Library Love Fest

New podcast episode: The Library team wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving! (Feat. THE NIGHT ALWAYS COMES by Willy Vlautin)

On our latest podcast episode, The Library Love Fest team wishes you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We sat around our virtual dinner table to discuss a book we all love: Willy Vlautin's The Night Always Comes, on-sale April 6, 2021.

Take a listen:

Find out more about The Night Always Comes here. You can also see the full video from Willy to librarians below:

We had to include a photo of Willy’s long-time editor (in his dreams), Myrna Loy:

We also mentioned Willy's album for Don't Skip Out on Me. Find that audio here. You can listen to Chris' interview with Willy here. Find a list of all of Willy's books here.

Download an egalley of The Night Always Comes, on-sale April 6, 2021, on Edelweiss+ or NetGalley.

Thanks for listening and have a safe Thanksgiving!

-Lainey

J.D. Vance's HILLBILLY ELEGY is now streaming on Netflix!

Hillbilly Elegy, the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir from J.D. Vance about a culture in crisis and the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country, is now a Netflix film directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Freida Pinto, and Gabriel Basso!

Watch the trailer below:

 

 

 

 

You can order a copy of the book here.

Watch on Netflix here.

-Lainey

Four HarperCollins Titles Selected for THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW's 100 Notable Books of 2020

The editors of The New York Times Book Review have selected 2020’s top 100 works of notable fiction, poetry and nonfiction. We are proud to share that HarperCollins has FOUR titles on the list! Keep reading for details and click here to see the full list. Congratulations to our wonderful authors!

The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson: Part H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world’s most elusive fish—the eel—and a reflection on the human condition.

"Poses questions about philosophy, the metaphysical, and the spiritual, as well as scientific issues, in a way that will stir readers. This beautifully crafted book challenges us not only to understand eels but our own selves. Highly recommended."
—Library Journal STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy.

 

The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey: The New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy delivers another "luminous, unforgettable, and perfectly rendered" (Dennis Lehane) novel—a poignant and probing psychological drama that follows the lives of three siblings in the wake of a violent crime.

"Every character rings true; every observation and reaction feels real. Braiding three separate views of the same incident, Livesey weaves a masterful tapestry of emotion and action focused on the indelible impact of random events."
—Booklist STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy. 

 

Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey: A finalist for the 2021 Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction—a chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy.

"I've not read an American memoir where more happens in the assemblage of language.... Memorial Drive forces the reader to think about how the sublime Southern conjurers of words, spaces, sounds and patterns protect themselves from trauma when trauma may be, in part, what nudged them down the dusty road to poetic mastery.... The more virtuosic our ability to use language to probe, the harder it becomes to protect ourselves from the secrets buried in our—and our nation's—marrow. This is the conundrum and the blessing of the poet. This is the conundrum and blessing of Memorial Drive."
—The New York Times Book Review

Click here to purchase your copy.

 

Monogamy by Sue Miller: A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

"A robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage.... The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love.... A spectacular, powerful return."
—Publishers Weekly STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy.

Congratulations to these wonderful authors!

-Chris

The December LibraryReads List is Here!

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

This month, we are thrilled to share that we have THREE titles selected for the December LibraryReads List: How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole, Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane, and Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase. Congratulations, all!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to being selected for the December LibraryReads List? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

Click here to see the full list.

***

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole: An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series.

"Cole’s majestic new Runaway Royals series spins off from her excellent Reluctant Royals trilogy, adding more dazzling depth... Cole’s contemporary romances shine with unique settings and complex characters. Fans will eagerly await her next royal match." —Booklist STARRED review

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Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane: Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?

"Debut mystery author Kane blends tense domestic suspense with procedural details and legal thriller–like verbal sparring. A page-turner built on skillfully layered plotting and an intriguing protagonist." —Booklist STARRED review

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Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase: USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this delightful spin on Shakespeare's classic, 
The Taming of the Shrew.

