A couple of readers recently commented (thanks!) on my review of the new memoir, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. Since this book has sparked conversation and contemplation, I thought I’d share this recent op-ed piece in The New York Times  by Pulitzer-Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof whose book, Half the Sky, is a Random House, Inc. bestseller.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think! I’d love to discuss.

-Marie

Perhaps I’m a bit late to the party but I just finished reading Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls last week. I admit I wasn’t too sure about it because the cover, while gorgeous, was so pretty I figured it was going to be a “too pretty”. I should have known better. See wonderfully illuminates the plight of the Chinese American immigrant in 1930’s through the story of May and Pearl, two sisters. And their story reads so realistically at points you can almost see the Angel Island Immigration offices, the streets of Shanghai and the palm trees of Los Angeles.  

If you have yet to pick this one up, take a look at the video below and then don’t stress about your tardiness. Paperbacks are sometimes better anyway, right?

-Marie

Curious about what we’ve all been reading these days? Here’s a department-wide update:

Jen – Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
A charming, heart-warming story of two widowers with very different backgrounds, but a shared love of Kipling. One of those books that just makes you smile as you read it. Perfect for Book Groups.

Erica - The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald
I picked this up in preparation for meeting Lisa Grunwald at the PLA conference in March. It is the unconventional coming of age story of Henry, who was raised by six mothers as part a college home economics course in the 1950s. It follows him through the conformist ‘50s and the psychedelic ‘60s, with cameos by Benjamin Spock, Walt Disney, Julie Andrews, and The Beatles.

 Marcia - The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell
A twisty thriller the author of the Kurt Wallander mysteries that crosses two centuries and two continents and thoroughly explores the notion of revenge.

David – Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace by David Lipsky
I am of the opinion that David Foster Wallace was a genius and sort of my soul twin (minus the whole clinical depression thing). So I will read anything written by or about him. He somehow articulates the thoughts that I never even thought about thinking.

 Marie: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
So much to talk about in just under 200 pages. Wow! A taxidermist and a novelist working together on a play about a howler monkey and a donkey? I will definitely be talking about this one for a while so stay tuned!

Be sure to check our Staff Picks page for more of our recent favorites.

I’ve begun to notice a pattern in my reading. This happens a lot. I’ll jump from historical fiction to literary coming-of-age stories to popular best sellers and back, gobbling them all up along the way.

It seems there is an abundance of Appalachian fiction these days and it would appear that I am slightly addicted to it. We all know how I felt after reading Sweeping Up Glass. I also ventured outside the Random House family last fall and read Velva Jean Learns to Drive and The Well and the Mine, both fine reads. My latest favorite, Bloodroot, is set in East Tennesse’s Smoky Mountains and follows three generations of a family haunted by secrets and madness, blood red love and intense hatred, from the Great Depression to present day. And I must say I agree with a fellow Goodreads.com member who said not to be fooled by the peaceful looking cover, this book is vicious. A debut novel, it is wonderfully written. Somber and heartbreaking, even the most difficult moments are gorgeous. Also woven into the narrative and the lives of the characters are smidges of magical realism that enable the reader to vividly imagine each wild woman and her “haint blue” eyes as well as the ghosts that haunt the residents of Bloodroot Mountain. 

This one is available now. Pick it up. You won’t be sorry!

-Marie

Every once in a while, a book comes along that stands out from the pack early on.  RH staff reads early ebook galleys and soon everyone is buzzing about the same title. It has been some time since I remember so many in-house people LOVING the same book–3 of us in the Library Marketing Dept alone! Dare I say it?  It was perhaps The DaVinci Code and we all know what ended up happening there, so don’t say I’m not giving you a heads up here.

You may recognize Justin Cronin’s name, he was the winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for his radiant novel in stories, Mary and O’Neil.  His next novel, The Summer Guest was also lauded.  Cronin has decided to go down a different path with his next novel The Passage.  I loved The Summer Guest, but it was a literary novel where the action took a back seat.  Not so here.  The Passage is adrenalin-filled, twisty, suspense-packed, and rich in characters–and did I mention?–the writing is absolutely amazing. 

I’m afraid to tell you too much about the plot, because it is tough to explain with any brevity, but an anecdote related to us at our marketing meeting sets it up nicely.  Supposedly, the award-winning author asked his young daughter what it would take for her to read one of his novels.  She thought for a moment and finally replied that it would have to be about a little girl who saves the world.  From that germ of an idea was born this epic, post-apocalyptic story of humankind struggling to survive. 

The fact that is an amazing book, makes it a GOOD thing that the novel is more than 1000 pages AND the first in a trilogy.  I honestly did not want it to end.  It is the kind of book that you want to just force on people to read (oh come on, you know you’ve done it) and since I’m pretty much done with my co-workers (except for Dave Eicke who still needs to read it!!), friends and family, I’m moving on to you, faithful blog readers.  I have some excerpt booklets available and will send them out to anyone who leaves a comment, while supplies last. 

I’ll have galleys to give away at ALA Midwinter, but wouldn’t it be cool to get a sneak peek now?  That way you’ll be In The Know before you arrive in Boston this January.  I’m telling you: this is going to be BIG.

Jen

On the Trekkie scale, I probably average about a 4 out of 10.  I don’t have a costume and only recently, finally, saw all of the original movies. But I’m a fan nonetheless. I loved the J.J. Abrams movie last summer and am thrilled to see that Library Journal gave a stellar review of Star Trek: The Art of the Film from Titan Books!

“Director J.J. Abrams bold—and smart—reimagining of the dying Star Trek franchise was a pleasant surprise to both critics and especially rabid fans, whose phasers were set on kill if he mistreated their baby. He didn’t. Both Abrams and the screenwriters handled the material with the utmost seriousness and respect it deserved, creating a thrilling sci-fi action adventure revealing the iconic characters’ beginnings. This tie-in volume sports text by NY Times best selling author Vaz (an old friend to sci-fi film fans), and a ton of concept art, screen grabs, and behind-the-scenes shots covering all aspects of the film’s technical production. Chapters cover the creation of the assorted alien species, ships (the Enterprise, of course, gets more than 20 pages of coverage), props, uniforms, poster art, and more. Publisher Titan does Art of books right and this is no exception, the photos and illustrations are outstanding and what fans really want. Just loads of coolness for Trek heads, who’ll be crazy for this book. Grab it.”—Mike Rogers, LJX/LJ

This past weekend Erica, our RHAcademic co-worker Lani, and I flew to Atlanta for the National Council for Social Studies conference. Aside from the great perks of traveling (my personal fave is not having to make my own bed!) one wonderful thing about conferences is that it gives me a chance to discover or rediscover books that somehow missed my radar. This was the case with I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced.

I picked up a galley copy of this slim book as I was drawn to the  image of a beautiful little girl on the cover. Then I noticed the title. 10 years old and divorced?! I was immediately intrigued. Nujood, a Yemeni girl, had no record of the exact date or year of her birth but it was around age ten that she was married, without her consent, to a man three times her senior. She endured life as a wife, forbidden to play or do other childlike things, until one day she decided to get out. She slipped away to a courthouse where she asked to see a judge and demanded a divorce. Her request was granted and Nujood became the first child bride in Yemen to divorce her husband, setting precendence for so many others. 

She writes, “I am a simple village girl whose family had to move to the capital, and I have always obeyed the orders of the men in my family. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today, I have decided to say no.” Nujood’s story is written in her voice and its childlike simplicity is exactly what makes it so powerful. Actions are alluded to, feelings are described, and the reader experiences it all with Nujood, from her family struggles to tasting “bizza” and “bebsi” for the first time.

While reading, I often found myself imagining what it would have been like to read this book as a young adult. It is a perfect addition to your Young Adult collection, great for parent/teen reading groups and school assignments. I have no doubt readers of all ages will be inspired and humbled by Nujood’s experience.  

I am Nujood will be published in March 2010. Be sure to add it to your lists!  

 -Marie

Forget Facebook… I’m addicted to GoodReads. I love getting the e-mail notifications that a friend of mine is now reading this book or has finished (and rated/reviewed) that book. Silly I know, but it is fun. I recently became “friends” with a nice fellow Californian named Amy who is also entrenched in the library world. I’d noticed she was reading a galley copy of Alice I Have Been, a novel that tells the story of the real Alice of Wonderland fame. Three of us in RH Library have read and loved this book so I was happy to see it in the hands of someone else. Well, Amy just posted a great review on her blog that I thought I’d share.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for our forthcoming edition of the Random Revelations newsletter. Alice is front and center in a new feature and has also been selected for a Staff Pick. We’re tellin’ ya, it’s good!

-Marie

Have you reviewed a Random House book on your blog lately? Let us know and we just might feature you here!

Are you addicted to GoodReads too? Follow or Friend RHLibrary or RHMarie (me!)

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

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