May 2013

Good-bye, Kayleigh

May 31, 2013

You guys, it is with a heavy heart that I write this post. Our beloved Kayleigh George is moving on (cue All By Myself). After five years as a LibraryLoveFest guru, she will be bringing her considerable talents to Random House as the Marketing Manager of Crown/Hogarth.

She will be crazy missed, but I plan on stalking her (putting the CRAZY in how much she's missed), and will report back as to how great she is doing.

Please join us in wishing Kayleigh lots of luck in her new position. Thank you for all your amazing work over the years!

– Annie

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A Free Teaser

May 30, 2013

My lovelies, I am a huge fan of Willy Vlautin, author of The Motel Life (soon to be a movie), Northline and Lean on Pete, so I am super excited to tell you he has a new book coming out next year! The Free will follow three characters, a divorced father struggling to make ends meet, a young, injured veteran and a lonely, but brave nurse.

As he does best, Willy gives life to people who are dealing with difficult situations in a way that allows the reader to feel their pain, but never give up hope for them.

I can't wait to share more about this book with you, so watch this blog.

– Annie

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Hot New Adult Titles!

May 29, 2013

What's the hot thing in books these days? New Adult novels! They are steaming up the shelves, and we have a bunch of them coming out this Fall.

Cora Carmack (originally a self-published best-seller) has Finding It, the third in her series, on sale in October, but don't miss out on the first two, Losing It and Faking It.

Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams (also out in October) follows the success of her two previous stand-alones, Taking Chances and From Ashes.

New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Armentrout, writing as J. Lynn shows readers that somethings are worth waiting for in Wait for You (out in September).

For anyone attending ALA, stop by Booth 2308 where J. Lynn, Shannon Stoker and others will be signing. Get in on the action!

– Annie

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Day of Dialog & BEA

May 28, 2013

The line-up for this year's Day of Dialog is pretty awesome. HarperCollins Publisher, Jonathan Burnham, will be speaking on the Editors' Picks panel about some amazing Fall titles (I don't want to spoil anything, so will update what they are tomorrow).

Additionally, a couple of little known authors are stopping by. Anyone ever heard of Simon Winchester? How about Richard Dawkins? Ok, Amy Tan? I jest.

As always, if you are attending any DOD or BEA events, we look forward to seeing you, so come say hi.

– Annie

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Can’t Miss Events at BEA!

May 21, 2013

Are you attending BEA? First of all, make sure you track us down and say hi! But also, do not miss these two events.

Friday, May 31^st from 9:30-10:50am in Room IE14/IE15

Carol Fitzgerald of ReadingGroupGuides.com, will moderate a speed-dating session designed to give booksellers, librarians, bloggers and book group leaders a sneak peek at upcoming titles that will be natural book group picks. Representatives from 21 publishers will share their selections (pub dates: 8/13-1/14) at the event, along with galleys and other promotional materials.

Seating is limited and sign-up in advance is required by Thursday, May 23rd as well as purchase of a BEA Badge for Friday, May 31st.

Saturday, June 1^st from 11:00-11:45am in Room IE10/IE11

For you Power Readers out there, Carol will also moderate a speed-dating session designed to give you a sneak peek at upcoming titles that are good for book groups. 16 publishers will share their selections (pub dates: 8/13-1/14) at the event, along with galleys and other promotional materials.

Seating is limited and sign-up in advance is required by Thursday, May 23rd as well as a badge for BEA for Saturday, June 1st.

See you next week!

– Annie

A Lonely Death

The Great Gatsby!

May 16, 2013

Have you guys seen the movie?? It looks like quite the spectacle (in a good way), and I definitely plan on checking it out. Tell me what you thought!

Some fun Gatsby facts that I didn't know:

1. The Modern Library named The Great Gatsby the second best English-language novel of the 20th century (the first was Ulysses by James Joyce).

2. One alternate title for the book was, Under the Red, White, and Blue

3. The four line poem at the beginning of the book entitled Then Wear the Gold Hat was credited to Thomas Parke D’Invilliers. He never actually existed and was a character from Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise.

4. Hunter S Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, retyped The Great Gatsby just to get the feel of writing styles and how writing a novel was like.

– Annie

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An Ode to Paper

May 15, 2013

Ian Sansom, author of Paper: An Elegy which went on sale yesterday, has very nicely stopped by to guest blog. In an age where digitization can seem relentless, it's good to be reminded just how important paper is.

