This week, we welcome Lian Dolan, Author of The Sweeney Sisters, to the podcast! Lian and her editor, William Morrow Executive Editor Rachel Kahan, chat about the book, capturing family relationships in fiction, and what it's like for Lian to work with her own sisters on her podcast, The Satellite Sisters.
More about The Sweeney Sisters: Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.
Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?
This week, we wish Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, authors of What Makes a Marriage Last, a very Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary! They celebrated on Ellen. Watch the clip below:
Their new book, What Makes a Marriage Last, is a compelling and intimate collection of intriguing conversations with famous couples about their enduring marriages and how they have made them last through the challenges we all share.
What makes a marriage last? Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? To unlock this mystery, iconic couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with forty celebrated couples whose long marriages they’ve admired—from award-winning actors, athletes, and newsmakers to writers, comedians, musicians, and a former U.S. president and First Lady. Through these conversations, Marlo and Phil also revealed the rich journey of their own marriage.
Check out these amazing reviews for the book:
“Delightful and instructive…Love and understanding shine through in this inspiring collection.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Warmhearted testimony to enduring relationships…The authors’ disarming ebullience makes them endearing interviewers.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An intimate and surprising look at what keeps couples together.” —AARP
Author Emily Gray Tedrowe came on the podcast this week to talk about her new novel, The Talented Miss Farwell. We always love hearing about exciting new reads, but this conversation was truly unique because Emily was interviewed by her father! Her dad, Alan Gray, is the Director of the Darien Library in Connecticut. This is one of our favorite episodes we have recorded yet. Not only did we hear all about Emily's new book, but we got to hear them talk about working in the library, growing up surrounded by books, and much more—making it feel like we are overhearing a conversation at the family dinner table. This is a must-listen episode.
More about The Talented Miss Farwell: At the end of the 1990s, with the art market finally recovered from its disastrous collapse, Miss Rebecca Farwell has made a killing at Christie’s in New York City, selling a portion of her extraordinary art collection for a rumored 900 percent profit. To some, the elusive Miss Farwell is a shark with outstanding business acumen. To others, she’s a heartless capitalist whose only interest in art is how much she can make.
But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely—a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family’s farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town’s treasurer and controller.
But as Reba Farwell’s deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell’s debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?
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You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!
This month, we are thrilled to share that The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert have been selected for the June LibraryReads List!
Additionally, Susan Elizabeth Phillips officially joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with her latest novel Dance Away With Me!
Want to know how the authors reacted to being selected for the June LibraryReads List? Click below to listen to their reactions!
The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty: The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
"Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination." —Library Journal review
"No series since George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most." —Paste Magazine
The Guest List by Lucy Foley:A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.
"Only a handful of thriller writers can accomplish what Foley does here: weave a complex plot from the perspectives of eight characters plus an omniscient narrator without causing confusion or reader exhaustion when the plot bounces from one person to the next. Fans of Christie, Louise Penny, and Ruth Rendell will absolutely love this book…." —Library Journal review
"I didn’t think Lucy Foley could top The Hunting Party, but she did! I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a classic Christie." —Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.
"Hibbert continues her wickedly funny romantic comedy series, The Brown Sisters, by following Get a Life, Chloe Brown with a magical friends-to-lovers tale…. Hibbert is a rising star, and this tale will appeal to all contemporary romance fans, including those who enjoy British romantic comedies." —Booklist review
Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart, and the healing power of love.
"In this superbly written stand-alone, this master storyteller's flair for highly imaginative plots and flawless characterization are on full display, resulting an emotionally enriching, breathtakingly brilliant tale of heartbreak and hope." —Booklist review
Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the June LibraryReads list! Be sure to submit your votes for the July LibraryReads list by June 1st.Click here to find out what we're recommending!
Big news, everyone. The HBO TV adaptation of Wally Lamb's beloved New York Times bestselling novel I Know This Much Is True will premier this Sunday, May 10th, at 9pm ET. Check out the trailer below and find out more about the TV series here.
I Know This Much Is True follows Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, who finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of violence. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece.
