Prepub Alert, January 2011
Jan 15, 2011FICTION
Baldacci, David. One Summer. Grand Central. Jun. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780446583145. $25.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
A change of pace for Baldacci: tear-jerking inspiration. Lizzie is tending her terminally ill husband, Jack, when she is killed in a car accident and the children must be farmed out to relatives. Miraculously, Jack goes into remission and gathers his family together at Lizzie’s oceanfront childhood home in South Carolina for a life-affirming summer. Thriller fans should know that Baldacci is publishing two books in that genre next year; let’s see how he does on this new track.
Bauermeister, Erica. Joy for Beginners. Putnam. Jun. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780399157127. $24.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Kate has every reason to be joyous: she’s just licked cancer. Celebrating with her six best friends, she declares that she’s gotten up her nerve to go whitewater rafting and wants each of them to take a chance on something they’ve never dared to do. Only she’s going to pick their adventure (really?). Bauermeister’s debut, The School of Essential Ingredients, was a national best seller, and this sounds as if it would have great appeal for the same set of readers.
Birch, Carol. Jamrach’s Menagerie. Doubleday. Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780385534406. $26.95. A young lad dashing through the streets of Victorian London runs smack into an escaped circus animal and nearly becomes its dinner. His rescuer regales him with stories of shipboard adventure, and soon our young hero finds himself bound for the South Seas. Birch is an award winner in Britain, and as this book is said to carry hints of Great Expectations, Moby-Dick , and Andrea Barrett’s The Voyage of Narwhal , it is well worth watching.
Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood Everlasting. Random. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780385521222. $25. It’s been ten years since Brashares published The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, launching a phenomenon. Now, after four books and two movies, our heroines—Carmen, Tibby, Bridget, and Lena—are adults living far apart but still in need of one another. That’s why Europe-based Tibby facilitates a rendezvous on the Greek isle of Santorini, where a surprise puts their friendship to a test. The publisher is betting that teenage fans of this series, now adults, are set to carry on. If that’s true, this should be big. A ten-city tour.
Christensen, Kate. The Astral. Doubleday. Jun. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9780385530910. $24.95; eISBN 9780385530927.
The Astral, a big, rose-hued apartment building in Brooklyn, NY, has long been home to poet Harry Quirk and his family. But Harry’s wife, Luz, has discovered poems that seem to confirm her suspicions of infidelity, and she’s tossed him out. Harry, sensing that he’s failed as a poet, husband, and father (son Hector is trapped in a crazy Christian cult), decides to straighten out. This latest from Christensen arrives with some promise, as her recent The Great Man won a PEN Faulkner Award. This could be a real charmer; watch.
Cooke, Carolyn. Daughters of the Revolution. Knopf. Jun. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9780307594730. $23.95; eISBN 9780307596611.
During the late Sixties, even as talk of integration and sexual revolution rages, the ornery headmaster of the reputation-rich, cash-poor Goode School resists efforts at coeducation. Then, through an oversight, the school admits a very smart black girl. Lots of anticipation for this first novel, as Cooke’s story collection, The Bostons, won the 2002 PEN/Robert Bingham award for a first book. A good bet for most collections; with a three-city tour and a reading group guide.
Cussler, Clive with Grant Blackwood. The Kingdom: A Fargo Adventure. Putnam. Jun. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780399157424. $27.95. CD: Random Audio.
Sam and Remi Fargo are treasure hunters. But now, in a journey that takes them to Tibet, Nepal, China, Siberia, and Italy, they’re hunting for a missing investigator friend. With artifacts ranging from a Stone Age ostrich egg to a skeleton that seems to be even older, this sounds like classic Cussler. In a review of Lost Empire (Xpress Reviews, 7/30/10), LJ termed the Fargo series “second tier at best”; you know if you have an audience.
deWitt, Patrick. The Sisters Brothers. Ecco: HarperCollins. May 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780062041265. $24.99.