Praise for Loretta Chase: "One of the finest romance authors of all time." —Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

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***

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

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

Cover Reveal: ANNE OF MANHATTAN by Brina Starler

When I heard that William Morrow was planning to publish an Anne of Green Gables Rom-Com retelling called Anne of Manhattan, I immediately started emailing the editor for a manuscript. What started as a simple call-to-action tweet from the editor melded into an amazing story sure to make the hearts of all Anne fans soar. I am so excited to share the final cover and an excerpt of Anne of Manhattan with librarians!

-Lainey

 

Read a note from the author, Brina Starler, here.

And now, kindreds, we are excited to share an excerpt from Anne of Manhattan:

   ***

August 25, 2009

TODAY I MET THE MOST HORRIBLE BOY ON THE FACE OF THIS PLANET. HE IS NOW MY MORTAL ENEMY AND I WILL BRING HIM DOWN IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO.

Yours furiously forever, Anne

Chapter One

If there was one thing Anne Shirley would stand firm against all arguments, it was that a person could never have too many books. That being said, it was possible she’d taken more than was strictly practical when she packed up her childhood room for her final year in grad school at Redmond College. Her adoptive mother Marilla Cuthbert had tried to persuade her to leave most of the collection in the attic of Green Gables, her home for the last eight years. But picking which books to leave and which ones to take was a Sisyphean task. Every time she thought she’d managed it, a book in the “stay” pile would catch her eye, and then another, and another, and yet another.

The result was having to navigate a maze of cardboard boxes squeezed into every available space whenever she needed something across her new bedroom. The mess was making her eye twitch, disorganized spaces just added unnecessary stress to her life. Everything in its place and all that. One of the downsides to the tiny Hell’s Kitchen apartment she was renting with her best friends Diana Barry and Phillippa Gordon was that it didn’t have much storage. Or any, to be exact. The only solution was to try and convince their landlord to let her build bookshelves that would cover one of the bedroom’s walls. And maybe some in the living room. Perhaps a lone shelf above the toilet. There were a lot of books. But that was a problem for another day, because tonight the roommates were abandoning the never-ending chore of unpacking and going out instead.

It was nice to be back in the city with two of the three girls she loved best in the world.

Phillippa’s family was from Connecticut and she’d been gone for the entire summer, but Diana and Anne were both from Avonlea, a small tourist town in the Hamptons. They’d seen plenty of each other over the last few months, barring the Barry family’s annual two week vacation spent in the south of France. Most of Anne’s time had been split between working in the Green Gables Winery, helping inspect the vines with Marilla’s brother Matthew, or bartending in the tasting room. Perpetually single and not in the least disturbed by it, Matthew had lived up at the family home that shared the property with the winery since well before Anne came to foster there at twelve years old. Walking the fields with the elderly man had been one of her favorite summer activities for years, he’d become a wonderful father figure for her over time, and she wouldn’t give up those afternoons for a hundred trips to Europe.

Although, Anne always missed Diana desperately when she was gone. The stories her friend told when she came home again helped make up for it, since Anne herself had never actually been off the island before college.

Although she’d had a great summer at Green Gables, Anne did appreciate having a wider variety of choices again for an evening out. The sum of Avonlea’s night spots were either pricey restaurants with white tablecloths and a dress code or dive bars that smelled like the fishing docks. The town was a perfect example of the odd mixture of old and new, unimaginable wealth and those struggling to just get by, untouched preservation beaches and the gentrified boutique tourist towns that made up the Hamptons.

Shoving aside a stack of boxes with a grunt, Anne finally managed to get to her closet, clothes being the one thing she had unpacked fully. She pulled out a dress she’d been saving since last spring that she’d found for a steal in a vintage shop not far from her old dorms. Loving the feel of the thin cotton, she dropped it over her head, twisting to slide the metal zipper up one side. It was a pretty thing, blue polka dotted with white, capped sleeves, and a scoop-neck collar. Closely fitted down to her waist, the material flared out in soft folds until it just brushed the tops of her knees. It was shockingly comfortable and the deep blue complimented her pale, freckled skin nicely. But best of all...it had pockets.