Just check out some of the praise Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True has garnered:
"Thoughtful…heart-wrenching…An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It’s hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget." —USA Today
"A gratifying saga of loss and redemption." —People
"Never grapples with anything less than life’s biggest questions…. Lamb clearly aims to be a modern-day Dostoevsky with a pop sensibility." —New York Times Book Review
"A fully developed and triumphantly resolved exploration of one man’s suffering and redemption." —Publishers Weekly starred review
On this week's podcast episode we feature a conversation between Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty, and Hilary Swanson, Senior Editor at HarperOne.
Sitting Pretty is a memoir-in-essays from Rebekah Taussig, disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty, reflecting on identity, accessibility, and representation and processing a lifetime of memories to paint a more beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.
This book offers an honest look at disability and its effects on identity, love, money, and self-worth. Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and the false idea of “ableism.”
A timely reminder to look beyond ourselves and our singular experiences, Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.
Listen to the episode here:
Check out Rebekah's Instagram account @sitting_pretty and find out more about her work on her website.
The Pulitzer Prize committee calls the book: "A masterful and beautifully rendered allegory of the destructive force of social ambition on several generations of a Pennsylvania family."
Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, praised The Dutch House: "Patchett’s splendid novel is a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of obsession and forgiveness, what people acquire, keep, lose or give away, and what they leave behind."
Find out more about the The Dutch House and the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction here.
We hope you are hanging in okay as we head into these warmer months. Below, you'll find our staff suggestions for the July LibraryReads list. These July publications all have something special, so whether it's historical fiction, memoir, thriller, romance, or beyond, you'll find something to love. We can't wait to hear what you think.
-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)
Remember, votes for the July LibraryReads list are due June 1st!
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The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama For fans of: Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok and The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See From the New York Times bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden comes a gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i's sugar plantations.
"Writing with supple and entrancing grace, Tsukiyama has each of her caring, charismatic characters share their memories and heartaches…. Tsukiyama also evokes the wild, opulent beauty of the island, the harsh lives of migrant workers, racist and domestic violence, mystical connections, the repercussions of a love triangle, and the tolls of age…. Tsukiyama’s dramatic yet discerningly congenial novel confronts the precariousness of existence and celebrates the healing power of generosity and love." —Booklist review
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey For fans of: How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones and Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather, and the moving, intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy.
Exploring personal trauma, memory, and closure, Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize–winner Trethewey returns to the site of her mother’s murder…. Through spare prose and vivid imagery, the author presents a narrative of a trauma survivor’s need to remember a past that, for 30 years, lapsed into the mind’s shadows. A moving, heartbreaking memoir about a traumatic event and the path to healing." —Library Journal review
Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees For fans of: Transcription by Kate Atkinson and Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany that will appeal to fans of Kate Quinn's The Huntress.
"In her first book for adults, YA author Rees provides the perfect tale for readers seeking a Cold War novel starring a female protagonist and an espionage element that is devoid of the female objectification found in the Bond novels and the like." —Booklist
The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs Also from the author: Between You and Me, The Oysterville Sewing Circle, and Map of the Heart In this thought-provoking, wise, and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
"A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now. Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life. Lovely!" —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline For fans of: The Book of M by Peng Shepherd and LaRose by Louise Erdrich A bold and brilliant new indigenous voice in contemporary literature makes her American debut with this kinetic, imaginative, and sensuous fable inspired by the traditional Canadian Métis legend of the Rogarou—a werewolf-like creature that haunts the roads and woods of native people’s communities.
"Empire of Wild is doing everything I love in a contemporary novel and more. It is tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive—all the while telling a story that needs to be told by a person who needs to be telling it." —Tommy Orange, author of There There
"Deftly-written, gripping and informative. Empire of Wild is a rip-roaring read!" —Margaret Atwood
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay Also from the author: Growing Things and Other Stories and Disappearance at Devil's Rock A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.
"Tremblay has earned worldwide acclaim because he is able to seamlessly combine reality with speculative elements, and his newest may be his most prescient yet…. Gorgeously written about terrible things, the relatively short Survivor Song is a good choice for fans of pandemic epics…and novels that probe themes of friendship, family, and social commentary amidst chillingly realistic horror." —Booklist review
"A cinematic scope, scenarios grounded in the real world, and a breathless pace make this thriller one of the must-read titles of the summer. A prescient, insidious horror novel that takes sheer terror to a whole new level." —Kirkus Reviews review
You Again by Debra Jo Immergut For fans of: Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott and Sunburn by Laura Lippman From the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Captives, a taut, twisting work of suspense about a woman haunted by her younger self.
