Reviews and Publicity

Best Cat Book EVER!

Best Cat Book EVER!

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Anne Spieth

Best Cat Book Ever jacketAre you bummed because it's Monday? Well, we've got the perfect pick-me-up: THE BEST CAT BOOK EVER: Super-Amazing, 100% Awesome by Kate Funk!

Do you like cats?
Do you really, really like cats?
Do you like cats who look like they are seriously pissed off?
Do you like cats who are seriously pissed off AND dressed in hilarious costumes?
Are you impressed by this photographer’s ability to get her cat to pose as such things as an abominable snowman, Medusa, a jazzercise instructor, and a dinosaur?

AC jazzercise

angel devil ac

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you clearly have no soul, and should probably leave. If you answered “yes” to these questions—you’re in luck, because this book has all of those things, and more!

We love Kate Funk's furry sidekick AC so much that we've put him in our recent Booklist ads (Look for him at ALA Annual, too!). 

If you're desperate to get your paws on more AC goodness, we can send you a postcard booklet—email Anne for a copy. Enjoy!

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Critters & Crime…

Critters & Crime…

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Anne Spieth
To continue our celebration of Booklist's Mystery Month, meet the many cats and dogs dutifully serving alongside our favorite detectives! 

Booklist crime & critters ad 

Team #Meow

THE CAT SITTER'S NINE LIVES by Blaize & John Clement
Pet-sitter and amateur sleuth Dixie Hemingway is back in this ninth installment of Blaize Clement's beloved cozy mystery series, now written by her son John. Dixie rescues a man from a car accident, and a day later strange things start to happen—the man she rescued claims to be Dixie's husband, a bookstore owner and his cat vanish, and a mysterious phone call from a new client lures her to a crumbling, abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town.

BLOOD RUBIES by Jane Cleland
In the ninth book in Cleland's mystery series featuring amateur sleuth/antiques appraiser Josie Prescott, celebrity chef Ana Yartsin—known for her Fabergé egg-shaped cakes, as well as the Fabergé Spring Egg snow globe—is planning the desserts for her friend Heather and Jason's upcoming wedding. When Josie arrives to appraise the snow globe, she finds it smashed and Jason dead.
Meet Jane Cleland at ALA Annual!

DOING IT AT THE DIXIE DEW by Ruth Moose
Winner of the Malice Domestic Competition for Best First Traditional Mystery Novel, Moose's Southern cozy features Beth McKenzie, a proprietor of a bed and breakfast called The Dixie Dew, where guests are being murdered.

THE BEST CAT BOOK EVER! by Kate Funk
OK, OK, it's not a mystery…. But it’s hilarious. 

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Booklist’s Best Crime

Booklist’s Best Crime

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Anne Spieth
May is Mystery Month over at Booklist and to celebrate they’ve put together “Best of” reading lists with loads of Macmillan titles! 
Best Crime Novels

Top 10 Crime Fiction

THE CAIRO AFFAIR by Olen Steinhauer
Steinhauer follows his acclaimed Milo Weaver trilogy with a stand-alone that is as emotionally rich as it is layered with intrigue. A career diplomat is shot dead in Budapest in front of his disbelieving wife, who is determined to find out why. This complex tale leaves us with the feeling that, despite all the information won, lost, hoarded, and put to use, the world of intelligence is no stronger than the fragile, fallible human beings who navigate it.

HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has a new case involving the murder of the last surviving sister of quintuplets, a woman with ties to Three Pines, the idyllic, off-the-grid village outside Montreal where several of Gamache’s previous adventures have been set. The novel not only puts Gamache in harm’s way but also exposes Three Pines to defilement—a cozy setting under attack from a decidedly hard-boiled world. Another bravura performance from the magnificent Penny.

THE ORPHAN CHOIR by Sophie Hannah
Teetering on the edge of sanity, Louise Beeston retreats to a country home in England, hoping to escape the haunting choir music she hears continually. This riveting stand-alone, in which suspense snowballs to a climax that is all the more dire for its everyday contemporary English setting, is absolutely haunting, in every sense of the word.

