Author name: Library Love Fest

In his book, Until Tuesday, Luis Carlos Montalvan, a retired U.S. Army Captain, explains how Tuesday, a professionally trained service dog, has helped him recover from severe physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Montalvan recently spoke on CNN "America Morning" about his relationship with Tuesday and how man and dog live and work together to heal.  Watch the video here.  

-Annie

PS: Tuesday is a beautiful retriever and when he does the cuddle command…so sweet!

Get a load of that cover!  But even more excellent is the buzz Elizabeth Boyle's new book is getting.  Booklist's starred review says:

Lord Langley is back in London, but not everyone is thrilled with his unexpected return. Minerva Hartley Sterling is especially cranky, since not only has Langley’s collection of continental courtesans taken up residence at her townhouse to wait for him, but when Langley does finally turn up, it is in Minerva’s bedchamber, where he then has the audacity to claim he and Minerva are “engaged.” Left for dead and denounced as a traitor, Langley knows he only has only one chance of discovering who betrayed him in the Foreign Office. And he’s certain that the best way to stay alive is to hide in plain sight with his brand new fiancée—a plan that makes perfect sense unless, of course, Minerva decides to kill him herself. RITA Award–winning Boyle brings her Widows of Standon trilogy to a richly rewarding conclusion with an exquisitely crafted tale brimming with scintillating wit and luscious sensuality. With its irresistible combination of clever plotting and captivating characters (including a quarreling quintet of “Nannies” who threaten to steal the whole show), Lord Langley Is Back in Town is dazzling. –John Charles

Want to be dazzled? First 10 commenters get their own copy!

-Annie

Long before she became an acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, Robin Hobb began her writing career to great acclaim under the name Megan Lindholm. Though they derive from the same imagination, Hobb and Lindholm are separate, diverse identities.  "They may use the same battered keyboard, the one with the letters worn off the buttons. But they are not the same author, but rather two writers with different styles, issues and choices of tale,” Hobb/Lindholm explains.  The Inheritance brings together the diverse imagination of this award-winning writer for the first time, featuring classic and new short works under both names.

Booklist has given the book a starred review and proclaims it, "an engaging, entertaining introduction to both sides of the author’s work.”

The May issue of O Magazine (side note: only 17 shows left, so get DVR-ing) has a spread on the Top 5 Feminist Classic to (Re)read, and top among them is Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston's classic.  Stephanie Staal writes:

"I was first introduced to Zora Neale Hurston, one of the major figures of the Harlem Renaissance, when I transferred to Barnard. A Barnard alumna, Hurston also majored in anthropology, studying with Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, and fellow student Margaret Mead during the 1920s. After reading her groundbreaking nonfiction and ethnographic works—Mules and Men and Tell My Horse—I eagerly picked up this novel, which follows the life and loves of an African-American woman named Janie Crawford. I love this book, not only because it offers a poetic glimpse into a black woman's experience during a particular time and place (the narrative is written partly in dialect), but also because Hurston so masterfully reveals the universal tangle of emotions we experience in human relationships."

To check out the entire article, click here.

-Annie

BARNABY!!

We have a winner…Amy's suggestion of Books, Booze and Barnaby won our hearts, and got her a copy of How to Booze by Jordan Kaye. Congratulations, Amy!! 

Now that Barnaby is happily named, we will start to implement our new feature.  Keep an eye out for our inaugural boozy, book gab session!

-Annie

In honor of Harper Lee's birthday, Ken Davis has some To Kill a Mockingbird trivia questions for you to answer over on Don't Know Much.  So go ahead and test your knowledge of this classic…you're not chicken, are you? (too many bird references??)  

If you'd like to read about how this book influenced the lives of some pretty influential people, check out Scout, Atticus and Boo, in which filmmaker Mary Murphy interviews the likes of Oprah, Anna Quindlen, and Tom Brokaw to learn how the book made an impression on their lives.

-Annie

I’m so happy.  One of my favorite writers, Willy Vlautin, received the very cool news that his book LEAN ON PETE, has received two Oregon Book Awards: the Reader’s Choice Award and the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction. The Oregon Book Awards are presented annually for the finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. For more information, including a complete list of winners, please click through.

This is such great news.  Willy Vlautin is a terrific novelist.  If you haven’t read him yet, you’re missing out. Follow this link to learn more about his  books.

The first 15 people who write back will receive a copy of any one of the three books Mr. Vlautin has published with HarperCollins. Just tell us which title you’d like. All three are really wonderful so you can’t go wrong!

Enjoy! And congratulations, Willy!

-Virginia

Conor Grennan, author of Little Princes, has written an article for Huffington Post about the events surrounding Greg Mortenson and the possible fabrication of parts of his book, Three Cups of Tea.  Grennan implores readers not to lose focus on the thousands of girls in Afghanistan that Mortenson's efforts have helped, and if possible, continue to support their education in some way.  

As the founder of a non-profit organization that reunites trafficked Nepalese children with their families, Grennan knows first hand how important it is to continue this kind of unselfish work, even if you have lost faith in a single man.  

