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Internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi has a new book on the horizon and it’s FANTASTIC.  

Her first book, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, told the stories of two Afghan women separated by a century who found freedom in the tradition of bacha posh, which allows girls to dress and live as boys…until they are of marriageable age.  Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite Runner wrote: “Nadia Hashimi has written, first and foremost, a tender and beautiful family story. Her always engaging multigenerational tale is a portrait of Afghanistan in all of its perplexing, enigmatic glory, and a mirror into the still ongoing struggles of Afghan women.”

Hashimi’s next book, When the Moon Is Low, told the unforgettable story of an Afghan family’s escape from the Taliban and perilous trek across Europe to seek asylum, led by one extraordinarily courageous woman.

Her latest book, A House Without Windows, is the unforgettable story of an Afghan woman accused of murdering her husband, the American lawyer trying to free her, and the many women from all walks of life, who gather around her in prison.

In Fall 2016, Harper Children’s will be publishing Nadia’s first novel for young readers: One Half From The East.  This is an emotional, beautiful, and riveting coming-of-age journey to modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh—a preteen girl dressed as a boy.Though it is not a young readers' edition of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, this novel does share a character with her first (wildly successful) adult novel, and addresses some of the same issues.

Check out this great interview with Nadia Hashimi.  [EDIT] This giveaway is now closed.  And send us an email at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com if you’d like a complimentary copy of A House Without Windows.

-Virginia

The October LibraryReads deadline is fast approaching. Here are some titles we hope you will consider when voting for the LibraryReads list. Whether you're looking for deep-diving literary character inspections; dark, twisting fantasy adventures; or sleep-robbing, breath-shortening mysteries and thrillers—with this list, there is truly something for everyone. All of these titles publish in October so there's still time to cast your vote for LibraryReads. The deadline is August 20th. We’d love to hear what you think about all of these books! Write to us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles
For fans of: Historical fiction, the Old West
An aging war veteran's solitary existence giving public readings of the news is interrupted when he takes a job transporting an orphaned girl across post-Civil War Texas to her adoptive aunt and uncle. We ADORE this book which received a starred review from Booklist and is getting widespread librarian praise. Janet Lockhart from Wake County Public Libraries says, "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."

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

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The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle
For fans of: Literary inspections of the human psyche, environmentalism
Told through three distinct viewpoints, this look at four men and four women voluntarily sealed inside a man-made ecosphere for two years is at times hilarious, troubling, heart-wrenching, but wildly entertaining and enlightening throughout. It's also received starred reviews from both Booklist and Library Journal, who deemed it "quite possibly one of the best of the year."

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

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Mister Monkey by Francine Prose
For fans of: Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins
From the critically acclaimed author of Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, this hilarious story of a cast of characters involved in an off-off-off Broadway musical was just called by Library Journal a "breezy read with hidden, and not so hidden, depths."                                                               

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads deadline: August 20th

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LLF Staff Suggestions for October LibraryReads List (Voting Deadline: August 20th)Read More »

There are so many great titles coming this Fall 2016 and Winter 2017!  Here is just a selection of what to look out for in the coming months.