"With mesmerizing deftness, You Again brilliantly reimagines a woman’s search for her lost ambition as a psychological thriller. This book takes the questions of middle age—What happens to an artist’s creative force when she becomes a mother with a day job? Can we recover lost time and neglected passion? Is idealism the purview of the young?—and turns them inside out. An extraordinary book." —Heather Abel, author of The Optimistic Decade
Fast Girls by Elise Hooper Also from the author: Learning to See and The Other Alcott Acclaimed author Elise Hooper explores the gripping, real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany.
"For fans of Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat (2015), historical fiction about real people, and stories about little-known female heroes breaking through barriers." —Booklist review
"Fast Girls is a high-speed romp as ambitious and heart-pounding as its trio of track-star heroines…. A gold medal read from Elise Hooper!" —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress
Mother Land by Leah Franqui For fans of: Family Trust by Kathy Wang and A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza From the critically acclaimed author of America for Beginners, a wonderfully insightful, witty, and heart-piercing novel, set in Mumbai, about an impulsive American woman, her headstrong Indian mother-in-law, and the unexpected twists and turns of life that bond them.
"Lively and evocative, Mother Land is a deftly crafted exploration of identity and culture, with memorable and deeply human characters who highlight how that which makes us different can ultimately unite us." —Amy Meyerson, author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects
The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid For fans of: The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr and A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell In this twisty, compelling thriller, a young woman quickly embarks on what she thinks is the relationship and love of a lifetime, and she’s thrilled when her new husband insists they follow one rule: they don’t talk about the past, but it’s a rule that has dangerous consequences.
"…[The Truth Hurts] is a sly, slow-burn thriller that builds tension higher through each subtle scene. Reid teases the reader with each subversive reveal, placing the truth on the table in the last explosive pages." —Booklist
Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh Also from the author: My Fake Rake and Dare to Love a Duke In the second book in Eva Leigh's new 80s movie-inspired Union of the Rake's series, an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means and she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke.
"Eva Leigh is one of my favorite authors. Her books are pure romantic delight." —Tessa Dare, New York Times bestselling author of The Wallflower Wager
The Nesting Dolls by Alina Adams For fans of: The Guest Book by Sarah Blake Spanning nearly a century, from 1930s Siberia to contemporary Brighton Beach, a page-turning, epic family saga centering on three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family—each striving to break free of fate and history, each yearning for love and personal fulfillment—and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time.
"The Nesting Dolls is a vividly rendered, sweeping historical novel…. I absolutely devoured this compulsively readable gem of a novel." —Jillan Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Letter and In Another Time
Unspeakable Acts edited by Sarah Weinman For fans of: The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe A brilliant anthology of modern true-crime writing that illustrates the appeal of this powerful and popular genre, edited and curated by Sarah Weinman, the award-winning author of The Real Lolita.
"This enthralling volume insists that there can and should be humanity within true crime. Whether readers are spellbound or disgusted by the genre, this is a must." —Library Journal review
Listen to our podcast episode featuring a conversation between Sarah Weinman and LLF's Lainey Mays!
The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio For fans of: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum and The Leavers by Lisa Ko A bighearted debut novel following an undocumented Filipino teenager as he redefines his relationships with his mother, his culture, and the place he calls home.
"Lysley Tenorio's The Son of Good Fortune is flat-out brilliant, and what makes it so wondrous is how Tenorio controls the complexity of the narrative. How can a book be filled with so much humor, such a light touch, and yet still touch that weird place in our heart that can break us apart?" —Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
"The Son of Good Fortune is a nuanced and subtle account of that most basic American dynamic, the melancholic and sometimes devastating fluctuation between promise and failure, happiness and its opposite." —Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer
A Dangerous Breed by Glen Erik Hamilton Also from the author: Mercy River, Every Day Above Ground, and Hard Cold Winter
Van Shaw’s past and present collide when an ingenious blackmailer pushes him to the brink in this electrifying fifth novel in Glen Erik Hamilton’s gritty and emotionally powerful thriller series.
"This guy has got what it takes." —Lee Child
"If you like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, you will absolutely love Van Shaw." —Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of A Bitter Feast
Yes, I Can Say That by Judy Gold For fans of: Next Level Basic by Stassi Schroeder From award-winning comedian Judy Gold, an equal-parts thoughtful and hilarious polemic on the current efforts to censor comedians, arguing that they undermine the art—and purpose—of comedy itself.
