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A Presentation from Juliet Grames, Author of THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA

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Juliet Grames—Associate Publisher at Soho Press—has written a stunning debut novel, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, about a young woman telling the story behind two elderly sisters’ estrangement, unraveling family secrets stretching back a century and across the Atlantic to early twentieth-century Italy.

For Stella Fortuna, death has always been a part of life. Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents—moments when ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted.

In present-day Connecticut, one family member tells this heartrending story, determined to understand the persisting rift between the elderly Stella and her sister, Tina. A richly told debut, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a tale of family transgressions as ancient and twisted as the olive branch that could heal them.

The Library Love Fest team recently hosted an event featuring Juliet Grames, who talked about the inspiration behind her novel—the yearning to preserve the memory of her grandmother.

Be sure to watch Juliet's presentation below and check out The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, out on May 7, 2019!

 -Lainey

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HarperCollins Guide to LibraryReads Voting on Edelweiss

Dear public librarians, important question: do you participate in LibraryReads? If you're unfamiliar with the program, LibraryReads is the monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction. It is a wonderful readers advisory and collection development tool AND any staff at a public library can participate! You can visit their website—www.LibraryReads.org—to learn more!

If you've ever had a question about LibraryReads or how to submit your votes, we have you covered! We've put together a wealth of resources to help. Lainey Mays, library marketing assistant at HarperCollins, traveled to BookOps in Long Island City, NY, to interview Stephanie Anderson, Assistant Director of Selection for BookOps and Chair of the LibraryReads Steering Committee, to discuss LibraryReads and how to vote on Edelweiss. You can watch the walk-through below or listen to the podcast episode. We also put together a handy printable guide, which you can download here.

  

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A Look Inside Matt Gutman’s THE BOYS IN THE CAVE

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After a practice in June 2018, a Thai soccer coach took a dozen of his young players to explore a famous but flood-prone cave. It was one of the boys’ birthday, but neither he nor the dozen resurfaced. Worried parents and rescuers flocked to the mouth of a cave that seemed to have swallowed the boys without a trace. Ranging in age from eleven to sixteen, the boys were all members of the Wild Boars soccer team. When water unexpectedly inundated the cave, blocking their escape, they retreated deeper inside, taking shelter in a side cavern. While the world feared them dead, the thirteen young souls survived by licking the condensation off the cave’s walls, meditating, and huddling together for warmth.

Matt Gutman, Chief National Correspondent for ABC News, covered the rescue of the Thai soccer team on the ground in Thailand and returned to report on the story behind the story in The Boys in the Cave. Matt covered the story intensively, went deep inside the caves himself, and interviewed dozens of rescuers, experts, and eye-witnesses around the world. The result is this pulse-pounding page-turner that vividly recreates this extraordinary event in all its intensity—and documents the ingenuity and sacrifice it took to succeed. 

Aspects Matt covers in The Boys in the Cave include:

-The miraculous rescue that was almost fatal: As Gutman reports for the first time, two of the boys nearly died during the rescue. One stopped breathing under sedation multiple times, forcing the divers to cradle him in the mud to keep his airway open. The other nearly died of hypothermia when his rescuer became hopelessly lost in the cave.

-An inside look at the cave with the rescue team: Through exclusive access to the rescuers, Gutman brings readers inside the cave with the divers, detailing what they saw, heard, and smelled as they worked to free the boys.

-The sedation of the boys: For the first time, Gutman details the dangerous sedation of the boys during each of the rescue dives, in which a cocktail of sedatives was used that left the boys comatose. 

-The frantic early moments in the cave: Through exclusive reporting from the boys, their parents, and the first search teams on the scene, Gutman details the chaotic initial hours after the boys went missing and the boys’ first terrifying night. 

Hear Matt talk about the book below!

Make sure to check out The Boys in the Cave, out on November 13, 2018.

-Lainey

 

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A Letter from Etaf Rum, Author of A WOMAN IS NO MAN

9780062699763In a powerful debut novel, Etaf Rum tells the story of three generations of Palestinian-American women struggling to express their individual desires within the confines of their Arab culture in the wake of shocking intimate violence in their community—a story that is both culturally specific and one that resonates with the universal female experiences of silencing and shame.

Set in an America at once foreign to many and staggeringly close at hand, A Woman Is No Man is a story of culture and honor, secrets and betrayals, love and violence. It is an intimate glimpse into a controlling and closed cultural world, and a universal tale about family and the ways silence and shame can destroy those we have sworn to protect.

This is such a heartfelt story that needs to be heard. We are so excited to share a wonderful letter from the author.

***

Dear Reader,

When I started writing A Woman Is No Man, I was constantly swallowed by fear. Telling this story meant challenging many long-held beliefs in my community and violating our code of silence. I thought, Who am I to say this? Who am I to tell this story? Surely I’ll only upset people and fuel further discrimination against a community that’s already stereotyped by a single story. It would be the ultimate shame.

Most of all I was afraid of disappointing my community if I didn’t filter my own experiences. I knew that as long as I stayed away from controversial topics like arranged marriages and domestic abuse, no one would criticize me or call me a traitor. No one would shun me. No one would try to hurt me. Perhaps these fears are why there aren’t many Arab-American women on bookshelves, why, whenever I search for our stories in bookstores and libraries, I cannot find them.

But censoring myself out of fear would have resulted in a story that didn’t reflect the realities of my world. A story that carefully nudged problems and discriminations aside so as not to upset anyone. A story that was filtered, safe, uncontroversial. But most of all, a story with a voice that was inauthentic.

In my many moments of fear and uncertainty while writing this book, I searched for inspiration from brave women like Maya Angelou and Malala Yousafzai and Audre Lorde. I pushed myself to keep writing until I finally understood Lorde when she said, “Your silence will not protect you.” It is through these women’s courage that I wrote A Woman Is No Man.

