THE SUNDAY TIMES | JUNE 23, 2019
We are thrilled to share that The Last Widow has hit #1 on The Sunday Times bestseller list in the U.K.!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY | JUNE 21, 2019
“Barbara Bourland’s second novel, Fake Like Me, is an exquisitely crafted literary work that reads, irresistibly, like a thriller. Set in the New York art scene of the 1990s, the novel is narrated by an ambitious young painter whose idol, a wild, rebellious female sculptor and performance artist named Carey Logan, died by suicide under mysterious circumstances. When the painter’s studio goes up in flames, she has to salvage her work, and her career, at all costs—and finds herself slowly, insidiously, taking over both the studio and the life that Carey left behind. Bourland picks 10 essential books about artists.”
Fake Like Me author Barbara Bourland shares her top picks of books about artists on Publishers Weekly. Follow the link above to read her picks!
BALTIMORE MAGAZINE | JUNE 21, 2019
Barbara Bourland, author of Fake Like Me, was interviewed for the July 2019 edition of Baltimore Magazine about her new book. Follow the link above to read the full interview!
THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL | JUNE 20, 2019
“One way we honor our ancestors, families, and children is to use the knowledge of our heritage to shape our identities. To remind us of the historical ties we take with us into the future, we will showcase books about the legacies and traditions of families in all their forms and meanings.”
Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground has been selected for the CBC Showcase Family Heritage. Follow the link above for more!
WRITER’S DIGEST | JUNE 20, 2019
“In this exclusive cut of the WD Interview with Karin Slaughter, the author talks about what led to her Save the Libraries nonprofit, social media for authors, and what the future holds for her beloved characters. Read the full WD Interview with Slaughter in the September 2019 issue of Writer’s Digest.”
Karin Slaughter, internationally bestselling author of The Last Widow, forthcoming in the U.S. August 20th, will be featured in the September 2019 edition of Writer’s Digest. Follow the link above to read an excerpt from her featured interview!
GEORGIA AUTHOR OF THE YEAR | JUNE 18, 2019
Read what the judges had to say about Pieces Of Her:
“Pieces of Her is one of Karin Slaughter’s most satisfying novels yet. At its heart, it’s about a mother and daughter—a talented but directionless millennial daughter, a mother with too many secrets. An intricate plot follows the adventures of both women, reaching back in time to trace the mother’s involvement in a cult-like radical organization while decades later the daughter gets caught up in a dangerous search for the truth about her parents—and herself. The suspense never lets up, but ultimately it’s the psychological complexity of these characters that makes this novel so riveting.”
Follow the link above for more!
KIRKUS | JUNE 18, 2019
“Autumn loving, they had a blast; autumn loving, it happened too fast.
Having worked together in the Succotash Hut at the pumpkin patch for years, best friends and co-workers Deja and Josiah, who goes by Josie, ditch work and find love on their last night, heading out in search of Josie’s unrequited love, the girl who works in the Fudge Shoppe. Deja, a witty and outgoing girl who attracts—and is attracted to—boys and girls alike, is set on helping the shy, rule-following Josie move out of his comfort zone before they part ways for college. Deja encourages Josie to take a chance and talk to the girl of his dreams instead of pining for her from afar. Not to be dissuaded by his reticence, Deja leads Josie to multiple stops in the Patch in search of the almost-impossible-to-find Fudge Girl, with every stop taking them in a new direction and providing a new treat. As they journey through the Patch—chasing a snack-stealing rascal, dodging a runaway goat, and snacking their way through treats from fudge to Freeto pie—they explore the boundaries of their friendship. Visually bright and appealing in autumnal reds, oranges, and yellows, the art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. Deja is a beautiful, plus-sized black girl, and Josie is a handsome, blond white boy.
A heartwarming, funny story filled with richness and complexity.”
Pumpkinheads received a starred review on Kirkus! Follow the link above for more.
