October 15, 2022

October 15, 2022

Book Groups: The 360 View

One of my favorite parts about meeting with my book group is hearing the varied ways that we each look at a book. Yes, there are times when we all agree that we like a book, but there are always nuggets that come up in discussion that can give me a new perspective on it. I call it the 360 View!

My husband and I are both reading John Irving’s THE LAST CHAIRLIFT. He has read everything that Irving has written. This is the first book of his that I have read. On Thursday night, we enjoyed watching a discussion that Jonathan Karp, the CEO/Publisher of Simon & Schuster, moderated with Irving and Jason Reynolds. In many ways, Irving and Reynolds seemed like an odd pairing, but as the conversation flowed, they truly were perfect together. And watching the chat as the evening progressed showed me that the rest of the audience enjoyed it too. We hope that many of you were able to attend. Simon & Schuster will be posting a video next week in case you missed it.

This is your last ReadingGroupGuides newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Thursday, October 27th at 8pm ET.

Our guest will be Joyce Maynard, and we will be talking about her most recent novel, COUNT THE WAYS, which is now available in paperback. Here, Joyce returns to the themes that are the hallmarks of her most acclaimed work in a mesmerizing story of a family --- from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood, divorce and the costly aftermath that ripples through all their lives.

You can register for the event by clicking here. If you would like to ask Joyce a question on camera during the event and chat with her in our “backstage green room” before the event, please email me with your question using the subject line “Joyce” by Thursday the 27th at noon ET. Those who are camera shy can send their questions via the Q&A feature on Zoom.

Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live!
Our new “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title is THE WAYS WE HIDE, an instant international bestseller from Kristina McMorris following her million-copy bestseller, SOLD ON A MONDAY. Inspired by stunning true accounts, this sweeping World War II tale is a gripping story of love and loss, the wars we fight --- on the battlefields and within ourselves --- and the courage found in unexpected places.

Here's more about the book: Fenna Vos was raised amid the hardships of Michigan's Copper Country. Though she performs onstage as the assistant to an unruly escape artist, behind the curtain she's the mastermind of their act. Despite all the planning she’s done, Fenna doesn't expect to be called upon by British military intelligence. Tasked with designing escape aids to thwart the Germans, MI9 seeks those with specialized skills for a war nearing its breaking point. But when a test of her loyalty draws her deep into the fray, Fenna discovers that no mission is more treacherous than escaping one's past.

Three groups will win up to 12 copies of THE WAYS WE HIDE. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, November 9th at noon ET. In the meantime, you can click here for the discussion guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.

Please note that this Tuesday, October 18th marks the release of WHEN WE HAD WINGS, a new historical novel that Kristina wrote with Ariel Lawhon and Susan Meissner. This interwoven tale is about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival. Click here to read more about the book.

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: LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus, the aforementioned THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, WEST WITH GIRAFFES by Lynda Rutledge, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles, and THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.

OUR MISSING HEARTS is Celeste Ng’s first novel in five years, and it’s Reese’s Book Club pick for October. Her previous book, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE (which Hulu turned into a miniseries in 2020), was also a Reese pick, making Ng the first author to have two books selected for Reese’s Book Club. Reese says, “It’s set in a not-too-distant future where entire sections of the population are deemed un-American and forced away from their families. It follows the story of a young boy named Bird on the search for his mother Margaret, a poet whose work was deemed unpatriotic. I was so invested in the future of this mother and son…” Click here for the guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.

Bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan have teamed up for one of the most talked-about books of the fall, MAD HONEY, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club selection and Costco’s “Buyer’s Pick”. Olivia McAfee’s life was upended when her husband revealed a darker side, and now she is back in her New Hampshire hometown with her son, Asher. Meanwhile, Lily Campanello and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school. It isn't long before Asher and Lily fall in love with each other. But then one day, Olivia receives shocking news: Lily has been found dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Be sure to take a look at the guide and our Bookreporter review.

Jodi and Jennifer appeared on “GMA” this week to talk about MAD HONEY; click here to watch the segment. And here’s a fabulous piece from Lit Hub where they answered questions about how their collaboration started, how they became closer through the process, and the books they feel strongly about.

Jenna Bush Hager has selected THE WHALEBONE THEATRE as this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. Debut novelist Joanna Quinn takes her protagonist, Cristabel Seagrave, from the gargantuan cavity of a beached whale into undercover operations during World War II. Jenna says, “It’s epic in scope. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the writing was. I was underlining things --- it just says so much about where we find hope and love amid our darkest times…. Christabel, the protagonist, is this fierce, independent girl who doesn’t feel necessarily seen or heard. So she creates this magical theater where she can express herself.” You can access the guide here.

