Well-Read: 6 New Titles that Independent Booksellers Love
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I checked in with Annie Philbrick of Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT (right over the state line), who just assumed her role as President of NEIBA about her thoughts on the recent conference. “The buzz at NEIBA was positive and conversations between publishers and booksellers were engaging and energized.” Philbrick said. “Thursday's author reception was well-attended as booksellers chatted with authors such as Hillary Jordan, Tom Ryan and Lily Tuck and wandered through the quick look at the trade show floor.” She added that all of the New England bookstores are looking forward to a productive and hopefully, profitable holiday season.
Speaking of the author reception…. Here are the titles I’m most excited about and am looking forward to interviewing the authors on Reading With Robin in the upcoming months.
When She Woke - Hillary Jordan
The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach
Perhaps it’s because I just saw and loved the movie Moneyball that when I met debut novelist, Chad Harbach, (coeditor of n+1, which he cofounded) I was moved to talk about my appreciation for baseball.
This novel starts and ends with baseball but of course, is about so much more. It’s the story of Henry Skrimshander, a college baseball star destined for the big leagues who is recruited to play for the Harpooners of Westish College, a small school on the shores of Lake Michigan. The fates of five people are forever changed when a routine throw goes way off course forcing them to face their fears, secrets and hopes to find their true paths. Play ball!
Dear Bully—70 Authors Tell Their Stories - edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
“High School is never over” is one of my favorite lines from The Jane Austen Book Club movie. Ask anyone if they have a story about being bullied and most likely, if they are honest, they’ll have one (or a few). Dear Bully is a book that continues in the tradition of Queen Bees and Wannabes (think Mean Girls). In these deeply personal essays, today’s top authors for teens share their stories about bullying—as sideline observers, victims and as perpetrators. This is the perfect book to read and then share with the children in your life. As an added bonus the book the book includes resources for teens, parents and educators.
Note: These next three books are due out Jan ‘12!
The Flight of Gemma Hardy - Margot Livesey
Fans of Livesey’s (The House on Fortune Street) have been anticipating her upcoming release for a couple of years. In the grand tradition of literary strong-willed orphan girls, Gemma is being called a modern-day Jane Eyre. When her widower father drowns at sea, ten-year-old Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her uncle’s family, but when that guardian dies she is left to the “wicked” aunt. Gemma receives a scholarship to a private school and hopes that this is the answer to her prayers. We follow Gemma as she becomes an au pair on Orkney Island where she might have found true love. But will the secrets she has also found keep her from her chance at love? This is my next read!
Wandering over to the Random House section I learned about the final two reads from District Sales Managers Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness. Kingman and Kindness are the hosts of the very popular Books on the Nightstand where they share their take on the latest titles through their podcasts and blog posts.
Defending Jacob - William Landy
When I asked Michael for a synopsis of Defending Jacob he said it “is a thriller that has both compelling courtroom scenes, and a heartbreaking story of a family in crisis.” So much a thriller that he says he “begged my wife to watch our children so I could finish reading this book.” He says that when he did finish it his heart was pounding and his hands were literally shaking. It has an ending that you won’t see coming, one that you will re-read in disbelief. Jacob is being described as an intense literary mystery about crime and punishment.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philipp Sendker
Thrusting this book into my hands, Ann Kingman told me that this was a book to share with my book clubs. Ann says, “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is a love story like no other I've read, and it's a book you'll want to talk about.” The story of a daughter who journeys to Burma to find the secret behind her father’s disappearance, and there she meets an old man who tells her an incredible story. Kingman adds, “This novel has characters you will never forget, and a setting that will transport you. I was sad to finish this book, but I think about it often.”
Reading enthusiast and all around "book-pusher" Robin Kall can be heard live Saturday mornings from 7-8am on Reading With Robin WHJJ 920AM. Also streaming live at www.920whjj.com. Follow on Twitter @robinkall, and Facebook - Reading With Robin. All new Web site! www.readingwithrobin.com
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