Bookreporter Talks To

Nita Prose joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE MAID'S SECRET, her last book featuring   Molly the Maid. She shares that she did not set out to write a series, but once the first book was finished, it was clear that there was more to Molly's story. Nita enjoyed developing a voice for Gran in this novel; in the prior installments, everything about Gran came to readers from Molly. She muses abou...

Katy Hays joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, SALTWATER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. The book is set on the island of Capri and has the same vibes as "The White Lotus." Katy explains the origins of the novel, as well as how the story grew and why she told it from the points of view of multiple characters, alternating between "Then" and "Now." She also discusses he...

Georgia Hunter, author of the  New York Times bestseller WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES, joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, ONE GOOD THING. Georgia explains why she chose to set the book in Italy and the research trip that she took there with her mother, which was such a special time for her. She and Carol discuss what it must be like to live in a world where at any moment someone migh...

Anna Quindlen joined us for March's "Bookaccino Live" Book Group to discuss AFTER ANNIE, a  New York Times bestseller that is now available in paperback. The novel is told from the perspectives of three characters following Annie's sudden death, and Anna explains why she felt this was the most effective way to tell the story. Anna talks about Annie's oldest child, Ali, and how she copes with the r...

Jeff Hobbs has been on Carol Fitzgerald's radar since she first interviewed him 11 years ago at a pre-publication event for THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE. So, she was happy to catch up with him about his latest work, SEEKING SHELTER: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Jeff explains how he approached the boo...

Clare Leslie Hall joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her  New York Times  and  Sunday Times  bestseller, BROKEN COUNTRY, which is both a Reese's Book Club selection and a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick, as well as a Bookreporter Bets On title. Clare explains the early inspiration for the novel and shares that she worked on it for four years, coming back to it again and again. She discusses the la...

Charmaine Wilkerson talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her latest novel, GOOD DIRT, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She explains how the character of Ebby Freeman came to her, and from there the idea of the clay jar that has been in the family for generations. Charmaine shares the research she conducted about the work of slaves in the South who created pottery with clay, tracing how an ite...

Lisa Wingate joined us for February's "Bookaccino Live" Book Group to discuss SHELTERWOOD, a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. She explains what sparked the idea for her novel and why she chose to set it in two time periods: 1909 and 1990. We also learn about the research she did into the "elf children," the Dawes Act and the formidable Kate Barnard, as well as the...

Marie Benedict joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest book, THE QUEENS OF CRIME, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Marie read classic women's mysteries at a young age, as she was introduced to them by her aunt. Her love for the genre influenced this book, as well as her earlier work, THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE. Marie discusses the case that the five crime writers in the novel s...

Joseph Finder joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss his latest thriller, THE OLIGARCH'S DAUGHTER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Joe talks about writing the novel's two time frames and how the awareness of what oligarchs are has become a lot more timely in the past few years. He did some wilderness training for part of the book, and then vaulted to learn more about superyachts that are own...

Ashley Elston joins us for our first "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event of 2025 to discuss her debut novel for adults, FIRST LIE WINS. This #1  New York Times  bestseller and Bookreporter Bets On selection is now available in paperback. Ashley talks about her writing process, which includes the brown butcher paper that lines her walls along with colored Post-it notes, and working with the software...

Scott Turow joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his latest legal thriller, PRESUMED GUILTY. This Bookreporter Bets On selection marks the return of Rusty Sabich, following his starring roles in PRESUMED INNOCENT and INNOCENT. Scott explains his decision to write the book and why this may be the last time we see Rusty as a protagonist in one of his novels. He also shares the reason that he chose t...

Michelle Horton joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about DEAR SISTER: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds, which has just released in paperback with bonus content and is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Michelle shares the harrowing story of how her sister, Nikki, a victim of domestic violence for years, was imprisoned after she killed her long-time partner. Two police officers knock...

Tracey Lange joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest family-themed novel, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE McCRAYS?, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Tracey introduces readers to Kyle and Casey McCray, a divorced couple who are very much estranged. As Kyle returns home to Potsdam, New York, for a family emergency, their shared past haunts them in a way that gives them a chance to come back t...

Lisa Genova joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, MORE OR LESS MADDY, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Lisa shares what drew her to write about a young woman with bipolar disorder and her research on the subject, which included conversations with people who have been diagnosed with it. She talks about how both the diagnosis and the treatment of bipolar disorder can be chall...

Fiona Davis joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her eighth novel, THE STOLEN QUEEN, which is set in Egypt in 1936 and New York City in 1978. The iconic New York building that is featured in this book, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection, is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fiona and Carol talk about the King Tut exhibit, as well as the Met Gala and how it has changed through the years. And yes,...

Carol Fitzgerald shares commentary about her 40 Bookreporter Bets On selections from 2024. These are books that she is betting Bookreporter readers will love! (* means a video/podcast interview with that author is available.) The Women by Kristin Hannah * The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali * First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston * Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews * Husbands & Lovers by Be...

Carol Fitzgerald and Tom Donadio talked to seven Bookreporter reviewers about two of their favorite books of 2024. Our guests were Kate Ayers, Harvey Freedenberg, Pamela Kramer, Bronwyn Miller, Rebecca Munro, Ray Palen and Stuart Shiffman. Four reviewers — Sarah Rachel Egelman, Megan Elliott, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol and Norah Piehl — were not able to join us, so we presented their top picks and the...

Ariel Lawhon joined us for a "Bookaccino Live" Book Group discussion of THE FROZEN RIVER, which was a "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and an NPR Book of the Year when it was published in hardcover last December. It is now available in paperback and is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Our reviewer Pamela Kramer has this to say about the book, and it is so dead-on: "A book club would have myr...

Carol Fitzgerald talks to Sharon Virts about her latest historical mystery, THE GRAYS OF TRUTH. This Bookreporter Bets On selection was inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore's most powerful families. Sharon discusses why the Reconstruction era is such a poignant time in American history. She also explains the challenges of creating Jane, her protagonist, and the Edgar Allan Poe quotes...

Paula Hawkins joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, THE BLUE HOUR, which is November's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She discusses her inspiration for the book's setting, which she had when she was on vacation, as well as her love of art. The characters and the way they move in and out of each other's lives is key to the storylines, an...

Amanda Peters joined us for October's "Bookaccino Live" Book Group to discuss THE BERRY PICKERS, which was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize winner and was awarded the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. It also was a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Amanda talks about her inspiration for the novel, which involved a trip to Maine with her father to show her where his family w...

Susan Rieger joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She shares what drove her to write this book and why it is structured as a mystery, with the feel of literary Russian nesting dolls. Susan also reveals which was her favorite character to write and discusses the use of genealogy, as well as DNA. And she talks abo...

Jean Hanff Korelitz joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest book, THE SEQUEL, the appropriately titled follow-up to THE PLOT. In it, Anna, the widow of Jacob Finch Bonner, is enjoying the riches of being a literary widow and has written a debut novel called THE AFTERWORD. But, ah, Anna has a secret to hide. Jean shares the fun she had layering wry humor into the book, as well as how she sa...

Shelley Read was our guest for September's "Bookaccino Live" Book Group. As this was a book group-style program, we did talk spoilers. Four audience members joined us to ask her questions, all of which looked at GO AS A RIVER from different angles. Shelley shared her inspiration for the book and how she created her characters. She talked about prejudice and how it influenced her work. As a fifth-g...