THE NIGHT SHIP is October’s Barnes & Noble Book Club selection and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites pick. Based on a real-life event, this epic historical novel from award-winning author Jess Kidd illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, 300 years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island. See the guide and our Bookreporter review.

On Tuesday, October 25th at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will chat with Jess about the book on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Click here to RSVP. Then, on Tuesday, November 8th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Jess. She will be joined in the discussion by Shannon DeVito, the Director of Category Management at B&N, and Miwa Messer, B&N’s Editorial Director. You can sign up by clicking here.

This month’s Target Book Club pick is MISS DEL RÍO. Bárbara Mujica brings to life the oft-overlooked figure of Hollywood star Dolores del Río, who faced racism and sexism on her path to success, often cast as the foreign character and even investigated for "un-American" activities in the 1930s simply because she was Mexican. Still, she fought to be billed as Mexican rather than Spanish, and was one of the few actors to transition from Silents to Talkies, despite her accent. Her courage and career helped pave the way for many actors, and she went on to become a philanthropist and advocate for the arts in her later years. Click here for the guide.

For more October selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.

We continue to feature the guide for RUIN: A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy, which is Leigh Seippel’s debut work of fiction. The book has a great opener as Frank and his wife, Francy, are headed off to her family home in their Lamborghini, which is way too low-slung for the country roads. It sets up how much they are out of their element. Watching Frank adapt to his new life and thrive there, discovering the joy of fly fishing, makes for a well-drawn read.

It is worth noting that for two decades, Leigh has been a Board Director of the major donor organization of Trout Unlimited, a 65-year-old water and fishery conservation foundation with operations in every US state. So he knows his subject well!

Two Notable Features on Bookreporter
Here are two Bookreporter features we’d like to bring to your attention. Scroll further down the newsletter to read more about them.

• Paperback Spotlight: Our latest Paperback Spotlight title is THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews. Newly released in paperback, this holiday novella celebrates the magic of Christmas and second chances.
   
• Bets On: My latest Bets On pick is NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans. I loved their first collaboration, TINY IMPERFECTIONS, which also was a Bets On selection. I look forward to talking to Alli and Asha on Tuesday, and we will share that interview with you in the next newsletter.

We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 29 books releasing between now and November 1st, along with five from December, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here. Those who attended live fired questions at Tom and me following the video presentation; as always, we enjoyed answering them!

Our last “Bookaccino Live” preview event of 2022 will take place on Wednesday, November 9th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between November 8th through the end of the year, in addition to a few from January and February, that we 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.

My book group meets in two weeks, and we are going to be talking about BULLY MARKET: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs by Jamie Fiore Higgins. So far, the book has been getting great feedback from members on our group Facebook page. Jamie will be joining us for our discussion, and I know there will be lots of questions headed her way.

Here's hoping you have a fabulous discussion with your book group 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!

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win Up to 12 Copies of
THE WAYS WE HIDE by Kristina McMorris for Your Group

New Guide: OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng
Reese's Book Club Pick for October

OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng (Fiction)
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic --- including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her.

- 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 visit the Reese's Book Club website.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: MAD HONEY
by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
October’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Selection
and Costco's “Buyer's Pick”

MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (Fiction)
Olivia McAfee’s picture-perfect life was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown with her son, Asher. Meanwhile, Lily Campanello and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school for what they hope will be a fresh start. For just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- See why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club selection and Costco's "Buyer's Pick".

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: THE WHALEBONE THEATRE by Joanna Quinn
October’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick

THE WHALEBONE THEATRE by Joanna Quinn (Historical Fiction)
One blustery night in 1928, a whale washes up on the shores of the English Channel. By law, it belongs to the King, but 12-year-old orphan Cristabel Seagrave has other plans. She and the rest of the household --- her sister, Flossie; her brother, Digby, long-awaited heir to Chilcombe manor; Maudie Kitcat, the kitchen maid; and Taras, a visiting artist --- build a theatre from the beast’s skeletal rib cage. Within the Whalebone Theatre, Cristabel can escape her feckless stepparents and brisk governesses. As Cristabel grows into a headstrong young woman, World War II rears its head. She and Digby become British secret agents on separate missions in Nazi-occupied France --- a more dangerous kind of playacting that threatens to tear the family apart.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Read with Jenna" pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd
October’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection
and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites Pick

THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd (Historical Fiction)
1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks. 1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck.

» THE NIGHT SHIP is this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, November 8th at 3pm ET, B&N will welcome Jess Kidd for a live virtual event to discuss the book. Click here to sign up.

» The book is also this month’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. On Tuesday, October 25th at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will talk to Jess Kidd about her new release. Click here to RSVP.

- 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.

New Guide: MISS DEL RÍO by Bárbara Mujica
October’s Target Book Club Pick

MISS DEL RÍO: A Novel of Dolores del Río, the First Major Latina Star in Hollywood by Bárbara Mujica (Historical Fiction)
1910, Mexico. As the country’s revolution spreads, Dolores, the daughter of a wealthy banker, must flee her comfortable life in Durango or risk death. Her family settles in Mexico City, where, at 16, she marries the worldly Jaime del Río. But in a twist of fate, at a party she meets an influential American director who recognizes in her a natural performer. He invites her to Hollywood, and practically overnight, the famous Miss del Río is born. In California, Dolores’ star quickly rises, and her days become a whirlwind of moviemaking and glamorous events. But as her career soars to new heights, her personal life becomes increasingly complicated, with family tragedy, painful divorce and real heartache.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's Target Book Club pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

Featured Guide: RUIN by Leigh Seippel

RUIN: A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy by Leigh Seippel (Fiction)
Frank is another dreamer whose life is suddenly burned to the ground. More a disillusioned literature Ph.D. than an experienced financier, he had naively agreed to join his wife’s inheritance with his own personal guarantee of a college friend’s private equity partnership debt. The business implosion and subsequent bankruptcy took all their assets. Francy, an orphaned European heiress, now finds herself homeless, still married to pleasant, witty Frank. The couple flees Manhattan to live at a desolate non-working Hudson Valley farm. Frank starts an artisanal brewery with a charismatic new eccentric friend and takes up fly fishing. A local doctor, perceiving Frank’s depression, prescribes that he gain some confidence through self-taught fishing.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read critical praise.
- Click here to visit the book's official website.

Click here for the featured guide.

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: OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng
LUCY BY THE SEA by Elizabeth Strout
HESTER by Laurie Lico Albanese
THE WHALEBONE THEATRE by Joanna Quinn
LEECH by Hiron Ennes

LibraryReads
Top Pick: MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
ANYWHERE YOU RUN by Wanda M. Morris
DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver
THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman
HESTER by Laurie Lico Albanese

Target Book Club
MISS DEL RÍO: A Novel of Dolores del Río, the First Major Latina Star in Hollywood by Bárbara Mujica

Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Barnes & Noble Book Club
THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd

Reese's Book Club
OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng

Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
THE WHALEBONE THEATRE by Joanna Quinn

"Good Morning America" Book Club
MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd

Our Most Popular Book Group Selections for September’s "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest

New Paperback Spotlight on Bookreporter.com:
THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews

THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
When newly divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love --- but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it. 

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit --- beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved and a second chance at love.

- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews' website.
- Connect with Mary Kay Andrews on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU
by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (Romantic Comedy)
NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU is the second book from the writing team of Alli Frank and Asha Youmans. Their first, TINY IMPERFECTIONS, was a 2020 Bets On selection. Remembering how funny it was, I could not wait to see what they would write next. From chapter one, I found myself laughing.

Marjette Lewis is a kindergarten teacher in a tony private school. Right before the school year starts, Marjette’s next-door neighbor, Noa Abrams, loses her husband, and Marjette is not quite sure what to do. The woman is sitting shiva, and Marjette knows that food would be a great thing to bring. So she fries up some chicken and brings it next door in what may be the first time fried chicken made its way to shiva.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.

From left to right: Wanda M. Morris, George Saunders, Dani Shapiro

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

As many book and author events are still 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.

Monday, October 17th at 8pm ET: Random House Studio Sessions: Random House Studio Sessions is Random House's new event series featuring live conversations with the biggest names on your bookshelf, filmed in their studio and broadcast virtually to wherever you are. Join George Saunders as he discusses his new short story collection, LIBERATION DAY, with Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

Wednesday, October 19th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to Lisa Jewell, whose most recent thriller is THE FAMILY REMAINS, a stand-alone sequel to THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS.

Friday, October 21st at 6pm ET: Random House: Join Random House for a special virtual event featuring Dani Shapiro. She will be in conversation with Katie Couric about her highly anticipated new novel, SIGNAL FIRES, her first work of fiction in 15 years.

Monday, October 24th at 7pm ET: Murder By The Book: Wanda M. Morris will talk about her new novel, ANYWHERE YOU RUN, with Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello. After the murder of a white man in Jim Crow Mississippi, two Black sisters run away to different parts of the country. But can they escape the secrets they left behind?

Tuesday, October 25th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Jess Kidd will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her new novel, THE NIGHT SHIP, which is October's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites and this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection.

Wednesday, October 26th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner about their new novel, WHEN WE HAD WINGS, along with Sunday Times bestselling author Santa Montefiore.

