Tag: debut

Friday Reads (1/31/14 Edition)

Friday Reads (1/31/14 Edition)

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Anne Spieth

TGIF friends! Hopefully those of you who attended ALA Midwinter made it home safely and are nominating books like crazy for LibraryReads (the deadline for the March list is today so hurry!).

Already done? Then why not share your Friday Reads with us!

Talia and Anne are treating themselves like royalty with pedicures and these historical novels:

GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN by Marci Jefferson
This solid debut novel about the beautiful and captivating Royalist exile Frances Stuart, who must walk a fine line between pleasing kings and protecting her family's secret is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory. "Jefferson's intoxicating first novel superbly draws readers into the mischief and maneuverings, loyalties and treacheries, and lust and hostility of powerful 17th century kings and scheming court sycophants." – Publishers Weekly, starred review  

SEDITION by Katharine Grant
British author Grant turns away from YA for a decidedly adult first novel set in late eighteenth-century London. In this "...witty, dark, and sophisticated tale" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), four nouveau rich fathers make their five marriageable daughters learn to play the piano in an effort to attract men and marry well. However, the girls' lascivious (and French) piano teacher has an education beyond music in his plans... "[A] fun, lascivious gambol through the lives of women and men with decidedly carnal appetites... Suggest to fans of Sarah Dunant and Sarah Waters." – Booklist  

What are you reading this Friday? Share your #FridayReads with us @MacmillanLib. 

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Happy Belated #BookBday (1/28/14 Edition)

Happy Belated #BookBday (1/28/14 Edition)

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Anne Spieth
D'oh! We forgot to wish our new books a happy #BookBday on Tuesday! We'll keep the party going with belated best wishes for...

THE LAST ENCHANTMENTS by Charles Finch
Finch's coming-of-age tale about a Yale graduate is getting lots of attention, from People Magazine to USA Today. "In prose that glides effortlessly from scene to scene, Finch captures the fleeting time in people’s lives when their every decision, from career to lover, seems freighted with eternal consequence. Highly recommended for all collections." – Library Journal, starred review

THE QUEEN'S DWARF by Ella March Chase
In this richly imagined novel set in the Stuart court, our unique hero Jeffrey Hudson–who happens to be a dwarf–is tasked with spying on the beautiful but vulnerable queen. "Rich in detail and brimming with intriguing characters, Chase’s novel will please fans of historical fiction..." – Kirkus Reviews

A DARKLING SEA by James Cambias
This debut science fiction novel about alien races has three remarkable starred reviews, such as this one from Kirkus: “An exceptionally thoughtful, searching and intriguing debut.” 

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For Your Consideration: March LibraryReads titles

For Your Consideration: March LibraryReads titles

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Anne Spieth

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!

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NYPL Mystery Book Buzz 2013

NYPL Mystery Book Buzz 2013

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Anne Spieth
Today Anne is presenting all the latest and greatest Mystery titles at the New York Public Library Book Buzz (9:30-noon EST). We don't want anyone to feel left out, so here’s what she’ll be talking about:

 
AN OLD BETRAYAL by Charles Finch
The seventh book in Finch’s bestselling Victorian mystery series, starring his intelligent and charming sleuth extraordinaire Charles Lenox.
 
ONCE UPON A LIE by Maggie Barbieri
In a dramatic departure from her Murder 101 series, Barbieri has written a riveting mystery about one burnt out mother's desperate determination to protect her family's future by facing down her past.
 
MURDER AND MOONSHINE by Carol Miller
A debut mystery set in the heart of moonshine country and brimming with Southern charm courtesy of our heroine Daisy, a young diner waitress.
 
ROSEMARY AND CRIME by Gail Oust
Murder comes well-seasoned in this charming new cozy series featuring Piper Prescott, a small-town Georgia spice shop owner/spunky amateur sleuth.
 
THE ORPHAN CHOIR by Sophie Hannah
A standalone psychological suspense novel that is “Absolutely haunting, in every sense of the word.” — Booklist, starred review
 
SNOWBLIND by Christopher Golden
Survivors of a blizzard twelve years ago are being haunted by the memories of those who died. Stephen King said, "Throw away all those old ‘it was a dark and stormy night’ novels; this one is the real deal.”
 
APPLE TREE YARD by Louise Doughty
A woman in the wrong place, at the wrong time with the wrong man—evocative of the psychological suspense and dangerous eroticism found in the blockbuster thrillers “Unfaithful” and “Fatal Attraction.”
 
BAD WOLF by Nele Neuhaus
The next book in the internationally bestselling series that began with SNOW WHITE MUST DIE.
 
THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Karen Perry
A couple are restarting their lives five years after their son died in a tragic accident. But is the son really dead?
 
DOING HARM by Kelly Parsons
In this highly anticipated debut thriller from board-certified urologist Parsons, a doctor is about to get his dream job at a Boston hospital when he learns his patient’s mysterious death was caused by a sociopath he knows.
 
WHERE MONSTERS DWELL by Jørgen Brekke
Two gruesome murders take place half a world apart in Virginia and Norway and are somehow connected to The Book of John—a journal bound in human skin written by a sixteenth century serial murderer from Norway.
 
PRECIOUS THING by Colette McBeth
Rachel and Clara are two best friends who drift apart—until Rachel's job as a crime reporter leads her back to Clara, who turns out to be the missing person at the police press conference Rachel is covering.
 
THE REVENANT OF THRAXTON HALL by Vaughn Entwistle
Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde team up to investigate the future death of a medium at a manor in the English countryside.
 
NOTORIOUS by Allison Brennan
Brennan launches a new series starring investigative reporter Max Revere, a tough-as-nails lady with with her own TV show and a knack for solving cold cases.
 
RUNNER by Patrick Lee
An explosive new thriller series starring retired special forces operative Sam Dryden. Library Journal called it “a high-tech thriller that’s hard to put down.”
 
DEAD WATER by Ann Cleeves
The eagerly awaited new entry in Ann Cleeves' popular mystery series set in the Shetland Islands, now airing on BBC as the television series Shetland.
 
DON’T EVER LOOK BACK by Daniel Friedman
The sequel to the Edgar Award-nominated debut DON'T EVER GET OLD, starring feisty octogenarian Buck Schatz. This time Buck is trying to finish some unsolved robberies from his past.
 
FROM THE CHARRED REMAINS by Susanna Calkins
In the next charming historical mystery featuring chambermaid Lucy Campion, a dead body is discovered in the wreckage of the Great Fire of London—only the victim didn't perish in the blaze.
 
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.
 
DESTROYER ANGEL by Nevada Barr
In the next book in the Anna Pigeon series, Anna must rescue her four friends from armed thugs while on a camping trip with no access to the outside world and limited resources.
 
KEEP QUIET by Lisa Scottoline
New York Times bestseller Scottoline's new thriller about a father making a split-second decision to save his son—and the consequences that follow.
 
 
Want a briefer, more adorable version? Click here to download the handout. To those attending, see you soon! [...]

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Stars for THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS

Stars for THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Anne Spieth

Remember when we told you about Tarashea Nesbit's THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS? You know, the one told in the collective voices of the wives of the men who created the atom bomb (think THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY meets THE ASTRONAUT WIVES' CLUB, only fiction)? Well, it turns out there's even more great news about this incredible debut novel:

Barnes & Noble named it one of their Spring 2014 Discover Great New Writers Selections!

The ABA selected it for their Spring 2014 Indies Introduce program (meaning, they think it's one of the ten best Adult titles of the season)!

It's a March 2014 Indie Next selection!

It's received two starred reviews with more glowing praise to come:

"The author’s writing—by turns touching, confiding, and matter-of-fact—perfectly captures the commonalities of the hive mind while also emphasizing the little things that make each wife dissimilar from the pack. Engrossing, dense, and believable." – Publishers Weekly, starred review

"That this novel about the lives of women whose husbands worked at Los Alamos during WWII achieves with no real plot and no real main character is astounding. Through their lives and, eventually, their varied reactions to the dropping of the first atomic bombs on Japan, Nesbit brings alive questions of war and power that dog us to this day." – Booklist, starred review

"Recommended both for its important subject matter and for the author’s vivid storytelling.” – Library Journal

Keep an eye out for reviews to come in O Magazine, More Magazine, Glamour, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe and many more!  

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For Your Consideration… December LibraryReads suggestions

For Your Consideration… December LibraryReads suggestions

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Anne Spieth

Friends, thank you again for choosing Julia Spencer-Fleming's THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS and Barry Maitland's THE RAVEN'S EYE for the November LibraryReads list. 

We're already halfway through the month, which means only two more weeks to nominate titles for the December list (due Nov. 1). Never fear! We're happy to help you whittle down the "To Read" pile with our favorite December books:

THE HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER by Barbara Mutch
This moving debut novel is a December Indie Next selection! Set in the arid plains of Apartheid-era South Africa, THE HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER tells the story of Cathleen, an estranged young woman whose only true companions are her diary and her housemaid's daughter. But one night changes everything and Cathleen must choose between conforming to society or finding the girl she has come to love as her own daughter. "Rich in detail and subtle in its politics, this affecting novel tells a poignant, inspiring story." – Booklist, starred review

NetGalley logoAvailable on NetGalley. Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER) to get pre-approved for a galley.


ONCE UPON A LIE by Maggie Barbieri
In a dramatic departure from her Murder 101 series, Maggie Barbieri has written a gripping novel about one burnt out mother's desperate determination to protect her family's future by facing down her past. What starts out as a standard suburban mystery evolves into an unexpectedly riveting tale of ordinary cruelty and complicated heroism. "...Barbieri skillfully avoids tipping her hand until the last possible moment, leaving readers both breathless and unnerved by the novel’s conclusion." – Publishers Weekly, starred & boxed review

NetGalley logoAvailable on NetGalley. Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: ONCE UPON A LIE) to get pre-approved for a galley.


THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING: On Writers and Drinking by Olivia Laing
“The tortured relationship between literary lions and their liquor illuminates the obscure terrain of psychology and art in this searching biographical meditation…. Laing explores this rich topic through an unusual mix of biographical research, astute literary interpretation, and wonderfully atmospheric travelogue... The result is a fine study of a human frailty through the eyes of its most perceptive victims.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review. If that's not enough of an endorsement, Library Journal's Barbara Hoffert made it one of her picks saying, “Perennially astonishing authors framed by a perennially popular theme.”

Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: TRIP TO ECHO SPRING) to get request an e-galley.


THE RED POLE OF MACAU by Ian Hamilton
Booklist called the exotic Ava Lee mystery series, “Slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming,” and the third entry shows no sign of flagging. In THE RED POLE OF MACAU, Ava must rescue her half-brother Michael and his business partner Simon from a disastrous multi-million-dollar real-estate deal in Macau that could bankrupt them. When the developers turn out to be gangsters and kidnap Simon, Ava must use all her skills to outwit the gangsters, rescue Simon, and save her family’s future.

Edelweiss DRC button
Available for download on Edelweiss.

For more December LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss.

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Maximum Shelf: WHERE THE MOON ISN’T

Maximum Shelf: WHERE THE MOON ISN’T

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Anne Spieth
MaxShelf-WhereTheMoonIsnt
"'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother,' Matthew says, 'His name's Simon. I think you'll like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that.'"  

Where the Moon Isn'tToday's Maximum Shelf features one of our favorite debut novels of the season: WHERE THE MOON ISN'T by Nathan Filer. Recently named a November Indie Next selection, this story about two brothers—one who goes missing and the other who doesn't quite come back—is inspired by the author's experience as a psychiatric nurse.

"Equal parts family drama, mystery, coming-of-age and meditation on mental illness, Nathan Filer's unusual and haunting novel, WHERE THE MOON ISN'T, defies easy categorization. Whereas many genre-bending novels tend to overreach, this one succeeds on every level, most notably with its affecting protagonist. Though unnerving, this unique window into a mental illness that is so often misunderstood and misrepresented is both interesting and enlightening." — Shelf Awareness

See the full summary, review and interview with Nathan Filer on Shelf-Awareness.com.

NetGalley logoStart reading now! Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: WHERE THE MOON ISN'T) to get pre-approved to download a review copy from NetGalley.


Praise for WHERE THE MOON ISN'T:

"VERDICT: In this very assured debut, performance poet and mental-health nurse Filer shows that he knows what he's writing about. It should prove catnip to book group participants (especially those who loved Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and will appeal to anyone looking for a serious (but not ponderous) story that's impossible to put down." — Library Journal, starred review

"A haunting story about how to mourn when the source of your grief will never go away” — Kirkus Reviews

“...deeply affecting and insightful in its account of mental illness." — Booklist


WHERE THE MOON ISN'T will be available from St. Martin's Press on November 5. 

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Happy #BookBday (10/8/13 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (10/8/13 Edition)

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Anne Spieth
After several months of labor, we're proud to announce the birth of these fine books on today's #BookBday: 

 

MR. LYNCH'S HOLIDAY by Catherine O'Flynn
Catherine O’Flynn’s debut novel WHAT WAS LOST received a Costa First Book Award and was long-listed for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. In MR. LYNCH’S HOLIDAY, O’Flynn creates a moving and memorable portrait of reconciliation between a father and son. "Like her characters, O’Flynn has an eye for the beauty to be found amid squalor and chaos." –Publishers Weekly

JACOB'S OATH by Martin Fletcher
A Holocaust survivor must choose between keeping the woman he loves and seeking revenge against the camp guard who beat his younger brother to death in this "expressive...story of love and hatred, revenge and recovery." (Kirkus Reviews) "Fletcher has crafted a moving love story, a vivid portrait of a devastated and chaotic Germany immediately after the war’s end, and a remarkably insightful look into the minds of two survivors of the Holocaust. Fletcher’s style is spare and graceful, and it enhances the power of this small gem of a novel." –Booklist

TUDORS: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I by Peter Ackroyd
The Tudor era was pivotal in English history and is still of great interest to many (just think of the dashing Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the TV show "The Tudors"). Ackroylishers Weekly) and rich in detail thanks to interesting anecdotes about key players.

FEAR OF FLYING by Erica Jong (the 40th Anniversary reissue edition with an introduction by Jennifer Weiner)
Originally published in 1973, Jong's internationally bestselling story of Isadora Wing launched a new way of thinking about gender, sexuality, and liberty in our society. This reissue edition comes of this seminal work comes just in time for the 40th anniversary, complete with a new introduction by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.

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Monday Fun Day with ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS

Monday Fun Day with ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Anne Spieth
Happy Monday friends! We've got a treat for you today–it's a success story. Who doesn't love those?

Once We Were Brothers ad

By day Ronald H. Balson is a trial attorney in Chicago, but by night (or the weekend, or whenever he has time), he writes. His practice took him around the globe and seeing villages in Poland inspired his debut novel, ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS, which he self-published. With virtually no marketing or publicity, it steadily built word-of-mouth acclaim (the average Goodreads rating is 4-1/2 stars) until an eagle-eyed editor at St. Martin's Press snapped it up.

ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS is a heart-wrenching story about two boys, as close as can be without blood relation, who find themselves on opposite sides of the Holocaust as they struggle to survive in war-torn Poland. Sixty years later, their lives collide in a quest for redemption. The result is an enthralling tale of love, survival, and triumph of the human spirit, perfect for fans of SARAH'S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay. 

"This novel is uplifting and moving, intelligently written and featuring historically accurate context and an unusual insight into human character and motivations. Highly recommended for all readers." – Library Journal, starred review

"...readers will be riveted by this novel’s central question: Will justice long delayed be denied?" – Kirkus Reviews

"Many will enjoy this gripping novel for its narrative drive and its emotional storytelling." – Booklist

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