August 2017

Josh Shipp, global youth advocate and bestselling author of Jump Ship and The Teen's Guide to World Domination, is one impressive individual. Having helped countless at-risk youths by tapping into his own experience as a troubled youth saved by a very special foster parent, Josh is now taking that knowledge and offering it to frustrated parents everywhere in the form of his upcoming book The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans, on sale September 19th.

Josh's revelatory insights, fortified by input from top professionals and experts, are sure to make life MUCH easier for any parent who feels they are speaking a different language from their teenage children. The official book trailer, which you can watch below, brings this further to light.

To celebrate this powerful new tool in every parent's arsenal, we will send a finished copy of the book to the first FIVE people to email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

-Chris

Fall is almost here and with it comes a plethora of exciting new titles for readers of all tastes and interests. Check out our guide below for what you can look forward to in the months ahead!

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Defining Moments in Black History by Dick Gregory
With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, the late Dick Gregory, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists, looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of black America.

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

No Room for Small Dreams by Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and one of the towering figures of the twentieth century, caps his legacy with this final book—a majestic, intimate and personal account of the building of modern Israel, and what its future might hold.

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

Unbelievable by Katy Tur
The NBC journalist who covered—and took fire from—Donald Trump on the campaign trail offers an inside look at the most shocking presidential election in American history.

Click here to pre-order your copy!

The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
Joining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true story of the greatest codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of cryptology together and used it to confront the evils of their time, solving puzzles that unmasked Nazi spies and helped win World War II.

Click here to request the egalley from Edelweiss

The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson
From New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Henderson, an audacious American epic set in rural Georgia during the years of the Depression and Prohibition.

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union
In the spirit of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman.

Click here to request the egalley from Edelweiss

Wonder Valley by Ivy Pochoda
From the acclaimed author of Visitation Street, a visionary portrait of contemporary Los Angeles in all its facets, from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific, from the 110 to Skid Row.

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

 

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich, the New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of LaRose and The Round House, paints a startling portrait of a young woman fighting for her life and her unborn child against oppressive forces that manifest in the wake of a cataclysmic event.

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

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See What’s Coming this Fall from HarperCollins!Read More »

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs went on sale this week with her biggest, most powerful story yet: Map of the Heart, a beautiful and heartfelt novel that celebrates the bonds of family and pays homage to the sacrifices of the past.

Now that Map of the Heart has hit shelves, we can name so many reasons to dive in immediately:

• A starred review from Booklist: “With her usual easy sense of grace and down-to-earth literary charm, Wiggs handles characters, setting, and plot with perfect aplomb while creating an unforgettable story about love, loss, family, and friendship that will resonate with readers long after they have turned the last page of this exquisitely crafted story.”
• Goodreads named Map of the Heart one of the Best Books of August!
• Harlequin Junkie gave it a top pick, calling it “heartbreakingly beautiful” and a “captivating piece of fiction.”
• The Romance Dish calls this Susan’s “finest work” and leaves you “[turning] the last page satisfied emotionally and intellectually.”
• RRT Book Reviews says the characters in Map of the Heart “come alive under Ms. Wiggs’s very talented pen.”

Readers who fell in love with last year's Family Tree will find even more to love in Map of the Heart, while any fans of Debbie Macomber, Kristin Hannah, and Elin Hilderbrand should put this at the top of their TBR pile.  Susan Wiggs is an author “who paints the details of human relationships with the finesse of a master” (Jodi Picoult), and this is a novel you won't want to miss.

-Amanda

   

Hello, librarians!

November brings with it shorter days, brisk nights, dazzling fall foliage, and, best of all, a new novel by Louise Erdrich! If that wasn't enough, we also have a fantasy debut by S. A. Chakraborty that is quickly building serious librarian buzz, a charming library-centric U.S. debut by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, the first installment in a new series from romance powerhouse Loretta Chase, and so much more. Enjoy!

Don't forget: the deadline to vote for the November LibraryReads list is September 20th. Happy reading!

