Publisher buzz sessions have become useful, not to mention fun, sources of insight into forthcoming titles librarians need to know about.

At ALA for the first time this year, the Trade Libraries Committee of the Association of American Publishers will present book editors buzzing their favorite fall titles, moderated by Nancy Pearl.

From the Inside(rs) Out: Book Editors and the New Titles They Love
Friday, June 25 from 3:30 to 5:00 (just prior to the opening of the Exhibit floor)
Convention Center; Room 103A

Also scheduled are sessions by publishers’ library marketing departments; great not only for getting advance buzz, but galleys, totes and (much-needed) refreshment. Earlier sessions are where librarians first heard about titles that are just breaking out now, like A Fierce Radiance or The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.

Important Note; the publishers request that you register in advance so they will have enough goodies on hand. However, if you forget to RSVP, no worries; we’ve never seen anyone turned away at the door, just be respectful of the limited quantities of freebies.

HarperCollins FALL TITLE Presentation
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Convention Center, Room 147A
Adult Titles, 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Childrens Titles, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
RSVP to: Bobby Brinson, HarperCollins

If you’re wondering how much the HC Library Marketing team can BUZZ, check out their photo here!

Random House, Inc. BOOK BUZZ
Sunday, June 27th
Convention Center, Room 152A
Children’s Titles: 10:00am – 11:00am
Adult Titles: 11:15am – 12:15pm
RSVP to: Library@RandomHouse

The RUSA Reading List Awards are unusual for ALA; rather than literary fiction, they focus on genres, most of which are overlooked when best books awards are being handed out.

The awards were announced at MidWinter. Adriana Trigiani won in the Women’s Fiction category  and did what any bestselling author would do in her situation; she called her mom (who is a librarian).

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Winners are below, the full lists, with runners-up and readalikes (this is RUSA, after all!)  is available here.

Adrenaline

(Action, Thrillers and Adventure)

Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher, No. 13) Lee Child Retail Price: $27.00 Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Delacorte Press – (2009-05-19) ISBN / EAN: 0385340575 / 9780385340571

Fantasy

Lamentation (The Psalms of Isaak) Ken Scholes Retail Price: $7.99 Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages Publisher: Tor Fantasy – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0765360918 / 9780765360915

Historical Fiction

Agincourt: A Novel Bernard Cornwell Retail Price: $14.99 Paperback: 512 pages Publisher: Harper Paperbacks – (2010-01-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061578908 / 9780061578908

Horror

Last Days Brian Evenson Retail Price: $12.95 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Underland Press – (2009-02-01) ISBN / EAN: 0980226007 / 9780980226003

Mystery

A Beautiful Place to Die: A Novel Malla Nunn Retail Price: $15.00 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Washington Square Press – (2009-10-20) ISBN / EAN: 1416586210 / 9781416586210

Romance

What Happens in London Julia Quinn Retail Price: $7.99 Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Avon – (2009-07-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061491888 / 9780061491887

Science Fiction

The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi Retail Price: $24.95 Hardcover: 300 pages Publisher: Night Shade Books – (2009-09-15) ISBN / EAN: 1597801577 / 9781597801577

Women’s Fiction

Very Valentine: A Novel Adriana Trigiani Retail Price: $25.99 Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Harper – (2009-02-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061257052 / 9780061257056

If you have time to hunt down just one galley at MidWinter, go directly to HarperCollins’ booth (#1403) for This Book is OverDue! And, overdue it is; finally, a book written for a general audience that gives librarians the respect we deserve and recognizes how important, rather than irrelevant, we are in the digital age.

We just learned the book is being featured in the February issue of O the Oprah Magazine, saying it shows that “today’s librarians make it their mission to rescue us from chaos, managing the information overload that saps our souls” and that the author “celebrates [librarians] who risk prosecution by refusing to let government officials invade our privacy…”

The author, Marilyn Johnson will also be signing at the Harper booth on Monday, from 11:30 to 12:30 and will appear at the ALTAFF Author Tea from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Monday (Hyatt Regency; Grand Ballroom).

