Archive for October, 2014

Ten Titles to Make You
An R.A. Guru, Week of Nov. 3

Friday, October 31st, 2014

The big fall book season is winding down, but there’s several LibraryReads picks to recommend … It’s been a busy season for offbeat celebrity memoirs … next week two older-school variety make their debuts.

All the titles covered here, and several more notable titles arriving next week, are listed, with ordering information and alternate formats, on our downloadable spreadsheet, EarlyWord New Title Radar, Week of 11/3/14

Holds Leaders

9780316225939_36eef  9781419711893_43992

The Burning Room, Michael Connelly, (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Large Print; Hachette Audio), OverDrive Sample

The latest thriller to feature Connelly’s favorite character, Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, is one of the last adult titles of the fall season to be drawing heavy prepublication holds (still to come Stephen King’s Revival, next week and James Patterson’s Alex Cross novel, Hope to Die, Nov. 24). Bosch is about to get his screen debut in Amazon’s 10-part series, Bosch coming mid-February (the pilot is available free online now). Connelly talks about the show in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. Readers advisory: the 11/7 issue of Entertainment Weekly revisits all of Connelly’s books in a “Binge” (not online yet) which includes a list of the essential titles for newcomers. A bit of “Connelly Trivia,” his book The Overlook is dedicated to “the librarian who gave me To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Jeff Kinney, (Abrams/Amulet; Recorded Books)

The publisher says the latest in this mega-selling series will have a 5.5 million–copy first printing (remember when the 100,000 copy printing of the first Harry Potter title was considered a big gamble?)

LibraryReads Picks

In addition to The Burning Roomthe following LibraryReads picks for November: are coming out next week:

9780802123213_9bab5 9780547628400_cfcaf 9780393245622_9c012

Mermaids in Paradise, (Norton; Dreamscape Audio)

“This delightful book starts out as almost chick-lit, turns into a fantasy adventure, then leads into an underdog heist. The tone reminds me of Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens, with just enough absurdity in a tropical location to keep you on your toes. Protagonist Deb’s husband, Chip, is a total babe (in a nerdy way) and her BFF, Gina, is the best kind of snarky. A highly entertaining read!” — Amanda Monson, Bartow County Library System, Cartersville, GA — Also on the 11/9 Entertainment Weekly “Must List”

Mortal Heart, Robin LaFevers, (HMH Books for Young Readers; Recorded Books), OverDrive Sample

“Annith has been forbidden from leaving the convent of St. Mortain, so she breaks the rules to find out why. On her journey, she meets someone unexpected: the leader of the Hellequin, a group of dead souls repenting for their past wrongs and trying to track down those who are left wandering the earth in order to help them cross over. This is the best of all three books!”00 Hannah Berry, Aurora Public Library, Aurora, IL

The Forgers, Bradford Morrow, (Mysterious Press: Highbridge Audio)

“Narrator Will and Adam Diehl have something in common: they are both forgers, able to produce and sell authentic-looking inscriptions of Arthur Conan Doyle and Henry James’ books. When Adam is found bludgeoned and missing his hands, Will is inevitably drawn into the murder investigation. The clues and horror mount until realization bursts upon the reader at the end.” — Nancy Russell, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH

Eye On

9781476757889_1a4ff

Science…For Her!, Megan Amram, (S&S/Scribner), OverDrive Sample

“If you love feminism, hate ’50s gender norms, and find the tone of women’s magazines maddening, then you will love Megan Amram’s upcoming satirical book,” says Salon. One of the writers for NBC’s Parks and Recreation and a Twitter star, she is featured in New York Magazine and the book is one of three People picks for the week (of course, she posted the page on Twitter)

Sure to Get Review Attention

9780061692062_eba89  9780307911605_1d0af

Let Me Be Frank With You: A Frank Bascombe Book, Richard Ford, (Harper/Ecco; HarperLuxe; HarperAudio), OverDrive Sample

Since we’re being frank, Richard Ford is one of the inspirations for EarlyWord. When I was a fledgling collection development librarian, his first Frank Bascome book, The Sportswriter, was published. The prepub reviews just didn’t sound that good, so I skipped it. One day, my boss came in brandishing a glowing Time magazine review and asked how many copies we had bought.  A great lesson about staying on top of what influences your readers (not to mention your bosses). The author is profiled in the Wall Street Journal and much more will be coming.

A Map of Betrayal, Ha Jin, (RH/Pantheon; Recorded Books), OverDrive Sample
The winner of the 1999 National Book Award for Waiting, the author’s new book is scheduled for coverage by NPR Weekend All Things Considered on 11/8 and he New York Times Book Review, 11/9.

Celeb Memoirs

9780451468680_cb42e  9781476797427_9d5d1

True Love, Jennifer Lopez, (Amor Verdadero, Penguin/Celebra)

Making headlines because, Lopez reveals she has been the victim of abuse (People magazine and the New York Daily News).

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, Sophia Loren, (S&S/Atria), OverDrive Sample

Photos from the book are featured in Entertainment Weekly, 11/7/14. Upcoming coverage:

USA Today feature, November 4

ABC-TV/’Good Morning America,’ November 12

ABC News-TV/’Nightline, November 14

New York Times Book Review, December 7

Tie-ins

9780812987119_d630a  9781250066619_9de66

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand, (Random House Trade Paperbacks; the RH Audio is also being released with tie-in cover)

It may seem that the whole world has read Unbroken, but copies are still circulation from libraries. The movie, directed by Angelina Jolie, arrives this Christmas.

