June 2015

The latest CD in our Beyond the Book series has arrived! From the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes, comes a novel of the same name. Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor have used their fictitious desert town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life as the setting for two women whose lives converge as they try to solve two separate mysteries. 

This CD (which you can access via Soundcloud and which we are giving away at ALA) includes clips from the famous podcast, the authors discussing the roles of libraries in their imaginary town of Night Vale and original music featured in the podcast.

 Check it out and see what all the talk is about!

 

"Encompasses The Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and Twin Peaks, with a bit of Tremorsthrown in." —The Guardian

"Brilliant, hilarious, and wondrously strange. I'm packing up and moving to Night Vale!" —Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

 "There is nothing like Night Vale, in the best possible way." —Maureen Johnson, author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes and The Name of the Star

– Annie

Lucy Sanna's The Cherry Harvest is a memorable coming-of-age story and love story, laced with suspense, which explores a hidden side of the home front during World War II, when German POWs were put to work in a Wisconsin farm community . . . with dark and unexpected consequences.  In this recent piece from BookPage, Lucy describes how important physical setting is to her writing.  Many of the settings in the novel stem from actual locations in Door County in Wisconsin, where Lucy spent a lot of time to develop that particular sense of place.

WWII historical fiction fans will really enjoy The Cherry Harvest for its unique perspective on middle-American during the war, where many farms were left short-handed when all the men went off to fight and German POWs were brought in to replace them as field workers.

Also some great news for WWII buffs, Lucy will be attending the American Library Association conference next week, and will be signing copies and speaking about her book along with two other WWII authors, Bruce Henderson and Meg Waite Clayton.  Click here for more details and our full conference schedule.

We hope to see you there!

-Amanda

If you were able to attend the Shout 'n' Share Panel at BEA you heard several librarians raving about the book Spectacle by Pamela Newkirk. 

This nonfiction story reads like a novel and traces the tragic life of Ota Benga, a young Congolese man sold by slave traders to Samuel Philips Verner who then brought him to America to be featured in an anthropology exhibit at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Two years later, Ota Benga was acquired by the New York Zoological Gardens. He was caged in the Primate House along with an orangutan, and displayed to visitors with a sign designating him “The African Pygmy.” Tens of thousands of visitors came to see Ota Benga. He commanded headlines from New York to California, and across Europe, sparking a firestorm of criticism and intrigue.

Spectacle follows Ota from Africa to St. Louis, to the Bronx, Long Island, and finally Lynchburg, VA., where, at the age of 32, he committed suicide.  It charts the evolution of science and race relations in New York City during the early years of the 20th Century, and much like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Spectacle reveals a little-known episode in American history.

Would you like a copy? We are giving away 5, so email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com to win!

– Annie

*EDIT: this giveaway is now closed

David Nicholl's novel Us got a lot of love when it first came out last year: it was a #1 Indie Next Pick for December 2014, the #1 LibraryReads Pick for November 2014, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist, and, most importantly, was a particular favorite of our very own Virginia Stanley.  The paperback will go on sale at the end of June (heads up, book clubs!), but we also just heard some more exciting news!

Us will be adapted into a BBC mini series by playwright Nick Payne, the mind behind Constellations, If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, Wanderlust, and many more.  It's still early, so no word on any casting yet, but definitely keep your eyes peeled for what's sure to be an excellent show.

-Amanda 

 

Stephen P. Kiernan might be a familiar name to you because he wrote The Curiosity, which received numerous accolades in 2013.

He is back with his second novel, The Hummingbird (on sale 9/8), about a woman who must take care of two wounded men —one, her soldier-husband, just home from the war in Iraq; the other, a dying World War II scholar-historian who harbors a long-buried secret.

Stephen has dropped by the blog today to share the importance of libraries in his life. 

*****

When I was ten, a librarian handed me the Ray Bradbury short story collection, R is for Rocket. Over the next six months I read every word Bradbury had ever written, culminating in Fahrenheit 451. There’s a book to open young minds.

