Summer Reading Preview at Park Road Books / full list of books w/summaries,

Last month (on May 9, 2022), Sally Brewster, owner of Park Road Books, curated a list of must-reads for the new Summer season.

Here are 19 titles to get you through summer and beyond!

 

 

Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown  (7/22, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $27.00, HC). Three sets of parents find themselves intertwined after adopting four biological siblings, having committed to keeping the children as connected as possible. / Women’s Fiction

 

Bartender’s Cure: A Novel by Wesley Stratton (6/22, Flatiron Books, $27.99, HC). Samantha is a bartender, at the perfect neighborhood bar. A debut novel, filled with cocktail recipes and bartending tips and tricks. / Debut Fiction, Women’s Fiction

 

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (5/22, Hyperion, $15.99 TP). Isabel is an overworked/underpaid assistant book editor. When she volunteers to work with a high-profile author, she finds not only a possible promotion, but love. / Romantic Comedy; BIPoC Fiction

 

Child: A Memoir by Judy Goldman (5/22, U. of SC Press, $19.99, TP). The story of Judy’s relationship with Mattie Culp, the Black woman who worked for her family as a live-in maid and helped raise her. It is also the story of Mattie’s child, who was left behind to be raised by someone else. / Memoir, African-American History

 

I Wish for You by David Wax (4/22, Roaring Brook Press, $18.99 HC). From courageous lions and wise owls to playful dolphins and wolves finding their voices, this lushly illustrated book explores the values we can draw from the wondrous and inspiring natural world around us. / Picture Book; New Baby; Animal Picture Books

 

Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda (7/22, Scribner, $27.99 HC). This book opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass—will its dark secrets finally be revealed? / Thriller; Suspense

 

Lessons in Chemistry (4/22, Doubleday $29.00 HC). In 1960s California, Elizabeth Zott is a one-of-a-kind scientist. But her career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. / Feminist Fiction; Humor

 

Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh (3/22, Pamela Dorman,  $28.00 HC). Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby. But almost everything she’s told them about herself, even her name, is a lie.When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was…/ Women’s Fiction; Suspense/Thriller

 

Love Marriage: A Novel by Monica Ali (5/22, Scribner, $27.99 HC). 26-year old med student Yasmin Ghorami is engaged to Joe Sangster, whose mother is a famous feminist. And as the wedding draws near, misunderstandings, infidelities, and long-held secrets upend both Yasmin’s relationship and that of her parents, a “love marriage,” according to the family lore that Yasmin has believed all her life. / Fiction; Cultural Heritage; Family Life

 

Marrying the Ketchups: A Novel by Jennifer Close (4/22, Knopf, $28.00 HC). A comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicago restaurant family and the deep-fried, beer-battered, cream cheese-frosted love that feeds them all. / Family Life; Fiction

 

Portrait of a Thief: A Novel by Grace D. Li (4/22, Tiny Reparations Books, $26.00 HC). Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, this heist novel is inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity./ Crime; Asian-American Fiction; Mystery

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel by Shelby Van Pelt (5/22, Ecco, $27.99 HC). A widow takes a night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. There, she becomes acquainted with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova./ Literary Fiction; Animals

 

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels & Crooks by Patrick Radan Keefe (6/22, Doubleday $30.00 HC). Twelve works of literary journalism. Subjects include: the intricacies of forging $150,000 vintage wines, exploring Vietnam with Anthony Bourdain, bringing down a black market arms merchant. / True Crime / Biography & Autobiography

 

Skinship: Stories (4/22 Vintage $17.00 TP). This debut collection centers on a constellation of Korean-American families. Through an array of lives, Choi explores where first and second generations either clash or find common ground, where meaning falls in the cracks between languages, where relationships bend under the weight of tenderness and disappointment, where displacement turns to heartbreak. / Asian-American Fiction; Family Life; Short Stories

 

This Time Tomorrow: A Novel by Emma Straub (5/22, Riverhead, $28.00 HC). On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush, it’s her dad: the vital, charming, 40-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. / Family Life; Science Fiction

 

 

Trust by Hernan Diaz (5/22, Riverhead, $28.00 HC). In the 1920s, Wall Street tycoon Benjamin Rask and his wife, Helen, had a life of seemingly endless wealth and extravagance. But at what cost did they acquire their immense fortune? This is the mystery at the center of Bonds, a successful 1937 novel. Yet there are other versions of this tale of privilege and deceit. A novel within a novel. / Historical Fiction

