I’ll take a large fiction, and diet non-fiction and a side of poetry to go, please! Check out what Houston Public Library is up to…
-Virginia
Yesterday I was reading Avon's blog, avonromanceblog.blogspot.com, and saw editor extraordinaire Lucia Macro's post on random things about herself. Our department was inspired, so this week we'll be posting lists of 10 random things you might not know about us. I'm up first, so here goes!
1) I am a music snob, but I have been known to loop Lady Gaga during big projects throughout the day. Pa-pa-pa-poker face.
2) I was a library page in high school and had nicknames for our craziest patrons.
3) I lived in Spain for 5 months, but didn’t really like Spanish food until I left.
4) I watched too much Masterpiece Theater as a teen, and had a fake English accent through most of high school.
5) I won’t read chick lit, but I will watch any chick flick that’s ever been made. Even 27 Dresses.
6) In college, my honors thesis was a collection of poetry.
7) Bourbon is my favorite drink, with whiskey a close second.
8) I have a cut-out of True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård pasted to the wall of my cubicle.
9) I worked at a hedge fund for 6 weeks. One of my duties consisted of buying my boss marzipan and jelly beans.
10) I love doing obscure impersonations. My best might be Gloria Swanson from Sunset Boulevard. “No one leaves a staaaar! That’s what makes them a staaaar!”
For more random things about me, including some tragic photo-shopping accidents, check out The Roaring 20s.
-Kayleigh
Check out this librarian who found the perfect hobby and, in doing so, did her part to obliterate the tired old stereotype of the meek librarian.(I just love that she wears number 796.21 on her uniform: the Dewey Decimal library index number for skating.)
-Virginia
We are so thrilled with the response to Kaylie Jones' memoir, Lies My Mother Never Told Me. In this weekend's New York Times Janet Maslin calls the book "A bright, fast-paced memoir with an inviting spirit." Here's a longer excerpt from the review:
"When an editor suggested deleting 350 profanities from the manuscript of “From Here to Eternity,” Jones responded: “You know there is nothing salacious in this book as well as I do. Therefore, whatever changes you want made along that line will be made for propriety, and propriety is a very inconstant thing.” His daughter has learned that lesson: she doesn’t let propriety blunt her memories."
Check out Bobby's first post on Lies My Mother Never Told Me, which includes a fabulous video of Kaylie discussing her reasons for writing it.
-Kayleigh
We've already gotten some fabulous reader reviews for Jane Stanton Hitchcock's Mortal Friends. Diane LaRue calls it a "clever, seductive society story," on her blog bookchickdi, and Lauren Gibaldi blogs, "Mortal Friends is an incredibly fun book, that's as juicy as tabloid columns." Nancy Viens writes: "I read the book Mortal Friends,and found it chatty and fun. Very hip and good strong characterization. I liked it so much I loaned it to a friend!" And Karina Worlton sent us a very thoughtful review, all of which is included after the jump. If you'd like to review Mortal Friends, please email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. We'd love to hear from you!
And here's Karina's review:
I enjoyed Mortal Friends! It was a good murder mystery, although it certainly wasn't a whodunnit. There was no way to figure out who had done the murders. Indeed, every time I thought I knew who was the murderer, some other secret came out! It was such an adventure to see what happened next.
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If you're a fan of our blog, you might have noticed a few posts on Twitter Wit (9780061897276): the first book about Twitter to be officially approved by the site's creators. Twitter Wit includes some amazing celebrity tweets, from the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Margaret Cho, Stephen Fry, Rainn Wilson, Diablo Cody, Neil Gaiman, Michael Ian Black, Paula Poundstone, Russell Brand, Lisa Lampanelli, and more. To help celebrate the launch, we're holding a Twitter Wit video contest with a grand prize of an iPod touch. Learn more about the contest here, browse inside the book, or follow us, @harperlibrary!
By now, everyone has heard about the infamous Bernie Madoff and the Ponzi scheme that sent shock waves all over the world. ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross gives us an in-depth look at the entire operation in The Madoff Chronicles: Inside the Secret World of Bernie and Ruth.
The Madoff Chronicles, on sale September 29, 2009 includes news and material never before revealed, such as:
• A reproduction of Bernie’s Little Black Book. Ross has also secured Madoff's calendar for the past three years and other never-before-seen documents
• Read key details of how Madoff carried out his activities
• Learn what was going on inside the Madoff apartment as Bernie prepared for his life in prison and Ruth prepared for life in self-imposed confinement.
• Extensive cooperation by Madoff’s personal assistant
• Cooperation of childhood friends and neighbors that has helped display a compelling portrait of Bernie and Ruth in their early years
Also, Brian Ross will be featured on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America on September 29, 2009. This interview should be very eye-opening. Make sure you check out The Madoff Chronicles next month. It is sure to be a true page-turner!
