Current Affairs

Collection Development, Current Affairs, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

We've been lucky to have Gayle Lemmon appear at both ALA Annual (2009) and ALA Midwinter this past month.  And with this new pre-pub blurb from Angelina Jolie, it looks like Gayle's librarian fans will have some company! Jolie wrote the following: “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana gives voice to many of our world’s unsung heroines. Against all odds, these young women created hope and community, and they never gave up. This book is guaranteed to move you—and to show you a side of Afghanistan few ever see.” Check out this message from Gayle, and see for yourself!

-Kayleigh

American Library Association, Books, Celebrities, Current Affairs, Early Word, Elizabeth Taylor, Film, Furious Love, Love, Marriage, Nancy Schoenberger, Richard Burton, Sam Kashner

Furious Love

9780061562846 If you attended our title presentation at ALA Midwinter in January, you may recall that I confessed to having an intense teenage crush on Richard Burton.  If you missed it, here's some auditory blackmail. 

Furious Love hits shelves on June 15th and there's a reason I'm ridiculously excited: for years, I haven't had anyone to talk to about Richard Burton and Liz Taylor.  Now, suddenly, there are stories in Vanity Fair and Time Magazine, coverage on Good Morning America, blog posts…it's the best excuse for my inner granny to come out at full force.  So what did I, a die-hard Taylor/Burton fan, think of Furious Love? 

Reader, I loved it.  Biography buffs, tabloid addicts, cinephiles, jewelry collectors, romantics…will all find something to sink their teeth into in this compulsively readable dual biography.  Burton's love letters to Taylor, many of which are excerpted, are incredibly intimate–I was visibly choked up by the end of the book, and wandered from cubicle to cubicle, telling anyone who would listen how sad it was, how tragic, that two people who loved each other so well could end up apart in the end.  But Furious Love isn't all tragedy–rather, it is the story of a flawed but timeless passion that began on a movie-set and changed the face of American culture forever.  Take a peek inside the book, check out some of the quoted love letters in Time, and know that summer flings–quite simply–pale in comparison.

-Kayleigh  

Attica Locke, Books, Chris Gardner, Current Affairs, HarperCollins Publishers, Libraries, Michelle Obama, Nikki Giovanni, Steve Harvey

Five HarperCollins Authors Nominated for NAACP Image Awards!

Congratulations are in order for five outstanding authors!  Attica Locke, Steve Harvey, Chris Gardner, Nikki Giovanni and David Bergen Brophy have been nominated for NAACP Image Awards.  For more information, including a complete list of the nominees, please visit: http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2010-01-06/lit/index.htm

NAACP Image Awards – Nominees

Literary Work – Debut Author

BlackWater hc c Black Water Rising
by Attica Locke
9780061735868

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

ActLikeALady hc c
 Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man
by Steve Harvey
9780061728976

StartWhereYouAre hc c Start Where You Are
by Chris Gardner
9780061537110

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

BicyclesHC c. Bicycles
by Nikki Giovanni
9780061726453

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

Michelle Obama Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady
by David Bergen Brophy
9780061779916

We wish them all the BEST of luck!  If you have not read their books, please check them out!

Enjoy!

-Bobby

Airplane, Airport, Books, Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, Current Affairs, Highest Duty, Inspiration, Memoir, Television, TLC

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger

9780061924682 The Learning Channel has produced a documentary, Brace for Impact, in which Captain “Sully” Sullenberger retraces how he skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the surface of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard.  The documentary airs this Sunday, January 10th at 9pm.  Brace for Impact also follows Sully's personal story leading up to that fateful moment.  Captain Sullenberger is the author of Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters.

-Virginia

Abuse, Books, Current Affairs, Family, Libraries, Life Lessons, Push, Relationships, Sapphire

Push, by Sapphire

Push Here at HarperLibrary we love our books…I mean we REALLY LOVE OUR BOOKS.  Every now and then, you do have to give credit where credit is due.  I’m sure by now everyone has heard the major buzz about the movie “Precious,” which is based on the book Push by Sapphire.  I just had the opportunity to read Push and was BLOWN AWAY!

