Archive for December, 2015

GALLEYCHAT, December 2015,
Eyes 2016

Monday, December 21st, 2015

Just in time to feed your reader for the holidays ahead, our GalleyChatter columnist Robin Beerbower rounds up the favorites from this month’s chat.

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It’s hard to believe this is the last GalleyChat summary of 2015. It has been a fabulous year of reading and we can’t wait to see what our crystal balls predict for 2016.

For a complete list of what was mentioned during the chat, check here.

Librarian Magnets

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The phrases “re-imagined Bronte” or “inspired by a story by Jane Austen” are librarian magnets and brought particular enthusiasm for three novels during the December’s GalleyChat.

Receiving the most attention was Lyndsay Fay’s Jane Steele (PRH/Putnam, March). Inspired by a Charlotte Bronte classic and described as “practically perfect,” Ann Chambers Theis  (Henrico County Public Library, VA) goes on to say, “Wow. What fun. A delightful mashup, both entertaining and literary. Jane Eyre, Gothicness, Dickensonianish, interesting subplots – not to mention the serial killer aspect.”

Also receiving early attention was The Madwoman Upstairs, Catherine Lowell (S&S/Touchstone, March), a literary mystery about the last living Bronte descendant. It was a hit for New Rochelle (NY) Public LIbrary’s Beth Mills who said, “Cryptic clues from their novels send quirky Samantha on a wild scavenger hunt for the family’s rumored “lost estate” of notebooks and manuscripts. Marvelous Oxford atmosphere and memorable characters.”

Rounding out the list is Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice (Random House, April) by Curtis Sittenfeld, author of the popular novels Prep and American Wife. Andrienne Cruz (Azusa, CA, City Library) reports, “Eligible is a lively and quite up-to-date (think Crossfit and reality TV) retelling of Pride and Prejudice and just like a sweet dose of dessert at the end of the meal, satisfying.”

February Thrillers

9781476785622_ba7aaIt takes a special talent to create a character who is charismatic even though his deeds are heinous (think Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter), one Caroline Kepnes exhibited in her first book, You. It introduced Joe Goldberg, a bookstore worker whose obsession with his girlfriends came to not so great ends. In the sequel, Hidden Bodies (S&S/Atria/Emily Bestler, February), Joe follows his current girlfriend to California where he continues his disturbing ways. Jennifer Winberry (Hunterdon County Library, NJ) says, “Joe is one of the most intriguing characters to come along in a while: intelligent, paranoid, passionate and dangerous all at once.”

9780385348485_2c40fAlready acquired by Dreamworks for a movie and receiving lots of buzz, The Travelers by Chris Pavone (PRH/Crown, March) is a surefire hit. Jackie Greenberg, a selector at Baltimore Public Library says, “Will Rhodes is a travel writer, but perhaps he should be questioning why he is delivering sealed envelopes marked confidential as a part of his job at Travelers magazine. One night, while on an assignment in Argentina, a beautiful woman holds a gun to his head and Will has to make a choice. A globetrotting smart literary thriller.”

Beyond the KonMari Method

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If you’ve tried Marie Kondo’s methods from The Life Changing Magic of Tidying-Up but still find the need for more in-depth help, Fay Wolf’s The New Order: A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else) (PRH/Ballantine, January) may be the answer. Collection Development librarian P. J. Gardiner (Wake County, NC, Library) says this book is full of practical advice: “From purging to filing (both paper and digital files) to reducing content received (tangible and digital items) to gaining productivity, Wolf has an action plan for you.” Request print galleys by emailing library@penguinrandomhouse.com.

Also, watch for a revamped The Joy of Less by Francine Jay (Chronicle, May), one of the original pioneers of the simple living movement.  

Unique Perspectives

9781101886694_432faWith comparisons by the publisher to The Martian and World War Z, rave reviews flooding in, and movie rights already purchased, Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel (RH/Del Rey, April) could be the sleeper of the year. Lara T, Collection Development Associate at the Tyler (TX) Public Library, said this quirky science fiction thriller “…opens with the accidental discovery of a giant robotic hand, buried in a chamber deep in the ground, and is told primarily through transcripts of interviews with an unnamed official, journal entries, and reports. The unfolding mystery of the origin, purpose, and power of the ancient artifact, and the political machinations around its study made this book hard to put down.”

