Remarkable Stories from Incredible People
Last Thursday, I attended the Random House Open House event, and it was a blast! This year’s fall lineup was incredibly robust, with Van Jones, Salman Rushdie and Kelly Corrigan (and more!) all in attendance to talk about their latest books. The morning opened with a casual conversation with three literary-centric women authors: Elizabeth Berg (THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV), Emily Ruskovich (IDAHO) and Lisa Wingate (BEFORE WE WERE YOURS). An array of topics were covered, from how their stories were conceived to their writing processes, the importance of settings in their books and more. Emily shared that Alice Munro, Marilynne Robinson and Richard Adams are some of her greatest inspirations. Elizabeth also listed Munro as one of her idols and is currently diving into Karl Ove Knausgård’s My Struggle novels and any cookbook by Ann Hodgman. Meanwhile, Lisa loves to read her fellow Southern writers like Pat Conroy and Mark Twain.
The day continued with an appearance by Amanda Hesser of the famous online food website and store, Food52. Amanda talked about starting the company in 2009 with her close friend, Merrill Stubbs, which included many anecdotes about the two of them testing recipes in a small NYC kitchen for many years. The website has continued to steadily grow since its inception, and E-commerce was added in 2013 to really round out the home cook and consumer experience. (Side Note: There are a lot of excellent gift-worthy home goods like spices and kitchen gadgets!) She went on to share that the most popular recipe on the website is the One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf, which I’m already eager to try out and will most definitely become a Thanksgiving backup dish should something burn or overboil. Speaking of Thanksgiving, Amanda ended the talk with some tips and tribulations about conquering the food-oriented holiday with ease. The ultimate takeaway: Defrost your turkey on time!
The morning sessions ended with political commentator and activist Van Jones outlining the ways in which people can put thought into action as addressed in his latest book, BEYOND THE MESSY TRUTH. His sincere passion was felt across the auditorium as he discussed the ways in which political opponents should and can work together to make progress where it’s needed. The palpable energy continued on after lunch when Kelly Corrigan hit the stage to introduce her upcoming book, TELL ME MORE. She recounted the woes of trying to be a cool mom as she talked about her teenage daughters and her relationship with her own mother. Insightful, powerful and so unbelievably smart, Corrigan was a real afternoon delight as her sharp wit and tender affection had the room exploding in laughter and sighs.
As the day moved on, Salman Rushdie introduced his new novel, THE GOLDEN HOUSE, which follows an eccentric family as they take up residence in a Greenwich Village neighborhood in NYC. The novel covers topics of contemporary politics and culture, and has glowing reviews, so definitely check it out. Following Salman, Dr. Lucy Kalanithi shared the moving story of her husband Paul, who authored WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR, his account of being both a doctor and a patient as he learned of his terminal diagnosis. The illness took Paul’s life nearly two years ago, and Lucy is bravely taking on the reins of his book tour, talking about what it meant for Paul to live a meaningful life and how she’s dealing with the most heartbreaking loss.
Khizr Khan closed out the event detailing his childhood in Pakistan, his journey to America, meeting his wife and being the first in his family to receive a college degree. As some of you may recall, Khan gave a harrowing speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, in which he recounts losing his eldest son in the Iraq war. Khan’s story didn’t leave a dry eye in the auditorium, and you can read more about it in his book, AN AMERICAN FAMILY. All in all, the day was filled with remarkable stories from incredible people.
Our annual Holiday Bundle of Cheer 2017 feature/contest is live, and we have some books you definitely want to get your hands on! Enter now through Wednesday, December 20th at noon ET for your chance to be one of five lucky winners who will receive a copy of each of the featured titles. Click here to enter now or scroll down to learn more.
Need some suggestions for what to read right now? Check these out:
THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME by Fredrik Backman begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life, but he won’t say whose --- not yet. One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. She’s smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it. The man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of this little girl. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so he seeks him out and tells him this story.
LEONARDO DA VINCI is Walter Isaacson's latest in which he weaves a narrative that connects da Vinci’s art to his science, based on thousands of pages from his astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work. Isaacson shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology.
In UNCOMMON TYPE: Some Stories, Tom Hanks tells the story of a gentle Eastern European immigrant who arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game --- and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down-and-out motel, romance and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales that Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories.
Until next time, have a very happy Thanksgiving!
5 Things To Obsess About This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. The attempt to revive Amazon's "Good Girls Revolt"
2. THE WIFE BETWEEN US is getting the cinematic treatment
3. Julianne Moore will play Gloria Steinem
4. Millie Bobby Brown rapping on "The Tonight Show"
5. There will be a season 2 of "Big Little Lies"
--- Nicole Sherman
Holiday Bundle of Cheer 2017 Feature + Contest
The holidays are right around the corner, and as our gift to you, we are spotlighting some amazing books. The deadline to enter the Holiday Bundle of Cheer Feature/Contest is Wednesday, December 20th at noon ET. Enter for your chance to be one of five lucky readers who will win a copy of each of the featured titles below:
Miami Book Fair Is THIS Week!
