date rape, the bond between the families could be shattered forever.

As the Carters try to deal with the unthinkable, Emily discovers her daughter has been hiding a terrible secret…a secret that threatens the futures of both families. Recently divorced, Emily struggles to keep it all together --- to support her terrified daughter, to maintain her friendship with Evan's mother and to have faith in the detective who could change all of their lives.

When things seem darkest, both she and Marcie discover that sometimes the first step toward a better future is mending fences with the past.

-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read a Q&A with the author.
 

Schedule a time to pause and evaluate what’s going on with your group with a Book Group Checkup. It gives your group an opportunity to do a self-check to be sure its goals are still being met. Pick a month that you are going to do this and make it an open forum where people discuss a number of questions, or you can have people write their comments anonymously. Here are some topics that we have come up with to include:

• How happy have we been with the selections we have read this year? Rate them.
• How are our meetings structured, and what do we want to keep the same or change up?
• How do we think we can improve our discussions?
• Should members attend the meeting if they have not read the book?
• Should every member be expected to contribute to the discussion, or are “just listeners” okay?
• How can we better discipline ourselves to stay on track during the meeting?
• What do we want to try differently in the months ahead?
• Does everyone still want to be a part of the group?
• Or is everything running just fine?

We want to share feedback from you on the site. Shoot me your ideas with the subject line “Book Group Checkup.” Want to see what one group had to say? Click here to see what Suzanne from SaddleBrooke’s 4th Tuesday Book Club shared about her group.

 

Fall is known as the biggest season of the year for books. The titles that release during this latter part of the year often become holiday gifts, and many are blockbusters. To celebrate the arrival of fall, we are spotlighting a number of outstanding books that we know people will be talking about in the days and months to come.

We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days in September and October, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

This year's featured titles are:

• CROSSING THE HORIZON by Laurie Notaro
• THE FAMILY PLOT by Cherie Priest
• FRIDAY ON MY MIND: A Frieda Klein Mystery by Nicci French
• A LADY UNRIVALED: Ladies of the Manor, Book 3 by Roseanna M. White
• MANITOU CANYON by William Kent Krueger
• THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks
• VICTORIA: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird

KAROLINA'S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson (Historical Fiction)
I have been a fan of Ronald H. Balson’s books since I read ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS a few years ago, which I also selected as a Bets On title. In KAROLINA’S TWINS, Balson’s fiction once again looks at a story with its roots in the Holocaust and World War II. Lena Scheinman lived in Chrzanów, Poland, near the Czech border. Her warm family lives a happy life; her father has a successful business, and he is a respected war hero. Her best friend, Karolina Neuman, lives in circumstances not as fortunate as Lena’s, so she spends a lot of time at the Scheinman home.

Lena’s family is swept from their home as Germany invades Poland, and she is the sole survivor. She scrapes together an existence in the ghetto finding work in a textile factory where the labor is brutal, but she is safe. She is reunited with Karolina there, and the two of them forge a partnership to work together to survive. While the factory work is difficult, it affords them the luxury of being saved from the atrocities of the camps. Their partnership is challenged as Karolina finds herself pregnant. Shortly after the babies are delivered, Lena and Karolina, along with another close friend, are ordered onto trains to the camps. On the way to Auschwitz, Karolina decides that they must toss the babies from the train, as they will have no chance of surviving in the camps. Aghast, but aware she is right, Lena complies.

As the book opens, Lena wants to hire attorney Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart (who readers may remember from both ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS and SAVING SOPHIE) to help find the twins, who were last seen 70 years ago in Poland. Lena’s efforts are questioned by her son, Arthur, who feels that his mother is not mentally competent enough even to be telling a true story, let alone to track down the twins. Catherine and Liam see the merit in her tale and take on the case, tracing every lead to find this mysterious pair.

Karolina lays out her story methodically, drawing readers in deeper and deeper with every page turn. I think that Catherine and Liam’s personal story gets a tad clichéd towards the end, but I forgave it as the rest of the book worked so well.

It’s great for book groups, and I highly recommend that after you enjoy KAROLINA’S TWINS, you explore Balson’s other work. Please note, though, that at times he is a bt more preachy than one might want, especially in SAVING SOPHIE. There were pages about the Middle East there that read more like a history book than a novel. That said, he did his research!

-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
 

Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Pennie's Pick for Costco.

Indie Next's picks for September include NEWS OF THE WORLD, Paulette Jiles' exquisitely rendered and morally complex work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor and trust; New York Times bestselling author Tilar J. Mazzeo's IRENA'S CHILDREN, the extraordinary and gripping account of Irena Sendler --- the “female Oskar Schindler” --- who took staggering risks to save 2,500 children from death and deportation in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II; and THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD, a hilarious debut novel about a wealthy but fractured Chinese immigrant family that had it all, only to lose every last cent, by newcomer Jade Chang.

LibraryReads is spotlighting Britt Bennett’s dazzling debut, THE MOTHERS, a surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community --- and the things that ultimately haunt us most; TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT, about a day in the life of Eleanor Flood, forced to abandon her small ambitions and awake to a strange, new future, from Maria Semple, the bestselling author of WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE; and bestselling author Keith Donohue’s THE MOTION OF PUPPETS, a modern take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth --- a suspenseful tale of romance and enchantment.
 

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from October 7th to October 21st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE GIRL FROM VENICE by Martin Cruz Smith and THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.

-Click here to enter the contest.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.


Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!

Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from October 3rd to November 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Brit Bennett's THE MOTHERS, read by Adenrele Ojo, and Jodi Picoult's SMALL GREAT THINGS, read by Audra McDonald with Cassandra Campbell and Ari Fliakos.

To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.

-Click here to enter the contest.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
 

October's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE GUEST ROOM by Chris Bohjalian, the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong --- two men lie dead in a suburban living room, two women are on the run from police, and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams; THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS, in which Stephen King assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book, and introduces each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it; and THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, Melanie Benjamin's novel about New York’s “Swans” of the 1950s --- and the scandalous, headline-making and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley.

Among our nonfiction highlights are THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING, the much-anticipated follow-up to NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, in which Iowa native Bill Bryson --- now a British citizen --- sets out again to rediscover his adopted country; LAFAYETTE IN THE SOMEWHAT UNITED STATES by Sarah Vowell, an insightful and unconventional account of George Washington’s trusted officer and friend, that swashbuckling teenage French aristocrat, the Marquis de Lafayette; and HEART OF GLASS, Wendy Lawless' follow-up memoir to CHANEL BONFIRE, the darkly funny story of a girl without a roadmap for life who leaves her disastrous past to find herself in the gritty heart of 1980s New York City.

-Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of October 3rd, October 10th, October 17th and October 24th.

 

The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER by Jenny Colgan (Fiction)
Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after?

BY GASLIGHT by Steven Price (Historical Mystery)
A historical suspense novel, centered on the relationship of William Pinkerton --- the greatest detective of his age --- and Adam Foole, a thief whose past is inextricably linked with Pinkerton’s own.

COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
The acclaimed, bestselling author --- winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize --- tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families' lives.

FATES AND TRAITORS: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of MRS. LINCOLN'S DRESSMAKER returns with a riveting work of historical fiction chronicling the life of Lincoln's assassin, the notorious John Wilkes Booth, and the four women who kept his perilous confidence.

FORTY AUTUMNS: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall by Nina Willner (Memoir)
In this illuminating and deeply moving memoir, a former American military intelligence officer goes beyond traditional Cold War espionage tales to tell the true story of her family --- of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than 40 years, and their miraculous reunion after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

THE GIRL IN THE CASTLE by Santa Montefiore (Historical Fiction)
International sensation Santa Montefiore presents the first book in a trilogy that follows three Irish women through the decades of the 20th century --- perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Hazel Gaynor.

HOUSE OF THIEVES by Charles Belfoure (Historical Fiction)
“Rockets along at full-speed from one breathtaking scene to the next. I couldn’t put HOUSE OF THIEVES down.” (Alex Grecian, national bestselling author of THE YARD and HARVEST MAN)

JUST FINE WITH CAROLINE by Annie England Noblin (Fiction)
From the author of SIT! STAY! SPEAK! comes a tender, terrific novel complete with long-buried secrets, a three-legged pot belly pig, and an irresistible dog --- an unforgettable story about love, friendship and community.

THE LIFE SHE WANTS by Robyn Carr (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr brings together a poignant novel with a rich tapestry of characters. A moving story that will leave the reader laughing and crying, as two friends confront their pasts and move towards their futures.

MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods (Fiction)
Revisit bestselling author Sherryl Woods’ 2007 MENDING FENCES, the riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines story about how a rape accusation threatens to shatter the bond between two families.

MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix (Fiction)
“If The Exorcist had been authored by Tina Fey instead of William Peter Blatty, it might have borne an uncanny resemblance to what Grady Hendrix has accomplished with MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM.... Fans of satire, nostalgia, dark comedy and, well, demons should read this book.” (BookPage)

MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
A simple hospital visit illuminates the tender relationship between mother and daughter in this extraordinary novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of OLIVE KITTERIDGE and THE BURGESS BOYS.

NEWS OF THE WORLD by Paulette Jiles (Historical Fiction)
In NEWS OF THE WORLD by Paulette Jiles, author of ENEMY WOMEN, a travelling newsreader goes on a treacherous journey through 1870s Texas to return a child captured by the Kiowa to her distant family. Longlisted for the National Book Award in the Fiction category.

THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE by Joshilyn Jackson (Fiction)
From beloved New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson, THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE is a story about story itself, how the tales we tell connect us, break us, and define us, and how the endings and beginnings we choose can destroy us…and make us whole.

THE RAMBLERS by Aidan Donnelley Rowley (Fiction)
For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud and Emma Straub, a gorgeous and absorbing novel of a trio of confused souls struggling to find themselves and the way forward in their lives, set against the spectacular backdrop of contemporary New York City.

YESTERNIGHT by Cat Winters (Historical Thriller)
From the author of THE UNINVITED comes a haunting historical novel with a compelling mystery at its core: A young child psychologist steps off a train in a foggy seaside town and begins a journey that will cause her to question everything she believes about life, death, memories and reincarnation.

Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:

HEART OF GLASS: A Memoir by Wendy Lawless (Memoir)
Author of the New York Times bestseller CHANEL BONFIRE, a "harrowing story with biting humor" (People), Wendy Lawless chronicles her 20s: the story of a girl without a roadmap for life who leaves her car wreck past to find herself in the gritty heart of 1980s New York City.

A LINE OF BLOOD by Ben McPherson (Thriller)
A LINE OF BLOOD explores what it means to be a family --- the ties that bind us, and the lies that can destroy us if we're not careful. It will have you wondering if one of the characters is guilty --- or if all of them are --- and will keep you on edge until its shocking final pages.
 

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