|
The Joy of Reading Together
My book group met this month to discuss THE PAPER PALACE, and as always, we had a spirited discussion. We decided to go “old school” by looking at discussion questions and focusing our conversation since we felt there was a lot to discuss. All eight of us had opinions (lots of them) --- and lots of comments. At one point we talked about the ending; six of us saw it clearly one way, while two others saw it differently. And each person was absolutely sure that they were right. We wondered, How could it be any other way? We ended up having one of the members read the last three pages of the book, and by then I think we had reached a consensus. But once again this shows the power of reading together. Oh, and for the record, in my interview with Miranda Cowley Heller, she told me that she did not figure out how it was to end until the last three pages!
We are reading THE SOUND OF GRAVEL by Ruth Wariner as our November selection. I loved this book, and it made me so happy that someone suggested it. For December, we are reading Katie Couric’s GOING THERE. I feel like every day some new tidbit from this book is dropping in the press, and it gets juicier and juicier. I am so enjoying our monthly meetings. We met outdoors at my house again this month; next month we are going to another member’s home and meeting outside.
So what is your group doing about meeting these days? We are keeping this poll open for two more weeks and will have results in our late October newsletter. There are such varied replies to this question!
Are you a bookseller, librarian or book club leader who runs a number of book groups? If so, here’s news for you. We are hosting our "10 ½ Annual" Book Group Speed Dating Event on Friday, November 12th from 1-3pm ET. This is what is known as a “trade only” event, so if you fit the above criteria and have not yet been invited, drop me a note at [email protected] and tell me more about you.
A reminder that 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. Click here for all the details and to RSVP for the event.
Have you heard about the new Netflix Book Club? Of course Netflix has a book club. It feels like everyone else does! So they have partnered with Starbucks on their club. Actress Uzo Aduba will serve as the inaugural host of the series “But Have You Read the Book?” and announce monthly book selections that the streamer is adapting. Aduba will also speak with the cast, creators and authors, presumably over a cup of coffee at Starbucks since, you know, we now can all leave the house again! Their first title is Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, PASSING; the film drops on November 10th. They just better not be drinking coffee called Bookaccino!
Speaking of Netflix and book clubs, I wish they had kicked it off with MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, Stephanie Land’s terrific memoir that is now a 10-episode series on Netflix. I had a wonderful time catching up with Stephanie for a recent "Bookreporter Talks To" interview. Before the publication of MAID, Stephanie wrote a piece for Vox that went viral, which led literary agents to ask for a book on the topic. She discusses her meetings with the producers and writers of the Netflix series, where she shared both memories and photos, and points to scenes that still resonate with her. We also talk about elements that enhanced the show that weren't in the book, and I ask her where she is now in life and what she's writing next. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Unger, whose new psychological thriller is LAST GIRL GHOSTED. The book begins with a story that many people on the dating scene will be familiar with. A young woman meets the “perfect guy” on a dating app. They go on a date, then another, and she falls head over heels for him. But then he disappears, and she's left ghosted. It's as if he never existed at all --- no social media or working phone. That’s what happens to Wren, but soon she learns that she’s not the only woman this guy ghosted. There’s something else going on here as all of the other women who dated him have gone missing.
In our interview, Lisa explains how apps have changed dating life and what that means for those entering the dating world. She also talks about how she developed this story and its characters, as well as what she has on tap next, even as she’s in the midst of a busy book tour. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Also, be sure to check out the newly added discussion guide and our review on Bookreporter.
Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live!
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney is an instant New York Times bestseller and a Bets On pick. We featured the guide in our last newsletter, but I’m so excited about this book and its much-deserved success that I decided to make it our latest “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title.
Adam and Amelia Wright’s marriage has been on the rocks for a while now. So when they win a weekend trip to Scotland, they’re thinking this may be exactly what they need to get their relationship back on track. Adam has lived with face blindness his whole life and can’t even recognize his own wife. Every anniversary they exchange traditional gifts, and each year Amelia writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. The stakes are high as they arrive in Scotland, but they didn’t win this trip by chance. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Three groups will win up to 12 copies of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, November 10th at noon ET.
In our previous “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the five books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read: THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah, THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett, and ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.
We also have added discussion guides for these four books:
-
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY: Set in 1950s America, Amor Towles’ highly anticipated third novel (following RULES OF CIVILITY and A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW) is this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. Jenna raves, “Not only is it one of the most beautifully written books I have ever picked up, it’s a story about hope, friendship and companionship in a time when we need it so much." She goes on to say, “Towles brilliantly captures the inner reality of each [character] with profound and poetic prose. All eight of them are incredible forces in literature."