 

Unlikely Animals: A Novel by Anne Harnett (4/22, Ballantine, $28.00HC). A medical school dropout comes back to her NH hometown to care for her father, who is dying from a mysterious brain disease. He’s also having visions of ghosts and small animals. Set against the backdrop of a town in the throes of an opioid crisis. / Family Life; Literary; Humorous

 

Upgrade: A Novel by Blake Crouch $28.00 (7/22, Ballantine, HC). Logan Ramsay feels a little… sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking, memorizing…Logan’s genome has been hacked./ Sci-Fi Thriller

 

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (5/22, Doubleday $28.00 HC). A fantasy novel, set in 1950s America. Thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into dragons, exploding notions of a woman’s place in the world and expanding minds about accepting others for who they really are. / Coming of Age; Fantasy; Feminist Fiction



 Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC, is the partnered bookstore for WNBA-Charlotte Chapter. We are thrilled to have this seasonal Reading Preview event with them. For self-published authors, one of the benefits of being a WNBA-Charlotte Chapter member is waived shelving fees at PRB.  

JOIN OR RENEW WITH THE WNBA-CHARLOTTE  a volunteer association dedicated to books and the people who work with and love them, WNBA-Charlotte is focused on helping the Queen City’s literary community thrive. Please join us again for the 2022-23 year

Benefits include:

  • Free stocking for self published authors at Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC

  • Access to our national book club (monthly meetings on Facebook)–a great way to share and discuss books with fellow book lovers.

  • Listing in blogrolls on WNBA websites, locally and nationally.

  • Discounts on fellow members’ editing, marketing, and publicity services.

  • Writing and publicity opportunities in The Bookwoman, WNBA national newsletter.

  • Members-only access to the WNBA national website and opportunities to network with members in all chapters.

*Remember, as a chapter member, self-published authors are waived their shelving fees at Park Road Books. One of our members member benefits,  special discounts for current WNBA-Charlotte members. Go to their PRB Consignment Program page section and learn more.

Join us on May 9th at Park Road Books

The WNBA-Charlotte Chapter and Park Road Books

invites everyone to our

Great Spring/Summer Reads Preview

Monday, May 9th / 6:30-8:00pm
at
Park Road Books, 4139 Park Rd., Charlotte

 

After two years, this annual In-Person event is back! Join us as PRB Owner Sally Brewster shares her list of reads for the seasons, created just for us!

Enjoy some wine & cheese and great book conversation, and leave with curated list of choice titles. Open to all!

 

@parkroadbooks  @wnba_charlotte 

 

Yasmin Angoe with Nicole Ayers: Deconstructing a Debut Author’s Success (Feb 17th at 7pm EST)

Join us for:

Deconstructing a Debut Author’s Success

Yasmin Angoe in Conversation with Nicole Ayers

Thursday, February 17th
7:00-8:00pm est
Cost: Free
Online via Zoom, RSVP HERE

 

Yasmin Angoe wrote the female Jason Bourne that everyone needs. Complex, brave, and lethal, Nena Knight is without a doubt one of the best heroines I have ever read….” –Megha Parekh, Senior Editor, Thomas & Mercer

“A crackerjack story with truly memorable characters. I can’t wait to see what Yasmin Angoe comes up with next.” —David Baldacci, author

 

When Yasmin Angoe’s debut thriller, Her Name is Knight (Thomas & Mercer) was released in November to rave reviews and sales. It shot to the top of numerous bestseller lists, including AMZ’s Assassination Bestsellers, and Black & African American Literature–New Releases. Her ‘Nena Knight’ series of books is currently being adapted for television!

Writer and editor Nicole Ayers hosts a one-on-one conversation with Yasmin, for a look at what’s involved to earn the accolades and deals that she’s received.

 

**Two lucky attendees will each win a copy of Yasmin’s debut novel!

 

BIOS

Yasmin Angoe is a first-generation Ghanaian American and has worked in education for nearly twenty years as a middle and high school teacher and instructional coach. She received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime of which she is a member. Yasmin is a member of numerous crime, mystery, and thriller writing groups and organizations including Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.


Nicole C. Ayers
is an editor, writer, interviewer, and inspirational speaker.Her inspirational book  Love Notes to My Body, was recognized as one of 2020’s best life-changing books, and its two body-positive companion books. She’s a strong voice for female empowerment and the freedom it brings.

