Library Love Fest

We're Seeing STARS for Joyce Carol Oates' NIGHT. SLEEP. DEATH. THE STARS.!

Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. by Joyce Carol Oates is a a gripping examination of contemporary America through the prism of a family tragedy: when a powerful parent dies, each of his adult children reacts in startling and unexpected ways, and his grieving widow in the most surprising way of all.

Stark and penetrating, Joyce Carol Oates’ latest novel is a vivid exploration of race, psychological trauma, class warfare, grief, and eventual healing, as well as an intimate family novel in the tradition of the author’s bestselling We Were the Mulvaneys.

 

We have so many amazing reviews coming in, including TWO STARRED REVIEWS!

“[A] quintessential examination of grief.... With precise, authoritative prose that reads like an inquest written by a poet, Oates keep the reader engaged throughout the sprawling narrative. This is a significant and admirable entry in the Oates canon.”
—Publishers Weekly  review

“While Oates purposefully plumbs the depths of each family member’s agonizing loss, her perceptive study of Jessalyn’s widowhood stands out as an impressive and impassioned portrait of this distressing life journey.”
—Booklist  review

“A brooding, thoughtful study of how people respond to stress and loss, which is not always well and not always nicely.... As with all Oates, well worth reading.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Wow!

Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. goes on-sale June 9, 2020.

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-Lainey

Editors Unedited: Rachel Kahan in Conversation with Lian Dolan, Author of THE SWEENEY SISTERS

This week, we welcome Lian Dolan, Author of The Sweeney Sisters, to the podcast! Lian and her editor, William Morrow Executive Editor Rachel Kahan, chat about the book, capturing family relationships in fiction, and what it's like for Lian to work with her own sisters on her podcast, The Satellite Sisters.

More about The Sweeney Sisters:
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

Listen to the episode below:

Listen to Lian's podcast here.

We mention Lian's Instagram takeover—watch a reply on our feed here.

The Sweeney Sisters is available now. 

Thank you Rachel and Lian for a wonderful conversation!

-Lainey

Happy Anniversary to Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue!

This week, we wish Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, authors of What Makes a Marriage Last, a very Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary! They celebrated on Ellen. Watch the clip below:

Their new book, What Makes a Marriage Last, is a compelling and intimate collection of intriguing conversations with famous couples about their enduring marriages and how they have made them last through the challenges we all share.

What makes a marriage last? Who doesn’t want to know the answer to that question? To unlock this mystery, iconic couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with forty celebrated couples whose long marriages they’ve admired—from award-winning actors, athletes, and newsmakers to writers, comedians, musicians, and a former U.S. president and First Lady. Through these conversations, Marlo and Phil also revealed the rich journey of their own marriage.

Check out these amazing reviews for the book:

“Delightful and instructive...Love and understanding shine through in this inspiring collection.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“Warmhearted testimony to enduring relationships...The authors’ disarming ebullience makes them endearing interviewers.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“An intimate and surprising look at what keeps couples together.”
—AARP

Get a copy of What Makes a Marriage Last now!
Happy Anniversary, Marlo and Phil!

-Lainey

A One-of-a-Kind Podcast Interview with Emily Gray Tedrowe, Author of THE TALENTED MISS FARWELL

Author Emily Gray Tedrowe came on the podcast this week to talk about her new novel, The Talented Miss Farwell. We always love hearing about exciting new reads, but this conversation was truly unique because Emily was interviewed by her father! Her dad, Alan Gray, is the Director of the Darien Library in Connecticut. This is one of our favorite episodes we have recorded yet. Not only did we hear all about Emily's new book, but we got to hear them talk about working in the library, growing up surrounded by books, and much more—making it feel like we are overhearing a conversation at the family dinner table. This is a must-listen episode. 

More about The Talented Miss Farwell:
At the end of the 1990s, with the art market finally recovered from its disastrous collapse, Miss Rebecca Farwell has made a killing at Christie’s in New York City, selling a portion of her extraordinary art collection for a rumored 900 percent profit. To some, the elusive Miss Farwell is a shark with outstanding business acumen. To others, she’s a heartless capitalist whose only interest in art is how much she can make.

But a thousand miles from the Big Apple, in the small town of Pierson, Illinois, Miss Farwell is someone else entirely—a quiet single woman known as Becky who still lives in her family’s farmhouse, wears sensible shoes, and works tirelessly as the town’s treasurer and controller.

But as Reba Farwell’s deals get bigger and bigger, Becky Farwell’s debt to Pierson spirals out of control. How long can the talented Miss Farwell continue to pull off her double life?

Listen to the podcast episode here:

The Talented Miss Farwell will be available on September 29, 2020. You can read the egalley now:

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A big thank you to both Emily and Alan for giving us their time and congratulations to Emily on The Talented Miss Farwell!