9781631490903_c2ef2For unorthodox short stories that will stay with you, Andrienne Cruz recommends Amber Sparks’ Unfinished World (Norton/Liveright, January). “The stories here are macabre, magical and melancholic. There is something here for everyone: time travel, kings and queens, werewolves, scam artists, mafia…”

Please join us for our first 2016 GalleyChat on January 5 at 4:00 (ET) with virtual happy hour at 3:30. To keep up with my anticipated 2016 titles, “friend” me on Edelweiss.

Order Alert: SPARK JOY

Monday, December 21st, 2015

9781607747307_9d11aOver a year after its initial publication, many libraries still have very long holds queues for Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (RH/Ten Speed Press) and those that have managed to work through the reserve list are still seeing copies rotate off the shelf in heavy circulation.

9781607749721_4090cAs we reported earlier, now comes the next book in the series, Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (Ten Speed Press; RH Large Print; OverDrive Sample).

This version, according to EW (which gave it a C in their brief review), is “mainly a rehash,” but that is unlikely to matter to Kondo’s fan base.

The new book offers illustrations of how drawers, closets, and cabinets should look after tidying as well as step-by-step folding guides for various articles of clothing – each reason enough to get fans buzzing.

If you lost circ. on the first edition by buying low, this is a chance to get a head start on the new one.

DOWNTON ABBEY, The U.K. Says Goodbye, We Say Hello

Monday, December 21st, 2015

Screen-Shot-2015-08-31-at-11.56.02-AM

The holiday season marks an end and a beginning for Downton Abbey.

In Great Britain, the beloved series is coming to a close with the final episode airing on Christmas Day.

Season six began there on Sept. 20th, marked by this tearjerker of a preview:

To jolly-up viewers, the show offered a holiday spoof created as a fundraiser for the U.K. charity Text Santa:

(Last year’s effort featured George Clooney, see it here).

In the U.S., all things Downton are just getting started. Season six begins on PBS Sunday, Jan. 3 at 9 p.m.

PBS offers American viewers a decidedly more upbeat preview than the U.K. version:

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For those who cannot wait to find out what’s happened to the huge cast, there is plenty of coverage of Downton events to date in the London papers, such as this summary in the Daily Mail. as well as the book,  Downton Abbey – A Celebration: The Official Companion to All Six Seasons by Jessica Fellowes, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press. 11/10/15).

A Favorite Best Picture Books List

Friday, December 18th, 2015

last-stop-market village-by-sea

We’re missing Lisa Von Drasek’s annual lists of Books To Give Kids You Don’t Know Very Well (she is on hiatus as our EarlyWord Kids Correspondent while she serves on the 2017 Caldecott Award Selection Committee).

As a substitute, Lisa suggests Minh Le’s thoughtful selections and annotations in the Huffington Post‘s Best Picture Books of 2015.

Le’s top pick is Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, ill. by Christian Robinson (Penguin/Putnam YR), which he praises for its “generosity of spirit …Through de la Peña’s deft narrative and Robinson’s timeless illustrations, Last Stop on Market Street invites readers to train their imaginative powers on the real world in order to see more deeply and with greater compassion.”

Listed as the “Best Surprise” of the year is In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, ill. April Chu (Creston, dist. by Perseus). Says Le, “At first glance, In a Village by the Sea appears to be a straightforward story about family, but Van’s clever nesting doll narrative and Chu’s playful illustration sprinkle the story with a healthy dusting of magic and surprise.”

Le writes on his blog that this has been a “stellar year for picture books.” We’re hoping next year proves the same, offering Lisa and the entire Caldecott committee many more to choose from.

We have added the titles from this list to our updated downloadable spreadsheet compiling the 2015 Childrens and YA Best Books.

Oprah Memoir On the Way

Friday, December 18th, 2015

Oprah Winfrey, who has made the career of many a memoirist, is set to finally come through on the promise of writing a memoir of her own.

Joining with Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan, Winfrey is to pen The Life You Want, an inspirational memoir due out in January 2017 (no cover or ISBN yet).

According to her site, the book “reveals never-before told stories from Oprah’s experience and shines a light on how they can inform your life.”

Deadline Hollywood reports the memoir deal netted Winfrey an eight-figure payday.

9781250054050_e10a9It will follow Winfrey’s 2014 What I Know for Sure, a collection of her O magazine columns also published by Flatiron.

