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Summer Reading: Book Group Style
One thing that I love when we gather for book group is finding out what everyone else is reading. While we at Reading Group Guides and Bookreporter are learning about books all the time from publisher presentations and library events, I always enjoy seeing what readers are discovering, especially when I walk away hearing about a book that I either was not familiar with or had read that really sounded terrific. This is the time of year when our book group discussions are outside whenever the weather allows, sometimes even in the pool. Bookish conversation works quite well in the water!
We received a very nice note from Carla, who won copies of GOOD NIGHT, IRENE by Luis Alberto Urrea for her group in a recent “What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest. She wrote, “We are delighted to be able to share the books among the members of our Susan Kaplansky Book Club at United Hebrew Congregation, St. Louis, Missouri. We selected this book to read and discuss on January 2, 2025. We will be happy to send photos of the distribution and discussion. Thanks for this honor!” We love hearing news like this!
On Tuesday evening, we hosted June’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event with William Kent Krueger as our special guest. He joined us to discuss his New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award finalist, THE RIVER WE REMEMBER, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. It was such a fun evening that it was hard to believe we were not all live in the room. Attendees were from 37 states and Canada --- and the discussion both on screen and in the chat was lively.
Some readers joined us to ask questions, which covered a myriad of topics. Kent also gave us a preview of his new Cork O’Connor mystery, SPIRIT CROSSING, which will be available on August 20th, and talked about his audio original novella, THE LEVEE, which came out last year. As always when Kent joins us, the conversation was warm and engaging. Click here to watch the event or here to listen to the podcast.
On June 20th, we hosted a special “Bookaccino Live” Summer Preview evening program. I presented 55 books that are either out now or soon to be released this summer that we think you will enjoy reading over the next few months. Included are fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Click here to watch the event and here to see a list of the titles that I talked about. Don’t miss our Fall Preview evening program in September!
A soaring thriller and an epic love story, ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker is July’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick and will be a Bets On selection.
Jenna describes the book as being about “two best friends --- both misfits --- Patch and Saint. They live in a small town and the small town is such a part of the story. Something happens to them when they are young, which catapults a whole life of friendship and chasing each other.”
Our Bookreporter reviewer Norah Piehl calls ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK a “suspenseful, powerfully affecting novel that’s part crime fiction, part coming-of-age tale, and part heartbreaking love story, as easy to immerse yourself in as it is difficult to define.” Click here for the discussion guide and here for the full review --- and don’t miss my Bets On commentary in the next newsletter. I also am working on a date to interview Chris in July.
Catherine Newman follows up her first novel, WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS, with her sophomore effort, SANDWICH, which is June’s Top LibraryReads Pick.
Here’s what LibraryReads ambassador Robin Beerbower says: “This story focuses on Rocky, a woman filled with menopausal rage and immense love for her family. The witty banter and poignant musings will have readers laughing hysterically while mopping up tears a few pages later. This is a no-brainer for fans of Ann Patchett and those who enjoy a good family drama. Perfect for women’s book discussion groups.”
According to Sarah Rachel Egelman in her Bookreporter review, “Rocky herself is an everywoman but also singular in her experiences, dreams, talents, fears and foibles. Funny, wise and fretful, she is a great fictional guide through the all-too-real themes that Newman is examining…. SANDWICH is tender-hearted in the best possible way and a revelation itself.”
We also have added guides for these four books:
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SAME AS IT EVER WAS: Claire Lombardo follows up her successful debut, THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD, with her second novel, which traverses the rocky terrain of real life, exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all.
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THE GLASSMAKER: Take one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice. Add to it an alluring, versatile material --- glass --- and a family who fashions it into stunning objects. Shake it up with real people and historical events and be a little playful with time. What do you get? Tracy Chevalier’s new work of historical fiction.
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JACKIE: Dawn Tripp’s latest novel is the story of a woman who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it. I am reading this book as a “before bed” read every night and am thoroughly enjoying it. Dawn makes us feel like we are in the room with Jackie!
