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Talia Ross and Mike Barry coordinate the library marketing activities of the group’s adult publishers, which include St. Martin’s Press; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Henry Holt; Tor/Forge; and Picador
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Stephanie Squicciarini: Macmillan's Librarian of the Month
Macmillan’s Library Marketing department is proud to present Stephanie Squicciarini as this month's featured librarian.
In addition to her role as Fairport Public Library's Young Adult Librarian, Ms. Squicciarini runs the Annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival, an event that attracts thousands of teens. Maybe that's why Library Journal named her a 2008 "Mover and Shaker."
How did the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival come to be?
Well, it began when someone told me about a Teen Book Festival in Montgomery County (Houston, TX). I had never heard of a Book Festival targeted at teens, even though there are state book festivals, many adult reading initiatives, and lots of things aimed at younger children. I decided to go check it out. It was so cool and energizing! I came back to work totally convinced I needed to try something like it for our teens in Rochester. I called, emailed, and probably harassed a few colleagues to join me. And TBF Live! (as we like to call it) was born!
What steps were essential in making the festival a reality?
There are thousands of essential steps! The most essential step was getting support on many different levels. My director is amazingly supportive, as is the entire staff here at “my” library; they cheered me on.
The next level of support comes from cooperating with school and public librarians. Our planning committee consists of school and public librarians from across three counties in the area—this helps spread the word about the festival and gives us a broad perspective on reading interests. Beyond these two critical steps, there are months and months of planning and fundraising. The committee meets monthly throughout the year, with a lot of work being done via email and between meetings.
We work really hard to attend to every detail—not just for our teens, but also our authors! I hear nightmare stories of how authors have been treated when visiting schools or libraries, so making our authors feel welcome and celebrated is a huge part of making the festival happen each year. I begin contacting authors a year in advance. We strive to have our slate finalized at least six months before the Festival so schools and libraries can promote the authors, order multiple copies of their books, plan book discussions around TBF books, schedule individual author visits before the TBF, and create our budget for the year.
Our goal is to keep it free to attend so that money is never an obstacle for a teen to connect with an author. We do a lot of fundraising and sponsor-seeking. We have done many different kinds of fundraising, including Read-a-Thons, selling coupon books, collecting deposit cans and bottles (those nickels really add up!), and selling official TBF merchandise, just to name a few things. The TBF costs between $15,000 and $18,000 to pull together.
How many teens participated in this year’s festival?
This year we had close to 2,000 people attend. We had about 500 the first year and 1,000 the second—you can see we are growing fast! TBF is open to everyone and while we did not take official counts for each age group, the vast majority have been teens. But one of the coolest things is seeing families together at the Festival. And teachers and librarians with their classes—we had eight busloads of readers from all over. The energy is just amazing!
How many were instrumental in planning and setting-up?Between the different fundraising events, input from Teen Advisory Groups on what fun merchandise we should sell, the creation of way cool TBF Author posters to hold when picking up authors at the airport, and volunteers the day of the TBF about 150 teens take part in different levels of planning and execution. We assign teens to each author and to be their assistants throughout the day, we have teens as Opening Panel Moderators and official TBF DJs.
How did you line up sponsors for the event?I send official sponsor packets to potential sponsors and then follow up with telephone calls. Many of our sponsors offer in-kind services or discounts on items we need. We had one sponsor this year who told us to make a wish list of things we have not already been able to confirm and he made them happen for us. Our official bookseller donates a portion of the book sales back to the TBF. A few generous publishers have helped by covering travel costs for authors; this is so helpful since we have authors come from all over the country. We shoot for at least 12 each year.
It is really hard to find actual cash-donating sponsors, but by getting creative and figuring out who might be able to help provide items or services that we need, we keep down the costs. Much of the monetary support comes from Friends of Libraries, PTSAs, and school districts. It is truly a cooperative effort with many different people and organizations contributing in various ways.
