Trailer Tuesday: ‘The Snow Child’ by Eowyn Ivey

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Cat, Editorial Assistant

Eskimos might have 1,000 words for snow (they don’t, but bear with me), but debut novelist Eowyn Ivey holds her own with The Snow Child. It’s a spectacular tale of a post-WWI Alaskan couple whose wish for a child is answered when a wild little girl seems to appear from the snow.

According to our reviewer, even better than the whimsical plot is Ivey’s ability to conjure the feeling of winter (she’s an Alaska native):

“You feel the snow and cold in your lungs, as if you’ve inhaled the place’s icy air, or spent time crunching through pure white blinding snow that comes up to the knees. Very rarely has the beauty and unyieldingness of nature been described so sensuously.“

Check out the wintry trailer from Hachette:

It sounds so magical. Do you enjoy snowy stories when it’s cold outside?

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TOC conference: Live!

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

The O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing conference started today, and if you didn’t make it to New York City, never fear: The entire conference is being broadcast live. Check the schedule and revisit the stream here if there’s a session you just can’t miss. We will definitely be dipping in!

Watch live streaming video from oreillyconfs at livestream.com

For more on the TOC conference—and why you should be interested!—don’t miss our interview with Kat Martin.

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Provocative title of the week: ‘Say Nice Things About Detroit’

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

People are always talking about judging a book by its cover, but for those of us who are obsessed with words, I’d say a title is equally if not more important. This week brought an early contender for our “Best Titles of 2012″ list to my attention: Scott Lasser’s third novel, Say Nice Things About Detroit (Norton, July 2012). Now this is a title that immediately captures the imagination and makes me want to find out more. A story about second chances after tragedy, set in a city that desperately needs a second chance? Sounds like a compelling hook to me.

Have you come across any particularly interesting titles lately?

Related: Our Best Titles of 2011 list.

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Jeffrey Zaslow dies at 53

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Eliza, Associate Editor

Jeffrey Zaslow

We were saddened to learn over the weekend that Jeffrey Zaslow—author of The Girls from Ames, The Magic Room (our January 2012 Top Pick in Nonfiction) and many other books—died in a Friday car accident in Michigan. He was 53.

Zaslow was best known for his book The Last Lecture, which he co-wrote with Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who died of pancreatic cancer in 2008. The book is based on Pausch’s inspiring “Last Lecture,” titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” (Watch it here on YouTube. ) The book has sold more than 5 million copies in the United States, and Pausch’s YouTube speech has more than 14 million views.

The Magic Room told the story of Becker’s Bridal, a bridal shop that’s been open in Fowler, Michigan, since 1934. The book is about both the customers at the store and the women who built it. The author also wrote for the Wall Street Journal, which described him as a “best-selling author with a rare gift for writing about love, loss, and other life passages with humor and empathy.” To that description, we’ll add that Zaslow’s latest book captures the joy, hope, love and magic in the hearts of his subjects.

You can watch a tribute to Zaslow’s life on Detroit’s Fox 2, where Zaslow’s wife is an anchor, or read a touching anecdote from a New York Times reporter who worked with Zaslow at the WSJ.

If you haven’t yet discovered this author’s inspiring books, we encourage you to check them out now. You can find a full listing of his publications on his website.

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Monday contest: Web exclusives

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

So you’ve devoured the February print edition of BookPage. Guess what? Each month, we have plenty more features and reviews on our Web Exclusives page.

And this week, you could win four books that were recently featured as web exclusives.

          

Wild Thing by Josh Bazell: “Casually violent and consistently hilarious, sequel Wild Thing doesn’t make former hit man turned doctor Brnwa’s life any easier. He has been hired as a bodyguard to paleontologist (and sexual demigoddess) Dr. Violet Hurst, and they’re headed into the Boundary Waters to investigate an urban legend on a killing spree.”

The Tender Hour of Twilight by Richard Seaver. “Proving to be as fine a writer as he was an editor, Seaver recounts many charming anecdotes about his personal and professional lives—which, really, were inextricably linked.”

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley: “It requires real skill to weave together threads from various sources in a manner that is both coherent and enjoyable, especially when dealing with imaginative territory that has been virtually strip-mined by writers in the last few decades.”