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant, (Macmillan/Picador)

The book club favorite gets a stunning new cover for the tie-in to the Lifetime two-parter, scheduled for 12/7 and 12/8/14,

From PP&Z To Bradbury

Friday, October 31st, 2014

9780380977277_18bf9The new Disney adaptation of  the 1962 Ray Bradbury classic, Something Wicked This Way Comes (1999 hardcover reissue, Harper Voyager), has just completed the next step in becoming reality, with the hiring of a screenwriter.

It is set to be directed by first-timer Seth Grahame-Smith, who, as an author, has seen other directors adapt two of his books,  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, to midlling success and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which languished in  development for years until it finally began filming in September (see Entertainment Weekly‘s “first look”).

When the Bradbury project was first announced earlier this year, Grahame-Smith told Deadline, “I have been so crazy about this book, and it was such a formative title in my life that I actually wrote a piece on NPR about why it is so important for young males to read,”

Disney has adapted it before, into a 1983 movie, starring Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd and Pam Grier. Grahame-Smith said he doesn’t intend to remake that movie, “I want the haunted atmosphere that makes the book so chilling, and I want to reinstate some of the classic scenes from the book that were missing from the ’83 film.”

 

NYT BOOK REVIEW’s
Best Illus. Books 2014

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

 

 

The New York Times Book Review‘s annual selection of the ten best illustrated books, chosen this year by judges Jennifer M. Brown, director of the Center for Children’s Literature at the Bank Street College of Education, and author/illustrators Brian Floca and Jerry Pinkney, has just been released online, in the form of a slideshow, with interior illustrations (our slideshow of the covers, above). The printed list will appear in the 11/9 issue.

Our downloadable spreadsheet rounds up the childrens and YA best books picks to date, 2014-Best-Books-Childrens-and-YA-V.2

LIVE CHAT with Michelle Cuevas
and Lisa Von Drasek

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Live Blog Live Chat with Michelle Cuevas, BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY
 Live Chat with Michelle Cuevas, BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY(10/29/2014) 
4:42
Nora - EarlyWord: 

We will begin our live online chat with Michelle Cuevas, author of the middle grade novel, Beyond the Laughing Sky, in about 15 minutes

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:42 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here's the cover of the book:
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord
4:46
Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:46 
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Beyond the Laughing Sky has also been released in audio by Listening Library. Here’s a clip:

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:47
Laughing Sky Audio Clip  Play
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:47 
4:49
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The prepub reviews have been very strong. Below is the one from Kirkus:

Nashville, who has qualities both human and birdlike, feels compelled to follow his avian destiny. The storytelling is folksy, poetic and seductive, beginning, "Nashville and his family lived in a house perched in the branches of the largest pecan tree in the village of Goosepimple." Little by little, readers learn how Nashville, unlike his adoring younger sister, Junebug, was hatched from an egg. He has a beak and feathers but, alas, no wings. Morstad's illustrations support the funnier details, including the dinner-table "perch swings" that Nashville's mother has installed "to make Nashville more comfortable" as he eats his seeds while his family eats typical human fare. The deadpan humor of Flat Stanley is invoked when Nashville's parents take him for his annual physical examination--at the veterinarian's office. In added playfulness, said vet is Dr. Larkin; the village teacher is Miss Starling. This allegory of growing up and finding one's figurative wings is told sweetly and without great angst, despite inclusions of such subjects as school bullying and Nashville's empathetic but highly illegal pet-store shenanigans. Yet there is an underlying melancholy throughout, somewhat mitigated by the possibility of future communications from the appealing bird-boy. "There's things you've seen and things you may not have, but there ain't nothing that's impossible, sugar," says a village widow; readers will end the book with a new sense of possible. (Magical realism. 8-11)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:49 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see chat participants gathering.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Michelle before the end of the chat
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 

A MAJOR ground rule – no need to apologize for typos!

Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:53
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Signing in from the north country!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Sally, Mich.
4:53
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Hi! Looking forward to the chat.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Kathy C.
4:53
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
Hi, Michelle. Thanks for doing this!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:53 Andrea
4:58
[Comment From Judy P.Judy P.: ] 
I may just be lurking (I’ve got desk duty), but wanted to say hi and thanks for the book
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:58 Judy P.
4:58
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
Looking forward to chatting.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 4:58 Sarah G.
5:00
Michelle Cuevas: 
Hi everyone, thanks for having me! I’m Michelle, author and member of the 2014 “Books about Birds” Club!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:00 Michelle Cuevas
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Hi Michelle. And our moderator is Lisa Von Drasek, head of the Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries (and EarlyWord kids Correspondent). Chat participants -- you can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and she’ll submit as many of them as we can to Michelle before the end of the chat.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Say hi, Lisa!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Hi Michelle,
Its good to hear direct from the author about the book
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:01
lisa von drasek: 
Lets get started....
Michelle can you say a few words about the genesis of this book? Nashvile's origin story?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
The genesis of this book… it actually started as a short story I wrote, which is now Chapter Five, The Welcome Cake…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
…The story ended with a man and wife finding a baby in an egg. I found myself wondering, “Well, who did he become?”
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:02
Michelle Cuevas: 
...and of course he became Nashville.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:02 Michelle Cuevas
5:03
[Comment From Jackie M.Jackie M.: ] 
Hi, Michelle -- Love Nashville!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:03 Jackie M.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Thanks Jackie!
  Michelle Cuevas
5:03
lisa von drasek: 
Can you say a something about that magical realism element?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:03 lisa von drasek
5:04
Michelle Cuevas: 
I think magical realism was a way for me to explore the idea of being a misfit…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:04 Michelle Cuevas
5:04
Michelle Cuevas: 
… a reader may be experiencing bullying, but not for being part bird. I think it’s a way to emotionally explore those feelings without it being a technical match to the reader’s experience.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:04 Michelle Cuevas
5:05
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
The illustrations are great. What was it like working with an illustrator?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Kathy C.
5:05
Michelle Cuevas: 
Also I just plain love magical realism!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Michelle Cuevas
5:05
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
I gota say -- just looking at your photo -- I can't imagine you were EVER a misfit!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:05 Sarah G.
5:06
Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 
5:06
Michelle Cuevas: 
That band photo was to the misfit question...haha
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 Michelle Cuevas
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
Band nerd?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
Michelle Cuevas: 
Only for nine or ten years...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:06 Michelle Cuevas
5:07
lisa von drasek: 
I admire the relationship between Nashville and Junebug. Do you have siblings?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:07 lisa von drasek
5:07
[Comment From YolandaYolanda: ] 
Was the short story you mention for adutls or kids? and why do you write for kids?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:07 Yolanda
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Yolanda, t was in graduate school and for adults, strangely enough.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:08
Michelle Cuevas: 
I do have siblings… three brothers -- one older and two younger half brothers. They’re great, looked out for me while also teasing, ha.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:08 Michelle Cuevas
5:08
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
This may sound stupid, but thanks for a short book – I can’t tell you how often kids (and, yes, their parents) ask for short books! Were you conscious of that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:08 Andrea
5:10
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, on that not- the rich juicy language and lyrical sentences produced sentences that are a joy to read aloud. Do you read aloud your work as you revise?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:10 lisa von drasek
5:11
Michelle Cuevas: 
I do. During graduate school I lived in a cabin in the woods and I'd sit on the porch and read aloud to whatever critters were lurking. Sometimes when I need extra confidence I read in a cheesy British accent. Everything sounds much more polished that way.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:11 Michelle Cuevas
5:12
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
I so agree with you, Lisa, about the "rich juicy language"!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:12 Andrea
5:12
lisa von drasek: 
What does your typical writing day look like?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
A typical writing day… I wake up and listen to music and dance while making the bed, make tea, and work for at least two hours…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
…I write longhand in notebooks early on, drawing a lot, then move to the computer when I’m ready to shape chapters….
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:13
Michelle Cuevas: 
…after lunch I’ll work on any edits. I like to edit almost exclusively outdoors, and always hope it will turn into a Disney movie and the birds will come do the work for me.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:13 Michelle Cuevas
5:14
lisa von drasek: 
Disney?... this would make a lovely film...any bites?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
Yes, Laughing Sky has been optioned by producer Jane Startz who is GREAT. My favorite movie of all time is Edward Scissorhands…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
… Tim Burton, if you’re reading, call me, let's discuss.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:15
lisa von drasek: 
There were many Disney references... Peter Pan for one... are there others?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek
5:15
Michelle Cuevas: 
Actually, fun fact about the title...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:15 Michelle Cuevas
5:16
Michelle Cuevas: 
The title BEYOND THE LAUGHING SKY was a song that was cut from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. They ended up throwing out the lyrics but using the music later for the Peter Pan song Second Star to the Right.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:16 Michelle Cuevas
5:17
lisa von drasek: 
I was thinking about how gentle this story is... can you talk about finding the balance between what Kirkus called the underlying melancholy?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek
5:17
[Comment From Sarah G.Sarah G.: ] 
How on earth did you know that story?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:17 Sarah G.
5:19
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle-
are there writers who in inspire you?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:19 lisa von drasek
5:19
Michelle Cuevas: 
Great question, Lisa. I think I've always been drawn to stories that make me laugh and then, eventually, make me cry, so I suppose it's finding the humor mixed with sadness.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:19 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
So many writers! in graduate school we wrote for adults, but I always found myself writing crazy stories about talking plants, things like that. I wanted to have more fun…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
...my mom, on a whim, mailed me a Kate DiCamillo book...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:20
Michelle Cuevas: 
and I thought "Oh, I want to do this."
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:20 Michelle Cuevas
5:21
Michelle Cuevas: 
Other than Kate, I love E.B. White dearly. I have a photo of him on my desk.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:21 Michelle Cuevas
5:21
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- yes, there was plenty of humor. Especially in the names! Places and people!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:21 lisa von drasek
5:22
lisa von drasek: 
The town is unique.... did you draw a map?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 lisa von drasek
5:22
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Was it a thrill to get a blurb from Katherine Applegate?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 Sally, Mich.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Agreed! Ivan made me laugh and cry...many times.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:22
Michelle Cuevas: 
A map of Goosepimple… I haven’t tried my hand at that one!...

