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This week has reminded me what summer is like. I find myself ready to plant flowers and spruce up outside. But then I realize that this is just a little taste of summer, and temps are plunging back on Monday. I do wish these beautiful days were going to last through the weekend. I peered out my window at “summer in springtime.” The dandelions sure took advantage of this opportunity to spring themselves back to life.
Last weekend was all about the perfect pimento cheese sandwich. Well, at least it was for me. Tom was happy to watch The Masters, and when Rory McIlroy won, all I could think was, Wow, I am glad we ran our review of RORY this week! I think the publisher was also happy that the book came out when it did. I love when things like that come together.
This weekend will be all about THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett, which I have been looking forward to reading since an early copy arrived at the house in late December. I will be reading like I am back in college prepping for finals as I am interviewing Kathryn on Tuesday afternoon for an upcoming “Bookreporter Talks To” episode. The book clocks in at 632 pages.
The menfolk in the house have weekend plans, so I will be reading and listening as I was lucky enough to get an advance audio copy. I can see myself swimming, walking, and getting more done on the baby blanket that I am working on, along with curling up on the couch and in bed to read. I am really looking forward to this!
THE CALAMITY CLUB is one of the books that our recent “Bookaccino Live” attendees are most excited to read. Right now I am grateful that I read quickly, but a challenge really is on!
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Devi S. Laskar, whose third novel, MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR, is set primarily in the years after 9/11. The protagonist, Rita Das, is a journalist inspired by Christiane Amanpour and Sylvia Poggioli, who planted themselves in conflict zones for their reporting.
The book explores both personal and professional challenges faced by Rita, who is running from conflicts in her own life into parts of the world where she finds herself in unknown political circumstances as she works. She has complicated relationships, including a rocky marriage, a lover, a sick mother, and difficulties with her father.
The unnamed location where Rita is stationed allows readers to focus on universal themes rather than specific geopolitical details. It provides a look at a time when journalism was much more fact-based than it is now, where the most important thing seems to be “being first” instead of “being right.”
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. According to Sarah Rachel Egelman in her review, “Laskar’s prose is timeless and understated. So much happens in this short novel, but it doesn’t really feel action-packed.... Both broadly political and personally intimate, MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR is a complex, brave and powerful novel that will not be forgotten any time soon.”
Join Us on Thursday Afternoon for a Special
Book Group Event with Lisa Ridzén!
This is your last Weekly Update newsletter reminder to sign up for our special afternoon “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event on Thursday, April 23rd at 1pm ET.
Our guest will be debut novelist Lisa Ridzén, and she will discuss her international bestseller, WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH, which was a 2025 Bets On selection. We ran a contest for the book last month, and the winners have been sharing wonderful feedback about it. It is so great to see that they loved the story as much as I did!
After I talk to Lisa, we will give readers the chance to share a question for her on screen. We have special sign-in directions for these attendees, and they will get to chat with Lisa in our “backstage green room” before the program starts. Then we will turn to questions that have been dropped into Zoom’s Q&A feature. Click here to register for the event.
If you would like to ask Lisa a question, please fill out this form by Wednesday, April 22nd at noon ET. Be sure to include your name, city, state, email address and phone number, as well as your question. And indicate if you would like to be on camera or off.
As promised, the video of this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event is now available. I talked about 41 books releasing between April 7th and May 5th, along with 14 from June, that we wanted to get on your radar. Click here to watch the event and here to see a list of the featured titles.
Next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event will take place on Wednesday, May 13th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on books releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, in addition to some titles from the first half of July, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up.
It was announced this week that Oprah’s latest Book Club pick is GO GENTLE by Maria Semple, a thrilling story about one woman’s mid-life transformation. You may know Maria as the author of the international bestseller WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE, which was adapted into a major motion picture starring Cate Blanchett.
Oprah says, “For all those who crave a good page-turner, this is one wild ride of a story that carries equal parts wit and wisdom. I learned so much about Stoicism --- I laughed out loud for real. And underneath the humor, there was always something tender, a quiet truth about relationships, identity, and what it means to find peace with yourself.”
And here’s what Jana Siciliano says about the book in her review: “Those who enjoyed the antics and morals of WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE will really engage with the tremendously comic yet heartfelt changes that Adora has to deal with when nothing around her looks like it should anymore.... GO GENTLE is hard to put down --- and the final events will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. This is the perfect book for spring, a time for renewal and recharging.”
Oprah and Maria recently talked about GO GENTLE, and they were joined by readers from across the country who had questions for Maria. Click here for their discussion.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
GO GENTLE is one of the books we’re giving away in our latest Word of Mouth contest; the other is Sally Hepworth’s new domestic thriller, MAD MABEL, which we will review next week. Let us know by Friday, May 1st at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win both these titles.
Walter Nash began a journey down a dark path of seemingly no return. Now, he finds himself questioning everything that got him there in HOPE RISES, David Baldacci’s thrilling sequel to last year’s NASH FALLS.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “The driving tension [in the second half] of the novel centers on the anticipation of who will get their revenge first (or at all). It is well worth the wait. I need to repeat here what I have stated in previous reviews: David Baldacci continues to write at breakneck speed while never sacrificing quality or his lofty standards.”
Jane Harper, the author of such bestsellers as THE DRY and EXILES, returns with her latest thriller, LAST ONE OUT. This time, she explores what lingers after tragedy when a mother revisits her son's missing person case five years later.
According to Norah Piehl in her review, “Harper does an admirable job of drawing readers into the heart and mind of a grieving mother…. [O]nce Ro and Griff uncover a pivotal clue, the pieces start to slide into place quickly, and the narrative momentum ratchets up to match the emotional stakes. I can’t say I’d ever want to visit a place like Carralon Ridge, but thanks to Harper’s excellent writing, at least now I can begin to picture and understand it.”
I had a fabulous conversation with Jane about the book on Monday. We look forward to sharing that interview with you in next week’s newsletter.
We also are featuring reviews of these two books:
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THE LOST SUMMER: A girl’s vanishing draws a detective into the crimes and mysteries of her own past in a shocking novel of psychological suspense by Wendy Corsi Staub, whose Haven Cliff series launched last year with the release of THE FOURTH GIRL.
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SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE: Here is the long-awaited final volume in Jay McInerney's tetralogy charting the marriage of Russell and Corrinne Calloway, who are now in their 60s, against the backdrop of various crises that have bedeviled our society in the past 40 years.
A Special Contest for Moms!
Returning for a 21st year is our Mother's Day contest. Once again, we are featuring some great titles that we think moms will love.
Readers will have the opportunity to win one of our five prize packages, which includes all five books to treat yourself or your mom: the aforementioned THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett, along with HARBOR POINTE by Irene Hannon, LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller, THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson, and THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME by Kim Michele Richardson.
The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 11th at noon ET.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke --- which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club selection, #1 Indie Next pick and Top LibraryReads Pick --- is my latest Bets On title. Click here to see why I’m betting you’ll love this book just as much as our reviewer Rebecca Munro and I did.
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Vicky Nguyen
Out in paperback this week is BOAT BABY, a Bets On selection that tells the story of the daring escape that NBC News anchor and correspondent Vicky Nguyen’s family made from communist Vietnam and her unlikely journey from refugee to reporter. I talked to Vicky about the book last November. So if you missed the interview or would like to check it out again, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.
Wrapping Up Spring Reading --- and Looking Ahead to Summer Reading
Our Spring Reading contests came to a close this week with our final two giveaways: the aforementioned MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR and THE LOST SUMMER. Congratulations to the winners of our eight contests, and many thanks to all who entered! Please note that the winners of the last two contests will be posted early next week on this page.
Our next series of 24-hour giveaways will be our Summer Reading contests. The feature will go live on Friday, May 1st, and our first giveaway will kick off on Tuesday, May 5th. If you would like to receive a newsletter announcing each day’s Summer Reading title, click here to sign up for these contest alerts.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
Our new poll asks which of 35 paperbacks releasing in April you have read or are planning to read. Click here to cast your votes by Friday, May 1st at noon ET.
