Archive for November, 2014

Woodson On
“The Pain of the Watermelon Joke”

Saturday, November 29th, 2014

In an Op-Ed piece in today’s New York Times, Jacqueline Woodson proves that a thoughtless comment can be answered thoughtfully and poignantly,

Responding to Daniel Handler’s “joke” at the National Book Awards about her being allergic to watermelon, she notes that she does indeed have an aversion to watermelon, a fact Handler knows because they have been friends for years.

By bringing it up, though, Handler reminded the audience of the way watermelons have been used to ridicule African Americans. “In a few short words, the audience and I were asked to take a step back from everything I’ve ever written … By making light of that deep and troubled history, he showed that he believed we were at a point where we could laugh about it all. His historical context, unlike my own, came from a place of ignorance.”

Woodson On Racist Comments
at the NBA

Wednesday, November 26th, 2014

9780399252518_ab369Jacqueline Woodson, in an interview with the Guardian, says she is “trying to figure out how to think about” Daniel Handler’s comments at the National Book Awards last week.

Finding a good moderator for an awards event seems to be challenging. Many were hopeful that Handler would bring the right mix of humor and respect to the National Book Awards this year. Unfortunately, he kicked off the event with tired comments about the lack of glamour in bookish events, saying the National Book Awards are “like the Oscars if nobody gave a shit about the Oscars.”

Most of the rest of  his “humorous” comments were weak, but the lowest point occurred when, after Woodson gave a moving acceptance speech for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for her memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen), Handler made a strange racist comment that Woodson is “allergic to watermelon.” Earlier, he mentioned that one day he hopes to win a Coretta Scott King Book Award.

Handler quickly apologized for his “ill-conceived attempts at humor” and followed up with a pledge of $10,000 as well as matching donations up to $100,000, to the We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) Indiegogo campaign.

GalleyChatter:
TRUE CONFESSIONS

Monday, November 24th, 2014

Editor’s Note: Our intrepid GalleyChatter (some call her the “Galley Whisperer”) Robin Beerbower, wrangled the many titles librarians were enthusiastic about during the most recent session of GalleyChat, to give you titles to add to your own TBR pile (remember to nominate your favorites for LibraryReads). Many of these are available for free download via Edelweiss and NetGalley.

————-

This month’s GalleyChat became hot and heavy when the discussion turned to romance novels. The resulting list of forthcoming titles, along with the authors’ backlists, will help collection development librarians keep romance loving patrons satisfied.

From romance, we then turned to a more sinister subjects, learning about some compelling stories of murder and conspiracies.

If you missed the chat or couldn’t keep up with the 300 plus tweets, check here for the complete list of books discussed.

Romance, Mostly Regency

Deb Margeson (Douglas County Librariers, CO) a Regency romance fan, was enthusiastic about her latest find, also a November LibraryReads pick,  Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean (HarperCollins/Avon, November), saying it was “great escapist fun.” MacLean is clearly an author to know. Her earlier book, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished was the #1 Dec. 2013 LibraryReads pick.

Another Regency fan, Jane Jorgenson of Madison (WI) Public Library chimed in with her new favorite,  It Started With a Scandal, by Julie Anne Long (HarperCollins/Avon, March), the tenth in The Pennyroyal Green series, set during the long-running fictional feud of two wealthy families in Sussex.

Vicki Nesting (St. Charles Parish Library, LA) is now hooked on the sub-genre and her latest find is the sequel Tessa Dare’s Say Yes to the Marquess, (HarperCollins/Avon, December), the sequel to Romancing the Duke. That discovery is seconded by many librarians from around the country, showing massive love on Edelweiss for this title. Vicki also enjoyed Earls Just Want to Have Fun by Shana Galen (Sourcebooks/Casablanca, February). And to round out our round-up of regency romances, Stephanie Chase (Hillsboro Public Library, Oregon) recommended books by two big names in the field, Julia Quinn’s The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, and Eloisa James’ Four Nights with the Duke (HarperCollins/Avon, March). A side note of interest, James, an English lit professor, is the daughter of poet Robert Bly and short-story author Carol Bly and is married to an Italian knight.

For a modern vibe, Grace Burrowes, who usually writes historical romances, has three titles in the Sweetest Kisses series coming out in early 2015. New Rochelle (NY) Public Library’s Beth Mills said she enjoyed the first, A Single Kiss (Sourcebooks/Casablanca, January) so much that she immediately downloaded the next two, First Kiss and Kiss Me Hello.

The Darker Side

9780812995442_bf2c2 9780812997538_98877

But then the conversation turned to the darker side of love. Jill Alexander Essbaum’s Hausfrau (RH, March) is centered around a wife and mother who is falling apart despite having the perfect life. Last August Elliott Bay Bookstore staff member Kenny Coble teased us saying, “It is brave and vulnerable and a little inappropriate (don’t tell mom),” and Jenne Bergstrom from San Diego County Library said “it grabbed onto me HARD.” Another book about desire and obsession receiving attention is Jan Ellison’s A Small Indiscretion (RH, January).  Adrienne Cruz, librarian from Azusa (CA) Library says, “Annie is a complex character. The narration is written as if she were talking to her comatose son — a confessional almost. The treatment coupled with bold and richly-layered characters result in a satisfying debut.”

Murder and Mayhem

9781616954765_d0d69  cold-betrayal-9781476745046  9781250056450

On to murder and mayhem. Inspired by a true event in a Utah Mormon community, The Bishop’s Wife, by Mette Ivie Harrison (Soho Crime, December) has seen much love over the past few GalleyChats. Vicki Nesting said,While not strictly a mystery, this book will appeal to readers who enjoyed the introspective investigation at the heart of Reconstructing Amelia.

