Doesn't that title just beg for an ellipsis? Some Girls Are... Much better! But then again, I'm not the editor.

You might have seen this book on our Titles for Teens poster. Is it on your shelves? If not, it really should be, because Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus have all given it starred reviews! This book is perfect for the throngs that enjoyed Mean Girls, but don't take my word for it.

"Fans of the film Mean Girl will enjoy this tale of redemption and forgiveness." -- School Library Journal

"Summers is meticulous in her descriptions of vengeful acts. These mean girls can and do extend their fight to proportions that will make readers cringe." -- Kirkus

"Regina’s every emotion is palpable, and it’s impossible not to feel every punch—physical or emotional—she takes." -- Publisher's Weekly

Congratulations to Paul Doiron and his debut novel, The Poacher's Son. We were lucky enough to have him grace our booth in the seven-author signing extravaganza at Midwinter!

*Booklist – Feb. 15*

“Realistically flawed characters and a strong sense of place...”

*Publishers Weekly – Jan. 11*

“Equally a story of relationships and an outdoor adventure, this evocative thriller is sure to put Doiron on several 2010 must-read lists.”

*Kirkus Reviews – Jan. 1*

“His decision leads to a series of disastrously self-destructive actions that Doiron makes perfectly credible...”

*Library Journal – Dec. 15*

“A taut thriller and a thoughtful examination of the complicated relationship between father and son. ”

Autobiography

• Edmund White, City Boy

Biography

• Stanislao G. Pugliese, Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone

Criticism

• Eula Biss, Notes From No Man's Land: American Essays
• Stephen Burt, Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry
• Greg Milner, Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music

Fiction

• Michelle Huneven, Blame
• Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall

Nonfiction

• Greg Grandin, : Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City

Poetry

• Louise Glück, A Village Life
• D.A. Powell, Chronic

And here is the final list of awards going to Macmillan's adult publishers! Congratulations!

Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Trotsky

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

The Chosen One

The Chosen One

The Good Soldiers

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Every Crooked Pot

A Long Way Gone

Hot Girl

Upstate

ALEX AWARD for The Good Soldiers!

Nuff said. Am I right?

Ok maybe that's not QUITE enough said.

Remember "The Surge" of 2007? When President George W. Bush sent additional troops into Baghdad, when very few people were sure why, or were convinced it would work? This is the story of the soldiers involved. The optimistic army infantry soldiers of the 2-16, the battalion nicknamed the Rangers. And the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter David Finkel who was with them almost every grueling step of the way.

Ten Alex Awards are announced each year. The award goes to adult books with extraordinary appeal to 12-18 year olds.

Book Brahmin: Steve Hamilton

Steve Hamilton's first novel, A Cold Day in Paradise, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author; since then, he has either won or been nominated for every other major award in the mystery business. His ninth and newest novel, The Lock Artist, being published by Minotaur this month, is the story of a young man named Michael who was traumatized at the age of eight and who hasn't uttered a word since then. But he does have one special, unforgivable talent--a talent that will draw him into a world from which he may never escape.

On your nightstand now:

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. I haven't gotten to the really bad stuff yet. I have a feeling this book is going to keep me up at night.

Favorite book when you were a child:

Any of the Hardy Boys mysteries. Or any book with Alfred Hitchcock on the cover. (The Three Detectives series or those paperback anthologies with stories from the magazine.) I just ate those up. Those books made me want to be a mystery writer when I grew up.

Your top five authors:

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Cormac McCarthy, Raymond Chandler, Denis Johnson, Richard Russo. (I was a fan of Russo since his first book! I feel like somebody who was into an obscure rock group before they made it big.)

Book you've faked reading:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I literally faked reading this for days at a time in junior high school. It was more about the horrible time I was having in that penitentiary of a school than the book itself. I should go back and actually read the damned thing.

Book you're an evangelist for:

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. More mind-blowing than any piece of fiction.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson. This was a long time ago, but I seriously didn't know anything about Thompson until I picked up that book. How can you resist that crazy Ralph Steadman drawing on the cover?

Book that changed your life:

I've got to mention two: Dancing Bear by James Crumley and When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block. I can't overstate how much these two books made me want to write a hardboiled novel of my own. I'm just glad I got to thank both authors in person.

