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I feel like April sped by. My book group met this week, and we discussed SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins, which was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
We had a good discussion about it, especially touching on what it was like to leave “home,” and what it was like to either stay somewhere new or want to return to “home.” We all grasped and were saddened by the prejudice that was flung at Rafaela when the family moved to the Midwest. The story felt authentic, and there were comments about how well written it was.
For the meeting, Shannon, whose roots are from Puerto Rico, brought tostones, a dish of twice-fried, smashed green plantains as a themed snack, along with sauces for them. I should have grabbed a photo.
I talked to Jeanine about SPEAK TO ME OF HOME last year. You can watch the interview here or listen to the podcast here.
Next month, we are going to be reading YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke, which was an instant New York Times bestseller when it came out earlier this month --- and is a book that is getting a ton of buzz. I loved it so much that it was a Bets On pick.
I am looking forward to our discussion, which, given our group's crazy schedules, will not take place until early June. Christina is already promising to bring homemade sourdough bread.
To me, there is something very special about discussing a book with a group and hearing all different opinions. I like to call it a 360-degree experience. I am betting that if you are reading this newsletter, you feel the same way.
Last night, I had such a great time catching up with Laura Dave, who joined us for our latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group program. We discussed her instant New York Times bestseller, THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM, which was a Reese’s Book Club pick earlier this year and my first Bets On selection of 2026.
Laura shared how she came to write the sequel to THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME and what matters to her when it comes to writing and her writing process. She also talked about the screen adaptations of her novels, giving readers a great deal of insight into how they are created. She even commented on the tricky titles of her books!
Click here to watch the event or here to listen to the podcast. Laura is such a smart, thoughtful and engaging person to talk to about publishing and the entertainment industry, so it meant a lot to us that she took time out of her busy schedule to speak with us and answer questions from our attendees.
Lisa Ridzén joined us from Sweden last week for a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event about her internationally bestselling debut novel, WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH, which also was the Swedish Book of the Year and a Bets On pick. This was a very special program with perceptive questions from our readers.
Lisa was completely engaged and brilliantly shared her inspiration for writing the book. She also talked about having a work in translation as it originally was written in Swedish and is now published in 45 countries. The enthusiasm from our attendees was clear, and there was lots of agreement on why it is a great book group selection, as well as one where the message will stay with you.
Click here to watch the event or here to listen to the podcast. We received some excellent feedback about the book from readers who won a copy in a contest we ran on Bookreporter in March. Be sure to check out their comments here.
I had talked about WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH at a book preview event a couple of months ago. When I spoke to that same group yesterday, some had read the book and talked about how well done it was.
Our next “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest will be Wally Lamb. The event will be held on Tuesday, May 26th at 8pm ET, and you can sign up here for it.
We will talk about Wally’s instant New York Times bestseller, THE RIVER IS WAITING, an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a Bets On selection that releases in paperback on May 19th. The novel is about a young father who is grappling with unbearable tragedy as he searches for hope, redemption and the possibility of forgiveness.
I will interview Wally and then will turn to readers who would like to share a question for him on screen (we have special sign-in directions for these attendees, and they will get to chat with Wally in our “backstage green room” before the program starts), followed by audience questions.
If you would like to ask Wally a question, please fill out this form by noon ET on Tuesday, May 26th. 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.
We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to tell you about.
First up is Susan Patterson. She wrote her latest novel, THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB, with her husband, James Patterson. Set in Lake Como, Italy, the story revolves around four mothers and their five daughters, exploring mother-daughter relationships through a book club. Three of the mothers met at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is Susan’s alma mater. The book evolved naturally from the success and themes of their previous collaboration, THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER.
Susan and James decided to structure chapters by character point of view to make it easier for readers to follow multiple characters. Lake Como was selected because it represents one of the most beautiful places, with a perfect landscape, mountains, water and food.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring the discussion guide, our Bookreporter review, and a book club kit that includes three recipes from the book, along with a list of characters and a fun reading challenge.