Robin Nesbitt, readers’ advisor at Metropolis Columbia (OH) Library loved A Murder of Magpies, Judith Flanders (Macmillan/Minotaur, February), saying “What’s not to love – mystery, publishing, London!  Judith Flanders nails it with a funny protagonist who happens to be a book editor in London.  Bibliophiles will love this.” J.A. Jance is well known for her two series featuring J. P. Beaumont and Johanna Brady, but the lesser known Ali Reynolds series is starting to gain ground. Beth Mills was pleased that Jance is in her usual great form with Cold Betrayal (S&S/Touchstone, March), the tenth entry in the Reynolds series.

9781250045423  fifth-gospel-9781451694147_lg

Two exceptional espionage titles were mentioned, All the Old Knives, Olen Steinhauer (Macmillan/Minotaur, March), and The Fifth Gospel, Ian Caldwell (S&S, March).  “A fun and twisty read” is Janet Lockhart’s  (Wake County Public Libraries, NC) description of the Steinhauer story about former lovers who reunite to reminisce about old times as spies. Caldwell’s Vatican-based thriller was compared to those by Dan Brown, Daniel Silva and Iain Pears.

For more raves about forthcoming titles, join our next chat on December 2, 4:00-5:00 (EST). To keep up with what I’m anticipating on Edelweiss, please “friend me.”

Seven Titles to Make You An R.A. Guru, Week of Nov. 24

Saturday, November 22nd, 2014

With Black Friday arriving earlier than ever this year, the push to get books into stores by the traditional day now seems like an anachronism. Nevertheless,  two titles from brand name authors (one of them the biggest of brand names) arrive and there’s several others to keep an eye on.

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 11/24/14

To get you in the mood for next week, below is Lewis Black’s rant on his non-namesake day:

Holds Leaders

9780316210966_759bb  9781250027702_76026

Hope to Die, James Patterson, (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio; Hachette Large Print;  eBook), OverDrive Sample

One of the holds leaders for the entire season,  close behind John Grisham’s Grey Mountain, John Sandford’s Deadline, and Lee Child’s Personal, this is the next in the series featuring  Alex Cross (played by Tyler Perry in the 2012 movie, Alex Cross), following up on the cliff-hanger from last year’s Cross My Heart.

Betrayed: A Rosato & DiNunzio Novel, Lisa Scottoline, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s; Macmillan Audio), OverDrive Sample

After several standalones, Scottoline returned to her Rosato & DiNunzio series last year, in Accused, bringing in new partners to the all-female law firm, now called Rosato & Associates. Expressing some reservations about the novel’s plot points, Kirkus wound up judging this, “the most successful melding to date of Rosato & DiNunzio’s cases and Scottoline’s family-centered stand-alones.”

LibraryReads Pick

9780062068514_744dbNever Judge a Lady by Her Cover: The Fourth Rule of Scoundrels, Sarah MacLean, (HarperCollins/Avon),  OverDrive Sample

November pick — “Having lost her innocence in a teenage love affair, Lady Georgiana is a social pariah. Trying to save the tatters of her reputation, she must marry and marry well. By night, she is Anna, the most powerful madame in London, and a powerful seductress in her own right. Will Georgiana succeed in re-entering society, or will her past catch up with her once and for all?” — Emily Peros, Denver Public Library, Denver, CO

Best Book Pick 

9781455519347_76ae0-2Twice Tempted, Eileen Dreyer,  (Hachette/Grand Central mass mkt pbk and eBook), OverDrive Sample

Picked, along with the previous title,  as one of the ten best books in the romance genre by Library Journal‘s romance reviewer.

Eye On 

THE-LOOK-OF-LOVE-LR-webThe Look of Love, Sarah Jio, (Penguin/Plume, original trade pbk; Blackstone Audio), OverDrive Sample

With this striking cover and the author’s growing reputation for light-hearted trade paperback romances (aka, “chick lit” titles), we predict Sarah Jio will soon break in to hardcover (in fact, she has switched publishers, which signals a relaunch). Her previous title, Good Night June, won over many by incorporating the story of the origins of the children’s book Good Night, Moon. via a woman who inherits a bookstore and discovers her aunt knew Margaret Wise Brown, which brought comparisons to Nora Ephron’s movie, You’ve Got Mail. The New York Daily News gives it a great send off, calling it, “a fun, quirky exploration of romance and friendship.”

Media Coverage 

9781476792491_37f12After We Collided, Anna Todd, (S&S/Gallery, S&S Audio), OverDrive Sample

The second in the series that began with After, this grew out of fan fiction dedicated to the boy band One Direction, and captured media attention for the claimed one billion downloads. Published online by WattPad, the New York Times wrote about it in March, Cosmopolitan magazine picked it for their first-ever #CosmoBookClub, and interviewed the author Anna Todd  in the magazine. the series was signed for a movie and caused even NPR’s Morning Edition to wonder earlier this month, “After Fifty Shades, Could This Be The Next Big Online Hit?

The transition to print did not follow the Fifty Shades path to bestsellerdom, however. After made a single appearance at #107 on the USA Today best seller list. The site Jezebel, took a dim view of it back in April, declaring, “If you complained about the prose of 50 Shades, After is going to send you into a conniptions.”

Holds are minimal on light ordering in libraries.

9781250065995_36e99Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys: A Memoir, Viv Albertine,  (Macmillan/St. Martin’s) OverDrive Sample

Punk rockers are now middle aged, so it’s memoir time. This one is by the guitarist for the all-girl band, The Slits (thanks for the correction in the comments). It gets an approving, if somewhat backhanded, review from the New York Times;” [Albertine’s] book has an honest, lo-fi grace. If it were better written, it would be worse. To borrow a line from David Byrne, which Ms. Albertine quotes, ‘The better a singer’s voice, the harder it is to believe what they’re saying.’ ‘

National Book Award Winners, 2014

Thursday, November 20th, 2014

2014_winners

Marine and debut author Phil Klay won this year’s National Book Award in fiction at a ceremony in New York last night for his short story collection, Redeployment, (Penguin Press; Penguin Audio; Thorndike, OverDrive Sample).

Covering the event, NPR noted that it was “packed as much with jabs at Amazon as with jazzy entrance music.” The video of the full event, hosted by Daniel Handler is below (be patient, it takes a while to load, then it requires you to register and the actual event doesn’t begin until 20 minutes in to the video).

