November 3rd, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
NUBS on the TODAY SHOW
Actually, the Marine steals the show:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
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Audio from Hachette Audio; 1600248713; $17.98 |
EarlyWord
News for Collection Development and Readers Advisory Librarians
November 2nd, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Dueling Top Tens
Amazon has just announced the final ten in their Top 100 Editors Picks countdown, close on the heels of PW‘s Top Ten released last week.
How do the two Top Ten lists compare? Unlike PW, Amazon manages to include books by women in their top ten. At #3 is this year’s Booker winner, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
At #5 is the forthcoming YA novel, Beautiful Creatures, which raises the count, since it is actually by two women, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (on Amazon, you can find a video of the authors discussing their writing process).
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Hachette Audio: MP3 CD; 12/1; 9781600248467; $29.98
Several libraries have not yet ordered Beautiful Creatures. Lisa Von Drasek, EarlyWord Kids, says, “it’s one of the best of the crowded field of supernatural romance out this year.” It also received a strong review in Booklist.
You can read an excerpt here.
Publishers Weekly‘s Best Children’s Books list is also in the current issue. Beautiful Creatures is not on that list, although another paranormal romance, Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater, made the cut.
The only title that appears on both Top Ten lists is the graphic format Stitches by David Small. It is also a National Book Award finalist, making it the only one to appear on all three lists. Only two other NBA titles appear on either of the lists; Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is on Amazon’s Top Ten and In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin is on the PW Top Ten.
It looks like it’s that time is unpon us — we’ve set up a new Best Books ’09 links section, to the right, and will be adding to it as new lists appear.
November 2nd, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
PP&Z — The Prequel
Entertainment Weekly announces “exclusively” on their blog “Shelf Life” that those crazy folks at Quirk have come up with a new title for their Jane Austen/monster mashup series — a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, to be published in March.
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Having trouble keeping up? Quirk feels your pain and has created a “fancy new web site” (their description), quirkclassics.com, with all the latest on their monster mashups.
Or, just keep reading EarlyWord; we wrote earlier, thanks to Jeffrey Gegner at Hennepin P.L., that two new Quirk Classics were in the works. Dawn of the Dreadfuls is one of those titles, we’re still waiting for information on another one:
| Quirk Classic 4 |
| Quirk Books |
| Retail Price: | $12.95 |
| Paperback: | 0 pages |
| Publisher: | Quirk Books – (2010-03-03) |
| ISBN / EAN: | 1594744602 / 9781594744600 |
November 2nd, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
FORD COUNTY
While praising his new book, Janet Maslin gives Grisham a backhanded compliment in today’s NYT, saying the short story form frees him from “subplots and padding” and that this “vacation from whatever grueling work goes into the construction of fully rigged best sellers…invigorates him in ways that show up on the page.”
Although the is showing heavy holds, there are not nearly as many as one would expect for a full-length Grisham.
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Random House Audio; UNAB; 9780307702104; $35
Random House Large Print; 9780739377383; pbk; $24
Audio downloadable from OverDrive
October 30th, 2009 By: Lisa Von Drasek
Librarians and Blogging
A chance to see our EarlyWord Kids contributor, Lisa Von Drasek:
New York Librarians Meetup Group’s Discussion on Librarians and Blogging
Monday, Nov. 2 at 5:30 pm
NYPL Mulberry Street Branch Library
10 Jersey St., between Lafayette & Mulberry
Participants:
Lisa Von Drasek – EarlyWord Kids
Alexandra Crosier – Shelved @ NYC
Jenna Freedman – Lower East Side Librarian
Jennifer Craft – Blogging @ NYPL (Mulberry Street Branch)
October 30th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
It’s All in the Timing
We’re willing to bet that McFarland, the publisher of reference and scholarly books, has never been featured in USA Today.
As a lead-up to Halloween McFarland’s Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration gets the USA Today love.
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October 29th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Coming the Week of Nov. 1
The first three titles being discounted in the book price wars release next week:
11/3 Grisham, John, Ford County
11/3 Kingsolver, Barbara, Lacuna
11/3 Robb, J.D., Kindred in Death
Ironically, some independent booksellers have cancelled their original orders and will be buying their stock from the enemy [11/2 UPDATE: the online retailers have now imposed a limit on the number of copies customers can order, so this is no longer an option].
On Fiction_L, we asked if any libraries were planning to do the same. All the responders said no, because they get their books cataloged and processed by their wholesaler. Estimating that the savings would amount to $10 a book as opposed to the discounted price through the wholesaler, all said that it would not be worth the cost and effort to switch the orders, catalog, jacket and process the books.
Below is a list of major titles with pub dates next week (some may already be available).
Childrens
11/1 Dennis, Brian, Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle
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Audio from Hachette Audio; 1600248713; $17.98 |
Many librarians fell in love with this book at BEA, including Lisa Von Drasek
Lots of media is on tap for this, including the Today Show on Monday (8:30 a.m.); Conan O’Brien on 11/9; People magazine, 11/16 (on newsstands 11/6).
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11/1 O’Connor, Jane Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas
11/3 Lupica, Mike, Million-Dollar Throw
Fiction
11/3 Grisham, John, Ford County — A departure for Grisham, this is a collection of short stories.
11/3 Bell, Madison Smartt, Devil’s Dream
11/3 Brown, Sandra, Rainwater
11/3 Jacobs, Kate, Knit the Season
11/3 Keillor, Garrison, Christmas Blizzard
11/3 Kingsolver, Barbara, Lacuna
11/3 Robb, J.D., Kindred in Death
11/3 Shaara, Jeff, No Less Victory
Nonfiction
11/2 Foer, Jonathan Safran Eating Animals
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Downloadable eBook from OverDrive |
The current issue of Entertainment Weekly gives Eating Animals a solid B, saying,
You can agree wholeheartedly with huge chunks of novelist Jonathan Safran Foer’s sprawling and stirring new pro-vegetarian polemic, Eating Animals, and at the same time find it pompous and annoying.
The Huffington Post is running a series about the book and plans to do so for several weeks, describing the pieces as “a diverse range of responses” and not “your usual book reviews. They are the start of a conversation that some powerful people in agribusiness would rather we not have.” The responses are from a diverse group of people, from Natalie Portman to Andrew Weil and Rabbi David Wolpe, but have all been positive so far.
11/3 Johnson, Paul Churchill — Biography
11/3 Karr, Mary Lit: A Memoir
11/3 Dwight Garner Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements
11/3 Gore, Al, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis
Gore will appear on Letterman on the day the book is published and on Jon Stewart the next evening.
11/3 Plouffe, David, The Audacity to Win
Time mgazine is running an exclusive four-page excerpt in the 11/9 issue (on newstands tomorrow). Will appear on Jon Stewart that evening.
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Audio from Penguin Audiobooks; ISBN: 0143142720; $39.95 |
11/3 Osteen, Joel, It’s Your Time
October 29th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
CAKE WRECKS
A friend’s father had a heavy Russian accent, but had little tolerance for those who couldn’t understand him. If questioned about what he said, he’d just get angry and repeat it exactly, but louder, MUCH louder. Sending him on an errand could be dangerous. That was reinforced the time he proudly came home bearing a cake decorated with the words “Happy Boy’s Day.”
If only he’d lived to learn that he’s not alone. The new book Cake Wrecks, based on the inspired blog, shows he could have done worse.
You’re unlikely to get your hands on a copy, since holds are heavy in every library we checked. The NYT recently put together a slide show of prime examples and, of course, there’s also the blog.
If you’re looking for a readalike, try The Gallery of Regrettable Food. Amazingly, libraries are showing copies on the shelf.
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October 29th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
PW’s Top Ten
PW has released their “first ever” list of the top ten books of the year (the list is also featured in USA Today’s “Book Buzz” column).
Not missing a beat, Connie Ogle of the Miami Herald asks why ALL the books are by men.
Really, PW? No women wrote great books in 2009? Not Margaret Atwood, not A.S. Byatt? Hmmmm. Makes me skeptical.
She acknowledges that, in a press release, PW had noted that the list is not “politically correct,” but said “the balance of our top 100 reflects a remarkable diversity.” That list will appear next week.
Below are the top ten — note that the list is in alpha order by title; the first title is not being annointed the #1 pick. To see the list with reviews, click here.
The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon)
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine)
Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau)
Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf)
A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random)
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton)
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon)
Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday)
Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press)
Stitches by David Small (Norton)
October 29th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Ayn Rand Hot Again
BookForum‘s Omnivore blog (not to be confused with Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog) says Ayn Rand is currently “so in vogue that even designers such as Ralph Lauren are finding inspiration in her writing” and links to the stunning number of recent articles about her, fueled, in part, by two new biographies.
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October 28th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Librarian Favorite: Mennonite
Librarians spotted Mennonite in a Little Black Dress at BEA and made it a “Shout ‘n’ Share” pick.
In this memoir, Rhoda Janzen writes about a period when her life takes about as many wrong turns as possible, bringing her to do what she never thought she could — return home to her Mennonite family.
It came out two weeks ago and is gaining momentum. Libraries were showing comfortable hold levels just before publication, but holds have increased rapidly in the last two weeks.
The Daily Beast — calls it hysterical; “In the tradition of David Sedaris, it’s her family who is the source of the book’s biggest laughs, and its heart.”
People Magazine — gave it four out of four stars
And, the author was profiled in USA Today.