In our previous poll, we listed 35 fiction titles that are being published this month for the first time and asked which of them, if any, you are looking forward to reading. Below are your top five picks, and you can see all the results here.
Hold the Date: Independent Bookstore Day will celebrate its 13th anniversary next Saturday, April 25th, with over 2,000 participating independent bookstores from every state.
Independent Bookstore Day was established in 2013 to promote, celebrate and highlight the value of the independent bookstore community. The event is organized by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), a national not-for-profit trade organization that works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers and to assist in expanding the community of the book.
Indie Bookstore Day ignites a vibrant array of celebrations --- from bookstore crawls to street fairs --- each as unique and diverse as the independent bookstores themselves. The Indie Bookstore Day Map serves as a comprehensive guide of the myriad happenings in communities across the country on April 25th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Mary wrote, “A belated thank you for sending me THE GOLDEN BOY! It arrived while I was traveling, and my housesitter emailed me that I had received 'what feels like a book' from Carol Fitzgerald. I was delighted.”
Deanna wrote, “What a wonderful surprise it was to open my inbox and learn that I’m a winner of MY FRIENDS in Bookreporter’s Spring Reading contest! I’m truly looking forward to reading the book. I will follow up once it arrives and would be happy to share a photo of myself with it. Thank you again. I recently discovered your community and am so glad I did. I look forward to becoming more involved in the thoughtful and welcoming space you’ve created.”
Eleanor wrote, “A while back, I wrote you about THE CORRESPONDENT. You read it, and it became a bestseller and much more. Well, I just finished THE SIDEWAYS LIFE OF DENNY VOSS by Canadian author Holly Kennedy. You will fall in love with Denny Voss as you did Theo and Sybil. I laughed out loud and cried real tears. I hope you or your readers find time for this wonderful story. Denny will tell you that his number is 72; that’s his IQ. Thank you.” We will check this one out!
Here's a great interview with Lena Dunham talking about her memoir, FAMESICK, which we plan to review in the next couple of weeks.
Nuremberg on Netflix: We finished watching this film, and it is so well done. It was tough watching the concentration camp scenes, but it really reinforced the absolutely horrific days of the Nazi regime.
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” on Apple TV: I like Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning, but while the series traces the book, there are parts that are cringeworthy to me. But I think it's supposed to be like that.
“The Pitt” on HBO Max: A brilliant season finale. I will say nothing more lest it be a spoiler.
“The Madison” on Paramount+: I loved this show and learned this week that season two already has been shot (done before season one aired). Plus, it has been renewed for season three.
“Imperfect Women” on Apple TV: This series is based on the book by Araminta Hall. I am loving the way that it twists and turns. The writing is clever, and there are surprises since I haven't read the book.
On Monday night, I will be attending the 2026 Authors Guild Foundation Gala. I am looking forward to a black-tie event, though if we weren't plunging back to winter temps, I would be happy. It says “Black Tie Optional,” which is a phrase that my friend Beverley and I do not understand. We both say, “It is, or it is not.” A couple of years ago, I bought a black-tie dress thinking that you can never find one when you need it. How smart was that?