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

In nonfiction, the winner is a familiar name in publishing, Evan Osnos son of Peter Osnos, former Washington Post reporter and founder of Public Affairs (now an imprint of Perseus), for Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China, (Macmillan/FSG, Brilliance Audio; OverDrive Sample), based on his reporting on China for the New Yorker.

Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming(Penguin/Nancy Paulsen; Listening Library;  OverDrive Sample) won the award for Young People’s Literature. Woodson has won many ALA awards for her work, including 3 Newbery Honors, a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Medal and 4 Honors.

Audio Sample:

The winner ins poetry is former Nobel laureate and 1993 Pulitzinr Prize winner Louise Glück for  Faithful and Virtuous Night, (Macmillan/Farrar, Straus and Giroux,  OverDrive Sample).

LIVE CHAT with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Lisa Von Drasek

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Below is our live chat the author of The War That Saved My Life, also archived on the Penguin Young Readers page. To join the program, sign up here.

Live Blog Live Chat with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE
 Live Chat with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE(11/19/2014) 
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We will begin our live online chat with Kim Bradley in about 15 minutes.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Meanwhile, here’s the cover of The War That Saved My Life

Coming Jan, 8th, from Penguin/Dial

It will also be available in audio from Listening Library.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Nora - EarlyWord
Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:45 
4:48
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Below is a spolier-free description of the plot:

World War II England is the setting for this moving follow-up to the acclaimed Jefferson’s Sons. Nine year-old Ada has never left her room because her abusive mother is so ashamed of her club foot. When Ada overhears that her little brother, Jamie is going to be evacuated out of London because of the approaching war, Ada sneaks out to join him.

Thus begins a new chance for Ada, as well as for Susan Smith, the reclusive woman who takes in the two children. Little by little, Ada opens up and starts to trust people, and Susan learns to nurture the kids and to love again after years of loneliness. As the story unfolds, Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, helps capture a German spy, and in a dramatic finale, saves herself and her brother once and for all from the tyranny of their mother.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:48 Nora - EarlyWord
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Here are some quotes from other authors about the book:

You are about to read an astounding novel. I was gobsmacked. Will you cry and rejoice and hold your breath? Absolutely. Will you find the book as exciting, touching, wise and profound as I did? Yes. Remarkable achievement, Kinberly Brubaker Bradley. Thank you. -- Karen Cushman, author of the Newbery Medal Winner, The Midwife’s Apprentice

I love Ada’s bold heart, keen wit and amazingly fresh point of view. Her story’s riveting. I was with her every step of the way. – Sheila Turnagh author of Newbery Medal book, Three Times Lucky

Not all wars are fought by nations. Some are fought in small rooms but for the same issues, justice, opportunity, respect. In Ada’s small war lies our large hope that love cannot, will not, be overcome. I read this novel in two big gulps. – Gary Schmidt, author of Newbery and Printz honor book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy



Wednesday November 19, 2014 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 

I see chat participants gathering!

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:01
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 the author before the end of the chat.


Don’t worry about typos – we’ll make them too!