This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All Marilyn Johnson Retail Price: $24.99 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Harper – (2010-02-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061431605 / 9780061431609

What else should you look for? Of course, you’ll be stalking galleys from your favorite authors, but it’s even more valuable to stay ahead of the curve by picking up some debut authors. Here’s just a few to tempt you:

The Postmistress Sarah Blake Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam – (2010-02-09) ISBN / EAN: 0399156194 / 9780399156199

USA Today recently covered this debut in their “Book Buzz” column, noting that Kathryn Stockett, author of the continuing sleeper success, The Help calls it, “A beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that I’m telling everyone to read.” The author will be signing at the Penguin booth, #1324, Sunday, 1:30 to 2:30

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The Passage Justin Cronin Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 800 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books – (2010-06-08) ISBN / EAN: 0345504968 / 9780345504968

We noted earlier that Ballantine is pinning big hopes on this book for the summer. The author will be featured at the Random House booth during the Spotlight on Adult Lit., Saturday, 2 to 4.

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Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel Beth Hoffman Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Viking Adult – (2010-01-12) ISBN / EAN: 0670021393 / 9780670021390

Another title we covered earlier, this is the inaugural pick for the Sam’s Club Book Club and we’re hearing rapturous responses from early readers. The author  will be featured at the Penguin booth, #1324 during the Spotlight on Adult Lit., Saturday, 2 to 4.

If you’re like me, when you checked you calendar yesterday, you suddenly realized that MidWinter is NEXT week. HOW did that happen?

I know none of you, dear readers, are procrastinators. But you may have a friend who procrastinates and then is angry that she missed all the great author events at ALA.

Here’s how she can put together her schedule quickly:

1) Check out ALA’s rundown of authors (some with highly anticipated new titles, like Elizabeth Gilbert and Tracy Chevalier) who will be appearing.

2) Don’t miss these events that are not on ALA’s list:

AAP Author Breakfast
Sunday, January 17, 2010
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Room 151 A/B Convention Center

What a deal;  free breakfast with SIX major short story writers, including NBA winner Ha Jin (as you know, critics proclaimed 2009 the Year of the Short Story, but clearly 2010 will also be a strong year), sponsored by the Assoc. of American Publishers (the invitation lists all the authors). It’s free, but you have to send an RSVP to Marlene Scheuermann at the AAP.

Publisher Title Presentations
This is a great way to get a jump on the  Spring/Summer seasons and to get at inside look at what the library marketing reps are particularly excited about, as well as a chance to load up on major galleys. Two of the largest trade houses will be doing title presentations:

HarperCollins
Saturday, January 16, 2010
10:00 AM – 11:15 AM — Adult Titles
11:30 to 12:30 — Children’s Titles
Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel
(Connected to the Boston Convention Center)
425 Summer Street
Burroughs Room
Boston, Massachusetts
Please RSVP by emailing Bobby Brinson so there will be an adequate number of galleys, tote bags and goodies.

Random House, Inc.
Sunday, January 17th
Children’s Titles: 10:30am – 11:30am
Adult Titles: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
RSVP to library@randomhouse.com for location information.

ALCTS – CMDS  and RUSA – CODES – Collection Management in Public Libraries Discussion Group
Monday, January 18
1:30 – 3:00 p.m
Room 156 Convention Center
A rare opportunity to find out what other coll. dev. librarians from around the country are thinking

Sunday, January 17th
4-6pm
RUSA Book and Media Awards
Intercontinental, Rose Kennedy III
Celebrate the genres with the Reading List Awards announcements, as well as the Notable Book Awards, the Dartmouth Medal, the Zora Neale Hurston Award, the Sophie Brody Award, the Louis Shores, and Outstanding Reference Sources, as well as many others.

We just learned that Nevada Barr will be  signing at the Perseus booth, #2251, on Sunday at 2 p.m. Her new book, 13 1/2 comes out in September.

13 1/2 Nevada Barr Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Vanguard Press – (2009-09-29) ISBN / EAN: 1593155530 / 9781593155537

Perseus will also host the following author signings:

• Saturday 11 am – Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman, Enough
• Saturday at 2:00 – Gordon Livingston, How to Love

And, They are holding a raffle for an eReader, loaded with manuscripts of forthcoming titles.

I know, I know; librarians are not procrastinators. Much to my sorrow, I am one of the exceptions, so I have special sympathy for those of  you who are still scrambling to put togeher your ALA calendar.

This year, ALA has a bonanza of adult authors, (so much so that they were able to do a special calendar of just the Literature Programs and Author Events), but even this pared-down listing can be a lot to wade through and it doesn’t include author booth signings.

Since publishers’ booth listings are arranged by author, they are an efficient way to find where your favorite authors will be. Below are the ones available online (check the ads in the ALA program listings for more):

• Penguin, #2020

• Macmillan, #1713

• Random House, #1834

• W.W. Norton, $1616

• HarperCollins, #1911

I was browsing the ALA program listings, when I discovered, somewhat buried in a list of panelists, the name Charlaine Harris. Yep; the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series (the basis for HBO’s hit True Blood) is on the paranormal panel. Below is the program description.

