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For the past year the Library Love Fest team has been hosting a monthly video program on our site called Under the Radar, Over the Moon. In this series, we talk about debut and midlist titles that have set our hearts aflutter.  And we're not the only ones!  So many of these titles have received rave starred reviews.  These books may or may not have been on your radar, but we’re over the moon about them, and we want to share that love with you!  Each new month has its own theme and drink, so raise a glass with us and join in the fun!

Click below to watch our highlight reel of some of the great titles we raved about in 2016 and get a taste for the shenanigans you can expect for 2017.

 

 

Under the Radar, Over the Moon has received stellar praise from librarians all over the country!

"Being made aware of titles that may not be as highly publicized is a huge help. Collection development librarians should order extra copies so readers' advisory librarians have them on hand for patrons." —Robin Beerbower, EarlyWord.com Columnist

“At Douglas County Libraries we LOVE watching Under the Radar, Over the Moon to get the scoop on what’s new, and we LOVE to laugh with the UROM presenters! Can’t wait for the next one.” —Lisa Casper, Branch Program Liaison, Douglas County Libraries

“I make sure I have the titles in carts for consideration and often download the DRC from Edelweiss if it's available. Your recommendations so far have been outstanding. The Nest, Be Frank With Me, Girls on Fire come to mind as titles you helped highlight for me. It is extremely useful to have a spotlight put on books by debut (or in Wasserman's case debut adult) authors. If you did not produce Under the Radar, Over the Moon I would miss it and more importantly, our readers would not be as well served by me.” —Janet Lockhart, Collection Development Librarian, Wake County Public Libraries

Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to automatically receive the new episode every month, along with other great content from Library Love Fest.  You can watch all our past episodes here, or, if you are looking for a specific title, you can use this handy list which will link you directly to that book's episode.

Starting with the November episode, you can enter for a chance to win a set of the 6 books we talk about in that month’s video.  We will randomly select 10 lucky librarians every month to receive that month's titles so you can enjoy them with us!  Links to enter will be sent out in the newsletter with each new episode, so make sure to sign up for the newsletter to receive this.  Don't miss out!

We hope you enjoy these videos!

—The Library Love Fest Team

We’re not the only ones who love the books we’ve talked about in Under the Radar, Over the Moon!  Many of these books have received rave starred reviews from multiple trade publications.  Check out all the stellar praise below!

 

 

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Kirkus: “A fetching debut from an author who knows her city, its people, and their hearts.”

Booklist: “D’Aprix gives each of the characters a distinct and true personality, and she has a flair for realistic and funny dialogue—readers will feel as though they’re sitting right next to the clan as they bicker and barter.”

 

Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson

Library Journal: “magnificently poignant, funny, and wholly original”

 

 

 

The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner

Publishers Weekly: “absorbing…. This beautifully written, bittersweet story of ladies of a certain age and era will have wide appeal.”

Booklist: “unfailingly honest… poignant…. touching…”

 

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

Publishers Weekly: “Tremblay uses concise prose and smooth storytelling to evoke raw emotion in this tale of love, loss, and terror…. stunning and tantalizing”

Booklist: “This tense, quick-moving story, part mystery and part folktale with a dash of police procedural, moves between points of view that offer tantalizing clues and moments of discomfort. The result is a satisfying piece of fiction that shifts genres underneath the reader.”

 

Night of the Animals by Bill Broun

Publishers Weekly: “strange, witty, and engrossing, skipping through madness and into the realm of myth.”

Booklist: “Imaginative, fast-paced, thoughtful, and awash in laser-like imagery”

Library Journal: “highly recommended, original tour de force”

Kirkus: “An impressive, richly imagined, deeply urgent story.” 

 

Brighton by Michael Harvey

Kirkus: “Sharp as the blades used to gut the guilty and innocent alike, Harvey’s fierce stand-alone is a blood-soaked tribute to finding your past and living with the consequences.”

Booklist: “Masterful…. With a gritty atmosphere, extraordinary characters, and several stunning twists”

Library Journal: “Riveting”

 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Kirkus: “A breezy tale perfect for a day at the beach, this one’s a real winner.”

