As you may know, last week I was in Chicago attending Book Expo America. Rather inundating you with dozens of update posts, I thought I’d share the takeaways I found most valuable. The one that tops this, of course, is the annual Book Group Speed Dating session hosted by Reading Group Guides.
In this session, following the “speed dating” format, tables are visited by publicists sharing books they think would make great book club picks. It’s quite a session; given the hectic show floor we have more time to chat with publicists during this session than we do at any other time. I look forward to this session each year!
There were DOZENS of titles shared (I’ll come back and link to the PowerPoint once it’s available), but rather than share them all I’ll share the ones I’m most interested in. Note for the Fiction Book Club at One More Page Books: you will see some of these titles in the near future as book club picks!
Below, I’ve shared the title, the format (hardback or paperback) and the publication date! While many of these haven’t released yet, I’m hoping this post allows you to prepare your upcoming slate of book club reads! Since there were so many titles, there will be multiple posts!
Additionally, since each table was visited by a different slate of publicists, I do encourage you to visit other blog posts similar to this one! I didn’t get a chance to hear each publishing house’s picks, so I’m quite interested in hearing others’ perspectives as well!
Algonquin Books
Leave Me by Gayle Forman (Hardback, September 6):
We all know Forman from her tear-jerking young adult books. With this title, she makes her adult debut.
Maribeth Klein is an overwhelmed working mother. So focused on others that she doesn’t even realize she has a heart-attack. Even more overwhelmed by her recovery, she packs up a bag and leaves. It is only then that she is able to get a new, fresh perspective on her life, perhaps seeing that she, too, plays a role in the increasing demands upon her own life.
Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt (Hardback, October 4):
It’s 1969. Sixteen-year-old Lucy decides to run off with her high school English teacher to “live off the land.” When this dream turns into a nightmare, it is Lucy’s older sister and caregiver, Charlotte, who must find out what really happened.
The Good Negress by by A. J. Verdelle (Trade paperback, December 6):
Originally published in 1995, this title is set in the years leading up to the Detroit riots. Denise Palms, raised by her grandmother in rural Virginia, moves to Detroit to be reunited with her mother. There, she’s expected to cook, clean, go to school, and take care of her mother’s baby once it is born.
But one of Denise’s teachers opens her eyes to her full potential, forcing her to reevaluate her life to see other possibilities.
The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers (Hardcover, January 2017):
Major Gryffth Hockaday is called off to fight in the Civil War, leaving behind his new bride and newborn son. His wife, Placidia, is merely a teen herself, unfamiliar with how to run, much less raise a child, alone. By the time the Major returns two years later, Placidia is in prision, accused of giving birth to a child in his absence, and murdering it.
Told through court inquests, and journal entries.
Liveright
The Red Car by Marcy Dermansky (Hardcover, October 11):
I was first introduced to Dermansky with previous title, Bad Marie. In this latest novel, the main character Leah is gifted a flashy red sports car after her former boss and mentor dies. She must leave her life in the Bronx to travel to San Francisco to claim the car. There, she spends several days revisiting her previous life, reflecting upon the chances and opportunities she’s missing in her current life.
Mira Books
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick (Small hardback, May 3):
Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper is a recent widower. It’s been a year since his wife passed away. It is on this anniversary of her passing that Arthur discovers a gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. He decides to embark upon a journey, using the charms as his guide, to help him find the truth about his wife’s secret life, before they met. The journey is one full of hope and healing, found in the most unexpected of places.
St. Martin’s Press
I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with the Serial podcast. This title promises to “reexamine the investigation that led to Adnan’s arrest, cover new evidence and possibilities that have since come to light, and review the court successes that have breathed new life to Adnan’s case. Woven with personal reflections from Adnan himself, including new never-before-seen letters he penned from prison, this in-depth book offers new insight into the story that captivated millions.” Yes, please!
St. Martin’s GriffinWARP by Lev Grossman (Trade Paperback, September 20):This title is actually Lev Grossman’s debut novel, reissued with the recluctant, yet ultimately willing, Lev Grossman. A post-college, coming of age story. Though I wasn’t really a fan of The Magicians, I’m interested in giving this debut a chance 🙂
A Boy Made of Blocks: A Novel by Keith Stuart (Hardcover, September 6):Alex’s relationship (or lack thereof) with his eight-year-old autistic son, Sam, has pushed his marriage to the breaking point. He’s unable to connect with Sam, so he moves out in an attempt to re-evaluate his life. When he discovers that Sam plays Minecraft, the game gives Alex and Sam a means to bond. Though this is a novel, it is based on the author’s own relationship with his autistic son.
Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation by Anne Sebba (Hardcover, October 18th):Paris, 1940s. In history classes, we’ve read about the German occupation…but mostly through the eyes of men. This unique biography details how women were forced to make life or death decisions on a daily basis, struggling to provide for their families, forced to interact with the enemy on a daily basis.
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