Favorite line from a book:

"Dear friend now in the dusty clockless hours of the town when the streets lie black and steaming in the wake of the watertrucks and now when the drunk and the homeless have washed up in the lee of walls in alleys or abandoned lots and cats go forth highshouldered and lean in the grim perimeters about, now in these sootblacked brick or cobbled corridors where lightwire shadows make a gothic harp of cellar doors no soul shall walk save you." --From Suttree by Cormac McCarthy.

(It's just my favorite line from this week, mind you. Next week, it will change again.)

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Imagine picking up that book and having no idea what you're about to experience.

Which is high praise indeed, don't you think? Not only did PW publish a glowing review of Cathleen Schine's The Three Weissmanns of Westport, it also ran an interview with her!

I'd finished reading Sense and Sensibility for the millionth time, and I wondered what the modern equivalent of that sudden shift in your life would be. We don't have primogeniture in the United States, so for modern American women a comparable situation would be divorce. I used Sense and Sensibility as a jumping-off point, but the characters did pull me in different plot directions than Austen's.

Please feel free to read the full interview and review.

And that's just what we're inviting you to! So please, come, eat and be merry! Listen to your favorite authors talk, in "Keeping it Short: The Best in Short Story Fiction." Our author David Updike will be there, discussing his title Old Girlfriends.

So, if you're going to ALA Midwinter, there's no reason to miss this!

Curious? Find all the details here.

The author of Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail stopped by the Westport Public Library to talk about his newest book, Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York.

Chances are you couldn't make it to the Westport Public Library to hear the discussion. However, via internet magic, you can still listen to it right now! Enjoy!

Stabilicious

Hey, if your name has "stab" in it, and you write thrillers, someone is bound to make that pun right? Right?

PW ran a terrific interview with author Dana Stabenow. Beneath you'll find an excerpt.

If you want your characters to be real, their lives must be as well. People leave or die, we make new friends and new enemies—Kate's about to score a big one, who's going to last over the arc of several future novels. Copper mines play out, and gold mines are discovered. The only certainty is change, and how we react to it defines who we are.

It's our job. It's what we do best. We like to think we know where readers are (in our case, libraries!), and that's how we help our books. But sometimes, more and more recently, authors are helping us! Take Marshall Karp, author of Flipping Out. In these tough times, only our biggest stars get to go on nationwide book tours. However, inventive authors like Karp never cease to innovate!

PW published an excellent article on Karp's 30 blog in 30 days tour. In the article, Karp brags that he never thought he'd be able to get that kind of publicity without wearing clothes! He even saw a tremendous boost in traffic to his website. So thank you Marshall Karp, for helping us do what matters most--bringing books to readers.

Debuts, debuts, and these ones have great reviews! Check out all of the Macmillan debut titles releasing between January and February of 2010!

At least six mysteries and only one fantasy!? I'm going to have to go have a talk with Tor and tell them to represent!

See the list posted just below this one? Well the staff at the NYTBR hacked and slashed, and the only title left standing was David Finkel's The Good Soldiers . I'm a bit sad I never got around to reading Mary Karr's Lit. I picked up the galley at ALA Annual in Chicago, but can't find it!

"Finkel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and editor at The Washington Post, gives full voice to his subjects, infantry soldiers from Fort Riley, Kan. (average age 19), posted in the lethal reaches of Baghdad at the height of the 'surge'."

This one is from our favorite book review publication. And why is it our favorite? Because it's printed on newsprint. And I'm not even a sentimental person, but there is something nice about newsprint. No -- bad thoughts! It's that attitude that's destroying our planet, right? Ok, I'm rambling.

The following are titles from the New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books of 2009.

But that's not all! Also making the list were Methland, The Lost Child, and Wolf Hall! I wouldn't be surprised if we see a spike in holds for these titles.

You probably know her from her Dark Hunters series (the latest is Bad Moon Rising). Or her new League series. But what you might not know is why she writes. Well, she told PW, and it was pretty interesting!

I write simply because I hear voices of people in my head who won't give me peace until I convey their stories to the rest of the world. Seriously. They've always been with me. While other girls played with dolls, and my brothers with Hot Wheels, I was busy traveling through space or traipsing through graveyards with my imaginary playmates.

Uhh, I wish I heard the voices of imaginary people in my head. How convenient would that be for novel writing? But even with that tremendous gift, Ms. Kenyon is able to turn what might be random imaginary-friend ranting into blockbuster bestseller material! Kudos to her. Read the full feature here.

Oh, and speaking of the League, check out the new trailer! It's pretty intense. Those people look like they mean business.

Tis the season for changing leaves, premature Christmas music, and lists. Boy oh boy do book people love lists. In the spirit of the season I come to you with a new one-- this time it's from Library Journal. The following six titles made their Best Books of 2009. Enjoy!

As always, thanks for reading. And everyone have a terrific Thanksgiving! Don't eat too much turkey -- you'll fall asleep during Uncle Hank's timeless stories!

It's for a new Bloomsbury book, The Union of Their Dreams. And it's outstanding.

Browse over here to witness its glory. There have been books about Cesar Chavez' movement before, but I've never seen one with supplementation like this. The site features excerpts and multimedia on the people featured in the book, as well as a Q&A with the author, and a link to the blog devoted to the book. But, because I'm a dork, the most interesting item to me is a link to the primary sources used in the researching of the book.

Over here, for instance, you'll find the PDF of a document from 1966 outlining the inhabitants and living conditions of people in the town of Delano, California. Pretty fascinating! Oh, the wonders of technology. I wish all nonfiction had the primary sources that easily examined.

I was going to put up a favorite picture of the day, but really I couldn't decide between these two. I mean, Brandon Sanderson posing with Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan's wife and editor. That's pretty awesome! BUT the other one has Talia Sherer & Virginia Stanley WEARING FEATHER BOAS. Which is equally amazing. I think this might be one of those chicken/egg, unsolvable dilemmas for the ages.

Is there anything cuter than that dog? I didn't think so either. And this dog is a military hero. Sort of. I wish I had thought of this one for Veterans' Day, but close enough, right?

Watch the interview below, it's very touching. Then recommend the book to your patrons!

Or is that just me? Please say it's not just me?"

So my friend and I were discussing possible Halloween costumes. This was before Halloween, of course. He said that him and his boyfriend should go dressed up as the 'third sex' from Plato's Symposium. The 'third sex' comes from a Greek myth stating that originally there were three sexes, and the third was a combination of man and woman, attached, so that male and female lovers would never have to be separated. And then something about a spiteful god tearing them apart, and from then on there were only the two sexes. Something about having to spend your life being reunited with the one you were torn from.

Apparently, Mike thought everyone would immediately get the irony, you know, that it was two men, instead of a man and a woman. I said that the bigger problem might be no one knowing the reference, including myself, and that I considered myself decently well read. He handed me Plato's Symposium, and I read it.

Thanks for humoring me that little story. There's really not much of a point to it. But I did think it interesting that all these wise, learned Greek dudes started their philosophizing by trying to decide whether or not they would be drinking wine while talking, as they were all still hung-over from the previous night's "philosophizing." I guess those ancient Greeks were a bit more down to earth than we give them credit for.

Mennonite In A Little Black Dress was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009. Congrats!

But not only is she a great memoirist -- she's also a great poet! One of my favorite magazines, POETRY, featured a poem of hers, which you can read here.

The following is an excerpt.

Awesome, right?

You might not have known it, but Talia knew that Hulk Hogan's new book, My Life Outside the Ring was destined to be a hulk of a hit. How does she have so much wisdom? We'll probably never know. Who would have thought that, because of the book, Hulk Hogan would be interviewed by the NYT book section. Some things really are stranger than fiction.

Hulk was just touring around NY, but unfortunately we missed his speech. Speech isn't strong enough a word -- we missed his performance. It was most assuredly epic, and we can only hope that it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Alt-Crafting Should Be A Genre because those sorts of titles seem to be all the rage. Earlier this season we had Home Rockanomics representing a spin on usual crafting titles, and this one is even more bizarre.

Introducing Things That Go Boom Or Fly, Float, and Zoom! Ok that's one hell of a mouthful -- all the more reason that kids will be rushing to grab this one off the shelf.

See that on the cover? That kid is launching something. That would have been right up my alley. As a kid I enjoyed launching many things, although it was usually from a Nerf gun (I think the cross bow was my favorite because it let me pretend I was in a fantasy novel).