Which books and/or authors and/or events were the most popular?All of our authors have been so great for different reasons—one of the coolest things about the TBF is introducing readers to new authors! That said, taking into account all of our authors over the past three years, some of the most popular have been (in alphabetical order): Libba Bray, Ellen Hopkins, Jeff Kinney, Tamora Pierce, Alex Sanchez, Todd Strasser, and Terry Trueman. The first year we had a teen and her mom travel up to Rochester from Baltimore, Maryland because she read about us on Brent Hartinger’s website! Each author has an amazing story of how they connected with their reader—and to be honest, those individual stories are the ones that touch the deepest.
Our Favorite Books and Authors for Teens
Alyson Noël
Author of: | Ted Bell
author of: |
Saving Zoë
0-312-35510-6
$8.95
Available Now
St. Martin's Griffin |
Cruel Summer
0-312-35511-4
$8.95
June 2008
St. Martin's Griffin |
Nick of Time
0-312-38068-2
$17.95
Available Now
St. Martin's Griffin |
P.C. & Kristin Cast
Authors of the House of Night series: |
 Marked
0-312-36026-6
$8.95
Available Now
St. Martin's Griffin |
Betrayed
0-312-36028-2
$8.95
Available Now
St. Martin's Griffin |
Chosen
0-312-36030-4
$8.95
Available Now
St. Martin's Griffin |
We had parents and teens thank authors for saving or changing their or their children’s lives. We had teens inspired by our authors to write or to continue writing. And for those who continue to stress the statistics that say boys don’t read…last year I had a 13-year-old boy come up to me and thank for me for “all of this.” A boy. On a Saturday. At a BOOK FESTIVAL! It was beyond validating and rewarding.
How did you promote the festival to the community?Word of mouth has been our biggest form of promotion. Libraries and schools create official TBF displays, for which we send out all the publicity pieces and have them available on our website in PDFs. We started an email distribution list and I send out periodic updates as details are confirmed. Local media has been attending and reporting on our fundraising efforts. Lots of press releases are sent. And our logo and website link is on as many websites as we can get it on. Even promotion of the TBF is a cooperative effort!
What issues did you face while planning the festival that you did not expect?
I did not realize just how hard it would be to find cash sponsors. We all thought that businesses and organizations would jump at the chance to support a teen program that promotes recreational reading and literacy efforts. The money piece and to some extent the acceptance piece have been a bit challenging each year, though now we know to expect it. And we try to stay focused on the reason we are all working so incredibly hard each year…the teens want it and they deserve it. And so do the authors that write for them!
What advice would you offer to librarians planning a similar event?Just do it. Find a dedicated team of people with the shared belief that teens are worth the effort and make it happen. Whether it is an author event with one author or something with 12 authors your teens will thank you for it. It just takes one person to say “Hey, let’s try this.” Then a lot of work by a lot of people, but the end result will have you asking “why didn’t we try this sooner?” I would also suggest going to an event like the one you want to plan to see and feel it in action. Asks lots of questions of the organizers (I am always happy to help if anyone wants to contact me). TBF 2009 is April 4, 2009…so come to Rochester! www.tbflive.org.
We are looking for the next Librarian of the Month. If you have someone in mind, please email us—we're eager to hear from you!
Megan McArdle: Macmillan's Librarian of the Month
Macmillan’s Library Marketing department is proud to present Megan McArdle as April’s Librarian of the Month. As the Chicago Public Library's Director of Collection Development, Ms. McArdle manages a multimillion dollar budget and is responsible for supplying thousands of new books to libraries throughout America’s third largest city.
Here's how she does it:
How do you select books for the Chicago Public Library? Do you use reviews, listen to word of mouth, search for reader recommendations? Do you visit certain websites or blogs to help your decision-making? Why or why not?
I use a combination of all of those things, really. Reviews are certainly important. I try and stay on top of all of the major reviewing outlets. But for a collection our size and a city this diverse, reviews are not the only tool I reach for. I think you have to pay attention to word of mouth, and try and stay in tune with what’s getting the buzz out there.Staff in my department work several hours a week on a public service desk to make sure that we keep our ear to the ground and know what is being asked for out at the desks. Reader recommendations are just a more specific form of that. I wish I had the luxury of ordering a copy of every single title that is recommended, but with a population nearing 3 million, you can see how that would be difficult! Still, if one person is asking, it might be a signal that there are many more people who want the title – kind of a canary in a coal mine – so I try and listen to every chirp.