The memoir is not the only deal Winfrey has struck with the company.

She is also starting her own imprint and plans to hand-select several nonfiction titles each year.

In a press release quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, Bob Miller, president and publisher of Flatiron Books, said,

“We’re … thrilled to give a home to Oprah’s imprint titles. We all know how extraordinary Oprah’s instincts are when it comes to choosing books, instincts borne of her lifelong love of reading and the power of the written word.”

While these days it takes more than a nod from Oprah to make a book a sensation, her endorsements continues to spur sales, making hers an imprint to watch.

Titles to Know and Recommend, Week of Dec. 21, 2015

Friday, December 18th, 2015

9781621452607_7213c   9781623366056_27761   9780316339483_46829

Dominating the books arriving next week are titles aimed at the concerns of the new year, weight loss and self improvement.

It’s odd, but not surprising to find that no titles from big-name authors arrive next week, when stores are occupied with selling, rather than unpacking boxes and stocking shelves. That leaves room for a some under-the-radar picks.

The titles covered here, and a few other notables arriving next week, are listed with ordering information and alternate formats, on our downloadable spreadsheet, EarlyWord-New-Title-Radar-Week-of-12/21/15

Consumer Media Picks

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Paradise City, Elizabeth Day, (Macmillan/Bloomsbury USA; 12/9) — People magazine’ s Book of the Week is set in London,  “four desperate lives intersect in this moving novel about love and identity.”  It is also an Indie Next pick

People picks for the week also came out earlier this month, James Lee Burke’s House of the Rising Sun  (S&S, Dec. 1) and Ametora by W. David Marx (Perseus/Basic Books, Dec. 1) . The latter title is the Japenese word for “American traditional style.” ,The book is “a fascinating cultural history ]that] explores japan’s revival of classic styles in the U.S. (think Uniqlo) and evolution into a global fashion force”

9780544534292_f8b48This Raging Light, Estele Laure, *HMH Books for Young Readers)

On Entertainment Weekly‘s Must List at #9; “a 17-year-old’sfather goes crazy, her mother abandons her, ad she’s left to care for her young sister. The author explores the teen emotions, from loneliness to first love, with poetic insight.

Peer Picks

9781939419514_de4e9Year of the Goose by Carly J. Hallman (The Unnamed Press)

Indie Next Pick:

“Sometimes too much pineapple turns your tongue into a caterpillar, all that acid seeping through. Between detailing a government-sanctioned fat camp meant to ‘rehabilitate’ China’s morbidly obese children and the brutal assassination of China’s richest man — Papa Hui, CEO of Bashful Goose Snack Company, China’s most profitable corporation — Hallman’s Year of the Goose contains that same tartness. Snarky and sinister, this debut novel will make you both cackle and cringe.” —Annalia Linnan, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX

Tie-ins:

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The Choice
by Nicholas Sparks (Hachette/Grand Central Publishing; Hachette Audio).

An earlier Sparks novel (first published in 2007) makes it way to theaters on Feb. 2, 2016. The film stars Teresa Palmer and Tom Welling.

9781481470308_e6451City of Bones: TV Tie-in by Cassandra Clare (S&S/Margaret K. McElderry Books; Simon & Schuster Audio).

The TV series Shadowhunters will premiere on basic cable channel Freeform (formerly ABC Family) on Jan. 12, 2016.

It is based on Cassandra Clare’s popular YA series beginning with The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, (S&S/M.K. McElderry Books, 2007), which was made into a movie in 2013. After it flopped at the box office, the producers changed their plans of creating a film franchise and turned to TV, with a new cast of actors, all of whom are fairly new to the screen.

(for our full list of upcoming adaptations, download our Books to Movies and TV and link to our

Adaptations Opening Today

Friday, December 18th, 2015

It may seem crazy to open a movie today, debut day for Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuts, but the studios hope there will be audiences looking for different fare. For kids, theres Alvin and the Chipmunks The Road Chip (see our listing for tie-ins) and for comedy fans, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler play Sisters.

