Author name: Library Love Fest

American Library Association, Books, Elizabeth Beckwith, Libraries, Parenting, Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation, The Huffington Post

He’ll Go Down in History: The Re-Examined Story Of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

9780061759574 If you attended ALTAFF's The Laugh's on Us program at ALA in Chicago, you might remember the hilarious comedienne Elizabeth Beckwith, author of Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation, which we've blogged about here.  She had the entire room in stitches–I remember actually gasping for breath because I was laughing so hard.  So of course, I was super-excited to see her holiday-themed post for The Huffington Post.  It's worth a read, just for the following quote alone:

"'Christmas Town is very political, you have to kiss a lot of ass, and it's very unforgiving toward misfits. It's the dirty little secret that nobody talks about,' Blitzen remarked before sullenly finishing his drink."

 Happy Friday! 

-Kayleigh

Books, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Libraries, Race, Relationships, Slavery, Wench, Women

Happy Friday!

Wench hc c When I was on vacation recently, I had the opportunity to read a fascinating and eye-opening book.  Wench, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (on sale in January 2010) is the story of three female slave mistresses and the friendship they built despite living in a period of oppression.  Every summer, slaveholders would take their slave mistresses to a place called “Tawawa House”, a resort in Ohio that had a main building and several cottages where the slave master and slave mistress would co-exist as a couple.  It was very well known, yet a very well kept secret.

Wench focuses on three women, Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet, who each year along with their slave masters would reside in Tawawa House.  These women built a lasting bond and always looked forward to seeing each other.  They were content and enjoyed their time at Tawawa House…they were in short, “happy”…or so they thought.   Along comes a fourth slave mistress named Mawu, who rocks their standard way of living and thinking.  She also plants the idea of something very forbidden…escape to freedom.  When a tragedy strikes the resort, the lives of Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet are never quite the same.

What I appreciated about Wench is the way in which the author really captured the lives and thoughts of these women.  Dolen Perkins-Valdez removes their masks and taps into their very soul.  It made you see that (in their minds) they confused little liberties with being truly happy and free.  While they may have had the ability to read (a skill that slaves were not allowed to have) or didn’t have to do as many chores as the other slaves on the plantation, they were still dehumanized and degraded.  In addition, this book really made you feel like you were there in that period of our country’s history, experiencing the highs and many lows in their lives.  I could not put this book down. 

I am SO excited about this book that I would love to hear your comments.  I will send free copies of Wench to the 12 lucky people who send us a comment or an email at librarylovefest at harpercollins dot com.  If you would be so kind as to send a brief review of the book, I would greatly appreciate it!  I hope you find Wench as revealing and heartbreaking as I have.

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Alcoholism, Books, Catholicism, Cherry, Family, Lit, Mary Karr, Memoir, New York Times, The Liars' Club

Lit (in more ways than one!)

9780060596989 You might have heard a little something in print, or cyberspace, about the New York Times' list of the 10 Best Books of 2009.  Here at Harper, it was a major thrill to see that Mary Karr's white-hot memoir, Lit, made the list. The New York Times writes:

This sequel to “The Liars’ Club” and “Cherry” is also a master class on the art of the memoir. Mordantly funny, free of both self-pity and sentimentality, Karr describes her attempts to untether herself from her troubled family in rural Texas, her development as a poet and writer, and her struggles to navigate marriage and young motherhood even as she descends into alcoholism. 

Browse inside the book and click here for the full Top 10.

-Kayleigh

Books, Cooking, Food and Drink, Katherine Hall Page, Mystery/Suspense, The Body in the Sleigh

Reader Review: The Body in the Sleigh

9780061474255 We've been getting in some great reviews of Katherine Hall Page's The Body in the Sleigh.  Here's the latest, from Melissa Stream (Madison, WI):

"I received a copy of this book a few weeks ago and loved it. I haven't read any other books in this series by Katherine Hall Page; I'm excited to find a new author with lots of books she's written already for me to catch up on. The story was just suspenseful enough, but I was appreciative of the author to leave out excessive gore and violence. The story was rich around Faith's family and I fell in love with Mary and her goats. To be presented with such a gift out of the blue, she handled it with grace and almost gratitude, and not to mention she was a natural! I looked forward to breaks at work and quiet time at home when I could get wrapped up in this cozy novel!

Thanks so much for the book!"

