Weekly Book Recap #105

It's been a long while since I did a weekly recap (2 months), and I've been totally absent from the blogosphere for the past two weeks.  I've been kept busy by some travel and family matters; and more recently by BEA 2015 and its related events.

There hasn't been much reading time of late, but I added a ton of new books this past week to get me back into the swing of things.  I'm still sorting through my BEA goodies, so today I'm sharing the books I received at the Association of American Publishers/LibraryReads BookExpo America Librarians Dinner on May 27 and Penguin Random House Librarians Breakfast on May 28.  In the next weekly recaps I'll add news and books from Library Journal's Day of Dialog and Librarian Luncheon as well as from the main event known as BEA.

I'm glad to be reconnecting with the blogging community, and will be checking in with your posts to catch up on your latest news.  

On now to the book recap, which is being shared on these blogs:
           
                                                  

Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  

Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea

 

Al Roker (yes, that Al Roker) was the master of ceremonies at the ninth annual librarians dinner celebrating books and libraries.  He and five other well-known authors spoke about their writing process, and entertained with fond and funny library memories.  Members of the audience received copies of their latest works, which are featured below.

 

 Storm of the Century by Al Roker (Publication Date: 8/11/15)

 

 Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (Publication Date: 9/29/15)

 

   Armada by Ernest Cline (Publication Date: 7/14/15)

 

       The Clasp by Sloane Crosley (Publication Date: 10/6/15)

 

 Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (Publication Date: 9/15/15)

 

 Cross Justice by James Patterson (Publication Date:  11/23/15)

More forthcoming books were featured the following morning at the Penguin Random House breakfast, and the audience was treated to advance copies of some of the publishers' most anticipated new titles:

 

   Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (Publication Date: 7/28/15)

  Little Victories by Jason Gay (Publication Date: 11/3/15)

 

   City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (Publication Date: 10/13/15)

 

 The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (Publication Date: 10/6/15)

 

  Hollow Man by Mark Pryor (Publication Date: 9/1/15)

What did you read this week?  

. . . What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  

. . . . . . What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

 

Weekly Book Recap #105 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. (Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged and appreciated.)

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #107

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening from a book I borrowed from the library . . .

 

Goodreads Page

Alone among Others

When I walk into a bookstore, any bookstore, first thing in the morning, I'm flooded with a sense of hushed excitement.  I shouldn't feel this way.  I've spent most of my adult life working in bookstores, either as a bookseller or a publisher's sales rep, and even though I no longer work in the business, as an incurable reader I find myself in a bookstore at least five times a week.  Shouldn't I be blase about it all by now?  In the quiet of such a morning, however, the store's displays stacked squarely and its shelves tidy and promising, I know that this is no mere shop.  When a bookstore opens its doors, the rest of the world enters, too, the day's weather and the day's news, the streams of customers, and of course the boxes of books and the many other worlds they contain--books of facts and truths, books newly written and those first read centuries before, books of great relevance and of absolute banality.  Standing in the middle of this confluence, I can't help but feel the possibility of the universe unfolding a little, once upon a time.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

While the first paragraph is quite lengthy, it's hard not to ramble on about one's love of bookstores.  I find myself nodding along as I turn the pages of this memoir.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #107 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #81

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring:

 

Beginning:  Mathilde took out her diary and wrote: 'The man sitting next to me has got one hell of a nerve.'

*********************
Page 56:  "She's got plenty of love to give, she falls for every lonely-heart announcement in the paper."

*********************  

From Goodreads:  Fred Vargas 's Commissaire Adamsberg mysteries are a sensation in France, consistently praised for their intelligence, wit, and macabre imagination. This first novel in the series introduces the unorthodox detective Commissaire Adamsberg-one of the most engaging characters in contemporary crime fiction.

When blue chalk circles begin to appear on the pavement in neighborhoods around Paris, Adamsberg is alone in thinking that they are far from amusing. As he studies each new circle and the increasingly bizarre objects they contain-empty beer cans, four trombones, a pigeon's foot, a doll's head-he senses the cruelty that lies within whoever is responsible. And when a circle is discovered with decidedly less banal contents-a woman with her throat slashed-Adamsberg knows that this is just the beginning.