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
Featured Review: GO GENTLE by Maria Semple
Oprah’s Book Club Pick for April
GO GENTLE by Maria Semple (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Saskia Maarleveld
A Stoic philosopher and divorcée, Adora Hazzard lives a contented life on New York City’s Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have, she’s applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter, the freedom of being solo, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She’s even assembled a “coven” --- like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia --- and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora’s carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. Soon, her ordered world is upended by black-market art deals, secret rendezvous and international intrigue…and her past lands like a bomb in her present. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's Oprah's Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: HOPE RISES by David Baldacci
HOPE RISES by David Baldacci (Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by MacLeod Andrews, Will Collyer, Shiromi Arserio, Christine Lakin, Larry Herron and Tim Lounibos
Walter Nash is on the road to revenge after becoming an informant for the FBI against a global criminal operation headed up by Victoria Steers. Steers has ripped everything Nash held dear away from him. With long, rigorous training under his belt, the gentle and sensitive Nash has transformed into a physically imposing man with lethal skills. And now he has only one goal left in life: taking down Victoria Steers. In order to succeed, Nash is going to need to cross enemy lines and work the job from the inside. But he must rely on every ounce of his hard-earned skills to prove himself an ally to Steers if he’s ever going to get close enough to decimate her criminal empire. Still, Nash finds himself oddly drawn to Steers in ways that he never could’ve imagined. And what he ultimately discovers will turn all he believed upside down, forcing him to do something truly unfathomable. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper
LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Angeline Armstrong
Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, the skeletal town is all but abandoned. After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college. He had loved Carralon Ridge and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
Don't miss Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview
with Jane Harper in next week's newsletter.
Announcing Bookreporter.com’s 21st Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in Bookreporter.com's 21st annual “Books Mom Will Love” contest.
From now through Monday, May 11th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes five great titles that we think moms will love.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke
April’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke (Psychological Thriller)
We have been hearing a lot of buzz about YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke, and I see why. I loved it from page one.
Let me start my thoughts about this book by saying that I am amused by online influencers who create content for Instagram (and TikTok, though I am not on there), hawking how they cook, bake, decorate, make cocktails, clean, fold, and whatever else comes into their imaginations. As a child, I remember pretending I had a cooking show as I made mix cakes, but we never filmed this and it was not shared. Now, it seems like there are tens of millions of content makers, and I am sure there is a kid out there with a cooking video series.
On top of that, there are people who make fun of Instagrammers, and they have their own followings. There are times when I feel like life online is some parallel universe, but then I see it’s very real. Almost too real.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
Featured Review:
MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR by Devi S. Laskar
MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR by Devi S. Laskar (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sneha Mathan
Foreign correspondent Rita Das has left New York for the war-torn Middle East, a reassignment she asked for after learning she is pregnant but uncertain if the father is her husband or her lover. As she strives to shed light on the fallouts of the war, Rita finds herself embroiled in her own conflicts with her interpreter and her news editor, her sources and her colleagues. She is unable to accept the loss of her mother and deal with her guilt for not being by her side when she died. As she goes into the field to report on the war, she grapples with the physical and emotional tolls of her pregnant body and a turbulent region. When her news editor delivers urgent orders for her to return to New York, Rita is faced with a choice about how she wants to live her life as a journalist and a soon-to-be mother. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to watch our “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Devi S. Laskar.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE LOST SUMMER by Wendy Corsi Staub
THE LOST SUMMER by Wendy Corsi Staub (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Alex Picard
Detective Sergeant Midge Kennedy and her lifelong pals, Talia and Kelly, have reunited on the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of their friend, Caroline. But as the season draws to a close in Mulberry Bay, Midge is plunged into a missing person case with unsettling ties to the past. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t suspect foul play when a 16-year-old girl is just a few hours late getting home. But her investigation yields a shocking glimpse of a familiar face, and mounting coincidences link Sarah Greene’s vanishing to Caroline’s. The clues lead to Haven Cliff, an abandoned Gilded Age estate that’s been the stuff of cursed legend for generations. It’s also Kelly’s new home. Midge suspects that the wooded grounds hold the key to Sarah’s fate and Caroline’s. But will Haven Cliff --- and Midge herself --- give up long-buried secrets? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Wendy Corsi Staub's website.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE by Jay McInerney
SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE by Jay McInerney (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Russell Calloway’s best friend, Washington Lee, was the least likely monogamist of Russell’s acquaintances, but Washington somehow has become a model husband and father over the years. The celebration of Washington’s 35th wedding anniversary at the Odeon in the Spring of 2020 sparks an at once funny and moving autumnal reckoning with mortality as the specter of the COVID-19 virus spreads. In this moment of unprecedented upheaval --- frantic and fraught real-time response, piercing personal and political impact --- the Calloways find themselves and their marriage tested in ways they never could have anticipated as fatal consequences ensue. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com’s 15th Annual Spring Reading Feature
Our 15th annual Spring Reading contests have come to an end. Many thanks to all who entered these 24-hour giveaways, and a big congratulations to our winners!
