The Kirkus Prize announced finalists in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature, with the winners to be announced on October 24: Fiction Cantoras, by Carolina De Robertis (Knopf) The Other Americans, by Laila Lalami (Pantheon) Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli (Knopf) Territory of Light, by Yuko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt (FSG) On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press) The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday) Nonfiction Go Ahead in the Rain, by Hanif Abdurraqib (Univ. of Texas) When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back, by Naja Marie Aidt, translated by Denise Newman (Coffee House) How We Fight for Our Lives, by Saeed Jones (Simon & […]
Awards
Bryson’s The Body Tops October Library Reads
Bill Bryson’s The Body is the top pick for October’s Library Reads. Also on the list are Stephen Chbosky’s Imaginary Friend and Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here, both excerpted and available for download in our Buzz Books 2019 Fall/Winter sampler. The Art of Theft, by Sherry Thomas The Butterfly Girl, by Rene Denfeld Cilka’s Journey, by Heather Morris The Library of the Unwritten, by A. J. Hackwith Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo Ordinary Girls, by Jaquira Diaz Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, by Kate Racculia
NBA Longlists Begin With Young People’s Literature
The National Book Foundation kicked off its week of longlist announcements with the nominees for the award for Young People’s Literature. The list includes previous winner Cynthia Kadohata (2013), as well as finalists Jason Reynolds (2016), Laura Ruby (2015), and Laurie Halse Anderson (2008, 1999). Finalists will be announced on October 8. The complete list: The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander (Versify) SHOUT, by Laurie Halse Anderson (Viking Children’s) Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi, Pet (Make Me a World) A Place to Belong, by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) Patron Saints of Nothing, by […]
People, Etc.
Dylan Julian has joined Workman as associate production editor. Previously, he was managing editorial assistant at Penguin Random House. Samantha Wekstein will join Thompson Literary Agency as agent for children’s books, young adult, and adult commercial fiction on October 7. She is currently an agent at Writers House. At Orion, Vicky Eribo will join Seven Dials as publishing director and Jamie Coleman will join Trapeze as publishing director, starting October 14. Eribo is currently editorial director for Harper Non-Fiction, while Coleman, is editorial director at PRH UK. Tabitha Pelly will join Transworld in the new role of senior publicity manger at […]
People, Etc.
Edmund White will receive the National Book Foundation’s 2019 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Filmmaker John Waters will present the award at the National Book Awards ceremony on November 20.White’s best known work include A Boy’s Own Story and The Beautiful Room. NBF executive director Lisa Lucas said in a statement. “It’s only when you’re able to look back at a body of work that one is able to see a career like Edmund White’s for what it is: revolutionary and vital, making legible for scores of readers the people, moments and history that would come to define […]
Remember August: How Did They Pick?
Continuing our popular new feature, here is our regular look at how previous month’s high-profile retailer and book club picks fared in the marketplace. (The standing reminder: These statistics are only a partial view, of print sales only. Some of these books were highly anticipated — and well pre-ordered — long before any of these selections were announced. And we know from experience and previous analyses that Reese Witherspoon’s picks will overweight significantly for increased digital audio sales rather than print sales, thanks to her close commercial partnership with Audible.) But over time we expect to see some interesting patterns […]