I’ve become a real fan of book blogs and I am an avid GoodReaders user, so I spend a lot of my free time on the web reading about books, even when I’m not at work! Book sites and literary blogs are just another tool to find out what people are talking about, and I think there is so much good writing going on out there on the web. It would be silly to think that only professional reviewers have worthwhile opinions about books. Sure, there’s a fair amount of dreadful writing on the web as well, but you find the outlets that you trust.
How do you decide how many copies of a book to order?
For a system the size of Chicago, it is a challenge to find the right numbers. We have 79 locations that I purchase for, and they all have unique collections that have been built with their community in mind. But we are more alike than we are different, in many ways, and those 79 separate locations have to add up to one healthy collection for the city as a whole. That can be tricky, but it’s part of the fun, too. Every month when I sit down with my staff to hash out the bestseller order for the system, we debate titles and quantities. Some of it is based on an author’s previous track record. Is Danielle Steel as popular at every location as she used to be, or can we cut back on our quantities? What authors have been building a following and can be expanded to more branches? The most fun thing for me is the first novel. When you read a review or even just a description of a debut and you just decide to take a chance - that is a great feeling. Sometimes it backfires, of course! But that’s the beauty of libraries, really. We have always embraced the “long tail” idea of being able to stock more than just the expected bestsellers. Libraries are the natural home of the midlist writer, the small press writer, the debut writer; who all seem to be having a harder and harder time finding a place on the big chain bookstore shelves. With our ability to promote titles on our website and the ability of our users to place holds on any title in the system, it means we can take chances and still be responsive to what our patrons are asking for.
Debut Fiction for Your Library
What Was Lost
Catherine O'Flynn
0-8050-8833-4
$14.00
June 2008
Henry Holt & Co.
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The Foreigner
Fancie Lin
0-312-36404-0
$14.00
June 2008
Picador
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Also of Interest:
What is your goal when you choose books? To please the patron? To complete the collection?To please the patron, absolutely! We aren’t building warehouses to house books that no one is interested in. We are building living collections whose only reason for being is to serve the informational and entertainment needs of the citizens of Chicago. That being said, with such a diverse city, those needs are similarly diverse. I try to make sure that there are some standards to the collections – titles that you would expect to find no matter what library in the city you walked into. But our size is also our strength in that if a title is on the shelf in any of our 79 locations, it is virtually on the shelves in all of them through the magic of holds. Patron placed holds is actually new to us at CPL, just launched with our website and library system redesign last month. Everybody loves it, but probably no one as much as me! When I see that a title that we have highlighted on our website generated a dozen holds in one day, it just makes me happy.
What is one piece of advice that you would offer others involved in collection development?Stay on top of the world of publishing and be aware of what’s being promoted and reviewed, but also stay in touch with what your patrons are asking for and realize that they may be slightly differing if overlapping universes.
Did you have a mentor?I absolutely did. I started working for the former head of collection development at Chicago Public Library, Merle Jacob, a couple of years before she retired. She taught me so much about how to do this job! The nitty gritty process stuff has changed a lot, but the basic idea of being a resource for all of the librarians out in the branches, and listening to what they are telling me about their needs remains so important.
What genres are becoming more popular at your library?
Paranormal fiction is popular, no matter the genre. Anything with vampires, witches, werewolves whether they are solving crimes, falling in love, or just being their bad selves. Thrillers remain strong, along with memoirs.
What is your favorite genre?Too hard to choose! I read in a lot of different genres, depending on my mood. Gorgeously written literary fiction can alternate with gritty crime novels and then on to complex world-building fantasy.
The Chicago Public Library recently revamped its web site...What's new?I am very excited about the readers advisory content that we have recently added to the Chicago Public Library’s website as part of our redesign. We have tried to integrate “teasers” of highlighted titles throughout the website, and have an entire area of the site for readers’ advisory called “Books, Movies and More”. This area, which my staff and I manage, contains lists of bestsellers, award winners, recently added titles, staff picks, titles that will be coming soon (including the ability to sign up for email versions of coming soon lists), and many more. We even have a blog! What I love about this area of the site, which we hope to expand and enhance, is that it is a new way for us to make the connection between our users and our collections. What I miss most about working a desk is that daily interaction with users to help them find a book they will love, and this helps fill that void for me.
