Library Love Fest

LLF Staff Suggestions for the January LibraryReads List

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
The long anticipated second novel from the bestselling author of Be Frank with Me, a charming story of endings, new beginnings, and the complexities and complications of friendship and love, set in late 1930s Reno.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Julia Claiborne Johnson on Door to Door!

 

The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
The acclaimed author of The Talented Ribkins deconstructs painful African American stereotypes and offers a fresh and searing critique on race and class in this story centered on the Black servants of a down-on-its heels upper-class white family.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ladee Hubbard on Door to Door!

 

The Captive by Fiona King Foster
A rural noir set in a near-future secessionist state that follows a mother who, along with her family, must venture on a pulse-pounding expedition to deliver a dangerous fugitive to the authorities—and who is forced to confront her own past on the journey.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of the many women involved in its causes and consequences—for fans of Madeline Miller.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames by Justine Cowan
A riveting family drama evocative of Angela’s Ashes and The Glass Castle, about a woman who discovers the shocking secret at the center of her mother’s life.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Register for our upcoming 11/17 episode of Door to Door featuring Justine Cowan and Georgina Lawton, author of Raceless.

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
A razor-sharp, wickedly smart suspense debut about an ambitious influencer mom whose soaring success threatens her marriage, her morals, and her family’s safety.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion
A haunting, suspenseful literary debut that combines a classic coming-of-age story with a portrait of a fractured American family dealing with the fallout of one summer evening gone terribly wrong.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Divines by Ellie Eaton
With the emotional power of Normal People and the reflective haze of The Girls, a stunning literary debut set in a secluded boarding school, exploring the intoxicating, destructive relationships between teenage girls.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Watch Ellie Eaton on Door to Door! 

The Children's Train by Viola Ardone
Based on true events, a heartbreaking story of love, family, hope, and survival set in post-World War II Italy about poor children from the south sent to live with families in the north to survive deprivation and the harsh winters.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

 

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Historians by Cecilia Ekbäck
The Secret History meets The Alice Network in this riveting tale of murder and conspiracy in Sweden during WWII by the critically acclaimed author of Wolf Winter.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Surrender the Dead by John Burley
From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy comes an emotionally powerful and gripping psychological thriller about the dark secrets dividing a family and community and the dangers of digging into the past.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

The Heiress by Molly Greeley
In this gorgeously written and spellbinding historical novel based on Pride and Prejudice, the author of The Clergyman’s Wife combines the knowing eye of Jane Austen with the eroticism and Gothic intrigue of Sarah Waters to reimagine the life of the mysterious Anne de Bourgh.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer’s wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II.

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

Nora by Nuala O'Connor
Acclaimed Irish novelist Nuala O’Connor’s bold reimagining of the life of James Joyce’s wife, muse, and the model for Molly Bloom in Ulysses is a "lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle" (Edna O’Brien).

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LibraryReads Votes Due: December 1, 2020

 

For more great reading suggestions for January, check out our

January LibraryReads Suggestions Edelweiss catalog!
 

The deadline to submit your votes is December 1! 

 

***

We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris

LLF Guest Post: It’s Safe to Say That I Fell in Love with Libraries in Utero by Kathy Iandoli, Author of GOD SAVE THE QUEENS

We are thrilled to have an author guest post from Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop, which releases in paperback today, November 10, 2020. God Save the Queens was named an NPR Best Book of the Year. It pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.

There's so much love for this book:

"Iandoli's book is rigorous, insightful, and authoritative—but it's also deadly personal."
—NPR Books

"In writing God Save the Queens, Kathy finally does what dozens of histories of Hip-Hop have never even attempted, telling the stories of women in the genre...Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized."
—AllHipHop.com

"Intended to be a narrative homage to women in hip-hop, this latest work by Iandoli is that and more.... Iandoli gives female artists the recognition they deserve, while showing that there is still work to do. Place this book in the hands of fans of Hanif Abdurraqib and Jeff Chang."
—Library Journal

“Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop.”
—Publishers Weekly

Now, a few words from Kathy:

***

It’s safe to say that I fell in love with libraries in utero. I come from a family of library lovers. There’s my Great Aunt who was a school librarian, my Mom, whose first job was working at a library, and me, the music-loving book nerd who hung out in libraries a lot. The fascination started during my summer vacations in grade school. My Mom was a teacher, so she was on vacation as well. Every week we would go to the library and pick out a new book. I had summer reading assignments from my school, but I would make it a point to either breeze past those in June or right before the school bell rang in September.

The most fun I had was picking out the books I liked with my Mom at the library. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan, and while I inherited most of my Mother’s collection (she lost a significant number of them during a basement flood in her childhood home), I would read the Nancy Drew books available at the library before I committed to buying them. We would sit on our deck in my backyard and read for hours on end. I would then provide my Mom with an unsolicited book report. We kept the same tradition during winter breaks, only then we would sit in the library and read. This was in my hometown of Hawthorne, NJ also the hometown of Blondie’s Debbie Harry, one of the first names I mention in God Save The Queens. When I found out that my book was acquired by so many different libraries across the country, I was thrilled.

When I was writing my book, I returned to that library. I sat at the same table where my mother and I would sit. I had a pile of music books next to me, cross-referencing my research. When I turned in my book, my Mother passed away, and I edited part of my book at that library. It made me feel closer to her. I just sold my childhood home recently, and while I was saying goodbye to it, I walked back on the deck. I saw a young me, sitting on a lounge chair reading my newest find, with my Mother right next to me. I hope there’s a young girl reading my book in her backyard, with her Mom right beside her.

***

Thank you for this fantastic note about libraries, Kathy! Kathy supplied us with a photo of her and her Mother:

It's very fitting that this book has a companion playlist available to listen to while reading. Listen to Kathy's playlist here:

In celebration of the paperback release of God Save the Queens, we are giving away 10 copies to the first 10 librarians who email us at librarylovefest@harpercollins.com. 

-Lainey

HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole Receives Three Starred Reviews!

Everyone is in love with Alyssa Cole's How to Catch a Queen!

It's been featured in Buzzfeed's "24 Romance Novels That Will Make Your Heart Feel Warmer And Cozier Than a Cable-Knit Sweater" list and included in best-of round-ups in Elite Daily and Book Riot.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Check out these THREE STARRED REVIEWS:

“Cole (An Extraordinary Union) launches the “Runaway Royals” series with a bang, introducing a sexy but shy king, a determined and caring queen, and a host of characters who leap off the page into the reader’s imagination. Fans of the “Reluctant Royals” series will adore cameos by some of their favorites, but this is a solid starting point for new readers.”
—Library Journal  review

“Cole’s contemporary romances shine with unique settings and complex characters. Fans will eagerly await her next royal match.”
—Booklist  review

“Genre traditionalists may balk at the abundant attention to politics and slow emotional burn, but the vivid prose, lively characters, and steamy encounters will keep readers hooked, and the intersections between politics, gender, and ideology will resonate the world over. This strikingly feminist saga raises the bar for contemporary romance.”
—Publishers Weekly  review

We just had Alyssa on our Door to Door episode and she did an Instagram takeover. 

How to Catch a Queen goes on sale December 1, 2020 but you can download an egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley now.

-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Featuring William Morrow Vice President & Executive Editor David Highfill

This week on the podcast we are featuring an interview Virginia conducted with David Highfill, Vice President and Executive Editor at William Morrow. He has a jam-packed list of upcoming books that will have your TBR list overflowing. Find the episode and a list of titles discussed below.

Titles Discussed:

• High Treason by Sean McFate (available now)
• American Traitor by Brad Taylor (on sale January 5, 2021)
• The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (on sale March 9, 2021)
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson (on sale March 23, 2021)
  —They also discussed Peter's past books. Find out more about them here.
  —Download the egalley on Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
• The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn (on sale May 11, 2021)

-Lainey

Bookreporter's Carol Fitzgerald Interviews Rose Carlyle, Author of THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR

We're back with another stellar interview from our friend Carol Fitzgerald, President of the Book Report Network. Carol recently sat down with Rose Carlyle, author of The Girl in the Mirror, on sale now.