While reading Push, a multitude of emotions overcame me…anger, sadness, hurt, and hope.  I was angry and sad because of the realization of what this young woman truly had to endure.  Feelings of hurt came because in some way, I wish there was something that could have done to help prevent such a thing from happening in the first place.  Finally, I was hopeful because I realized that by telling Precious’ story, she is helping so many others overcome (and hopefully prevent) similar situations.  Push will help someone make a total turnaround, by turning tragedy into triumph. 

If you haven’t read Push, please make it part of your reading list…and go see "Precious"!

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

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

Africa, Books, Current Affairs, Inspiration, Libraries, Life Lessons, Malawi, Memoir, Readers Advisory Book/Review Swap, TED Conference, Television, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Daily Show, William Kamkwamba

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind on The Daily Show!

We’ve been talking about The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind for months – telling everyone who’d listen how inspiring and downright unbelievable this story is.  A boy from a village in Africa – too poor to attend school – is inspired by a librarian to read.  He picks up a book on windmills and figures out how to build one out of scraps found in a junkheap.  He generates electricity and changes the trajectory of his life and the lives of his community.  From Malawi to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  What a difference a windmill makes.  Here's a link to our previous posts.  Take a look…

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
William Kamkwamba
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes		 Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

-Virginia

Books, Current Affairs, Jess Walter, Money, Nick Hornby, Poetry, Sara Nelson, The Financial Lives of the Poets, Time Magazine

The Financial Lives of the Poets

Here on 53rd street we are all about showing love to Jess Walter's latest book, The Financial Lives of the Poets.  And, it turns, out, we're not alone.  Sara Nelson hailed it as the "ultimate something-for-everyone-don’t-skip-must-read," Time Magazine called it “the funniest way-we-live-now book of the year,” and the hilarious-in-his-own-right Nick Hornby said it “made me laugh more than any other book published this year. Walter is one of my favorite young American writers, and he deserves to be huge.” I have to add my voice to the chorus: Walter's writing is sharp, authentic, and very, very funny.  Be sure to browse inside, watch the trailer, or head on over to The Olive Reader for your chance to win a free copy!
 

-Kayleigh 

American Library Association, Banned Books Week, Books, Brave New World, censorship, Current Affairs, First Amendment, Kenneth C. Davis, Libraries, Native Son, Rebecca, To Kill A Mockingbird

Banned Books Week!

9780061120084

What reminds you of Autumn? Pumpkins, apple-picking, that first brisk chill in the air? How about Banned Books Week? BBW takes place every year during the last week of September and recognizes the efforts of booksellers, teachers, and librarians who ensure that we, as citizens, have open access to information.  It's a time to reflect on the vital importance of our First Amendment rights. Take a peek at what Ken Davis has to say about BBW, get more info from the American Library Association, and check out this list of frequently challenged titles, including To Kill A Mockingbird, Native Son, Rebecca, and Brave New World.  What's your favorite challenged book? 

-Kayleigh    

Africa, AIDS, Collection Development, Current Affairs, Inspiration, Libraries, Life Lessons, Malawi, Memoir, Readers Advisory Book/Review Swap, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

9780061730320

Librarians, we want to hear from you!  As you can see here, here, and here, we're wild about this book and we hope you will be, too.  Send an email to librarylovefest at harpercollins.com.  We'll send a copy of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to you with our compliments.  The only thing ask for in return is a review of the book which we would then post on our blog. We know how busy everyone is these days so don't get hung up on the length of the review.  We just want to get the word out to readers about a book that has everyone buzzing in house.  Now we want the buzz to be outside the house! Thanks so much.

Now send us an email! (Please note, this particular offer is for librarians only.) Thanks!