Here are the books that we think you will be talking about throughout the spring --- and beyond.
- Click here to see the winners of this year's Spring Reading contests. Please note that the winners of MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR and THE LOST SUMMER will be announced early next week.
Click here to read more about this year's Spring Reading titles.
CAT ON A HOT TIN WOOF: A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jim Frangione
Miss Kitty, a feline internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong. Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors and a high-powered agent, and real money is flowing in. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line. The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy, who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice --- and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
THE LEFT AND THE LUCKY by Willy Vlautin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Willy Vlautin
Eddie Wilkens is a workaholic house painter. His wife has left him to her regret, and his main employee, Houston, is a loafer and scoundrel who barely shows up for work. Eddie is a thoughtful man who rarely gets angry, but he is ruled by a guilt that he has carried for nearly 20 years. Next door, a woman and her two sons move in with her frail and aging mother. The youngest boy, eight-year-old Russell, is quiet and small for his age and lives in constant terror of his increasingly lost and troubled 15-year-old brother, Curtis. As their mother struggles to keep the family together and the grandmother’s health begins to falter, they find themselves unable to protect Russell and themselves from Curtis’ cruelty, which threatens to explode in frenetic violence. Though neither knows it, Russell and Eddie will become each other’s saving grace. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE LAST LETTERS OF SALLY AND WALTER by Cammie McGovern (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Nancy Wu and Fred Sanders
As a new resident of Golden Grove, an independent living community for active seniors, Sally wants to do everything in her power to start off on the right foot. But between navigating unspoken social rules of the community and leaving two struggling adult children back at home, fitting in becomes harder than she expected. So when she sees flyers advertising the Scrabble Club, she thinks she might as well give it a try. She quickly realizes her faux pas when she walks into the library to find just one man, Walter Kretzer. Walter has taken his Scrabble club a pinch too seriously in the past, but when he meets Sally and discovers she is something of a prodigy at the game, he can't help but feel that his fate is about to change. As he draws Sally into the world of high-stakes Scrabble tournaments, his feelings for her grow and inspire him to take a hard look at his life. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
MURDER MINDFULLY written by Karsten Dusse, translated by Florian Duijsens (Crime Fiction/Dark Humor)
Audiobook available, read by L.J. Ganser
Criminal defense lawyer Björn Diemel has been given an ultimatum: repair his work-life balance, or his wife will leave him --- and take their daughter. He reluctantly starts a mindfulness course, and to his surprise, it’s a revelation. He becomes calmer, happier and more focused as he starts to understand what’s really important in life. When his worst client, brutal crime boss Dragan Sergowicz, tries to interfere with his precious family time, Björn discovers that even murder can be a mindfulness exercise to protect his peace. Reviewed by Jack Kramer.
BODIES OF WORK by Clay McLeod Chapman (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Hannah Cabell
At 66 years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Winston is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus --- The Butterfly Girls --- is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere: scribbled on the walls, the floor and countless notebooks. Winston is creating a fantasia that exists in words, images and blood. As part of his “art,” he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one is looking for. Winston takes their lives, their voices. But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge. Winston might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE SEVENTH SISTER by Dawn Kurtagich (Psychological Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Eva Kaminsky
After the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood. When another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for themselves. The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of isolation, and the forest around them grows restless. Years later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits in the depths of the all-seeing trees. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 20th and 21st
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 20th and 21st that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of April 20th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
April 20th
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson (Fiction)
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB is Susan and James Patterson's new novel, the follow-up to THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER --- the New York Times bestselling, book club favorite praised novel.
April 21st
LAST NIGHT IN BROOKLYN by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past.
LIDIE: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton by Jane Smiley (Historical Fiction)
This rousing novel follows two young women fleeing a divided America: one running toward a dazzling future and the other running from a troubled past.
MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth (Domestic Thriller)
From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.
THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson (Historical Fiction)
In this stand-alone and companion novel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman Cussy Lovett, returns home.
NO WAY HOME by T.C. Boyle (Fiction)
David Lynch meets Fight Club in T.C. Boyle’s NO WAY HOME, an obsessive psychological study that illuminates the darkness that lurks inside all of us.
PARADOX by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston (Technothriller)
The new powerhouse team of Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston are joining together to “enter the world” of the New York Times bestselling EXTINCTION.
THE ROLLING STONES: The Biography by Bob Spitz (Music/Biography)
From the award-winning, bestselling author of classic histories of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin comes a groundbreaking reckoning with the world’s greatest rock 'n' roll band.
SMALL TOWN GIRLS: A Writer's Memoir by Jayne Anne Phillips (Memoir/Essays)
SMALL TOWN GIRLS is a luminous memoir-in-essays from Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Jayne Anne Phillips, who reflects on her origins and the mysteries of memory.
A WOMAN'S PLACE by Danielle Steel (Historical Fiction)
A bold young woman defies society’s expectations in the early 1900s to love and lead in this gripping novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Lynn Cullen, Lisa Ridzén, Priya Parmar
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are two upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Wednesday, April 22nd at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Lynn Cullen and Priya Parmar about their new historical novels. Lynn's WHEN WE WERE BRILLIANT explores the exceptional and complicated friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold. Priya's THE ORIGINAL plunges into the tumultuous life of screen icon Katharine Hepburn.
Thursday, April 23rd at 1pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Group: In a special afternoon “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Lisa Ridzén about her debut novel, WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH, an international bestseller and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Lisa also will answer questions from guests who will be “on stage,” as well as from other members of the audience.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. 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:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Rachel Beanland (THE HALF LIFE)
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Jane Harper (LAST ONE OUT)
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Susan Patterson (THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB)
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Kathryn Stockett (THE CALAMITY CLUB)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: April Paperback Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following titles releasing in paperback in April have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, by E.A. Hanks
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THE ACADEMY by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
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ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD by Emily Everett
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AUDITION by Katie Kitamura
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BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS: A Memoir, by Ina Garten
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BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey
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THE BEWITCHING by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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BIG CHIEF by Jon Hickey
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BOAT BABY: A Memoir, by Vicky Nguyen
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THE BOOKSHOP: A History of the American Bookstore, by Evan Friss
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THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff
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COUNT MY LIES by Sophie Stava
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THE DARK MAESTRO by Brendan Slocumb
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DEATH AT A HIGHLAND WEDDING: A Rip Through Time Novel, by Kelley Armstrong
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THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone
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A FAMILY MATTER by Claire Lynch
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THE FLOAT TEST by Lynn Steger Strong
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THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark
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HOLMES IS MISSING: A Holmes, Margaret & Poe Mystery, by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
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THE HOMEMADE GOD by Rachel Joyce
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HOW TO SEAL YOUR OWN FATE by Kristen Perrin
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JAMES by Percival Everett
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MATRIARCH: A Memoir, by Tina Knowles
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MEMORIAL DAYS: A Memoir, by Geraldine Brooks
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THE MISSING HALF by Ashley Flowers, with Alex Kiester
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THE NAMES by Florence Knapp
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NIGHTSHADE: A Catalina Novel, by Michael Connelly
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THE PERFECT DIVORCE by Jeneva Rose
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SALTWATER by Katy Hays
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SIX DAYS IN BOMBAY by Alka Joshi
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SOUTH OF NOWHERE: A Colter Shaw Novel, by Jeffery Deaver
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STUART WOODS' BLOWN AWAY: A Teddy Fay Novel Featuring Stone Barrington, by Brett Battles
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SUMMER LIGHT ON NANTUCKET by Nancy Thayer
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THREE DAYS IN JUNE by Anne Tyler
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UNDER THE STARS by Beatriz Williams
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 1st at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve read with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from April 17th to May 1st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of GO GENTLE by Maria Semple and MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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