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We love following Living Read Girl's blog–and now there's even more of a reason! Check out this fab feature on Marilyn Johnson, librarian-favorite and author of This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All! If that wasn't enough incentive, Living Read Girl (aka Lady T) has also rounded up the best librarian videos from the last year or so.  Enjoy!

-Virginia

What's the perfect drink after a good book buzz? Let Bobby break it down for you.

Thirsty yet?

-Virginia, Bobby, and Kayleigh

As you all know, I have an insane love for shoes.  They make me extremely happy and put a huge smile on my face!  However, I had a serious wardrobe malfunction today that turned my smile upside down.

Picture it…New York City…July 2010!  I was on my way to work and I got off the train at my usual stop (Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street). The day was going as expected.  The next thing I knew, my right shoe felt weird…as if I were wearing flip-flops.  However, I was NOT wearing flip-flops!  I looked down and realized the entire sole of my shoe was coming off!

I had to hobble the rest of the way to work, praying no one would see me.  I rushed into the building and immediately ran to Kayleigh who (after the initial shock) was gracious enough to venture out and buy a pair of flip-flops for me to wear. 

Thankfully, I view my own life as a sit-com, so it was quite easy to laugh at myself (while Virginia and Kayleigh laughed WITH me…not AT me…I hope!).  I hope you find my life half as funny as I do!  If you can relate in any way I would love to hear about it…so we can laugh at each other!

Happy Wednesday!

-Bobby

Happy Holidays from Library Love Fest! Hoping you and yours are well this holiday season.

-Virginia, Bobby, and Kayleigh

If you turn on the news and listen to stories about our economy, it can really take you to a place of depression, anger and fear.  Everyone is trying to do the best they can with what they have, which at times can be a real struggle.  I just finished a book that will really help give your mind (and wallet) a boost.  In The Black, Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially: The Ultimate 9-Step Plan For Financial Success, written by Aaron W. Smith offers a 9-step plan to take you from a financial dud to a financial blooming flower!

Aaron W. Smith is a financial dynamo with over ten years experience in the financial services and insurance industries.  He is founder and president of A.W Smith Financial Group, Inc., a comprehensive financial planning firm.  What I loved about In The Black is that it is completely accessible and universal… whether you have been consistently saving and planning or may have gotten a late start can benefit from the strategies presented here.   

On a personal note, what resonated with me by far would have to be Step 3: Work Your Money…more specifically Chapter 6 entitled, “Getting a Handle on your Spending”.  Sometimes I would find myself shopping for things and not knowing if I could REALLY afford what I was buying.  In short, I didn’t TRULY have the full picture of my financial standing.  What I learned is that when you do know every aspect of your finances, you make more informed decisions for your life which will in turn be a benefit for the future. 

I truly enjoyed In The Black.  It has made me more aware of what I need to do to ensure I have a bright future!  Sit down, read and become enlightened!

-Bobby

Everyone loves a short cut. We know librarians have a bazillion titles to wade through so we thought it might be helpful if we provided you with a short list of our books which are due out in the next few months. We’ve provided the basics: pub date, price, ISBN, genre.  Because Google Docs do not allow links, please check the HarperCollins catalogs page for info about each title. We’ll update this information regularly. Let us know if you find this helpful or if you’d like to see additional information on the grid.

Click here for the list!

Today’s book giveaway will come from our Roarings 20s blog, which focuses on books that appeal to 20somethings, as well as news from the library and literary world.  The blog is the brainchild of our marketing coordinator, Kayleigh George, who started it to help librarians find selection ideas for the 20-30 crowd.  Today she’s giving away 25 copies of Futureproof. 

Originally a self-publishing success launched on N. Frank Daniels's MySpace page, Futureproof tells the story of Luke and his friends as they navigate Atlanta’s subculture of delinquents. In short order, the seemingly harmless high from his first cigarette sends Luke on a downward spiral that ends only after years of self-abuse. It is an extreme cautionary tale told with sensitivity, ferocity, and grit—perfect for 20somethings, and a fantastic read at any age.  Check it out now!

There was a great article in last week’s New York Times on The Big Read, the community reading program that gets one town or city to read the same book simultaneously.  Quite a few books from our backlist have become community read classics, like Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Alchemist, The Sweet Hereafter, A Treet Grows in Brooklyn, and To Kill A Mockingbird. 

Take a peak at the article, and check back again soon for more information on community reading programs.

Here in New York, the weather seems to finally be warming up.  Last weekend was mild and breezy—the perfect beginning to Spring.  With this next book, we are definitely looking forward to summer.  The Ladies' Lending Library is the perfect beach read—lightweight but deeply meaningful, and chock-full of historical details from August of 1963. 

The Ladies' Lending Library focuses on the women of the Kalyna Beach cottage community—a group of first generation Ukrainian Canadians.  The women gather together for gin and gossip, trading racy bestsellers among themselves as they seek a brief escape from the predictable rhythms of children and chores. But a dramatic change is coming—threatening to disrupt the warm, heady days and the lives of parents and children, family and friends, forever.

We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $13.99. Estimated total prize value: $349.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes   Leave a comment below for your chance to win!

Last month we brought Eli Gottlieb to ALA Midwinter and we were infinitely glad to have him- he was a fantastic speaker and signed hundreds of books during the conference.  Along with Carrie Kania of Harper Perennial, our library marketing team was promoting the paperback edition of Eli's critically-lauded novel, Now You See Him. 

Eli spoke at the AAP Breakfast with the Authors on Sunday January 25th, and here are a few choice quotes.

On film vs. books: "Through the miracle of the inner monologue, books can take readers inside our emotional lives in a way movies can’t.   A book can telescope time, or like Proust, turn a kiss into a twenty page opera.  For that reason, and no matter how big their budgets grow, films will never be able to show human relationships with the subtlety and nuanced depth of novels."

On his love of libraries: I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about libraries.   I was fortunate enough to be born to two bibliophiles.  My mother was a frustrated writer and my father was a rare book collector, a papermaker and a bookbinder.  Book worship in our house went well beyond the normal Jewish imperatives towards learning and study.   I grew with my father’s vast scientific and literary library and it was there, rather than at school, that I received my realest education.

The full text for the speech is here, just click on the link: Download Eli library speech

Last January we were lucky enough to bring Judith Hendricks to ALA Midwinter in Denver.  Judith signed plenty of copies of her latest book, The Laws of Harmony, and she brought blackberry brownies to share with everyone who came to our booth.  What a sweetheart! Judith also wrote a guest blog for us, which you can download here.  Download Libraryblog

Check out this interview with Judith, as well as the book trailer for The Laws of Harmony.