Eli Sisters is feeling grumpy; brother Charlie has been declared lead man on their next assignment from the Commodore. But it’s a job, so off they ride to Sacramento with the aim of killing a gold miner the Commodore wants out of the way. As they track their quarry, encountering an odd assortment of whores, drunks, and visionaries, Eli begins to have qualms about the bloody life he leads. Both homage to the classic Western and knife thrust to its dark underbelly, this novel has a quirky, deadpan exterior and a hard-beating heart. Rabid in-house enthusiasm and film interest; John C. Reilly is attached to produce and star as Eli.
Doyle, Roddy. Bullfighting: Stories. Viking. Jun. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9780670022878. $25.95.
Man Booker Prize winner for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha , Doyle here offers his second collection of short stories, which presents a panorama of contemporary Ireland by presenting ordinary men making their ordinary way through life. Eight of the 13 stories appeared previously in The New Yorker. Roddy Doyle rah rah rah; get for all smart readers.
Earle, Steve. I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9780618820962. $26; eISBN 9780547549040.
One of the last people to see Hank Williams alive and said to have given him that last, fatal dose of morphine, Doc Ebersole is living in a cheap room in San Antonio’s red-light district and doing the odd medical patch-up (he’s lost his license). Oh, and he’s haunted by Williams’s ghost, which is none too happy when Doc starts doing better after he treats Mexican immigrant Graciela, who has a miraculous healing touch. Grammy singer/songwriter Earle should do well with this work; he’s already proved himself with the story collection Doghouse Roses.
Evanovich, Janet. Smokin’ Seventeen. Bantam. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780345527684. $20. lrg. prnt. CD: Random Audio.
Some 75 million copies of Evanovich’s 33 novels have been sold worldwide, the last Stephanie Plum novel debuted in the top spot on the New York Times best sellers list, the film version of One for Money (starring Katherine Heigl) is set for a summer 2011 release, and Evanovich’s new publisher is planning a smash-up campaign for her latest. I’m telling you all this because no plot details are available, but you still know you’ll need to buy lots.
Frank, Dorothea Benton. Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale. Morrow. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780061961274. $25.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Cate enjoyed South Carolina’s Folly Beach as a child, but when she returns as an adult she’s not just widowed but broke—her faithless husband wrecked their finances. Still, she slowly opens herself to the possibilities. The one-day laydown on June 14 and 250,000-copy first printing attest to the ongoing popularity of Frank’s Lowcountry titles, and the ten-city tour will help. Buy multiples wherever Frank is popular.
Gran, Sara. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780547428499. $24; eISBN 9780547548852.
Ace detective Claire DeWitt complements her deductive skills with reliance on dreams, omens, and mind-expanding herbs, not to mention Détec tion , a manual by famed French detective Jacques Silette. She’ll need ’em all as she hunts for vanished prosecutor Vic Williams down New Orleans way post-Katrina. Gran, who did nicely with Come Closer and Dope, moves into the big time here with a series opener for which TV rights have already been sold.
Haji, Nafisa. The Sweetness of Tears. Avon A. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780061780103. pap. $14.99.
Born into an Evangelical Christian family, Jo March (obviously independent-minded, with that name) has her doubts. To find some answers, she embarks on a journey—even heading to the Middle East—and meets some previously unknown relations whose fate is tied to hers. Haji did nicely with her debut, The Writing on My Forehead, and her new novel will appeal to readers interested in the clash of cultures. Promising for discussion, as the reading group guide suggests.
Henderson, Eleanor. Ten Thousand Saints. Ecco: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. ISBN 9780062021021. $26.99.
Adopted by unrepentant hippies, Jude gets by in small-town Vermont by doing drugs—until his best friend dies of an overdose. He ends up in New York’s East Village, where he discovers straight edge, a movement that favors punk rock while opposing sex, drugs, and meat eating. Henderson’s debut seems to be generating some enthusiasm—there’s a 50,000-copy first printing—and it’s well worth watching.