I do draw a lot of maps. Here’s one I sketched out in a notebook when I was planning my next novel (drawn by the eight year old main character, of course).
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 Michelle Cuevas
5:22
Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:22 
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
ohhhh I love it!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:23
lisa von drasek: 
Now I NEED to know ...next book? You had me at "this is where I lost you"
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek
5:24
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
Looks like you could illustrate your own books!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Kathy C.
5:24
Michelle Cuevas: 
I’m working on lots of things! I just handed in edits for my 2015 novel Confessions of an Imaginary Friend…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Michelle Cuevas
5:24
Michelle Cuevas: 
…also Erin Stead is working on illustrations for my first picture book out in 2016 called The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. (swoon)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:24 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
Michelle Cuevas: 
Kathy C., I do sketch and paint watercolors, and I’m VERY excited to be illustrating my 2015 novel…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
Michelle Cuevas: 
…the drawings are supposed to be done by the main character who is eight, so it was a perfect match with my level of artistic training!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 Michelle Cuevas
5:25
lisa von drasek: 
Being a writer is an amazing job. If you weren't a writer what would you be?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:25 lisa von drasek
5:26
[Comment From Sally, MichSally, Mich: ] 
It sounds like you live a life very close to nature. Is that by accident or design?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:26 Sally, Mich
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
Design. Cities can be fun, but I'm a total country mouse.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:26
Michelle Cuevas: 
Paleontologist. Easy.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:26 Michelle Cuevas
5:27
lisa von drasek: 
Back to Beyond the Laughing Sky... did you do research about birds?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:27 lisa von drasek
5:28
Michelle Cuevas: 
I did (and do) spend time with lots of birds. I did research for this book with some local ornithologists at the Audubon Society who took me bird banding. I’ve also done some falconry.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 Michelle Cuevas
5:28
Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 
5:28
lisa von drasek: 
now thats really cool
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 lisa von drasek
5:28
[Comment From School LibrarianSchool Librarian: ] 
Hoe do kids react to your book? Do they ask any crazy questions?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:28 School Librarian
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
So far every kid has said "Goosepimple!" at some point and started laughing.
  Michelle Cuevas
5:30
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Ha! I figured you were an outdoors person! Is that how you grew up?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:30 Sally, Mich.
5:30
[Comment From AndreaAndrea: ] 
Is Junebug based on anyone you know?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:30 Andrea
5:31
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, Lets talk cakes...do you bake?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek
5:32
Michelle Cuevas: 
Ooh, good question. I DO. Though I admit my favorite part is decorating them. I've made cowboy boot cakes and Canadian maple leaf cakes....
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:32 Michelle Cuevas
5:33
[Comment From YolandaYolanda: ] 
Just as I suspected!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 Yolanda
5:33
Michelle Cuevas: 
I once made a cake out of fried chicken for a friend who loved fried chicken. It even had mashed potato frosting!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 Michelle Cuevas
5:33
lisa von drasek: 
I came away from this book....of difficult issues ....with a memory of great joy ....I loved spending time with this family
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:33 lisa von drasek
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
It is a familiar trope of children's books to get rid of the parents...did you have any inclination to do that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:35
Michelle Cuevas: 
My first book featured an orphan. This time I wanted to explore the idea of someone feeling isolated and like they don't fit, even in a sea of familial love.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:35 Michelle Cuevas
5:36
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle, do you have a pet?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:36 lisa von drasek
5:37
Michelle Cuevas: 
I don't currently. Though I did recently raise a butterfly in my home from caterpillar through adulthood. It was actually really beautiful and amazing!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:37 Michelle Cuevas
5:37
Nora - EarlyWord
Michelle with butterfly
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:37 
5:38
[Comment From BrendaBrenda: ] 
That's a Monarch! Their caterpillars are amazing!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:38 Brenda
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
I accidentally deleted a question....Michelle- from the peanut gallery...a reader had a little trouble with the magical realism...have you had any other responses to the book like that?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
[Comment From JoyceJoyce: ] 
What do you hope kids take from your books?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:39 Joyce
5:40
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- Is there a question that you wish I would ask?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek
5:41
Michelle Cuevas: 
I haven't had the trouble with magical realism response yet, but it just came out recently! From kids I have had a few "it's so weird that he's a bird/hatched" responses, which I think is the same general idea.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:41 Michelle Cuevas
5:42
[Comment From ConsuelaConsuela: ] 
Got any advice for first-time authors?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:42 Consuela
5:43
Michelle Cuevas: 
Lisa, I got out a picture of my Halloween costume because I was sure you would ask, ha
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 Michelle Cuevas
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
This year's Halloween costume???
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:43
lisa von drasek: 
I DO want to see this!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:43 lisa von drasek
5:44
Michelle Cuevas: 
I was a deer. I know those branches look store bought, but I actually made this myself.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 Michelle Cuevas
5:44
lisa von drasek: 
Can you tell me about your museum education work before your publishing career?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 lisa von drasek
5:44
Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 
5:44
Michelle Cuevas
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 
5:44
Michelle Cuevas: 
Museum education, yes...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:44 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
I worked in museum education at the Whitney in New York and a museum in Massachusetts before going back to school…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
…at the Whitney the program was called Youth Insights and we would train inner-city teens to give tours to classmates in their own words…
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:45
Michelle Cuevas: 
It's a GREAT program...
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:45 Michelle Cuevas
5:46
Michelle Cuevas: 
…I love helping kids find a connection to art – and getting them excited to share work they love.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:46 Michelle Cuevas
5:47
lisa von drasek: 
Did you have teachers that influenced work?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:47 lisa von drasek
5:47
lisa von drasek: 
Did I recall that you had interest in animation?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:47 lisa von drasek
5:48
Michelle Cuevas: 
Definitely. In writing it was mostly professors later on, though I once convinced my 9th grade math teacher let me hand in extra credit in the form of a story I wrote about parabolas. It was a real page-turner.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:48 Michelle Cuevas
5:49
[Comment From School librarianSchool librarian: ] 
Do you do school visits?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 School librarian
5:49
Nora - EarlyWord
Michelle on a school visit
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 
5:49
Michelle Cuevas: 
Also shout out to my small hometown library/librarians where I grew up. I admit I took a photo the first time I saw my book on the shelf there. I may have cried a little too.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 Michelle Cuevas
5:49
Michelle Cuevas: 
A photo answer to the school visit question, nice.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:49 Michelle Cuevas
5:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Plus this -- To arrange a school visit, you can find Michelle's contact info. on her Web site.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 Nora - EarlyWord
5:50
Michelle Cuevas: 
I love visiting schools. I haven’t tried Skype visits yet, but I’m sure I could figure it out. I can wear pajamas during those, right?
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 Michelle Cuevas
5:50
lisa von drasek: 
To the peanut gallery....we are at that time for last call for questions.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek
5:51
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- this is an opportunity to share something that no one would find out about you just Googling your name
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek
5:52
Michelle Cuevas: 
I just got a banjo for my last birthday. I want to write an album and perform it with muppets. That definitely isn't in my google search (yet)
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:52 Michelle Cuevas
5:53
Michelle Cuevas: 
Jim Henson, my hero.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:53 Michelle Cuevas
5:53
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
I'm surpsied you lived in NYC -- I thought you were a country girl!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:53 Sally, Mich.
 
