Were any other New York Times Book Review watchers as surprised as I was to see this week’s cover? Their choice of Angelology makes two fiction covers in the last three weeks, which has to be a record. What’s more, Danielle Trussoni’s first novel is more commercial than not, with a supernatural angle and plenty of action—not the usual NYTBR material.
But hey, maybe they’ve seen the wisdom in the BookPage philosophy of featuring books that many people will want to read—we also tagged Angelology as a spring standout. In a BookPage.com exclusive, Trussoni wrote about her inspiration for the novel, first in a planned series (“As you can imagine, the places and characters in my book are extremely different from my “real life” as a 30-something mother of two.”).
Other BookPage.com highlights this month include an interview with Sam Lipsyte for his new novel, The Ask—a must read for dark humor fans—and a review of Peter Bognanni‘s “punk-rock-fueled” debut, The House of Tomorrow.
We were so pleased with the response to our book clubs contest on March 1 that we’ve decided to host a contest every Monday. Keep your eye on this spot for more great giveaways! (And the book clubs contest runs through March 14, so enter now if you haven’t already.)
In the wake of e-book drama and a shaky sales climate, The House of Harper should come as a welcome treat to readers who long to escape in a tale of the “birth and growth of a magnificent literary empire.” Written by Eugene Exman, who was editor-manager of Harper’s religions books department, The House of Harper is packed with fabulous old book jackets and bookplates, handwritten notes from authors to editors and anecdotes from the likes of Mark Twain and other beloved authors.
First published in 1967, this reprinted history comes with an introduction by Jennifer B. Lee from the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University, who assures us that Harper has successfully transitioned to the digital age through innovative technology.
Enter to win a copy of The House of Harper: The Making of a Modern Publisher by leaving a note in the comments: What’s your favorite book (or author) published by HarperCollins (and all imprints). I’ll vote for Little House in the Big Woods, first published in 1932. Deadline: Friday, March 12 at 10 a.m.
Good news for Robert B. Parker fans: before his unexpected death in January, the author completed at least one more Spenser novel. Our sources at his publisher, Putnam, say that Painted Ladies will be out October 5.
Other posthumous Parker releases include the ninth Jesse Stone novel (Split Image, February), a Cole-Hitch Western (Blue-Eyed Devil, May), and an untitled holiday novel set for a November 2010 publication date.
Earlier this week, the International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the 2010 IACP Cookbook Award finalists. These awards recognize excellence in many categories: American; Baking: Savory or Sweet; Chefs and Restaurants; Children, Youth and Family; Culinary History; Health and Special Diet; International; and more. View the complete list here. The winners will be announced at a gala on April 22.
Here’s what BookPage cooking columnist Sybil Pratt has to say about a few of the selections (click the book titles for more information):
Stitt’s take on Italian cuisine is infused with his Southern sensibility—you can take this boy out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the boy and that’s what makes these recipes sing with a unique culinary harmony. Shell beans replace cannellini beans and pair with wild American shrimp and lump crabmeat in a Southern take on a classic Italian summer salad.
Keller cooks at home! Hard to believe that the high priest of haute cuisine in the U.S. (and author of three cookbooks that are the quintessence of chic, sophisticated armchair cooking) has put together a collection of approachable family meals. Ad Hoc at Home has over 200 recipes that you and I can cook without a battalion of sous-chefs and cutting-edge culinary equipment—a slice of the sublime accessible to mere mortals.
This one is orchestrated to suit “the on-going revolution in the American kitchen”—our wonderfully eclectic, international appetites, the ever-increasing ease in getting ethnic, organic and healthy ingredients and our concern about ethical eating. And, with 650 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes, it invites the time-challenged (and who isn’t?) to share in our current culinary adventures.
Besides its encyclopedic collection of recipes, we’ll root for this cookbook for sentimental reasons; our hearts book when Gourmet folded in October.
Got any favorites of the bunch? Or a recommendation for a tried and true cookbook you use all the time?
PEN New England and the JFK Presidential Library have just announced that Brigid Pasulka won the2010 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True. Pasulka joins the ranks of many BookPage favorites, such as Joshua Ferris and Chang-rae Lee. She’ll also receive $8,000 and a one-week residency at the University of Idaho—not to mention a fellowship at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming.
According to the announcement, Mary Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s wife, founded the Award in 1976 to “honor her late husband and draw attention to first books of fiction.” This year, the Awards were judged by Julia Glass, Michael Lowenthal and Gail Tsukiyama.
At BookPage we’re especially thrilled about this news because we covered A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True in our August Well Read column—an extended review that recognizes the best fiction in a given month, written by Robert Weibezahl.
In her novel, Pasulka tells the love story of Pigeon and Anielica before and after World War II, in Kraków, Poland. Their journey is “consistently magical,” writes Weibezahl, and Pasulka “has an indisputable talent for a tale well-told.”