Hilderbrand, Elin. Silver Girl. Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780316099660. $26.99.
Meredith Martin Delinn is no silver girl now—she’s homeless, fundless, and friendless, her husband having cheated investors out of billions. (Who does that sound like?) When old friend Connie invites her to Nantucket, she hopes for escape, but the arrival of Connie’s brother—who was Meredith’s high school boyfriend—serves to highlight the gap between what is and what could have been. Beach reading par excellence; Hilderbrand is always popular.
Ignatius, David. Bloodmoney: A Novel of Espionage. Norton. Jun. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780393078114. $25.95.
A new CIA unit in Pakistan is being systematically decimated, and ambitious young CIA agent Sophie Marx is charged with figuring out why. As she gets closer to the truth, her confidence in both her CIA bosses and her Pakistani contact goes up in smoke. A prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post , Ignatius has been covering the Middle East and the CIA for 25 years, so he knows his news. With his recent Increment being developed for film by Jerry Bruckheimer, he would seem to know his thrills as well.
Koryta, Michael. The Ridge. Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780316053662. $24.99.
Like most folks, local reporter Roy Darmus is amused by the lighthouse standing on a ridge in the Kentucky woods, far from water. Then he receives a suicide note from its architect and enters the odd structure, where he finds names of the dead inscribed on the walls (including those of his parents). This is a bizarrely enticing setup, and since the author is the award-winning and sharp-eyed Koryta, expect good follow-through. For all thriller collections.
Lupton, Rosamund. Sister. Crown. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780307716514. $24; eISBN 9780307716538.
Everyone believes that moody artist Tess killed herself—except her sister, Bee, who knew Tess was pleased to be pregnant. Despite headshaking by family and the police, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and her life, trying to find the killer she knows is there. A best seller and Richard and Judy pick in the UK, this first novel will attract readers of women’s fiction and thrillers alike. The publisher has already signed Lupton’s second novel, which speaks volumes. With a reading group guide.
McNeal, Tom. To Be Sung Underwater. Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 432p. ISBN 9780316127394. $24.99.
McNeal made his name a dozen years ago with Goodnight, Nebraska , and here revisits small-town life by featuring a heroine who wanted to escape it. Judith Whitman believed in passionate love, and she surely loved steady carpenter Willy Blunt. But he was not about to leave Nebraska, and she was. Years later, unsettled in her marriage, she’s starting to wonder if she made a mistake—and the chance of finding out looks to be just a phone call away. Sooo romantic, says the publicist, but the taut writing puts it above slush. A literate heartbreaker that reading groups will likely demand.
Marr, Melissa. Graveminder. Morrow. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780061826870. $22.99.
Rebekkah Barrow’s grandmother Maylene always has tended to the dead of Claysville by proclaiming, “Stay where I put you.” And with good reason. The worlds of the living and the dead meet in their little town, and only the Graveminder—a Barrow woman—and the undertaker have the means to keep them down. Bek never knew any of this until she returns to town upon Maylene’s murder. Author of the worldwide best-selling YA series “Wicked Lovely,” Marr ventures into adult territory for the first time. Sounds intriguing, and there’s big in-house support, plus a six-city tour.
Martin, Lee. Break the Skin. Crown. Jun. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780307716750. $24; eISBN 9780307716774.
Disaffected teenager Laney has no one in the world but the older Delilah, whom she clings to like a raft. Then the police start asking Laney questions that link her to the sadder-but-wiser Miss Baby, who thinks she’s finally found true love with a gentle man who can’t remember his own name, and the story of a wrenching crime emerges. Martin has a following—he’s won a passel of awards (e.g., Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction), and The Bright Forever was a Pulitzer finalist—so maybe Break the Skin will break him out.
Martini, Steve. Trader of Secrets: A Paul Madriani Novel. Morrow. Jun. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780061930232. $26.99. lrg. prnt.