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Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
For fans of: The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of LaRose and The Round House paints a startling portrait of a young woman fighting for her life and her unborn child against oppressive forces that manifest in the wake of a cataclysmic event.
"Masterful…a breakout work of speculative fiction…Erdrich enters the realm of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale…. A tornadic, suspenseful, profoundly provoking novel of life’s vulnerability and insistence…with a bold apocalyptic theme, searing social critique, and high-adrenaline action." 
—Booklist  review

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads voting deadline: September 20th

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
For fans of: Uprooted by Naomi Novik and The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty—an imaginative alchemy of The Grace of Kings and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.
"The City of Brass is the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind. It’s stunning and complex and consuming and fantastic. You must read it."
—Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
Public Librarian? Click here to request a physical galley
LibraryReads voting deadline: September 20th

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
For fans of: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan  
In the bestselling tradition of Fannie Flagg comes Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s U.S. debut about a local librarian who must find a way to rebuild her community and her own life in this touching, enchanting novel set on Ireland’s stunning West Coast.
"The spot-on descriptions of Ireland’s dusty country roads and expansive sky all but leap off the page and provide the true joy of Hayes-McCoy’s first novel…. Maeve Binchy and Patrick Taylor fans will find much to enjoy." —Booklist

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
Public Librarian? Click here to request a physical galley
LibraryReads voting deadline: September 20th

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LLF Staff Suggestions for November LibraryReads ListRead More »

Historical fiction fans should run to the nearest library and check out The Mapmaker's Daughter by Katherine Nouri Hughes.  The best part about historical fiction is learning about some aspect of real history previously unknown to us, and that cannot be more true than in this novel about the life of Nurbanu, born Cecilia Baffo Veniero—the mesmerizing, illegitimate Venetian who became the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

This incredible story has reviewers raving:

“A heartbreaking read that marries a strong story arc with a dedication to historical details.”
   — Booklist starred review

“A fascinating evocation of the major players of the Ottoman renaissance.”
   — Kirkus Reviews

“When the fiction is good, the history is usually distorted, and on the rare occasions when the history is good, the fiction is usually less interesting than the straight historical narrative. This novel is a remarkable exception… part history, part fiction, it is enthralling.”
   — Bernard Lewis, Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Emeritus, Princeton University

“Of all the appetites the lust for power is the strongest—and most dangerous. This is a lively, absorbing and utterly convincing self-portrait of a woman who came under the influence of the greatest of all Ottoman sultans—with tragic consequences.”
   — Edmund White, author of Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris

“Based on a historical event of rare improbability—the rise in the sixteenth century of a daughter of Venice to the rank of Queen Mother in the mighty Ottoman Empire—this novel is a gorgeous feat of imagination, a stellar work by a gifted writer.”
   — Arnold Rampersand, Stanford University, author of Ralph Ellison

This debut is a perfect blend of story and history that fans of Goddess by Kelly Gardiner or The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman won't want to miss.

-Amanda

This autobiography is hard to read and hard to put down.  Born to a single mother of 5, living on welfare in a tough West end neighborhood of Atlanta, Ms. Pat learned early on she would have to fend for herself in this world. Using humor as her tool for survival, Patricia Williams tells the story of her life: from convicted felon and crack dealer to living a life she thought was only in her dreams.  Enjoying life in a comfortable, middle-class enclave in Indiana and earning a living as a successful stand-up comedian, writer and actress, Patricia Williams’ story is one of inner strength.  Look at her picture on the jacket of Rabbit. Those eyes had seen more than any child should see in a lifetime. But there’s also resilience in those eyes.  Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Rabbit.  It’s unforgettable.

-Virginia

Library Love Fest has a ton of love for The Child Finder—a beautifully rendered mystery of a missing child and the woman hired to find her.  But this story is also a meditation on what makes a family, and author Rene Denfeld has a personal connection to such a tale.  Denfeld recently shared her story of adopting three foster children in a Modern Love piece for the New York Times, an experience that inherently informed her characters in The Child Finder.  

But we here at LLF aren't the only ones who've fallen in love with this novel; check out these great reviews:

“Intense…. Innovative… Heartbreaking, surprising…. The conclusion will leave readers breathless.” —Publishers Weekly

“Rene Denfeld has a gift for shining bright light in dark places. The Child Finder is a gorgeous, haunting gem of a novel. Raw and real yet wrapped in a fairy tale, as lovely and as chilling as the snow.” —Erin Morgenstern, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus

“A darkly luminous story of resilience and the deeply human instinct for survival, for love. Blending the magical thinking of childhood, of fairy tales, dreams, memories and nightmares, The Child Finder is a terrifying and ultimately uplifting novel that demands to be consumed and then once inside you–lingers…” —A.M. Homes, author of May We Be Forgiven

The Child Finder was also just voted as one of the best books of September by librarians across the country through LibraryReads, so this is definitely a title you won't want to miss.  You can request the egalley now on Edelweiss to dive into this thrilling and moving tale.