Closed Casket Sophie Hannah On Sale: 9/6/2016 The world’s most famous detective—and Agatha Christie’s most famous creation—returns in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders: a diabolically clever mystery soaked in period atmosphere and loaded with clues, suspense, and danger. Request an egalley.	Downfall J.A. Jance On Sale: 9/6/2016 Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady returns in this outstanding new mystery set in the beautiful desert country of the Southwest. Request an egalley.
The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor On Sale: 9/6/2016 From the creators of the #1 international podcast Welcome to Night Vale and the authors of the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, comes a collection of episodes from Season Two of their hit podcast, featuring a foreword by the authors, behind-the-scenes commentary, and original illustrations. Read more…	Hidden Figures Margot Lee Shetterly On Sale: 9/6/2016 Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the civil rights movement, this is the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program—and whose contributions have been unheralded, until now. Request an egalley.
The Perfect Girl Gilly Macmillan On Sale: 9/6/2016 From the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award nominated author of What She Knew comes this whip-smart, addictive, and harrowing novel of psychological suspense—perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Kimberly McCreight. Request an egalley.	The Risen Ron Rash On Sale: 9/6/2016 Ron Rash demonstrates his superb narrative skills in this suspenseful and evocative tale of two brothers whose lives are altered irrevocably by the events of one long-ago summer—and one bewitching young woman—and the secrets that could destroy their lives. Request an egalley.
Commonwealth Ann Patchett On Sale: 9/13/2016 The acclaimed, bestselling author—winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize—tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives. Request an egalley.	Forward Abby Wambach On Sale: 9/13/2016 The esteemed US Women’s national team captain—winner of the 2015 World Cup and the highest international goal scorer of all time—shares her story, her struggles, and her worldview in this thoughtful, substantive memoir that is also a rousing call to arms to dream big and fight for a better world. Read more…
My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire Maurice White On Sale: 9/13/2016 The late Grammy-winning founder of the legendary pop/R&B/soul/funk/disco group tells his story and charts the rise of his legendary band in this sincere memoir that captures the heart and soul of an artist whose groundbreaking sound continues to influence music today. Request an egalley.	The Bookshop on the Corner Jenny Colgan On Sale: 9/20/2016 In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny, moving new novel for fans of Meg Donohue, Sophie Kinsella, and Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop. The Bookshop on the Corner was recently chosen as a September LibraryReads pick! Request an egalley.
The Fortress Danielle Trussoni On Sale: 9/20/2016 The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of Falling Through the Earth and Angelology returns with this much-anticipated memoir of love and transformation in France: The Fortress is Peter Mayle meets Eat, Pray, Love, a gorgeously written account of one woman’s journey to the other side of the romantic fairytale. Request an egalley.	The Happy Cook Daphne Oz On Sale: 9/20/2016 The bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC’s The Chew takes the intimidation out of cooking and shows you how to savor life fully every day with this gorgeous cookbook featuring more than 125 easy, healthy, and delicious time-saving recipes. Read more…
The Kept Woman Karin Slaughter On Sale: 9/20/2016 Will Trent is back! The author of the acclaimed standalone Pretty Girls returns with this long-awaited entry in her bestselling series—an electrifying crime thriller that plunges the Georgia detective into the darkest depths of a case that just might destroy him. Request an egalley.	Marrow Elizabeth Lesser On Sale: 9/20/2016 The author of the New York Times bestseller Broken Open returns with a visceral and profound memoir of two sisters who, in the face of a bone marrow transplant—one the donor and one the recipient—begin a quest for acceptance, authenticity, and most of all, love. Request an egalley.
Menopause Confidential Tara Allmen, MD On Sale: 9/20/2016 An authoritative guide to understanding and navigating the hormonal changes and health issues women experience in midlife and beyond, from one of the leading medical experts in the field. Request an egalley.	The Queen of Blood Sarah Beth Durst On Sale: 9/20/2016 An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure. Request an egalley.
Darling Days iO Tillett Wright On Sale: 9/27/2016 Unfolding in animated, crystalline prose, this is an emotionally raw, devastatingly powerful memoir of one young woman’s extraordinary coming of age—a tale of gender and identity, freedom and addiction, rebellion and survival in the 1980s and 1990s, when punk, poverty, heroin, and art collided in the urban bohemia of New York’s Lower East Side. Request an egalley.	A Life Everlasting Sarah Gray On Sale: 9/27/2016 A donor mother’s powerful memoir of grief and rebirth that is also a fascinating medical science whodunit, taking us inside the world of organ, eye, tissue, and blood donation and cutting-edge scientific research. Request an egalley.
Mercury Margot Livesey On Sale: 9/27/2016 The New York Times bestselling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy delivers her most gripping novel yet—at once a tense, psychological drama and a taut emotional thriller about love, obsession, and the deceits that pull a family apart. Request an egalley.	Owls Marianne Taylor On Sale: 9/27/2016 Discover the fascinating and mysterious world of owls with this stunning full-color, encyclopedic visual guide that explores all 225 known species, packed with maps, photographs, illustrations, informative scientific details. Read more…
The Trouble with Mistletoe Jill Shalvis On Sale: 9/27/2016 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis continues her fun, sexy new contemporary romance series with a tale of friends-to-lovers… just in time for Christmas. Request an egalley.	The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs Padma Lakshmi On Sale: 10/4/2016 From the Emmy-nominated host of the award-winning Top Chef comes an A-to-Z compendium of spices, herbs, salts, peppers, and blends, with beautiful photography and a wealth of explanation, history, and cooking advice. Read more…