In his 12th outing, defense attorney Paul Madriani pursues a vanished NASA scientist with a big secret: he knows about some stolen NASA technology that uses nature’s forces to unleash power equaling many nuclear bombs. Martini’s thrillers are all New York Times best sellers, so the one-day laydown on May 31 and the 250,000-copy first printing are no surprise. Be prepared to buy plenty.
Nair, Kamala. The Girl in the Garden. Grand Central. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780446572682. $24.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
On the eve of her marriage, Rakhee Singh recalls being taken to her mother’s ancestral home in India as a ten-year-old and discovering that family secrets lay buried in the lush jungle behind the house. Pitched as a cross between Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake , this debut could do well with reading groups. Watch.
Orozco, Daniel. Orientation and Other Stories. Faber & Faber. Jun. 2011. 176p. ISBN 9780865478534. $23.
In his stories, Orozco paints portraits of ordinary guys— warehouse workers, office temps, and the like—who find comfort in everyday routines but crack in revealing ways when odd things happen. His stories having appeared in many anthologies, e.g., Best American Short Stories , this collection is highly anticipated by those in the know.
Patchett, Ann. State of Wonder. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780062049803. $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
Marina Singh, who’s given up her medical practice for the relative quiet of pharmaceutical research, finds her world upturned when she’s suddenly sent to the Amazon. A field team there, working on a new drug, has been unresponsive for two years, and Marina’s colleague Anders, who has gone to investigate, is reported dead. An adventurous story of science and responsibility from the ever-popular Patchett, who’s being rewarded with a one-day laydown on June 7, a 300,000-copy first printing, and a 12-city tour. Buy multiples.
Pollen, Bella. The Summer of the Bear. Atlantic Monthly. Jun. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780802119742. $24.
In 1980s Berlin, there’s evidence that the British Embassy was undermined by a mole, and when diplomat Nicky Fleming dies unexpectedly (was it murder? suicide?), it’s easy enough to point the finger at him. Trying to protect her three children, his widow resettles in the Outer Hebrides, where odd but brilliant young Jamie discovers a brown bear while exploring the island with his teenaged sisters. Jamie believes that the bear is somehow connected to his father, and what really happened back in Berlin begins to emerge. A fascinating plot, and now that British author Pollen has two novels in film development, one must wonder whether she is heading for a breakout. With suggestions of both political and psychological tension, this should appeal to a wide range of readers.
Pressfield, Steven. The Profession: A Thriller. Crown. Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780385528733. $25.
In his latest, Pressfield imagines a world in which private military forces have all the power, with world leaders vying for their services. When the commander of the largest force around decides to take control of the United States, his top commando opts to wipe out his commander. Pressfield dominates the military thriller genre, and his works are realistic enough that military colleges like West Point assign them. Buy wherever this genre is popular.
Robotham, Michael. The Wreckage. Mulholland: Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780316126403. $24.99.
Banks in Baghdad are getting bombed, an ex-cop in London is relieved of his briefcase, and a leading financier disappears. Of course, these events are all connected, and they come together in a debut thriller that’s said to tell us lots about Iraq—without actually dwelling on the war. The publicist declares that it’s amazing. Watch.
Sakey, Marcus. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes. Dutton. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780525952114. $25.95.
Sakey opens his new novel with a fairly standard gambit: a man awakens half-drowned on the beach, with no memory of who he is, then finds a car nearby with clothes that fit and auto registration for one Daniel Hayes. But Sakey’s a good writer; let’s find out what happens next. All thriller fans should investigate.
Slaughter, Karin. Fallen. Delacorte. Jun. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780345528209. $26; eISBN 9780345528223.
As in last year’s Broken , Slaughter brings together Will Trent and Sara Linton from her two popular series for another rousing case. They’re helping Special Agent Faith Mitchell, who went to pick up her baby at her mother’s but instead found her mother missing, the babe in the toolshed, and a bloody handprint on the door. The hugely popular Slaughter (20 million copies of her books are in print in 30 different territories) sees libraries as a matter of national security. Consider multiples; with a six-city tour.
