Today’s Lunch Lit has become a favorite within our department — Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon. Read the Wife 22 excerpt to discover why we enjoyed the twists and turns of this novel.   It’s simply perfect or fans of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It. Wife 22 is an  irresistible novel of a woman losing herself…and finding herself again…in the middle of her life.
When Alice Buckle, who has been married to William for nearly twenty years, receives a survey in her e-mail from the Netherfield Center for the Study of Marital Happiness, she is in the doldrums. She loves her husband but they’ve grown distant, she is bored with her job, and her adolescent children need her less now. And she has reached the age at which her mother died. So as she idly begins answering the questions, she finds herself baring her soul in an anonymous survey she never even intended to respond to. As she struggles, as “Wife 22” in the survey, to provide honest answers to the questionnaire administered by Researcher 101, she realizes it has been years since anyone asked deep, serious questions of her, and really listened to her answers. Soon her entire life as she knows it is called into question.

If you love what you’ve read so far, request a Wife 22 eGalley at Edelweiss.

A Partial History of Lost Causes-

I have been saying this often- but I will say it again- lately I am completely obsessed with audio books. I don’t know if it is the way a narrator can bring a story to life, or the way each word is spoken with such importance, or simply that it makes me feel a little bit like royalty when someone reads to me.

Friends of mine joke with me that if I were given the choice of a hotel room that came with my own personal reader or a room with a huge flat-screen HDTV, I would choose a soft-spoken gentleman reading me a chapter or two as a ended a long day every time- and someone else could have the TV!

So while it is true that I do love being read to- really it is ultimately the story that keeps me hanging on from chapter to chapter- no matter how calming the reading voice might be. So when the perfect storm of the perfect voices and the perfect novel with the perfect setting and perfect plot come together, it should be recognized- celebrated even.

Jennifer Dubois’ impeccably written debut novel, A Partial History of Lost Causes is that perfect storm. Not only is this book beautiful and heartbreaking and philosophical on so many levels, it is also humbling in its’ stunning ability of bringing the two main characters Irina and Aleksander into your life where they will remain for a very long time. Your heart will break with both of them, your dreams will change with theirs and your appreciation for the smallest happinesses in life will be amplified. 

This is a great choice for book clubs and book discussions.  This is a story that I feel everyone will get a little more out of then they expected from a woman faced with a shocking diagnosis and a Russian chess player turned politician.  I was sad to finish this book, I literally dreaded the last words and there is nothing that I love more than that as a reader.

Ok- so many of us may not plan ahead for certain things like packing for a trip, or saving for retirement- but when it comes to picking the perfect book for our book club, or what book we want to read on vacation, then we are suddenly the most motivated planners!

Drowned by Therese Bohman is the book I would plan for if  I were you- The second I finished it, I gave my copy to my friend, and she gave it to her friend and so it went… and I am pretty certain that I finally found the perfect book to get my book club to actually read again!  (They have started to slack off- you know who you are!) 

Very quickly you will realize that this is way more than a book about one sister visiting the other sister for the summer in Sweden. You will just know that something eerie is as present as the creaky floor boards and the constant draft from the old windows. Something about the perfectly poured wine and the muffled sounds of hidden conversation will make you feel fortunate that this is not your summer vacation.  These two sisters are enthralled by the same man and both seemingly resolute in allowing him to cause their demise.

From the first page to the last you will contemplate the kind of woman you hope you are to the kind of woman you might actually be. Would you ever really put the desire and passion you feel for a man you’ve just met before the well-being and trust of your own sister…are you sure?

email us at library@randomhouse.com if you are intrigued, we have a few spare copies in the office and we would love to know what you think!

We’re excited that tomorrow Midwinter begins! Oh the fun, oh the joy! We wanted to give you a heads up on the personally selected Staff Pick books we’re bringing to Midwinter. If you’re at the conference we invite you to swing by and chat with us more about our selections. We’re in Booth #1728. Here we go…

JEN’S PICKS:

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

“Young love and angst amidst a natural disaster which has all sorts of consequences, big and small.  An engrossing coming of age story that I can’t stop thinking about.” 

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

“Fascinating historical fiction, well-timed for the demand spurred on by the Titanic anniversary.”

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

“A narrator that you will either love or hate.  Perfect for book discussion groups.” 

ERICA’S PICKS:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

“There are too many missing wives in this country lately and under Flynn’s expert narrative you’ll never watch Dateline the same way again.”

The Innocent: A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel   by Taylor Stevens

“Don’t suffer from Lisbeth Salander withdrawal alone! An amazing thriller I couldn’t stand to put down!”

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

“I have found my people.  Finally, acceptance and understanding!”

The Expats by Chris Pavone

“A domestic thriller where the secrets one spouse keeps from the other have you questioning how well you REALLY know your own partner!”