What are you working on now?

I am only in the very earliest (as in sitting and staring) stages of pondering a new novel. I don’t know much yet except that it will be about two couples — I’m one of those people who starts with the tiniest thread and just starts writing, which leads to a lot of false starts but also to a lot of little moments that end up more fruitful than anything I’d come up with if I were really planning it out. After two rather dark novels, I’m dying to write something funny, something sharp and tart and light. But then again, ask me about these nascent characters in two months and I’ll probably admit that I’ve killed off half of them and devised the lingering deaths of the remainder.

Browse over here to read the full interview.

Which is quite fitting, as I'm reading Cherie Priest's Boneshaker (amazing!). Speaking of Cherie Priest, she's written an article for the blog about updating old clothes to be steam-punk appropriate, which could make a great library activity. If this does happen, please make sure to send me photos.

And below are a few different iterations of the Boneshaker cover. While I love the current cover to death, the other options were amazing as well. They made the final image available to use as a desktop background. Yep, I took advantage!

You made the first AAP Librarian Book Buzz a huge success! Of all those who RSVPed, only a handful didn't attend, which meant that we had Random House's cafe PACKED with librarians! And thank you for sitting through my nervous rambling! Next time I'll try segueing with a word other than "also." Hopefully we'll see you there next year!

Enough young stars to light up the night! All of the following were showcased in Library Journal's fall and winter debuts column. And they all received starred reviews. The full article is here.

Daughters of the Stone, Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa “This commanding exploration of women’s history will resonate with readers of strong African American feminist narratives like those of Toni Morrison and Ntozake Shange.” (LJ 9/1/09)

Mathilda Savitch, Victor Lodato “Engaging and humorous yet grappling with serious issues.” (LJ 8/09)

Rizzo’s War, Lou Manfredo “With McBain gone, there’s need for a quality New York City police procedural series.... Manfredo could fill the bill.” (LJ 8/09)

Servant of a Dark God, John Brown “A welcome addition to large-scale fantasy.” (LJ 9/15/09)

And without further ado, sink your fangs into this devilish first chapter of paranormal prep-school drama!

So while the last post was also about Macmillan awards, I had NO IDEA that this next one would be too! But what do you expect, librarians!? Macmillan had more finalists nominated than any other publisher! I promise I'm not gloating. Really. Ok maybe a little. But anyway, these books are amazing, and I highly recommend you give them a read! Actually, who cares what I think? That's what the National Book Foundation thinks!

I'm about to run home and read Speak Low! It is an ARC sitting on my bookshelf that I never got to. See, I read something other than fantasy! I'm a big poetry fan too!

YA Awards!

Thank you VOYA, for rounding up all of the recent YA awards. I'm sure there are many of you that don't subscribe to VOYA, so I'll offer a quick recap of Macmillan titles.

Eisner Awards--Best Reality-Based Work (acknowledges the best and brightest in the comic-book industry): What It Is, by Lynda Barry

The Hal Clement Award (one of he three Golden Duck Awards for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature): Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow

Kamkwamba, William Kamkwamba

William grew up in Malawi. He'd often skip out on school. Bad William!

Oh wait, what was that? You weren't in school because your country was experiencing massive famines, and your government had other, more pressing goals? You got your hands on a book that, despite your poor English, you tried to absorb, mostly sticking to pictures and diagrams? And you used those diagrams to build your town's first windmill, a contraption most people had never heard/seen of, and thought you were crazy -- "smoking too much marijuana" -- for attempting to build?

Whew! Well then! I guess we can let you off the hook then, William!

That story and more was featured on The Daily Show. Jon Stewart does the best interviews--I really have to reserve tickets to one of his shows!

Oh, and the story of William's windmill building, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, is a HarperCollins title, I haven't been able to read it myself yet. But if Jon Stewart says it's amazing, I think it probably is. Hey Harper friends, you know where I work, send me a copy please! I'll owe ya one!

Wolf Hall Wins Booker Prize!

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, the title Early Word called the "bookie's favorite," just won the prestigious Booker Prize!

The Guardian has put together an excellent podcast discussing the event, which includes a reading by Mantel.

Have YOU heard about Tor.com?

Tor.com is a blog about SciFi and Fantasy, but not just in the bookish sense. It's designed for the consumer of the genres, and understands that while those people are novel readers, they're also TV watchers, movie goers, and gamers.

Because the blog isn't directly tied to Tor Books, they discuss books from competitors as well. They've even (gasp!) given negative reviews to Tor books! And they just published their first book, Years Best Fantasy 9.

Bibliophile Stalker just ran interview with Tor.com Producer Pablo Defendini. It's a great interview; here's an excerpt!

Before I proceed, maybe you could tell us more about Tor.com?

That’s correct—Tor.com is actually an initiative of Macmillan’s (Tor Books’ parent company) ‘Digital Marketing’ Department, which is the department I belong to now, officially. As such, I’m an employee of Macmillan, not Tom Doherty Associates, which is Tor Books’ corporate name. It’s a fine distinction which takes advantage of the already-convoluted corporate ownership structures of the publishing industry, but for all practical purposes, it works to separate me from Tor Books, and allows me to engage with people from all over SF/F fandom and industry.

Are there any rabid SciFi or Fantasy fans at your library? If so, ask them if they've heard of Tor.com -- there's a good chance they'll love it!

I read a lot of epic fantasy, epic and otherwise, so you could say that I’m fairly discerning. With that in mind, I’m not going to feel too guilty about shamelessly gushing over this book. Put simply, Ken Scholes’ Lamentation is one of the best fantasies I’ve read in a while. Why? Because to me, great fantasies require two pieces to be executed excellently: conflicted compelling characters, and political intrigue. Oh, perhaps I forgot a third? I can’t abide monolithic evil; the antagonists have to be understandably motivated. But that’s what makes them compelling, no? While otherwise excellent, the ‘ancient, unreasoning and hateful evil’ in Jordan’s Wheel of Time series just didn’t draw me in.

The stage is set with the destruction of a city, Windwir. It was the seat of the Androfrancine Order, a sort of secular religious group that explored the ruins of a long-gone civilization, doling out discovered techno-magic as they thought the rest of the world was ready to handle it. Vying to determine who destroyed the city are multiple factions, and war breaks out as an innocent nation is charged with the deed by a new, suspiciously convenient Pope.

The story asks some difficult questions, including the age old “Do the ends justify the means?” Usually we say never, but what if the alternative is the destruction of the whole continent? Also played out are familial loyalties, and just how far they can be strained.

I just finished Lamentation today on my lunch break. Talia was nice enough to ferret out the sequel, which is just about to be released. I know it’s a big publishing no-no, but I can’t help it! I’m going to start the sequel, Canticle, in fifteen minutes, on the train-ride home.

It's Interview Time!

So what an odd coincidence that I came across this interview! It just so happens that the last book I read was Jay Lake's Green, and I'm currently reading Ken Scholes' Lamentation! And here is Lake interviewing Scholes about Lamentation! Check out these two great fantasists chatting it up!

National Reading Group Month's Great Group Reads

Well isn't that a mouthful!? But, as it's the choice of National Reading Group Month, it's worthy of repetition. And it's been sponsored by the Women's National Book Association. Lucky us, they picked three Picador titles! If you're wondering about the criteria for reading group books, they're supposed to "open up lively conversations about a host of timely and provocative topics, from the intimate dynamics of family and personal relationships to major cultural and world issues."

Without further ado, this year's official reading group books from Picador are

• Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
• Cost by Roxana Robinson
• Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

I hope your patrons' existing reading groups will love these titles, or perhaps National Reading Group Month will inspire the formation of new reading groups. To help out, NRGM has organized the reading group guides for you over here. Happy reading!

The Odyssey Remixed

Imagine taking something people love, and messing with it. Not your idea of a good time either? That's exactly what Zachary Mason did with his debut novel, The Lost Books of the Odyssey. But, thank goodness, he got it right. And those are Publishers Weekly words, not mine. "Mason's fantastic first novel, a deft reimagining of Homer's Odyssey, begins with the story as we know it before altering the perspective or fate of the characters in subsequent short-story like chapters."

Apparently librarians love the book too! The NYPL has named Zachary Mason a finalist for their Young Lions of Fiction award! Congratulations! He's on the left in the photo below.

I'm pretty eager to dive into this book. I was raised half Jewish, half Lutheran, but neither parents were especially fervent. However, my mom taught high school English and Greek Mythology, so the Odyssey and other myths were my bedtime stories. It was probably those stories that developed my love for fantasy. Speaking of which, my review for Lamentation will be here very shortly. I'm coming up to the end, and loving every page!

I'd like to apologize for the lack of cat-related content of late. I really dropped the ball on that one. I hope this post will more than make up for it!

Lots of people think the training of pets only applies to dogs. And maybe a few spoken words for birds. But they're wrong. And the proof is in our new book, You CAN Train Your Cat! It's written by Gregory Popovich, a man trained at the Moscow Circus School. Sure, he was great at juggling, but he wanted to do more! So, the short version is he took a trip to the animal shelter, rescued 26 cats, and together they perform daily in Vegas!

For a less condensed version, check out the October issue of Cat Fancy. I have a feeling the people over there know a bit about cats, so their praise is high indeed!

But that's not the only pre-pub publicity this book has gained! Feline Wellness reviewed the book, calling it "Both informative and revealing, this guide is the perfect addition to any cat or kitten guardian's bookshelf." The title will be available 10-13-2009. It will make a perfect addition to every collection, or, perhaps an early Christmas present for you! You've earned it.

What's that you say? You can't wait a month to get started on training your cat? Ok, well I found an excellent blog post on the subject over here. I hope that holds you over!

Lesa Holstine HEARTS our paperbacks!

Beloved librarian, fabulous blogger, and wonder-woman, Lesa Holstine of Lesa's Book Critiques, has great news to share about Minotaur's paperback progam! Check out her post here. You'll also find lots of lively comments about paperbacks lasting longer in the libraries than hardcovers... Longer lasting + cheaper = win/win, no?

Congrats to Louise Penny!

Publishers Weekly agrees with B&N that this is a fantastic title! They gave it a starred review, stating "Readers keen for another glimpse into the life of Three Pines will be rewarded."

Want to learn more about prolific thriller writer Louise Penny? Check out her website!

Makers, by Cory Doctorow

Not only was Doctorow's Little Brother a huge success, but it appears the speculative fiction author has struck gold again! Usually Publishers Weekly isn't so effusive in their compliments, but wow!

"A tour de force..The result is bitingly realistic and miraculously avoids cliché or predictability.." Oh, and "Doctorow's combination of business strategy, brilliant product ideas and laugh-out-loud moments of insight will keep readers powering through this quick-moving tale." The full review is over here.

Don't have the book yet? No worries! One of our sister sites, Tor.com, is serializing the entire novel. For free. So stroll over here to get a taste of the book so many are raving about!

Green is a girl with problems. Big problems. And it shows. After being sold off by her father at the age of four, she's taken to a distant land with unfamiliar customs and language, Copper Downs. I'd complain too. Seen as a “blank slate,” she’s raised to be an educated and elegant plaything of The Duke, a demigod who has ruled Copper Downs for 400 years. Green isn't exactly thrilled by those plans, and she vows to adjust them.

And as could be expected of any strong protagonist, Green is mad. She is mad at the man who bought her from her father, even though he’s one of the few who show her kindness. She’s mad at her teachers who beat her when she’s disobedient. And she struggles to be mad at her father, whose motives for selling her she never quite can, or won’t allow herself to, understand.

Over the course of her training Green had forgotten her birth name. When she was deemed "ready," her owners give her the name Emerald. Never having known the word in her native tongue, she calls herself a word she remembers, Green. When she realizes how fully wretched her life is about to become, she slashes her face, ruining her precious beauty--her escape from her captors is bloody, and the blood is not only hers.

Green is about finding home and fulfillment. After she escapes her isolated life of rigid training, she flees across the sea to find the home she was taken from years earlier. She doesn’t quite find what she is looking for, as she realizes she’s more a creature of Copper Downs than her birth-home, Selistan.

Both adults and older teens will love this title. The low-fantasy setting will attract non-fantasy readers – there’s not much spellcasting here, just all-too-real deities that squabble for power leaving mortals strewn about in their wake. Slight problems with pacing make the book feel episodic at times; it could probably have been expanded slightly and turned into two books. However, one of the most compelling heroes I’ve read about easily compensates, which makes this an excellent book I’ll certainly be recommending. Oh and, the cover! Just look at that gorgeous cover!

No one likes job hunting, and unfortunately, in the recession, people are having to do a lot more of it. So help cheer up your patrons by providing them with a wealth of career-advice books. Books on how to find a job aren't exactly one-size-fits-all, so here are a few different titles that might have flown under your radar!

The Draining Lake: “A book as subtle and moving as it is suspenseful.”—The Wall Street Journal

The Killing Circle: “If Pyper scripted our collective nightmares, we'd all be dreaming and screaming. . . Gorgeously written and thoroughly unnerving.”—The New York Times Book Review

Risk: “Colin Harrison writes shrewd thrillers that probe the far reaches of New York society. . . . An uncommonly astute writer.”—The Seattle Times

Crafting Titles for Fall!

In a quick roundup, it looks like the author of Loom Knitting was excited to get her copy of Loom Knitting Socks. I hope she posts the first pair she makes!

The author of InterKnit Cafe calls Natural Nursery Knits "beautiful" and displays some of the work at her blog. Cute kid, too!

However, I (Ben) was unable to find any blog coverage for Home Rockanomics, which I finds very distressing. Who ISN'T eager to unleash their inner Gwen Stefani/ Martha Stewart mashup? I sure am! I'll make sure to post pictures of my "tattoo parlor wall painting" when I'm done! Until then, the author has created a site! Maybe I'll get started early. Oh, and it looks like the site has an excellent forum with lots of lively discussion!

Welcome to Midvale Prep School, where girls battle problems all to familiar.

"The teens of Midvale Prep are back again. After Molly and Gid break up, she switches amazingly from being inside his head to entering the thoughts of his new girlfriend, Pilar Benitz-Jones. As in the other series titles, pot smoking, drinking, and sex form much of the drama, but this entry adds more depth as Molly and Gid almost lose their scholarships, and Molly gradually realizes that even beautiful, rich girls have huge insecurities. The tongue-in-cheek humor, posh prep-school lifestyle, and teen romantic angst make this perhaps the most enjoyable and believable chapter in the lives of Midvale's preppies." --Booklist

In some ways, your book might be said to be a tragic love story built on a spy novel structure. Thoughts?

That's definitely true. I was heavily influenced by what le Carré had done in The Constant Gardener. That was a book about corrupt business practices in East Africa, but it was a very moving love story as well. I wanted to try to replicate that in Typhoon.

Read the full Publishers Weekly interview here.

Publishers Weekly just published an interview with author Barbara Ehrenreich about her new book, Bright-Sided.

Given what you say about Oprah, do you think she'll invite you on the show?

I've been on Oprah twice, and the second time, I talked back to her. She was saying that poor women just have to think positively, and I disagreed. She's fascinating, but there's no escaping that she's done a lot to promote this line of thinking that we can pull ourselves out of poverty with our attitude. I take Larry King to task for the same thing, so yes, I think I have destroyed my opportunities for public appearances. But the Daily Show called me!

Click here for the full interview!

Get With the Flow!

Who doesn't love book trailers? At first I was going to say "Maybe people who don't like books?" but I think lots of book trailers appeal specifically to them! So, hopefully everyone loves book trailers. And this one is no exception. So, experience Flow, at least in the bookish sense.

Have a question for the author? Chat her up on twitter!

The Babelicious Beauty Killer... has her own website!?

Talia On The Hulk: I have many embarrassing vices. Eating cupcakes (from a truck), inhaling frozen snickers bars (alone in my apartment), and drooling over puppy dogs and kittens are all very very embarrassing. But, my number one most embarrassing vice is my obsession with celebrity gossip. I visit People.com and PerezHilton daily. (Never never never while in the office. Come on!)

So when I heard that we were publishing Hulk Hogan’s memoir MY LIFE OUTSIDE THE RING, I begged for the manuscript. I had Mickey Rourke’s "The Wrestler" on the brain and thought Hulk might deliver a similar story – and you know what – he did well sorta – with a little more glamour, glitz and a few more self-help books thrown in.

Hulkamania, yellow tights, steroids, leg drops, muscle tears, stabbings by trophy, surprise pregnancies, 12 million dollar homes, suicide attempts... “Brother,” I just kept turning the pages!