Sunday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
McCormick Place West, W-190A
Things That Go Bump in the Stacks:
Whole Collection Advisory for Paranormal Fiction

Come discuss best practices for helping patrons find paranormal materials they can really
 sink their teeth into. This program focuses on understanding the appeal of the genre
and helping fans find materials throughout the library. Event panel moderated by
Neil Hollands includes genre authors Charlaine Harris, Charlie Huston and Marjorie Liu.

Harris will also be at the Penguin booth #2020 on Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 (see full Penguin booth schedule).

For more insight on the genre, check out Penguin’s  “Project Paranormal.” It includes “What’s Next with Cindy Hwang,” Executive Editor, Berkeley Books, one of the pioneers in the genre, talking trends in the genre and  several authors she regards as future stars.

If you’re anything like me, you’re still putting together your ALA schedule. The upcoming holiday won’t make it easier to get it done, so here’s some handy roundups of not-to-miss events for RA and collection development:

The Readers Advisor Online blog has a helpful rundown of programs of interest for readers advisors.

ALA has put together a separate listing of all book and author events.

John Berry presents his picks of the programs, by interest category, in Library Journal.

ALA lists the Collection Development programs

Some other programs you will want to consider, or give special attention to:

Publishers Book Buzz Sessions (Adult Titles)

A great opportunity to hear what’s hot on the fall lists, find out what debut authors to watch, and grab some galleys.

Saturday, July 11, 2009
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
McCormick Place South, Room S101a

HarperCollins — Virginia Stanley and her library marketing team promise tote bags and treats (they know what gets you!) as well as galleys. You need to RSVP so they can line up enough treats. But if you forget to RSVP, come anyway, just don’t expect to get any treats.
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Sunday, July 12, 2009
12:00  - 1:00PM
McCormick Place West, Room W473

Random House — It’s the largest list in the business, but Marcie Purcell, Jen Childs and the rest of the team will plow through it in just one rapid-fire hour. RSVP library@randomhouse.com.

Special Consideration

I admit it, I’d like you to give special consideration to these programs because I am on them, but, hats off to their organizers, they also sound really good:

Books and Blogs: Made for Each Other?
Saturday, July 11, 1:30-3:00 p.m
McCormick Place West, W-192C

The first-ever program sponsored by Booklist Online. Keir Graff moderates a wide-ranging discussion about blogs as tools for locating, learning about, and promoting books. I’m joining a great panel featuring John Green (Y.A. author and Brotherhood 2.0 blogger; check it out, even if you can’t come to the program), Kaite Stover (Book Group Buzz) and Mary Burkey (Audiobooker).

RUSA President’s Program
Monday, July 13, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
(unfortunately, this is listed as being on Sunday in LJ‘s picks; be sure to put the right date on your own schedule!)
Hyatt Regency, Wacker Drive

Organized by Neal Wyatt, this kicks off  another of  Neal’s amazing brainstorms, the Readers’ Advisory Research and Trends Forum, “where ideas, best practices and creative possibilities are actively engaged and deconstructed in order to contribute to the advancement of RA service.” In this session, Neal is taking an interdisciplinary look at appeal; how it works in music, books and art. I will be presenting information on what makes shoppers choose to buy specific titles and what that teaches us for both RA and collection development.

Discussion Group of Note

Collection Management In Public Libraries Discussion/Interest Group
Monday, July 13, from 1:30 to 3:00
Chicago Hilton, the Lake Erie Room.

Discussion topics:

1. Vendor services libraries are using to be more efficient and to avoid adding more staff.
2. What are some innovations libraries are using to deliver materials such as mailing holds/requests or partnering with NetFlix?
3. And, on everyone’s mind – what are the strategies being used to cope with reduced materials budgets.

Francine Fialkoff, LJ Editor-in-Chief, announces a revolutionary change in LJ reviews in an editorial  (hint: no more “recommended for large libraries.”) – The “Verdict” on Reviews

Also in the issue is John Berry’s incisive selections from the thousands of programs on offer at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Chicago

For those of you heading to Denver next week (and it looks like there’s more of you than originally predicted), it’s time to get serious about planning your schedule. John Berry’s excellent program preview includes a good rundown of author programs (under the heading, “Authorized” — cute, John).