We’ve noticed that books (with the exception of political books) get little coverage on network TV, so we were happy to see that Katie Couric covers many authors on her web show @katiecouric.
Just Tuesday, her conversation with Kathryn Stockett, best-selling author of The Help, was posted. During the hour-long interview, Stockett also took questions from book clubs in Ohio and Washington D.C. via Skype, and in a separate segment (without Stockett) Couric interviewed three women from Jackson, Mississippi—the setting of the novel.
If you loved The Help—and I know many of you do, since it was the #1 book in our Best Books of 2009 reader survey—then you’ll be interested to hear about Stockett’s relationship with Demetrie, her own family’s help, and why the author wanted to tell this story.
Watch the interview here:
I was especially excited to hear Stockett mention the movie version of The Help—news to me. A quick online search shows that Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People) will direct. According to Variety, “Taylor grew up with Stockett in Mississippi—his mother inspired one of the Mississippi matriarchs in the novel—and was so helpful to the author that she gave him an early peek; an option was made well before the book came out.”
On the @katiecouric website, find interviews with Sapphire, the author of Push (the movie-version, Precious, is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture); Malcolm Gladwell; and other authors.
What authors would you like to see Couric interview? Did you learn anything surprising in the Stockett segment?
By the way, in my Stockett research for this post, I learned on the PenguinUK website that the author is at work on a second novel: “It also takes place in Mississippi, during the 1930’s and the Great Depression. It’s about a family of women who learn to get around the rules, rules created by men, in order to survive.” I can’t wait for this one! What about you?
After the huge success of Going Rogue—the memoir has sold more than 2 million copies—Sarah Palin and HarperCollins are partnering again to publish another book. The publisher released a statement announcing that the book will “include selections from classic and contemporary readings that have inspired [Palin], as well as portraits of some of the extraordinary men and women she admires and who embody her love of country, faith, and family.”
I admit that I haven’t read Going Rogue, although I did get a kick out of Slate’s Going Rogueindex (the memoir didn’t include one). Apparently Palin drops references to Animal Farm, The Wonderful World of Oz, Pearl S. Buck and C.S. Lewis. Wonder what other books and authors will make book two.
Have you heard enough from Palin, or will you line up to buy her new book? HarperCollins has not yet announced a publication date or title.
Related on The Book Case: See a recent post about new political books, including David Remnick’s biography of Barack Obama and Laura Bush’s memoir.
I’m a day late on this news item, but it still deserves a mention. Yesterday would have been Dr. Seuss’s 106th birthday—reason for celebration in itself. Since 1998, though, March 2 has also been designated by the National Education Association as Read Across America Day.
Michelle Obama helped kick off the festivities in an event at the Library of Congress, and all week there are events planned throughout the country to celebrate reading. It’s definitely worth checking out the Read Across America website; there are free digital copies of Dr. Seuss books, tips for encouraging your child to read and information about reading events.
If you’re looking for good books for kids, don’t miss the children’s page on BookPage.com, filled with recommendations for books appropriate for toddlers all the way up to teens.
What’s your favorite book to read aloud to a child? A Dr. Seuss book, perhaps? Tell us in the comments.
Roses by Leila Meacham Grand Central, January 2010
I was initially drawn to Roses because of the words I kept hearing associated with the novel: Doorstopper! Drama! Texas-family epic! When I read that Leila Meacham is 71-years-old, and that Roses came to her via divine inspiration—while she was in bed drinking a cup of coffee—I knew I had to learn more about the book.
At 600 pages, Roses is the kind of story that you’ll read under your desk, at the dinner table and through the middle of the night until you get to the end. We learn in the opening scene that cotton plantation matriarch Mary Toliver has unexpectedly changed her will at the end of her life. Meacham hooks us by offering no real explanation for this drastic move, and then shifts to the beginning of the 20th century, when Mary first inherits the plantation. The entire saga—filled with heartbreak, betrayal, power struggles and love—spans nearly 70 years. Looking for a good old-fashioned page-turner to gobble up this weekend? Rosesfits the bill.
What are you reading today?
He gaped at her, truly shocked. “But, Mary, why?” You’ve had a marvelous life—a life that I thought you wished to bequeath to Rachel to perpetuate your family’s heritage. This codicil is so…” he swept the back of his hand over the document, “adverse to everything I thought you’d hoped for her—that you led her to believe you wanted for her.”
She slackened in her chair, a proud schooner with the wind suddenly sucked from her sails. She laid the cane across her lap. “Oh, Amos, it’s such a long story, far too long to go into here. Percy will have to explain it all to you someday.”