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HONEY: Isabel Banta’s debut novel redefines the narratives of some of the most famous pop icons of the ’90s and 2000s. It reimagines the superstars we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, and gives them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.
We continue to feature the guide for THE FALL OF ROE by New York Times reporters Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer, which is the untold story of the plan to overturn Roe v. Wade and the consequences for women, abortion and the future of America.
This is your last ReadingGroupGuides newsletter reminder to sign up for our July “Bookaccino Live” book preview event, which will take place on Wednesday, July 10th at 2pm ET.
The focus will be on titles releasing between July 9th and August 6th, in addition to a few from September, that we would like to tell you about. Click here to register. 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.
For those of you who have not watched our 13th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event, this reader comment may spur you to do that: “One of the things I love most about your Speed Dating events is seeing and hearing the publishing people talk about the books they work on.” We agree; one presentation is better than the next.
Note that in July we will be sending just one newsletter in the middle of the month. Enjoy your July meeting!
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: ALL THE COLORS
OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker
July’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
and an Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges --- Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.
- 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 July's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here for the discussion guide.
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide: SANDWICH by Catherine Newman
June’s Top LibraryReads Pick
SANDWICH by Catherine Newman (Fiction/Humor)
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals and messes of all kinds. This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past --- except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing; her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends her into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo (Fiction)
After a youth marked by upheaval and emotional turbulence, Julia Ames has found herself on the placid plateau of mid-life. But Julia has never navigated the world with the equanimity of her current privileged class. Having nearly derailed herself several times, making desperate bids for the kind of connection that always felt inaccessible to her, at age 57 she finally feels that she has a firm handle on things. Julia is unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenage daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that previously had kept her on a razor’s edge.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Featured Guide:
THE FALL OF ROE by Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer
THE FALL OF ROE: The Rise of a New America by Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer (Politics)
In June 2022, Americans watched in shock as the Supreme Court reversed one of the nation’s landmark rulings. For nearly a half-century, Roe v. Wade was synonymous with women’s rights and freedoms. Then, suddenly, it was gone.
With stunning scope, journalistic rigor, and unprecedented access to the highest echelons of conservative and liberal power, acclaimed New York Times journalists Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer chronicle the end of the Roe era. Their deeply human reporting stretches from inside abortion clinics to the halls of the White House, exposing powerful behind-the-scenes actors and recasting the actions of those already in the spotlight.
The result is a sweeping and intimate narrative of secrets, power, jaw-dropping revelations and a beacon to guide us forward.
Click here for the featured guide, which includes
discussion questions, critical praise and more.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s 13th Annual Book Group
Speed Dating Event: Great Books for Book Groups
New Guide: THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier
THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier (Historical Fiction)
It is 1486, and Venice is a wealthy, opulent center for trade. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers on Murano, the island revered for the craft. As a woman, she is not meant to work with glass --- but she has the hands for it, the heart and a vision. When her father dies, she teaches herself to make glass beads in secret, and her work supports the Rosso family fortunes. Skipping like a stone through the centuries, in a Venice where time moves as slowly as molten glass, we follow Orsola and her family as they live through creative triumph and heartbreaking loss --- from a plague devastating Venice to Continental soldiers stripping its palazzos bare, from the domination of Murano and its maestros to the transformation of the city of trade into a city of tourists.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: JACKIE by Dawn Tripp
JACKIE by Dawn Tripp (Historical Fiction)
JACKIE is the story of a woman who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it. It is the story of a love affair, a complicated marriage and the fracturing of identity that comes in the wake of unthinkable violence. When Jackie meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy in Georgetown, she is 21 and dreaming of France. She has won an internship at Vogue. Kennedy, she thinks, is not her kind of adventure, yet she is drawn to his mind, his humor and his drive. The chemistry between them ignites. During the White House years, the love between two independent people deepens. Then, a motorcade in Dallas: “Three and a half seconds --- that’s all it was --- a slivered instant between the first shot, which missed the car, and the second, which did not.”
