Archive for July, 2013

WALTER MITTY, First Trailer

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013

If you’ve had trouble imaging Zoolander as that epitome of milquetoasts, Walter Mitty, below is the first trailer for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, based on James Thurber’s 1939 short story.

The story  was also made into a 1947 movie starring Danny Kaye. Although this is often referred to as a remake of the  Kaye film, Stiller, who stars in and directs this version, says it has “its own tone.” One major difference from the previous movie; in this one, Mitty works for Life magazine, rather as a pulp-fiction writer.

The movie arrives in theaters this Christmas. Also in the cast are Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine, Kathryn Hahn, and Adam Scott.

New Hope for ARTEMIS FOWL Movie

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

Artemis Fowl   Artemis Fowl 2

Harvey Weinstein is reuniting with his old nemesis Walt Disney Studios (now under different leadership), for a live-action adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s fantasy novels for children, Artemis Fowl. As Variety notes, “Weinstein has been working on a bigscreen version of Artemis Fowl since 2000.”

The Last Guardian

The film will be based on the first two books in the series. MTV is already speculating on which young actors should be considered for the lead as the 12-year-old Artemis.

The eighth and final novel in the series, The Last Guardian(Disney Book Group), came out last year.

SAVING MR. BANKS

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

If, like P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, (HMH), you hate the sanitized Disney version of her heroine, then you may be looking forward to Emma Thompson’s portrayal of a prickly Travers, as she struggles against the charms of Tom Hanks’ Walt in the movie Saving Mr. Banks.

Mary Poppins She Wrote

The trailer claims the film is based on the “Untold True Story.” Perhaps this version has not been told, but others have. Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers, by Valerie Lawson (S&S, 2006), according to the Publishers Weekly review, details Travers’s “fussy movie negotiations with Walt Disney and the downplaying of her authorship in the 1964 hit film.” It is even being re-released with a note on the cover that it “Explores the events that inspired the major motion picture Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks.”

In “Becoming Mary Poppins,” published in The New Yorker in 2005prior to the opening of a theatrical version of Mary Poppins on Broadway (with a script by Downton Abbey‘s Julian Fellowes and judged to be a “faithful rendering of the books’ brisk and sophisticated comic sensibility”), Caitlin Flanagan writes that, far from trying to charm Travers, Disney didn’t even meet with her at first. Instead, he palmed her off on the two songwriters he had hired for an agonizing, week-long story meeting. He left town, going to a ranch in Palm Springs to “read scripts.”

When Travers confronted Disney after the movie’s premiere, to which she hadn’t even been invited, demanding some changes,

Disney looked at her coolly. “Pamela,” he replied, “the ship has sailed.” And then he strode past her, toward a throng of well-wishers, and left her alone, an aging woman in a satin gown and evening gloves, who had travelled more than five thousand miles to attend a party where she was not wanted.

For those who are only aware of the supercalifragilistic version of Mary Poppins, Saving Mr. Banks may shed new light on the original, but it is likely to be a rose-colored light. Saving Mr. Banks is, after all, a Disney movie.

The film premieres in limited release Dec. 13 and expands nationwide on Dec. 20.

Pennie Picks: THE ORCHARDIST

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

The OrchardistThe August pick by Costco’s book buyer, Pennie Ianniciello, featured in the Costco Connection, is a GalleyChat favorite from last year, The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (Harper; Thorndike Large Print; trade pbk released in March).

Ianniciello notes, “It would be easy for me to love this month’s book pick because it’s set in the Pacific Northwest or because it’s a fist novel. The truth is, I’m singing the praises of The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin, because it gets everything right.” The issue also features an interview with the author.

About a lonely widowed orchard owner whose life is transformed when two pregnant escapees from the local brothel appear on his farm, NPR called it “a stunning accomplishment, hypnotic in its storytelling power, by turns lyrical and gritty, and filled with marvels. Coplin displays a dazzling sense of craftsmanship, and a talent for creating characters vivid and true.”