-Bobby
Congratulations to HarperCollins author Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. His forthcoming book, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters just received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Check out this wonderful review:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6678556.html
We all know Captain Sullenberger for his heroism in skillfully gliding US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all the passengers aboard. Highest Duty, on sale in October of 2009 is his inspirational autobiography, with his thoughts on family, leadership, responsibility and service.
Also, here is Kayleigh’s earlier post which includes a video of Captain Sullenberger talking about book amnesty at the San Francisco Public Library:
http://harperlibrary.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/05/sully-talks-about-book-amnesty-at-library.html
Please make sure you remember Highest Duty in October. I’m sure you will agree that he is truly a hero and an inspiration to us all.
Enjoy!
-Bobby
My grandmother used to say “in order to really know someone, you have to walk in their shoes”. Sometimes what a person projects on the outside is really not what is going on inside. To some, novelist Kaylie Jones lived the perfect life with a beautiful mother and a famous father. However, in Lies My Mother Never Told Me, we learn that everything that glitters is not always gold.
Lies My Mother Never Told Me,on sale August 25, 2009 is a fascinating memoir by Kaylie Jones. In this book, Kaylie Jones recalls her relationship with her mother, particularly in the aftermath of the death of her father, prize-winning novelist James Jones.
Check out this wonderful video where Kaylie Jones gives you a glimpse of her life and why she wrote this amazing book:
I applaud Kaylie Jones for being so open and honest. I also commend Kaylie for her bravery in sharing something so personal. I wonder how many of us could share a personal story in the same manner. I hope Lies My Mother Never Told Me helps readers who are going through any kind of personal struggle find their voice and a sense of inner peace, just as Kaylie Jones has.
Enjoy
-Bobby
Congratulations to HarperCollins author Sheramy Bundrick! Sheramy’s forthcoming debut novel, Sunflowers just received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Check out this fabulous review:
Download Sunflowers – PW 8.17.09
Sunflowers,on sale in October of 2009, is a hauntingly beautiful and fascinating novel about Vincent van Gogh and his relationship with a mysterious young woman named Rachel and the passion they shared. Sheramy Bundrick’s background as an art historian helps craft the perfect novel: real historical figures, passion, romance and drama. A true winner!
-Bobby
Today on Roaring I'm blogging about my Top 5 Books to Cry Over, or as I like to call them, my Top 5 Weepies. Head on over and see if your favorites made the cut!
-Kayleigh
I think we can agree that this time of year is a major travel season. Whether you are off to a family reunion, going to an extreme sporting venue or just planning to sit on the beach with a good book, chances are you will utilize “the friendly skies” to get to your destination. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel has all the information you need to ensure your travel excursion is a pleasant one.
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel, by Scott McCartney (on sale now), is full of important tips and suggestions on everything from how to pack light (my personal challenge) to finding the best fares. Some helpful hints included in the Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel are:
– How to get cheap fares, first-class upgrades, and better seats
– How to minimize chances of lost luggage and what to do when baggage doesn’t show up
– How to avoid delays, get around TSA bottlenecks and minimize the chances you’ll get stuck at some distant airport–and what to do if you do get stuck
– How to complain to an airline and get some attention, right down to what to ask for in compensation and how to get the government’s attention
Before you leave for that awesome adventure, pick up a copy and become a true “Power Traveler”. A big shout out to the Prospect Heights Public Library for making the Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel one of your staff picks!
Happy Friday!
-Bobby
Claire Cook, author of The Wildwater Walking Club, (on sale now) will be featured on NBC-TV's "Today" Show. Claire Cook's segment is scheduled for Monday, August 17th in the 8 o'clock hour.
The Wildwater Walking Club is a hilarious and heartwarming story of three very different women, all living in the same beach suburban town, whose walks take them in new and surprising directions.
On Monday, June 29, NBC-TV’s “Today” show taped a home visit with Claire Cook, while she and correspondent Amy Robach went for a walk on the beach. “Today” also filmed Claire giving a talk and doing a signing at her local store, Front Street Bookstore in Scituate, MA.
The “Today” Show is filming Claire as part of a story on reinvention – and who is more perfect to discuss this than Claire? – who wrote her first book (at age 45) while sitting in her minivan outside her daughter’s swim practices. Claire literally reinvented herself as a novelist in mid-life and this theme factors in all of Claire’s novels, which will be mentioned on air. Claire gave her workshop on reinvention at the bookstore that evening, so this segment should fit nicely into their story about how to tap into your creativity if you are out of work in this terrible economy.