KELLY’S PICKS:

The Fallback Plan by Leigh Stein

“There went my childhood, the persistent memory of it, like the pulse of regret. Not regret having lived it, but the regret of leaving it behind…” There is a moment in each of our lives when we come to accept ‘adulthood’ it is never easy, it is never welcomed, but it has to happen at some point.

Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto  by Gianni Rodari

On behalf of Paul Oliver, Melville House

“This previously untranslated classic of Italian children’s literature instantly calls to mind the beloved quirkiness of Roald Dahl’s The BFG and Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince. In this sense Lamberto welcomes readers from all ages and makes for one hilariously wizened read.”

Marzi by Marzena Sowa

“In a similar vein as Persopolis, Marzi is a coming of age narrative that depicts childhood life behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland, Marzena Sowa’s personal and sometimes political memories along with Sylvain Savoia’s beautiful depictions of her life will stay with you forever.  You will be glad to have met Marzi.”

KRISTA’S PICKS:

Taft 2012: A Novel  by Jason Heller

“This election year vote William H. Taft by picking a novel that’s filled with delightful political satire in the vein of Kurt Vonnegut, Jon Stewart and David Sedaris. It sets the stage for the question if the “Big Chief” were alive today what would happen if he once again became president.”

Kurt Vonnegut: The Last Interview: And Other Conversations by Kurt Vonnegut

 “Always being a Vonnegut fan I found this last interview as a wonderful window into a great mind.”

Win a signed copy…

There is not a better way to end a day than with pastries and champagne. Is this too obvious of a statement? Well, I didn’t realize this until last night when I went to the book signing of Pastry Paris In Paris, Everything Looks Like Dessert, at the Rizzoli Bookstore where I was, in fact, served pastries and champagne, and was able to meet the lovely author Susan Hochbaum.

Her beautiful new book is filled with gorgeous photography of how similar the pastries of Paris eerily and gorgeously resemble the sights of Paris. Whether it be the Tarte au Citron Meringuee that resembles the Bateaux Mouches, or the Metro Station sign that could almost be mistaken for a flaky eclair covered in a thick fondant icing.

The images are spectacular, and  will make you at once hungry and also eager to get on the next plane to Paris. Ok, this might not be the book that every library needs, and researchers may not be waiting in the line at the circulation desk for it – but it is just the book to take you away from your stressful day and for a moment  offer you perfect serenity.

I think you may need to hold this book in your hand and flip through the pages to see what I mean…so I am going to send a signed copy to a random winner- all you have to do is email me at library@randomhouse.com and tell me what your favorite guilty, sugar-filled pleasure is. (mine is a warm, flaky chocolate croissant!) 

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Pastry Paris,  You may never look at your favorite sights the same again!

First I have to say I really hope you like the look of our new blog- and hope you take advantage of the great resources available.

I feel like the last few blog posts I have written have been to annouce exciting new children’s books or intriguing graphic novels that are about to come out- but between the time change, the shortened days and the fact that we ALREADY had a snow storm in the Northeast, we all know it can only mean one thing…winter is coming!

(well, for most of us anyway!)

So, I wanted to use this as an opportunity to make sure you have a great reading list put together for the cold winter months- books to curl up with in your favorite armchair on the chilly winter days when there is nothing better to be done but lose yourself in a great story and a hot chocolate.

As the library representative for Random House’s client publishers,  I am eager for you to get your hands on the great titles coming out from our publishing partners just in time for your long winter’s nap – here are a few of my suggestions…

The Fallback Plan

What to do when you’ve just graduated from college and your plans conflict with those of your parents? That is, when your plans to hang out on the couch, re-read your favorite children’s books, and take old prescription tranquilizers, conflict with your parents plans that you, well, get a job?

Without a fallback plan, Eshter Kohler decides she has no choice but to take the job her mother has lined up for her: babysitting for their neighbors, the Browns.

It’s a tricky job, though. Six months earlier, the Browns’ youngest child died. Still, as Esther finds herself falling in love with their surviving daughter May, and distracted by a confusing romance with one of her friends, she doesn’t notice quite how tricky the job is … until she finds herself assuming the role of confidante to May’s mother Amy, and partner in crime to Amy’s husband Nate. Trapped in conflicting roles doomed to collide, Esther is forced to come up with a better idea of who she really is.

The Detour  

Ernest Vogler is twenty-six years old in 1938 when he is sent to Rome by his employer—the Third Reich’s , which is collecting the great art of Europe and bringing it to Germany for the Führer. Vogler is to collect a famous Classical Roman marble statue, The Discus Thrower, and get it to the German border, where it will be turned over to Gestapo custody. It is a simple, three-day job.

Things start to go wrong almost immediately. The Italian twin brothers who have been hired to escort Vogler to the border seem to have priorities besides the task at hand—wild romances, perhaps even criminal jobs on the side—and Vogler quickly loses control of the assignment. The twins set off on a dangerous detour and Vogler realizes he will be lucky to escape this venture with his life, let alone his job.

With nothing left to lose, the young German gives himself up to the Italian adventure, to the surprising love and inevitable losses along the way.

The Walkabout

A plane crashes in the vast Northern Territory of Australia, and the only survivors are two children from Charleston, South Carolina, on their way to visit their uncle in Adelaide. Mary and her younger brother Peter set out on foot, lost in the vast, hot Australian outback.

They are saved by a chance meeting with an Aboriginal boy on walkabout, who teaches them to find food and water in the wilderness, but whom Mary can’t bring herself to trust.

Though on the surface Walkabout is an adventure story, darker themes lie just beneath. Peter’s innocent friendship with the Aboriginal throws into relief Mary’s no longer childish anxiety, and together raise questions about how Aboriginal and Western culture can meet. And in the vivid descriptions of the natural world, we realize that this story—a deep fairy tale in the spirit of Adalbert Stifter’s Rock Crystal—must also be a story about the closeness of death and the power of nature.

Ha Jin must be blushing somewhere.  The reviews rolling in for his new novel are amazing.  Below is a convenient little wrap up for you.  Nanjing Requiem  went on sale last week.  But hopefully you know that already and it is already making the rounds with your patrons.

“Ha Jin brings a cool, spare documentary approach to this rich trove of material…a book that renders a subtle and powerful vision of one of the 20th century’s most monstrous interludes.” –New York Times Book Review

“Should be required reading for anyone who isn’t familiar with what happened at Nanjing…Courageously and unflinchingly, Ha Jin has taken an important step in remembering both the victims and the heroes of that senseless slaughter.” –Associated Press

“Profoundly moving.” –Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Requiem is necessary testimony…Jin’s loyal readers will notice a bluntness—jarringly effective here—different from his previous works, as if Jin, too, must guard himself against the horror, the horror.” –Library Journal, starred review

“The novelist’s subtle mastery enriches the work…A matter-of-fact, plainspoken narrative that has a profound impact.” –Kirkus, starred review

“Since Ha Jin won the National Book Award for Waiting, his writing keeps opening up like a big, beautiful fan; this book sounds as far-reaching as anything he has ever written. And even bolder about looking into last century’s heart of darkness. Essential where good literature is read.” –Library Journal

“Jin describes horrible acts in a style bordering on reportage, lending bitter realism to his chronicle of violence and privation…. Jin paints a convincing, harrowing portrait of heroism in the face of brutality.” –Publishers Weekly

“Jin continues his scrupulous excavation of buried truths about Chinese life…eviscerating… Writing with unnerving austerity, Ha Jin resolutely addresses inexplicable terror and miraculous resistance.” –Booklist, starred review

The RH Library Marketing team is always looking for new ways to let you know about the best books of the season.  Here is our redesigned Random Revelations Catalog, featuring titles from our Spring 2012 list.  We have included the top choices in First Fiction, Young Adult Crossovers, Book Clubs, Staff Picks and MORE!

What will you read next?

FOR FALL 2011:

An amazing new book from P.D. James: DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY

A major literary event:  The master of detective fiction enters the world of Pride and Prejudice to give us a gripping murder mystery as Jane Austen might have written it. Happy holidays.

On sale 12/6/2011 | 9780307959850 | $25.95 | HC | First print: 300,000 | eBook: 9780307959867

FOR SPRING 2012:

Anne Rice returns to the netherworld with THE WOLF GIFT

A whole new world—modern, sleek, high-tech, and at its center, a story as old and compelling as history–the making of a werewolf, reimagined and reinvented as only Anne Rice could create it.

On sale 2/14/2012 | 9780307595119 | $26.95 | HC | First printing 200,000 | eBook: 9780307700476

FOR SUMMER 2012:

A brilliant new novel from our Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison: HOME

On sales: 5/8/2012 | 9780307594167 | $24.95 | HC | eBook: to come

 
Save the date: November 8, 2011 3-4pm (EST) Random House, Inc will be hosting a one-hour web cast featuring graphic novel experts within the industry, and presenting the latest trends and the hottest titles!

To join us at the Library Journal/Random House Graphic Novel web cast… sign up here.

Hear from our experts:

Dallas Middaugh– Associate Publisher, Random House, formerly the Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga where he launched the Del Rey Manga line.  He is also a guest lecturer at NYU for a course on Graphic Novels.  Currently working with Kodansha, USA on the exciting re-launch of Sailor Moon!

John Cunningham–Vice President of Marketing, DC Comics. John will be discussing the historic re-launch of the DC New 52s and what an incredible under-taking that really was!

Harold Buchholz–Executive Director, Publishing & Operations, Archie Comic Publications, Inc. discussing the incredibly high check-out rates of the Archie books, and the new characters coming from Archie this spring.

To join us at the Library Journal/Random House Graphic Novel web cast… sign up here.

Random House Inc. represents Graphic Novels for all ages, all interests, and all reading levels. For more information about our Graphic Novels, and the wide array of Graphic Novels we represent you email library@randomhouse.com, or check out our latest Graphic Novel catalog.