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katharine Boo. “Brace yourself: This is an unsparing view of a world of crushing poverty, disease, physical brutality and corruption. But, of course, actual human beings with dreams and ambitions live in this awful place, and Boo centers her story on about a dozen compelling characters who are trying to improve their circumstances.”

TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the title of the book on our “Web Exclusives” page that you’d most like to read.

CONTEST DETAILS: One winner will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by 5 pm CST on Friday, February 17. The winner will receive the four books mentioned above. Prize must be shipped to a North American address. Good luck!

–

ETA: Congratulations to our winner, Lesley! She thinks Behind the Beautiful Forevers “sounds captivating.”

Thank you to all who entered! Contest is now closed.

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Weekly links: the King talks to Lauren Grodstein; Maud & Miller on the iPad; Kate Christensen, blogger, and more

Posted on 10 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor


It’s no secret that we’re fans of both Stephen King and Lauren Grodstein, so we were especially excited to hear that the two are doing a live webcast for the Algonquin Books Blog on March 3. King is a great champion of lesser-known artists, both musical and literary, and he’s definitely picked a winner here. Can’t wait to see how this conversation unfolds.

__________

As if you needed another reason to want an iPad: Book critics—and buddies—Laura Miller and Maud Newton have created The Chimerist, a new site that explores “the intersection of art, stories, and technology” by highlighting iPad functions and apps with a literary or artistic angle. Just a few posts in and I’m hooked: the Strange Rain app sounds totally crazy, in a good way, and I’ve been inspired to look for an Escher wallpaper for my iPhone.

_________

We were delighted to find out a couple of weeks back that author Kate Christensen has started a blog. As you might expect, it’s not the typical
“come to my author signings” kind of blog. It’s more of a memoir-cum-diary, and it’s anything but chronological. The two things you’re guaranteed are excellent writing and a recipe at the end. I will absolutely be making the “Bachelor’s Supper” from one of last week’s posts.

___________

Ever wondered where the printer’s marks (aka colophons) on the spines of books came from? Publishers from Penguin to Pocket to Knopf addressed that question this week on Publishing Trendsetter, and their answers might surprise you. My favorite is the story behind Overlook Press’ winged elephant.

_____________

What links have you discovered this week? Tell us in the comments!

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7 questions with . . . Anna Randol

Posted on 10 February 2012 by Cat, Editorial Assistant

Anna Randol

Anna Randol’s debut romance novel, A Secret in Her Kiss, is our Romance of the Month!

Major Bennett Prestwood is ordered to Constantinople to act as protector and chaperone to beautiful British spy Mari Sinclair, who isn’t interested in having a guardian. Romance columnist Christie Ridgway loved it for its exotic locale and the constant threat of danger.

Check out an excerpt from A Secret in Her Kiss, when Bennett is meeting who he believes to be Mari (read more here):

Bennett studied the woman before him–or at least what little he could see–a grand total of two brown eyes. Not even her eyebrows showed under the garish golden silk that swathed her entire form. Her native garb stood in awkward contrast to the traditional English decor of the ambassador’s parlor, clashing horribly with the pink embroidered flowers on the chair beneath her. A dandelion in one of his mother’s rose beds. “So you agree to the conditions?”

Miss Sinclair dipped her head, shrinking even further into the overstuffed chair. “Yes.” Her words fluttered the fabric of her veil.

“I know it might be a bother to write out an hour-by-hour itinerary every morning, but it is for your safety.”

“Yes, sir.” She darted an anxious glance at the closed door.

Bennett paced in front of the large marble fireplace, then tapped his fingers on the mantel. Both of his sisters would’ve laughed in his face if he’d dared to make such a suggestion to one of them. He’d expected at least some protest. The sum the government was paying her must be substantial indeed.

Silence hung awkwardly in the stifling room. He eyed the shut windows. He still couldn’t think of words to adequately describe the city of Constantinople spread out beneath them. The city resembled nothing so much as an aging courtesan’s dressing room table overflowing with rouge pots and cream jars and a few candlesticks interspersed throughout.

He cleared his throat and forced his attention back to the woman in front of him. They could discuss the rest of his plans during the next few days. Now that they could claim an acquaintence, he could call on her without attracting undue attention. “That will be all for now, Miss Sinclair, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

She sprang to her feet in an eruption of silk and fled toward the door. Bennett scrambled to open it for her. The woman’s work involved two of the most vindictive nations in Europe. He’d expected her to have more pluck.

