Library Love Fest

New podcast episode: Editors Unedited - Gabriella Doob interviews Joyce Carol Oates, author of BREATHE

This week's podcast episode features a conversation between bestselling and prizewinning author Joyce Carol Oates and her editor Gabriella Doob. They discuss Joyce's new book Breathe, a novel of love and loss set amid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico. In Breathe, a married couple from Cambridge, MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute. When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness, misdiagnosed at first, their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey.

Reviews for Breathe:

“Powerful.... Fecund with fear and anguish, and driven by raw, breathless narration, this hallucinatory tale will not disappoint. Oates is on a roll.”
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

 

"Gut-wrenching and devoid of sentimentality.... Recommended."
—Library Journal

 

Listen to the episode below:

Many thanks to Joyce and Gabriella for this wonderful conversation!
Breathe is on sale August 3, 2021.

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-Lainey

The August LibraryReads List is Here!

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that Battle Royal by Lucy Parker and The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams have been selected for the August LibraryReads List!

We're also excited to share that LibraryReads Hall of Fame author Sarah MacLean's latest publication, Bombshell, was selected.

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

Click here to see the full August LibraryReads List!

***

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker: Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits, where two bakers learn they will be fighting for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for an upcoming royal wedding.

"Lucy Parker’s books are marvels of wit and warmth and empathy, and Battle Royal is no exception. It’s as delicious as the cakes baked by Sylvie and Dominic, from first page to last."
—Olivia Dade, bestselling author of Spoiler Alert

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The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams:
An unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter and a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people—a lonely London widower and a troubled teenager.

"If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this."
—Debbie Johnson, bestselling author of Maybe One Day

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Bombshell by Sarah MacLean: New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

Praise for Sarah MacLean: 
"Sarah MacLean's books are fierce." —Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

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Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Brazen and the Beast (July 2019)
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (November 2014))
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (December 2013)

Watch Sarah MacLean, Lori Rader-Day, and Tamron Hall in Conversation!

***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the August LibraryReads List! Be sure to submit your votes for the September LibraryReads List by August 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

Editors Unedited: Jennifer Barth interviews Kimberly McCreight, author of FRIENDS LIKE THESE

On this week's podcast episode, we feature a conversation between New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight—author of Friends Like These—and her editor Jennifer Barth, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Harper.

Friends Like These is a relentlessly twisty literary thriller in which a desperate intervention brings together a group of college friends 10 years after graduation—a reunion marked by lies, betrayal, and murder.

Check out some of the rave reviews:

“A brilliantly constructed puzzle of a novel—using a shifting kaleidoscope of unique voices...” 
—Julie Clark, author of The Last Flight

 

"Kimberly McCreight takes us through a juicy labyrinth of lies and secrets among a privileged set of friends you’ll love to hate, and hate to love. Sharp, dark, and a great escape.”
—Ashley Audrain, author of The Push

 

“Friends Like These is a masterclass in thriller writing. Perfectly plotted and full of genuine surprises, this book had me rapt from start to finish. Kimberly McCreight is a sensational writer, and with Friends Like These she is at the top of her game."
—Cristina Alger, author of Girls Like Us

 

Listen to the episode here: 

A big thank you to Jennifer and Kimberly for taking the time to record this episode. What a fascinating peek behind-the-scenes of the publishing process!

Friends Like These goes on sale September 7, 2021.

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-Lainey

LLF Staff Suggestions for the September LibraryReads List

Hello, librarians. 

We hope you are staying safe and cool in these blistering summer months. Please enjoy our staff suggestions for the September LibraryReads List. As a reminder, votes are due August 1st!

***

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
For fans of: Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin
and The Risen by Ron Rash
The eagerly awaited novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home, This Dark Road to Mercy, and The Last Ballad—a tender and haunting story of a father and daughter, crime and forgiveness, race and memory.

"In When Ghosts Come Home Wiley Cash reveals how family and history and the threads that connect us can contain such mystery. This is a masterful example of storytelling, told by one of the most open-hearted and clear-eyed writers I know."
—Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

Watch Wiley Cash in conversation with his editor, David Highfill, on Door to Door!

 

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
For fans of: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted.

"Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is a smart, sophisticated portrait of three very different women, united in both their struggles and their joy. Allen seamlessly blends sharp social commentary with a heartwarming story of friendship between irresistibly complex characters. A fresh, punch-packing debut from an author to watch!"
—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

Click here to register to see Jayne Allen
on Door to Door on Tuesday, July 20th, at 2pm ET!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight
For fans of: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
and Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
In this relentlessly twisty literary thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight, a desperate intervention brings together a group of college friends 10 years after graduation—a reunion marked by lies, betrayal, and murder.

"Years' worth of friendship, secrets, coverups and lies lead to one intensely satisfying, jaw-dropping conclusion in this expertly plotted novel by master of suspense, Kimberly McCreight's Friends Like These is sensational, and makes you wonder how well you can ever know even your closest friends."
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

City on Fire by Don Winslow
For fans of: The 20th Victim by James Patterson
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cartel Trilogy (The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Border), The Force, and Broken comes the first novel in an epic crime saga about the Irish and Italian crime syndicates in America during the 1980s and 1990s.

Praise for Don Winslow:
"With the passing of Elmore Leonard a few years back, it’s now safe to proclaim Winslow America’s greatest living crime writer. His consistency is matched only by his creativity, his talent exceeded by his ability to surpass himself time and time again."
—Jon Land, Providence Journal

Click here to register to see Don Winslow
on Door to Door on Thursday, July 22nd, at 2pm ET!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Fault Lines by Emily Itami
For fans of: Grown Ups by Emma Jane Unsworth
and All Adults Here by Emma Straub
For fans of Sally Rooney and Helen Fielding, a witty, sharp, and moving debut novel exploring the frustrations of motherhood, the imbalance of a marriage, and the loss of self as a family builds around you.

"Mizuki is one of the most engaging adulteresses I’ve ever encountered, and a wonderfully witty guide to the morals and mores of contemporary Tokyo. I now know just how to behave while picking up children from school, or meeting strangers. Fault Lines is a moving and suspenseful novel full of the best kinds of incidental wisdom."
—Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria
For fans of: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
and Beach Read by Emily Henry
The national bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola returns with a seductive second-chance romance about a commitment-phobic Latina and her childhood best friend who has finally returned home.

"Daria’s sultry, standalone second Primas of Power rom-com offers a delightful take on the friends-to-lovers trope.... Daria keeps the emphasis on the protagonists' personal growth, capturing the intimacy between Michelle and Gabe as they come to better understand who they are as individuals—and who they could be together. The steamy love scenes, vibrant cast, deeply felt emotions, and sense of fun make this a surefire hit."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

Click here to register to see Alexis Daria
on Door to Door on Thursday, July 15th, at 2pm ET!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang
For fans of: The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle
A pulse-pounding and deviously dark debut, written with the psychological acuity and emotional punch of Luckiest Girl Alive and All the Missing Girls, that explores the hungry, angry, dark side of girlhood and dares to ask what is most dangerous to a woman: showing the world what it wants to see, or who she really is?

"Catherine Dang's darkly delicious debut, Nice Girls, is about the girlhood we never really leave behind, and what happens when we dare to confront our past demons. A pulsating mystery with a narrator you won't soon forget."
—Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Actual Star by Monica Byrne
For fans of: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas meets Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series, as acclaimed author Monica Byrne (The Girl in the Road) spins a brilliant multigenerational saga spanning two thousand years, from the collapse of the ancient Maya to a far-future utopia on the brink of civil war.

"Sweeping, mesmerizing, The Actual Star is a travelogue of souls, an epic that leaps lightly between the centuries.... Byrne draws her interconnected characters with compassion and depth, weaving their stories into a mystery with echoes in past, present, and future.... A magnificent achievement!"
—Helene Wecker, New York Times bestselling author of
The Golem and Jinni and The Hidden Palace

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington
For fans of: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
A powerful chronicle of the women who used their sewing skills to survive the Holocaust, stitching beautiful clothes at an extraordinary fashion workshop created within one of the most notorious WWII death camps.