-Amanda

Did you know Gregory Maguire, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked and After Alice, has a new book coming this October? Hiddensee, a wildly imaginative retelling of the origin story of the Nutcracker and the toymaker who carved him, will be the perfect Christmas gift for the book-lover in your family (or, of course, a gift to yourself!) Every Gregory Maguire release is cause for excitement, and if this recent starred review from Kirkus Reviews is any indication, Hiddensee 
continues the trend:

"A delightful, mystical, mythical confection by zeitgeist whisperer Maguire (After Alice, 2015, etc.), who likes nothing more than to work at the dark edges of a fairy tale. A splendid revisitation of folklore that takes us to and from familiar cultural touchstones into realms to make Freud blanch. Wonderful."

Can't wait until October? Head on over to Gregory's Facebook page via this link to enter for the chance to win a signed Hiddensee-inspired illustration by Gregory himself, along with an Advanced Reader's Edition of Hiddensee and paperback editions of Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and After Alice! Also, be sure to check out the below video timelapse of Gregory working on the illustration.

Hiddensee goes on sale October 31st. We are counting down the days! To download the egalley from Edelweiss, click here. We can't wait to hear what you think!

-Chris

 

If you remember the movie 2016 movie Maggie's Plan starring Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke, and Greta Gerwig, then you have to read the novel it's based on: Karen Rinaldi's The End of Men, a smart, insightful, incendiary read about four New York City women who push the boundaries of convention to live life according to their own rules.  The New York Post calls it "hilarious and clever" in their Required Reading Roundup last month, and it has received even more stellar blurbs:

“Cool and hot, sweet and sharp, The End of Men is a beguiling modern tale of four self-made women who are doing it their way, and the men who’re along for the ride. I read it in one sitting, without checking my phone. A novel can’t possibly come more highly recommended than that.” —Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel

“With humor, bravery, and panache, Karen Rinaldi puts her finger straight on the tender conundrum of the female experience, where work, love, and motherhood intersect.” —Rebecca Miller, director of Maggie's Plan

The author is quite a dynamo herself.  Her Modern Love piece in the New York Times titled "What Is a Man For?" made waves back in 2016, and she just wrote another last week on modern motherhood.

This is absolutely an author to look out for and a novel of friendship, family, and love to dive into.  If you're looking for one last novel for the summer, this is it.

-Amanda

 

   

The list is here!  We'd like to send a hearty congratulations to the two HarperCollins titles public librarians chose for the September LibraryReads list!

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld: A haunting, richly atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl.

Caroline by Sarah Miller: In this novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that illuminates one courageous, resilient, and loving pioneer woman as never before—Caroline Ingalls, "Ma" in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books.

If you haven't yet dipped into these librarian-favorites, there's still time to request the egalleys before they go on sale next month.  And make sure to submit your votes for the October list by August 20!

-Amanda

Linnea Hartsuyker's debut novel The Half-Drowned King shows a land in turmoil, before the disparate Viking clans of the Norwegian peninsula were united under one ruler.  Prophesies, war, love, and revenge combine for one of the best Viking sagas out there, proven by the amazing reviews The Half-Drowned King garnered prior to publication:

Library Journal starred review: “Making her fiction debut, Hartsuyker, who claims descent from Norway’s first king, writes an absolutely top-notch Viking saga, and readers will eagerly await the next two volumes in this trilogy.”

Booklist starred review: “A terrific historical epic…Posing thoughtful questions about the nature of honor and heroism, and devoting significant attention to women’s lives, the novel takes a fresh approach to the Viking adventure genre…The action scenes will have the blood humming in your veins.”

BookPage: “A spellbinding evocation of a long-lost world of magic and blood feuds, populated by characters riddled with doubt and human failing beneath their epic exteriors.”

I fell in love with The Half-Drowned King when I first read the manuscript, and now I am so excited that it's on shelves everywhere, ready for readers everywhere to embark on this epic adventure.  Any readers of Bernard Cornwell, Wilbur Smith, or Madeline Miller need to dive into this one next, and I know you will be swept away.  I also encourage you to check out my exclusive interview with Linnae Hartsuyker to hear all kinds of behind-the-scenes stories of the creation of this dangerous and enchanting world and working with historical characters.

The Half-Drowned King is the start of an epic trilogy that will continue next year with The Sea Queen and climax in 2019 with The Golden Wolf, so immerse yourself in this world of kings, queens, war, and strength today to get a jump start on what is sure to be an exhilarating thrill ride.

-Amanda

 

When Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures first landed on shelves last year, many were shocked that the incredible stories of those brave and brilliant women had never before been told. History holds many surprises, and Jason Fagone's riveting new book The Woman Who Smashed Codes exemplifies this.

Shining light on little-known yet vitally important codebreaker Elizebeth Smith, wife of famous cryptologist William Friedman, The Woman Who Smashed Codes has the stay-up-all-night pacing of the best thrillers, weaving Elizebeth's story through WWI, Prohibition, and WWII. Elizebeth's accomplishments in the face of incredible danger must be read to be believed. In advance of its September 26th on-sale date, The Woman Who Smashed Codes has garnered widespread praise, including a STARRED review from both Booklist and Library Journal! 

