Some interesting book news from across the pond…The Telegraph reports something I think we already know: reading reduces our stress levels and ‘being taken into a literary world eases the tensions in muscles and the heart.’ Sign me up!
-Virginia
The ever-amazing Michael J. Fox is about to hit the airwaves to talk about his new book, Always Looking Up which goes on sale tomorrow, March 31st.
The author of #1 New York Times bestselling Lucky Man writes about the role of faith and family in his life, the starting of his foundation, and how he keep his optimistic viewpoint. Check out the trailer for his ABC special here. Right out of the gate, Michael will appear on Oprah which will air tomorrow, March 31st. Other dates to mark on your calendar:
-Virginia
Have you ever read a book because you loved the title? Last week’s New York Times had a piece on “odd” book titles that prompted me to think about our strangest ones. Here’s what I came up with:
by Tom Robbins. On sale next month, B is for Beer is a children’s book about beer. For adults. If you’re still stumped, check it out here.
My Goat Ate Its Own Legs by Alex Burrett. A debut collection of tales that explores the weird what-ifs of evolution, devotion, and universal disaster.
Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing by Lydia Peelle. A stellar debut collection of short stories that take place in the American South.
What do you think? Would you take these books out of the library?
-Kayleigh
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Have an awesome weekend!
-Kayleigh
Virginia came into my office and surprised me with a question about what I'll be reading this weekend. Check out my video debut, and the novel that has me missing my stop on the morning commute: Blue Angel by Francine Prose. Deliciously risqué, Blue Angel is a withering take on today's academic mores and a scathing tale that vividly shows what can happen when academic politics collides with political correctness. Have you read it? Let me know what you think!
-Kayleigh
Left, right or center, First Lady Michelle Obama wants your kids to eat their veggies! Check out this article from School Library Journal.
The President and First Lady aren’t alone when it comes to the challenges of getting children to eat healthier foods. We hope they have a copy of Deceptively Delicious on their bookshelves. Jessica Seinfeld’s guide for parents who want their kids to be healthy jumped to the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list when it was published back in 2007. Its time-friendly strategies to get kids to eat wholesome meals and snacks, and live a healthy, nutrition-filled lifestyle, were a huge hit.
So here’s to more artichokes and less Cap’n Crunch.
-Virginia
…But it sure is cool!
Check out the Des Moines Public Library’s efforts to go green and don't miss this amazing video that shows how one man’s garbage truly is another man’s…art!
Has your library ‘gone green’? Let us know what efforts your library has taken to help the planet. 25 lucky LIBRARIANS (sorry, general readership) will win a copy of You Are Here: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planetby Thomas Kostigen. This New York Times bestselling author (who spoke at the ALA conference last year) is the Anderson Cooper of the environment. He takes us to the most extreme environmental areas on the planet to show how what we do from the comfort of our own home affects people, places, and things across the globe.
We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $25.95. Estimated total prize value: $648.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes Leave a comment below for your chance to win!
-Virginia
My love for libraries began at the Rochdale Village Branch of the Queens Library in New York. It looks a little different now, with computers taking the place of microfilm and microfiche machines. I am also very happy to see more books available to patrons! Every time I walk in, I still get the same feeling I had during my first visit to the library.
When I was very young, my older sister would go out after school and I would ask my mother where she was going. She would say “she went to the library”…and I asked “what is a library and why can’t I go?” So after my mother told me about the library, being the nosy (I mean inquisitive) child I was, I had to see this place for myself.
I finally got my chance to go. The next day my mother took me to the library. When I walked in, I remember seeing so many shelves of books. I wondered how on Earth I was going to read them all! I just knew there was a new world out there and it was my goal to discover it!
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We’re saving trees with an online catalog.
Starting this month, all HarperCollins sales catalogs will be phased out and publications will now be searchable online by going to: www.harpercollinscatalogs.com
The new online catalog is even better than a printed catalog because you will be able to search titles and create lists, sorting by author, title, category, ISBN or pub month. You’ll also be able to get up-to-the-minute news of any add-on titles, important schedule changes, national publicity alerts, and more.