Lucky Dog Lessons Brandon McMillan On Sale: 10/04/2016 The celebrity dog trainer and Emmy-winning star of the CBS show Lucky Dog shares his training system to transform any dog—from spoiled purebred puppy to shelter-shocked rescue—into a model companion in just seven days. Request an egalley.	News of the World Paulette Jiles On Sale: 10/04/2016 In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa Native American tribe back to her remaining family in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction. Request an egalley.
Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down Anne Valente On Sale: 10/04/2016 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. Request an egalley.	Strong Is the New Beautiful Lindsey Vonn On Sale: 10/04/2016 Lessons in strength, fitness, food, and attitude from the popular world champion skier and beauty icon—Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn. Read more…
Guy Fieri Family Food Guy Fieri On Sale: 10/11/2016 The Food Network superstar and New York Times bestselling author dishes up flavorful All-American family-friendly meals for weeknights and weekends alike. Read more…	An Amish Family Christmas Shelley Shepard Gray On Sale: 10/18/2016 In Shelley Shepard Gray’s fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles—and love. Request an egalley.
The Boy Is Back Meg Cabot On Sale: 10/18/2016 In this brand-new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a scandal brings a young man back home to the small town, crazy family, and first love he left behind. Request an egalley.	Dear Amy Helen Callaghan On Sale: 10/18/2016 In Helen Callaghan’s chilling, tightly-spun debut novel of psychological suspense, a teenage girl’s abduction stirs dark memories of a twenty-year-old cold case. Request an egalley.
Girl Unbroken Regina Calcaterra and Rosie Maloney On Sale: 10/18/2016 In the highly anticipated sequel to her New York Times bestseller Etched in Sand, Regina Calcaterra pairs with her youngest sister Rosie to tell Rosie’s harrowing, yet ultimately triumphant, story of childhood abuse and survival. Request an egalley.	Inheriting Edith Zoe Fishman On Sale: 10/18/2016 A poignant breakout novel, for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan and Elin Hilderbrand, about a single mother who inherits a beautiful beach house with a caveat—she must take care of the ornery elderly woman who lives in it. Request an egalley.
Mister Monkey Francine Prose On Sale: 10/18/2016 The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author weaves an ingenious, darkly humorous, and brilliantly observant story that follows the exploits and intrigue of a constellation of characters affiliated with an off-off-off-off Broadway children’s musical. Request an egalley.	Nujeen Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb On Sale: 10/18/2016 The prize-winning journalist and the co-author of the smash New York Times bestseller I Am Malala, Christina Lamb, now tells the stunning true story of a remarkable young hero: Nujeen Mustafa, a teenager born with cerebral palsy who made the dangerous journey from war-torn Syria to Germany. Request an egalley.
Pharaoh Wilbur Smith On Sale: 10/18/2016 Worldwide #1 bestselling author Wilbur Smith returns to Ancient Egypt in a captivating new novel that will transport you to extraordinary times. Request an egalley.	Appetites Anthony Bourdain   On Sale: 10/25/2016 Written with the no-holds-barred, no-bullshit-allowed ethos of his beloved series No Reservations and Parts Unknown, this is the celebrity chef and culinary explorer’s first cookbook in more than ten years—a collection of recipes for the home cook. Request an egalley.
Lost Gods Brom On Sale: 10/25/2016 A young man descends into Purgatory to save his wife and unborn child in this gorgeous, illustrated tale of wonder and terror from the mind of master storyteller and acclaimed artist Brom. Request an egalley.	The Nine of Us Jean Kennedy Smith On Sale: 10/25/2016 In this evocative and affectionate memoir, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, offers an intimate and illuminating look at a time long ago when she and her siblings, guided by their parents, laughed and learned a great deal under one roof. Read more…
The Terranauts T.C. Boyle On Sale: 10/25/2016 A deep-dive into human behavior in an epic story of science, society, sex, and survival, from one of the greatest American novelists today, T. C. Boyle, the acclaimed, bestselling, author of the PEN/ Faulkner Award–winning World’s End and The Harder They Come. Request an egalley.	Tippi Tippi Hedren On Sale: 11/1/2016 In this absorbing and surprising memoir, one of the biggest names of classic Hollywood—the star of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Marnie—tells her story, including never-before-revealed experiences on the set of some of the biggest cult films of all time. Read more…
The American Fisherman Willie Robertson and William Doyle On Sale: 11/15/2016 From the Duck Dynasty star and #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a rollicking popular history of fishing in America. Request an egalley.	Chaos Patricia Cornwell On Sale: 11/15/2016 #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell returns with the remarkable twenty-fourth thriller in her popular high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Request an egalley.
Just Getting Started Tony Bennett On Sale: 11/15/2016 At ninety, musician and singer Tony Bennett is as vibrant and productive as ever. In addition to his prodigious musical output, this beloved and enduring artist has written his second book. In 2012’s Life Is a Gift, Tony reflected on the lessons he has learned over the years. Now, in Just Getting Started, he pays homage to the remarkable people who inspired those lessons. Read more…	A Matter of Honor Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan On Sale: 11/15/2016 On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the authors of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Eleventh Day expose the scapegoating of the admiral who was in command the day 2,000 Americans died. The authors write of the continuing struggle to restore his lost honor—and clear President FDR of the charge that he knew the attack was coming. Request an egalley.
Settle for More Megyn Kelly On Sale: 11/15/2016 Anchor of the number one news show on cable, The Kelly File, Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly writes her much anticipated book, a revealing and surprising memoir detailing her rise as one of the most respected journalists working today. From the values and lessons that have shaped her career, to her time at the center of the chaotic 2016 Republican presidential primary, this book offers an inside look at an uncompromising woman’s journey to the top of the news business. Read more…	All the Gallant Men Donald Stratton with Ken Gire On Sale: 11/22/2016 The extraordinary first and only memoir by a survivor of the USS Arizona, published in conjunction with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Read more…
