November 9, 2009
Members of our library mktg dept. attended the AASL conference last week and the buzz from the librarians revolved around the lack of women authors on this year’s Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2009 top ten list.
I just scanned the list myself, and while I am THRILLED to see Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places on the fiction round-up - I completely agree that it’s shocking to see such male domination. And they completely missed Jeannette Walls’ Half Broke Horses (Scribner) and A.S. Byatt’s The Children’s Book!
What do you feel PW missed? Which female authors do you think should be in the top ten list?
-Erica
November 5, 2009
I took last Friday off for a long weekend. The resident West Coaster in the Library Marketing department, I had previously never been to Washington D.C. So when the opportunity arose, I took it. I spent Friday afternoon wandering around alone while my roommate attended a conference. Here is my attempt at taking my own photo in front of the Capitol building. Hi Mom!
After touring the Capitol building I saw signs pointing to a passageway that would take me to the Library of Congress… Of course, I followed them. The interior was gorgeous and so intricately painted.
and I was thrilled to see this exhibit…
I had to check out the Library of Congress Gift Shop and Bookstore where I was not at all surprised to come across…
I just had to snap a couple of photos when I saw…
Ms. Pearl, I’d say when you have your own “action figure” and are shelved next to Bach and Mozart at the Library of Congress, you have arrived!
And with that, I was off to the Smithsonian where I oogled over Dorothy’s ruby slippers and Julia Child’s kitchen. But I think we’ll save those photos for another day…
-Marie
November 4, 2009
Did you know there were Video Book Awards? I confess, I did not. But three intriguing videos are finalists for Kirkus Reviews 2009 Book Video Awards. The Award “challenges student filmmakers to create video trailers based on three upcoming young-adult novels to be published by Random House Children’s Books. ”
The three finalist books are: Very Lefreak, The Maze Runner, and Fallen.
Vote for your favorite here and be sure to add these books to your YA collections.
-Marie
November 4, 2009
Oh, Andre. Drugs and hair pieces, really? Please don’t tarnish my teenage self’s ideals of you. I’m still hoping that this is just Entertainment Tonight going for the glitzy headlines and that once I’ve read OPEN, you will remain in my heart as the greatest tennis player ever.
Get ready to start see Andre everywhere in the media - the blitz is on!
Open by Andre Agassi
(9780307268198, On sale 11/09/2009)
Knopf
NATIONAL PUBLICITY LINE UP:
10/28/2009 — Cover story/feature with excerpt (first serial) — People
10/29/2009 — Dual first serial with People magazine — SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
11/06/2009 — Review by Sean Gregory — TIME Magazine
11/08/2009 — Interview with Katie Couric — CBS-TV 60 Minutes
11/08/2009 — Interview with Howard Fendrich — Associated Press
11/09/2009 — Feature/Profile — USA TODAY
11/09/2009 — Interview — TENNIS CHANNEL
11/09/2009 — Two hour taped interview with Rick Reilly — ESPN
11/11/2009 — Interview— NBC-TV Today Show
11/11/2009 — Live interview — WNYC-AM Leonard Lopate Show
11/11/2009 — Live interview with host Michael Kay — YES NETWORK Center Stage
11/11/2009 — Taping (air date tk) — CBS TELEVISION Rachael Ray Show
11/11/2009 — Interview with Terry Gross — NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO Fresh Air
11/11/2009 — Interview — WABC-TV Live with Regis & Kelly
11/12/2009 — Live interview with anchors Chetry — CNN American Morning
11/12/2009 — Air date tk - Interview — CHARLIE ROSE INC. Charlie Rose Show
11/12/2009 — Live interview with host Joe Scarborough — MSNBC Morning Joe
11/12/2009 — Live interview /Chris Russo/ Mad Dog Unleashed — SIRIUS XM RADIO Mad Dog Radio
11/12/2009 — interview (now also on Fox Business Network) — WABC-AM Imus in the Morning
11/13/2009 — Drive Time Radio Satellite Tour — ABC RADIO NETWORK
11/15/2009 — re-airing Agassi documentary “Between the Lines” to coincide with the book release — TENNIS CHANNEL
11/16/2009 — Drive time radio tour — ENVISION RADIO NETWORK
11/18/2009 — Interview — PBS-TV/KCET-TV Tavis Smiley Show
Month of December — Feature with Stefanie Graf and Andre about his book — VOGUE (on stands mid-November)
Month of December — Proust Questionnaire — VANITY FAIR (on stands mid-Nov)
REGIONAL PUBLICITY:
09/03/2009 — Fall preview in free weekly local paper — Las Vegas Weekly
10/12/2009 — “I want to Read: ‘Open’ by Douglas Perry — The Oregonian
10/22/2009 — tennis writer Michelle Kaufman promotes Andre’s events in Miami — MIAMI HERALD
11/03/2009 — Cover feature — LAS VEGAS MAGAZINE
11/09/2009 — Feature/Profile (run date tk) — Yerevan Magazine — CA - Los Angeles
11/09/2009 — Review by Joel Drucker (run date tk) — Confirmed
CA - San Francisco
11/10/2009 — Feature in Doug Elfman’s 3A column — LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
11/11/2009 — Interview — WPLJ-FM Scott and Todd in the Morning —
NY - New York City
11/11/2009 — Interview — WOR-AM Joan Hamburg Show —
NY - New York City
11/13/2009 — Live interview — Boomer and Carton in the Morning, WFAN-NY
11/16/2009 — Feature/profile by Michelle Kaufman (run date tk) — MIAMI HERALD
FL - Miami/Fort Lauderdale
11/18/2009 — Interview — KFI-AM Bill Handel Show — CA - Los Angeles
11/18/2009 — Interview — KPCC-FM AirTalk with Larry Mantle — CA - Los Angeles
11/18/2009 — Live interview on Good Day LA — KTTV — CA - Los Angeles
11/20/2009 — Live interview on the Ronn Owens Show — KGO-AM — CA - San Francisco
11/21/2009 — Interview — KALW-FM West Coast Live — CA - San Francisco
-Erica
November 3, 2009
Yesterday, I received 2 separate emails about a book called MR. PEANUT. I’d never heard of it before, nor of the first-time author, Adam Ross, but both emails were raving that I must read it. One called it a “police-procedural of the soul.” However, the publication date is so far away that there aren’t even galleys yet!
So I couldn’t help but wonder what was causing the fuss, so I downloaded the manuscript onto my e-reader and started reading last night. And now, even 25 pages in, I can see that I’m going to really enjoy it. I REALLY WISH I could show you the opening of this book, but I think it’s illegal. I’m trying to think of an opening I like better, and only Lolita is coming to mind.
This book’s scheduled to come out in June. This won’t be the last time I post about it, I’m sure. Consider this a blip on your screen!
-David
October 29, 2009
According to a New York Times article, DC Comics will soon be publishing a series called “American Vampire,” which, illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, will concern itself with “a new breed of vampire through the lens of different eras in American history. The second 16-page portion of the story will be done by none other than Stephen King! His story will be about Skinner Sweet, the first vampire to not fear the sun (see above illustration).
The article also describes a story by Scott Snyder of a fame-hungry woman in the Jazz Age–which actually sounds even more interesting. Overall, the series seems like it’ll be very cool, even if it is a little bandwagon-ish.
The National Ledger, in their article about the comic, seems to be obliquely accusing Mr. King of condemning the Twilight series while also capitalizing on its popularity. But really, I don’t think he has to prove anything at this point, and he certainly doesn’t need any more money, right? Anyone think this is a bad idea?
October 28, 2009
My absolute favorite thing about working in publishing is meeting the authors. And yesterday, we got to meet Kris Radish! She was just as fabulous as I had imagined and sent us away with goodies to raffle off to libraries!
Share with us your favorite novel from Radish and we’ll pick one lucky librarian to receive a signed copy of The Shortest Distance Between Two Women, a Radish women’s visor, and more!
And keep an eye on your holds lists and get those preorders ready! Kris’s lastest novel, Hearts on a String, will be out in May!
-Erica
October 27, 2009
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of meeting debut author Carolina de Robertis who was in house signing copies of her novel, The Invisible Mountain. With my extensive heralding of this beautiful narrative, it surely comes as no surprise to you that I was tickled pink to meet her and have her autograph a copy for me. Really, this
is one of the best perks of the job! It should also not come as a surprise that I didn’t forget you, my blog friends. Ms. de Robertis was happy to sign a copy for you as well.
If you’d like to be entered to win the autographed copy please comment and answer the following:
This novel takes place in Uruguay and is rich in language and culture. Please tell us about a favorite book you have read lately that is set outside of the United States.*
-Marie
*I am currently reading a Penguin book that I’d picked up at ALA called The Book of Night Women. Set in eighteenth-century Kingston, Jamaica, it is narrated entirely in slave dialect. I’m loving it so far!
October 27, 2009
I’d like to thank the many librarians who were able to join us for the first AAP Librarian Book Buzz Presentation last week! It was exciting to have so many publishers in one room, dedicated to the library marketplace.
Just because you’re not local to NYC doesn’t mean that you should be left out! Below are the titles I presented and buzzed about - staff favorites, book you MUST have and the important mid-list books you don’t want to miss! With only 12 minutes to present, I could only touch upon some highlights. There are many more where these came from, so be on the lookout for more from our department.
THE SWIMMING POOL by Holly LeCraw
UNION ATLANTIC by Adam Haslett
THE HANDBOOK FOR LIGHTNING STRIKE SURVIVORS by Michele Young-Stone *Marie’s latest staff pick!
LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER by George Bishop
THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE by Carla Buckley
WISH HER SAFE AT HOME by Stephen Benatar
ALICE I HAVE BEEN by Melanie Benjamin *Jen’s latest staff pick!
WOLF AMONG WOLVES by Han Fallada
THE MANY DEATHS OF THE FIREFLY BROTHERS by Thomas Mullen
THE AMERICAN GIRL by Monika Fagerholm *for fans of Steig Larsson!
THE MAN FROM BEIJING by Henning Mankell *more for fans of Steig Larsson!
WALKING TO GATLINBURG by Howard Frank Mosher
PARROT & OLIVIER IN AMERICA by Peter Carey
CLAUDE AND CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET by Stephanie Cowell
ANCESTOR by Scott Sigler
October 22, 2009
I don’t know if I’ve ever looked forward so much to something so bleak and horrifying. On November 6, a movie called “Precious” comes out, based on a novel we publish called PUSH by Sapphire. (For the movie-tie-in editon, they’ve changed the title to fit the movie)
The film, according to the article in The NYTimes Magazine, received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Cannes film festival, and it also won a Grand Jury prize at Sundance several months ago. The piece in the magazine is an interesting read, and features a cool interview with the director about who has inspired him over the years. Share it with your friends and patrons to generate interest!
-David