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Also in audio from HighBridge:
- CD: 9781598879070; $29/95; 10/13
Downloadable audio from OverDrive
October 28th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Best Books of ’09
Amazon has started its countdown of the best books of ’09, in ranked order, Casey Kasem style (with the small difference that Kasem was about popularity, not quality), from 100 to #1.
It’s hard to believe, but this is the tenth year for Amazon’s list. This year, they are doling out twenty choices per day, leading up to the big reveal of the Top Ten on Monday.
Here’s what they’ve given us so far; check Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog for upcoming lists.
100. The Interrogative Mood, Padgett Powell
99. The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder, and the Birth of the American Mafia, Mike Dash
98. The Anthologist, Nicholson Baker
97. Imperial, William T. Vollmann
96. Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals, Christopher Payne
95. The American Painter Emma Dial, Samantha Peale
94. Inherent Vice, Thomas Pynchon
93. Nobody Move, Denis Johnson
92. The BLDGBLOG Book, Geoff Manaugh
91. American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson
90. D-Day, Antony Beevor
89. The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard, J.G. Ballard
88. The Children’s Book, A.S. Byatt
87. Half Broke Horses, Jeannette Walls
86. Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life, Winifred Gallagher
85. Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
84. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Jacqueline Kelly
83. American Rust, Phillipp Meyer
82. Never Smile at a Monkey, Steve Jenkins
81. The Jazz Loft Project, Sam Stephenson
80. Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller
79. Toby Alone, Timothee de Fombelle
78. Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Mitchell Zuckoff
77. Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger
76. The Myth of the Rational Market, Justin Fox
75. George Sprott: 1894-1975, Seth
74. Juliet, Naked, Nick Hornby
73. Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath, Michael and Elizabeth Norman
72. The Letters of Samuel Beckett, Vol. 1, 1929-1940, Samuel Beckett
71. Green Metropolis, David Owen
70. Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, Eric W. Sanderson
69. Columbine, Dave Cullen
68. A New Literary History of America, edited by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors
67. Asterios Polyp, David Mazzucchelli
66. Await Your Reply, Dan Chaon
65. The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, Douglas Brinkley
64. Lowboy, John Wray
63. Everything Matters!, Ron Currie Jr.
62. Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater
61. Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, Michael Ruhlman
October 28th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Global Warming Fights
The U.N.’s top climate official declared today that “time is running out” for a global warming treaty and urged that it be finalized at the Copenhagen conference in December. One of the stumbling blocks is the U.S. Senate which is seen as “unlikely” to agree to the treaty’s provisions by the time of the conference.
Meanwhile, rising on Amazon, is The Real Global Warming Disaster by Christopher Booker, available in the UK now, but not coming out in this country until January, after the conference winds up. It is currently at #64 on Amazon’s U.S. sales rankings.
Booker, a long-time columnist for the UK’s Sunday Telegraph has drawn attacks for years for claiming that asbestos and second-hand smoke are not harmful, and that mad cow disease does not affect humans. Unsurprisingly, he also claims that global warming is a hoax, foisted on us by a small group of “global warming zealots” armed with faulty research.
As we mentioned earlier, a new book examines the issues behind the debates, Why We Disagree About Climate Change.
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October 27th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
More BLAME
We’ve written here before about the great reviews piling up for the novel Blame by Michele Huneven.
In most cases, books are reviewed at pub date or shortly thereafter. Publishers hate it when reviews are spread out over several weeks because it lessens the cumulative impact.
That may be true, but when a book continues to be reviewed long after publication, it signals that reviewers have fought for it against all the other titles coming through the pipeline.
And, here comes yet another strong review for Blame, nearly two months after publication (I know, but with hundreds of books coming out daily, two months is a long time), on NPR’s Web site.
I just finished reading Blame and can attest that the reviewers are correct in their praise, but it should be emphasized that it’s a great story that will have you thinking about it long after you finish the last page.
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Unabridged audio from Blackstone
- Read by Hillary Huber
- 8 Tapes; 9781433293320; $32.98
- Playaway; 9781433293399; $59.99
- 1 MP3CD; 9781433293368;$14.98
- 9 CD; 9781433293337; $50.00
Large Type: Thorndike; Hdbk; 12/1/09; 9781410420930; $31.95
Downloadable audio from OverDrive
October 27th, 2009 By: Nora Rawlinson
Vampire Morality
Many years from now, some cultural historian will come up with a plausible theory about why vampires are so popular right now.
For now, the Philadelphia Inquirer observes that today’s vampires are quite different from your father’s; once inherently evil, now they can be lovable heroes.The theme of morality runs through many current popular vampire movies and novels.
To fully explore this subject, the article suggests the huge vampire anthology, The Vampire Archives.
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