EarlyWord

Our latest GalleyChat occurred on April 4, on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Here are the links to the chat and the Edelweiss catalog where you can request and download DRCs. To read the full chat, log in and search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, April 2024 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes the chatters or marketers who chatted up the books and a new 3-PEAT or 3-PEAT+ popularity column indicating books with mentions by three or more chatters. As always, diversity titles are noted. LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs are only available on NetGalley.

NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet or have comments or issues, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 4 to 5 p.m. EST (virtual cocktails at 3:30 p.m. EST).

The next LibraryReads deadline is May 1, for books publishing in June.

Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Our latest GalleyChat occurred on March 7, on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Here are the links to the chat and the Edelweiss catalog where you can request and download DRCs. To read the full chat, log in and search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, March 2024 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes the chatters or marketers who chatted up the books and a new 3-PEAT or 3-PEAT+ popularity column, indicating books with mentions by three or more chatters. As always, diversity titles are noted. LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs are only available on NetGalley.

NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet or have comments or issues, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, April 4, 4 to 5 p.m. EST (virtual cocktails at 3:30 p.m. EST).

The next LibraryReads deadline is April 1, for books publishing in May.

Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Our latest GalleyChat occurred on February 1, on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Here are the links to the chat and the Edelweiss catalog where you can request and download DRCs. To read the full chat, log in and search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, February 2024 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes the chatters or marketers who chatted up the books and a new 3-PEAT or 3-PEAT + popularity column indicating books with mentions by three or more chatters. As always, diversity titles are noted. LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs are only available on NetGalley.

NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet or have comments or issues, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, 4 to 5 p.m. EST (virtual cocktails at 3:30 p.m. EST).

The next LibraryReads deadline is March 1, for books publishing in April.

Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

New Year, new GalleyChat roundup!

Our latest GalleyChat occurred on January 4, on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Here are the links to the chat and the Edelweiss catalog where you can request and download DRCs. To read the full chat, log in and search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, January 2024 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time. LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs are only available on NetGalley.

NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet or have comments or issues, please let us know. There are new coordinators and compilers learning to do this in 2024, and this spreadsheet was cut and pasted by hand.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, February 1, 4 to 5 p.m. EST (virtual cocktails at 3:30 p.m. EST).

The next LibraryReads deadline is Februrary 1, for books publishing in March.

Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the December GalleyChat, held on the platform formerly known as Twitter, are below. To read the full chat, search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, December, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs only available on NetGalley. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, January 4th, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is January 1, for books publishing in February. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Tom Lake

Yellowface

starling house

heaven

Northwoods

wager

Henry

Kind worth saving

December 21: Librarian Faves, The Top Ten Titles for 2023

Librarians are known for marching to the beat of different drummers in their favorite books, and 2023 was no exception. We received over 300 submissions with several surprise titles that have never graced other best-of-the-year lists. 

1. TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett (HarperCollins) and BOOKSHOPS AND BONEDUST by Travis Baldree (Macmillan) 

3. THE FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros (Macmillan)

4. ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld and POVERTY, AMERICA by Matthew Desmond (both by Penguin Random House)

6. VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Penguin Random House)

7. IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS by T. J. Klune (Macmillan), HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix (Penguin Random House), THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE by Tom Hanks (Penguin Random House), and ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S. A. Cosby (Macmillan).

Click here to see the entire list of over 300 entries.

December 13 UPDATE: 

Please remember to vote for your top ten favorite books of the year. Enter your books on the spreadsheet (link below), and if you notice your title is on the list, please enter it anyway, as that is how we will determine the library staff’s top ten books of the year. 

So far, the top contenders are Matthew Desmond’s POVERTY, AMERICA; Grady Hendrix’s HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE; T. J. Lune’s IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS, Travis Baldree’s BOOKSHOPS AND BONEDUST, and Ann Patchett’s TOM LAKE. 

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I’m sorry to say there is no #libfaves23 this year (titles submitted by library staff via X/Twitter), but we still wanted library staff to have a way to offer their favorite titles of the year. Rather than have submissions recorded and compiled by volunteers, this year’s event is a do-it-yourself affair.

Below is a link to a Google spreadsheet where you can submit your favorite adult books published in late 2022 and 2023. If you can restrain yourself (I know it’s not easy!), please limit your submissions to ten with the titles in all caps. Submissions start Monday, December 11, and continue through December 20. On the 21st, the titles will be sorted, and we’ll see which books receive the most votes.

Librarian Faves 2023

Roundups of the November, 2023, GalleyChat, held  on Twitter (aka “X”), are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, Nov, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes notes on diversity titles, those mentioned for the first time, and LibraryReads deadlines. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat will be held on Dec. 7th, 4 to 5 pm Eastern, even though it conflicts with a portion of PRH’s Winter Book & Author Festival. Remember that the festival is recorded, so you can watch it later if you chose.