Please note that some of the questions for this interview came from readers who won an advance copy of THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB in a Bookreporter contest last month. One of the winners, Dana R. from Minnetonka, MN, shared this lovely comment:
“I loved this book. It had so many rich characters and such a great story that kept me interested until the end, wondering what all the secrets were going to be and not being able to guess them. I loved how the chapters were set up so I could keep the characters straight and know who was talking. I appreciated the mention of other books and their favorite authors, especially at the beginning as I was familiar with nearly every author and thought that was a great way of expanding one’s reading list. I love the idea of a mother-daughter book club and wished I had done that with my mom when we were a little younger.”
I also talked to Jane Harper about her sixth novel, LAST ONE OUT, for which we featured the guide and our Bookreporter review in the last newsletter. The book is set in Carralon Ridge, a dying rural Australian mining town that has become a shadow of its former self due to an industrial mining operation. It follows Ro Crowley as she returns annually to investigate her son Sam's disappearance on the eve of his 21st birthday five years earlier.
This is Jane's first book with a female main character after five previous novels featuring male protagonists. She explains why Ro was the perfect character to tell this story. She also talks about the three houses near where Sam disappeared, which are almost characters themselves.
Jane took a three-year break between books to avoid burnout and spend time with her young children. She returned refreshed to write this novel.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. LAST ONE OUT will be a Bets On pick; don’t miss my commentary in the next newsletter.
There are two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies. Meet Mad Mabel. That’s the intriguing premise of Sally Hepworth’s new novel, MAD MABEL, an upcoming Bets On selection that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who has spent a lifetime being underestimated --- and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.
According to Bookreporter reviewer Pamela Kramer, “MAD MABEL is a magnificent novel. Usually, after reading a story that is engrossing, has unexpected twists, and really packs a punch at the end, writing the review is easy. I like to say about a great novel, ‘The review practically writes itself.’ So while I think this is a brilliant book and would be a fabulous book club read, the review is not writing itself. There are so many layers to Mabel's story that delicacy is required so as not to spoil the novel for those who haven't read it.” Click here for the guide and here for more of Pamela’s thoughts on the book.
I look forward to seeing Sally on Saturday afternoon for an author tea in Princeton, NJ. Please let me know if you will be attending!
In THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME, a stand-alone and companion novel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, legendary book woman Cussy Lovett returns home. Here, Kim Michele Richardson explores the effects of criminalization and incarceration on the poor and powerless, while tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds.
In her Bookreporter review, Megan Elliott calls the book “a carefully researched exploration of mid-century Appalachian life” and goes on to say, “Throughout the book, Richardson shines a light on marginalized communities fighting for dignity in a world that often wants to strip them of it. THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME is a tribute to the hold that some places have over us, even when they don’t always love us back.” Click here for the full review and here for the guide.
We also have added guides for these four books:
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GHOST TOWN: Tom Perrotta is back with his first novel since 2022’s TRACY FLICK CAN’T WIN. Narrated by a middle-aged writer who is looking back on a series of events that changed his life, the book reveals how the past haunts the present --- the way our ghosts are always with us, even when we think we’ve left them behind.
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KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN: I am a huge fan of Sadeqa Johnson, so it’s no surprise that her latest novel is a Bets On pick. The book explores how one woman’s vision will change the course of countless lives. If you missed my interview with Sadeqa earlier this year, be sure to watch or listen to it.
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HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH: Amateur sleuth Annie Adams solves present-day murder mysteries with the help of her great aunt Frances’ diary from the 1960s. This time, in Kristen Perrin's new novel, Annie dives into the glitzy and dangerous London art world as her own mother might be on the killer’s list.
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LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME: Tolani Akinola is a Reese’s Book Club LitUp Fellow. Her bighearted debut novel finds four siblings --- the children of Nigerian immigrants --- reuniting over a fateful Thanksgiving dinner after years apart. Each of their individual struggles coalesce into a mess of competing egos.
This is your last Reading Group Guides newsletter reminder to sign up for next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event, which will take place on Wednesday, May 13th at 2pm ET.
The focus will be on titles releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, along with a few from the first half of July, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those who join us live 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.
We currently are featuring internationally bestselling author Davis Bunn’s latest novel, THE SAPPHIRE SEA, in Bookreporter’s New Release Spotlight.
Colin Eames recalls his late mother’s tales of a faraway place called the Sapphire Sea, where happiness forever is a way of life. When Colin is accepted into the Outer Banks Academy for the Gifted, it's his chance to chart his own course and embark on a quest for the one thing that eludes him: love. As the years pass and Colin’s freedom offers dream opportunities, his yearning to make a connection grows stronger. Then he meets Mira, an empathetic girl weathering tragic losses of her own who supports each new step he takes. For Colin, maybe the promise of the Sapphire Sea wasn’t a bedtime story after all.
Click here to read more about THE SAPPHIRE SEA, a heart-stirring coming-of-age novel perfect for readers of Nicholas Sparks and Karen Kingsbury.
Our Bookreporter Summer Reading Contests are Back for a 22nd Year!
On select days through mid-August, we are hosting a series of 24-hour giveaways on Bookreporter and on each of the contest days awarding five readers a book that we think is a great summer read. You will have to check Bookreporter each day to see the featured Summer Reading 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.
Our first two contests will be up at noon ET on Tuesday, May 5th and Wednesday, May 6th. The prize books will be THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett (an upcoming Bets On selection) and THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP BY THE HARBOR by Jean Stone.
Books Mom Will Love…and Can Win!
THE CALAMITY CLUB also is a prize in our Mother's Day contest on Bookreporter. The others are HARBOR POINTE by Irene Hannon and LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller, along with the aforementioned THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB and THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME. Five readers will win all five of these titles for themselves or their mom. The deadline for your entries is Monday, May 11th at noon ET.
A while back, I heard from one of my favorite yoga teachers, Reena, who was hoping to schedule a book club meeting with Marjan Kamali about THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN. I helped to connect them. Two book groups that Reena belongs to had read the book and enjoyed it. She organized a meeting at her home with both groups (there were more than 25 women there), and she asked me to join them, surprising Marjan. What followed was a wonderful discussion. They were organized, and one member after another asked smart questions.
All of the women were of Indian descent, and after the conversation with Marjan, we moved on to a lovely buffet of potluck Indian cuisine. I wanted all of the recipes. They teased about my being the token white woman in the room; I loved getting to meet them all. Marjan is on deadline and has limited time for book club events, so this was very special. And I am happy to share that THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN is back on the USA Today bestseller list!
Enjoy YOUR next book group discussion!
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, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop/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: THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB
by Susan Patterson and James Patterson
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson (Fiction)
Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2am texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it’s just as well, after what happened at their last get-together. So it’s an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy’s Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, reminiscing fueled by “Como-politans,” and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club’s trademark “Night of Secrets.” These friends, and sometime rivals, are close readers --- of novels, memoirs, and each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Susan Patterson.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here for the enhanced guide, which includes
character descriptions, recipes, a reading challenge, and more.
New Guide: MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth (Domestic Thriller)
Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: 81 years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea --- or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying. Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller --- Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades. Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road; Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest. So Mabel does what she’s always done best --- she takes matters into her own hands.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for the discussion guide.
MAD MABEL will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in the next newsletter.
New Guide: THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME
by Kim Michele Richardson
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. A powerful testament of strength, survival and the magic of the printed word, THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME is wrapped into a vivid portrait of Kentucky life: examining incarceration and criminalization, exploring the effects on the poor and powerless, and tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds, along with nostalgic glimpses of a bustling, multifaceted Louisville, and heartwarming portraits of reading efforts in every facet of life.
