Library Love Fest

New Podcast Episode: Editors Unedited - Jennifer Baker interviews Clyde W. Ford, author of OF BLOOD AND SWEAT

On this week's episode of the podcast, Jennifer Baker, Senior Editor at Amistad, interviews Clyde W. Ford. They discuss Clyde's upcoming book Of Blood and Sweat—a provocative, timely, and painstakingly researched book that tells the story of how Black labor helped to create and sustain the wealth of the white one percent throughout American history.

“Ford’s overlap of past and present, narrative and commentary is masterful, and makes this volume all the more valuable to those readers wise enough to allow the past to inform the future. Of Blood and Sweat is a myth-busting work of genius that will stand as the last word on this vital subject for a long time to come.”
—Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, New York Times Bestselling author of A Slave in the White House and The Original Black Elite

Listen to the episode below:

We mentioned a past episode where Clyde spoke about his book Think Black. Listen to that episode here.

Jennifer also made an exciting announcement: Clyde is the Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. library publishing project.

Clyde also gave a shout-out to the King County Library System in Seattle for voting him a Literary Lion for several years. Read more about this honor here.

Of Blood and Sweat is on sale April 5, 2022.

Request an egalley on Edelweiss+
Request an egalley on NetGalley

-Lainey

The February LibraryReads List is Here!

See our full announcement and find links to egalleys here. 

Thank you for voting!

-Lainey

New Podcast Episode — Editors Unedited: May Chen interviews Lorraine Heath, author of GIRLS OF FLIGHT CITY

This week on the podcast, we feature a conversation with New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath. She is interviewed by May Chen, Executive Editor at William Morrow. They've worked together for 13 years!! This is a really special relationship and it was very cool to listen in as they discuss Lorraine's writing process and research, writing in a new genre, and her first romance read. She didn't grow up on romance novels or have a typical journey when it comes to writing romance, but I'll let you listen in to find out more!

Her upcoming book, Girls of Flight City, is a breathtaking WWII historical novel about the brave American women who trained the British Royal Air Force, inspired by true events. Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky and Across the Winding River says: "...Heath delivers a touching tale of the WWII home front. The story of the women who trained RAF pilots in Texas before the US entry into the war shows the sacrifice and dedication of the brave women called to serve their cause. With vibrant characters and gripping action sequences, Girls of Flight City is sure to be a favorite with fans of WWII fiction. A well-researched pleasure to read.”

Listen to the episode below:

Lorraine mentioned the book Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer.

 

Download an egalley on Edelweiss+

Download an egalley on NetGalley

 

The book is on sale April 5, 2022 so that means LibraryReads votes are due March 1st!

Thanks to Lorraine and May for joining us on the podcast!

-Lainey

LLF Staff Suggestions for the March LibraryReads List

Hello, librarians!

With every new year, comes new books. We cannot wait to tell you about upcoming books from the 2022 Summer/Fall seasons at our upcoming buzz on January 13th from 1-3 PM ET. Be sure to RSVP here.

You will also find our staff reading suggestions for the March LibraryReads List below. Reminder: votes for the March LibraryReads List are due February 1st.

Happy new year!

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Essie)

Her Last Affair by John Searles

“John Searles brings the misfits among us to life with the clarity of Carson McCullers—and then scares us with the brilliance of Stephen King. Her Last Affair is a perfect, page-turning example of the heart and horror that makes me love his work so very, very much."
—Chris Bohjalian, #1 Bestselling Author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

John Searles will be speaking at our January 13th buzz! Watch a video from John below:

Sign up for our buzz here!

 

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

"The Cartographers is a story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire, the sort of people who would do anything to find them, and the joy, regret, and possibility they bring. A vastly rich experience. I loved this book."
—Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

“Crack-shot novelist Kate Quinn’s aim is dead on in The Diamond Eye. Based on the true story of a Soviet female sniper who killed more than three hundred German soldiers and then befriended Eleanor Roosevelt, Quinn’s suspenseful narrative rings with deep understanding of long-range riflery, U.S. politics early in WWII, and the heartache of a woman on the front lines of combat.”
—Mark Sullivan, bestselling author of The Last Green Valley and Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Last Suspicious Holdout by Ladee Hubbard

“Short stories brimming with societal nuance and human complexity offer a penetrating overview of urban Black America near the turn of the 21st century.... Hubbard’s eyes and ears are in superb working order as she tells this besieged community’s life story.”
—Kirkus ⭐️ review 

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer

“Meltzer likes his conspiracy stories, and he puts a lot of work into them, but he seems to love his characters just as much. Zig and Nola are two of his strongest characters, and it feels like there are plenty more stories to be told about them.”
—Booklist

“The Lightning Rod is my favorite Brad Meltzer novel—so far—and that’s high, high praise. The book is a one-of-a-kind thrill ride with half a dozen memorable characters. My personal favorite is Zig, but Waggs, Roddy and Nola aren’t far behind.”
—James Patterson

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper

"In this heart-stopping tale of courage and resilience during WW2, Elise Hooper brings the remarkable true story of army nurses, the Angels of Bataan, into the hands and hearts of her readers. Through compulsive, dramatic and tender prose, rich in details of place and time, Hooper expertly handles the unique complexities of the war in the Pacific and the struggles of those caught up in it. Her characters, Tess and Flor, demand the pages to be turned, and their story to be told. This is historical fiction to devour, to inform, and to press into the hands of your friends."
—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

“Myers brilliantly seduces us with her setting—a North Carolina town of beautiful socialites, opulent dresses, and elegant soirees—before revealing a terrible secret that threatens the entire community. This is a story of courage, of women willing to take a stand in the face of corporate greed, and most definitely a tale for our times.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

“Debut novelist Myers sets her activist novel in 1946, but the causes of workers’ and women’s rights are timeless.”
—Booklist

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
Request the ALC on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

Watch Adele Myers on Door to Door:

 

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

Nisha Sharma’s hilarious new romantic comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew features a love-phobic TV doctor who must convince a love-obsessed homebody they are destined to be together.

"Nisha Sharma's Dating Dr. Dil is what would happen if you put all my favorite romantic comedy tropes into a blender: a frothy, snarky, hilarious treat with a gooey, heartwarming center. The perfect addition to any rom-com lover's shelf."
—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams

The author of The Secret Women tells the story of a brave and enduring woman as indomitable as Ernest Gaines’ legendary Miss Jane Pittman, in a breathtaking novel that combines the epic romance and adventure of Outlander, the sweeping drama of Roots, and the haunting historical power of Barracoon.

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi

The New York Times bestselling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran returns with a guide to the power of literature in turbulent times, arming readers with a resistance reading list, ranging from James Baldwin to Zora Neale Hurston to Margaret Atwood.

"[A] stunning look at the power of reading.... Nafisi's prose is razor-sharp, and her analysis lands on a hopeful note.... This excellent collection provokes and inspires at every turn."
—Publishers Weekly ⭐️ review 

Request the egalley Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

“Swanson again takes the idea of fiction as homage to deliriously vertiginous new heights… While the tension mounts deliciously as we wonder if there will be any survivors, the real fascination here is the explanation itself—and what it reveals about the cancerous effects of guilt and obsession.”
—Booklist ⭐️review 

“Swanson (Every Vow You Break) neatly riffs on Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None in this taut thriller…. This is a well-crafted page-turner.”
—Publishers Weekly

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

"Bailey’s plot is fast paced with plenty of humor laced throughout. Fox and Hannah are well-developed, likable characters with emotional depth that will resonate; they have a lot to overcome, but readers will be rooting for them." 
—Library Journal ⭐️ review 

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

“Incredibly fast-paced and savvy, Lisa Barr takes readers into the high stakes world of art theft through the eyes of a young, gutsy journalist. Thick with history, scandal, romance and deceit, Woman on Fire is a truly compulsive read.”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. by Lee Kravetz

"The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. is a fascinating and absorbing kaleidoscopic novel and a tender portrait of Sylvia Plath that, like the hand-written manuscript of The Bell Jar at the center of the novel, offers the reader more than one compelling picture, and point of view, of the poet. A literary page turner."
—Kate Hope Day, author of In the Quick

"Kravetz’s debut novel is a compelling literary mystery that explores the creation of poet Sylvia Plath’s only novel.... Writing about real literary figures can be tricky, especially if their descendants are still living, but the author brings his characters, both imagined and historical, to life with sensitivity."
—Kirkus Reviews

Request the egalley on Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan

"Deliciously disturbing and terrifyingly twisted, The Long Weekend is a stunning thriller about jealousy, obsession, secrets, and trauma that threaten to destroy a tight-knit group of close friends. Gilly Macmillan has created a haunting setting that is as frightening as the horror awaiting the characters, and her brilliant pacing will keep you on edge from the first page to the last. A riveting read!"
—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

Request the egalley Edelweiss+
Request the egalley on NetGalley
LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2022

 

Click here for more great March reads!

 

The deadline to submit your votes is February 1st!

***

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

-Lainey