It’s also an ideal time to release movies with Oscar buzz, barely within the deadline late enough to be fresh in the Academy’s mind. Two such movies open today, both adaptations [CORRECTION: We jumped the gun on both of these films, 45 Years opens on Wed. Dec. 23 and The Revenant opens in limited released on Friday, Dec. 25]:

45_Years_(poster)45 Years, an adaptation of David Constantine’s short story “In Another Country,” was just selected by The Guardian as #1 on their list of the 50 best films of 2015 in the UK . Stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay already won best actress and actor awards at  the Berlin International Film Festival. The movie explores what happens when a long-buried secret shakes up a 45-year-long happy marriage and is getting kudos for daring to feature older actors.

The story it is based on is in the collection, In Another Country, (Biblioasis, June, 2015).

The_Revenant_2015_film_posterOpening in limited number of theaters on Dec. 25, expanding to more on Jan. 8,  is The Revenant starring Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman).

Early preview screenings brought a shiver of internet excitement when the Drudge Report claimed that the movie contains scenes of Leonardo DiCaprio being raped by a bear (unfounded, although the process of filming the movie has been described as “a living hell“).

Based on Michael Punke’s 2002 debut novel of the same name, it is a vengeance tale set on the 19th-century American frontier, based on a true story, as The Tekegraph reports “Best served cold: the terrifying true story behind The Revenant.”

A tie-in edition is scheduled for Dec. 29., The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke (Macmillian/Picador; OverDrive Sample).

#Libfaves15 – The Votes are In!

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

NOTE: Five years ago, our GalleyChatter columnist, Robin Beerbower along with Stephanie Chase and Linda Johns, began the annual #LibFaves project, an opportunity for librarians to tweet their favorite titles of the year. Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds. Below is Robin’s roundup of the year’s titles.

Thanks also to the those who helped with the vote counting, Janet Lockhart, Vicki Nesting, Melissa Samora, Gregg Winsor, Robin Nesbitt, Andrienne Cruz, and Joe Jones.
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For the past ten days, librarians have been doing their own year-end roundup of the best books by tweeting their favorites. The votes have now been tallied and EarlyWord can exclusively announce the results (eat your heart out, Entertainment Weekly!).

There were over 1,100 total votes for over 650 titles, just another indicator of how widely librarians read. As opposed to other best books lists, the titles on this list reflect librarians’ appreciation for the genres, particularly fantasy, science fiction, teen titles, and graphic novels.

Top Three Titles

between-the-world  The Girl on the Train  9780804179034_f4113

It’s probably no surprise that the National Book Award winner for nonfiction Between the World and Me: Notes on the First 150 Years in America by Ta-Nahisi Coates (Penguin Random House/Spiegel & Grau) was most loved by librarians and library staff.

Following right behind it were two books that tied for second place. Paula Hawkins’ psychological suspense novel The Girl on the Train (RH/Riverhead), a book librarians embraced early on and the number one LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites, and Naomi Novik’s adult fairy tale, Uprooted (Del Rey/RH), received the same number of votes.

The Rest of the Best

But the real fun of exploring this list is the amazing range of titles in a variety of genres (how many have you even heard of, yet alone read?). To round out the top books receiving lots of librarian love, here are the next seven on the list:

4. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (Pamela Dorman/Penguin)

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Tor/Macmillan)

6. (tie) The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (Grand Central/Hachette) and The Slade House by David Mitchell (RH)

8. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson (graphic novel series) (Boom! Box/Simon & Schuster)

9. (tie) Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (Riverhead/PRH) and Modern Romance: An Investigation by Aziz Ansari (Penguin)

We urge you to take a look at  the full list to make your own discoveries (please let us know about them in the comments section); #LibFaves15 — Full List

THE DINNER, The Movie

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

The DinnerLaura Linney is in talks to star in an adaptation of The Dinner by Dutch author Herman Koch (RH/Hogarth), reports Deadline.

It was once reported that Cate Blanchett would direct, but it that chair will now be occupied by Oren Moverman.

A hit in Europe, the novel arrived in the U.S. in 2013 to predictions that it would be the next Gone Girl. Although it didn’t achieve that level, it sold well and was on the NYT Hardcover Fiction list for seven weeks, reaching a high of #7.

+-+971582089_140Linney has completed work on another book adaptation, Sully, based on Highest Duty by Chesley Sullenberger (HarperCollins/Morrow, 2009), who piloted an airplane to safety after its engines were  disabled by a bird strike.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks will play Sully and Linney his wife. It is set for release some time in 2016.