Ianniciello has long been recognized in the book business for not only influencing sales, but for also picking debuts and below-the-radar titles, giving them a new life in trade paperback. Her July pick Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt, (RH/Dial, 6/19), also a debut, made its first appearance on the NYT bestseller list after she anointed it.

She’s not the only influential Costco buyer. The company’s wine buyer, Annette Alvarez Peters, rose to #4 on this year’s Decanter Magazine Power List, right behind Eric de Rothschild. Her story “Wine Meets Grill” also appears in the August issue of Costco Connection.

Holds Alert: THIS TOWN

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

After a slow start in libraries, holds are growing fast on This Town by Mark Leibovich, (Penguin/Blue Rider), which zoomed to #1 on the NYT Combined Nonfiction bestseller list this week, its first week on sale.

The author appeared on Comedy Central’s Daily Show last night. Host John Oliver, standing in for Jon Stewart, notes that the book is much more than a collection of gossipy stories about D.C. insiders.

Holds Alert, Deux: THE SILENT WIFE

Monday, July 29th, 2013

Silent WifeIf holds are any indication, and we believe they are, word of mouth is growing for The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison, (Penguin Trade Pbk original).

We issued a holds alert for it a few weeks ago, after he Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s reviewer Laura DeMarco declared it “Better Than Gone Girl,” bringing a surge of holds to area libraries and a ripple effect across the country. In the Huffington Post last week, HeadBulter.com’s Jesse Kornbluth, also makes that comparison, “If You Liked Gone Girl, You’ll Find Fresh Thrills in The Silent Wife.

Other than that, there hasn’t been much media attention in the U.S. [UPDATE: There was a bit more — one of the most thoughtful writers about mysteries, Sarah Weinman reviewed it in the New Republic as did Laura Miller in Salon]

The book has received attention, however, in the UK, with the The Guardian noting “The slow, murderous disintegration of a marriage is all too believable in ASA Harrison’s first – and final – novel.” The author, who died just before her debut novel was published, was Canadian and her book is reviewed widely in Canadian newspapers — The Globe and MailThe Winnipeg Free Press, The Vancouver Sun and The National Post.

It is an original trade paperback, making it easier to buy additional copies and an immediate book club candidate.

EAST END, Not EASTWICK

Monday, July 29th, 2013

Witches of Eastwick  Witches of East End

A new TV series, Witches of East End, based on the book of the same title by Melissa de la Cruz, debuts on Oct. 6 on Lifetime.

The title seems to have confused some TV critics at the Television Critics Association fall preview panel Friday, who remember the ABC series The Witches of Eastwick, which was based on the movie adapted from the John Updike novel of the same title (RH/Knopf, 1984).

For those who know the difference, TV Guide compares the correct book to the adaptation.

The Lifetime series stars Julia Ormond as Joanna Beauchamp. Entertainment Weekly offers a first look, with a photo of her in the role.

The novel, Witches of East End (Hyperion, 2011) is the first in a series that continues with Serpent’s Kiss (Hyperion, 2012) and the forthcoming Winds of Salem (Hyperion, 8/13/13).

Oscar Bait: PARKLAND

Monday, July 29th, 2013

A release date for the movie Parkland, based on Vincent Bugliosi’s book on the JFK assassination, Reclaiming History, (Norton, 2007), has been set for Sept. 20, a date regarded by Deadline as a bid for Oscar nominations (release was orginally planned for Nov. 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination). The movie  focuses on the chaos that ensued at Parkland Hospital in Dallas when Kennedy was brought there after the shooting. It is produced by Tom Hanks’ Playtone Partners. Stars include Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver and Paul Giamatti (as Abraham Zapruder, the man in the crowd who captured the assassination on his home movie camera).

The release date for the tie-in is now likely to be moved up.

