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We were thrilled to feature author Graham Norton at the American Library Association (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference & Exhibition as part of their Digital Experience.

This was a wonderful conversation that covered everything: the writing life, the banning of books, the importance of libraries (Mr. Norton’s sister is a librarian), and the transformative power of a good novel.

Graham Norton is the author of multiple novels, winning numerous awards and gaining bestseller status for his writing. His most recent novel, Forever Home, became an instant bestseller in both the UK and Ireland, earning him dazzling reviews. It goes on sale in the US on September 19, 2023. Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ or NetGalley.

This was an intimate, warm, and funny conversation between Graham Norton and Lainey Mays. 

Enjoy!

Hello, librarians!

We hope you had a great holiday and are ready to jump back into the summer reading zone. Hope that everyone returning home from Chicago/ALA got home safely. It was a conference full of energy and we were so happy to see long-time friends (and make new ones)!

Find out more about our picks and download egalleys here. Don't forget to get your votes for the September LibraryReads list in by August 1st!

Stay cool out there!

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Grace)

The LLF team is crazy about Katherine Hall Page's latest, The Body in the Web! On sale now, this is the 26th installment in the Faith Fairchild mystery series. Her fans will love this latest novel! If you're new to the series, start here with The Body in the Web. We're sure you'll be so hooked you'll want to go back and start the series from the beginning with The Body in the Belfry.

More about The Body in the Web: Katherine Hall Page’s beloved amateur detective is hunkered down with her family during the pandemic when a Zoom-bombing scandal sends the community into a tailspin…and a dead body is discovered.

Happy book birthday to The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt!

There has been so much wonderful and well-deserved buzz for this moving novel from the bestselling and award-winning author Patrick deWitt about the story of Bob Comet, a man who has lived his life through and for literature, unaware that his own experience is a poignant and affecting novel in itself. Buy your copy here!

We were thrilled when The Librarianist was announced as a LibraryReads pick for the month of July! Patrick recorded his reaction and message to librarians for The Library Love Fest Podcast. 

Listen here:

No wonder it was a LibraryReads pick! There was so much love for this book:

"Readers come to deWitt (French Exit, 2018) for his brand of slightly off-kilter storytelling blessed with exuberant characterizations, gleeful dialogue, and a proprietary blend of darkness and charm, all strung up in lights here. Gripping, random, and totally alive? Check, check, and check."
—Booklist ★starred★ review

"deWitt imbues the people he meets with color and quirks, leaving a trail of sparks through an otherwise low-key narrative. This one gradually takes hold until it won’t let go."
—Publishers Weekly

Congratulations to Patrick on all of the love for The Librarianist. Run, don't walk, to get your copy now!

-Grace

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that Patrick deWitt’s The Librarianist has made the July LibraryReads list! We are also thrilled to announce that Laura Lippman's Prom Mom has made the Hall of Fame! Woohoo! Congratulations to both.

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast to hear from our authors:

Hello, librarians!

We are in full ALA planning mode but don't think we forgot about our titles that are eligible for the August LibraryReads list! 

Find out more about our picks and download egalleys here. Don't forget to get your votes for the August LibraryReads list in by July 1st!

For a full ALA 2023 schedule, go here.

—The LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Grace)

Hi, librarians! The Library Love Fest team is incredibly excited for the ALA Annual Conference 2023 this year. We're taking on Chicago with Books, Breakfast, and All That Jazz! Below, you'll find our full schedule for ALA along with our RSVP link to our world famous book buzz.

Did you miss our buzz? No worries! Here is a link to our handout which includes all the titles we presented. The QR code will take you to an Edelweiss+ catalog.

***

Appearing virtually at the ALA digital experience:

GRAHAM NORTON
Internationally bestselling author and host of The Graham Norton Show discusses his forthcoming novel, Forever Home, with Lainey Mays, Library Marketing Associate at HarperCollins Publishers.
This will be a pre-recorded session available on demand. Register here.

***

See a full list of our author signings and programs below. Stop by booth #3511 and say hello!

SATURDAY, JUNE 24TH:

8:30-10:00
HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz
McCormick Place Convention Center
Room W192
RSVP link above

8:30-10:00
PLA President's Program*
Hilton Chicago, Continental A
Jean Kwok, The Leftover Woman
*PLA members only
bit.ly/3BAeDCr

9:00-10:00
Nancy Johnson, The Kindest Lie
Booth signing

10:00-11:00
Sy Montgomery, Of Time and Turtles
Booth signing

11:00-12:00
Jean Kwok, The Leftover Woman
Booth signing

11:30-1:30
Lori Rader-Day, The Death of Us
Signing in Sisters in Crime Booth #1951

12:30-1:30
Ally Carter, The Blonde Identity
Booth signing

2:00-3:00
Wanda Morris, Anywhere You Run & All Her Little Secrets
Booth signing

2:30-3:30
UFL Program: Isn't It Romantic?
McCormick Place CC, Room W185d
Ally Carter, The Blonde Identity