Michelle Cuevas: 
I also live part of the year in LA, but I escape whenever I can!
  Michelle Cuevas
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
Michelle- Thank you so much for spending this time with us
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
[Comment From YolandYoland: ] 
Thanks for the shout out to your home town library. the librarian there must have been excited!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:55 Yoland
5:56
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Thanks so much!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Sally, Mich.
5:56
Michelle Cuevas: 
Thank you so much for having me and for your questions. And THANK YOU for all you do (from book lovers like me).
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Michelle Cuevas
5:56
[Comment From Kathy C.Kathy C.: ] 
You make me want to be a writer.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Kathy C.
5:56
[Comment From Sally, Mich.Sally, Mich.: ] 
Thanks! Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 Sally, Mich.
5:56
[Comment From NMLibrarianNMLibrarian: ] 
Thanks!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:56 NMLibrarian
5:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks, Michelle and Lisa for a fascinating discussion.

And thanks to the Penguin Young Readers program members for joining us today.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:57 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Our next chat, on Nov. 19, is with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War That Saved My Life, (Penguin/Dial Young Readers, 1/8/15) – More about it here,

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 

If you’re not part of the program, you can sign up here.

Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Bye for now!
Wednesday October 29, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

Readers Advisory: DIAMOND LANE

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

9780989360449_622e4 It’s gray and raining in Seattle, so Nancy Pearl lifts the mood by recommending on her weekly local NPR radio segment, a novel that is  “hysterically funny.”  Karen Karbot’s The Diamond Lane, one of her favorites, first published in 1991, was reissued this fall by Hawthorne books (with an introduction by Jane Smiley).

Even though some sections of the novel may show their age (people can actually smoke on airplanes!), she says it is a “totally modern satire on Hollywood, the relationships between sisters and marriage.”

Holds Alert: YES PLEASE

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

9780062268341_76d86Fresh Air host Terry Gross makes comedian Amy Poehler laugh while interviewing her about her new memoir, Yes Please, (HarperCollins/Dey Street Books; HarperAudio).

The book rose to #2 on Amazon’s sales rankings as a result (it was already at #10). Holds have risen dramatically in libraries.

UPDATE: Thanks to librarian Jackie Davis for pointing out in the comments section that holds in her library are heavier on the audio than the book, which is a first for them. She also notes that they’re not that heavy on either format, but keep your eye on it. If other libraries are an indicator, that may change quickly.

First Clips of Upcoming
BBC Adaptations

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

In comics adaptations, the big news is that Benedict Cumberbatch (PBS’s Sherlock Holmes) is confirmed to play Doctor Strange in Marvel’s upcoming movie.

In book adaptations, the big news is that Benedict Cumberbatch, currently getting Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, narrates a new BBC trailer that offers glimpses of some highly anticipated adaptations.

Using the “All the World’s a Stage” soliloquy from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, as narrative, the trailer offers clips from upcoming shows (click on the titles in the trailer to view each one). Included are:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell — based on Susanna Clarke’s 2004 best selling debut novel, it stars Eddie Marsan as Mr. Norrell and Bertie Carvel as Jonathan Strange; Christmas release in the U.K. Tie-in scheduled for 2/17/14 (Macmillan/Bloomsbury USA)

Wolf Hall  — based on Hilary Mantel’s two Booker award winners, Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies, it stars Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damien Lewis as King Henry VIII; to air next year in the U.K.

Esio Trot — based on the 1990 novel for children by Roald Dahl, it stars Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman; December release in the U.K.

The Casual Vacancy — based on the 2012 adult novel by JK Rowling, it stars  Michael Gambon, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Monica Dolan, Julia McKenzie; specific release date has not been announced

Unfortunately, there is no news yet on U.S. release dates for any of these adaptations.

