Beatriz Williams joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her new novel, HUSBANDS & LOVERS, which is a Bookreporter Bets On pick. Here, for the first time, she sets one of her story threads in the present day, while the other takes place in 1950s Cairo. Beatriz loves reading about history and actually began developing the older storyline before moving ove…

Caro Carver joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her debut thriller, BAD TOURISTS, which is a Bookreporter Bets On pick. Her inspiration for the book came from a trip to the Maldives. It seems like an idyllic setting, but one where a lot more nefarious things might happen. Caro talks about her three characters, who are bound together by a past event, …

Marjan Kamali joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. We are told the genesis of the story and how Marjan built on it from there. She delves into her personal history coming to the US as a child and what it means to be a “lion woman.” We learn about how class and cu…

We wrapped up our early 2024 “Bookaccino Live” Book Group programming with William Kent Krueger as our guest. He discussed his New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award-nominated book, THE RIVER WE REMEMBER. Readers joined to ask questions, which covered a myriad of topics. Kent also gave us a preview of his new Cork O’Connor mystery, SPIRIT CROSSI…

Lisa Wingate joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest work of historical fiction, SHELTERWOOD, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She explains the origin of the story, a piece she found about a woman named Kate Barnard that sent her down a rabbit hole of learning more about the children known as “elf children” who lived in trees. The…

Ruth Reichl joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE PARIS NOVEL, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. The concept for this book was born from a section in SAVE ME THE PLUMS, Ruth’s 2019 memoir, which prompted her longtime editor, Susan Kamil, to ask for a novel with that as a starting-off point. Ruth talks about why she set the book in the 1…

Ann Napolitano joined us for May’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event. She talked about her New York Times bestseller, HELLO BEAUTIFUL (which was Oprah’s 100th Book Club selection), and her newly re-released 2004 debut novel, WITHIN ARM’S REACH. There also was a peek inside her writing process, which includes nine months of musing before putting pe…

Genevieve “Gwen” Kingston joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her memoir, DID I EVER TELL YOU?, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. When Gwen was three years old, her mother, Kristina, was diagnosed with breast cancer; she passed away when Gwen was 11. When Kristina realized that her cancer was terminal, she created a box filled with individua…

Terah Shelton Harris joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her second novel, LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Terah explains what heir property is and the research she did about it to inform her story. She talks about developing the plot from four different points of view and her inspiration for that. Terah always k…

Ann Hood joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest work of historical fiction, THE STOLEN CHILD, which is a Bookreporter Bets On pick. Ann loves the World War I time period and has researched it through the years. She talks about her travels to World War I battle sites and how her son shares her passion for this history. Her thoughts about th…

Mary Kay Andrews returns to “Bookreporter Talks To” to discuss her latest book, SUMMERS AT THE SAINT, with Carol Fitzgerald. She talks about the resort that she modeled The Saint after and how she conducted research there while spending time with a friend. She also touches on the many storylines that are woven so well into this Bookreporter Bets On…

Kate Morton joined us for April’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event to talk about her latest novel, HOMECOMING, a Bookreporter Bets On pick and one of Carol Fitzgerald’s top three books of 2023. At the start of the pandemic, Kate was working on another book in London. When she and her family went to Australia for what was planned as a spring break…

Simone Gorrindo, whose debut memoir, THE WIVES, is a Bookreporter Bets On selection, joins Carol Fitzgerald on this episode of “Bookreporter Talks To.” Simone explains how she found her way to writing this book when her husband, an Army Special Ops team member, was assigned to a base in Columbus, Georgia. There she found herself with a group of wom…

Megan Miranda returns to “Bookreporter Talks To” to talk about her new thriller, DAUGHTER OF MINE, a Bookreporter Bets On selection with Carol Fitzgerald. She shares her inspiration for the book, as well as insight into her creative process. They talk about how she laid out the twists that make the book so special. She loves the narrator for the au…

Anna Quindlen joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, AFTER ANNIE. The idea for the opening of the book came to Anna in a moment, which she explains. She thought for a while about just writing from the point of view of Ali, Annie’s 13-year-old daughter, but she changed her mind as she realized that she could not see the complete purview…

Tamron Hall, the Emmy Award-winning host and executive producer of the syndicated talk show “Tamron Hall” and the bestselling author of the Jordan Manning series, joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest thriller, WATCH WHERE THEY HIDE. Tamron shares the genesis of the plot for this second book in the series and why it is set in 2009. She also …

