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June 2026 Virtual Book Tour: TWO LIVES WITH YOU by Lauren Ho – a Mindy’s Book Studio Selection!

“Who knew flirting with your husband who doesn’t know he’s your husband could be this romantic.” ―Mindy Kaling

“A fascinating and compelling look at one couple’s chance to fall in love again after life has pushed them apart. You’ll be reevaluating your own relationships when you turn the last page.” ―Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Lauren Ho has the rare gift of being hilarious and devastating on the same page. TWO LIVES WITH YOU is a smart, unflinching, deeply human look at love, resentment, desire, and the quiet choices that shape a life. It’s messy, insightful, and wildly entertaining―proof that Ho is operating at the absolute top of her game. Read this if you like your fiction sharp, honest, and just a little bit dangerous.” ―Justinian Huang, bestselling author of Lucky Seed and The Emperor and the Endless Palace

For fans of Rebecca Serle, this sharp, funny, and emotionally resonant novel asks: if you could do it all over again, would you? In Lauren Ho’s poignantly relatable and witty new novel, TWO LIVES WITH YOU she brilliantly explores the consequences when a what-if wish actually comes true.

Critics have lauded Lauren Ho’s previous novels, Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic, as “a mix of laugh-out-loud humor and surprisingly sharp insight.” (-Star Tribune); “voicy and funny, her commentary on-point and her stories a wild ride” (-Ali Hazelwood, The Washington Post); and “vibrant characters and a lovable leading lady readers will root for” (-Kirkus Reviews). So, it’s not surprising that Ho’s latest novel TWO LIVES WITH YOU was selected by actor, writer, producer, and director Mindy Kaling for her Mindy’s Book Studio imprint. Says Kaling, “when a book comes along that lets me explore parallel realities with zero real-world consequences, I’m immediately in.”

Lauren Ho explains the genesis of her engrossing new novel, “I set my mind to explore what happens after the happily-ever-after, or at least the promise of it—in the context of an ordinary millennial couple. Any long-term couple will tell you: Love is a journey, not a fairy tale. I wanted to dig into the raw, unvarnished reality that comes after the storybook ending, when the afterglow fades and real life—the drudgery, the doubts, the distance—starts to seep in, especially when life gets rough. How do we keep love alive while trying not to fall apart ourselves? Where does love go when we are lost? What happens when we can’t even connect with ourselves, let alone our loved ones? I hope that you will find this story an inherently hopeful one, as I intended it to be.”

Lauren Ho artfully explores this question through a marriage on the rocks that gets a second chance when the couple is transported to an alternate future, and they must decide which reality to choose: the one with their long history or the one without it.

To launch the release of TWO LIVES WITH YOU, we’re hosting this exciting virtual book tour from June 1 – June 30th. We hope you’ll follow along as these beloved influencers share reviews, spotlight features, and giveaways!