***

Whether you are a life-long Anne fan or just love a great enemies-to-lovers tale, we can't wait for you to dive into this delightful Rom-Com publishing on June 1, 2021.

LLF Staff Suggestions for the January LibraryReads List

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
The long anticipated second novel from the bestselling author of Be Frank with Me, a charming story of endings, new beginnings, and the complexities and complications of friendship and love, set in late 1930s Reno.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Julia Claiborne Johnson on Door to Door!

 

The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
The acclaimed author of The Talented Ribkins deconstructs painful African American stereotypes and offers a fresh and searing critique on race and class in this story centered on the Black servants of a down-on-its heels upper-class white family.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ladee Hubbard on Door to Door!

 

The Captive by Fiona King Foster
A rural noir set in a near-future secessionist state that follows a mother who, along with her family, must venture on a pulse-pounding expedition to deliver a dangerous fugitive to the authorities—and who is forced to confront her own past on the journey.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames by Justine Cowan
A riveting family drama evocative of Angela’s Ashes and The Glass Castle, about a woman who discovers the shocking secret at the center of her mother’s life.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Register for our upcoming 11/17 episode of Door to Door featuring Justine Cowan and Georgina Lawton, author of Raceless.

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
A razor-sharp, wickedly smart suspense debut about an ambitious influencer mom whose soaring success threatens her marriage, her morals, and her family’s safety.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion
A haunting, suspenseful literary debut that combines a classic coming-of-age story with a portrait of a fractured American family dealing with the fallout of one summer evening gone terribly wrong.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Divines by Ellie Eaton
With the emotional power of Normal People and the reflective haze of The Girls, a stunning literary debut set in a secluded boarding school, exploring the intoxicating, destructive relationships between teenage girls.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ellie Eaton on Door to Door! 

The Children's Train by Viola Ardone
Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love, family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy about poor children from the south sent to live with families in the north to survive deprivation and the harsh winters.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

 

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Historians by Cecilia Ekbäck
The Secret History meets The Alice Network in this riveting tale of murder and conspiracy in Sweden during WWII by the critically acclaimed author of Wolf Winter.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Surrender the Dead by John Burley
From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy comes an emotionally powerful and gripping psychological thriller about the dark secrets dividing a family and community and the dangers of digging into the past.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Heiress by Molly Greeley
In this gorgeously written and spellbinding historical novel based on Pride and Prejudice, the author of The Clergyman’s Wife combines the knowing eye of Jane Austen with the eroticism and Gothic intrigue of Sarah Waters to reimagine the life of the mysterious Anne de Bourgh.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer’s wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Nora by Nuala O'Connor
Acclaimed Irish novelist Nuala O’Connor’s bold reimagining of the life of James Joyce’s wife, muse, and the model for Molly Bloom in Ulysses is a "lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle" (Edna O’Brien).

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

 

For more great reading suggestions for January, check out our

January LibraryReads Suggestions Edelweiss catalog!
 

The deadline to submit your votes is December 1! 

 

***

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

-Chris

LLF Guest Post: It’s Safe to Say That I Fell in Love with Libraries in Utero by Kathy Iandoli, Author of GOD SAVE THE QUEENS

We are thrilled to have an author guest post from Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop, which releases in paperback today, November 10, 2020. God Save the Queens was named an NPR Best Book of the Year. It pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.

