Titles to Know and Recommend, Week of September 26, 2016
Woman of God, James Patterson, Maxine Paetro, (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio; Hachette Large Print).
The story as described by Kirkus, that sounds very different for Patterson and Paetro, about the “life of physician-turned-priest” who manages to be accepted by the Catholic Church. Kirkus concludes that it is “A high-concept pitch, a potboiler on the page, and a protagonist to cheer for, but the authors do not quite tie it all together.”
Also, this week, ads are promoting the YA title, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, published last week, that feature an arresting quote from Patterson, “The book I wish I had written.” He may not have written it, but he came close. It is published under the “James Patterson Presents” line, from his Hachette kids young readers imprint, Jimmy Patterson.
The Fever Code (Maze Runner, Book Five; Prequel), James Dasher, (RH/Delacorte; Listening Library).
Although it’s Book Five, this is billed as the prequel to the popular YA series. Meanwhile, the future of the Maze Runner series of movies is in doubt, after the injury on set of star, Dylan O’Brien, during the filming of the second movie.
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 Sept 26 2016
Media Attention
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen, (S&S; S&S Audio; PRH/Vintage Espanol).
Critics Picks
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton (Workman; OverDrive Sample).
We’ve featured this as a holds alert. Entertainment Weekly features it in the Books section this week as “The World’s Coolest Travel Guide.”
Peer Picks
Two Indie Next picks publish this week:
Irena’s Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto, Tilar J. Mazzeo (S&S/Gallery Books; S&S Audio; OverDrive Sample).
“There have been accounts of men who helped Jews and other victims of the Nazi regime escape the clutches of genocidal pogroms and mass slaughter, but this story is about a woman who courageously smuggled thousands of children to safety. Granted unusual access to the Warsaw ghetto as a public health specialist, Irena Sendler used her position to rescue children by various means, sometimes right under the noses of guards. As compelling as any great fiction thriller, Irena’s story will remain with the reader for a long time to come.” —Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA
Additional Buzz: Fall Reading selection by The Wall Street Journal, “New Books Trace the Holocaust’s Legacy.” [subscription may be required].
Mercury, Margot Livesey (HC/Harper; HarperAudio; OverDrive Sample).
“This riveting psychological novel delves into the lives of Donald and Vivian, a married couple whose stability is threatened and ultimately undermined when Vivian, whose former life as an aspiring equestrian was cut short, meets Mercury, a magnificent horse with a tragic history. What unfolds may seem like destiny to Vivian, but to Donald, a staid and deliberate ophthalmologist still mourning the death of his beloved father, it tests everything he’s ever known, including his faculty for navigating the world. A truly remarkable study of human nature and the blindspots that hinder us all.” —Mary Cotton, Newtonville Books, Newton, MA
Additional Buzz: The New Yorker calls it “consuming” in this week’s “Briefly Noted Book Reviews.” In LitHub‘s “The Great Booksellers Fall 2016 Preview,” a bookseller calls it “unforgettable,” noting “No one has a better understanding of human nature” than Livesey.
Tie-ins
The film, Birth of a Nation, which is ironically uses the title of D.W. Griffith’s racist movie from a century ago, was hailed as an answer to Hollywood’s lack of diversity. It received a standing ovation before its screening earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Then it was revealed that the director had been been tried for rape while in college and many in Hollywood said they would refuse to see it, dimming Oscar predictions.
But the film did not face controversy at either the Toronto International Film Festival or its L.A. premiere. As a result, Deadline wrote, “Perhaps audiences – and Oscar voters – will decide that it should be judged on its own merits.”
The tie-in publishes this week, The Birth of a Nation: Nat Turner and the Making of a Movement, Nate Parker (S&S/Atria/37 INK; S&S Audio; OverDrive Sample).
Based on the story of Nat Turner, the movie was co-written and directed by Nate Parker, who stars in the role of Turner. The film also stars Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Junior, Penelope Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Union. It opens nationwide on 10/7/16.
Poldark’s Cornwall, Winston Graham (IPG/Pan Macmillan). Not a direct tie-in but for those interested in Poldark’s setting. The book offers images of Cornwall’s rugged beauty and picturesque landscape.
Poldark, Season 2 begins airing on PBS Masterpiece on the 25th. It stars Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Heida Reed.
Read our earlier coverage here and here.
Trolls opens on Nov. 4, 2016.
Directed by Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn (both of whom worked on various Shrek movies), the animated movies features the voices of Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, James Corden, Justin Timberlake, Russell Brand, and Gwen Stefani.
Read our earlier coverage here and link to an extensive list of tie-ins.
Harbor Lights, Sherryl Woods (HC/MIRA; OverDrive Sample) is the next in the Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Shores series, which will eventually span a seven episode first season.
The first and second novels in the series, The Inn at Eagle Point and Flowers on Main, have already been released as a tie-ins (see here and here).
Quarry began playing on Cinemax on Sept. 9th. As we wrote earlier (here and here), it is a dark and moody adaptation of Max Allan Collins’s noir 1970’s era series about a hit man.
The eight-episode run stars Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) as a Marine who comes home to Memphis after the Vietnam War and gets caught in a world of violence and corruption.
The tie-in is Quarry – TV Tie-In Edition, Max Allan Collins (RH/Hard Case Crime; OverDrive Sample).
For our full list of upcoming adaptations, download our Books to Movies and TV and link to our listing of tie-ins.