When I was twelve, a librarian suggested I try The Hobbit. I spent that entire summer lying on my side in the grass with Tolkien before me, one volume after another, rolling over to my other side when my wrist grew sore from holding my head up. 

…

Guest Blogger: Stephen P. Kiernan, author of The HummingbirdRead More »

 

Learn the tricks of the trade and get a treat from Diane Mott Davidson at the What's Cooking stage at ALA Annual!

Diane Mott Davidson is the author of seventeen bestselling mysteries featuring caterer/sleuth Goldy Schulz. Each Goldy novel includes recipes for scrumptious dishes from the adored character’s kitchen. Now Davidson has collected these treasured recipes and some brand-new dishes in one volume for the first time in Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook.

This June at ALA in San Francisco, Diane Mott Davidson will be at the What's Cooking stage in the exhibit hall (located mid 2100 aisle) on Saturday, June 27 from 11:30am-12:30pm for a cooking demo, Q&A, and signing.  As a yummy bonus, attendees will get to taste a sample from one of her recipes.  

If you can't attend the What's Cooking demo, Davidson will also be signing back at the HarperCollins Booth 3101 the same day from 1:00-2:00pm.  Don't miss out!

The American Library Association's Annual Conference is coming up soon, and HarperCollins Publishers has a lot going on!  Come see us in booth 3101 in the Exhibit Hall to meet all our great authors, and make sure to mark your calendars with the exciting panels and events happening throughout the conference!

Saturday, June 27

8:30-10:00am

HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz: come hear about upcoming Fall titles from the LLF gals!

Moscone Convention Center - Room 3006 (W)

RSVP to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com 

9:00-10:00am

Steven Pressman/50 CHILDREN booth signing

10:30am-12:00pm

Now Showing: 50 Children

See the Emmy-nominated documentary and participate in a brief post-screening Q&A with author/director Steven Pressman.

Moscone Convention Center – Room 123

11:00am-12:00pm

Shannon Kopp/POUND FOR POUND booth signing 

11:30am-12:30pm

What’s Cooking @ ALA

Featuring Diane Mott Davidson/GOLDY’S KITCHEN COOKBOOK 

Moscone Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, mid 2100 aisle

12:00-1:00pm

Bruce Henderson/RESCUE AT LOS BAÑOS, Meg Waite Clayton/THE RACE FOR PARIS, and Lucy Sanna/THE CHERRY HARVEST booth signing

1:00-2:00pm

Diane Mott Davidson/GOLDY’S KITCHEN COOKBOOK booth signing

1:00-2:00pm

PopTop Stage: WWII Faction: Experience This Historic Conflict Through Fact and Fiction

Featuring Bruce Henderson/RESCUE AT LOS BAÑOS, Meg Waite Clayton/THE RACE FOR PARIS, and Lucy Sanna/THE CHERRY HARVEST

Moscone Convention Center, Exhibit Hall, mid 1400 aisle

1:00-2:30pm

Welcome to Night Vale and Libraries—The Role of Librarians in the Podcast and Forthcoming Novel

Featuring Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, authors of WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE

Moscone Convention Center – Room 3011 (W)

1:30-2:30pm

Book Buzz Theater: hear about forthcoming titles from HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan, and Sterling

2:00-3:00pm

M.P. Cooley/FLAME OUT and Glen Erik Hamilton/PAST CRIMES booth signing

3:00-4:00pm

Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor/WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE booth signing

4:30-6:00pm

Beyond Genre panel featuring Shannon Kopp/POUND FOR POUND

Moscone Convention Center – Room 125 (N)

 

Sunday, June 28

11:00am-12:00pm

Kim van Alkemade/ORPHAN #8 booth signing

1:00-2:00pm

UFL – First Author, First Book panel featuring Kim van Alkemade/ORPHAN #8

Moscone Convention Center – Room 232-234 (S)

3:00-4:00pm

David Crabb/BAD KID and Charlyne Yi/OH THE MOON booth signing

5:30–7:30pm

UFL – Laugh’s On Us featuring David Crabb/BAD KID and Charlyne Yi/OH THE MOON

Marriott Marquis, Golden Gate A

 Call 1-800-545-2433 ext 2161 for tickets

 

Monday, June 29

9:00-10:00am

Read ‘n Rave: Come hear six collection development specialists rave about their favorite titles gathered from the exhibit floor.

