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Published by CBS News NY
Mary Calvi hosts the book club where you pick what we read next. Club Calvi chooses three new fiction titles. Readers vote to decide the winner and then can engage with the author by asking their most burning questions in a monthly meetup. Every week, Mary talks with authors about their research, writing process, the journey to being published, and with book lovers about their favorite reads.
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35 years after Michael Connelly's first book, and after more than 92 million books sold, Connelly is taking his signature character Harry Bosch back to his roots. Mary Calvi talks to Connelly about his new book, "The Hollow," which he says he's waited decades to write. Bosch investigates the 40-year-old mysterious death of a boy Bosch knew when he was a ward of the state at MacLaren Children's Center. It was an actual center for foster children in Los Angeles County, California, with many claims of abuse against it. Connelly was a reporter in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 1990s when there were many investigations into MacLaren. It was closed in 2003. Connelly tells Mary about his visits to the facility, and about a 2025 news story that prompted him to write "The Hollow." Connelly also talks about his early days. He shares that when he was a teenager, he witnessed part of a crime and spent the night at police station talking to detectives. The experience sparked his fascination with true crime and crime fiction. Connelly also reveals the number one demand from readers about Harry Bosch. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted from THE HOLLOW by Michael Connelly. Copyright © 2026 by Hieronymus, Inc. Used with permission of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Readers have gone five years without a new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas. Now the wait is over. Mary Calvi talked to Kleypas about her new novel "Queen of Lombard Street." The book is historical fiction set in Victorian London where a female economist is determined to open a bank for women, but a mysterious man may destroy her dream. Kleypas told Mary that after a successful career writing dozens of historical romances, a health scare prompted her to step out of her comfort zone and take a risk. In 2020, Kleypas discovered a lump in her throat. She says her recovery and isolation during COVID pushed her toward an exhilarating challenge. She says in "Queen of Lombard Street" there is a strong romance, but the point is not whether the couple gets together. Kleypas says she is grateful for the support from her readers, calling them phenomenal. ClubCalvi.com Audio Excerpt from QUEEN OF LOMBARD STREET by Lisa Kleypas. Copyright © 2026 by Lisa Kleypas. By Permission of Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Renée Watson, an award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for children and young people, tells Mary Calvi that each of her novels is her way of having a conversation with her readers as they navigate life. Watson says she wants to give them a space to process their thoughts and emotions. Her new book, "Everything New Again," is about first love. It also explores the complexities in some relationships between children and their parents, and the idea of home. Watson has written 20 books with more than one million copies sold. Her previous book, the middle grade novel "All The Blues in the Sky," won the Newbery Medal. It's considered one of the highest honor in children's literature. Watson shared her reaction when she got the phone call from the medal committee about the win. She also told Mary about how her experiences as a child, and her conversations with the many young people she's mentored and met, inspire her stories. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Bloomsbury Children's Books Audio from EVERYTHING NEW AGAIN by Renée Watson, excerpt read by Bahni Turpin. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Calvi talks to Bonnie Garmus about her second novel "Peck & Peck," one of the most anticipated books of the year, and her follow-up to her blockbuster debut book "Lessons in Chemistry." Released in 2022, "Lessons in Chemistry" was on the New York Times bestselling list for 99 weeks, sold 9 million copies globally, and was adapted into a streaming series. Garmus told Mary how she handled the challenges of writing "Peck & Peck" after "Lessons in Chemistry," how she dealt with dozens of rejections at the beginning of her writing career, how "Peck & Peck" is her call to action for careers in the arts, and the power of poetry. ClubCalvi.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amy Chozick talks with Mary Calvi and answers questions from readers about her debut novel "With Friends Like You." The psychological thriller was voted a Club Calvi Readers' Choice. It's about an overwhelmed and lonely new mother in Manhattan who believes the answer to all of her problems is finding her college roommate who disappeared 15 years prior into the world of adult entertainment. Club Calvi readers loved the novel's jaw-dropping twist. Chozick also talked about the screenplay she wrote for a planned movie adaptation of "With Friends Like You," and her other projects including writing and executive producing a planned streaming series based on the book "The Nanny Diaries." ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from WITH FRIENDS LIKE YOU by Amy Chozick, read by Ellen Adair. Amy Chozick ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amanda Peters achieved bestselling and award-winning success with her first book, "The Berry Pickers." She talked with Mary Calvi about her new novel "The Birthing Tree." It's about a woman who returns to her Indigenous community after years away, and who learns the truth behind family secrets and reconnects with her family's lineage and customs. Peters told Mary about her personal inspiration for writing the story, and how she puts some of her own characteristics in her characters. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters, read by Julia Ulayok Davis. © 2026 Amanda Peters, ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 years ago, the daytime drama "All My Children" was cancelled ending Susan Lucci's iconic, 41-year portrayal as Erica Kane. It was one of the most famous roles on television. Lucci would continue to have success on screen and stage. At her side was her beloved husband of five decades, Helmut Huber. He died in 2022. Marry Calvi talks to Lucci about her recent memoir, "La Lucci," in which she shares her deeply personal journey of overcoming grief and how she found her way into the light. Lucci also talked about how growing up and continuing to live in her hometown of Garden City, Long Island, grounds her, her gratitude to her friends, finally winning a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Actress on her 19th nomination for playing Erica Kane, and how she almost didn't take the role. ClubCalvi.com Audio Excerpt from La Lucci by Susan Lucci with Laura Morton. Used with the permission of the publisher, Blackstone Publishing. Copyright © 2026 by SL Enterprises of New York, Ltd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Calvi talks with New York Times bestselling author Ariel Lawhon about her new historical adventure novel "The Pirate Queen," and about the compelling character Lawhon calls "ferocious." "The Pirate Queen" is one of the most anticipated books of the year, and Lawhon's latest after her 2023 novel "The Frozen River" spent weeks on bestseller lists. "The Pirate Queen" is based on the legendary life of Grace O'Malley, an Irish chieftain and privateer who fought for her clan and who is omitted from official Irish history. Lawhon reveals to Mary the moment, during a trip to Ireland, that she felt connected to O'Malley, and how "savage" she decided to make O'Malley as she faced violent challenges. Lawhon also explains how she lays herself bare on the page and how there's a little bit of her in her characters. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from THE PIRATE QUEEN by Ariel Lawhon, excerpt read by Tara Flynn. Ariel Lawhon ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Harlan Coben, the New York Times bestselling author of three dozen novels, with 100 million books in print, and more than a dozen of his thrillers adapted for the screen, talks to Mary Calvi about his memoir on writing, get ready to take notes. Coben shares with Mary his personal and professional journey, his early struggles, his creative process, and his straightforward rules for creating. He tells Mary why he doesn't accept the excuse from aspiring authors that there's no time to write, why he says research is secondary, and how he practiced "incremental ambition." He talks about why he didn't immediately give up his full-time job, the breakout book that changed everything, the questions he asks himself while writing, and how fame can mess with your head. Coben also gives Mary a preview of what to expect on the next season of "Harlan Coben’s Final Twist," a true-crime docuseries on CBS where he compares and contrasts real-life cases to his fictional stories. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted from PLOT TWIST: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing by Harlan Coben, published on September 8, 2026. Copyright © 2026 by Harlan Coben. Used by arrangement with Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brenda Janowitz is an author very familiar to Club Calvi. Her previous novel "The Audrey Hepburn Estate" was a Club Calvi Readers' Choice in 2023. Mary Calvi talked to Janowitz about her new book, the young adult novel "The Introvert's Guide to Kissing in Europe." It's a coming of age story that may have adults remembering their first love and kisses. The book follows Emily, a high school valedictorian from Long Island who has always worked to be perfect, and who takes a gap year to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother. Along the way, Emily learns to step out of her shell with a new best friend while meeting plenty of boys. Janowitz told Mary that she used her own gap semester in Europe, and her relationship with her grandmothers, as inspiration. clubcalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Disney Hyperion Digital from THE INTROVERT'S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE by Brenda Janowitz, excerpt read by Gilli Messer. Brenda Janowitz ℗ 2026 Melissa de la Cruz Studio. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jean Kwok shares with Mary Calvi how an emotionally difficult time in her life led to her writing her first novel of romantic fantasy, "Dominion," and her initial struggles in crafting the book's spicy scenes. Kwok is known for her works of literary fiction, including her previous novel "The Leftover Woman," which was a 2023 Club Calvi Top 3 FicPick, and her bestsellers "Girl in Translation" and "Searching for Sylvie Lee." "Dominion" is about a young woman with amnesia living in a land that's not her own, who encounters a fierce warrior as demons threaten to destroy everything. The book is the first in a planned trilogy, and Kwok reveals details about the upcoming sequel. clubcalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from DOMINION by Jean Kwok, excerpt read by Annie Q. Riegel. Jean Kwok ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Calvi talks to Charles Lachman about his latest nonfiction book that reads like a page-turning thriller. He told Mary that "They Shall Not See the Dawn" is the untold story about the greatest manhunt in history. The book follows a little-known unit of the US Army called the Counter Intelligence Corps, the so-called "G-men in khakis," in a race against time during World War II to track down Adolf Hitler's Nazi henchmen before they vanished or raised a new resistance. Lachman reveals the fascinating details about these agents, which included college students, linguists, and refugees, determined to bring the notorious war criminals to justice at the Nuremberg trials. Lachman is the executive producer of Inside Edition, which has the same parent company as CBS New York. ClubCalvi.com Audiobook from "They Shall Not See the Dawn" by Charles Lachman, published by Diversion Books, an division of Diversion Publishing Corps. Copyright © 2026 by Charles Lachman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Calvi talks to Chris Bohjalian about his new novel "The Amateur," which became an instant New York Times bestseller. The book opens with golf prodigy Mira Winston hitting a shot that kills a young caddie on a golf course in Westchester County. Her life unravels after the tragedy. Bohjalian told Mary that he uses elements of his personal life in his characters, and he shared the surprising ones he included in writing about Mira and the teen who died. In fact, Bohjalian says he didn't intend for the book to be about Mira, but two sentences changed his mind. Bohjalian has written more than two dozen books, and he says he never outlines his stories. Instead, there's one activity that helps him figure out what happens next. clubcalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from THE AMATEUR by Chris Bohjalian, read by Melora Hardin. Chris Bohjalian ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray talk with Mary Calvi and answer questions from readers about their latest novel "A Pair of Aces." It was voted a Readers' Choice for Club Calvi, and was Benedict and Murray's third book together and third bestseller. Their previous novels were "The Personal Librarian" and "The First Ladies." In "A Pair of Aces," Benedict and Murray reimagine the story of how Eunice Carter, New York's first female Black prosecutor, came up with the strategy to bring down the powerful mob boss Lucky Luciano in the 1930s. In the book, she teams up with the infamous madam Polly Adler. Mary talked with Benedict and Murray about how they discovered the story, how they split the research and writing, and whether one has veto power over the other. ClubCalvi.com Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from A PAIR OF ACES by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, excerpt read by Barrie Kreinik. Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
John Searles is known as a bestselling author of suspenseful thrillers, but he told Mary Calvi that his new novel of dramatic fiction is one that he's wanted to write for years. In the 1990s, Searles was hired by legendary magazine Editor-In-Chief Helen Gurley Brown to work at Cosmopolitan magazine. He stayed there for more than 20 years and became a top editor. His new book, "Single Girls," reimagines Brown in the 1960s, fresh off the success of her book "Sex and the Single Girl," and tasked with turning around the failing Cosmopolitan. She and her female team produced a daring publication, with shocking stories for the times, that challenged society's norms for women and changed culture. Searles told Mary that "Single Girls" is his love letter to Brown and women's magazines. He also shared the harsh note that he accidentally received after an early book was rejected, and how it propelled his writing career. ClubCalvi.com Audio From SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles. Copyright © 2026 by John Searles. Reprinted by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Abigail Savitch-Lew took a long, deep dive researching the history of her family and the history of a community in Brooklyn to write her debut novel "Livonia Chow Mein." She spent a decade crafting the story of a Chinese family who owns a restaurant in Brownsville and the