There's so much love for this book:

"Iandoli's book is rigorous, insightful, and authoritative—but it's also deadly personal."
—NPR Books

"In writing God Save the Queens, Kathy finally does what dozens of histories of Hip-Hop have never even attempted, telling the stories of women in the genre...Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized."
—AllHipHop.com

"Intended to be a narrative homage to women in hip-hop, this latest work by Iandoli is that and more.... Iandoli gives female artists the recognition they deserve, while showing that there is still work to do. Place this book in the hands of fans of Hanif Abdurraqib and Jeff Chang."
—Library Journal

“Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop.”
—Publishers Weekly

Now, a few words from Kathy:

***

It’s safe to say that I fell in love with libraries in utero. I come from a family of library lovers. There’s my Great Aunt who was a school librarian, my Mom, whose first job was working at a library, and me, the music-loving book nerd who hung out in libraries a lot. The fascination started during my summer vacations in grade school. My Mom was a teacher, so she was on vacation as well. Every week we would go to the library and pick out a new book. I had summer reading assignments from my school, but I would make it a point to either breeze past those in June or right before the school bell rang in September.

The most fun I had was picking out the books I liked with my Mom at the library. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan, and while I inherited most of my Mother’s collection (she lost a significant number of them during a basement flood in her childhood home), I would read the Nancy Drew books available at the library before I committed to buying them. We would sit on our deck in my backyard and read for hours on end. I would then provide my Mom with an unsolicited book report. We kept the same tradition during winter breaks, only then we would sit in the library and read. This was in my hometown of Hawthorne, NJ also the hometown of Blondie’s Debbie Harry, one of the first names I mention in God Save The Queens. When I found out that my book was acquired by so many different libraries across the country, I was thrilled.

When I was writing my book, I returned to that library. I sat at the same table where my mother and I would sit. I had a pile of music books next to me, cross-referencing my research. When I turned in my book, my Mother passed away, and I edited part of my book at that library. It made me feel closer to her. I just sold my childhood home recently, and while I was saying goodbye to it, I walked back on the deck. I saw a young me, sitting on a lounge chair reading my newest find, with my Mother right next to me. I hope there’s a young girl reading my book in her backyard, with her Mom right beside her.

***

Thank you for this fantastic note about libraries, Kathy! Kathy supplied us with a photo of her and her Mother:

It's very fitting that this book has a companion playlist available to listen to while reading. Listen to Kathy's playlist here:

In celebration of the paperback release of God Save the Queens, we are giving away 10 copies to the first 10 librarians who email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

-Lainey

HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole Receives Three Starred Reviews!

Everyone is in love with Alyssa Cole's How to Catch a Queen!

It's been featured in Buzzfeed's "24 Romance Novels That Will Make Your Heart Feel Warmer And Cozier Than a Cable-Knit Sweater" list and included in best-of round-ups in Elite Daily and Book Riot.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Check out these THREE STARRED REVIEWS:

“Cole (An Extraordinary Union) launches the “Runaway Royals” series with a bang, introducing a sexy but shy king, a determined and caring queen, and a host of characters who leap off the page into the reader’s imagination. Fans of the “Reluctant Royals” series will adore cameos by some of their favorites, but this is a solid starting point for new readers.”
—Library Journal  review

“Cole’s contemporary romances shine with unique settings and complex characters. Fans will eagerly await her next royal match.”
—Booklist  review

“Genre traditionalists may balk at the abundant attention to politics and slow emotional burn, but the vivid prose, lively characters, and steamy encounters will keep readers hooked, and the intersections between politics, gender, and ideology will resonate the world over. This strikingly feminist saga raises the bar for contemporary romance.”
—Publishers Weekly  review

We just had Alyssa on our Door to Door episode and she did an Instagram takeover. 

How to Catch a Queen goes on sale December 1, 2020 but you can download an egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley now.

-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Featuring William Morrow Vice President & Executive Editor David Highfill

This week on the podcast we are featuring an interview Virginia conducted with David Highfill, Vice President and Executive Editor at William Morrow. He has a jam-packed list of upcoming books that will have your TBR list overflowing. Find the episode and a list of titles discussed below.

Titles Discussed:

• High Treason by Sean McFate (available now)
• American Traitor by Brad Taylor (on sale January 5, 2021)
• The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (on sale March 9, 2021)
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson (on sale March 23, 2021)
  —They also discussed Peter's past books. Find out more about them here.
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn (on sale May 11, 2021)

-Lainey

Bookreporter's Carol Fitzgerald Interviews Rose Carlyle, Author of THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR

We're back with another stellar interview from our friend Carol Fitzgerald, President of the Book Report Network. Carol recently sat down with Rose Carlyle, author of The Girl in the Mirror, on sale now.