Growing up, I was taught that there were limits to what women could do in society. Whenever I expressed a desire to step outside the prescribed path of marriage and motherhood, I was reminded over and over again: a woman is no man. And yet later I realized this was also my strength: I began to see the ways the women around me were unique from men in their ability to juggle the demands of culture, family, relationships, and parenting. Though I refuse to turn away from the deeply complicated and sometimes dark aspects of traditional Arab culture, what I hope people from both inside and outside my community see when they read this novel is the strength and resiliency of our women.

Sincerely,

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Etaf Rum

***

Be sure to download an egalley of A Woman Is No Man, coming out March 5, 2019. Also be sure to check out Etaf's beautiful Instagram account—@booksandbeans.

-Lainey

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Happy Book Birthday to NOVEMBER ROAD by Lou Berney!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netIt's here, it's finally here! November Road, the latest novel from Lou Berney, is on sale today! If you haven't yet read this propulsive and masterful crime thriller from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone, now is the time. Set against the assassination of JFK and following a young mother, her two daughters, and a desperate mob lieutenant on the run across America, November Road delivers the most complete and absorbing reading experience you'll have all year. This is THE breakout novel of the fall. Just check out the FOUR starred reviews below!

"Berney’s gentle, descriptive writing brilliantly reflects these times of both disillusionment and hope."
Kirkus Reviews Star-png-image--star-png-image-4 review

"Edgar-winner Berney (The Long and Faraway Gone) takes a familiar plot in unexpected directions in this moving novel…. This is much more than just another conspiracy thriller.
Publishers Weekly Star-png-image--star-png-image-4 review 

"With depth and genre crossover appeal, this literary crime thriller will please fans of Dennis Lehane or George Pelecanos and also satisfy a wider audience." 
Library Journal Star-png-image--star-png-image-4 review

"Berney bends his notes exquisitely, playing with the melody, building his marvelously rich characters while making us commit completely to the love story, even though we hear the melancholy refrain and see the noir cloud lurking in the sky. Pitch-perfect fiction."   
Booklist Star-png-image--star-png-image-4 review 

If you'd like to learn more about the story behind this novel, I sat down with Lou for an interview at ALA Annual in New Orleans (where the novel partially takes place!) Give it a listen below! You can also read Lou's superb behind-the-book essay here.

To celebrate the occasion, we'll give away a copy of November Road to the first 10 librarians to email us at  librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. You can also get a copy of the book here.

-Chris

 

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Get Swept Away by These Exciting New Fall Romances

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We have a lot of great romantic reads coming up this Fall. Here's a list of all the titles that were included in our Library Journal 2018 Fall Romance Ad. 

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Ryan

Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan

Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler

Governess Gone Rogue by Laura Lee Guhrke

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian

To Wed an Heiress by Karen Ranney

Christmas on the Island by Jenny Colgan

Highland Ever After by Maya Banks

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Keypas

The Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine Heath

The Wrong Highlander by Lynsay Sands

More Upcoming Romance Titles:

His Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale

Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost

The Christmas Key by Lori Wilde

Crashing into Her by Mia Sosa

The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma

All I Have to Give by Tracey Livesay

My Very ‘90s Romance by Jenny Colgan

Amanda’s Wedding by Jenny Colgan

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

Waiting For a Rogue by Marie Tremayne

The Trouble With Vampires by Lynsay Sands

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian

 

Find more fantastic Fall romance titles on our Edelweiss catalog page.

-Lainey

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The Power of Red Lipstick

9780062844262-1Red Lipstick is a celebration and exploration of the enduring power and allure of the world's most iconic shade. Written by widely published beauty writer Rachel Felder, Red Lipstick is a beautifully designed gem that will delight lipstick lovers of all ages. This gorgeous book is jam-packed with informative, entertaining text, little-known facts, quotes, and more than 100 gorgeous images culled from fine art, photography, as well as beauty and fashion editorial and advertising. 

On our newest episode of Editors Unedited on the Library Love Fest Podcast, editor Elizabeth Sullivan interviews author Rachel Felder. They discuss Rachel's writing process, curating the images for the book, and how they both bonded over their love of wearing red lipstick.

In celebration of the famously vibrant lip shade, we put together a few interesting facts from Red Lipstick.

• Red lipstick was adopted as a part of the suffragette’s de facto uniform.
Cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden not only supported women’s right to vote, but she also strongly aligned herself with it. When the suffragettes staged a large protest march down New York City’s Fifth Avenue past her salon in 1912, Arden and her team handed them red lipstick, a bit like marathon supporters who stand roadside, fortifying tired runners by offering them cups of water. The following year, on March 3, 1913, when nearly five thousand women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, they wore red lipstick too.

• For her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned a bespoke lipstick hue. 
It was a custom-mixed deep Bordeaux to coordinate with the Robe of State. The shade was known as Balmoral, a nod to the Scottish castle where the royal family spends the holidays. With an everyday palette of lipsticks that includes her tried-and-true red—although pinks have come to dominate as her color of choice as she has grown older—the Queen’s love of lipstick is clear. 

Actresses from the 1930s and 1940s wore red lipstick on-screen, even when playing roles in period films where it wasn’t historically correct. 
In the 1930s and 1940s, red lipstick was very much a part of the fashion and beauty sensibility, infusing glamour into women’s everyday look, whether they were full-time housewives or part of the expanding workforce. Crimson-lipped actresses helped fuel that cultural ubiquity, as they favored wearing red lipstick on-screen, even when playing roles in period films where it wasn’t historically correct. When Vivien Leigh played Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, she wore perfectly applied red lipstick, even though the story is set during the American Civil War. 

• Makeup of the geisha includes an especially heightened take on red lipstick.
Traditional and uncompromising, the makeup of the geisha includes an especially heightened take on red lipstick, pairing vivid matte crimson lips with a highly whitened complexion. Today, many geishas add a final step to the lip application process by dipping a small brush into the slightly molten interior of a small piece of hard candy, using the fluid, sugary center as a sealant. 

Here is the audio from the podcast episode:

Be sure to check out Red Lipstick, available on April 9th, 2019.

-Lainey

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LLF Guest Post: Abigail DeWitt, author of NEWS OF OUR LOVED ONES

image from edel-images.azureedge.netHello, librarians! In less than a month, News of Our Loved Ones by Abigail DeWitt goes on sale. This moving historical novel explores two generations of a French family whose lives are irrevocably altered by the D-Day bombing in Normandy. Praised by Booklist as "a powerful kaleidoscopic view of the many ways war takes its toll and the small moments of beauty it nevertheless contains," News of Our Loves Ones is truly a special novel by a special author. Today, we are thrilled to welcome Abigail to Library Love Fest for a guest post. When the Library Love Fest team first read Abigail's guest post, we were absolutely floored by its beauty and insights. This is one of the best things you'll read all day, so without further ado, enjoy!

***

A Love Letter to Librarians

Of all the characters in all the novels I’ve ever read, the one whose decency and courage moves me most often to tears is the librarian in the appendix to The Sound and the Fury. Decades after the beautiful, damned Caddie has been banned from home because of her promiscuity, the librarian, “a mouse-sized and -colored woman who had never married,” is the only one who stands up for Caddie. She may look the part of the librarian-cliché, but she alone confronts Jason, who banished Caddie in the first place and whose cruelty represents for Faulkner the worst of post-civil war South.

I sometimes think of that character when I think about my friend Sylvia, a recently retired Bookmobile librarian in our rural Appalachian county. Every year, Sylvia logged close to 12,000 miles, driving up and down winding, often rutted, often one-lane roads. She brought books to the elderly and to people with disabilities, but also to children in federally funded after-school programs, homeschoolers, and anyone who couldn’t get to the library. We are a Tier One, economically disadvantaged county, deep in Trump country, and she sometimes also delivered food along with books.

On the surface, Sylvia has nothing in common with Faulkner’s librarian. After failing to convince Jason to help her save Caddie, that nameless fictional character finds herself packed into a crowded bus, weeping. She is “smaller than any other there so that her feet touch…the floor only occasionally until a [man]…pick[s] her up bodily and set[s] her into a seat next to the window, where still crying quietly she c[an] look out upon the fleeing city…” Sylvia lives on a farm and is used to lifting things that are much heavier than a mouse-sized woman. Once, when the brakes went out on the Bookmobile bus as she was navigating a steep, winding road, she rose, pulled on the emergency brake, and drove the whole way down standing up. Sylvia is also happily married to a woman.

I asked her once if the many Bookmobile patrons who believe homosexuality is a sin knew the truth about her. She shrugged. “I’m friends with a lot of library patrons on Facebook, so they have to know. They still give me gifts. Candy, homemade sausage, flowers, apple butter.” She continued: “You can find common ground with anyone through books.”

I thought about the suspension of judgment that takes place when a fundamentalist Christian offers food to a lesbian without trying to save her and a liberal offers books to a Trump supporter without trying to save her. I thought how rare such an exchange was—rare, at least, if social media is to be believed—and I remembered this quote, from Duncan Smith’s article, “Your Brain on Fiction” in the ALA Reference & User Services Quarterly: “We frequently hear fiction reading described…as an escape…we need to be clear about what readers are escaping from. They are escaping from a narrow, limiting view of the world and journeying to a place where it is possible to experience a deeper connection to our real selves and to live fully in our world.”

It makes sense that it would be a librarian who would open her heart to Caddie, just as it is Sylvia who creates and fosters an open-hearted exchange between people who, in so many other contexts, might loathe one another. The cliché of the primly disapproving librarian could not be further from the truth: It is librarians, after all, who, by handing us the means to transcend boundaries, are the true revolutionaries in a species so bent on mistrust of what is different.

***

Thank you, Abigail! News of Our Loved Ones goes on sale October 2nd, so head on over to Edelweiss to download the egalley before it hits library shelves. You can pre-order a copy here.

-Chris

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BookPage Readers! Enter for a Chance to Win Librarian Favorites!

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Hello BookPage readers!  Summer may be ending, but these LibraryReads picks are just as great read on the couch as they are on the beach!  Between now and September 30, you can enter for a chance to be one of ten lucky winners who will receive a copy of each title below—all chosen by librarians for the LibraryReads Top 10 monthly lists this year!  
 
***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
 
Booklist 2018
 
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn: For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house—#3 on the January 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern: From journalist and author Sue Halpern comes a wry, observant look at contemporary life and its refugees.  Halpern’s novel is an unforgettable tale of family…the kind you come from and the kind you create#9 on the February 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
Sunburn by Laura Lippman: New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals, and cold-blooded murder—#6 on the March 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
Tangerine by Christine Mangan: A stunning debut novel—a chilling and unexpected portrait of a female friendship set in 1950s Morocco—#9 on the March 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson: From the acclaimed author of Her Every Fear and The Kind Worth Killing comes a diabolically clever tale of obsession, revenge, and cold-blooded murder—a sly and brilliant guessing game of a novel in the vein of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Patricia Highsmith—#3 on the April 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy: An addictive psychological thriller about a group of women whose lives become unexpectedly connected when one of their newborns goes missing—#4 on the May 20198 LibraryReads list.
 
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz: The New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes—#4 on the June 2018 LibraryReads list.
 
Visit LibraryReads.org for more information on the monthly list and find out how you can participate.
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August Facebook Live Book List

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Miss our August Facebook live video? Not to worry! We created the ultimate TBR list for you (plus, a little cosmo recipe on the side)! Find the full video here.

 

Tony's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White

Prisoner by Jason Rezaian

Freefall by Jessica Barry

Am I Dying?! by Dr. Christopher Kelly and Dr. Marc Eisenberg

The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty

No Exit by Taylor Adams

    -Make sure to read the behind the book here.

The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk

Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

    -Make sure to read the behind the book here.

The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy by Jennifer McCartney

Parkland by Dave Cullen

Hindsight by Justin Timberlake

 

Backlist available for purchase:

Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry by Elizabeth McCracken

The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

For more book presentations, check out our podcast here.

 

Don't forget the cosmo! Courtesy of viewer Donna Wilder (pictured below).

