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What Books Have Our Readers Read?
On Tuesday night, I watched the first episode of “The Great American Read” on PBS. For those who love books, it was a wonderful night of hearing tidbits of interest about books for book lovers. Authors, celebrities, other well-known folks and everyday readers all are featured talking about the books that they love and why they resonate with them. It was filled with brilliant book commentary. Tuesday night was a kickoff event for the series with more shows for the fall; if you missed it, check your local PBS listings for more air dates for this first show.
The results of our ReadingGroupGuides.com “Great American Read” survey are in! We wanted to know which of the 100 best-loved novels that are being featured on the program you have read. The most frequently read novel among our ReadingGroupGuides.com readers is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee. We ran a separate survey on Bookreporter.com, so check out the Bookreporter newsletter tomorrow (Friday, May 25th) to see what the favorite novel was from those readers. Not subscribed to the Bookreporter newsletter yet? You can do that here.
Here are the others in the top 20 vote-getters from ReadingGroupGuides.com readers: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett, THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown, CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E. B. White, GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn, THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald, LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott, THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak, THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain, GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell, THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA by Arthur Golden, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J. D. Salinger, 1984 by George Orwell, JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë, THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Mark Haddon, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen. Click here for all the results.
Remember, the goal here is to pick America’s Favorite Read, and you can vote for your favorite novel once a day every day on the "Great American Read" website from now until when the voting ends.
Our poll continues to ask if you’re planning to watch the PBS series and vote. Click here to let us know.
Earlier this year, we featured a contest that allowed 10 book groups the chance to win up to six digital or physical copies of the audiobook of Kristin Hannah’s THE GREAT ALONE (read by Julia Whelan) and give us their feedback on it. We’ve compiled the comments from some of our winning groups, which you can see here. Many thanks to all who listened to THE GREAT ALONE and took the time to share their opinions with us. If you have listened to this book on your own, we would love to hear from you about it. Drop me a note at [email protected] with the subject line “I listened to THE GREAT ALONE.”
Continuing for two more weeks is our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest for COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams. The author of A CERTAIN AGE (among numerous other bestsellers) transports readers to sunny Florida in an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach. Three readers will win 12 copies of the book for their group. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, June 6th at noon ET. Don’t miss the discussion guide here and our review on Bookreporter.com here. I am looking forward to seeing Beatriz next week at BookExpo.
We will be hosting our Book Group Speed Dating event at BookExpo on June 1st, and I look forward to sharing the 134(!) selections that will be featured as part of this program in our next newsletter.
We’ve added one new guide since our last update. It’s for HOW FAR SHE’S COME, a new psychological thriller from Holly Brown, the highly acclaimed author of DON’T TRY TO FIND ME and THIS IS NOT OVER. Cheyenne Florian is recruited to be the new correspondent on the Independent News Network (INN), which has branded itself as innovative. But when Cheyenne joins the INN team, she finds age-old dynamics in play. Then there’s the diary left for her anonymously, written in 1991 by a female broadcaster. The mysterious diary is accompanied by a note, urging Cheyenne to learn from the past. She wants to believe it’s intended as inspiration and friendly advice, or perhaps a warning. But as disturbing --- and increasingly dangerous --- parallels begin to emerge, she starts to wonder if something more sinister is at work. Click here for the guide.
Over on Bookreporter.com, we have many opportunities for you to win books. Our series of 24-hour Summer Reading contests are back, along with our Father’s Day contest, where five readers will win nine fiction and nonfiction titles for themselves or the fathers in their lives.
We're giving 50(!) readers the chance to win an advance copy of MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN, hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine's debut novel releasing August 14th, in our Sneak Peek contest and share their comments on it. To enter, all you have to do is fill out this form by Tuesday, May 29th at noon ET. Please note that this will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I love the voice of the main character; Fine does a great job with that and the pacing of the book, which is brisk and smart.
And, as always, we have our ongoing Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio contests, where you can win some fabulous hardcovers and audiobooks.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We will see you in two weeks with another update. In the meantime, enjoy your next book group discussion!
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Winners of THE GREAT ALONE Audiobook Contest Comment on Their Listening Experience
Throughout the month of February, we ran a contest that gave 10 book groups the chance to win up to six digital or physical copies of the audiobook of Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, THE GREAT ALONE (read by Julia Whelan), and give us their feedback on it. We’ve compiled the comments from some of our winning groups, which you can see here. Many thanks to all who listened to the audiobook and took the time to share their opinions with us.