AJ Finn calls The Girl in the Mirror: "Ferociously entertaining.... Drop Knives Out and Double Indemnity into the blender, shake some Dead Calm over the froth, power it on, and you’ve got a cocktail like The Girl in the Mirror..."

You can watch Carol's video interview or listen to the audio on Carol’s podcast!

Be sure to visit The Book Report Network and Bookreporter.com for more great content! 

-Lainey

Read an Excerpt from Nikki Giovanni's MAKE ME RAIN

We are so proud to have Nikki Giovanni's latest book of poetry, Make Me Rain, on our list. This powerful book is a deeply personal collection of verse that speaks to the injustices of society while illuminating the depths of her own heart, from one of America’s most celebrated poets. 

So many people are excited about this book. Make Me Rain has been included as one of the "11 Books Feminists Should Read in October" by Bitch Media as well as paired with Aries readers in Book Riot's "October 2020 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations."

“Giovanni’s latest collection is her finest to date. Imbued with the classic, accessible, and deeply empathetic style of this venerated American poet…Giovanni’s ability to pare down complex subjects in exquisitely succinct poetic forms makes her work timeless and profoundly resonant..”
—Booklist

“[Giovanni’s] unique voice, bold yet tender, is on display again with a new relevance. One of the most remarkable qualities of Giovanni’s poetry is that it can be direct and uncompromising while also being deeply honest and utterly human.”
—Chapter16

O Magazine also shared an excerpt from the book, including a poem about the importance of voting, quoting:
"It’s not cookies
Nor cake
But it is the icing
That is so sweet"

Read the full poem here and get a copy of Make Me Rain now!

-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Tessa Woodward in Conversation with James Bailey, Author of THE FLIP SIDE

This week, we welcome James Bailey, author of The Flip Side. He is interviewed by Tessa Woodward, Executive Editor at William Morrow/Avon. They chat about writing a Rom-Com from the male perspective and how they took steps to edit the book for a global audience.

More about The Flip Side, available on November 17, 2020:
Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coin—in this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls.

Listen to the interview below:

Download an egalley on Edelweiss+
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Thank you to Tessa and James for coming on the podcast!

-Lainey

The November LibraryReads List is Here!

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

This month, we are thrilled to share that we have two titles selected for the November LibraryReads List: The Burning God by R. F. Kuang and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Additionally, Anthony Horowitz joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with the selection of Moonflower Murders!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to being selected for the November LibraryReads List? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

 

 

Click here to see the full list!

***

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang: The exciting end to
The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang's acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

"Bringing her complex Poppy War trilogy to a poignant conclusion, Kuang shines a searing light on the devastating price and valiant sacrifices that warfare requires of all involved."
—Booklist STARRED review

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Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur:
With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice, a charming #ownvoices queer holiday rom-com debut about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an uptight actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!

"Written in the Stars is everything I want from a romcom: fun, whimsical, sexy. This modern Pride and Prejudice glitters with romance."
—Talia Hibbert, USA Today bestselling author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown

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Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz: Featuring his famous literary detective Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland, hero of the worldwide bestseller Magpie Murders, a brilliantly complex literary thriller with echoes of Agatha Christie from New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz.

"Moonflower Murders showcases Horowitz’s full battalion of strengths: the whiplash plotting, the leather-smooth prose, the bold energy…. Sophisticated, literate novels aren’t supposed to be so much fun." 
—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

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Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Magpie Murders (June 2017)
The Word Is Murder (June 2018)

***

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

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

LLF Staff Suggestions for the December LibraryReads List

The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller
For fans of: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
From the Nebula Award-winning author of The Art of Starving and Blackfish City comes a frightening and uncanny ghost story about a rapidly changing city in upstate New York and the mysterious forces that threaten it.