Parkland (Movie Tie-In Edition)
Vincent Bugliosi
Trade paperback: $16.95
Norton, (2013-09-23)
ISBN / EAN: 0393347338 / 9780393347333

GONE GIRL Movie Finds Its Amy

Monday, July 29th, 2013

Gone GirlFormer Bond Girl, Rosamund Pike has accepted the lead role of Amy in David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (RH/Crown), opposite Ben Affleck, according to Entertainment Weekly. She most recently starred opposite Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher.

Dark Places

The film is expected to begin production in September, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, production for a film based on the author’s previous title, Dark Places (RH/Crown), starring Chloe Moretz and Nicholas Hoult, is expected to begin in August.

The Washington Post‘s Ron Charles interviewed Flynn last week, who talked about the moment she realized Gone Girl was a hit.

Holds Alert: ZEALOT

Monday, July 29th, 2013

ZealotAttention to Reza Aslan’s book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (Random House) blew up over the weekend after his appearance on the FoxNews.com show “Spirited Debate.” Host Lauren Green grilled Aslan about why, as a Muslim, he would write a book about Christ, to which Aslan replied, “I am a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and fluency in biblical Greek, who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, who also just happens to be a Muslim.”

People weighed in all weekend, with the New Yorker’s Emily Nussbaum tweeting that the interview was, “absolutely demented” but that Aslan “handled it with remarkable calm.”

The book debuted at #2 on the latest NYT Combined Print & E-book Nonfiction best seller list but this controversy has sent its sales even higher. It is now at #1 on Amazon’s sales rankings and holds are multiplying in libraries.

The author has appeared on several other shows, including NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

Kid’s New Title Radar, Week of 7/29

Friday, July 26th, 2013

A few highlights of the titles coming out next week are below. All of these, and more, are on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of 7/29

Picture Books

Good Night, Sleep Tight   Martin & Mahalia

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Mem Fox, Judy Horacek, Orchard Books

Picture book master, Mem Fox (Time for Bed) again teams up  with the illustrator of Where Are The Green?  creating the perfectly rhyming text for  story that will become another bedtime favorite.

Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, (Hachette/Little, Brown BYR)

“They were each born with the gift of gospel./Martin’s voice kept people in their seats, but also sent their praises soaring. /Mahalia’s voice was brass-and-butter – strong and smooth at the same time. /With Martin’s sermons and Mahalia’s songs, folks were free to shout, to sing their joy.”

Coretta Scott King winner Pinkney brings her storytelling voice to expressing the passion and commitment of two civil rights icons.

NOTE: The University of Minnesota, Children’s Literature Research Collections has been named the site for Andrea Davis Pinkney’s Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, which will be given on Saturday May 3rd, 2014.

Middle Grade

Goosebumps Frankenstein's Dog  9780545503273

Goosebumps Most Wanted #4: Frankenstein’s Dog, R.L. Stine, Scholastic Paperbacks

Since Scholastic re-launched the Goosebumps series with fresh packaging, the it has flying off the shelves.

The Hypnotists: Book 1, , Gordon Korman, Scholastic Press

This prolific author of high interest series provides fast-paced reads. This is the first in a new series.

Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Rise of a Legend, Kathryn  Lasky, Scholastic Press

Prequel to the popular series.

Young Adult

Earthbound   Seven Minutes in Heaven

Earthbound, Aprilynne Pike, Penguin/Razorbill

The perfect summer read, a supernatural romance that is the first in a new series from the  best-selling author of the Wings series.

The Lying Game #6: Seven Minutes in Heaven, Sara Shepard,

I know it sounds crazy, but this is the series that has librarians fighting over who gets the galley first. Addictive reading for the Pretty Little Liars fans.

