It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Check out my post on Tom Robbins' latest, B is for Beer, a children's book for adults that tells the story of the history and culture of beer through the eyes of the young, charming, and precocious Gracie Perkel. B is for Beer is already getting some fantastic reviews, which you can check out on Roaring. Cheers!
-Kayleigh
Over on Roaring I'm blogging about Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's thriller, The Strain— a chilling, epic novel that centers around a battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a trilogy, as well as an international publishing event. Put a heavy-reserve alert on this one! Now, I may be blogging on The Roaring 20s, but The Strain is not just a book for 20somethings. Thriller fans, vampire lovers, even cinema geeks (you can vividly picture it as a movie) will love this book. Head to Roaring for an interview with Guillermo Del Toro, and more information on The Strain.
-Kayleigh
We're loving Jon Stewart's interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and the author of This Child Will Be Great. In her stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood; her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile; and her fight for democracy and social justice. Stewart referred to her "remarkable journey," and went on to say "You've got to read this book." Check out the clip below, browse inside the book, and let us know what you think!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M – Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | ||||
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-Kayleigh
While I am so excited that the weather in New York will actually reach (dare I say it) 80 degrees, I am still taking in a good book. I am reading a fascinating, yet heart-breaking autobiography. That Bird Has My Wings: the Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row, written by Jarvis Jay Masters is a compelling memoir that talks about all that he went through and what he continues to discover about himself.
That Bird Has My Wings, on sale in September of 2009, chronicles his early life, growing up with his four siblings and being surrounded by drugs at the hands of his mother and stepfather. He also shares how he survived violence at the hands of his biological father. They were left home alone days and weeks at a time, with no food or even the proper basic care. After he and his siblings were taken out of the home by social services, they were put in the foster care system where his life became extremely unstable. He was sentenced to prison at 19 for armed robbery and was put on death row at age 23 for being named an accessory in the death of a prison guard. Since being in prison, he has written one book and several articles. He also won a PEN Award for one of his poems. What is even more amazing is that he does all of his writing with ball point pen filler, as that is the only writing instrument available to those in maximum security prison.
Currently there is a campaign where the goal is to get his sentence overturned. There are those that believe he is innocent and the California Supreme Court is investigating new evidence that could lead to his release. More information can be found on www.freejarvis.org.
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Though April 23rd is not historically-proven to be Shakespeare's birthday, we can be sure he was christened around this time, hence naming April 23rd his official birthday. I know die-hard fans (myself included) will cherish any excuse to celebrate the man, the bard, the genius. Proving my point is 'Talk Like Shakespeare Day' in Chicago, an official city-wide holiday in which people can quote the bard to their heart's content. With that in mind, the perfect book to recommend to your patrons today is, unsurprisingly, Barry Edelstein's Bardisms: a collection of Shakespearean bon mots for all occasions. Edelstein has quotes for everything–from global warming to break-ups, and everything in between. Bardisms is a wonderfully compact look at some of Shakespeare's greatest lines, all of which can fit to accommodate occasions or life events in 2009. The section on wedding toasts is particularly helpful– especially if you're sick of hearing people read from Corinthians. Now, fly hence, and browse inside.
-Kayleigh
Over on Roaring I posted about this article from today's Guardian, which mentions some UK libraries that have started playing "quiet background music," in an attempt to reel in young patrons. So far I've had some great comments–why not join the debate? Music or no music? Post your thoughts here.
-Kayleigh
In a few months we’ll publish the much-anticipated Return to Sullivan's Island by the wildly funny, Southern and sassy Dorothea (’Dot’) Benton Frank. Dot’s star shot through the sky with the publication of Sullivan's Island, her debut novel which was set in South Carolina's steamy low country. That book went on to become a New York Times bestseller – with over a million copies in print today. Fans will be thrilled to learn that a sequel is on the horizon. In Return to Sullivan's Island, Dot takes us back to South Carolina and catches up with the wonderful characters she’d brought us to nine years ago – and introduces us to the next generation as well. The book goes on sale June 30, 2009.
Here’s a clip of Dot talking about her hometown library. Enjoy!
-Virginia
Check out this great video for Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother by Barbara Graham. This wonderful collection on ‘grandmothering’ includes writings from Anne Roiphe, Jill Nelson, Judith Guest, Ellen Gilchrist, Jill Viorst. Each has a terrific, insightful and brutally honest take on their role as grandmother. Thought provoking essays by baby-boomer nanas. We’d love to hear your thoughts…
-Virginia
A globe-spanning digital library was launched today in Paris. Visitors to the site will be given access to some of the rarest and most protected cultural texts in existence. Items can be browsed by place, time, topic, type of item, and institution. The site currently has over 1,200 documents (photographs, movies, charts, texts) and explanations are available in seven different languages. This was the dreamchild of James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress who launched the project four years ago. Check it out. It's pretty amazing.