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Here’s our moderator Lisa Von Drasek. Say hi, Lisa!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
Hi, Nora! Hi, Readers!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
lisa von drasek: 
I am introducing Kim, our guest today who has published 16 books from picture books to YA, nonfiction and fiction.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek
5:02
[Comment From Loves PoniesLoves Ponies: ] 
Hi Kim – looking forward to the chat
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Loves Ponies
5:02
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Happy to be here!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Deborah
5:02
[Comment From Sch. LibrarianSch. Librarian: ] 
Hi Kim. Loved the book!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:02 Sch. Librarian
5:03
Kim Bradley: 
Hi, everyone! Glad to be here too!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Kim Bradley
5:03
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, Lets get started... where were you born and raised?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 lisa von drasek
5:03
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Kim – thanks for a thoughtful, enthralling book
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Sally
5:03
Kim Bradley: 
Fort Wayne, Indiana...very close to the place that was the setting for my first novel, Ruthie's Gift.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:03 Kim Bradley
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
Thanks, Sally!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:04
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
Hello Kim – thanks for addressing so many important issues in this book.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Jo
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
Jo, you're welcome. What struck you as particularly important?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:04
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, and now you live...?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek
5:04
Kim Bradley: 
I live in Bristol, TN, a small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:04 Kim Bradley
5:06
lisa von drasek: 
Jo hasn't chimed back in , so I will interrupt by asking about the setting...England during WWII. can you say a few words about that...Deborah also want to know..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek
5:06
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Deborah
5:06
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
So many things struck me as important -- how people try to put others down, how important community is to people and how bad it can be without it.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Jo
5:06
Kim Bradley: 
Sure...Let's see, I love England, I always have...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:06 Kim Bradley
5:07
Kim Bradley: 
Researching the setting was a lot of fun for me because it required a trip to England...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:07 Kim Bradley
5:07
Kim Bradley: 
I'm trying to insert a photo here...Kent was so lovely, even though we were there in very early spring...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:07 Kim Bradley
5:08
Kim Bradley: 
Like most writers, I get ideas from everywhere, but this book seemed more organic than most...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:08 Kim Bradley
5:08
Kim Bradley: 
Looking at it now, I can see where all these little pieces came from, but writing it it seemed to come out of nowhere.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:08 Kim Bradley
5:09
Kim Bradley: 
Jo, I am a huge believer in community and relationships...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:09 Kim Bradley
5:10
Kim Bradley: 
and I really wanted that for Ada.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Kim Bradley
5:10
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Oh, poor you, having to go to England for :esearch!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Sally
5:10
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
I liked the way you used relationships in Jefferson's sons, too!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:10 Deborah
5:11
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, I was struck by Ada's isolation. Can you tell us a little about writing that part?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek
5:11
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
You really showed what it was like when Ada DIDN'T have that community.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:11 Jo
5:12
Kim Bradley: 
Ada's isolation was the hardest part to get right...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 Kim Bradley
5:12
Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 
5:12
Kim Bradley: 
You walk a fine line between creating a sympathetic character and making a situation so bleak it's unreadable..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:12 Kim Bradley
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
Finally got a photo! That's Ada's Kent!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:13
[Comment From JoJo: ] 
Agree with Lisa about the isolation -- one thing I never thought about -- how someone like Ada, who grew up with only limited contact with people, wouldn’t understand a lot of words, and would feel isolated and exhausted when she had to talk to people. How did you come up with that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Jo
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
I think that without Jamie, and without her father who I conceive of as having been loving, she would have been a lot worse off...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:13
Kim Bradley: 
Remember that although he's not in the book except as a faint memory, she had her father until he was 4 years old...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:13 Kim Bradley
5:14
Kim Bradley: 
That's how she learned the songs she sings to Jamie...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:14 Kim Bradley
5:14
Kim Bradley: 
I once met a profound deaf young boy whose speech sounded completely normal. It was because he didn't lose his hearing until he was 18 months old.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:14 Kim Bradley
5:15
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Was this book inspired by someone's life experience?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Deborah
5:15
Kim Bradley: 
How did I come up with all Ada doesn't know?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kim Bradley
5:15
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Were you worried about opening the book on such a bleak note? That it might put off readers (it didn't me, however!)
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kathy
5:15
Kim Bradley: 
Honestly, lots and lots and lots of revision...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:15 Kim Bradley
5:16
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, yes, especially after my editor's comments on the first 70 pages of the first draft...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 Kim Bradley
5:16
Kim Bradley: 
She said, "This isn't REALLY going to be your next novel, is it?"
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 Kim Bradley
5:16
lisa von drasek: 
oh my
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 lisa von drasek
5:16
Kim Bradley
Here's another photo. They're taking awhile to download
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:16 
5:17
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Ha! That's funny about the editor. You needed that set up, however.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kathy
5:17
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Ouch! Glad you stuck with it.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Deborah
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
Yeah, that wasn't good. :) But six revisions later I found Ada's voice..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
The thing is that Ada doesn't know all she's missing...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:17
Kim Bradley: 
She's frustrated, but she's not as angry (yet) as she should be...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:17 Kim Bradley
5:18
Kim Bradley: 
It's a characteristic of childhood that we accept whatever our life is as "normal." Ada's not based on a real person....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:18 Kim Bradley
5:18
Kim Bradley: 
...but she reflects some real experiences of abuse, neglect, and disability that I'm familiar with.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:18 Kim Bradley
5:19
Kim Bradley: 
I had to stick with this novel, Deborah. Ada wasn't going to leave me alone.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Kim Bradley
5:19
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
I like what you say about Ada not knowing what she's missing -- explains her reactions later in the story.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Sally
5:19
[Comment From SallySally: ] 
Are there stories of actual children with a club feet who lived the way Ada did – hidden away, crawling from one place to another?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:19 Sally
5:20
Kim Bradley: 
Sally, yes and no. Club feet have been successfully treated in most Western countries since the 1920s...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:20 Kim Bradley
5:21
Kim Bradley
This is the smallest boat known to have been part of the Dunkirk evacuations. I think it's 17 feet long
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 
5:21
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Could you talk a little about how your writing and research process worked with this book?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Deborah
5:21
Kim Bradley: 
But there are still lots of children in developing countries whose club feet aren't treated, or are treated quite late, surgically, like Ada...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Kim Bradley
5:21
Kim Bradley: 
and lots of places where disabled children are shunned. Present-day Haiti would be a good example.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:21 Kim Bradley
5:22
Kim Bradley: 
The Dunkirk boat, by the way, is on exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London, a great place for first-person research.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:22 Kim Bradley
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
I researched this book primarily by reading first-person accounts of wartime England...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
due to an organization called Mass Observation, there are literally hundreds of those...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:23
[Comment From Judith, MarylandJudith, Maryland: ] 
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Judith, Maryland
5:23
Kim Bradley: 
There are also many published memoirs of children who were evacuated...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:23 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
Seeing everything first-hand in London and Kent was important but not as much as all the reading, which took months...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
amazon.uk is my friend.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
Kim Bradley: 
Susan Smith is probably my favorite character ever...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 Kim Bradley
5:24
lisa von drasek: 
Loved Susan Smith, a “not nice” person who actually is. Did you base her on someone you know?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek
5:25
lisa von drasek: 
That was from Judith
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 lisa von drasek
5:25
Kim Bradley: 
She's fictional--this whole book is--but some attributes are certainly based on friends of mine...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 Kim Bradley
5:25
Kim Bradley: 
especially those who weren't cuddly but whom my daughter instinctively loved and trusted, from an early age...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:25 Kim Bradley
5:26
Kim Bradley: 
Susan is trustworthy. That's her core.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:26 Kim Bradley
5:26
[Comment From Sch. LibrarianSch. Librarian: ] 
Is it possible for someone to teach herself to ride a horse?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:26 Sch. Librarian
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
Sort of. I did...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
The basics are very straightforward. The scene where she jumps Maggie's brother's horse--that would work because she's not thinking, she's just letting her body go with him...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:27
Kim Bradley: 
But then she gets real instruction from Fred...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:27 Kim Bradley
5:28
[Comment From Loves PoniesLoves Ponies: ] 
WHAT? Tell us more! How did you do that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Loves Ponies
5:28
Kim Bradley: 
without that she'd end up getting hurt, or hurting Butter.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Kim Bradley
5:28
Kim Bradley: 
I was just nuts for horses, growing up, but had very very few chances to ride them....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:28 Kim Bradley
5:29
Kim Bradley: 
but when I did I wasn't going to waste them! Everyone else would be poking along, I'd be kicking and galloping....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:29 Kim Bradley
5:29
Kim Bradley: 
I would have jumped the wall. Too stupid to be scared!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:29 Kim Bradley
5:30
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
I have heard of the evacuations of kids from London during the war, but did they really just pack kids into trains to get them out of London, with no food, or bathrooms?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 JoBeth
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Eventually I did learn to ride, in college, but even then I lied and told them I had experience so I wouldn't be stuck with beginners....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
What make you interested in this period of history?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 JoBeth
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Had my first flat lesson on Tuesday, my first jumping lesson on Wednesday!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
JoBeth, yes, the evacuation pretty much when exactly as described...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:30
Kim Bradley: 
Some of the trains had toilets, but they were using every train, and buses, that they could get...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:30 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
Typical of something organized by men, all the thought to the transportation and nothing to what would happen after they got there.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
I think the social implications of evacuation are fascinating! Talk about stories...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:31
Kim Bradley: 
Everything that could happen to those children, did.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:31 Kim Bradley
5:32
[Comment From GuestGuest: ] 
How did you research about the evacuation?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 Guest
5:32
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
How did most of the evacuated kids do later in life?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 JoBeth
5:32
Kim Bradley: 
So many of those evacuees grew up and wrote about their experiences...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:32 Kim Bradley
5:33
Kim Bradley: 
You don't copy any one person's experiences, but when you read a number of them you start to understand the possibilities...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Kim Bradley
5:33
Kim Bradley: 
Some of them were abused as evacuees, sadly, but many did well.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Kim Bradley
5:33
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
Is the book being published in the U.K.?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 Judith
5:33
[Comment From JoBethJoBeth: ] 
Did any of the evacuees write books? Can you recommend some?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:33 JoBeth
5:34
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
That had to make for difficult reading.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Deborah
5:34
Kim Bradley
This is a recent photo of me and my horse Sarah
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 
5:34
lisa von drasek: 
ohh lovely
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 lisa von drasek
5:34
Kim Bradley: 
Tons of evacuees have written books. They're mostly published in England, not here...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Kim Bradley
5:34
Kim Bradley: 
but if you go to amazon.uk, you can search for them....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:34 Kim Bradley
5:35
Kim Bradley: 
I'm sorry I can't remember titles offhand. Nella Last's War, though not about evacuation, is really good...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kim Bradley
5:35
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
Did you begin by wanted to write about the evacuees, or did you have themes and characters in search of a story?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kathy
5:35
Kim Bradley: 
I don't know if TWTSML is being published in the UK.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:35 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, with this book I mostly had Ada to start with..not even themes, just her, and then her and Jamie, and then her, Jamie, and Susan...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
I had gotten interested in WW2 in England, and was reading all about it, but then I always start with a character...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:36
Kim Bradley: 
...and a problem, to keep things interesting, and we go from there....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:36 Kim Bradley
5:37
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Do you have some references you'd recommend for students who want to follow up after reading or hearing your book?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:37 Deborah
5:38
lisa von drasek: 
Kim...Websites that you would recommend for further information?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 lisa von drasek
5:38
Kim Bradley: 
Deborah, that's a great question....the best place for kids to start would be at the Imperial War Museum's website...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 Kim Bradley
5:38
Kim Bradley: 
They have lots of modules just for teaching children about the war, particularly its effects in England itself...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:38 Kim Bradley
5:39
lisa von drasek: 
http://www.iwm.org.uk

Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 lisa von drasek
5:39
Kim Bradley: 
...I really should make a list and put it up on my website...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 Kim Bradley
5:39
Kim Bradley: 
many of my sources aren't great for kids, but there is some really cool stuff online...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 Kim Bradley
5:39
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
A list of resources would be awesome!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:39 NM Librarian
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
For Jefferson's Sons I posted sources online on my website, simply because I didn't have room in the printed book. I can do that again for this one.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:40
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
I have a Third Grade student who is devouring anything and everything in my library he can get his hands on. (I'm a School Librarian)
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Deborah
5:40
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
What was the best lesson you’ve learned from your editor?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Judith
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
I'd be glad to do that.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:40
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
A list would be awesome!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Deborah
5:40
Kim Bradley: 
AHHH..my editor loves me, and she never lets me quit until she thinks I'm done.,,,
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:40 Kim Bradley
5:41
Kim Bradley: 
I guess the main thing she's taught me is to not be afraid of going back and working on the very small details...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Kim Bradley
5:41
Kim Bradley: 
It's wonderful to have a really educated, smart, editor, and I've been lucky in Liz Wasnieski and Jessica Garrison, who edited this.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Kim Bradley
5:41
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
My favorite line -- "there are worse things than bombs' -- this story proves that.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:41 Ben
5:42
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
How did you find your fabulous editors?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Deborah
5:42
Kim Bradley: 
Yes, Ben. I'm reminded of Andy Rooney's book My War, in which is says he came to realize that some wars were better than some forms of peace.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Kim Bradley
5:42
Kim Bradley: 
My publishers hire my editors, so it's all luck, Deborah....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:42 Kim Bradley
5:43
Kim Bradley: 
My first novel by chance was given to Lauri Hornik, then a junior editor at Random House, now publisher of Dial...Lauri's passed me into very capable hands.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:43 Kim Bradley
5:44
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Really loved the feeling of hope. Even though Ada's life is so bleak, there's so much hope for something better!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 NM Librarian
5:44
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
What a good comment -- as great as peace and tranquility may be, they don't test you.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Ben
5:44
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Have you worked with the same editors for your other books?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Deborah
5:44
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
Argh! I find working on the details so hard -- at some point, I just get sick of the whole thing. Does that happen to you?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Judith
5:44
Kim Bradley: 
Again, NM, in the beginning Ada doesn't realize what she's missing..and to Jamie she's always been important and in charge...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:44 Kim Bradley
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
If you reread the first chapter, she's actually quite capable, making tea, helping her brother...she never thinks she's helpless.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:45
[Comment From BenBen: ] 
The title is perfect. How did you come up with that?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Ben
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
Deborah, no, because I've been, for complicated reasons, published by several different houses.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:45
Kim Bradley: 
Judith, I don't really get sick of going over it. I actually love revision.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:45 Kim Bradley
5:46
Kim Bradley: 
Ben, I wish I could take credit for the title. My editor came up with that. I'm notoriously bad at titles; for the longest time, I called this my England Book, and my editor called it my Ada Book.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:46 Kim Bradley
5:46
Kim Bradley: 
I'd love to know what you all think of the cover. Will it have kid appeal?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:46 Kim Bradley
5:47
Kim Bradley: 
There is a sequel in the works. It does have a tentative title that I like: The War I Finally Won.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 Kim Bradley
5:47
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
I think the cover is beautiful.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 NM Librarian
5:47
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Yeah, a sequel!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:47 Deborah
5:48
[Comment From KathyKathy: ] 
I can't say for kids -- I loved the subtle way the club foot is indicated.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 Kathy
5:48
Kim Bradley: 
I've never done a true sequel, but this story seemed to call for one.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 Kim Bradley
5:48
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Looking forward to discovering more about Ada!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:48 NM Librarian
5:49
Kim Bradley: 
Kathy, I liked that too. You may know that authors don't get much say over covers. I wanted it to be clear that there was something wrong with her foot, but I didn't want photo-realism.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:49 Kim Bradley
5:49
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, have you had any book discussions with kids about TWTSML?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:49 lisa von drasek
5:50
Kim Bradley: 
Not yet,
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Kim Bradley
5:50
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Haven't had a chance to show the cover to kids..
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Deborah
5:50
Kim Bradley: 
Not enough children have actually read it...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:50 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
I did give out some ARCs to teens at a recent conference, and they promised to blog about it, but I don't think they have yet...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
Cassandra Clare was at the conference and they were much more impressed with her....
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
Kim Bradley: 
let me look for a pony picture...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 Kim Bradley
5:51
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, do you have a picture of a pony for those of us who are urban and have not a clue?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek
5:51
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
What age group do you see this appealing to?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:51 NM Librarian
5:52
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
digital ARC doesn't show cover :(
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:52 Deborah
5:52
Kim Bradley: 
I hope it will appeal to ages 8-14. Not sure about the upper age limit because she's younger, but I'm still hopeful.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:52 Kim Bradley
5:53
Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 
5:53
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
I wanted to ask about the themes of neglect vs giving kids freedom to discover themselves. Can't [phrase it right, though. Somehow, to me, it's tied in with the pony -- neglecting his hooves was terrible, but letting him run free with Ada was great.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 Judith
5:53
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Great Historical Fiction for Middle Grades
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:53 Deborah
5:54
Kim Bradley
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 
5:54
lisa von drasek: 
oh my
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek
5:54
Kim Bradley: 
I do do classroom visits, though not tons of them. I like them but my schedule fills quickly. I haven't done Skype visits yet. I'd love to know what other experiences with this have been.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 Kim Bradley
5:54
[Comment From JudithJudith: ] 
And, a dumb question -- how do ponies survive in the wild if their hooves aren't tended to?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:54 Judith
5:55
Kim Bradley: 
The ponies are British--smaller than butter, but same idea--tried to bite me, the stinker!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 Kim Bradley
5:55
lisa von drasek: 
like the chincoteague ponies, Judith?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek
5:55
Kim Bradley: 
In the wild ponies' hooves wear down when they're on hard surfaces, or the ponies are born that way and their hooves adjust, or, to be honest...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:55 Kim Bradley
5:56
Kim Bradley: 
if they can't adapt, they die...
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 Kim Bradley
5:56
lisa von drasek: 
Kim, we are almost out of time. Is there anything you would like to say about the book that we haven;t touched on?
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 lisa von drasek
5:56
Kim Bradley: 
In the modern world, many domesticated horses and ponies can go without shoes, but very few can go without having their feet trimmed.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:56 Kim Bradley
5:57
Kim Bradley: 
Nora, I'd just like to say thanks for this opportunity. I love this book and I'm thrilled to be able to chat with readers.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Kim Bradley
5:57
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Thank you!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Deborah
5:57
lisa von drasek: 
Its is time to say good bye . Thank you Kim
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 lisa von drasek
5:57
[Comment From NM LibrarianNM Librarian: ] 
Thank you so much! Loved your book and can't wait to introduce it to readers!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 NM Librarian
5:57
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
Would love to try a Skype visit.
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Deborah
5:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Kim -- we loved every minute of it. Can't believe how fast the hour flew by!



Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:57 Nora - EarlyWord
5:58
Kim Bradley: 
Contact me through my website if you have further questions. www.kimberlybrubakerbradley.... Thanks!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:58 Kim Bradley
5:58
[Comment From DeborahDeborah: ] 
This program rocks!
Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:58 Deborah
5:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 

Thanks to you, Lisa, for moderating and thanks to all our great program members for their thought-provoking questions!





Wednesday November 19, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord
6:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 

The next title in our program is Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose, coming in March. Click here to read more about it.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord
 
 

DARK WILD Wins Guardian Prize

Tuesday, November 18th, 2014

9780670015542_7551d  9780670015559_0c284

Saying, “It feels amazing to be one of the prize’s least-known winners,” author Piers Torday won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize this week for his middle grade novel, The Dark Wild, (Penguin/Viking Juvenile), to be published here on January 22.

Begun in 1967, The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize is awarded by a jury of children’s authors. The longlist for this year’s Prize included Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo as well as We Were Liars by E. Lockhart,

The book is the second in a trilogy, following The Last Wild, (Penguin/Viking Juvenile), a title  featured in our Penguin Young Readers program, which gives librarians the opportunity to read galleys and chat with rising star children’s authors. View the chat with Torday here.

Join us for our next author chat, this Wednesday, with Kim Bradley, author of The War That Saved My Life, (Penguin/Dial), this Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 6 p.m., EST.

Anthony Award Winners

Monday, November 17th, 2014

After already winning an Edgar Best Novel award for his standalone title, Ordinary Grace, (S&S/Atria;  released in trade paperback in March; Thorndike), William Kent Krueger added an Anthony Best Novel award last night for the same title.

