Library Love Fest

Can't Miss Events at BEA!

Are you attending BEA? First of all, make sure you track us down and say hi! But also, do not miss these two events.

Friday, May 31^st from 9:30-10:50am in Room IE14/IE15

Carol Fitzgerald of ReadingGroupGuides.com, will moderate a speed-dating session designed to give booksellers, librarians, bloggers and book group leaders a sneak peek at upcoming titles that will be natural book group picks. Representatives from 21 publishers will share their selections (pub dates: 8/13-1/14) at the event, along with galleys and other promotional materials.

Seating is limited and sign-up in advance is required by Thursday, May 23rd as well as purchase of a BEA Badge for Friday, May 31st.

Sign up here: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/features/2013_bookexpo_great_book_groups.asp

Saturday, June 1^st from 11:00-11:45am in Room IE10/IE11

For you Power Readers out there, Carol will also moderate a speed-dating session designed to give you a sneak peek at upcoming titles that are good for book groups. 16 publishers will share their selections (pub dates: 8/13-1/14) at the event, along with galleys and other promotional materials.

Seating is limited and sign-up in advance is required by Thursday, May 23rd as well as a badge for BEA for Saturday, June 1st.

Sign up here: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/features/2013_bookexpo_power_readers.asp

See you next week!

- Annie

The Great Gatsby!

Have you guys seen the movie?? It looks like quite the spectacle (in a good way), and I definitely plan on checking it out.  Tell me what you thought!

Some fun Gatsby facts that I didn't know:

1. The Modern Library named The Great Gatsby the second best English-language novel of the 20th century (the first was Ulysses by James Joyce).

2. One alternate title for the book was, Under the Red, White, and Blue

3. The four line poem at the beginning of the book entitled Then Wear the Gold Hat was credited to Thomas Parke D’Invilliers. He never actually existed and was a character from Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise.

4. Hunter S Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, retyped The Great Gatsby just to get the feel of writing styles and how writing a novel was like.

- Annie

An Ode to Paper

Ian Sansom, author of Paper: An Elegy which went on sale yesterday, has very nicely stopped by to guest blog. In an age where digitization can seem relentless, it's good to be reminded just how important paper is.

***

For the past few years I have been writing a series of novels about a librarian, The Mobile Library series (published by Harper Perennial). My new non-fiction book - Paper: An Elegy - is a history of paper. I guess there’s probably a theme emerging here, to do with books, and the power of books, and the beauty and meaning of books as objects and as things. I suppose I’m just a bookish kind of a person. I am also a paper person.

Paper: An Elegy is my attempt to study and understand the world’s most ubiquitous and versatile man-made material in all of its many forms and guises, from bank cheques and ledgers, to banners and bunting, and board games, and book marks, and business cards, and cartons and packaging, and menus, and cigarette papers, and paper clothes, and paper coffins, and confetti, and coupons and tickets, and election ballot papers, and greeting cards and post cards, and identity cards and passports, and magazines, catalogues, newspapers, maps, stamps, posters, wallpaper, wrapping paper ... And so on and so on. And books.

What I'm Reading: Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Murdered parents? Check. Lonely, orphaned sisters? Check. Creepy, possessed dolls? Check. Help for the Haunted by John Searles has all of these wrapped in a compelling story told by a 14 year old narrator.

The author of the critically acclaimed Boy Still Missing and Strange but True returns with an unforgettable story of a very unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery. It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February night. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping “haunted souls” find peace. And yet this call is different because by the end of the evening Sylvie’s parents will be dead.

Nearly a year later, Sylvie is struggling with her loss, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened. As the story moves back and forth in time, Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family’s past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years. 

We here at LLF are all big fans of the book, which you can find on Edelweiss, so I recommend getting your hands on a digital copy because it.is.good!

- Annie

Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU.

Daphne Kalotay's debut novel, Russian Winter, was met with huge acclaim and rave reviews. Her latest, Sight Reading, will wow you as well. It is the story of what makes a marriage and a family and the importance of art and beauty in everyday life, set against the classical music scene in Boston.

“Kalotay celebrates art . . . in prose that is brisk and concise as well as sensuous and sumptuous . . . A fictive musical and familial feast.” - Booklist starred review

I have 10 galleys to give away, so please email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com if you'd like a copy.

- Annie

Mitch Albom Joins Harper!

I have some exciting end of the week news for you lovelies! Harper just acquired three new books by #1 internationally renowned and bestselling author Mitch Albom! Wha?!?! No way!? Totes way, friends.  So for all you fans of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, prepare yourselves.

His newest book, a novel, The First Phone Call from Heaven will be out this Fall and tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Albom says this book "is maybe my favorite story yet, a tale of belief, love and mystery."

Watch this blog for more details, but for now I leave you with this:

 

Happy Weekend!

- Annie

La Dolce Vita and Libraries

Katherine Hall Page is no stranger to Library Land.  She is the author of 21 Faith Fairchild mysteries, the latest of which, The Body in the Piazza, just went on sale yesterday. She has been nice enough to agree to share some of her story with us today...Welcome, Katherine!

***

Writing for Library Love Fest is truly a labor of love and I’d like to start by asking everyone to thank a librarian today. Or hug one. Especially if you are lucky enough to be a librarian and there are some nearby.

I’m going to write a little bit about my new book, The Body in the Piazza, the 21st in the series and then get back to libraries.

The Body in the Piazza starts where The Body in the Boudoir left off and I think of the books as Volumes I and II of the story that began when my amateur sleuth, Faith Sibley Fairchild, met her future husband, the Reverend Thomas Fairchild, in 1990 at a Manhattan wedding she was catering. Boudoir, a prequel, chronicles their rocky, even perilous road to the altar. The book begins in the present on a plane to Rome for a special anniversary trip. Faith’s thoughts drift back to their courtship for the rest of it, which ends again in the present as they are landing. Piazza takes it from there—and it’s another rocky, perilous adventure!

I have never been able to write about a place I haven’t been. Even the fictitious town of Aleford, Massachusetts where Faith reluctantly moves after her marriage is a compilation of towns west of Boston that I know. Despite many years of Latin (Arma virumque cano), I had never been to the Eternal City itself. Other parts of Italy, yes. Rome, no. Therefore, I had to do the research in person. Not a hardship! The first sentence in Piazza is: “Faith Fairchild was drunk. Soused, sloshed, schnockered, pickled, potted, and looped— without a single sip of alcohol having crossed her lips. She was drunk on Rome. Intoxicating, inebriating Rome.”

Bear Witness to a New Line of Books!

Exciting news, sports fan! William Morrow, one of Harper's illustrious imprints, just announced the launch of Witness, a new digital-original mystery, suspense and thriller line! Witness will debut in October 2013 with ten full length titles.

In addition, Witness will feature digital versions of Agatha Christie’s short stories. In the Fall, Witness will release all the “Hercule Poirot” short stories as digital singles, and then together in a single omnibus edition with a foreword by Charles Todd (whom we love!).

Later this year, Witness will launch its website, www.witnessimpulse.com, featuring excerpts and author-reader interactivity.

So stay tuned and keep an eye out for these titles, coming soon:

Darkness First by James Hayman

Black Dog by internationally bestselling author Stephen Booth

Prince by CWA Dagger-winning author Rory Clements

An Illustrated Death by bestselling author Judi Culbertson

Hunted by Sunday Times “Top 10” bestselling author Emlyn Reese

Blind Date by CWA Dagger-winning Frances Fyfield

The Drop by Howard Linskey

- Annie

Home Sweet Home

Well TLA was a success IMHO. Great librarians, great author events, great food. PS: I want to go on a road trip with Daniel Vaughn. I will be posting pictures shortly. Side note: Have you guys used Vine? I am obsessed! 

This is a short post, I just wanted to say hi. Also, if any of you are around tomorrow at 2pm ET, I am participating in a Mystery Webinar with Booklist, so register and hear about a ton (seriously, I don't think I'll be able to fit all my titles into my time slot) of upcoming mystery/thrillers.

- Annie

Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominees!

Nancy Pearl and Maureen Sullivan just announced the finalists for the Andrew Carnegie Medals and I am happy to say that HarperCollins is proud to be so well represented. Canada by Richard Ford and The Round House by Louise Erdrich both made the short list for Fiction!  Other nominees include Junot Diaz for This Is How Your Lose Her, and in the Non-Fiction category, Jill Lepore for The Mansion of Happiness, Timothy Egan for Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, and David Quamman for Spillover. 

Along with the medal presentation on June 30 at ALA’s annual conference in Chicago, each winning author will receive $5,000 and the four finalists will each receive $1,500.  More information can be found at the ALA site or you can tune into Twitter for up to the minute comments.

Congrats to all the nominees!

- Annie

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Usually when Kayleigh tells me to read something, I immediately put it in the TBR pile. In this instance, she and Kirkus are in agreement so after I finish We Are Water, I am getting on that train. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson is "a surprising novel, both graceful and tender. You won’t be able to put it down" - Kirkus. 

It seems like an ordinary hot summer day. Single mom Shandi Pierce, her three-year-old son Natty, and her best friend Walcott stop for gas at a Circle K. While Walcott fills the tank, Shandi and Natty go inside the store for a cold drink. Shandi is in line when the door opens and a stumpy man with a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead walks in. In his hand is a rusty, old silver pistol.

Minutes later there’s been a shooting, and everyone in the store is on the floor, taken hostage. All of these strangers are carrying secrets that will cause their lives to intersect in a most surprising way.  

“Jackson’s novel perfectly captures the flavor and rhythm of Southern life as a young woman preparing for college finds herself caught up in a real-life drama. . . . Jackson draws on her own Southern roots to paint this pitch-perfect portrait of a girl from a small town in Georgia. . . . Wrapped in thoughtful, often funny and insightful narrative . . . Jackson presents the reader with a story that is never predictable and is awash in bittersweet love, regret and the promise of what could be." - Kirkus

You can get an egalley over on Edelweiss, and then please let us know what you think!

- Annie

Booklist ♥'s The Carrion Birds

We aren't the only ones who are fans of Urban Waite's The Carrion Birds (which went on sale yesterday). Booklist's Bill Ott had this to say in his starred review:

Advice to all good-hearted crooks who want to get out of the game: don’t do “one last job.” It won’t work. Never Does. Never. Ray Lamar, in Waite’s wrenching thriller, the follow-up to his superb debut, The Terror of Living (2011), is the latest in the thin red line of noir heroes who discover that their chimerical last job offers only a one-way ticket on the Oblivion Express. All Ray, a gun for hire working for a seriously bent drug dealer, wants is to go home to Coronado, New Mexico, and reunite with his 12-year-old son. Not happening, Ray. Along the way, though, his determination to get somewhere everyone knows he can never go opens a Pandora’s box of chain reactions that wreaks havoc on a small southwestern town, havoc that is described in such graphically poetic prose that it occasionally makes the hair on even a cynical noir fan’s head stand on end. If there isn’t quite as much complexity of plot here as in The Terror of Living, that’s because this novel is an even purer distillation of noir. The Oblivion Express only runs in one direction, and there are no side trips. As Ray puts it in the finale, which will remind readers of the equally inevitable end to Robert Stone’s Dog Soldiers (1974), “All of it had led to this—this moment, no one but him and the pain and the pulse of the wound beneath his hand, drawing him forward.”

***

Nailed it! Go get your copies!

- Annie

Keeping Boston in Our Thoughts

In the aftermath of the horribly sad events that happened in Boston yesterday, we want to let those affected know we are thinking of you. Local author Dennis Lehane had these thoughts to share.

"Every thought and every prayer goes out to the victims and their families and loved ones. What a senseless act of waste and violence.... It's hard to imagine any people more inspiring than all those people who dashed across Boylston Street within seconds of the first explosion, and rushed to the aid of the injured. Didn't give their own safety a thought. Made me proud to be a member of the human race, which I think was the exact opposite of the effect the bomber was hoping for....

"When I watch the footage of the first explosion, I look at the Boston Public Library Main Branch across the street, and I think no matter who they turn out to be--Islamic jihadists, home grown militia, neo-Nazis, something else--what really scares them, what they truly hate, is the access to knowledge that building exemplifies.... So proud to be a Bostonian tonight. So brokenhearted to be one, too."

--Author Dennis Lehane via his Facebook page last night

A Mother's Insight...

Many of you are probably familiar with the Leaphorn and Chee series by New York Times bestseller Tony Hillerman. Recently his daughter, Anne, has taken up the mantle and will continue the series with Spider Woman's Daughter. Tony's widow, Marie, wrote a beautiful letter about her husband and daughter's work, and I'd like to share her thoughts with you guys.

***

Several years ago my eldest daughter Anne mentioned to me that she wanted to write a novel featuring her late father's characters. She joked that Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn seemed like her uncles.  I encouraged her to take on the challenge. Anne was already recognized as a skilled writer with several awards to her credit.

When Anne showed me a draft of her book, I thought that she had done an excellent job of faithfully presenting the characters Tony created and, in addition to that, making them her own. Spider Woman's Daughter would have made her father smile. I think he would have enjoyed these further adventures of Jim Chee, Joe Leaphorn, and Bernadette Manuelito as much as I did.

Leaphorn and Chee, Navajo Tribal Policemen, have been part of our family circle for more than thirty years. Their adventures and exploits were discussed over countless evening meals. In Tony's novels we also enjoyed a passing acquaintance with the spirited Bernadette Manuelito as both a Navajo Tribal Police Office and, finally, as the bride of Jim Chee. I hope readers will be as delighted as I was to witness the inimitable Bernie in action in Spider Woman's Daughter.

I know Tony was happy when Anne decided to become a journalist and glad when she began to write nonfiction books. He enjoyed working with Anne and her husband, Don Strel, on their previous book, Tony Hillerman's Landscape. He was pleased that they both took such an interest in his work. As much as the project itself, Tony enjoyed the opportunity it gave him to spend more time with Anne. Anne and Tony shared a special relationship which deepened near the end of his life. He loved sitting at our kitchen table talking with her about writing and life in general. He was proud of her, and so am I.

- Marie Hillerman

 ***

Egalleys are available on Edelweiss, so swing on over there and get stuck in a web of intrigue (get it? Cause it's Spider Woman? yeaaaah).

- Annie

Four Score Starred Reviews!

Ok, that's a fib, but The Gettysburg Address (a graphic adaptation) by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell did get a rave starred review in Kirkus that I had to share.

***

Where the format might lead some readers to anticipate a simplified primer, this second collaboration by Hennessey and McConnell (The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation, 2008) again finds them probing the implications of history through incisive analysis and compelling art.

What the narrative terms “probably the most famous and influential speech in American history,” “just 271 words in length and requiring no more than a few minutes to recite out loud,” might not initially seem like enough of a hook for such an expansive examination. Yet practically every one of those words proves significant, as the scope of the book extends from the American Revolution to the present day, casting the Civil War as tragic and transformative but likely inevitable as well. It finds the country’s two most revered and renowned documents—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—at odds with each other, as the equality celebrated in the former (though the degree to which that equality was intended to extend remains open to interpretation) finds itself on a collision course with the rights of the states (and distrust of a strong central government, after the tyranny of England) inherent in the latter. Add the profound differences between the North and South—in demographics, climate, economy, political orientation—and the intensification of those with the passage of time, and you’ve got an explosion waiting to happen. Resisting the temptation to reduce the conflict to a morality play—the evil of slavery vs. the ideal of emancipation (though there is that)—or to make President Abraham Lincoln more enlightened on race relations than a man of his time was likely to be—the authors combine historical depth with art that also finds shades of gray amid the black and white.

Even Civil War buffs should find this graphic adaptation engaging, provocative and deftly nuanced.

***

Any civil war buffs in your life? Mark your calendars for June 25th when it goes on sale.

- Annie

 

Nia Vardalos at TLA!

If you’re planning to attend the Texas Library Association conference in Fort Worth this year, please note this schedule change!!

Hear Nia Vardalos, Academy Award Nominated actress and writer, talk about her newly published book, INSTANT MOM.

Complimentary copies will be available for signing after Nia’s talk! 

Saturday, April 27, 2013

1:15-1:50pm

Room 202 AB, level 2 in the Fort Worth Convention Center

With her signature wit and candor, Nia Vardalos will describe her and husband Ian Gomez’s bumpy road-to-parenting story and how they met their daughter when she was three years old. In her new book, Instant Mom, Vardalos describes transitioning the toddler into her new home and also explores the challenges all new moms face—from sleep to personal grooming to navigating preschool. With her first steps into the Parents Club, Vardalos learns that whether via biology, marriage, or adoption… motherhood comes in many forms, and is the same.

We look forward to seeing you in Fort Worth! Please stop by Booth 2233 and say hi!

And be sure to check out all of our author events at TLA!

THURSDAY, April 25^th, 2013

8:30 -10AM
General Session I: J.R. Martinez 

10.15-11.50am
Mystery/Thriller Panel, Room 204 AB
Featuring Deborah Crombie author of The Sound of Broken Glass
Other speakers include Stephanie Jaye Evans, Michael Koryta, Lisa Lutz, and Taylor Stevens 

1.30-2.30
Deborah Crombie booth signing
The Sound of Broken Glass

FRIDAY, April 26^th, 2013 

8:30 AM-10am
General Session II: Dan Ariely
Signing to follow

2:00-3:50pm
Publishers Book Buzz 
Convention Center, Room 203 ABC, level 2

3.30-4.30pm 
Kimberly McCreight booth signing
Reconstructing Amelia

SATURDAY, April 27^th, 2013 

8-9.20am
YA Crossover Panel, Room 201 ABC
Featuring Kimberly McCreight author of Reconstructing Amelia
Other speakers include Julianna Baggott, C.C. Hunter, Donna M. Johnson, and Rachel Vincent

1.15-1.50pm
Nia Vardalos Session in Convention Center
Signing to follow.

2-2.50pm
General Session III: Neil Gaiman
Signing to follow

 

 

Thrillers from Harper360

Some of you might be familiar with our relatively new program, Harper360, whose goal is to ensure that all books published by any division of HarperCollins around the world are available in all English-language markets. What that means for you and me is that we get a lot of great stuff from overseas that we might miss, e.g. my new fave author, Stuart MacBride. 

Now pray let me introduce you to some other thriller writers who will make you double check your locks at night:

Desmond Bagley was a British journalist and novelist who wrote 2-in-1 adventure thrillers that deal with plane crash survivors, drug lords, and civil war villains.  Some of his titles include The Golden Keel / The Vivero Letter, Flyaway / Windfall and The Tightrope Men / The Enemy.

Jessie Keane has a soft spot for female protagonists who operate on the wrong side of the law...think murder, betrayal, vengeance!  Titles include The Make and Jailbird.

Jack Kerley's In The Blood is a psychological thriller featuring Carson Ryder, "the detective with a unique perspective on serial killers – his brother’s one.”  Eek!  Awkward holiday gatherings for that family.

Finally, Alistair MacLean’s titles are written as particular cases from the UNACO (United Nations Anti-Crime Organization) and deal with war lords, assassins, code breaking, and top secret documents.  Check out Dead Halt or Time of the Assassins.

The extra nice part about these titles is that they are all available already! 

- Annie 

Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

I think we can all agree that Isabel Allende has written some pretty great novels, and her latest is no exception. Maya's Notebook has been getting lots of in-house buzz including from Virginia who is a big fan. 

Maya's Notebook branches out a bit from Allende's other writing. It is a more contemporary coming-of-age story of a teenage girl and the dark spiral her life falls into after her beloved grandfather dies. Maya dips into a life of drugs and petty crimes which leads to more dangerous activities and eventual prostitution. Forced to flee from assassins, the police and the FBI, Maya finds herself in Chile among family friends.

From the Library Journal starred review:

"Surrounded by the accepting Chilean villagers, Maya learns about herself, her heritage, and her connection to Chile’s turbulent past. VERDICT Allende paints a vivid picture contrasting Maya’s drug-clouded past and her recovery in Chilé. Yet another accomplished work by a master storyteller that will enthrall and captivate. This is a must-read."

Isabel will be the speaker at the Texas Library Association Closing Author Session, so make sure you get your tickets if you plan on attending!

- Annie

Sneak Peek at THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI

NOT surprisingly, I love The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (I dare you to click on all those links), so it's exciting that I can now share a sneak peek with you. Just click through to Facebook via the image below to unlock the first excerpt.  The more Likes, the more excerpts...easy, peasy.

 

Also, here is the book trailer for your viewing pleasure.   

 

Happy Friday!

- Annie

"Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill are Stars! Stars, We Tell You!" - Booklist

That was the title of Booklist's'latest newsletter, so obviously I had to share. While the poor folks in Chicago suffer through this prolonged winter also (side note: if anyone is warm anywhere in the U.S. please let me know so I can immediately come visit you), they are snuggling up with some choice Harper books.   Starred reviews went to Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Joe Hill's NOS4A2. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: "Gaiman mines mythological typology... to build the cosmology and the theater of a story he tells more gracefully than any he’s told since Stardust." 

NOS4A2: "In Heart-Shaped Box (2007) and Horns (2010), Hill showed hints of an enlarging literary toolbox. With this 700-page opus, the tool set is complete, and Hill has indeed built something very big."    

The next two months are going to bring some excellent reading opportunities IMHO.

- Annie

PS: Anyone going to be at TLA?  Neil Gaiman will be speaking there!