Titles to Know and Recommend, Week of February 22, 2016
The authors of the holds leaders for the week have something in common. Each have had earlier books adapted for TV by the Hallmark Channel.
A Girl’s Guide to Moving On, Debbie Macomber (PRH/Ballantine Books; BOT; OverDrive Sample)
The #1 holds leader for the week is the the second in Macomber’s New Beginnings series. Interest in Macomber was boosted by Hallmark’s adaptation of her Cedar Cove series.
Also a LibraryReads pick for the month, Linda Tilden, of Cherry Hill Public Library, Cherry Hill, NJ offers this recommendation:
“Leanne and her daughter-in-law Nichole both leave cheating husbands to start over. They learn that it is never easy and that hardships abound, but they meet many wonderful people on their way to happily-ever-after. Believable characters and an enjoyable story made this perfect for relaxing reading—definitely one of Macomber’s best. An excellent choice both for long-time fans of the author and for those who have never read her novels.”
Wedding Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries #19), Joanne Fluke, (Kensington)
The second holds leader for the week continues the series that has been the basis of Hallmark’s Murder She Baked movies.
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 Feb. 22, 2016
Media Magnets
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers, (PRH/Knopf; BOT and RH Audio)
As we noted earlier, this is a drop-in title and therefore was released too late for review coverage from the prepub media. It was reviewed this week in the NYT. The author is scheduled for an interview with Katie Couric Monday on ABC’s Nightline. The following day, Sales will be interviewed on NPR’s Morning Edition and on Fresh Air, 2/29.
Cravings, Chrissy Teigen with Adeena Sussman, (PRH/Potter)
Sorry, guys, this is a book about food cravings by the supermodel and co-host of the show Lip Synch Battle. The budding activist, who donated food to Ferguson protesters and has engaged in twitter battle with Donald Trump, will be getting plenty of media attention for her cookbook:
Tuesday, March 1
Good Morning America
Live with Kelly and Michael
Late Show w/ Stephen ColbertWednesday, March 2
The Chew
Comedy Central – Daily Show
Peer Picks
In addition to Debbie Macomber’s latest (above), three other February LibraryRead picks come out next week.
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, Mona Awad (Penguin Books; OverDrive Sample).
Kimberly McGee, of Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX offers this annotation:
“Everyone loves Lizzie–she is the confidant, the late night go-to, and she is always there and hungry for attention. Lizzie becomes even more obsessed and needy when she no longer feels insecure about being overweight and it becomes painfully obvious that she will always feel bad about herself. It is a candid and sad look at how we mistreat people with different body types.”
NOTE: Librarians chatted with the author as part of the Penguin First Flights program on EarlyWord
It is also a March IndieNext choice.
Fighting Dirty, Lori Foster (Harlequin/HQN Books; OverDrive Sample).
Jessica McCroskey, of Holston River Regional Library, Johnson City, TN says the following about the fourth book in Foster’s Ultimate series:
“What. A. Ride! I absolutely loved this book. I loved finally getting Armie and Merissa’s story. I also enjoyed being able to go back and revisit past characters and getting to know future ones! The story was fast-paced and dreamy. Armie’s fight with himself over his emotions wasn’t drawn out, nor did it get tedious to read. All around, this book was an absolute pleasure, and I can’t wait to read more from Foster!”
Flight of Dreams, Ariel Lawhon (PRH/Doubleday; BOT; OverDrive Sample)
Kristin Fields, of Farnhamville Public Library, Farnhamville, IA offers:
“Flight of Dreams chronicles an author’s imagined scenario on the ill-fated last flight of the Hindenburg, which was shrouded in mystery. Lawhon does a masterful job by giving meticulous detail of the ship and delving into the lives of many of the characters on board. I read with mounting dread and intensity as the storyline of the disaster unfolded. Historical detail and wonderful storytelling make this a must read for historical fiction lovers.”
The following are Indie Next picks:
Under the Influence, Joyce Maynard (HC/William Morrow; OverDrive Sample).
“Remembrances from The Great Gatsby ran through my head both as a warning and a promise the entire time I read Under the Influence. I was fascinated by the Havillands, the whirlwind couple at the center of the book, with their wealth, their ease, and their charm. It is easy to see why they appeal to Helen, weary and downtrodden as she is, and why she slips so easily into their embrace. I felt a growing sense of unease as the pages passed, picking up the warning signals Helen ignores, but I was as helpless to escape as she is. I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the bitter end!” —Lauren Peugh, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ
Green Island, Shawna Yang Ryan (PRH/Knopf; OverDrive Sample).
“Like Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, Ryan’s heartbreaking novel takes readers to an island with a history unknown to many: Taiwan. Rarely portrayed in a work of fiction, Taiwan is an island of complex political relations, families torn apart by political unrest, and a lush and beautiful physical landscape. Told in luscious prose, Green Island teaches readers about the humanity of mankind, the brutality of political power and unrest, and why some secrets are never told. I cannot wait to handsell this!” —Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT
Tie-ins
The major tie-in release this week is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (The Taliban Shuffle MTI): Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kim Barker (PRH/Anchor; BOT; OverDrive Sample).
The film version of the memoir titled The Taliban Shuffle, starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, and Billy Bob Thornton, opens March 4, 2016.
It has brought new attention to author Kim Barker. Recently interviewed in the Columbia Journalist Review, she is also scheduled for CBS Sunday Morning this week.
Is it too soon to apply humor to the Middle East? Judge for yourself from the trailer.
Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing, Christy Wilson Beam (Hachette Books; Hachette Audio; OverDrive Sample; also in Mass Market) comes out next week as well. It is the tie-in for the March 18th film starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah.
As we noted earlier, People magazine highlighted the the story about a young girl who “survived a 30-ft. fall from a tree and told her parents she had visited heaven – then was inexplicably cured from her terminal digestive disorder.”
Ratchet & Clank is a SF video game series featuring a Lombax (a cat-like species that walks on two feet) and a robot who have adventures across multiple galaxies. On April 29 the games become an animated film.
Scholastic is releasing two tie-in titles. Ratchet and Clank: The Movie Novel, Kate Howard (Scholastic; OverDrive Sample) and Ratchet and Clank: Hero Time (The Movie Reader), Meredith Rusu (Scholastic; OverDrive Sample).
For our full list of upcoming adaptations, download our Books to Movies and TV and link to our listing of tie-ins.