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 Wilder’s Wild Cosmopolitan

 
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
 
1oz cranberry juice
 
1/2 oz Cointreau
 
1 1/2 oz Vodka Citron
 
Serve in chilled martini glasses and enjoy!
 
 
Have a great rest of the summer! Don't forget to submit your favorite drink recipes and a picture of you enjoying it to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.
 
-Lainey

 

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Happy National Book Lovers Day!

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It's no surprise that we LOVE books here at Library Love Fest. And today the entire nation celebrates books in honor of National Book Lovers Day.

Looking for your next read? What's better than a book…about books?

9780062678966Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern: When 15-year-old, home-schooled Sunny gets arrested for shoplifting a dictionary, the judge throws the book at her—literally. She is assigned to do community service at the local library in Riverton, New Hampshire; her “boss” for the summer is the head librarian, Kit, who is herself a refugee from what she thought was a settled, suburban, midwestern life. They're joined by Rusty, a former high flying Wall Streeter in search of his roots (and, maybe, a once-forgotten bank account.) With a cast of supporting characters, Kit and Sunny and Rusty circle around one another, taking measure of each other and of themselves. As the summer progresses, we learn how their lives unraveled, and discover how they can be knit together again. It is appropriate that in a novel that takes place in a library, Sue Halpern—a long-time contributor to The New York Review of Books—reveals her own love of reading, libraries, and librarians.  

A wry and observant look at contemporary life and the refuges we find, Summer Hours at the Robbers Library is an unforgettable tale of family, the kind you come from and the kind you create.

9780062838094The Binding by Bridget Collins: Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. 

For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed, and the past is locked away.

An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic. Be sure to check out The Binding (ISBN: 9780062838094), coming out on April 16, 2019.

 

In honor of this holiday, we are giving away finished copies of Summer Hours at the Robbers Library and galleys of The Binding to the first 10 people who email librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.

Don't forget to share how you are spending your day on social media, using #NationalBookLoversDay.

-Lainey

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LLF Guest Post: Bina Shah, author of BEFORE SHE SLEEPS

image from edel-images.azureedge.netCalling all fans of brilliant, politically-charged dystopian fiction: Before She Sleeps by Bina Shah, on sale next week, is not to be missed. Bina, a celebrated Pakistani author and journalist, paints a vivid picture of a world torn apart by war and a brave group of women who revolt against being enslaved in multiple marriages. Publishers Weekly, in a rave STARRED review, praises Before She Sleeps as a "haunting dystopian thriller…. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale won't want to miss this one." Today, we welcome Bina to Library Love Fest for a guest post!

***

The Diary

"Here, Bina, I’ve bought you a book, but you can’t read it until you’re older, next year."

The year is 1982 and this is not the thing you say to a ten year old girl, a hungry reader, who devours books the way other children eat candy. She haunts the elementary school library like a ghost, checking out so many books that the librarian has to tell her to slow down. But books are her friends, and she wants to spend as much time as she can with them. They tell her the truth about the world, even when adults want to hide it from her. She is hungry for the truth.

You do not leave the girl sitting on a bench in the mall with the book in a plastic bag while you go to explore the clothes and shoes in the department store. Chalk it down to inexperience, trust, or the belief that a mother’s word is law. Never underestimate even the most obedient daughter’s curiosity, especially when you have said those magic words, You can’t read this book.  It is guaranteed to have the opposite effect.

As soon as you leave the girl, telling her you’ll be back in half an hour, she plunges her hand into the plastic bag and pulls out the book. Anne Frank, she reads, The Diary of a Young Girl. A girl like me? she thinks. This can’t be true.

The back cover tells her that Anne Frank lived in the Netherlands during World War 2, and that she and her family, Jews, were forced to go into hiding for two years, until they were betrayed and captured by the Nazis. Their hiding place was the Secret Annexe and this book is the diary that Anne Frank wrote from the ages of 13 to 15. And then she died in a notorious concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen, and only her father survived to bring this book to the world.

Anne couldn’t be more different from this girl, a Pakistani Muslim who lives in Karachi, growing up forty years after the events of World War 2. Pakistan can’t be more different than the Netherlands under Nazi Germany, even though a brutal dictator rules the country, repressing the rights of anyone who isn’t a Sunni Muslim male. Still, the girl knows that things are not right where she lives; an undercurrent of bleakness and repression runs through everything. She remembers the day they hanged the Prime Minister; a black day when the roads were empty and the entire country was plunged into mourning.

The words on the back of the diary are already ringing like alarm bells in the girl’s ears. She glances left and right to see if her mother is watching from a secret corner, decides the coast is clear, and begins to read. Dear Kitty, and with just that simple salutation to an imaginary friend, the girl is lost to everything around her. The sounds of the mall fade away, fear of Mother is forgotten (though she keeps one eye out for her mother’s sudden reappearance). The only thing that exists for this girl is the book in her hands and the words on the page.

By the time you return, the girl has already read through one-fourth of the book (she is a fast reader). She keeps dipping into it when you’re not looking, entranced by the tale of the Jewish girl and her family forced into hiding, trying to survive, if not live ordinary lives. It strikes chords in her that she didn’t even know she could hear, living in Pakistan, a country that takes everything from girls and women and gives them little in return.

As the girl grows, leaving childhood behind and becoming a teenager, she too is forced into a type of hiding: from the world of men, from the streets, from public life. She only feels alive at school, the way Anne feels alive when reading a book or writing in her diary.

The girl finishes the book quickly. She thrills to the tale of Anne and Peter’s first kiss, nods vicariously at stories of arguments with mother and sister, misunderstandings with relatives and friends. She is devastated by the ending, even though she knew hw it would turn out before she began reading the book. She has dreams in which she too is a Jewish girl, trapped in a concentration camp. She keeps trying to work out alternative endings where Anne and her family are not captured, or they survive the camps, and Anne grows up to achieve her dream: "When I grow up, I want to be a famous writer."

Later, her mother presents her with the book. "You’re old enough to read it now. I read it when I was in school, and it really affected me. That’s why I wanted you to have it. You’re old enough to understand it now."