I’ll Take You There Wally Lamb On Sale: 11/22/2016 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. Read more…	Moonglow Michael Chabon On Sale: 11/22/2016 Following on the heels of his New York Times bestselling novel Telegraph Avenue, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon delivers another literary masterpiece: a novel of truth and lies, family legends, existential adventure—and the forces that work to destroy us. Request an egalley.
The Fate of the Tearling Erika Johansen On Sale: 11/29/2016 The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Tearling trilogy. “Katniss Everdeen, you have competition.”—Entertainment Weekly Request an egalley.	The Flame Bearer Bernard Cornwell On Sale: 11/29/2016 The next installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (Observer, London). Request an egalley.
Snake Mike Freeman On Sale: 11/15/2016 The first in-depth biography of one of the most talented and infamous legends to play in the National Football League—the life and times of pro football’s first bad boy, famed Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler. Read more…	Jump Steve Harvey On Sale: 12/5/2016 The #1 New York Times bestselling author shares the secret of his success and teaches you how to achieve the blessed full life that belongs to you. Read more…
The Wars of the Roosevelts William J. Mann On Sale: 12/6/2016 The award-winning author presents a provocative, thoroughly modern revisionist biographical history of one of America’s greatest and most influential families—the Roosevelts—exposing heretofore unknown family secrets and detailing complex family rivalries with his signature cinematic flair. Read more…	The Seventh Plague James Rollins On Sale: 12/13/2016 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins combines historical mystery and scientific exploration in this thrilling adventure tale in which Sigma Force must stop an ancient plague from decimating the modern world. Read more…
Four Weddings and a Sixpence Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Stefanie Sloane On Sale: 12/27/2016 Beloved authors Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Stefanie Sloane deliver the stories of four friends from Madame Rochambeaux’s Gentle School for Girls who find an old sixpence in their bedchamber and decide that it will be the lucky coin for each of their weddings. Read more…	Her Every Fear Peter Swanson On Sale: 1/10/2017 The author of the wildly popular The Kind Worth Killing returns with an electrifying and downright Hitchcockian psychological thriller—as tantalizing as the cinema classics Rear Window and Wait Until Dark—involving a young woman caught in a vise of voyeurism, betrayal, manipulation, and murder. Request an egalley.
Three Days in January Bret Baier On Sale: 1/10/2017 In this debut history from one of America’s most influential political journalists, Bret Baier casts the three days between Dwight Eisenhower’s prophetic “farewell address” on the evening of January 17, 1961, and his successor John F. Kennedy’s inauguration on the afternoon of January 20 as the final mission of one of modern America’s greatest leaders. Read more…	The Fire by Night Teresa Messineo On Sale: 1/17/2017 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.
This Is Not Over Holly Brown On Sale: 1/17/2017 Two women are caught in an escalating game of cat-and-mouse that leads to an explosive ending in this breathtaking psychological thriller from the author of A Necessary End and Don’t Try to Find Me. Request an egalley.	The Fifth Letter Nicola Moriarty On Sale: 1/24/2017 A sensational fresh voice in women’s fiction makes her debut with this intriguing novel of four women whose lifelong friendship is fractured when a fun vacation game turns destructive, exposing dark secrets, deeply buried grudges, and a shocking betrayal. Request an egalley.
The Runaway Midwife Patricia Harman On Sale: 1/31/2017 From the USA Today bestselling author of the Hope River series comes a new contemporary midwife novel that asks the question, “Have you ever wanted to leave your life behind?” Request an egalley.	A Book of American Martyrs Joyce Carol Oates On Sale: 2/7/2017 A striking, enormously affecting novel from American master and New York Times bestselling author Joyce Carol Oates that tells the story of two very different and yet intimately linked American families. Read more…
The Dressmaker’s Dowry Meredith Jaeger On Sale: 2/7/2017 This gripping historical debut novel tells the story of two women: one, an immigrant seamstress who disappears from San Francisco’s gritty streets in 1876, and the other, a young woman in present day who must delve into the secrets of her husband’s wealthy family only to discover that she and the missing dressmaker might be connected in unexpected ways. Request an egalley.	Pretend I’m Not Here Barbara Feinman Todd 2/7/2017 An accomplished former ghostwriter and book researcher who worked with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, and Hillary Clinton goes behind-the-scenes of the nation’s capital to tell the story of how she survived the exciting but self-important and self-promoting world of the Beltway. Read more…
A Piece of the World Christina Baker Kline On Sale: 2/21/2017 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller Orphan Train comes a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion, and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting Christina’s World. Read more…	Her Secret Shelley Shepard Gray On Sale: 3/14/2017 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray begins a new series—The Amish of Hart County—with this suspenseful tale of a young Amish woman who is forced to move to a new town to escape a threatening stalker. Read more…
Will’s Red Coat Tom Ryan On Sale: 3/21/2017 A true story of acceptance, perseverance, and the possibility of love and redemption as evocative, charming, and powerful as his New York Times bestseller Following Atticus. Read more…	War Cry Wilbur Smith On Sale: 4/4/2017 The saga of the legendary Courtney family continues in this fourteenth installment in Wilbur Smith’s bestselling series—the sequel to 2009’s Assegai—a thrilling tale of espionage, adventure, and danger, set in Africa and spanning from the Great War’s end to the dark days of World War II. Read more…
Fallout Sara Paretsky On Sale: 4/18/2017 Award-winning, bestselling author Sara Paretsky brings her legendary investigator V. I. Warshawski back in a puzzling case that will take the private investigator out of her comfort zone and into deadly new territory as she searches for a young film student and a former film star who are on the run in the heart of the Midwest. Read more…