Variety is the Spice of Reading:
11 Highlights from GalleyChatters

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

Editor’s Note:  Robin Beerbower is EarlyWord‘s regular “GalleyChatter” columnist. She was recently profiled by Rebecca Vnuk in Booklist Online’s Corner Shelf.

Below are her picks of the titles brought up during our most recent GalleyChat. Join us for the next one, Tuesday, Nov. 4th, 4 to 5 p.m., EDT — #ewgc.

————-

GalleyChat participants never fail to present a glorious mish-mash of titles with hardly any repeats from the previous months.  Here is a small sampling of the top titles mentioned during the last chat. As usual, a complete list of all 65 titles mentioned during the chat is available here.

9781492602026_fd794-2Need a good “readalike” author for Diana Gabaldon? I’ve had great success in suggesting Susanna Kearsley to my library patrons and her next book A Desperate Fortune  (Sourcebooks Landmark, April) is a timeslip contemporary romance blended with a little history.  New Rochelle Public Library’s Beth Mills thoroughly enjoyed it, saying she loved Kearsley’s two main characters, and the cover is especially enticing. [Note: Sourcebooks has republished several of Kearsley’s backlist titles]

9781476749433_56448Bookmobiles hold a special place in the hearts of librarians so it’s not surprising that a fable about a group of misfits escaping abuse and injustice by fleeing in a gigantic bookmobile has already received high praise. Nancy Russell (Columbus Metropolitan Library) said David Whitehouse’s Mobile Library (Scribner/S&S, January)  is “witty and whimsical, this adventure story is sure to warm your heart.“

 

The Return of Two Favorite Book Group Authors! 

9781439199350_c6496  9780547939742_35e98

Anticipation is high for two novels by favorite book club authors who haven’t published novels in several years. In Anita Diamant’s new historical novel, The Boston Girl (Scribner/S&S, December), a grandmother born to immigrant parents narrates the story of her early 20th century life. It has received much love from 11 peers on Edelweiss, and many reviewers on Good Reads are saying it’s a great “comfort read.” [Note that Diamant’s first book, The Red Tent, has been made into a two-part series, which will air on Lifetime, 12/7/2014 & 12/8/14; trailer here]

Years after they were first published, book groups continue to discover Stephanie Kallos’ Broken for You, (2005) and Sing Them Home (2008), so it’s good news that her next novel, Language Arts (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), is due to arrive next June.  Cynthia Baskin, a devoted GC participant, says that it’s a “a deeply moving story of ex-spouses and their young-adult autistic son, and how their pasts and presents inform their independent and cooperative futures. It maintains the top-notch standard set by Kallos’ earlier books, Broken for You and Sing Them Home.”

Memoirs, Travel, and Archeology

9781476757285_45594  9780062127181_9904e

Kate Mayfield’s The Undertaker’s Daughter(Gallery/S&S, January) earned a spot as one of Darien Library’s Jennifer Dayton’s favorite memoirs and according to her it has all of the elements needed for a good life story: death, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, and ultimately love and forgiveness. She adds “…think To Kill A Mockingbird but with dead bodies.”

Lives in RuinsArchaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human RubbleMarilyn Johnson (HarperCollins, November) was a LibrayReads choice, and Stephanie Chase (newly appointed director of Oregon’s Hillsboro Public Library) said “Marilyn’s skill at sharing her adventures and the adventures of her subjects is fantastic: engaging, readable, and leaving the reader hunting for more information.”

9780385539609_f5423  9781621451914_2df49

Janet Lockhart (Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC) loved the memoir by Anna Lyndsey, Girl in the Dark, (Doubleday/RH, March), saying it is a, “Riveting memoir of woman suffering from rare condition that makes her super sensitive to light. Gave me insight into another person’s life while at the same time illuminating my own.” Another memoir of someone going through the impossible is The Kindness Diaries: One Man’s Epic Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the Word, Leon Logothetis (Readers Digest/S&S, December). Without a penny in his pocket, Leon travels the world depending on the altruism of strangers, and is the perfect book for readers who desire something inspiring and uplifting. There is no DRC so for a print copy email our marketing friends at Simon & Schuster (see Library Marketing — Adult]

Spicy Variety

9780312577223_c0c47 9781250041210_2d7e0 9780385539043_d6944

Earlier this year Collette McBeth’s Precious Thing (a great Gone Girl read alike and a LibraryRead pick) was well liked by Chatters, so were thrilled to find out the author’s new title, The Life I Left Behind (Minotaur/Macmillan) will be out in February. The narration by the ghost of a murdered victim may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, but Jennifer Winberry says it’s worth reading as the “characters are so good, the way they relate to each other and get involved with each other is AMAZING!

Kristin Hannah is among the top women’s fiction writers and patrons will be anxious to read her next book, The Nightingale (St. Martin’s/Macmillan, February). Janet Lockhart said of this story of two sisters and their challenging relationship during WWII, “Good family fiction with a complex characters and dynamics; the characters got under my skin.”  Edelweiss is showing lots of love from peers and on  GoodReads, it has already received 4 and 5 stars.

Anyone who loved Gone with the Wind (and who doesn’t!), will be excited about Kate Alcott’s A Touch of Stardust (Doubleday/RH, February), the story of the passionate love affair between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard during the filming of the movie. And if that isn’t enough to get us interested, the publisher teases us further by saying Kate Alcott, who married into the Mankiewicz Family (of Citizen Kane, Cleopatra, & All About Eve fame), weaves into the novel delicious never-before-told stories from the period.