But the girl has already understood everything, far beyond what her mother imagines. Because the girl has already started her own diary, addressing each entry, Dear Anne. And she writes, in this diary, "When I grow up, I want to be a famous writer, just like you."

***

Thanks, Bina! You can pre-order a copy of Before She Sleeps here! The book goes on sale August 7th. Don't miss it!

-Chris

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FALL in Love with Our Upcoming Fall Titles!

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We have a lot of great titles coming up this Fall. Here's a list of all the titles that were included in our Library Journal 2018 Fall Announcement ad.

 

We Fed an Island by José Andrés, with Richard Wolffe

Road to Disaster by Brian VanDeMark

Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

Astounding by Alec Nevala-Lee

Beautiful Country Burn Again by Ben Fountain

Untitled by Justin Timberlake

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Harper Lee and Fred Fordham

Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz

Homebody by Joanna Gaines

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

Family Trust by Kathy Wang

November Road by Lou Berney

Shell Game by Sara Paretsky

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem

Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels

Tony's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis

The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

The Red and the Blue by Steve Kornacki

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

The Big Fella by Jane Leavy

Vietnam by Max Hastings

Fed Up by Gemma Hartley

Operation Columba by Gordon Corera

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Car Trouble by Robert Rorke

I Know You Know by Gilly Macmillan

Summer at the Garden Café by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

 

Other exciting upcoming titles not listed in our ad:

Beyond Broadway Joe by Bob Lederer

Seduction by Karina Longworth

Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates

All That Heaven Allows by Mark Griffin

The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Timeless by R. A. Salvatore

Pulse by Michael Harvey

Trinity by Louisa Hall

War of the Wolf by Bernard Cornwell

Come with Me by Helen Schulman

Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill

Field of Bones by J. A. Jance

Man of War by Sean Parnell

News of Our Loved Ones by Abigail DeWitt

A Forgotten Place by Charles Todd

American Tantrum by Anthony Atamanuik

The Truth About Aaron by Jonathan Hernandez

American Entrepreneur by Willie Robertson and William Doyle

The Rift Coda by Amy S. Foster

Carla Hall's Soul Food by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko

Forks Over Knives: Flavor! by Darshana Thacker

Play by Play by Verne Lundquist

The Happy Cookbook by Steve and Kathy Doocy

When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

Find Me Gone by Sarah Meuleman

Just Jessie by Jessie James Decker

Slender Man by Anonymous

Lose Weight with Your Instant Pot by Audrey Johns

Once a Midwife by Patricia Harman

Christmas on the Island by Jenny Colgan

 

Find more fantastic Fall titles on our Edelweiss catalog page.

-Lainey

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WE FED AN ISLAND is “A Passionate and Courageous Story That Should be Required Reading for Anyone Involved in Disaster Response.”

9780062864482There is so much love for José Andrés' We Fed an Island, a true story of how a group of chefs fed hundreds of thousands of hungry Americans after Hurricane Maria. Chef José Andrés arrived in Puerto Rico four days after Hurricane Maria ripped through the island. The economy was destroyed and for most people there was no clean water, no food, no power, no gas, and no way to communicate with the outside world. Here, Andrés discovered a larger, more systematic problem. This book describes how a network of community kitchens activated real change and tells an extraordinary story of hope in the face of disasters both natural and man-made, offering suggestions for how to address a crisis like this in the future. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Chef Relief Network of World Central Kitchen for efforts in Puerto Rico and beyond.

Check out all of these amazing reviews for We Fed an Island:

“This lovely, energizing story from Michelin-starred chef Andrés and his frequent cookbook coauthor Wolffe provides an antidote to passivity and cynicism….This is a powerful story of the impact a well-meaning group can have on the world.”
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review 

“[An] inspirational story…A passionate and courageous story that should be required reading for anyone involved in disaster response.”
—Kirkus, Starred Review 

“José Andrés’s work to build a massive relief operation from the ground up after Hurri­cane Maria devastated Puerto Rico was nothing short of miraculous—and a powerful reminder that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to help one another in times of need."
President Bill Clinton 

“In the days and weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, José Andrés seemed to always be in constant motion—cooking, cajoling, inspiring, doing whatever it took to feed as many people as possible. I saw the results of his, and his volunteers’, work firsthand, but it’s only in the pages of this book that the scale of their contribution becomes clear. What an amazing story!”
Anderson Cooper 

“His big heart and boundless energy could not be restrained by red tape. People were hungry, and José is a chef. Chefs feed people. He, better than anyone, understood that. He is a leader, an innovator, and a true hero.”
Anthony Bourdain 

“We know personally of the incredible commitment, ingenuity, and solutions that José brings to our world and the impact this book can have in actually making changes and improving the way we deal with natural disasters. We feel privileged to call him our friend and are always impressed with his passion for doing what’s right. José Andrés has been an integral part of the recovery of our beloved island of Puerto Rico.”
Gloria and Emilio Estefan

“I witnessed José’s genius and generosity of spirit firsthand when I visited Puerto Rico and experienced his heroic determination to help restore dignity to Puerto Ricans. This tribute captures the integrity, passion and vigor he employs in pursuit of justice for all. A must-read for those who seek to be compassionate changemakers.”
Laurene Powell Jobs, President and Founder, Emerson Collective

Check out We Fed an Island and hear José Andrés' Ted Talk about his trip to Puerto Rico here

-Lainey

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Happy Book Birthday to A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netIt's time to celebrate: Linwood Barclay's bone-chilling thriller, A Noise Downstairs, goes on sale today! The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye ramps up the tension in his latest, which follows a college professor who, reeling from a near-death encounter with a murderer, becomes convinced his new typewriter is possessed and that its messages are related to the now-incarcerated killer.

The Associated Press just ran a fantastic review (read it here), that was picked up by the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, ABC News, Houston Chronicle, Connecticut Post, and more:

"Proving that Barclay is a master of manipulation, he pulls a genuinely unexpected twist that throws everything revealed up to that point entirely out the window. This thriller then kicks into high gear as it becomes a race for answers and justice…. Predictable becomes unpredictable in this compelling book that echoes the best of Harlan Coben."