THE GREAT ALONE Audiobook written by Kristin Hannah, read by Julia Whelan (Historical Fiction)
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier. Thirteen-year-old Leni dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. But as winter approaches, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within.
- Click here to listen to a clip from the audiobook.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here to read comments from our winning groups
about THE GREAT ALONE audiobook.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of COCOA BEACH
by Beatriz Williams for Your Group
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 the paperback edition of COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams, an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, June 6th at noon ET.
COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets --- secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind.
Five years later, in the early days of Prohibition, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in the tropical boomtown of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. Despite the evidence, Virginia does not believe Simon perished in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their young daughter. Separated from her husband since the early days of their marriage, the headstrong Virginia plans to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met.
Simon’s brother and sister welcome her with open arms and introduce her to a dazzling new world of citrus groves, white beaches, bootleggers and Prohibition agents. But Virginia senses a predatory presence lurking beneath the irresistible, hedonistic surface of this coastal oasis. The more she learns about Simon and his mysterious business interests, the more she fears that the dangers that surrounded Simon now threaten her and their daughter’s life as well.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Guide: EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS
by Meg Little Reilly
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly (Psychological Suspense)
For fans of Megan Abbott and Chris Bohjalian comes a novel of moral complexity about friends who must choose between self-preservation and doing the right thing in the wake of a fatal boating accident. Set in the moody off-season of Martha’s Vineyard, EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS is a plunge into the dark waters of secrets and flexible morals. The truth becomes whatever we say it is…
Around midnight, three friends take their partying from bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as the weather deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes overboard. Is it an accident? The result of an unwanted advance? His body disappears quickly, silently, into the dark water. The circumstances are murky, but what is clear is that the other two need to notify the authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their friend has somehow made it safely to shore. As valuable time passes, they find themselves deep in a moral morass with huge implications as they struggle to move forward and live with their dark secret.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Guide:
THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry
Now Available in Paperback
THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry (Historical Gothic Fiction)
When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at 19, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive 11-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.
While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief.
These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart --- an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected.
Hailed by Sarah Waters as "a work of great intelligence and charm, by a hugely talented author," THE ESSEX SERPENT is "irresistible...you can feel the influences of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and Hilary Mantel channeled by Perry in some sort of Victorian séance. This is the best new novel I’ve read in years" (Daily Telegraph).
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: HOW FAR SHE’S COME by Holly Brown
HOW FAR SHE'S COME by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
You might be wondering what a diary from 1991 has to do with you. You're about to find out. Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it…
Twenty-four-year-old Cheyenne Florian has just received her dream job offer. On the strength of a few vlogs, she’s recruited to be the new correspondent on the recently hatched Independent News Network, INN.
With the slogan “Because independent thinking is the only way out,” INN has branded itself as innovative. Yet once Cheyenne joins the INN team, she finds age-old dynamics in play. Some of the female staff resent her meteoric rise, while a number of the men are only too happy to welcome her. Then there’s the diary left for her anonymously, written in 1991 by a female broadcaster named Elyse Rohrbach. The mysterious diary is accompanied by a note, urging Cheyenne to learn from the past. She wants to believe it’s intended as inspiration and friendly advice, or at most, a warning. But as disturbing --- and increasingly dangerous --- parallels begin to emerge, she starts to wonder if something more sinister is at work.
It’s almost as if someone is engineering the similarities in Cheyenne’s life to match those from Elyse’s past, like she’s a pawn in a very twisted game. But Cheyenne is determined to rewrite the rules and play her own game. Though they’re separated by more than 25 years, Elyse and Cheyenne are forced to learn the same lesson: Nothing is more threatening than a woman who doesn’t yet know her own power…
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: MISS SUBWAYS by David Duchovny
MISS SUBWAYS by David Duchovny (Fantasy/Humor)
Emer is just a woman living in New York City who takes the subway, buys ice cream from the bodega on the corner, has writerly aspirations, and lives with her boyfriend, Con. But is this life she lives the only path she’s on?
Taking inspiration from the myth of Emer and Cuchulain and featuring an all-star cast of mythical figures from all over the world, David Duchovny’s darkly funny fantasy novel is one woman’s trippy, mystical journey down parallel tracks of time and love. On the way, Emer will battle natural and supernatural forces to find her true voice, power and destiny. A fairy tale of love lost and regained, MISS SUBWAYS is also a love letter to the city that enchants us all: New York.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR
by Dorothea Benton Frank
Now Available in Paperback
SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her magical Lowcountry of South Carolina in this bewitching story of marriage, love, family and friendship that is infused with her warm and engaging earthy humor and generous heart.