This is Krueger’s fourth Anthony, including Best First Novel in 1999 for Iron Lake and back-to-back Best Novel Awards for Blood Hollow (2005) and Mercy Falls (2006). in 2005 and 2006, all of which are in his Cork O’Connor series,

The other Anthony award winners  the in book categories are:

Best First Novel:

Matt Coyle, Yesterday’s Echo, Oceanview Publishing; Brilliance Audio)

Best Children’s or Young Adult Novel:

Joelle Charbonneau, The Testing,( HMH Books for Young Readers,  trade paperback coming 1/6/15),

Best Critical or Non-Fiction Work:

Daniel Stashower, The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War  (Macmillan/Minotaur)

Best Audio Book:

Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo’s Calling, read by Robert Glenister, (Hachette Audio)

Best Paperback Original Novel:

Catriona McPherson, As She Left It, (Midnight Ink)

Tie-In Sans Tie

Monday, November 17th, 2014

Fifty Shades of Grey  Fifty-Shades_990x1527

Released today (and noted on Entertainment Weekly‘s “Shelf Life” blog), the  movie tie-in jacket that’s missing its iconic tie.

The movie, as you probably remember, arrives on Feb. 13.

The tie-in, book and audio, on Jan. 6.

Four Titles to Recommend,
Week of Nov. 17

Friday, November 14th, 2014

Based on advance attention from librarians and booksellers, readers advisors have a range of titles to recommend next week, from a Norwegian mystery, written in a “perversely delicate style” to a literary novel that is “both heartbreaking and hysterical.”

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, New Title Radar, Week of 11/17/14

Library Picks

9780544273399_5ea85The Murder of Harriet Krohn, Karin Fossum, (HMH), OverDrive Sample

The New York Times Book Review‘s mystery columnist, Marilyn Stasio, recently wrote a guide to the varied styles of Scandinavian crime novelists. Fossum is at the top of the list, described as writing “grim suspense novels on abnormal-psychology themes, but in a perversely delicate style that brings Ruth Rendell to mind.” It’s starred by PW and Cuyahoga P.L’s head of collection development, Wendy Bartlett has ordered in quantity, so copies will be available for browsing.

IndieNext Picks

9781250051837_0548b   9780385352345_3bda6   9781940450278_9a2cc-2

The Paris Winter, Imogen Robertson, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s; Macmillan Audio), OverDrive Sample

“In 1909 Paris, a Russian princess, a French model, and a young Englishwoman meet at Academie Lafond, a school for aspiring female artists. It was a time when it was a woman’s duty to marry and support her husband in his career and become the work of art, not the artist. These fictional characters are inspired by real women such as Suzanne Valadon, a friend and muse to Toulouse Lautrec; Ada Leigh, who ran a house for penniless English and American women in Paris; and Gertrude Stein, whose salon paintings noted in The Paris Winter were Picasso’s. The reader, drawn into the underbelly of Paris with its backdrop of opium addiction, murder, and revenge, will be haunted by this tale long after the last page is turned.” — Karen Briggs, Great Northern Books & Hobbies, Oscoda, MI

Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life, Hermione Lee, (RH/Knopf), OverDrive Sample

“As always with Lee’s work, her latest biography offers a detailed and fascinating view of her subject’s life. Penelope Fitzgerald was a teacher, a scholar, a world-class novelist, a two-time winner of Britain’s Man Booker Prize, and a devoted mother and wife. Fitzgerald came late to fame, and this meticulously researched and beautifully written biography reveals every facet of her life in the most intimate way. I loved it!” — Kathy Ashton, The King’s English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT 

All My Puny Sorrows, Miriam Toews, (McSweeney’s), OverDrive Sample

“How does one craft a novel that tackles such difficult and controversial subjects as depression, euthanasia, and suicide without coming across as morbid and morose? Just read Miriam Toews All My Puny Sorrows. With great style and wit, Toews has created a tale that is at once heartbreaking and hysterical. Following the story of two sisters, Elf and Yoli, All My Puny Sorrows deals with the hardships of Elf’s depression and desire to end her life. Beautifully written, rich with tenderness and compassion, this novel keeps you alternating between laughter and tears, captivated from start to finish.” —Claire Roser, Maria’s Bookshop, Durango, CO

Adds Book Riot “Don’t let the serious subject matter dissuade you – this beautiful book will give you all the feels.” (We’re guessing that “feels” is a good thing).

Holds Leaders,
Week of Nov. 17

Friday, November 14th, 2014

Collaborations are the name of the game next week, as two best selling authors team up with co writers. But the holds leader, David Baldacci continues to go it on his own.

9781455521197_9677d   9780345543127_0b0ca   9781476763125_663c2

Baldacci, David, The Escape, (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio; Hachette Large Print)

In an interview yesterday, Baldacci says he envies Sue Grafton for keeping her Kinsey Malone books in the 1980’s. His series tries to keep up with new technology, which is both “a blessing and a curse.” He launches his latest book at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT., next Wednesday.

The Job: A Fox and O’Hare Novel, Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg

The author of the Stephanie Plum novels, in her third collaboration with Lee Goldberg, a writer for the Monk TV series, (previous titles in the series are The Heist, June, 2013 and The ChaseFeb., 2014). It seems it’s working for both authors, the fourth in the series, as yet untitled, is set for August of next year.

The Cinderella Murder, Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, (S&S; S&S Audio; Thorndike

Celebrating 40 years of best sellers, Mary Higgins Clark told the Wall Street Journal this week that she hopes to still be writing at 95. She may have discovered the secret of reaching her goal, in this her first collaboration with another author, Alafair Burke (All Day and All Night released in May, is her tenth novel). It features characters from Clark’s solo title,  I’ve Got You Under My Skin, (released in April), producers of a TV show, Under Suspicion that tries to solve cold cases by re-enacting them.  Says Kirkus, “This serendipitous series launch, or continuation, will satisfy Clark’s legion of fans and may well win her some new ones.” Two more titles in this series are under contract.