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Books BY Librarians

Books BY Librarians

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Anne Spieth
We love books (duh). And we love librarians (umm, duh!). So that means we double-love these books by librarians (and you should, too):

FATAL ENQUIRY by Will Thomas
Thomas's Barker & Llewellyn series, set in Victoria’s England, have won him a devoted following and his latest has the duo trying to figure out a reluctant ally's real motives. “Recommended for historical mysteries enthusiasts, Anglophiles, and Sherlockians. Fans of Alex Grecian, Anthony Horowitz, and Charles Todd should take special note.” — Library Journal, starred review

Thomas works as a librarian in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

CRADLE TO GRAVE by Eleanor Kuhns
On sale June 17, 2014
In the “intriguing” (Publishers Weekly) third entry in the late-18th-century historical mystery series, Will Rees is stunned to learn a Shaker friend of his has been accused of kidnapping and murder.

Kuhns is the 2011 winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition. She is currently the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York.

Edelweiss button E-galley available on Edelweiss

SWAY by Kat Spears
On sale September 16, 2014
In this hilarious and often poignant debut YA, a young man who avoids emotional connection at all costs, is forced to open his heart when he meets the girl of his dreams in this Cyrano De Bergerac story with a modern twist.

Spears works at the Library of Virginia where she organizes author appearances and other literary events.  

Edelweiss button E-galley available on Edelweiss

MURDER AT THE BRIGHTWELL by Ashley Weaver
On sale October 14, 2014
An exquisite seaside resort, an eccentric group of British aristocrats on holiday, and rich 1930s detail lay the setting for this fantastic Golden Age–style debut mystery by young librarian Weaver. “An elegant Christie-esque 1930s romp that will delight fans of Rhys Bowen's Lady Georgie series with its wit, charm, and strong independent heroine. With its dash of romance, Amory Ames and her rakish husband Milo might just be the new Nick and Nora Charles.” — New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie

Weaver is the branch manager at Oberlin, the headquarters branch of the Allen Parish Libraries in Louisiana.

Edelweiss button E-galley available on Edelweiss

 

If you're going to ALA Annual, don't miss Will Thomas, Kat Spears, and Ashley Weaver on the “I’m a Librarian! NO! I’m an Author! NO! I’m a Librarian AND an Author” panel!

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Happy #BookBday (5/13/14 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (5/13/14 Edition)

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Anne Spieth
We've got great new books for all kinds of readers today:

THE WITCH OF BELLADONNA BAY by Suzanne Palmieri
In Palmieri's follow-up to THE WITCH OF LITTLE ITALY, Bronwyn is forced to return home to Magnolia Creek, Alabama to unravel the mysteries surrounding the murder her brother has been convicted for. “Palmieri’s second magical family mystery is steeped in a vibrant mix of Southern charm and gothicism. A fascinating look at magic, mystery, family and love with a Southern gothic flair.” — Kirkus Reviews

SNOW IN MAY by Kseniya Melnik
A remote Siberian town with a darkly fascinating history teems with life in this luminous linked debut collection. “The Russian port town of Magadan, a former threshold into the Stalin-era gulags, links the characters in Melnik’s gorgeous debut collection of short stories. Achingly beautiful, this collection signals a writer to watch.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

ENDURING COURAGE: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed by John F. Ross
With impeccable research, Ross tells the gripping true story of Eddie Rickenbacker, a man who overcame his father’s violent death, a debilitating handicap, and accusations of being a German spy to become the most celebrated flying ace of WWI. “Obviously this is exciting material to work with—after all, Rickenbacker was a man who drove in the first Indy 500 and dueled with the Red Baron’s flying circus—but Ross is never fawning in this thoroughly enjoyable and downright rollicking read.” — Booklist, starred & boxed review  

THE HOLLOW GROUND by Natalie S. Harnett
Set amongst the deadly coal mine fires of 1960s Pennsylvania, this extraordinary debut tells the coming-of-age story of Brigid Howley, a young girl struggling to keep her family together despite the "curse" laid upon them generations earlier. “Brigid is no ordinary hard-luck heroine; her voice rings true, offering a matter-of-fact telling that never falls into self-pity or melodrama. Set against the 1960s Pennsylvania coal mine fires, this debut novel is a dark and rewarding read.”
— Library Journal

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2014 Locus Award finalists

2014 Locus Award finalists

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Anne Spieth
The Locus Science Fiction Foundation has announced the top five finalists in each category of the 2014 Locus Awards and Tor Books has a strong showing! 

Best Novella
“The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin (DANGEROUS WOMEN)

Best Short Story
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie (DANGEROUS WOMEN) 

Best Anthology
QUEEN VICTORIA’S BOOK OF SPELLS, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION: Thirtieth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois

Best Publisher
Tor

Best Editor
John Joseph Adams
Ellen Datlow
Gardner Dozois
Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

The winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 27-29, 2014. See the complete list of awards and finalists here. Congratulations to the nominees!

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Friday Reads: Wedding Edition

Friday Reads: Wedding Edition

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Anne Spieth
Wedding season has arrived and to celebrate, we’ve made a list of our favorite nuptial-friendly Friday Reads — for you and your betrothed:

Talia made sure to...

SAVE THE DATE by Mary Kay Andrews
In bestseller Andrews' latest, Cara Kryzik is on the verge of becoming the go-to wedding florist in Savannah, even though she doesn't believe in love. But when the bride spirals into a crisis and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must come to the rescue and figure out what she believes in. “A deft mixture of romance and humor in a story featuring a likable protagonist and cute critters: It’s a date Andrews fans won’t want to miss.” — Kirkus Reviews

Anne is fondly remembering her many trips down the aisle as a bridesmaid with…

THE BRIDESMAIDS: True Tales of Love, Envy, Loyalty...and Terrible Dresses by Eimear Lynch & Hanya Yanagihara
In this uproarious oral history, editor, journalist, and five-time ’maid Eimear shares stories that are by turns heartfelt, funny, scandalous, and sometimes downright strange. An ode to the good, the bad, and the strapless chiffon, THE BRIDESMAIDS is “an intimate oral history of the silly, funny and lovely aspects of being a bridesmaid.” — Kirkus Reviews

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2014 PEN Award Nominees

2014 PEN Award Nominees

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Anne Spieth
The 2014 PEN Awards longlist was recently announced and we're pleased to have several nominated titles:

PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize
A HISTORY OF THE PRESENT ILLNESS by Louise Aronson

PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
FORTY-ONE FALSE STARTS: Essays on Artists and Writers by Janet Malcolm
THE KRAUS PROJECT by Jonathan Franzen

PEN/E.O.Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
FRANKENSTEIN'S CAT by Emily Anthes 

PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography
HOLDING ON UPSIDE DOWN: The Life and Work of Marianne Moore by Linda Leavell
AMERICAN MIRROR: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Deborah Solomon
ROTH UNBOUND: A Writer and His Books by Claudia Roth Pierpont 

PEN ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting
MONSTERS: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Rich Cohen 

PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
IMPROMPTUS: Selected Poems and Some Prose by Gottfried Benn, translated by Michael Hofmann 

The shortlisted titles will be announced on June 17 and the winners will be announced on July 30 and honored at the PEN Literary Awards Ceremony on September 29 at The New School.

For more information and to see the full longlist, click here.

Congratulations to the nominees! 

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Happy #BookBday (5/6/14 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (5/6/14 Edition)

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Anne Spieth
What a lovely day for a #BookBday! Today we celebrate:

THE SNOW QUEEN by Michael Cunningham
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's latest novel about the complex dynamics between a couple and a brother and a mysterious light in the sky received two starred reviews and “at its heart...is about family, and how we reconcile our closest human relationships with our innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears.” (Publishers Weekly)

ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen
In this retelling of the Captain Hook story from Peter Pan, the villain’s one hope for redemption comes in the form of Stella Parrish, a grown woman who dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan’s rules. “Following in the footsteps of Gregory Maguire, Carolyn Turgeon, and Frank Beddor, Jensen offers a humanized take on Captain Hook that will be sure to entertain fans of the fairy tale-retelling genre.” — Library Journal

THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI by Ian Hamilton
In this prequel to the series, we find out how forensic accountant and martial arts expert Ava Lee got her start working for the mysterious businessman, Uncle, as they globetrot to track down large sums of money that have disappeared. “[Ava Lee] is sort of a cross between James Bond and Sara Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski. The action zooms from Toronto to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands, from five-star hotels to back alleys. Terrific fun.” — Booklist. Check out the whole Ava Lee series! 

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