Kirkus | June 17, 2019
“In the shadow of a violent dictatorship, five queer women find the courage and strength to live their truth.
De Robertis’ (The Gods of Tango, 2015, etc.) latest novel starts in 1977 with the Uruguayan military dictatorship suppressing dissidents and homosexuals through rape, jailing, and disappearing. Calling themselves cantoras, or women who sing, five queer women begin to carve out a place for themselves in the world: Flaca, Romina, Anita ‘La Venus,’ Malena, and Paz. Brought together by Flaca, the women take a weeklong trip to Cabo Polonio, a sleepy, secluded coastal village, where they find a haven among horrors. On the beach, the women laugh late into the night, make love unabashedly, and share secrets over whiskey and yerba maté. The friends become family. On their first trip, Paz, the youngest, begins to discover an alternative way of being: ‘A secret way to be a woman. A way that blasted things apart, that melted the map of reality.’ Rich and luscious, De Robertis’ writing feels like a living thing, lapping over the reader like the ocean. Carefully crafted and expertly observed, each sentence is an elegant gift: ‘Stars clamored around a meager slice of moon,’ and ‘she was keenly aware of [her] movements...as if a thread stretched between them, a spider’s thread, glimmering and inexhaustibly strong.’ Over the course of three decades, the women fall in and out of love; have brushes with the brutal regime; defy familial and societal expectations; and, most of all, unapologetically live their lives as cantoras. At one point, the unhappily married La Venus wonders: ‘Why did life put so much inside a woman and then keep her confined to smallness?’ De Robertis’ novel allows these women to break those confines and find greatness in themselves and each other.
A stunning novel about queer love, womanhood, and personal and political revolution.”
Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis received a starred review from Kirkus! Follow the link above for more.
DE BESTSELLER 60 | JUNE 12, 2019
We are thrilled to share that The Last Widow is #1 in The Netherlands and Belguim! Follow the link above to view the entire list.
Better Homes & Garden | June 10, 2019
“Nothing says summer like lounging by the pool with a good book. Luckily for us, there are dozens of highly-anticipated releases coming up—and we’ve rounded up the ones we’re most excited about. Whether your ideal beach read includes a sappy romance, inspirational message, or an intense mystery, we’ve picked something for everyone—and we have a feeling these will be some of the best books of 2019. Grab your sunglasses, lay down a beach towel, and get reading!”
Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood was included in this round-up! Follow the link above to see more.
CrimeReads | June 4, 2019
“At the start of every month, CrimeReads staff members look over all the great crime novels and mysteries coming out in the weeks ahead and make recommendations based on what they’re reading and what they can’t wait to read. Check back over the course of the month for more suggestions for feeding your crime habit.”
Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland is featured in this round-up! CrimeReads says this title “promises to be the art mystery of the season.” Follow the link above to read the full article.
Library Journal | June 2, 2019
“In 1996, the nameless first-person narrator—then a 19-year-old sophomore art student—has a memorable encounter with Pine City, the collective of five beautiful young artists in New York City. Carey Logan, the most famous of the group for her sculptures made of casts of body parts, speaks to the narrator while casting her hand and becomes her artistic lodestar. Years later, Logan has given up sculpture for performance art; her final piece is filming her suicide. The narrator, having achieved some success with her abstract billboard-sized paintings, is mere months from an exhibit in Paris when her loft burns down, taking with it six of her seven exhibition works. Frantic to find space for reconstructing two years of art in three months, she wangles her way into Pine City’s upstate New York retreat, landing in Logan’s former studio and in the heart of Tyler Savage, Logan’s former boyfriend, as she seeks Carey’s real story.
VERDICT The creative process confronts reality in this compelling literary thriller centering on art, identity, and deception, as told in Bourland’s (I’ll Eat When I’m Dead) sharp prose. A must for those with an artistic bent, a sheer reading pleasure for all.”
Follow the link above to read more!
BOOKLIST | JUNE 1, 2019
“Ginny Richardson’s life seems complete: she’s married to a successful lawyer, lives in a beautiful home, and has a young son and another baby on the way, but she can’t shake feelings of regret. Ginny wakes up after labor to news that baby Lucy was born with Down syndrome and immediately sent to a school for the ‘feeble minded.’ Her husband decides they will keep this a secret and only a few will know Lucy is alive. Two years later, Ginny hears that Lucy’s school is under investigation for its horrendous conditions, and resolves, with her best friend and six-year-old son in tow, to find and keep Lucy, spurring a dramatic road trip to safety. As each mile passes, Ginny discovers the depths of her strength and ultimately takes back control of her life. Greenwood’s (Rust & Stardust, 2018) heart-wrenching, emotional roller coaster of a read also seamlessly captures the transformation of women’s roles in the early 1970s. A heartfelt tale of true friendship, a mother’s unstoppable love, and the immeasurable fortitude of women.”
Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood received a lovely review in Booklist! Follow the link above for more.
Refinery29 | May 31, 2019
“Summer is the best season for a book-lover. Suddenly, reading is a cool activity. Everyone's browsing for ‘beach reads’ and ‘vacation reads’ and ‘sit in the sun and pretend you're on vacation’ reads. If anything, the problem is an abundance of choice. There's just too much goodness.
We're here to make your choice easier. In addition to creating a specific list just for beach reads, we've rounded up some amazing new releases just from June 2019.
Behold, the books of June we're recommending to everyone. Expect epic novels like The Travelers by Regina Porter, which follows the complexities of sprawling families; complicated thrillers, like Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok; and absolute blockbusters, like Taffy Brodesser-Akner's Fleishman Is In Trouble.”
Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland is on this list! Click the link above for more details.
Hello Giggles | May 31, 2019
“Summer is almost here, and it’s time to dive into our favorite summertime activity: reading for pure enjoyment. There’s nothing better than lying on the beach or lounging by the pool with a brand-new book and nowhere to be. If you don’t know where to start, we have some suggestions that are all beach bag-approved. Here are the 10 best new books to read in June.”
Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland was selected as a book to read this June! Follow the link above for more details.
Atlanta Magazine | May 28, 2019
“Throughout her career, Denene Millner has focused on building platforms that highlight the experiences of African American people. The journalist and mother of two decided to start a parenting website, MyBrownBaby, in 2008 after noticing that black moms were rarely considered as an audience—except during discussions of teen pregnancy or the school-to-prison pipeline. Her voice resonated. So far, the award-winning blog has posted more than 2,000 times on everything from black hair to discrimination in the workplace. Millner, 50, is also the best-selling author of more than two dozen books and started a successful children’s imprint, which includes titles about colorism and black diversity.”
Follow the link above to read more about the fabulous Denene Millner!
Fortune | May 26, 2019
“Whether it’s hours spent waiting in an airport terminal due to an unexpected (but really, expected) delay or hours under the sun (with sunscreen) on the beach, a good book is a welcome companion. And a page-turner at that is necessary to keep you entertained and pass the time enjoyably.
Thus, here’s a list of fictional works you should consider for packing away while traveling for business or pleasure this summer, both fun and thought-provoking with themes spanning from the contemporary art world to artificial intelligence. Happy reading and safe travels.”
Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland was selected by Fortune as a novel to read on your summer travels! Follow the link above to read more.
CrimeReads | May 16, 2019
“Summer is the season for crime fiction. The days are long, the nights are hot, your blood is up and maybe, just maybe you’re going to get a little time to yourself on that much deserved vacation. Whether you go in for spine-chilling suspense, moody noirs, classic whodunits, splashy thrillers, or any other type of crime, chances are there’s a book for you coming out these next few months. The only question is how many novels are you going to devour this season? To help you prepare for the coming months’ bounty, we’re breaking down all the best and most anticipated crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers coming out in late May, June, July, and August.”
The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter and Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland were both selected! Follow the link above to see the full list.