The Murderer and the Manuscript

The Murderer and the Manuscript

Alaric Hunt manuscript page

Just before Labor Day in 2011, Toni Kirkpatrick, an editor at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, picked up her phone and called an unfamiliar number with a Southern California area code. She was hoping to deliver good news to a man named Alaric Hunt, the newest winner of a debut-detective-novel writing contest, jointly sponsored by Minotaur Books (another St. Martin’s imprint) and the Private Eye Writers of America. 

When a woman answered the phone, Kirkpatrick asked if she could speak to Alaric.

“He’s not available. He’s in an institution.”

The woman on the phone was Hunt’s first cousin, Jade Reed. She had mailed the manuscript to Minotaur on his behalf.

“Like a prison?” Kirkpatrick asked.

“Yes.”

“Will he be out soon?”

Reed paused. “Well, he’s there indefinitely.”

Before this phone call, it had never occurred to Kirkpatrick that her contest winner might have spent the past 25 years in prison, where he’s serving a life sentence for murder.

There's a saying that truth is stranger than fiction, and this is definitely one of those stories.

Sarah Weinman did an incredible profile of Alaric Hunt, author of CUTS THROUGH BONE, who wrote his award-winning novel while working in the prison library. Click here to read the full New York Times story.
[...]

Know More...

Cue Freakout: LANDLINE e-galley available!

Cue Freakout: LANDLINE e-galley available!

Oh. My. GAWD! LANDLINE is FINALLY available on Edelweiss! We are freaking out over here!!! 

You probably are, too. We know you've been dying to read it and have been waiting ever so patiently (thank you). 

If you're already whitelisted on Edelweiss, what are you waiting for? Get your copy now! If you're not, then find out how you can get pre-approved for Macmillan e-galleys

If you devour it and adore it like we did, then nominate it for LibraryReads! Read our FAQ to learn more. 
rainbow hearts 

[...]

Know More...

TxLA’s 2014 Lariat List

TxLA’s 2014 Lariat List

YEEHAW! The Texas Library Association's Lariat Committee announced their final 2014 list and three Macmillan titles made the cut!

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

 

Lariat List logoClick here to view the full list of titles (PDF).

The Lariat List represents outstanding fiction published during 2012 and 2013 that merits special attention from readers.

[...]

Know More...

Happy #BookBday (1/14/14 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (1/14/14 Edition)

It's time to celebrate another batch of book birthdays! Today we wish a very happy #BookBday to:

THE BALLAD OF BARNABAS PIERKIEL by Magdalena Zyzak
Set in the quaint (though admittedly backward) fictional nation of Scalvusia in 1939, Zyzak's "wild ride" (Library Journal) of a debut novel follows the misadventures of a young swineherd, Barnabas, and his short-legged steed, Wilhelm, as they try to woo a voluptuous Gypsy concubine. After the mysterious death of an important figure in the community, a witch-hunt ensues, and the tide starts to turn in Barnabas's beloved hometown. 

THE RISE OF THE TUDORS: The Family That Changed English History by Chris Skidmore
With all the relentless deceit, betrayal, treason and bloodshed in a season of "Game of Thrones," British historian Skidmore unfurls the epic story of the Tudor family. "An engrossing, probably definitive background to one of the most powerful dynasties in British history." – Kirkus Reviews

LOST LAKE by Sarah Addison Allen
We know we're a week early, but we can't resist wishing this LibraryReads pick a happy birthday! “Allen’s trademark magic is woven throughout the story and can be found in the lake, the town, and the people, but at its heart, this story is about finding home—something we can all relate to.” – Ally Watkins, Central MS Regional Library System, Pearl MS

Now can we all have some cake, please?
cat eating cake
[...]

Know More...

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! 

[...]

Know More...

For Your Consideration: March LibraryReads titles

For Your Consideration: March LibraryReads titles

Happy Monday to our dear librarian pals,

We’d like to remind y’all that the February 1 deadline to nominate March 2014 publications for the next LibraryReads list is just around the corner! 

Get thee to edelweiss! Download a DRC, read it, love it and nominate it! REPEAT!   

THE CAIRO AFFAIR by Olen Steinhauer

International politics are at play as an Egyptian agent, an American analyst, a CIA agent, and a bereaved wife all converge on Cairo to find out why a diplomat was assassinated. 

"THE CAIRO AFFAIR is an elegant, elaborate clockwork of mystery and deception that should draw readers in and keep them on tenterhooks as they try to figure out what is really making it all tick." Publishers Weekly, boxed signature review  

"It has become de rigeur to compare Steinhauer to le Carré, but it’s nearly time to pass the torch: for the next generation, it’s Steinhauer who will become the standard by which others are measured." — Booklist, starred review

DRC button - Cairo Affair

SHOTGUN LOVESONGS by Nickolas Butler

Butler's debut novel about the relationship between four friends in a small Midwest town was selected by the ABA for the Spring 2014 Indies Introduce program.

"The hearty Midwest, which thrums and beats through tiny Little Wing, Wisconsin-an Anytown, USA, if there ever was one-assumes the whole soul of Butler's fetching debut. Readers can feel the winter cold on the other side of the neon sign and hear the peanut shells crunching underfoot." — Booklist 

DRC button - Shotgun Lovesongs

TEMPTING FATE by Jane Green

From the New York Times bestselling author of ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART comes a riveting new novel about the events leading up to one woman's affair—and its aftermath.

"A SCARLET LETTER for the 21st century." — Kirkus Reviews

DRC button - Tempting Fate

PRECIOUS THING by Colette McBeth

"Debut author McBeth’s GONE GIRL-style psychological thriller will be a widespread hit for fans of dark drama with questionable narrators, including S. J. Watson’s BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP (2011), Sabine Durrant’s UNDER YOUR SKIN (2013), and Karen Perry’s THE INNOCENT SLEEP (2013)." Booklist, starred review

DRC button - Precious Thing

I REMEMBER YOU by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

"In a departure from her series featuring lawyer Thora Gudmundsdottir, Iceland’s queen of suspense combines modern crime detection with mysticism to chilling effect. Nordic mystery writers can raise goosebumps as few others can, and Sigurdardottir shows she’s one of the best."  Booklist, starred review

Let’s not forget the buzz that’s been building for this gem

DRC - I Remember You

THE HAVEN by Carol Lynch Williams

For the teens at The Haven, the world beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises is a dangerous unknown and always has been since the hospital was established in the year 2020. It was built to help control the Disease that claims limbs and lungs-and memories-but what if it's not the safe place it claims to be? Award-winning YA novelist Williams' new novel is "Deliciously enigmatic." — Kirkus Reviews

DRC - The Haven

PROVIDENCE RAG by Bruce DeSilva

“Edgar-winner DeSilva melds moral dilemmas with a suspenseful plot in his third novel featuring Providence, R.I.–based reporter Liam Mulligan, his best yet.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

Go beyond the book and read this Publishers Weekly interview with DeSilva.

DRC - Providence Rag

 

For more March LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!

[...]

Know More...

Win a copy of HOMEGROWN TEA!

Win a copy of HOMEGROWN TEA!

Friends, did you know that January is National Hot Tea Month? To celebrate, we're giving away a free early copy of HOMEGROWN TEA: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes by Cassie Liversidge. 

For those of you with a green thumb, this beautifully illustrated book shows how to grow rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus, and lavender–all of the ingredients for your perfect cuppa.  

To enter the giveaway, simply email Library@MacmillanUSA.com from your professional/library-issued e-mail address (subject: Homegrown Tea) by Friday, January 31, with your favorite tea. Make sure to include your library's mailing address to be placed in the random drawing. Read on for the fine print. Good luck!

Update 2/3: This sweepstakes is now closed. Congratulations to Joanna Goldfarb, Youth Services Librarian at Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello, NY! 

[...]

Know More...

Stars for I REMEMBER YOU

Stars for I REMEMBER YOU

TGIF! We hope y’all survived the polar vortex on the couch under a blanket with a good book and steaming mug of cocoa. (No? There's your weekend plan. You’re welcome.)

Today we've got a great ghost story with two early starred reviews and love from readers: I REMEMBER YOU by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. 

Partly based on a true story, this supernatural thriller weaves together two separate tales–a young doctor investigating the suicide of an elderly woman who was obsessed with the doctor's vanished son and three friends who are disturbed by a presence while renovating a rundown house in an isolated village–into an unforgettable read. 

"In a departure from her series featuring lawyer Thora Gudmundsdottir, Iceland’s queen of suspense combines modern crime detection with mysticism to chilling effect. Sigurdardottir skillfully builds the early ominous warnings...as the unexplained becomes terrifying. Nordic mystery writers can raise goosebumps as few others can, and Sigurdardottir shows she’s one of the best." – Booklist, starred review  

"Sigurdardottir has written an excellent and seriously scary mystery with tangible and supernatural elements that will appeal to fans of John Ajvide Lindqvist (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN)." – Library Journal, starred review  

I Remember You tweet

Get whitelisted on Edelweiss and read I REMEMBER YOU
[...]

Know More...

We Love Books About Books

We Love Books About Books

Who can resist books about books and libraries? We can't! Here's just a few of the latest titles we're into (Caution: some books may include kittens):

WHY I READ: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser
Founder of the Threepenny Review, Lesser's "delectably sophisticated inquiry into why reading is a constant source of pleasure and provocation" (Booklist) is as much a memoir as it is about the craft of literature. Written in "erudite, beautiful passages," WHY I READ "will speak to booklovers of all types." – Publishers Weekly, starred review. If you're attending ALA Midwinter, make sure to meet Wendy Lesser in booth #622!

WHAT MAKE THIS BOOK SO GREAT by Jo Walton
This collection of Tor.com blog posts from Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Walton about her favorites works of sci-fi and fantasy is "...akin to a genre version of Nancy Pearl's BOOK LUST." (Library Journal, starred review) "For readers unschooled in the history of SF/F, this book is a treasure trove; for those who recognize every title, Walton evokes the joy of returning to a well-worn favorite." – Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE SHELF: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose
No, this isn't reading while rappelling down a mountain like we hoped, but it is still an extreme library sport: to read through an entire shelf of library books. In Rose's case, her randomly chosen shelf of fiction from LEQ to LES contained a classic she has not read, a remarkable variety of authors, and a range of literary styles from mystery to humor. Perhaps it'll inspire similar challenges in your library!

Now that we're thinking about cats, here are 21 cats who are secretly excellent readers!

[...]

Know More...

Happy #BookBday (1/7/14 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (1/7/14 Edition)

It's our first #BookBday of the new year! We couldn't be more proud of these new releases:

RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah
This lyrical, haunting novel about a village trying to reclaim peace after war is a January Indie Next pick and is getting tons of media attention from the Washington Post, the New York Times Book Review, USA Today, TIME magazine, People magazine, NPR's "Morning Edition," "The Colbert Report," Shelf Awareness, and much more. Don't miss your chance to hear Beah speak at ALA Midwinter 2014 in Philadelphia!

THE EXILES RETURN by Elisabeth de Waal
Set in the ashes of post-World War II Vienna, de Waal's stunning novel follows a number of exiles, each coming to terms with a city in painful recovery. "De Waal’s acid, eyewitness drama of malignant prejudice, innocence betrayed, the disintegration of the old order, and love transcendent has the same jolting immediacy as the novels of Iréne Némorisky as well as deeply archetypal dimensions. Another de Waal triumph of illumination." – Booklist

BEFORE I BURN by Gaute Heivoll
Heivoll's "thrilling and poetic novel" (Booklist, starred review) that "reads like a top-tier crime story" (Publishers Weekly, starred and boxed review) was inspired by a real-life arson spree that deeply affected him as he grew up in Norway. You'll see another rave review in the January issue of Harper's magazine, with more attention to come from the New York Times Book Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, and NPR's "Weekend All Things Considered."

DREAMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE by Carrie Vaughn
In this "worthy, rich and thoughtful sequel" (Booklist) to AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE, Celia West is now a mother and a powerful businesswoman who works hard to keep her city and her daughters Anna and Bethy safe. Meanwhile Anna and her friends are practicing to become a team of vigilante superheroes–something that comes to good use when Celia discovers a new archvillain, the Executive.

[...]

Know More...

css.php The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.