For another inspiring tale of woman in Afghanistan, you should read Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana. It's a beautiful story of strength, perseverance and hope in a place that has seemingly been forsaken.  

-Annie 

Hi Friends!  We here at Library Love Fest are working on implementing a new blog feature and we need your help with a critical element: naming our mascot.  Isn't he dapper??

The new feature will be called Books, Booze and _____________, and with his help we will bring you new books to enjoy whilst sipping on some delicious drinks (of the adult variety). To keep with the alliteration, we are looking for B names only, but feel free to explore your creative side.  Contest ends at 5pm on Thursday, April 28.  The winner will receive a copy of How To Booze by Jordan Kaye, but just so you are all winners, here is an awesome old school recipe for punch from the South Carolina Historical Society (disclaimer: LLF is not responsible for any and all actions taken while imbibing in said punch).

"The necessary ingredients are two bottles of brandy, one bottle of Jamaica Rum, one half-bottle of Curacoa [sic] Cordial, one quart-bottle green tea (not strong), the juice of one dozen lemons, two and a half to three pounds of sugar.

Dissolve the sugar in the tea, and add the lemon juice, then pour the other ingredients in indiscriminately. A large lump of ice should be placed in the punch-bowl, but not until just before serving, as a melting of the ice weakens and harms the flavor of the punch.

That familiar motto seen at all railroad crossings, "Stop, Look, Listen" is very appropriate to a bowl of this punch, as it is pleasant to the taste, but very insidious in its effects."

ENJOY!

-Annie

Ok, so maybe the title of this post is a tad cheese, but I know there are lots of fans of a good romance out there, and Sarah MacLean provides another one in the final installment in the Love by Numbers series.  Booklist's starred review says 11 Scandals has:

"All of the elements[…]from clever plotting to a perfectly matched hero and heroine, well-conceived secondary characters, and an abundance of scintillating comedy and sexy romance.”

And Library Journal agrees!

"Witty and deeply involving, MacLean’s latest should not be missed."

You know what else should not be missed?  The book trailer for 11 Scandals…it's playful and fun and gives you an excellent preview of the scandalous and engaging story.

Want to win a copy? Of course you do!  First 10 commenters to tell me who their favorite famous couple is, get one!

-Annie

Today marks the end of our Agatha Christie Trivia week. Thank you for playing and congratulations to all the winners!  You can expect your prizes in 2-3 weeks.  And not to lose sight of why we did this in the first place…I hope you all celebrated National Library Week in style.  Did you participate in any of the events that went on, Rock the Drop for Teen Literacy, Library Workers Day, etc?  Leave a comment and let us know what you did!

Ok, enough babbling…here is the final question (it's an easy one cause I like you and it's Friday). Remember first 5 people to email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com win!

In which novel did Miss Marple first appear?

-Annie

***UPDATE

Emails received, winners awarded, answer is…

Ok trivia all-stars, today's question is a bit tricky, but I have complete faith in your abilities to answer correctly.  Remember, EMAIL answers to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com, and thanks for playing!

Superintendent Battle made several appearances in Agatha Christie's books.  What was his first name?

-Annie

***UPDATE

Today's game is now closed. Congratulations to the winners who knew that Superintendent Battle's name was…

NEVER REVEALED!

First, I want to thank you guys for participating in this game!  Coming up with questions has been really fun for me, so I hope you have all enjoyed them as well. On this gloomy day (in NYC anyway), let's brighten things up with a spot of tea, shall we?

How many cups of tea did Miss Marple drink over the 12 novels and 20 short stories in which she appeared?

Remember, first 5 people to EMAIL librarylovefest@harpercollins.com win!

-Annie

You guys, our lovely Kayleigh George was viciously attacked by a yellow jacket while setting up the booth (#1824 – go visit!) at TLA today.  How sad does she look??  If you are planning on attending the conference please stop by and say hello, it will make her feel much better.  Some suggested remedies have been vinegar, bleach or wet tobacco (ummm)…anyone have any other ideas for easing the pain?

And in the spirit of the delirium caused by unloading thousands of books and having bee goop running through your veins, lets have fun with titles (all of which can be found at the booth).

– Every Bee Loves You When You're Dead               
– There Is No Bee
– The Bee in the Gazebo                                    
- Bee Season   
– Every Bee Here is the Best Bee Ever                    
- Against All Bees
– The Beekeeper of Khair Khana                            
– Bee of Deception 

-Annie                

Hello Lovelies, Happy National Library Week!  What things are you doing to celebrate?  Asides from partaking in our Agatha Christie giveaway extravaganza of course. Without further ado, here is the first question in this week's trivia game.

Drumroll please…..

In which Miss Marple novel is Little Paddocks featured?

Remember, first 5 commenters with the right answer win the goodie bags.  Good luck!

-Annie

***UPDATE

Today's game is now concluded. Tune is tomorrow for Day 2.  The answer was:

So much winning this morning!

Congratulations to Jacqueline Winspear! Her novel, The Mapping of Love and Death, has won the Left Coast Crime’s Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award. The award honors the best historical (events prior to 1950) mystery published during the previous year. Check out all the details.

-Annie