A beautiful empress, a handsome horseman, and a bluestocking heiress form a passionate love triangle in New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin’s new historical novel, THE FORTUNE HUNTER, which was last week’s Maximum Shelf Awareness feature. Empress Elizabeth of Austria, known as “Sisi,” is the Princess Diana of nineteenth-century Europe. Famously beautiful, as […]
Tag: starred review
Happy #BookBday (7/7/14 Edition)
Break out the cake! It’s time for another #BookBday! Today we celebrate: LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell Do we really need to say anything more about the #1 July LibraryReads pick? Didn’t think so. (But oh, how we love Rainbow!) HIGH AS THE HORSES’ BRIDLES by Scott Cheshire An urgent, electric debut novel about inheritance, belief, […]
Happy #BookBday (6/24/14 Edition)
Join us in celebrating #BookBdays for our many June releases! FLYING SHOES by Lisa Howorth This “buzz-worthy debut” (Publishers Weekly) novel by the co-founder of Square Books, set in Mississippi in 1996, based on the real-life, long-unsolved murder of the author’s young stepbrother is a July Indie Next pick! “Howorth’s dedication to capturing the messy, […]
Happy #BookBday to BRUTAL YOUTH
Today we wish a happy #BookBday to BRUTAL YOUTH by Anthony Breznican! We buzzed about this debut coming-of-age story set in a Catholic High School from the Entertainment Weekly senior writer several months ago, and the hype has only grown since then.
Apple iBooks selected it as one of their ten best fiction titles of June, Parade.com featured it in their Father's Day Gift Guide, and Breznican was interviewed on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered (air date tk) and Southern California Public Radio!
Of course, EW gave it a half-page write up in their June 13 issue and featured an essay from Breznican on their Shelf Life blog today (natch).
Praise for BRUTAL YOUTH:
“Debut author (and senior staff writer at Entertainment Weekly) Breznican captures a perfect balance of horror, heartbreak, and resilience and takes the high school novel into deeper places. Great for the beach but not just a summer read.” — Library Journal, starred review
“If you thought high school was hell, has Anthony Breznican got a story for you… By turns funny and terrifying, BRUTAL YOUTH is an unputdownable tour-de-force, a REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE for the 21st century.” — Stephen King
“Breznican has accomplished that rare feat of unflinchingly exposing the high school experience in all of its hilarity, vengeance, and terror. You'll think Roald Dahl just went for a swim in the world of John Hughes and came out wearing prison stripes.” — Jason Reitman, Academy award-nominated writer/director/producer of JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, and UP IN THE AIR
Coming to ALA Annual? Make sure to meet Anthony Breznican!
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Buzz for A STING IN THE TALE
Spring is upon us, which means that everything is blooming (our sympathies to all you allergy sufferers), and where there are blooms, there are bees.
We've got a “buzz”-worthy must-read memoir for you: A STING IN THE TALE: My Adventures with Bumblebees by Dave Goulson.
One of the U.K.’s most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines light-hearted tales of a child’s growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee.
It was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize and named a Barnes & Noble Discover Selection, and received rave reviews from NPR, the Seattle Times, the New York Post, and Shelf Awareness:
“A STING IN THE TALE melts memoir and conservation issues into a sweet pot, moving from subject to subject very much in the manner of a foraging bee seeking flowers… Warm and delightful: I frequently found myself wanting to put it down to go bird and bee-watching, to find for myself the species he discusses.” — Amal El-Mohtar, NPR.org
“[A STING IN THE TALE] is both a whodunit as well as a revealing study of a bug on whom we depend a great deal.” — The Seattle Times
“...Goulson transforms what could be dry material with a stinging wit.” — New York Post
“A charming and highly informative narrative about the anything-but-humble bumblebee.” — Shelf Awareness
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Maximum Shelf: THAT NIGHT
They said she was a murderer.
They said she killed her sister.
But they lied.
That's the set up for Chevy Stevens' fourth terrific novel, THAT NIGHT, which is this week's Maximum Shelf Awareness feature.
Toni Murphy was eighteen when she and her boyfriend, Ryan, were wrongly convicted of the murder of her younger sister. Now she is thirty-four and back in her hometown, working every day to forge and adjust to a new life on the outside. She's doing everything in her power to avoid violating her parole and going back to prison. But nothing is making that easy—not Ryan, who is convinced he can figure out the truth; not her mother, who clearly doubts Toni's innocence; and certainly not the group of women who made Toni's life miserable in high school and may have darker secrets than anyone realizes. Before Toni can truly move on, she must risk everything to find out the truth and clear her name.
“Foreshadowing and terrifying suspense are riveting in Stevens's sure hands; readers will want to keep all the lights on as THAT NIGHT moves into its final acceleration.” — Shelf Awareness
See the full summary, review and interview with Chevy Stevens on Shelf-Awareness.com.
Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email library@macmillanusa.com with the subject "That Night."
Praise for THAT NIGHT:
“Stevens has crafted yet another suspenseful thriller with this tale of heartbreak, the cruelties of fate, and redemption… Stevens not only gives us a fresh perspective on the power adolescents hold over one another, but she also explores the way secrets can destroy lives. Fans of layered mysteries will love this novel as they try to guess the players in Nicole's death and try to figure out exactly what happened 'that night.' A compelling, exceptional read.”
— Library Journal, starred review
“Stevens does an excellent job conveying Toni’s near-constant state of unease—as a victim of teenage bullying, a prison inmate protesting her innocence, a parolee who’s prohibited from coming in contact with the people who could clear her name. And she supplies a corker of an ending.” — Booklist
“Riveting…an exciting page-turner with an incisive twist.” — Publishers Weekly
“Stevens’ storytelling skills are strong in her latest. She shows us the evil that women can wreak on each other, even in high school, and she paints a poisonous parent very well…readers will feel the heroine’s youthful love and anguish, and root for and believe in her no matter what self-destructive things she does. Stevens continues to captivate…” — RT Book Reviews
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For Your Consideration: June LibraryReads titles
Since the weather is getting warmer, why not take your reading al fresco? We recommend these June 2014 titles to get you in a summer state of mind. Just don't forget to nominate your favorite books by May 1!
THAT NIGHT by Chevy Stevens
A woman who was wrongly convicted of her sister's murder and served time in prison must risk everything to find out the truth and clear her name. “Stevens has crafted yet another suspenseful thriller with this tale of heartbreak, the cruelties of fate, and redemption... A compelling, exceptional read.” — Library Journal, starred review
Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email library@macmillanusa.com with the subject "That Night."
A DARK AND TWISTED TIDE by Sharon Bolton
In the latest Lacey Flint mystery, the detective—now part of the marine police—finds a shrouded body in the river. And that's just the first one... “Bolton, who previously published using her initials rather than her first name, turns out dependably well-plotted, well-written crime novels that have actually made me miss my subway stop. I can't wait to get my hands on this one.” — Library Journal, Spring 2014 Editors' Picks
Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email library@macmillanusa.com with the subject "Dark and Twisted Tide."
SAVE THE DATE by Mary Kay Andrews
Cara Kryzik is on the verge of becoming the go-to wedding florist in Savannah, even though she doesn't believe in love. But when the bride spirals into a crisis and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must come to the rescue and figure out what she believes in. “Bestseller Andrews is at the top of her game, delivering a smart, funny perfect-for-summer read with a hopeful heart.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review on LADIES NIGHT
Download a copy from Edelweiss
THAT SUMMER by Lauren Willig
From modern-day England to the early days of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, New York Times bestseller Willig takes readers on a journey through a mysterious old house, a hidden love affair, and one woman's search for the truth about her past—and herself.
Download a copy from Edelweiss
THE GLASS KITCHEN by Linda Francis Lee
Three sisters move from Texas to New York City to open a restaurant in this novel about food, family, and finding true love from the author of EMILY AND EINSTEIN.
Download a copy from Edelweiss
BRUTAL YOUTH by Anthony Breznican
Three freshmen must join forces to survive at a troubled, working-class Catholic high school with a student body full of bullies and zealots, and a faculty that's even worse in this coming-of-age story that's Fight Club meets The Breakfast Club.
Download a copy from Edelweiss
THE ROMANOV SISTERS: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport
Historian Helen Rappaport brings the four Russian Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov, to life in their own words, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, to illuminate the opulence of their doomed world and their courage as they faced a terrible end.
Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email library@macmillanusa.com with the subject "Romanov Sisters."
For more June LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!
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Happy #BookBday (2/25/14 Edition)
Just like our furry friend says, today we wish a happy #BookBday to:
BITTER EDEN by Tatamkhulu Afrika
Based on the author’s own capture in North Africa and his experiences as a prisoner-of-war in World War II in Italy and Germany, this frank and beautifully wrought novel deals with three men who must negotiate the emotions that are brought to the surface by the physical closeness of survival in the male-only camps. “BITTER EDEN is a beautifully crafted, absorbing read, a careful examination of human relationships, and a rare glimpse into the complexities of life in wartime.” — Booklist
MY NAME IS RESOLUTE by Nancy Turner
A sweeping historical set in Revolutionary War-era New England, young Resolute Talbot is sold into slavery and taught spinning and weaving–skills that place her at the secret heart of the growing rebellion against England. "Every page of Turner's engrossing and fascinating work is better than the last. Not only historical fiction fans will love this beautifully written and compelling novel." — Library Journal
THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene
Inspired by a personal loss, this is a beautifully written, haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one couple at their best and worst. "This is a riveting psychological novel about loss and the terrible mistakes and compromises one can make in love and marriage. Essential for fans of literary fiction." — Library Journal, starred review
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Thriller Thursday (2/13/14 Edition)
Our winter woes continue: the wind is howling like a banshee on top of the Flatiron and North Carolina is buried in snow! Good thing we've got our mysteries to keep us company on this chilly #ThrillerThursday:
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. "The buildup to each murder is extraordinarily well done and almost unbearably suspenseful. On the whole, the novel lives up to the edginess of this genre. Brrrr." — Booklist
THE DEALER AND THE DEAD by Gerald Seymour
"A war crime propels this stellar thriller from Edgar-finalist Seymour. How Seymour develops these characters and manipulates them until they all end up in Vukovar is a testament to his talent and skill." — Publishers Weekly, starred & boxed review
"The Bosnian conflict was spectacularly cruel. Two decades on, it continues to spur headlines and to provide potent plotlines for novelists. It’s fitting that Seymour, one of the finest contemporary espionage novelists, shines his unique light on it." — Booklist, starred review
MURDER IN THE AFTERNOON by Frances Brody
In Brody's newest Kate Shackleton novel, Kate must help a family find a man who's presumed dead after he went missing from the local stone quarry. "The bucolic setting of the village of Great Applewick and the period atmosphere add authentic touches to this finely drawn traditional mystery with multiple storylines." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
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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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