Media Attention, Week of 11/17: Celebrity Authors

Friday, November 14th, 2014

There will be some blasts from the past in the media about books next week, as Tony Robbins appears in a new guise and Brooke Shields is on the cover of People magazine. A more recent celebrity, Russell Brand also promotes his latest book, but this time, it’s not a memoir.

Robbins  9781476757803_e0206

Money: Master The Game, Tony Robbina, (Simon & Schuster,  eBook, eAudio)

While we were busy with more mundane things, it seems Tony Robbins went from infomercialist  to “the CEO Whisperer” as he is called on the cover of Fortune Magazine. That infomercial background should help as he promotes his new book on his old medium.  He is set to appear on several upcoming shows, including:

• MSNBC Morning Joe, November 18
• NBC  Today Show, November 18
• Fox News Fox & Friends, November 19
• Bravo-TV Watch What Happens Live, November 23

brook-shields-435  9780525954842_df652

There Was a Little Girl : The Real Story of My Mother and Me, Brooke Shields, (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio)

Shields is making headlines because of revelations in her memoir about her “hard-drinking mother” (the New York Post),  how she lost her virginity (E! Online), Liam Neeson’s proposal (Irish Central, of course) and how she found out that Andre Agassi was a meth addict (People magazine cover story).

9781476791890_644f4 9780062314963_c7766
The Pied Piper of Hamelin : Russell Brand’s Trickster Tales, Russell Brand, Chris Riddell, (S&S/ Atria Books, S&S Audio)

Not a celebrity memoir, but a celebrity retelling a favorite fairy tale. Scheduled appearances include:

• NBC Today Show November 18
• NBC Tonight Show sNovember 18
• NBC Access Hollywood  November 18
• ABC Live with Kelly & Michael, November 19
• Bravo-TV Watch What Happens Live, November 20

You Can’t Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television, Al Michaels, L. Jon Wertheim, )Harper/Morrow; Harper)

We don’t have specifics on appearances, but after more than 30 years on television, the author has what is called media access.

LibraryReads Top Ten Favorites

Friday, November 14th, 2014

The top ten titles that public library staff most enjoyed recommending in 2014 have been announced. As part of LibraryReads first-year celebration, over a thousand people voted on their favorite LibraryReads’s picks from the monthly lists beginning with the first, September, 2013.

The top favorte is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin (the trade paperback cover is on the right, below. The first person to spot the sly reference in the shop window, by noting it in the comments section, wins a copy of the book).

9781616203214_2a337  life-firky

“A wide range of library staff has signed on with LibraryReads, from all over the country, and from public libraries of all sizes,” says Stephanie Anderson, Head of Reader Services at Darien Library in CT, on behalf of the LibraryReads Steering Committee. “Library staff are tastemakers in their communities, and this list showcases the broad and brio-filled scope of their reading enthusiasm.”

The full list, in order of most votes received, is:

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, (Workman/Algonquin, April; Highbridge Audio; Thorndike;  Trade pbk, 12/2/14).

The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion (Simon & Schuster, Oct., 2013; S&S Audio; Trade pbk, 6/3/14) — sequel, The Rosie Effect, coming 12/30.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (S&S/Scribner, May 2014; Audio exclusive from Midwest Tape),

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin, July; Listening Library)

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt (Hachette/Little, Brown, Oct, 2013; Hachette AudioBlackstone Audio; Thorndike)

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart, Penguin YR/Delacorte Press, May; Listening Library)

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, (RH/Knopf, Sept., 2014; RH Audio; Thorndike, Dec. 10)

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes, (Viking/Pamela Dorman, June; Recorded Books; Thorndike)

Landline, by Rainbow Rowell (Macmillan/St. Martin’s, July; Macmillan Audio; Thorndike)

Longbourn, by Jo Baker (RH/Knopf, Oct, 2013; RH Audio; RH Large Print; trade pbk, 6/17/14)

The fully annotated list will be posted at www.libraryreads.org on December 1st.

Remember to nominate your favorite upcoming titles for LibraryReads. You can nominate titles at any time, but the deadline for the January list (which includes December as well as January titles) is Nov. 20.

Holds Alert: THE WILD TRUTH

Thursday, November 13th, 2014

9780062325143_d2988Several libraries show growing holds on modest quantities of The Wild Truth, by Carine McCandless, (HarperCollins; HarperAudio; HarperLuxe).

The author is the sister of Chris McCandless, a man who seemingly had everything, but ended as an emaciated corpse discovered in a bus in the Alaskan wilderness after giving away most of his money and breaking with his family.

The story was featured in Jon Krakauer’s 1996 best seller, Into the Wild, which was adapted into a 2007 movie adaptation, starring Emile Hirsch and directed by Sean Penn. In her book, Carine McCandles, who was 21 years old at the time, gives more insight into her brother’s seemingly erratic behavior. A new documentary about him, Return to the Wild, will air on PBS on Nov. 25.

Reviewed this week on the NPR web site, it was also featured on ABC’s 20/20 and on the People magazine web site.

Small Press Book, Big Press Attention

Thursday, November 13th, 2014

9780988518339_d5dccIn today’s New York Times, Dwight Garner opens his review of Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish (Tyrant Books, original trade pbk., Nov. 11) with this attention-getting phrase, “Unlike any American fiction I’ve read recently in its intricate comprehension of, and deep feeling for, life at the margins” and goes on to describe it in increasingly glowing terms, winding up with, “The final chapters of this indelible book pulled my heart up under my ears.”

The publisher is the indie press Tyrant Books, which was profiled in The Los Angeles Review of Books last year.

Preparation for the Next Life was one of 35 titles on Publishers Weekly‘s list of “The Big Indie Books of Fall 2014,” also receiving a stellar review in that publication, as a “stunning debut novel that plumbs the underbelly of New York City … Lish’s prose is at once raw and disciplined, and every word feels necessary. “