In a 7 Questions interview with Randol, we chatted about writing and her next book. Her answer about sexiest scenes is enough to convince anyone to pick up A Secret of Her Kiss!

Interested in even more romance? This month is full of great books to get excited about: romance trends, new series here and here, great romances for Valentine’s Day and a guest post from Larissa Ione.

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Recipe of the week: Silky Chicken Liver Mousse

Posted on 9 February 2012 by Cat, Editorial Assistant

Cooking columnist Sybil Pratt calls the recipes in The French Slow Cooker, Michele Scicolone’s newest cookbook, “so quintessentially French . . . without mess or stress.” Classic French cooking was never so easy as with Scicolone’s slow cooker!

To be honest, chicken mousse was never on my list of recipes to make. It wasn’t even on my radar. But this recipe from The French Slow Cooker sounds like the perfect hors d’oeuvre—one that would really impress guests!

Silky Chicken Liver Mousse

Serves 6

The gentle, moist heat of the slow cooker is perfect for cooking this chicken liver mousse. I adapted the recipe from one in Made in Marseille, by Daniel Young. Daniel uses evaporated milk instead of cream, which is perfect for the slow cooker since it does not curdle. Serve the mousse either unmolded or straight from the cooking vessel with an onion jam, as Daniel suggests, or with crackers or toasted French bread and cornichons for a great party appetizer.

Continue reading →

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Lemony Snicket’s autobiography

Posted on 9 February 2012 by Eliza, Associate Editor

Raise your hand if you love Lemony Snicket.

What’s not to love? His books are hilarious. Even though I’m not a teacher, a librarian or a parent, I have been a camp counselor and a big sister to a tween (a long time ago)—and I’ve seen how readers giggle as they turn the pages, then demand the next book in the Series of Unfortunate Events. (How many arguments did my tween sister and I have over which was better: Harry Potter or Unfortunate Events?)

So I am very excited to share that Lemony Snicket’s “authorized autobiographical account of his childhood” will come out on October 23, with a first printing of one million copies. This will be part one of four. The first book is called Who Could That Be at This Hour?.

In a funny press release from publisher Little, Brown, there’s a quote from Snicket himself: “These books are questionable and contain questions. I, for one, question why anyone would be interested in reading them.”

Are you excited about reading Who Could That Be at This Hour? What’s your favorite Snicket book?

Also in BookPage: Read an interview with Snicket’s “representative,” Daniel Handler, about his Printz Honor Book, Why We Broke Up. Read about one star-struck editor’s experience of meeting Handler at ALA.

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What to read after ‘Downton’

Posted on 8 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

Series 2 of the popular TV drama “Downton Abbey“ has just two more weeks to go on PBS. What’s a fan to do when the upstairs/downstairs intrigue ends (other than wait for the Christmas special, of course)?

Books hold the answer. As I’ve said before, World War I has been a hot topic in publishing lately, and the runaway ratings for “Downton” have made it an even hotter commodity. The following books should help tide fans over until the premiere of Series 3 (filming now, with Shirley MacLaine added to the cast).

If you enjoy . . .
the exploration of the effects of WWI on society
then you should read . . . 

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper). Winspear’s series is set in the 1920s and ’30s, but its heroine—once a maid in a great house, now a private investigator—personifies the changing times, and takes on cases that are rooted in the damage done by the war.

The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller (HMH). This sensitive debut novel tells the story of a young WWI veteran investigating the apparent suicide of one of his fellow soldiers. Look for a sequel this summer.

Life Class by Pat Barker (Doubleday). No one has explored the legacy of World War I quite like Barker. Though her Regeneration trilogy (beginning with 1991′s Regeneration) is perhaps better known, Life Class details the pioneering days of plastic surgery, first developed to help disfigured veterans.

If you enjoy . . .
the glimpse into the lives of the servants of the rich-and-mighty
then you should read . . . 

Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison (Penguin). This spirited account of one young Yorkshire woman’s 35 years as a maid to the infamous Lady Nancy Astor was first published in 1975 and has been reprinted to capitalize on the “Downton” craze.

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons (Penguin). Though set just before and during World War II, this novel puts an interesting twist on the upstairs/downstairs dilemma when a young, upper-class Jewish woman escapes Austria to work as a maid in an English manor house.

If you enjoy . . .
wartime romance
then you should read . . . 

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. One of the few novels about World War I to be written almost while it was happening—the book was published in 1921—Montgomery’s final installment of the Anne of Green Gables series follows Anne’s youngest, Rilla, who must grow up, and fall in love, in the shadow of the war.

Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull (Delacorte). This 2000 debut tells the story of a World War I soldier who comes to know his friend Daniel’s fiancée through her letters to him. When they meet 10 years after the war (and Daniel’s death), there’s a connection between Patrick and Julia that can’t be denied.

If you enjoy . . .
the one-liners from the Dowager Countess
then you should read . . . 

An Evening of Long Goodbyes by Paul Murray (Random House). This Wodehousian novel, which follows shiftless Bertie, a member of the Irish aristocracy in its waning days, is full of hilarity and heart—just like everyone’s favorite Countess.

If you enjoy . . .
Downton’s trench warfare scenes
then you should read . . . 

The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund (Knopf), which will take you right into the trenches with letters and diaries from 20 soldiers who fought at the front.

If you enjoy . . .
Lady Sybil’s politicalization and her chauffeur beau
then you should read . . . 

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (HMH), which gives an in-depth look at the political mood in Britain as the war broke out—particularly the pacifist movement. Portraits of aristocrats at war should also appeal to the “Downton” devotée.

If you enjoy . . .
the soapy romance and glitzy fashion
then you should read . . . 

The Titled Americans by Elizabeth Kehoe (Atlantic Monthly).  This nonfiction account of the lives of the three Jerome sisters—rich Americans who married British aristos, and one of whom became the mother of Winston Churchill—is a “beguiling chronicle” of the Edwardian era, replete with descriptions of homes, dresses and extramarital affairs with royals.

The Luxe by Anna Godberson (Harper). OK, it’s a YA novel, and it’s set in 1890s New York City, but it’s a “Downton” companion in spirit! Just consider it the background story on Lady Cora Grantham.

What books would you recommend to fans of “Downton Abbey”?

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What we’re reading Wednesday: ‘The Professionals’

Posted on 8 February 2012 by Eliza, Associate Editor

The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen
Putnam • $25.95 • ISBN 9780399157899
March 29, 2012

Owen Laukkanen’s debut novel has a timely hook. Four friends—recent college grads—are frustrated with the job market when they earn their diplomas. So what do they do? Turn to kidnapping, of course. They do their research and only kidnap men who can afford the ransom—financial advisers and the like whose wives will give $60,000 to have their husbands back, no questions asked. After two years of “low risk,” kidnappings, though, things get complicated. The young criminals accidentally nab a man with mafia connections, and before long they’re being tailed by both gangsters and the FBI.

Some of suspense fiction’s finest—writers like Lee Child, C.J. Box and Jonathan Kellerman—have sung this novel’s praises. It’s no surprise, then, that the pages practically turn themselves, and all you can do is hang on for the ride once the action gets going.

Here’s an excerpt about the ringleader’s philosophy on kidnapping:

Of all his worries, it was greed that kept Arthur Pender awake at night. It wasn’t his own greed that bothered him; Pender was happy with sixty-thousand-dollar scores. He worried, though, that the long grind would wear on his team.

Most would-be kidnappers treated the job like a Hail Mary. Tried to knock down some CEO, some pop star, tried to make ten million and disappear after one big haul. One shot for all the glory. To Pender, that kind of thinking was stupidity, plain and simple. Those heroes who aimed for the big scores always attracted the big crowds. Police. Feds. TV cameras. Publicity like that made it impossible to remain anonymous. Publicity like that meant investigations, manhunts, Wanted posters. Ultimately, publicity like that meant jail or death. Nobody got away from the Big American Machine.

Far better, then, to pull quick scores. Lower numbers, but higher volume. The Pender method. Snatch guys like Terry Harper, Martin Warner. Midlevel executives, hedge-fund managers, guys with enough cash to make the job worthwhile, with families to pay the ransoms, but with no glamour to their names. No romance. Anonymous upper-class fellas who just wanted to see things return to normal.