Booklist also gave the book a STARRED review, saying:

"[Barclay] does a masterful job of layering on the mysteries until we’re almost frantically turning the pages, impatient to find out what the hell is going on. A beautifully executed thriller."

Congratulations to Linwood on the release of A Noise Downstairs. Be sure to celebrate properly by running out and getting yourself a copy! 

-Chris

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July Facebook Live Book List

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Miss our Facebook Live presentation for July? No worries! Check out the video here. Here's a list of the titles that Kim and Lainey chatted about!

 

Notes from a Black Woman's Diary by Kathleen Collins

November Road by Lou Berney

  •     Be sure to check out Chris' interview with Lou Berney here.

Seduction by Karina Longworth

  •     Find out more about Karina's podcast series here.

The Binding by Bridget Collins

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

When You Read This by Mary Adkins

Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Harper Lee and Fred Fordham

  •     Find beautiful graphic prints from the book on Edelweiss.

Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill

  •     You can find the amazing video of Clemency discussing Year of Wonder here.

The Big Fella by Jane Leavy

Einstein's Shadow by Seth Fletcher

Tony's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

  

Backlist available for purchase:

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? by Kathleen Collins

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney

Whiplash River by Lou Berney

Gutshot Straight by Lou Berney

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

The Last Boy by Jane Leavy

Sandy Koufax by Jane Leavy

Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

 

Happy Reading!

 

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J. A. Jance is Back!

9780062657572New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance is back with Field of Bones, her latest electrifying thriller featuring Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady.

This time, Sheriff Joanna Brady may expect to see her maternity leave through to completion, but the world has other plans when a serial homicide case surfaces in her beloved Cochise County. Rather than staying home with her newborn and losing herself in the cold cases to be found in her father’s long unread diaries, Joanna instead finds herself overseeing a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions.

Filled with the beloved characters, small town charm, vivid history, intriguing mystery, and the scenic Arizona desert backdrop that have made the Joanna Brady series perennial bestsellers, this latest entry featuring the popular sheriff is sure to please J. A. Jance’s legion of fans.

J. A. Jance is also a former librarian! Find out more about her here.

This morning (July 12th, 2018), our incredible video studio interviewed J. A. Jance about her new novel and what it feels like to win a lifetime achievement award. When asked if she had time to reflect on her career in the midst of winning this award, she replied: "I feel like Cinderella…"

Watch the full interview here! And be sure to request an egalley on Edelweiss!

-Lainey

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LLF Guest Post: Ann Mah, Author of THE LOST VINTAGE

image from edel-images.azureedge.netCalling all lovers of fine wine and extra-fine books: the publication of Ann Mah's book is less than a week away! On sale June 19th, The Lost Vintage is an enthralling story of one woman whose trip to Burgundy unearths a trove of shocking family secrets. Described as Sweetbitter meets The NightingaleThe Lost Vintage also received a rave review from Booklist, who said, "Mah’s story resonates on many levels, and her engaging story will appeal to readers who enjoy the family sagas of Kate Morton and Kristin Hannah." Today, we are thrilled to welcome Ann for a guest post! 

***

I’ve loved libraries ever since I was a kid, when I spent most school vacations at our local branch. But I’d never have guessed that a library would become my second home. Here’s what happened.

In 2010 my husband and I moved to Paris. As lifelong Francophiles, his diplomatic assignment to France felt like a dream come true. But we had barely unpacked our bags, when he got called away to Baghdad for a year, no spouses allowed. The good news was that I could stay in Paris. The challenge would be creating a life by myself.

In the beginning, I struggled a little. As much as I loved living in Paris, I found Parisians as formal as their reputation and even though I spoke French, it wasn’t enough to loosen tight-knit social circles that had existed since pre-school (or, in some cases, the womb).

One evening, out for a walk, something caught my eye: a sign for the American Library in Paris. Back home, I did some research and discovered that this was the largest English-language lending library in Europe, founded in 1920. A modest membership fee offered access to the collection, as well as cultural events. The next day I returned and signed up.

At first I was just a member. I browsed the stacks, or whiled away rainy Saturdays in the reading room. But slowly I made friends with the circulation manager, who shared my interest in new cookbooks. And then the programs manager, who invited me to give a talk on my new novel. I started meeting other members: fellow former New Yorkers, fellow struggling writers, fellow book-lovers. Before I knew it, I was volunteering at author readings, arranging folding chairs into rows, pouring wine, distributing snacks. A few months later, the programs manager left for a new job and the library director offered me the position. I jumped at the opportunity.

As a writer, I had sometimes struggled with too much solitude. But now, my part-time job at the American Library in Paris gave me a comforting exoskeleton of routine. Commuting to work by métro, I felt like I was truly part of the city, an honest wage-earner, instead of a temporary resident, or dilettante tourist. I loved discovering a new neighborhood, one quieter and more residential than my own. And I enjoyed spending time with my colleagues – who were mostly American expats – and never tired of their quirky tales of culture shock and assimilation in France. In this quiet oasis near the Eiffel tower, I found a warm and caring community.

 These days, I live in Paris part-time, but the American Library in Paris is still very much a part of my life. When my husband and I decided to look for an apartment to buy in Paris – a tiny shoebox, but our shoebox – we found one a block from the library. Once upon a time, I might have dismissed the neighborhood as stuffy – but now I knew better. After all my time at the library, it felt like home.

Whenever I go back to Paris, one of my first stops is always the American Library. I go to see to my friends, of course. But I also go to browse the stacks, curl up with a pile of books in the reading room, and while away a rainy afternoon. I go to remind myself that I am home again.

***

Thanks, Ann! The Lost Vintage goes on sale June 19th, so be sure to check it out!

-Chris

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Here’s What Virginia Stanley Buzzed About at Book Expo 2018!