 

 

Which book are you reading now or about to start?

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #81 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are encouraged and appreciated.
 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rocks

  

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  Today I'm featuring The Rocks by Peter Nichols. 

 

Publisher:  Penguin Publishing Group

Publication Date:  May 26, 2015

From barnesandnoble.com:   A romantic page-turner propelled by the sixty-year secret that has shaped two families, four lovers, and one seaside resort community.

Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island for sixty more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet–like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later? Centered around a popular seaside resort club and its community, The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery, then moves backward in time, era by era, to unravel what really happened decades earlier.

Peter Nichols writes with a pervading, soulful wisdom and self-knowing humor, and captures perfectly this world of glamorous, complicated, misbehaving types with all their sophisticated flaws and genuine longing. The result is a bittersweet, intelligent, and romantic novel about how powerful the perceived truth can be—as a bond, and as a barrier—even if it’s not really the whole story; and how one misunderstanding can echo irreparably through decades.

Which book are you waiting for?

...Will you add this one to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rocks was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.  (Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are encouraged.)

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #106

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening from a book I borrowed from the library . . .

 

Goodreads Page 

Friday,

May 23, 1985

Chapter 1

Arthur Unger slides open the glass door and steps out onto his flagstone patio.  He's had a few drinks but he doesn't feel them.  It's late at night, and though the sky is clear and there is no moon, there are no stars, either.  There never are.  Between ambient light and air pollution, he'd have to drive to Mount Baldy to see Orion's Belt.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I'm a big fan on the Ephron sisters, and several bloggers have read and recommended this book.  It slowly worked its way to the top of the pile, and I am enjoying the story and its suspenseful tone so far.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #106 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #80

It's Friday . . . time to share excerpts book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring: 

  

Beginning:  PROLOGUE

THE UNOFFICIAL STORY

TELEGRAPH HILL

MAY 30, 1906, 8:00 A.M.

It was a month ago that I finally managed to convince myself I was still alive.  That day--a week after the inferno burned out--the fire clap had faded from my ears enough that I was able to hear a knock on the door of our singed Victorian.

I arose from a seated position on the floor where I had been typewriting day and night on the Remington, and shuffled through inch-deep ash, little clouds erupting with every step.  I jerked open the brittle front door to discover an overdressed man waiting on the puffy stoop.

*********************
Page 56 (of e-book):  "At five feet nine and a hundred and sixty-five pounds, he was the greatest bare-knuckle boxer on the Barbary Coast, where such matters are routinely determined.  He had Byron's square jaw, Isabella's deep-set eyes and a face so chiseled it created its own shadows."

*********************  

From Goodreads:   Set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, this page-turning historical novel reveals recently uncovered facts that forever change our understanding of what really happened. Narrated by a feisty young reporter, Annalisa Passarelli, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Post-Victorian city, from the mansions of Nob Hill to the underbelly of the Barbary Coast to the arrival of tenor Enrico Caruso and the Metropolitan Opera. Central to the story is the ongoing battle fought even as the city burns that pits incompetent and unscrupulous politicians against a coalition of honest police officers, newspaper editors, citizens, and a lone federal prosecutor. James Dalessandro weaves unforgettable characters and actual events into a compelling epic.



Which book are you reading now or about to start?

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings #80 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com. This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are encouraged and appreciated.

Waiting on Wednesday: Forthcoming Titles from Penguin Random House

   

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to share information about forthcoming books with other readers.  This post is a deviation from the usual focus on one eagerly anticipated book.  Today I'm showcasing some of the titles I learned about last week at Penguin Random House's Librarian Luncheon. Readers are in for a real treat, with many offerings in a variety of genres.  Read on for a small sampling . . .

Note:  Book descriptions supplied by publisher.