For more reader reviews, and the original book/review swap post, click here

Books, Cooking, Katherine Hall Page, Libraries, Mystery/Suspense, The Body in the Sleigh

The Body in the Sleigh

9780061474255 We are loving Katherine Hall Page's latest, The Body in the Sleigh, and so are librarians! Check out this fantastic review from our book review/book swap:

"What's more delicious than a good, old-school mystery? How about a divine "whodunit" filled with delectable descriptions of scrumptious meals with recipes for some of the best included? Katherine Hall Page's 18th Faith Fairchild mystery The Body in the Sleigh incorporates her tried and true ingredients to produce yet another page turner worth sinking your teeth into. Naturally there is "the body in the sleigh" but there's also a feast of suspects to keep you guessing, a few families that you'll wish you could spend holiday dinner with, a wintery setting that will make you want to cozy up by the fire with a hot drink, and a baby that appears mysteriously in a manger on Christmas Eve. All in all, this was a mouthwatering read that will leave you hungry for more!"

Lisa Kent
Library Secretary
Lakes Community High School

Books, Death Row, Family, Foster Care System, Inspiration, Jarvis Jay Masters, Libraries, Memoir, Prison, Relationships

That Bird Has My Wings

That Bird has my Wings hc c Earlier in the year, I blogged about a book entitled, That Bird Has My Wings: the Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row, by Jarvis Jay Masters.  That Bird Has My Wings is a compelling memoir about a man who endured an extremely hard life and is now on death row.  Check out my article.

We received a great review from Zandra Blake, Teen and Public Services Librarian for the Capital Area District Library.  Here is the link.

Many thanks to Zandra and everyone at the Capital Area District Library for featuring That Bird Has My Wings on your blog!  I hope you add That Bird Has My Wings to your reading list.

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Barbara Graham, Books, Eye of My Heart, Family, Grandparents, Happiness, Inspiration, Libraries, Life Lessons, Relationships

Tune-in to Author Barbara Graham on Good Morning America! (New date and time)

EyeOfMyHeart hc c Yesterday, I posted about author Barbara Graham and her book, Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Bring a Grandmother

Barbara Graham's segment on ABC's Good Morning America, has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2009. This is definitely something you don't want to miss!

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Barbara Graham, Books, Eye of My Heart, Family, Grandparents, Happiness, Inspiration, Libraries, Life Lessons

Author Barbara Graham to be Featured on Good Morning America!

EyeOfMyHeart hc c Earlier this year, Virginia wrote a post and added a video from HarperCollins author Barbara Graham, talking about her book Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a GrandmotherCheck out Virginia’s post and the author video here.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow morning (November 13) to ABC’s Good Morning America as Barbara Graham will be interviewed by Annie Pleshette Murphy, the parenting expert on the show.  Barbara will be talking about difficult relationships between grandmothers on the parental side and their daughter-in-laws as well as her book Eye of My HeartDon’t miss it!

Enjoy!

-Bobby

American Library Association, Books, Celebrities, Diahann Carroll, Family, Happiness, Inspiration, Libraries, Marriage, Memoir, Race, Relationships, Television, The Legs Are The Last to Go, Wendy Williams Show, Women

The Legs Are The Last to Go!

LegsAreTheLast hc c We at HarperCollins were thrilled to publish The Legs Are The Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way by the legendary Diahann Carroll.  Some of you may have had the opportunity to see her at the Closing Session of the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.  In her book, she gives us a candid look at her life and everything she has had to overcome to be the success that she still remains today…a true inspiration for us all!  The buzz on Ms. Carroll (what I like to call her) continues!  Make sure you tune in tomorrow (November 13) to The Wendy Williams Show for Wendy's interview with Diahann Carroll.  Please check your local listings for time and channel.  This is definitely something you will not want to miss!

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Airport, Bargains, Books, Business, Current Affairs, Food and Drink, Happiness, Libraries, Money, Shopping, Travel, Vacation

“Wild Wednesday” Madness

Buy Ketchup pb c As you all know, we here at HarperLibrary are just WILD about our books.  We get even wilder when it comes to sharing them with you.  I have to tell you about this book…it is full of useful tips and information that I know will make your lives just a little easier.

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon:  A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, by Mark Di Vincenzo (on sale now) is a fascinating book that gives you information on everything you could possibly imagine…and a few things you didn’t.  Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon is a complete guide that tells you the best time of the day, week, month or year to do just about everything.  Whether you are contemplating the best evening to catch your favorite play or the best season to buy your favorite fruit, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon will help you make the best decision that will comfort your mind and your wallet!

I enjoyed Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon so much that I just had to share some of the tips Mark Di Vincenzo provides with you.  Here are a few my favorites (with a brief description):

1. When is the best time of the day to buy shoes? (My all time favorite…you all know why!)
Late afternoon.  That’s when your feet have swelled and are at their largest size. Buying shoes in the late afternoon means they'll fit just fine in the morning when your feet are at their smallest.