06/01/26: BRIANA’S BEST READS

06/01/26: THE UNWINED

06/01/26: SPEEDREADSTAGRAM

06/02/26: BIBLIO LAU 19

06/02/26: READING IS MY REMEDY

06/02/26: BOOKS AND CHINOOKS

06/03/26: PURRFECTLY BOOKED

06/03/26: THE BOOK CLUB MOM

06/03/26: READING ON THE BRINK

06/04/26: STOREYBOOK REVIEWS

06/04/26: KATIE NEEDS A BIGGER BOOKSHELF

06/04/26: SECRET READING LIFE

06/05/26: 2 MANY BOOKS 2 LITTLE TIME

06/05/26: PURRFECT PAGES

06/05/26: WUTHERING VINES

06/08/26: BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

06/08/26: SONI READS

06/09/26: BOOK PRINCESS OF CALI

06/09/26: PAGES AND HOOPS

06/09/26: MEGHAN READS BOOKS

06/10/26: NURSE BOOKIE

06/10/26: LEFT ON READ REVIEWS

06/11/26: DANISH MUSTARD READS

06/11/26: LOST IN A BOOK 35

06/12/26: BOOKS LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

06/12/26: BBECCA MARIE

06/15/26: SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

06/15/26: DEA’S BOOKSHELF

06/16/26: BOOK RECS BY CELESTE

06/16/26: LEXIJAVA

06/17/26: NISSA THE BOOKWORM

06/17/26: SARAH AND HER BOOKSHELVES

06/18/26: LOVE MY BOOKS 2020

06/18/26: A NOVEL ACCOUNT

06/19/26: TAMMY READS 62

06/19/26: SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

06/20/26: TRAVELISFERS

06/21/26: BOOKPHILE BELLE

06/22/26: BOOKS ABOUND WITH A HOUND

06/22/26: LVNDRGMS3

06/23/26: CAROL DOSCHER READER

06/23/26: BOOKALONG

06/24/26: STEPH ON A SHELF

06/24/26: ARMED WITH A BOOK

06/25/26: SARAH’S BOOKISH REVIEWS

06/25/26: BOOKS AND BIEWERS

06/26/26: WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

06/26/26: MEG’S BOOK CLUB

06/29/26: KIM READS AND READS

06/29/26: JUST ANOTHER MOTHER WITH BOOKS

06/30/26: GLORIANA WONG

06/30/26: JEN’S TOWERING TBR

06/30/26: ATE MARCELA READS

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Virtual Book Tour: Nov. 24 – Jan. 9 for THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER by Brionni Nwosu

“This debut is a testament to the strength of light in dark times, and the necessity of hope. Well-developed characters and a strong sense of place throughout history draw the reader in to the very end.” —Booklist, starred review

“The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter is unlike any novel I’ve ever read—and I say that with the utmost praise. Brionni Nwosu is a truly gifted storyteller and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You

“A deft tale of love, loss, and reinvention, Nella Carter will have readers eagerly turning pages to the very end. A stunningly lovely debut!” —Nicole Glover, author of The Conductors

An unforgettable novel about eternal life, epic love, and the impossible hope that we’re still worth saving.

In THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER (Lake Union Publishing; December 1, 2025), debut novelist Brionni Nwosu has penned an exquisite portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of life and death who embarks on an extraordinary journey across time.

Nwosu, a writer, educator and creative who lives in Nashville, poses the question: if Death gave you forever, would you still find reasons to believe in humanity? “This book gave me the opportunity to explore history through the eyes of a formerly enslaved woman—not through her trauma, but through her triumphs, her travels, and her unyielding hope, explains Nwosu. “I’ve always loved speculative stories that cross time and space, but rarely saw a Black woman like Nella at the center. With this book, I wanted to change that.”

Born enslaved in eighteenth-century Georgia, Nella Carter still believes in the will to survive amid the most untenable of conditions, in the glory of life, and in the ultimate goodness of the human race. When Nella strikes a deal with Death to prove humanity’s worth, she’s granted immortality – but across continents, centuries, lovers, and lifetimes, she must decide whether the human heart is resilient enough to be worth saving, or too fragile to survive.

With each new incarnation, Nella records the joys and losses, and the friendships and heartbreaks, throughout her lifetimes. When she meets handsome and passionate professor Sebastian Moore―the first man to whom she has ever revealed her secrets―Nella yearns for the mortality that escapes her. She can’t bear to leave this love behind.

As Death keeps watch, has Nella’s journey come to an end? Or is a new one just beginning?

With hauntingly breathtaking travels from Savannah, New Orleans, Paris, and London to New York, Montgomery, and Buenos Aires, combined with spellbinding prose, Brionni Nwosu weaves a dazzling tale about beauty, hope, endurance, and endless loves. Fans of Tia Williams’ A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black, and Erin Crosby Eckstine’s Junie will delight in THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER.

To celebrate the publication of THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER, we are hosting a virtual book tour with this stellar list of book influencers who will post reviews, features, and giveaways. We hope you will follow along!

Monday, November 24 – STACY 40 PAGES

Monday, December 1 – THE READING BLACK GIRLS & SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Tuesday, December 2 – KERA’S ALWAYS READING & DIVE INTO A GOOD BOOK

Wednesday, December 3 – THE BOOK COVER LOVER & CASSIE’S BOOKS REVIEWS

Thursday, December 4 – BOOKS AND BIEWERS & CANDICE READS

Friday, December 5 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS & BOOKIN IT WITH AHTIYA