In addition to those programs, please consider coming to  the “Librarians Book Buzz.”  I’m moderating it this time, which is not the only reason I want you to come — it’s a great opportunity to get an early look at buzz-worthy titles. Many titles discussed at previous buzz panels went on to become “surprise” bestsellers (Dewey was presented at the PLA buzz session; Animals Make Us Human just hit the NYT list — it was presented at the BEA Librarians Buzz Panel). Plus, it’s a good opportunity to get to know the library marketing folks at publishing houses. They can be very helpful to you when you’re putting together programs, looking for galleys, or  when you just need information on their titles or authors.

Sunday, January 25^th
2 pm – 3:30 pm
Librarians Book Buzz
Convention Center, Room 301

Moderator:  Nora Rawlinson

Speakers include:

• Heather Scott, Marketing Manager, Hachette Book Group USA (Little, Brown and Grand Central Publishing)
• Michael Barry, Library Marketing, Macmillan (FSG, St. Martins, Holt, Tor/Forge, Picador)
• Michael Rockliff, Director of Library Sales & Marketing, Workman Publishing (includes Algonquin)
• Bethany Buck, VP, Publisher of Aladdin & Pulse, S&S Childrens
• Traci Todd, Senior Editor, Viz Media

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And, there’s still some (free) tickets available for the “Breakfast and Book Talk,” sponsored by the AAP.

Will your YA’s ever forgive you if you don’t come to see the authors of the bestselling “House of Night” series? I think not.

Will your boss forgive yourself for missing Luis Albert Urrera (his Hummingbird’s Daughter was a San Francisco “One City” pick), or Abraham Vergase, whose debut book, Cutting for Stone, is the lead February “IndieNext” pick? She shouldn’t.

To get tickets, send an email to  Tina Jordan, AAP

Sunday, January 25th, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Denver Convention Center, Room 605/607
Breakfast and BookTalk

Featuring:

• Eli Gottlieb, Now You See Him, (HarperCollins) 
• Brian Dennis Monaghan and Geraldine V. Monaghan, authors of The Power of Two (Workman, May 15, 09) 
• P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast, authors of Hunted, “House of Night,” Book 5, (St. Martin’s/Griffin, March 10. 09) 
• Craig Johnson, author of Another Man’s Moccasins (Viking Penguin, May 29, ‘09) 
• Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting For Stone (Alfred A. Knopf, Feb. 3. ‘09) 
• Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Into the Beautiful North (Little Brown, May 19. ‘09) 

Author signings follow at the publishers’ booths.

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On Monday,  there will be a discussion of a very timely topic — how to deal with cutbacks in collection development during the economic downturn as well as how to purchase to meet the need of patrons affected by the downturn.

The Collection Management In Public Libraries Discussion/Interest Group (sponsored by RUSA and CODES)
Monday, Jan 26, 10:30 to 12:00
Convention Center, Room 703

We’re happy to see that more book and author programs are sneaking their way in to MidWinter (shall we abandon the charade that this is an all-meeting event?).

ALA’s Deidre Ross sent out an email recently listing the ALA-sponsored events, but don’t overlook these off-the-program opportunities, sponsored by the Trade Libraries Committee of the Assoc of American Publishers (including one I am moderating — a great opportunity to learn about upcoming Spring titles):

Sunday, January 25th, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.            

Denver Convention Center, Room 605/607

Breakfast and BookTalk

Featuring:

• Mary Kay Andrews, author of The Fixer Upper, (HarperCollins, June, ’09) 
• Brian Dennis Monaghan and Geraldine V. Monaghan, authors of The Power of Two (Workman, May 15, 09) 
• P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast, authors of Hunted, “House of Night,” Book 5, (St. Martin’s/Griffin, March 10. 09) 
• Craig Johnson, author of Another Man’s Moccasins (Viking Penguin, May 29, ’09) 
• Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting For Stone (Alfred A. Knopf, Feb. 3. ’09) 
• Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Into the Beautiful North (Little Brown, May 19. ’09) 

Author signings follow at the publishers’ booths.

RSVP by Jan 9th to  Tina Jordan, AAP

No charge for the breakfast, so hurry; seating is limited!

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Sunday, January 25^th
2 pm – 3:30 pm         

Librarians Book Buzz

Room Info To Come (we’ll announce it on EarlyWord)

Moderator:  Nora Rawlinson

Hear from the library marketing directors of the nation’s publishing houses on the  titles they find most inspiring for the upcoming season…and why!

Speakers include:

• Heather Scott, Marketing Manager, Hachette Book Group USA (Little, Brown and Grand Central Publishing)
• Michael Barry, Library Marketing, Macmillan (FSG, St. Martins, Holt, Tor/Forge, Picador)
• Michael Rockliff, Director of Library Sales & Marketing, Workman Publishing (includes Algonquin)
• Bethany Buck, VP, Publisher of Aladdin & Pulse, S&S Childrens
• Liza Coppola, Senior Vice President, Viz Media.

No registration required.

We recently wrote about the advance buzz for Random House’s debut novel, The Gargoyle. We just got an interesting comment on the post from Jana about how readers may respond to the graphic descriptions of sex and painful injuries in the first 75 pages.

You can judge it for yourself; Random House will be giving away copies of the ARC at ALA, booth #2534. To get a copy, you will need a coupon from Library Journal‘s “Aisle by Aisle Guide” (you’ll see people handing them out at the show).

And, while we’re thinking about galleys at ALA, remind yourself to go to the Hachette booth to pick up a copy of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. You can get the ARC in exchange for a card swipe. Hachette’s booth is #2767. Dewey is one of my favorites of the Fall, but don’t just take my word for it:

I adored Dewey. There are few books that are as memorable; Dewey the Small Town Library Cat will be one of those books that will be etched in my memory for a lifetime. — Jennifer Teitelbaum, Librarian, San Diego County Library

If you’re going to MidWinter and you still haven’t gotten your tickets to the FOLUSA Gala Author Tea, tomorrow is the last day to order them online. The Tea is scheduled for Monday, January 14, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel.

Of course, author programming tends to be rather thin at ALAMW, but FOLUSA can always be counted on for a strong event. This year, I am particularly excited that Meg Rosoff is one of the five authors on the program. Her debut Y.A. novel How I Live Now won the 2005 Printz Award. Talk about a book that haunts you for weeks, this is it. Her second Y.A. title, Just in Case, was one of E! Online’s “Books You Must Read” picks of 2007. Perhaps prophetically, the article noted, “Adult readers probably ignored Case because it came out as a Young Adult novel.” Rosoff’s next book will indeed be published as an adult title:

• Hardcover: $23.95
• Publisher: Viking Adult (January 24, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0670018449
• ISBN-13: 978-0670018444

FOLUSA recently announced that Barbara Taylor Bradford, who was originally scheduled to be on the progam, will not be able to attend, but each attendee will receive a free copy of her latest book, The Heir.

The other authors scheduled for the panel are:

• Russell Banks,
• Ann Hood,
• Sue Miller and
• Camilla Gibb.

Fans of The Book Reporter Network (which includes ReadingGroupGuides.com as well as several other useful books sites) and its founder Carol Fitzgerald (some of you probably feel you already know her from her chatty and personable blog) can catch her in person at MidWinter as she moderates a program on Reading Groups (see below).

The program also features “Harper’s own Book Club Girl, Jennifer Hart.” The Book Club Girl blog was profiled in the Sept. 21st issue of the e-newsletter for booksellers, Shelf Awareness. Launched in April,  it was created primarily to promote HarperCollins titles, but also features books from other publishers. As Hart tells Shelf Awareness, “we knew if that was all the site had it wouldn’t gain the trust of consumers.”

Below is the copy from ALA, slightly amended (a few items have changed since the program was originally published):

Books Build Friendships
Monday, January 14, 8:00-9:00 am
Pennsylvania Convention Center 201 B/C

A conversation about books, reading groups, and relationships that are formed and strengthened through the experience of reading, moderated by Carol Fitzgerald (pictured) and featuring:

Harper’s own Book Club Girl, Jennifer Hart (VP/Associate Publisher at Perennial, Ecco),

Shireen Dodson is Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Civil Rights attaché U.S. Department of State. Her second book, One Hundred Books for Girls to Grow On, offers a selection of both new and classic titles.

Victoria Lustbader is a former editor for both Harper & Row and Berkley/Putnam, who became an author herself with her first novel, Hidden, published in June of 2006 by Forge Books.

Elizabeth Noble is the author of the bestsellers The Reading Group, published in the UK in 2004 where it went straight to the number-one position in The Sunday Times’s Fiction Bestseller list, and 2005′s The Friendship Test.

Carol Fitgerald spent 17 years at Mademoiselle magazine in Promotion and Marketing, and is founder of BookReporter.com, a book review and information site.