Smith, April. White Shotgun: An FBI Special Agent Ana Grey Novel. Knopf. Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307270139. $24.95; eISBN 9780307270139. CD: Random Audio.
Never mind that she’s on leave, Special Agent Ana Grey is still dragged into an investigation by the FBI. It’s some case; Ana has a half-sister she never knew about, who lives in Siena and is married to suspect coffee mogul Nicosa. What’s more, when Ana arrives in Siena it’s time for the Palio, the famed horse race through the city’s very streets. Great for all thriller collections, especially where foreign intrigue appeals.
Sullivan, J. Courtney. Maine. Knopf. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780307595126. $24.95; eISBN 9780307596819. CD: Random Audio.
Three generations of Kelleher women head to the seaside cottage the family won in a bet 60 years ago, bringing with them hidden burdens that range from sibling rivalry to an unspoken pregnancy. Beach reading for folks who don’t typically indulge in beach reading; as evidenced by last year’s successful debut, Commencement , Sullivan edges beyond chick lit. With an impressive 11-city tour, plus a reading group guide.
Swierczynski, Duane. Fun & Games. Mulholland: Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9780316133289. pap. $14.99.
Understandably devastated by the revenge killing of his partner’s entire family, ex-cop Charlie Hardie hides himself away, essentially serving as a house sitter. The house comes with an actress of sorts, who seems unhinged by the idea that certain hit men can make death look accidental. Then Charlie discovers that those hit men really exist, and the actress is next on their list. The author of stuff like the X-Men spinoff Cable for Marvel Comics certainly has good thriller credentials.
Thayer, Nancy. Heat Wave. Ballantine. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780345518316. $25; eISBN 9780345518330. CD/Download: Random Audio.
Carley discovers that one of her best friends is having an affair with the husband of another best friend, Vanessa. Her own husband is withdrawn after financial reversals, and so at precisely the wrong moment she gives in to the embrace of a hunky carpenter she’s hired. That night, the police arrive to tell Carley that her husband died in a hotel—where he had gone with Vanessa. And then Vanessa comes begging for help. This latest from the popular Thayer should make good beach reading.
Vásquez, Juan Gabriel. The Secret History of Costaguana. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9781594488030. $26.95.
An award-winning Colombian author acknowledged worldwide, Vásquez broke onto the American scene last year with The Informers. Here, he takes as his starting point Joseph Conrad’s great novel Nostromo, prompted by a visit to Colombia that lasted only a few days. (That novel’s setting is the imagined country of Costaguana.) The conceit here is that Conrad got his ideas from Colombian author José Altamirano, who wants to set the record straight. Sophisticated readers will be discussing.
Watson, S.J. Before I Go To Sleep. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780062060556. $25.99. lrg. prnt.
Nearly strangled to death in her twenties, Christine awakens each morning with absolutely no memory of what happened then—or since. The stranger in her bed must explain that he is her husband, Ben. With the help of a doctor who determines to circumvent Ben, Christine starts a journal—though she must reread it each day, and the doctor must call to tell her where it is. The truth she uncovers is nothing like you’d expect. I’ve seen this debut, and, yes, it’s a gripping, one-sitting psychological thriller. The publishers in 34 countries that have bought the rights, plus Ridley Scott, who’s producing the film, can’t all be wrong.
Wilson, Daniel H. Robopocalypse. Doubleday. Jun. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780385533850. $25; eISBN 9780385533867. CD/download: Random Audio.
Ever thought that technology was out to get you? In Wilson’s thriller, it happens 20 years from now, when a powerful artificial intelligence called Archos rises up to kill its creator and then takes control of technology worldwide. In a matter of moments every piece of equipment turns against humanity—which ends up united for the first time ever. With Steven Spielberg set to direct the film version, to be distributed by Disney’s Touchstone in 2013, you bet this will be big. Buy multiples.