2. When is the best time of the month to buy a car?
The end.  That’s when dealerships are most desperate to make their quotas.

3. When is the best day of the week to eat dinner out?
Tuesday.  Most restaurants don’t receive deliveries on Saturdays and Sundays and many are closed on Mondays…food deliveries start early in the week, so the food served on Tuesday is fresh.

4. When is the best time to go to a Department of Motor Vehicle Office?
Midmorning, mid-afternoon, middle of the week, and middle of the month.  The worst time of the month is the end…the worst day of the week is Saturday.

5. When is the best month to buy toys?
October or November.  New toys often arrive in stores in September, and retailers will wait a few weeks before lowering prices to try to beat their competitors’ prices.

6. Which is the best day of the week to shop for airline tickets?
Monday or Tuesday.  That’s when airlines often lower fares, and in fact, Tuesday is when most travelers buy tickets. Airlines raise fares later in the week.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Given the times we live in…an uncertain economy, over the top prices and no clear end to it all, this book gives us ways to make life easier and hopefully better. 

I am SO wild about this book that I would love to hear your comments.  I will send free copies to the 25 lucky people who send us a comment or an email at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com  If you would be so kind as to send a brief review of the book, I would greatly appreciate it!  I hope you find Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon as informative and entertaining as I have.

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Books, Collection Development, Libraries, Marilyn Johnson, The Desk Set, This Book is Overdue!

This Book is Overdue!

ThisBookIsOverdue hc c The buzz continues to grow for This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson.   Due out in February, this book explores the role of librarians today and focuses on the increasing demands to keep up with the onslaught of new technology.  This book is an homage to librarians everywhere – and it is long overdue! Check out this interesting Q&A the author did with The Desk Set, a site written by ‘a group of New York City area librarians, archivists, bibliophiles and other bookish types,’ and be sure to read the first chapter here.  
 
-Virginia

Blog Talk Radio, Booklist, Jeffrey Ford, Kirkus, The Drowned Life, The Shadow Year

Jeffrey Ford book giveaway!

9780061231537 Jeffrey Ford, one of my favorite authors here at Harper, won two World Fantasy Awards at this past weekend’s World Fantasy Convention. The Shadow Year won for Best Novel and The Drowned Life won for Best Collection.

The Shadow Year is a terrific coming of age story set in Long island, NY in the 1970s.  It’s quirky, edgy and humorous with just enough fantasy thrown in to keep you turning the pages (I’m not the audience for fantasy fiction and I absolutely loved this book.) The Shadow Year received a starred Kirkusreview (”Properly creepy, but from time to time deliciously funny and heart-breakingly poignant, too…this is not to be missed,”) and Booklist hailed it as “[s]urreal, unsettling, and more than a little weird. Ford has a rare gift for evoking mood with just a few well-chosen words and for creating living, breathing characters with only a few lines of dialogue.”

If you haven’t read Mr. Ford yet, do yourself a favor, start!  In fact, send an email to me at librarylovefest dot harpercollins dot com and I’ll send you a copy of The Shadow Year.  All I ask in return is a brief review of the book!

Check out my interview with Jeffrey Ford on Blog Talk Radio which aired February 2009.

Congratulations, Jeffrey Ford!

For more information, including a complete list of winning titles, please visit: http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/

-Virginia

Books, Katie Pearl, Nancy Pearl

Nancy Pearl Benefit Brunch

Nancy pearl Nancy Pearl, everyone’s favorite librarian action figure and all-around amazing booktalker is going to be the guest of honor at a fundraising brunch in Brooklyn, NY! The event is a benefit for a new show entitled Terrible Things which is about Nancy’s pre-action figure life!  The show is written by and starring her daughter, Katie Pearl. See below for more info on the benefit and the show!

You are invited to Brunch with
Nancy Pearl

Librarian, Action Figure, and Book Recommender to the World!

Saturday November 21st 11-1:30pm
   At the Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn Heights, NY

   To benefit the upcoming production of
TERRIBLE THINGS
   A new performance by Katie Pearl and Lisa D’Amour
   Premiering 12/4-12/20 at Performance Space 122, NYC
  

When you join us, you will:
Feast on local eats, coffee and cocktails
Indulge in book lust and conversation with Nancy Pearl
Luxuriate in the Cathedral-esque wonderland of the historic Packer School
SNEAK-A-PEAK at Nancy's OBIE Award-winning daughter's new performance, featuring stories from Nancy's pre-action figure life!

TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE BENEFIT BRUNCH WITH NANCY, CLICK HERE:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87806
 
Ticket Information:
$35 – one ticket to the benefit ($20 rate available for students, artists, and the unemployed)
$50 – one ticket to the benefit, PLUS a ticket to opening weekend of TERRIBLE THINGS
$85 (15% off!) – two tickets to the benefit, PLUS two tickets to opening weekend of TERRIBLE THINGS
$250 – two tickets to the benefit, two tickets to any night of TERRIBLE THINGS, plus a one-on-one get together with Nancy!
   

The OBIE-Award winning team of PearlDamour turns PS122 into a low-rent IMAX in their newest dance theater piece TERRIBLE THINGS. Let them take you on a T-R-I-P inside the quarks, molecules, and memories of  Katie Pearl and her Action Figure Mom.  CLICK HERE for more info on the show, or visit us at PearlDarmour.com.

Hope to see you there!
-Virginia

Blog Talk Radio, Books, Katherine Hall Page, The Body in the Sleigh

Katherine Hall Page Book Giveaway!

I had a terrific conversation with mystery writer Katherine Hall Page on Blog Talk Radio.  Her new book, The Body in the Sleigh just went on sale and readers are loving it. Check out the great review below:

A great conversation with Katherine Hall Page yesterday.  I read the ARC of this last month (thanks, Bobby) and as always, the best cozy mysteries of the year.  The setting provides the perfect backdrop, the mystery clever and not pat, Faith is charming and manages to balance self, children, husband, a business and still have time to help neighbors in need.  The careful attention to details, such as about raising goats, add so much to the story. Not to be missed!

Jennifer M. Winberry, Principal Librarian
Extension Services, Acquisitions, Programming
Hunterdon County Library

We’d love to hear what you think!  We’ll gladly send a complimentary copy of The Body in the Sleigh to you in exchange for a review.

Thanks!
-Virginia

31 Bond Street, AAP, Beautiful Maria of My Soul, Book Buzz, Brava, Valentine, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Ellen Horan, Husband and Wife, Isabel Allende, Island Beneath the Sea, Jacqueline Winspear, Leah Stewart, Louise Erdrich, Maisie Dobbs, Making Toast, Marilyn Johnson, Noah Boyd, Oscar Hijuelos, Roger Rosenblatt, Shadow Tag, The Bricklayer, The Mapping of Love and Death, The Myth of You and Me, This Book is Overdue!, Wench

AAP Spring 2010 Book Buzz

ThisBookIsOverdue hc c It was great seeing old friends and making new ones at last week’s AAP Book Buzz here in NYC.  The AAP Library Committee is comprised of library marketers from various publishing houses. We get together several times a year to brainstorm about different ways we can connect our authors and books to libraries.  We decided to invite librarians from the tri-state area and barrage them with book talks and sandwiches!  It worked – we all had a lot of fun and it was a great opportunity to talk about some upcoming books that have us jazzed  (there’s just never enough time to talk about them all!)

Marilyn Johnson, author of the upcoming This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All kicked off the event with a brief talk about the increasing demands on librarians to keep up with the onslaught of new technology.  This book is an homage to librarians everywhere – and it is long overdue!

If anyone is interested in a galley of This Book Is Overdue, I have a few to spare.  Send an email to me at librarylovefest at harpercollins dot com and I’ll be happy to send one to you. 

Here is a list of the books I had presented.  Clicking on each title will bring you to its page in our online catalog.  Note: a few of these titles won't hit our catalogs until the beginning of November, so we've put them at the end of the list.  Happy reading!

-Virginia

Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt

Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich

The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd

31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani


Blog Talk Radio, Books, Cooking, Katherine Hall Page, Libraries, The Body in the Sleigh

The Body in the Sleigh

9780061474255 The Body in the Sleigh, Katherine Hall Page’s 18th book in the Faith Fairchild mystery series goes on sale today.

This is a terrific page-turner that’ll keep you in your seat. Aside from the terrific plot, beautiful setting, wonderful characters and yummy easy-to-make recipes, the book has one more thing going for it:

It’s dedicated to librarians.

Read Katherine’s love letter to librarians which appears at the back of The Body in the Sleigh as well as on her website.  It’s heartfelt and beautiful.

If you’d like to write a review of this book, send us an email at librarylovefest dot harpercollins dot com and we’ll send you a copy.  I’ll be speaking with the author later today (Tuesday, October 27th at 3:00pm EST) on  Blog Talk Radio.  Write or call in with a question for Katherine, and be sure to register before the show starts.

Hope you can listen in. Thanks!

-Virginia

Books, Libraries

This Book is Overdue!