This morning, Shelf Awareness shared an article from Tech Insider featuring the most beautiful library in each state.  For us here in New York, the gorgeous main branch of the New York Public Library was chosen.  Have you been to your state's most beautiful library?

-Virginia

The American Girl by Kate Horsley is a riveting psychological thriller about an American exchange student in France involved in a suspicious accident, and the journalist determined to break the story and uncover the dark secrets a small town is hiding. We're thrilled to be sharing a guest post from Kate on the blog today!

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I grew up in a town where the library was next door to the pool. I visited both once a week and I used to wonder if the library put the plastic covers on the books so kids could go swimming while they were reading. My mom never let me try this theory out for some reason.

I LOVED my library card. It was my first ID and I pretended it was my Secret Agent Card as I hunted down my next book-adventure: novels by Lois Duncan and Judy Blume, Angela Carter and V.C. Andrews, Ray Bradbury and Madeleine L'Engle. In summer, I’d check them out of the library and guzzle them down in one heady gulp, spread out on the grass in the park sun-bathe-reading. In winter, I’d sit cross-legged between the rows of books, reading half of A Wrinkle In Time before I’d even checked it out.

Other books have intervened between then and now. In fact, I decided I loved books so much I worked as a librarian for a year and once I even took a course in old books where the professor told us we could guess the date for the book by licking the vellum pages (I did and they tasted like dusty beef jerky). Still, I think it was that library I went to as a kid that really made me want to be a writer. Those first books I took out for myself—stories like The Eyes of Karen Connors, in which girls plunge into a world that’s intense and unknowable for the first time—held such magic between their plastic-bound covers. Years later I’ve sought them out again to recapture the feeling they gave. It’s the same feeling I get when I’m writing.

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Thanks, Kate! The American Girl went on sale today, so help us celebrate this book birthday by diving right in!

-Amanda

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a perennial library favorite, proven once again last week when you all voted her latest novel, First Star I See Tonight, onto the LibraryReads Top 10 picks for August.  Fans were so excited to see this beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author return to her Chicago Stars football series with a long-awaited new entry about a star quarterback and a feisty detective playing for keeps.  In addition to all the librarian love, First Star I See Tonight received FOUR starred reviews!

Library Journal: "Laugh-out-loud funny, insightful, and touching, this latest gem from one of the genre’s best is a must-buy for all library collections."

Booklist: "Phillips’ literary star shines bright in her dazzling (and long-awaited) installment in her Chicago Stars series…. Writing with a deceptively easy sense of grace, equally enhanced by her distinctively dry sense of wit, Phillips fashions an irresistibly sexy love story that is guaranteed to hit every romance reader’s sweet spot"

Publishers Weekly: “Phillips continues her popular contemporary Chicago Stars series (after Natural Born Charmer) with an utterly delightful standalone gambol that pairs up recently retired Stars quarterback Cooper Graham and private detective Piper Dove…. (Phillips) has a knack for nuance and stage-setting that grounds her characters and makes them feel perfectly real. Fans and newcomers alike are certain to fall in love with this delightful pair as they scrimmage and score.”

Kirkus: "This thoroughly enjoyable novel delivers a swift kick to the heart—an essential summer read."

You can experience the love for yourself by downloading the egalley before it goes on sale August 23.  Whether you take it to the beach or nestle into your favorite reading nook with it, you will fall in love.  

-Amanda

When it comes to anything fantasy, my ears immediately perk up.  It will come as no surprise that I pounced on Sarah Beth Durst's The Queen of Blood as soon as the manuscript was available and subsequently tore through it over the course of one weekend.  This first entry follows an idealistic young student and a banished warrior who become allies in a battle to save their realm from malevolent spirits.  This will definitely be one of my new series to look out for, but I'm not the only one gushing about this adult debut.  TWO starred reviews have already come in:

“…a stellar and imaginative tale…. Durst ably dispenses with tropes of the genre, zooming through the standard 'young magician at the academy' plot to focus on Daleina’s growth as both a person and a potential queen. In addition to a solid cast of characters and great political intrigue, Durst delivers some fascinating worldbuilding, and the spirits are malevolent, cunning, wild, and mysterious antagonists.” —Publishers Weekly  *STARRED* review

"The captivating characters will draw readers into a world of magic and intrigue and keep them wanting more…. Durst, an award-winning YA author (Vessel) and three-time Andre Norton Award finalist, presents a thrilling beginning to a sweeping series about searching for sovereignty and truth in order to save one’s land." —Library Journal  *STARRED* review

If you're looking for political intrigue, thrilling adventure, and high stakes in your next fantasy read, look no further.  There's still time to download the egalley from Edelweiss, so dip in and let us know what you think!