Wolff, Rebecca. The Beginners. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9781594487996. $25.95.
Lonely Ginger, who’s going through the no-one-understands-me adolescent blues, is delighted when Theo and Raquel Motherwell move to her secluded New England village and show an interest in her. Then she starts puzzling out their past, their intentions, and her town’s hidden history (remember the Salem witch trials?). An award-winning poet (e.g., the National Poetry Series for Manderley) and cofounder of both Fence magazine and Fence Books, Wolff has the wherewithal to deliver something remarkable here. I have my fingers crossed; this should be both smart and absorbing.
Young, Louisa. My Dear I Wanted To Tell You. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780061997143. $25.95.
As a boy, working-class Peter falls for classy and artistic Nadine. Years later, love bursts forth, but then so does World War I, and Peter enlists. His commanding officer ends up so emotionally damaged by battle that his wife hardly recognizes him; will the same thing happen to Peter? Coauthor of the best-selling “Lionboy” trilogy, Young here ventures to write her first adult novel. Interesting detail: she grew up in the house where Peter Pan was written. Maybe some magic rubbed off?
NONFICTION
Coulter, Ann. Untitled. Crown Forum. Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307353481. $28.99; eISBN 9780307885364. CD: Random Audio.
Post-election, Coulter weighs in with her views of politics in America today and is bound to stir controversy. All seven of her books have been New York Times best sellers and no doubt this one will be, too.
Edwards, Douglas. I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780547416991. $27; eISBN 9780547549033.
Google’s first director of marketing and brand management offers a you-are-there account of Google’s birth and boom. Lots of accounts out there, but this one has an insider’s advantage. Go for it.
ElBaradei, Mohamed. The Age of Deception: Nuclear Diplomacy in Treacherous Times. Metropolitan: Holt. Jun. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9780805093506. $27.
Director general of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency and with it winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, Egyptian lawyer ElBaradei here details his efforts to counter nuclear proliferation, all the while insisting that this is not an East-West, we-have-nuclear-weapons-and-you-don’t divide but a matter of using ongoing diplomacy to assure world peace. Important reading; numerous foreign rights sales.
Foreman, Amanda. A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War. Random. Jun. 2011. 992p. ISBN 9780375504945. $35; eISBN 9780679603979. CD: Random Audio.
Featured in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10—it was even my pick!—this book has been bumped from March to June 2011. The best-selling Foreman here considers Britain’s contribution to America’s Civil War. With a seven-city tour.
French, Patrick. India: A Portrait. Knopf. Jun. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780307272430. $30; eISBN 9780307596642.
French examines the rise of India in the 60 years since it won independence, beginning with Nehru’s vision of a liberated, secular society and progressing to the complex India of today, where entrepreneurship and technological know-how flourish beside unrelieved poverty and an ongoing caste system. I jumped at this title not only because of India’s primal significance—where India goes, so goes the 21st century—but because of French’s reputation, e.g., a National Book Critics Circle Award for The World Is What It Is and a biography of Nobel prize–winning author V.S. Naipaul.
Galarraga, Armando & JimJoyce with Daniel Paisner. Nobody’s Perfect: Two Men, One Call, and a Game for Baseball History. Atlantic Monthly. Jun. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9780802119889. $24.
The perfect game: no hits, no walks, no players reaching base. Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers pitched such a game on June 2, 2010—only the 21st in 130 years of baseball history. But umpire Joyce didn’t see it that way, blowing the call on the final out at first base. Later he acknowledged that he was wrong. Galarraga’s gracious response? “Nobody’s perfect.” Here the two men join to discuss their separate life stories and the fateful game that made history in an unexpected way. With an eight-city tour; will get attention.
Grant, Colin. The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh, and Wailer. Norton. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780393081176. $26.95.