Saturday, December 6 – PURRFECT PAGES

Sunday, December 7 – STOREYBOOK REVIEWS & BLACK BIRACIAL AND BOOKISH

Monday, December 8 – MARY MARY LIBRARY & MEOWSKINS BOOKSKINS

Tuesday, December 9 – LOVE MY DANE DOLLY & SARAH’S BOOKISH REVIEWS

Wednesday, December 10 – NURSE BOOKIE & A NOVEL ACCOUNT

Thursday, December 11 – DANISH MUSTARD READS & SECRET READING LIFE

Friday, December 12 – ENJOYING BOOKS AGAIN & RED REVIEWS 4 YOU

Monday, December 15 – DEA’S BOOKSHELF & BELLE BOOK CORNER

Tuesday, December 16 – BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Wednesday, December 17 – THE UNWINED

Thursday, December 18 – LIBRARY OF BOOKISH

Friday, December 19 – JEN’S TOWERING TBR & A BLUE BOX FULL OF BOOKS

Monday, December 29 – SAM KWIATOWSKI

Tuesday, December 30 – TAMMY READS 62

Wednesday, December 31 – NISSA THE BOOKWORM

Monday, January 5 – JOURNAL OF JAIDA

Tuesday, January 6 – KIM READS AND READS & LEXIJAVA

Wednesday, January 7 – BOOK DRAGON 217 & CAROL DOSCHER READER

Thursday, January 8 – BOOKS, WRITING AND MORE & READING ON THE BRINK

Friday, January 9 – REBEKAH DOLMAT & MELANN ROSENTHAL

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JUNE 2025 Virtual Book Tour for FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES by Leslie Gray Streeter!

A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing the past, and its secrets, head-on.

“Family & Other Calamities delivers exactly what I want when I sit down to read a novel. It has genuinely memorable characters, a fresh voice that kept me reading, lines that made me laugh out loud, and scenes that brought me to tears.” ―James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“a romp that plumbs emotional depths of family ties and what we sacrifice to follow our dreams. Streeter’s debut novel (succeeding the memoir, Black Widow, 2020) is a winner.” ―Booklist

“Family & Other Calamities is about love in many forms―family, friendship, and standing up for what is yours. Dawn Roberts is a funny and charming character you will want to root for. Streeter’s signature humor and charisma shine bright in this bighearted debut.” ―Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author

“A compelling story of truth, justice, and the American way. Leslie Streeter understands both the news business and the heartbreak business.” ―Josh Mankiewicz, correspondent for Dateline NBC

“Leslie Streeter’s dialogue is delightful. Even when the good times slam into bad times, her heroine holds on to her sense of humor and you won’t want to leave her side. As a bonus, this novel offers deep wisdom about being a journalist, so not only will you laugh―and be moved―but you will also learn how to be a better writer.” ―Nell Scovell, author of Just the Funny Parts

“Family & Other Calamities is vintage Leslie Gray Streeter: hilariously funny, and with a powerful emotional punch. It’s a deep study in the gifts we get from the people we love the most, even when we don’t always like them.” ―Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of Housemoms

An award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner, Leslie Gray Streeter knows a thing or two about chasing down a good story and scoring in-depth interviews with celebrities. In FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES (Lake Union Publishing; June 1, 2025), she has tapped into her years of experience in the biz to create a riotous, emotionally relatable novel about a Black woman journalist who is going through it all – grief, betrayal, family drama, long buried secrets, and so many carbs.

Fans of Jasmine Guillory, Candice Carty-Williams, and Dolly Alderton will delight in Gray Streeter’s fiction debut with a tell-it-like-it-is protagonist, an eclectic cast of endearing characters, and a wildly entertaining story you won’t soon forget.

To celebrate the publication of FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES, we are hosting a virtual book tour throughout June featuring this fabulous roster of book influencers. Follow along for plenty of laughs, reviews, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS!