"Riveting, inspiring, and rich in colorful characters, Fagone’s extensively researched and utterly dazzling title is popular history at its very best and a book club natural."  
—Booklist  review

"Fans of Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures and Andrew Hodges’s Alan Turing: The Enigma will enjoy this carefully researched story of a smart and loyal but overlooked woman."
—Library Journal  review

To celebrate this exciting upcoming release, we will send a finished copy of the book to the first FIVE people to email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

***UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.***

-Chris

GalleyChat, the monthly Twitter discussion by librarians from around the country about their favorite upcoming titles, was as lively as ever this month. Missed it? Not to worry! We've compiled all the HarperCollins titles that librarians are raving about. Keep reading for details on the hottest books your patrons will be clamoring for in the months ahead!

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The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty—an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

LibraryReads voting deadline: September 20th
Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

Sunburn by Laura Lippman
New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals—and cold-blooded murder.

LibraryReads voting deadline: December 20th
Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss 

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple” from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants.

LibraryReads voting deadline: August 20th
Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

Don't Skip Out on Me by Willy Vlautin
From award-winning author Willy Vlautin, comes this moving novel about a young ranch hand who goes on a quest to become a champion boxer to prove his worth.

LibraryReads voting deadline: December 20th
Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss

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#EWGC – HarperCollins Recap of the August GalleyChat!Read More »

The long-awaited trailer for Angelina Jolie's film First They Killed My Father, based on Loung Ung's memoir of the same name, debuted this morning on People.com along with key art from the film.  The movie will debut on Netflix in September and tells the story of Loung Ung's life as she survived the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot’s brutal regime when she was five years old.  Filming the movie was a huge, emotional project for both Ung and Jolie, and you can read more about their experience in a Q&A here.

The film premiers on Netflix on September 15, as well as a wider release in 10 theatrical markets.  Make sure to grab a copy of Loung Ung's memoir to read up on this harrowing and courageous story before it hits screens across the country.

-Aman

 

The Romance Writers of America have released their 2017 Rita Award winners, which honor the best in romance fiction.  You can see the entire list here, but we'd like to extend a special congratulations to No Mistress of Mine by Laura Lee Guhrke, winner of the Historical Fiction: Long category!

No Mistress of Mine is the latest in Guhrke's dazzling An American Heiress in London series, in which a reformed rogue finds all his honorable resolutions tested by the only woman who ever broke his heart.  Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a steamy romance by the beach, so make sure you dive into this award-winning delight before the season's over!

-Amanda

 

Hello, librarians!

There are A LOT of fantastic books on this list so we will keep this brief so you can get reading. New books from library-favorites such as Wiley Cash, Gilly Macmillan, and Joe Hill, as well as hotly-anticipated debuts from Liv Constantine and Gabrielle Union combine to make October a special month for both you and your patrons. We can't wait to hear what you think!

Don't forget: the deadline to vote for the October LibraryReads list is August 20th. Happy reading!

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The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash
For fans of: Ron Rash and Charles Frazier
The author of the celebrated bestseller A Land More Kind Than Home returns with this eagerly awaited new novel, set in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina in 1929 and inspired by actual events, that chronicles an ordinary woman’s struggle for dignity and her rights in a textile mill.
"Lives are changed forever in this intimate and yet expansive novel about a real-life 1929 North Carolina mill strike. With subtlety and insight, Wiley Cash reveals the dignity and humanity of people asking for a fair shot in an unfair world. Fraught with the turmoil of social change, The Last Ballad moves inexorably toward a devastating moment of reckoning. A timely and topical portrait of a community in crisis." 
—Christina Baker Kline, author of A Piece of the World and Orphan Train

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
For fans of: Karin Slaughter, Mary Kubica, and Kimberly McCreight
A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple” from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants.
"With a plot equally as twisty, spellbinding, and addictive as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train, this is sure to be a hit with suspense fans."
—Library Journal  review

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
Public Librarian? Click here to request a physical galley
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan
For fans of: Liane Moriarty and Tana French
From the New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew comes a whip-smart suspense novel about two young friends, the mystery of one's near-fatal accident, and the secrets each of their families hold.
"Subtle, nuanced writing and a compelling, timely story taut with tension—Odd Child Out is a hugely satisfying and thrilling read. Highly recommended!"
—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
Public Librarian? Click here to request a physical galley
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

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LLF Staff Suggestions for October LibraryReads ListRead More »