The Miami Book Fair, now in its 34th year, is an eight-day event that kicked off last night with the popular Evenings With… series, featuring six nights of readings and discussions with noted authors from the United States and around the world.
On Friday, November 17th, the Street Fair gets underway. The highlight of the Street Fair is the Festival of Authors, with more than 450 authors reading and discussing their work, including the Latin American and Spanish authors who participate in the IberoAmerican Authors Program. Thousands of South Florida schoolchildren will help kick off the Street Fair, making the trip downtown Friday to hear authors and participate in Children’s Alley activities, including theater, arts-and-crafts, storytelling and readings by children’s book authors. Comics and graphic novels are once again featured, as well as presentations over the weekend by renowned graphic novelists and illustrators.
During Street Fair weekend, November 17-19th, more than 250 publishers and booksellers exhibit and sell books, with special features like the antiquarians, who showcase signed first editions, original manuscripts and other collectibles.
Authors attending the event this year include Megan Abbott, Isabel Allende, Edwidge Danticat, Jennifer Egan, Jeffrey Eugenides, Janet Fitch, James Grippando, Carl Hiaasen, Elin Hilderbrand, Ann Hood, Walter Isaacson, Min Jin Lee, Claire Messud, Dan Rather, Salman Rushdie, Will Schwalbe, Lisa See, Colm Tóibín, Scott Turow, and many, many more. Click here for the full list.
Young Adult and Graphic Novel authors in attendance include Kiersten White, S.J. Kincaid, Emmy Laybourne, Nidhi Chanani, Faith Erin Hicks, Robin Benway, Samantha Mabry, Erika L. Sanchez, Tillie Walden, Ibi Zoboi and Gene Luen Yang.
THE CHICAGO CUBS: Story of a Curse by Rich Cohen (Sports/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Grupper
When Rich Cohen was eight years old, his father took him to see a Cubs game. On the way out of the park, his father asked him to make a promise. "Promise me you will never be a Cubs fan. The Cubs do not win,” he explained, “and because of that, a Cubs fan will have a diminished life determined by low expectations. That team will screw up your life.” As a result, Cohen became not just a Cubs fan but one of the biggest Cubs fans in the world. In this book, he captures the story of the team, its players and crazy days. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Santino Fontana
It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life, but he won’t say whose --- not yet. One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. She’s smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it. The man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of this little girl. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so he seeks him out and tells him this story. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
DYING TO LIVE: A Detective Kubu Mystery by Michael Stanley (Mystery)
A Bushman is discovered dead near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Africa. Although the man looks old enough to have died of natural causes, the police suspect foul play, and the body is sent to Gaborone for an autopsy. Pathologist Ian MacGregor confirms the cause of death as a broken neck, but is greatly puzzled by the man’s physiology. Although he’s obviously very old, his internal organs look remarkably young. He calls in Assistant Superintendent David “Kubu” Bengu. When the Bushman’s corpse is stolen from the morgue, suddenly the case takes on a new dimension. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE FLOATING WORLD by C. Morgan Babst (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Christa Lewis
THE FLOATING WORLD takes readers into the heart of Hurricane Katrina with the story of the Boisdorés, whose roots stretch back nearly to the foundation of New Orleans. Though the storm is fast approaching the Louisiana coast, Cora, the family’s fragile elder daughter, refuses to leave the city, forcing her parents, Joe Boisdoré, an artist descended from a freed slave who became one of the city’s preeminent furniture makers, and his white “Uptown” wife, Dr. Tess Eshleman, to evacuate without her, setting off a chain of events that leaves their marriage in shambles and Cora catatonic --- the victim or perpetrator of some violence mysterious even to herself. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
HIDDENSEE: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire (Historical Fantasy)
Audiobook available, performed by Steven Crossley
Having brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in WICKED and to Wonderland in AFTER ALICE, Gregory Maguire now takes us to the realms of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann --- the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. HIDDENSEE imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve. At the heart of Hoffmann's mysterious tale hovers Godfather Drosselmeier --- the ominous, canny, one-eyed toy maker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet --- who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE KING IS ALWAYS ABOVE THE PEOPLE: Stories by Daniel Alarcón (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by David DeSantos
Migration. Betrayal. Family secrets. Doomed love. Uncertain futures. In Daniel Alarcón’s hands, these are transformed into deeply human stories with high stakes. In "The Thousands," people are on the move and forging new paths; hope and heartbreak abound. A man deals with the fallout of his blind relatives' mysterious deaths and his father's mental breakdown and incarceration in "The Bridge." A gang member discovers a way to forgiveness and redemption through the haze of violence and trauma in “The Ballad of Rocky Rontal.” And in "The Auroras," a man severs himself from his old life and seeks to make a new one in a new city, only to find himself seduced and controlled by a powerful woman. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
LEONARDO DA VINCI by Walter Isaacson (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Alfred Molina
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.
LITTLE SECRETS by Anna Snoekstra (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Saskia Maarleveld
An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town’s courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern isn’t nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story --- a big one. In the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of Colmstock’s daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents and testing the limits of the town’s already fractured police force. Rose may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MERRY AND BRIGHT by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Em Eldridge
Merry Knight is taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her --- minus her photo --- and the matches start rolling in. Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects --- or desires. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
MIND GAME by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Scotland holds a treasure that Jane MacGuire has been hunting for years. But as she scours the highlands in search of it, she’s plagued by dreams of a girl in danger. Who is this girl, and what is she trying to tell Jane? And will Jane figure it out before it’s too late --- for her and the mysterious young woman? Things are further complicated when Seth Caleb comes back into Jane’s life. This time, Jane finds herself pulled unexpectedly into his world as she fights to save him. But Caleb isn’t the only person sweeping her up into startling developments. When Eve Duncan surprises Jane with news of her own, Jane comes face to face with stunning changes in the lives of those she loves most. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
NEVER COMING BACK by Alison McGhee (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alison McGhee
When Clara Winter left her rural Adirondacks town for college, she never looked back. Her mother, Tamar, a loving but fiercely independent woman who raised Clara on her own, all but pushed her out the door, and so Clara built a new life for herself. Now more than a decade has passed, and Clara, a successful writer, has been summoned home. Tamar has become increasingly forgetful and can no longer live on her own. But just as her mother’s memory is declining, Clara’s questions are building. Why was Tamar so insistent that Clara leave all those years ago? Just what secrets was she hiding? The surprising answers Clara uncovers are rooted in her mother’s love for her, and the sacrifices Tamar made to protect her. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
PARTING SHOT by Linwood Barclay (Fiction, Suspense, Thriller)
After a tragedy rocks the community of Promise Falls, Cal Weaver is asked to investigate the threats being made to the accused's family. He's heard all about it on the news: the young man who drank too much, stole a Porsche and killed a girl, and who claimed afterwards not to remember a single thing. The whole town is outraged that he got off lightly, but for reasons Cal can't explain, he accepts the job. Then he finds himself caught up in a vicious revenge plot, chasing someone set on delivering retribution. In Cal's experience, it's only ever a matter of time before threats turn into action. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE POWER by Naomi Alderman (Dystopian/Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Adjoa Andoh
In THE POWER, the world is a recognizable place. There's a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power --- they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world drastically resets. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Mark, Todd and Zola came to law school to change the world, to make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, these close friends realize they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier, for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, the three know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam. But maybe there's a way out. Maybe there’s a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
STRANGE WEATHER: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill (Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; performed by Wil Wheaton, Kate Mulgrew, Stephen Lang and Dennis Boutsikaris
In STRANGE WEATHER, a collection of four chilling novels, Joe Hill deftly exposes the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life. A Silicon Valley adolescent finds himself threatened by "The Phoenician," a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories. A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump…and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud. On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails --- splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. And a mall security guard courageously stops a mass shooting, but under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
TWO KINDS OF TRUTH: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Titus Welliver
Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town's three-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch's LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Bosch framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way, Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
UNCOMMON TYPE: Some Stories by Tom Hanks (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Tom Hanks
A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game --- and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. An eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down-and-out motel, romance and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales that Tom Hanks tells in this first collection of his short stories. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
THE USUAL SANTAS: A Collection of Soho Crime Christmas Capers foreword by Peter Lovesey (Mystery/Short Stories)
Audiobook available; read by Jonathan Yen, John Keating, Barbara Caruso, Luis Moreno, Elizabeth Sastre, Carine Montbertrand, Ali Ahn and Brian Hutchison
Nine mall Santas must find the imposter among them. An elderly lady seeks peace from her murderously loud neighbors at Christmastime. A young woman receives a mysterious invitation to Christmas dinner with a stranger. Sherlock Holmes' one-time nemesis, Irene Adler, finds herself in an unexpected tangle in Paris while on a routine espionage assignment. Jane Austen searches for the Dowager Duchess of Wilborough’s stolen diamonds. These and other adventures in this collection of 18 holiday stories will whisk readers away to Christmases around the globe --- from a Korean War POW camp to a Copenhagen refugee squat, from a palatial hotel in 1920s Bombay to a crumbling mansion in Havana. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE BOOK OF DUST: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, Volume 1) by Philip Pullman (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Michael Sheen
Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua... Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds (Fiction, Young Adult 12+)
An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in 60 potent seconds --- the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. Reviewed by Derek Lipton.
TORTALL: A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce, Julie Holderman, Timothy Lieb, and Megan Messinger (Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult 13+)
Audiobook available, narrated by Ann Marie Lee
As Tortall’s spymaster, George Cooper has sensitive documents from all corners of the realm. When Alanna sends him a surprising letter, he cleans out his office and discovers letters from when King Jonathan and Queen Thayet first ascended the throne, notes on creating the Shadow Service of spies, threat-level profiles on favorite characters, Daine’s notes on immortals, as well as family papers, such as Aly’s first report as a young spy and Neal’s lessons with the Lioness. This rich guide also includes the first official timeline of Tortallan events from when it became a sovereign nation to the year Aly gives birth to triplets. Reviewed by Katherine Szabo.
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN John Green (Fiction, Young Adult 12+)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Rudd
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. Reviewed by Danielle F., Teen Board Member.
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