"A successful 'influencer' photographer returns to the gentrifying hometown that nearly broke him, and all hell breaks loose. The Blade Between is as addictive and brutal as it is smart and challenging. Miller unflinchingly confronts the sins of our past and present. The horrors here are rooted in there being no easy answers despite our individual and collective souls being ultimately at stake. Plus whales!"
—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
For fans of: The Secret She Keeps by HelenKay Dimon
Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead? An atmospheric, smart suspense novel with a fresh spin, Pretty Little Wife will appeal to fans of Tarryn Fisher, Gilly Macmillan, and Liv Constantine.

"Pretty Little Wife is domestic suspense at its best, with a chilling premise that keeps you guessing to the last page. Add Darby Kane to your must-read list!"
—Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author of The Butcher's Daughter

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Girl Gurl Grrrl by Kenya Hunt
For fans of: Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
In the vein of Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist and Issa Rae’s 
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but wholly its own, a provocative, humorous, and, at times, heartbreaking collection of essays on what it means to be black, a woman, a mother, and a global citizen in today's ever-changing world.

"From its title and construction to its rhythms and its rigor,
Girl Gurl Grrrl is a radical and magical diasporic curation of love for Black dialect, Black freedom, Black cool, Black culture, Black joy, and mostly-—and specifically—Black women."
—Damon Young, author of What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi
For fans of: Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene
An exquisite and inspiring memoir about one mother’s unimaginable choice in the face of oppression and abuse in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

"A modern-day Sophie's Choice, this memoir about a mother's love for her child and country is heartbreaking, but also triumphantly hopeful and inspiring. Thank God for courageous women like Homeira Qaderi."
—Thrity Umrigar, bestselling author of The Secrets Between Us

Request the egalley from Edelweiss+
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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

For more great reading suggestions for December, check out our

December LibraryReads Suggestions Edelweiss catalog!
 

The deadline to submit your votes is November 1! 

 

***

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

-Chris

An Interview with Natalie Zina Walschots, author of HENCH

The library world is absolutely loving Natalie Zina Walschots' Hench. It's our Lead Read title for Fall 2020 and I knew immediately after reading that I would be shouting about it from the rooftops. Hench is The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation. It's a smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet. Check out a few of the (many) rave reviews:

"Walschots playfully pokes at both office politics and comic book absurdity while offering gripping action and gut-wrenching body horror. The inventive premise, accessible heroine, and biting wit will have readers eager for more from this talented author."
—Publishers Weekly  review

"Smart, witty, and at times bloody, this book will please comic book fans who wish to take a jab at the superhero tropes, as well as readers who enjoy dark humor with a bit of satire tossed into the mix."
—Library Journal  review

"In this refreshing, subversive, and darkly humorous debut novel, poet and journalist Walschots slowly reveals the nuances of her superpower-filled world, keeping readers guessing. Hench reads like a comic without the illustrations and is packed with subplots and rapid-fire wit. With a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, Walschots' original tale performs a brilliant and exciting variation on the superhero trope and is not to be missed."
—Booklist  review

Nancy Pearl also love Hench! She left us a voicemail singing its praises:

I recently had the honor of interviewing Natalie for the podcast. It was so fun to chat about what makes a villain evil, what a hench person has to be willing to overlook to work in an evil office, Millennial office politics, and much more. Take a listen to the interview below:

We mentioned the fun behind-the-book pieces and the "Supercollided" certificate in the recording. You can find those on the Edelweiss page here.

The book is available now—you can see our book birthday celebration with Natalie and her Editor that took place on publication day (September 22nd) on our Door to Door episode. View the video here.

A big thank you to Natalie for coming on the podcast!

-Lainey

LLF Guest Post: The Pungent Love of the Library by Mandy Robotham, author of THE BERLIN GIRL

We are thrilled to welcome Mandy Robotham, USA Today bestselling author of The German Midwife and The Secret Messenger, to the blog for a guest post. The Berlin Girl is her new historical novel set in 1938 Berlin with England on the brink of war, on sale December 8th, 2020. There will also be a Library Hardcover Edition. 

