Barnes & Noble released a list of eight nominees for their best book of 2020, selected by booksellers across the country, from which they’ll choose one title. Among the picks are both Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, and Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind, both featured and previewed ahead of publication in our Buzz Books collections this year. The rest of the list: Accidentally Wes Anderson, by Wally Koval Pieometry, by Lauren Ko Stamped, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Untamed, by Glennon Doyle Wintering, by Katherine May World of Wonders, by Aimee Nezhukumatathill Last year, somehow booksellers at […]
Awards
People, Etc.
Becky Kraemer will join Tin House as publicity director starting December 1. She most recently led her own book publicity firm, Cursive Communications & Marketing. Elizabeth Breeden has been promoted to associate director of marketing at Simon & Schuster. Obituaries Sharon Propson, 44, a publicist for Random House for more than 20 years, died on November 7 of cancer. Random House Publishing Group president and publisher Gina Centrello writes, “Sharon was a consummate collaborator. She shared some of her most special gifts with her colleagues — her passion, generous heart, boisterous laugh, her patience, and unwavering attention as she mentored […]
People, Etc.
Jenny Chen will join Ballantine Bantam Dell as a senior editor on November 16, reporting to Jennifer Hershey. She was at Crooked Lane Books.. At Hachette Nashville, Sean McGowan has joined as editor, acquiring for Center Street, Faith Words, and Worthy. India Hunter has joined as associate editor, acquiring for Faith Words and Worthy. At Brower Literary & Management, Aimee Ashcraft has been promoted to literary agent and Anna Atoria to associate subrights agent. Zoila Peña has been promoted to assistant manager of customer service for all Workman Publishing imprints. Imprints goop Press will try again, this time through Rodale Books. The magazine […]
Kirkus Prize Winners Announced
The winners of the 2020 Kirkus Prize were announced Thursday night at a virtual ceremony hosted from the Austin Central Library. Raven Leilani‘s Luster (FSG) won for fiction. (The book was featured in our Buzz Books 2020 Spring/Summer sampler.) Mychal Denzel Smith‘s Stakes Is High: Life After the American Dream (Bold Type Books) took nonfiction. The award for Young Readers’ Literature went to I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (Nancy Paulsen Books).
December’s Indie Next
The ABA announced its Indie Next list for December 2020. The list includes Denise Williams’s How to Fail at Flirting, which was excerpted in our 2020 Buzz Books Romance sampler, available for free download. The full Indie Next list: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection by Steve Martin, Harry Bliss (Illus.) The Burning God (The Poppy War #3), by R.F. Kuang Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany: A Novel, by Lori Nelson Spielman Big Girl, Small Town: A […]
November Picks
Reese Witherspoon‘s Book Club pick for November is Christie Tate‘s Group. Jenna Bush Hager‘s Read with Jenna selection is Susie Yang‘s White Ivy. The Costco Pennie’s Pick is Fannie Flagg‘s The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop. The PBS-NYT Now Read This pick is Elizabeth Acevedo‘s The Poet X. The Indie Next No. 1 pick for December will be Katherine May‘s Wintering. The Amazon Spotlight Pick for November is Bryan Washington‘s Memorial, excerpted and available now in our Buzz Books 2020 Fall/Winter sampler, and their Featured Debut aligns with Jenna, Susie Yang‘s White Ivy. The rest of the list features: The […]