-Virginia
Congratulations to Thomas Kostigen and Van Jones! Both authors have been honored by The 2009 Green Book Festival for creating books that increase understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment. Kostigen's You Are Here received the Non-Fiction award and Van Jones' The Green Collar Economy received an Honorable Mention in the Non-Fiction category. This year’s winners will be honored in Los Angeles at a private Earth Day reception. For more information and a complete list of the winners, please visit: http://www.greenbookfestival.com/
Action…Adventure…International Intrigue…Murder…Escape. This is what you will find and more when you read Fugitive by Phillip Margolin. Fugitive, on sale in June of 2009 is a fascinating book that will leave you breathless from beginning to end.
Fugitive, brings back the character of stellar defense attorney Amanda Jaffe, as she tries to keep her client Charlie Marsh out of danger. Danger seems to be coming at him from all angles. Charlie, who is by no means a saint, redeems himself after saving the warden of the state penitentiary during a prison riot. However he finds himself once again in hot water after being named the prime suspect in the death of a U.S. Congressman.
Charlie leaves America and makes his home in Africa, to avoid murder charges. As expected, he finds himself in trouble yet again, and has to flee after the country’s dictator discovers Charlie has been having an affair with one of his wives. Now Charlie finds himself running from the American authorities as well as the African dictator’s secret killers. All of this puts Amanda in a bind. How can Amanda help him? Does Charlie get away? Can Amanda save him before it’s too late? What does she discover along the way?
What a great read! I was so overwhelmed with excitement and suspense throughout the whole book. Fugitive will leave you wanting more! Phillip Margolin truly has a winner on his hands! I hope you discover how wonderful Fugitive is. Get ready for an amazing ride!
-Bobby
New York’s Governor David Paterson is putting gay marriage back on the table. Check out the article here. We’ll see what happens…In the meantime, check out this great blog post from Ken Davis, author of the wonderful, informative Don't Know Much About series. Browse inside America's Hidden History, now in paperback.
-Virginia
For those of you who are fans of NBC’s “The Office,” HarperCollins was featured as a paper customer of Dunder Mifflin. The Office is one of my favorite sitcoms, so you can imagine how excited I am. Click here to watch the episode, “Heavy Competition,” on Hulu.com. The first reference is about 10 minutes in. What do you think? Have we arrived?
-Kayleigh
This might be, quite possibly, the latest book to be returned to a US library. A book that was missing since the Civil War was finally returned to the college to which it belonged. Check out the incredible story here. I can’t even imagine the late fees on this one…
-Virginia
Over on the Roaring 20s I posted about Burn this Book, a provocative collection of essays on censorship and the power of the written word. Edited by Toni Morrison, Burn this Book features literary heavyweights like Salman Rushdie, Orhan Pamuk, David Grossman and Nadine Gordimer. Head on over to check it out!
Be sure to check out The Today Show this Friday, April 17th during the 8am hour. Karen Siff Exkorn, author of The Austism Sourcebook will discuss her book. Karen’s son Jake has fully recovered from autism. While only a small percentage of children recover from autism, research is being done by Dr. Deborah Fein and her team at the University of Connecticut in the hopes that more children will recover in the future.
-Virginia
Every year HarperCollins attends the Texas Library Association’s annual conference. Texas is big. Their library show is big (about 8,500 total attendance!) Their hearts are big. So is their BBQ! So off we go – and we bring lots of authors. Everyone always has a great time. This year we brought the fun-loving Mary Kay Andrews, author of the highly anticipated forthcoming novel, The Fixer Upper. As you can see from previous blog posts, we can’t stop talking about this book. We figured it’s time to clam up and let the author herself do the talking. Here she is sitting outside our hotel on a balmy night in Houston. Forgive the lighting. (I was going for dramatic effect but it didn’t work)
Also in attendance at TLA was first-time author Attica Locke. Her book, Black Water Rising, is a mystery set in Houston in the 1980s. She’s already being compared to John Grisham, James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. Ms. Locke gave an impassioned speech not about her book but about her appreciation and gratitude to librarians. Mark my words: this author is one to watch.
Hear what Attica has to say about her book and her love of libraries.
-Virginia
This has absolutely nothing to do with books. You just need to watch this.
