New York Times

Beach, Books, Celebrities, Elizabeth Taylor, Furious Love, Love, Marriage, Nancy Schoenberger, New York Times, Relationships, Sam Kashner

The New York Times Reviews Furious Love!

9780061562846 You might remember my preternatural attachment to Richard Burton from earlier posts…in case you don't, here's my first review of Furious Love, the dual-biography of the Burtons by Nancy Schoenberger and Sam Kashner.  The New York Times recently ran a stellar write-up of Furious Love, calling it "an indulgent, plenty-of-fun book about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s traveling circus of money, booze and mutual obsession." I couldn't agree more.  Reviewer Ada Calhoun writes, "There’s a lesson here for couples: marriage doesn’t have to be a partnership of equals. It can be a bodice-ripping, booze-soaked, jewel-bedecked brawl that survives even death. It’s a tough way to live, but it makes for a good beach book." If that doesn't make you want to stuff Furious Love inside your beach-bag, I don't know what will.  Browse inside the book, and click here for the full review!   

-Kayleigh

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, Business, Family, Happiness, Inspiration, Libraries, New York Times

HarperCollins Author Gary Vaynerchuk profiled in the New York Times!

9780061914171 Congratulations to HarperCollins author Gary Vaynerchuk!  He is featured in an amazing article in today's New York Times.  Check out this fabulous profile.

Gary Vaynerchuk's upcoming book entitled, Crush It!:  Why NOW is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion (on sale in October 2009), tells how he grew his family's wine business from four million to sixty million in five years using the internet!  Gary also shows readers how to discover their passion and turn it into a successful and profitable business. 

The Crush It! Tour Contest – Win a Trip on the Crush It! Cruise
At every book signing location, turn in your receipt to be entered for a chance to win a cabin for two on the Crush It! Cruise.  Sailing from Fort Lauderdale, FL throughout the Caribbean from March 20 – 27, 2010, the cruise will allow you to go "beyond the book" with a week's worth of interactive business seminars led by Gary, plus entertaining wine events and much, much more!  Learn more at http://crushitcruise.com.

At the conclusion of the book tour, Gary will draw one receipt for the grand prize winner who will accompany Gary on the cruise.  Drawing to be conducted live on ustream.tv on Thursday, November 19th!

*Please note, you must purchase a book at a book tour location and give your receipt to Gary during a book signing event to be entered in the contest.  One entry per receipt.  Prize winner receives a standard interior stateroom for 2 valued at $899 per person.  Winner is responsible for travel to and from Fort Lauderdale and any and all taxes, fees, on-board expenses, and gratuity.
 
TOUR DATES (More to follow. Check you local bookstore)

Tuesday, October 13       
BORDERS
7:00 PM       
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY
         
Friday, October 16       
BOSTON UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE
1:00 PM       
660 Beacon Street
Boston, MA       
        
Monday, October 19       
POWELL’S BOOKS
7:30 PM       
1005 W. Burnside
Portland, OR 
                

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HarperCollins Author Gary Vaynerchuk profiled in the New York Times!Read More »

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

Books, Love Begins in Winter, Simon Van Booy, New York Times

Don’t Miss Modern Love

LaborDay hc c "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  

American Library Association, Books, Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Mortal Friends, Libraries, Library Journal, Mystery/Suspense, New York Times

Mortal Friends

MortalFriends hc c 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

Books, Collection Development, Dorothea Benton Frank, Return to Sullivan's Island, Libraries, New York Times

Dorothea Benton Frank’s Letter to Librarians

Sullivan Dot Frank’s latest book, Return to Sullivans Island went on sale this week.  This is the long awaited sequel to her first novel, the bestselling Sullivan's Island which launched Dot’s career. It debuted on the New York Times list at number nine, went back to press twenty five times, was published in ten foreign languages and today there are over one million copies in print.

Publishers Weekly calls Return to Sullivans Island “tight storytelling, winsomely oddball characters and touches of Southern magic make this a winner.”