-Lainey

Check Out What's Coming Up on DOOR TO DOOR

Check out what's coming up on Door to Door! Watch live at: www.facebook.com/librarylovefest

Click here to receive reminders for Tuesday, May 19th's episode with special guest Kate Mulgrew, New York Times bestselling author.

Click here to receive reminders for Thursday, May 21st's episode with special guests Juliet Grames, author of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna and Laura Zigman, author of Separation Anxiety.

Follow us on Facebook to receive notification every time we're live. If you don't use Facebook, not to worry! Each Door to Door episode will be available on our Youtube channel immediately following the Facebook Live broadcast! 

-Chris

The June LibraryReads List is Here!

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

This month, we are thrilled to share that The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert have been selected for the June LibraryReads List!

Additionally, Susan Elizabeth Phillips officially joins the LibraryReads Hall of Fame with her latest novel Dance Away With Me! 

Want to know how the authors reacted to being selected for the June LibraryReads List? Click below to listen to their reactions!

Click here to see the full list.

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The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty: The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

"Chakraborty (The City of Brass) brings her epic fantasy series to a stunning conclusion. Rich details, familial ties, and magical politics sing in this lush world built from Middle Eastern history and imagination."
—Library Journal review

"No series since George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire has quite captured both palace intrigue and the way that tribal infighting and war hurt the vulnerable the most."
—Paste Magazine

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley: A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.

"Only a handful of thriller writers can accomplish what Foley does here: weave a complex plot from the perspectives of eight characters plus an omniscient narrator without causing confusion or reader exhaustion when the plot bounces from one person to the next. Fans of Christie, Louise Penny, and Ruth Rendell will absolutely love this book...."
—Library Journal review

"I didn’t think Lucy Foley could top The Hunting Party, but she did! I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a classic Christie."
—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient

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Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert:
Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.

"Hibbert continues her wickedly funny romantic comedy series, The Brown Sisters, by following Get a Life, Chloe Brown with a magical friends-to-lovers tale.... Hibbert is a rising star, and this tale will appeal to all contemporary romance fans, including those who enjoy British romantic comedies."
                             —Booklist  review

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Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart, and the healing power of love.

"In this superbly written stand-alone, this master storyteller's flair for highly imaginative plots and flawless characterization are on full display, resulting an emotionally enriching, breathtakingly brilliant tale of heartbreak and hope."
—Booklist review

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***

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

Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.

-Chris

HBO's TV Adaptation of Wally Lamb's I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE Premiers This Sunday, May 10th, at 9pm ET!

Big news, everyone. The HBO TV adaptation of Wally Lamb's beloved New York Times bestselling novel I Know This Much Is True will premier this Sunday, May 10th, at 9pm ET. Check out the trailer below and find out more about the TV series here. 

I Know This Much Is True follows Dominick Birdsey, a forty-year-old housepainter living in Three Rivers, Connecticut, who finds his subdued life greatly disturbed when his identical twin brother Thomas, a paranoid schizophrenic, commits a shocking act of violence. Dominick is forced to care for his brother as well as confront dark secrets and pain he has buried deep within himself. I Know This Much Is True is a masterfully told story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal—an unforgettable masterpiece.   

Just check out some of the praise Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True has garnered: 

"Thoughtful...heart-wrenching...An exercise in soul-baring storytelling—with the soul belonging to 20th-century America itself. It’s hard to read and to stop reading, and impossible to forget."
—USA Today

"A gratifying saga of loss and redemption."
—People

"Never grapples with anything less than life’s biggest questions.... Lamb clearly aims to be a modern-day Dostoevsky with a pop sensibility."
—New York Times Book Review

"A fully developed and triumphantly resolved exploration of one man’s suffering and redemption."
—Publishers Weekly starred review

Get your copy of I Know This Much Is True here.

-Chris

Check Out What's Coming Up on DOOR TO DOOR!

Tuesday, May 12th at 2pm ET with Authors Liv Constantine, Sonali Dev, and Kimberly McCreight: Click here to sign up for the official Facebook event and receive reminders!

Thursday, May 14th at 2pm ET with Author Karin Slaughter: Click here to sign up for the official Facebook event and receive reminders!

Editors Unedited: Hilary Swanson in Conversation with Rebekah Taussig, Author of SITTING PRETTY

On this week's podcast episode we feature a conversation between Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty, and Hilary Swanson, Senior Editor at HarperOne. 

Sitting Pretty is a memoir-in-essays from Rebekah Taussig, disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty, reflecting on identity, accessibility, and representation and processing a lifetime of memories to paint a more beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.

This book offers an honest look at disability and its effects on identity, love, money, and self-worth. Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and the false idea of “ableism.”

A timely reminder to look beyond ourselves and our singular experiences, Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.

Listen to the episode here:

Check out Rebekah's Instagram account @sitting_pretty and find out more about her work on her website.

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Thank you to both Rebekah and Hilary for offering a glimpse into this great author-editor relationship.

-Lainey