Among the six nominees for an Edgar in the Best Novel category, one stands out as a pleasant surprise. Although it contains elements of suspense, Wiley Cash’s This Dark Road to Mercy (HarperCollins/ Morrow; HarperLuxe).  is not primarily a mystery.

It was a LibraryReads pick last year, with the following recommendation,

“Cash’s second novel is as good as his first [A Land More Kind than Home]. In this story, we meet Easter and her sister Ruby, who have been shuffled around the foster care system in Gastonia, North Carolina. Then their ne’er-do-well father whisks them away in the middle of the night. I was on the edge of my seat as I followed the girls’ tale and hoping for a safe outcome.” — Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH

The full list of nominees in the Best Novel category:

This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash (HarperCollins/ Morrow; HarperLuxe)

Wolf  by Mo Hayder (Grove/Atlantic; Thorndike)

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (S&S/Scribner; S&S Audio; Thorndike)

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville (Soho Press)

Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin (Hachette/Little, Brown; Thorndike)

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter (RH/ Delacorte)

Several LibraryReads picks were nominated in other categories:

Dry Bones in the Valley, Tom Bouman, Norton; Thorndike) — Best First Novel

“A body has been found in an elderly recluse’s field, neighbors are fighting over fracking, and meth labs and heroin dealers have settled deep in the woods of Officer Henry Farrell’s Wild Thyme Township. Bouman’s prose reveals not only the beauty of northeastern Pennsylvania, but also abject poverty and despair. A startling debut rich in setting and character with an intricate plot that will stay with readers after the last page.” — Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ

The Life We Bury, Allen Eskens, (Prometheus/Seventh Street Books) — Best First Novel

“In this well-crafted debut novel, Joe Talbert has finally left home, but not without guilt over leaving his autistic brother in the care of his unreliable mother. A college assignment gets the young man entangled in a cold case, racing to clear the name of a Vietnam veteran. Characters with layers of suppressed memories and emotions only add to the suspenseful plot. Looking forward to more from this Minnesotan author!” — Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI

World of Trouble: The Last Policeman Book III, Ben H. Winters, (Quirk Books)  — Best Paperback

“Still the last policeman, Detective Hank Palace tirelessly pulls together clues from crime scenes and interrogates witnesses to find his missing sister. Winters paints a believable picture of a world awaiting its end thanks to an asteroid on a collision course. A great series for mystery and science fiction lovers, as well as anyone looking for a pre-apocalyptic tale without a single zombie.” — Jenna Persick, Chester County Library, Exton, PA

The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day, (Prometheus/Seventh Street Books) — Mary Higgins Clark Award

“This first novel about two broken people is a psychological thriller like the best of Alfred Hitchcock. Amelia Emmet is a professor desperately trying to recover from a gunshot wound, and Nathaniel Barber is a student struggling to come to grips with his mother’s death and a lost love. Their journey, told in alternating chapters, is riveting and full of surprising discoveries. Highly recommended.” —Mattie Gustafson, Newport Public Library, Newport, RI

We had a great chat with Neal; he is as thoughtful as you would expect based on his book. Scroll down to see what you missed.

Live Chat with M. O. Walsh, MY SUNSHINE AWAY

(01/21/2015)

  

Close

5:02	M.O. Walsh:  Please do support The Poser! Cheers! Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh

5:02	[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ]  Thanks Nora and Neal! Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 janet_schneider

5:02	M.O. Walsh:  I know Jake. I went to school with him I remember reading the first draft of that book. So awesome that y'all will be talking with him. Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh

5:02	[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  Thanks Nora! Neal, it was great to "meet" you! Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 VNesting

5:02	M.O. Walsh:  Are you kidding? This was awesome. No need to thank me. Thank y'all! Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 M.O. Walsh

5:02	Nora - EarlyWord:  Sadly, we have to end now. Our next book is The Poser by Jacob Rubin. We’ll chat with Jake on March 4th. Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:02 Nora - EarlyWord

5:01	M.O. Walsh:  Ha. That would be great. I'd love to meet everybody. Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 M.O. Walsh

5:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks, everyone for such a great chat. Thanks, Neal for your thoughtful answers. We’re looking forward to February 10th, when librarians will be able to put MY SUNSHINE AWAY into readers hands Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord

5:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  I am afraid I am out of that loop -- but librarians can contact you via your web site and slip you the password! Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	M.O. Walsh:  What I want to know is, will there be a secret party in Chicago for ALA where all the hip librarians go? And, if so, what is the password? Wednesday January 21, 2015 5:00 M.O. Walsh

4:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  NO! I mean, OF COURSE! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	M.O. Walsh:  Can I ask a question? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 M.O. Walsh

4:59

M.O. Walsh:  Sure. Read and write. Understand that the purpose of writing is to give people pleasure. Understand that the path to this is from sentence to sentence. And that the best books are those that effect the heart more than the mind. And don't let rejection get the best of you. Ha. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:59 M.O. Walsh

4:56	[Comment From James P.James P.: ]  Any advice for young writers? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:56 James P.

4:56	Nora - EarlyWord:  As you said, it's all in interpretation -- that just went from sounding weird to really great! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55

M.O. Walsh:  Low Residency MFA programs are where most of the classes are online, but student all get together with faculty for a month or so out of the year for classes. SO, it is kind of like distance learning with 'low residency' requirements. Our residency is always abroad, though, This year we are going to Cork, Ireland! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:55 M.O. Walsh

4:54	Nora - EarlyWord:  Your "day job" title is "Director, The Creative Writing Workshop, Traditional and Low Residency MFA Programs." I’m trying to figure out what the second part means! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord

4:53

M.O. Walsh:  Hi James! Actually, I've not yet started on another novel. I have two half cooked ideas and several other little projects I'm working on but my main goal now is to enjoy this time of my life, spending time with my kids and doing things like this, talking to y'all, as this has been my dream since I was in the 8th grade or so. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:53 M.O. Walsh

4:51	[Comment From James P.James P.: ]  Got another book up your sleeve? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:51 James P.

4:51

M.O. Walsh:  I just think that everything is out of proportion during adolescence since teenagers have no frame of reference. Every love is the biggest, first love. Every rejection feels like the final one. So, negotiating those things is hard enough, but when you feel like the way people interpret your actions will define you forever, that makes it even harder. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:51 M.O. Walsh

4:49	M.O. Walsh:  ..... Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:49 M.O. Walsh

4:49

M.O. Walsh:  Hi Pam- Sure! Simply using the example of an adolescent boy, I think that there is a very fine line between being considered romantic and being considered creepy or a "stalker". You buy a girl flowers and you're romantic. You buy flowers one too many times and you're a stalker. This type of thing can crush you. The boy wants only for the girl to know of his affection. How people react to his actions can change the course of how people see him and, eventually, how he may see himself. ........ Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:49 M.O. Walsh

4:47

[Comment From Pam, Public LibrarianPam, Public Librarian: ]  In your video, you say you tried to capture what it is like to be an adolescent, which you did – and you add that it’s a time when interpretation is a big deal. I was fascinated by that. Can you expand on it? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:47 Pam, Public Librarian

4:47

M.O. Walsh:  No. I'm really excited about that, though. The idea of anyone reading my book is weird enough to me, but to think of people in other countries reading it is just awesome. What a dream! I do know that Viking UK is really excited about it, though, and plan for it to be a lead title. Very cool. I also know that it took a long time to get a French publisher because most of the editors there though it was a bit 'too uplifting'. Ha. That seemed like a comment on the culture to me. My book wasn't dark enough. They like their existentialism over there! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:47 M.O. Walsh

4:46	Nora - EarlyWord:  Ha! Maybe people in Britain will have the same reaction as Linda does from Maine. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45

[Comment From LindaLinda: ]  I grew up in Maine, which is like another world entirely, but some of the early scenes especially, really brought me back to my childhood. Just something about the descriptions of kids hanging out outside in the 80s. It was very nostalgic for me in some ways. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:45 Linda

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  Just posted the British cover. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  The book has been picked up to be published in other countries. The British cover is quite different from the American. Any thoughts on how the Brits might react to it? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:43	M.O. Walsh:  Oh yeah. the heat is a real thing down here. I love this place and there are times that I wonder why any human can survive it. These are usually times when I am getting into my car on a black top parking lot in August at 3 p.m. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:43 M.O. Walsh

4:42	M.O. Walsh:  Yes, there is a tour (11 cities, I think) from Feb 10-20th or so. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:42 M.O. Walsh

4:42

[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ]  The sense of place (as LJ noted) comes through so clearly. The "earthiness" of the prose too, makes the reader almost feel the insects, humidity and stickiness... I grew up in South Texas and it reminded me of home so much. (And how we'd mostly stay inside in the air-conditioning in August.) Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:42 janet_schneider

4:41	Nora - EarlyWord:  I think you have several events coming up, right Neal -- check his Web site -- http://www.mowalsh.com/CONTACT.html Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord

4:41	M.O. Walsh:  That sounds great! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 M.O. Walsh

4:41

[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  Wish I could be at ALA Midwinter! Kind of funny to think of going all the way to Chicago to meet a Louisiana author though. Hope to see you somewhere in South Louisiana when the book is released. And maybe we can get you to come visit our library! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 VNesting

4:41	M.O. Walsh:  I understand that the comparison is an honor, though, and I thank you for it. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:41 M.O. Walsh

4:40

M.O. Walsh:  You know, in one of many moments of shame I'm sure you could pull from me, I've never actually read Pat Conroy. I know the name and the titles, obviously, but haven't actually read a book. In the way that y'all likely have way too many suggested books to read, my work as a teacher and writer provides me with a similar list. I actually spend way more time reading unpublished manuscripts that my students write than I do reading new published work. And, when I teach literature, I am often re-reading some of the classics. So, despite all the great things I've heard about Conroy, I've never gotten the chance to read him. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:40 M.O. Walsh

4:38	Nora - EarlyWord:  Here is a question one of our participants sent in advance: The tone and language of your book reminds me of the southern charm portrayed in Pat Conroy's novels. Is he an author you read and whose work you enjoyed? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord

4:38

M.O. Walsh:  I definitely think that there are misconceptions about Louisiana and the South, in general. But I am just as interested in some of the stereotypes that we embrace as I am the ones that make me cringe. I have found myself actually having to explain to people that I did not ride a boat to school before and chase alligators off the porch. That was kind of surreal to do. At the same time, though, if someone asks me if we eat alligator down here, I''ll be the first to say, Hell yeah! It's delicious! Let me get you the recipe for the dipping sauce." Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:38 M.O. Walsh

4:36	Nora - EarlyWord:  No problem -- it's about having to explain it to outsiders, like LJ put it, the book “gives the reader an intimate understanding of the place as if it were a beloved but misunderstood grandmother.” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:36 Nora - EarlyWord

4:35	M.O. Walsh:  Awesome! OK, I missed a question about South Louisiana, I think. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:35 M.O. Walsh

4:35	[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ]  I plan to be first in line to get my ACR signed! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:35 Sue D., St. Charles, MO

4:34	M.O. Walsh:  That will be great! I look forward to it. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh

4:34	M.O. Walsh:  Y'all going to be at ALA? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh

4:34	[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ]  You are headed to Chicago in a few days, what do you think about meeting all of us? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 Sue D., St. Charles, MO

4:34	M.O. Walsh:  Man, its really weird to hear your own voice on audio isn't it? I'm like, who is that person? I'd much prefer a deeper baritone. Ha. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:34 M.O. Walsh

4:33	Nora - EarlyWord:  I like what the Library Journal reviewer said, that MY SUNSHINE AWAY “gives the reader an intimate understanding of the place as if it were a beloved but misunderstood grandmother.” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord

4:33	Nora - EarlyWord:  I will never again assume that all parts of Southern Louisiana are alike! Do you feel you have to explain that to outsiders a lot? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord

4:32	[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  That's wonderful! Thank you, Neal. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:32 VNesting

4:31	Neal Reading Hurricane Katrina section  Play Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:31

4:31

Nora - EarlyWord:  Looks like Neal didn't need the time! The section I asked him to read is about what events after Hurricane Katrina, when many people took refuge in Baton Rouge, I enjoyed the section’s understated humor and insight into how humans can change from grateful to picky. it's a good example of his "voice" and in his real voice. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:31 Nora - EarlyWord

4:30

M.O. Walsh:  Good question! I don't know if it's an either or kind of thing. They kind of come to me together (character and voice, especially in 1st person POV). I know after I'd finished that opening chapter, I sent it to a good friend of mine who I trust (a really good writer named Sean Ennis) and he said, "Man, that's a great voice! Think you can keep it up?" So, I took that as a challenge. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:30 M.O. Walsh

4:29	Nora - EarlyWord:  Vicki -- another great question. I'll give Neal a chance to catch his breath and answer it. Meanwhile, I asked him to read a section of the book, and I will post the audio. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord

4:28

[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  I love your narrative voice (which you may have already guessed from my review that Nora posted earlier). Voice is such a challenge to do well. Do you focus more on developing the character and letting the voice flow from that, or did you actually focus on the voice to show the conflicting feelings and motivations of the teenage narrator? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:28 VNesting

4:28

M.O. Walsh:  I once wrote 50 pages of a novel I was super psyched about. I went to the bar one night and told my professor at the time how great it was and how good I felt. he said,. "What page are you on?" I said, "page 50!" He said, "Talk to me when you get to page 60." He was right. I crashed and burned after page 50 because I had to start dealing with stuff. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:28 M.O. Walsh

4:27	M.O. Walsh:  one more anecdote about that... Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:27 M.O. Walsh

4:26

M.O. Walsh:  The beginning of books are often really easy to write because you haven't yet dealt with any of the situations or conflicts you're creating in the opening chapter. You're basically just a machine gun spewing out cool ideas. It's when you have to actually make them hang together and be meaningful and engaging that things get tricky. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:26 M.O. Walsh

4:25	M.O. Walsh:  But I should also say.... Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:25 M.O. Walsh

4:25	M.O. Walsh:  Hi Janet! Thanks. Well, I say it was easy meaning the first draft of the chapter came out really quickly. I probably revised it for another 3 months to get the language right before I moved on to chapter 2. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:25 M.O. Walsh

4:24

[Comment From janet_schneiderjanet_schneider: ]  Hi Neal, What an opening chapter! The most gripping I have read in ages. How interesting for you to say that the first was easy to write, and the rest not so much...This book is absolutely un-put-downable, and perfect for so many different readers too. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:24 janet_schneider

4:23

M.O. Walsh:  I'd always wanted to, and had tried a couple of other times, but never had an idea strong enough to carry me through. I'd write 150 pages or so, realize it was terrible, and trash it. This was the first idea I had that never left me. I never grew bored with it, never stopped thinking about it. It took me about 7 years, I had two kids in the process, moved cities, changed jobs, etc., and I never wanted to stop working on it. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:23 M.O. Walsh

4:21	[Comment From MD. LibrarianMD. Librarian: ]  You’ve written short stories, why did you decide to do a novel? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:21 MD. Librarian

4:20

M.O. Walsh:  I don't know if the reveal made it any more difficult than just the fact that it is a novel and I'd never written one before. I'd always written short stories, where you can always feel where you started and where you are going to end it. When you get into the middle of a novel, it's a new experience. Getting through that was more difficult than negotiating the POV, which felt pretty natural to me. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:20 M.O. Walsh

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  Uh, I think ALL of us have said much worse in out time!The book’s point of view is fascinating and isn’t actually revealed until the end. How difficult was it to structure the book? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:18	M.O. Walsh:  (sorry for saying crap) Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:18 M.O. Walsh

4:17

M.O. Walsh:  It just kind of hit me at the dinner table one night. I looked at my wife and was like, "Oh crap. I think I know the title." I'd always had the lyrics as an epigraph but never knew the song would be the title. Which proves, I think, that writers aren't always so smart. Ha. But, I like the way that the phrase was enough to remind you of the song, but also point you in another direction. I like the phrase very much. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:17 M.O. Walsh

4:15	Nora - EarlyWord:  How did you decide which part of the song to use for the title? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 Nora - EarlyWord

4:15	M.O. Walsh:  A happy chorus, filled with sad verses. I like the tension there. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 M.O. Walsh

4:15

M.O. Walsh:  Oh, yeah. As I said in the video, that song is the state song of Louisiana. It's really important to people down here. In the same way Louisiana has multiple sides to it, I realized that the song did too. That youth does, that nostalgia does, etc. it felt like a good fit. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:15 M.O. Walsh

4:14	M.O. Walsh:  I get more of a thrill out of being a LibraryReads pick than a mention in Entertainment Weekly, to be honest, because I know Librarians care about literature in the same way I do. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:14 M.O. Walsh

4:14	Nora - EarlyWord:  I have heard "You Are My Sunshine" since I was a little girl (my father sang it to me) and never saw the dark side of it. You had me hooked with that alone. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:14 Nora - EarlyWord

4:13	M.O. Walsh:  I know it makes my Mom happy, though! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:13 M.O. Walsh

4:13	M.O. Walsh:  And I feel like the words between the covers are the only thing I control. The fact that it is being published is plenty enough for me. So, the good press and all that, it is all just extra good news. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:13 M.O. Walsh

4:12	M.O. Walsh:  ... Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:12 M.O. Walsh

4:12

M.O. Walsh:  Well, it feels really good that people like the book. People like librarians and book reviewers, etc. That feels really good. All of the other stuff (hype, if you'd call it), I'm much more skeptical of. It doesn't really give me a feeling. Maybe dread is the feeling? I'm not sure. I try to only concern myself with the stuff I can control. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:12 M.O. Walsh

4:11	[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  Being in South Louisiana, it's easy to just tell people it's a coming of age tale set in Baton Rouge in the late 1980s. But I love the video and think it's a great tool to get people interested. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:11 VNesting

4:10

Nora - EarlyWord:  Reviewers are using terms like “addictive” and, “"Suspenseful, compassionate" and “a page-turner you want to read slowly and a literary novel you can't look away from.” It’s been picked by booksellers as a favorite, as well as by librarians for LibraryReads. It’s on Entertainment Weekly s "20 Books We’ll Read in 2015" AND they called you someone to watch in 2015. How does it feel” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord

4:10	M.O. Walsh:  Yeah. Everyone at Putnam has done an incredible job with the book. I'm really lucky to have a crew like that on my side! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:10 M.O. Walsh

4:09

Nora - EarlyWord:  MY SUNSHINE AWAY unfolds in a Baton Rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson—free spirit, track star, and belle of the block—experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord

4:09	Nora - EarlyWord:  You've got a pretty good one -- I thought the publisher described the book very well: Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08	M.O. Walsh:  Whoa! Can I hire y'all as my PR team? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 M.O. Walsh

4:08	[Comment From Julie WolfJulie Wolf: ]  Can’t wait to share this book with our library customers! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Julie Wolf

4:08	[Comment From Laura, ProvidenceLaura, Providence: ]  I’d say, “you’ll read it because you’ll want to know what happens, but you’ll love it even better for how it’s told. It will haunt you for weeks.” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Laura, Providence

4:08	[Comment From Fran B., ChicagoFran B., Chicago: ]  I’d just say, “Trust me, you’ll love it.” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Fran B., Chicago

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord:  Help Neal out -- how would the rest of you sell it? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07	M.O. Walsh:  Thanks Vicki! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 M.O. Walsh

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  By the way, that review is from Vicki, who is with us today! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07	M.O. Walsh:  See? Much better when other people do it than me! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:07 M.O. Walsh

4:06	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06

4:06	M.O. Walsh:  Oh, thanks. I felt a little bad for subjecting y'all to that singing and guitar playing but thought it might be good to explain the title. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 M.O. Walsh

4:06	Nora - EarlyWord:  Maybe we can help you. A couple of our participants posted reviews on Edelweiss that would certainly work. I’ll post them. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 Nora - EarlyWord

4:06	[Comment From Sue D., St. Charles, MOSue D., St. Charles, MO: ]  What an awesome book. Liked the video introducing the title. Great little tidbit for getting patrons to pick it up. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:06 Sue D., St. Charles, MO

4:05	Nora - EarlyWord:  I understand that.Sue D. says she'd use your video: Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord

4:05	M.O. Walsh:  Its really hard to summarize something you've worked on for so long. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 M.O. Walsh

4:05

M.O. Walsh:  Oh no! Not the elevator pitch! I seriously turn into a quivering ball of jelly when asked to do this. I was lucky enough to go on a pre-pub tour where me and some other writers were asked to pitch our books and I just did the verbal equivalent of ............. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:05 M.O. Walsh

4:04	Nora - EarlyWord:  Librarians often have to come up with a quick, pithy way to get someone to want to read a book. Booksellers call this the “hand sell.” How would you hand sell MY SUNSHINE AWAY? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:04 Nora - EarlyWord

4:04	M.O. Walsh:  Hi Anne. Glad you're here, too! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:04 M.O. Walsh

4:03	[Comment From AnneAnne: ]  Hi - Looking forward to the discussion. Finished the book in the nick of time :) Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 Anne

4:03	M.O. Walsh:  It just kept getting shorter and shorter, I guess. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 M.O. Walsh

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord:  Wow, that sounds like " everyone knew her as Nancy.” Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	M.O. Walsh:  My grandfather went by Milton, my dad by O'Neal, and they called me Neal Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:03 M.O. Walsh

4:02	M.O. Walsh:  Some people call me M.O.. My family and friends call me Neal. My name is Milton O'Neal Walsh. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 M.O. Walsh

4:02	[Comment From VNestingVNesting: ]  Hi Nora, Neal, everyone! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 VNesting

4:02	[Comment From Pam, Public LibrarianPam, Public Librarian: ]  Wait, your name is M.O. Walsh, what do I call you? Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 Pam, Public Librarian

4:02	M.O. Walsh:  Wow. Thank y'all so much for reading it. I imagine your reading stacks are pretty high. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:02 M.O. Walsh

4:01	[Comment From Book LoverBook Lover: ]  Thanks for doing this, Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Book Lover

4:01	[Comment From James P.James P.: ]  Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 James P.

4:01	[Comment From Julie WolfJulie Wolf: ]  I’m telling my customers that this a book they will be dying to talk to others about! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Julie Wolf

4:01	M.O. Walsh:  Very cool to get a chance to talk to librarians and to be a Library Reads pick! Who has better taste in books than librarians? NOBODY. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 M.O. Walsh

4:01	[Comment From MD. LibrarianMD. Librarian: ]  I don’t have many questions, just want to say I love this book! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 MD. Librarian

4:01	[Comment From Laura, ProvidenceLaura, Providence: ]  No longer lurking, I’m joining THIS chat! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Laura, Providence

4:01	[Comment From Fran B., ChicagoFran B., Chicago: ]  Ready to chat! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Fran B., Chicago

4:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  I'll give our participants a chance to say hi... Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord

4:00	M.O. Walsh:  Hi everybody! I'm excited to be in the little chat box with you! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 M.O. Walsh

4:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hi, Neal, Welcome! Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord

4:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  I see Neal is here. Wednesday January 21, 2015 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Don’t worry about typos – (and please forgive ours) Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to the author before the end of the chat. Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  I see chat participants gathering! Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord

3:51	Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:51

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord:  Neal recorded the following video specifically for First Flight participants: Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:51 Nora - EarlyWord

3:35	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:35

3:35	Nora - EarlyWord:  Meanwhile, here’s the cover of MY SUNSHINE AWAY, to be published by Penguin/Putnam on Feb. 10 Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:35 Nora - EarlyWord

3:34	Nora - EarlyWord:  We will begin our live online chat with M.O. “Neal” Walsh at 4 p.m., EST Wednesday January 21, 2015 3:34 Nora - EarlyWord

 

 

A headline from yesterday’s Slate, A Tiny Press Printed Only 15,000 Copies of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Autobiography. Big Mistake, has sent Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, Laura Ingalls Wilder, edited by Pamela Smith Hill, (South Dakota Historical Society Press) flying back up Amazon’s sales rankings.

Part of the appeal may be the comment that, now that the book is out of stock, “ ‘Used’ copies on Amazon (in this case meaning ‘existing’) started at $399 as of this writing,” (see our earlier stories on the book, from August and December).

Holds are also climbing in many libraries. Cross your fingers that circulating copies will be returned.

Book news is currently dominated by Guantánamo Diary  (Hachette/Little, Brown), a memoir by Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Larry Siems. The author, who is still being held at the prison, details the tortures he has endured there. Featured on yesterday’s Morning Edition, the host noted, “The Pentagon confirmed to NPR that for a brief period at Guantanamo in 2003, a ‘special interrogation plan’ was designed for Slahi, and it was outside the military’s own standard interrogation procedures.”

Excerpts are published in People magazine, it will be on the cover of the Feb. 15 NYT Book Review (online now, three weeks ahead of the print version, presumably to coincide with the publication), is featured in the L.A. Times, reviewed by The Washington Post. and the basis for a NYT Op-Ed piece.

The Guardian. which is serializing the book, features a documentary about it on their Web site:

In the U.K., celebrities, including Colin Firth, Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch and Nick Cave are supporting the “Free Slahi” campaign.

Check your orders. Most libraries have ordered conservatively and holds are light so far, but we expect them to surge as the story creates even more headlines.

UPDATE: coverage is expected on Friday’s PBS Newshour. ABC This Week is planning coverage, TBA, and the daily NYT is also planning a review. The book was embargoed, so no advance reviews. LJ noted it in Prepub Alert in July and  Kirkus  just posted their review online.

Guantánamo Diary
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, edited by Larry Siems,
Hachette/Little, Brown,  January 20, 2015
Hachette Audio and Blackstone Audio,  9781478986942
E-Book, 9780316328609

The new NPR Morning Edition book club wrapped up today with a discussion of the first selection, Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Hector Tobar (Macmillan/FSG; Macmillan Audio; OverDrive Sample; Oct), picked in December by bookstore owner and author Ann Patchett.

The book, which has hit the lower rungs of the NYT best seller list as a result of the selection, is also one of five finalists for the NBCC Nonfiction Award, announced yesterday and  has been made into a movie, titled The 33, starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche and Gabriel Byrne. Currently in post-production, the release date has not yet been announced.

The next title in the club will be announced soon; we will let you know when it is.

The second book of the award-winning graphic memoir by Congressman John Lewis, the next in a planned trilogy, arrives today.

Featured today in Entertainment Weekly ‘s “Shelf Life” column, the story notes that Book One, “took the world by surprise. Acclaimed by the comics press and social justice activists alike, it was an engaging and accessible work of nonfiction about one of the most important moments in American history.” It also a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, one of YALSA’s Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens and was on multiple best books list for the year.

Book Two may have taken the library world by surprise. Reviewed last week in Kirkus and yesterday in SLJ‘s “Good Comics for Kids” column, it does not appear on library catalogs we checked.

March: Book Two
Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell
Top Shelf; January 20, 2015

In a  feature about the books on CNN in July, Lewis said he used the comic format because many in his generation in the ’60s were deeply inspired by a comic book called Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Story (watch the video to the end, for a story about libraries).

Top Shelf Comics has republished that comic book in print as well as in a digital bundle with Book One.

A few years ago, Netflix introduced the world to the idea of bingeing on an entire season of a new series, by streaming all the episodes of House of Cards at one time, following up with Orange is the New Black.

Amazon also got into that game. Its series Transparent just made history as the first online series to win two Golden Globe awards, one for best comedy and another show’s star, Jeffrey Tambor as best actor,

Now they have announced their first drama series. This time, it is based on books. Bosch, featuring the character from Michael Connelly’s best-selling Harry Bosch series, debuts February 13 on Prime Instant Video.

Connelly, who is also a producer for the show, co-wrote the script. According to a story about the production in the Wall Street Journal, it is based on two Bosch titles, The Concrete Blonde, (1991, Hachette/Little Brown; #3 in the series) and (City of Bones, 2002; #8 in the series).

Amazon has also just released their 4th “pilot season,” which gives viewers the opportunity to watch and rate seven new pilots aimed at adults and six more for kids (Woody Allen who recently struck a deal with Amazon to create his own series next year, will not have to go through this process. His series will go direct to release).

One of those pilots is based on a book, The Man in the High Castle, adapted by Ridley Scott from the iconic alternative reality novel by Philip K. Dick. The press is giving it high marks (see Entertainment Weekly, the Telegraph and the Seattle Times).

The book on many a comics readers’ mind in the next few weeks (and maybe all year) will be Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor (Macmillan/First Second, Feb. 3), a massive 496 page graphic novel that Cory Doctorow called McCloud’s “magnum opus” back in April. Due out on February 3^rd, it is the story of a washed up young artist who makes a deal with Death to create art that will be remembered – but he only gets to live 200 days to do so.

The comic book scene is buzzing with anticipation and Entertainment Weekly listed it as one of the “20 Books We’ll Read in 2015.” For advisors who need a bit of backstory, McCloud is a writer/artist that readers treasure for his nonfiction books (drawn, of course) explaining how comics work (Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics – all published by William Morrow). The Sculptor is his first graphic novel in over a decade and follows in the wake of his cult favorite title Zot! (which HarperCollins reprinted in 2008). McCloud discussed creating the book, which took five years, in USA Today last June, sharing that he wanted to make a book that was “an engrossing read — a page-turner from beginning to end.”

Macmillan offers a look at McCloud’s innovative page design, use of perspective, and his color palette of pale blues and deep blacks. First Second provides more images as well as a glimpse of the cover and the spine – showing just how big a book The Sculptor is.

Many libraries have yet to order it, in spite of glowing reviews and stars from library trade journals and the long-simmering publicity.

The first full-length trailer for the 8-episode TV series based on the controversial award-winning Australian novel, The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, (Penguin, 2010) was released on Friday.

TV critics asked the cast questions about the act that sets off a series of events, a man slapping someone else’s child at a neighborhood barbecue. At one point, during panel at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Zachary Quinto, the actor who administers the act of corporal punishment told the critics, “It’s not really about the slap. All of these characters come to the table with a tremendous amount of internal conflict and struggle about different aspects of their lives. The great thing about it is it’s a launching point for very little black and white and a lot of gray.”

Also starring Uma Thurman, the series is directed by Lisa Cholodenko, (HBO’s Olive Kitteridge and the movie The Kids are All Right). It premieres Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. NBC.

The book became a reading group staple in both Australia and the U.K. and was made into a popular Australian TV series in 2011 (as a result, some reports cite the new adaptation as a remake of that series, without noting the original source material).

Released in the U.S. as an original trade paperback, it received a strong endorsement from the Washington Post. The reviewer praised it for giving American readers a sense of life in Australia, while exploring subjects that resonate here,

In The Slap we live for a few short weeks in suburban Australia, learning the language, becoming intimate with the characters and experiencing their customs. But finally the novel transcends both suburban Melbourne and the Australian continent, leaving us exhausted but gasping with admiration.

The setting for the American version is Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Behind American Sniper, a second, quieter film did well at the box office this weekend. Also the recipient of good timing  Still Alice, based on the novel by Lisa Genova, expanded nationwide this weekend and was able to capitalize on the movie’s star, Julianne Moore, becoming the front-runner for this year’s Best Actress Oscar.

It’s a Cinderella story for both the book and the movie. Unable to get an agent for the book, Genova self-published it. Her guerrilla marketing was so successful that she then landed an agent and a mainstream publisher, Simon & Schuster. Released as an original trade paperback in 2009, it went on to become a best seller. Appropriately, as the author recently told the Boston Globe, for the film rights, the she took a chance on a “very small new production company,” because she felt, “they really understood the intent of the story.”

In libraries we checked, Still Alice is neck-and-neck in holds with American Sniper.

Genova, a neuroscientist, has published two novels since, both dealing with brain disorders. Left Neglected is about the results of a brain injury and Love Anthony, about autism. In her next novel, Inside the O’Briens, (S&S/Gallery; S&S Audio; 4/7/14), she writes about a family dealing with Huntington’s Disease.

Tie-ins:

Still Alice, Lisa Genova
S&S.Gallery: December 16, 2014
Trade Paperback

Mass Market, S&S/Pocket Books

Audio CD, &S Audio

The Clint Eastwood movie American Sniper, based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography, was a big winner at the box office this weekend, giving the movie industry much-needed hope.The timing of the film’s wide release, immediately after the Oscar nominations were announced, is considered a big factor in its success.

Another is the film’s patriotic appeal, although that is being question by several who object to the movie making a hero of a man who said in his book, “The enemy are savages and despicably evil,” and his “only regret is that I didn’t kill more.”

The movie’s subject, the late Chris Kyle is getting renewed attention, including this story on NBC’s Nightly News:

–

As a result, his book, which has been a long-running best seller, now occupies three spots on the Amazon top 10, with another editions is at #64:

#1 —   Mass market ed. with original cover, (Harper, 2013)
#5 —   Trade pbk tie-in (HarperCollins/Morrow Paperbacks, 2014)
#8 —   Hardcover memorial edition (HarperCollins/Morrow, 2013)
#64 — Mass market. tie-in, (Harper, 2014)

The debut on Friday of the Syfy Channel’s new series 12 Monkeys, based on Terry Gilliam’s 1995 movie, is part of the cable network’s plan to lure back its audience by returning to its roots in scripted, hard-core science fiction.

Other upcoming series are based on books. Just released is a trailer for The Expanse, based on James S.A. Corey‘s series of the same title that begins with Leviathan Wakes, (Hachette/Orbit, 2011). The 10-episodes series, aims, says Entertainment Weekly to be “the next great Star Trek/Firefly/Farscape space drama” or “Game of Thrones in space.”

The date for the series has not yet been announced, but the release of the trailer indicates it is not far off.

Also on tap are adaptations of  two Arthur C. Clarke novels, 3001 The Final Odyssey, (RH/Del Rey, 1997) in development with Ridley Scott as the executive producer and Childhood’s End, (RH/Ballantine, 1953), currently being cast, as well as  Hunters, based on Whitley Strieber’s novel Alien Hunter, (Macmillan/Tor, 2013) and the just-announced adaptation of Robert Charles Wilson’s 2005 novel Spin. (Macmillan/Tor, 2005).

The second title in Mark Zuckerberg’s new Facebook book club, Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, (Penguin/Viking, 2011; trade pbk, 2012; Brilliance Audio  OverDrive Sample), announced on Saturday, immediately moved up Amazon’s sales rankings, and is now at #307 from a lowly #7,514.

The selection may seem at odds with the times, but Zuckerberg insists, “Recent events might make it seem like violence and terrorism are more common than ever, so it’s worth understanding that all violence — even terrorism — is actually decreasing over time. If we understand how we are achieving this, we can continue our path towards peace.” He adds, “A few people I trust have told me this is the best book they’ve ever read.”

As to the length, it is 800 pages. Zuckerberg admits he will need a month to finish it, so he promises to pick a shorter book in two weeks so club members can read both at the same time.

One of those people is Bill Gates, who has called The Better Angels of Our Nature his “favorite book of the last decade” and “a long but profound look at the reduction in violence and discrimination over time.”

The rise in sales was not quite as great as for the first selection, Moisés Naím’s The End of Power, which climbed to #10 on Amazon’s rankings and also just debuted at #14 on the Jan. 25 New York Times combined nonfiction best seller list. Ironically, as The Washington Post reported, Facebook proved to not be a conducive platform for the book discussion.

The attention also generated holds in libraries. Given the brief two-week window for these selections, however, it will be a losing proposition for libraries to try to meet the demand. We can just hope Zuckerberg’s discovery that books can be “very intellectually fulfilling … in a deeper way than most media today” has resonance.

Debuting on the Jan. 25 NYT hardcover fiction best seller list at #6 is the second in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising trilogy, Golden Son, (RH/Del Rey; Recorded Books; Thorndike; OverDrive Sample), surpassing the first book, which spent three weeks on the extended list.

Librarians have been big supporters of the series, making the first title the #1 LibraryRead pick last February. Golden Son is on the current list, with the following recommendation:

“After reading Red Rising, I was looking forward to seeing more of the politics of this world. Darrow has infiltrated the Golds and works to bring them down from the inside, end their tyranny, and free his people. There’s so much political drama and action. Brown does a wonderful job describing it all through Darrow’s eyes. It’s exhausting, thrilling, and heart wrenching!”

Nita Gill, Brookings Public Library, Brookings, SD

Entertainment Weekly calls it the “gripping follow-up to last year’s should-have-been-huge debut.”

It is the lead in this week’s NYT BR “Inside the List” column.

The Jan. 25 New York Times best seller lists are studded with new titles, but the real surprise is a book that has already been on the hardcover fiction list for 36 weeks. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (S&S/Scribner; Thorndike; S&S Audio), remarkable for its tenure on the list, but also for its gradual rise to number one.

In December, the New York Times examined the factors that went in to making this “unexpected breakout bestseller.” At that point, it had just climbed from #6 to #2. As S&S CEO Carolyn Reidy observed, “An awful lot of titles drop off the best-seller list after four months, and it’s a miracle if it lasts more than four months,” but even more surprising, this one, “not only kept going, but the longer it went, the bigger it got.”

The book emerged last February as a favorite among librarians on GalleyChat, and went on to become a May LibraryReads pick and a LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites.

Many libraries continue to show heavy holds (we issued a holds alert for it back in April last year). One large system expects interest to continue, having just entered a substantial reorder. The trade paperback is currently scheduled to release in June, but don’t count on that if the hardcover continues selling.

Next week, we’ll see if it continues at number one, or whether The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, (Penguin/Riverhead) takes that spot.