Afghanistan, with a Dash of Humor

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

Will Tina Fey be able to find cinematic humor in the war in Afghanistan? At least one person thinks so, declaring on Jezebel that Fey’s upcoming movte Whiskey Tango Foxtrot “could be the first to succeed where other studio films have flopped.”

Noting that “The whole project is legitimized by the fact that it’s based on” Kim Barker’s “darkly funny” memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the reporter cautions, “I am still wary, since Hollywood is capable of making smart, nuanced stories into broadly offensive blockbusters, but hopeful—if any Af-Pak war comedy has a chance at success, it’s certainly this one.”

Once titled Fun House, now changed to Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, itmarrives in theaters on March 4.

The first trailer was released today.

Tiei-n:
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (The Taliban Shuffle MTI): Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kimberly Barker, )RH/Anchor, 2/23/16)

MAGICIANS, Sneak Preview

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

9780399576645_c2490After last night’s final episode of Childhood’s End, adapted from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel, the Syfy channel gave viewers an early look at the pilot for The Magicians, based on Lev Grossman’s novel, which is set to begin  January 25th..


It’s not clear why they decided to release the pilot ahead of the series, but if they were hoping to build buzz through good reviews, that didn’t work out.

The fan site Den of Geek is the most positive, acknowledging that the pilot is overstuffed, but “With a number of paths towards mystery and adventure (perhaps too many) already established, there’s plenty of material to explore, both from the novels and this already quite different screen adaptation. Fans of the Grossman trilogy and of the fantasy TV genre are both sure to be pleased.”

Salon‘s reviewer notes that the adaptation “makes big changes but keeps the heart of the original books,” objecting that “it’s hard to not feel rushed through the pilot  … Which is too bad, because the story of The Magicians would be well-served with a little bit more time to breathe,” and concludes, “it’s a bit too early to judge the show, even on potential. The rapid-fire introduction of all of the characters and major plot drivers doesn’t do any of it real justice”

Entertainment Weekly’s reviewer hasn’t read the books, but spends quite a bit of time analyzing how the TV version relates to other books (the Narnia series, Harry Potter, The Golden Compass) and ends up giving the pilot a middling B.

The Wrap is the most damning;  “Imagine a horny Hogwarts and you’re on the wavelength of The Magicians, a somewhat intriguing, occasionally diverting, mostly just silly and campy adaptation ” — After only one episode, it would take a clairvoyant to know whether “The Magicians” will eventually develop into an agreeably dark and twisty piece of juicy genre fare, but at this early stage its future looks murky.”

Tie-in: The Magicians (TV Tie-In Edition) by Lev Grossman (Penguin/Plume).

Live Author Chat with Mona Awad

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015
Live Blog Live Chat with Mona Awad : 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL
 

Neil Gaiman on FRESH AIR

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

9781401248963_423a7Interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air yesterday, Neil Gaiman talked about his latest book, The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition, (DC Comics/Vertigo) which has held the #1 spot on the NYT Hardcover Graphic Books since it’s release 4 weeks ago. It collects a 6-part prequel to his Sandman stories.

In the introduction to the interview, Terry Gross says that Norman Mailer called the series “a comic strip for intellectuals.”

There have been several efforts to turn the books into a movie or TV series. Currently a film version is in the works and may begin shooting next year (Fox’s upcoming series Lucifer is based on one of the Sandman characters, featured in a spin-off written by Mike Carey).

In the interview, Gaiman declares that comics are no longer a “gender-determined medium, which always seemed completely barking mad to me.”

FANTASTIC BEASTS Get a Trailer

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, based on the faux Hogwart’s textbook by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, published in 2001 and rereleased earlier this year) gives a glimpse of the world seventy years prior to Harry Potter’s arrival.

Planned as the first in a trilogy, the movie is scheduled for release on November 18, 2016. starring Eddie Redmayne as magician Newt Scamander, the “author” of the book. Also  in the cast are Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, and Katherine Waterston It is directed by David Yates, who was responsible for 4 of the 7 original Potter films.

The other movies in the series are planned for release in two-year intervals; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2 (2018) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 (2020).

Doris Kearns Goodwin
On Donald Trump

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin made quite an entrance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, carried on a litter by several hunks wearing little more than beards and top hats, a goof on her having called Abraham Lincoln, the subject of her book, Team of Rivals (S&S), “sexy.”

She explains that comment, then turns more serious on the subject of Donald Trump, describing him as a “demagogue.”