"In The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, Lucy Adlington has unveiled not one but several long-hidden histories: the tale of a group of compassionate and audacious Jewish women who sewed for their lives; the story of clothes in the Holocaust; and the history of the fashion industry in World War II. Adlington has expertly interwoven these fascinating strands into an utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read."
—Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Talk to Me by T.C. Boyle
For fans of: Jack by Marilynne Robinson
From bestselling and award-winning author T.C. Boyle, a lively, thought-provoking novel that asks us what it would be like if we could really talk to the animals.

"Boyle eloquently lays out the philosophical and ethical debates of raising chimps in a human household.... Boyle poignantly exposes our anthropocentric biases while exploring the nature of consciousness and reminds us of the adage about the most dangerous species in the zoo being the humans.... Boyle's name sparks instant interest, and fans will reach his latest novel about humanity's dangerous confusion about our place in nature."
—Booklist

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

No Words by Meg Cabot
For fans of: The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan
Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries, returns to Little Bridge Island with a new story about a children’s book author with a case of writer’s block and an arrogant novelist who have to set aside their differences as they get through a weekend-long book festival that just might change everything—including their feelings for each other.

Praise for Meg Cabot:
"There is a school of thought that says reading should be entertaining, and this is exactly what Meg Cabot produces for us: fun. She is the master of her genre; she is the George Bernard Shaw if not the George Eliot of [her genre]."
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova
by Ruth Hogan
For fans of: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
From the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things—an uplifting, slightly magical story about how it’s never too late to find out who you really are.

"In Hogan’s engrossing latest...a middle-aged English woman searches for her biological parents.... Hogan does a great job expanding on themes of friendship, racism, loyalty and love. With its trappings of a modern fairy tale, this one should have wide appeal."   
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Olga by Bernhard Schlink
For fans of: The Lost Diary of M by Paul Wolfe
A sweeping novel of love and passion from author of the international bestseller The Reader about a woman out of step with her time, whose life is witness to some of the most tumultuous events of modern age.

Registered for Library Journal's Day of Dialog? Watch the replay of Bernhard Schlink on the "Literary Fiction: Here & Abroad" panel!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Mama Bear by Shirley Smith
For fans of: Early by Sarah DiGregorio
In this moving memoir, Shirley Smith, wife of NBA Champion and All-Star J. R. Smith, tells the story of giving birth to one of the youngest premature babies to survive—using her experience to heighten awareness of the crisis of Black maternal and infant health and pay tribute to Black women’s resilience.

"In Mama Bear, Shirley Smith draws the vital correlation between generational trauma and Black maternal health and along the way creates a desperately needed community. Brave. Compelling. Provocative. It’s healing for the soul, and a must read."
─Gabrielle Union, actress and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine and You Got Anything Stronger?

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Bourdain by Laurie Woolever
Also from the author: World Travel (co-written with Anthony Bourdain)
An unprecedented behind-the-scenes view into the life of Anthony Bourdain from the people who knew him best. 

Praise for World Travel: 
"There will never be anyone quite like Anthony Bourdain. But World Travel offers readers the potential to travel the world as he did." —Fortune

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay
For fans of: More Than Words by Jill Santopolo
If you love the emotionally complex novels of JoJo Moyes and the dramatic books of Jodi Picoult, you won’t want to miss this newest book about second chances, redemption, and the power of hope from USA Today bestselling author of Shelter Me, Juliette Fay.

"Catch Us When We Fall is a beautiful story about life's darkest demons—grief, addiction, and broken promises—but Juliette Fay's characters are so lovable and emotionally complex it left me suffused with light and hope. I read this book in a gulp, alternately crying, laughing, and cheering."
—Ann Mah, bestselling author of The Lost Vintage

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Royal Correspondent by Alexandra Joel
For fans of: Meet Me in Monaco
by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
The author of The Paris Model captures the glamour, style, excitement, and romance of a bygone era in this sumptuous novel—set in the Sydney and London of the 1960s—about an up-and-coming young Australian reporter with a deadly secret.

"Joel does an expert job at portraying Blaise’s fortitude in her quest to achieve journalistic success in an era when women were often forced to choose between marriage and career. This will keep readers turning the pages."
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli
For fans of: The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff
From the acclaimed author of The Night Portrait comes a stunning historical novel about two women, separated by five hundred years, who each hide Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa—with unintended consequences.

"Like the masterpiece she writes about, Laura Morelli has created a work of art that is impossible to forget. With beautifully rendered settings, expertly drawn characters and a storyline that immersed me from the very first page, The Stolen Lady is a wonderful homage to both art and the women in history who made art possible, but whose stories have been forgotten. A truly sublime novel."
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Matter of Black Lives
edited by Jelani Cobb and David Remnick
For fans of: The Devil You Know by Charles M. Blow
A collection of The New Yorker‘s groundbreaking writing on race in America—including work by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Hilton Als, Zadie Smith, and more—with a foreword by Jelani Cobb.

"Immersive and engaging.... Reading three decades of essays on this important and urgent topic, one is appalled that we know so much and have repeatedly done so little with that knowledge, as well as simultaneously hopeful and skeptical that technological solutions can save us now."
—Library Journal

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night
by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
For fans of: Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken
From the "Icelandic Dickens (Irish Examiner)," a writer who "shares the elemental grandeur of Cormac McCarthy" (Times Literary Supplement), comes this profound and playful masterwork of literature that ponders the beauty and mystery of life and our deepest existential questions.

"Stefánsson (Fish Have No Feet) delivers a delightfully dishy look at a small Icelandic village in the 1990s.... There’s no overarching narrative, but it adds up to an immersive and funny portrait of a community whose members squabble and celebrate in equal measure. Readers will be hooked by the mishmash of neighborhood gossip."
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

Snowflake by Louise Nealon
For fans of: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
An exquisitely talented young Irish writer makes her literary debut with this powerful and haunting novel—a tale of love and family, depression and joy, and coming of age in the twenty-first century that is a blend of Sally Rooney and Colm Tóibín.

"Can a young woman be innocent yet outrageous, longing to succeed at university yet close to failing, deeply embarrassed by her manic depressive mother yet devoted? Yes, yes, yes. Louise Nealon’s beguiling narrator Debbie is all these things, and much more. Snowflake is a wonderfully inventive, deeply felt novel full of the best kinds of surprises."
—Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

The Collector's Daughter by Gill Paul
For fans of: Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
Bestselling author Gill Paul returns with a brilliant novel about Lady Evelyn Herbert, the woman who took the very first step into the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and who lived in the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, and the long after-effects of the Curse of Pharaohs.

"Consummate historical fiction writer Paul (Jackie and Maria) has crafted another binge-worthy novel that will enthrall readers."
—Library Journal

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal
For fans of: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
A missing girl, a hidden body, a decades-long cover-up, and old sins cast in new light: the classic procedural meets Scandinavian atmosphere in this rich, character-driven mystery, awarded Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year, that heralds the American debut of a supremely skilled international writer.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

 

I Was Never the First Lady by Wendy Guerra
For fans of: American Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
A lush, sensuous, and original tale of family, love, and history, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath.

"Guerra’s novel is a grand if bittersweet valentine to Cuba."
—Kirkus Reviews

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LibraryReads Votes Due: August 1, 2021

Click here for more great September reads!

 

The deadline to submit your votes is August 1!

***

We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris

 

New Podcast Episode! Editors Unedited: Sara Birmingham interviews Adam Harris, author of THE STATE MUST PROVIDE

This week's podcast episode features a conversation between editor Sara Birmingham and Adam Harris, author of The State Must Provide. We were so excited to facilitate this important conversation. The State Must Provide serves as a definitive history of the pervasiveness of racial inequality in American higher education. Adam is a staff writer at The Atlantic where he has covered education and national politics since 2018. He was previously a reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education where he covered federal education policy and historically black colleges and universities. In the interview, Adam and Sara spoke about some of the history of racial injustice within higher education and how the book came to be. It was also interesting to hear Sara's experience editing this book because she came on board after the initial draft was written. 

Check out some of the reviews:

“Illuminating…. A well-researched, potent, timely investigation of yet another element of systemic racism.”

—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review

"This thought-provoking, timely, and engaging read gives space to subject matter that has largely gone ignored and unaddressed, and offers readers much food for thought on the topic of discrimination and systemic racism in higher education."
—Booklist

Listen to the episode here:

 

Find all of Adam's stories written for the Atlantic here.

 

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The State Must Provide goes on sale August 10, 2021.

 

Many thanks to Sara and Adam for this informative and necessary conversation.

 

-Lainey

New Podcast Episode: Editors Unedited: Carrie Feron interviews Sarah MacLean, author of BOMBSHELL

Calling all romance fans! This week's episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast features a conversation between New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean and her editor Carrie Feron, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Avon and William Morrow. This is a conversation NOT TO BE MISSED! In addition to Sarah's books, Carrie edits many beloved romance authors, including Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Lenora Bell, and Diana Quincy. Between Sarah and Carrie, the romance knowledge overflows in this podcast episode. They discuss the famous "clinch" romance covers and other elements of romance novels through the years. You'll also hear about Sarah's latest book, Bombshell, the first in a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

Listen to the episode here:

Links mentioned in the episode:

-Listen to Sarah's 99% Invisible podcast interview here.
-Authors edited by Carrie: Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Lenora Bell, and Diana Quincy
-Sarah has her own romance novel podcast! Listen to Fated Mates here.

Want to hear more about Bombshell? We hope you can join us for our "In the Spotlight" event with Sarah MacLean, Lori Rader-Day, and Tamron Hall next Tuesday, June 29th from 7:00-8:00 PM ET.

A big thanks to Sarah and Carrie for taking the time to do this podcast recording. Bombshell goes on sale August 24, 2021.

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LibraryReads votes are due August 1st!

-Lainey

In the Spotlight: Tamron Hall, Lori Rader-Day, and Sarah MacLean in Conversation

Please join us for a night of stories by and about
strong women told through three genres:
mystery, history, and romance.

June 29, 2021
7:00 - 8:00pm ET

Register for the 6/29 CrowdCast event!

About As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall: The first in a thrilling new series from Emmy Award–winning journalist Tamron Hall, in which a reporter unravels the disturbing mystery around the deaths of two Black girls, the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.

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About Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day: From the award-winning author of The Day I Died and The Lucky One, a captivating suspense novel about nurses during World War II who come to Agatha Christie’s holiday estate to care for evacuated children, but when a body is discovered nearby, the idyllic setting becomes host to a deadly mystery.

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Register for the 6/29 CrowdCast event!

 

About Bombshell by Sarah MacLean: New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

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Register for the 6/29 CrowdCast event!

-LLF

DREAM GIRL by Laura Lippman Tops Library Holds Lists

DREAM GIRL IS A DREAM!

Fan favorite and all-around fabulous person Laura Lippman crushes it again in her latest novel, Dream Girl, a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.

Library Journal reports it leads the holds lists this week!

Laura gave a fabulous interview on CBS This Morning this past Saturday. Watch below!

Dream Girl goes on sale June 22, 2021.

Get ready to lose yourself in this immersive read!

-Virginia

All things Bridgerton!

So, you've finished the first season of Bridgerton on Netflix...now what? Well, not to fear! We have you covered. Below you will see a list of all the Bridgerton books in the series and books within that world as well as other books to read after the Bridgerton series.

Check out this message that Julia Quinn recorded for librarians during National Library Week:

Find all of Julia Quinn's books here. 

Happy Reading!

-Lainey

The July LibraryReads List is Here!

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas has been selected for the July LibraryReads List!

We're also thrilled that we have THREE authors who’ve been newly inducted into the LibraryReads Hall of Fame for their upcoming publications: Karin Slaughter / False Witness, Sonali Dev / Incense and Sensibility, and Liv Constantine / The Stranger in the Mirror!

And finally, we have one current LibraryReads Hall of Fame author whose latest publication was selected: Tessa Bailey / It Happened One Summer!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

Click here to see the full July LibraryReads List!

***

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas: New York Times
bestselling author Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a widowed lady and a Scot on the run—who may have connections to one of London's most noble families.

"The novel abounds in the vintage pleasures of Kleypas' writing: finely-drawn characters; a tactile, sensuous style...; and glimpses of couples from other novels to assure us that love lasts forever. Undemandingly pleasurable and guaranteed to go on the reread shelf."
—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review

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False Witness by Karin Slaughter: From the New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and The Silent Wife, an electrifying standalone thriller about a successful defense attorney whose latest case has chilling ties to a decades-old secret.

"Slaughter doesn’t save her twists for the end, instead peppering them throughout the intricately layered story amid stomach-churning near misses and gripping character revelations. Equal parts hyperrealistic thriller and epic tragedy, Slaughter’s latest is pitch-perfect storytelling."
—Booklist ⭐ review

Previous LibraryReads Selections:
The Silent Wife (August 2020)
The Last Widow (August 2019)

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Sign up for an exclusive Karin Slaughter CrowdCast event on 7/27!

 

Incense and Sensibility 
by Sonali Dev: The author of Recipe for Persuasion—"not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today" (Shelf Awareness)—adds an Indian American twist to Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility in this delightful retelling that is a feast for the senses.

"Incense and Sensibility is a tender, well-crafted novel, as much about finding purpose as it is about falling in love. Dev writes with such rare empathy and humor that I often found myself holding my breath on one page only to be giggling by the next."
—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

Previous LibraryReads Selections: 
Recipe for Persuasion (May 2020)
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (May 2019)

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The Stranger in the Mirror
by Liv Constantine: A diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Wife Stalker.

"Gripping! Equal parts character study and domestic thriller, The Stranger in the Mirror makes for a perfect weekend read—a highly enjoyable page-turner where you race to the end, breathless to discover the shocking truth."
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When You See Me

Previous LibraryReads Selections: 
The Wife Stalker (May 2020)
The Last Mrs. Parrish (October 2017)

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It Happened One Summer
by Tessa Bailey: Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood "It Girl" who’s cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town...where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.

"Bailey delivers on her usual trifecta of sharp banter, instant chemistry, and high-heat sex scenes, but they are coupled with intense soul-searching for both Piper and Brendan.... Another winning romance from an author at the top of her game."
—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review

Previous LibraryReads Selections: 
Tools of Engagement (September 2020)
Love Her or Lose Her (January 2020)
Fix Her Up (June 2019)

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***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the July LibraryReads List! Be sure to submit your votes for the August LibraryReads List by July 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

New podcast episode: An interview with Mary Adkins, author of PALM BEACH

On this week's podcast episode, we welcome Mary Adkins back to the podcast for a conversation about her new book, Palm Beach, which publishes August 3, 2021. Palm Beach is a thought-provoking page-turner from the author of When You Read This and Privilege that captures the painful divide between the haves and have-nots and the seductive lure of the American dream. 

Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane says: "Mary Adkins’ Palm Beach is a rare page-turner that gives you all the fun and decadence of a beach read while exploring the relevant issues around wealth inequity. I opened it up and could not stop reading!"

Listen to the episode below:

We mentioned that we've had the honor of hosting Mary on the podcast twice before, interviewing her for each of her previous publications. 

You can listen to her interview about her debut novel When You Read This:

And her second novel, Privilege:

 

A big thank you to Mary for taking the time to speak with us!

You can download an egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley now. LibraryReads votes are due July 1st!

-Lainey

LLF Guest Post: Tim Fielder, Author of INFINITUM

Today we are thrilled to have a guest post from
Tim Fielder, cartoonist, animator, Afrofuturist, AND author/illustrator of the graphic novel INFINITUM (on sale now)! This epic Afrofuturist tale spans millennia as it follows Warrior King Aja Oba, cursed by immortality, as he navigates through major world events and into the distant future.

Publishers Weekly praised INFINITUM: "Fielder (Matty’s Rocket) digs deep into his pulp toolbox to fuse genre influences in this daring epic, which bristles with action and verve."

And Jerry Craft, New York Times bestselling author of New Kid called INFINITUM 
"[an] amazing tale of one man’s odyssey from African king to ruler of the stars told with breathtaking visuals. INFINITUM is epic in every way! Engrossing! Powerful! Intelligent! Cinematic!"

Keep reading to learn about Tim Fielder's personal connection to Afrofuturism and the history behind INFINITUM. Be sure to check out his website for even more information!

***

My Afrofuturist Origins
by Tim Fielder

I am now, and have always been, an Afrofuturist.  Afrofuturism, the intersection of technology, speculative thought, and philosophy bound together through race, is becoming part of High Culture. Right now my first book as a "debut author" titled INFINITUM: An Afrofuturist Tale published by HarperCollins Amistad holds a unique position. INFINITUM is the first Afrofuturist graphic novel published by a big five company with an original storyline. I am so proud of my book. 

 

As the creator, I’ve been asked to give a little background on my artistic origins.

 

It’s interesting when one takes up the sum total of their artistic life. I have always done some form of Visual Afrofuturism since I was a young boy. I come from the state of Mississippi. I was born in Tupelo, home of Elvis. I was raised in Clarksdale, home of Robert Johnson. My life in the Mississippi Delta was one in which all of the deep-seeded phobias and isms of Black American life existed intertwined with the magical upbringing that is inherent in a rural upbringing. Mixed along with this was my exposure to science-fiction films, comic books, and all sorts of geek-like things that young kids could engage in...minus the estrangement from peers.

 

It wasn’t cool then to be a geek.

 

I would eventually move to New York City. As the saying goes, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Of course there is and isn’t a level of truth to that. Ultimately, like with the 4-color fictional tales read in my rural upbringing, this urban transition was quite dramatic. Life in the late 1980s NYC was an energetic fusion of early hip-hop culture blended with it’s more alternative sibling, Black Rock culture. I dove head and spirit first into the lifestyle change like a comic book character changing into a superhero costume. Within a matter of weeks I went from a mild mannered young African-American male unsure of himself, to a radicalized "all black" wearing mohawk dreadloc-wearing Afropunk. I would take this new identity and use that to explore cartooning, that thing that I love, and merge that into African religious modalities, science-fiction concept design, and expansive panel to panel storytelling.

 

I was in a grimy urban metropolis, but heaven nonetheless.

 

Jump forward 30 years, I am much more comfortable in my skin then I was in my youth. My art has advanced further then I could have imagined. Through INFINITUM, I wanted to produce a book that would look expansive visually, push the limits of what comics were allowed to do narratively, and bring some level of epic scale to the Black speculative experience. However, it was important for me to do it in a way that audiences of all races, genders and ethnicities would be able to relate to the story. The story is, after all, essentially about the human experience. I hope that librarians will be willing, as individual readers and guides for readers, to take a chance on my book, take a chance on my vision, and enjoy having your mind expanded (hopefully) into the farthest reaches of time.

 

INFINITUM: An Afrofuturist Tale can be purchased where all fine books are sold.

 

***

Thanks so much, Tim! 

 

INFINITUM is on sale now. We can't recommend enough this expansive, one-of-a-kind reading experience. If you want to learn more, check out the replay of our Door to Door episode featuring Tim and Jonny Sun, author of Goodbye, Again!

 

 

To highlight this wonderful book, we are giving away finished copies to the first 10 librarians who email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.

 

-Chris

LLF Staff Suggestions for the August LibraryReads List

Hello, librarians. 

Welcome to summer! May these warmer months bring you rest, relaxation, and much reading fulfillment. We hope our staff suggestions for the August LibraryReads List will prove to be perfect pool-side partners, beach-side buddies, and hammock-hanging helpers.  

As a reminder, votes for the August LibraryReads List are due July 1st.

Happy reading!

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)

***

Vortex by Catherine Coulter
For fans of: The Big Kahuna by Janet Evanovich
In the latest installment in Catherine Coulter’s #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, agents Sherlock and Savich find themselves dealing with powerful pieces of the past that could have dire consequences in the present.

Praise for Catherine Coulter:
"Catherine Coulter is one of the bonafide rockstars of the thriller genre."
—The Real Book Spy

"The things you can count on in a Catherine Coulter book are a complex storyline with plenty of action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns."
—Fresh Fiction

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Bombshell by Sarah MacLean
Also from the author: Daring and the Duke 
and Brazen and the Beast
New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

Praise for Sarah MacLean: 
"Sarah MacLean's books are fierce."
—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Brazen and the Beast (July 2019)
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (November 2014))
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (December 2013)

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
For fans of: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
and Lot by Bryan Washington 
A vibrant story collection about Cambodian-American life—immersive and comic, yet unsparing—that offers profound insight into the intimacy of queer and immigrant communities.

"So (1992–2020) conjures literary magic in his hilarious and insightful posthumous debut, a collection that delves into a tightly knit community of Cambodian-American immigrants in California’s Central Valley…. After this immersive introduction to the Central Valley community, readers won’t want to leave."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
For fans of: The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs
and The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
An unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter and a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people—a lonely London widower and a troubled teenager.

"If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this."
—Debbie Johnson, bestselling author of Maybe One Day

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
For fans of: The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward
A thought-provoking page-turner from the author of When You Read This and Privilege—a powerful novel that captures the painful divide between the haves and have-nots and the seductive lure of the American dream, for readers of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and Emma Straub.

"Mary Adkins' Palm Beach is a rare page-turner that gives you all the fun and decadence of a beach read while exploring the relevant issues around wealth inequity. I opened it up and could not stop reading!"
—Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson
For fans of: Code Girls by Liza Mundy and
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
Kaia Alderson’s debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.

"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you’d love to make your friends.... Kaia Alderson’s debut is a triumph!"
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

Going to ALA Annual? Kaia Alderson is the featured speaker on the Chapter One Stage: Debut Authors on Wednesday, 6/23, from 12:30 - 1:00pm ET. Click here to add to your ALA schedule!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park
For fans of: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
From the author of the "genuinely funny" and "delightful" Loathe at First Sight (NPR), a young Korean American woman’s journey to finding a new career and new love means learning to embrace the awkward and unexpected—exploring familial expectations, finding your voice, and unimaginably falling for your childhood rival.

"Some books just feel like an old friend, their first pages embracing you with an instant familiarity and warmth you can’t help but sink into. Suzanne Park’s So We Meet Again is that kind of book.... A cinematic, charming heart-squeeze-of-a-book that has found its way to my Ultimate Comfort Reads shelf."
—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen
For fans of: The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz
by Jeremy Dronfield
The unforgettable story of two unsung heroes of World War II: sisters Janny and Lien Brilleslijper who joined the Dutch Resistance, helped save dozen of lives, were captured by the Nazis, and ultimately survived the Holocaust.

"Offering fascinating insights into Amsterdam’s Jewish Quarter, the fate of the Frank family, and the bonds of sisterly devotion, this standout history isn’t to be missed."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

Going to ALA Annual? See Roxane van Iperen on the "HarperCollins Presents Tales From Around the World" author panel, available on demand starting Wednesday, 6/23! Click here to add to your ALA schedule!

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Down Range by Taylor Moore
For fans of: Hunter Killer by Brad Taylor
In this action-packed debut thriller for fans of C. J. Box, DEA agent Garrett Kohl fights to protect his home on the Texas High Plains when a vicious criminal enterprise threatens his family.

"Combining the suspense and intrigue of a Tom Clancy thriller with the action and grit of a hard-hitting western, Taylor Moore's Down Range is sure to entice fans of both genres, as he weaves a wild tale of betrayal, vengeance, and death on the Texas High Plains."
—Philipp Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of The Son

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen
For fans of: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
A haunting novel about a Black woman who returns to her hometown for a plantation wedding and the horror that ensues as she reconnects with the blood-soaked history of the land and the best friends she left behind.

"LaTanya McQueen's When the Reckoning Comes is so deliciously uncomfortable there were moments where I had to put the book down, take a deep breath, and like Mira, its protagonist, urge myself to go further. This is a novel, like Octavia Butler's Kindred, that reminds its readers that as long as people don't acknowledge how much of the past still shapes the present, it will bring its whips, its hatchets, and fists to make us learn."
—Megan Giddings, author of Lakewood

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

Listen to a podcast interview between LaTanya McQueen and LLF's Lainey Mays!

Edge Case by YZ Chin
For fans of: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
When her husband suddenly disappears, a young woman must uncover where he went—and who she might be without him—in this striking debut of immigration, identity, and marriage.

"Edge Case is a beautifully subtle novel about precarity and dislocation. YZ Chin writes with wisdom, precision and humor, tracing the routes by which we become strangers to each other and ourselves."
—Katie Kitamura, author of A Separation

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Ramadan Ramsey by Louis Edwards
For fans of: Swing Time by Zadie Smith
The Whiting Award-winning author makes his long-awaited comeback with this epic tale, spanning from the Deep South to the Middle East, that bridges four countries, two cultures, and three families who struggle to love and survive in the face of war, natural disasters, and other calamities beyond their control.

"New Orleans music industry veteran and Whiting Award winner Edwards (Oscar Wilde Discovers America) returns after almost two decades with an ambitious globe-trotting epic as luscious and musical as the city he calls home."   
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review 

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
For fans of: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits, where two bakers learn they will be fighting for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for an upcoming royal wedding.

"Lucy Parker’s books are marvels of wit and warmth and empathy, and Battle Royal is no exception. It’s as delicious as the cakes baked by Sylvie and Dominic, from first page to last."
—Olivia Dade, bestselling author of Spoiler Alert

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas
For fans of: Have You Seen Me? by Kate White
A twisty, compulsive thriller full of jolting shocks and startling secrets involving two sisters, a disappearance, a double murder, and a reporter determined to find the truth from the bestselling author of Local Girl Missing, Last Seen Alive, and Do Not Disturb.

"Then She Vanishes lifts the stone on a cold case disappearance and asks chilling questions about friendship, loyalty, love, and obsession."
—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of 
What She Knew and The Nanny

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Breathe by Joyce Carol Oates
For fans of: Monogamy by Sue Miller
From the bestselling and award-winning author comes a deeply personal novel following a desperate woman's final days with her dying husband: part intimately detailed love story, part horror story rooted in real life.

Praise for Joyce Carol Oates: 
"Timely, monumental.... Yet another piercing examination of American culture by the writer this reviewer considers our country's greatest living novelist.... It is brilliant. How blessed we are to have her as a novelist in our chaotic, confusing times."
—Star Tribune on Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane
For fans of: The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan
From the USA Today bestselling author of Little Deadly Secrets comes a gripping story about the frailty of family and a battle of wills between a wife and a sister-in-law, bent on revenge.

Praise for Pamela Crane:
"Crane succeeds at painting families and friendships in vivid detail; women will see their tussles and triumphs in these pages, and will relish the twists and moments of brave camaraderie and bold revenge.... A satisfying read that has echoes of Liane Moriarty and of Emily Giffin’s All We Ever Wanted."
—Booklist on Little Deadly Secrets 

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

In Polite Company by Gervais Hagerty
For fans of: Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews
This luminous and captivating debut novel sneaks the reader inside the private lives of Charleston’s aristocracy, following the journey of a former debutant who forges a path from tradition to seize a future meant for her all along.

"Peek behind the veil of Charleston’s cobbled streets, Southern charm and pedigreed society. In Polite Company offers a nuanced look at birth and death, privilege and discrimination at odds between generations. Gervais Hagerty is an author to watch!”
—Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of The Islanders

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

Her Turn by Katherine Ashenburg
For fans of: Good Karma by Christina Kelly
A delightful debut novel in the vein of Younger and 
The Unbreakables, with a hint of Nora Ephron, about a journalist who stumbles into an unusual relationship with the woman married to her former husband.

"What a gem this novel is. Hilarious, wise, and humane, Her Turn follows one woman’s twisting path through a maze of love and betrayal and forgiveness. It is infused with the joyful spirit of Nora Ephron and lit with a charm all its own."
—Elizabeth Renzetti, author of Shrewed

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

The Quiet Zone by Stephen Kurczy
For fans of: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell 
In this riveting account of an area of Appalachia known as the Quiet Zone where cell phones and WiFi are banned, journalist Stephen Kurczy explores the pervasive role of technology in our lives and the innate human need for quiet.

"What a fascinating book! This corner of America is unique for its electromagnetic silence—but once Stephen Kurczy starts looking he finds that it's unique in other ways too. The Quiet Zone will live on in your memory."
—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

 

The Last Debutantes by Georgie Blalock
For fans of: The Queen's Secret by Karen Harper
Fans of The Kennedy Debutante and Last Year in Havana will love Georgie Blalock’s new novel of a world on the cusp of change...set on the eve of World War II in the glittering world of English society and one of the last debutante seasons.

"A fascinating portrayal of London high society overshadowed by the threat of World War II.... Atmospheric, moving and compelling, The Last Debutantes is a must read!"
—Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance

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LibraryReads Votes Due: July 1, 2021

Click here for more great August reads!

 

The deadline to submit your votes is July 1!

***

We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris

ALA 2021 is calling...Library Love Fest has answered!

Check out our schedule for ALA 2021!

TUESDAY, JUNE 22

11:30-1:00 ET

Adult Library Marketers Assn. (ALMA) Book Buzz—Live!
Hear about upcoming books from various publishing houses! RSVP here.

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23

THINKFIT@ALA HEALTH AND FITNESS STAGE: Women’s Health and Wellness: Memoirist Gabrielle Union & Novelist Jayne Allen Discuss Women’s Health

Premiering on the live feed Wednesday, 6/23, 11:30 – 12:00 ET. Available on demand.

Authors Gabrielle Union and Jayne Allen, together with their editors, discuss their forthcoming publications: one a memoir, one a novel, both dealing with women’s emotional and physical health. Acclaimed activist, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Gabrielle Union is back with You Got Anything Stronger? an intimate, revealing, and powerful collection of essays addressing marriage, motherhood, and her surrogacy journey and the birth of her child. Jayne Allen is the author of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, the first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman, faced with an unexpected infertility diagnosis, must navigate her romantic life, her professional ambitions, and complex family matters with the help of her two longtime friends. 

12:30-1:00 ET

Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II
Featured Speaker on the Chapter One Stage: Debut Authors

Kaia Alderson discusses her historical debut novel, Sisters in Arms, the true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corp, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during WWII.

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 24

11:00-12:00 ET

LIBRARY LOVE FEST TEAM LIVE IN-BOOTH CHAT! 

 

1:15-2:15 ET

Jeffrey Archer, author of Over My Dead Body
United for Libraries Gala Author Tea 

Hear the #1 New York Times bestselling author discuss his new, unputdownable story of murder, revenge, and betrayal!

 

2:15-2:25 ET

BOOK BUZZ BITES HarperCollins Buzzes Upcoming Adult Books from the Fall 2021/Winter 2022 Seasons!

Nothing can stop the LLF Team from Book Talking...We’ve buzzed in person.
Zoomed it, too.
Three cans and a string?
Any way will do!

Join the Library Love Fest Team for a bite-sized* look at some of our favorite reads coming in Fall 2021 and Winter 2021! More info here.

*CHECK OUT OUR SUPERSIZED BOOK BUZZ ON JULY 13, 1:00-3:00 ET
The Library Love Fest Team is back with another World-Famous Book Buzz, presenting Fall 2021/ Winter 2022 Titles on Crowdcast! RSVP here.

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 25

10:30 AM-11:00 ET

COFFEE TALK
The Road to Being Published: Two Perspectives

What does it take to get a book published?
Listen to two emerging authors talk about their publishing experiences!

All Her Little Secrets is a twisty mystery about a Black lawyer who gets in over her head after the sudden death of her boss. This book will resonate not only with Black readers but with all women who’ve sought to find their voice in spaces dominated by the ol’ boys club mentality.

All Black Girls Must Die Exhausted is the first in a three book series about a young Black woman who must rely on courage, laughter, and love to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Originally self-published, this #OwnVoices novel provides an undiluted perspective for diverse readers hungry for books that reflect their own experiences and viewpoints. 

 

11:00-12:00 ET

LIBRARY LOVE FEST TEAM LIVE IN-BOOTH CHAT! 

 

SATURDAY, JUNE 26

11:30 - 12:30 ET

United for Libraries: It’s a Mystery to Me
Featuring Wiley Cash, author of When Ghosts Come Home 

 

MONDAY, JUNE 28

12:30 - 1:30 ET

United for Libraries: First Book, First Author
Featuring Emily Itami, author of Fault Lines 

 

TUESDAY, JUNE 29

4:00-5:00 ET

SMORGASBOOK: A Food Lover’s Author Panel & Book Buzz!

HarperCollins, Workman, and Hachette are teaming up to bring you a delicious author panel of incredible women chefs: Sabrina Snyder (Dinner Then Dessert), Cheryl Day (Treasury of Southern Baking), and Zoe Adjonyoh (Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen). Virginia, Annie, and Melissa will then present a mini book buzz of additional cookbook recommendations. RSVP here.

7:00-8:00 ET

Please join us for a night of stories by and about
strong women told through three genres:
mystery, history, and romance.

June 29, 2021
7:00 - 8:00pm ET

Register for the 6/29 CrowdCast event!

About As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall: The first in a thrilling new series from Emmy Award–winning journalist Tamron Hall, in which a reporter unravels the disturbing mystery around the deaths of two Black girls, the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.

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About Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day: From the award-winning author of The Day I Died and The Lucky One, a captivating suspense novel about nurses during World War II who come to Agatha Christie’s holiday estate to care for evacuated children, but when a body is discovered nearby, the idyllic setting becomes host to a deadly mystery.

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About Bombshell by Sarah MacLean: New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

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On Demand Program

POPTOP STAGE: HarperCollins Presents Tales from Around the World

Take a step back in time and hear three authors’ stories of survival, independence, and resilience: Juhea Kim, author of Beasts of a Little Land, an epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement; Roxane van Iperen, author of The Sisters of Auschwitz, an unforgettable true story of Holocaust survivors Janny and Lien Brilleslijper—two sisters in the Dutch Resistance who helped save dozens of lives; and Vanessa Riley, author of Island Queen, a sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.

See you at ALA!

-LLF

New Podcast Episode — Editors Unedited: Elle Keck interviews Cat Sebastian, author of THE QUEER PRINCIPLES OF KIT WEBB

This week on the podcast, we are featuring a conversation between critically acclaimed historical romance author Cat Sebastian and Elle Keck, Editor at Avon and William Morrow. They discuss Cat's new book (her paperback debut), The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, a stunning historical romance about a reluctantly reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart. This conversation was fantastic! You will hear more about Cat's journey to publishing her first book, the writing process, and why it's important to feature many different kinds of relationships throughout history.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb was a LibraryReads selection for June 2021!

Check out some of the other praise for this book:

"Sebastian’s prose is entertaining and delightful, with many steamy scenes...It’s also full of intelligent and thought-provoking political debates...An irresistible story of love and adventure that will delight both newcomers and regular readers of queer romance."
—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review

 

“Kit Webb will surprise and delight not only fans of Sebastian and queer historical romance but also readers who are new to both.”
—BookPage ⭐ review

 

“Wielding a rapier-sharp wit and displaying an exceptional gift for insightful characterization, Sebastian fashions another fiercely romantic, fabulously sexy m/m love story that not only delivers a delicious surfeit of slow-burn sexual chemistry but also deftly illustrates the true complexity of all human relationships.“
—Booklist

“Great fun for the reader.... The book does not so much tear down class boundaries as dynamite the very idea of class itself, which is becoming a satisfying theme in Sebastian’s work. Laws that exist only to hurt people are unjust; systems that depend on people’s misery should be subverted and dismantled at every chance. The right to love and be loved as we are is a compass that always points toward justice.”
—The New York Times Book Review

 

Listen to the podcast episode here:

 

Cat also spoke at our diversity panel at ALA Midwinter 2021. You can watch the replay of that conversation here.

 

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-Lainey

LLF Guest Post: J.B. MacKinnon, author of THE DAY THE WORLD STOPS SHOPPING

Today, we welcome a guest post from J.B. MacKinnon, author of The Day the World Stops Shopping—a thoughtful and surprisingly optimistic book that investigates how we may achieve a world without shopping. 

Check out some of the praise for the book:

“A well-researched and provocative analysis offering hope and optimism for our future."
—Kirkus Reviews, ⭐ review

 

“Witty and erudite…. Expertly showing the complex relationship between consumer culture and nature, this insightful account offers a starting point for change (and optimism).”
—Library Journal

 

“Well-researched and stimulating. Readers will be galvanized to make changes in their own buying habits.” 
—Publishers Weekly

***

“Libraries have always been models for a lower-consuming society.” So goes a line from my new book, The Day the World Stops Shopping, which roams the world in an attempt to answer a surprisingly difficult question: What would the world look like if we consumed a little less stuff? One answer is, there would probably be a lot more libraries.

This book began when, after writing for years about nature and the environment, I came face to face with what I think of as the “consumer dilemma”: We must stop shopping, but we can’t stop shopping. On the one hand, consumerism is now the world’s greatest driver of climate change and other eco-crises—even more so than the world’s rising population. On the other hand, whenever consumers slow their spending, it throws the economy into a tailspin. What’s the solution?

So began a search for people and places that could show me what life after shopping could be. To find out who we might become in a post-consumer world, I spoke to psychologists who study what happens when we give up materialism, spent time with hunter-gatherers in Namibia who live with minimal possessions, and explored a London borough that is trying to turn its residents from consumers into “participants.” To learn how business might change, I visited centuries-old companies in Japan that don’t worry whether they grow or not, and new start-ups that are trying to get back to making things that last. I kept chasing down these paths until I began to see a way past the consumer dilemma.

Then something extraordinary happened: The world really did stop shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic emerged, and the global economy locked down. It was a chance, however grim, to see whether my predictions of how a world without shopping might change were on target or off by a mile.

They were on target—only more so. We witnessed shifts away from materialist values at speeds that shocked even the experts. Emissions dropped, skies cleared, and wildlife retook the quieted landscape. Digital and virtual consumption replaced the real thing, brands began to drift toward buy-less-buy-better business models, and people began to rethink everything from time to work to keeping up with the Joneses.

A pandemic world isn’t what we want, of course. It’s not only a world without shopping, but also one without the human relationships we need so badly. Right now, I think we’re all looking forward to a little more consumer culture than we’ve seen in a while. We won’t stop there, though. Already there are clear signs that we’ll roar out of the pandemic with a record-setting consumption binge that pushes aside the new priorities many of us have set for ourselves, and pushes the planet back to the breaking point.

As that happens, a lot of us will question what it means to get back to “normal.” The Day the World Stops Shopping will be there for them. And what better place to read it than the library?

—J.B. MacKinnon

***

Thank you, J.B.! The Day the World Stops Shopping is on sale today, May 25th! In celebration, we are giving away finished copies to the first 10 librarians who email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.

-Lainey

The June LibraryReads List Is Here!

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin, Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, and The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian have been selected for the June LibraryReads List! We're also excited to announce that LibraryReads Hall of Fame authors Laura Lippman / Dream Girl and Susan Elizabeth Phillips / When Stars Collide were also selected!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

Click here to see the full June LibraryReads List!

***

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
by Marianne Cronin: A charming, fiercely alive and disarmingly funny debut novel in the vein of John Green, Rachel Joyce, and Jojo Moyes—about the unexpected friendship between 17-year-old Lenni, living on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital, and Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined.

"Cronin has just struck the right balance between sensitivity and sentimentality, making her one of those admirable writers who does exceptionally fine work both celebrating life and addressing death."
—Booklist

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Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams:
The New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight returns with a gripping and profoundly human story of Cold War espionage and family devotion that proves again why Elin Hilderbrand says Beatriz Williams "is writing the best historical fiction out there."

"Williams sharply observes the inequities women faced at the end of WWII and the simmering suspense of the Cold War. Historical fiction fans will be riveted by the complex family relationships and the intriguing portrayal of espionage."
—Publishers Weekly

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Watch Beatriz Williams on Door to Door!

 

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian: Critically acclaimed author Cat Sebastian makes her trade paperback debut in a stunning historical romance about a reluctantly reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart.

"Sebastian’s prose is entertaining and delightful, with many steamy scenes.... It’s also full of intelligent and thought-provoking political debates.... An irresistible story of love and adventure that will delight both newcomers and regular readers of queer romance."
—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review

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Watch LLF's Lainey Mays interview Cat Sebastian
on ALA's Diverse Characters Panel!

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman: Following up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake—one of the top selling books of her career—Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.

"My dream novel. I devoured this in three days. The sharpest, clearest-eyed take on our #MeToo reckoning yet. Plus: enthralling."
—Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The Fever

Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Lady in the Lake (July 2019)
Sunburn (March 2018)
Wilde Lake (May 2016)
After I'm Gone (February 2014)

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Watch Laura Lippman on Door to Door!

 

When Stars Collide
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips:
#1 New York Times bestseller Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns to her beloved Chicago Stars series with a romance between a Chicago Stars quarterback and one of the world’s greatest opera singers—and a major diva.

"Re-entering the world of the Chicago Stars is like a beloved friend come to call."
—Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Virgin River series

Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Dance Away with Me (June 2020)
First Star I See Tonight (August 2016)
Heroes Are My Weakness (August 2014)

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***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the June LibraryReads List! Be sure to submit your votes for the July LibraryReads List by June 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

 

Podcast Episode: New Rockin' Audiobooks (Feat. Bethany Johnsrud, National Accounts Rep)

Hey podcast listeners! Since audiobooks are so popular in libraries, we wanted to give you an overview of some new audiobooks from HarperCollins on the podcast this week. We are joined by Bethany Johnsrud, National Accounts Rep, for a conversation about her favorite new audiobooks—be sure to stay tuned for some clips! 

Listen to the episode here:

Find a list of titles discussed and audio clips from each book below. All are available now unless otherwise noted.

• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, read by Saskia Maarleveld
  -See Kate's Instagram takeover here.
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• The WIndsor Knot by SJ Bennett, read by Jane Copland
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, read by Nicola Barber and Cassandra Campbell (on sale June 1, 2021)
  -Listen to the Advanced Listener Copy on Edelweiss+ or NetGalley
• How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina, read by Riz Ahmed (on sale June 22, 2021)
• Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, read by Marin Ireland
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, read by Marin Ireland
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy, read by Val Toomey, George Newbern, Marin Ireland, and Joel Froomkin
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• The Light of Days by Judy Batalion, read by Mozhan Marno
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi, read by Mozhan Marno
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• How Y'all Doing by Leslie Jordan, read by Leslie Jordan
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Little and Often by Trent Preszler, read by Matt Bomer
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
• Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard, read by Joyce Maynard (on sale July 13, 2021)
• Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang, read by Lauren Fortgang (on sale May 25, 2021)
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.
  -We mentioned Chris' interview with Kathy:
  

• Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, read by Caitlin Kinnunen
  -Listen to a clip from the audiobook here.

We also mentioned the last podcast episode we did on audiobooks with Senior Audio Marketing Associate Andrew Kaberline. Listen to that episode here:

We recently launched an Advanced Listener Copy program on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley where you can listen to audiobooks in advance of their publication. 

Thank you for coming on the podcast, Bethany! You always bring lots of laughs and thoughtful conversation!

-Lainey

LLF Guest Post: "Lessons the library taught me on creativity" by Kate White, author of THE FIANCÉE

Today, we would like to welcome New York Times bestselling author Kate White for a guest blog post. Her upcoming book, The Fiancée, is a riveting psychological thriller about a captivating woman who joins a family and threatens to upend their picture-perfect lives. 

Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest and The Girl from Widow Hills said:
“A tense, simmering, fast-paced mystery, Kate White’s latest captivating thriller explores the secrets that lurk just under the surface of a picture-perfect façade. I raced through this story about a close-knit family’s annual gathering at an idyllic estate that quickly turns deadly. The Fiancée kept me guessing until the very end, never sure who to trust—or where the danger was hiding.”

***

I’m so pleased to have the chance to tell you a little about myself and my new (fifteenth!) suspense novel, The Fiancée.

First, the book. It opens with Summer Redding heading to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Gabe, and young stepson for an annual get-together at her in-laws’ sprawling estate. Summer, a struggling actress, is looking forward to a break from hustling for work in Manhattan. On the agenda are leisurely gourmet meals, tennis matches, and plenty of poolside relaxation.

It turns out that Gabe’s brother Nick has invited his new flame Hannah, whom Summer immediately recognizes from a few years before. Oddly, Hannah claims not to know her. Yet she charms the other family members, and after Nick announces that he’s proposed to Hannah, Summer decides to grin and bear it.

But the reunion is soon rocked by tragedy when a family member dies. Though the doctors attribute the loss to natural causes, a grieving Summer fears that the cunning-seeming Hannah is involved, even as Gabe dismisses her suspicions. Before long Summer begins to fear that the first death might only be the beginning.

The Fiancée is for anyone who enjoys suspense, and since it’s a “locked-room” mystery, it’s an especially good fit for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. What I love about locked-room mysteries is that the reader can be pretty darn sure that the killer is right there on the property with the protagonist, perhaps even sitting at the same dinner table. Kind of terrifying, right?

As a librarian I hope you’ll also get a kick out of the fact that two key turning points involve a book!

Now a little about me. I’m the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, who left about nine years ago to write fulltime while I still had the chance. It was tough to say goodbye to the Cosmo beauty closet, but I adore my new life as an author.

I was inspired to be an author in part by my mom (a librarian!!!) and also the endless hours I spent as a book-ish kid in libraries. Some lessons those library hours taught me about creativity:

1. You don’t necessarily need a whole room of your own to work in, but you must find a private nook or cranny.
2. Shhhh. Quiet really is important. 
3. But it doesn’t have to be utterly quiet. Sometimes hushed footsteps and murmuring can act as a nice white noise. Now that I do have a home office, I create my own white noise with moody instrumental music on my Amazon Echo!

***

Thank you, Kate! 

Be sure to watch the replay of our Door to Door featuring Kate here:

The Fiancée goes on sale June 29, 2021. There will also be a Library Hardcover edition!

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-Lainey

LLF Staff Suggestions for the July LibraryReads List

Hello, librarians. Happy May! Random fact: the UK celebrates National Smile Month beginning May 17th. Why do we bring this up? Well, nothing makes us smile more than a great book...and with our staff suggestions for the July LibraryReads List, there are plenty of smiles to go around. Keep reading to learn (and smile) more! Remember to submit your votes by June 1st.

Happy reading!

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)

***

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
For fans of: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and 
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The award-winning poet and essayist makes her fiction debut with this magisterial epic—an intimate yet sweeping novel with the freshness and forcefulness of Homegoing, The Turner House, and The Water Dancer—that chronicles the journey of one American family from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous time.

"Themes of family, class, higher education, feminism, and colorism yield many rich layers. Readers will be floored."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

The Women's March by Jennifer Chiaverini
Also from the author: Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters and
Resistance Women
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini returns with an enthralling historical novel of the woman’s suffrage movement inspired by three courageous women who bravely risked their lives and liberty in the fight to win the vote.

Praise for Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters:
"Through meticulously researched historical detail and sympathetic portrayal of each character, including Mary herself, Chiaverini provides a fascinating glimpse into the women of an influential family on the front lines of some of the most important moments of that indelible time."
—Booklist

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

False Witness by Karin Slaughter
Also from the author: The Last Widow and The Good Daughter
From the New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and The Silent Wife, an electrifying standalone thriller about a successful defense attorney whose latest case has chilling ties to a decades-old secret.

"Slaughter shines an intense spotlight on a new normal laced with COVID-19 protocols and a cast of survivors battling a ruthless pandemic, a serial sadist, and a lifetime of unbeatable odds.... Equal parts hyperrealistic thriller and epic tragedy, Slaughter’s latest is pitch-perfect storytelling."
—Booklist ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Appleseed by Matt Bell
For fans of: Recursion by Blake Crouch and 
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
In the vein of Neal Stephenson and Jeff VanderMeer, an epic speculative novel from Young Lions Fiction Award–finalist Matt Bell, a breakout book that explores climate change, manifest destiny, humanity's unchecked exploitation of natural resources, and the small but powerful magic contained within every single apple.

"The reason you’ve never read a book like Appleseed is that there’s never been a book like Appleseed. The scary thing, though, is this is a world you might recognize. This premise, this content, this form, this language—only Matt Bell could have given us this novel."
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

Listen to a podcast interview between LLF's Chris Connolly and Matt Bell!

 

The Minister Primarily by John Oliver Killens
For fans of: Baracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
A major literary event—the eagerly anticipated publication of a long-lost novel from legendary writer and three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee John Oliver Killens, hailed as the founding father of the Black Arts Movement and mentor to celebrated writers, including Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Arthur Flowers, and Terry McMillan.

"Killens (1916–1987), a member of the Black Arts movement and author of And Then We Heard the Thunder, cleverly satirizes 1960s American politics in this sharp thriller.... Killens maximizes the potential of his plot with outrageous humor. Readers will be glad to find this gem unearthed."
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine
For fans of: When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica
A diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish and 
The Wife Stalker.

"Gripping! Equal parts character study and domestic thriller, The Stranger in the Mirror makes for a perfect weekend read—a highly enjoyable page-turner where you race to the end, breathless to discover the shocking truth."
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When You See Me

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Nobody, Somebody, Anybody by Kelly McClorey
For fans of: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
A moving and darkly comic debut novel about an anxious young woman who administers a self-made "placebo" treatment in a last-ditch attempt to rebuild her life.

"I read Nobody, Somebody, Anybody the way I watch horror films: half-hiding behind my fingers, both worried for the anxious young protagonist and eager to know what trouble she’d find herself in next. Kelly McClorey’s voice is funny, heartbreaking, and singular—unlike anything I’ve ever read. This is a book for anyone who’s ever been sad or stuck, or longed to be somewhere or someone else. I loved it."
—Rachel Khong, author of Goodbye, Vitamin

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley
For fans of: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
and The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
The mainstream breakout book for acclaimed African-American romance novelist Vanessa Riley: A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.

"Island Queen is what you would get if you were to drop Olivia Pope and all the men who lusted after her into the 18th Century Caribbean.... With prose that reads like poetry, Vanessa Riley expertly steers the reader through Dolly’s heartbreaking lows all the way into her triumphant emergence as the richest free woman of color in the islands." —Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton
For fans of: We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet and 
The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan
From the internationally bestselling and beloved author of the critically acclaimed Boy Swallows Universe, a mesmerizing, uplifting novel of adventure and unlikely friendships in World War II Australia—calling to mind The Wizard of Oz as directed by Baz Luhrmann.

"Achingly beautiful and poetic in its melancholy, All Our Shimmering Skies is a majestic and riveting tale of curses and the true meaning of treasure."
—Booklist ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

I Couldn't Love You More by Esther Freud
For fans of: Late in the Day by Tessa Hadley
and Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
A sweeping story of three generations of women, crossing from London to Ireland and back again, and the enduring effort to retrieve the secrets of the past.

"Beautiful and insightful.... As Freud delves into the three women's lives, the reader is taken on a journey of heartbreak as desperate actions taken to protect loved ones are revealed. This eloquent exploration of the ineffable ties between mothers and daughters delivers the goods."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency
by Kate MacDougall
For fans of: Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog by Emily Dean
The irresistibly charming memoir of a young woman who started her own business as a dog walker for London’s busy, well-heeled dog lovers. A true love letter to London, dogs, and growing up.

"It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me long for a dog! Incredibly moving, very funny and wonderfully wise, this is a brilliant debut memoir and a beacon of hope when we need it most. I shall be recommending it to everyone I know, dog-loving or otherwise."
—Annie Lyons, bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

It Happened One Summer
by Tessa Bailey
For fans of: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood "It Girl" who’s cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town...where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.

"Bailey delivers on her usual trifecta of sharp banter, instant chemistry, and high-heat sex scenes, but they are coupled with intense soul-searching for both Piper and Brendan... Another winning romance from an author at the top of her game."     
—Kirkus Reviews ⭐ review 

Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Tools of Engagement (Sept. 2020)
Love Her or Lose Her (Jan. 2020)
Fix Her Up (June 2019)

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Vessel by Cai Chongda
For fans of: Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan
An unprecedented and heartfelt memoir that illuminates the lives of rural Chinese workers, offering a portrait of generational strife, family, love, and loss that crosses cultures and time.

"Chongda paints a tantalizing portrait of a changing China in his dazzling English-language debut.... Looking back on his life, he concludes, 'I have lived in the gap between worlds.' It's in this space that his writing glows, juxtaposing the beauty of both small-town living and urban life. [Vessel] shines with the bright talent of an excellent storyteller."
—Publishers Weekly

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev
For fans of: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert 
The author of Recipe for Persuasion—"not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today" (Shelf Awareness)—adds an Indian American twist to Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility in this delightful retelling that is a feast for the senses.

"Incense and Sensibility is a tender, well-crafted novel, as much about finding purpose as it is about falling in love. Dev writes with such rare empathy and humor that I often found myself holding my breath on one page only to be giggling by the next. This is the kind of book you finish with a whole-body, happy sigh and a warm ache in your chest where the characters will live on."
—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas
Also from the author: Chasing Cassandra and Devil's Daughter
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a widowed lady and a Scot on the run—who may have connections to one of London's most noble families.

Praise for Devil's Daughter:
"Long-time fans of RITA Award-winning Kleypas will relish the cameo appearances of so many of her beloved characters, while readers new and returning alike will revel in her stylish prose, sharp wit, and swoon-worthy sensuality as she successfully merges the worlds of her Wallflower and the Ravenels series in a splendid Victorian-set historical romance."
—Booklist ⭐ review

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

The Comfort of Monsters by Willa C. Richards
For fans of: Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Set in Milwaukee during the "Dahmer summer" of 1991, a remarkable debut novel for fans of Mary Gaitskill and Gillian Flynn about two sisters—one who disappears, and one who is left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath.

"On its face, The Comfort of Monsters is a riveting page-turner that begs to be read quickly, compulsively. But page by page, this electrifying debut by Willa Richards weaves an increasingly complicated and dark tale of guilt, fury, and the danger of building stories on that shakiest of foundations, memory. Every sentence is a delight in this taut and thrilling debut...."
—Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman
Also from the author: The Sea of Lost Girls and 
The Night Visitors
In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Michelle Richmond, and Shari Lapena, comes the newest mystery thriller from Edgar Award–winning, bestselling author Carol Goodman—a twisty, chilling story set in a former Magdalene Laundry in Manhattan that explores today’s #MeToo complexities.

"Carol Goodman’s The Stranger Behind You is at once a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, a powerful meditation on the deep bonds and power of female friendship, and a colorful glimpse of New York City old and new."
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

Lights Out in Lincolnwood by Geoff Rodkey
For fans of: Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta
A mordantly funny, all-too-real novel in the vein of Emma Straub about a suburban American family who have to figure out how to survive themselves and their neighbors in the wake of a global calamity that upends all of modern life.

"Lights Out in Lincolnwood is an instantly addictive, high-velocity tale of domestic tumult set against the beginning of the end of the world. Teeming with suburban pathos, crackling humor, and disarming tenderness, this novel brilliantly reveals that nothing—not even the impending collapse of civilization as we know it—imperils us more than our own weaknesses and desires."
—Cassidy Lucas, author of Santa Monica

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LibraryReads Votes Due: June 1, 2021

 

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The deadline to submit your votes is June 1!

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We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris