Ten Titles to Make You
An R.A. Guru, Week of Nov. 3
The big fall book season is winding down, but there’s several LibraryReads picks to recommend … It’s been a busy season for offbeat celebrity memoirs … next week two older-school variety make their debuts.
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 11/3/14
Holds Leaders
The Burning Room, Michael Connelly, (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Large Print; Hachette Audio), OverDrive Sample
The latest thriller to feature Connelly’s favorite character, Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, is one of the last adult titles of the fall season to be drawing heavy prepublication holds (still to come Stephen King’s Revival, next week and James Patterson’s Alex Cross novel, Hope to Die, Nov. 24). Bosch is about to get his screen debut in Amazon’s 10-part series, Bosch coming mid-February (the pilot is available free online now). Connelly talks about the show in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. Readers advisory: the 11/7 issue of Entertainment Weekly revisits all of Connelly’s books in a “Binge” (not online yet) which includes a list of the essential titles for newcomers. A bit of “Connelly Trivia,” his book The Overlook is dedicated to “the librarian who gave me To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Jeff Kinney, (Abrams/Amulet; Recorded Books)
The publisher says the latest in this mega-selling series will have a 5.5 million–copy first printing (remember when the 100,000 copy printing of the first Harry Potter title was considered a big gamble?)
LibraryReads Picks
In addition to The Burning Room, the following LibraryReads picks for November: are coming out next week:
Mermaids in Paradise, (Norton; Dreamscape Audio)
“This delightful book starts out as almost chick-lit, turns into a fantasy adventure, then leads into an underdog heist. The tone reminds me of Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens, with just enough absurdity in a tropical location to keep you on your toes. Protagonist Deb’s husband, Chip, is a total babe (in a nerdy way) and her BFF, Gina, is the best kind of snarky. A highly entertaining read!” — Amanda Monson, Bartow County Library System, Cartersville, GA — Also on the 11/9 Entertainment Weekly “Must List”
Mortal Heart, Robin LaFevers, (HMH Books for Young Readers; Recorded Books), OverDrive Sample
“Annith has been forbidden from leaving the convent of St. Mortain, so she breaks the rules to find out why. On her journey, she meets someone unexpected: the leader of the Hellequin, a group of dead souls repenting for their past wrongs and trying to track down those who are left wandering the earth in order to help them cross over. This is the best of all three books!”00 Hannah Berry, Aurora Public Library, Aurora, IL
The Forgers, Bradford Morrow, (Mysterious Press: Highbridge Audio)
“Narrator Will and Adam Diehl have something in common: they are both forgers, able to produce and sell authentic-looking inscriptions of Arthur Conan Doyle and Henry James’ books. When Adam is found bludgeoned and missing his hands, Will is inevitably drawn into the murder investigation. The clues and horror mount until realization bursts upon the reader at the end.” — Nancy Russell, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH
Eye On
Science…For Her!, Megan Amram, (S&S/Scribner), OverDrive Sample
“If you love feminism, hate ’50s gender norms, and find the tone of women’s magazines maddening, then you will love Megan Amram’s upcoming satirical book,” says Salon. One of the writers for NBC’s Parks and Recreation and a Twitter star, she is featured in New York Magazine and the book is one of three People picks for the week (of course, she posted the page on Twitter)
Sure to Get Review Attention
Let Me Be Frank With You: A Frank Bascombe Book, Richard Ford, (Harper/Ecco; HarperLuxe; HarperAudio), OverDrive Sample
Since we’re being frank, Richard Ford is one of the inspirations for EarlyWord. When I was a fledgling collection development librarian, his first Frank Bascome book, The Sportswriter, was published. The prepub reviews just didn’t sound that good, so I skipped it. One day, my boss came in brandishing a glowing Time magazine review and asked how many copies we had bought. A great lesson about staying on top of what influences your readers (not to mention your bosses). The author is profiled in the Wall Street Journal and much more will be coming.
Celeb Memoirs
True Love, Jennifer Lopez, (Amor Verdadero, Penguin/Celebra)
Making headlines because, Lopez reveals she has been the victim of abuse (People magazine and the New York Daily News).
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, Sophia Loren, (S&S/Atria), OverDrive Sample
Photos from the book are featured in Entertainment Weekly, 11/7/14. Upcoming coverage:
USA Today feature, November 4
ABC-TV/’Good Morning America,’ November 12
ABC News-TV/’Nightline, November 14
New York Times Book Review, December 7
Tie-ins
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand, (Random House Trade Paperbacks; the RH Audio is also being released with tie-in cover)
It may seem that the whole world has read Unbroken, but copies are still circulation from libraries. The movie, directed by Angelina Jolie, arrives this Christmas.
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant, (Macmillan/Picador)
The book club favorite gets a stunning new cover for the tie-in to the Lifetime two-parter, scheduled for 12/7 and 12/8/14,