3:00-4:00
Susan Elizabeth Phillips, When Stars Collide
Booth signing

4:00-5:00
ALMA/LibraryReads Adult Author Program: Feel-Good Reads
McCormick Place CC, Room W184A
Sy Montgomery, Of Time and Turtles
RSVP: bit.ly/FeelGoodReadsALA2023

4:00-5:00
Lillian Stone, Everybody's Favorite
Booth signing

5:30-7:30
UFL Program: The Laugh's On Us
Hyatt Regency McCormick, Jackson Park ABCD
Lillian Stone, Everybody's Favorite

SUNDAY, JUNE 25TH:

8:00-10:00
Literary Tastes Breakfast
McCormick Place CC, Room W183B
Piper Huguley, By Her Own Design
Wanda Morris, Anywhere You Run 
Lori Rader-Day, The Death of Us
Register here for this RUSA ticketed event: bit.ly/436g6fz

9:00-10:00
Mary Kay Andrews, Hissy Fit
Booth signing

10:00-11:30
Lori Rader-Day, The Death of Us
Signing in Sisters in Crime booth #1951

11:00-12:00
Piper Huguley, By Her Own Design
Booth signing

12:30-1:30
Lori Rader-Day, The Death of Us
Booth signing

2:00-3:00
Ehigbor Okosun, Forged by Blood
Booth signing

2:30-3:30
UFL Program: It's a Mystery to Me
McCormick Place CC, W185a
Lori Rader-Day, The Death of Us

8:00-10:00
BCALA Awards
Hilton Chicago Hotel

MONDAY, JUNE 26TH:

8:30-10:00
ALMA/LibraryReads Adult Author Program: Your Morning is Booked
McCormick Place, Room W175ab
Jean Kwok, The Leftover Woman
RSVP: bit.ly/YourMorningIsBooked2023

10:00-11:00
Kim van Alkemade, Counting Lost Stars
Booth signing

2:00-4:00
UFL Gala Author Tea
Hyatt Regency McCormick, Grant Park ABCD
Kim van Alkemade, Counting Lost Stars

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/R6zG0yLXoEQ

Hello, librarians!

How is it May?? We have so many book-related events this month. We just had Juan Mila, Editorial Director of HarperVia, on our Galley Gab Fest event. We also had fun tweeting at Early Word Galley Chat and hearing authors speak at Library Journal's Day of Dialog—it's a month full of reading recommendations! If that weren't enough, we have even more book picks for you to peruse.

Check out these books eligible for the July LibraryReads list. Find out more about our picks and download egalleys here. Don't forget to get your votes for the July LibraryReads list in by June 1st!

—The LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Grace)

Hi, librarians! The Library Love Fest team hopes you’re enjoying May’s flowers and the warmer weather. To keep you company as you’re lounging in the sun, we’ve got a new podcast episode for you!

Listen here:

Lainey sat down with Aisha Harris, author of Wannabe, for a nostalgia-filled conversation! It is an absolute joy to listen to, and you’re going to want to take a deep dive into your 90s faves after! More about Wannabe (on sale 6/13/2023): In nine lively, incisive essays, NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour co-host Aisha Harris reflects on the cultural touchstones of her childhood and adolescence that have shaped her, setting them in context with current sensations transforming culture now.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at our April Writers to Watch episode! We spoke with Mona Susan Power, Kim van Alkemade, Lena S. Andrews, and Jennifer Chiaverini. All of their books centered women in history. They discussed their research, personal stories/histories, and inspiration. It was a lovely discussion, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Check out that episode of Writers to Watch episode here: 

This episode also grabs some highlights from our May Galley Gab Fest episode! We went live with Juan Mila, Editorial Director of HarperVia, to talk about forthcoming books. HarperVia is an imprint dedicated to publishing extraordinary international voices, offering readers the chance to encounter other lives and other points of view via the language of the imagination.

We showed this amazing video of HarperVia authors reading the first line of their novels. Check out the whole video!

Hear the whole book buzz from Juan here:

HarperCollins titles discussed:

• Wannabe by Aisha Harris. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Counting Lost Stars by Kim van Alkemade. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Valiant Women by Lena S. Andrews. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Walking Practice by Dolki Min, translated by Victoria Caudle. Buy this title now.
• The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi, translated by Emily Ballistieri. Buy this title now.
• The Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi, translated by Emily Ballistieri. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• My Husband by Maud Ventura, translated by Emma Ramadan. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout. Learn more about this title on Edelweiss.

Want more from us? We have an exciting episode of Writers to Watch for May! The Library Love Fest team will be sitting down with Jonathan Lethem, author of Brooklyn Crime Novel; Jean Kwok, author of The Leftover Woman; Rachelle Unreich, author of A Brilliant Life; and Dinah Jefferies, author of Night Train to Marrakech. Join us on May 18^th at 7 PM ET!

RSVP on FB: https://fb.me/e/wpRE9ARh

Register on Crowdcast: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/writerstowatch/5

So much wonderful content in this episode! Thank you for listening, and until next time…

Best,

Virginia, Lainey, & Grace

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/mQwd2Oie37A

Hello, librarians!