One enchanted summer, two couples begin a friendship that will last more than 20 years and transform their lives.
A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms, one of Charleston’s most stunning barrier islands, brings former sweethearts Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. Their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, fight sparks of jealousy flaring from their imagined rekindling of old flames. As Adam and Eve get caught up on their lives, their partners strike up a deep friendship --- and flirt with an unexpected attraction --- of their own.
Year after year, Adam, Eliza, Eve and Carl eagerly await their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island’s tip end, where they grow closer with each passing day, building a friendship that will withstand financial catastrophe, family tragedy and devastating heartbreak. The devotion and love they share will help them weather the vagaries of time and enrich their lives as circumstances change, their children grow up and leave home, and their twilight years approach.
Bursting with the intoxicating richness of Dorothea Benton Frank’s beloved Lowcountry --- the sultry sunshine, cool ocean breezes, icy cocktails and starry velvet skies --- SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR is a dazzling celebration of the infrangible power of friendship, the enduring promise of summer and the indelible bonds of love.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New May Releases of Interest to Book Groups
BEACH HOUSE REUNION by Mary Alice Monroe (Fiction)
Whisking you back to the shores of her bestselling Beach House series, Mary Alice Monroe weaves together a tale of the struggles and triumphs of the historic Rutledge family of Charleston, South Carolina. Three generations gather together to find the strength, love and commitment to break destructive family patterns and to forge new bonds that will endure long beyond one summer reunion.
BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki (Memoir)
When Allison Pataki's husband suffers a stroke, he wakes up with a complete loss of memory. At five months pregnant, Allison has lost the Dave she knew and loved. Within a few months, she found herself caring for both a newborn and a sick husband. As a way to make sense of the pain and chaos of their new reality, Allison started to write daily letters to Dave. Those letters became the foundation for this beautiful, intimate memoir.
BY INVITATION ONLY by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where BY INVITATION ONLY begins at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel to celebrate her son’s engagement. The bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range, while the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons. Soon the novel zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates.
THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person --- but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.
THE DEVIL’S REWARD written by Emmanuelle de Villepin, translated by C. Jon Delogu (Fiction)
Christiane lives alone in a large apartment in the heart of Paris. Her daughter, Catherine, is filled with resentment toward her unfaithful Milanese husband. After discovering yet another affair, Catherine takes refuge in Paris at her mother’s home, accompanied by her own daughter, Luna. Christiane uses all of her freethinking charm in an effort to change Catherine’s rigid, self-pitying attitude.
THE ELECTRIC WOMAN: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine (Memoir)
For three years, Tessa Fontaine lived in a constant state of emergency as her mother battled stroke after stroke. But hospitals, wheelchairs and loss of language couldn’t hold back such a woman; she and her husband would see Italy together, come what may. Thus Fontaine became free to follow her own piper, a literal giant inviting her to “come play” in the World of Wonders, America’s last traveling sideshow. How could she resist?
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly (Psychological Suspense)
Around midnight, three friends take their partying from bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as the weather deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes overboard and disappears. The circumstances are murky, but what is clear is that the other two need to notify the authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their friend has somehow made it safely to shore.
THE FAVORITE SISTER by Jessica Knoll (Thriller)
When five hyper-successful women agree to appear on a reality series set in New York City called “Goal Diggers,” the producers never expect the season will end in murder. THE FAVORITE SISTER explores the invisible barriers that prevent women from rising up the ranks in today’s America --- and offers a scathing take on the oft-lionized bonds of sisterhood, and the relentless pressure to stay young, relevant and salable.
THE HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell (Fiction)
In a beach town overrun with vacationers and newly colonized by socialites, Ruthie Beamish will go to extreme lengths when the life she loves is upended. Ruthie's house is her nest egg, recently renovated and located by the sea in a quiet village two ferry rides from the glitzier Hamptons. But to afford the house, she must rent it during the summer --- and this year to Adeline Clay, who is elegant, connected and accompanied by a “gorgeous satellite” stepson.
THE HIGH TIDE CLUB by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons attorney Brooke Trappnell to her 20,000-acre barrier island home. To fulfill a dying woman’s wishes, Brooke must find Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bring them together on Talisa. But in doing so, Brooke unleashes the makings of a scandal that could make someone rich beyond their wildest dreams…or cause them to be in the crosshairs of a murderer.