restaurant's impact on Black and Jewish residents over the course of 100 years. The novel explores how the changing times impact each generation of the family and the wellbeing of the neighborhood. "Livonia Chow Mein" received starred reviews and it was voted a Club Calvi Readers' Choice. Savitch-Lew talked with Mary and answered questions from readers about what she learned about relations among people from different cultures, prejudice, and how residents and other writers were crucial to her storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Daniel Silva is on a publishing streak that most authors can only dream about: all of his novels have been New York Times and international bestsellers. He talked to Mary Calvi about his latest book, "Ransom," his 29th novel and the 26th featuring Gabriel Allon, the art restorer and master spy who is pulled back into the life he thought he left behind. In Allon, Silva created one of the most popular characters in contemporary fiction. But Silva told Mary that as he's writing, he keeps his stories secret from everyone but his wife. "Ransom" centers on the disappearance of the wife of a British billionaire, melding kidnapping and global intrigue with security threats facing the world today. Silva talked with Mary about his rigorous writing habits to publish a new book every July and how he treasures meeting readers on his book tours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One year before thieves in 2025 staged a brazen robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Jo Piazza had already finished the final draft of her latest novel "The Parisian Heist." Piazza told Mary that the book was born from her love of art, her discovery of the largely forgotten woman who created the legacy of Vincent van Gogh after his death, and her love of heist movies. Piazza is known for her books including "Everyone is Lying to You," "The Sicilian Inheritance," and "We are Not Like Them." In "The Parisian Heist," she crafts a dual-timeline mystery: one story involves an art student in Paris who works as a housekeeper for a billionaire family of art dealers; the other story is 100 years early involving Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law, Jo, who, after the deaths of her husband and brother-in-law, is destitute, with hundreds of Vincent's paintings that art buyers consider worthless. Jo van Gogh shaped the legend of Vincent's life to save her family and elevate his art. Jo Piazza told Mary how her love for van Gogh's paintings led to her discovery of Jo van Gogh, and how she wanted to bring Jo van Gogh's legacy out of the shadows. ClubCalvi.com: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/book-club/ Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from THE PARISIAN HEIST by Jo Piazza, excerpt read by Brittany Pressley. Jo Piazza ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily Giffin's novels are usually among the most popular books of summer, and her new book will have readers talking. "Love You More" asks the question: if you could have a "do-over" when it comes to love, would you take it? The book is about a woman in New York City who seems to be living her perfect life, with a dream job and dream fiancé. But then she gets a phone call from her first love, and her world is turned upside down. Giffin talked with Mary about crossroads in life that force people to ask if they are living the life they chose, or the life that chose them. Giffin said she believes in true love and that circumstances change. She shared that circumstances in her own life are undergoing big changes as well. Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from LOVE YOU MORE by Emily Giffin, read by Jessica Luza. © 2026 Emily Giffin, ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the U.S. celebrates its 250th year of independence and its founding fathers, a new book celebrates a founding mother. Authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie talked with Mary about "A Founding Mother," their novel based on the life of Abigail Adams. She was the wife of one American president and the mother of another. As an important advisor to both men, Adams has a unique place in American history. During most of the American Revolution, Adams was alone with her children on the front lines of the war in Massachusetts. She managed the Adams farm, while also defending it. Adams was a prolific correspondent and Dray and Kamoie told Mary how they used her letters in their manuscript to allow her to speak for herself. The authors said Adams's directness surprised them. Dray and Kamoie have co-authored historical fiction novels about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton, and Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter. Kamoie says Adams is a contrast to her contemporaries who are not as forthright and opinionated as Adams and that was a delight to write. Audio Excerpt from "A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams," by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. William Morrow, 2026. ClubCalvi.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Observed November 3, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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