May 2020

This week, we welcome Lian Dolan, Author of The Sweeney Sisters, to the podcast! Lian and her editor, William Morrow Executive Editor Rachel Kahan, chat about the book, capturing family relationships in fiction, and what it's like for Lian to work with her own sisters on her podcast, The Satellite Sisters.

More about The Sweeney Sisters:
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

Listen to the episode below:

Listen to Lian's podcast here.

We mention Lian's Instagram takeover—watch a reply on our feed here.

The Sweeney Sisters is available now. 

Thank you Rachel and Lian for a wonderful conversation!

-Lainey

This week, we wish Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, authors of What Makes a Marriage Last, a very Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary! They celebrated on Ellen. Watch the clip below:

Their new book, What Makes a Marriage Last, is a compelling and intimate collection of intriguing conversations with famous couples about their enduring marriages and how they have made them last through the challenges we all share.

What makes a marriage last? Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? To unlock this mystery, iconic couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with forty celebrated couples whose long marriages they’ve admired—from award-winning actors, athletes, and newsmakers to writers, comedians, musicians, and a former U.S. president and First Lady. Through these conversations, Marlo and Phil also revealed the rich journey of their own marriage.

Check out these amazing reviews for the book:

“Delightful and instructive…Love and understanding shine through in this inspiring collection.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“Warmhearted testimony to enduring relationships…The authors’ disarming ebullience makes them endearing interviewers.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“An intimate and surprising look at what keeps couples together.”
—AARP

Get a copy of What Makes a Marriage Last now!
Happy Anniversary, Marlo and Phil!

-Lainey

Author Emily Gray Tedrowe came on the podcast this week to talk about her new novel, The Talented Miss Farwell. We always love hearing about exciting new reads, but this conversation was truly unique because Emily was interviewed by her father! Her dad, Alan Gray, is the Director of the Darien Library in Connecticut. This is one of our favorite episodes we have recorded yet. Not only did we hear all about Emily's new book, but we got to hear them talk about working in the library, growing up surrounded by books, and much more—making it feel like we are overhearing a conversation at the family dinner table. This is a must-listen episode. 

More about The Talented Miss Farwell:
At the end of the 1990s, with the art market finally recovered from its disastrous collapse, Miss Rebecca Farwell has made a killing at Christie’s in New York City, selling a portion of her extraordinary art collection for a rumored 900 percent profit. To some, the elusive Miss Farwell is a shark with outstanding business acumen. To others, she’s a heartless capitalist whose only interest in art is how much she can make.

But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely—a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family’s farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town’s treasurer and controller.

But as Reba Farwell’s deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell’s debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?

Listen to the podcast episode here:

The Talented Miss Farwell will be available on September 29, 2020. You can read the egalley now:

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A big thank you to both Emily and Alan for giving us their time and congratulations to Emily on The Talented Miss Farwell!

-Lainey

Check out what's coming up on Door to Door! Watch live at: www.facebook.com/librarylovefest

Click here to receive reminders for Tuesday, May 19th's episode with special guest Kate Mulgrew, New York Times bestselling author.

Click here to receive reminders for Thursday, May 21st's episode with special guests Juliet Grames, author of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna and Laura Zigman, author of Separation Anxiety.

Follow us on Facebook to receive notification every time we're live. If you don't use Facebook, not to worry! Each Door to Door episode will be available on our Youtube channel immediately following the Facebook Live broadcast! 

-Chris

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert have been selected for the June LibraryReads List!

Additionally, Susan Elizabeth Phillips officially joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with her latest novel Dance Away With Me! 

Want to know how the authors reacted to being selected for the June LibraryReads List? Click below to listen to their reactions!

Click here to see the full list.

***

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty: The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

"Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination."
—Library Journal review

"No series since George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most."
—Paste Magazine

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley: A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.

"Only a handful of thriller writers can accomplish what Foley does here: weave a complex plot from the perspectives of eight characters plus an omniscient narrator without causing confusion or reader exhaustion when the plot bounces from one person to the next. Fans of Christie, Louise Penny, and Ruth Rendell will absolutely love this book…."
—Library Journal review

"I didn’t think Lucy Foley could top The Hunting Party, but she did! I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a classic Christie."
—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient

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Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert:
Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.

"Hibbert continues her wickedly funny romantic comedy series, The Brown Sisters, by following Get a Life, Chloe Brown with a magical friends-to-lovers tale…. Hibbert is a rising star, and this tale will appeal to all contemporary romance fans, including those who enjoy British romantic comedies."
                             —Booklist  review

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Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart, and the healing power of love.

"In this superbly written stand-alone, this master storyteller's flair for highly imaginative plots and flawless characterization are on full display, resulting an emotionally enriching, breathtakingly brilliant tale of heartbreak and hope."
—Booklist review

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***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the June LibraryReads list!
Be sure to submit your votes for the July LibraryReads list by June 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

Big news, everyone. The HBO TV adaptation of Wally Lamb's beloved New York Times bestselling novel I Know This Much Is True will premier this Sunday, May 10th, at 9pm ET. Check out the trailer below and find out more about the TV series here. 