- 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: GHOST TOWN by Tom Perrotta
GHOST TOWN by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
Jimmy Perrini lives in 1970s suburban New Jersey, a few miles from Manhattan, but a world apart. At the end of eighth grade, after tragedy strikes, Jimmy finds himself lost in a fog of grief that alienates him from friends and family, drifting instead into troubling friendships with two older teenagers. One is a notorious local burnout with a fast car, an endless supply of weed, and a shaky grasp of reality. The other is a smart, eccentric girl, to whom Jimmy finds himself drawn as they become entranced by her Ouija board, which just may offer the only salve to their grief. As a fateful public drama unfolds, Jimmy is torn between the occult beyond and the cold realities of the place he has called home.
- 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:
KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson (Historical Fiction)
Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American Officer, is living in Occupied Germany in the 1950s. After discovering a local orphanage filled with the abandoned mixed-race children of German women and Black American GIs, Ethel feels compelled to help find these children homes. Philadelphia-born Ozzie Phillips volunteers for the recently desegregated army in 1948. While serving in Manheim, Germany, he meets a local woman, Jelka, and the two embark on a relationship that will impact their lives forever. In 1965 Maryland, Sophia Clark is given an opportunity to attend a prestigious all-white boarding school and escape her heartless parents. While at the school, she discovers a secret that upends her world and sends her on a quest to unravel her own identity. KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN explores how one woman’s vision will change the course of countless lives.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Sadeqa Johnson.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH
by Kristen Perrin
HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH by Kristen Perrin (Mystery)
1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington --- a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest. Annie is no stranger to murder; after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way. As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New Guide: LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME
by Tolani Akinola
LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME by Tolani Akinola (Fiction)
Sola Longe is secretly back home in Chicago for the first time in a decade. She’s a newly single and recently disgraced influencer trying to quietly put her life back together again. The other three Longe siblings aren't doing much better. Anjola is in love with her best friend, who just got engaged to someone else; Karen, a college junior, is grappling with her sexuality and self-image; and Ola, the golden child with a baby of his own on the way, is questioning his marriage and how to raise a Black son in America. Sola’s unexpected return sets them on a crash course towards each other, and when the four siblings find themselves together again at their Nigerian immigrant parents' Thanksgiving table, a decade’s worth of secrets and a lifetime of resentments explode to the fore.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here for the discussion guide.
New April Releases of Interest to Book Groups
Here are a number of books releasing in April 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.
AMERICAN FANTASY by Emma Straub (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THIS TIME TOMORROW comes an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.
BERTIE’S THEORY OF ICE CREAM: A 44 Scotland Street Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction/Humor)
This latest installment in the lively and deliciously charming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland’s most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives.
CHASING THE CLOUDS AWAY by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes an uplifting story of an unforgettable chance encounter between a successful yet jaded businessman and a woman who sees --- but also expects --- the best in everyone.
IN THE SPIRIT OF FRENCH MURDER: An American in Paris Mystery by Colleen Cambridge (Historical Mystery)
After moving to France, Tabitha Knight has a new friend in fellow expat and Cordon Bleu student Julia Child, whose culinary tips can come in quite handy. But something’s cooking in postwar Paris, and it isn’t just cheese soufflé.
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.
MEET ME IN ITALY by Brenda Novak (Fiction)
A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start --- and reveals secrets never imagined --- in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.
MRS. BENEDICT ARNOLD by Emma Parry (Historical Fiction)
Emma Parry's debut novel is a riveting reimagining of the young woman who almost ended the American Revolution.
THE ORIGINAL by Priya Parmar (Historical Fiction)
This stunning novel plunges into the tumultuous life of screen icon Katharine Hepburn, a star whose fierce independence, passionate spirit and fluid sexuality shattered Hollywood’s rules and redefined what it meant to be a woman in film.