-Amanda

News of the World by Paulette Jiles is an exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction that follows an aging itinerant news reader who agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her remaining family in Texas in the aftermath of the Civil War.

We are such huge fans of this book in-house, and it's garnered wonderful support from the library community as well.  Here's just a sampling of the great praise for News of the World:

“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 Libraries, Raleigh, NC

“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

"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

"Jiles makes the narrative so compelling… Lyrical and affecting, the novel succeeds in skirting clichés through its empathy and through the depth of its major characters." ― Kirkus starred review

Now hear from the author herself.  Our wonderful video studio visited Paulette at her home in Texas, and she wanted to share a message to librarians:

Thanks, Paulette!  If you haven't yet experienced this beautiful novel for yourself, there's still time to download the egalley from Edelweiss.  If you love it as much as we do, please let us know what you think!  LibraryReads nominations are due by August 20.

The bestselling author of A Hundred Summers brings the Roaring Twenties brilliantly to life in A Certain Age, an enchanting and compulsively readable tale of intrigue, romance, and scandal in New York Society, brimming with lush atmosphere, striking characters, and irresistible charm.

A Certain Age went on sale last month and has continued to garner great reviews.  PopSugar recently included it as one of “The 31 Books You MUST Put in Your Beach Bag This Summer!” saying, “Prepare to be beguiled… A Certain Age is a charming story full of wit, romance, and surprising twists.”

And the love doesn't stop there:

“A rousing, enjoyable read… Williams’ historic details and detailed descriptions only add to the decadence. New money, old money and intrigue make for a lot of lively fun.” —Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Deliciously scandalous and elegantly written, A Certain Age is a dazzling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’s opera Der Rosenkavalier, and a thoroughly satisfying love story.” —Shelf Awareness

“Passion, beauty, grace, and the ugliness not seen inside people drive this opera, I mean brilliantly written book to the very passionate, brilliant end.” —MomZinga

Grab this compelling novel off the shelf today and dive into the scandalous world of the '20s.

-Amanda

Drum roll, please!  The August 2016 LibraryReads list was just announced, and we're pleased to share that the latest addition to award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series, First Star I See Tonight, was chosen by librarians from across the country as one of the best books of August!  Congratulations!

If you aren't already participating in the monthly LibraryReads action, visit their website to find out how to sign up.

And if you ARE already participating, don't forget to submit your votes for the September list!  The voting deadline is Wednesday, July 20.

Happy reading!

-Amanda

It was great seeing many librarians at the ALA Annual conference in Orlando, Florida a few weeks ago, and we're so happy many of you were able to attend our title presentation to learn about many of our upcoming books from the Fall 2016 and Winter 2017 lists.

If you weren't able to make it, don't worry!  The presentation was audio recorded and is hosted on EarlyWord.com.  There you can find information on all the titles we talked about and hear us rave about them.  Now to whet your appetite, below is just a sampling of the titles we discussed:

The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan: From the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award nominated author of What She Knew comes this whip-smart, addictive, and harrowing novel of psychological suspense—perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins and Kimberly McCreight.  Request the egalley here.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the civil rights movement, this is the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program—and whose contributions have been unheralded, until now. Request the egalley here.

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck: Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, this is a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding.  Request the egalley here.

Click here to find all the information you need on even more great forthcoming titles.  Happy reading!

-Amanda

Looking for fresh titles for your book discussion group? Join HarperCollins along with representatives from Penguin Random House, Norton, Macmillan, and Sourcebooks as we showcase our favorite upcoming and backlist titles that are a perfect fit for adult book groups. This free, one-hour webinar is moderated by Rebecca Vnuk, Booklist Editor for Collection Management and Library Outreach.

Click the above picture to register!

-Chris

Meg Cabot fans, rejoice!  Today, Entertainment Weekly has released an exclusive excerpt from her newest book, The Boy is Back!  The eagerly awaited addition to her "Boy" series goes on sale October 18, but through the link you can read an excerpt and even pre-order a signed edition for your personal library.  Libraries will also be happy to hear that we are simultaneously releasing a hardcover edition perfect for your shelves.

The Boy is Back marks Cabot's first return to the series in years, when a scandal brings a celebrity golfer back home to the small-town, the crazy family, and first love he once left behind.  But of course, the girl he left behind wants nothing to do with the boy who broke her heart.  Check out the exclusive excerpt to get a sneak peek at what awaits these two when they're thrown back together after a decade.  Check it out and let us know what you think!