A few words from Mandy:

 

***

It’s the smell that always hits first for me—somewhere between the delicious agedness of a second-hand book shop and the crisp fresh pages of a book store. Since my childhood, libraries have delivered that heady cocktail odor, triggering an anticipation of the search through shelves, and then the find—the texture of the slightly weathered cover, sometimes jacketed in plastic. Then, if like me, you are of a certain age you will remember the clunk of the date stamp on the inside leaf and the joy of temporary ownership—mine to devour for two whole weeks! Stories to absorb and bank; me as a caretaker of words.

Libraries features among my earliest memories, when in my nursery school we took turns in marching crocodile fashion over a small field to our local branch to select story books for the week—such a responsibility! Then, the school library as I grew, followed by the monolithic university library where plenty of socializing was done, and sometimes very little work. Just being surrounded by books was enough to inspire.

I marveled from a young age at the ability of writers to sustain a story—that they could engage and excite someone’s attention with words, a jumble of letters that simply spiraled out of their heads and landed in a new and thrilling order! I wanted to be that storyteller for as long as I can remember. Waylaid for many years by life, journalism and midwifery, I got there in the end, and nothing pleases me more to know that others might now be date stamping my books (albeit electronically), to read words that spilled from my fingers. It makes me smile every day.    

As a writer, I regularly spend time in the fabulous British Library in London’s King’s Cross, taking a large breath as I go in and marvel at the resources, feeding off the hush as people toil and read and tap on their laptops. In researching my third novel, The Berlin Girl, I spent several days leafing through a whole eighteen-months of the now defunct British newspaper, the News Chronicle, page by page—heavy on the eyes but a perfect way to gauge the country’s feeling of pre-war anxieties.

It’s not always work that sends me on a library pilgrimage; any visit to a foreign city means tracking down a library or two—the main branch of the New York Public Library, with no other purpose than to marvel at its vast, grandiose nature (and a sniff or two, of course), and the equally impressive Boston Public Library. It helps if they have a nice café, in which to sit and marinate in the soup of so many books.

I hope we never lose sight of a place where thoughts and philosophies are certain of a safe haven, where the scribed word has value. Because libraries worldwide are so much more than just bricks and mortar, whether they be very grand, or plain and simple; they mean something—full of people, alive and dead, sentiments that are ancient but still relevant. And we should strive to keep that spirit of the printed page alive for our children and grandchildren in this age of the screen.

Long live libraries, I say (and please can we bottle that smell?).

Cheerio, Mandy x

***

Thank you, Mandy!

We recently had opportunity to call Mandy in the UK and record a podcast interview with Affiliate Publisher at HarperCollins 360, Jean Marie Kelly. Listen to the podcast episode below.

Download an egalley on Edelweiss+
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Be sure to get your LibraryReads votes in by November 1st! 

-Lainey

Happy Book Birthday to LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam, A National Book Award Finalist and TODAY's Read with Jenna Book Club Pick for October!

Happy book birthday to Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, on sale today! There are so many incredible developments for this breakout novel, including the announcement that it is a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction! Leave the World Behind was also just announced as Today's Read with Jenna Book Club Pick for October. You can watch the Today announcement below!

We cannot wait to host Rumaan on Door to Door next Tuesday, October 13th at 2pm ET! Click here to sign up for the official Facebook event!

 

The list of praise for this suspenseful, bracingly insightful novel is a mile long. Check out some of the buzz below!

• Barnes & Noble has announced Leave the World Behind for its October Book Club selection! Read about it here and watch an exclusive video from Rumaan Alam!
  
  
• The New Yorker's review called Leave the World Behind "enthralling."
  
  
• USA Today included Leave the World Behind in its "5 Books not to miss" feature and gave it a glowing review. 
  