“Explain what, Mary? What’s there to explain?” And why someday, and why Percy? He would not be put off by a stab of concern for her. The lines about her eyes and mouth had deepened, and her flawless complexion had paled beneath its olive skin tone. Insistently, he leaned father over the desk. “What story don’t I know, Mary? I’ve read everything ever printed about the Tolivers and Warwicks and DuMonts, not to mention having lived among you for forty years. I’ve been privy to everything affecting each of you since I came to Howbutker. Whatever secrets you may have harbored would have come out. I know you.”
She lowered her lids briefly, fatigue clearly evident in their sepia-tinged folds. When she raised them again, her gaze was soft with affection. “Amos, dear, you came into our lives when our stories were done. You have known us at our best, when all our sad and tragic deeds were behind us and we were living with their consequences. Well, I want to spare Rachel from making the same mistakes I made and suffering the same, inevitable consequences. I don’t intend to leave her under the Toliver curse.”
Anne Rice has become the latest author to release a “Vook” (see an earlier post about Vooks here). She’s chosen an out-of-print short story, set in 1888 London, to republish in the new digital format. “The Master of Rampling Gate” is selling for just 99 cents right now (regular price $4.99), and I have to admit the preview, which includes one of the accompanying videos, is pretty interesting (not least for the revelation that such a thing as a “Gothic historian” exists).
You can choose among three views: just the text, just the videos, or a mix of both.
Throughout the text you can click on words and be taken to Wikipedia links explaining them, just in case you don’t have a visual reference for “mullioned windows” or “Victoria Station.”
Screenshot of the Vook
I’m curious to see what kind of a response you readers have to something like this. Interested, or not a chance? At 99 cents I am tempted to give it a try, although Vooks don’t seem quite as impressive after Penguin’s announcement yesterday of their ebook vision for the iPad (I want that travel guide!).
After the jump, the YouTube trailer for “The Master of Rampling Gate” and an embed of the Penguin UK presentation (via).
The Associated Press reported this morning that Barry Hannah, Southern author extraordinaire and creative writing professor at the University of Mississippi, died Monday. He was 67. Hannah’s death came just a few days before the 17th Oxford Conference for the Book; his work is the subject of the conference.
Hannah’s first novel, Geronimo Rex, was nominated for a National Book Award in 1972. It received the William Faulkner prize for writing. Short story collection High Lonesome was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1996.
Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Independence Day, was a friend of Hannah’s. He said, ”Barry could somehow make the English sentence generous and unpredictable, yet still make wonderful sense, which for readers is thrilling. . . You never knew the source of the next word. But he seemed to command the short story form and the novel form and make those forms up newly for himself.” Continue reading →
Earlier this month my book club read Jayne Anne Phillips’ Lark and Termite, which drew quite a range of reactions. Though everyone in the group agreed that Phillips is a terrific writer, some felt that this critically acclaimed novel (a finalist for the National Book Award) was a difficult reading experience. Readers questioned the supernatural elements, the use of symbolism (yes, Lola IS the cat) and a few plot points that strained belief. Despite all this, I can tell you that we had a wonderful discussion of Lark and Termite and that I came away from the meeting with a clearer understanding of this remarkable novel and a stronger appreciation for Phillips’ talents.
All of which serves as proof of The First Law of Book Clubs: It isn’t necessarily the books that everyone loves that spark the best discussions. In fact, my reading group has had some of its very best talks about books that most of us hated (I won’t mention any titles but a certain talking gorilla comes painfully to mind). Don’t get me wrong — we’ve also had wonderful conversations about books that each and every book club member thoroughly enjoyed. But in the end, it’s not only the quality of a book, but the experience of reading and sharing your reaction to it, that makes or breaks a book club.
What about it, book club members? What book has sparked the best discussion in your reading group? Tell us in the comments by March 14 and you’ll be entered to win copies of a recent reading group title for everyone in your club (up to 10 copies). The prize is being provided by the fine folks at Vintage/Anchor Books, and the winner can choose one of these recent Vintage/Anchor paperback releases:
The winner and five runners-up will also receive a copy of The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club, in which the beloved Irish author offers advice and encouragement for aspiring writers.
For more ideas and resources for your book club, check out the Vintage & Anchor Reading Group Center. And if you haven’t already, be sure to register your book club at BookPage.com.
It’s always a treat to hear that David Sedaris has a new project in the works. Even more exciting? Finding out he’s going off the beaten path. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, a collection of fables being published by Little, Brown in October 2010, will be illustrated by celebrated picture book author and artist Ian Falconer, reports Publisher’s Weekly.
David Sedaris
Ian Falconer
Though fables might first seem an odd choice for an accomplished essayist, I think the form could be the perfect showcase for Sedaris’ humor and imagination. What say you?
Would you like to have a character—a zombie—named after you?
You might remember that in 2005, a woman paid $25,100 for the privilege of having a Stephen King character—a zombie, in fact—named after her brother. (The book was Cell, and the zombie’s name was “Huizenga.”) The proceeds, earned in an auction, went to the First Amendment Project, which has also allowed bidding for characters in John Grisham, Dave Eggers and Neil Gaiman books.
A news item in yesterday’s New York Times reminded me of this odd concept of reader participation: Tony Award-winning actress Patti LuPone is holding a contest for readers to name her forthcoming autobiography. She explains: “Dolls, I’ve been busy writing the story of my theatrical life and need your help to find a suitable and fabulous title.”
Romance novelist Robyn Carr is holding a similar contest (which you may have seen advertised on our site): Readers can enter for a chance to have a character named after them in one of her 2011 books, specifically, a kitchen colleague in the restaurant where we’ll first meet the story’s heroine. (Granted, the difference here is that Carr’s and King’s contests are all luck or money, whereas Lupone’s takes creativity. The NYT suggests “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”)
In October I blogged about The Amanda Project, a YA mystery series by Stella Lennon. The series is innovative because social media plays a role in the books’ editorial content; readers can interact on The Amanda Project website, and their comments could be incorporated into characters or subplots.
Commenters: What do you think about this marketing/fundraising technique? Would YOU like to have a character named for you in a book? Or your title splashed across a new hardcover? Or is editorial content best left to the experts—the authors themselves?
There’s been no shortage of major books about political figures recently—think Going Rogue and Game Change, just for starters—but a few titles coming out this spring will be sure to generate even more interest in these very public lives.
President Obama may already have two books to his name, but David Remnick’s The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama is the first major biography to be published about him. Remnick, who won the Pulitzer Prize for 1993′s Lenin’s Tomb, will cover both Obama’s personal life (such as his relationship with his mother) and his political life. Says Paul Bogaards, executive director of publicity at Knopf, “Remnick conducted hundreds of on-the-record interviews to write the fullest narrative possible of a sitting President. He relies on conversations with family, friends, teachers, professors, mentors, donors, and rivals of Barack Obama––as well as with the President himself.” Knopf will publish The Bridge on April 6th, with a first printing of 200,000 copies.
And a mere two weeks later, on April 20th, Gotham will publish Michelle Obama’s brother Craig Robinson’s family memoir, A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago’s Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond (Gotham). With a first printing of 250,000, Robinson’s book promises to share his insights into developing that elusive quality known as “character,” with stories about his and Michelle’s childhood, growing up and eventual acceptance into Princeton University.
Finally, with a first printing of a whopping 750,000 (!), Laura Bush’s memoir, Spoken From the Heart, will be released by Scribner on May 4th. There’s very little official information to be found about this book—they aren’t even sending out advance copies—but with numbers like that, expect this one to be HUGE.
Subscribe to our "Most Anticipated Books" calendar
Our most-anticipated releases
28 May 2013
'The Son' by Philipp Meyer
The Son is an epic story of power and dynasty in Texas over 150 years—and it's a modern classic.
4 June 2013
'Trans-Atlantic' by Colum McCann
This latest novel goes from 1849 to 1918 to 1998 and explores the relationship between America and Ireland, slavery and freedom and war and peace.
'Big Brother' by Lionel Shriver
Inspired in part by Shriver's own relationship with her brother, who died of complications from diabetes and obesity in 2010, this is an unflinching look at the toll of obesity on family relationships.
'Sparta' by Roxana Robinson
Robinson takes on the issue of soldiers returning to the home front. Conrad enlisted after college, served his time without major incident, and comes home to his girlfriend and family. But he is unable to ease back into everyday life—and his bitterness turns into anger that might have serious consequences.
11 June 2013
'The Engagements' by J. Courtney Sullivan
In her third novel, Sullivan looks at the idea of marriage and how it has changed—or not—over the decades, tying her story in to the 1940s De Beers ad campaign that made the diamond engagement ring a touchstone of American culture.
18 June 2013
'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' by Neil Gaiman
This new modern fable—which, at 192 pages, is more of a novella—tells the story of a man who returns to his native English village and suddenly realizes the cost of the horrible evil he fought as a child, with the help of Lettie Hempstock and her extraordinary mother and grandmother.
25 June 2013
'The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells' by Andrew Sean Greer
Greta Wells experiences three alternate lives during a therapy session, all with different secrets and losses, pain and happiness. Which one will she ultimately choose?
'Sisterland' by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sittenfeld returns with the story of twin sisters: Vi, a professed psychic, and Kate, a wife and mother in denial of her talents. When Vi predicts a devastating earthquake is around the corner, Kate must decide whether to support her sister and out herself for the potential good of the community, or continue to ignore her own instincts.
Were any other New York Times Book Review watchers as surprised as I was to see this week’s cover? Their choice of Angelology makes two fiction covers in the last three weeks, which has to be a record. What’s more, Danielle Trussoni’s first novel is more commercial than not, with a supernatural angle and plenty of action—not the usual NYTBR material.
