EarlyWord is the home of GalleyChat, monthly online discussions where library staff share excitement about upcoming books. More information here.
Summaries of chats and announcements are posted to the right. Use them to add to your own TBR piles and for collection development.
Links on the far right of the site offer information useful to readers advisors.
Hope to see you during our next chat,
GalleyChatters
Roger Rosenblatt appeared on PBS NewsHour last night to talk about his new book, Kayak Morning, (HarperCollins/Ecco, trade pbk original, Jan 3), the follow-up to his moving memoir, Making Toast, about picking up the pieces after his daughter’s sudden death at 38.
Watch Conversation: Roger Rosenblatt’s ‘Kayak Morning’ on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Next week brings three debuts to watch – about the Korean immigrant experience, an Alaskan couple longing for a child in 1920, and a Romanian Jewish village in 1939 – plus two well-reviewed thrillers by authors steadily building their audiences, Daniel Palmer and William Landay. Usual suspects include Robert Harris, Kristin Hannah and Shannon Hale – while Elizabeth George delivers a Christian devotional for moms.
Debuts to Watch
Drifting House by Krys Lee (Penguin/Viking; Thorndike Large Print) is a debut novel portraying the Korean immigrant experience from the postwar era to contemporary times. Library Journal says, “Readers in search of exquisite short fiction beyond their comfort zone—groupies of Jhumpa Lahiri (Unaccustomed Earth) and Yoko Tawada (Where Europe Begins) — will thrill to discover Lee’s work.”
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Hachette/Little,Brown/Reagan Arthur; Thorndike Large Print) is a debut novel about a couple struggling in their marriage, who arrive in Alaska in 1920. Longing for children, they build a child out of snow that’s gone the next morning, though they glimpse a small girl running through the trees. Kirkus calls it “a fine first novel,” saying “the book’s tone throughout has a lovely push and pull–Alaska’s punishing landscape and rough-hewn residents pitted against Faina’s charmed appearances–and the ending is both surprising and earned.”
No One is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel (Penguin/Riverhead) is set in a remote Jewish village in Romania in 1939, as war closes in. At the suggestion of an 11-year-old girl and a mysterious stranger, the villagers decide to reinvent the world: deny any relationship with the known and start over from scratch. Library Journal says “debut novelist Ausubel has written a riveting, otherworldly story about an all-too-real war and the transformative power of community.”
Rising Thrillers
Helpless by Daniel Palmer (Kensington; Brilliance Audio) is the followup to the author’s acclaimed debut Delirious, the story of an award-winning coach accused of murder. (Palmer, by the way, is the son of bestselling author Michael Palmer.) LJ says, “Palmer scores again with a terrific thriller that has it all—murder, drugs, kidnapping, techno-mayhem, romance, manly ex-Navy SEAL exploits, and a burgeoning father-daughter relationship.”
Defending Jacob by William Landay (RH/Delacorte; Blackstone Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is the latest from the author of The Strangler and the award-winning Mission Flats. It features Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber, who is shocked to find his 14 year-old son Jacob charged with the murder of a fellow student. Library Journal raves, “this brilliant novel … is equal parts legal thriller and dysfunctional family saga, culminating in a shocking ending. Skillful plotting and finely drawn characters result in a haunting story reminiscent of Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent.”
Usual Suspects
The Fear Index by Robert Harris (RH/Knopf; Random House Audio). Author Harris has successfully moved from alternate history to ancient history to WWII thrillers and contemporary stories and now a techno-thriller about an artificial intelligence project with a mind of its own. Library Journal says this “outstanding thriller… will kindle readers’ minds from the first page. Get ready to enjoy a brilliant integration of fascinating research, compelling themes, and vivid characterization.” It will be in the media next week, including a feature on NPRs “Morning Edition.” A movie is in the works, directed by Paul Greengrass, with Harris writing the screenplay.
Home Front by Kristin Hannah (Macmillan/St. Martin’s; Center Point Large Print; Macmillan Audio) is the story of a couple whose growing distance is twisted by the wife’s unexpected deployment to Iraq. Publishers Weekly says “by reversing traditional expectations, Hannah calls attention to the modern female soldier and offers a compassionate, poignant look at the impact of war on family.”
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury) is a sequel to the bestselling Austenland (2007), in which another contemporary American plays Regency heroine at Pembrook Park. PW says, “though a tacked-on romance and some flimsy plot twists strain credibility… Hale provides a welcome, witty glimpse of a side of Austen rarely explored in the many contemporary riffs on her work.” A movie of the first title wrapped filming this summer, with Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga) producing.
Nonfiction
A Mom After God’s Own Heart Devotional by Elizabeth George (Harvest House Publishers) draws from the author’s bestselling books, radio spots and podcasts, along with scripture, to provide devotionals to guide mothers in parenting.
A GalleyChat favorite Heft by Liz Moore (Norton), gets a strong lead review in this week’s issue of People (Feb 6).
Told through the eyes of two lonely misfits, who eventually connect, the novel, says the reviewer , “… is often deeply sad, [but] it is never maudlin. [Moore] writes with compassion and emotional insight but resists sentimentality, briskly moving her plot forward, building suspense and empathy.”
Moore, who is a musician as well as a writer, was recently profiled in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rising to #10 on Amazon’s sales rankings after the author’s appearance at ALA Midwinter is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (RH/Crown; Random House Audio; OverDrive ebook and audio; Center Point Large Print). Many of the libraries we checked are showing heavy holds, as many as 9 to 1.
The Midwinter appearance may not be the only factor. The book, which released yesterday, was featured in yesterday’s USA Today, along with an introvert/extrovert quiz and Fast Company‘s “Expert Blog” offers “3 Reasons Every Extrovert Should Read The New Book Quiet.”
Jodi Kantor’s book, The Obamas,(Hachette/Little Brown; Thorndike large print) has received unrelenting press attention for its portrayal of Michelle Obama.
Kantor’s most recent appearance was on Daily Show Monday night. The book however, did not receive the expected “Stewart bump” on Amazon sales rankings (it actually went down after the show, from #48 to #66; it’s now at #82).
Stewart said that press attention, like the “lady on CNN yelling at you” (referring to Soledad O’Brien interview with her on “Starting Point,” which followed her earlier criticism of the book on a “Get Real” segment) got him interested, but that he was surprised at how little controversy the book actually contains. Instead, he said, it portrays the First Lady as “a complex yet human individual struggling with this unbelievable situation, yet remaining the moral compass and center of an administration trying to find its footing.”
Guess that doesn’t play as well as an “angry black woman” who doesn’t enjoy her position.
To watch next week, a young adult title set during the Haitian earthquake has strong crossover appeal. Stewart O’Nan delivers a love story and Orson Scott Card returns with another title in the Ender series. In nonfiction, the fascination with SEAL’s continues with an autobiography by the most deadly sniper in U.S. military history.
Young Adult Watch List
In Darkness by Nick Lake (Bloomsbury) is set in Haiti, where a teenage boy is trapped among ruins, surrounded by bodies, with death seeming imminent. But then he becomes aware of Touissant L’Overture reaching out to him across 200 years of history. The Wall St. Journal covered it a roundup of YA titles for Black History Month, saying “elegant, restrained prose and distinct characters will reward adults and older teenagers able to brave a story with strong language, harrowing scenes of brutality and an almost painful stab of joy at the end.”
Notable Literary Titles
The Odds: A Love Story by Stewart O’Nan (Viking; Center Point Large Print) is set on Valentine’s weekend, as Art and Marion Fowler – both jobless and facing foreclosure – flee to the site of their honeymoon in Niagara Falls decades earlier, book a bridal suite, and risk everything at the roulette wheel. Library Journal says that O’Nan “sensitively makes the everyday hurts of everyday people real and important. This book will resonate profoundly in today’s strapped environment; great for book clubs.”
Usual Suspects
Raylan by Elmore Leonard (William Morrow; Blackstone Audio) is the third crime novel starring U.S. marshal Raylan Givens (now the star of the FX television series Justified), a former Kentucky coal miner, against three very different female crooks. Library Journal says, “Leonard lovers will find the fascinatingly twisted personalities common to his fiction here, along with memorable trademark Leonard moments of humor, grit, and greed. Raylan will play well with his current popularity and won’t disappoint fans of the books and the show.”
Death of Kings (Saxon Tales #6) by Bernard Cornwell (HarperCollins; HarperLuxe Large Print) is the sixth (but not final) installment of Cornwell’s saga of England, in whichAlfred the Great lays dying, while the fate of the Angles, Saxons and Vikings hang in the balance. PW says, “Ninth-century combat lacks the grandeur of large armies, but Uhtred’s cunning, courage, and a few acts of calculated cruelty make for a compelling read.”
Shadows in Flight (Ender’s Shadow Series #5) by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books) finds Bean having fled to the stars with three of his children, who share the engineered genes that gave him both hyper-intelligence and a short, cruel physical life. Library Journal says, “Card deals with the repercussions of bioengineering for the human species. [His]graceful storytelling gives this narrative the feel of a parable or a futuristic myth; it is bound to please the author’s fan base and readers who enjoyed the first book.” But Kirkus cautions, “Do not attempt to appreciate this book without at least some familiarity with Card’s child-warrior Ender series.”
Young Adult
Hallowed (Unearthly Series #2) by Cynthia Hand (HarperTeen) is the second novel to feature part-angel Clara Gardner, who is torn between her love for her boyfriend Tucker and her complicated feelings about the role she seems destined to play. Kirkus says, “readers who enjoyed the steadfast characters, plotting and romance of Unearthly (2010) can expect more of the same in this equally satisfying sequel.”
Nonfiction
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle (William Morrow; HarperLuxe Large Print) is the autobiography of SEAL Chief Chris Kyle, whose record 255 confirmed kills make him the most deadly sniper in U.S. military history. Booklist says, “The book reads like a a first-person thriller narrated by a sniper. The book follows his career from 1999 to 2009, and, like Anthony Swofford’s Jarhead (2003), it portrays a sniper’s life as a mixture of terror and mind-numbing boredom… A first-rate military memoir.”
Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions; S&S Audio) finds the bestselling author of Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto exploring the philosophical basis of America’s foundations and the crisis that the government faces today.
Kim Jong Il’s oldest son is about to release a book in Japan and journalists are preparing to jump on it to try to uncover information about the secretive regime (see the Washington Post “Political Bookworm” blog).
Curiosity about North Korea may be driving interest in Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son, (Random House) a thriller about a North Korean soldier, which is based in part on firsthand accounts from defectors from that country.
It’s receiving strong reviews, even from the hard-to-please NYT critic, Michiko Kakutani. The Washington Post says it turns “implausible fact…into entirely believable fiction” and NPR’s The Takeaway took a look at the impressive research behind the book.
Libraries have ordered lightly and several are showing growing holds (thanks to Janet Lockhart at Wake County Library, NC, for the tip).
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The fledgling CBS This Morning show scored a major “get” today. First Lady Michelle Obama, who rarely gives interviews, sat down with Gayle King. The interview had been arranged before Christmas, but the timing was uncanny as it gave Obama an opportunity to address some of the issues raised in NYT reporter Jodi Kantor’s book, The Obamas.
While many news sources are simply reporting the book’s “juicy bits,” others, like Time magazine, have expressed skepticism. A list of the book’s alleged errors is supposedly making the rounds. The site Buzz Feed has gone to the extreme of fact-checking that fact-checking.
Despite all the attention, the book is at #26 and falling on Amazon, after reaching a high of #19 yesterday. Where ordering was light, libraries are showing heavy holds.
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According to several news sources, including CBS News, Washington is buzzing over a new book that portrays Michelle Obama as a powerful behind-the-scenes White House force (yes, that’s Charlie Rose, below, in his new position as the anchor for the CBS Early Show now revamped as CBS This Morning).
Actually, the buzz is coming from an excerpt published in the NYT (the author is by the Times Washington correspondent); the book releases tomorrow.
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Asian politics animate two key titles this week, one by American author Adam Johnson about North Korea, and the other a translation of a novel by Chan Koonchung about China in the near-future that has been banned in that country. Usual suspects include Elizabeth George, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and John Burdett – plus young adult authors John Green and Beth Revis. In nonfiction, there are biographies of the Obamas by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor and of Queen Elizabeth by Sally Bedell Smith.
The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson (Random House; RH Audio) follows a young man’s journey from a North Korean orphanage into a life of spying, kidnapping, and torture, followed by a new identity as the husband of the Dear Leader’s favorite actress. Library Journal says, “evidently a blend of personal story and political revelation, with thriller overtones thrown in for fun, this work is being positioned as a breakout for Johnson. The first two serials go to Granta in August 2011 and Playboy in January 2012, which certainly suggests broad appeal.”
The Fat Years by Chan Koonchung (Nan A. Talese) was an underground sensation in China before being banned. Set in Beijing in the near future, it’s about a group of friends who decide to find out more about the “lost month” during the country’s political transition that has been erased from the nation’s memory. PW says, “this first English translation… feels flat, a quality exacerbated by the novel’s uneven pace and lengthy digressions into historical and political minutiae. However, Koonchung (founder of Hong Kong’s City Magazine) reveals the moral and political perils of contemporary Chinese life.”
Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley Series #16) by Elizabeth George (Dutton; Penguin Audiobooks; Thorndike Large Print) finds Scotland Yard policeman Thomas Lynley to delving into the accidental death of the gay nephew of a wealthy industrialist. Kirkus says, “pared-down George, weighing in at a svelte 600 pages, but still strewn with subplots, melodrama, melancholy, a wretchedly unhappy Havers and the impossibly heroic, impossibly nice Thomas Lynley.”
Gideon’s Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing; Hachette Audio; Thorndike Large Print) finds Gideon Crew in his second outing, tracking a terrorist cell ten days before a planned attack on a major American city. PW says, the “lead could be cut-and-pasted into any number of books by less gifted genre writers.”
Vulture Peak: A Bangkok Novel by John Burdett (Knopf) is the latest to feature Royal Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, who is in charge of the highest-profile case in Thailand — an attempt to bring an end to trafficking in human organs. Kirkus says, “Burdett’s strengths are tilted toward characterization rather than plotting, for Buddhist Sonchai remains a fascinating cross between Buddhist monk and hard-boiled detective.”
Lothaire by Kresley Cole (Gallery Books; S&S Audio) continues the Immortals After Dark series, with the story of how Lothaire the Enemy of Old rose to power a millenia ago, becoming the most feared and evil vampire in the immortal world.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton; Brilliance Audio). The uber-popular author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns, applies his trade-marked humor to a serious subject. A young girl facing terminal illness encounters an unexpected friend who turns her life around. Every time Green mentions the book on his popular vlog, it rises on Amazon, as we’ve been noting for several months, so it’s no surprise that the announced first printing is 150,000 copies. Entertaiment Weekly is giving it a push, with an author interview, an “exclusive” (but rather unrevealing) trailer and a strong review.
A Million Suns: An Across the Universe Novel by Beth Revis (Razorbill) is the second installment in the Across the Universe trilogy about the 2,763 people trapped aboard a spaceship. Kirkus says, “Revis’ shining brilliance is the fierce tension about survival (is Godspeed deteriorating? can people survive terrorism inside an enclosed spaceship?) and the desperate core question of whether any generation will ever reach a planet. Setting and plot are the heart and soul of this ripping space thriller, and they’re unforgettable.”
The Obamas by Jodi Kantor (Little, Brown; Thorndike Large Print) peers inside the White House as the Obamas try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and figure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. Kantor is the Washington correspondent for the New York Times, as well as its “Arts & Leisure” editor.
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith (Random House; Random House Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is “comparable to Ben Pimlott’s excellent The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II (1998),” says Library Journal. “But with information on nearly 15 more years, this will appeal to readers of biographies, British history, and all followers of the British royal family. The Queen’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee should increase demand.”
Sometimes, but rarely, a review leaps off the page, grabs you by the throat and demands that you begin reading a certain book right now.
Entertainment Weekly‘s review of The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman (Penguin/Riverhead, Jan 5) begins with a tribute,
In the best kind of books, there is always that moment when the words on the page swallow the world outside — subway stations fly by, errands go un-run, rational bedtimes are abandoned — and the only goal is to gobble up the next paragraph, and the next, and the next.
And goes on to explain why The Street Sweeper is one of those books.
A quite different source, the New York Post, lists it as one of five books that they consider “required reading.”
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We’ve missed Jon Stewart’s attention to books while his show has been on hiatus. But he came back last night, interviewing Elizabeth Dowling Taylor about her book, A Slave in the White House, (Macmillan/Palgrave). As a result, the book rose on Amazon sales rankings, to #220 (from #29,478).
Tonight, Stewart features Craig Shirley, author of the forthcoming authorized bio of Newt Gingrich. UPDATE: the book that Stewart and Shirley discussed was the author’s earlier title, December, 1941. The following title appears to have been delayed.
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The AP made news with a headline that Gen. David Petraeus “almost quit over Afghan drawdown.” The story is based on an advance copy of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, by Paula Broadwell, who was embedded with the general in Afghanistan (Penguin, Jan. 23). Both the author and the CIA (where Petraeus is currently the Director) quickly denied the story and new versions indicate that he was merely “urged to quit.” (More details are available in on the NPR web site).
The AP story goes on to say that the book “unapologetically casts Petraeus in the hero’s role” and that it is “peppered with Petraeus quotes that sound like olive branches meant to soothe Obama aides who feared Petraeus would challenge their boss for the White House.”
Library catalogs show light holds on modest orders.
It sounds like a headline from The Onion, but “Richard Nixon Had Gay Affair” comes from The Huffington Post, based on a more detailed story in the Daily Mail, a London tabloid. The allegations come from a book that will be published at the end of January, Nixon’s Darkest Secrets by the former UPI White House correspondent, Don Fulsom.
It was reviewed earlier this month by Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Both say that most of the revelations are based on unreliable sources.
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Former Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter’s forthcoming memoir, Life Among the Cannibals is getting attention in his home state. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a story about both Specter and the book, which follows his previous memoir, Passion for Truth, (via Publishers Marketplace). The “cannibals” in the title are,
…the political extremists of both parties whose influence [Specter] blames for an overall erosion in public life and the ability of the federal government to function. He counts his successor, Mr. Toomey, as among that group for his efforts, allied with his former organization, the Club for Growth, to purge the GOP of the endangered species of middle-of-the-road, moderate lawmakers.
Most libraries have not ordered it yet.
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