-
THE BOOK OF MAGIC: The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over 300 years, but all of that is about to change. Alice Hoffman’s final installment in her Practical Magic series, which began over 25 years ago, celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.
-
WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM: In this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick, Christine Pride and Jo Piazza explore complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world. Piazza told “GMA,” “[The two women's] friendship is thrown into turmoil and they have to confront race for the first time.” Pride added, “As you can imagine, there's lots to think about and there's lots to talk about with your book club. And we hope you love the book.”
-
SANKOFA: Chibundu Onuzo’s latest novel is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick. Here’s what Reese has to say about the book: “Get ready for a life-changing adventure! Our October Pick…follows one woman’s quest to unpack her identity after finding out the father she’s never met is the former president of a West African nation. In this stirring narrative, Anna sets out to meet her father and a fascinating voyage unravels layered with humor, emotion and questions of belonging. Will Anna’s journey to self-discovery prove to be more than just a trip around the globe?”
THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE by Caitlin Starling is October’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, this Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, and then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and REBECCA. On Tuesday, November 9th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a virtual event featuring Starling, who will be in conversation with Victoria Lee. Click here to register.
This week, Lauren Groff talked to Jamie Quatro about MATRIX, which was September’s B&N selection. If you missed their conversation, you can watch it here.
A reminder that on Friday, October 22nd, Oprah will talk to Richard Powers about his new novel, BEWILDERMENT, which is her latest book club selection. You can catch the interview that day on Apple TV+.
For more October selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
Bookreporter.com’s “In Case You Missed Them…and a Look Ahead” Feature & Contest
We would like to bring to your attention a new feature and contest on Bookreporter, “In Case You Missed Them…and a Look Ahead”. Here we are spotlighting three psychological thrillers by Kimberly Belle (“In Case You Missed Them”) and giving you a chance to win one of them. All you have to do is read the plot summary of each title --- THE MARRIAGE LIE, DEAR WIFE and STRANGER IN THE LAKE --- and let us know which one you would like to read the most. Three copies of each book will be given away. Enter here by Friday, October 22nd at noon ET. We also “look ahead” to Kimberly’s upcoming domestic thriller, MY DARLING HUSBAND, which releases on December 28th.
Next month’s “Bookaccino Live” event will take place on Wednesday, November 10th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing from November 9th through the end of the year, along with a few from January and February, that I think will appeal to you. 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.
We hosted this month's “Bookaccino Live” event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 31 books releasing between now and November 2nd, along with a couple from December, that I wanted to get on your radar. The presentation will be up on our YouTube channel next week, and we will share the link to the video in the late October newsletter. In the meantime, you can see a list of all the titles that I talked about here.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you all are reading! Enjoy your discussion this month.
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: THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles October’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles (Historical Fiction)
In June 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served 15 months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction --- to the City of New York.
- 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 see why the book is October's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman
THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman (Fiction/Magical Realism)
The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over 300 years, but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger --- the curse is already at work. A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother.
- 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 an interview with Alice Hoffman.
Click here for the discussion guide.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Alice Feeney 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 ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, a new domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, Alice Feeney. Here's the intriguing tagline for this instant New York Times bestseller and Bookreporter.com Bets On selection: Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, November 10th at noon ET.
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 for the discussion guide.
- 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 enter the contest.
New Guide: LAST GIRL GHOSTED by Lisa Unger
LAST GIRL GHOSTED by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller)
She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him --- hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love? But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared --- profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted. Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past --- and hers --- she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator --- or the prey.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Lisa Unger.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM
by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
October’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza (Fiction)
Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. As adults, they remain as close as sisters, though their lives have taken different directions. Jen married young and is finally pregnant after years of trying. Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the top news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia. But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen’s husband, a city police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Six months pregnant, Jen is in freefall as her future, her husband’s freedom and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is October's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: SANKOFA by Chibundu Onuzo
Reese’s Book Club Pick for October
SANKOFA by Chibundu Onuzo (Fiction)
Anna is at a stage of her life when she's beginning to wonder who she really is. She has separated from her husband, her daughter is all grown up, and her mother is dead. Searching through her mother's belongings one day, Anna finds clues about the African father she never knew. His student diaries chronicle his involvement in radical politics in 1970s London. Anna discovers that he eventually became the president --- some would say dictator --- of a small nation in West Africa. And he is still alive. When Anna decides to track her father down, a journey begins that is disarmingly moving, funny and fascinating.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Stephanie Land's New York Times Bestseller, MAID,
is Now a Limited Series on Netflix
MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land (Memoir)
At 28, Stephanie Land turned to housekeeping to make ends meet. With a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly. She wrote the true stories that weren't being told: the stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. Of living on food stamps to eat. Of the government programs that provided her housing, but that doubled as halfway houses. The aloof government employees who called her lucky for receiving assistance. She wrote to remember the fight, to eventually cut through the deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor. MAID explores the underbelly of upper-middle-class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them.