 

BOOK SUMMARY
Her Name is Knight (#1 in the Nena Knight series). Stolen from her Ghanaian village as a child, Nena Knight has plenty of motives to kill. Now an elite assassin for a powerful business syndicate called the Tribe, she gets plenty of chances. But while on assignment in Miami, Nena ends up saving a life, not taking one. She emerges from the experience a changed woman, finally hopeful for a life beyond rage and revenge. Tasked with killing a man she’s come to respect, Nena struggles to reconcile her loyalty to the Tribe with her new purpose.

Meanwhile, she learns a new Tribe council member is the same man who razed her village, murdered her family, and sold her into captivity. Nena can’t resist the temptation of vengeance—and she doesn’t want to. Before she can reclaim her life, she must leverage everything she was and everything she is to take him down and end the cycle of bloodshed for good.

 

RSVP HERE

 

 

Bibliofeast 2021

The WNBA-Charlotte Chapter
presents

BIBLIOFEAST 2021

book fork

A virtual feast with Great Group Reads authors: Anjali Enjeti, Heather Frese, and Jason Mott.

Wednesday, Nov. 3rd, 7:00-8:30pm
Online sponsored on ZOOM
Moderated by Susan Walker

RSVP Here 

* Author Readings and Q&A *Book Raffle for Attendees 


Featured authors:

________________


Anjali Enjeti 
 has appeared in USA Today, Harper’s BAZAAR, Publishers Weekly, and ZORA. In 2019, she co-founded the GA chapter of They See Blue, an organization for South Asian Democrats. Follow her on Instagram @angali.enjeti

The Parted Earth (Hub City Press). August 1947 New Delhi, there is unrest leading up to the birth of the Muslim majority nation of Pakistan, and the Hindu majority nation of India. 16 year-old Deepa navigates the changing politics of her home, finding solace in messages of intricate origami from her secret boyfriend Amir. Soon Amir flees to Pakistan and a tragedy forces Deepa to leave the subcontinent forever. Spanning more than half a century and cities from New Delhi to Atlanta, Anjali Enjeti’s debut is a heartfelt and human portrait of the long shadow of the Partition of India on the lives of three generations of women.

________________

Heather Frese has published short stories, essays, poetry. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Review, Front Porch, the Barely South Review, Switchback, and elsewhere, earning notable mention in the Pushcart Prize Anthology and Best American Essays.  Follow her on Instagram @HeatherKFrese

The Baddest Girl on The Planet (Blair). Evie Austin has not lived her life in a straight line. There have been several detours—career snafus, bad romantic choices, a loved but unplanned child—plus her ill-advised lifelong obsession with boxer Mike Tyson. This is the story of what the baddest girl on the planet must find in herself when a bag of pastries, a new lover, or quick trip to Vegas won’t fix anything, when she must learn from her relationships but also look within to navigate the decisions and turning points in redefining a new notion of herself.

________________

Jason Mott is a novelist and poet. He received an BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry, both from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize award and Entertainment Weekly listed him as one of their 10 “New Hollywood: Next Wave” people to watch.ion of herself. Follow him on Twitter @jasonmott

Hell of a Book: A Novel (Dutton). An African-American author sets out on a cross-country book tour to promote his bestselling novel. That’s the book’s storyline and, the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent. The novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour. A 2021 National Book Award Longlist Selection.

__________

RSVP Here 

______

Great Group Reads is WNBA National iniative of an annual collection of books ideal for reading groups. Hundreds of books are submitted to the GGR committee from publishers nationwide, in the categories of fiction, short stories, and memoirs. 

View the 2021 GGR full list and summaries

Download the 2021 GGR Flyer

QUESTIONS?  Please contact Susan Walker, National Reading Group Month Events Manager, susan.walker.books@gmail.com

Join us on Oct 12th at Mugs Charlotte

Chapter Members, join us LIVE for our
GREAT GROUP READS BOOKCLUB MEETUP

Tuesday, October 12th, 7:00pm
Mugs Coffee, 5126 Park Rd, Charlotte

 

Please rsvp if you wish to attend or vote on books.

RSVP HERE

Join us in picking our book club choices for December 2021 to September 2022. GGR Chair Kristen Knox will give an informative run-down of the newest Great Group reads list, which will be the basis of all titles for the calendar. We’ll decide what books to read and when.

 

WHAT IS GREAT GROUP READS?
Great Group Reads (GGR) is an initiative started by WNBA National in 2009. Books chosen are a resource for book clubs, reading groups, bookstores and libraries.

