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The Wisdom of James Patterson

The Wisdom of James Patterson

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Mark Sullivan, the internationally bestselling author and bestselling co-author with James Patterson, tells all! 

...Or at least he tells us a lot of really great stuff, like what he learned about commerical fiction while working with Powerhouse Patterson.

Sullivan told Publishers Weekly,

"I thought I knew what I was doing when it came to commercial fiction. Working with Patterson, however, I discovered quickly that I didn’t. [...] What I’ve learned from the global bestselling author could fill a book, but here are some of the lessons that have changed my writing life." 

Read about those lessons at PublishersWeekly.com!

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Download Macmillan E-Galleys on Edelweiss!

Download Macmillan E-Galleys on Edelweiss!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Happy Monday, librarians!

edelweiss logoIt's a brand new year and if you're anything like me you've probably resolved to keep on top of your advanced reading. In an effort to help make that even easier I'm going to talk a little about our favorite new resource, Edelweiss. 

You might already know that our digital catalogs are hosted on Edelweiss now, but you might not know that there are also e-galleys hosted there just waiting to be downloaded. If you're a current librarian in the United States and interested in being pre-approved* to download all of our e-galleys, please follow these steps:

1. Register for Edelweiss with your library-issued e-mail address.

2. Send Anne a note that includes the e-mail address you registered with, your full name, and your current library (subject: Edelweiss).

*Whitelisting is only available to adult and teen librarians currently employed in the U.S.


So easy! Then I'll forward your request and let you know when you're all hooked up.

For those of you already whitelisted we have a few recommendations for you listed below. And for those of you on the fence maybe one of these upcoming titles will entice you into signing up!

download review copy

Get started with our recommendations (updated May 14, 2014):

If your account is already whitelisted for our titles, hit this link to access a list of all of our currently available e-galley downloads (To find all Macmillan e-galleys, simply choose “Macmillan” under the “Refine by Publisher” tab on the left and hit the “Update” button. If you’re having problems, make sure you are logged in and that you’ve selected “View titles I May Download or Request” in the upper left corner. Otherwise, the page will say “No titles met this criteria.”).

cute kitten and page

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Starred Reviews for A GOOD DEATH

Starred Reviews for A GOOD DEATH

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Award winning journalist Christopher Cox has delivered a nail-biting debut mystery that will take your patrons through the side streets of Bangkok and across violent Lao hill county and the reviews are spectacular. 

Damon is a sharp-witted and likeable though down-on-his-luck Boston PI who catches an intriguing case.  Linda Watts is a beautiful, talented Lao immigrant with a promising career—or she was, until she turns up dead in a cheap Bangkok guest house.  Her death seems like a straightforward overdose to the Thai authorities, but her insurance company isn’t buying it. They hire Sebastian to travel halfway around the world to investigate.

"Cox’s action-packed debut is perfect for armchair travelers who will be amazed by the author’s ability to make gaudy Bangkok and the remote hill country of Laos come alive." -Library Journal (starred review)

"A GOOD DEATH is another example of the only positive to emerge from the Vietnam War—fine writing." -Booklist (starred review)

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Starred Review for Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

Starred Review for Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Fine! I'll admit it. I've watched both trailers for Baz Luhrmann's new adaptation of The Great Gatsby a solid million times each.

Those cars! That champagne! Those jewels! Those jams! And, of course, literature's favorite billboard featuring the creepy gaze of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg!

As anticipation for the film rises I'm sure your copies of the original material will get more use than ever, but what stands up next to a novel like THE GREAT GATSBY? What read-alikes do you recommend to roaring readers that can't get enough of flappers and foul play?

We recommend Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler, the story of beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre and her scandalous adventures with Scott in the Jazz Age.

"Fowler has given us a lovely, sad and compulsively readable book." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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Wednesday Fun Day! (1/2/2013 Edition)

Wednesday Fun Day! (1/2/2013 Edition)

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Ali Fisher

Hello again, blog friends! Happy New Year!

Talia and I have officially decided that 2013 is going to be the BEST EVER. It has been decided, so kick back and enjoy the adventures.

I hope you all managed to fit in both exciting events and some stellar naps this holiday season. I know I did. When I wasn't asleep, I got in some urban and extra-urban exploring. Here's a pic of me hiking (read: walking on a flat trail) in a sequined fox sweater, as you do:

fox sweater

Talia was rockin' the neon bling this break as per the twitter evidence:

 

 

And finally, here's a pic of some Seattle wizard signage because I love it so much (click to cast embiggen):

wizard sign

Speaking of nerdy stuff, you still have time to enter our Featured Creatures book stack giveaway celebrating the second installment on our EarlyWord-hosted SF/F blog, Uncharted Pages! Contest ends Friday. Details here.

featured creatures gif

And speaking of EarlyWord, if you're still saying your final farewells to 2012, you should definitely head over to their site for a compiled list of librarian favorites from last year. They included some helpful information about which other year-end lists each title made. See which titles were library champions! 

And speaking of champions, don't forget to take a look at our full ALA Midwinter conference schedule of events including the third great Book Battle showdown between Talia and Chris Vaccari of Sterling! Many of the events we're hosting and participating in require an RSVP, so please don't miss out. Take a look now.

And speaking of not missing out, be sure to like FSG's community site on Facebook, Book Keeping, where you'll get the scoop on all sorts of fun stuff (ie: my top FSG picks from 2012).

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Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Ali Fisher

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the coast from whence I came, so you won't see any updates to the blog until I return on January 2nd. Thank you so much for reading along this year! I hope to see you back here next year for news, reviews, giveaways, and more.

Have an amazing holiday, everyone! Give lots of hugs this year.

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Monday Fun Day! (12/17/2012 Edition)

Monday Fun Day! (12/17/2012 Edition)

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Ali Fisher

cat in snow shaking

Well friends, the year is winding down. Macmillan offices will be closed for the holidays from December 24th until January 2nd and I'm heading home this Wednesday, so it's about to get pretty quiet on the blog.

Fortunately a bunch of wonderful librarians are chatting about their favorite reads from 2012 on Twitter all week (join them using #libfavs2012)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelf Awareness featured the book trailer for the final installment of the Robert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time series, A MEMORY OF LIGHT, featuring Brandon Sanderson, Harriet McDougal, Tom Doherty, Jason Denzel, and Patrick Rothfuss. Watch it now:

WoT trailer

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Nominees for YALSA’s 2013 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Nominees for YALSA’s 2013 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Ali Fisher

We're so pleased to report that THE HAMMER AND THE ANVIL: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the End of Slavery in America written by Dwight Jon Zimmerman and illustrated by Wayne Vansant, TRINITY: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, and GOLIATH by Tom Gauld have been officially nominated for YALSA's 2013 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list!

See the full list of nominees here. [...]

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Featured ALA Midwinter Galley Giveaways!

Featured ALA Midwinter Galley Giveaways!

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Ali Fisher

boxes

So begins the epic Migration of the ARC Boxes from the arctic wastelands of the Flatiron Building to the semi-arid plains of the Washington State Convention Center.

Now listen up, ALA Midwinter attendees. This is a first peek at just a few of the fine galleys heading West that we'll be giving away in booth 2435.

covers featured

Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman (March 2013)

Brigid Quinn's experiences in hunting sexual predators for the FBI have left her with memories she wishes she didn’t have and lethal skills she hopes never to need again. Having been pushed into early retirement by events she thinks she's put firmly behind her, but the past intervenes when a man confesses to the worst unsolved case of Brigid’s career—the disappearance and presumed murder of her young protégée.

"Wow. An absolute pleasure. Chilling, smart, funny, and what a voice she has." —Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka (April 2013)

Paul Carlson, a brilliant young scientist, is summoned to collect DNA samples from the ancient bones of a strange, new species unearthed by an archaeological dig. The questions the find raises seem to cast doubt on the very foundations of modern science, but until the dig is violently shut down by paramilitaries and Paul flees.

Redemption Mountain by Gerry FitzGerald (June 2013)

On the surface, Charlie Burden and Natty Oaks could not be more different: she, the daughter of many generations of rural farmers; he, an executive at a multinational engineering firm. But in each other they find the new lease on life they both so desperately need.

The Sunshine When She's Gone by Thea Goodman (March 2013)

One frigid, January morning in Manhattan, a new father, racked by sleep deprivation, decides to let his wife sleep in–then spontaneously flees lower Manhattan with their baby, for a weekend in the Caribbean. It wasn’t a kidnapping, he wasn’t leaving his wife; he just wanted to spend a little time away. When the wife, awakes she feels great—and embarks on a city adventure as misguided in its own way as her husband’s impulsive escape.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (March 2013)

Picture a late-May morning in 1918, a time when Montgomery wore her prettiest spring dress and finest floral perfume—same as I would wear that evening...

Thus begins the story of beautiful, reckless, seventeen-year-old Zelda Sayre on the day she meets Lieutenant Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald at a country club dance.

“Fowler has given us a lovely, sad and compulsively readable book.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (February 2013)

This is the story of two high school misfits in an economically-depressed small town falling in love for the first time.

"Funny, hopeful, foulmouthed, sexy and tear-jerking, this winning romance will captivate teen and adult readers alike" —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch (March 2013)

Fourteen-year-old Carey and six-year-old Jenessa are living in the backwoods with their drug-addicted mother until they are discovered by their estranged father. He draws them into the real world and helps them navigate family, school, clothes and everything else that comes with teenager territory.

“First-time author Emily Murdoch has written a painful, hopeful, surprisingly quiet book that charts the best and worst of humanity.” —Booklist (starred review)

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Macmillan Library Selects: Contemporary Teen Titles Coming in 2013

Macmillan Library Selects: Contemporary Teen Titles Coming in 2013

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Ali Fisher

Most of you know by now that Talia and I are very different readers—Talia loves her blood-soaked mysteries and I love my swashbuckling space adventures—so when we both fall in love with the same book we make a big deal out of it. 

Here's the big deal this time: not one, but three exceptional contemporary teen novels are coming out early next year that both Talia and I are incredibly excited about: USES FOR BOYS by Erica Lorraine Scheidt, ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell, and IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch.

Read more on each of these titles below. We truly hope you get the chance to read all three!

USES FOR BOYS
By Erica Lorraine Scheidt
January 2013

This beautifully written debut novel is about Anna, a father-less girl who drops out of high school and moves into the heart of Portland to become the independent woman she knows she can be.

"Readers will be moved as smart, honest Anna learns she can draw on her innate strength to write her own story—one with room for the wounded people she loves. Scheidt’s novel packs a punch; this fast-moving book can be devoured in one sitting, but reveals even more upon rereading." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"By novel’s end, readers will find themselves emotionally exhausted but hopeful. [...] Lots of teens will see themselves in the pages of this beautiful, honest novel." —Booklist (Starred Review)

"Anna is so compellingly flawed and quietly winning that readers won’t quibble. Haunting, frank and unputdownable." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

You can download an e-galley of USES FOR BOYS on Edelweiss (instructions on how to get whitelisted here). UPDATE: This title has been released and is no longer available via Edelweiss.

ELEANOR & PARK
By Rainbow Rowell
February 2013

This is the story of two high school misfits in an economically-depressed small town falling in love for the first time. 

"The pure, fear-laced, yet steadily maturing relationship Eleanor and Park develop is urgent and breathtaking and, of course, heartbreaking, too." —Booklist (starred review)

"Funny, hopeful, foulmouthed, sexy and tear-jerking, this winning romance will captivate teen and adult readers alike"  —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Rowell keeps things surprising, and the solution—imperfect but believable—maintains the novel’s delicate balance of light and dark."  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The friendship between the teens is movingly believable. [...] Purchase for readers who are drawn to quirky love stories or 1980s pop culture." —School Library Journal (starred review)

We will have galleys of ELEANOR & PARK at ALA Midwinter (booth 2435) and you can download an e-galley on Edelweiss (instructions on how to get whitelisted here). UPDATE: This title has been released and is no longer available via Edelweiss.

IF YOU FIND ME 
By Emily Murdoch
March 2013

Fourteen-year-old Carey and six-year-old Jenessa are living in the backwoods with their drug-addicted mother until they are discovered by their estranged father. He draws them into the real world and helps them navigate family, school, clothes and everything else that comes with teenager territory. 

“First-time author Emily Murdoch has written a painful, hopeful, surprisingly quiet book that charts the best and worst of humanity. [...] exposing child abuse, sexual abuse, and drug abuse for the terror they are, she validates the courage and ingenuity of young people the world over for whom survival is instinctive; protection of siblings is nonnegotiable; and love both a right and a gift bestowed upon those fortunate enough to find it.” —Booklist (starred review)

"Murdoch’s debut is beautifully written. The deep bond between the sisters is almost physically palpable, as is their intense longing for love and acceptance; they will quickly endear themselves to readers." —School Library Journal (starred review)

"A compelling narrative that is both unflinching about life's pain and hopeful about its possibilities." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

We will have galleys of IF YOU FIND ME at ALA Midwinter (booth 2435).

UPDATE: School Library Journal featured the IF YOU FIND ME and ELEANOR & PARK jackets at the front of the "Grades 5 & Up" section of their February issue:

school library journal header

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