Bob Marley, Peter (McIn)Tosh, and Bunny (Livingston) Wailer rose from the Kingston, Jamaica, slums to become the core of the Wailers, one of the most significant music groups of all time and springboard for the phenomenal Bob Marley & the Wailers. Jamaican-born Grant, who now works for the BBC, recounts the group’s history and argues that these musicians represent three different paths available to black men in the late 20th century: accommodate and succeed (Marley), fight and die (Tosh), or retreat and live (Wailer). Considering Marley’s enduring reputation, there will be interest, as long as the blend of music and sociological speculation rings true.
Hastings, Michael. The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan. Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780316176255. $27.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Hastings seems to be just the man to tell us what’s really happening in Afghanistan; his Rolling Stone article, “The Runaway General,” created a storm that led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Here he relies on exclusive reporting in Washington, DC, Europe, the Middle East, and, specifically, Afghanistan to clarify what is really happening in that country. I’m betting that this will generate lots of interest.
Hijuelos, Oscar. Thoughts Without Cigarettes. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2011. 384p. ISBN 9781592406296. $27.50.
Mambo King Hijuelos gamely chronicles his life in this memoir: growing up in a working-class Manhattan neighborhood; catching a dread disease while visiting pre-Castro Cuba and spending a year shut up in a hospital, hardly able to communicate; hunting for the sense of self he finally found through writing. What’s exciting here is how this account promises to illuminate his wonderful books. For all literati; the author’s first nonfiction.
Jean, Wyclef & Anthony Bozza. Purpose: An Immigrant’s Life. It: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780061966866. $25.99.
Haitian-born Jean, son of a pastor, grandson of a voodoo doctor, and recent candidate for president of Haiti, grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and then Newark, NJ, where rap proved to be his path to success. Here’s the story of his career, including his time with the multiplatinum and Grammy Award–winning hip-hop group the Fugees. Since Jean’s followers number 1.6 million on Twitter, 300,000-plus on Facebook, and 200,000 on Myspace, there’s clearly an audience for this book. With a 125,000-copy first printing.
Kissinger, Henry. On China. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May 2011. 512p. ISBN 9780142428368. $39.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Originally scheduled for November 2010 and featured in Prepub Exploded of June 3, this study of China past, present, and future—especially in terms of Kissinger himself—has been bumped to May 2011. An aggressive media campaign is promised.
Laurie, Piper. Learning To Live Out Loud. Crown Archetype. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780823026685. $24.99; eISBN 9780823026777.
Laurie has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and has been thrice nominated for an Oscar—and she’s not done yet. She’ll soon appear in the film Hesher and is directing a one-man play based on Zero Mostel’s life. And she’s written a memoir, which traces her life from shy child to tough-willed actress who rebelled against the studio system. Lots of cameos and fun for all.
Leonard, Sugar Ray with Michael Arkush. My Life In and Out of the Ring. Viking. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780670022724. $26.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
The 1976 Olympic gold medal winner here chronicles a life that hasn’t been all glow. Having risen from poverty, Leonard turned pro after his Olympic win and discovered just how corrupt boxing could be. He also discovered alcohol, drugs, and the joys of infidelity, and he’s forthright about the bad choices he made. Buy wherever sports are hot.
Lewis, Michael. Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World. Norton. Jun. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9780393081817. $26.95.
The cheap credit available from 2002 to 2008 radically transformed societies worldwide, with Icelanders tossing aside their fishing gear to become bankers, for instance. Then the crunch came, and many of these societies are stumbling about as part of the “new Third World.” As a greedy debtor nation, we’re not so far behind. Lewis’s books are always excellent and always best sellers, so this should be at the top of your list.
Reynolds, David S. Mightier Than the Sword: Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Battle for America. Norton. Jun. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780393081329. $27.95.
Distinguished Professor of English and American Studies at CUNY and author of numerous works on American history, Reynolds would seem to be exactly the right person to explain the cultural roots, immediate consequences, and lasting impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Likely a big one.
