Now that the best books of 2010 lists are wrapped up (from the various media outlets, that is. As noted in the comments, we still have the ALA lists to look forward to), media attention is turning to the most anticipated books of the new year.

The first up to offer their takes, are The Huffington Post (40 titles through March) and The Book Beast (17 titles through May). The selections tend to focus on the more literary; not necessarily the ones your customers will be clamoring for. However, there are a few possible exceptions.

January

My Father at 100: A Memoir, Ron Reagan, Viking/Penguin (January 18, 2011), 9780670022595; Nostalgia for Reagan continues (even President Obama took a book about Reagan with him on his Christmas vacation), so this memoir by his son may be a hit. Selected by The Book Beast.

O: A Presidential Novel, Anonymous, Simon & Schuster (January 25, 2011), 9781451625967; According to The Book Beast, this anonymous novel “about just what President Obama will do to win in 2012” will cause a sensation similar to Primary Colors, about the Clinton administration. There is, however, very sketchy information on wholesalers’ and bookseller’ sites and none on S&S’s, making us wonder if it’s been delayed. Libraries we checked have not ordered it.

February

A Widow’s Story: A Memoir, Joyce Carol Oates, Ecco/HarperCollins, (February 15, 2011) 9780062015532; if you”ve read the excerpt in The New Yorker, you’ll agree with The Book Beast that “Oates’ memoir will join Antonia Fraser and Joan Didion on the shelf of essential works on loss.” It’s also picked by The Huffington Post.

Townie, Andre Dubus III, Norton, (February 28, 2011), 9780393064667; we’ve been hearing advance buzz on this. If you’re going to MidWinter, be sure to stop by Norton’s booth for an advance readers edition. Dubus will  be the the Sunrise Speaker this Sunday, Janurary 9th at MidWinter and will be signing at the Norton booth that day, from 2 to 2:30 pm.

April

The Uncoupling, Meg Wolitzer, Riverhead, (April 5, 2011), 9781594487880; A staging of  Lysistrata has unexpected effects on female teachers and students. The Book Beast predicts it “will provoke.”

Try this on customers still waiting for a crack at The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; USA Today says the books by the Swedish crime-writing duo, Roslund & Hellstrom are as good, if not better than Stieg Larsson’s.

The latest in by the authors, Three Seconds, comes out tomorrow.

Roslund, a former journalist and Hellstrom an ex-con, met when Roslund was making a documentary about an organization founded by Hellstrom, KRIS (Criminals Return Into Society). They have written four previous titles, only one of which, Box 21, is available in the U.S.

The publisher of Three Seconds, Silver Oak, is a new joint venture between Sterling in the U.S. and Quercus in the U.K..

Three Seconds Anders Roslund, Borge Hellstrom Retail Price: $24.95 Hardcover: 496 pages Publisher: SilverOak – (2011-01-04) ISBN / EAN: 1402785925 / 9781402785924

The Seattle Times looks at the crowded field of contenders for the Newbery/Caldecott Awards, to be announced a week from Monday at MidWinter.

The reporter comments, “Some years, there are obvious winners. This year, however, there are really no sure bets.” To that, we would add, “some years the ‘obvious winners’ don’t take home the medals.”

Nevertheless, the book that comes out as the leader for the Newbery is One Crazy Summer, by Rita William-Garcia (Amistad/HarperCollins). It also garnered the most picks on the year’s best books lists.

For the Caldecott, the top contenders are  are considered to be City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon Muth (Hyperion) and Art & Max, written and illustrated by David Wiesner (Clarion/HMH).

The Seattle Times did not look at the Printz Awards, but you can check out Lisa Von Drasek’s list of candidates for the Bank Street School’s Mock Printz Awards (also see their Mock Newbery Awards list).