HOW FAR SHE'S COME by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
Cheyenne Florian is recruited to be the new correspondent on the Independent News Network (INN), which has branded itself as innovative. But when Cheyenne joins the INN team, she finds age-old dynamics in play. Then there’s the diary left for her anonymously, written in 1991 by a female broadcaster. As disturbing --- and increasingly dangerous --- parallels begin to emerge, she starts to wonder if something more sinister is at work.
LOVE AND RUIN by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
In 1937, 28-year-old Martha Gellhorn travels alone to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. While there, she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with Ernest Hemingway. When Ernest publishes FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the confining demands of being a famous man’s wife, or risk losing Ernest by forging a path as her own woman and writer.
THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar (Fiction)
Just after Nour loses her father, her mother moves Nour and her sisters back to Syria. Nour’s favorite story is the tale of Rawiya, a 12th-century girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to apprentice herself to a famous mapmaker. When a stray shell destroys Nour’s house, she and her family are forced to choose: stay and risk more violence, or flee along the very route Rawiya and her mapmaker took in their quest to chart the world.
MISS SUBWAYS by David Duchovny (Fantasy/Humor)
Emer is just a woman living in New York City who takes the subway, buys ice cream from the bodega on the corner, has writerly aspirations, and lives with her boyfriend, Con. But is this life she lives the only path she’s on? Taking inspiration from the myth of Emer and Cuchulain, and featuring an all-star cast of mythical figures from all over the world, MISS SUBWAYS is one woman’s trippy, mystical journey down parallel tracks of time and love.
OUR KIND OF CRUELTY by Araminta Hall (Psychological Thriller)
Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely, life before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love; in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus. It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move, he’ll know just when to come to her rescue.
REGRETS ONLY by Erin Duffy (Fiction)
When Claire walks in on her husband canoodling with their realtor, her seemingly perfect life comes crashing down. But how can she move on when she’s still stuck in the orbit of her husband’s world? As Claire soon learns, suburbia still has a few surprises in store for her --- surprises that will make her question her choices from the past, send her down an unexpected road to self-discovery, and maybe even lead to new love.
SEND DOWN THE RAIN by Charles Martin (Fiction)
When Joseph discovers a mother and her two small children lost in the forest, he helps them get back to their home in Florida. There he will return to his own hometown --- and witness the accident that launches a bittersweet reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Allie. When Joseph offers to help Allie rebuild her restaurant, it seems the flame may reignite --- until a 45-year-old secret from the past begins to emerge.
TWO STEPS FORWARD by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist (Fiction)
Zoe, who’s still reeling from her husband’s sudden death, has impulsively decided to walk the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrim route, hoping to find solace and direction. Martin is road-testing a cart of his own design and recovering from a messy divorce. Strangers and circumstances force Zoe to confront not just recent loss, but long-held beliefs. For Martin, the pilgrimage is a test of his skills and endurance but also of his willingness to trust others --- and himself --- again.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
LOVE AND RUIN by Paula McLain
and BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES by Allison Pataki
LOVE AND RUIN by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)
To me, Paula McLain is a gold standard writer of historical fiction. THE PARIS WIFE, with its brilliant account of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, brought readers a new look at the writer through the eyes of a woman he loved. Her latest book, LOVE AND RUIN, gives us another look at a wife of Hemingway as here she explores the life of his third wife, Martha Gellhorn.
Paula never thought she would write about Hemingway again, but as she shares, “I had a crazily vivid and powerful dream. I was fishing with Hemingway on his boat, the Pilar, and Martha Gellhorn was there, hand-feeding a marlin that had leapt from the sea. The next morning, still gripped by the dream and feeling it was some sort of sign,” she started researching Gellhorn, who she knew surprisingly little about. The more she read, the more she wanted to tell her story --- not just as the wife of Hemingway, but also for the brilliant writer she was in her own right. And that she does.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read our interview with Paula McLain.
Click here for more of Carol's commentary on LOVE AND RUIN.
BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki (Memoir)
A couple of years ago, I was at a party for Allison Pataki’s historical novel, SISI. Though we had not met before, she was so warm and gracious, spending time with every person in the room. I thought to myself, She really has it all.
Someone mentioned that her life had had a twist the year before. When she was five months pregnant, she and her husband, Dave, had gone on a babymoon to Hawaii. They left from Chicago, planning a stop in Seattle on the way to see her brother-in-law. Shortly after they took off, Dave, who was just 30 years old at the time, asked her to look at his eye, as he could not see out of it. She looked and realized something was dreadfully wrong as his pupil had widened so much that she could not see the iris of his eye. Moments later, he was unconscious, she was seeking help from the flight crew, and not long afterwards they made an emergency landing in Fargo, ND, where he was diagnosed with a stroke.
BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES is their story of the years that led up to that moment, as well as the time that followed as Dave recovered and their baby daughter was born.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for more of Carol's commentary on
BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES.
Bookreporter.com's 13th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 13th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, June 18th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 24th. You will need to check the site to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
Enter Our Ongoing Bookreporter.com Contests:
"Word of Mouth" and "Sounding Off on Audio"
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 May 11th to May 25th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar and THE PERFECT MOTHER by Aimee Molloy.
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.
Please note: A new Word of Mouth contest will be up
on Friday, May 25th at noon ET.
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 May 1st to June 4th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Ruth Ware's THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY, read by Imogen Church, and Stephen King's THE OUTSIDER, read by Will Patton.
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.
Please note: A new Sounding Off on Audio contest will be up
on Monday, June 4th at noon ET.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
THE ELECTRIC WOMAN: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts by Tessa Fontaine (Memoir)
Tessa Fontaine’s astonishing memoir of pushing past fear, THE ELECTRIC WOMAN, follows the author on a life-affirming journey of loss and self-discovery --- through her time on the road with the last traveling American sideshow and her relationship with an adventurous, spirited mother.
THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry (Historical Gothic Fiction)
An exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this rapturously acclaimed historical novel, set in late 19th-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love.
EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS by Meg Little Reilly (Psychological Suspense)
For fans of Megan Abbott and Chris Bohjalian comes a novel of moral complexity about how three friends --- and lovers --- in their 20s must choose between self-preservation and doing what’s right in the wake of a fatal accident. A split second decision will haunt them forever…
THE FEMALE PERSUASION by Meg Wolitzer (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE INTERESTINGS comes an electric, multilayered novel about ambition, power, friendship and mentorship, and the romantic ideals we all follow deep into adulthood --- not just about who we want to be with, but who we want to be.
HOW FAR SHE'S COME by Holly Brown (Psychological Thriller)
From the highly acclaimed author of DON'T TRY TO FIND ME and THIS IS NOT OVER comes the unforgettable, harrowing story of a young broadcast journalist who discovers a mysterious diary from a female broadcaster in 1991 featuring startling --- and frightening --- parallels to her own life.
MISS SUBWAYS by David Duchovny (Fantasy/Humor)
New York Times bestselling author David Duchovny reimagines the Irish mythological figure of Emer in MISS SUBWAYS, a darkly comic fantasy love story set in New York City.
MY OXFORD YEAR by Julia Whelan (Fiction)
In her sparkling debut, Julia Whelan crafts an incredible love story --- set amongst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford --- about a determined, intelligent young woman eager to make her mark in the world, a handsome man with secrets he never wants to share, and a love that entangles and refuses to let them go unscathed.
OUR KIND OF CRUELTY by Araminta Hall (Psychological Thriller)
A spellbinding, darkly twisted novel about desire and obsession, and the complicated lines between truth and perception, OUR KIND OF CRUELTY introduces Araminta Hall, a chilling new voice in psychological suspense.
REGRETS ONLY by Erin Duffy (Fiction)
From the author of BOND GIRL and LOST ALONG THE WAY comes a fiercely funny, insightful story of marriage, family and the crooked path to figuring out who we really are.
TWO STEPS FORWARD by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE ROSIE PROJECT comes a story of taking chances and learning to love again as two people, one mourning her husband and the other recovering from divorce, cross paths on the centuries-old Camino pilgrimage from France to Spain.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of A CERTAIN AGE transports readers to sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel --- an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach.
SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR by Dorothea Benton Frank (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her magical Lowcountry of South Carolina in this bewitching story of marriage, love, family and friendship that is infused with her warm and engaging earthy humor and generous heart.
This Month's Poll: “The Great American Read” on PBS
Will You Watch and Vote?
“The Great American Read” is an eight-part series on PBS that focuses on America’s 100 best-loved novels. Throughout the course of the series, viewers will be able to vote for their favorites among the 100, and the top best-loved novel in America will be revealed in October. Are you planning to watch this series and participate in the voting?
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I plan to watch the series and vote.
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I plan to watch the series, but probably will not vote.
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I plan to vote, but probably will not watch the entire series.
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I do not plan to watch the series or vote.
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I am not sure what I am going to do.
Click here to vote in the poll by Wednesday, June 6th at noon ET.
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