Titles for GGR are selected on the basis of their appeal to reading groups for whom they are certain to open up lively conversations about an array of timely and provocative topics. The GGR Selection Committee focuses attention on under-represented books from independent presses and mid- list releases from larger houses. 


WHEN DOES THE CHARLOTTE CHAPTER BOOKCLUB MEET?

After books are selected and assigned, the WNBA-Charlotte’s Bookclub will meet the first Tuesday of every month, from November to September. Meetups will be from 7-8:30pm at Mugs Coffee Shop. Should there be a need to, for social distancing purposes, meet ups will be virtual on Zoom and chapter members will know in advance. Titles are picked and scheduled at the October 12th meetup. The list and schedule distributed to members asap.

 

WHAT ARE THE 2021 TITLES?
There were 20 titles selected, in the genres of fiction, short stories and memoir (we will choose to read to).

After Francesco by Brian Malloy (John Scognamiglio Books, HC) LGBT, Contemporary Fiction, Own Voices, AIDS Epidemic

All Sorrows Can Be Borne by Autumn Stephens (Rare Bird Books, HC) Saga, Coming-of-Age, Family Life

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks (Grove Press, TP) Memoir, LGBT, Aids Epidemic, Personal Activism

The Baddest Girl on the Planet by Heather Frese (Blair, HC) Southern Fiction, Small Town/Rural Fiction

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Tin House Books, TP) Coming-of-Age, Japanese History, Historical Fiction

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott (Dutton, HC) African-American Literary Fiction, Southern U.S.

Mona at Sea by Elizabeth Gonzalez James (Santa Fe Writer’s Project, TP) Coming of Age, Latinx

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (Algonquin, TP) Coming of Age,Vietnamese, Cultural Heritage

No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper (Keylight Books, TP) Literary, Psychological

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot: A Novel by Marianne Cronin (Harper Perennial, TP) Friendship, Women’s Fiction

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslian Charles (Atria, HC) Historical [WWII] Fiction, Women’s Fiction

The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti (Hub City Press, HC) Literary, Asian-American, Cultural Heritage

The Portrait: A Novel by Ilaria Bernardini (Pegasus Books, HC) Women’s Fiction, Family Life

The Prince of Mournful Thoughts and Other Stories by Caroline Kim (U. Of Pittsburgh Press, HC) Asian-American, Short Story Collection

A Recipe for Daphne by Nektaria Anastasiadou (Hoopoe, TP) Cultural Heritage, Women’s Fiction

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson (Milkweed Editions, TP) Native American History, Aboriginal History, Nature & the Environment

The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia (Dundurn Group, TP) Literary, Women’s Fiction, Cultural Heritage

The Third Mrs. Galway by Deirdre Sinnott (Kaylie Jones Books, HC) Hist. Fiction, Civil War Era, Women’s Fiction

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson (Kensington, TP) Biographical Fiction, Middle Eastern

Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout (ECW Press, TP) Family Life, Women’s Fiction

 

I LOVE READING! HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT JOINING THE COMMITTEE? Contact GGR Chair Kristen Knox, at KKnox.NatlReadingGrpMonth@gmail.com  *Note, you must be a full-paid up Member to serve.

2021 Fall Kick-Off & Networking Party

Members and Friends,

Please join us at our

Annual Fall Kick-Off & Networking Party

Monday, September 27, 2021
6:30 – 8:30 PM
BURTONS GRILL & BAR, 1601 E. Woodlawn Rd. (Park Road Shopping Center), Charlotte

RSVP

Join us for great conversation over good wine at our annual fall get together! Rendezvous with your fellow WNBA Charlotte members over drinks and appetizers. If you’re a new or potential member, come and meet everyone!

Find out what’s ahead for 2021-22, and how to get more involved!

Novel Picks for Spring and Beyond; Our Spring Book & Author Panel

Join us Wednesday, April 7th for
NOVEL PICKS FOR SPRING & BEYOND
7:00-8:30pm EST
Hosted on Zoom
REGISTER HERE

Do you enjoy women’s fiction that’s humorous, contains family drama, ethical dilemmas, perhaps, a complicated romance? But above all, has an intelligent, female protagonist–one who works in an innovative field such as medicine, robotic engineering, or radio production (to name a few)?

We’ll talk with three authors of stand-out trade paperback novels, plus a publishing insider who will give insight and advice on the trade fiction sales and marketing of today.

