The Bookshop at the End of the Internet

Author Becky Dean discusses her new young adult contemporary romantic comedy, Hearts Overboard. Set on a cruise ship bound for Alaska, this novel follows Savannah Moore, who is still reeling from a public breakup with her boyfriend and being nicknamed “Moore the Bore.” In an effort to heal her heart and her reputation, Savannah vows to do one new thing each day. Stepping out of her comfort zone is far from easy, and it’s made all the more challenging because her long-time nemesis, Tanner Woods, is also on the ship. Tanner offers to help her with her plan to try new things, and, as it turns out, she may not dislike him as much as she thought.

Author Steven Joseph discusses his new Snoodles series for young readers. Book One (Snoodles in Space: A Snoodle, The Zoodle Kidoodles, and One Happy Schmoodle) and Book Two (Snoodles in Space: The Zoodles Strike Back) are available now. Though the Snoodles series is for young readers, Steven has also written books for adults that focus on what he describes as the power of crankiness. In his CrankaTsuris books for adults, Steven encourages readers to embrace their crankiness through stories derived from his work as a lawyer and his life in general.

Author Marcia Menter discusses her new book, That Voice: In Search of Ann Drummond-Grant, the Singer Who Shaped My Life. Part biography and part memoir, the book details the life of Scottish contralto, Ann Drummond-Grant (known as Drummie) who died during the prime of her career in 1959. Drummie sang lead roles for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, a famous Gilbert and Sullivan troupe that toured Great Britain for over a hundred years. Years after Drummie’s death, Marcia was a young teen in upstate New York when she discovered Drummie’s legendary singing voice. That discovery impacted Marcia so profoundly that she spent years learning (or as she puts it, failing to learn) how to sing. 

Author Ben Gonshor discusses his new novel, The Book of Izzy, in which a man named Izzy finds himself at a dead end in his career, his romance, and his life in general. But Izzy has the opportunity to play the main character in The Dybbuk, a play that is considered Yiddish theater’s Romeo and Juliet, and the novel follows Izzy’s journey from going off his meds, to experiencing the world of amateur dramatics, to ultimately discovering the impact that Yiddish theater has on his identity and his search for meaning in his life.

Author Raymond Paul Johnson discusses his debut novel, Conspiracy Ignited. Ray’s main character is a former CIA combat pilot-turned-California litigator named Eric Ridge. As the book opens, an attempt is made on Ridge’s life, which sets off a twisty, suspense-filled game of cat and mouse that ultimately leads to his discovery of a powerful cabal vying for control of the US legal system. This fast-paced thriller also touches on the civil trial lawyers, CIA operatives, the world of aviation, and the post-combat experiences of military veterans. 

Author Brian J. Morra discusses the first two books in his new series: The Able Archers and The Righteous Arrows. The series is a work of historical fiction based on certain real-life events during the late Cold War period of the 1980’s. The protagonist, CIA officer Kevin Cattani, is inspired by Brian’s own experiences as a U.S. intelligence officer during that period, and Cattani’s Soviet counterpart, Ivan Levchenko, is a composite of various KGB and GRU officers who Brian knew in the 80’s. Written as a thriller, the series navigates one of the most dangerous periods in human history.

Author Don Silver discusses his latest coming-of-age thriller, Scorched. In the novel, Jonas Shore had a difficult home life as a teenager in the 1970s. After his father’s unexpected death when he was just fifteen, Jonas began selling drugs in order to help support himself and his mother. After he was arrested, he was sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys where he was involved in a violent altercation that had deadly consequences. Twenty years later, Jonas’s childhood actions come back to haunt him, and he is forced to deal with his complicated past.

Author Paul Lamb discusses his latest novel, Parent Imperfect. Once again, family takes center stage in this sequel to Paul’s debut novel, One-Match Fire. Parent Imperfect is a story about fatherhood—its highs and lows, joys and sorrows. Two fathers, Curt and Kelly, are trying to raise their adopted son, Clarkson. Curt is a reluctant father. Kelly, on the other hand, has always wanted a child but is plagued by his own demons. And Clarkson grows up understanding that one of his fathers is absent even when he is present, while the other is absent because his condition prevents him from being present. Parent Imperfect takes a look at adoption, the nontraditional family, and the relationship between fathers and sons.

Author Liz Alterman discusses her new domestic suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood. In this idyllic suburban town, a little boy goes missing, and the event shakes the very foundation of the town where everyone assumed they were safe. The novel is told from multiple points of view, including the mother of the missing boy, the boy’s teenage babysitter, and a former actress who resists assimilating. All of these characters are on the outside of what is perceived to be the neighborhood’s inner circle. But as they—and Liz’s readers—will find out, no one’s life is as perfect as it seems.

Author Lane Igoudin discusses his new memoir, A Family, Maybe: Two Dads, Two Babies and the Court Cases that Brought Us Together. In this book, Lane details the challenges—legal, political, and personal—that he and his partner Jonathan faced in the early 2000s while trying to adopt their two foster children through the Los Angeles County child welfare system. The process took three years and was fraught with much stress, numerous court delays, and plenty of heartache. A Family, Maybe is a story about building a family and discovering what it means to be a father. But ultimately, it is a story about love.