Moscone Convention Center – Room 122 (N)

9:00-10:00am

Kate White/THE WRONG MAN booth signing

10:00-11:00am

Adriana Trigiani/ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS booth signing

10:30-11:30am

AAP/LibraryReads’ Mystery Panel featuring Kate White/THE WRONG MAN

Moscone Convention Center – Room 122 (N)

RSVP to bworthington@publishers.org 

12:30pm

HarperCollins Publishers booth book giveaway!

2:00-4:00pm

UFL – Gala Author Tea featuring Adriana Trigiani/ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS

Hilton Union Square, Continental 6

Call 1-800-545-2433 ext 2161 for tickets

 

 You can find out more about ALA's 2015 Conference here.  We can't wait to see you all in San Francisco!

Just in time for summer reading, Sophie Hannah's take on Agatha Christie is on sale in paperback. 

The Monogram Murders got rave reviews when it went on sale last September—starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, praise from fellow mystery writers and acclaim from the Christie estate:

“Sophie Hannah’s idea for a plot line was so compelling and her passion for my grandmother’s work so strong, that we felt that the time was right for a new Christie to be written.” —Mathew Prichard, grandson of Agatha Christie 

Be sure to stick a copy in your beach bag!

– Annie

I know you are thinking, Annie – Peter Pan came out like a century ago. WTD? (that means what the deuce, btw), but for real you should immediately order a copy of this beautiful, amazing edition (as I did). 

MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter films, have re-imagined the story and added full-color, all-new illustrations and ten removable interactive features to the text. There is a detailed map of Neverland, a croc o’clock with hands you can rotate to tell time, and Peter’s shadow, just to name a few.

This might be more of a personal purchase than a library one, but I wanted to share because it is very special.

– Annie

PS: Unrelated but also fun, who loves grown-up coloring books?

 

In The Breaking Point, the ninth installment of the Body Farm series, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton is drawn into an FBI investigation to identify the charred remains of a body found in a plane crash. Is it Richard Janus, a maverick humanitarian whose daring airlifts to international disaster sites have made him a celebrity? And was the nighttime crash on a mountainside an accident, suicide or murder?

At the same time, Brockton must deal with a prior case that has come back to haunt him. A decade ago a serial killer named Satterfield came dangerously close to murdering Brockton's wife and son, and now he is sending the family threats. 

Worst of all, and what might cause Brockton to push the boundaries of his breaking point, Brockton's beloved wife has just blindsided him news that could tear apart his entire life. With so much pressure with Dr. Brockton survive or snap?

For fans of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, and Karin Slaughter.

The Breaking Point is on sale June 9, so get your copy for summer-time beach reading.

– Annie

Lucy Sanna is the debut novelist of The Cherry Harvest, a memorable coming-of-age story that explores the consequences that occur when a Wisconsin farm community invites Nazi POWs to work the local orchards.

Lucy's book goes on sale today, so she has stopped by to tell us a little about it, and about how libraries have been part of her journey to novelist.

****

When I think library, I recall my own first library, the Mabel Tainter Library, built in the 1880s on Main Street in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Lumber baron Captain Andrew Tainter and his wife, Bertha, spared no expense in building the memorial to their daughter, Mabel, who had enjoyed music and the arts during her short lifetime; she died at 19. The imposing stone building (which I thought of as a castle) was cool as marble inside—marble floors, marble staircase. It had hand-stenciled walls and ceilings, stained glass windows, fireplaces, brass fixtures, and walnut and oak woodwork. Though it was called a library, the memorial building was actually best known for its impressive theater.

…

Guest Blogger: Lucy Sanna, author of The Cherry HarvestRead More »