This online catalog will be an extremely useful tool not only for acquiring new books but it will also help you fill holes in your collection by providing easy access to backlist titles by every author in the catalog. Once you’ve had time to navigate the site, we’d love to hear your feedback.
Send an email to: librarylovefest@harpercollins.com
Thanks so much. Have fun checking out the catalog!
-Virginia
Over on The Roaring 20s, I'm asking readers for their craziest library story. I was inspired by this news article, about a 26 year old who was locked in his local library. The best 5 stories will receive a complete set of Harper Perennial’s Olive Editions: Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated. Email your best story to roaring20s@harpercollins.com or leave one in the comments of the post. Happy writing!
-Kayleigh
Each week Barnes & Noble Center Stage features one bestselling author with a new release—but the conversation will include all of that author’s books, not just the new one. It’s a great opportunity for you to ask your favorite authors any question, but it’s even more perfect if you have a “big picture” question about how they write, what ties their books together, who inspires them, and much, much more.
Make sure you stop by Center Stage now to ask Laura your question!
Check out this video of Laura discussing Life Sentences.
We're halfway through the week and ready to celebrate! Over at The Roaring 20s, I'm giving away 25 copies of G. Xavier Robillard's Captain Freedom, a satirical novel about a disgraced superhero’s search for a new career, his true archenemy… and a girlfriend.
Packed with pop culture references, Robillard goes non-stop from page one, racing through the twisted story of Captain Freedom. The action starts with Freedom’s fall from grace on the world stage, a disastrous dinner party and his search for a sidekick to his flagging comic book sales, a stint in rehab, his disastrous children’s book, a run for political office and finally, his true calling. This wild ride of a satire sends up celebrity, politics, Hollywood, the fashion world, upper management, current events and much more, including the beloved world of comic books. High-tail it to Roaring for your chance to win!
-Kayleigh
Happy St. Patrick's Day. It's a beautiful, crisp clear day in New York City. I'm sitting in my office just off 5th Avenue and can hear the faint bleating of the bagpipes as the parade makes its way uptown. Love it.
I'm Irish American. My grandmother came to the United States when she was just 13 years old. Some family members say I resemble her – which is a compliment in itself but I'd be happy to have just an ounce of her courage – or her recipe for Irish soda bread.
Last night I attempted to make one (a soda bread, that is.) Something went wrong (as it always does when I turn on an oven) and when it came time to take it out it was the size of a New York City manhole cover. I brought a hunk of it into the office and my co-workers politely ate it and then ran away fast. I can only imagine why.
So, no good soda bread from me but a great appreciation of all things Irish: my grandmother and her courage, the wail of a bagpipe, and, oh yes…a man named Falmouth Kearney. He lived in County Offaly (where my relatives reside today) and emigrated to America, arriving in New York in 1850 on a ship called Marmion. Oh, yes – he is also the great great great grandfather of Barack Obama (well, actually that should be O'Bama.) Love it.
If you're itching for some a good book on Ireland, check out At the Edge of Ireland. Author David Yeadon and his wife Anne found their own “little lost world”on the Beara Peninsula of Southwest Ireland. Far removed from the touristic hullaballoo of Dublin, Killarney and The Ring of Kerry, they discovered an enticing Brigadoon of soaring mountain ranges, spectacular coastal scenery, and roads narrow and winding enough to keep the package-tour coaches out. Here they found all those intrinsic elements of “The Old Ireland,” in a wild-times craic of music seisuns, hooley dances, seanachai storytellers, and colorful ceili concerts plus a handful of “searchers,” healers, artists, writers, and poets to give the place a patina of contemporary significance.
Do check it out. You'll be charmed…and motivated to travel to one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Ireland.
– Virginia
The reviews keep pouring in for Zoe Heller's The Believers, a novel set in New York about a dysfunctional family (what other kind is there?) The latest rave is from Newsday which ran on Sunday, March 15th. Heller is the author of What Was She Thinking? which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and adapted into the Oscar-nominated film, Notes On a Scandal. Heller's novel The Believers is literary, accessible and hard to put down. Check it out when you get a chance. Here is a video of Ms. Heller in a post on The Roaring 20s.