Kristin Hannah was our guest for a very special “Bookreporter Talks To” program. She was in conversation with Bookreporter readers and Carol Fitzgerald about her #1 bestseller, THE WOMEN, which is a Bookreporter Bets On pick. A lot of ground was covered, including Kristin’s inspiration for writing the book, why she felt that now was the right time …

Shelby Van Pelt, author of REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, joins us for February’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event. She explains how a short piece that she had written for a writing class became the start of her New York Times bestseller, how growing up with her Swedish grandmother influenced her character, Tova, and why it worked for Marcellus to …

Hank Phillippi Ryan joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest thriller, ONE WRONG WORD, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. The idea for this book came from something that happened to Hank when she was 19. She talks about crafting the characters and how she tries to keep readers on top of the action by introducing the characters as chapte…

For our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group of 2024, Lisa See talks about her most recent book, LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN, with Carol Fitzgerald. She explains how she came to discover Tan Yunxian, a female physician from 15th-century China, and why she decided to write a novel based on her extraordinary life. Two readers, Debbie and Michelle, appea…

Ashley Elston joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her instant New York Times bestseller, FIRST LIE WINS, which is Reese's Book Club pick for January and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Ashley shares how she came to write this book and why the time was right for her to work on it. She explains what she learned about storytelling from the decade s…

Amanda Peters joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her breakout hit debut novel, THE BERRY PICKERS, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Amanda, who is a mixed-race of Mi’kmaq and European ancestry, was born and raised in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. She explains how a trip with her father to Maine to see the actual site of the blueberry pi…

Katherine Faulkner talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her latest domestic thriller, THE OTHER MOTHERS, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection (as was her previous book, GREENWICH PARK). They talk about her protagonist Tash, who, like Katherine, was a full-time journalist; she is on the prowl for a great story to jumpstart her freelance career. Tash…

Carol Fitzgerald shares commentary about her 44 Bookreporter Bets On selections from 2023. These are books that she is betting Bookreporter readers will love! Podcast interviews are available for the asterisked authors. Carol’s Three Top Titles of 2023 Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See * Homecoming by Kate Morton * The River We Remember by Wil…

Nita Prose joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE MYSTERY GUEST, which is a follow-up to THE MAID. Like her first book, her latest is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Nita shares the challenges of writing a second novel featuring the same character and how she worked to be sure that the story here was as strong as what she delivered in THE MAID.…

Fiona Davis joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss THE SPECTACULAR, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Radio City Music Hall is the latest iconic New York City building that Fiona explores. This time, she layers in an additional element as she unearths a story about a habitual bomber who terrorized the city for a more than a decade, targeting we…

Gilly Macmillan joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, THE MANOR HOUSE. The premise is a fun one as a couple wins the lottery, and they set out to spend their winnings wisely. They first build a beautiful glass house with all the bells and whistles that one might want. It’s just brilliant. But mere pages into the book, one of the…

Carol Fitzgerald and Tom Donadio talk to eight Bookreporter reviewers about their top three books of 2023. Narrowing their selections down to just three was a challenge for all of them! You can see the books that they discussed, along with their covers, here: https://www.bookreporter.com/sites/default/files/Bookaccino_Live_Special_Event_Bookreporte…

Dani Shapiro discusses SIGNAL FIRES for “Bookaccino Live” Book Group moderated by Carol Fitzgerald. Bookreporter readers loved this book and were quick to ask questions about the characters, who drive this story. Dani had put this book away a while ago, and when she came back to it, it was with fresh eyes and a new perspective. She shares why she p…

Douglas Brunt joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. Apple Books has selected it as one of the 20 best books of 2023, and it already was named one of the Best History Books of the Year by Audible. Doug talks ab…

Tess Gerritsen joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, THE SPY COAST, which kicks off a new series, The Martini Club. Tess shares where she got the idea for this book, which had a very interesting origin. She has visited the international locations where the action takes place, and she discusses how she was able to make those scen…

Jessica Knoll joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. It’s a fictitious look at the victims of a serial killer, based on Ted Bundy, though he is never called by name here. Jessica talks about the structure of the novel, where the crimes that open the book are captured hour b…

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan joined our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group for a brilliant discussion about their novel, MAD HONEY. Jennifer explains that the idea for the book came to her in a dream that she had in 2017. They talk about their characters and who wrote each, as well as how they worked with one portion of the narrative going for…

Sharon Virts joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, VEIL OF DOUBT, a mystery set in 1872. She shares how her love of history helped her to discover this story. She talks about the character of Emily, who is accused of poisoning her daughter, and how she had to learn not only the legalese of the day, but also about chemistry and how …