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HONEY by Isabel Banta
HONEY by Isabel Banta (Fiction)
It is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It’s a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA. As Amber embarks on her solo career and her fame intensifies, her rich interior life is frequently reduced. Surrounded by people who claim to love her but only wish to exploit her, and driven by a desire for recognition and success, for love and sex, for agency and connection, Amber comes of age at a time when the kaleidoscope of public opinion can distort everything and one mistake can shatter a career.
- 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 June Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Here are a number of books releasing in June for the first time, which we aren't currently featuring on the site or in the newsletter, that we think will be of interest to book groups.
DAD CAMP by Evan S. Porter (Fiction/Humor)
This heartwarming novel is about a loving dad who drags his 11-year-old daughter to “father-daughter week” at a remote summer camp --- their last chance to bond before he loses her to teenage girlhood entirely.
FIRE EXIT by Morgan Talty (Fiction)
From the award-winning author of NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ, Morgan Talty’s debut novel is a masterful and unforgettable story of family, legacy, bloodlines, culture and inheritance, and what, if anything, we owe one another.
FOR THE LOVE OF SUMMER by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters and finding friendship with the unlikeliest person.
THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne (Memoir)
Griffin Dunne’s memoir of growing up among larger-than-life characters in Hollywood and Manhattan finds wicked humor and glimmers of light in even the most painful of circumstances.
A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Fiction)
This tender novel follows a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Joyce Maynard (Fiction)
From New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her beloved novel, COUNT THE WAYS --- a complex story of three generations of a family and its remarkable, resilient, indomitable matriarch, Eleanor.
HUSBANDS & LOVERS by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Two women --- separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom --- reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE SUMMER WIVES.
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager (Psychological Thriller)
In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend --- and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.
THE MIDNIGHT FEAST by Lucy Foley (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Welcome to the opening weekend of The Manor, a luxury resort built on top of old secrets in an ancient wood: The Founder. The Husband. The Mystery Guest. The Kitchen Help. All have an agenda. All have a past. But not everyone will survive THE MIDNIGHT FEAST.
THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other’s lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat, forcing a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line in this thrilling sequel to THE LAST MRS. PARRISH.
THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberly Belle (Thriller)
A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris in this new edge-of-your-seat thriller from USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Belle.
RESURRECTION by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel returns with an irresistible novel about a woman whose seemingly perfect life comes crashing down --- and learns to find joy in rising above.
THE ROM-COMMERS by Katherine Center (Romantic Comedy)
He wrote a romantic comedy...and it's terrible. She just got hired to fix it. Let the banter begin in Katherine Center's rom-com about writing a rom-com.
SWAN SONG by Elin Hilderbrand (Fiction)
Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand brings her Nantucket novels to a brilliant finish. When rich strangers move to the island, social mayhem and a possible murder follow. Can Nantucket’s best locals save the day, and their way of life?
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate
SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate (Historical Fiction)
I know little about Eastern Oklahoma, and I never have traveled there. But after reading SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate, I would love to see this part of the country.
The book is set in two time frames. In 1909, we meet 11-year-old Olive Augusta Radley, who knows that the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards are not safe around her stepfather. The older girl disappears, and shortly after, Ollie flees to the woods with the younger girl. After the passage of the Dawes Act, which gave every Indian man, woman and child land, the youngest of these inheritors were preyed upon by men who wanted to lay claim to their oil rights. Children were hidden in the woods in places like the Winding Stair Mountains. There they would forage for food and protect one another, setting up their own systems of order in which the older children would watch out for the younger ones.
- 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 watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Lisa Wingate.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
Bookreporter.com's 20th 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 through early August, 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:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
From left to right: Michael Robotham, David Nicholls, Lauren Kate
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are eight 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 1st at 4pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lauren Kate will talk about her new book, WHAT'S IN A KISS?, an enemies-to-lovers “what if” romance about a prom kiss that never was, and one woman’s magical chance to live what might have been.
Monday, July 1st at 7pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Michael Robotham will talk about his latest novel, STORM CHILD, which marks the return of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac in a psychological thriller that finally unlocks the secrets of Evie’s past and reaffirms why Stephen King has proclaimed Robotham “an absolute master.”
Tuesday, July 2nd at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome David Nicholls for a live virtual event to discuss YOU ARE HERE, June's B&N Book Club pick. David will be in conversation with Lexie Smyth, B&N's Fiction Category Manager, and Marie Cummings, B&N's Publisher Liaison.
Tuesday, July 2nd at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: The Killer Author Club was established in 2022 by Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda as a unique platform for suspense and mystery fans to hear from their favorite authors. In this episode, Wanda M. Morris will talk about her new thriller, WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND.
Tuesday, July 9th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Colin Walsh for a live virtual discussion of KALA as part of their Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Colin will be in conversation with the bestselling author of THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA, Juliet Grames.
Wednesday, July 10th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Preview: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between July 9th and August 6th, along with a few from September, that she would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Thursday, July 11th at 2pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Donna Leon will talk about her latest novel, A REFINER'S FIRE. In this 33rd installment of her series, Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a present-day Venetian menace and the ghosts of a heroism that never was.
Tuesday, July 16th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to C. J. Box about THREE-INCH TEETH, the 24th and latest installment in his series featuring Joe Pickett, who this time faces two different kinds of rampaging beasts --- one animal, one human.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed this year include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Marjan Kamali (THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker (Mystery/Thriller)
A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story and a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.
THE FALL OF ROE: The Rise of a New America by Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer (Politics)
From acclaimed New York Times journalists Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer comes a narrative that is a political cliffhanger and an intimate look at what it means to be a woman in America today. THE FALL OF ROE is a powerful book that will have everyone talking.
FAMILIARIS by David Wroblewski (Historical Fiction)
The follow-up to the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling modern classic THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, FAMILIARIS is the stirring origin story of the Sawtelle family and the remarkable dogs that carry the Sawtelle name.
THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier (Historical Fiction)
From bestselling historical novelist Tracy Chevalier comes a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to the present day.
HONEY by Isabel Banta (Fiction)
HONEY is a coming-of-age story that follows the meteoric rise of singer Amber Young as she navigates fame in the late-'90s and early-2000s era of pop music superstardom.
JACKIE by Dawn Tripp (Historical Fiction)
In this mesmerizing novel about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, acclaimed author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss and reinvention.
MALAS by Marcela Fuentes (Fiction)
MALAS is a story full of passion and revenge, following one family living on the Texas-Mexico border and a curse that reverberates across generations.
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo (Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.
SANDWICH by Catherine Newman (Fiction/Humor)
From the beloved author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS comes a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch and learning to let go.
SHELTERWOOD by Lisa Wingate (Historical Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of BEFORE WE WERE YOURS comes a sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.
SWIFT RIVER by Essie Chambers (Historical Fiction)
SWIFT RIVER is a sweeping family saga about the complicated bond between mothers and daughters, the disappearance of a father, and the long-hidden history of a declining New England mill town.
THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie (Mystery/Thriller)
"The White Lotus" meets Agatha Christie in this bold novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ally Condie. A recent divorcee's exclusive Big Sur resort vacation unravels when she discovers a dead body on the day of a wedding.
YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls (Romance/Humor)
From the internationally bestselling and Booker Prize-longlisted author of ONE DAY, one of the most enduring love stories of its generation, comes an uplifting and unputdownable love story about second chances.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
Sam and Sadie --- two college friends, often in love but never lovers --- become creative partners in a dazzling and intricately imagined world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity and, ultimately, a kind of immortality. It is a love story, but not one you have read before.
WELLNESS by Nathan Hill (Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE NIX is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together.
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