THE PATCHWORK PLAYERS: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini (Fiction)
The cast of a smash TV show arrives at a quilter’s retreat for a week of camaraderie and creativity that takes some surprising twists in this heartwarming new installment of Jennifer Chiaverini’s much-beloved Elm Creek Quilts series.
PORCUPINES by Fran Fabriczki (Fiction/Humor)
PORCUPINES is a fresh and witty debut about a young immigrant mother and her increasingly inquisitive daughter, who wakes up one day and decides to find out who her father is.
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.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 22nd Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! 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 mid-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.
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.
New Release Spotlight on Bookreporter.com:
THE SAPPHIRE SEA by Davis Bunn
THE SAPPHIRE SEA by Davis Bunn (Romance)
When it comes to the bittersweet memories of his late mother, Colin Eames is a relatable boy, recalling her tales of a faraway place called the Sapphire Sea where happiness forever is a way of life. Other than that, Colin is different. To Child Services, he's a prodigy to be nurtured. To his classmates, he’s an outsider. To his father, a man of political ambitions and unchecked rage, Colin is a trial, defying the narrowed path his father demands.
When Colin is accepted into the Outer Banks Academy for the Gifted, it's his chance to slip out from under his father’s control, to chart his own course, and to embark on a quest for the one thing that eludes him: love.
As the years pass and Colin’s freedom offers dream opportunities, his yearning to make a connection grows stronger. It’s a difficult longing for an awkward teenager for whom the simplest interactions are a mystery. Then he meets Mira, an empathetic girl weathering tragic losses of her own. She’s there for him, supporting each new step he takes. Even those with Tiana, a history student from Hawaii who ushers Colin into a new world of first kisses, belonging and trust --- far from the confusion and loneliness of his childhood days.
For Colin, maybe the promise of the Sapphire Sea wasn’t a bedtime story after all, but rather a true and genuine place in the heart --- one worth searching and waiting for.
Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight.
From left to right: Kathryn Stockett, Patricia Cornwell, Christina Baker Kline
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are 10 upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Tuesday, May 5th at 7pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Patricia Cornwell will be in conversation with broadcast journalist Lesley Stahl about her memoir, TRUE CRIME. In this deeply candid account of her life, Cornwell offers inspiring insight into what made her into the international sensation she is today.
Wednesday, May 6th at 1pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell for a live virtual discussion of her memoir, TRUE CRIME, as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Patricia will be in conversation with bestselling author James Patterson.
Wednesday, May 6th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Christina Baker Kline about her new novel, THE FOURSOME, a boldly original reimagining of the astonishing true story of two sisters in 19th-century North Carolina --- Kline’s own distant relatives --- who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.
Thursday, May 7th at 1pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz for a live virtual discussion of his new mystery, A DEADLY EPISODE, as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Anthony will be in conversation with the New York Times bestselling author of MURDER YOUR DARLINGS, Jenna Blum.
Monday, May 11th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny and award-winning journalist Mellissa Fung for a live virtual discussion of their thriller, THE LAST MANDARIN. Louise and Mellissa will be in conversation with a special guest.
Monday, May 11th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Ilona Bannister will talk about her incredibly original new novel, FIVE. Five lives. Five stories. Four will live, one will die. Who it will be? In this slow-burn masterpiece of psychological fiction, the choice is all yours.
Monday, May 11th at 8pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Laura Zigman as she discusses her new book, THE AUTHOR WEEKEND, with Mona Awad. The Devil Wears Prada meets “White Lotus” in a story of colliding egos and shocking betrayal, as intoxicatingly ice-cold as the pink Prosecco that flows all weekend.
Tuesday, May 12th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Lauren Oliver about her latest book, THE GIRL IN THE LAKE, a haunting novel of suspense in which a young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery.
Wednesday, May 13th at 2pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview Afternoon Event: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, along with a few from the first half of July, that we would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Wednesday, May 13th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Kathryn Stockett about her highly anticipated new book, THE CALAMITY CLUB, a bold, bighearted novel about a group of unbreakable women, fighting for what’s rightfully theirs --- and the power of friendship to change everything.
