fresh lit! rosalind reisner areadersplace roz@thereisners

Fresh Lit!

Rosalind Reisnerwww.areadersplace.net

roz@thereisners.net

LibraryLinkNJ Webinar

July 10, 2012

Books we’ll talk about today—literary midlist fiction

• Recent and forthcoming• Well-reviewed• First novels• New novels by favorite authors• Titles for reading groups• Titles with YA appeal

Books published in the last 6 months

The O’Briensby Peter Behrens

March 2012Pantheon

Content/Appeal: •Family saga•Canadian setting•20th century history•Book groups•YA

Running the Riftby Naomi Benaron

January 2012Algonquin Books

Winner of the Bellwether Prize.

Content/Appeal: •Coming of age in wartime•African setting•Book groups•YA

A Land More Kind Than Homeby Wiley Cash

April 2012Wm. Morrow

First novelLiterary thrillerSouthern noir

Content/Appeal: •Coming of age•Religion•Disabilities•YA interest—teenage narrator•Book groups

Goldby Chris Cleave

July 2012 Simon & Schuster

Previous book: Little Bee

Content/Appeal: •Sports•Illness•Rivalry•book groups•YA

The Snow Childby Eowyn Ivey

November 2011Back Bay

Content/Appeal: •Magical realism•Alaska setting•Folklore•YA•Book groups

The Flight of Gemma Hardyby Margot Livesey

January 2012 HarperCollins

Content/Appeal:

•Fans of Jane Eyre

•Coming of age novel

•YA

•Book groups

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

March 2012Ecco Press

Winner of the Orange Prize

Content/Appeal: •Historical fiction•Homosexual relationship •Book groups•YA

Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich

February 2012Simon & Schuster/Gallery

First novel

Content/Appeal: •Historical fiction•Jewish interest •Women’s fiction•YA•Book groups

The Age of Miraclesby Karen Thompson Walker

June 2012Random House

First novel (author is 71)

Content/Appeal: •Coming of age story•Scifi slant•YA interest—teenage narrator•Book groups

Beautiful Ruinsby Jess Walter

June 2012HarperCollins

Content/Appeal: •Humor•Historical characters make an appearance•Italian setting•Shifting chronology and point of view

Your opinion…

Take a minute and tell me, from the titles I just described, which books do you think would be most popular in your library?

Forthcoming BooksAugust-November 2012

The Middlesteinsby Jami Attenberg

October 2012Grand Central

Content/Appeal:•Family issues•Eating disorder•Parent-adult child relationships•YA •book groups

Telegraph Avenueby Michael Chabon

September 2012 HarperCollins

Content/Appeal: •Race relations•Social history•Berkeley setting•Feminist issues

This is How You Lose Herby Junot Diaz

September 2012 Penguin

Content/Appeal: •men’s issues in relationships •Latino community•linked stories

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

July 2012Random House

Content/Appeal: •Humor•Older characters•Life lessons•Leisurely pacing•Family relationships

Flight Behaviorby Barbara Kingsolver

November 2012HarperCollins

Content/Appeal: •Quirky characters•Southern setting•Environmental concerns•Marriage•Book groups•YA

Yellow Birdsby Kevin Powers

September 2012Little, Brown

First novel

Content/Appeal: •War stories•Unusual writing•Graphic violence•Emotional and suspenseful•Book groups

In the Shadow of the Banyanby Vaddey Ratner

August 2012Simon & Schuster/Touchstone

First novel

Content/Appeal: •Cambodian setting•Family tragedies•Coming of age•Father-daughter relationship; Folklore•Book groups•YA

The Art Forgerby B.A. Shapiro

October 2012Algonquin

Content/Appeal:•Insight into art world•Literary thriller•Minimal violence

NWby Zadie Smith

September 4, 2012Penguin

Under wraps until pub date!

Your opinion…

Take a minute and tell me, from the titles I just described, which books do you think would be most popular in your library?

Some hints for keeping up…

In addition to the usual sources:

•NetGalley and Edelweiss•Review copies from publishers•Samples on e-readers