"No one makes me laugh harder than Judy Gold. If I had to pick one comedian to write a book about free speech, it would be Judy." —Amy Schumer
Follow us on Facebook to receive notification every time we're live. If you don't use Facebook, not to worry! Each Door to Door episode will be available on our Youtube channel immediately following the Facebook Live broadcast!
This week's episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast was packed with great reading suggestions, highlighting titles that are both available and coming out soon from our Ecco Books imprint. Our special guest this week was Meghan Deans, Senior Marketing Director of Ecco Books. You can learn more about the amazing books that Ecco publishes and some history of the imprint on the episode below:
This week, we are rounding out our interviews recorded live at the Public Library Association conference with an episode featuring Walter Thompson-Hernández, author of The Compton Cowboys.
In this book, a rising New York Times reporter tells the compelling story of The Compton Cowboys, a group of African-American men and women who defy stereotypes and continue the proud, centuries-old tradition of black cowboys in the heart of one of America’s most notorious cities.
It's my favorite nonfiction title of the season and I was so honored to sit down and speak with Walter at PLA.
Listen to the interview below:
We also mentioned Walter's Whiting Award. You can read the full announcement here.
The Compton Cowboys are on Instagram! Follow them here.
You can read more of Walter's articles on his website.
At the end of the conversation, we featured a voicemail that librarian Jennifer Winberry sent to us. She talks about her experience reading Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. Listen to the audio below.
Thanks, Jennifer! And a big thank you to Walter for coming on the podcast!
This week, we welcome Scarlett Peckham, author of The Rakess, and her editor at Avon Books, Nicole Fischer, to the podcast! We love to talk about romance on the podcast and this conversation is another great addition. They talk about the writing process, flipping gender roles, and femininity throughout history. (Stick around to hear a wild story from history about Mary Shelley!)
The Rakess is the first book in the Society of Sirens series—featuring three radical, libertine ladies determined to weaponize their scandalous reputations to fight for justice and the love they deserve.
Listen to the interview below:
-Listen to Nicole's past podcast episode here:
-Find the link to Scarlett's website for the "Unlikeable Heroine" sticker she spoke about here.
Check out this compelling book review by Harper’s own Kate McCune, who splits her time between working as a sales rep in Michigan and assisting in Harper’s sales department. This was an internal email Kate sent to fellow Harper sales reps. It’s such a perfect description of this book and Kate gave me her blessing to share with librarians.
There isn’t a better booktalker in the business than Kate. One day, in my next life, I’d like to be like her.
-Virginia
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Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
This is a smart, commercial, scary and thought provoking novel.
The sense of texture and nuance Alam brings to his characters is on full display here and he’s still writing about upper middle class life, race, class and parenting—but this time he’s got a much larger, darker agenda.
To start: This is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. Probably wasn’t a great idea to have read it on vacation last weekend but it was such a character-driven page turner that I couldn’t stop even as it scared me silly.
But for those of you who like straight-up horror or psychological suspense, it’s not scary in that spine-tingling, thrill-fest way where you close the book knowing you’re pretty sure you’re not going to run across Cujo or El Cuco in the real world. This is scary in an “Uh oh, this is remarkably plausible” kind of way. Alam’s pacing and use of dread is just masterful. It’s more Bird Box than Jordan Peele.
You know the plot: Affluent middle-class white couple on vacation with their two kids at a rented house in the Hamptons. Then communications go out. That’s all. The power’s still on, the vacation can continue. Then the owners of the house show up and they happen to be Black. But I think it’s a mistake to settle the point of this book on the racial piece. The Black couple is also rich, accomplished, thoughtful and kind. Rather than setting up racial and class strife here, Alam uses these characters to show that the white couple is suspicious and fearful of all the wrong things. There’s something much bigger to dread and they can’t see it unfolding around them.
An economist whose name I forget said that the future arrives like this: slow, slow, quick. This is a book about what the world looks like in the moment the quick arrives. I couldn’t figure out how Alam could possibly end this book and I admire how he pulls it off with a gesture of hopefulness. But in Alam’s world, it’s a dark hopefulness—and most of us probably won’t be part of it.