Thursday, October 27th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Joyce Maynard about her novel, COUNT THE WAYS, which is now in paperback. Joyce also will answer questions from guests who will be "on stage," as well as from other members of the audience. If you would like to be one of our featured audience guests and ask Joyce a question on camera, please send Carol an email with the subject line “Joyce” by Thursday the 27th at noon ET.

"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:

• Sally Koslow (THE REAL MRS. TOBIAS) Video | Podcast
• Lynda Cohen Loigman (THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Kimberly Belle (MY DARLING HUSBAND) Video | Podcast
• Julie Clark (THE LIES I TELL) Video | Podcast
• Bonnie Garmus (LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY) Video | Podcast
• Jane Green (SISTER STARDUST) Video | Podcast
• Jennifer Hillier (THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE LONG WEEKEND) Video | Podcast
• Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND) Video | Podcast
• Meg Mitchell Moore (VACATIONLAND) Video | Podcast
• Chris Pavone (TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON) Video | Podcast
• Tom Perrotta (TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN) Video | Podcast
• Kim Michele Richardson (THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER) Podcast
• Katie Runde (THE SHORE) Video | Podcast
• John Searles (HER LAST AFFAIR) Video | Podcast
• Casey Sherman (HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod)
  Video | Podcast
• Amanda Eyre Ward (THE LIFEGUARDS) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU)
• Scott Shepherd (SHOULD I FALL)
• Thrity Umrigar (HONOR)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Guides

We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:

LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer (Fiction/Humor)
In this follow-up to the “bedazzling, bewitching, and be-wonderful” (New York Times) bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning LESS, the awkward and lovable Arthur Less returns in an unforgettable road trip across America.

LUCY BY THE SEA by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction)
From Pulitzer Prize–winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout comes a poignant, pitch-perfect novel about a divorced couple stuck together during lockdown --- and the love, loss, despair and hope that animate us even as the world seems to be falling apart.

MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (Fiction)
MAD HONEY is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman (Historical Fiction)
Lynda Cohen Loigman's THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT is a heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to realize their unique talent of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places.

MISS DEL RÍO: A Novel of Dolores del Río, the First Major Latina Star in Hollywood by Bárbara Mujica (Historical Fiction)
As the Mexican Revolution spreads, Dolores, the daughter of a wealthy banker, must flee her comfortable life in Durango or risk death. Spanning half a century and narrated by Dolores’ fictional hairdresser and longtime friend, MISS DEL RÍO traces the life of a trailblazing woman whose legacy in Hollywood and in Mexico still shines bright today.

THE NIGHT SHIP by Jess Kidd (Historical Fiction)
Based on a real-life event, this epic historical novel from the award-winning author of THINGS IN JARS illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, 300 years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.

OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng (Fiction)
OUR MISSING HEARTS is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s a story about the power --- and limitations --- of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.

THE REAL MRS. TOBIAS by Sally Koslow (Fiction)
THE REAL MRS. TOBIAS is a sharply funny and big-hearted multigenerational story about the deeply complicated relationships between mothers- and daughters-in-law, told through three women who marry into the same family.

RUIN: A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy by Leigh Seippel (Fiction)
This vivid story opens with every couple’s nightmare --- the disappearance of their comfortable known world. RUIN explores the unpredictable progression of character and chance for Francy and Frank Campbell, newly destitute in their early 30s, along with their lovers and foes. And a murder investigator.

THE WAYS WE HIDE by Kristina McMorris (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of SOLD ON A MONDAY comes a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path.

THE WHALEBONE THEATRE by Joanna Quinn (Historical Fiction)
This transporting, irresistible debut novel --- a story of love, bravery, lost innocence and self-transformation --- takes its heroine, Cristabel Seagrave, from the gargantuan cavity of a beached whale into undercover operations during World War II.

THE WINNERS by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
A breathtaking new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ANXIOUS PEOPLE and A MAN CALLED OVE, THE WINNERS returns to the close-knit, resilient community of Beartown for a story about first loves, second chances and last goodbyes.

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

THE ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET by Karen White (Mystery)
Return to the house on Tradd Street one last time in this hauntingly spectacular finale to the bestselling series featuring psychic medium Melanie Trenholm.

CIRCUS OF WONDERS by Elizabeth Macneal (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of THE DOLL FACTORY comes an atmospheric and spectacular novel in which one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders.

HER HIDDEN GENIUS by Marie Benedict (Historical Fiction)
Marie Benedict's powerful novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind.

Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com

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Contests | Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks | The Book Report Network YouTube Channel 
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Book Festivals | Carol's Event Schedule

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