  
• Leave the World Behind has also received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, who said,"Alam brilliantly captures the shift in dynamics between the two families, from apprehension about each other to a collective front against an external entity. The narrative’s increasing tempo expertly dives into subtle yet incisive intersections between class and race..."
  
  

We also had a chance to interview Rumaan for the Library Love Fest Podcast. You can listen below!

Congratulations, Rumaan!

-Chris

An Excerpt from Elizabeth McCracken's THE SOUVENIR MUSEUM Featured on Oprah.com

We are so excited for the publication of The Souvenir Museum, a new collection of short stories from award-winning author Elizabeth McCracken, publishing on April 13, 2021.

In these stories, the mysterious bonds of family are tested, transformed, fractured, and fortified. A recent widower and his adult son ferry to a craggy Scottish island in search of puffins. An actress who plays a children’s game-show villainess ushers in the New Year with her deadbeat half brother. A mother, pining for her children, feasts on loaves of challah to fill the void. A new couple navigates a tightrope walk toward love. And on a trip to a Texas water park with their son, two fathers each confront a personal fear. 

With sentences that crackle and spark and showcase her trademark wit, McCracken traces how our closely held desires—for intimacy, atonement, comfort—bloom and wither against the indifferent passing of time. Her characters embark on journeys that leave them indelibly changed—and so do her readers. The Souvenir Museum showcases the talents of one of our finest contemporary writers as she tenderly takes the pulse of our collective and individual lives.

Oprah.com recently posted one of the short stories, "Two Sad Clowns," calling it "a hilariously surreal romantic comedy." Read the full short story excerpt here.

Download an egalley on Edelweiss+
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-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Shannon Welch, Editor of WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE LAST by Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue

In May 2020 we published a terrific book by TV pioneers Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue. This dynamic duo traversed the country, interviewing 40 famous couples, looking for the ‘secret sauce’ that explained why their marriages lasted. The result is What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life. 

These couples ranged in age, length of marriage, and career background. The interviews yielded personal and honest answers that not only offer an inside look into the lives of the famous, but they also provide a resource for getting through the tough times.

Actors, singers, politicians, presidents. They’re all represented in this book.

I was fortunate to interview Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue for our Facebook Live program. It was an incredible hour and I learned a lot.

Putting this book together seemed to me an enormous undertaking and I wanted to know how the authors managed such a Herculean task. I recently spoke with the editor, Shannon Welch, Executive Editor at HarperOne, who shared some interesting stories about compiling these interviews.

Listen to the podcast interview with Shannon Welch below as well as some highlights from the interview with Marlo and Phil.

Enjoy!

-Virginia

Watch our Door to Door episode:

DOOR TO DOOR - Authors Clare McHugh / A MOST ENGLISH PRINCESS and Natalie Zina Walschots / HENCH In Conversation with Their Editors!

 

Watch on  : https://youtu.be/78GQV8lvhUU

 

On Tuesday, September 22nd, we were thrilled to welcome authors Clare McHugh / 
A Most English Princess and Natalie Zina Walschots / Hench on Door to Door. Both Clare and Natalie were celebrating their debut book birthdays, so to add to the festivities, we invited their editors on the program to interview them. You can watch the replay above and keep reading to learn more about these fantastic debut novels!

About A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh: Perfect for fans of the BBC's Victoria, Alison Pataki's The Accidental Empress, and Daisy Goodwin's Victoria, this debut novel tells the gripping and tragic story of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal.

"A most fascinating read.... Kudos to Ms. McHugh for giving us a fresh perspective on the life of Vicky, Princess Royal."
—Allaboutromance.com (Click here to read the full review)

Purchase your copy of A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh

About Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation in this smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet.

"Anna is a villain’s henchman, or a 'hench,' one of the countless factotums, gofers, grunts, peons, warm bodies that villains use to do their evil bidding. In Natalie Zina Walschots’s witty and inventive first novel, these workers are treated as expendable, often melted or bisected in crossfire, ground under the boots of superheroes in the name of law and order."

—New York Times (Click here to read the full review)

Purchase your copy of Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

-Chris