» Margaret Qualley stars alongside real-life mom Andie MacDowell in Netflix's 10-episode limited series adaptation of MAID.
- 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 Stephanie Land.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide and here to watch the series on Netflix.
Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for October
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Costco's "Buyer's Pick." We also feature a number of other prominent picks, including Oprah’s Book Club, the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Reese's Book Club, Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites.
Below is a preview of October's "Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks." For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.
Indie Next
#1 Pick: CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles
A SPINDLE SPLINTERED by Alix E. Harrow
UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by TJ Klune
THE LAST GRADUATE by Naomi Novik
LibraryReads
Top Pick: ALL THE FEELS by Olivia Dade
CACKLE by Rachel Harrison
DEATH AT GREENWAY by Lori Rader-Day
THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE by Caitlin Starling
LAST GIRL GHOSTED by Lisa Unger
Target Book Club
BLACK GIRLS MUST DIE EXHAUSTED by Jayne Allen
Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
THE BEATLES: GET BACK edited by John Harris, photographs by Ethan Russell
Oprah's Book Club
BEWILDERMENT by Richard Powers
Barnes & Noble Book Club
THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE by Caitlin Starling
Reese's Book Club
SANKOFA by Chibundu Onuzo
Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles
"Good Morning America" Book Club
WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr
Our Most Popular Book Group Selections for September’s "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest
Click here to see all the books that our groups recently read.
Bookreporter.com's New Spotlight Feature & Contest:
"In Case You Missed Them…and a Look Ahead"
Featuring Kimberly Belle’s Books
Sometimes you hear about a book and just do not have time to read it. Other times, you have missed hearing about a book, and we would like to tell you about it. We do not want you to miss books that we think you will enjoy! In our "In Case You Missed Them...and a Look Ahead" feature, we are sharing books that you might not have read, and we also are getting the author’s next book on your radar. So then you never will need to say, “I missed them!”
Here we are spotlighting four books by Kimberly Belle: the previously released THE MARRIAGE LIE, DEAR WIFE and STRANGER IN THE LAKE, and the forthcoming MY DARLING HUSBAND, which will be in stores on December 28th.
Enter Our Special Contest!
We are hosting a special contest where readers will be awarded a copy of either THE MARRIAGE LIE, DEAR WIFE or STRANGER IN THE LAKE. All you have to do is take a look at the plot summary of each title here and let us know which one you would like to read the most. Three copies of each book will be given away, so there will be nine total winners. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, October 22nd at noon ET.
Click here to read more in our "In Case You Missed Them...and a Look Ahead" feature and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty
and THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Jewell
APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Liane Moriarty returns with APPLES NEVER FALL, which is a family tale. Bring on the Delaneys, who are well-known and loved in their Sydney suburb. For years, Joy and Stan ran a tennis academy that turned out champions, including their own four children. Now they have sold this family business and are trying to kick their lives back a notch, but this is proving to be pretty challenging. They seem to miss the sound of the ball smacking its way onto the court just a bit too much. They miss the energy of competition.
- 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 more of Carol's commentary on APPLES NEVER FALL.
THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
Lisa Jewell has told me that her books always start with some little idea that she expands upon. For THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED, I guessed that it was a sign that read “Dig Here,” but alas I was wrong. She said that the impetus was thinking about a posh boarding school and the people who went there. What would happen to them as they moved together on this campus? And how about layering in a student who does not come from money? What happens then?
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Lisa Jewell.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on
THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED.
From left to right: Elizabeth Strout, Susan Orlean, Patti Callahan
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 16th at 7pm ET: Adventures by the Book: Grab a glass of wine or hot cocoa and curl up in your favorite chair for an exclusive Fireside Adventure where you can chat live with Patti Callahan (ONCE UPON A WARDROBE), in conversation with Debbie Macomber (DEAR SANTA), to discuss their new books, ask questions and converse live “on stage.”
Sunday, October 17th at 3pm ET: Beyond the Book Jacket: Join Beyond the Book Jacket for a pre-launch celebration of Patti Callahan's new book, ONCE UPON A WARDROBE. Patti will be joined in conversation by Paula McLain, author of WHEN THE STARS GO DARK.
