Fresh Lit Rosalind Reisner www areadersplace net roz thereisners

Fresh Lit! Rosalind Reisner www. areadersplace. net roz@thereisners. net Library. Link. NJ Webinar December 10, 2014

Books we’ll talk about today—literary fiction • • • Recent and forthcoming Well-reviewed & publicized First novels New novels by favorite authors Titles for reading groups

Trends… • Western settings, especially Montana and Wyoming • Returning soldiers; the trauma of war, both historical and contemporary • Gone Girl is the go-to readalike book; everyone wants to capture that market!

Trends… • Family secrets, kidnappings, and more family secrets, ghosts too! • Historical fiction continues to be huge • World War I time period • Fiction about well known writers and literary characters

Readers who like family and domestic drama (psychological insight good character development contemporary settings)

What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell August, 2014; Harper. Collins First novel Appeal: NJ setting, characters Themes: family secrets, coming of age, mental illness

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper January, 2014; S&S First novel Appeal: gentle read, lovable characters Themes: love, aging, searching

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng June, 2014; Penguin First novel Appeal: character, plot, writing Themes: immigrants, racial prejudice; parents and children

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar August, 2014; Harper. Collins Previous: The Space Between Us, The World We Found, First Darling of the Morning Appeal: characters, writing Themes: immigrants, marriage, mental illness

Issue-driven fiction (great for book clubs)

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay May, 2014; Grove/Atlantic First novel Appeal: plot, character, pacing Themes: women’s lives, psychological thrillers

Be Safe I Love You by Cara Hoffman April, 2014; S&S Previous: So Much Pretty Appeal: character, setting Themes: returning women soldiers, family dynamics, mental illness

Driving the King by Ravi Howard Jan. , 2015; Harper. Collins First novel Appeal: character; setting, plot Themes: race relations; South

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers Sept. , 2014; Atria Books Previous: The Comfort of Lies; The Murderer’s Daughter Appeal: character, plot Themes: marriage, anger management, parents and children

Edgy, suspenseful, noirish novels literary mysteries war stories

Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly Sept. , 2014; Grove Press Previous : Just What Kind of Mother Are You? Appeal: plot Themes: marriage, friendship, mental illness

Black River by S. M. Hulse Jan. , 2015; Houghton Mifflin First novel Appeal: character, plot, Western setting Themes: guilt, redemption, good and evil

Barracuda by Chris Tsiolkas Sept. , 2014; Crown Previous: The Slap Appeal: character, Australian setting Themes: coming of age, Australian setting, athletic competition, class differences

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister Jan. , 2015; Sourcebooks First novel Appeal: plot, setting, unreliable narrator Themes: magic, early 20 th century, women’s lives

Heavy Hitters in literary fiction ambitious in scope and style usually reviewed in the literary press

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom July, 2014; Random House Previous: Away, Love Invents Us, others Appeal: historical setting, plot, character, writing Themes: family relationships, sisters, love, social issues

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante Sept. , 2014; Europa Previous book: My Brilliant Friend, Story of a New Name, others Appeal: character, Naples setting, writing Themes: friendship, social issues, crime, marriage

The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee Oct. , 2014; W. W. Norton Previous: A Life Apart Appeal: Indian setting, character. plot Themes: family relationships, politics

The Dog by Joseph O’Neill Sept. , 2014; Doubleday Previous: Netherland Appeal: setting, writing, character Themes: existential dilemmas, loneliness, morality

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas August, 2014; S&s. S First novel Appeal: character, plot Themes: immigrants, marriage, Brooklyn, mental illness

HISTORICAL FICTION

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant Dec. , 2014; Scribner Previous: The Red Tent, others Appeal: character, plot, setting Themes: immigrant women, Jewish interest

Henna House by Nomi Eve Aug. , 2014; Scribner Previous: The Family Orchard Appeal: Middle Eastern setting, Jewish interest, coming of age Themes: marriage, family sagas

Neverhome by Laird Hunt Sept, 2014; Little, Brown Previous: Kind One, Ray of the Star, others Appeal: plot, character, setting Themes: Civil War, women disguised as men

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith Sept. , 2014; Knopf/Doubleday Previous: Ana Grey thriller series Appeal: character, plot, setting Themes: World War I, mothers and sons, class differences

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters Sept. , 2014; Penguin Previous book: The Little Stranger, others Appeal: plot, setting, pacing Themes: marriage, sexual relationships, 1920 s London

The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear July, 2014; Harper. Collins Previous book: Maisie Dobbs mysteries Appeal: character, setting Themes: World War I, love and marriage, soldiers

Historical Fiction Real Characters/Literary characters

Gutenberg’s Apprentice by Alix Christie September, 2014; Harper. Collins First novel Appeal: detailed historical setting, plot Themes: history of printing, life in the 1400 s

The Bridal Chair by Gloria Goldreich March, 2015; Sourcebooks Previous: Leah’s Journey, Leah’s Children, others Appeal: story, character, setting Themes: fathers and daughters, Holocaust, artists

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin July, 2014; St. Martin’s Press Previous: The American Heiress Appeal: story, character, 1920 s setting Themes: class differences, love and marriage

Euphoria by Lily King June, 2014; Atlantic Monthly Press Previous: The Pleasing Hour Appeal: setting, plot Themes: anthropology, cultural clashes, relationships

Juliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen Sept. , 2014; Atria/Emily Bestler Previous: The Secrets of Mary Bowser Appeal: setting, plot, Shakespearean interest

Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood May, 2014; Viking/Penguin First novel (published in US) Appeal: character, structure Themes: love and marriage, literary celebrities

Some hints for keeping up… • First line of defense: PW, LJ Prepub Alert, Early Word, The Book Reporter – www. earlyword. com • Reading Group Choices – www. readinggroupchoices. com – http: //www. nationalreadinggroupmonth. org/

Some hints for keeping up… • End of year “best” lists: New York Times, Amazon, Washington Post, Kirkus, LJ, PW… • Book Expo and AAP “Sneak Peek” – Review copies from publishers – Speed dating with publishers (BEA) • Edelweiss http: //edelweiss. abovethetreeline. com/

Some hints for keeping up… • Small/independent publishers to watch: Europa, Greywolf, Coffee House, Milkweed, Sourcebooks, Other, Akashic, Norton, Grove/Atlantic • Imprints from the big publishers: Algonquin, Twelve (Hachette), Riverhead, Hogarth, Ecco