***

For the past few years I have been writing a series of novels about a librarian, The Mobile Library series (published by Harper Perennial). My new non-fiction book – Paper: An Elegy – is a history of paper. I guess there’s probably a theme emerging here, to do with books, and the power of books, and the beauty and meaning of books as objects and as things. I suppose I’m just a bookish kind of a person. I am also a paper person.

Paper: An Elegy is my attempt to study and understand the world’s most ubiquitous and versatile man-made material in all of its many forms and guises, from bank cheques and ledgers, to banners and bunting, and board games, and book marks, and business cards, and cartons and packaging, and menus, and cigarette papers, and paper clothes, and paper coffins, and confetti, and coupons and tickets, and election ballot papers, and greeting cards and post cards, and identity cards and passports, and magazines, catalogues, newspapers, maps, stamps, posters, wallpaper, wrapping paper … And so on and so on. And books.

…

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What I’m Reading: Help for the Haunted by John Searles

May 8, 2013

Murdered parents? Check. Lonely, orphaned sisters? Check. Creepy, possessed dolls? Check. Help for the Haunted by John Searles has all of these wrapped in a compelling story told by a 14 year old narrator.

The author of the critically acclaimed Boy Still Missing and Strange but True returns with an unforgettable story of a very unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery. It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February night. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping “haunted souls” find peace. And yet this call is different because by the end of the evening Sylvie’s parents will be dead.

Nearly a year later, Sylvie is struggling with her loss, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened. As the story moves back and forth in time, Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family’s past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years.

We here at LLF are all big fans of the book, which you can find on Edelweiss, so I recommend getting your hands on a digital copy because it.is.good!

– Annie

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Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay

May 6, 2013

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU.

Daphne Kalotay's debut novel, Russian Winter, was met with huge acclaim and rave reviews. Her latest, Sight Reading, will wow you as well. It is the story of what makes a marriage and a family and the importance of art and beauty in everyday life, set against the classical music scene in Boston.

“Kalotay celebrates art . . . in prose that is brisk and concise as well as sensuous and sumptuous . . . A fictive musical and familial feast.” – Booklist starred review

I have 10 galleys to give away, so please email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com if you'd like a copy.

– Annie

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Mitch Albom Joins Harper!

May 3, 2013

I have some exciting end of the week news for you lovelies! Harper just acquired three new books by #1 internationally renowned and bestselling author Mitch Albom! Wha?!?! No way!? Totes way, friends. So for all you fans of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, prepare yourselves.

His newest book, a novel, The First Phone Call from Heaven will be out this Fall and tells the story of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Albom says this book "is maybe my favorite story yet, a tale of belief, love and mystery."

Watch this blog for more details, but for now I leave you with this:

Happy Weekend!

– Annie

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La Dolce Vita and Libraries

May 1, 2013

Katherine Hall Page is no stranger to Library Land. She is the author of 21 Faith Fairchild mysteries, the latest of which, The Body in the Piazza, just went on sale yesterday. She has been nice enough to agree to share some of her story with us today…Welcome, Katherine!

***

Writing for Library Love Fest is truly a labor of love and I’d like to start by asking everyone to thank a librarian today. Or hug one. Especially if you are lucky enough to be a librarian and there are some nearby.

I’m going to write a little bit about my new book, The Body in the Piazza, the 21st in the series and then get back to libraries.

The Body in the Piazza starts where The Body in the Boudoir left off and I think of the books as Volumes I and II of the story that began when my amateur sleuth, Faith Sibley Fairchild, met her future husband, the Reverend Thomas Fairchild, in 1990 at a Manhattan wedding she was catering. Boudoir, a prequel, chronicles their rocky, even perilous road to the altar. The book begins in the present on a plane to Rome for a special anniversary trip. Faith’s thoughts drift back to their courtship for the rest of it, which ends again in the present as they are landing. Piazza takes it from there—and it’s another rocky, perilous adventure!

I have never been able to write about a place I haven’t been. Even the fictitious town of Aleford, Massachusetts where Faith reluctantly moves after her marriage is a compilation of towns west of Boston that I know. Despite many years of Latin (Arma virumque cano), I had never been to the Eternal City itself. Other parts of Italy, yes. Rome, no. Therefore, I had to do the research in person. Not a hardship! The first sentence in Piazza is:
“Faith Fairchild was drunk. Soused, sloshed, schnockered, pickled, potted, and looped— without a single sip of alcohol having crossed her lips. She was drunk on Rome. Intoxicating, inebriating Rome.”

…

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