You can now watch the adaptation of Robert Kolker's Lost Girls on Netflix and then dive deep into this captivating true crime read.
Lost Girls is the bestselling account of the lives of five young women whose fates converged in the perplexing case of the Long Island Serial Killer. It's a portrait of unsolved murders in an idyllic part of America, of the underside of the Internet, and of the secrets we keep without admitting to ourselves that we keep them. Long considered “one of the best true-crime books of all time” (Time), this edition includes a new epilogue that speaks to developments in the case, including the shocking fate of Mari Gilbert, Shannan’s mother, for whom this case became the crusade of a lifetime.
Check out this extraordinary praise that the book has received:
“Beautifully and provocatively written…. [Lost Girls] will make all but the hardest-hearted empathetic. Add a baffling whodunit that remains, as the subtitle indicates, unsolved, and you have a captivating true crime narrative that’s sure to win new converts and please longtime fans of the genre.” —Publishers Weeklyreview
“Immensely evocative…we are left with is a visceral understanding of the lives of the victims and why they should have mattered more.” —New York Daily News
“A gothic whodunit for the Internet age…nearly unputdownable…[Lost Girls is] a horrific, cautionary tale that makes for a very different kind of beach read…Kolker expertly chronicles the sad cycle of poor, uneducated white women faced with lots of kids and few resources.” —Mimi Swartz, New York Times Book Review
“Librarians have been incredibly brave about being on the front lines of keeping our speech private and available. There’s just no institution outside maybe the people who are working on patients in the coronavirus pandemic that I value as highly as I do America’s librarians. So thank you for keeping the faith for all of us.”
—Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author, recipient of the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America
Dear Librarians,
We hope this finds you and your loved ones well.
In honor of National Library Week, the Library Love Fest team would like to take a moment to thank you for the important work you’ve done and continue to do—especially in the face of this global crisis. Thank you for keeping all of us informed and connected.
Now more than ever we want to remind you that we are here to help. Whether you want to host a virtual author visit, get suggestions for your virtual book clubs, hear about new books we’re loving, or join in on live author presentations, we’re here for you.
Let us know how we can help.
Thank you, dear librarians, for ‘keeping the faith for all of us.’
Due to COVID-19, many of our authors are appearing virtually at libraries.
Let us know if you’d like to host an author!
Do you have a platform (such as Zoom or Crowdcast) that can support an event?
Does your library partner with a bookstore? Share their link on your event page!
To view the available HarperCollins authors from our catalogs, you will need to be registered on Edelweiss+. Once you're registered, please email us to request access to our Edelweiss Event Grids.
Once you are registered and granted access, you can view our available authors here: https://tinyurl.com/hceventgrids (please note: You will need to be registered and signed in on Edelweiss+ and granted access in order to view these grids)
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, revered author of the bestselling The Hidden Life of Dogs will talk about her new book, Growing Old: Notes on Aging with Something Like Grace, a witty, engaging, life-affirming account of the joy, strength, and wisdom that comes with age.
"Growing Old is unlike anything you've read before about old age. It's not a chirpy guidebook to successful aging (often written by people in their forties and fifties—who haven't gotten there yet!) but something far deeper and revelatory. By turns hilarious, poignant, fascinating, and disturbing, every page is brutally honest. If you ever plan to grow old or know anyone else who's already there, you'll find insights here you'll see nowhere else." —Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus
Anne Basting, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient will talk about her new book, Creative Care:A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care, which offers a radical change in how we interact with our older loved ones, utilizing the creative arts to bring light and joy to elderly lives.
"Upends the bleak ideas of caregiving and dementia as a disease that robs us of our humanity. Basting shows otherwise. Together–caregiver and person with dementia–can create something meaningful. Caregivers will value this; it ought to be required reading for all clinicians and policymakers." —Jason Karlawish, MD, co-director of the Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania and author of The Disease of the Century
Hello, everyone. Today we have another can't-miss interview from our friend Carol Fitzgerald, President of the Book Report Network. Carol recently sat down with New York Times bestselling author Don Winslow to talk about his new novella collection Broken, on sale now. They discuss each of the novellas, Don's writing process, his characters (including the one he relates to most), what’s inspired him, and more!
You can watch the video interview or listen to the audio on Carol’s podcast! The podcast also includes an audiobook excerpt from Broken at the end! Watch and listen below.
