From awards contenders to big cookbooks, a raft of picks by librarians and booksellers, and some major tie-ins, it’s one of the heaviest publishing weeks we’ve seen in a while (James Patterson helps by releasing three new titles).

The titles highlighted here, and several more notable titles arriving next week, are listed with ordering information and alternate formats, on our downloadable spreadsheet, earlyword-new-title-radar-week-of-oct-3-2016

    

James Patterson has figured out multiple ways to ensure that he continues to publish more books than any other author. In addition to two new titles in his BookShots series arriving on Tuesday, he releases the trade paperback of a title previously only published in the U.K. and Australia. Written with Australian author Kathryn Fox, it is titled Missing (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample). Part of the Private series, which features an international detective agency with offices in different cities, it was originally published as Private Sydney.

One of the two BookShots titles coming next week is by Hilary Liftin, whose novel Movie Star got attention last year for its veiled references to the Holmes/Cruise marriage. This one, titled $10,000,000 Marriage Proposal (Hachette/BookShots; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Smaple) is about a billionaire who doesn’t want to waste time dating, so he advertises he is willing to pay for the right candidate. The second, French Kiss, Richard DiLallo (Hachette/BookShots; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample), introduces a new character, Detective Luc Moncrief, a French officer working in the NYPD. As we noted recently, several new titles have been announced in the BookShots series. See our downloadable spreadsheet, BookShots Oct, 2016 thru May, 2017.

Another old reliable, but one who publishes on the relatively leisurely schedule of one title a year, Nicholas Sparks releases his twentieth, Two by Two (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample). Known for his weepy romances, Sparks this time turns to a relationship between a father and daughter. It gets a starred review from Booklist.

Parents, put away Go the Fuck to Sleep. Arriving next week is a follow-up to the book that claimed to guarantee a visit from the Sandman, The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep. The new title features a different animal, perhaps reflecting the political season, The Little Elephant Who Wants to Fall Asleep: A New Way of Getting Children to Sleep by Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin and illustrated by Sydney Hanson (PRH/Crown Books for Young Readers; Listening Library).

The titles covered here, and several other notable titles arriving next week, are listed with ordering information and alternate formats, on our downloadable spreadsheet, EarlyWord New Title Radar, Week of 9/5/16.

Cookbook Season Begins

The cookbook season kicks off with titles by two well-known authors. Mark Bittman continues his series with How to Bake Everything (HMH; OverDrive Sample) while a chef generally identified with Italian cuisine turns his attention closer to home, Mario Batali–Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across the USA (Hachette/Grand Central; OverDrive Sample).

Seasonal Novels

  

The upcoming season is heralded with the first winter holiday-themed novels (Patterson, of course, is doing one too, but he’s holding that one off until December). One of the pioneers of the genre, Debbie Macomber, has served as the source for many successful Hallmark Christmas movies, including last year’s Dashing Through the Snow. Her new book is Twelve Days of Christmas (PRH/Ballantine; RH Audio/BOT; OverDrive Sample). Elin Hilderbrand, known for her summery Nantucket covers, releases the third in her series featuring a different season on the same island, Winter Storms (Hachette/Little,Brown; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample).

Big YA Release

Replica, Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins; HC Audio; OverDrive Sample)

At just 33, Oliver is #23 on The Hollywood Reporter‘s just-released list of the 25 Most Powerful Authors in Hollywood, based largely on the buzz for the adaptation of her first book, Before I Fall, which arrives in April. This new book approaches a dystopian story in an unusual way, as two novels in one, from two different characters’ points of view (thus the two cover, front and back). In their starred review Kirkus calls it “A reading experience not to be missed — or forgotten” and Booklist predicts, “Teens will line up for this one.”

Award Contenders

Several titles from the longlists for the National Book Awards and the Carnegie Medal arrive next week:

    

National Book Award, Fiction

News of the World, Paulette Jiles (HC/William Morrow) (also a Peer Pick. see below)

Carnegie Medal, Fiction

The Angel of History, Rabih Alameddine (Atlantic Monthly)

Carnegie Medal, Nonfiction

Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives, Gary Younge (Perseus/PGW/Legato/Nation Books; OverDrive Sample)

 

National Book Awards, Young Peoples Lit

When the Moon was Ours, Anna-Marie McLemore (Macmillan/A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin; OverDrive Sample)

When the Sea Turned to Silver, Grace Lin (Hachette/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample)

People Picks

The Guineveres, Sarah Domet (Macmillan/Flatiron; OverDrive Sample).

A debut, this is one of People‘s three book picks for the week (the others are Bruce Springsteen’s memoir and Maria Semple’s new book, a Peer Pick, below). People writes: “Four girls named Guinevere try to escape the convent of the Sisters of the Supreme Adoration by hiding in a parade float … A wacky, diverting tale.” It received stars from Library Journal and Booklist.

