Random House, Inc. has announced that Knopf is publishing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s memoir, out in September.

“Tony Blair: The Journey will break new ground in prime ministerial memoirs just as Blair himself broke the mould of British politics,” said Gail Rebuck, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Random House Group.  “His book is frank, open, revealing, and written in an intimate and accessible style.  As an account of the nature and uses of power, it will have a readership that extends well beyond politics, to all those who want to understand the challenge of leadership in today’s world.” 

Be sure to add this one to your lists for your politically focused patrons! 

Just announced yesterday, the Maryland Humanities Council has selected Outcasts United: Outcasts United: An American Town, A Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference as the 2010 One Maryland One Book read.

For more on this exciting common reading adoption, visit the new Common Reads blog, dedicated to connecting schools and communites through one book.

There you will also find feedback from program coordinators; videos, links and other author extras; the latest adoption news within the One Book, One Community and First-Year Experience communities; and FREE giveaways (including this one).

If you, or your colleagues, are a part of your community’s One Book program, you do not want to miss this new resource. You may also request or download the new One Book, One Community catalog.

-Marie

The finalists for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award have been announced and two Random House, Inc. books are among them.

Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs and Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor join literary heavyweight Barbara Kingsolver (The Lacuna) and two others who are nominated for the award, which was founded by writers in 1980 and partially named after William Faulkner.

Previous Random House, Inc. winners in recent years include: Netherland by Joseph O’Neill (2009), Everyman by Phillip Roth (2007) and The March by E.L. Doctorow (2006).

Erik, one of our colleagues at Random House (you remember Erik…one of his cats was the RH Employee Pet of the Month and the other has amazing skill with doors) has launched a blog called Fat Cat Lover that is stirring up quite a bit of controversy.  Featuring tubby tabbies, the blog claims to be a “daily appreciation of the curvy cat.” 

While some people think these hefty hairballers are as cute as can be, others are not so amused.  They claim that this is no laughing matter since overweight pets can suffer from a variety of health problems and have a shorter life span.  Fat Cat Lover (and some of the comments left by enraged readers) was recently featured in The New York Post and on the Today show website.  Click through for more details on the drama.

So please weigh in (sorry, couldn’t resist).  What do YOU think? Adorable or horrible?

I may be young, male, semi-nerdy, and therefore biased, but this movie, The Losers looks really good. I’m not 100% sure I have this right, but it’s based on THE LOSERS by Andy Diggle from DC Comics’s Vertigo imprint, which, I think, is based on a movie of the same name that came out in 1968. (Someone please correct me in the comments if I have this wrong.) 

The movie is written by “Friday Night Lights” scribe Peter Berg and stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (P.S. I Love You, Watchmen, “Supernatural”) and Avatar’s Zoe Saldana. Here’s the great-looking preview. Be sure to have the graphic novel on the shelves when the movie hits!

-David

There are a couple of very exciting films coming out next month based on Random House books–the first of which I get to see a screening of next week! That’s right, it’s THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. The trailer isn’t dubbed in English however, so pay attention to the subtitles.

And some of you may remember a little book called IMPERIAL LIFE IN THE EMERALD CITY, a National Book Award finalist in 2006. This will be coming out under a different title, “Green Zone,” and will star Mr. Matt Damon and Mr. Greg Kinnear.

-David

  Spring 2010 Drop-In from Crown Publishers

 OPRAH

By Kitty Kelley

Based on three years of research and reporting as well as 850 interviews with sources, many of whom have never before spoken for publication, Oprah is the first comprehensive biography of one of the most influential, powerful, and admired public figures of our time, by the most widely read biographer of our era. Anyone who is a fan of Oprah Winfrey or who has followed her extraordinary life and career will be fascinated and newly informed by the closely observed, detailed, and well-rounded portrait of her provided by Kitty Kelley’s exhaustively researched book. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation of who Oprah really is beyond her public persona and a fuller understanding of her important place in American cultural history.

Among the awards that Kitty Kelley has been honored with by her professional peers are the Outstanding Author Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for her “courageous writing on popular culture,” the Philip M. Stern Award for her “outstanding service to writers and the writing profession,” the Medal of Merit from the Lotos Club in New York City, and the 2005 PEN Oakland Literary Censorship Award. She has also been selected as a member of Vanity Fair magazine’s Hall of Fame. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, People, Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune.

On sale 4/13/10 | HC | 9780307394866 | 600,000| $30.00 US / $37.00 CAN

Perhaps you’ve seen them at ALA, those glossy editions of RHI magazine focused on subjects such as “Reaching Reluctant Readers” and “Promoting Citizenship” and “Censorship and Banned Books.” If you’ve flipped through them you’ve no doubt read original articles by professionals in various fields and cherished Random House authors and pieces by then Senator Barack Obama and literary great Maya Angelou.

Now RHI is back and going green for the fourth edition. Take a look at the new RHI Magazine on the Web focusing on environmental education (appropriately) and also allowing readers to chime in. You will also find original pieces by such notable authors as Stephen Rinella (American Buffalo), Matthew Pearl (The Last Dickens) and an introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

You may also download past issues of RHI Magazine via the highschool webpage. Be sure to check back often as new and wonderful content is always forthcoming!

I’ve heard about the most wonderfully inspiring book donation program!  As you weed your Romance Collections, there is a wonderful opportunity to pass along those editions to non-profit organizations providing assistance to women in need.  Share the Love!

Join favorite authors  Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, & Julia London, among others, in supporting this thoughtful cause!

-Erica

Happy New Year!  I’d like to share our latest and greatest resource for the book clubs @ your library - the Random House Library Book Club brochure! 

You’ll find top picks from our Spring 2010 releases, along with sample discussion questions, links for more resources, and readers advisory hints.

It’s available online as well as in print.  They will be hot off the press at Midwinter!  We are also happy to send them to you in the mail, just send your address to library@randomhouse.com if you’d like to receive some copies.