You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!
This month, we are thrilled to share that A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight, Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev, and The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine have been selected for the May LibraryReads List!
Want to know how the authors reacted to being selected for the May LibraryReads List? Listen to their reactions below!
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A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight: Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and Where They Found Her (a previous LibraryReads pick!), in which a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make—and the secrets they keep—in order to stay together.
"A Good Marriage is a smart, provocative, insightful page-turner. I couldn’t put it down." —Harlan Coben
"Full of dark secrets and surprising twists, A Good Marriage explores what lies beneath the surface of friendships, families, and communities. A captivating, can’t-put-it-down psychological thriller that gripped me from beginning to end." —Megan Miranda, author of The Last Guest House
Watch LLF's Virginia Stanley buzz about A Good Marriage!
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev: From the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (a May 2019 LibraryReads pick!) comes another clever, deeply layered, and heartwarming romantic comedy that follows in the Jane Austen tradition—this time with a twist on Persuasion.
"Dev continues the story of the Raje family…with this nuanced and powerful second chance romance…. Dev balances the toe-curling romance with high-octane family drama…. Dev’s candor and sensitivity in both story lines set this family-centric romance apart. Readers are sure to be impressed." —Publishers Weekly review
The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine The bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish (a previous LibraryReads pick!) returns with a psychological thriller, filled with chilling serpentine twists, about a woman fighting to hold onto the only family she’s ever loved—and how far she’ll go to preserve it.
"A twisty, engrossing house of mirrors…smart, propulsive, and tricky-in-all-the-best-ways psychological suspense." —Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Inside
"Wickedly entertaining. With The Wife Stalker, Liv Constantine proves once again to be a master of domestic malice." —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door
Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the May LibraryReads list! Be sure to submit your votes for the June LibraryReads list by May 1st.Click here to find out what we're recommending!
We had to share all of the fantastic praise that has been coming in for David Heska Wanbli Weiden's Winter Counts, including a quote from the one-and-only Louise Erdrich! Check it out below:
“Winter Counts is both a propulsive crime novel and a wonderfully informative book. David Heska Wanbli Weiden has written the first of what I hope is a series of books about life on Rosebud Reservation. Virgil Wounded Horse, his nephew Nathan, and Marie Short Bear are more than characters; they brim with intrigue and authentic life.” —Louise Erdrich, author of The Night Watchman
Check out all of this amazing praise Winter Counts has received:
“WinterCounts is a marvel. It’s a thriller with a beating heart and jagged teeth. This book is a brilliant meditation on power and violence, and a testament to just how much a crime novel can achieve. Weiden is a powerful new voice. I couldn’t put it down.” —Tommy Orange, author of There There
“David Heska Wanbli Weiden's WinterCounts marks the rise of a powerful new Native American voice in fiction, one that possesses an unnameable quality. With brilliant and precise prose, Weiden has created a deeply moving, heartfelt crime novel through Virgil Wounded Horse and his experiences of Native life. An astonishing debut novel.” —Brandon Hobson, National Book Award Finalist and author of Where the Dead Sit Talking
“One part gritty procedural, one part hard-edged literature, WinterCounts is more than a novel—it’s a testament in napalm you won’t be able to put down because it burns and holds fast.” —Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries
“I’ve been waiting most of my life for this book without realizing it. WinterCounts is a knowing, authentic, closely observed novel about modern-day Lakotas that rings absolutely true, warts and all. The sense of place is breathtaking and raw. It’s a hell of a debut.” —C.J. Box, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Long Range
“The full-throttle, can't-put-it-downness of this novel is a fact. WinterCounts is a hell of a gripping debut, perfectly plotted, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden is a major new voice in crime fiction, indigenous fiction, and American literature.” —Benjamin Percy, author of Suicide Woods and Red Moon
“Winter Counts is a terrific debut—tight and tense, hard-eyed and big-hearted. David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s main character, Virgil Wounded Knee, is as compelling, complex, and sharply observed as the world he inhabits.” —Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of November Road and The Long and Faraway Gone
“With this unique, cogent debut, David Heska Wanbli Weiden announces himself as a formidable new voice in crime fiction. The images haunt, the action crackles, and Virgil Wounded Horse makes a lasting impression as he knuckles his way through a heroin ring that threatens life as he knows it on his South Dakota reservation. Winter Counts is a heartfelt page-turner with compelling characters, keen cultural insight, and a climax unlike any I’ve read before.” —Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay
“Winter Counts is a gripping, richly textured thriller and an urgent dispatch from Indian Country. Crimes are solved, violence happens, and Virgil Wounded Horse, a hard-fisted, big-hearted, irresistible Lakota enforcer, guides us through the complicated realities of contemporary Native life on and off the reservation. Weiden writes with impressive authority and insight in this entirely original, enlightening, cliché-destroying novel.” —James McLaughlin, Edgar Award-winning author of Bearskin
Wow! Congrats, David!
Winter Counts is on sale August 25, 2020. Download an egalley on Edelweiss and NetGalley now.
Below, you will find our staff suggestions for the June LibraryReads list. We have novels by beloved bestselling authors, new entries in librarian-favorite series, and acclaimed debuts sure to make a splash. Keep reading to find out more!
Enjoy and happy reading!
-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)
Remember, votes for the June LibraryReads list are due May 1st!
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Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini Also from the author: Resistance Women and Enchantress of Numbers The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker returns to her most famous heroine, Mary Todd Lincoln, in this compelling story of love, loss, and sisterhood rich with history and suspense.
"Through meticulously researched historical detail and sympathetic portrayal of each character, including Mary herself, Chiaverini provides a fascinating glimpse into the women of an influential family on the front lines of some of the most important moments of that indelible time." —Booklist
The Light of Days by Judy Batalion For fans of: The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly One of the most important stories of World War II, already optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture: a spectacular, searing history that brings to light the extraordinary accomplishments of brave Jewish women who became resistance fighters—a group of unknown heroes whose exploits have never been chronicled in full, until now.
"A remarkable portrait of young Jewish women who fought in the Polish resistance during WWII…. pays vivid tribute to the breadth and scope of female courage." —Publishers Weekly review
Listen to a podcast interview between Judy Batalion and her editor!
Watch Judy Batalion's presentation at the UFL Gala Author Tea at ALA Midwinter 2020!
Dance Away with Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Also from the author: First Star I See Tonight and Heroes Are My Weakness At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart, and the healing power of love.
"In this superbly written stand-alone, this master storyteller's flair for highly imaginative plots and flawless characterization are on full display, resulting an emotionally enriching, breathtakingly brilliant tale of heartbreak and hope…lively writing liberally laced with multiple layers of delicious wit and snarky charm." —Booklist review
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams Also from the author: The Golden Hour and The Summer Wives The beloved New York Times bestselling author returns with a remarkable novel of both raw suspense and lyric beauty—the story of a lost pilot and a wartime photographer that will leave its mark on your soul.
Praise for The Golden Hour: "Bestselling author Beatriz Williams skillfully sets a story of love and sacrifice against the backdrop of war in her fascinating new novel…. Readers will be spellbound by Williams’ elegant prose, fascinating characters and unforgettable settings while fully engrossed by the novel’s dual plots." —BookPage
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert For fans of: Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey and The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez The author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown (a LibraryReads pick for November 2019!) returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.
"Hibbert’s follow up to Get a Life, Chloe Brown, featuring Dani’s sister, is another superb and emotionally rich romance. Grief and turmoil are expertly balanced with hilarious wit, making the story both complex and immensely readable. The characters are vibrant, and their chemistry is scorching. Remarkable." —Library Journal review
The Guest List by Lucy Foley For fans of: The Lost Man by Jane Harper and An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.
"I didn’t think Lucy Foley could top The Hunting Party, but she did! I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a classic Christie. A remote, atmospheric island, a wedding no one is particularly happy to be at, old secrets – and a murder. The alternating points of view keep you guessing, and guessing wrong. I can’t wait for her next book." —Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan For fans of: Assymetry by Lisa Halliday and The Idiot by Elif Batuman An intimate, bracingly intelligent debut novel about a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer.
"Echoes of Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends resound in this exacting debut novel about a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong who becomes embroiled in a love triangle with a wealthy man and woman." —O, the Oprah Magazine
Nine Shiny Objects by Brian Castleberry For fans of: America Was Hard to Find by Kathleen Alcott and The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon A stunning literary saga in the tradition of Don DeLillo and Jennifer Egan—a luminous debut novel chronicling the unexpectedly, eerily intersecting lives of a line of dreamers over the course of half a century that reveals the divided heart of modern America itself.
