Speed Dating at the Book Expo

One of the most enjoyable events every year at the Book Expo is Book Group Speed Dating, organized by Carol Fitzgerald and her group at the Book Reporter Network. Nearly two dozen publishers present their upcoming fall books to the 200 librarians, booksellers and book club organizers. The publishers go from table to table and they each get a few minutes to make their pitch.

It's great because you get to hear about books that aren't necessarily on your radar, books from smaller publishing houses, as well as the more well-known publishers. These are some of the books that caught my eye.

Harlequin, known for their romance novels, is branching out with their Graydon House imprint. Kaira Rouda's Best Day Ever is described as a "wild ride of psychological suspense." A husband arranges for a special day for his wife on their anniversary, but his idea of a "special day" differs from hers. Click here for more information.

Sourcebooks presented Chelsea Sedoti's novel, As You Wish, is a young adult novel that will also appeal to adults. In the small town of Madison in the Mojave Desert, people on their 18th birthday get one wish. Some people wish for money, some wish for love, and Eldon has 25 days until his birthday to figure out what he should wish for. I don't normally like magical realism, but this one intrigues me. Click here for more info. 

St. Martin's Press had two books that interested me. Daren Wang's The Hidden Light of Northern Fires is a fictionalized version of a true story about an western New York town, near Buffalo, that seceeded from the Union during the Civil War. I grew up in central New York and have never heard of this story, and the fact that there is a female protagonist seals the deal for me. This book is available now, click here for info.

Janet Peery, a former National Book Award finalist for her first novel The River Beyond The World in 1996, is back with her second novel The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs, about a dysfunctional family with five adult children who all have issues. The mother is desparately trying to save her youngest son from his addiction, and the story sounds heartbreaking and deeply moving. This one is also available now here.

And this concludes my wrap-up of Book Expo 2017. It was a whirlwind two-and-half days filled with books and catching up with friends, and there is not much better than that.

 You can find all of the books presented here.

BEA 15- Book Group Speed Dating with Publishers- Part 2

Continuing on with Part 2 of BEA's Book Group Speed Dating with publishers hosted by BookReporter.com, we have five more publishers who shared their favorite upcoming books with us.

Henry Holt had two books I liked:

• Tenacity by J.S. Law is psychological thriller set on a submarine. When there is a murder on the submarine, a tough female naval investigator must solve the case and bring the murderer to justice. There seems to be a theme this fall of strong female characters in books, and I like that. On sale November 3rd
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande was a big book talked about at last year's BEA. Dr. Gawande shares his thoughts on how the medical community and society seems to avoid planning for the end of life, and to celebrate the fact that the book is still on the bestseller list, Henry Holt gave each participant a copy of this most important book that everyone should read. On sale now

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt presented three interesting books:

• Girl With A Gun by Amy Stewart was a big presence at BEA, with over 1000 advanced reader copies being handed out. Stewart, the author of The Drunken Botanist, based her novel on the true story of one of the first female deputy sheriffs, set in 1914 Hackensack. I'm very excited to read this one. On sale September 1st
• Dietland by Sarai Walker  is a provocative novel about an overweight woman saving up money for weight reduction surgery who gets involved with a "shadowy feminist guerilla group". They are calling this one "Bridget Jones meets Fight Club", which sounds too crazy to pass up, and Dietland received a rave review in Entertainment Weekly. On sale now
• How To Start A Fire by Lisa Lutz is not the next book in Lutz's hilarious The Spellman Files, but more of a traditional women's fiction book, about friendship and secrets, but still retaining Lutz's signature sense of humor. A friend of mine read this already and loved it. On sale now

Other Press had one book I was intrigued by:

• Couple Mechanics by Nelly Alard was described to us as a "yummy French novel". Who can resist that description? Based on a true scandalous story, Juliette and Oliver are a modern busy French couple, parents to two young children. Oliver confesses to an affair, and after a Fatal Attraction scenario, Juliette must decide whether to kill or help her husband. On sale January 19, 2016

Penguin shared two books with us that excited me:

• Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh was an Editor's Buzz Book. Eileen is a young woman working a dead-end job in a boy's prison in 1960's Boston area, supporting her father. When a glamorous woman joins the staff, she sweeps Eileen up in a crime scheme, and Eileen is both delighted and horrified. On sale August 18th
• Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff and from their Riverhead Books imprint, tells the story of marriage, told from both the perspectives of husband and wife. It reveals how "the key to a great marriage is not in its truths, but in its secrets." I loved Groff's The Monsters of Templeton, and she writes so beautifully I know this one will be great. On sale September 15th