In case you missed it, yesterday Early Word reported that Disney has acquired the rights to a new film version of The Diary of Anne Frank, with David Mamet helming the project. Our very own Francine Prose was mentioned in the article, as was her forthcoming book Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife (9780061578267). Early Word reports: "One of Prose’s objections to the earlier versions is that they don’t show Anne’s growth as either a person or an artist; 'On the pages, she is brilliant, on the stage, she is a nitwit.' She also points out that they attempted to 'universalize' the story to broaden it’s appeal; few mentions are made of the family’s Jewishness and Anne was made to seem more hopeful. Says Prose about the movie, 'She sounds like an American girl. And why not? It’s an American movie.'" David Mamet is sure to challenge our assumptions about this beloved piece of literature, just as Francine Prose has done with her book. Be sure to check out Booklist's starred review, in full, after the jump.
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Mary Jane Clark, author of Dying for Mercy appeared on Good Morning America this morning. If you missed her interview, check it out here.
Mary Jane Clark gives a lovely shout out to libraries on her website (www.maryjaneclark.com). Here is her message just for you:
Dear Librarians,
If not for the public library, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind, I wouldn't be writing books today. When I was a kid there were no Barnes and Nobles and, even if there were, my parents didn't necessarily have the extra cash lying around to buy the latest Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden mystery. My sister and I carefully selected our books from the shelves of the Westwood Public Library.
When we were little, we went to story hour, where the elderly librarian would read to us, even when, as happened during one snowstorm, we were the only ones there. As we grew older, we would stop most days as we walked home after school to see if there was anything neat on the "NEW BOOKS" rack. We studied there and researched there and sometimes just enjoyed the quiet there. We treasured our library cards. We learned to love reading.
Many years have passed, but the public library is as important as ever. I still have to pinch myself sometimes and feel truly honored when I see one of my books on a library shelf or hear there is a waiting list for the newest title. I realize, though, that libraries can't carry every book published and sometimes the selection process is difficult. I hope you will consider ordering Dying for Mercy for your readers this summer.
With gratitude,
Mary Jane
Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Dying for Mercy. You will NOT be disappointed.
-Bobby
The following is a love letter to librarians from Lizzie Skurnick, author of the recently published Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading, a sentimental look-back to the children’s and YA books we loved in our youth.
Who could forget Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen and Lois Duncan’s When the Bough Breaks — books that dealt with the lives and dramas of adolescent girls on their own terms, in their own worlds?
Shelf Discovery is a funny look at these important and, for many adolescent girls, life-changing books. It includes essays from other writers on their favorite well-and little-known teen books and authors, in-depth essays about the leading teen authors, a cover gallery, “extra credit” reading lists, plus an online component with Q&As from famous YA authors featured in the book, vintage cover art, a “plotfinder” section, recipes for unforgettable meals from YA books (Harriet’s tomato sandwich, anyone?), book club guides, and a place for readers to post their own memories and insights.
So…to the lucky first 25 who reply to this post, we will send a complimentary copy of Shelf Discovery. We’d love to hear what you think of this trip down memory lane, so send in your reviews and we’ll gladly post them. Happy Reading!
Dear Librarian,
I can still remember the exact cover of the book (pink plastic dust jacket, fraying) and where it was shelved (fourth bookcase on the right towards the back, middle of the second shelf from top). The spine had long since been rubbed to illegibility, and, looked at from the side, the crumbling pages were jagged, like teeth. The condition of the book may have been due to the fact that my grade school library in Englewood, NJ simply was in dire need of funding. But I suspect I inflicted much of this damage personally—since for a period of some months, that copy of Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl was, twice a week, the only one I ever stamped out.
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If you’ve been wondering why you haven’t heard from us in a while, here’s why.
No, we haven’t quit our jobs to become hat models (although, that is an interesting thought…)
We have moved into new office space (same building, higher floor. We can see the top of the George Washington Bridge!) With every move there is a need to purge (turn, turn, turn.) This particular purge turned up (among other things) a huge bag of hats. Need we say more?
-Virginia
I am so excited about the success of HarperCollins author Mary Jane Clark. Her new book, Dying for Mercy on sale now, follows television news anchorwoman Eliza Blake who is overworked and in need of some real “R & R”. She decides to rent a beautiful carriage house in a very affluent town in New York. What she discovers, amidst all the beautiful architecture, and glorious gardens is a breathtaking mansion. This restored mansion turns out to be a “puzzle house”, with clues all scattered everywhere that lead Eliza to victims of a killer! Eliza finds herself uncovering one final secret and in the process she comes face to face with a killer…who believes everything left in the dark should NOT come to light.
Make sure you tune in tomorrow morning (August 12) to ABC’s Good Morning America for her in-studio interview. Also, check out this stellar review from the Associated Press…they compare her to legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie!
Download AP Review – Mary Jane Clark
I know Mary Jane Clark is the real deal. She is truly a star on the rise and one to watch out for in the years to come. For those of you that do not know Mary Jane Clark, I know you will love her. If you know her, you will indeed fall in love with her again…just like I have!
