Monday Fun Day! (7/23/2012 Edition)

Monday Fun Day! (7/23/2012 Edition)

Today we're reveling in all of the good news coming from the pages of Library Journal!

- We're delighted to see that the Debut of the Month is SHADOW OF THE ROCK by Thomas Mogford!

"Guns, grit, and torture: this breathtaking debut runs through the shifting sands with aplomb. Mogford’s exotic locales, gorgeous prose, and closing twist make this debut a showstopper." –Library Journal (starred review)

- They offered their affection to an excellent financial guide for women, THE SEVEN PEARLS OF FINANCIAL WIDOM by Carol Pepper and Camilla Webster.

"Written by women for women, this gem of a book presents up-to-date information in a way that’s easy to read and understand. [...] Women are encouraged to start their own business, invest wisely, practice leadership, react with grace, and live well. Women in every phase of life, regardless of their financial status, will find something of interest in this guide to economic success. Men may learn something as well." –Library Journal (starred review)

- And Barbara Hoffert ran an article "Three Downton Abbey Readarounds, Including a new Fay Weldon Novel" and all three are titles from St. Martin's Press!

LIFE BELOW STAIRS by Alison Maloney

"Kent-based Maloney, author of the best-selling THE MUM'S BOOK, offers a detailed look at the servant’s life in early 20th-century England, reporting first-hand anecdotes and drumming up numerous black-and-white illustrations as well."

SERVANTS' HALL by Margaret Powell

"This continuation [of BELOW STAIRS] focuses on Rose, the underparlour maid to the Wardham family at Redlands, who elopes with the family’s only son. Scandal!"

HABITS OF THE HOUSE by Fay Weldon

"First in a trilogy, Weldon’s new work opens in 1899—not the Downton Abbey era but directly before; it’s being marketed as an enticing prequel. Weldon in fact wrote the pilot for Upstairs, Downstairs, for which she won a Writers’ Guild Award."

- Finally, as promised: a picture of Shmackies navigating the journey to North Carolina: 

shmackies [...]

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On the Next Next Indie Next List!

On the Next Next Indie Next List!

If you would be so kind as to step into my time machine—that's right, all the way in—so we can get started. Hurry up now, we're on a bit of a tight schedule... Haha! Just kidding. We have a time machine, silly! But seriously, please don't touch anything (except, of course, the handrail; it might get a bit bumpy). POP!

Aaand we're here!

indie nextThe month? September. The year? Well, still 2012. But wait, what's this? The Indie Next List is posted and—gasp! What's that I see? There are three excellent titles on the list from St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. Huzzah!

A KILLING IN THE HILLS
by Julia Keller

In this debut mystery from a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Keller, a mother and a daughter try to do right by a town and each other before it's too late.

MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND
by Matthew Dicks

Imaginary friend Budo narrates this heartwarming story of love, loyalty, and the power of the imagination.

THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY 
by Louise Penny

The latest crime novel in the New York Times bestselling Chief Inspector Gamache series by multiple Agatha Award-winning author Louise Penny.

Ok, I'm going to return you to the past (which will then become the present), but remember, if you tell anyone what you know you might bust up the current timestream. So, you know, BE CAREFUL! [...]

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Starred Reviews for The Survivor

Starred Reviews for The Survivor

In Gregg Hurwitz' own words, his latest thriller, THE SURVIVOR, is the story of "a man forced to step up, willing to do anything to protect those he loves, even as his body begins to betray him." More specifically... 

One morning Nate Overbay—a divorced former solider suffering from PTSD and slowly dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease—goes to an eleventh-floor bank and climbs out a window onto the ledge, ready to end it. But when a crew of robbers bursts into the bank viciously shooting employees and customers, Nate confronts the robbers, taking them out one-by-one. 

Nate is then kidnapped by Pavlo, a savage Russian mobster who planned the failed heist. Pavlo gives Nate an ultimatum—break back into the bank and get what he needs or watch Pavlo slowly kill the ex-wife and teenaged daughter Nate lost when he came back from Iraq.

"Hurwitz’s writing is crisp and economical, and he steers clear of hackneyed phrases and one-dimensional characters. [...] A fine thriller that succeeds on every level." 
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Surely Hurwitz can’t keep this up forever. Lately, each new book he publishes is his best so far, and this one’s no exception. [...] Nate is the kind of character who, if not handled just right, might quickly become unbelievable, but there’s no danger of that with Hurwitz at the controls. It’s hard to imagine that he can top this one, but, based on past performance, don’t bet against it." —Booklist (starred review)

Publisher's Weekly ran an interview with Gregg in June. Read their Q&A here.

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Starred Reviews for Existence

Starred Reviews for Existence

 

Did Prometheus get your patrons back in the mood for some seriously pulse-pounding alien stories? I figured as much! And if they're looking for an epic alien adventure that's new to the shelves, pass them EXISTENCE by Hugo and Nebula Award-winner David Brin. 

Gerald Livingston is your typical orbital garbage collector. For a hundred years, people have been abandoning things in space and it's his job to clean it up. When Gerald finds an alien communication device orbiting Earth with the message, "JOIN US," he and the rest of mankind are thrown into a maelstrom of fear, hope, violence, joy, and insatiable curiosity.

"Brin’s thoughtful, multilayered story explores a first contact scenario where every twist reveals greater peril. His longtime fans will especially appreciate that this story could be read as a prequel to 1983’s STARTIDE RISING, while those not familiar with his work will find it an impressive introduction to one of SF’s major talents." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Featuring memorable characters and masterly storytelling, Brin’s latest novel provides food for thought and entertainment. Fans of Vernor Vinge and Arthur C. Clarke, as well as Brin’s own sizable fan base, will enjoy this multidimensional story." -Library Journal (starred review)

"Brin's EXISTENCE is bursting with ideas, including near-future tech, first contact with aliens, and the exploration of what it means to be human. It's the sort of novel that runs the risk of being overstuffed — but EXISTENCE pulls it off." -io9

Also GeekWire.com did an interview with David Brin about the state of Science Fiction, new media forms, nonfiction, and EXISTENCE here!

[...]

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Monday Fun Day! (7/02/2012 Edition)

Monday Fun Day! (7/02/2012 Edition)

Happy Monday, library buddies! 

- Today is the last day to enter to win a signed ARC of MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE! Enter here.

- Sign up now for the Booklist webinar version of Book Battle II: This Time It’s Personal

If you missed those legendary book brawlers, Cutie and Tiger (a.k.a. Chris Vaccari from Sterling Publishing and Talia Sherer from Macmillan), mixing it up at recent ALA conferences, now’s your chance to get a ringside seat—right in front of your own computer! The book battle is going virtual. Some critics charge that Cutie and Tiger have been a bit too nice to one another in their earlier exchanges. No matter. This time they assure us the gloves are coming off. When they climb out of the ring at the end of the hour, they will have left nothing behind—except, of course, for dozens of terrific new-book recommendations. Don’t miss this hour-long, free Booklist webinar moderator by Adult Books editor Brad Hooper. Register here.

- As promised, here's a link to the full read-alike list for The Great Nonfiction Read-Alike Panel from ALA Annual hosted on EarlyWord.com.

As always, Shelf Awareness brought us the good word on some exciting topics this morning:

- HBO will be adapting Tom Perrotta's post-maybe-rapture novel, THE LEFTOVERS! Perrotta and Damon Lindelof (Lost) will co-write the adaptation. More details here.

- They also linked to a very important BuzzFeed list: 12 Cuddly Bookstore Kitties. We highly recommend you take a minute to get to know these literary felines living the dream.

And finally here are two highlights from the Macmillan evening trip to Disneyland during ALA Annual...

Here we are enjoying a little In-N-Out burger before the rides:

in n out burg

And here we are mid-death-drop on Space Mountain:

space mt

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2013 Quick Picks Nominees!

2013 Quick Picks Nominees!

We're so thrilled to see that the four following compulsively readable titles have all been officially nominated for YALSA’s 2013 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers List:

THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda

BAD BOY* by Dream Jordan

GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan

I AM A SEAL TEAM SIX WARRIOR by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin

YALSA says, "The Quick Picks list [...] suggests books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read."

We'll have our fingers crossed until ALA's 2013 Midwinter Meeting when they'll announce the final list (wish us luck typing and tying our shoes)!

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Clybourne Park won the TONY for Best Play!

Clybourne Park won the TONY for Best Play!

Laurence Olivier Award winning playwright Bruce Norris won the 2012 TONY Award for Best Play with CLYBOURNE PARK, a play that spans two generations and fifty years, but only the square footage of a single two-bedroom home. Way to go, Bruce!

In 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two-bedroom at a bargain price, unknowingly bringing the first black family into the neighborhood and creating ripples of discontent among the cozy white residents of Clybourne Park. 

In 2009, the same property is being bought by a young white couple, whose plan to raze the house and start again is met with equal disapproval by the black residents of the soon-to-be-gentrified area.

CLYBOURNE PARK is also the winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama!

[...]

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Bad Boy and Wake: 2013 BFYA Nominees!

Bad Boy and Wake: 2013 BFYA Nominees!

You know what, guys?

We never properly celebrated the fact that two of our totally stellar teen titles from St. Martin's Griffin were officially nominated for YALSA's 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults reading list!

Well, it's never too late to party, so let's hear it for...

BAD BOY
Dream Jordan

Kate has been institutionalized her entire life, but things start to look up when she connects with a handsome stranger. But can she heed the warning signs of his abusive behavior? 

WAKE
Amanda Hocking

Gemma's graceful swimming draws the attention of Penn, Thea, and Lexi, the gorgeous newcomers to her sleepy beachside town. But popularity isn't everything, and the dark secret they harbor threatens everything.

YALSA compiles this annual list to provide librarians with a resource to use for collection development and reader's advisory purposes.

The selection committee will discuss all of the excellent nominations at ALA Annual next month and finish their deliberations at Midwinter in January during which the final BFYA list will be selected and announced!

[...]

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Starred Reviews for Visit Sunny Chernobyl

Starred Reviews for Visit Sunny Chernobyl

 

 

You probably wouldn't think of a travelogue on the most terrifyingly polluted places in the world as a good summer read, but I'm here to argue that VISIT SUNNY CHERNOBYL by Andrew Blackwell might just be the perfect thing for a beautiful sunny day. Oh, and my buddies Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist are here to back me up. 

For most of us, traveling means visiting the most beautiful places on Earth—Paris, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon—but Andrew Blackwell embraces a different kind of travel, taking a jaunt through the most gruesomely polluted places on Earth. Irreverent and reflective, the book is a love letter to our biosphere’s most tainted, most degraded ecosystems, and a measured consideration of what they mean for us.

Part travelogue, part expose, part environmental memoir, and part faux guidebook, Blackwell careens through a rogue’s gallery of environmental disaster areas in search of the worst the world has to offer—and approaches a deeper understanding of what’s really happening to our planet in the process.

"Journalist and filmmaker Blackwell doesn’t just present a list of environmental woes but undertakes provocative meditations on how to care about the planet while recognizing that plenty of people need to make a living, sometimes to the environment’s detriment." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"In each chapter, Blackwell finds he loves the polluted places for all the ways they aren’t ruined. With great verve, and without sounding preachy, he exposes the essence and interconnectedness of these environmental problems." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

It also received a starred review from Booklist!

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The Next Noël Book You’re FATED to Read!

The Next Noël Book You’re FATED to Read!

The latest paranormal adventure from best-selling YA author Alyson Noël (who you probably know as the author of The Immortals series) is FATED, the first book in the Soul Seekers series about Daire Santos who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. On the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. There she meets Dace, the boy of her dreams... and nightmares.

"Noël has done it again! With fantastic characters and an amazing plot, FATED will suck you in and leave you breathless.  Noël is a master with words, and readers will realize anything in possible in her world.  With passion and thrills around each corner, this book is a must read." –Romantic Times (Top Pick!)

"Atmospheric and enjoyable [...] Noël's many fans will be eager to find out what happens next." –Publishers Weekly

Take a look at the Maximum Shelf dedicated issue for all things FATED! 

max shelf fated

"In Noël's capable hands, Daire straddles the otherworldly elements of her calling as a shaman (including a captivating scene of Daire's vision quest) and the familiar trappings of a 'normal' life as a high school student." -Maximum Shelf

Get intrigued by the book trailer (is it just me or does Daire have a bit of that super cute Southwest/Ke$ha thing going on?):

fated trailer

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