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We are so thrilled with the response to Kaylie Jones' memoir, Lies My Mother Never Told Me. In this weekend's New York Times Janet Maslin calls the book "A bright, fast-paced memoir with an inviting spirit." Here's a longer excerpt from the review:
"When an editor suggested deleting 350 profanities from the manuscript of “From Here to Eternity,” Jones responded: “You know there is nothing salacious in this book as well as I do. Therefore, whatever changes you want made along that line will be made for propriety, and propriety is a very inconstant thing.” His daughter has learned that lesson: she doesn’t let propriety blunt her memories."
Check out Bobby's first post on Lies My Mother Never Told Me, which includes a fabulous video of Kaylie discussing her reasons for writing it.
-Kayleigh
We've already gotten some fabulous reader reviews for Jane Stanton Hitchcock's Mortal Friends. Diane LaRue calls it a "clever, seductive society story," on her blog bookchickdi, and Lauren Gibaldi blogs, "Mortal Friends is an incredibly fun book, that's as juicy as tabloid columns." Nancy Viens writes: "I read the book Mortal Friends,and found it chatty and fun. Very hip and good strong characterization. I liked it so much I loaned it to a friend!" And Karina Worlton sent us a very thoughtful review, all of which is included after the jump. If you'd like to review Mortal Friends, please email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. We'd love to hear from you!
And here's Karina's review:
I enjoyed Mortal Friends! It was a good murder mystery, although it certainly wasn't a whodunnit. There was no way to figure out who had done the murders. Indeed, every time I thought I knew who was the murderer, some other secret came out! It was such an adventure to see what happened next.
If you're a fan of our blog, you might have noticed a few posts on Twitter Wit (9780061897276): the first book about Twitter to be officially approved by the site's creators. Twitter Wit includes some amazing celebrity tweets, from the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Margaret Cho, Stephen Fry, Rainn Wilson, Diablo Cody, Neil Gaiman, Michael Ian Black, Paula Poundstone, Russell Brand, Lisa Lampanelli, and more. To help celebrate the launch, we're holding a Twitter Wit video contest with a grand prize of an iPod touch. Learn more about the contest here, browse inside the book, or follow us, @harperlibrary!
By now, everyone has heard about the infamous Bernie Madoff and the Ponzi scheme that sent shock waves all over the world. ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross gives us an in-depth look at the entire operation in The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth.
The Madoff Chronicles, on sale September 29, 2009 includes news and material never before revealed, such as:
• A reproduction of Bernie’s Little Black Book. Ross has also secured Madoff's calendar for the past three years and other never-before-seen documents
• Read key details of how Madoff carried out his activities
• Learn what was going on inside the Madoff apartment as Bernie prepared for his life in prison and Ruth prepared for life in self-imposed confinement.
• Extensive cooperation by Madoff’s personal assistant
• Cooperation of childhood friends and neighbors that has helped display a compelling portrait of Bernie and Ruth in their early years
Also, Brian Ross will be featured on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America on September 29, 2009. This interview should be very eye-opening. Make sure you check out The Madoff Chronicles next month. It is sure to be a true page-turner!
-Bobby
Congratulations to HarperCollins author Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. His forthcoming book, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters just received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Check out this wonderful review:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6678556.html
We all know Captain Sullenberger for his heroism in skillfully gliding US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all the passengers aboard. Highest Duty, on sale in October of 2009 is his inspirational autobiography, with his thoughts on family, leadership, responsibility and service.
Also, here is Kayleigh’s earlier post which includes a video of Captain Sullenberger talking about book amnesty at the San Francisco Public Library:
http://harperlibrary.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/05/sully-talks-about-book-amnesty-at-library.html
Please make sure you remember Highest Duty in October. I’m sure you will agree that he is truly a hero and an inspiration to us all.
Enjoy!
-Bobby
My grandmother used to say “in order to really know someone, you have to walk in their shoes”. Sometimes what a person projects on the outside is really not what is going on inside. To some, novelist Kaylie Jones lived the perfect life with a beautiful mother and a famous father. However, in Lies My Mother Never Told Me, we learn that everything that glitters is not always gold.
Lies My Mother Never Told Me,on sale August 25, 2009 is a fascinating memoir by Kaylie Jones. In this book, Kaylie Jones recalls her relationship with her mother, particularly in the aftermath of the death of her father, prize-winning novelist James Jones.
Check out this wonderful video where Kaylie Jones gives you a glimpse of her life and why she wrote this amazing book:
I applaud Kaylie Jones for being so open and honest. I also commend Kaylie for her bravery in sharing something so personal. I wonder how many of us could share a personal story in the same manner. I hope Lies My Mother Never Told Me helps readers who are going through any kind of personal struggle find their voice and a sense of inner peace, just as Kaylie Jones has.
Enjoy
-Bobby
Congratulations to HarperCollins author Sheramy Bundrick! Sheramy’s forthcoming debut novel, Sunflowers just received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Check out this fabulous review:
Download Sunflowers - PW 8.17.09
Sunflowers,on sale in October of 2009, is a hauntingly beautiful and fascinating novel about Vincent van Gogh and his relationship with a mysterious young woman named Rachel and the passion they shared. Sheramy Bundrick’s background as an art historian helps craft the perfect novel: real historical figures, passion, romance and drama. A true winner!
-Bobby
Today on Roaring I'm blogging about my Top 5 Books to Cry Over, or as I like to call them, my Top 5 Weepies. Head on over and see if your favorites made the cut!
-Kayleigh
I think we can agree that this time of year is a major travel season. Whether you are off to a family reunion, going to an extreme sporting venue or just planning to sit on the beach with a good book, chances are you will utilize “the friendly skies” to get to your destination. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel has all the information you need to ensure your travel excursion is a pleasant one.
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel, by Scott McCartney (on sale now), is full of important tips and suggestions on everything from how to pack light (my personal challenge) to finding the best fares. Some helpful hints included in the Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel are:
- How to get cheap fares, first-class upgrades, and better seats
- How to minimize chances of lost luggage and what to do when baggage doesn’t show up
- How to avoid delays, get around TSA bottlenecks and minimize the chances you’ll get stuck at some distant airport--and what to do if you do get stuck
- How to complain to an airline and get some attention, right down to what to ask for in compensation and how to get the government’s attention
Before you leave for that awesome adventure, pick up a copy and become a true “Power Traveler”. A big shout out to the Prospect Heights Public Library for making the Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel one of your staff picks!
Happy Friday!
-Bobby