Virginia Stanley
Director
Library Marketing
HarperCollinsPublishers
(212) 207-7592
virginia.stanley at harpercollins.com
www.librarylovefest.com

Alcoholism, Books, Current Affairs, Family, Family Lineage, Kaylie Jones, Lies My Mother Never Told Me, Life Lessons, Memoir, New York Times

Kaylie Jones Gets a Rave from The New York Times

LiesMyMother hc c 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

Ashton Kutcher, Books, Current Affairs, Diablo Cody, It Books, Jimmy Fallon, Lisa Lampanelli, Margaret Cho, Michael Ian Black, Neil Gaiman, Paula Poundstone, Rainn Wilson, Russell Brand, Stephen Colbert, Stephen Fry, Twitter, Twitter Wit, Weblogs

Twitter Wit Makes its Debut!

TwitterWit PB c 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!    

Anne Frank, Booklist, Books, censorship, Collection Development, Current Affairs, Early Word, Film, Francine Prose, Libraries

A New Anne Frank Movie

AnneFrank hc c 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. 

…

A New Anne Frank MovieRead More »

Books, Civil War, Current Affairs, Enemy Women, Libraries, Nancy Pearl, New York Times, Paulette Jiles, Stormy Weather, Summer Reading, The Color of Lightning

Nancy Pearl’s Summer Picks

9780061690440 We’re thrilled to have one of our titles included in Nancy Pearl’s ‘Summer’s Best Books’ list.

In The Color of Lightning, Paulette Jiles, author of the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestsellers Enemy Women and Stormy Weather delivers an amazing novel about the aftermath of the Civil War. 

It is based on the true story of Brit Johnson, a freed black man who travels with his family from Kentucky to settle in Texas at the end of the Civil War. There, his wife and children are captured during an Indian raid, and Brit finds himself embroiled in the battle between the U.S. government and the native Americans whose land, freedom, and culture are threatened.

The New York Times Book Review called it “a gripping, deeply relevant book” and the Washington Post called it “glorious work”

Free copies to the 25 lucky people who send us a comment! 

Happy reading.

-Virginia

Anne Frank, Books, Current Affairs, Francine Prose, Kenneth C. Davis, Libraries

Anne Frank

AnneFrank hc c As we've mentioned, Ken Davis has a feature on his blog called "This Day in History." Here's a quote from today's post, as well as some exciting information on the forthcoming Anne Frank by Francine Prose.

"Anne Frank would have been eighty years old today. This anniversary of her birthday seems especially poignant in light of the deadly shooting of a security guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2009."

Here you'll read in Anne Frank's words her feeling about her writing ability:

“I know I can write. A few of my stories are good, my descriptions of the Secret Annex are humorous, much of my diary is vivid and alive, but… it remains to be seen whether I really have talent.” (April 5, 1945)

This September HarperCollins will publish Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose. The diary of Anne Frank, argues Francine Prose, is as much a work of art as an historical record. Through close reading, she marvels at the teenaged Frank’s skillfully natural narrative voice, at her finely tuned dialogue and ability to turn living people into characters. And Prose addresses what few of the diary’s millions of readers may know: this book is a deliberate work of art. During her last months in hiding, Anne Frank furiously revised and edited her work, crafting a piece of literature that she hoped would be read by the public after the war. The book unravels the complex, fascinating story of the diary, its composition and revisions, and effectively makes the case for it being a work of art-and the teenaged Anne Frank, a precociously gifted writer.

The book includes the historical background and context necessary to understand the importance of the diary, and is the only volume that offers such a rich and well-researched account of this enormously influential memoir.

Francine Prose has secured the approval and support of the Anne Frank House Foundation in Amsterdam for Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife.

-Virginia

Books, Current Affairs, Family, Family Lineage, Good Morning America, Katherine Howe, Salem Witch Trials, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, USA Today

Salem Witch-hunt Novel…and a giveaway

PhysickBookEcard

Do yourself a favor and check out one of the most ‘buzzed about’ books this season.  The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe is an incredible first novel about a young woman who finds out that she is related to a "witch" who was condemned in the 1692 Salem trials — and who discovers that she, too, has special powers.