I Know This Much Is True follows Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, who finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of violence. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece.   

Just check out some of the praise Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True has garnered: 

"Thoughtful…heart-wrenching…An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It’s hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget."
—USA Today

"A gratifying saga of loss and redemption."
—People

"Never grapples with anything less than life’s biggest questions…. Lamb clearly aims to be a modern-day Dostoevsky with a pop sensibility."
—New York Times Book Review

"A fully developed and triumphantly resolved exploration of one man’s suffering and redemption."
—Publishers Weekly starred review

Get your copy of I Know This Much Is True here.

-Chris

Tuesday, May 12th at 2pm ET with Authors Liv Constantine, Sonali Dev, and Kimberly McCreight: Click here to sign up for the official Facebook event and receive reminders!

Thursday, May 14th at 2pm ET with Author Karin Slaughter: Click here to sign up for the official Facebook event and receive reminders!

On this week's podcast episode we feature a conversation between Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty, and Hilary Swanson, Senior Editor at HarperOne. 

Sitting Pretty is a memoir-in-essays from Rebekah Taussig, disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty, reflecting on identity, accessibility, and representation and processing a lifetime of memories to paint a more beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.

This book offers an honest look at disability and its effects on identity, love, money, and self-worth. Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and the false idea of “ableism.”

A timely reminder to look beyond ourselves and our singular experiences, Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.

Listen to the episode here:

Check out Rebekah's Instagram account @sitting_pretty and find out more about her work on her website.

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Thank you to both Rebekah and Hilary for offering a glimpse into this great author-editor relationship.

-Lainey

We are so proud to share that Ann Patchett is a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for The Dutch House! 

The Pulitzer Prize committee calls the book: "A masterful and beautifully rendered allegory of the destructive force of social ambition on several generations of a Pennsylvania family."

Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, praised The Dutch House: "Patchett’s splendid novel is a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of obsession and forgiveness, what people acquire, keep, lose or give away, and what they leave behind."

Find out more about the The Dutch House and the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction here.

Click here to get your copy of The Dutch House.

Congratulations, Ann!

-LLF

Hello, librarians!

We hope you are hanging in okay as we head into these warmer months.  Below, you'll find our staff suggestions for the July LibraryReads list. These July publications all have something special, so whether it's historical fiction, memoir, thriller, romance, or beyond, you'll find something to love. We can't wait to hear what you think.

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)

Remember, votes for the July LibraryReads list are due June 1st!

***

The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama
For fans of: Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok and
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See 
From the New York Times bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden comes a gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i's sugar plantations.

"Writing with supple and entrancing grace, Tsukiyama has each of her caring, charismatic characters share their memories and heartaches…. Tsukiyama also evokes the wild, opulent beauty of the island, the harsh lives of migrant workers, racist and domestic violence, mystical connections, the repercussions of a love triangle, and the tolls of age…. Tsukiyama’s dramatic yet discerningly congenial novel confronts the precariousness of existence and celebrates the healing power of generosity and love." 
—Booklist review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
For fans of: How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones and Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels
A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy.

Exploring personal trauma, memory, and closure, Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize–winner Trethewey returns to the site of her mother’s murder….  Through spare prose and vivid imagery, the author presents a narrative of a trauma survivor’s need to remember a past that, for 30 years, lapsed into the mind’s shadows. A moving, heartbreaking memoir about a traumatic event and the path to healing."
—Library Journal review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees
For fans of: Transcription by Kate Atkinson and
Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson
A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany that will appeal to fans of Kate Quinn's The Huntress.

"In her first book for adults, YA author Rees provides the perfect tale for readers seeking a Cold War novel starring a female protagonist and an espionage element that is devoid of the female objectification found in the Bond novels and the like."
—Booklist  

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs
Also from the author: Between You and Me, The Oysterville Sewing Circle, and Map of the Heart
In this thought-provoking, wise, and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"

"A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now. Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life. Lovely!"
—Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
For fans of: The Book of M by Peng Shepherd and LaRose by Louise Erdrich
A bold and brilliant new indigenous voice in contemporary literature makes her American debut with this kinetic, imaginative, and sensuous fable inspired by the traditional Canadian Métis legend of the Rogarou—a werewolf-like creature that haunts the roads and woods of native people’s communities.

"Empire of Wild is doing everything I love in a contemporary novel and more. It is tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive—all the while telling a story that needs to be told by a person who needs to be telling it."
—Tommy Orange, author of There There

"Deftly-written, gripping and informative. Empire of Wild is a rip-roaring read!"
—Margaret Atwood

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Also from the author: Growing Things and Other Stories and Disappearance at Devil's Rock
A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and 
A Head Full of Ghosts.

