Bookreporter Talks To

Bookreporter is celebrating its 25th anniversary! We invited ten of our longtime reviewers to share their favorite books of 2021. Our reviewers hail from across the country. They are the heart and soul of Bookreporter, and we were excited to bring this event back for them. Below is a list of the titles they spoke at length about, and you'll notice extras mentioned in the video!

02:15 - Harvey Freedenberg
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

12:02 - Eileen Zimmerman Nicol
Talk to Me by T.C. Boyle
Brothers on Three by Abe Streep
Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver

22:57 - Ray Palen
The Kaiser's Web by Steve Berry
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Bloodless by Preston & Child

34:04 - Sarah Rachel Egelman
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
Fight Night by Miriam Toews

45:20 - Pauline Finch
Queens of the Crusades by Alison Weir
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield
What Just Happened by Charles Finch

53:31 - Bronwyn Miller
The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson

1:01:24 - Norah Piehl
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

1:10:32 - Stuart Shiffman
The Trees by Percival Everett
Our Team by Luke Epplin
Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris

1:23:56 - Megan Elliott
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Just Thieves by Gregory Galloway

1:31:58 - Rebecca Munro
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Blush by Jamie Brenner
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

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Karen White joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about The Attic on Queen Street, a New York Times bestseller and the final book in her Tradd Street series.

She talks about how she needed to give her characters a good wrap up, and how she wove little clues into this book that will tie to the next series, which will be set in New Orleans. That first book, The Shop on Royal Street, will be out on March 29th.

Karen talks about her love for Charleston as a setting. She discusses her upcoming book written with Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig, called The Lost Summers of Newport, and how writing during a pandemic impacted their usual writing style. She looks at what social media means for her – both as a connection with her readers and as a huge time commitment.

Check out our conversation with Karen White in 2019:
https://youtu.be/s4CifEoR92I

Book Discussed in This Episode:

The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-attic-on-queen-street

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM
Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

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Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Jim DeFede, author of The Day the World Came to Town, the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical, Come From Away, was our November "Bookaccino Live" Book Group guest.

The Day the World Came to Town tells a true story of untold events from September 11th. When United States airspace closed, 38 jetliners were forced to land in Gander, a small town in Newfoundland. Residents of Gander welcomed “the plane people” warmly, even as the population of the town swelled to nearly twice its size. The visitors were met with grace and helpfulness, in an example of the best side of human nature. Carol Fitzgerald, who hosts this discussion, confesses that for years she could not talk about this book without getting emotional.

With this opportunity for a live book group discussion, Jim DeFede dove deep into his 20-year-old book, including how he came to write it. He shares his thoughts on Come From Away, the hit Broadway musical. If you haven't read The Day the World Came to Town or seen the Broadway musical, Come From Away, know that there's plenty to learn here to inspire you to want to read it and discuss it with your group.

Book Discussed in This Episode:

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM
Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Alison Gaylin joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, The Collective, which looks at a collision of grief, obsession, and rage amongst a group of women who have lost their children at the hands of murderers.

Camille, who tragically lost her daughter, is approached by a woman who says, “I know who you are. I know how you feel.” From there, she senses a kinship with the people in The Collective. Camille tries to decide if the woman of The Collective are truly avenging angels or monsters.

Alison shares how she researched this dark topic, including her view on the dark web. She talks about ramping up the tension, confessing to scaring herself a few times as she wrote. They also talk about monsters, both real and imagined. The ending is one that Carol did not see coming. Did Alison?

Book Discussed in This Episode:

The Collective by Alison Gaylin
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-collective-by-alison-gaylin

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM
Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Nicole Baart joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, Everything We Didn't Say, which is the #1 Book of the Month Club selection for October and a Bookreporter Bets On pick.

Everything We Didn't Say is set in small town in Iowa and is told in dual time periods. The earlier time period follows siblings Juniper and Jonathan, who grow up on a small farm. Juniper leaves when she's 19, shortly after a neighboring farm couple are murdered. For years, Jonathan has been a prime suspect. Now Juniper is back to defend him, and a true-crime podcaster is hot on the trail of the unsolved mystery. The story is a slow burn that gets more and more intense as the pages flip, and Carol talks about how she did not see the ending coming.

Nicole loves true-crime podcasts and talks about their influence on her. She shares what attracts her to writing about small towns, as well as her inspiration for the story. She talks about her nonprofit organization, One Body One Hope, its mission, and how it impacted her life. And we get to hear a little about what she's working on next.

