Friday Focus: Day of Dialog 2013

Day of Dialog is an annual event for librarians on the day before Book Expo America begins.  Held at McGraw-Hill headquarters in New York City, it is hosted by Library Journal magazine and sponsored by several publishers and book-related vendors.

The day is a great combination of food; networking; author, editor, and librarian panels; and free books and book-related items.  This year's panels featured:

• editors' picks of forthcoming novels from HarperCollins, Penguin Group (USA), Perseus Books, Basic Books, Algonquin, and Random House
• ideas for introducing poetry to readers
• library collection development
• the art of science writing
• the best voices in fiction (with authors Caleb Crain, Allan Gurganus, Al Lamanda, Richard North Patterson, and Amy Tan)

I came away enthused about the many great reads that will be released in the coming months, and a suitcase full of ARCs and books.  Here's a look at my new reading material:

From Five Star/Gale Cengage:
   
Sunset (book); Sunrise (ARC)

ARCs from HarperColllins Imprints (Ecco, HarperCollins, Harper Perennial, and William Morrow):
                       

                       

                                       

ARC from Ig Publishing:  
   



ARC from Knopf Doubleday:

         

ARCs from W.W. Norton:


Books from Open Road Integrated Media:
                     

ARC from Penguin Group (USA):
  

Books from Perseus/Weinstein Publishing:
                       

ARCs from Quercus:
                                   

All of these fabulous books whet my appetite for . . . more books at BEA 2013!

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Friday Focus: Day of Dialog 2013 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Thursday Thoughts: Leaving Everything Most Loved

 

Leaving Everything Most Loved  
by Jacqueline Winspear


The tenth book in the Maisie Dobbs Series immerses readers in the latest case of the intrepid investigator and psychologist; and as the title indicates, significant changes lie ahead for Maisie and those who are closest to her.

In this installment, Maisie conducts an investigation into the separate deaths of two Indian women who had been living in London and working as child caregivers for British families.  Could these tragic incidents, with their identical causes of death, be related? Are these occurrences the result of prejudice against a rising immigrant population, or is there a more sinister cause?

In her professional role, Maisie uses her expert analytical skills and knowledge of human behavior to efficiently solve the murders and provide closure for the families of the victims.  In her personal life, however, Maisie struggles to navigate her relationship with James Compton, her long-time lover who has a clear plan for their future together.  Despite her deep love for him, feelings of wanderlust keep Maisie from making a permanent commitment to James.  After much soul searching, and with James's blessing, Maisie embarks upon a bold course of action.

The novel is set in 1933 London, and the aftermath of war once again plays a central role in the plot, and in the series overall.  As Europe moves closer to another armed conflict, it is evident that the physical and psychological wounds suffered in the first world war have not healed and are still causing pain and suffering to those who lived through it and those whose lives are touched by troubled veterans.

Maisie and the strong, independent recurring characters in this series continue to face challenging times head on, and now several find themselves at crossroads in their search for personal and professional fulfillment.  With uncertainty on the horizon, fans of the series can't help but wonder what the future holds for these stalwart people who have already endured trying times and great loss.

This outstanding award-nominated and award-winning mystery series is like fine wine that improves with age.  Each new book is a delightful adventure with endearing characters.  I highly recommend it to individual readers and book clubs alike. 

The series so far:





# 1  Maisie Dobbs
# 2  Birds of a Feather
# 3  Pardonable Lies
# 4  Messenger of Truth
# 5  An Incomplete Revenge
# 6  Among the Mad
# 7  The Mapping of Love and Death
# 8  A Lesson in Secrets
# 9  Elegy for Eddie
#10 Leaving Everything Most Loved

Enjoy life with books...
 

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Thursday Thoughts: Leaving Everything Most Loved was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Waiting on Wednesday: Nancy Thayer's Island Girls

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about a forthcoming book with other readers.

This week's anticipated book:

 

 Island Girls by Nancy Thayer

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Preorder now from online and bricks and mortar bookstores 

From barnesandnoble.com:

New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer returns to her beloved Nantucket in a highly emotional, wholly entertaining tale of three sisters forced to confront the past over one event-filled summer on the island.

Charming ladies’ man Rory Randall dies with one last trick up his sleeve: His will includes a calculating clause mandating a summer-long reunion for his daughters, all from different marriages—that is, if they hope to inherit his posh Nantucket house. Relations among the three sisters are sour thanks to long-festering jealousies, resentments, and misunderstandings. Arden, a successful television host in Boston, hasn’t been back to the island since her teenage years, when accusations of serious misbehavior led to her banishment. College professor Meg hopes to use her summer to finish a literary biography and avoid an amorous colleague. And secretive Jenny, an IT specialist, faces troubling questions about her identity while longing for her sisters’ acceptance.