Now wasn’t that a nice variety? Join us next month on November 4 (4:00 p.m. EST) for even more great books you will be adding to your TBR lists. And, as usual, please “friend me” on Edelweiss to keep up with the titles I’m anticipating.

PADDINGTON Finds
A New Trailer Home

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

The U.S. release of the film adaptation of Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear has been moved from Christmas to  Jan. 16, but it is still set to open in the U.K. on Nov. 28 and a new trailer has been released

Official Movie Site: Paddington.com (which includes a look at Paddington as envisioned by various illustrators)

For tie-ins, check our Edelweiss collection.

Mark Rylance is THE BFG

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

The BFGMark Rylance, who stars as Thomas Cromwell in the upcoming BBC production of Wolf Hall (recently wrapped, no U.S. release date yet), is set to play the lead in the live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1982 picture book, The BFG, (Macmillan/FSG YR). To be directed by Steven Spielberg, it will be the director’s next film, according to The HEsio Trotollywood Reporter, after he finishes his current project, St. James Place, an original Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks (with Rylance in a supporting role).

This raises a question about what has happened to another Dahl adaptation, BBC One’s TV movie based on Esio Trot, starring Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman. The Weinstein Co. acquired the U.S. rights for its fledgling TV business back in August, and no further announcements have been made. It is set for release in the U.K. in December.

Readers Advisory: THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH

Monday, October 27th, 2014

9780385352857_cd8abThe winner of the Booker, announced Oct 14, The Narrow Road To The Deep North, by Richard Flanagan (RH/Knopf), arrives on the 11/2/14 NYT Hardcover Fiction list at #10.

It’s the ninth Booker winner in a row to hit the list, as the NYT BR‘s “Inside the List” column notes (the most successful of those, of course is Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, followed by Anne Enright’s The Gathering).

The award has had a major impact on the author’s life. Flanagan recently told the Telegraph that the prize money saved him from turning to a “life down the mines,” adding, “I’m not a wealthy man. This means I can continue to write.”

Based on reviews, it may be difficult to find a way to recommend the book. Even fan Ron Charles warned in the Washington Post that this “story about a group of Australian POWs during World War II will cast a shadow over your summer and draw you away from friends and family into dark contemplation the way only the most extraordinary books can,” hardly a way to encourage potential readers.

Wendy Bartlett, head of collection development at Cuyahoga P.L, Ohio, offers another way to look at it:

If your readers engaged with Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, or are fans of the timeless love story in Garcia Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera, they will absolutely love The Narrow Road To The Deep North, one of the most readable and emotionally available Booker winners in years.

It follows the story of an Australian doctor, Dorrigo Evans, who served in WWII and was captured, surviving several years in a POW camp. Through flashbacks, we learn about Evans’ long marriage as well as his true love. The latter part of the book reveals the fates of the various people from the POW camp — the story of which is the crux of the narrative.

It’s amazing and wonderful, and your customers will thank you. Book groups who don’t mind the shifting time periods will find much to talk about here, particularly if they’ve read Unbroken.

Titles to Know and Recommend, Week of Oct. 27

Friday, October 24th, 2014

Next week brings not just one, but two books by Danielle Steel … the return to form of two iconic authors … plus 3 books about famous women that have already received media attention.

All the titles covered here, and several more notable titles arriving next week, are listed, with ordering information and alternate formats, on our downloadable spreadsheet, EarlyWord New Title Radar, Week of 10/27/14

Holds Leader

9780345530974_38827   9780385370004_d62bf

There’s just one clear holds leader this week and it’s Danielle Steel’s, Pegasus, (RH/Delacorte; RH Large Print, Brilliance Audio, OverDrive Sample), described by the publisher as “a rich historical novel of family and World War II” that involves a titled German aristocrat is forced to flee to the U.S., bringing with him some prize horses, including a Lipizzaner named Pegasus. In a twofer Steel also publishes a picture book for kids on the same day. It also features a white animal, Pretty Minnie in Paris, (RH/Doubleday Young Readers) about a Parisian Chihuahua, who gets lost at a fashion show. In the holds race, Pegasus is far outpacing Minnie.

Back Again

9780307962522_97632  9780399158445_9d421

Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice, (RH/Knopf; RH Large Print; RH Audio)

Rice has not returned to the vampires that made her famous since 2003’s Blood Canticle. PW says, compared to that book, the “newest Vampire Chronicles installment is triumphant.” The other prepub sources agree, with Kirkus saying, “it’s trademark Rice: talky, inconsequential, but good old-fashioned fanged fun.” It seems fans are cautious, however. Holds are currently light. Rice is profiled in the L.A. Times. In the NYT Book Review, Terrence Rafferty has a good time with it, “Although this is a dreadful novel, it has to be said that the earnestness with which Rice continues to toil at her brand of pop sorcery has an odd, retro sort of charm, an aura redolent of the desperate, decadent silliness of the disco era.”

The Peripheral, William Gibson, (Penguin; Penguin Audio), OverDrive Sample

Science fiction fans are hailing Gibson for going “back to the future” in this new novel. Famous for envisioning the Web, creating the terms “cyberspace” and “the matrix” way back in 1984 in his debut novel Neuromancer, Gibson switched to a nearer future in his most recent novels. The Chicago Tribune says this new book marks the “return to Gibson’s pre-millennial style, predictive, hip, tech-savvy.” In their review, the science fiction site i09 comments that the return comes with differences,The Peripheral is very different from the hyperactive cyberpunk citiscapes of Neuromancer. His canvas is much bigger — and his prophesies are far more melancholy.” Note to those in libraries that have maker spaces: the main character works in a 3-D print shop.

