July 15, 2023

July 15, 2023

Commemorating Book Group Milestones

We love hearing from our readers. One of them, Cindy, wrote with this question: “We are celebrating our 100th book club meeting in August. Any suggestions on gifts for this?” I asked her for a few more details, and she shared this:

“We sure have kept a list. One of our members keeps a notebook --- actually two notebooks now --- and writes a small summary of each book. She reads it at our meeting to refresh our memories since we only meet every other month. There are only six in our group, but we have developed great friendships through the years. Some of us have raised children, been blessed with grandchildren, lost loved ones and shared our grief, met Debbie Macomber, laughed and ate enjoyable meals. We’ve read all types of books that really have opened our eyes. So I’m trying to come up with an idea of a gift for each of them at our next meeting in August. I thought of an eyeglass case (since, yes, we are now of that age) and personalizing them. Our ages vary from 50-74. My creativity only goes so far, so I was looking for suggestions.”

So I am turning to you for ideas. Shoot me a note at [email protected] if you have any thoughts about this, and please use the subject line “Gifts.” Mine so far would be engraved bookmarks. But I welcome your suggestions!

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Adrienne Brodeur. Her new novel, LITTLE MONSTERS, is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club selection and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Here we talk characters --- and share our favorites --- as well as the story’s structure with multiple points of view. Adrienne has spent summers on the Cape for as long as she can remember. She writes so beautifully about the place that she provides a clear picture of how much she loves it --- and treasures time there.

After writing her memoir, WILD GAME, where her mother was a central character, Adrienne noted that the mother is absent in her novel. We talk about a particular scene that has not come up in any other interview before. And yes, we discuss the title --- and the cover design. Oh, and why does one ask for female lobsters when buying them? It’s a brisk conversation that covers a lot of ground but gives away no spoilers. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. You also can see the discussion guide here and our Bookreporter review here. My Bets On commentary will appear in the next newsletter.

On Tuesday, August 8th at 4pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Adrienne. She will be joined in the discussion by Shannon DeVito, the Sr. Director of Book Strategy and Customer Experience at B&N, and Miwa Messer, the Executive Producer of B&N's “Poured Over” podcast. Click here to sign up.

Our Latest Monthly Contest is Live!
Our new “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest book is EVERGREEN. It’s the follow-up to Naomi Hirahara’s 2021 novel, CLARK AND DIVISION, which was a Bets On selection and the recipient of the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award.

While EVERGREEN is very much a stand-alone novel, the names will be familiar to those who read CLARK AND DIVISION. Lisa See, whose latest book is LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN, is a longtime fan of Naomi’s work but proclaims this one to be her favorite: “The mystery is set against the backdrop of Japanese Americans returning to their homes in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo after World War II as they try to rebuild their lives after either having been unfairly held in detention camps or fighting with the 'Go for Broke' battalion, with everyone dealing with different types of discrimination, fear, and trauma. The historical details are accurate, heartrending, and eye-opening.”

We are giving three readers the chance to win 12 copies of EVERGREEN for their group. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET. As we know some groups meet less frequently over the summer, we have decided to make this a TWO-month contest.

I had the good fortune of talking to Naomi about CLARK AND DIVISION when it released two years ago. So if you’d like to check out the interview before delving into EVERGREEN, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.

Our Most Popular Book Group Selections from June’s Contest
In our previous “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the five books mentioned most frequently by book groups that they have read: HORSE by Geraldine Brooks, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus, HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt, and DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver. Scroll further down the newsletter to see the Top 15.

Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of such books as THE BODYGUARD, WHAT YOU WISH FOR and THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE, is back with a hopelessly romantic novel about finding love, confronting a haunting past, and figuring out what --- and who --- really matters. In HELLO STRANGER, “[l]ove isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.” Click here for the guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.

Fans of Katherine Center will be happy to know that the film adaptation of her 2015 novel, HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS, will release July 27th on Netflix. Find out all the details here.

Why would a female lawyer defend an accused serial rapist? That’s the question at the heart of Bonnie Kistler’s latest page-turning thriller, HER, TOO, about a group of women who take back their power. Bonnie’s first two books, HOUSE ON FIRE and THE CAGE, were Bets On picks --- and I’m happy to say that this one will be as well.

