This week I've had the overwhelming and exilarating opportunity to be at BookExpo America in New York. This is my first time at the show and let me just say woooo hooo!!! This thing is like book lover's paradise. The only downside is there is so much great stuff going on at the same time and I have yet to figure out how to be 2 (or 3) places at once!
One of the great sessions I attended was the Editors Buzz. This is where editors from various publishers get to tell you about the big books they have coming this year. Some of these books look amazing, so I thought I'd share them here so you can keep an eye out!
ROOM by Emma Donoghue
Hardcover Release Date: 9/13/2010
Compared to THE LOVELY BONES, room is a harrowing tale told in an unexpected way. From the author's website: Jack and Ma live in a locked room that measures eleven foot by eleven. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world outside. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, ROOM is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of resilience and the love between parent and child.
THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE by Benjamin Hale
Hardcover Release Date: 2/2/2011
When presenting this book at the conference, the editor compared the author to Mickey Mantle before he was known. In other words, this is one to watch. Here's a little about the book: Bruno Littlemore is quite unlike any chimpanzee in the world. Precocious, self-conscious and preternaturally gifted, young Bruno, born and raised in a habitat at the local zoo, falls under the care of a university primatologist named Lydia Littlemore. Learning of Bruno's ability to speak, Lydia takes Bruno into her home to oversee his education and nurture his passion for painting. But for all of his gifts, the chimpanzee has a rough time caging his more primal urges. His untimely outbursts ultimately cost Lydia her job, and send the unlikely pair on the road in what proves to be one of the most unforgettable journeys -- and most affecting love stories -- in recent literature.
JULIET by Anne Fortier
Hardcover Release Date: 8/24/2010
In a bold move, the editor presenting JULIET compared it to THE DA VINCI CODE but said it was better written. (A sort of general "yikes" from the audience ensued!). That said JULIET does look like a great read: Juliet, an ambitious, utterly engaging historical novel on the scale of The Thirteenth Tale and The Birth of Venus, follows a young woman who discovers that her family’s origins reach all the way back to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.
I've got many more titles to tell you about, so stay tuned. And don't worry plenty of amazing paperback releases on the horizon as well!
-- Dana Barrett, Contributing Editor (currently in book heaven)