BOOK RAFFLE! Three lucky attendees will each get a panelist’s novel, compliments of the chapter!

PANELISTS

SARAH ARCHER  is a Black List Screenwriting Mini-Lab fellow who has had material produced for Comedy Central and published short stories and poetry in numerous literary magazines. In Los Angeles, she worked in literary management and development on projects including House, Concussion, Roots, and Girls Trip. Sarah currently lives in Concord, NC, and has been a WNBA member since 2019. Follow her on Instagram @SarahArcherM and on Twitter @saraharcherwrites.

The Plus One (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $16.00 TP). Kelly is 29, a brilliant robotics engineer, and perpetually single. When her younger sister’s wedding looms and her attempts to find a date fail, Kelly does the only logical thing: she builds her own boyfriend.
Ethan is gorgeous, attentive, and smart, with a mechanical heart endlessly devoted to her. Not to mention he’s good with her mother. When she’s with him, Kelly discovers a more confident, spontaneous version of herself–the person she’d always dreamed she could be. But as the struggle to keep Ethan’s identity secret threatens to detonate her career, Kelly knows she has to kiss her perfect man good-bye. There’s just one problem: she’s falling for him.

 

MADI SINHA is a writer and practicing physician who loves the nervous system, bookshops, tea with milk and snarky conversation (but not necessarily in that order). She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.​ White Coat Diaries is her debut novel. Follow her on Instagram @MadiSinha and on Twitter @MadiSinha.

The White Coat Diaries (Berkeley, $16.00 TP). Norah Kapadia has landed the medical residency of her dreams. But it’s not long before disgruntled patients, sleep deprivation, and her duty to be the “perfect Indian daughter” have her questioning her future as a doctor.
Enter chief resident Ethan Cantor. He’s everything Norah aspires to be: respected by the attending physicians, calm during emergencies, and charismatic with his patients. And as he morphs from Norah’s mentor to something more, it seems her luck is finally changing. But when a fatal medical mistake is made, pulling Norah into a cover-up, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the secret. What if “doing no harm” means putting herself at risk?

 

SOPHIE SULLIVAN writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. Ten Rules For Faking It is Sophie’s debut novel, but she’s written several cozy mysteries and romance series as her alter ego, Jody Holford. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Follow her on Instagram at @authorsophiesullivan and on Twitter @SophieSwrites.

Ten Rules for Faking It (Griffin, $16.99 TP). Radio Producer Everly Dean is having the worst birthday. She’s caught her boyfriend cheating on her with his assistant, such a cliche! She won’t, however, let her anxiety hold her back–she will pitch her podcast idea to her boss. There’s just one problem. Her boss, Chris, is very cute. Also, he’s extremely distant (which means he hates her, right? Or is that the anxiety talking)? And, Stacey the DJ didn’t mute the mic during Everly’s rant about Simon the Snake (syn: Cheating Ex).
Suddenly, people are lining up to date her, Bachelorette-style, fans are voting, and her interest in Chris might be a two-way street. Its a lot for a woman who could gold medal in people-avoidance. She’s going to have to fake it till she makes it to get through all of this. Perhaps she’ll make a list…

 

CARIN SIEGFRIED is the Mid-Atlantic Field Sales Representative for Macmillan Publishers. She has worked in the book industry for over two decades; past positions include Sales Manager at Soho Books, and Category Manager at Baker & Taylor. In 2009,

Carin co-founded the WNBA Charlotte Chapter, serving as President. She served as President of WNBA National from 2014 to 2016. Follow her on Twitter @CarinBookbinder.

BOOK RAFFLE * AUTHOR INTERVIEWS * Q&A ABOUT THE BOOK INDUSTRY * TAPED FOR FACEBOOK

REGISTER HERE

HAPPY NEW YEAR, WELCOME 2021

Please view our array books, written by Chapter Members!

 

Authors: Nicole Ayers; Sandy Altschuler, Carolina Aponte, Sarah Archer, Sarah Blanchard, Carla A. Carlisle, Shawn Keller-Cooper, Patt Fero, KC Freeman, Judy Goldberg, Maureen Ryan Griffin, Nancy Howie

 

Authors: Holly Hughes, Juanita Jackson, Renee Johnson, Lisa Kinkleman, Bridgett Langson, MJ. Maddox, Paula Martinac, Vickie Morrow, Shamyra Parker

 

Authors: Emily Pearce, Janet Perkins, Linda Vigen Phillips, Nancy Werking Poling, Fabi Preslar, Lucy Sams, Maureen Sherbondy, Tyrra Turner, Laura Valtora, Sarah Thompson, Nancy White

 

Join us at Mugs on October 28th


Chapter Members, join us LIVE for our
GREAT GROUP READS BOOKCLUB MEETUP

Wednesday, October 28th, 7:00pm
Mugs Coffee, 5126 Park Rd, Charlotte

 

Please rsvp if you wish to attend.