 

 

 

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

Booklist: “Jiles’ lyrical style and minimal punctuation allow the reader to become immersed in the dusty Texan landscape, witnessing the anguish, fear, compassion, and joy in the unlikely pair’s journey.”

Kirkus: “Lyrical and affecting”

 

The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

Booklist: “Masterfully drawn characters and intricate plotting make this a stunning piece of crime fiction.”

Publishers Weekly: “suspenseful, serpentine tale”

 

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Publishers Weekly: “crucial to understanding subsequent movements for civil rights”

Library Journal: “an impassioned and clearly well-researched narrative…. highly recommended”

Booklist: “an incredibly powerful and complex story”

 

Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson

Booklist: “… far more compelling and far less sensational than any satire about education since (and including) Pictures from an Institution (Randall Jarrell, 1954) as well as much realer and wiser and sadder and eventually reassuring about human nature than dozens of other novels.” 

 

The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy

Publishers Weekly: “… a beautifully rendered, haunting page-turner.”

Booklist: “[Blends] suspense and sf-tinged mystery in a complex novel that is both unforgettable and impossible to put down.”

 

The Weaver by Emmi Itäranta

Publishers Weekly: “a finely crafted fantasy tale that seamlessly blends a coming-of-age story with high-stakes intrigue and danger… Itäranta writes engagingly, displaying her setting and atypical characters in full color.” 

 

The Believer by Joakim Zander

Booklist: “Zander has written another compelling, timely, and character-centered thriller, and many readers will look forward to what he does next.”

 

 

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

Library Journal: Janeites will enjoy this fantastical reimagining of a literary masterpiece that should also appeal to fans of Naomi Novik’s “Temeraire” series.

 

 

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

Booklist: “…here he introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.”

Library Journal: “Psychological thriller devotees should block time to read Swanson’s… novel in one sitting, preferably in the daylight.”

Shining City by Tom Rosenstiel

Library Journal: “Veteran journalist Rosenstiel’s debut novel ‘shines’ with page-turning intensity that will make readers hope that this book is the beginning of a new series.”

 

 

The Stolen Child by Lisa Carey

Kirkus: “Vividly and soulfully described, love and curses, roiling in a supernatural stew, bring about the large and small calamities that will render St. Brigid’s uninhabitable. Magical realism of the best kind, utterly devoid of whimsy.”

 

 

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you a new project from LibraryLoveFest called Genre Bending, where I will share author interviews, podcasts, and guest posts from all the great genre fiction coming out from HarperCollins Publishers.  The first installment is up now, in which I interview Sarah Beth Durst, the award-winning author of The Queen of Blood.  This is the start of an epic fantasy trilogy, full of political intrigue, adventure, and murderous nature spirits.  But, as Sarah says in the interview, "you don't have to love unicorns to love fantasy."  I believe readers of all kinds will find something to enjoy in The Queen of Blood and so many other genre fiction novels.  And so I hope you'll check out the excellent first installment and check out these books!

-Amanda

T.C. Boyle's latest masterpiece, The Terranauts—the story of eight young scientists voluntarily sealed inside a biodome—went on sale earlier this week.  Along with that great news, The CW announced that it will be launching a TV show based on the book!  Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory is set to produce, and it will be written by Zach Helm.

There's already been so much love for this book, including three starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and I cannot wait to see what The CW has in store for this hilarious, incisive deep-dive into human behavior.

Make sure to pick up a copy today so we can all be ready when the show premiers!

-Amanda

The wait is over!  Check out the latest episode of Under the Radar, Over the Moon and learn about some truly SPOOK-tacular reads.

You can find out more about the titles we discuss in the October episode here.  Make sure to download the egalleys, and we know you'll fall under their spell.  And, as always, we'd love to hear what you think!

-Amanda

   

Congratulations to the three HarperCollins titles that made the November LibraryReads list!  

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: “Johansen has consistently taken huge narrative risks with this series…. With richly developed characters who are never boring black and white, and villains who are as fascinating as the heroes, the finale of this outstanding series will be talked about by readers.” —Library Journal

I'll Take You There by Wally Lamb: New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb weaves an evocative, deeply affecting tapestry of one Baby Boomer's life—Felix Funicello, introduced in Wishin’ and Hopin’—and the trio of unforgettable women who have changed it, in this radiant homage to the resiliency, strength, and power of women.

Moonglow by Michael Chabon: “His most beautifully realized novel to date…. a masterful and resounding novel of the dark and blazing forces that forged our tumultuous, confounding, and precious world.” —Booklist, starred review

These are some seriously phenomenal books, so we're so happy to see you feel the same way.  Thank you to everyone who voted, and make sure to submit your votes for the LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites Longlist!  The voting deadline is November 1st.

 

My love for Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts knows no bounds, so you can only imagine how excited I am to say this wonderful, smart, creepy novel has won the 2016 Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction!

This award recognizes significant works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s/young adult literature, published by state residents or about Massachusetts subjects.  You can see the full list of winners here.

The love just keeps pouring in for this book.  In addition to the starred reviews and killer quotes from its initial publication, A Head Full of Ghosts also won the 2015 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement In A Novel and is still getting great mentions even over a year after it hit shelves.

I love this book so much—and since I'm clearly not alone in that—I want to spread the love even further.  The first ten people to send us an email to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com will receive a complimentary copy of A Head Full of Ghosts.*  Read it, love it, share it with your friends; just don't miss out on this phenomenal book.

*[EDIT] This giveaway is now closed.

-Amanda

          

We are so proud to announce two amazing books by two of our favorite authors have been selected as finalists for the National Book Award in fiction: News of the World by Paulette Jiles and Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson.

News of the World, the #1 LibraryReads pick for October, is a sparse, heart-wrenching Western set in post-Civil War Texas that follows an aging war veteran who takes a job transporting an orphaned girl across Texas to her adoptive aunt and uncle. In a starred review, Booklist raves, “Jiles’ lyrical style and minimal punctuation allow the reader to become immersed in the dusty Texan landscape, witnessing the anguish, fear, compassion, and joy in the unlikely pair’s journey.”

Another Brooklyn, the first adult novel in 20 years by the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming, is a stunning, lyrical coming-of-age story centered on a group of friends as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of a perilous, beautiful, and affecting Brooklyn, New York. Another Brooklyn also received a starred review from Booklist, who says, "The novel’s richness defies its slim page count. In her poet’s prose, Woodson not only shows us backward-glancing August attempting to stave off growing up and the pains that betray youth, she also wonders how we dream of a life parallel to the one we’re living.”

Please join us in congratulating Paulette and Jacqueline for this incredible accomplishment! For more information on the National Book Awards, please visit the official page here. The winners will be announced November 16th, so stay tuned! If you've read either (or both!) of these soon-to-be classics, be sure to share your thoughts.

-Chris

     
       

Three times a year, Library Journal picks out their top debut novels, and in this Fall/Winter iteration, there is a bevy of HarperCollins titles to look out for:

The Fire by Night by Teresa Messineo: A powerful and evocative debut novel about two American military nurses during World War II that illuminates the unsung heroism of women who risked their lives in the fight—a riveting saga of friendship, valor, sacrifice, and survival combining the grit and selflessness of Band of Brothers with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale.  Request an egalley here.

Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down by Anne Valente: The lives of four teenagers are capsized by a shocking school shooting and its aftermath in this powerful debut novel, a coming-of-age story with the haunting power of Station Eleven and the bittersweet poignancy of Everything I Never Told You.  On sale now!

A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell: A single mother’s life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes, in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.  Request an egalley here.

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole: A pulse-pounding procedural with a dark sense of humor, Ragdoll follows a volatile detective as he tracks down a murderer before he becomes its next victim.  Request an egalley here.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan: A charming, clever, and quietly moving debut novel of endless possibilities and joyful discoveries that explores the promises we make and break, losing and finding ourselves, the objects that hold magic and meaning for our lives, and the surprising connections that bind us.  Request an egalley here.

