Five Titles to Recommend and
More to Know, The Week of 10/6
We’re in to October already, so it’s high time to begin thinking about the holidays. To the rescue, the first of the Christmas-themed novels arrives next week, this one by Debbie Macomber. It’s also the basis for a Hallmark movie … a children’s book is one of the three leaders in holds … and you will have a record number of LibraryReads picks to recommend, five in total.
All the titles covered 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 10/6
Holds Leaders
Deadline, John Sandford, (Penguin/Putnam; Penguin Audio; Thorndike); OverDrive Sample
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Paris Match, Stuart Woods, (Penguin/Putnam; Penguin Audio; Thorndike); OverDrive Sample
The Blood of Olympus, Rick Riordan, (Hachette/Disney-Hyperion; Listening Library)
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LibraryReads Picks
Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir, Alan Cumming, (HarperCollins/Dey Street Books; HarperAudio, read by the author); OverDrive Sample
“This memoir focuses on Cumming’s reaction to being told that his father was not, in fact, his father. An appearance on the UK’s Who Do You Think You Are was meant to reveal the mystery behind what happened to Cumming’s maternal grandfather. Instead, his father’s admission leads Cumming to resolve long-held memories of verbal abuse. Cumming is extremely open, allowing readers to share in his pain and understand his relationships.” — Tracy Babiasz, Alachua County Library District, Newberry, FL
Some Luck, Jane Smiley, (RH/Knopf; RH Audio; Thorndike, Nov. 20); OverDrive Sample
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“Smiley’s latest is a love song to American farms and the people who keep them. This glorious and heartfelt novel chronicles the lives of an Iowan farm family over 30 years, beginning in 1920. Family members are born, grow, change, and die. Readers follow their triumphs and crushing losses and, along the way, learn about the evolution of farming and society in the United States. Definitely one of the best novels of 2014.” — Laurie Van Court, Douglas County Libraries, Parker, CO
Media attention: NPR Weekend Edition Sunday – 10/5; New York Times – interview with Chip McGrath – 10/7. It is also on the National Book Awards longlist (finalists TBA on Oct. 15).
The Boy Who Drew Monsters, Keith Donohue, (Macmillan/Picador)
“Emotionally scarred by a near-drowning experience, young Jack Keenan spends all his time indoors, fanatically preoccupied with drawing strange things. While Jack’s parents chalk his drawings up to the imagination, Nick, Jack’s only friend, notices mysterious things happen whenever Jack picks up a pencil. This detailed coming-of-age tale with a twist offers unique insights into boyhood friendships and the complexities of adult relationships.” — Courtney Block, Charlestown Clark County Public Library, Charlestown, IN
Reunion, Hannah Pittard, (Hachette/Grand Central; Thorndike, Jan. 7); OverDrive Sample
“When Kate learns that her estranged father has committed suicide, she and her siblings travel to Atlanta to bury him and work out years of resentment. Life seems overwhelming to Kate as she battles with infidelity, divorce, and a massive debt. It’s only when she takes a good look at herself that she begins to heal the rift in her family. Unfolding like a saga, this short book packs a punch.” — Elizabeth Kanouse, Denville Public Library, Denville, NJ
Malice: A Mystery, Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O. Smith, (Macmillan/Minotaur); OverDrive Sample
“Detective Kaga is investigating the murder of best-selling author Kunihiko Hidaka. Hidaka’s wife and best friend both have rock-solid alibis, but Kaga discovers that the friendship might not have been what it seemed. A classic cat-and-mouse game with twists that keep the pages turning.” — Vicki Nesting, St. Charles Parish Library, Destrehan, LA
Advance Attention
Lila: A Novel, Marilynne Robinson, (Macmillan/FSG; Macmillan Audio); OverDrive Sample
NYT Magazine profile, 10/5/14. It is also on the National Book Awards longlist (finalists TBA on Oct. 15).
The Innovators : How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, Walter Isaacson, (S&S; S&S Audio); OverDrive Sample
It was the basis of a New York Times column about women in the tech industry (although the BusinessWeek review says that most of the women in the book are just “offstage wives”).
Media attention will be heavy, led by NPR’s Morning Edition on Monday, Oct. 6 and Fresh Air the next day.
It is also longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Book trailer, below.
Endgame: The Calling, James Frey, Nils Johnson-Shelton, (HarperCollins)
A YA title that is, according to the publisher, “designed to play out over multiple media platforms, including mobile games,” this one also arrives with an attention-getting gimmick, a global scavenger hunt for $500,000 worth of gold coins. It’s working, at least for drawing media coverage. USA Today has covered the contest as well as the New York Post‘s “Page Six.” The first in a planned trilogy, each new book will up the ante by an additional $500,000. Of the prepub reviewers, only Booklist recommended it and library ordering is modest
Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck, Thug Kitchen, (Rodale)
The first book from the popular Vegan web site (Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan). A certain word may be obscured on the cover, but it’s on full display multiple times in the text. In fact, if the swear words were removed, this cookbook would be half the size.
Upcoming Media Attention
Dancing with Myself, Bil
ly Idol, (S&S/Touchstone)
To be featured on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend (argh! Rebel Yell on CBS Sunday Morning? Nearly as jarring as when we first heard Bob Dylan on Muzak).
In addition to advance excerpts in RollingStone.com and Time.com, Idol’s memoir will also be featured in USA Weekend this Sunday, on NBC-TV/‘Today Show (interview and performance) on release day, Tuesday and on The Howard Stern Show, on Wednesday.
TV Connections
Death Comes to Pemberley (Movie Tie-in Edition), P. D. James, (RH/Vintage); OverDrive Sample
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Starring Matthew Rhys as Fitzwilliam Darcy; Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy, the two-part series airs on PBS 10/26/14 and 11/2/14.
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor: Part Two, Robert Kirkman, Jay Bonansinga, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin); OverDrive Sample
While not a tie-in, this is related to the premiere of AMC’s 5th season of The Walking Dead. The TV series is based on the original comic books (which have been gathered into various book compendia). This prose novel is set in the same world and includes characters from both the comic and television series. It is he fourth and final in the series, which began with The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, and continued in The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury and The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor: Part One. Another new Walking Dead series begins next week, with The Walking Dead Descent.
Mr. Miracle: A Christmas Novel, Debbie Macomber, (RH/Ballantine; RH Audio; RH Large Print); OverDrive Sample
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Not only is this a Christmas-themed novel, but, come the actual holiday, it will also be a Hallmark movie. the fourth following three previous Macomber holiday adaptations, Mrs. Miracle, Call Me Mrs. Miracle and Trading Christmas. Rob Morrow and Michelle Harrison star. Premiere date has not yet been announced.