Library Love Fest

Sci-fi Book Buzz at the NYPL

Today we've got a special guest blog from editrix extraordinaire, Diana Gill, of Out of this Eos.  Many of us are overwhelmed by the amount of offerings in sci-fi/fantasy, but Diana is here to give us a great introductory course in the genre.  Sherecently presented upcoming Eos titles at the New York Public Library--her full presentation can be found here: Download Book Buzz Eos. 

Without further ado, here she is!

"A couple of weeks ago I presented current and upcoming Eos titles (science fiction, fantasy, urban and supernatural fantasy) to a group of approximately 40 NYC librarians in an SF Book Buzz panel, along with editors and marketing people from Del Rey and Macmillan.  It was my first time presenting to librarians (versus, say, fans at conventions), and I had a blast.

I talked about both some recent Eos titles and about our upcoming Winter ’10 list, which includes titles from Robin Hobb, Kim Harrison, and Raymond E. Feist, among others.  Afterwards, we offered each librarian a choice of one of several Eos titles, from science fiction to epic fantasy to urban/supernatural fantasy.  The most titles most requested were SANDMAN SLIMby Richard Kadrey, Brom’s dark retelling of Peter Pan, THE CHILD THIEF, and Margaret Ronald’s urban fantasy SPIRAL HUNT. Several people were interested trying sf/f, and not sure where to start.

Urban fantasy (and its cousin paranormal romance) is the easiest gateway to the genre—since it takes place in a world that is very much our own, only with magic.  Not coincidentally, it’s also the hottest thing going, between the phenomenon that is Stephenie Meyers' Twilight saga to the incredibly popular True Blood tv series.  Urban fantasies are an easy way for readers to try the genre, and there are a lot of great ones out there.

This Book is Overdue!

The buzz continues to grow for This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson.   Due out in February, this book explores the role of librarians today and focuses on the increasing demands to keep up with the onslaught of new technology.  This book is an homage to librarians everywhere – and it is long overdue! Check out this interesting Q&A the author did with The Desk Set, a site written by ‘a group of New York City area librarians, archivists, bibliophiles and other bookish types,’ and be sure to read the first chapter here.  
 
-Virginia

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Librarians, we want to hear from you!  As you can see here, here, and here, we're wild about this book and we hope you will be, too.  Send an email to librarylovefest at harpercollins.com.  We'll send a copy of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to you with our compliments.  The only thing ask for in return is a review of the book which we would then post on our blog. We know how busy everyone is these days so don't get hung up on the length of the review.  We just want to get the word out to readers about a book that has everyone buzzing in house.  Now we want the buzz to be outside the house! Thanks so much.

Now send us an email! (Please note, this particular offer is for librarians only.) Thanks!

Virginia Stanley
Director
Library Marketing
HarperCollinsPublishers
(212) 207-7592
virginia.stanley at harpercollins.com
www.librarylovefest.com

Readers Advisory Book/Review Swap

We send you a book and you send us your review.  Sometimes this offer will be open to the general readership and other times it will be open to librarians only.  Either way, we’ll keep your name on our list for future reviews! We’d like to kick this off with a book we’re extremely excited about. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is a terrific book about a young boy in South Africa who discovers a book in the library and learns how to build a windmill and generates electricity.
We hope you enjoy this book as much as we do.  Check out Marketing Director Tavia Kowalchuk's guest blog on the book, as well as our original post.  Let us know if you’d like to review it on our blog by emailing your name, mailing address and library affiliation to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. Again, this one’s for librarians only. Thanks!

-Virginia

Sandman Slim: the Hump Day Giveaway

These days everyone is buzzing about Sandman Slim, Richard Kadrey's raucous supernatural thriller.  Here's an excerpt from io9's awesome review: "Sandman Slim follows the adventures of Jimmy, aka Stark, aka Sandman Slim, who was dragged down to Hell as a cocky teenager and somehow survived for eleven years, before busting out. The only person he cared about is dead, and he's out for revenge — and he doesn't really care what he has to break to get it. Along the way, he gets dragged deeper and deeper into the politics of the L.A. magic scene, the ongoing feud between Hell's generals, the schemes of angels, Homeland Security, and the decadent plans of L.A.'s filthy rich magic users.

As someone who's read every novel by Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, Richard Stark/Donald Westlake and Ross McDonald at least once, I found the frothiness and nihilism of the novel instantly appealing."

Still not sold? You might want to read the following quote from Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series: “If Simon R. Green wrote an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter, it would read much like Sandman Slim– violent, vivid, non-stop action of the supernatural kind. I couldn’t put it down.”

If your interest is piqued, leave us a comment: we're giving away books to the first 25! And for more on the book, browse inside and click here for a great post on Out of this Eos by editor extraordinaire, Diana Gill. 

-Kayleigh

Fall Title Presentation

If you were unable to attend our title presentation at ALA in Chicago this past July, fear not!  We’re bringing our book buzz to you! Click on the links below to watch us talk about the hot books coming out in Fall 2009.  Each link is about 10 minutes long and we’ve listed the titles being discussed in each video.  Also attached is the handout that we made available to all attendees of the presentation.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, Academy Award nominations, etc.

Thanks!

-Virginia, Bobby and Kayleigh

Video 1A
Included in this video: Introduction, information on HarperCollins Catalogs, eGalleys, Book Club Girl, Library Love Fest (radio show), twitter (HarperLibrary), HarperLibrary's blog (Library Love Fest), Shelf Help, Kayleigh’s blog (The Roaring 20s), Earlyword.com and Harper Perennial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2vF140GVoQ
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1A)

Video 1B
Included in this video: Information on Harper Perennial, and the following titles, Shelf Discovery, by Lizzie Skurnick, By The Time You Read This, by Lola Jaye, and Lies My Mother Never Told Me, by Kaylie Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUe2jl8-sxE
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1B)

Video 1C
Titles included in this video: Bending Towards the Sun, by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, Under This Unbroken Sky, by Shandi Mitchell, Evidence of Murder, by Lisa Black, How to Paint a Dead Man, by Sarah Hall and I Shudder, by Paul Rudnick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZIX7h_a8WI
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1C)

Video 1D
Titles included in this video: Beneath the Bleeding, by Val McDermid, The Financial Lives of Poets, by Jess Walter, Anne Frank, by Francine Prose and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX-b-Eh06c0
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1D)

Video 1E
Titles included in this video: Not Lost Forever, by Carmina Salcido, Manhood for Amateurs, by Michael Chabon and Hummingbirds, by Joshua Gaylord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjbIu4n5k3Y
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1E)

Video 1F
Titles included in this video:  Far from Zion, by Charles London, I am neurotic (and so are you), by Lianna Kong, The Hidden, by Tobias Hill, The Sand Fish, by Maha Gargash, Ten Storey Love Song,by Richard Milward and The Body in the Sleigh, by Katherine Hall Page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQgzm6b72TE
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1F)

Video 1G
Titles included in this video: Notes Left Behind, by Brooke and Keith Desserich, The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver, Lit, by Mary Karr, Wishin’ and Hopin’, by Wally Lamb and This Book is Overdue!, by Marilyn Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBOV0CKk68A
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1G)

Video 1H
Titles included in this video: Be Careful What You Pray For, by Kimberla Lawson Roby, Gator A-Go-Go, by Tim Dorsey, Shadow Tag, by Louise Erdrich, and Horns, by Joe Hill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmUlveJzyU
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1H)

Video 1I
Titles included in this video: Encore, Valentine, by Adriana Trigiani, Making Toast, by Roger Rosenblatt, The Lovers, by Vendela Vida and A Pearl in the Storm, by Tori Murden McClure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb6Sp0HEWk0
Download ALA Title Presentation (Part 1I)

 

A New Anne Frank Movie

In case you missed it, yesterday Early Word reported that Disney has acquired the rights to a new film version of The Diary of Anne Frank, with David Mamet helming the project.  Our very own Francine Prose was mentioned in the article, as was her forthcoming book Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife (9780061578267).  Early Word reports: "One of Prose’s objections to the earlier versions is that they don’t show Anne’s growth as either a person or an artist; 'On the pages, she is brilliant, on the stage, she is a nitwit.' She also points out that they attempted to 'universalize' the story to broaden it’s appeal; few mentions are made of the family’s Jewishness and Anne was made to seem more hopeful. Says Prose about the movie, 'She sounds like an American girl. And why not? It’s an American movie.'" David Mamet is sure to challenge our assumptions about this beloved piece of literature, just as Francine Prose has done with her book.  Be sure to check out Booklist's starred review, in full, after the jump. 

ALA 2009- The Roaring Re-Cap

The Roaring 20s has a new look, and a new post! Now that ALA 2009 is behind us, I will be posting regularly again on Roaring, so be sure to send me some feedback on the new design! And while you're checking out the page, take a peek at my Fall/Winter picks from our Title Presentation.  Trust me, you don't need to be a 20something to enjoy these books.

-Kayleigh    

Labor Day

If you attended BEA or ALA this year, you might have heard us raving about Joyce Maynard's latest, Labor Day, an in-house favorite.  In a manner evoking Ian McEwan's Atonementand Nick Hornby's About a Boy, Joyce Maynard tells a story of love, sexual passion, painful adolescence, and devastating betrayal as seen through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy—and the man he later becomes—looking back on the events of a single long, hot, and life-altering weekend.  Check out the video, browse inside the book, or download the podcast.  Download LABOR DAY Story Behind the Book.  Happy Reading!

Windy City, Here We Come!

Well, it's that time of year again.  Our department is headed to Chicago for ALA 2009, and we are loaded up with goodies.  Between galleys, symtio cards, and tote bags, we've got giveaways covered.  Be sure to stop by our booth and meet us in person--we're Booth # 1911.  For a full list of our author signings, head over to Early Word.  And of course, don't miss our title presentation!

See you in the Windy City!

-Kayleigh