No Other World by Rahul Mehta: From the author of the prize-winning collection Quarantine, an insightful, compelling debut novel set in rural America and India in the 1980s and ’90s, part coming-of-age story about a gay Indian American boy, part family saga about an immigrant family’s struggles to find a sense of belonging, identity, and hope.  Request an egalley here.

The Midnight Cool by Lydia Peelle: The Whiting Award-winning author of the story collection Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing delivers her enchanting debut novel, set in 1916 Tennessee: a rich and rewarding tale of two flawed yet endearing grifters who pursue women, wealth, and a surprisingly valuable commodity for the troops in Europe—mules.  Request an egalley here.

No One Is Coming To Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts: The Great Gatsby brilliantly recast in the contemporary South: a powerful first novel about an extended African-American family and their colliding visions of the American Dream.  Request an egalley here.

So many great debuts to read!  I hope by now you've found a few new authors to add to your TBR pile.  And, as always, we'd love to hear what you think!

-Amanda

At long last, News of the World by Paulette Jiles hits library shelves today! We've been ranting and raving about this book for over a year now and it has been a true pleasure to witness the initial buzz snowball into a veritable frenzy.

News of the World follows an aging war veteran who takes a job transporting an orphaned little girl across post-Civil War Texas to her adoptive aunt and uncle. Nuanced, deeply-felt characters, rich historical detail, and an unflagging sense of adventure mix with Paulette's beautiful prose to create a reading experience you won't soon forget.

See below for some of the amazing librarian love and trade reviews News of the World has garnered. It was also voted by librarians across the country as the #1 LibraryReads pick for October. Oh, AND it has been longlisted for the National Book Award. We have a feeling this book is just getting started and can't wait to see what else is in store. To celebrate its publication, we will send a copy to the first FIVE people to email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

"My respect for Paulette Jiles grows with every novel she writes, and News of the World is her best work yet…She writes with great clarity, understanding, and a forgiving heart." —Nancy Pearl, librarian, bestselling author, literary critic

"News of the World has everything. Stupendous writing, characters that get under your skin and burrow deep into your heart, great pacing, and an ending that makes you cry with joy and relief….I feel sorry for the book I read next. News of the World is a hard act to follow." —Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Library, Raleigh, NC

"The language is lyrical and spare and wonderfully evocative, so that by the end of the book, readers will have a hard time returning to the contemporary world. Surely one of the best books of the year." —Vicki Nesting, Assistant Director, St. Charles Parish Public Library

“Jiles’ lyrical style and minimal punctuation allow the reader to become immersed in the dusty Texan landscape, witnessing the anguish, fear, compassion, and joy in the unlikely pair’s journey.” —Booklist starred review

“This Western is not to be missed by Jiles’s fans and lovers of Texan historical fiction.” —Library Journal

“Jiles delivers a taut, evocative story of post-Civil War Texas in this riveting drama of a redeemed captive of the Kiowa tribe….Jiles unfolds the stories of the Captain and Johanna, past and present, with the smooth assuredness of a burnished fireside tale, demonstrating that she is a master of the western.” —Publishers Weekly 

-Chris

The wonderful, talented, NOTORIOUS Amanda Rountree has most rightfully and deservedly been promoted to Marketing Associate of the Library Marketing department! This Georgia peach joined the Library Lovefest team 3 short years ago and in that time has worked her magic, putting the right book into the right hands of librarians across the country. Her book buzzes are informative and fun and librarians make it their business to let her know so! We're so proud of our Mandy Lou (short for 'Amanda Louise' but only Virginia Stanley gets to call her Mandy Lou!) Congratulations, ML!

-Virginia

I triple loved this book.
So glad to see it’s getting its due.
Peter Swanson is a magician with words, plot, nuance.
Love his work and this, in my opinion, is his best.
Egalleys on Edelweiss here.

Check out what Stephanie Chase, Director of the Hillsboro (OR) Public Library has to say: 

“Swanson is a master at tension, and at crafting characters the reader truly cannot get a handle on. Is this one good? Or bad? Or both? As with The Kind Worth Killing, be prepared to keep guessing, keep switching allegiances, and needing to turn the pages throughout the whole creepy story.”

It's also received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal:

“The skillfully conjured Boston winter creates the perfect atmosphere for breeding paranoia, which kicks into high gear with the introduction of Cherney’s Rear Window–like flashbacks. Swanson established a reputation for complex psychological thrillers with his previous novels (The Kind Worth Killing, 2015, and The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, 2014), but here he introduces a delicious monster-under-the-bed creepiness to the expected top-notch characterization and steadily mounting anxiety.” —Booklist 

“Psychological thriller devotees should block time to read Swanson’s (The Kind Worth Killing) novel in one sitting, preferably in the daylight. Readers can the hairs on their necks to stand straight up as they are consumed with a full-blown case of heebie-jeebies.” —Library Journal 

The Seattle Book Review also loved it:

“Peter Swanson’s third thriller cracks to life in the opening pages. His characters are engaging, and the reader is treated to multiple points of view in this mystery. The payoff for the reader is an excellent whodunit with a magical appeal for the mystery thriller lover.” (full review here) 

-Virginia

             

In a previous post, we let you know that Abby Wambach's new memoir, Forward, is receiving huge amounts of much-deserved buzz. We can't say we're too suprised—Forward is no ordinary sports memoir. Abby lends her story hard-earned honesty and perspective as she delves into her history, from her rise as a young budding soccer star to her battle with substance abuse.

Now, Booklist has chosen it as their Booklist Online Review of the Day! In their wonderful review, Booklist states, "While the sports stories are included, this is not a book celebrating on-field triumphs: it’s a book about one woman’s journey to put her remarkable talents into context and accept herself." They finish by declaring Forward as "A cut above the standard sports memoir." To read the full review, click here. And be sure to get your copy here.

-Chris

This September 25-October 1, join us to celebrate the freedom to read with Banned Books Week 2016.  This week, the entire book community unites to support access to information and the freedom to read.  Challenged books run the gamut from classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Native Son by Richard Wright, to childhood favorites like In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak and Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz, and books for young adults like Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes.

How can you join the fight against censorship?  On the AAP's website, you'll find ways to explore this year's theme: diversity.

The American Library Association has provided many ideas and resources you can use, as well as an extensive list of frequently challenged and banned books. Check out their website to find out how you can help raise awareness of banned books, support the freedom to read, and join the fight against censorship.

Karin Slaughter is without a doubt one of our favorites here at Library Love Fest. If you haven't yet given her a read, there's never been a better time—her latest, The Kept Woman, goes on sale today!

The Kept Woman is the latest entry in the wildly popular Will Trent series. While each book can easily be picked up and read without reading the past entries, this book in particular is a great place to start. In The Kept Woman, Will Trent finds himself on a desperate hunt for a missing (and injured) woman in the most dangerous case of his career…one that leads back to powerful past enemies. Thrilling, terrifying, and timely, The Kept Woman has starred reviews from both Library Journal AND Booklist.

"Slaughter excels at complications—both for her characters and in the mysteries they’re investigating. This is a page-turner, of course, but it’s also a multilayered exploration of choices and consequences and the lasting effects of damage done." —Library Journal 

"Slaughter is a permanent fixture on thrillerdom’s A-list, and a new Will Trent novel after a three-year absence will only heighten the interest." —Booklist

As if being one of the top thriller writers in existence wasn't enough, Karin is also a vocal, prominent library advocate. She just stopped by the HarperCollins office to shoot a new video message to librarians everywhere. Check it out below! The Kept Woman is on sale now, so be sure to pick up your copy here!

And for you wonderful souls who kept reading, we have a special treat. The first ten people to email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com will receive a SIGNED copy of The Kept Woman.

-The Library Love Fest team: Virginia, Amanda, and Chris