-Amanda

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs returns this August with Family Tree, a powerful, emotionally complex story of love, loss, the pain of the past, and the promise of the future.  

If you're excited as we are for the upcoming publication, we have a special offer for you!  We are offering a merchandising kit to librarians, which will be shipped out the week of July 25^th, that you can use to pre-promote and promote Family Tree in your libraries.  The kits include blank love notes (to use as staff picks cards), recipe cards, postcards, Facebook sharing image, and an author essay and Q&A (for posting on blogs & newsletters).

You can request your Family Tree media kit by clicking here and completing the form by July 24^th.

And if you want to get a head start reading Family Tree, you can request an egalley from Edelweiss here.

-Amanda

A witty and winning new voice comes alive in this infectious road trip adventure with a rock-and-roll twist.  Deborah Shapiro’s debut, The Sun in Your Eyes, blends the emotional nuance of Elena Ferrante with the potent nostalgia of High Fidelity, in a story of two women—one rich and alluring, the other just another planet in her dazzling orbit—and their fervid and troubled friendship.

In today’s post, Deborah shares her special relationship with libraries.

***

At the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, there’s an inscription by the entrance. It starts: “Here are enshrined the longing of great hearts…” I’ve always thought that’s a wonderful way to describe both what literature can be and the place that houses it. I don’t remember my first trip to that building, but it would’ve been over fifteen years ago, when I was recently out of college and living a few blocks away from that library. I’d been thrilled to find a room in a share with two strangers. It was a “garden” apartment, the kind of New York real estate euphemism for “you might wake up one morning to find weird mushrooms growing through the crumbling grout in your dank bathroom.” But I loved it. And I loved that it was so close to that wonderful library. At the time, I couldn’t afford to buy most of the books I wanted to read. But the library had just about whatever I could think of. More than that, getting a library card felt like a kind of accomplishment, like I was officially part of the city.

…

Guest Post: Deborah Shapiro, author of THE SUN IN YOUR EYESRead More »

In honor of the official beginning of summer earlier this week, we would like to celebrate the oncoming heat (read, already-here-heat) with a few steamy reads for you to enjoy on the beach, in a hammock, or in the wondrous life-saver that is air conditioning.  Request the egalleys and beat the heat this summer.

Wild at Whiskey Creek by Julie Anne Long: The USA Today bestselling author continues her sexy, new contemporary romance series set in Hellcat Canyon, California—where you can find whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s love… or trouble.  Request the egalley here.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.  Request the egalley here.

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean: The second book in Sarah’s witty and romantic Scandal & Scoundrel series featuring a sexy Scot and his young ward who’s keeping a scandalous secret.  Request the egalley here.

If you're heading down to Orlando next week, we hope to see you there!  Come see us at booth #1403, and we can commiserate about the heat together.  And we can show you even more hot upcoming reads.

-Amanda

Bill Lascher's Eve of a Hundred Midnights is the unforgettable true story of two married journalists on an island-hopping run for their lives across the Pacific after the Fall of Manila during World War II.  It has received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Booklist, who says, "Propulsive. … [A] remarkable book, which is part history, part a celebration of war correspondence, but, mostly, a love story. … Lascher conveys the privation, danger, and romance of this time in an utterly detailed and beguiling way.”  To celebrate his book birthday today, the author has stopped by LLF to share his own personal connection to and love for libraries.

***

Writing Eve of a Hundred Midnights has been an exercise in treasure-hunting. I've mined the resources and expertise of university special collections, government archives, and my local public library (the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon) to flesh out an already-fascinating story. But they offer more than inter-library loan agreements and extensive microfilm collections.

When I was a child, my parents ran a small appellate law practice in Downtown Ventura, California, a block uphill from the public E.P. Foster Library. If I wasn't imagining the overgrown lot that separated the office from the library as a jungle full of treasures, then I was at the library looking for books about pirates, ancient treasures and adventurous knights (another half block away was the Ventura Bookstore, where frequent visits with my parents developed my love for independent bookstores). But though The Library was a frequent destination, it would be years before I truly treasured libraries.

I began to do so as a student at Oberlin College. Mudd, the school's alien spaceship of a library was the gravitational center around which all my college experiences seemed to orbit. I kept up with news on the the election of George W. Bush and the September 11 attacks in the library's print copies of the New York Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. On a wall by the main stairway, I found humor in the notes then-Library Director Ray English wrote to answer students' random questions. Every time I entered the stairwell, I cringed as I passed "Falling Man," the depressive Max Schumann painting that hung on the wall.