We are looking for the next Librarian of the Month. If you have someone in mind, please email us—we're eager to hear from you!
Kimberly Patton: Macmillan's Librarian of the Month
Macmillan’s Library Marketing department is proud to present Kimberly Patton as its first Librarian of the Month. Kimberly Patton is the Young Adult Specialist for the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, Kansas. Ms. Patton recently served as chair of the Teen Manual Committee at the Collaborative Summer Library Program, and is co-author of A Year of Programming for Teens (ALA Editions, 2006). We asked Ms. Patton to share her insights on teen involvement at the library.
How does the Lawrence Public Library come up with programs for teens?We have a monthly Young Adult Advisory Board (YAAB) meeting, where we meet to go over what programs we are going to have. We share book reviews and I put written ones on our website, then we follow the reviews with a special program. In February it was our annual Chocolate Festival, where we learn about the history of chocolate, we sample various kinds and vote on our favorite, and we do some sort of chocolate craft. This year, we painted with chocolate and had a chocolate trivia contest. We also held a week long Mardi Gras program after school. Teens came in every day and made Masks, or Voodoo dolls, (they had to supply their own pins and potions). We gave out "King cake" cupcakes with prizes, beads, boas, everything but the parades and floats. This month we are having our first Rock the Vote concert with the Whomping Willows of Wizard Rock fame, a group of musicians who play Harry Potter-inspired tunes who are traveling the country. Battle of the Bands, Fear Factor Challenges, Library Survivor scavenger hunts—we try to cover the gamut. I will do whatever kind of a program it takes to get them in the door of the library. No matter what programs we do for fun, this IS a library, so I take a cart of books in to booktalk. If I can find books to go with the subject of the program great; if not, I'll book talk new ones, or old favorites. As important as it is to get teens in the door, it's more important to get them to leave with a book, or five. And to get them talking about what they are reading and why.
What programs have been most effective in bringing teens to your library?Variety of programming helps. Also, I go to each and every school in town on a regular basis to booktalk and promote our programs. Then when young adults get to the library, we try to make it as inviting for them as possible. For example, we have Sound Cones, which are speakers that direct the sound straight down instead of bouncing it off the walls, so we can play music 24/7 without disrupting the rest of the library. We have the books and music and games that they want when they want them. That all helps. What programs have you tried that you did not find effective?Oh there are flops. We tried storytelling for teens, to teach them how to tell stories. Huge Flop. We tried creative writing workshops. Huger flop. I had teens telling me they were all excited, they write me poems and stories all the time. No one came. No. One. It was sad. What books have your teen book clubs read recently? How do you pick titles? I read reviews. I write reviews. So I always have a pretty good grip on what’s coming out. I use the YALSA nominating lists—I figure if its good enough to get someone's attention to nominate it, its worth a second look. My teens help too at YAAB meetings. I have some avid readers. They know so much about what is coming out that they now know my ALA schedule and they give me lists of advance copies to bring back. When I mail the boxes of books back from conference, it's almost like Christmas for them. What genres are becoming more popular with teens at the Lawrence Public Library? Why do you think they like these books?Well here the most popular books are anything with Vampires or dragons. All the girly series books, like the Gossip girls, Clique, Private. The books by Libba Bray are all very popular. Books about teens dealing with "issues" are still big. What I don't really see are teens reading a whole lot of historical fiction anymore. Surprisingly, to me anyway, is that teens are reading a lot of biographies too.
What tips do you have for librarians looking to improve their booktalking techniques?
1. Know the books you are booktalking
2. Know your audience (the age, likes, dislikes, special school project, etc.).
3. Know what you want to say about the book. I sometimes write it out on a note card and tape it to the back of the book. That way when you hold up the book, you can see your note, but the audience can't.
4. Practice out loud, in front of the mirror.
What websites do you like to visit?A few of my favs are teenreads.com; Jen Hubert's Reading Rants is one of my all time favs. Pop Matters is another great one. YALSA's blog and site are daily must reads. My secret guilty pleasure is TMZ but don't tell anyone. I'll deny it.
Is there anything you would like to add about working with teens?Relax, the teens won't hurt you. They may even like you. I guarantee that you will end up loving them! I'm convinced that I look as young as I do because I love what I do every day.
New Books for your Next Teen Event
from St. Martin's Griffin
Read April's interview featuring Megan McArdle
Read March's interview featuring Kimberly Patton
Our Spring 2008 "First Fiction" flyer is now available. Librarians are great champions of first-time authors, and we think that this piece really connects with the excitement of discovering a new writer.
July 2008
"After she received her PhD from Yale, Elizabeth Samet startled herself, her friends and her family by taking a job as an instructor in the English Department at West Point. She describes her experiences teaching there over the last decade in Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point, a moving tribute both to literature, her students, and the military academy itself.
Literature at West Point matters, she writes, because it helps cadets learn to deal with ambiguity. Seeing a situation as grayish, rather than black or white, is not encouraged in most phases of the education of a cadet. Understanding a lyric poem demands a different kind of thinking from that used to carry out orders and survive a long day patrolling the streets of Iraq—not a better way of thinking, just not the same. Among the works of literature she assigns to her students are Randall Jarrell's devastating poem, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner;" the World War I poems of Wilfred Owen, and Robert Olen Butler's story "Mother in the Trenches." (Every time she mentioned a literary work with which I wasn't familiar, I had to go get a copy and read it: this slowed down—considerably—my reading of Samet's book.) Interspersed with accounts of her students and their responses to the literature she assigns, Samet weaves in the history of West Point, including everything from when literature was first introduced into the curriculum (the first decade of the 20th-century) and (most movingly) the terrible divisive effect the Civil War had on the Academy's graduates, who used their fine educations in the cause of either the North or South. The title of the book, in fact, is a phrase that was originally used to describe the mental and emotional sufferings of Civil War veterans; now, of course, we refer to the same syndrome as PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. "First Chapter
—Nancy Pearl
The Snake Stone nominated for 2008 Macavity Award
Jason Goodwin's The Snake Stone, has been nominated for the Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery Award, one of the four Macavity Awards.
The Macavity Awards are named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. The winners will be announced this October at Bouchercon 2008 in Baltimore.
Macmillan’s Indie Next Picks: July 2008
Note: Book Sense Picks are now known as Indie Next Picks.
For more information, visit indiebound.org.
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What Was Lost
by Catherine O'Flynn
"O'Flynn is able to capture a character or a scene with a few perfect details, and she seems to possess an uncanny, ennobling sympathy for her characters. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and immensely rewarding."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) |
Night Work nominated for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award
Steve Hamilton's Night Work has been nominated for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award, the largest prize for crime fiction in the world, with £20,000 going to the winner. The two previous winners, Ann Cleeves and Peter Temple, are both Macmillan authors.
The Dagger Awards are organized by the Crime Writers’ Association, a group of professional writers formed over fifty years ago as a body committed to the support of fellow professional writers. The winner will be announced at the CWA Awards Dinner, to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in London's Park Lane on July 10th.
Hot Titles: September 2008
What books will your patrons be asking for three months from now? Check back here regularly for lists of our hottest forthcoming titles from all of Macmillan’s adult publishers.
St. Martin's Minotaur books nominated for 2008 Barry, Anthony Awards
 
Three St. Martin's Minotaur books were nominated for the prestigious Barry and Anthony Awards this weekend. The nominees include:
The Barry Awards are given out annually by Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News publications in recognition of excellence in crime fiction. The Anthony Awards, also awarded in recognition of excellence in crime fiction, are presented by the Bouchercon membership each year for works done during the preceding year. The Barry and Anthony Awards will be presented in September 2008, at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Baltimore.
Kirkus gears up for an exciting summer
with Macmillan authors
 
Macmillan is rolling out the big guns for summer conferences—and Kirkus Reviews has taken note in its latest special section on BEA and ALA. The Kirkus special section features: - Don Borchert, ALA keynote speaker and author of Free For All
- Thomas Friedman, author of Hot, Flat and Crowded
- Stephen Cannell, author of Three Shirt Deal
Click here to read more.