Book Discussed in This Episode:

Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/everything-we-didnt-say

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
Smile: The Story of a Face: https://youtu.be/n9JnKtcWr0k
The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Wade Rouse joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about The Secret of Snow, his latest novel written under his pen name, Viola Shipman.

Set in Northern Michigan, it’s the story of a Palm Springs meteorologist who heads back to her frigid hometown after she is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate its contract. Now she has to confront her past --- and try to move forward in the town she ran from years ago.

Wade talks about how deeply personal this book was for him. They discuss Ginger Zee, the history of snowmen, winter sports, and Wade’s snowbird life in Palm Springs. He also talks about what’s next for him in fiction writing as Viola Shipman -- The Edge of Summer coming July 2022 -- and in nonfiction with a new memoir, Magic Season: A Son's Story, coming in May 2022.

Book discussed in this episode:
The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-secret-of-snow

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ
Maid: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
Smile: The Story of a Face: https://youtu.be/n9JnKtcWr0k

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here:
http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Sarah Ruhl is a playwright, essayist, and poet, as well as a two time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee. Sarah joins Carol Fitzgerald and Austin Ruh to discuss her memoir, Smile: The Story of a Face.

Smile is the story of Sarah Ruhl's decade long journey with Bell's palsy, as well as her experiences as a mother and artist. After surviving a high-risk pregnancy, half of her face is left paralyzed. She's told that most patients recover within a few days, but Sarah's face doesn't go back to normal. Her life is roses to the public, with a play going up on Broadway and her family growing, but she struggles with happiness, both in what others can see on her face and what she reflects on internally.

Sarah talks to Carol and Austin about how people feel emotion, and especially in how external expressions have the power to control our own feelings. She discusses beauty, symmetry, and expression. Then about her writing, how her story grew into a memoir, how certain writing projects are handled differently, and a bit about what she's working on next.

Book discussed in this episode:

Smile: The Story of a Face by Sarah Ruhl https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/smile-the-story-of-a-face

More Bookreporter Talks To:
The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk
Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ
Maid: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Stephanie Land is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, which is now a successful Netflix series. Carol Fitzgerald had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie in two pre-publication interviews in 2019, when Maid was selected as a Bookreporter Bets On Selection.

Netflix recently released a brilliant 10-part series called Maid with Margaret Qualley based on the book, which is back on the bestseller list.

Before the book, Stephanie Land wrote a piece on Vox that went viral, and that led literary agents to ask for book on the topic. She discusses her meetings with the producers and writers of the Netflix show, where she shared both memories and photos, and she talks about scenes that still resonate with her.

Stephanie and Carol talk about elements that enhanced the show that weren't in the book. They catch up on where she is now in life and what she's writing next.

Books discussed in this episode:
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/maid-hard-work-low-pay-and-a-mothers-will-to-survive
Watch the Netflix show: https://www.netflix.com/title/81166770

More Bookreporter Talks To:
You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64
The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk
Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Lisa Unger joins Carol to talk about her new novel, Last Girl Ghosted, which is her 19th book.

Last Girl Ghosted begins with a story many young people in the dating scene may be familiar with. A young woman meets the “perfect guy” on a dating app. They go on a date, then another, and she falls head over heels for him. But then he disappears, and she's left ghosted. It's as if he never existed at all, no social media or working phone. That’s what happens to Wren, but soon she finds she is not the only woman this guy ghosted. There’s something else going on --- all of the other women who dated him have gone missing.

Lisa talks to Carol about the ways apps have changed dating life, and what that means for those entering the dating world. She also talks about how she developed this story and its characters, as well as what she has on tap next, even as she does this tour.

Books discussed in this episode:

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/last-girl-ghosted

More Bookreporter Talks To:
In Every Mirror She's Black: https://youtu.be/QwMDl_RZ4LA
You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64
The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Lisa Jewell, the New York Times bestselling author, talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her newest thriller, The Night She Disappeared, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection.

As The Night She Disappeared opens, a young, suburban couple has been missing for a year. A mystery writer moves in near the estate where the disappearance took place and, on a walk one day, she comes across a note that reads, "Dig Here." From that one clue, the unsolved case gets opened up again.

Lisa talks about her inspiration, where her writing of the story started, and how she unfolded the story from there. Lisa also shares how her looming deadline during the pandemic upended her writing routine. She shares a bit about her next book, which will be a sequel!

Books discussed in this episode:

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-night-she-disappeared-by-lisa-jewell/about

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Clark and Division: https://youtu.be/K_FH3j4ctcU
In Every Mirror She's Black: https://youtu.be/QwMDl_RZ4LA
You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald