Library Journal shared their “Famously Firsts”—recently published or forthcoming debut novels that they are most excited about. Check out their Macmillan picks! KEY FALL CHILLS NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR by Joe Gannon A freelance journalist in Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution, the setting of this book, Gannon introduces police captain Ajax Montoya, a revolutionary hero who […]
Tag: Debuts
Thriller Thursday & 2014 Shamus Award Nominees
Not only do we have a new batch of fabulous mysteries & thrillers, we’ve got the scoop on Shamus Award nominees! The Private Eye Writers of America announced the finalists for its 2014 Shamus Awards and we’ve got 4 mysteries in the running: Best Hardcover P.I. Novel: THE GOOD COP by Brad Parks NEMESIS by […]
Happy #BookBday (9/30/14 Edition)
Today we wish a big ‘ol #BookBday to: ON IMMUNITY by Eula Biss National Book Critics Circle Award-winner Biss’s examination of and ultimately, support for vaccines is an October 2014 Indie Next pick, a BEA Librarians “Shout ‘n Share” pick, has three outstanding starred reviews, and just recently was announced as a finalist for the […]
Sneak Peek: Oct. 2014 Indie Next list
The October 2014 Indie Next list was recently announced and it includes some of our favorite Macmillan titles! LILA by Marilynne Robinson Pulitzer Prize-winning author “Robinson has created a tour de force” (Booklist, starred review) with the final volume in her Gilead trilogy. It’s been nominated for the 2014 National Book Award in fiction, has […]
Teen Talk Tuesday (9/16/14 Edition)
Calling all YA & Teen librarians! St. Martin’s Griffin has a new batch of teen fiction – JUST FOR YOU! And don’t forget to join us and @earlyword later today at 5pm EST for Early Word YA Galley Chat, hashtag #ewyagc. PARTY GAMES by R.L. Stine (Fear Street series) The first new Fear Street book […]
Six Essential Debuts from LJ
Fun fact: Macmillan is publishing three of Library Journal’s six Winter 2015 debut novels recommended by the Pre-Pub Queen herself, Barbara Hoffert! FIND ME by Laura van den Berg On Sale: February 17, 2015 Van den Berg’s first collection of stories was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick and a finalist for […]
Thriller Thursday bonus: DECODED
HOT TITLE ALERT! We want to make sure this gripping debut novel is on your radar: DECODED by multi-award-winning author Mai Jia.
One of China's bestselling novels, it reveals the mysterious world of Unit 701, a top-secret Chinese intelligence agency whose sole purpose is counterespionage and code breaking. Brilliantly combining the mystery and tension of a spy thriller with the psychological nuance of an intimate character study and the magical qualities of a Chinese fable, DECODED discovers in cryptography the key to the human heart.
The New York Times jumped on DECODED early and ran an interview with Jia on their Sinosphere Blog and reviews have been outstanding:
“Told by a shadowy narrator who draws on interview transcripts and declassified documents, the book ranges in style from mythic fairy tale to spy story to epistemological speculation. Within this fantastic framework unfolds the saga of Rong Jinzhen, a youngster of illegitimate origin and odd upbringing whose phenomenal success in his non-chosen field leads to international counterespionage.” — The Wall Street Journal
“Finally, a great Chinese novel. It stands out among Chinese novels for its pace, liveliness and the sheer novelty of the tale it tells. It grips from the first page… [Jia] offers a beguiling and magical mystery tour of China. It is an absolute joy to read.” — The Economist
“An espionage novelist who navigates the top-secret world of cryptography, Mai has been hailed as China’s Dan Brown. DECODED quite blithely—and deliberately—defies the genre expectations.” — The New Republic
“Readers skate the line separating insanity from genius in Mai Jia’s riveting tale of cryptographic warfare. A denouement at once heartbreaking and thought-provoking leaves readers pondering the collective sanity of a world shrouding knowledge in enigmas. Gifted translators bring English-speaking readers a Chinese literary treasure.” — Booklist, starred review
“Mai’s careful attention to pacing and the folklore-inspired narration make for a fascinating story, neatly interwoven with complex mathematical theory.”
— Publishers Weekly
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For Your Consideration: May LibraryReads titles
Spring is coming, we promise! If you're still stuck with winter weather, stay indoors, read, and nominate* your favorite May 2014 titles for the next LibraryReads list!
*(deadline for nominations is April 1. More details here.)
THE SNOW QUEEN by Michael Cunningham
In the “tender, funny, and sorrowful” (Booklist, starred review) new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE HOURS, Cunningham examines the complex dynamics between a couple and a brother and a mysterious light in the sky.
THE HOLLOW GROUND by Natalie S. Harnett
Set amongst the deadly coal mine fires of 1960s Pennsylvania, this extraordinary debut tells the coming-of-age story of Brigid Howley, a young girl struggling to keep her family together despite the "curse" laid upon them generations earlier. “This cursed Irish-American clan will grab you by the brisket and not let go.” — Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY
DARK AEMILIA by Sally O'Reilly
A tale of sorcery and passion in 17th century London—where witches haunt William Shakespeare and his dark lady, the playwright's muse and one true love. “O’Reilly casts her story with witches, doomed royals, evil courtiers, and star-crossed lovers, as if it were a Jacobean play. But her finest accomplishment is not the tribute she pays to these historical figures, but the bold imagination she displays in bringing them together.” — Publishers Weekly
INVISIBLE CITY by Julia Dahl
In Julia Dahl's accomplished debut, young journalist Rebekah Roberts finds herself drawn into her mother's tight-knit world when she's assigned to cover the murder of an Hasidic Jew. “The secretive society of Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jews provides the backdrop for Dahl’s impressive debut. Dahl’s convincing dialogue and perfect pacing make for a real page-turner. And her storytelling skills illuminate the intriguing worlds of the tabloid press, Hasidism, the NYPD, and Brooklyn’s 20-somethings—as well as the fragile boundaries of family, religion, and life itself.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
BONE DUST WHITE by Karin Salvalaggio
When a young woman witnesses the murder of her mother who had abandoned her as a child, Detective Macy Greeley must solve the case and stop a killer in this “...haunting debut...that readers won't soon forget.” — Publishers Weekly
MY REAL CHILDREN by Jo Walton
Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Walton delivers the haunting and powerful tale of Patricia Cowan—a woman who lived two lives: one in which she marries and has four children, and the other in which she raises three children with her partner instead. Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history; each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs.
THE SHELF: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose
Can you have an Extreme Adventure in a library? Phyllis Rose casts herself into the wilds of an Upper East Side lending library in an effort to do just that. Hoping to explore the “real ground of literature,” she reads her way through a somewhat randomly chosen shelf of fiction, from LEQ to LES. “Rose's...understanding of readers and reading is candid and sincere.” — Library Journal
For more May LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!
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For Your Consideration: April LibraryReads titles
The March LibraryReads list may have just been announced (thank you to everyone who voted for PRECIOUS THING!!!), but we're already excited about April's potential picks. With February being such a short month and the Winter Olympics distracting us from reading time, the March 1 deadline to nominate April 2014 publications will be here faster than Shani Davis can break a new speedskating record!
Here's the inside track on our hot April titles:
KEEP QUIET by Lisa Scottoline
In New York Times bestselling author Scottoline's latest standalone, Jake Whitmore is enjoying a rare bonding moment with his sixteen-year-old son, Ryan, when they get in a terrible car accident that threatens to derail Ryan’s future. Jake makes a split-second decision that saves his son from formal punishment, but plunges them both into a world of guilt, lies, and secrecy. When a malevolent outsider comes forward with the power to expose them, Jake must do anything he can to prevent the further unraveling of his family.
THE PLOVER by Brian Doyle
When Declan O Donnell flees his troubled life on land by setting out on the Pacific Ocean in his boat, the Plover, he discovers something much more interesting than the solitude he sought. "Doyle (editor, Portland Magazine) has written a novel in the adventurous style of Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson but with a gentle mocking of their valorization of the individual as absolute. Readers will enjoy this bracing and euphoric ode to the vastness of the ocean and the unexpectedness of life." — Library Journal, starred review
SEDITION by Katharine Grant
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
DESTROYER ANGEL by Nevada Barr
In the next book in Barr's New York Times bestselling Anna Pigeon series, a camping trip in Minnesota goes harrowingly wrong when Anna's friends are taken hostage by armed thugs. "Once again, Barr lays down a riveting mystery and permeates the pages with scrupulous descriptions of Anna's struggle with the cold, with the night, and with the terror and fear of not rescuing her friends." — Library Journal, starred review
DON'T EVER LOOK BACK by Daniel Friedman
In this "alternately humorous and moving sequel" (Publishers Weekly) to the Edgar Award-nominated debut DON'T EVER GET OLD, feisty octogenarian Buck Schatz is trying to close the case on some unsolved robberies from his past.
'TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY by Lauren Francis-Sharma
This buzzed about debut novel is a glorious and moving multi-generational, multicultural saga that begins in the 1940s and sweeps through the 1960s in Trinidad and the United States. "Why the buzz: Voice, Voice, Voice! A story that takes you places you have never been and will stay with you forever." — Publishers Weekly, ABA's Winter Institute 9 round-up
MIMI MALLOY AT LAST by Julia MacDonnell
An April 2014 Indie Next pick! "MacDonnell captures perfectly the family dynamics between sisters, mothers, and daughters, as if she were sitting in on their gab sessions, taking copious notes. For readers who enjoy Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, this is a highly engaging family chronicle, with a healthy dose of Irish history laced in as well." — Booklist
THE OTHER STORY by Tatiana de Rosnay
The internationally bestselling author of SARAH'S KEY returns with another absorbing novel about a young writer who, while digging into his family’s deeply buried secrets, finds the key to his future.
For more April LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!
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Sneak Peek: The March 2014 Indie Next list
We're shaking off the winter blues with great news: we've got four fantastic books on the March 2014 Indie Next list, including the #1 pick!
SHOTGUN LOVESONGS by Nickolas Butler (#1 Pick!)
Butler's atmospheric debut novel about the relationship between four friends in a little Wisconsin town is an ABA Spring 2014 Indies Introduce selection, a Maximum Shelf Awareness feature, and a "love letter to the Midwest." (Publishers Weekly)
RUNNER by Patrick Lee
There's a good reason we've been hyping this new thriller starring retired special forces operative Sam Dryden–it's got three starred reviews, sold international rights in seven countries, and the film rights were optioned by Warner Brothers with director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) attached. (Now can we pleeeease get Channing Tatum to star?!)
THE WIVES OF LOS ALAMOS by TaraShea Nesbit
Nesbit's debut novel about the wives of the men who created the atom bomb is also an ABA Spring 2014 Indies Introduce selection, a Barnes & Noble Spring 2014 Discover Great New Writers selection, and has two great starred reviews with major media coverage to come.
THE BLACK-EYED BLONDE by Benjamin Black
Black's "pitch-perfect recreation" of Raymond Chandler's incomparable private eye Philip Marlowe goes "beyond mere thoughtful homage" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) when a seductive young heiress asks Marlowe to find her former lover.
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