Enjoy!
-Bobby
As many of you know (or have no doubt figured out by now), we are ALWAYS up for a good laugh. In the middle of this unpredictable season we call summer and just off the rollercoaster of ALA, we are in the middle of moving from one floor in our building to another (see Kayleigh's post on her cubicle must-haves). I think we all can agree that it is truly amazing how much you can accumulate in an office…given the opportunity to do so. While Virginia, Kayleigh and I attempt to figure out what to keep or discard, we came across this ancient artifact:
If you guessed a cell phone…you are correct! However, it is not just any cell phone. It is (as I like to say) gi-normous! It is very reminiscent of the “Zack Morris phone” from the television show Saved by the Bell. We also found the order confirmation from Bell Atlantic Mobile from 1998! (Does Bell Atlantic Mobile still exist?)
On a personal note, my very first cell phone was very similar to this one…just not as big! I kept that phone for nearly four years until the size of the phone, as well as the humiliation from the fact that I was still using it got the better of me and I downsized. ..Or so I thought! If you have a funny and/or embarrassing cellular phone story…we’d love to hear it!
Happy Friday!
-Bobby
Just one more reason to L-O-V-E the Texas Library Association! Check out this article in the Huffington Post to find out why.
-Virginia
For a good laugh, check this out!
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Nailed 'Em – Library Crime | ||||
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"My Secret Left Me Unable to Help," a fantastic essay by Joyce Maynard, was just published in Sunday's New York Times. Joyce Maynard is the author of Labor Day (9780061843402), which we have ecastically recommended here on Library Love Fest. The essay, which deals with Maynard's relationship with her daughter, actually gave me goosebumps upon reading– don't miss it! And while you're at it, check out Simon Van Booy's equally incredible Modern Love essay from a few weeks back. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried at my desk after reading it, to the shock and bemusement of my co-workers.
-Kayleigh
Would you know evil if it sat next to you? That’s a good question – and one that New York Times bestselling author Jane Stanton Hitchcock answers in her latest page turner, Mortal Friends (in her words ‘a novel that has murder in it!’) Enter the dishy, political world of money and high society set squarely in Washington, DC. Her books have been described as “Ruth Rendell meets Dominick Dunne, for the sophisticated reader who wants the perfect beach read.” (Library Journal)
Libraries are near and dear to the heart of this wonderful writer. Last week Jane flew to Chicago to attend the American Library Association conference where she spoke to over 300 librarians at the ALTAFF Book and Author Tea and signed countless copies of her witty, smart whodunit, Mortal Friends.
She also took the time to write this message to librarians everywhere:
"Libraries are like houses of worship: Whether or not you use them yourself, it's important to know that they are there. In many ways they define a society and the values of that society. Librarians to me are the keepers of the flame of knowledge. When I was growing up, the librarian in my local library looked like a meek little old lady, but after you spent some time with her, you realized she was Athena with a sword, a wise and wonderful repository of wisdom."
Check out this great video taken of Jane while she signed books in the Harper booth at ALA:
More raves for Mortal Friends!
“Mortal Friends is at once witty, sophisticated and chilling — imagine Edgar Allan Poe and Edith Wharton collaborating on a mystery. This novel had me guessing and turning the pages until the very end, and even then, I was surprised. Nobody else out there writes, or entertains, like Jane Stanton Hitchcock.”
— Susan Cheever
“Mortal Friends is a brilliant mix — an expertly paced novel of suspense and a cutthroat comedy of manners. In Jane Stanton Hitchcock’s skilled hands, these Capitol killings show D.C. society for what it is — Deliciously Criminal.”
— Linda Fairstein
We’re so in love with Mortal Friends and you will be, too – once you’ve read it! So…to the lucky first 25 who reply to this post, we will send a complimentary copy of Mortal Friends. We’d love to hear what you think of this juicy page turner so send in your reviews and we’ll gladly post them. Happy Reading!
-Virginia
The Roaring 20s has a new look, and a new post! Now that ALA 2009 is behind us, I will be posting regularly again on Roaring, so be sure to send me some feedback on the new design! And while you're checking out the page, take a peek at my Fall/Winter picks from our Title Presentation. Trust me, you don't need to be a 20something to enjoy these books.
-Kayleigh
If you attended BEA or ALA this year, you might have heard us raving about Joyce Maynard’s latest, Labor Day, an in-house favorite. In a manner evoking Ian McEwan’s Atonementand Nick Hornby’s About a Boy, Joyce Maynard tells a story of love, sexual passion, painful adolescence, and devastating betrayal as seen through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy—and the man he later becomes—looking back on the events of a single long, hot, and life-altering weekend. Check out the video, browse inside the book, or download the podcast. Download LABOR DAY Story Behind the Book. Happy Reading!