William Kent Krueger joined us for our first-ever LIVE “Bookreporter Talks To” interview to discuss THE RIVER WE REMEMBER. Some of the readers who won the book in a recent Bookreporter contest joined us live with their questions, while Carol Fitzgerald shared questions on behalf of our readers who are camera-shy or were unable to join us live. Plea…

Jean Kwok joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE LEFTOVER WOMAN. In this book, a young woman named Jasmine had a baby girl. With China's one-child policy in place, her husband tells her the baby died, and instead arranges for an adoption to take place in the US. He wants to have a son as his one child. The baby is adopted by a woman named Rebecca…

Thrity Umrigar joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES, which is set in India. It’s a Bookreporter Bets On selection, as was her previous book, HONOR. In it, Remy Wadia has come back to India from his home in Columbus, Ohio, to adopt a child; a young woman who his friends know is pregnant and wants to give up h…

Alice Elliott Dark discussed her novel, FELLOWSHIP POINT, with Carol Fitzgerald and readers at the September “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event. Members of the audience asked questions both on and off camera about her character development, including Maine as a character. Alice talked about her writing routine and shared insight into the editing pr…

Ashley Audrain joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her new domestic thriller, THE WHISPERS, which follows on the heels of her debut, THE PUSH. Both books are Bookreporter Bets On selections. Ashley sets her latest in a neighborhood that is being regentrified. Some homes are remodeled, while others are original to the neighborhood. We follow two mo…

John Sargent joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his memoir, TURNING PAGES: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher. John spent four decades in the world of publishing and concluded his career in 2020 at Macmillan when he was fired, which completely surprised people in the industry. For years he fought for what he believed was right for au…

Sarah Pekkanen joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, GONE TONIGHT. In this mother/daughter story, a mother will do anything she can to keep her daughter, who is now in her 20s, safe and living near her. She had her daughter as a teen and has been long estranged from her family. The book is told from the points of view of both th…

Angie Kim joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her new novel, HAPPINESS FALLS, which packs so much between its pages. It’s a family story with a mystery woven through. And much of the book revolves around the young son, Eugene, who has Angelman syndrome --- and what he may know about the disappearance of their father/husband. Angie talks about how …

Melanie Benjamin joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest work of historical fiction, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN. Set in Southern California in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the story is built around Carol --- a prize-winning surfer at a time when women were not big contenders in the sport --- and her two daughters, Mindy and Ginger. Melanie discusses the struc…

Carol Fitzgerald talks to Shari Lapena about her latest thriller, EVERYONE HERE IS LYING. Carol has christened Shari “the Queen of the One-Sit Read,” as every time she starts reading one of her books, she does not stop until she finishes. And she is not alone; we are hearing this from other readers. Shari talks about how the book opens and sets the…

Carol Fitzgerald talks to Tracey Lange about her second novel, THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Tracey talks about the Connelly siblings, what she thought was special about each of them, and how her background in behavioral health helped her in developing them and their various situations. The themes of loyal…

Naomi Hirahara joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest mystery, EVERGREEN. The story once again features Aki Ito, who readers met in CLARK AND DIVISION. Aki has now moved back to Los Angeles from Chicago where her family was displaced during World War II. Naomi talks about her research for this book, some of which was drawn from relatives, …

Liz Nugent joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her new thriller, STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Liz reminds Carol that they spoke in 2017 about her debut, UNRAVELING OLIVER; it was her first interview. She explains how she developed the character of Sally. Carol was astonished to learn that this latest novel was …

Alli Frank and Asha Youmans make a return visit to “Bookreporter Talks To” to share their thoughts on their latest book, THE BETTER HALF — a Bookreporter Bets On selection — with Carol Fitzgerald. They talk about what they brought to their protagonist, Nina Morgan Clarke, who is the first Black female head of the very tony Royal-Hawkins School. Nin…

Carolyn Mackler joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her first book for adults, THE WIFE APP. Carol was a huge fan of Carolyn’s YA novels, including THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS; TANGLED; GUYAHOLIC; VEGAN VIRGIN VALENTINE; and LOVE AND OTHER FOUR-LETTER WORDS. Carolyn got the idea for this book talking to her mom friends about the…

Adrienne Brodeur joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her novel, LITTLE MONSTERS, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. They talk characters — and each shares her favorite — as well as the story’s structure with multiple points of view. Adrienne has spent summers on the Cape for as long as she can remember, and her writing so beautifully about…