The next LibraryReads deadline is December 1, for books publishing in January. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the October GalleyChat, held  on the platform formerly known as Twitter, are below. To read the full chat, search the platform by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, October, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and notes on DRCs only available on NetGalley. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, November 2nd, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is November 1, for books publishing in December. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the September GalleyChat, held  on Twitter (aka X), are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter by #ewgc.

Immediately after the chat, the DRC for The Fury by Alex Michaelides (Macmillan.Celadon, Jan. 2024) popped up on Edelweiss and NetGalley. GalleyChatters have been eagerly anticipating it for months.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, Sept, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, those mentioned for the first time and LibraryReads deadlines. Note that we are no longer listing DRC availability, which can change quickly, as evidenced above, or setting off comments with quote marks. If this causes any problems, or you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, October 5th, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is October 1, for books publishing in September. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Also coming in October is Library Journal’s Day of Dialog. The all-day zoom event will be held on October 26 and feature forthcoming books for winter/spring 2024.

This month’s episode of GalleyChat marked a special anniversary. During our very first chat, in April 2010, one of the titles getting attention was jean Kwok’s debut, Girl in Translation. Thirteen years later, her upcoming fourth book, The Leftover Woman, (HarperCollins/Morrow, Oct, 2023) is also a hit with GalleyChatter, many of them still with us thirteen years later and some got to meet her at ALA. See quotes from GalleyChat below.

HOT, Vicki Nesting @VNesting, “THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok is getting rave reviews all over the place so I’d be a fool not to jump on this one. And don’t you love this cover?!” — JULY, Mara @mrlzbth, “I read THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok right before hearing her speak at ALA and absolutely loved it. A really moving and well-written story of two women whose lives dramatically collide. Definitely check this one out for LibraryReads voting!” — LMR, Virginia Stanley @VStan523 @JeanKwok brought her A-game to ALA! She gave a touching speech to a packed house about her new book, THE LEFTOVER WOMAN.” — JUNE, Janet Lockhart@HartGami, “What makes a good mother?@JeanKwok brilliantly examines that question in THE LEFTOVER WOMAN. This title will be book club catnip.” — APRIL, librarylovefest @librarylovefest, “THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by @JeanKwok! A gripping mystery about motherhood & identity that follows two very different women who eventually collide. So much to say about this book, & so few characters!”

Roundups of all the titles from the August GalleyChat are below. Keep your eye out for the many debuts. To read the full chat, search Twitter by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, August, 2023 — link to spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from tweets, notes on debuts, diversity titles, those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. It also lists a few titles that are not in the Edelweiss catalog. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, 9/7/23, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is September 1, for books publishing in October. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the July GalleyChat, held  on Twitter, are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, July, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, August 3 rd, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is August 1, for books publishing in September. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the June GalleyChat are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter and Mastodon by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, June, 2023 — link to spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from tweets, notes on debuts, diversity titles, those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. It also lists a few titles that are not in the Edelweiss catalog. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, 7/6/23, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is July 1, for books publishing in August. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the May GalleyChat, held simultaneously on Twitter and Mastodon, are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter and Mastodon by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, May, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, June 1st, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is June 1, for books publishing in July. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the April GalleyChat are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter and Mastodon by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, April, 2023 — link to spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from tweets, notes on debuts, diversity titles, those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. It also lists a few titles that are not in the Edelweiss catalog. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for TUESDAY (note change from our regular first Thursday), 5/2/23, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails).

The next LibraryReads deadline is May 1, for books publishing in June. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.

Roundups of the March GalleyChat, held simultaneously on Twitter and Mastodon, are below. To read the full chat, search Twitter and Mastodon by #ewgc.

— EarlyWord GalleyChat, March, 2023 — link to a spreadsheet of the titles on Google Docs. Includes quotes from comments, notes on debuts, diversity titles, and those mentioned for the first time, LibraryReads deadlines and DRC availability. NOTE: If you have any trouble downloading the spreadsheet, please let us know.

— Edelweiss catalog — includes covers, publisher marketing information, and links to Edelweiss DRCs.

Our next chat is scheduled for Thursday, April 6th, 4 to 5 pm ET (3:30 for virtual cocktails). NOTE: May’s chat will be held on a Tuesday May 2, to avoid conflict with LJ’s Day of Dialog on Thursday, May 4.

The next LibraryReads deadline is April 1, for books publishing in May. Please give special attention to our list of upcoming diversity titles.