New Title Radar, Week of July 29

Friday, July 26th, 2013

9780312583200   9780525953876-1

We’re light on brand names next week, but heavy on titles that arrive with high hopes (see our Watch List, below). In the former category, C.J. Box abandons his series character, Joe Pickett, for a moment, for a standalone titled The Highway, (Macmillan/Minotaur). Most of the prepub reviewers love it (Kirkus, PW, LJ, which gives it a star), with one holdout (Booklist; “the usually sure-handed author never quite gets our hearts racing”). Also pre-ordained as a best seller is the 15th in Linda Fairstein’s series, Death Angel.

All the titles highlighted here and several more, are listed on our downloadable spreadsheet, New Title Radar, Week of July 29

If you are interested in reading any of these titles, many of them are available as digital ARC’s on Edelweiss and NetGalley, but hurry, they are generally  removed on publication date.

Watch List

The Telling RoomThe Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese, Michael Paterniti, (RH/Dial; Brilliance Audio; Thorndike)

Chosen as a hot book of the summer by USA Today back in May and by librarians on the BEA Shout ‘n’ Share panel, (Doug Lord, LJ‘s “Books for Dudes” columnist went so far as to call it a “Gorgeously sexy story about a guy tracking down a magical cheese”), this is set to enjoy some major publicity; on NPR’s upcoming Weekend Edition Saturday and a major feature in the New York Times Magazine. Entertainment Weekly gives it an unequivocal A.

The Wicked GirlsThe Wicked Girls, Alex Marwood, (Penguin Books, Original Trade Pbk)

On the list of the Millions Most Anticipated titles,this novel is about two eleven-year-old girls who are involved in the death of a younger child and meet again as adults. The annotation notes,  “Alex Marwood is the pseudonym of British journalist Serena Mackesy, and The Wicked Girls is her dark and beautifully executed first novel.” It’s also a hit among librarians on GalleyChat; “very intriguing. Reminded me a little of the Anne Perry story.”

The Husband's SecretThe Husband’s Secret, Liane Moriarty, (Penguin/Putnam/Amy Einhorn; Thorndike)

The new title by author of book-club favorite What Alice Forgotgets  an A-  from Entertainment Weekly, which says “Despite its awkwardly soapy title and pink-petaled cover, The Husband’s Secret is a sharp, thoughtful read — a sneaky sort of wolf in chick-lit clothing. It’s also darker and less whimsical than the twinkly, rom-comish Alice,” but adds, “Moriarty ultimately can’t resist wrapping up her story lines with a bow that will probably feel too shiny and pink-petal neat for some. But you don’t need a husband or a secret to feel for her characters’ very real moral quandaries, and to want that shiny bow for them a little bit, too.”

9780062202352The Skull And The Nightingale, Michael Irwin, (HarperCollins/Morrow)

Entertainment Weekly is big with the accolades this week, handing out another A-  for this one and saying this “raunchy novel of sex and manipulation — set in 18th-century England — evokes Tom JonesThe Crimson Petal and the White, and Les Liaisons Dangereuses.”

Sea CreaturesSea Creatures, Susanna Daniel, (Harper)

Daniel impressed GalleyChatters with her debut, Stiltsville, a quiet story about a marriage that managed to seem very real. The book also won the PEN/Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and was a Barnes and Noble Discover pick. The author’s new book, set in the same area of South Florida, where the home are on stilts,  is again drawing raves from GalleyChatters for its “really complex and interesting” characters.

Thinking Woman's GuideThe Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic, Emily Croy Barker, (Penguin/Pamela Dorman)

An August IndieNext pick,which calls it “a beautifully written first novel [that] reverberates with echoes of fairy tales and fantasy literature from Narnia to Harry Potter,” this was one of our Penguin First Flights titles (see our online chat with the author here).

A Street Cat Named BobA Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life, James Bowen, (Macmillan/Thomas Dunne; Thorndike).

A best seller in the UK, this is a memoir by a London street musician, recovering from a heroin addiction, who rescues an ailing cat, which in turn, rescues him. If you want your heart warmed, check the photos from the story in London’s Daily Mail and the following book trailer (a movie deal has been discussed).