AJ Finn calls The Girl in the Mirror: "Ferociously entertaining.... Drop Knives Out and Double Indemnity into the blender, shake some Dead Calm over the froth, power it on, and you’ve got a cocktail like The Girl in the Mirror..."

You can watch Carol's video interview or listen to the audio on Carol’s podcast!

Be sure to visit The Book Report Network and Bookreporter.com for more great content! 

-Lainey

Read an Excerpt from Nikki Giovanni's MAKE ME RAIN

We are so proud to have Nikki Giovanni's latest book of poetry, Make Me Rain, on our list. This powerful book is a deeply personal collection of verse that speaks to the injustices of society while illuminating the depths of her own heart, from one of America’s most celebrated poets. 

So many people are excited about this book. Make Me Rain has been included as one of the "11 Books Feminists Should Read in October" by Bitch Media as well as paired with Aries readers in Book Riot's "October 2020 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations."

“Giovanni’s latest collection is her finest to date. Imbued with the classic, accessible, and deeply empathetic style of this venerated American poet…Giovanni’s ability to pare down complex subjects in exquisitely succinct poetic forms makes her work timeless and profoundly resonant..”
—Booklist

“[Giovanni’s] unique voice, bold yet tender, is on display again with a new relevance. One of the most remarkable qualities of Giovanni’s poetry is that it can be direct and uncompromising while also being deeply honest and utterly human.”
—Chapter16

O Magazine also shared an excerpt from the book, including a poem about the importance of voting, quoting:
"It’s not cookies
Nor cake
But it is the icing
That is so sweet"

Read the full poem here and get a copy of Make Me Rain now!

-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Tessa Woodward in Conversation with James Bailey, Author of THE FLIP SIDE

This week, we welcome James Bailey, author of The Flip Side. He is interviewed by Tessa Woodward, Executive Editor at William Morrow/Avon. They chat about writing a Rom-Com from the male perspective and how they took steps to edit the book for a global audience.

More about The Flip Side, available on November 17, 2020:
Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coin—in this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls.

Listen to the interview below:

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Thank you to Tessa and James for coming on the podcast!

-Lainey

The November LibraryReads List is Here!

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

This month, we are thrilled to share that we have two titles selected for the November LibraryReads List: The Burning God by R. F. Kuang and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Additionally, Anthony Horowitz joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with the selection of Moonflower Murders!

Want to hear how our authors reacted to being selected for the November LibraryReads List? Listen to our latest episode of The Library Love Fest Podcast below to hear their responses!

 

 

Click here to see the full list!

***

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang: The exciting end to
The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang's acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

"Bringing her complex Poppy War trilogy to a poignant conclusion, Kuang shines a searing light on the devastating price and valiant sacrifices that warfare requires of all involved."
—Booklist STARRED review

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Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur:
With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice, a charming #ownvoices queer holiday rom-com debut about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an uptight actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!

"Written in the Stars is everything I want from a romcom: fun, whimsical, sexy. This modern Pride and Prejudice glitters with romance."
—Talia Hibbert, USA Today bestselling author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown

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Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz: Featuring his famous literary detective Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland, hero of the worldwide bestseller Magpie Murders, a brilliantly complex literary thriller with echoes of Agatha Christie from New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz.

"Moonflower Murders showcases Horowitz’s full battalion of strengths: the whiplash plotting, the leather-smooth prose, the bold energy…. Sophisticated, literate novels aren’t supposed to be so much fun." 
—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

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Previous LibraryReads Selections:
Magpie Murders (June 2017)
The Word Is Murder (June 2018)

***

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the November LibraryReads List! Be sure to submit your votes for the December LibraryReads List by November 1st. Click here to find out what we're recommending!  

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

LLF Staff Suggestions for the December LibraryReads List

The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller
For fans of: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
From the Nebula Award-winning author of The Art of Starving and Blackfish City comes a frightening and uncanny ghost story about a rapidly changing city in upstate New York and the mysterious forces that threaten it.

"A successful 'influencer' photographer returns to the gentrifying hometown that nearly broke him, and all hell breaks loose. The Blade Between is as addictive and brutal as it is smart and challenging. Miller unflinchingly confronts the sins of our past and present. The horrors here are rooted in there being no easy answers despite our individual and collective souls being ultimately at stake. Plus whales!"
—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
For fans of: The Secret She Keeps by HelenKay Dimon
Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead? An atmospheric, smart suspense novel with a fresh spin, Pretty Little Wife will appeal to fans of Tarryn Fisher, Gilly Macmillan, and Liv Constantine.

"Pretty Little Wife is domestic suspense at its best, with a chilling premise that keeps you guessing to the last page. Add Darby Kane to your must-read list!"
—Wendy Corsi Staub, New York Times bestselling author of The Butcher's Daughter

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Girl Gurl Grrrl by Kenya Hunt
For fans of: Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
In the vein of Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist and Issa Rae’s 
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but wholly its own, a provocative, humorous, and, at times, heartbreaking collection of essays on what it means to be black, a woman, a mother, and a global citizen in today's ever-changing world.

"From its title and construction to its rhythms and its rigor,
Girl Gurl Grrrl is a radical and magical diasporic curation of love for Black dialect, Black freedom, Black cool, Black culture, Black joy, and mostly-—and specifically—Black women."
—Damon Young, author of What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi
For fans of: Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene
An exquisite and inspiring memoir about one mother’s unimaginable choice in the face of oppression and abuse in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

"A modern-day Sophie's Choice, this memoir about a mother's love for her child and country is heartbreaking, but also triumphantly hopeful and inspiring. Thank God for courageous women like Homeira Qaderi."
—Thrity Umrigar, bestselling author of The Secrets Between Us

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LibraryReads Votes Due: November 1, 2020

 

For more great reading suggestions for December, check out our

December LibraryReads Suggestions Edelweiss catalog!
 

The deadline to submit your votes is November 1! 

 

***

We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!

-Chris

An Interview with Natalie Zina Walschots, author of HENCH

The library world is absolutely loving Natalie Zina Walschots' Hench. It's our Lead Read title for Fall 2020 and I knew immediately after reading that I would be shouting about it from the rooftops. Hench is The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation. It's a smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet. Check out a few of the (many) rave reviews:

"Walschots playfully pokes at both office politics and comic book absurdity while offering gripping action and gut-wrenching body horror. The inventive premise, accessible heroine, and biting wit will have readers eager for more from this talented author."
—Publishers Weekly  review

"Smart, witty, and at times bloody, this book will please comic book fans who wish to take a jab at the superhero tropes, as well as readers who enjoy dark humor with a bit of satire tossed into the mix."
—Library Journal  review

"In this refreshing, subversive, and darkly humorous debut novel, poet and journalist Walschots slowly reveals the nuances of her superpower-filled world, keeping readers guessing. Hench reads like a comic without the illustrations and is packed with subplots and rapid-fire wit. With a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, Walschots' original tale performs a brilliant and exciting variation on the superhero trope and is not to be missed."
—Booklist  review

Nancy Pearl also love Hench! She left us a voicemail singing its praises:

I recently had the honor of interviewing Natalie for the podcast. It was so fun to chat about what makes a villain evil, what a hench person has to be willing to overlook to work in an evil office, Millennial office politics, and much more. Take a listen to the interview below:

We mentioned the fun behind-the-book pieces and the "Supercollided" certificate in the recording. You can find those on the Edelweiss page here.

The book is available now—you can see our book birthday celebration with Natalie and her Editor that took place on publication day (September 22nd) on our Door to Door episode. View the video here.

A big thank you to Natalie for coming on the podcast!

-Lainey