ThisBookIsOverdue hc c Are librarians irrelevant in the age of Google? Hell no. After years hanging out with a wide variety of librarians, Marilyn Johnson, author of the upcoming THIS BOOK IS OVERDUE!  How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All is convinced that the profession is more vital than ever.  We need libraries that embrace books and bytes — that preserve the best of the past and help us keep pace with technology –and we need all you smart, savvy, connected librarians to help us organize and navigate them. Johnson, author of the entertaining and award-winning The Dead Beat, has written a lively and informative book about librarians in the digital age and talks about some of the (wildly) creative librarians she found who are meeting its challenges. 
 
We’re thrilled to have this book on our list.  Take a look at the first chapter and tell us what you think.  We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

-Virginia

Books, Brooklyn Public Library, Family, Libraries, Life Lessons, Manhood for Amateurs, Marriage, Memoir, Michael Chabon, Padgett Powell, Pittsburgh, Relationships, Religion, The Interrogative Mood, The Roaring 20s

Manhood for Amateurs

9780061490187 A couple of weeks ago, I was determined to see Michael Chabon during the New York leg of his book tour for Manhood for Amateurs.  (As you can see here and here, I'm a huge fan of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.)  So it wasn't a big deal for me to hop on the 2/3 and make the hour-long trek into the deep reaches of Brooklyn.  Chabon gave a wonderful talk on non-fiction writing, reading a few essays from Manhood for Amateurs, which manages to be insightful, wonderfully written, and truly poignant.  He took questions from the audience at the tail-end of the event, and even mentioned an idea he has for a book based on the life of Queen's Freddie Mercury.  (Fingers crossed!)

The talk is part of a Brooklyn Public Library series curated by editor Matt Weiland on the Art of Non-Fiction.  The next event, this Thursday night, features Padgett Powell, author of The Interrogative Mood.  For more info on the series, click here.  And while you're at it, be sure to browse inside Manhood for Amateurs.  You can also read one of the essays here courtesy of the New York Review of Books. 

-Kayleigh  

Airplane, Books, Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, Current Affairs, Highest Duty, Inspiration, Libraries, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Memoir, New York

Highest Duty, Amazing Video

9780061924682 By now just about everyone has seen the surreal footage of the US Airways plane that glided into the icy waters of the Hudson River in New York City last January in an emergency landing.   We saw the passengers standing on the wings of the plane – knee deep in water – waiting to be pulled into the boats that immediately converged on the scene.  It’s hard not to imagine what it must’ve been like for the passengers on that plane.   Harder still would be to imagine what it was like to be the man at the controls of that plane.

In his new book Highest Duty, Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways flight 1549, details not only the events of that unforgettable day, but he also reveals the inner workings of his life: where he comes from, his military background, and the important people, places, and events that have shaped him. Sully has a very strong work ethic and has always pushed himself to achieve excellence in every endeavor.

FYI…a few weeks after the crash, Sully discovered that he’d lost a library book about professional ethics, Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability, in the downed plane’s cargo hold. When he called the library to notify them, they waived the usual fees. Mayor Michael Bloomberg replaced the book when he gave Sully the Key to the City in a New York ceremony.  Check out this great video and fasten your seatbelts.  This is quite the story…

-Virginia

1970s, Baseball, Books, Celebrities, Cincinnati Reds, Happiness, Joe Posnanski, Ken Griffey Sr, Libraries, Pete Rose, Sports

The Machine

MachineHC c Attention all you sports fans!  Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with this exciting book by Joe Posnanski.  The Machine, on sale now takes a look at the 1975 Cincinnati Reds.  Considered one of the greatest teams in baseball history, The Machine explores everything the team went through to gain that status…the highs, the lows, the fights and the victories.  

Also, check out this great review from Brad Allen, Adult Services Supervisor for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.  Here is the link:   http://tinyurl.com/yjzkc8q

Many thanks to Brad and everyone at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library!   I hope The Machine brings back fond memories of yesteryear or gives you the motivation to cheer on your favorite team.

Enjoy,

-Bobby
(GO YANKEES!)

Just Because

Fridays are for matching?

Here on the 23rd floor, we seem to have an odd habit of dressing alike.  Yesterday, for instance, all of us were wearing a combination of grey and black.  From left to right: Diane, Bobby, Virginia, me, and Lauren…

Photo

Then today, we arrived in our casual Friday finest…and realized we were all wearing blue shirts with jeans.  We're all individuals here, and we have very different taste (especially in books)…yet our clothing has become syncronized.  What do you think? Weird enough to make the X Files? Could it be something in the water cooler?

Photo2

Happy Friday!

-Kayleigh

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