RSVP HERE

Great Group Reads List 

 

Our first live event since March, we are getting together to pick the book club choices for December 2020 to September 2021. GGR Chair Kristen Knox will give an informative run-down of the newest Great Group reads list, which will be the basis of all titles for the calendar. We’ll decide what books to read and when.

 

WHAT IS GREAT GROUP READS?
Great Group Reads (GGR) is an initiative started by WNBA National in 2009. Books chosen are a resource for book clubs, reading groups, bookstores and libraries.

Titles for GGR are selected on the basis of their appeal to reading groups for whom they are certain to open up lively conversations about an array of timely and provocative topics. The Selection Committee focuses attention on under-represented books from independent presses and mid- list releases from larger houses. Titles were submitted by over 100 publishers–20 books were chosen.


WHAT ARE THE 2020 TITLES?

There were 20 titles selected, in the genres of fiction, short stories and memoir. The following is the exact list, to see descriptions, go to the 2020 GGR PAGE on the national website, or the WNBA Bookshop page  

 

Anna Eva Mimi Adam by Marina Antropow Cramer
The Beauty of Her Face by Sahar Mustafah
The Bitch
by Pilar Quintana, Lisa Dillman (Translator)
Continental Divide by Alex Myers
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Godshot by Chelsea Bieker
Goshen Road by Bonnie Proudfoot
The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
In Our Midst
by Nancy Jensen
Invented Lives by Andrea Goldsmith
The Last Goldfish by Anita Lahey
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
The Prettiest Star 
by Carter Sickels
The Road to Urbino by Roma Tearne
The Royal Abduls by Ramiza Shamoun Koya
Tea By the Sea by Donna Hemans
Tell Me Your Names and I Will Testify by Carolyn Holbrook
The Wanting Life by Mark Rader
Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

 

I LOVE READING! HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT JOINING THE COMMITTEE? Contact GGR Chair Kristen Knox, at KKnox.NatlReadingGrpMonth@gmail.com  *Note, you must be a full-paid up Member to serve.

To attend the October 28th meetup, or give your picks, click here.

BIBLIOFEAST 2020

Join us as well celebrate National Reading Group Month and the newest Great Group reads collection!

 

Monday, October 19th, 7:00-8:30pm

Online Via Zoom

* Book Giveaways for Attendees *

* Author Readings and Q&A *

*Recorded for Facebook & More*

Our Annual Bibliofeast book & author event is a virtual format this year! Enjoy a panel discussion featuring four outstanding authors, and their 2020 Great Group Reads-chosen titles!

  • Donna Hemans, author of Tea by the Sea (Red Hen Press, TP)

    Summary: When Plum’s daughter is kidnapped at birth, by the baby’s father, she spends the next 17 years searching for her  With travels that extend from Jamaica to Brooklyn, this novel examines issues of parenthood, tragedy, identity, redemption, and betrayal.

     

  • Nancy Jensen author of In Our Midst (Dzanc Books, HC)

    Summary: In 1940s Indiana, community fear and suspicion has grown about German immigrants. Nina and Otto Aust and their sons are first separated by the FBI, then interrogated, and ultimately sent to an internment camp in this WWII-set historical fiction.

     

  • Christina Baker Kline author of The Exiles (Custom House, HC)

    Summary: Set in the early days of Australia, this is a story of three women: Two English convicts, and a young Aboriginal girl who’s taken from her people to be raised as a sort of pet by the governor and his wife. This novel takes on colonization, native peoples, and the determination that enabled them to persevere in the face of exile.

     

  • Sahar Mustafah author of The Beauty of Your Face (W.W. Norton, HC)

    Summary: High School principal Afaf Rahman hides as a shooter guns down students at a Muslim girls school in Chicago. The novel alternates between Afaf’s live account of the attack and flashbacks to childhood incidents, including the relationship with her mother, her sister’s disappearance, and her own discovery of the comfort of Islam. 

VIEW THE FULL 2020 GREAT GROUP LIST HERE