"Tremblay has earned worldwide acclaim because he is able to seamlessly combine reality with speculative elements, and his newest may be his most prescient yet…. Gorgeously written about terrible things, the relatively short Survivor Song is a good choice for fans of pandemic epics…and novels that probe themes of friendship, family, and social commentary amidst chillingly realistic horror."
—Booklist review

"A cinematic scope, scenarios grounded in the real world, and a breathless pace make this thriller one of the must-read titles of the summer. A prescient, insidious horror novel that takes sheer terror to a whole new level."
—Kirkus Reviews review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

You Again by Debra Jo Immergut
For fans of: Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott and Sunburn by Laura Lippman
From the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Captives, a taut, twisting work of suspense about a woman haunted by her younger self.

"With mesmerizing deftness, You Again brilliantly reimagines a woman’s search for her lost ambition as a psychological thriller. This book takes the questions of middle age—What happens to an artist’s creative force when she becomes a mother with a day job? Can we recover lost time and neglected passion? Is idealism the purview of the young?—and turns them inside out. An extraordinary book."
—Heather Abel, author of The Optimistic Decade

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper
Also from the author: Learning to See and The Other Alcott
Acclaimed author Elise Hooper explores the gripping, real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany.

"For fans of Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat (2015), historical fiction about real people, and stories about little-known female heroes breaking through barriers."
—Booklist review

"Fast Girls is a high-speed romp as ambitious and heart-pounding as its trio of track-star heroines…. A gold medal read from Elise Hooper!"
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and
The Huntress

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Mother Land by Leah Franqui
For fans of: Family Trust by Kathy Wang and A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
From the critically acclaimed author of America for Beginners, a wonderfully insightful, witty, and heart-piercing novel, set in Mumbai, about an impulsive American woman, her headstrong Indian mother-in-law, and the unexpected twists and turns of life that bond them.

"Lively and evocative, Mother Land is a deftly crafted exploration of identity and culture, with memorable and deeply human characters who highlight how that which makes us different can ultimately unite us."
—Amy Meyerson, author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid
For fans of: The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr and A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
In this twisty, compelling thriller, a young woman quickly embarks on what she thinks is the relationship and love of a lifetime, and she’s thrilled when her new husband insists they follow one rule: they don’t talk about the past, but it’s a rule that has dangerous consequences.

"…[The Truth Hurts] is a sly, slow-burn thriller that builds tension higher through each subtle scene. Reid teases the reader with each subversive reveal, placing the truth on the table in the last explosive pages."
—Booklist

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh
Also from the author: My Fake Rake and Dare to Love a Duke
In the second book in Eva Leigh's new 80s movie-inspired Union of the Rake's series, an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means and she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke.

"Eva Leigh is one of my favorite authors. Her books are pure romantic delight."
—Tessa Dare, New York Times bestselling author of
The Wallflower Wager

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

The Nesting Dolls by Alina Adams
For fans of: The Guest Book by Sarah Blake
Spanning nearly a century, from 1930s Siberia to contemporary Brighton Beach, a page-turning, epic family saga centering on three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family—each striving to break free of fate and history, each yearning for love and personal fulfillment—and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time.

"The Nesting Dolls is a vividly rendered, sweeping historical novel…. I absolutely devoured this compulsively readable gem of a novel."
—Jillan Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Letter and In Another Time

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Unspeakable Acts edited by Sarah Weinman
For fans of: The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
A brilliant anthology of modern true-crime writing that illustrates the appeal of this powerful and popular genre, edited and curated by Sarah Weinman, the award-winning author of The Real Lolita.

"This enthralling volume insists that there can and should be humanity within true crime. Whether readers are spellbound or disgusted by the genre, this is a must."
                            —Library Journal review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2020

Listen to our podcast episode featuring a conversation between Sarah Weinman and LLF's Lainey Mays!

The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio
For fans of: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum and The Leavers by Lisa Ko
A bighearted debut novel following an undocumented Filipino teenager as he redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home.

A Dangerous Breed by Glen Erik Hamilton
Also from the author: Mercy River, Every Day Above Ground, and Hard Cold Winter

Yes, I Can Say That by Judy Gold
For fans of: Next Level Basic by Stassi Schroeder
From award-winning comedian Judy Gold, an equal-parts thoughtful and hilarious polemic on the current efforts to censor comedians, arguing that they undermine the art—and purpose—of comedy itself.

Check out what's coming up this week on Door to Door! Watch live at: www.facebook.com/librarylovefest

Click here to receive reminders for Tuesday, May 5th's episode with special guest Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of My Life as a Villainess.

Click here to receive reminders for Thursday, May 7th's episode with special guests Ivy Pochoda, author of These Women and Elisabeth Thomas, author of Catherine House.

Follow us on Facebook to receive notification every time we're live. If you don't use Facebook, not to worry! Each Door to Door episode will be available on our Youtube channel immediately following the Facebook Live broadcast! 

-Chris