March 24, 2021 | Issue #34 |
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Five Facts from Our Friend, Nancy Jooyoun Kim
The one thing you’ve learned you can’t live without during the pandemic:
I especially miss hugging my mom whom I haven't seen since the beginning of the pandemic. But I'm also grateful that my four-month-old daughter is with me for snuggles. Husbands can be good for those too.
Your perfect day:
The perfect day begins with a strong cup of coffee or chai and writing in the morning, eating a meal with my family or friends outside, walking or something active in the afternoon (to prep for more eating, of course), and ends with reading, a bath, and a glass of wine.
Your favorite independent bookstore:
The last book you raved about:
Your next book in ten words or less:
A body in the backyard of a Korean American family.
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Bookseller of the Week
PEGASUS BOOKS
Our featured independent bookseller of the week is Pegasus Books. With three locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pegasus is a welcoming and inclusive neighborhood space, passionate about free speech, freedom of expression, creativity and community. Get 10% off this week on featured titles—prices are already marked down, NO CODE required!—including our guest Nancy Jooyoun Kim's debut novel THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE, as well as new and recent books by the Fab Five. Visit the specially curated F&F page on the Pegasus website to SHOP NOW!
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Debut Spotlight
THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV
Kristin recommends The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, by Dawnie Walton, which Publishers Weekly called "a spectacular debut" in a starred review. New York Times bestselling author Kiley Reid calls it "lovely and lyrical; a warm and wonderful intersection between journalism and fiction," and O Magazine hails it as "an utterly fresh take on finding one’s voice, on systemic racism and sexism, and on freedom of expression." It's a propulsive story of the meteoric rise of an iconic 1970s rock duo, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite for one last tour. New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds calls it "as musical and revolutionary in tone and structure as it is in content." It's a surefire hit and marks Dawnie Walton as a new and powerful voice in fiction. (ISBN: 978-1982140168)
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Our Shared Humanity with Kristin Harmel
On Paris’s Left Bank, not far from the famed Sorbonne University and the Jardin des Plantes botanical gardens, sits the Grand Mosque of Paris, a beautiful, Moorish-style mosque, dripping with flowers and sporting a minaret that soars 100 feet above the French capital. Today, it is open to the public—it even features its own restaurant and bakery—but 80 years ago, during World War II, it was cloaked in secrets, including a perhaps unexpected one: the leaders of the mosque were involved in a complex plan to protect Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
Why is this such an important thing to discuss today? Because in the glittering center of a city that has, in recent years, seen a rise in anti-Semitism, it’s a story that reminds us that in the most difficult times, the things that unite us matter so much more than the things that threaten to tear us apart.
To continue reading Kristin’s essay on Parade.com, click HERE.
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Special Virtual Event with Lisa Scottoline
APRIL 1 WITH FOXTALE BOOK SHOPPE
We are once again taking the F&F show on the (virtual) road! Our friends at FoxTale Book Shoppe are handing over the reins to the Fab Five, allowing us to play hostesses at their virtual launch event for one of our besties, Lisa Scottoline, celebrating her highly anticipated new historical novel, ETERNAL. Join the Fab Five on Thurs April 1st at 7pm Eastern as we lead a lively interview and discussion with the beloved columnist and #1 bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author of 33 novels. Purchase Lisa's new book from FoxTale to attend. Zoom link will be e-mailed by the bookstore. Buy your AUTOGRAPHED book and reserve your space NOW!
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And Now a Word from our Partners
MAMA GERALDINE'S
We are so pleased to partner with Mama Geraldine's Bodacious Foods! Not only is Mama Geraldine's the maker of the world's most delicious (and this country's bestselling!) cheese straw, they're also a woman-owned business. And we can really get behind that! Try their six flavors of cheese straws and their oh-so-delicious cookies. Get 20% off your online order at MamaGeraldines.com with the code FABFIVE. SHOP NOW!
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PAGE 1 BOOKS
The Page 1 Book Subscription provides the personal touch of an indie bookstore, with the delight and surprise of an online subscription service, curated just for you. Because real-life indie booksellers know that you are more than an algorithm. Enter your preferences and choose the 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription. First-time subscribers get 10% off with the code FABFIVE. Visit Page1Books.com and tell them what you love!
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Latest News From "The Fab Five"
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY is still riding high on the waves of Surviving Savannah’s release and grateful to all of you (ship metaphors never get old). She has released a podcast titled THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND Surviving Savannah and you can click to hear the six interviews with everyone from the shipwreck hunter to the museum curator about the mythology of Savannah. Her cover reveal for Once Upon a Wardrobe is live now and you can read all about this October release!
KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY is getting so excited that her combined Live and Virtual Book Tour begins on April 14. She’ll be highlighting certain events over the coming weeks and would love to see you at one—or a few! Check out her full tour schedule for details. Today, head over to Instagram, where she is partnering with Laura Park Design and giving away everything you need for a chic Spring Break—including a copy of UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY.
MARY KAY ANDREWS is knee-deep in planning the details for the virtual tour for her May 4 release, THE NEWCOMER. Watch this space for ALL the details.
MARY ALICE MONROE is thrilled to reveal the “Mary Alice” earrings created by Brackish of Charleston. Inspired by Mary Alice’s love of the lowcountry, beach, and sea, the earrings are crafted with vibrant turquoise peacock feathers and deep yellow and navy blue pheasant feathers with a gold stud. Order yours HERE.
KRISTIN HARMEL is hard at work on outlining her 2022 book and is looking forward to celebrating the launch of Kristy's new novel, Under the Southern Sky, on Friends & Fiction in less than a month. She also wants everyone to know that she's deeply proud of Patti; Surviving Savannah had an incredible first week and was one of the bestselling novels in the nation, and Kristin joins with the other Friends & Fiction authors in congratulating her on a beautiful, successful book. If you missed Patti's launch episode on Friends & Fiction, complete with silly hats, deep Southern accents, and a particularly terrible fake mustache, catch it here to learn about Surviving Savannah and to see the Oscar-worthy (or perhaps just cringe-worthy) performances of the Fab Five.
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News from the F&F Official Book Club |
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Congratulations to our 5k giveaway winner Mary Zick McKinnis who won a Friends & Fiction Firsts subscription (5 signed first editions of new books by the Fab 5) courtesy of the Oxford Exchange! Subscriptions are still available for purchase HERE.
Mark your calendars for these upcoming book club discussions. All events below take place at 7pm ET.
We would love to have you!
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Listen to the F&F Podcast!
Did you catch our special St. Patrick’s Day podcast episode? Mary Kay & Kristin interviewed Ireland-based thriller writer Tana French about her novel THE SEARCHER.
LISTEN NOW!
Listen, download, subscribe, rate, review & share wherever you get your podcasts.
Also be sure to catch Patti’s recent interview with two giants of the book marketing world—Carol Fitzgerald of Bookreporter and Robin Kall of Reading with Robin
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CONNECT WITH THE FRIENDS & FICTION HOST AUTHORS! |
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