Monday, June 2 – WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

Monday, June 2 – MY BURSTING BOOK BAG

Tuesday, June 3 – CASSIE’S BOOK REVIEWS

Tuesday, June 3 – STOREYBOOK REVIEWS

Wednesday, June 4 – DIVE INTO A GOOD BOOK

Thursday, June 5 – BOOKS N BIKRAM

Friday, June 6 – KIM READS AND READS

Saturday, June 7 – BOOKPHILE BELLE

Sunday, June 8 – PURRFECT PAGES

Sunday, June 8 – LOVE MY DANE DOLLY

Monday, June 9 – BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Tuesday, June 10 – KATIE NEEDS A BIGGER BOOKSHELF

Tuesday, June 10 – BOOKIN IT WITH AHTIYA

Wednesday, June 11 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Wednesday, June 11 – THE BOOK CLUB MOM

Thursday, June 12 – LOVE MY BOOKS 2020

Thursday, June 12 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

Friday, June 13 – ELLIOTT READS

Friday, June 13 – SUNFLOWER BOOK LOVER

Saturday, June 14 – WUTHERING VINES

Monday, June 16 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Tuesday, June 17 – BOOKS AND BIEWERS

Tuesday, June 17 – BOOKALONG

Wednesday, June 18 – MEG’S BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, June 18 – BEE IS FOR BOOKS

Thursday, June 19 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Friday, June 20 – 2 MANY BOOKS 2 LITTLE TIME

Friday, June 20 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Monday, June 23 – ARMED WITH A BOOK

Monday, June 23 – GLORIANA WONG

Tuesday, June 24 – JOURNAL OF JAIDA

Tuesday, June 24 – BLACK BIRACIAL AND BOOKISH

Wednesday, June 25 – JEN’S TOWERING TBR

Thursday, June 26 – BOOKAPOTAMUS

Friday, June 27 – NISSA THE BOOKWORM

Friday, June 27 – BOOKS AND THEMES

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Join bestselling author Ann Garvin for the August Virtual Book Tour on behalf of her wonderful novel, THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS

“The show must go on” takes on a whole new meaning for one single mom in a witty and emotional novel by the USA Today bestselling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work, a Good Morning America May ‘21 recommended book!

“Ann Garvin’s genius lies in creating endearing, authentic women in the throes of midlife, and
THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS is another gem. Just when Poppy Lively thinks her life has bottomed out, life throws her one more plot twist, and this fifty-year-old single mom digs deep in her own Midwest Nice way to finally become the hero of her own life. Readers will cheer for Poppy, and her little dog Kevin, too!” –Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of THE HOMEWRECKERS and co-host of Friends & Fiction

Fans of Nora Ephron, Amy Poeppel, Maria Semple, Dolly Alderton, and Laura Zigman will relish Ann Garvin’s eagerly anticipated new novel, THERE’S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS (Lake Union Publishing; August 1, 2023). Bankrupt, Midwestern, Poppy Lively is a stowaway on a Los Angeles movie set, where she must stay hidden & prove her worth—or risk her beloved daughter’s future.

It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS.

After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set. It’s a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy’s a capable person―how hard can a job in wardrobe be? It’s not like she has a choice; her life couldn’t get any worse. Even so, this Midwesterner has a lot to learn about the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and back-lot intrigue.

As a single mom, she’s rarely had time for watching movies, she doesn’t sew, and she doesn’t know a thing about dressing the biggest names in the business. Floundering and overlooked, Poppy has one ally: Allen Carol, an ill-tempered movie star taken with Poppy’s unfiltered candor and general indifference to stardom.

When Poppy stumbles upon corruption, she relies on everyone underestimating her to discover who’s at the center of it, a revelation that shakes her belief in humanity. What she thought was a way to secure a future for her daughter becomes a spotlight illuminating the facts: Poppy is out of her league among the divas of Tinseltown.

Poppy must decide whether to keep her mouth shut, as she’s always done, or with the help of a scruffy dog, show the moviemakers that they need her unglamorous ways, whether the superstars like it or not.

We have an enthusiastic group of bloggers who will be posting reviews, features, Q&As, excerpts and giveaways throughout August. We hope you will join us!

Tuesday, August 1 – BOOKAPOTAMUS

Wednesday, August 2 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Thursday, August 3 – BRIANA’S BEST READS

Friday, August 4 – NURSE BOOKIE

Monday, August 7 – BOOKS N YOGA PANTS

Tuesday, August 8 – BOOKS LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

Wednesday, August 9 – NIKKI H ROSE

Thursday. August 10 – THE BOOK CLUB MOM

Friday, August 11 – SECRET READING LIFE

Friday, August 11 – LITERARY QUICKSAND

Saturday, August 12 – PURRFECT PAGES

Sunday, August 13 – WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

Monday, August 14 – A BOOKWORM WITH WINE

Tuesday, August 15 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Wednesday, August 16 – TINA MAY READS