Going Deep: How Wide Receivers Became the Most Compelling Figures in Pro Sports, Cris Carter, (Hyperion)

Believe it or not, football season is around the corner. Carter is ESPN’s NFL analyst, so you can expect coverage on the network, beginning with Carter’s preview on the ESPN site.

Tie-ins

The Butler, Tie-inThe Butler: A Witness to History, Wil Haygood, (S&S/37 Ink)

The movie, which opens August 16, is based on Haygood’s Washington Post story, now released as a book. The movie, which stars  Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker (plus Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan!) will be getting plenty of media attention, beginning with this week’s Washington Post Magazine cover story, written by Haygood.

Masters of SexMasters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love, Thomas Maier, (Basic Books)

A Showtime series, beginning Sept. 29, is based on Maier’s book, which received praise when it was released, particularly for bringing deserved attention to Virginia Johnson’s role in the groundbreaking research into human sexuality.

Paranoia, Joseph Finder, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s;  Trade pbk;  Mass Mkt pbkMacmillan/Audio)

Opening August 16, the movie ada[tatopm of Finder’s thriller stars Harrison Ford, Liam Hemsworth, and Amber Heard.

LibraryReads; Nominate Your Favorites

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

Library-Reads-Logo

The deadline for nominations for the inaugural LibraryReads list is August 2, a week from Friday. If you haven’t already, submit your nominations for forthcoming books (titles published in late August and beyond) that you loved reading and cannot wait to share!

The ten books that get the most nominations will be featured on the list. Participation is open to everyone who works in a public library, both senior staff and new arrivals, no matter which area of the library you work in. The more the merrier – LibraryReads is designed to be inclusive, and to represent a broad range of reading tastes.

LibraryReads is using Edelweiss as the platform to gather nominations. If you don’t already have an active account, you can sign up for free on the site. After you’ve registered, enter each title you want to nominate into the search box, click on “Your Review” on the title page. A new window will open, with a place to write your review and to “Submit to LibraryReads.” Much more info on the nomination process is available on the LibraryReads Tumblr site.

Please also encourage fellow library staff to nominate their favorites.

Help LibraryReads prove how effective libraries are in helping readers discover books.

Look to Last Summer for the Hot Titles of This Summer

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

The media has made several stabs at divining what will be the surprise hit of the summer, but a “debut” mystery that was released in April got by everyone, until the author’s true name was revealed.

The ebook version of  The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka, J.K. Rowling) (Hachette/Mulholland) shoots to #1 on the new USA Today best seller list.

Meanwhile, some of the hot books of this summer were actually published last year.

The leader, of course, is Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, (RH/Crown), now at #7 after 58 weeks on the NYT hardcover best seller list (a paperback release date still hasn’t been announced). Most libraries have whittled down the wait time for it to just a few weeks and a couple have practically, but not quite, wiped out holds by buying over 650 copies. Holds also continue on Flynn’s earlier titles, Sharp Objects and Dark Places (the movie adaptation of the latter may make it to screens before Gone Girl. Reports say filming is set to begin next month with stars Charlize Theron, Chloe Moretz, and Nicholas Hoult).

Three other surprise hits from last summer have been on the trade paperback list since their spring release in that format  and continue to show holds in libraries.

Beautiful Ruins, Trade Pbk.   Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Trade Pbk   The Light Between Oceans, Trade Pbk

Beautiful RuinsJess Walter, (Harper Perennial) — Note that the audio (HarperAudio), which was declared the best of the year by Audible, is also showing holds.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette, (Hachette/Back Bay; Hachette Audio; Thorndike)

The Light Between Oceans, M.L. Stedman (S&S/Scribner; Thorndike)

Live On-Line Chat with Emily Croy Barker

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

One of today’s chat participants noted “I’m a long-time lover of fantasy; this book has gone onto my list of keepers–books you read more than once. Am thrilled there will be more!”

Read more, below: