Bookreporter.com Bets On...

With thousands of books published each year and much attention paid to the works of bestselling and well-known authors, it is inevitable that some titles worthy of praise and discussion may not get the attention we think they deserve. Thus throughout the year, we will continue this feature that we started in 2009, to spotlight books that immediately struck a chord with us and made us say “just read this.” We will alert our readers about these titles as soon as they’re released so you can discover them for yourselves and recommend them to your family and friends.

Below are all of our selections thus far. For future "Bets On" titles that we will announce shortly after their release dates, please visit this page.

God's Country by William Kent Krueger

August 2026

When I read one of William Kent Krueger's Cork O’Connor books, I journey back to Minnesota and Cork’s universe. His writing makes me dash aside the day-to-day of my life, and I drop into what is a brilliantly built world with a set of characters I want to revisit to see how they are, what they have been up to, and what their next life adventure will be.

In GOD’S COUNTRY, we find Cork and the male members of his family on a canoe trip into the Boundary Waters. This place is spiritual to Cork, and as a reader who takes journeys with him into this space vicariously, its grandeur and beauty spill off the page. For those who are not familiar with this area, it's the over one million acres of forests, lakes and streams between Northern Minnesota and Ontario. In Kent's hands, you feel like you are there. I, who never see myself portaging a canoe or camping in a forest, love reading about this special part of the world.

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

August 2026

I love when I don’t see the ending of a book coming. That’s exactly what happened when I read THE AMATEUR by Chris Bohjalian.

It is written in the voice of Mira Winston, who was once a young golf prodigy and is now a novelist. She is looking back at a horrendous incident that occurred when she was 18. She was hitting a golf ball into the practice net when the ball went through the net and killed Kenny Foster, a 17-year-old caddie who was reading a book while waiting to be called up for his next round.

Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena

August 2026

Ahhhh the pleasure of holding a Shari Lapena book in my hands and knowing I am headed for what I call “a one-sit read.”

In GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER, we meet Jill and Ted, who are living in a stunning brownstone that they have meticulously finished. They are able to stay on top of the maintenance around the place as Ted earns a substantial salary working in finance. But then the day comes when he makes a big investment, and it does not deliver. It actually tanks --- and with it goes their security as they try to keep up with their day-to-day costs, as well as appearances.

City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi

August 2026

When the United States left Afghanistan for the last time in August 2021, the photos of the Afghan people who were racing to leave with our soldiers were embedded in my memory. What was that moment like? What was going to happen to the women of that country as we departed after two decades? It's one of the images that continues to haunt me.

Women had flourished while the US military was there. They had gone to school, gotten jobs and contributed to their families outside of their homes. For nearly 20 years, they had tasted freedom. But then their worlds changed, seemingly overnight. Taliban rule was back as the order of the land, and once again pickup trucks with machine gun-toting soldiers on board were in the streets.

This countdown to the departure of the Americans is the time period that Nadia Hashimi writes about in her latest novel, CITY OF WIDOWS. We see what is happening day by day in August 2021 and then are brought back in time to what transpired in the last two decades in dated chapters that are woven throughout the book.

This Changes Everything by Lisa Scottoline

July 2026

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline brings Julia Pritzker back in touch with her old friend, Courtney Horan. As the book opens, Julia is living in Tuscany with her husband, Gianluca Moretti, and her young daughter, Leni. She has reached out to Courtney via FaceTime, anticipating one of their usual catchup conversations as Courtney is driving. Julia asks where she is headed, and Courtney mentions that she is visiting her grandmother, Kay Patterson, who Julia also knows. So she stays on the line to chat.

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland

July 2026

THE HALF LIFE is the third Rachel Beanland book that I have selected as a Bets On title. The previous two were FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER and THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, both of which still are memorable.

In her latest novel, Rachel brings us the story of 23-year-old Eileen O'Malley, who immediately marries a young Navy man she falls for named Paul Archer and accompanies him to La Maddalena, a stunning Mediterranean island off the coast of Sardinia. It's the Atomic Age, and the United States has nuclear submarines stationed there as a precautionary measure in case Italy falls to Communism.

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

July 2026

Ben Reeves’ debut novel, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, revolves around a subject that we typically shy away from: death.

Yes, if you want a topic that no one wants to think about, death is high on the list. But here we have a book so packed with thoughts about life (as well as death), and it is written so beautifully, that you will not want to miss it. I see why it is July’s #1 Indie Next pick.

Throughout the novel, death moves into various people's lives at the final moments in a stealthy way but brings a peace with it. The dying have a moment to assess who they are and what they have done --- and, in at least one case, mourn what will be missed. These little vignettes stand alone but will touch you in various ways. What do they all have in common? What is different about them?

Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller

July 2026

There are books that steal a part of your heart. LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller is one of them. In it, Song gives birth to a boy who she names River. Because of the availability of work, she is apart from her husband, Blue, who has headed hours away where he can find a job in construction. They eagerly plan to see one another each year at the Spring Festival and mark the time until they will be together again. But they continue to be separated. Sadly, Song gets a cryptic call one day that Blue has been killed in a construction accident, and a settlement will be made.

When this money arrives, Song buys a piano that her son, who clearly has an interest in music, can play. For years, River is trained locally, but Song realizes that his talent needs a bigger stage. So they head to Beijing where he has a chance to practice and perform. But in the very crowded Beijing Railway Station, Song and River are separated, and panic ensues. Song has all of their possessions on her back, except for the piano they needed to leave behind. Their search to find each other is futile.

Single Girls by John Searles

July 2026

SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles is a wonderful ode to Helen Gurley Brown --- and the “girls” who worked with her --- wrapped up in a brilliantly fun novel. John worked with Helen (in later days, he became comfortable calling her Helen instead of Mrs. Brown) when he started in the Books department at Cosmopolitan. Since I have known John, he has been fascinated by the mission of the magazine and its history.

This is a departure from the thrillers that we have come to expect from John, and his storytelling is spot-on. He nails the gumption and pluckiness that Helen harnessed. She wrote a book called SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL, which encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. After its publication in 1962, she was inundated with letters from young women seeking her advice.

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

July 2026

I loved Jenny Jackson's debut, PINEAPPLE STREET, so I was excited to read her new novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT. This time the setting is seaside Massachusetts in a town called Greenhead, which is inspired by Ipswich, where Jenny grew up. Caroline is there for a writing fellowship and plans to get a long work of fiction done. Her mother is a bestselling thriller author, and Caroline has worked at a publishing house. But now she wants to be on the other side of it, as an author in her own right.

On the ferry ride over, Caroline encounters a young man, Van Whittaker, who she later learns has lived in Greenhead his entire life. Their whole “meet-cute” scene leads to another casual meeting and then some dates. Van has a close-knit group of friends who also are lifers in town. Through him, she comes to know them and is treated like an outsider right from the very start.

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