…

Guest Blog Post: Bill Lascher, author of EVE OF A HUNDRED MIDNIGHTSRead More »

If at any point in your life, you've felt the burning desire to help someone find the perfect book, the book that will speak to their soul or bring a smile to their face, I unreservedly urge you to download the egalley for The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan.  She's the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery and has now composed a love letter to librarians, booksellers, and book talkers of all kinds.

When timid librarian Nina's library is closed down, she makes a huge leap of courage and buys a massive van to convert into a bookmobile.  She makes her way up into the Scottish Highlands to pick up her new van, and it's there she's captivated with the beautiful land and the quaint small towns.  As she struggles to establish her new business, she also encounters a grumpy landlord, a mysteriously taciturn teen, and the varied reading tastes of a village.

This book was an absolute joy to read.  Nina is very relatable, and I loved watching her grow as a person while she helped other people in these small communities with her book suggestions and enthusiasm for reading.  

If you've ever been that friend who's always letting people borrow your books, you'll find another friend in The Bookshop on the Corner.  It's the perfect weekend read, so I hope you download the egalley today and let us know what you think! LibraryReads nominations are due July 20.

-Amanda

This past April, we celebrated the publication of The Body in the Wardrobe, the 23^rd in Katherine Hall Page’s Faith Fairchild series.  She has also published for middle grade and YA readers as well as a collection of short stories, Small Plates (2014), and a series cookbook, Have Faith in your Kitchen (Orchises Press). She has been awarded Agathas for Best First, Best Novel, and Best SS and also was nominated for additional Agathas, an Edgar, Macavity, Mary Higgins Clark and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She is the recipient of Malice Domestic 28^th’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  Today, Katherine has stopped by to share why libraries mean so much to her.

***

Carded

I’m just back from walking to the local library, a pleasant mile round trip along the main street of my small suburban Boston town. The lilacs have passed their peak, but the dogwood and rhodies are in full bloom. I recently realized that I have been fortunate enough to live within walking distance of libraries in all the places I have lived during my adult life. I’d like to say that I chose dwellings based on their proximity to my favorite place—the library—but it has been pure luck or we could call it kismet.

This trip was to consult with the reference library about research I’m doing on mid-twentieth century Broadway musicals and their producers as background for the book I’m writing next. Yes, I could go into the Minuteman network and search the catalog or Google various sources on my home computer, but Laura is a wizard at this stuff (hence her job) and it’s so much more fun to do a search with her. It also has the added benefit of getting me out of the house. When I speak to school groups, I tell kids if they want to be writers, they have to like to be alone and indoors a lot.

…

Guest Blog Post: Katherine Hall Page, author of THE BODY IN THE WARDROBERead More »

Join New York Times bestselling author Sophie Hannah over the next eight weeks for a free serialization of the complete audiobook of After the Funeral in eight parts. The first episode aired on Tuesday, with a special introduction by Sophie Hannah. Visit the podcast homepage here to start listening!

Hannah is the author of numerous psychological thrillers, as well as The Monogram Murders, the first Hercule Poirot novel authorized by the estate of Agatha Christie. Her second Poirot novel, Closed Casket, is coming September 6th. At the end of the podcast, you'll get a sneak peek from Closed Casket!

Praise for Hannah’s New York Times bestseller The Monogram Murders:

"I was thrilled to see Hercule Poirot in such very, very good hands."—Gillian Flynn

"Perfect … a pure treat."—Tana French

"As tricky as anything written by Agatha Christie." —Alexander McCall Smith

"Sharply written and rigorously plotted, this Poirot mystery rivals many of Christie's own."—NPR

Start listening to the podcast now.

Immediately after we heard that we would be publishing Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, we instantly knew we were looking at a big book.  Hidden Figures is the phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space.  A lot is in store for this fascinating new book, and we want to share the news!

Fox 2000 Film Adaptation in the Works

• Movie production underway, with filming in Atlanta, GA already wrapped
• Directed by Ted Melfi (St. Vincent), produced by Pharrell Williams, and starring Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Kirsten Dunst, Octavia Spencer (The Help), and Kevin Costner
• Movie trailer release in early September
• Wide release scheduled for Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 2017
• Trade Paperback movie tie-in edition on sale 12/6/16 (9780062363602, $15.99)

Early Interest from Major Media

• Front page coverage in New York Times Arts Section—author quoted in "Oscars Less White? There's No Shortage of Black Films in 2016" on 5/10. Click to read.
• Additional New York Times piece with focus solely on book and movie, 5/20. Click to read.
• Confirmed coverage on CBS This Morning at publication

National Marketing Campaign

• mini-documentary book trailer shared widely, early June
• National Broadcast and Print Media Campaign
• Deep distribution of Advance Reader's Edition, late June
• Heavy cross-promotion with Fox 2000 throughout late Summer into 2017
• Major outreach to reading groups
• Official Author Website: http://www.margotleeshetterly.com
• Official Author Twitter: @margotshetterly

 Hidden Figures promises to be one of the big books of the fall, so make sure to check back for more information!

-Amanda