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Reimagining The Aftermath of 9/11

Reimagining The Aftermath of 9/11

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Ten years after 9/11 former New York Times reporter Amy Waldman reimagines its aftermath in THE SUBMISSION.

Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and says, "This is a remarkably assured portrait of how a populace grows maddened and confused when ideology trumps empathy. A stellar debut. Waldman’s book reflects a much-needed understanding of American paranoia in the post-9/11 world.”

Booklist calls THE SUBMISSION “THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES for our time” in their starred review, and says, "Waldman brilliantly delineates the legacy of 9/11; the confluence of art, religion, and politics; the plexus between the individual and the group; and the glory of transcendent empathy."

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Shann Ray Reconfigures the American West

Shann Ray Reconfigures the American West

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Ali Fisher

The American West has long been a place where myth and legend have flourished. Where men stood tall and lived rough. But that West is no more. Shann Ray explores and redfines this changed landscape in AMERICAN MASCULINE, the 2010 Bakeless Prize for Fiction-winner.

 

"Think Hemingway or Jim Harrison, and know that Ray's collection is the deserving winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Ray's collection has an unsettling power as his roughened characters incrementally come to terms with their humanity, fallibility, and their realized capacity for atonement. This is a highly accomplished and intensely lyrical debut." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Ray’s taut, fragmented prose evokes the fragility of the male ego in stories so layered with tenderness and violence, hope and despair, that together they form a true and pure depiction of sorrow and a primer for forgiveness." —Booklist (starred review)

"AMERICAN MASCULINE does what the best fiction should: it breaks open the human heart with honesty and clarity, showing us the bad that exists alongside, and is often indistinguishable from, the good." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

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Tuesday Fun Day! (7/5/2011 Edition)

Tuesday Fun Day! (7/5/2011 Edition)

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Ali Fisher

I know, I know; "Tuesday Fun Day" doesn't exactly rhyme, but we were out of the office on Monday and I simply refuse to skip Fun Day, so you're just going to have to deal.

opens in a new windowFirst of all, I have to tell you that I spent the long weekend completely wrapped up in Nebula-nominee SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY. My only question: why did I wait so long to pick it up?! This book is 100% swoon-worthy. It's no surprise that The Salt Lake County Library System selected it as a Reader's Choice-nominee! In response to the news, author Mary Robinette Kowal's said,

 "I adore libraries, so to be on this list is a real honor."

A big round of applause to the 2011 RWA Librarian of the Year, Wendy Crutcher! This honor is awarded to a librarian who demonstrates outstanding support of romance authors and the romance genre. Read her acceptance speech on her blog.

 

Vogue weighs in on this Summer's Best Beach Reads, including Deborah Kay Davies’ TRUE THINGS ABOUT ME and Daisy Goodwin’s THE AMERICAN HEIRESS.

Fans of Alyson Noël can enter to win an MP3 player with the EVERMORE (The Immortals Series, Book 1) audio book already uploaded!

 

Finally, as the library marketing world starts to say our farewells to Marcie Purcell of Random House who is retiring after 20 years of service to libraries, Talia is introducing a new Marcie into her life. 

Librarians, meet Marcie, Talia's new scruff ball:

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The Macavity Award Nominees & Practical Cats

The Macavity Award Nominees & Practical Cats

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Most awards are named after boring ol' humans. I know, snoozefest, right? 

Well, I'm delighted to tell you that The Macavity Award brings something new to the table. This award is named after a cat, the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to be exact.

Naming an award after a cat is understandable; naming an award after a mysterious, yet practical cat is really the only way to go.

The Macmillan Macavity Award-nominated titles for 2011 are as follows:

Best Mystery Novel
BURY YOUR DEAD by Louise Penny*

Best First Mystery Novel
THE DAMAGE DONE by Hilary Davidson
ROGUE ISLAND by Bruce DeSilva
THE POACHER'S SON by Paul Doiron

Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery
CITY OF DRAGONS by Kelli Stanley**

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To see the full list of nominated titles click here.

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Back in New York After ALA, Giveaways to Come!

Back in New York After ALA, Giveaways to Come!

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Ali Fisher

opens in a new windowNew Orleans Collage

To say that ALA Annual was hectic this year is a bit of an understatement. 

We had 17(!) marvelous authors signing books, chatting at the Pop Top stage, reading excerpts on panels, and grabbing meals (or a spot of tea!) with you lovely librarians*. We also gave away thousands of galleys. Thousands.

A huge thanks to everyone who joined us for all of our events and signings. We had a blast and we hope you did, too!

*To the librarians who stayed home and held down the fort: we have a very special giveaway for you in our next e-newsletter! Sign up and keep your eyes peeled.

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Our Top ALA Galley Picks

Our Top ALA Galley Picks

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Ali Fisher

ALA Set up collage

Yesterday was The Day of the Box.

Thankfully Talia and I are experts at boxing and unboxing. In fact, as I once told Talia, I'm so good at boxing they named Muhammad Ali after me (true story).

Well, the boxes are gone now and we've transformed a sad, empty booth into an overstuffed cornucopia of literary joy. As we unpacked Talia and I reacquainted ourselves with all the wonderful books we brought. 

When discussion turned to fisticuffs over which galleys we most wanted to see in the hands of librarians, we settled the score by bringing our thoughts to you. So here are our top ALA galley picks, come and get 'em!

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Solstice Reading; or, Ali’s Backlist Books for Druids

Solstice Reading; or, Ali’s Backlist Books for Druids

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Ali Fisher

And so the summer solstice is upon us. If you're not living it up at Stonehenge or weaving flowery head wreaths and braiding your sister's hair, then maybe you need a good book to get you in the spirit.

My solstice backlist pick is Juliet Marillier's Alex Award-winner DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST. 

Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift. When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once.

How exactly does this story tie in to the solstice? The curse on Sorcha's brothers turned them all into swans (read: total bummer). They only become humans again on midsummer and midwinter (read: solstices!). And there's all sorts of tricky magic, sorcery, and druids (read: excellent). 

What is your solstice reading pick?

opens in a new windowWikimedia Commons Stonehenge

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Monday Fun Day!

Monday Fun Day!

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Thanks to the sage adage of our ancestors, we know that Monday is, in fact, Fun Day, and it's high time we began treating it that way! Today we've got a veritable* smörgåsbord of library and literary goodness for you. Enjoy!

opens in a new windowFirst and foremost, get up out of that rolly chair and join us in a standing ovation for the King County Library System, winner of the Gale/Library Journal Library of the Year Award.

"The innovations and programs, the creative management of KCLS resources, the ability to stretch but still serve the principles and core values of librarianship, the strong public support, and the vision for the system’s future make it clear that KCLS is more deserving than ever to be named Library of the Year." —Library Journal

Hear, hear! I am particularly giddy about this announcement seeing as KCLS is the library system I grew up on. Way to go, KCLS.

In other super-awesome awards news, THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson won the 2010 DGLA Legend Award for Best Novel! And Simon Winder's travel romp, GERMANIA, was shortlisted for the 2011 Dolman Travel Book of the Year!

In getting-pumped-for-ALA-Annual news, Library Journal's Barbara Hoffert made a super convenient, printable PDF for this year's author signings and hot galley giveaways. View and print Barbara Hoffert's ALA Galley & Signing Guide 2011 here! Here's a sneak peek:

Barbara's ALA Picks

Oh, and a reminder for all you sci-fi fans: io9 is holding a book club discussion for THE QUANTUM THIEF on June 28th. I'll definitely be dropping by. Need convincing? Read the reviews!

And finally, this weekend I waited in line for a scrumptious burrito and morita lunch combo behind this brilliant fellow:

Never Underestimate 

Seriously good taste, my friend.

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Germania on the Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist

Germania on the Dolman Travel Book of the Year Shortlist

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Ali Fisher

We're not sure if it was the bizarre cuisine, the epic castles, the mad princes, or the horse-mating videos that caught the attention of the Dolman Travel Book Award committee, but it was something because Simon Winder's GERMANIA just made Dolman's shortlist for 2011 Travel Book of the Year!

Winder writes with a wish to reclaim the brilliant, chaotic, endlessly varied German civilization that the Nazis buried and ruined, and that, since 1945, so many Germans have worked to rebuild.

GERMANIA is an entertaining read covering serious topics---how we are misled by history, how we twist history, and how sometimes it is best to know no history at all. It's about the limits of language, the meaning of culture, and the pleasure of townscape. 

Booklist says, "[Winder's] account is loaded with enjoyable digressions on German food, the charm of medieval castles, and German composers. [...] This is an enjoyable, often amusing, often serious effort to understand a people who remain at the center of European civilization."

 

Kirkus Reviews calls GERMANIA "a cheerful, dryly unserious survey and travelogue through the landscape and psyche of Germany," and says, "[Winder] offers an impressive discussion of the shattering effects of World War I, both on Germany and the world."

The 2011 Dolman Travel Book of the Year will be awarded on the evening of July 6th at Hatchards Bookshop in London.

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