Get Ready: Titles To Know, The Week of May 5
A slew of new titles arrive next week as publishing begins to ramp up for the summer season. Leading the charge, with the largest number of copies heading to stores and libraries, is James Patterson’s Unlucky 13 (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio). He reveals the not-so-secret secrets to his success to Fast Company’s “Co-Create” blog this week and remarks that he is just “an okay writer, but a very good storyteller.”
Also arriving in quantity is the next in John Sanford’s Prey series, Field of Prey.(Penguin/Putnam; Penguin Audio; Recorded Books; Thorndike).
Having left the character that brought her fame, Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris changes tack with the first in a new series, Midnight Crossroad, about the residents of Midnight, Texas, a small town with a practicing witch, a telephone psychic, and a vampire who works at the pawn shop (on the night shift, of course). Booklist says, “Although it’s much lighter on the paranormal elements than Harris’ usual fare, this should still make the lists of readers who miss Sookie and company.” The final 10-episode season of True Blood, based on the Stackhouse books, begins on June 22 (the tie-in is All Together Dead, arriving May 27).
Expect heavy review attention for Michael Cunningham’s latest, The Snow Queen, (Macmillan/FSG; Macmillan Audio). It’s already received a rare advance rave from Michiko Kakutani in the New York Times, calling it, “arguably Mr. Cunningham’s most original and emotionally piercing book to date.”
Below are five titles that have been getting advance word of mouth from librarians and booksellers. These titles, and highlights of others coming next week, with ordering information and alternate formats, are on our downloadable spreadsheet, New Title Radar, Week of May 5, 2014
All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr, (S&S/Scribner)
We’ve already issued a holds alert on this one (S&S/Scribner, May 2014; Audio exclusive from MidWest Tape), after Janet Maslin’s advance review in the NYT. Booksellers made it the #1 pick on the May IndieNext list and librarians put it on the LibraryReads list (if you need further convincing, check the multiple peer reviews on Edelweiss).
“Set during World War II Europe, this novel is sobering without being sentimental. The tension builds as the alternating, parallel stories of Werner and Marie-Laure unfold, and their paths cross. I highly recommend this beautiful and compelling story.” — Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN
The Bees, Laline Paull, (HarperCollins/Ecco)
We heard about this debut first on GalleyChat. It’s now both an IndieNext and a LibraryReads pick for May:
“This book is set entirely in a beehive, but the novel and its characters are so beautifully rendered that it could have been set anywhere. Societal codes and social mores combine with the ancient behavior rituals of bees, bringing forth a remarkable story that is sure to be a book club favorite.” — Ilene Lefkowitz, Denville Public Library, Denville, NJ
The Garden of Burning Sand, Corban Addison, Quercus
IndieNext, May –“This is a captivating thriller that combines page-turning suspense with a social conscience. In contemporary Zambia, an American lawyer who is seeking justice fights entrenched power as well as her own family demons when her father, an influential senator, becomes a candidate for president. Addison’s tale is a fantastic read for literary novel lovers and thriller readers alike, as it provides both suspense and the exploration of important global issues in a credible and convincing style.” — Ed Conklin, Chaucer’s Books, Santa Barbara, CA
The Forgotten Seamstres, Liz Trenow, (Sourcebooks Landmark)
LibraryReads, May — “Two women’s stories, separated by close to 100 years, connect through a patchwork quilt. Carolyn finds a quilt in her mother’s attic and is intrigued by its origin, and quiltmaker Maria’s story is told through transcripts. Trenow carefully stitches together a novel about family secrets, using many interesting details about fabrics, needlework, and textile conservation. A strong sense of place and well-told story make this book superior women’s fiction.”~~Leslie DeLooze, Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, NY
Delancey, Molly Wizenberg, (Simon & Schuster)
Another May LibraryReads pick, which was seconded this week by People magazine,– ‘The popular food blogger serves up a crave-worthy memoir that is part love story, part restaurant industry tale. Scrumptious.’