Thursday, August 17 – MRS BOOM READS

Friday, August 18 – THE BOOK LOVER BOOK CLUB

Friday, August 18 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Monday, August 21 – MEG’S BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, August 22 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

Wednesday, August 23 – MOMMA LEIGHELLEN’S BOOK NOOK

Thursday, August 24 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Friday, August 25 – READING WITH MELANN ROSENTHAL

Monday, August 28 – BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Tuesday, August 29 – ANDREA C. LOWRY READS

Wednesday, August 30 – TEE’S BOOK JOURNEY

Wednesday, August 30 – ANGELA READS BOOKS

Thursday, August 31 – BOOKS WITH BETHANY

Thursday, August 31 – BOOK OBSESSIONS LINDA

By otrpr 1 Comment

MAY 2023 Virtual Book Tour for WHERE WATERS MEET by Zhang Ling

Coming May 1, 2023 — A daughter discovers the dramatic history that shaped her mother’s secret life in an emotional and immersive novel by Zhang Ling, the bestselling author of A Single Swallow.

“This emotional and heartbreaking novel is a tale of courage, survival, and human resilience in the face of war and repression. Ling’s emotional story of a mother-daughter relationship will appeal to readers of Amy Tan, Xinran, and Jung Chung. ”—Booklist

“WHERE WATERS MEET brings us back to the turbulent decades in China where people fought one war after another, suffered famine, and endured political persecutions. However, instead of focusing on misery, Zhang Ling introduces us to those who defy their fates. They are brave enough to try sneaking across the border, determined enough to adopt a foreign tongue, and kind enough to care for their families no matter what. A true masterpiece filled with idiosyncratic yet admirable characters, suspenseful mystery, historical complexity, and ironic humor.” —Jianan Qian, O. Henry Prize winner and staff writer at The Millions

“I love this novel. It is an intriguing and moving story of a Chinese family who have survived terrible wartime sufferings. It reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit. —Xinran, author of The Good Women of China and The Promise

There was rarely a time when Phoenix Yuan-Whyller’s mother, Rain, didn’t live with her. Even when Phoenix got married, Rain, who followed her from China to Toronto, came to share Phoenix’s life. Now at the age of eighty-three, Rain’s unexpected death ushers in a heartrending separation. Struggling with the loss, Phoenix comes across her mother’s suitcase—a memory box Rain had brought from home. Inside, Phoenix finds two old photographs and a decorative bottle holding a crystallized powder. Her auntie Mei tells her these missing pieces of her mother’s early life can only be explained when they meet, and so, clutching her mother’s ashes, Phoenix boards a plane for China. What at first seems like a daughter’s quest to uncover a mother’s secrets becomes a startling journey of self-discovery.

Told across decades and continents, Zhang Ling’s exquisite novel is a tale of extraordinary courage and survival. It illuminates the resilience of humanity, the brutalities of life, the secrets we keep and those we share, and the driving forces it takes to survive.

We have lined up a group of highly regarded bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month May:

Monday, May 1 – NURSE BOOKIE

Tuesday, May 2 – PURRFECT PAGES

Wednesday, May 3 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Thursday, May 4 – LILACS AND LITERATURE

Friday, May 5 – READING WITH NICOLE

Monday, May 8 – BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Tuesday, May 9 – WHAT IS THAT BOOK ABOUT

Wednesday, May 10 – AIMEE DARS READS

Thursday. May 11 – TOTAHLY BOOKED

Friday, May 12 – MOMMA LEIGHELLEN’S BOOK NOOK

Saturday, May 13 – READING WITH MELANN ROSENTHAL

Monday, May 15 – BOOKOHOLIC CAFE

Tuesday, May 16 – THE MADDIE HATTER

Wednesday, May 17 – DAI 2 DAI READER

Thursday, May 18 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Friday, May 19 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Sunday, May 21 – ARMED WITH A BOOK

Monday, May 22 – WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

Tuesday, May 23 – LITERARY QUICKSAND

Wednesday, May 24 – THE BOOK CLUB MOM

Thursday, May 25 – TINA MAY READS

Friday, May 26 – GLORIANA WONG

Monday, May 29 – LEXIJAVA

Tuesday, May 30 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS