November 2020

On our latest podcast episode, The Library Love Fest team wishes you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We sat around our virtual dinner table to discuss a book we all love: Willy Vlautin's The Night Always Comes, on-sale April 6, 2021.

Take a listen:

Find out more about The Night Always Comes here. You can also see the full video from Willy to librarians below:

We had to include a photo of Willy’s long-time editor (in his dreams), Myrna Loy:

We also mentioned Willy's album for Don't Skip Out on Me. Find that audio here. You can listen to Chris' interview with Willy here. Find a list of all of Willy's books here.

Download an egalley of The Night Always Comes, on-sale April 6, 2021, on Edelweiss+ or NetGalley.

Thanks for listening and have a safe Thanksgiving!

-Lainey

The editors of The New York Times Book Review have selected 2020’s top 100 works of notable fiction, poetry and nonfiction. We are proud to share that HarperCollins has FOUR titles on the list! Keep reading for details and click here to see the full list. Congratulations to our wonderful authors!

The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson: Part H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world’s most elusive fish—the eel—and a reflection on the human condition.

"Poses questions about philosophy, the metaphysical, and the spiritual, as well as scientific issues, in a way that will stir readers. This beautifully crafted book challenges us not only to understand eels but our own selves. Highly recommended."
—Library Journal STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy.

 

The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey: The New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy delivers another "luminous, unforgettable, and perfectly rendered" (Dennis Lehane) novel—a poignant and probing psychological drama that follows the lives of three siblings in the wake of a violent crime.

"Every character rings true; every observation and reaction feels real. Braiding three separate views of the same incident, Livesey weaves a masterful tapestry of emotion and action focused on the indelible impact of random events."
—Booklist STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy. 

 

Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey: A finalist for the 2021 Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction—a chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy.

"I've not read an American memoir where more happens in the assemblage of language…. Memorial Drive forces the reader to think about how the sublime Southern conjurers of words, spaces, sounds and patterns protect themselves from trauma when trauma may be, in part, what nudged them down the dusty road to poetic mastery…. The more virtuosic our ability to use language to probe, the harder it becomes to protect ourselves from the secrets buried in our—and our nation's—marrow. This is the conundrum and the blessing of the poet. This is the conundrum and blessing of Memorial Drive."
—The New York Times Book Review

Click here to purchase your copy.

 

Monogamy by Sue Miller: A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

"A robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage…. The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love…. A spectacular, powerful return."
—Publishers Weekly STARRED review

Click here to purchase your copy.

Congratulations to these wonderful authors!

-Chris

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that we have THREE titles selected for the December LibraryReads List: How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole, Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane, and Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase. Congratulations, all!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to being selected for the December LibraryReads List? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

Click here to see the full list.

***

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole: An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series.

"Cole’s majestic new Runaway Royals series spins off from her excellent Reluctant Royals trilogy, adding more dazzling depth… Cole’s contemporary romances shine with unique settings and complex characters. Fans will eagerly await her next royal match." —Booklist STARRED review

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Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane: Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?

"Debut mystery author Kane blends tense domestic suspense with procedural details and legal thriller–like verbal sparring. A page-turner built on skillfully layered plotting and an intriguing protagonist." —Booklist STARRED review

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Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase: USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this delightful spin on Shakespeare's classic, 
The Taming of the Shrew.

Praise for Loretta Chase: "One of the finest romance authors of all time." —Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

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***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the December LibraryReads List! Be sure to submit your votes for the January LibraryReads List by December 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

When I heard that William Morrow was planning to publish an Anne of Green Gables Rom-Com retelling called Anne of Manhattan, I immediately started emailing the editor for a manuscript. What started as a simple call-to-action tweet from the editor melded into an amazing story sure to make the hearts of all Anne fans soar. I am so excited to share the final cover and an excerpt of Anne of Manhattan with librarians!

-Lainey

 

Read a note from the author, Brina Starler, here.

And now, kindreds, we are excited to share an excerpt from Anne of Manhattan:

   ***

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
The long anticipated second novel from the bestselling author of Be Frank with Me, a charming story of endings, new beginnings, and the complexities and complications of friendship and love, set in late 1930s Reno.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Julia Claiborne Johnson on Door to Door!

 

The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
The acclaimed author of The Talented Ribkins deconstructs painful African American stereotypes and offers a fresh and searing critique on race and class in this story centered on the Black servants of a down-on-its heels upper-class white family.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ladee Hubbard on Door to Door!

 

The Captive by Fiona King Foster
A rural noir set in a near-future secessionist state that follows a mother who, along with her family, must venture on a pulse-pounding expedition to deliver a dangerous fugitive to the authorities—and who is forced to confront her own past on the journey.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames by Justine Cowan
A riveting family drama evocative of Angela’s Ashes and The Glass Castle, about a woman who discovers the shocking secret at the center of her mother’s life.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Register for our upcoming 11/17 episode of Door to Door featuring Justine Cowan and Georgina Lawton, author of Raceless.

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
A razor-sharp, wickedly smart suspense debut about an ambitious influencer mom whose soaring success threatens her marriage, her morals, and her family’s safety.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion
A haunting, suspenseful literary debut that combines a classic coming-of-age story with a portrait of a fractured American family dealing with the fallout of one summer evening gone terribly wrong.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Divines by Ellie Eaton
With the emotional power of Normal People and the reflective haze of The Girls, a stunning literary debut set in a secluded boarding school, exploring the intoxicating, destructive relationships between teenage girls.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ellie Eaton on Door to Door! 

The Children's Train by Viola Ardone
Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love, family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy about poor children from the south sent to live with families in the north to survive deprivation and the harsh winters.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

 

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Historians by Cecilia Ekbäck
The Secret History meets The Alice Network in this riveting tale of murder and conspiracy in Sweden during WWII by the critically acclaimed author of Wolf Winter.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Surrender the Dead by John Burley
From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy comes an emotionally powerful and gripping psychological thriller about the dark secrets dividing a family and community and the dangers of digging into the past.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Heiress by Molly Greeley
In this gorgeously written and spellbinding historical novel based on Pride and Prejudice, the author of The Clergyman’s Wife combines the knowing eye of Jane Austen with the eroticism and Gothic intrigue of Sarah Waters to reimagine the life of the mysterious Anne de Bourgh.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer’s wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Nora by Nuala O'Connor
Acclaimed Irish novelist Nuala O’Connor’s bold reimagining of the life of James Joyce’s wife, muse, and the model for Molly Bloom in Ulysses is a "lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle" (Edna O’Brien).

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

***

We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris

We are thrilled to have an author guest post from Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop, which releases in paperback today, November 10, 2020. God Save the Queens was named an NPR Best Book of the Year. It pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.

There's so much love for this book:

"Iandoli's book is rigorous, insightful, and authoritative—but it's also deadly personal."
—NPR Books

"In writing God Save the Queens, Kathy finally does what dozens of histories of Hip-Hop have never even attempted, telling the stories of women in the genre…Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized."
—AllHipHop.com

"Intended to be a narrative homage to women in hip-hop, this latest work by Iandoli is that and more…. Iandoli gives female artists the recognition they deserve, while showing that there is still work to do. Place this book in the hands of fans of Hanif Abdurraqib and Jeff Chang."
—Library Journal

“Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop.”
—Publishers Weekly

Now, a few words from Kathy:

***

It’s safe to say that I fell in love with libraries in utero. I come from a family of library lovers. There’s my Great Aunt who was a school librarian, my Mom, whose first job was working at a library, and me, the music-loving book nerd who hung out in libraries a lot. The fascination started during my summer vacations in grade school. My Mom was a teacher, so she was on vacation as well. Every week we would go to the library and pick out a new book. I had summer reading assignments from my school, but I would make it a point to either breeze past those in June or right before the school bell rang in September.

The most fun I had was picking out the books I liked with my Mom at the library. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan, and while I inherited most of my Mother’s collection (she lost a significant number of them during a basement flood in her childhood home), I would read the Nancy Drew books available at the library before I committed to buying them. We would sit on our deck in my backyard and read for hours on end. I would then provide my Mom with an unsolicited book report. We kept the same tradition during winter breaks, only then we would sit in the library and read. This was in my hometown of Hawthorne, NJ also the hometown of Blondie’s Debbie Harry, one of the first names I mention in God Save The Queens. When I found out that my book was acquired by so many different libraries across the country, I was thrilled.

When I was writing my book, I returned to that library. I sat at the same table where my mother and I would sit. I had a pile of music books next to me, cross-referencing my research. When I turned in my book, my Mother passed away, and I edited part of my book at that library. It made me feel closer to her. I just sold my childhood home recently, and while I was saying goodbye to it, I walked back on the deck. I saw a young me, sitting on a lounge chair reading my newest find, with my Mother right next to me. I hope there’s a young girl reading my book in her backyard, with her Mom right beside her.

***

Thank you for this fantastic note about libraries, Kathy! Kathy supplied us with a photo of her and her Mother:

It's very fitting that this book has a companion playlist available to listen to while reading. Listen to Kathy's playlist here:

In celebration of the paperback release of God Save the Queens, we are giving away 10 copies to the first 10 librarians who email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

-Lainey

Everyone is in love with Alyssa Cole's How to Catch a Queen!

It's been featured in Buzzfeed's "24 Romance Novels That Will Make Your Heart Feel Warmer And Cozier Than a Cable-Knit Sweater" list and included in best-of round-ups in Elite Daily and Book Riot.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Check out these THREE STARRED REVIEWS:

“Cole (An Extraordinary Union) launches the “Runaway Royals” series with a bang, introducing a sexy but shy king, a determined and caring queen, and a host of characters who leap off the page into the reader’s imagination. Fans of the “Reluctant Royals” series will adore cameos by some of their favorites, but this is a solid starting point for new readers.”
—Library Journal  review

“Cole’s contemporary romances shine with unique settings and complex characters. Fans will eagerly await her next royal match.”
—Booklist  review

“Genre traditionalists may balk at the abundant attention to politics and slow emotional burn, but the vivid prose, lively characters, and steamy encounters will keep readers hooked, and the intersections between politics, gender, and ideology will resonate the world over. This strikingly feminist saga raises the bar for contemporary romance.”
—Publishers Weekly  review

We just had Alyssa on our Door to Door episode and she did an Instagram takeover. 

How to Catch a Queen goes on sale December 1, 2020 but you can download an egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley now.

-Lainey

This week on the podcast we are featuring an interview Virginia conducted with David Highfill, Vice President and Executive Editor at William Morrow. He has a jam-packed list of upcoming books that will have your TBR list overflowing. Find the episode and a list of titles discussed below.

Titles Discussed:

• High Treason by Sean McFate (available now)
• American Traitor by Brad Taylor (on sale January 5, 2021)
• The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (on sale March 9, 2021)
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson (on sale March 23, 2021)
  —They also discussed Peter's past books. Find out more about them here.
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn (on sale May 11, 2021)

-Lainey