Book Expo 2018 has come to an end and countless TBR lists have grown exponentially in its wake. On Friday, June 1st, Virginia Stanley closed out Book Expo in style by presenting a particularly exciting line-up of titles at the Publishers Book Buzz. Keep reading for details on the books that have Virginia buzzing! For a printable handout, click here.

***

image from edel-images.azureedge.netThe Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris: A novel based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netWhen the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis: In this debut historical novel inspired by a true story, a woman breaks with tradition to become the first female high school football coach in Texas.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netNovember Road by Lou Berney: From the multiple award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone, an evocative crime novel set against the assassination of JFK, centered on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

 

image from edel-images.azureedge.netThe Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash: From the award-winning author of The Last Good Chance, an evocative and wildly absorbing novel about the Winters, a family living in New York City’s famed Dakota apartment building in the year leading up to John Lennon’s assassination.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

McCracken author photo (c) Edward CareyBowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken: A sweeping and enchanting new novel from the widely beloved, award-winning author about three generations of an unconventional New England family who own and operate a candlepin bowling alley.

Check back soon for the egalley on Edelweiss!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netCross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough: The New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes returns with a twisty, hair-raising psychological thriller about a single mom, her daughter, and her best friend, the secrets they hide, and the danger they can’t escape.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netMarilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy: Set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, a bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness.

Click here to download the egalley on Edelweiss!

Snowden Wright_author photoAmerican Pop by Snowden Wright: This debut novel tells the saga of the Forsters, an unforgettable Southern dynasty that founded the first major soft-drink company.

Check back soon for the egalley on Edelweiss!

Even more books Virginia is excited about!

When You Read This by Mary Adkins

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman

Tony's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz

The Big Fella by Jane Leavy

The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem

Pulse by Michael Harvey

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas

We Fed an Island by Jose Andres

Family Trust by Kathy Wang

Operation Columba by Gordon Corera

The Adventures of Barry & Joe by Adam Reid

***

For a printable copy of the presentation handout, please click here.

-Chris

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Happy Paperback Birthday to THE LAST BALLAD!

image from edel-images.azureedge.netBook clubs, take note! The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash is now available in paperback

Wiley Cash brings to life the sorrow and bravery of the forgotten struggle of the labor movement in early twentieth-century America. Lyrical, heartbreaking, and haunting, this eloquent novel confirms Wiley Cash’s place among our nation’s finest writers.

This bestseller garnered rave reviews and hit the LibraryReads list when it was first published in October 2017.

It was named a Best Book of 2017 by the Chicago Public Library and a Notable Book by the American Library Association.

It also made end-of-the-year best-of lists by Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal, and was selected by the New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year.

Now available in paperback with a P.S. section with new material, this gem of a book offers much to discuss.

Want a copy?

Send an email to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com!

First 10 people will receive!

-Virginia

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Come to the HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz at ALA Annual 2018 in New Orleans!

The Library Love Fest team is getting ready to head south to The Big Easy and we hope to see you there! In addition to our line-up of author signings, we'll also be hosting our world-famous book buzz, complete with coffee, snacks, and sound machines! Use our conference schedule below to mark your calendars so you don't miss a thing!

ALA Annual 2018

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Click here to watch the original A Streetcar Named Desire trailer that inspired our video!

8:30-10:00am
HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 279-280

Refreshments will be served and seating is limited, so RSVP to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com today!


Don't forget to come to booth #3331 and meet our authors!

 
9:00-10:00am
Jason Porath / Tough Mothers
Booth signing


11:00am-12:00pm

Steve & Kathy Doocy / The Happy Cookbook
Booth signing


12:30-1:00pm

Steve & Kathy Doocy
What's Cooking Stage

12:00-1:00pm
Alec Nevala-Lee / Astounding
Booth signing

1:00-2:00pm
Sarah Weinman / The Real Lolita
Booth signing

2:30-3:30pm
UFL Program: Reads Like Fiction:
Nonfiction You Can't Put Down
Sarah Weinman, The Real Lolita
Convention Center, Room 286-287

2:00-3:00pm
Marjorie Herrera Lewis / When the Men Were Gone
Booth signing

3:00-4:00pm
LibraryReads Best in Sci Fi/Horror and Fantasy Authors
Featuring Alec Nevala-Lee, Astounding
Convention Center, Room 207


4:00-5:00pm

UFL Program: First Author, First Book
Marjorie Herrera Lewis, 
When the Men Were Gone
Convention Center, Room 286-287

4:00-5:00pm
Alyssa Cole / A Princess in Theory
Booth signing

8:00-10:00pm
Carnegie Awards – Sue Halpern speaker
Sheraton New Orleans, Grand Ballroom C
For tickets, visit www.ala.org

 

Sunday, June 24 

8:00-10:00am
RUSA Literary Tastes Breakfast
Jason Fagone, The Woman Who Smashed Codes
Convention Center, Room 218-219

9:00-10:00am
Sue Halpern / Summer Hours at the Robbers Library
Booth signing

10:30-11:30am
Jason Fagone / The Woman Who Smashed Codes
Booth signing

10:30-11:30am
UFL Program: Isn't it Romantic?
Jill Shalvis, Hot Winter Nights
Convention Center, Room 286-287

12:00-1:00pm
Jill Shalvis / Rainy Day Friends
Booth signing

3:00-5:30pm
President's Program
Jose Antonio Vargas, Dear America
Convention Center, New Orleans Theater B

3:35-4:20pm
BONUS BOOK BUZZ!
HarperCollins with Sterling Publishing
Book Buzz Theater
Exhibit Hall: Next to booth #3511

3:30-4:30pm
Harrison Scott Key / Congratulations, Who Are You Again?
Booth signing

5:30-7:30pm
UFL Program: The Laugh's On Us*
Harrison Scott Key, 
Congratulations, Who Are You Again?
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, St. Charles Ballroom


Monday, June 25

8:30-10:00am
LibraryReads Bookalicious Breakfast
Featuring Sarah McCoy, Marilla of Green Gables
Convention Center, Room 275-277
For an invitation, contact Tina Jordan at: 
jordanfotine99@gmail.com

10:15-11:00am
Sarah McCoy / Marilla of Green Gables
Booth signing

10:40-11:10am
BONUS BOOK BUZZ!
HarperCollins / Harlequin
Book Buzz Theater
Exhibit Hall: Next to booth #3511

11:00am-12:00pm
Lou Berney / November Road
Booth signing

2:00-4:00pm
United for Libraries Gala Author Toast*
Featuring Lou Berney, November Road
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Jefferson Room

*HarperCollins is a proud sponsor of
UNITED FOR LIBRARIES (UFL)
www.ala.org/united
Call 1-800-545-2433 ext 2161 for tickets.