The following letter is from Dot to librarians.  Enjoy…

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Dorothea Benton Frank’s Letter to LibrariansRead 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

Authors on Air, Books, Libraries, Love, Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times, Summer Reading, The Fixer Upper

Mary Kay Andrews

Check out my interview on Authors on Air with New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews.  Mary Kay hit the ground running with her breezy Southern romantic fiction back in 2002 with Savannah Blues.  She followed it up with Little Bitty Lies, Hissy Fit, Savannah Breeze, Blue Christmas, and Deep Dish.  Her latest novel, The Fixer Upper, is another sure-fire hit.  It goes on sale June 23rd.  Listen to Mary Kay as she talks to fellow readers and myself about her books, the art of junking, and the state of libraries today.  Be sure to send us a comment–we’ll sendyou a book! Quantities limited to the first 25 comments we receive.  Enjoy the chat–she’s a lot of fun!




Earlier this year, Mary Kay Andrews stopped by the HarperCollins studio to make this promotional video for The Fixer Upper.  We hope these interviews provide some insight into the colorful cast of characters you’ll find in The Fixer Upper.  Pre-order a copy today (so you don’t have to stand in line), and remember, for every Fixer Upper you purchase, Mary Kay Andrews will buy you a pony.*  


   






-Virginia


*Mary Kay Andrews had her fingers crossed when she made that promise.  But we still luv huh.

Books, Mystery/Suspense, New York Times, Peter de Jonge, Shadows Still Remain

Awesome NY Times Profile of Peter de Jonge

Don't miss the profile of Peter de Jonge in this week's New York Times— it's a fabulous introduction to his latest thriller, Shadows Still Remain.  After co-authoring three novels with James Patterson, Peter de Jonge is cultivating his own unique style of writing, which the NY Times quickly noticed.  They had this to say: "Shadows Still Remain, published last month by Harper, though also a murder mystery, doesn’t read much like Patterson product except in being wrapped around a couple of startling plot twists. Set on the Lower East Side (the same territory as Richard Price’s recent Lush Life), it’s more in the noirish, character-driven vein of Dennis Lehane or Michael Connelly." High praise, indeed.  Check out a video of Peter talking about Shadows Still Remain, read the full profile, or browse inside.  Happy Friday!

-Kayleigh

Books, Daniel James Brown, Libraries, Life Lessons, New York Times, The Indifferent Stars Above

A Guest Blog from Daniel James Brown

Today we have a guest blog from Daniel James Brown, author of The Indifferent Stars Above, which just received a great review in the New York Times.  Dan writes: "Recently, almost forty years after the fact, I came back to the library that changed my life, perhaps even saved my life, in 1969…"

   

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A Guest Blog from Daniel James BrownRead More »

Books, Dorothea Benton Frank, Return to Sullivan's Island, Libraries, New York Times

Return to Sullivan’s Island

In a few months we’ll publish the much-anticipated Return to Sullivan's Island by the wildly funny, Southern and sassy Dorothea (’Dot’) Benton Frank.  Dot’s star shot through the sky with the publication of Sullivan's Island, her debut novel which was set in South Carolina's steamy low country.  That book went on to become a New York Times bestseller – with over a million copies in print today.  Fans will be thrilled to learn that a sequel is on the horizon.  In Return to Sullivan's Island, Dot takes us back to South Carolina and catches up with the wonderful characters she’d brought us to nine years ago – and introduces us to the next generation as well.  The book goes on sale June 30, 2009. 

Here’s a clip of Dot talking about her hometown library.  Enjoy!

-Virginia

Books, Libraries, New York Times

The NY Times Loves ‘The Color of Lightning’

9780061690440 I've been meaning to write about the New York Times' glowing reviewof Paulette Jiles's third novel, The Color of Lightning.  Based on oral histories of the post–Civil War years in North Texas, Paulette Jiles's The Color of Lightning is at once an intimate look into the hearts and hopes of tragically flawed human beings and a courageous reexamination of a dark American history. The review, found here, is definitely worth a read.  Steven Heighton calls it "a gripping, deeply relevant book," and writes: "Jiles moves fluently not only among various plots but also among various viewpoints — black, white, Indian, Mexican, adult, child. Her roving omniscience gives the novel the breadth and busyness of a Diego Rivera mural, yielding a portrait of a place and the peoples surging through it at a time of irrevocable change." Browse inside the book, check out the review, and let us know what you think.

-Kayleigh

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