John Hart's Down River wins the Edgar Award
I am thrilled to report that my good friend Nora Rawlinson (former librarian turned celebrity thanks to her progressive and groundbreaking approach to collection development)  had a new brainchild, a tool to help make your job (and life) easier. Nora, who started as a librarian in Baltimore County then ran Publishers Weekly & Library Journal and even had time to lead the library services department @ Hachette – has just launched Early Word, a web site for collection development and readers advisory librarians. It offers easy access to publishers’ resources and features the "Give 'em What They Want" blog on buying for demand.
Visit Early World today!
Macmillan’s New York Times Best-Sellers
July 13, 2008
Fiction-Hardcover
#1 Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich
#10 Love the One You're With, Emily Giffin
#19 Married Lovers, Jackie Collins
Fiction-Trade Paperback
#21 Out Stealing Horses, Per Petterson
#28 Something Borrowed, Emily Giffin
#29 The Gatecrasher, Madeleine Wickham
Fiction-Mass Market
#1 Lean Mean Thirteen, Janet Evanovich
Nonfiction-Hardcover
#23 A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah
#25 A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs
#27 The Last Campaign, Thurston Clarke
Nonfiction-Paperback
#23 The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman
#26 The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein
Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous-Paperback
#7 Hungry Girl, Lisa Lillien
 Macmillan All-Stars
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A Better Angel
Chris Adrian
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
0-374-28990-5 | $23.00
"Illness, loss and grief assume ingeniously arresting forms in this short-story collection from a uniquely gifted author...quite unforgettable fiction."
—Kirkus Reviews |
“The moment you feel as if you’ve discovered the meaning in his words, it slips between your fingers and leaves you unsettled, unmoored, and unmistakably impressed.”
—Booklist
"With heartbreaking imagination, Adrian illuminates how people act out their grief on their own bodies and the bodies of others, and enter the world of the spirit in the process."
—Publishers Weekly
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Man in the Dark
Paul Auster
Henry Holt & Co.
0-8050-8839-3 | $23.00
"Darker and more impactful than The Brooklyn Follies and with broader appeal than Travels in the Scriptorium...This best-selling author with a cult following of literati finally offers one to please both fan bases."
—Library Journal |
“An utterly authentic story of culpability and survival, the vortex of loss, and our endless struggle to translate terror into understanding.”
—Booklist
"Probably Auster's best novel, and a plaintive summa of all his books that—we now see—have gone into its making."
—Kirkus Reviews
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Don't Tell a Soul
David Rosenfelt
St. Martin's Minotaur
0-312-37395-3 | $24.95
"A harrowing ride equal to James Patterson's or Harlan Coben's best…The book deserves a wide audience and is highly recommended for popular fiction collections."
—Library Journal |
“High-voltage entertainment from an author who plots and writes with the verve and wit of Elmore Leonard...Rosenfelt ratchets up tension with the precision of a skilled auto mechanic wielding a torque wrench.”
—Booklist
"Stellar...Rosenfelt keeps the plot hopping and popping as he reveals a complex frameup of major proportions with profound political ramifications both terrifying and enlightening."
—Publishers Weekly
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Atmospheric Disturbances
Rivka Galchen
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
0-374-20011-4 | $24.00
"Witty, tender, and conceptually dazzling, Galchen’s metaphysical tale of longing, grief, love, and the volatility of the self gracefully charts the tempestuous weather of the human psyche."
—Booklist |
“Enthralling...Don't be surprised if this gives you a Crying of Lot 49 nostalgia hit.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Everything is other than it appears to be in Galchen’s assured debut—an intricate puzzle powered by an urgently beating heart...A superb first novel."
—Kirkus Reviews
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The Importance of Music to Girls
Lavinia Greenlaw
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
0-374-17454-7 | $23.00
"Well-written, bewitching and subtly dazzling."
—Kirkus Reviews |
“Greenlaw's coming-of-age story is smartly and tenderly told, likely to snag readers like an infectiously catchy tune.”