"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 are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Rachel Beanland (THE HALF LIFE)
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Lori Foster (THE LAKE HOUSE: A Firefly Summer Novel)
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Jenny Jackson (THE SHAMPOO EFFECT)
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John Searles (SINGLE GIRLS)
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Ruta Sepetys (A FORTUNE OF SAND)
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Kathryn Stockett (THE CALAMITY CLUB)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
GHOST TOWN by Tom Perrotta (Fiction)
From New York Times bestselling author Tom Perrotta comes a gripping and darkly nostalgic tale about a tumultuous summer in 1970s suburban New Jersey from the perspective of a middle-aged writer looking back on a series of events that changed his life.
GO GENTLE by Maria Semple (Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in.
HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH by Kristen Perrin (Mystery)
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest installment in the award-winning Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series.
INTO THE BLUE: A Love Story by Emma Brodie (Romance)
INTO THE BLUE is an epic, decades-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other.
KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson (Historical Fiction)
In this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE HOUSE OF EVE, one American woman’s vision in post-WWII Germany will tie together three people in an unexpected way.
LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper (Mystery/Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of EXILES and THE DRY comes a captivating novel set in a modern ghost town that explores what lingers after tragedy when a mother revisits her son's missing person case five years later.
LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME by Tolani Akinola (Fiction)
LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME is a poignant exploration of forgiveness, unconditional love and becoming who you want to be, asking the question: What do we owe to our families, and what do we owe to ourselves?
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.
MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR by Devi S. Laskar (Fiction)
Inspired by journalists Christiane Amanpour and Sylvia Poggioli, MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR is a novel about a reporter chasing the biggest story of her career as she contends with a tense newsroom, a dangerous global conflict, and all the problems she’s running away from at home.
THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson (Fiction)
Susan Patterson and James Patterson's follow-up to THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER revolves around the emotional reunion of the Mother-Daughter Book Club --- four longtime college friends and their five daughters --- which leads to surprising revelations.
MOTHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS by Corey Ann Haydu (Fiction)
An intimate and searing novel about mothers and daughters, and destiny and desire, MOTHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS takes a full-hearted look at those relationships in life that are as impossible as they are utterly essential.
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.
RUINS by Lily Brooks-Dalton (Fiction)
From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of THE LIGHT PIRATE comes a powerful, deeply resonant novel about an ambitious archaeologist in pursuit of a rare artifact from an ancient civilization that would change not only her life but potentially society at large.
UPWARD BOUND by Woody Brown (Fiction)
UPWARD BOUND is a wondrous, deeply affecting portrait of the interlocking lives at an adult day care center in Southern California, depicting an often overlooked community with extraordinary wit and grace.
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke (Psychological Thriller)
A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855. In this sensational debut novel, she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister.
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD by Emily Everett (Fiction)
ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD is a taut and lyrical coming-of-age debut about a young American woman navigating class, lies and love amid London’s jet-set elite.
THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone (Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON and THE EXPATS comes a pulse-pounding novel of class, privilege, sex and murder.
THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark (Psychological Thriller)
A ghostwriter is hired to write the last book for her estranged father, a famous horror novelist --- and finds herself investigating the brutal murders of his two siblings in the summer of 1975.
JAMES by Percival Everett (Historical Fiction)
Both harrowing and ferociously funny, JAMES is a brilliant, action-packed reimagining of ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.
MATRIARCH: A Memoir by Tina Knowles (Memoir)
MATRIARCH is a revealing personal life story like no other --- enlightening, entertaining, surprising, empowering --- and a testament to the world-making power of Black motherhood.
THE NAMES by Florence Knapp (Fiction)
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Florence Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, in an extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
SALTWATER by Katy Hays (Psychological Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE CLOISTERS comes an electrifying thriller about an opulent family retreat to Italy that is shattered by the resurfacing of a decades-old crime.
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