This book is blowing everyone away.  Booklist has given it a starred review, USA Today included it in a Book Buzz post, it’s the #1 pick for the June Indie Next list and it was included in the aforementioned ‘Shout and Share’ at BEA.

The author will appear on Good Morning America this Wednesday, June 10. This is a compelling novel with powerful historic insight and detail.  It’ll be everywhere when it goes on sale June 9th.  Send a comment and we’ll send a copy to you.  We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $25.99. Estimated total prize value: $649.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes  Leave a comment below for your chance to win!

-Virginia

Books, Current Affairs, Kenneth C. Davis, Twitter, Weblogs

Ken Davis Meets Twitter, Continued…

Ken-Davis3send By now you all know how much we <3 Ken Davis, so it's no surprise that we're giving you some info on Ken's latest Twitter adventure.  Ken will now start each day will a "This Day in History" tweet that links to a blog on either his website, The Huffington Post or both.

"This Day in History" will alternate with other tweet-a-gories such as "Fun Facts," "Homework Helper," and "History Behind the Headlines."  The topics will span history, science, pop culture, literature, current events, etc.

So in conclusion, when you don't know much, follow Ken Davis on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kennethcdavis

And wasn't it Descartes who said. "I tweet, therefore I am"?

Books, Celebrities, Current Affairs, Libraries, Twitter, Twitter Wit, Web/Tech, Weblogs

Twitter Wit Update

TwitterWit PB c Remember our last post on Twitter Wit? Here's an update! The on sale date is now September 8, 2009, and we're pleased to give you a quick list of our star-studded contributors, who include:

Ashton Kutcher, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Margaret Cho, Stephen Fry, Rainn Wilson, Penn Jillette, Diablo Cody, Neil Gaiman, Michael Ian Black, Paula Poundstone, Eugene Mirman, Russell Brand, Aziz Ansari, Lisa Lampanelli, John Hodgman, Susan Orlean, Judah Friedlander, Scott Aukerman, Paul Scheer, Graham Linehan, Peter Serafinowicz, Michael Showalter, Kevin Rose,Ana Marie Cox, Doug Benson, Warren Ellis, David Wain, Felicia Day, Joel McHale, Sasha Frere-Jones, Jonathan Coulton, Bill Corbett, James Urbaniak, Leo Laporte, Will Durst.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to become a follower at http://twitter.com/harperlibrary— we're almost up to 700!

Book Clubs for Men, Books, Coop, Current Affairs, Family, Farming, Got Fight?, Guillermo Del Toro, Inspiration, Masters and Commanders, Memoir, Michael Perry, Mystery/Suspense, Peter de Jonge, Shadows Still Remain, Sports, The Last of His Kind, The Strain, Vampires

A Book Club…for Men Only

Croatia-common-330x220-men-reading This morning I saw this article on male-only book clubs that have been springing up around the country.  Here's a fantastic quote from the piece:

"'We used to just sit around and drink beer and read Charles Bukowski, nothing great," says Pride, 51, of Quincy. 'But the other night we were talking about evil. Drinking our red wine and talking about evil. We're moving into a deeper dimension. We don't want to read junk.'"

Groups may focus instead on a shared topic of interest, like history, sports, or even poetry.  Other book groups don't read the assigned book at all, but use the time as a chance to catch up with old friends.  Whatever the reason, book clubs are a great way for men to build a sense of community and fellowship.  Here's a quick little list of titles that might work, depending on the book club.

For new dads, or the agriculturally-inclined:
Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Mike Perry

For thriller-lovers:
Shadows Still Remain by Peter de Jonge

For memoir-addicts:
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

For vampire fans:
The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

For outdoorsmen:
The Last of His Kind by David Roberts

For ultimate fighters:
Got Fight? by Forrest Griffin with Erich Krauss

For history buffs:
Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945 by Andrew Roberts

-Kayleigh

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