To their surprise, the three young women find their newfound sisterhood easier to trust than the men who show up to complicate their lives. And if that weren’t problematic enough, their mothers descend on the island. When yet another visitor drops by the house with shocking news, the past comes screaming back with a vengeance. Having all the women from his life under his seaside roof—and overseeing the subsequent drama of that perfect storm—Rory Randall might just be enjoying a hearty laugh from above.

Nancy Thayer’s novel insightfully illustrates how the push and pull of family altercations make us whole. It’s how the Randall sisters come to forgive, and learn to open their hearts to love.

My thoughts: I am intrigued by the description of family dynamics and complexities in this novel.  Its beach setting and interesting characters make it a perfect beach read.

Enjoy life with books...

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Waiting on Wednesday: Nancy Thayer's Island Girls was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #16 and Tuesday Teaser

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. It's an opportunity to share the first paragraphs of a book I am currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

This week I'm featuring the opening paragraphs from one of my current reads, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, a book I purchased quite some time ago.  I know I'm late to the game on this one, but I thought now is a good time to start the Sookie Stackhouse Series since the final book was released last month.  As the saying goes, better late than never.

Read on after the intro for my Tuesday Teaser.

 

Published by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

 Publication date: 5/1/2001

 ~1

"I'd been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar.

Ever since vampires came out of the coffin (as they laughingly put it) two years ago, I'd hoped one would come to Bon Temps.  We had all the other minorities in our little town--why not the newest, the legally recognized undead?  But rural northern Louisiana wasn't too tempting to vampires, apparently; on the other hand, New Orleans was a real center for them--the whole Anne Rice thing, right?

It's not that long a drive from Bon Temps to New Orleans, and everyone who came into the bar said that if you threw a rock on a street corner you'd hit one.  Though you better not.  

But I was waiting for my own vampire."

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? Or have you already read this one?  Have you read the entire series?

------------------------------------

 

Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, is a weekly event where bloggers open to a random page and share a teaser from somewhere on that page--no spoilers allowed.

 

Here's my teaser from Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: 

"I got really busy--everyone came to Merlotte's on Saturday night for some portion of the evening--so I lost track of my vampire for a while.  When I next had a moment to check on him, he was talking to Denise.  Mack was looking at him with an expression so avid that I became worried."

~p. 6

 

 

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #16 and Tuesday Teaser was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #20

This has been an extraordinary week of book acquisitions.  During the week I went to Library Journal's Day of Dialog, the Association of American Publishers Librarians Dinner, and Book Expo 2013 (a three day event).  I am compiling a list of the many, many books received at these events and reflecting on my conversations with all the authors I met.  Under the circumstances, this post is not my usual recap of books for the week.  Instead I am posting the highlights from Day of Dialog and the AAP dinner, along with books downloaded and borrowed from the library, which I am sharing on the following blogs:
    hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
   hosted by the team at Tynga's Reviews

    hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea   

 Some Highlights from My Week in Books . . . May 26-June 1, 2013

Advanced copies of two awaited books received at Library Journal Day of Dialog at McGraw-Hill in NYC, May 29, 2013:

                                     

Loss of Innocence by Richard North Patterson  (pub. date: 10/1/13) 
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan (pub. date: 11/5/13)
 

Books from the Association of American Publishers Book Expo America Librarians Dinner at the Yale Club in NYC, May 29, 2013:

                         

                                     

Help for the Haunted  by John Searles (pub. date: 9/27/13)

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan (pub. date: 1/7/14)

Double Double: A Dual Memoir of Alcoholism by Martha Grimes & Ken Grimes (pub. date: 6/4/13) 

The Interstings by Meg Wolitzer (in stores now)

Fear of Flying, 40th Anniversary Edition by Erica Jong (in stores now)

The Rest of My Week in Books . . . May 26-June 1, 2013

Finished reading . . .

    Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

 

Borrowed from the library . . .

                          

Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark; Every Contact Leaves a Trace by Elanor Dymott; Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford

Ebooks downloaded . . .

             

                                                 

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson (Nook edition); Penelope by Anya Wylde; Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath and Jack Kilborn; Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway; Cocktail Hour by Tara McTiernan (Kindle editions)

Which books did you get this week?
   

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Sunday's Weekly Book Recap #20 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.

Saturday Spotlight: BEA Day 2

Yesterday was the second day of Book Expo America 2013.  There were more authors, more books, and lots of tote bags and other book swag.  Tomorrow is the final exhibit day, and as I said in my last post, when I have a chance to catch my breath, I will share more about this fabulous event.

In the meantime, because a picture is worth a thousand words, I am sharing a photo that captures the thrilling moment when I met Elizabeth Gilbert, another favorite author of mine.  I came away with an advance reader copy of The Signature of All Things, which marks her return to fiction writing.

 

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Saturday Spotlight: BEA Day 2 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.