St. Martin's Press also had two books I wanted to hear more about:

• Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford was a book everyone was buzzing about at BEA. Clifford, a journalist at The New York Times takes on in hot topic- Upper East Side wives- in her debut novel. Her main character is a transplant from Maryland who does her best to fit in with the wealthy women in her new neighborhood. Called "a 21st century Bonfire of the Vanities mixed with Prep and Rules of Civility", this one is at the top of my TBR list. On sale August 18th
• Hemingway in Love by A.E. Hochner is one that fans of The Paris Wife will enjoy. Hochner, who was good friends with Hemingway, writes a lyrical, beautiful account of Hemingway's Paris affair that destroyed his marriage to first wife Hadley, the woman he called the love of his life. This is a great opportunity to hear about Ernest Hemingway from someone who knew him well. On sale October 20th

Again, I'd like to thank Carol Fitzgerald and her terrific team at BookReporter.com for putting together this fantastic opportunity for all of us to speak with the publishers and hear about what they think will be the big books of fall.

Part 1 is here.

BEA 15- Book Group Speed Dating with Publishers- Part 1

One of the events that has grown over the past few years is Book Group Speed Dating with publishers. Carol Fitzgerald and her team at BookReporter.com invite publishers to go from table to table to talk about their upcoming books with librarians and book club leaders. This year there were 27 publishers, and over 250 people eager to hear what is on deck.

This is one of my favorite BEA events, I particularly enjoy the interaction with the publishers. The most successful presentations are by publishers who have perfected their 'elevated elevator' pitches. They have less than 10 minutes to cover 5 or more books, and get us interested.

Each table had nine different publishers, and these are the highlights from my table:

Corsortium Books presented two thrillers, Lost Canyon and The Do-Right. 

• Lost Canyon  by Nina Revoyr, from Akashic Books, was described as "Wild meets Deliverance" about four backpackers who find more than they bargained for while backpacking in the Sierra Nevadas. On sale August 25th
• The Do-Right  by Lisa Sandlin from Cinco Puntos Press is getting rave reviews already for her story of a PI's secretary who, after spending 14 years in prison for killing one of the men who raped her, runs into the other man who raped her. The main character here is described as "kick-ass", and the dark side of the city of Beaumont is a major character as well. On Sale October 13th

Hogarth also had two books I am interested in:

• The Gap of Time by acclaimed writer Jeannette Winterson kicks off their Hogarth Shakespeare series as authors reinterpret famous works by the Bard. Winterson retells The Winter's Tale,  set in 2008 London and a storm-ravaged city New Bohemia in America. Ann Tyler and Margaret Atwood will be taking on other Shakespeare works, and this is a very exciting project. On sale October 6th
• The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra, called a modern day Tolstoy, are linked short stories that continue in the vein of his brilliant novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, which I loved. I can't wait to read this one.  On sale October 13th

Little, Brown and Company had three books that piqued my curiosity:

• Early One Morning by Virginia Bailey is being compared to The Lifeboat and The Paris Wife. Set during WWII, it tells the story of a woman who sees a family being loaded onto a truck to go to a concentration camp. She makes a split second decision to claim one of the children as her own and rescue him. This decision has long-lasting complications. On sale September 29th
• The Three-Year Swim Club by Julie Checkoway and published by Grand Central, will appeal to readers who liked Unbroken and The Boys in the Boat. It's about a group of young children from Maui who became Olympic-level swimmers in the 1930's to escape poverty. This one was an Editor's Buzz Book selection. On sale October 27th
• After the Crash by Michel Bussi and published by Hachette, is translated from a hugely popular French novel about a plane crash in the Alps. There is only one survivor, a three-year-old girl, and two families fight over whom the girl really belongs to. On sale January 5, 2016 

Harper presented three books that intrigued me:

• The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop's comparison to Beautiful Ruins captured me right away because I loved that book. We meet a Greek family and a Turkish family whose lives are destroyed during the Cypriot coup of 1974, and it's about love, loss, loyalty and resilience. On sale July 7th
• The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith is published by Harper Perennial and like The Orchardist (which I loved) and Geraldine Brooks' books is a lyrical, quieter book  about three generations of family during years after the American Revolution dealing with love, war and slavery in North Carolina. On sale July 21st
• The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo is a debut novel from a fresh, funny voice about a lovable character who always seems to mess things up and the family secrets she uncovers. On sale September 8th

Part Two is posted here.

BEA14- Book Group Speed Dating Part II

In a previous post, I covered the books presented by Harper Perennial, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Liveright and Norton publishers during the Book Group Speed Dating at BEA14. This post covers Picador (Macmillan), Random House, Simon & Schuster and Soho.

Darren from Picador (Macmillan) presented the following books:

• Dark Amelia- by Sally O'Reilly, an historical novel about Shakespeare's muse, with some sorcery thrown in. Fans of Deborah Harkness will like this one.
• The Boy Who Drew Monsters- by Keith Donohue will appeal to fans of Stephen King and Joe Hill. It's a YA crossover book about a young boy who draws monsters that come to life, set on an empty Maine estate.
• The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.- by Adelle Waldman is coming out in paperback after making many 'Best of 2013' lists. This one is about a 20-something young man in Brooklyn looking for love and sex. It has become a cultural touchstone.
• Someone- by Alice McDermott is publishing in paperback and made my list of Most Compelling  Books of 2013. It's the story of an ordinary Irish-American woman as she ages from childhood on. It's beautiful and quiet, and my review is here.
• Man Alive!- by Mary Kay Zuravleff tells the story of family living outside of Washington DC and what happens when Dad gets hit by lightning and it changes his personality.
• Lookaway, Lookaway- by Wilton Barnhardt also publishes in trade paperback after making a big splash at last year's BEA. The story revolves around a Southern family falling apart and the tough matriarch keeping them all together. 

Maggie from Random House shared their upcoming books:

• Still Life With Bread Crumbs- is Anna Quindlen's latest novel about a middle-aged artist who moves to a cabin in the woods and finds artistic inspiration and maybe love. Every woman of a certain age will want to read this, my review is here.
• The Weight of Blood- by Laura McHugh put me in mind of HBO's True Detective with its story of a murdered teenage girl and how it may possibly tie into her friend's mother's disappearance years ago. Lots of creepy atmosphere here and I raced through this one even though these kinds of books are not usually my cup of tea.
• The Mill River Redemption- by Darcy Chan, who first book, The Mill River Recluse, was a self-published ebook. There are some of the same characters in this book about love, family and forgiveness in a small town.
• The Deepest Secret- by Carla Buckley tells the story of a mom who accidentally hits someone with her car, but can't turn herself in because she has a son with a devastating chronic illness. The ending is said to be completely unexpected.
• Under the Wide and Starry Sky- by Nancy Horan continues the trend of novels about the wives of famous men, this time it's writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny.

Briony from Simon & Schuster had five books:

• A Sudden Sight- is Garth Stein's follow-up to his smash The Art of Racing in the Rain. This one is a family story with a ghostly twist and an environmental slant, and is described as 'visually beautiful'.
• We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas is one of the books that had everyone talking this year. The debut novel sold for one million dollars at auction, and it is the story of Eileen, an Irish- American woman, from childhood through marriage and adulthood. It's about love, desire and the fight to get into the middle class. This is one I will definitely read.
• Juliet's Nurse- by Lois Leveen gives us the story of Juliet's nurse from Romeo and Juliet, and takes the reader from 14 years before their love story and beyond the final scene of the play. Fans of Phillipa Gregory will like this strong female protagonist.
• Before I Go- by Colleen Oakley is traditional women's fiction, along the lines of PS I Love You.  A terminally ill woman tries to find a spouse for her husband before she dies and then regrets her attempt.
• Henna House-is Nomi Eve's historical novel about young Yemenite Jewish girls who will be adopted by the Muslim community if they are unbetrothed when their parents die. Fans of The Red Tent and The Dovekeepers will want this one.

Soho presented four books:

• Herbie's Game by Tim Halliman is described as "the spawn of Donald Westlake and Carl Hiaasen". He is a favorite of Nancy Pearl.
• The Bishop's Wife  by Mettie Ivie Harrison is a mystery set amongst the Mormon community. When a prominent Mormon's wife disappears, her friend believes the husband killed her. It's based on a true story, and written by a practicing Mormon.
• The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin is a YA crossover, called a 'docu-novel' about a teenage artist who may have committed suicide- or was it murder? The novel is filled with paintings and photographs.
• Rainey Royal by Dylan Landis tells the story of young teen in Greenwich Village in the 1970's, and it "lifts the skin off the character" with its in-depth character study. It won an O. Henry Prize.
• I'm Glad I Did is a YA mystery novel written by Carole King contemporary Cynthia Weill about young songwriters working in the famous Brill Building in 1963. There should be lots of interest in this given the smash Broadway show Beautiful is so popular.

Thanks again to BookReporter.com for putting this event together; it gets better every year.