Peer Picks

The #1 LibraryReads pick for October comes out this week, accompanied by five other librarian favorites.

News of the World, Paulette Jiles (HC/William Morrow; Brilliance Audio).

“Readers fortunate enough to meet Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, an old ex-soldier who makes a living reading the news to townspeople in 1870s Texas, and Joanna, the Indian captive he is charged with returning to her relatives, will not soon forget them. Everything, from the vividly realized Texas frontier setting to the characters is beautifully crafted, right up to the moving conclusion. Both the Captain and Joanna have very distinctive voices. Wonderful storytelling.” — Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

Additional Buzz: It is among the National Book Awards Longlist selections and is an Indie Next pick for October.

Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple (Hachette/Little, Brown and Company; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample).

“I went into Today Will Be Different expecting the mockery of Seattle’s ridiculous idiosyncrasies What I got was different, but just as good. Eleanor is sympathetic and the story revolves around family conflicts and disappointments, as well as Eleanor’s awareness of the inevitability of aging and its effects on herself and marriage. Her relationships with those closest to her are also the ones with the most secrets, and with the potential for the most harm and the most hope. I’d recommend this to readers who love family-centric women’s fiction with a sharp eye for the quirks of marriage and parenting.” — Jessica Werner, The Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA

Additional Buzz: It is a People pick, “Eleanor Flood knows her ‘white-people problems’ aren’t dire, but they irritate her anyway. Then every corner of life implodes the same day, exposing her secrets to the world — and herself. Readers who devoured Where’d You Go, Bernadette? will love Eleanor’s wry voice and dark humor.” It is also an Indie Next selection and made a number of Fall Reading lists, including those by Amazon’s Editors, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, and People.

Crosstalk, Connie Willis (PRH/Del Rey; Recorded Books; OverDrive Sample).

“Crosstalk is the perfect romantic comedy for the digital age. Briddey works for a cell phone provider that is constantly searching for the next great way to help people “connect” – nevermind that she is already inundated by calls, texts, social media, and unannounced visits from her colleagues, friends, and nosy family. When she undergoes a procedure to telepathically sense the emotions of her seemingly perfect boyfriend, things go awry and she ends up connected to the wrong person. A perfect screwball comedy from a master writer!” — Patricia Kline-Millard, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH

Additional Buzz: It is among io9‘s Fall Reading suggestions.

The Motion of Puppets, Keith Donohue (Macmillan/Picador; Blackstone Audio; OverDrive Sample).

“A young couple find themselves caught in a web of magic and horror. Kay is an acrobat and goes missing. Her husband cannot believe that she has disappeared and searches the city in vain all the while not guessing that she has been spirited away by a puppet master in the toy shop that fascinated her during their walks. Kay begins life anew as a puppet and soon begins to befriend the other puppets at night when they come to life. Will the evil that has charmed Kay be stronger than her husband’s love? Donohue writes a frightening account reminiscent of Grimm’s fairy tales and it will keep you up reading til dawn.” — Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

All the Little Liars: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Charlaine Harris (Macmillan/Minotaur Books; Recorded Books; OverDrive Sample).

“The narrative of Aurora Teagarden was thought to be over. In a surprising, but welcome return, All the Little Liars picks up right where we left off with Roe. Newly remarried, Roe is dealing with a plethora of issues. With a missing brother and troublesome father in town, Roe is searching for answers. Pregnancy, family problems, and more make for a suspenseful, fast, and comforting read. Harris’ writing shines best when she portrays the minutiae of small-town lives and the inner workings of families, friends, and relationships. I can’t wait for the next book.” — Mei-Ling Thomas, Rochester Hills Public Library, Rochester, MI

Additional Buzz: It is a Fall Reading pick by Amazon’s Editors. Hallmark movies have been based on others in the series: The Julius House: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (10/16/16), Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (7/26/15), and Aurora Teagarden Mystery: A Bone to Pick (4/5/15).

The Trespasser, Tana French (PRH/Viking; Penguin Audio/BOT; OverDrive Sample).

“Aislinn Murray is beautiful, lives in a picture-perfect cottage, and has a boy she’s crazy about. Antoinette Conway is a tough member of the Dublin Murder Squad who knows no one likes her and says she doesn’t care. When Aislinn is murdered, Conway and her partner Steve Moran take the case and start listening to all the stories about Aislinn. Which ones are true? Was she in love and with whom? Are the stories we tell ourselves and others anywhere near the truth? Great read from Tana French.” — Kathryn Hassert, Chester County Library, Exton, PA

Additional Buzz: It is an Indie Next pick and made a number of Fall Reading lists, including those by Amazon’s Editors, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, and People. The Guardian says “While The Trespasser isn’t quite up to the intense brilliance of The Secret Place, it is still a gnarly, absorbing read, and a finely tuned slice of wintry gloom from one of the best thriller writers we have.”

