Library Love Fest

Happy Thanksgiving!

On this rainy Thanksgiving Eve, we here in Library Land wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope the weather is better where you are! Luckily, I'm hosting this year so don't have to travel.

We hope that you celebrate and enjoy yourselves, love your family, eat copious amounts of food and maybe kick back with a great read. If you do, please share!

My Turkey Day read this year is going to be Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit.  Seems in keeping with the holiday spirit!

Happy Turkey Day!

Gobble, gobble

- Annie

What I'm Reading: Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I am greatly bummed that I have to wait for the next book in the trilogy. You'd think after 800 pages, I'd be ok with taking a break, but I want to know what happens next!

Natchez Burning is an engrossing and layered mystery that deals with race relations in Mississippi and Louisiana. It stars well known Iles character, Penn Cage, as he initially tries to determine if his beloved, Atticus Finch-esq father has committed a murder. However, after doing some digging, he realizes that is just the tip of the ice burg, for this specific death brings into question several horrific, unsolved murders from the 1960s. 

I've never read anything by Greg Iles before (slightly blasphemous to admit around the office), but now I fully intend to discover his backlist, especially since he does a really cool job of referencing past cases (read: books) that Penn Cage has worked on (i.e. The Quiet Game). I am intrigued. 

As soon as it becomes available on Edelweiss, I will let you know because it.is.good!

- Annie

Blown Away by "The Wind Is Not a River"

A few months ago, Annie gushed about Brian Payton's historical novel The Wind Is Not a River, told in the alternating voices of a reporter covering the Japanese invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands during WWII, and his wife, who goes on a quest to find him when his plane is shot down.  Sounds exciting and romantic, right?  Well buzz surrounding this book has only gotten better! 

A STARRED review from Library Journal says: "This moving and powerfully written novel explores themes of war, life and death, morality, and love in a unique World War II battleground that very few people outside Alaska know about or remember. VERDICT Payton, known for his nonfiction works Shadow of the Bear and The Ice Passage, has written a suspenseful, beautifully researched title that readers will want to devour in one sitting. As a nearly lifelong inhabitant of Alaska and having spent three years on Adak in the Aleutians, this reviewer was particularly gratified by the accuracy of the author's portrayal of the land and people of the 'birthplace of the winds.' Bravo!"

And from Booklist: "Part adventure tale, part love story, this beautifully written novel offers a moving portrait of a couple whose lives are forever changed by the only battle of WWII to take place on American soil.... Payton, in the loveliest of prose, illuminates a little-known aspect of WWII while portraying a devoted couple who bravely face down the isolation, pain, and sacrifice of wartime."

Now that you've heard from the ultimate triumvirate in all things literary, you definitely can't miss out on this book. 

-Amanda

A Message from Matthew Quick

Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Good Luck of Right Now, stopped by the office to say hi to you fabulous librarians. Matthew is a huge fan of libraries and visits them whenever possible. His newest book is a funny, feel-good story of a young man who, in the aftermath of his mother’s untimely death, forms an unlikely family with three other outsiders, including Richard Gere (kind of).

 

 

ISBN: 9780062285539
$25.99
eBook ISBN: 9780062285553

- Annie

Every Book is a Tardis

More than movies, music, or any other medium, books have the ability to completely transport readers to new cities, countries, continents, and planets, and even through time.  Every book has this capability: fiction or nonfiction, realistic or the highest fantasy.  A story only has to exist for it to create a new world.  In addition to this ubiquitous (but still amazing) function of reading, The Rich and the Dead by Liv Spector and The Widow’s Walk by Robert Barclay also send their characters on romps through time and space within the story itself, all while simultaneously doing the same for the reader sitting comfortably in his or her favorite chair.  So meta. 

The Rich and the Dead: The year is 2018, and ex-Miami PD officer Lila Day is not doing so well.  Four years earlier, on New Year’s Day 2014, twelve of the world’s most powerful people were found killed in the basement of a lavish Star Island estate.  Lila was lead investigator in the case, but she was never able to find the murderer, leading her to be dismissed from the force.  Now, reclusive billionaire Teddy Hawkins has approached her with the chance of a lifetime—to travel back in time to before the murders occurred to collect evidence that will convict the killer in the present day.  Seems like a good plan, until Lila starts to care for the people who are destined to die.  Can she say goodbye, or will she risk setting events in motion that would change the future—her present—forever?

The Widow’s Walk: Garrett has always wanted to live by the sea, and now he has the chance to purchase and renovate the old home known as Seaside that has always captivated him.  Then one night he sees Constance Elizabeth Canfield, who says she’s lived at Seaside for over 150 years.  She’s not a ghost though, instead claiming to be somehow stuck between this life and the next.  Love soon blossoms between the two, but as their relationship grows, Constance begins to fade away.  Will their love fade along with Constance’s presence, or will it somehow be able to transcend time and death itself?

So you want to go to the beach?  Fall in love?  Solve a cold murder case?  Here’s your golden ticket to any place and any time you can imagine.

-Amanda

Hey Librarians, are YOU signed up for LibraryReads??

LibraryReads has just posted it's fourth list, but in case some of you aren't familiar with the fantastic, amazing, genius concept, I thought I'd provide some info:

What is LibraryReads? We have a handy FAQ!

Are you a public librarian who is signed up with Edelweiss? Then you are ready to vote for your favorite books each month!

Want to be able to vote? Here's how you can sign-up!

For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website.

Remember: Vote early! Vote often!  

- Annie                                          

BookPage Readers....WIN! Read, Listen, Share!

Enter to win one book or audiobook for your personal library—and five books or audiobooks for your local library! Be one of ten winners to choose from this selection of new books.  For complete details and to enter for a chance to win, click here.

End of Days by James Swanson: The The New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt brings to life the minute-by-minute details of the JFK assassination--from the Kennedys’ arrival in Texas to the shooting in Dealey Plaza and the shocking aftermath.

The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom: 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? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. Part mystery, part allegory, this novel is a heart-racing page-turner and an soul-fulfilling tale of faith, hope and love.

Innocent Blood by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell: The second installment in the bestselling The Order of the Sanguines Series, about an ancient order who speak the truth behind Christ’s miracles and strive to protect the world from evil

The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell: The latest installment in the Saxon Tales, the epic saga of the making of England, magnificently brought to life by “the reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today).

Ripper by Isabel Allende: Continuing her foray into YA crossover started with Maya’s Notebook, and also deciding to tackle the thriller genre, Allende tells a gripping story about a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco and the teenage girl determined to find him/her. Booklist starred review.

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani: The The New York Times bestselling author is back with some familiar characters in this story of Valentine Roncalli and the love she has for her husband, her family and her famous shoe business.

 

This Is the Story of a Happy Marraige by Ann Patchett: From the NYT bestselling author of State of Wonder and Bel Canto, a collection of autobiographical essays going back across Ann Patchett’s entire life, covering school, early writing and friendships, travel, marriage, and opening a bookstore, most previously published.

The Trident by Jason Redman: A Navy SEAL’s highly-charged account of his combat missions in Iraq and his miraculous recovery from wounds that might have killed him—if it were not for his grit and the devotion of his wife and family.

We Are Water by Wally Lamb: From the New York Times bestselling author of Shes Come Undone, a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy.

Worthy Brown's Daughter by Phillip Margolin: Nearly thirty years in the writing–and a remarkable departure for house best-selling author Phillip Margolin–Worthy Brown’s Daughter is a gripping novel of frontier justice based on a heart-breaking true story of racism in the 19th-century Oregon Territory.

Click here for all the contest details!

All Willy Vlautin, All the Time

My love for Willy Vlautin's writing is well documented. The Motel Life is one of my favorite books, and his latest novel, The Free is fabulous as well.

***We worked with Willy on an amazing CD feature called BEYOND THE BOOK. It is 30 minutes of his music, insight and readings, and it is a beautiful complement to the book. You can download it for free HERE.***

 

Don't believe me that the book is great (who doesn't trust this face??). Maybe you'll believe these amazing people:

“In The Free, Willy Vlautin gives us a portrait of American life that is so hard and so heartbreaking that it should be unbearable, but it isn't. The straightforward beauty of Vlautin's writing, and the tender care he shows his characters, turns a story of struggle into indispensable reading.  I couldn't recommend it more highly.” —Ann Patchett

"Willy is brilliant in the way his simple prose gets to my heart; I worried about the characters for days after I finished the book. I can’t wait to start recommending The Free to library patrons and book groups.” —Robin Beerbower, Salem Public Library, Oregon

“Willy Vlautin's magnificent novel The Free is as raw as it is beautiful, as brutal as it is honest. But despite the difficult truths of his intertwined tales, Vlautin's characters will lift you up with their quiet compassion and profound dignity.” —Ivy Pochoda

 

***And finally, here is a WEBSITE we've created to highlight all the extra features associated with the book, e.g. movie trailers, book trailers, reviews, music. It's pretty cool, if I do say so myself.***

 

- Your besotted blogger, Annie

 

We're #1 on the LibraryReads December List!

                    

The votes are in, and congratulations are in order for the fabulous Sarah MacLean and her latest novel, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished. It has the number one spot on LibraryReads' December list. The talented and beloved, Adriana Trigiani also made the list with The Supreme Macaroni Company. 

Are you voting? If not, you should be! Voting is processed through Edelweiss, but if you need instructions on how to sign-up, please click here.

Have questions about LibraryReads?? Here is a handy (and attractive) FAQ sheet.

- Annie

A Message from Ann Patchett

The ever so talented Ann Patchett stopped by the studio to say hello to librarians and thank you all for the hard work you do. Her latest book, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, is on sale now.

 

ISBN:  9780062236678

$27.99

Ebook ISBN:  9780062236692