-Virginia
Imagine growing up in a family not knowing the real story of your ancestors. The House at the End of the Road explores one man’s journey of discovering his unique racial and cultural identity.
The House at the End of the Road, takes us back to Prestwick, Alabama in the year 1914. This book tells the story of W. Ralph Eubanks, Director of Publishing at the Library of Congress and his search to find the truth of his maternal grandparents; Jim Richardson, a white man and Edna Richardson, a light-skinned black woman. The House at the End of the Road also brings back memories of a time in our country’s history, where racism was alive and well and racial identity not only divided a family, but also (in some cases) made the difference between life and death.
Check out this video of W. Ralph Eubanks as he talks briefly about his quest.
I was completely captivated by this story. The House at the End of the Road takes you to a time where interracial marriage was not only looked down upon, but was considered illegal. It takes you to a place where who you identified with determined your social class and ultimately your future. On a personal note, I couldn’t help think about my family who lived in a small town very similar to Prestwick, and how they were able to live in a time where just your very existence was considered wrong.
The House at the End of the Road also reveals how Eubanks’ grandparents were able to instill love, tolerance and understanding in their children to prepare them for a world that made them feel as if their love was taboo. These lessons were in turn passed down to the generations that followed. They did an amazing job teaching that love and content of character and should always outweigh any notions of racial identity. I truly hope you add this to your reading list.
-Bobby
We started the week with Michael Chabon, and we're ending it that way. Thanks so much for all your wonderful feedback–we're so excited to reach out to all of you. Keep checking in, as we'll be hosting more book giveaways in the coming weeks. We'd like to end this week with a giveaway of Michael Chabon's knock-out classic, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
Set in industrial Pittsburgh in the mid-eighties, Michael Chabon's coming-of-age debut is a mythic look at the last summer of Art Bechstein’s youth. Art is aimless, going through the motions, until he meets Arthur Lecomte. Arthur is witty, charismatic, and hedonistic, and he ushers Art into a complex social circle where loyalties are blurred by incestuous friendships. In the course of one summer, Art discovers himself—his sexuality, ambitions, desires—and learns the heartbreak of leaving childhood behind for good.
Post a comment on The Roaring 20s for your chance to win! Have a wonderful weekend, and happy reading.
-Virginia, Bobby, and Kayleigh
We insist you read The Laws of Harmony by Judith Ryan Hendricks – which is today’s book giveaway!
We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $13.99. Estimated total prize value: $349.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes Leave a comment below for your chance to win!
If you’ve never read Judith Ryan Hendricks, you’re in for a real treat with her latest novel, The Laws of Harmony. If you have read her, then you know why Booklist writes that this author “calls to mind Barbara Kingsolver in her affinity for wise women and the power of close female friendships.”
Her first book, Bread Alone was a Book Sense ’76 pick and really put her on the map. Next came the eagerly awaited and much beloved sequel, The Baker’s Apprentice. (We wrote about Judith in an earlier post. Check it out here.)
Now comes The Laws of Harmony, an emotionally gripping tale of one woman’s struggle to remake herself in the wake of loss and deception.
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Gripping…edgy…heartbreaking…shocking…amazing…
These are just a few words to describe Thrity Umrigar's forthcoming novel, The Weight of Heaven, an emotionally charged story about unexpected death, unhealed wounds, and the price one father will pay to protect himself from pain and loss.
Umrigar's previous novel, The Space Between Us, told of the social struggles in modern day India. The book took the literary world by storm and went on to become an international bestseller. It is truly an amazing piece of literature. If you haven't already read it, I strongly recommend it.
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Today’s book giveaway will come from our Roarings 20s blog, which focuses on books that appeal to 20somethings, as well as news from the library and literary world. The blog is the brainchild of our marketing coordinator, Kayleigh George, who started it to help librarians find selection ideas for the 20-30 crowd. Today she’s giving away 25 copies of Futureproof.