Sciolino, Elaine. La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life. Times Bks: Holt. Jun. 2011. 384p. ISBN 9780805091151. $26.
For the French, says Sciolino, seduction isn’t simply a matter of romantic intrigue; it’s a way of life that shapes business, politics, personal relationships, and more. As the longtime Paris bureau chief of the New York Times, Sciolino should know. Here she helps us understand the quality that really defines France. For the French-struck and escapists, this could be a diversion.
Seal, Mark. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor. Viking. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780670022748. $26.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
For over two decades, Clark Rockefeller was accepted in exclusive circles on both coasts on the strength of his famous name; he eventually married a dazzling Harvard MBA. But there is no real Clark Rockefeller. That was just the name adopted by a young man from Germany, eager to succeed in America. Seal was a 2010 National Magazine Award finalist for the Vanity Fair piece that served as the basis for this book, which should please anyone who enjoys a good comeuppance.
Shipman, Pat. The Animal Connection: A New Perspective on What Makes Us Human. Norton. Jun. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780393070545. $26.95. From an evolutionary viewpoint, our taking in animals might seem strange; they eat food we might otherwise eat ourselves. But as anthropologist Shipman explains, learning to coexist with and indeed care for other animals has given humans a distinct adaptive advantage. Shipman’s books all get high marks from LJ reviewers, and this one would seem to carry the discussion of the human-animal bond one step further.
Stoute, Steve. The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2011. 272p. ISBN 9781592404810. $26.
A former record producer, Stoute has become the master of reinventing or reinvigorating brands by bringing companies together with today’s top stars, e.g., Gwen Stefani with Hewlett-Packard. His argument: we aren’t a nation of niche consumers, old and young, black, white, Asian, and Hispanic; as consumers, we all share the same mindset. Hence the “tanning” of America. For the business and culture savvy.
Sullivan, Randall. Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson. Grove. Jun. 2011. 388p. ISBN 9780802119629. $26.95.
Originally scheduled for December 2010 and featured in Prepub Exploded (June 17), this study by Rolling Stone contributing editor Sullivan has been moved to June 2011, the two-year anniversary of Jackson’s death. With a six-city tour.
MY PICKS
Makkai, Rebecca. The Borrower. Viking. Jun. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780670022816. $25.95.
Children’s librarian Lucy Hall adores ten-year-old Ian Drake, her most faithful patron. Still, it’s a dilemma when she discovers Ian in the library after hours, all packed up and ready to go; he’s running away from his domineering mom and Pastor Bob, whose antigay classes he’s forced to take. Soon, Lucy finds herself on a picaresque journey with Ian, as they travel from Missouri to Vermont with a mysterious stranger on their tail. Excellent to have a librarian and a reading-obsessed boy as protagonists, and first novelist Makkai’s many stories have won praise. With foreign rights to six countries; definitely a good bet and a good book group pick.
Ozma, Alice. The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared. Grand Central. May 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780446583770. $24.99.
When Ozma was in fourth grade, her dad, school librarian Jim Brozina, agreed to read aloud to her for 100 consecutive nights. It was just the two of them, since Ozma’s older sister had left for college and her mom had left, period. They liked this bonding experience so much that they continued it until Ozma left for college, embracing everything from Shakespeare to all 14 of L. Frank Baum’s original Oz books—many of which feature the powerful Princess Ozma, clearly the author’s namesake; her full name is Kristen Alice Ozma Brozina. The Streak, as they call it, lasted 3,218 nights, with Ozma sometimes dropping home at 11:30 p.m. when she was out with friends. When Ozma wrote about the Streak for her graduate school application essay (she made the University of Pennsylvania), an enchanted official at her undergraduate school contacted the New York Times. The subsequent story led to an outpouring of media requests, but Ozma decided to hold off until publication of this book, in which she pitches the importance of the reading experience. Clearly fabulous for libraries everywhere.