 

Click here for a printable version of our full conference schedule!

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LLF Guest Post: Maxine Rosaler, Author of QUEEN FOR A DAY

Queen-for-a-Day-FINAL (2)Queen for a Day is a novel-in-stories set in New York City, which portrays with a remarkable blend of poignancy and humor the stages of a mother’s denial and final acceptance of her son’s autism and her battle with the public school system to get him a proper education. Today, we welcome Queen for a Day author Maxine Rosaler for a guest post.

***

For a long time I was ambivalent about libraries, having wasted so much time in college trying to study in them. College (all three that I jumped around to) was really wasted on me, but being possessed of a Puritanical spirit that was constantly at war with my inability to pay attention to anything but my own thoughts and desires, I was determined to try to study and the library was always where I tried to do that.

Then, after college, when I belonged to the 92nd Street Y, I would go to the terrific little library there and I loved discovering writers I had never heard of before, like Anita Brookner and Russell Hoban. Around that same time, when I was in late twenties, I remember once flipping through rows of capitalized index cards in those great-looking heavy wooden card catalogs at the main branch of the New York Public Library, thinking that it would be fun to be a detective. It was the only moment in my life that I can recall ever seriously contemplating being anything but a writer. That moment passed quickly when I realized that I could never do it: I knew it was inevitable that I would end up being thrown into a moral quandary about nailing a suspect. (I still think I would have been a great detective.)  

And then there were all the years I used to spend in the Columbia University library. My father went to Columbia, and there was something so great about wandering around the same rooms he had wandered when he was a student there. I loved the ancient look of everything: the marble floors and the wooden tables and desks, and those long winding staircases, with their thick, oak banisters and the dead quiet of the endless rows of stacks of books, some with the edges of their delicate pages turned brown. Now, if I ever have the time to wander the stacks, I often wish that I could have a computer chip implanted in my brain so that I could possess all of that knowledge. At the Columbia Journalism Library, I would make lists of literary journals to send my stories. And once, when I was working as a freelance copy editor, the librarian lent me a copy of Elements of Style

Also, my best friend, Pidge, has been a librarian for forty years.  And I really get a kick out of that. Last but not least, I absolutely love the mere fact that an institution like a public library exists. I love going to the library now, knowing that I can find anything I want to read there. Sadly, I also realize that in the future libraries might be the only place where people will be able to experience the wonderful physicality of books, with their paper pages that exude those wonderful, distinctive odors that have been around since Johannes Guttenberg invented the printing press.   

***

Thanks Maxine! Be sure to check out Queen for a Day, on sale June 5.

-Lainey

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May Facebook Live Book List

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Thanks for watching our May Facebook Live tiki talk! Below, you can find a list of the titles we presented. If you missed the video, be sure to check out the video on our Facebook page or in our Video Archive!

Upcoming Titles:

The Story of H by Marina Perezagua

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

The Sea Queen by Linnea Hartsuyker

Temper by Nicky Drayden

Another Woman’s Husband by Gill Paul

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

GuRu by RuPaul

Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink

Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris

Author Backlist and Other Titles Available Now:

The Half-Drowned King  by Linnea Hartsuyker

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

It Devours! by Joseph Fink

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

 

We also talked about our new podcast! You can subscribe to The Library Love Fest Podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, and Stitcher.

See you next month!

-Virginia, Chris, and Lainey

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Abby Wambach Delivers Powerful Barnard Commencement Speech

Y648Back in 2016 when Abby Wambach was promoting her book Forward, she was one of the featured speakers at the BEA Librarians’ Dinner. She brought the house down with her powerful, emotional presentation. A few days ago, she delivered another powerful speech when she delivered the 126th commencement address of Barnard College to the Class of 2018. "Like all little girls, I was taught to be grateful… But one day I realized, I couldn't Little Red Riding Hood my way through life. I realized, I wasn't Little Red Riding Hood. I was the wolf." Check out the video here: https://bit.ly/2rQJGGE. Here’s the transcript: https://bit.ly/2IQrBSU.  She’s pretty amazing.

-Virginia

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You are Cordially Invited to Check Out BY INVITATION ONLY, by Dorothea Benton Frank

9780062390820New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank's newest novel, By Invitation Only, is on sale today and it already has some amazing buzz. It was included in USA Today's New & Noteworthy feature, named one of the "25 Best New Books for Summer 2018" by Good Housekeeping, and it's a 2018 Southern Book Prize Finalist!

By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple—the privileged daughter of Chicago’s crème de la crème and the son of hard-working Southern peach farmers.

Dorothea Benton Frank offers a funny, sharp, and deeply empathetic novel of two very different worlds—of limousines and pickup trucks, caviars and pigs, skyscrapers and ocean spray—filled with a delightful cast of characters who all have something to hide and a lot to learn. A difference in legal opinions, a headlong dive from grace, and an abrupt twist will reveal the truth of who they are and demonstrate, when it truly counts, what kind of grit they have. Are they living the life they want, what regrets do they hold, and how would they remake their lives if they were given the invitation to do so?

By Invitation Only is classic Dorothea Benton Frank—a mesmerizing Lowcountry Tale that roars with spirit, humor, and truth, and forces us to reconsider our notions of what it means to be a Have or a Have Not.

Congrats, Dorothea! We can't wait to see what review By Invitation Only will get next!

-Lainey

 

 

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