Bestselling author Jaime Lynn Hendricks calls the book “a timely, fast-paced, and unputdownable thriller with everything a reader craves. Kistler nails the villain and has you cheering for all the heroic women through every surprising twist and sadistic turn along the way.” I couldn’t agree more! Don’t miss my thoughts on the book as I will share my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.

We also have added guides for these three books:

SAVE WHAT’S LEFT: Elizabeth Castellano’s debut novel is July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. Here’s how “GMA” describes the book: “Kathleen Deane was in search of her dream life when she moved to the Long Island beach town of Whitbey after her marriage of nearly 30 years fell apart. Instead of the picturesque, quaint life from the postcards she imagined, she’s now found herself embroiled in the trials and tribulations that come with living in a beach house --- and the neighbors next to her.”
SUNSHINE NAILS: Perfect for readers of OLGA DIES DREAMING and THE FORTUNES OF JADED WOMEN, this lighthearted, urgent fable of gentrification by debut novelist Mai Nguyen features a cast of complex characters who showcase the diversity of immigrant experiences and community resilience. The book is this month’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. On Tuesday, July 25th at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will talk to Mai about the book. Click here to sign up.
GHOST EATERS: One of Vulture's Best Horror Novels of 2022, Clay McLeod Chapman’s supernatural page-turner will make you think twice about opening doors to the unknown. Now available in paperback, this Southern Gothic horror novel is about a woman who takes a drug that lets her communicate with her dead friend. Scroll further down the newsletter for much more about the book, including two interviews with Chapman and praise from numerous publications and writers.

YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang, which is a Bets On selection, is Reese’s Book Club pick for this month. Reese says, “This contemporary psychological thriller follows Juniper Song --- a bestselling author who is not who she’s pretending to be. She didn’t write the book she claims she penned, and she is not Asian American. Clear your schedule because the moment you start reading you won’t be able to put it down. This story circles themes like the dark side of book publishing, social media culture and so much more. When you finish it, you’ll want to talk about it.” Click here for the guide, which we featured in May --- and be sure to read our review on Bookreporter and my Bets On commentary if you haven’t already.

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

We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 28 books releasing between now and August 1st, plus 11 from September, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch the presentation here and see a list of the featured titles here.

Next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event will take place on Wednesday, August 9th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between August 8th and September 5th, in addition to a few from October, 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.

I am looking forward to getting together with my book group on the 25th to talk about THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND by Elin Hilderbrand. I have missed the last two meetings due to scheduling conflicts. And we may have a guest at this event, as one of our members had a baby boy. Yes, we all are anxious to meet this honorary member.

Enjoy your book group discussion this month!

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you check out the discussion guides and various features on our site, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!

New Guide: LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur
July's Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
and an Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur (Fiction)
Ken and Abby Gardner lost their mother when they were small. Their father, Adam, is a brilliant oceanographer who raised them mostly on his own. Ken is now a successful businessman with political ambitions and a picture-perfect family, and Abby is a talented visual artist who depends on her brother’s goodwill, in part because he owns the studio where she lives and works. As the novel opens, Adam is approaching his 70th birthday. He has always managed his bipolar disorder with medication, but he is determined to make one last scientific breakthrough. So he has secretly stopped taking his pills. Meanwhile, Abby and Ken are both harboring secrets of their own, and there is a new person on the periphery of the family --- Steph, who doesn’t make her connection known.

» LITTLE MONSTERS is this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, August 8th at 4pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Adrienne Brodeur. She will be joined in the discussion by Shannon DeVito, the Sr. Director of Book Strategy and Customer Experience at B&N, and Miwa Messer, the Executive Producer of B&N's "Poured Over" podcast. Click here to sign up.

- 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 watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Adrienne Brodeur.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here for the discussion guide.

LITTLE MONSTERS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.

New Guide: HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center (Romantic Comedy)
One minute Sadie Montgomery is celebrating the biggest achievement of her life --- placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition --- the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. But as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls in love --- or is it lust, or a temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life? --- with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible.

- 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.

"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of
EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara for Your Group

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

Our latest prize book is EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara, which releases on August 1st. In this follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning CLARK AND DIVISION, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick, a Japanese American nurse's aide navigates the dangers of post-WWII and post-Manzanar life as she attempts to find justice for a broken family. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET.

EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
It’s been two years since Aki Ito and her family were released from Manzanar detention center and resettled in Chicago with other Japanese Americans. Now the Itos have finally been allowed to return home to California --- but nothing is as they left it. Aki is working as a nurse’s aide at the Japanese Hospital in Boyle Heights when an elderly Issei man is admitted with suspicious injuries. When she seeks out his son, she is shocked to recognize her husband’s best friend, Babe Watanabe. Could Babe be guilty of elder abuse? Only a few days later, Little Tokyo is rocked by a murder at the low-income hotel where the Watanabes stay. What secrets have the Watanabes been hiding, and can Aki protect her husband from getting tangled up in a murder investigation?

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to visit Naomi Hirahara's website.
- Connect with Naomi Hirahara on Facebook and TikTok.

Click here to enter the contest.

New Guide: HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler (Psychological/Legal Thriller)
Kelly McCann is a high-powered lawyer whose specialty is defending men accused of sex crimes. Her detractors call her a traitor to her gender, but she doesn't care. As the story opens, she has secured an acquittal for a renowned scientist accused of sexually assaulting his female employees. But the thrill of her victory is short-lived. That very night, she, too, falls victim to a brutal sexual assault. And almost as horrific as the attack is the fact that she can't tell anyone it happened --- not without destroying her career in the process. Joining forces with her rapist's other victims, the shrewd lawyer plans to turn the tables on him. It’s not only about justice --- these wronged women are out for revenge. But someone, it seems, is out for them. And one by one, they find themselves facing even greater danger.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to visit Bonnie Kistler's website.

Click here for the discussion guide.

HER, TOO will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.

New Guide: SAVE WHAT’S LEFT by Elizabeth Castellano
July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick

SAVE WHAT'S LEFT by Elizabeth Castellano (Fiction/Humor)
Kathleen Deane’s husband, Tom, tells her he's no longer happy with his life and their marriage. With Tom off finding himself, Kathleen starts to think about what she wants. And her thoughts lead her to a small beach community on the east coast, a town called Whitbey that has always looked lovely in the Christmas letters her childhood friend Josie sends every year. It turns out, though, that life in Whitbey is nothing like Josie’s letters. Worst of all is the Sugar Cube, the monstrosity masquerading as a holiday home that Kathleen’s absentee neighbors are building next door to her quaint (read: tiny) cottage. As Kathleen gets more and more involved in the fight against the Sugar Cube and town politics overall, she realizes that Whitbey may not be a fairy tale, but it just might be exactly what she needs.

- 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 "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.

Click here for the discussion guide.

New Guide: SUNSHINE NAILS by Mai Nguyen
Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites Pick for July

SUNSHINE NAILS by Mai Nguyen (Fiction/Humor)
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked. Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent, and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they’ve built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?

» SUNSHINE NAILS is this month’s pick for Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites. On Tuesday, July 25th at 1pm ET, members of the S&S team will talk to Mai Nguyen about the book. Click here to sign up.

- 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: GHOST EATERS by Clay McLeod Chapman
Now Available in Paperback

GHOST EATERS by Clay McLeod Chapman (Supernatural Gothic Thriller/Horror)
Erin hasn’t been able to set a single boundary with her charismatic but reckless college ex-boyfriend, Silas. When he asks her to bail him out of rehab --- again --- she knows she needs to cut him off. But days after he gets out, Silas turns up dead of an overdose in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and Erin’s world falls apart. Then a friend tells her about Ghost, a new drug that allows users to see the dead. Wanna get haunted? he asks. Grieving and desperate for closure with Silas, Erin agrees to a pill-popping “séance.” But the drug has unfathomable side effects --- and once you take it, you can never go back.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read critical praise.
- Click here to read an interview with Clay McLeod Chapman.
- Click here to watch Clay McLeod Chapman in conversation with Grady Hendrix.
- Click here to visit Clay McLeod Chapman's website.

Click here for the discussion guide.

Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for July

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 July'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: THE ART THIEF: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel
RIPE by Sarah Rose Etter
THE QUIET TENANT by Clémence Michallon
LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur
THE RACHEL INCIDENT by Caroline O'Donoghue

LibraryReads
Top Pick: EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena
DEAD OF WINTER by Darcy Coates
THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day
THE LIBRARIANIST by Patrick deWitt
A RULEBOOK FOR RESTLESS ROGUES by Jess Everlee

Target Book Club
ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH by Terah Shelton Harris

Costco's "Buyer's Pick"
THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O'Farrell

Barnes & Noble Book Club
LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur

Reese's Book Club
YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang

Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club
BANYAN MOON by Thao Thai

"Good Morning America" Book Club
SAVE WHAT'S LEFT by Elizabeth Castellano

Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites
SUNSHINE NAILS by Mai Nguyen

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

In June's “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest, here are the 15 books mentioned most frequently by book groups that they have read:

HORSE by Geraldine Brooks
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus
HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano
REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt
DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver
THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese
WEST WITH GIRAFFES by Lynda Rutledge
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig
THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
THE GOWN: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick
THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS by Robert Dugoni
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

Click here to see all the titles that book groups recently read.

ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 12th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups

On May 12th, ReadingGroupGuides.com hosted its 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event for booksellers, librarians, book club leaders and bloggers. Ten small, medium and large-sized publishers shared their May through November 2023 recommendations for book groups --- more than 55 books perfect for discussing!

You can watch the entire presentation here. The video is timestamped, so if you want to jump ahead to a specific publisher, be sure to use the links below.

Hachette Book Group • Harlequin Trade Publishing • Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group • Random House Publishing Group • Simon & Schuster • Soho Press • Sourcebooks •
William Morrow • W. W. Norton • Zibby Books

If you would like to know more about these titles, here is a link to a page with a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation, as well as an Excel spreadsheet that lists the books both by publisher and alphabetically by title, along with a sheet to take notes.

Click here to watch our 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event.

Bookreporter.com's 19th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature

Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days throughout the summer, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

This year’s featured titles are:

BANYAN MOON by Thao Thai
THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day
CUTTING TEETH by Chandler Baker
FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN by Viola Shipman
THE FAVOR by Adele Griffin
THE GIRLS OF SUMMER by Katie Bishop
HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler
HOMECOMING by Kate Morton
THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews
THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA: A Royal Street Novel by Karen White
LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See
THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay
MUSTIQUE ISLAND by Sarah McCoy
PIECES OF BLUE by Holly Goldberg Sloan
PROM MOM by Laura Lippman
THE QUANTUM SOLUTION: An Evan Ryder Novel by Eric Van Lustbader
WHAT REMAINS by Wendy Walker
WINDFALL by Wendy Corsi Staub

Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.

From left to right: Ruth Madievsky, Mai Nguyen, Bryn Turnbull

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are seven upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Monday, July 17th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Samantha Downing will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about her new novel, A TWISTED LOVE STORY, a reckless, delicious thriller that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating.

Wednesday, July 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 Steven Rowley about THE CELEBRANTS and Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke about FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.

Wednesday, July 19th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Bryn Turnbull as she discusses her new book, THE PARIS DECEPTION, with Rachel McMillan. This breathtaking novel is about art theft and forgery in Nazi-occupied Paris, and two brave women who risk their lives rescuing looted masterpieces from Nazi destruction.

Thursday, July 20th at 7pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Samantha Downing and Robyn Harding will talk about their latest summer thrillers: Samantha's A TWISTED LOVE STORY and Robyn's THE DROWNING WOMAN.

Tuesday, July 25th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Mai Nguyen will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her debut novel, SUNSHINE NAILS, which is July's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.

Wednesday, July 26th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Elin Hilderbrand about her latest novel, THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND. After tragedy strikes, food blogger Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket.

Wednesday, July 26th at 8pm ET: Loyalty Bookstores: Loyalty is thrilled to welcome Ruth Madievsky and Nicole Chung for a virtual event celebrating the release of Madievsky's debut novel, ALL-NIGHT PHARMACY, which is about a young woman who commits a drunken act of violence just before her sister vanishes without a trace.

"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 is our latest interview:

Adrienne Brodeur (LITTLE MONSTERS) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

Linwood Barclay (THE LIE MAKER) Video | Podcast
Rachel Beanland (THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE) Video | Podcast
Alice Elliott Dark (FELLOWSHIP POINT) Video | Podcast
J.T. Ellison (IT'S ONE OF US) Video | Podcast
Jane Harper (EXILES) Video | Podcast
Nancy Horan (THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN) Video | Podcast
Sadeqa Johnson (THE HOUSE OF EVE) Video | Podcast
William Kent Krueger (THE LEVEE) Video | Podcast
William Landay (ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME) Video | Podcast
Kate Morton (HOMECOMING) Video | Podcast
Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo (THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER)
Video | Podcast
Shelley Read (GO AS A RIVER) Video | Podcast
Hank Phillippi Ryan (THE HOUSE GUEST) Video | Podcast
Lisa Scottoline (LOYALTY) Video | Podcast
Lisa See (LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN) Video | Podcast

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:

BANYAN MOON by Thao Thai (Fiction)
This sweeping, evocative debut novel follows three generations of Vietnamese American women reeling from the death of their matriarch, revealing the family’s inherited burdens, buried secrets and unlikely love stories.

THE BEACH AT SUMMERLY by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
This ravishing summer read from New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams sweeps readers back to a mid-century New England rich with secrets and Cold War intrigue.

EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
A Japanese American nurse's aide navigates the dangers of post-WWII and post-Manzanar life as she attempts to find justice for a broken family in this follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning CLARK AND DIVISION.

EVERYTHING'S FINE by Cecilia Rabess (Fiction)
A stunning debut that introduces Cecilia Rabess as a blazing new talent, EVERYTHING'S FINE is a poignant and sharp novel about two very different young people falling in love and falling apart in a deeply divided America.

THE FIRST LADIES by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling authors of the "Good Morning America" Book Club pick THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN comes a novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune --- an unlikely friendship that changed the world.

GHOST EATERS by Clay McLeod Chapman (Supernatural Gothic Thriller/Horror)
Get haunted with Clay McLeod Chapman’s terrifying Southern Gothic horror novel about a woman who takes a drug that lets her communicate with her dead friend.

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center (Romantic Comedy)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE BODYGUARD comes a hopelessly romantic novel about finding love, confronting a haunting past, and figuring out what --- and who --- really matters.

HER, TOO by Bonnie Kistler (Psychological/Legal Thriller)
Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client --- a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge in this addictively readable thriller from the author of THE CAGE.

LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur (Fiction)
From the author of the bestselling memoir WILD GAME comes a riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families and long-buried secrets --- for fans of the New York Times bestsellers THE PAPER PALACE and ASK AGAIN, YES.

SAVE WHAT'S LEFT by Elizabeth Castellano (Fiction/Humor)
SAVE WHAT'S LEFT is an outrageously funny debut novel about a woman who moves to a small beach town looking for peace, only to find herself in an all-out war with her neighbors.

THE SPARE ROOM by Andrea Bartz (Domestic Thriller)
Staying with a friend and her husband is sexier --- and deadlier --- than anyone could imagine in this provocative domestic suspense from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick WE WERE NEVER HERE.

SUNSHINE NAILS by Mai Nguyen (Fiction/Humor)
This tender, humorous and page-turning debut is about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do whatever it takes to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high-end salon opens up --- even if it tears the family apart.

YOU WERE ALWAYS MINE by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza (Fiction)
The acclaimed authors of the "Good Morning America" Book Club pick WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM return with this moving and provocative novel about a Black woman who finds an abandoned white baby, sending her on a collision course with her past, her family and a birth mother who doesn’t want to be found.

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

THE CLOISTERS by Katy Hays (Literary Thriller)
In this haunting and magical debut novel, a circle of researchers uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger (Fiction)
A suspenseful read plotted on a vast national tapestry, THE DISPLACEMENTS thrillingly explores what happens when privilege is lost and resilience is tested in a swiftly changing world.

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola (Romantic Comedy)
Full of passion, humor and heart, internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola’s dazzling debut novel centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about.

THE LAST PARTY by Clare Mackintosh (Psychological Thriller)
THE LAST PARTY is a delicious blend of police procedural and psychological thriller about the homicide of a local celebrity in small-town Wales --- a man everyone in the village had good cause to murder.

THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O'Farrell (Historical Fiction)
The author of the New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner HAMNET brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.

Quick Links to Features on ReadingGroupGuides.com

Please visit the other websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: Bookreporter.com and AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

And be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Home

Find a Guide

By Title

By Author

By Genre

For Book Groups

What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?

Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks

Most Requested Guides of 2023

When No Discussion Guide Available

Starting a Reading Group

Running a Book Group

Choosing What to Read

Tips for Book Clubs

Books About Reading Groups

Contests

Coming Soon

New in Paperback

Blog

Newsletter

Write to Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Request a Guide

Advertise with Us

Add Your Guide

Commemorating Book Group Milestones

Our Latest Guides

Archives

You are here:

July 15, 2023

Commemorating Book Group Milestones

Our Latest Guides

Archives