This is the second time on the hardcover fiction list for Andrews; her ‘08 title, Deep Dish also went on at #13 and stayed on the extended list for three more weeks.
Based on hold patterns in six large libraries we checked, Andrews is more popular in libraries than the titles that debuted at #2 and #4; The Fixer Upper had a total of 344 holds, while the others had around 315 each.
In USA Today, Jack Murnighan, author of Beowulf on the Beach, shows his readers advisory chops by making the case for the classics as the best beach reading (but, not Proust, actually; Remembrance of Things Past takes too much concentration).
Murnighan will make you want to pack Moby Dick in your beach bag (”one of the funniest books of all time”).
As we mentioned earlier, the book recently broke into Amazon’s top ten. It’s also climbing print lists, rising to its peak position after six weeks on the new USA Today list (#94). We hear it also rises on the 7/12 NYT Hardcover Fiction list to #12 (from #15).
Such slow-building titles are rare these days. Generally, books hit their peak in their first week on sale and then begin to slide, sometimes precipitously.
Reminder: Stockett will be at ALA, appearing at the ALTAFF Gala Author Tea (Monday, 2 to 4 p.m.) along with Lisa Scottoline, Jill McCorkle, Gillian Flynn and Jane Stanton Hitchcock.
She will also be at the Penguin booth, #2020 on Monday, July 13th, from 11:00 to noon. For the many authors appearing at the Penguin booth, check their full schedule.
In today’s Book Buzz column, USA Today point out that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, just published in trade paper, re-enters their list at #11. In hardcover, its highest spot was #32. The second book in the series, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo pubs at the end of the month.
Many libraries still have significant levels of reserves on Dragon Tattoo. In fact, in several libraries, reserves on Tattoo are running ahead of Fire.
The release of Fire will bring even more attention to the first book; it’s a good time to consider picking up additional copies in trade paper.
The press rarely reports on book deals in the making, so the amount of blow-by-blow coverage of James Frey shopping a six-book YA series is amazing.
But then, this wasn’t a run-of-the mill book deal. The film rights to the first book in the sold for a “high six figures” to Transformers director Michael Bay. MTV, based on the synopsis alone, has already declared that Frey has a Twilight-type hit in the making. At first, the book was shopped anonymously, adding a touch of intrigue.
It still remained to be seen who the publisher would be. Today, the NYT reports that HarperCollins Children’s Books bought the rights to I Am Number Four.
I was browsing the ALA program listings, when I discovered, somewhat buried in a list of panelists, the name Charlaine Harris. Yep; the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series (the basis for HBO’s hit True Blood) is on the paranormal panel. Below is the program description.
Sunday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm 74b
Things That Go Bump in the Stacks: Whole Collection Advisory for Paranormal Fiction Sunday, 10:30am – 12pm, McCormick Place West Come discuss best practices for helping patrons find paranormal materials they can really sink their teeth into. This program focuses on understanding the appeal of the genre and helping fans find materials throughout the library. Event panel moderated by Neil Hollands includes genre authors Charlaine Harris, Charlie Huston and Marjorie Liu.
Sunday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm McCormick Place West, W-190A
Things That Go Bump in the Stacks:
Whole Collection Advisory for Paranormal Fiction
Come discuss best practices for helping patrons find paranormal materials they can really sink their teeth into. This program focuses on understanding the appeal of the genre and helping fans find materials throughout the library. Event panel moderated by Neil Hollands includes genre authors Charlaine Harris, Charlie Huston and Marjorie Liu.
Harris will also be at the Penguin booth #2020 on Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 (see full Penguin booth schedule).
For more insight on the genre, check out Penguin’s “Project Paranormal.” It includes “What’s Next with Cindy Hwang,” Executive Editor, Berkeley Books, one of the pioneers in the genre, talking trends in the genre and several authors she regards as future stars.
My EarlyWord partner Fred Ciporen is an audiophile and a Barbara Rosenblat fanatic. I swear, the man sometimes choses to drive when it would make more sense to fly, just so he can listen to her.
So, I was pleased that not only has HighBridge Audio (this week’s sponsor), just released an audio version of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, but that Barbara Rosenblat is one of the two narrators. Give it a listen by clicking on the banner above; I think you’ll see why Fred is enamored.
It’s a timely release, since Newsweek just included The Elegance of the Hedgehog as one of the few newer titles on their What to Read. Right Now list. Even though the book was published in September, libraries are still showing long reserve lists.
A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned Homer’s Odyssey, a book about a blind cat and his effect on his owner, Gwen Cooper’s life.
Happily Jen Childs, from the wonderful library marketing team at Random House, is making galleys available for EarlyWord readers.
To enter to win a copy, just send an email to EarlyWord, with “I Want Homer” in the subject line, by 11:59 p.m, this Friday, July 3rd. Don’t forget to include your UPS shipping address (no P.O. box numbers), so Jen will know where to send your galley.
If you’re not one to leave things to chance and if you’re going to ALA, Random House will be giving away Homer galleys at their booth — #1834.
Many of you may know that there is at least one blind library cat. It happens she also has a Greek name, Nyx. She doesn’t have a book, but she does have a Web site; Nyx the Library Cat. One of her human companions, Ann Chambers Theis runs the Web site Overbooked.
NYT daily reviewer Dwight Garner (who recently moved over from the NYT BR) today writes what will the second entry in the EarlyWord 2009 “Review That Most Makes You Want to Read the Book” award (including, not only the honor, but a HUGE prize, yet to be determined). The first entry was also by Garner.
In his review, Garner sums up Last Journey by Darrell Griffin this way,
…the most honest and gripping accounts of the Iraq war have come from low-ranking soldiers, not from generals. Last Journey joins that small shelf of serious books, thanks to a father with a native gift for the English language, one who gave his son the greatest gift a father can give: his avid and appreciative attention.
Libraries have ordered in small quantities. The PW review was largely positive, but said,
Darrell Sr. overquotes his son’s grandiose and not always cogent ideas about religion, philosophy and politics. But when the book sticks to Skip’s everyday impressions of the conflict, it presents a harrowing, unsanitized vision of the war and the toll it takes on our soldiers
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