"Sharply-tuned, funny, satisfyingly strange, and preternaturally poised, unspooling in immaculate prose. Brian Castleberry has that rare, can’t-be-taught ability to turn smoothly at any point in any direction, giving each sentence, no matter how casual, a quiet current of electric suspense." —William Finnegan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Barbarian Days
The Distant Dead by Heather Young For fans of: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton and The Weight of an Infinite Sky by Carrie La Seur A young boy finds himself at the center of a murder mystery in this timely and twisty thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Lost Girls—a compelling and indelible story set in small town America that examines the burden of guilt, the bitter price of forgiveness, and the debts we owe our dead, both recent and distant.
"Stunning…. An ideal recommendation for fans of Kate Atkinson." —Booklist review
"[The Distant Dead] is at heart about the timelessness of human curiosity, the eternal possibility of forgiveness, and the everyday miracle of survival. Electrifying, ambitious, and crushingly beautiful." —Kirkus review
The Lightness by Emily Temple For fans of: Severance by Ling Ma and Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney A stylish, stunningly precise, and suspenseful meditation on adolescent desire, female friendship, and the female body that shimmers with rage, wit, and fierce longing—an audacious, darkly observant, and mordantly funny literary debut for fans of Emma Cline, Ottessa Moshfegh, and Jenny Offill.
"A complex, psychological study of a young woman haunted by her past—and her capacity to hunger for violence and self-destruction…. A dark, glittering fable about the terror of desire." —Kirkus review
Thin Girls by Diana Clarke For fans of: Dietland by Sarai Walker A dark, edgy, voice-driven literary debut novel about twin sisters that explores body image and queerness as well as toxic diet culture and the power of sisterhood, love, and lifelong friendships, written by a talented protégé of Roxane Gay.
"From one sentence to the next, Clarke leaves her readers splayed open, throbbing with the most beautiful, necessary ache. She writes with unyielding honesty and breathtaking tenderness. Thin Girls is a brutal, and unrelenting examination of what it means to be a woman in a body, wanting, needing, wanting, needing so much. With her assured, elegant prose Clarke makes you hope against all hopes that both Rose and Lily can find a way to satiate and save themselves and each other." —Roxane Gay
The Book of Rosy by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietert Collazo For fans of: Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas A searing tale of the human lives behind the Trump administration-made immigration crisis, written by two remarkable mothers—a Central American woman whose children were taken from her by the United States government at the southern border, and the American who helped reunite the family—offering a timely and urgent look at a migrant experience, family separation and reunification, and the power of individuals banding together to overcome even the cruelest and most unjust circumstances.
"[The] haunting and eloquent…narrative of a Guatemalan woman's desperate search for a better life." —Kirkus review
The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty Also from the author: The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
"Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination." —Library Journal review
The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis Also from the author: Almost Just Friends and The Lemon Sisters From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes a friends-to-frenemies-to-sisters story…and then add in a love story (okay, two love stories).
"Readers will find it easy to root for Shalvis’s stubborn, vulnerable heroines to recognize both the decency and compassion of the sexy men who love them and their own worthiness to be loved. This heartfelt tale is thoroughly satisfying." —Publishers Weekly
Dark August by Katie Tallo For fans of: The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne and The Dry by Jane Harper An electrifying, page-turning debut about a young woman haunted by her tragic past, who returns to her hometown and discovers that there might be more to her police detective mother’s death—and last case—than she ever could have imagined.
"Dark August is a tightly-paced cauldron of a thriller about small town corruption, murder and mayhem, in the vein of Sharp Objects and All The Missing Girls. A macabre and confidently twisty debut." —Lisa Gabriele, internationally bestselling author of The Winters
Don't Turn Around by Jessica Barry For fans of: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy and Sunburn by Laura Lippman The riveting follow up to Jessica Barry’s debut Freefall—a controversial, of-the-moment thriller about two women fighting for their right to live.
"Jessica Barry has written a grab-you-by-the-throat novel of suspense that follows the trail of two women pushed to the extreme. Don’t Turn Around is the female-driven thriller you've been waiting for." —Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of Angelology and The Ancestor
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