Ocean County Library Book Club Buzz Titles

Ocean County Library Book Club Buzz Titles

Did you know that October is National Reading Group Month? It’s true! This weekend, Anne will participate in Ocean County Library’s “Book Discussion Leaders Tea” event where she’ll share these book club picks: Bestsellers THE NIGHTINGALE and THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah THE SELLOUT by Paul Beatty COME SUNDOWN by Nora Roberts Literary THEY Know More » […]

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2015 Community Reads Recommendations

2015 Community Reads Recommendations

Although our Academic Marketing division created the “Books for the First-Year Experience” for colleges and universities, we strongly believe that the titles featured in this catalog foster the sort of discussion and self-reflection that make library-led, city-wide reading programs so memorable.  The updated catalog for 2015 is now available and features titles such as: ON Know More » […]

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Monday Fun Day with Audio (and Free Stuff!)

Monday Fun Day with Audio (and Free Stuff!)

opens in a new windowNine Inches jacket opens in a new windowStill Foolin Em jacketInfernoAre you in Olympic withdrawal like we are after watching the closing ceremony last night? Don't worry. Our friends at Macmillan Audio have the perfect cure with their second annual LISTEN WHILE YOU WORK OUT campaign, plus a chance to win a Fitbit Flex!

You can join the challenge at macmillanaudio.com/workout and report how many minutes you listened while being active. Enter your time daily, weekly, or whenever you want, but the more often you report, the better chance you'll have to show up in the Top Listeners leaderboard, updated every Monday. Then enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a Fitbit Flex or a prize pack of five audiobooks on CD.

Newsday did a feature on Listen While You Work Out and more media coverage is still to come from Self Magazine (March issue), Fitness Magazine, Teen Vogue, and the Chicago Tribune!

Want to listen to some samples before joining in? Why not start with these Audie-Award nominated titles from Macmillan Audio (more titles available on SoundCloud):

THE RITHMATIST by Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by Michael Kramer (Fantasy category)

THE GOOD HOUSE by Ann Leary
Narrated by Mary Beth Hurt (Fiction category)

JACOB’S OATH by Martin Fletcher
Narrated by George Guidall (Fiction category)

THE HOUR OF PERIL by Daniel Stashower
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini (History category)

STILL FOOLIN’ ‘EM by Billy Crystal (Grammy-nominee for Best Spoken Word Album!)
Narrated by Billy Crystal (Humor and Narration by the Author categories)

RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman
Narrated by Judy Kaye (Mystery category)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
Narrated by Arthur Bishop (Nonfiction category)

REVIVER by Seth Patrick
Narrated by Ari Fliakos (Paranormal category)

INFERNO by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Narrated by Holter Graham (Paranormal category)

EXTINCTION MACHINE by Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by Ray Porter (Science Fiction category)

NINE INCHES by Tom Perrotta
Narrated by William Dufris, Andi Arndt, Tom Perrotta, and Rupert Degas (Short Stories/Collections category)

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2013 National Book Critics Awards Finalists

2013 National Book Critics Awards Finalists

The National Book Critics Circle has named the finalists for its best books of 2013 and Macmillan is thrilled to have nine nominees from Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Bloomsbury!  

FICTION
SOMEONE by Alice McDermott

NONFICTION
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer

POETRY
METAPHYSICAL DOG by Frank Bidart

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
THE BOOK OF MY LIVES by Aleksandar Hemon
MEN WE REAPED by Jesmyn Ward

BIOGRAPHY
HOLDING ON UPSIDE DOWN: The Life and Work of Marianne Moore by Linda Leavell

CRITICISM
THE KRAUS PROJECT: Essays by Karl Kraus, translated and annotated by Jonathan Franzen
FORTY-ONE FALSE STARTS: Essays on Artists and Writers by Janet Malcolm

Click here to view the full list of nominees. Winners will be announced in a ceremony on Thursday, March 13, at 6:00 pm EST. Congratulations to all nominees! 

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Best Books of 2013!

Best Books of 2013!

We've had an amazing year in books and are thrilled to be represented on so many Best of 2013 lists. Here's a look at the highlights:
BOOKLIST

Arts & Literature
     IN THE BODY OF THE WORLD by Eve Ensler

Biography
     JACK LONDON by Earle Labor

Health & Medicine
     IN THE KINGDOM OF THE SICK by Laurie Edwards

History
     THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel 

Social Sciences
     EBONY AND IVY by Craig Steven Wilder
     GOSPEL OF FREEDOM by Jonathan Rieder
     HOPE AGAINST HOPE by Sarah Carr
     IN THE NAME OF GOD by Cameron Stauth
     THE UNWINDING by George Packer

Adult Books for Young Adults
  
     A CHANCE TO WIN by Jonathan Schuppe
     THE GAMAL by Ciarán Collins

Books for Youth 
     ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell
     IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch

Audio for Adults
 
     HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny

 

KIRKUS REVIEWS 

Best Fiction
     LOOKAWAY, LOOKAWAY by Wilton Barnhardt
     BOX OFFICE POISON by Phillipa Bornikova
     GHOSTS OF BUNGO SUIDO by P.T. Deutermann
     MIDNIGHT by Kevin Egan
     JEEVES AND THE WEDDING BELLS by Sebastian Faulks
     HAVISHAM by Ronald Frame
     TRANSCENDENTAL by James Gunn
     GOOD PEOPLE by Ewart Hutton
     SOMEONE by Alice McDermott  
     THE NIGHT GUEST by Fiona McFarlane
     SOMETHING MORE THAN NIGHT by Ian Tregillis
     THE LAND ACROSS by Gene Wolfe
     QUEEN VICTORIA’S BOOK OF SPELLS by Ellen Datlow 

Best Teen 
     ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell 

Best Nonfiction  
     THE GUNS AT LAST LIGHT by Rick Atkinson
     REPORT FROM THE INTERIOR by Paul Auster
     SHOUTING WON'T HELP by Katherine Bouton
     MORTAL SINS by Michael D'Antonio
     THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
     THE SEARCHERS by Glenn Frankel
     THE GREAT DISSENT by Thomas Healy
     THE BOOK OF MY LIVES by Aleksandar Hemon
     THE BROTHERS by Stephen Kinzer
     A FORT OF NINE TOWERS by Qais Akbar Omar
     THE UNWINDING by George Packer
     MEN WE REAPED by Jesmyn Ward
     EBONY AND IVY by Craig Steven Wilder

 

LIBRARY JOURNAL

Top 10 Best Books of 2013   
     THE SEARCHERS by Glenn Frankel 

More of the Best 
     JACK LONDON by Earle Labor
     OWNING THE EARTH by Andro Linklater

Best Books 2013: Memoir 
     HER by Christa Parravani

Best Books 2013: Consumer Health 
     MIDLIFE EATING DISORDERS by Cynthia M. Bulik 

Best Books 2013: Sci-Tech  
     BUG MUSIC by David Rothenberg

Best Books 2013: Audio  
     LOOKAWAY, LOOKAWAY by Wilton Barnhardt
     HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Top 10 Best Books of 2013  
     MEN WE REAPED by Jesmyn Ward  

Best Fiction  
     PERCIVAL EVERETT BY VIRGINIA RUSSELL by Virgil Russell
     SOMEONE by Alice McDermott

Best Mystery  
     HOUR OF THE RED GOD by Richard Crompton
     HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny
     ENIGMA OF CHINA by Qiu Xiaolong

Best Poetry  
     METAPHYSICAL DOG by Frank Bidart
     INCARNADINE by Mary Szybist

Best SF/Fantasy/Horror  
     TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SCIENCE FICTION, edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden
     VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab

Best Comics
     THE PROPERTY by Rutu Modan

Best Nonfiction  
     MEN WE REAPED by Jesmyn Ward
     MORTAL SINS by Michael D'Antonio
     THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
     FORTY-ONE FALSE STARTS by Janet Malcolm
     SCARCITY by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir
     THE UNWINDING by George Packer

Best Children's Fiction  
     ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

Best Religion  
     MY BRIGHT ABYSS by Christian Wiman


SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL  

Best Fiction
     ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell
     FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

LibraryReads logoAnd here are all of our LibraryReads’ selections from 2013:

September list 
     #1: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
     #2: HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny

November list
     #2: THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS by Julia Spencer-Fleming
     #8: THE RAVEN'S EYE by Barry Maitland

December list 
     #7: DANGEROUS WOMEN, edited by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois
     #9: THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING by Olivia Laing

While it's not technically a "Best of 2013" list, NPR's Book Concierge is definitely a collection of favorites throughout the year. 

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Veteran’s Day!

Veteran’s Day!

In honor of Veteran’s Day we’d like to share with you poignant novels and war-time accounts from award-winning authors:

THE GOOD SOLDIERS and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
In these companion works, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Finkel chronicles the Iraq War through the eyes of the soldiers of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion. Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, and many more, THE GOOD SOLDIERS is a new classic on war. In THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, Finkel reconnects with the men of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion and follows them as they returned home and struggle to reintegrate into their family lives and into American society at large. As with THE GOOD SOLDIERS, it's received outstanding reviews and critical attention.

SPARTA by Roxana Robinson
In Robinson's novel, a young man drawn by the appeal of furthering a long tradition of honor, courage, and commitment enlists to serve in the Iraq War. Upon his return home four years later, he finds it nearly impossible to adjust to "normal" life and fears that the bitterness and rage he's festering will cause irreparable damage when it comes out.

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: An Oral History of New York City's Vietnam Veterans by Philip F. Napoli
In the spirit of Tom Brokaw’s THE GREATEST GENERATION, Napoli’s collection of oral histories from New York’s Vietnam vets humanizes the men and women who sacrificed for our country in a deeply troubling war. "Riveting... BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME crackles with the kind of extraordinary voices Studs Terkel mined from ordinary people." – New York Daily News

MARSHLANDS by Matthew Olshan
In his first novel for adults, Olshan reveals the story of a prisoner who was formerly a doctor in a culture virtually snuffed out under Saddam Hussein. Transcending fiction, MARSHLANDS is a gripping and deeply moral investigation into our own history as occupiers and the myths we spin around it. [...]

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Happy #BookBday (10/1/13 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (10/1/13 Edition)

Cue the music: ♫♪♫♫♪ Da na na na na NAH, You say it's your Birthday! Da na na na na NAH, It's my Birthday, too! ♫♪♫♫♪ 
OK, not really, but maybe we just wanted some cake. Today we wish a very happy #BookBday to:

THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET by Archer Mayor
To mark the 25th anniversary of a long-running, critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series, Archer Mayor has written one of his best Joe Gunther books. An October Indie Next pick, THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET involves a complex case with two corpses, one escaped mental patient, and a long-held secret that binds them together.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE by David Finkel
MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Finkel’s new book about life after war picks up with the same men he chronicled in his previous book, THE GOOD SOLDIERS. With three starred pre-publication reviews, such as this one from Booklist, it's not to be missed: "It is impossible not to be moved, outraged, and saddened by these stories, and Finkel’s deeply personal brand of narrative journalism is both heart-breaking and gut-wrenching in its unflinching honesty."

THE NIGHT GUEST by Fiona McFarlane
McFarlane's debut novel about trust, dependence, and fear centers on a widowed woman living outside an isolated beach town and the mysterious government care worker she admits into her home. Not only is it an Indie Next pick, it's also an Indies Introduce title--making it one of the ten best debuts of Fall 2013. "This book is at once a beautifully imagined portrait of isolation and an unsettling psychological thriller." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

Before we blow the candles out and dig in, don't forget there's an Early Word Galley Chat today! Join us at 4pm EST using the hashtag #ewgc. See you there!

Cat book bday

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Starred Reviews for Thank You for Your Service

Starred Reviews for Thank You for Your Service

Where do soldiers belong after their homecoming? 

In THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Finkel reconnects with the men of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion—the same men whose tour he shadowed during the Iraq War as chronicled in his previous book, THE GOOD SOLDIERS.

Now Finkel has followed them as they’ve returned home and struggled to reintegrate into their family lives and into American society at large. 

PW star and box"In a series of interconnected stories, Finkel follows a handful of soldiers and their spouses through the painful, sometimes-fatal process of reintegration into American society. The author gives a cleareyed, frightening portrayal of precisely what it is like to suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury and what it is like to have the specter of suicide whispering into your ear every day." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Told in crisp, unsentimental prose and supplemented with excerpts from soldiers’ diaries, medical reports, e-mails, and text messages, their stories give new meaning to the costs of service—and to giving thanks." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"It is impossible not to be moved, outraged, and saddened by these stories, and Finkel’s deeply personal brand of narrative journalism is both heart-breaking and gut-wrenching in its unflinching honesty." —Booklist (starred review)

Get whitelisted to download your review copy now.

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