What are you reading today? Will you check out The Professionals when it comes out in late March?

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Another Texas story from Leila Meacham

Posted on 7 February 2012 by Eliza, Associate Editor

When we last checked in with Leila Meacham she had just published Roses, her epic novel that spans 70 years in the history of the Toliver family, owners of a cotton plantation in Texas. That soapy saga had it all: death, love, backstabbing, a marriage of convenience, twists. I distinctly remember spending an entire Saturday on the couch in my PJs while I lapped up all the delicious drama (then wrote about it on the blog).

It’s been two years since the publication of Roses, and I just learned some exciting news: Meacham has a new novel coming out on June 19! (You can go ahead and add that to my personal most-anticipated books of 2012 list.) The novel’s called Tumbleweeds, and at 480 pages, I expect it to be just as juicy as Roses. Here’s the plot description from Meacham’s publisher:

Tumbleweeds is the story of three young friends—the saint, the sinner, and the angel—growing up together in the sort of small Texas Panhandle town that lives and dies by its Friday night football games. A fateful event casts a long shadow over these three intertwined lives and leaves the reader turning the pages desperately to see how it all plays out.

Will you read Tumbleweeds? What’s your favorite epic novel?

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More on the Dickens bicentenary

Posted on 7 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

Today is the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. This month, our Well Read columnist took a look at Dickens’ enduring appeal and legacy, citing a new book edited by Dickens’ great-great-great grandaughter.

If you finished the column hungry for more on this inimitable author, don’t worry. There’s much more Dickens to discover, as shown by the books on this list, which are just a sampling of what’s out there.

A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson. BookPage contributor and renowned author Hopkinson teams up with young illustrator John Hawkins to create a memorable picture book about Dickens’ childhood. (Schwartz & Wade, 2012)

Google Dickens doodle

Today's Google doodle, in honor of Dickens

Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin. The most recent biography of Dickens, from the author of Samuel Pepys, is “a masterful balancing act” that presents Dickens the man and Dickens the author. (Penguin Press, 2011)

Charles Dickens by Michael Slater. This 2009 biography by an emeritus professor of Victorian literature at the University of London and former president of the Dickens Society of America was the first full-length Dickens bio to be published in 20 years. (Yale University Press, 2009)

Drood by Dan Simmons. For a fictional take on Dickens, try Dan Simmons haunting Drood, the story of the friendship between Dickens and fellow author Wilkie Collins and the inspiration for his final, unfinished work.

And for those who prefer their Dickens on audio, Naxos has just published new productions of Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, with more to come over the next few months.

Do you have a favorite Dickens novel?

p.s. Kerry at Entomology of a Bookworm has her own Dickens list up today; check it out.



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Trailer Tuesday: ‘The Flame Alphabet’ by Ben Marcus

Posted on 7 February 2012 by Cat, Editorial Assistant

Language can literally kill in The Flame Alphabet‘s horrifying and weird world. Children have the ability to kill their elders simply by speaking to them, and the search for a cure is reminiscent of the twisted scientific experiments of the Holocaust.

It’s disturbing, but as our reviewer writes, it’s “an especially thoughtful book [and] a frightening admonition of one father’s love for his daughter, and will to survive.”

The book trailer from Doubleday is sufficiently terrifying — but what I love most about it is that it was made by artist and fellow author Erin Cosgrove! Check it out:

The Flame Alphabet sounds completely unlike anything I’ve ever read. Do you read experimental fiction?

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Emily Giffin returns with ‘Where We Belong’ in July

Posted on 6 February 2012 by Trisha, Managing Editor

We interviewed Emily Giffin back in 2010, right when the filming of Something Borrowed was about to begin. (See more on the film in this blog post about the interview.) The success of that film pushed the already popular author’s sales even higher, so her many fans can now begin the countdown to the release of her next book: St. Martin’s will publish Where We Belong on July 31.

As usual in a Giffin story, the book puts its (successful, smart) female protagonist in a sticky situation. Marian Caldwell is a TV producer in her 30s who has put her youthful indiscretions behind her: until the most memorable of them, 18-year-old Kirby, comes knocking at the door of her New York apartment.

Will you read Where We Belong? Who’s your favorite women’s fiction writer?

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