We hope some warmer weather has made it your way. April is packed with great reads, and we have some fabulous programs later this month. Be sure to join us for our Galley Gab Fest and Writers to Watch events.

But, first, we have a list of books eligible for the June LibraryReads list. Find out more about our picks and download egalleys here. Don't forget to get your votes for the June LibraryReads list in by May 1st!

And! Listen to our latest podcast episode below for even more reading suggestions:

-The LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Grace)

Happy April, librarians! We’re here to spring a new podcast episode on you! The Library Love Fest team will tell you about the books that are currently blooming on our shelves. Okay, okay, enough with the puns.

Listen here:

The true highlight of this episode is a conversation between Wesley Lowery, author of American Whitelash, and his editor, Rakia Clark! More about American Whitelash (on sale 6/27/2023): Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Wesley Lowery confronts the sickness at the heart of American society: the cyclical pattern of violence that has marred every moment of racial progress in this country, and whose bloodshed began anew following Obama’s 2008 election.

Stick around after Wesley and Rakia’s insightful conversation to hear a voicemail from a librarian like you and reminders about our upcoming events.

HarperCollins titles discussed:

• American Whitelash by Wesley Lowery. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• The Happy Couple by Naosie Dolan. Learn more about this title on Edelweiss.
• The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Counting Lost Stars by Kim van Alkemade. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.
• Valiant Women by Lena S. Andrews. Download this title on Edelweiss or NetGalley.

RSVP to our April episode of Galley Gab Fest to get the inside scoop on upcoming titles, and Writers to Watch to hear from Jennifer Chiaverini, Mona Susan Power, Kim van Alkemade, and Lena S. Andrews!

Until next time,

Virginia, Lainey, and Grace

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/SAvJShz5Bi8

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/iY9XV6Jis-4

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/wCxas6ppU_0

Hello, librarians!

You voted, they counted, and the winners have finally been announced!

This month, we are thrilled to share that Kate Morton's Homecoming and HelenKay Dimon's Moorewood Family Rules have made the April LibraryReads list! And we have two books that made the Hall of Fame list: Alexandria Bellefleur's The Fiancée Farce and Elly Griffiths' The Last Remains. Find out more about these titles and download egalleys here.

Want to hear how our authors reacted to the big news? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast to hear their responses:

-LLF Team (Virginia, Lainey, and Grace)

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/Pq4u8vGxu8M

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/omytlmvlx3E

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/QjsPqlGrqWQ

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/N-l-Pu3y0mc

Watch the full episode on : https://youtu.be/7PG-eBIxdOI

Once a month, the HarperCollins Library Marketing team (aka Library Love Fest) is going LIVE on Facebook and Crowdcast for an hour of book talking. We'll tell you about upcoming galleys to download, our latest author programs, and much more!

We look forward to gabbing with you soon!

Once a month, the Library Love Fest team will host a night of literary delights. Our invited authors will talk about their books and take questions from the audience.

This will be available on Crowdcast or Facebook.

Be sure to bring your questions (and a cocktail)!

The Library Love Fest Team is excited to welcome Arielle Estoria, author of The Unfolding, to the blog for a guest post! 

More about The Unfolding (on sale 3/7/23): In this beautiful collection of poems, essays, and meditations, Arielle Estoria tenderly reveals the places in her life where she has been broken open and mended back together in new ways. In doing so, she shows each of us how when we walk through our own process of “unfolding,” though it may be uncomfortable at times, there is light on the other side. Let these words guide your soul, and return home to the person you were always meant to be.

***

So many of my pivotal memories as a child and a youth were created in the bookshelves of a library. Spending Saturday mornings tucked away in a corner not many ventured to, holding whatever book bound adventure I was devouring that day in my hands. The library helped me dream, create, escape all at once. It was a portal to a dimension outside of my present reality and into a space where I could be the detective or the damsel without the distress or the heroine or even the villain when I so chose to be. There was something that a trip to the library always offered: the realm of possibility. There are no limits when entering the sacred world of books, the stories of so many cradled between wooden hugs.

The accessibility of a library is one that will never not be necessary. Not everyone is able to afford a handful of book purchases a month or a year. The opportunity that libraries offer to learning the sacred art of borrowing and returning is a vital memory I personally have on practicing responsibility and trust. Though never perfectly executed because I also vividly remember my mother reprimanding us many times for keeping books for way too long, or hoarding too many under our beds to reach for when we needed to settle or activate our minds.

Now I think back on these core memories, as an adult who has fully entered, embraced, and owned her creative titles as poet, author, actor, and storyteller it is a beautiful realization to play part in the wonders of a library. To be able to contribute to other youth or adult persons experiencing the captivating, life-shaping deep connection to the books on the seemingly infinite shelves, where they can be reminded not only of who they are but who they can be, is a great honor and one I do not take lightly.

***

Thank you, Arielle! We are so appreciative of your thoughtful words, and are very excited for readers to experience The Unfolding.

Learn more on Edelweiss+, and watch the book trailer for The Unfolding here:

-Grace