Readers Advisory

9780062365583_79422-3  9780770437060_dc086

Us, David Nicholls, (Harper; HarperAudio; HarperLuxe)

Those who only know Nicholls from the terrible film adaptation of his previous book, One Day, may have been surprised that his latest, Us was on the Man Booker longlist. The judges describe it as “a comedy about the demands of living together, about parenthood, about the relationship between reason and emotion, art and science, parents and children, middle-age and youth.”  People magazine puts it more succinctly, “Few authors do messed-up relationships better than Nicholls.”

It is also the LibraryReads #1 pick for November, with this recommendation,

“Every once in a while you stumble upon a book that makes you wish you could meet the characters in real life. This is the case with Us, the poignant story of a middle-of-the-road British family spiraling out of control, and one man’s attempt to win back their love. Quirky, delightful and unpredictable, the novel delves into what makes a marriage, and what tears it apart.” — Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans, Gary Krist, (RH/Crown; Dreamscape Audio; Thorndike), OverDrive Sample

The early history of one of America’s most fascinating cities, Empire of Sin was just selected by Library Journal as one of the  Top Ten books of 2014. It is reviewed in the Chicago Tribune.

Advance Attention

9780385354042_d79be-2 9780062268341_76d86 9781250017642_3dac8

The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Jill Lepore, (RH/Knopf; BOT)

Reviewers are falling all over themselves to write about Lepore’s latest.  Atlantic Magazine reviews it with a headline that gives that “secret history” more background, “The Free Love Experiment That Created Wonder Woman: The polyamorous ‘sex cult’ conceived by the comics’ founder wasn’t exactly feminist, but it was built on women-empowering, pro-queer ideals.”  It gets the lead review in the 10/24 issue of Entertainment Weekly, which grants it a a solid A and a strongly positive reaction from Dwight Garner in yesterday’s NYT,

Yes Please, Amy Poehler, (HarperCollins/Dey Street Books; HarperAudio)

The L.A. Times book review compares Poehler’s book favorably to other recent memoirs by funny women, “If [Tina] Fey’s Bossypants or [Mindy] Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? feel like a chatty beach weekend with a friend, Yes Please has the more manic air of a snowbound situation. Truths will be told, yes, and anecdotes recounted, but the attic and the cellar will also be raided, for funny hats and canned goods.” If that doesn’t make sense,  Entertainment Weekly, which ranks it at #3 of things to do this week, says,  ” Of course the Parks and Rec star’s first book is LOL funny — there is an acrostic poem dedicated to Tina Fey and recollections of rapping while pregnant on SNL — but there are also frank, relatable stories about her slow climb to fame and life as a working mom, as well as earnest bites of wisdom.”

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story, Barbara Leaming, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s; Macmillan Audio), OverDrive Sample

Leaming applies a contemporary analysis to Jacqueline Kennedy’s life after JFK’s assassination, presenting evidence that she suffered from PTSD. The book was featured on the Today Show this week:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

The Science Behind INTERSTELLAR

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

EW-1334-Insterstellar

The space epic, Interstellar, arrives in theaters on Nov. 7th with huge expectations (as evidenced by the Entertainment Weekly cover, right.Variety predicts that the 3-hour film will bring an opening box office of at least $50 million).

The plot has been kept under wraps, but early reports say it’s about a group of scientists who use a wormhole to travel through space in an effort to find solutions to Earth’s dwindling food supply, or, failing that, a new home for its inhabitants. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine.ScienceofInterstellarMech.indd

The idea for the film was inspired by the work of theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, who is also an executive producer and a scientific consultant on the movie.

A short video was just released that features Thorne. He is also publishing a book, The Science of Interstellar(W.W. Norton), set to be released on the same day as the movie, Nov 7.

Joan Didion is “A Lion”

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Author Joan Didion’s nephew, the actor and director John Griffin Dunne, is working on a documentary about his aunt because he wants people to know that “a woman so tiny and frail is a lion. She’s a fearsome critic, essayist, a voice of moral authority and a deeply intimidating figure.”

He released the following trailer as part of his campaign for Kickstarter funding to finish the film. The L.A. Times interviews Dunne who reports that, hours after the trailer’s release yesterday, donations already totaled over half the goal of $80,000.

Quammen on Ebola

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

In her Library News email last week, Golda Rademacher, Norton’s Library Marketing Manager, alerted librarians to the following drop-in title:

9780393351552_5bc5bEbola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus
DAVID QUAMMEN
9780393351552, pbk, $13.95
NORTON, 10/20/14

With all the news about Ebola lately, we had a lot of requests for the Ebola chapter from David Quammen’s Spillover. We’ve pulled the chapter out and are publishing it as a paperback with some updates and a new introduction by the author.

In today’s New York Times, Michiko Kakutani reviews it, saying that Quammen warns readers not to take Richard Preston’s “lurid descriptions of Ebola’s consequences literally” in his best selling book, The Hot Zone. Nevertheless, Quammen ” shows in these pages that the reality of the virus is horrifying without any apocalyptic embellishment.”

Kakutani also mention journalist Laurie Garrett’s  “illuminating and encyclopedic book The Coming Plague” (Penguin Books).