Originally a self-publishing success launched on N. Frank Daniels's MySpace page, Futureproof tells the story of Luke and his friends as they navigate Atlanta’s subculture of delinquents. In short order, the seemingly harmless high from his first cigarette sends Luke on a downward spiral that ends only after years of self-abuse. It is an extreme cautionary tale told with sensitivity, ferocity, and grit—perfect for 20somethings, and a fantastic read at any age. Check it out now!
There was a great article in last week’s New York Times on The Big Read, the community reading program that gets one town or city to read the same book simultaneously. Quite a few books from our backlist have become community read classics, like Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Alchemist, The Sweet Hereafter, A Treet Grows in Brooklyn, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
Take a peak at the article, and check back again soon for more information on community reading programs.
Here in New York, the weather seems to finally be warming up. Last weekend was mild and breezy—the perfect beginning to Spring. With this next book, we are definitely looking forward to summer. The Ladies' Lending Library is the perfect beach read—lightweight but deeply meaningful, and chock-full of historical details from August of 1963.
The Ladies' Lending Library focuses on the women of the Kalyna Beach cottage community—a group of first generation Ukrainian Canadians. The women gather together for gin and gossip, trading racy bestsellers among themselves as they seek a brief escape from the predictable rhythms of children and chores. But a dramatic change is coming—threatening to disrupt the warm, heady days and the lives of parents and children, family and friends, forever.
We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $13.99. Estimated total prize value: $349.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes Leave a comment below for your chance to win!
We’re excited to bring the very latest news to you about our books and authors. Among other things, we’ll bring authors (and quite possibly ourselves) to you via video, tell you about the latest books we’re reading and invite you to take advantage of our weekly book giveaways. If there’s late-breaking news about a Pulitzer winner (please let it be a Harper book!) or an Oprah appearance (please let it be a Harper author!) you’ll know it when we know it.
We know there’s not enough time to read everything that’s out there. We promise to keep this fun, light and informative.
To celebrate the launch of our blog, LibraryLoveFest, we’re going to give away the thing we love most: BOOKS! During our inaugural week (March 9th-13th) we will give away 25 copies of a different title each day. Check back every day to enter for your chance to win!
Today’s featured title is Michael Chabon’s Maps and Legends, a collection of 16 sparkling essays—the perfect book for any aspiring writer. Maps and Legends is a celebration of literature as entertainment.
We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $14.99. Estimated total prize value: $374.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes. Leave a comment below for your chance to win!
We hope you enjoy our musings and we’d love to hear your feedback!
All the best,
Virginia, Bobby and Kayleigh
Check out Library Journal’s Spring Book Buzz Webcast on TUESDAY, MARCH 9TH.
Virginia Stanley, Director of Library Marketing at HarperCollins Publishers will be one of four speakers who will talk about upcoming titles from the Spring 2009 list.
Sign up for LJ's Spring Book Buzz webcast TODAY!
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Virginia Stanley Virginia Stanley is the Director of Library Marketing at HarperCollins. She was included in Library Journal’s inaugural Movers & Shakers edition, being called a ‘Bridge Builder’ because of her outreach to libraries across the country and including libraries on author tours as often as possible. She enjoys coming-of-age books, Broadway shows, and any song sung by Cher. |
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Lainey Mays Lainey Mays is the Marketing Associate of the Library Marketing team at HarperCollins. She grew up in Mississippi. Her hobbies include visiting museums in the city, listening to podcasts, and watching way too many TV shows. Her favorite book is Anne of Green Gables, and it’s all because of a librarian. |
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Grace Caternolo Grace Caternolo (she/they) is the Marketing Assistant of the Library Marketing team at HarperCollins. When she’s not tying up odds and ends for the Library Love Fest team, you can find her reading coming-of-age novels next to her cat or watching TikToks for “work purposes.” Grace is always ready to gab about their current TV obsession or Taylor Swift. |