Featured Debut

  City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg.  A big-hearted, boundary-vaulting novel that heralds a remarkable new talent: set in 1970s New York, a story outsized in its generosity, warmth, and ambition, its deep feeling for its characters, its exuberant imagination.
From Knopf, available 10/13/15

Non-Fiction 

   M Train by Patti Smith.  An unforgettable odyssey into the mind of a legendary artist, told through the prism of cafes and haunts she has visited and worked in around the world.  
From Knopf, available 10/6/15


   Life is Good: The Book by Bert Jacobs and John Jacobs.  An inspiring book outlining the ten key "superpowers" readers need to live their best lives, from the founders and brothers of the successful apparel company.
From National Geographic, available 9/1/15

Also on the horizon:

• My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl:  Part cookbook, part memoir, revealing a refreshingly vulnerable side of the world's most famous food editor as she shares stories and recipes.  (Random House, 9/29/15)
• My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem:  An all-new memoir of a lifetime of listening and learning from people, traveling America and the world.  (Random House, 11/3/15)

Fiction

  Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie.  A lush, modern fairytale that blends history, mythology, and a timeless love story.
From Random House, available 9/8/15

  Circling the Sun by Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife.  A new historical novel set in 1920s colonial Kenya that brings to life the fearless Beryl Markham and her love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa. 
From Ballantine, available 7/28/15

    We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  From the author of The Language of Flowers comes a new novel about young love, hard choices, and hope against all odds.
From Ballantine, available 8/18/15
Note:  Cover not final

 The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon.  The author of The Winter People returns with an atmospheric, gripping, and suspenseful tale that probes the bond between sisters and the peril of keeping secrets.
From Doubleday, available 8/4/15

  The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks.  A rich and utterly absorbing novel about the life of King David, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of People of the Book and March.
From Viking, available 9/22/15

 Ana of California by Andi Teran, a modern take on the classic coming-of-age novel, inspired by Anne of Green Gables.
From Penguin Books, available 6/30/15

  Armada by Ernest Cline.  The author of Ready Player One returns with a fantastic nerd wish-fulfillment tale.
From Crown, available 7/14/15

Also on the horizon:

• Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs: The third installment in the bestselling Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series of YA novels.  (Quirk Books, 9/22/15)
• Slade House by David Mitchell:  A taut, intricately woven, spine-chilling, reality-warping novel set across five decades from the author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks.  (Random House, 10/27/15)

Which book are you waiting for?

...Will you add any of these to your list of must-reads?

Waiting on Wednesday: Forthcoming Titles from Penguin Random House was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.  (Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are encouraged.)

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #105

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring the opening from a book I recently borrowed from the library, that I read last week in advance of attending a literary brunch where the author was the featured speaker. . . .

 

Goodreads Page

Fall

1

The Search for a Wild Weed

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

I am walking along a secluded, wooded path in a park in Brooklyn--my favorite place to forage for wild edibles in the city.  My backpack is filled with plastic bags, a worn field edition of Euell Gibbons's Stalking the Wild Asparagus, and a box cutter that doubles as a knife.  The wood mulch and dirt are damp beneath my sneakers as I make the slow climb up toward my destination.  Down below, cyclists and joggers are making their way along the road that loops through the park, and I can hear the resounding clomp of a horse along the bridle path.  In the height of early autumn, everything below is obscured by a rich tangle of leaves just starting to turn reddish gold in the morning light.  A dog barks in the meadow.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The descriptive opening paragraph draws the reader into an exciting adventure . . . one that will have you looking at weeds with a whole new appreciation.

At turns humorous and touching, this memoir is about much more than discovering edible plants in the unlikeliest of places.  Ms. Chin takes readers on a journey through major events in her life, as she navigates personal and family relationships in her quest for love and meaning in an urban environment.  Beyond recipes and valuable information about local flora and fauna, it is a refreshingly candid, honest, and poignant account of an independent woman's path to self-discovery.  I highly recommend this delightful book to individuals and book clubs alike.

For more information, photos, and a visual companion to the book, visit the author's website: avachin.com

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #105 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.