Additional Indie Next selections hitting shelves this week include:

The Wangs vs. the World, Jade Chang (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Recorded Books; OverDrive Sample).

“Simultaneously tongue-in-cheek and earnest, The Wangs vs. the World is one hell of a ride. Literally. Join the Wang family patriarch, Charles, as he and his family drive across the country from Los Angeles to New York in shame after his cosmetic company is destroyed by a doomed business investment. Homeless, penniless, yet still fiercely proud, Charles sets out to reunite his children and reclaim the ancestral land of the Wangs from the Chinese Communists. A hilarious, moving, and rollicking tale of family, ancestry, and a worn-out Mercedes station wagon, The Wangs vs. the World is not to be missed!” —Michelle Chen, WORD, Brooklyn, NY

Additional Buzz: Considered a hot fall debut, it made many seasonal reading lists including those from BuzzFeed and Entertainment Weekly.

All That Man Is, David Szalay (Macmillan/Graywolf Press; HighBridge Audio; OverDrive Sample).

“All That Man Is was recently longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and with good reason. The novel’s parade of characters, ranging from teenagers to a man in his twilight years, when taken as a whole, represents an ‘everyman’ in whom readers can easily see pieces of themselves. With prose reminiscent of Amis, Kundera, and Nabokov, Szalay offers a collection of related stories that speak to the mundane qualities of modern life with a sympathetic tone, a reflection of our struggle to move forward in a world increasingly unfamiliar to most of us, but not without hope.” —Tom Beans, Dudley’s Bookshop Café, Bend, OR

Additional Buzz: As mentioned in the annotation, it is a Man Booker Longlist title. It also made the Fall Reading list of New York Magazine.

Cruel Beautiful World, Caroline Leavitt (Workman/Algonquin Books; HighBridge Audio).

“Cruel Beautiful World is a masterful family drama about sisterhood, love, and the dangers of entering the adult world. Lucy is sure that she and her high school teacher are in love. She agrees to run away with William to a rural paradise where they can be together safely until she turns 18. Lucy, however, gets more than she bargained for when her life turns into one of isolation and deprivation. Her sister, Charlotte, never gives up hope that Lucy will return. Their shocking reunion will leave readers riveted to the page and these characters will haunt readers long after the book is finished.” —Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, MN

Tie-ins

Marking Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut comes this adaptation of Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1997 novel, American Pastoral. McGregor stars as well, alongside Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Connelly, Rupert Evans and Valorie Curry.

Unfortunately, it is not getting a positive reception. IndieWire‘s critical roundup reports “Critics have described the film as yet another ill-advised Roth adaptation and more proof that the writer’s work doesn’t translate well to the screen, save for James Schamus’ Indignation released earlier this year.”

Variety adds to the negative take, writing “Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut is as flat and strangled as Philip Roth’s novel is furious and expansive.”

The film opens Oct. 28.

There is a tie-in: American Pastoral (MTI): American Trilogy (1), Philip Roth (PRH/Vintage; OverDrive Sample).

A Monster Calls has been pushed back to give
it a wider running lane but a new tie-in comes out this week. As we noted earlier, it is a “Special Collector’s Edition” that, in addition to the original illustrated YA novel, includes new essays by author Patrick Ness, who worked on the screenplay, previously unpublished early sketches by illustrator Jim Kay, and interviews with the director, cast, and crew.

A Monster Calls: Special Collectors’ Edition (Movie Tie-in): Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay (Candlewick).

The movie now opens Dec. 23 in a limited release, followed by a wide release on Jan 6, 2017.

A wave of Moana titles hit shelves this week, lead by Moana: The Deluxe Junior Novelization, RH Disney, illustrated by RH Disney (RH/Disney).

Other offerings include The World of Moana: A Guide to Motunui and Beyond, Bill Scollon, illustrated by RH Disney (RH/Disney) and Moana Read-Along Storybook & CD, Disney Storybook Art Team (Hachette/Disney Press). See our listing of tie-ins for many additional titles.

Another Disney tie-in is Disney Pixar Finding Dory: The Essential Collection (PRH/DK Children). It is timed to coordinate with the DVD, Blu-ray, and digital releases of the film this fall.

There is also a new tie-in for Star Wars, The Amazing Book of Star Wars, Elizabeth Dowsett (PRH/DK Children). The image heavy book, designed to introduce very young readers to the franchise, spans a number of Star Wars films.

For our full list of upcoming adaptations, download our Books to Movies and TV and link to our listing of tie-ins.

 

This entry was posted on Friday, September 30th, 2016 at 4:14 pm and is filed under New Title Radar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.