-Virginia
My mother is an avid reader. Always has been. Late at night, when all the other houses on our block were dark, there’d be a light on in ours – and next to it would be my mother and her latest ‘find’ from the library. She worked in a school library from the time I was 6 years old. She turned me on to the best books and authors (The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, all those great Betsy books by Carolyn Haywood, the Bobbsey Twins, Encyclopedia Brown, Little Women (which she read to me and my sister at night) I had my own personal readers’ advisory guru who told me what to read and when to go to bed (she still does both even though I’m 47 and haven’t lived home for 25 years.) So with that DNA, it made sense that I ended up in the business of books. Now I’m the one giving her the heads up on the next ‘sure-fire bestseller’ and she loves giving the latest galley a thumbs up or a thumbs down!
I thought it’d be fun to get her ‘take’ on some of the books she’s been reading lately. She’s pretty much a non-fiction chick. Loves a good memoir. Here’s what she has to say about In The Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White. This is the first of hopefully many reviews from my mother, Virginia Stanley, Sr.
-Virginia
I've been meaning to write about the New York Times' glowing reviewof Paulette Jiles's third novel, The Color of Lightning. Based on oral histories of the post–Civil War years in North Texas, Paulette Jiles's The Color of Lightning is at once an intimate look into the hearts and hopes of tragically flawed human beings and a courageous reexamination of a dark American history. The review, found here, is definitely worth a read. Steven Heighton calls it "a gripping, deeply relevant book," and writes: "Jiles moves fluently not only among various plots but also among various viewpoints — black, white, Indian, Mexican, adult, child. Her roving omniscience gives the novel the breadth and busyness of a Diego Rivera mural, yielding a portrait of a place and the peoples surging through it at a time of irrevocable change." Browse inside the book, check out the review, and let us know what you think.
-Kayleigh
Our friends at Harper Academic have just written a fabulous post about the recent pirate standoff on the USS Bainbridge, as it relates to an article by Edith Gelles, author of Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage. Browse inside, check out this video of Edith Gelles, and let us know what you think!
-Kayleigh
Tune into Oprah tonight, April 13th, to see Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, and, most recently, A Lion Among Men, discuss what life is like raising his 3 adopted children with his husband Andy Newman. Browse inside the book, and be sure to set your dvr!
Have you ever read a story that took you on an emotional rollercoaster? Did it take you from happy to sad all with the turn of the page? Remember the Sweet Things is just that kind of story. It’s the true story of a woman’s twenty-year marriage where she found the love she was looking for and truly deserved.
Remember the Sweet Things, written by Ellen Greene is a touching memoir where she talks about the love she found and the love she gained for herself. Ellen was divorced, with two children. After her failed marriage and an ill-fated relationship, she decided to move across the country from New Mexico to Massachusetts to start a new life for herself and her children. While there, she met her future husband Marsh. She found him to be kind, charming, and respectful. Since she just knew this amazing behavior wouldn’t last, she decided to write down everything he did wrong so when the relationship was over, she would be justified in getting out. However, she couldn’t find anything negative to add to the list. Instead, she decided to write all the good things (good deeds, jestures, and sayings) that he made.
Check out this video of Ellen Greene as she discusses Remember the Sweet Things:
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Well folks, we’re officially up to 500 followers on Twitter, which makes this post fitting! If you’re a tweeting librarian, you can win a chance to be published in the first official Twitter book coming in Fall 2009. Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 characters or less will bring together the most poetic, funny and entertaining tweets from the land of Twitter. And our newest imprint, It Books, wants you to be part of it! How do you enter?
1) Visit www.Twitter.com/YourItList to start following It Books on Twitter.
2) Email your favorite tweet to ItBooks@harpercollins.com. Please include your name and your library’s name and address for verification.
3) Entries must be received by APRIL 30, 2009! Those selected will appear in Twitter Wit this October (with your Twitter user name).
Not on Twitter? Click HERE for an easy guide to setting up an account for your library. And if you’re not following us already, head over to our page—we just might hit 600!
-Kayleigh
It seems like everyone is celebrating Passover this year–even President Obama is hosting a seder! (I wonder if he'll be asking his advisors the 4 Questions…) In honor of the holiday, here are some essential Judaica-related books (fiction and non-fiction) that every library should own.
Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin. Widely recognized as one of the most respected and indispensable reference books on Jewish life, culture, tradition, and religion, Jewish Literacy covers every essential aspect of the Jewish people and Judaism.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. At once a gripping whodunit, a love story, an homage to 1940s noir, and an exploration of the mysteries of exile and redemption, The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a novel only Michael Chabon could have written.
Clara's War by Clara Kramer. Out this month, Clara's War is a heart-stopping story of a young girl hiding from the Nazis in an underground bunker with seventeen other people.
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