—Publishers Weekly
"A bristling remembrance of childhood and adolescence, Greenlaw’s memoir is also an homage to the unfathomable power of music."
—Booklist
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Cheating at Solitaire
Jane Haddam
St. Martin's Minotaur
0-312-34308-6 | $24.95
"The Gregor Demarkian series keeps getting better, each novel just a little more dramatic, more thought-provoking, and more entertaining than the last...It’s about time [Jane Haddam] gets the A-list status she so richly deserves."
—Booklist |
“A slyly cerebral indictment of the cult of celebrity...With wry intelligence, Haddam explores the reasons why we reach for those magazines at the checkout counter, dog the rich and the overpublicized and worship the famous for being famous.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Stellar."
—Publishers Weekly
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The Silver Swan
Benjamin Black
Henry Holt & Co.
0-8050-8153-4 | $25.00
"Stunning…Laconic, stubborn Quirke makes an appealing hero as the pieces of this unsettling crime come together in a shocking conclusion."
—Publishers Weekly |
“Black/Banville is a master of atmosphere; the fear and dread associated with hidden desires and deeds fairly leap off the page. Recommended for all public libraries.”
—Library Journal
"Exceptionally nuanced...[An] engrossing tale of passion, crimes, and chaos shot through with lightning wit and radiant compassion."
—Booklist
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Lush Life
Richard Price
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
0-374-29925-0 | $26.00
"Wrenching...There oughta be a law requiring Richard Price to publish more frequently. Because nobody does it better. Really. No time, no way."
—Kirkus Reviews |
“With its perfect dialogue and attention to the smallest detail, Price’s latest reminds readers why he’s one of the masters of American urban crime fiction.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Making the streets safe for the café crowd has its hidden cost—and no one shows that better than Price."
—Booklist
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For more information about our children’s publishers, please visit:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers
Feiwel and Friends
First Second
Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers
Priddy Books
Roaring Brook Press
Square Fish
For more information about our distributed publishers, please visit:
Bloomsbury
The College Board
Consumer Reports
Drawn & Quarterly
Enchanted Lion Books
Graywolf Press
Oxmoor House
Papercutz
Rodale
Virgin Books
Walker & Company
Watson Guptill
For more information about our books for courses, please visit:
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Find our publishers’ Fall 2008 catalogs here.
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Macmillan
All-Stars
Three or more starred reviews make these books All-Stars |
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"What should our book club read next?"
Reading Group Gold has the answer
Not sure what your group should discuss next? If you are looking for group read ideas, Macmillan's Reading Group Gold brochure features a broad selection of supplementary materials for book club favorites like Gail Tsukiyama, Tom Perrotta, and Marilynne Robinson.
You can find our latest brochure here:
Brochure Part 1
Brochure Part 2
And be sure to check the Reading Groups section of our website—we are always adding new titles! |
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Slumberland
Paul Beatty
Bloomsbury USA
1-59691-240-5
| $24.99
"There are very few novelists with Beatty's swinging sense of play," writes NPR's Troy Patterson. Paul Beatty's new novel, Slumberland, follows a Los Angeles DJ who has crafted the perfect beat as he seeks the approval of an elusive jazz genius.
Click here to read the full review and an excerpt. |
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You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero
Bob Powers
St. Martin's Griffin
0-312-37734-7
| $13.95
In traditional "choose your own adventure" books, heroes are often dashing figures who conquer perilous obstacles; in Bob Powers's hilarious "choose your own adventure" book for adults, You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero, the hero is a modest thirtysomething who has accomplished very little.
Click here to listen to listen to Bob Powers discuss his new book on NPR's Bryant Park Project. |
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Exiles
Ron Hansen
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
0-374-15097-4
| $23.00
On a winter evening in 1875, five exiled nuns on a ship to America tragically sank to their deaths, inspiring a Jesuit seminarian to write his most famous poem. Ron Hansen's new novel, Exiles, breathes life into the story behind Gerard Manley Hopkins's The Wreck of the Deutschland.
Click here to listen to an interview with Ron Hansen on NPR's Fresh Air. |
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