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Reading Along with Others
Back in June 2018, I interviewed Stephanie Land at BookExpo. Her book, MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, was a BookExpo Buzz title. It came out the following January, and I picked it as a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. It hit the New York Times bestseller list, and it was one of those books whose message stayed with me. Last night, I had the opportunity to screen the first episode of the Netflix adaptation of MAID, which drops tomorrow.
It's a powerful episode that sets up Stephanie and her story quickly. Readers of the book will see that the storytelling juxtaposes the narrative to better tell a story on the screen, which is something I find so interesting about adaptations. After the episode concluded, there was a discussion with Stephanie that also featured Margaret Qualley, who plays her in the series (now named Alex); John Wells, an executive producer and one of the directors of the series; and Molly Smith Metzler, the screenwriter. It was moderated by Jessica Radloff, the West Coast editor of Glamour magazine.
It was interesting to hear Margaret talk about how she prepped herself for the role, including the challenges of working with a young child (named Maddy for the series). Molly spoke about wanting to write so the heart of the book was part of the program. I cannot wait to see the next nine episodes. A trailer is below, as well as a screenshot from the round table discussion last night. I am so happy for Stephanie and hope to do a follow-up interview with her in the next couple of weeks.
If you would like to discuss MAID with your group, the discussion guide is here.
One of this year’s most talked-about releases is CLOUD CUCKOO LAND, the latest novel from Anthony Doerr, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. Longlisted for the National Book Award, it follows five characters whose stories, despite spanning nearly six centuries, are bound together by their mutual love for a single book.
According to our Bookreporter reviewer Harvey Freedenberg, “What’s most compelling about CLOUD CUCKOO LAND is Doerr’s ability to convey each of his characters’ passions in unique but deeply meaningful ways, posing provocative questions about how the actions of discrete individuals can resonate through history…. Whether in the form of ink on a printed page, pixels on a screen, or in some medium we have yet to imagine, the task of preserving books is among the most noble in humanity’s history. Anthony Doerr has paid that task a worthy homage.” Click here for the guide and here for Harvey’s review.
Colson Whitehead, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKEL BOYS, is back with his highly anticipated new novel, HARLEM SHUFFLE. Set in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s, it’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem.
Bookreporter reviewer Stuart Shiffman says this about the book: “Colson Whitehead is a New Yorker, and his parents and family lived in the Harlem recreated on these pages. As I prepared this review, the New York Times published an interview with the author that sums up his delightful and amazing book perfectly: ‘I’m describing a Harlem that’s in decline in the ’50s and ’60s. And now it’s gentrified and revitalized. And that’s the city. It’s always being laid low. By 9/11, by COVID, and we bounce back.’ Come back quickly, New York. America needs you.” Click here for the guide and here for Stuart’s review.
Last Chance to Enter Our Monthly Contest
This Wednesday, October 6th at noon ET is the deadline to enter our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest. Three of you will win up to 12 copies of THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer, a Bets On pick, for your group. This suspenseful and seductive tale is perfect for fans of the Netflix documentaries This Is A Robbery and Made You Look and readers obsessed with the world of art heists and forgeries. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Jonathan, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here. Also, be sure to check out the guide, our Bookreporter review and my Bets On commentary.
We also have added guides for these three books:
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ROCK PAPER SCISSORS: This latest novel from the queen of the killer twist, Alice Feeney, is an instant New York Times bestseller and will be a Bets On selection. According to Bookreporter reviewer Rebecca Munro, the book “is, without a doubt, the most chilling novel I have read this year...if not ever. Never before have I had to read a domestic thriller with my flashlight at the ready, but Feeney writes with such precision and perfect pacing that her already shocking explorations into the human psyche become exponentially more horrifying. This is very much a writer’s thriller, and her mastery of her craft is on full display at every twist.” Click here to read Rebecca's review.
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THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS: Ruth Ozeki’s much-anticipated new novel, her first since 2013’s A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING, engages with everything from jazz, to climate change, to our attachment to material possessions. Dave Eggers says, “This is both an extremely vivid picture of a small family enduring unimaginable loss, and a very powerful meditation on the way books can contain the chaos of the world and give it meaning and order. Annabelle and Benny Oh try to stay afloat in a sea of things, news, substances, technological soullessness, and psychiatric quagmires, and the way they learn to live and breathe and even swim through it all feels like the struggle we all face.”
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THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE: This second novel in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series marks the return of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim ---- four unlikely friends who meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes. They call themselves The Thursday Murder Club, and this time they are up against a ruthless murderer who wouldn’t think twice about knocking off four septuagenarians.
We also are continuing to feature the guide for IN EVERY MIRROR SHE’S BLACK by debut novelist Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström. This recent Bets On pick touches on important social issues of racism, classism, fetishization and tokenism, and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Lolá, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.
Oprah has selected BEWILDERMENT as her latest book club pick. At the heart of Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers’ new novel, which already has been nominated for the Booker Prize and the National Book Award, lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet? Oprah says, “Richard Powers is one of our country’s greatest living writers. He composes some of the most beautiful sentences I’ve ever read. I’m in awe of his talent.” Oprah’s interview with Powers will air Friday, October 22nd on Apple TV+.
We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter. First up is Lisa Jewell, whose latest psychological thriller, THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED, released earlier this month and will be a Bets On pick.
As the book opens, a young suburban couple has been missing for a year. A mystery writer moves in near the estate where the disappearance took place, and on a walk one day, she comes across a note that reads "DIG HERE." From that one clue, the unsolved case gets reopened.
Lisa talks to me about her inspiration, where her writing of the novel started, and how she unfolded the story from there. She also shares how her looming deadline during the pandemic upended her writing routine and previews her next book, which will be a sequel. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
My second interview is with Dianna Rostad, whose debut novel, YOU BELONG HERE NOW, was a Bets On selection when it released in April and received this praise from William Kent Krueger: “I love this book, and I guarantee you won’t find a better debut novel anywhere.”
Three orphans journey west from New York City on one of the infamous orphan trains. After jumping off the train to seek a life all their own, they find themselves on a ranch in Montana where they quickly work to adapt to ranch life. The two older boys work as ranch hands under the doubtful eye of a young woman whose family owns the ranch. She worries that their arrival will get in the way of her plan to someday run the family property. Along the way, the orphans and the ranch family blend in a way that brings healing for all of them.
Dianna, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, talks to me about how the place inspired her. Her family has a long history in Montana, and her father was a huge influence on the book. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
As promised, our September “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event is now available on our YouTube channel. Click here to see me present 30 books releasing between now and October 5th, along with nine November titles, that I think will appeal to you.
Please keep in mind that next month’s "Bookaccino Live" event will take place on Wednesday, October 13th at 2pm ET. I will talk about a number of titles that are coming out between October 12th and November 2nd, along with a few from December, that I would like to get on your radar. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
Sign Up to Attend Hachette's Virtual Book Club Brunch: A Day for Readers
Hachette’s 10th Annual Book Club Brunch will be taking place virtually on Saturday, October 23rd from 10:30am to 1pm ET. To celebrate 10 wonderful years, Hachette has put together a stellar lineup of authors who will be featured in fiction and nonfiction panels --- and a very special guest will be on hand for a fun book club discussion. Scroll further down the newsletter for more details, and click here to RSVP for the event.
I cannot believe that it's been 10 years since their first event. As someone who knows all too well how much work goes into an event like this, I take my hat off to them. We routinely hear from our readers about how much they have enjoyed this program. For a second year the programming will be remote, so you can join from wherever you are!
The temps are dropping, and my book group will be meeting outdoors next week. Bring on the outdoor heater, as well as the fire pit!
See you next month. 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!
New Guide: CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr (Fiction)
Set in Constantinople in the 15th century, in a small town in present-day Idaho, and on an interstellar ship decades from now, Anthony Doerr’s third novel is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope --- and a book. In CLOUD CUCKOO LAND, Doerr has created a magnificent tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness --- with other species, with each other, with those who lived before us, and with those who will be here after we’re gone.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HARLEM SHUFFLE by Colson Whitehead
HARLEM SHUFFLE by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
To his customers and neighbors on 125th Street, Ray Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can he avoid getting killed; save his cousin, Freddie, who falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa (the “Waldorf of Harlem”); and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of THE LAST MONA LISA
by Jonathan Santlofer 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 up to 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.
Our latest prize book is THE LAST MONA LISA by award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer. This enthralling tale, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick, is about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, October 6th at noon ET.
THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer (Thriller)
August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911. Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Jonathan Santlofer.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Guide: IN EVERY MIRROR SHE’S BLACK
by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström (Fiction)
Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm. Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury and privilege as the object of his unhealthy obsession. And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller)
Things have been wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife. Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts --- paper, cotton, pottery, tin --- and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the early October newsletter.
New Guide:
THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS
by Ruth Ozeki
THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki (Fiction/Magical Realism)
One year after the death of his beloved musician father, 13-year-old Benny Oh begins to hear voices that belong to the things in his house. When his mother, Annabelle, develops a hoarding problem, the voices grow more clamorous. Benny tries to ignore them, but the voices follow him outside the house, driving him at last to seek refuge in the silence of a large public library. There, Benny discovers a strange new world. He falls in love with a mesmerizing street artist with a smug pet ferret. He meets a homeless philosopher-poet, who encourages him to ask important questions and find his own voice amongst the many. And he meets his very own Book --- a talking thing --- who narrates Benny’s life and teaches him to listen to the things that truly matter.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE
by Richard Osman
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman (Mystery)
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim --- the Thursday Murder Club --- are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper’s Chase, their posh retirement village. But they are out of luck. An unexpected visitor --- an old pal of Elizabeth’s (or perhaps more than just a pal?) --- arrives, desperate for her help. He has been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions from the wrong men, and he’s seriously on the lam. Then, as night follows day, the first body is found. But not the last. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are up against a ruthless murderer who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can our four friends catch the killer before the killer catches them?
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New September Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Below are a number of books releasing in September for the first time (which we aren't currently featuring on the site or in the newsletter) that we think will be of interest to book groups.
APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest.
BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU by Sally Rooney (Fiction)
Alice meets Felix and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up, and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon are still young --- but life is catching up with them.
BEWILDERMENT by Richard Powers (Fiction)
BEWILDERMENT marks Richard Powers’ most intimate and moving novel. At its heart lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?
BROTHERS ON THREE: A True Story of Family, Resistance, and Hope on a Reservation in Montana by Abe Streep (Biography)
From journalist Abe Streep comes the story of coming-of-age on a reservation in the American West and a team uniting a community.
A CALLING FOR CHARLIE BARNES by Joshua Ferris (Fiction)
From National Book Award Finalist Joshua Ferris comes a novel about a modern American family and a man on a secret mission to uncover the world's hidden truths --- until his two lives come crashing together.
THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THEN SHE WAS GONE and THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS comes another riveting work of psychological suspense about a web of people whose lives are forever changed in the wake of a young couple’s disappearance.
THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
From May Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of HELLO, SUMMER, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances.
A SINGLE ROSE written by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson (Fiction)
From the bestselling author of THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG comes a story about a woman's journey to discover the father she never knew and a love she never thought possible.
TALK TO ME by T.C. Boyle (Fiction)
From bestselling and award-winning author T.C. Boyle comes a lively, thought-provoking novel that asks us what it would be like if we could really talk to the animals.
THREE GIRLS FROM BRONZEVILLE: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner (Memoir)
This piercing memoir is about three Black girls from the storied Bronzeville section of Chicago that offers a penetrating exploration of race, opportunity, friendship, sisterhood, and the powerful forces at work that allow some to flourish...and others to falter.
THE WISH by Nicholas Sparks (Romance)
From the author of THE LONGEST RIDE and THE RETURN comes a novel about the enduring legacy of first love, and the decisions that haunt us forever.
Sign Up to Virtually Attend Hachette's
10th Annual Book Club Brunch on October 23rd
Hachette's 10th Annual Book Club Brunch promises to be a great day with your favorite authors and book lovers.
Click here to purchase tickets for Hachette's Book Club Brunch.
Bookreporter.com's 11th Annual
Fall Preview Contests and Feature
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 include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
From left to right: Lisa Unger, Amor Towles, Alice Hoffman
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register.
Saturday, October 2nd at 1pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: To celebrate the 32nd birthday of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, bestselling authors Jayne Ann Krentz and J.T. Ellison will chat with Barbara Peters about the history of the bookstore.
Monday, October 4th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Lisa Unger will talk about her new psychological thriller, LAST GIRL GHOSTED, which is about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game. She will be in conversation with Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello.
Monday, October 4th at 8pm ET: Valley Bookseller: Heather Morris, the New York Times bestselling author of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ and CILKA'S JOURNEY, will discuss her new book, THREE SISTERS. She will be in conversation with Lisa Scottoline.
Tuesday, October 5th at 4pm ET: A Mighty Blaze: Lisa Unger will be in conversation with fellow bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan about her latest novel, LAST GIRL GHOSTED.
Tuesday, October 5th at 10pm ET: Bookshop Santa Cruz: Bookshop Santa Cruz is thrilled to host local and award-winning author Jonathan Franzen for the launch event of his new book, CROSSROADS.
Wednesday, October 6th at 4pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's, in partnership with Penguin Random House, will host Richard Osman as he discusses his new book, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE, with Jeffery Deaver.
Wednesday, October 6th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk to Kwame Alexander, a poet, educator, publisher and New York Times bestselling author of 35 books.
Wednesday, October 6th at 8pm ET: Parnassus Books: Parnassus Books is proud to present Amor Towles discussing his new book, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, with Ann Patchett.
Thursday, October 7th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Alice Hoffman will talk about her latest novel, THE BOOK OF MAGIC, the conclusion to her Practical Magic series.
Thursday, October 7th at 9pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Amor Towles as he discusses his new book, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, with John Grisham.
Saturday, October 9th at 6pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lisa Unger will discuss her new novel, LAST GIRL GHOSTED, with special guest host Karin Slaughter.
Tuesday, October 12th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their September Book Club selection, MATRIX, featuring Lauren Groff in conversation with Jamie Quatro.
Tuesday, October 12th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Alice Hoffman, in conversation with Kristin Hannah, as she discusses her new book, THE BOOK OF MAGIC.
Wednesday, October 13th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between October 12th and November 2nd, along with a few from December, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, October 13th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Tasha Alexander and her husband, fellow bestselling author Andrew Grant.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Lisa Unger (LAST GIRL GHOSTED)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY: A Memoir by Qian Julie Wang (Memoir)
An incandescent memoir from an astonishing new talent, BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY puts readers in the shoes of an undocumented child living in poverty in the richest country in the world.
THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki (Fiction/Magical Realism)
THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS is a brilliantly inventive novel about loss, growing up and our relationship with things.
CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant new mystery --- the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister's death --- brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II.
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr (Fiction)
Dedicated to “the librarians then, now, and in the years to come,” CLOUD CUCKOO LAND is a beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship --- of the book, of the Earth, of the human heart.
HARLEM SHUFFLE by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKEL BOYS comes a gloriously entertaining novel of heists, shakedowns and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s.
IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström (Fiction)
IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK is an arresting debut for anyone looking for insight into what it means to be a Black woman in the world.
THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer (Thriller)
From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.
LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
The author of the instant New York Times bestseller THIS TENDER LAND returns with a powerful prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series --- a book about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever.
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman (Mystery)
Richard Osman is back with everyone’s favorite mystery-solving quartet, and the second installment of the Thursday Murder Club series is just as clever and warm as the first --- an unputdownable, laugh-out-loud pleasure of a read.
MATRIX by Lauren Groff (Historical Fiction)
Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, MATRIX gathers currents of violence, sensuality and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith and a woman whom history moves both through and around.
THE RIVIERA HOUSE by Natasha Lester (Historical Fiction)
Perfect for fans of THE ROSE CODE, THE RIVIERA HOUSE is a lush and engrossing novel of one woman’s quest to keep Nazis from stealing priceless art during World War II.
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller)
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget. ROCK PAPER SCISSORS is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist.
SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE TYPING by Calvin Kasulke (Fiction/Humor)
Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is "The Office" for a new world.
A SLOW FIRE BURNING by Paula Hawkins (Mystery/Thriller)
With the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers worldwide in THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and INTO THE WATER, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting story of deceit, murder and revenge.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
JUST LIKE YOU by Nick Hornby (Fiction)
This warm, wise, highly entertaining 21st-century love story is about what happens when the person who makes you happiest is someone you never expected.
THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS written by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein (Fiction)
In this powerful novel set in a divided Naples by Elena Ferrante, the New York Times bestselling author of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, 14-year-old Giovanna is searching for her reflection in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another.
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE LAUGHING: A Memoir by Jacqueline Winspear (Memoir)
The New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs series offers a deeply personal memoir of her Kentish childhood and her family’s resilience in the face of war and privation.
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