As we anticipated last week in our mini round-up, Amazon has now issued their list of the 20 best books of 2018 so far, along with a package of selections across 12 categories. Eight of our nine guesses appear on the Amazon — they dropped the Sedaris — but their list only adds two other titles that had multiple votes from the other “so far” lists (by Denis Johnson and Francisco Cantu). Usually less than half of Amazon’s top 20 So Far make it to the top of their end-of-year Best Books list. Last 12 titles from the first half made the […]
Awards
People, Etc.: Cheiffetz Starts Atria Imprint, MIT Clears Diaz to Teach
Julia Cheiffetz joins the Atria Publishing Group today as vice president and publisher of a yet-to-be-named imprint, effective today. She reports to new group publisher Libby McGuire, The imprint “will draw on [her] unique strengths as an editor and her passion for publishing books that address issues of social import.” She has been executive editor at Dey Street Books. Christine Mykityshyn is joining Celadon Books as director of publicity. Most recently she was publicity manager at Random House Publishing Group. Sara Beth Haring has joined St. Martin’s as marketing manager. Previously, she worked at Faith Words and Center Street. Tom Hallock, associate […]
Novik’s Spinning Silver Tops July’s Library Reads
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is the top pick for July’s Library Reads list. Also on the list is Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth, excerpted in our Buzz Books 2018 Spring/Summer sampler and available for download now. The rest of the picks: Clock Dance, by Anne Tyler Dear Mrs. Bird, by AJ Pearce Give Me Your Hand, by Megan Abbott Believe Me, by JP Delaney Caught in Time, by Julie McElwain Somebody’s Daughter, by David Bell The Romanov Empress, by C. W. Gortner Fruit of the Drunken Tree, by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Briefs
Laura Brown has joined Park Row Books as editor, moving over from the Harper imprint. Opening Sales THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING by Bill Clinton and James Patterson sold approximately 152,000 hardcovers in the first week on sale, as tracked by Bookscan through the outlets they monitor. The co-publishers trumpet it as the best first week sale for a work of adult hardcover fiction since two years ago. Hachette Book Group ceo Michael Pietsch says in the release, “By any measure, this was a terrific opening week of sales, one that exceeded even our own optimistic projections.” Knopf Doubleday chairman Sonny […]
People, Etc.
Dan Vidra has joined HarperCollins as associate director on the international sales team, managing US division sales in the open market. He replaces Alison Smith, who took over closed market sales. Vidra had a long career in international book sales, and worked for txtr and its various successor companies for the past six years. Julia Kardon has joined Hannigan Salky Getzler Agency as an agent, where she will focus on literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. She was previously an agent at Mary Evans. William LoTurco has launched LoTurco Literary, a literary agency focused on nonfiction. He was previously an agent at Aevitas Creative […]
People, Etc.
At JKS Communications, Sara Wigal has been promoted to senior manager; Angelle Barbazon move ups to lead publicist; and Max Lopez become new author ambassador. Hannah Robertson joins as junior publicist. Leila Siddiqui has been promoted to assistant marketing manager at Dutton. As part of the Queen’s annual birthday honors, knighthoods were given to Nobel winner Kazuo Ishiguro and historian Simon Schama, while Mary Beard was awarded a damehood “for services to the study of classical civilisations.” Anne Tyler’s new novel Clock Dance has been chosen as Barnes & Noble’s second selection for its Book Club.