Monday, October 18th at 6pm ET: Harvard Book Store: Harvard Book Store, in partnership with Books & Books and Politics and Prose, will welcome Elizabeth Strout for a discussion of her latest novel, OH WILLIAM! She will be joined in conversation by fellow bestselling author Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.
Monday, October 18th at 9pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's, in partnership with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, will host Jonathan Franzen as he discusses his new book, CROSSROADS, in conversation with Mona Simpson.
Tuesday, October 19th at 7pm ET: Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Join Amor Towles for an exclusive live-stream conversation about his latest novel, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, with renowned filmmaker Ken Burns. This event is in partnership with A Likely Story, Books Are Magic, and Politics and Prose.
Tuesday, October 19th at 7pm ET: Square Books: Join longtime staff writer at The New Yorker Susan Orlean in conversation with novelist and science writer Nathaniel Rich to celebrate the release of Susan's newest book, ON ANIMALS.
Wednesday, October 20th 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 Alice Hoffman about her latest novel, THE BOOK OF MAGIC, the conclusion of her Practical Magic series.
Wednesday, October 20th at 7:15pm ET: Parnassus Books: Parnassus Books, in partnership with Nashville Public Library, Nashville Public Library Foundation, Humanities TN and BookPage, is thrilled to welcome Susan Orlean and Elizabeth Strout, in conversation with Ann Patchett, for a special edition of their Salon@615 speaker series. These three authors will discuss Orlean's ON ANIMALS and Strout's OH WILLIAM!
Thursday, October 21st at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Amor Towles to discuss his new novel, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY. Towles will talk about how he created the idea for the book and will share visuals from his writing process and research that will be shown exclusively for this program.
Tuesday, October 26th at 7pm ET: Harvard Book Store: Harvard Book Store's virtual event series and Mass Humanities welcome Susan Orlean for a discussion of her latest book, ON ANIMALS. She will be joined in conversation by acclaimed author Mary Roach.
Wednesday, October 27th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Richard Paul Evans, whose upcoming novel is THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE.
Wednesday, October 27th at 7pm ET: McLean & Eakin Booksellers: Join McLean & Eakin Booksellers, in partnership with Books & Company and Boswell Book Company, for a free virtual event with Viola Shipman and Susan Mallery. They will discuss their new books, THE SECRET OF SNOW and THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING GUEST.
"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:
-
Stephanie Land (MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive)
Video | Podcast
-
Lisa Unger (LAST GIRL GHOSTED) Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
-
Sarah Ruhl (SMILE: The Story of a Face)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
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.
THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman (Fiction/Magical Realism)
Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.
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.
LAST GIRL GHOSTED by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller)
Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game.
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles (Historical Fiction)
The bestselling author of A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW and RULES OF CIVILITY and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America.
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.
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.
SANKOFA by Chibundu Onuzo (Fiction)
A woman wondering who she really is goes in search of a father she never knew --- only to find something far more complicated than she ever expected --- in this moving and hopeful novel of self-discovery for readers of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE.
WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza (Fiction)
Told from alternating perspectives, WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM is an evocative and riveting novel about the lifelong bond between two women, one Black and one white, whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
GOOD NEIGHBORS by Sarah Langan (Psychological Suspense/Mystery)
Celeste Ng’s enthralling dissection of suburbia meets Shirley Jackson’s creeping dread in this propulsive literary noir, when a sudden tragedy exposes the depths of deception and damage in a Long Island suburb --- pitting neighbor against neighbor and putting one family in terrible danger.
HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE by Cherie Jones (Fiction)
In the tradition of Zadie Smith and Marlon James, a brilliant Caribbean writer delivers a powerful story about four people each desperate to escape their legacy of violence in a so-called "paradise."
INFINITE COUNTRY by Patricia Engel (Fiction)
For readers of Valeria Luiselli and Edwidge Danticat, INFINITE COUNTRY is an urgent and lyrical novel about a Colombian family fractured by deportation, offering an intimate perspective on an experience that so many have endured --- and are enduring right now.
THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE by Marie Benedict (Historical Mystery)
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM returns with a thrilling reconstruction of one of the most notorious events in literary history: Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926.
PLAIN BAD HEROINES written by emily m. danforth, with illustrations by Sara Lautman (Gothic Fiction)
The award-winning author of THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST makes her adult debut with this highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered on a cursed New England boarding school for girls --- a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love and the rebellious female spirit.
|
