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11
The Book Lady Blurbs: MARGARET MITCHELL’S GONE WITH THE WIND
2010 at 5am Posted by Rebecca Schinsky
That’s right, folks. This isn’t just buzz, it’s an official blurb. Official as in they asked me what I thought and then decided to print it ON THE BOOK JACKET. Please join me in a *happy dance of bookish joy* to celebrate the fact that publishers are beginning to recognize bloggers as authoritative and influential voices in the literary community.
Still dancing? Well don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here mixing up mint juleps and figuring out how to turn my curtains into GWTW-appropriate bloomers so that pantyworthy can be historically accurate.
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood is due out February 2011 from Taylor Trade Publishing, and I am beyond excited about it 1) because it is awesome and 2) because the authors are from Richmond and I just *know* this Southern city of ours is going to throw them an amazing party. Also? They’re really kind, wonderful people, and I am simply thrilled (or should I say tickled pink?) for the success I know they’ll have with this book.
Here’s how the publisher describes it:
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood presents the first comprehensive overview of how this iconic novel became an international phenomenon that has managed to sustain the public’s interest for 75 years. Various Mitchell biographies and several compilations of her letters tell part of the story, but, until now, no single source has revealed the full saga. This entertaining account of a literary and pop culture phenomenon tells how Mitchell’s book was developed, marketed, distributed, and otherwise groomed for success in the 1930s and the savvy measures taken since then by the author, her publisher, and her estate to ensure its longevity.
And now, le blurb!
In a narrative as engaging and well-paced as that of Gone with the Wind itself, Brown and Wiley chronicle the journey of the story that captured the world’s imagination and the woman whose tireless efforts changed the way books are made, sold, and read. This is a celebration of the unique power great books have to shelter, heal, and unite us and it is a must-read for anyone who has wondered what life is like for the artists whose work changes our lives.
Just in case that doesn’t sell you, let me tell you that I was so pulled into this book that I was genuinely astonished to read that Margaret Mitchell died. Like, gasping-in-surprise astonished. Seriously. Mark those calendars and TBR lists. You’re going to want to read this (and no, you don’t have to be a GWTW fan to appreciate the vast majority of it).
And now, back to those mint juleps!
(Thanks to Dawn for the brilliant make-your-curtains-into-bloomers idea.)
The Book Lady’s Buzz: THE UNCOUPLING by Meg Wolitzer
2010 at 5am Posted by Rebecca Schinsky
Set for publication April 5, 2011 by Riverhead Books
Brush off those volumes of ancient Greek drama, folks. Meg Wolitzer is breathing new life into Lysistrata, and it is fan-freaking-tastic.
In case it’s been a while since you snuggled up with good ol’ Aristophanes, the quick and dirty is thus: the men of Greece have been at it for years, but there’s still no end in sight for the Peloponnesian War. Enter Lysistrata, who knows that the way to a man’s heart isn’t so much through his stomach as in his pants. So she gathers the ladies, and they go on strike. A sex strike, that is. And they’re not getting back between the sheets until the men negotiate peace.
The Uncoupling isn’t so much a rewriting as a new story inspired by Lysistrata. Stellar Plains, New Jersey is rocked when the new drama teacher at the local high school selects the ancient work for the school’s big production. One by one, the woman of the town—sex-crazed teenagers and middle-aged wives alike—turn away from the men in their lives and lose all interest in sex. And they have no idea why.
Wolitzer’s take on sex and relationships is sharp, witty, and thoroughly engrossing in that perfect one-sitting read kind of way. And since it doesn’t come out for another 5 1/2 months, that’s all I’m going to say. Save the date for The Uncoupling on April 5, 2011, or order it from an independent bookstore now.
Five More Books I Can’t Wait to Read
2010 at 5am Posted by Rebecca Schinsky
Or, I went to Daytona, and all I got were these damn books!
I’m sure I’m not the first person to say it, but the great irony of attending book industry conferences is that you spend several days surrounded by books and the people who love them, and you get absolutely no reading done. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. You come home behind on work and reading but reinvigorated about books and loaded with titles you can’t wait to explore. I love nothing more than having people who know their stuff handsell me great books. Here are just a few of the ones that came home from SIBA with me.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
In all honesty, I have no idea what this book is about. What I can tell you is that at least five different people put it in my hand this weekend and told me I absolutely have to read it. And that’s more than enough for me.
The publisher’s description calls this “an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi,” and Richard Russo, whose taste I trust implicitly, said:
Long after the other 75 novels of suspense you’ve read this year merge in your memory, you’ll vividly recall this novel. Franklin has written not just a thriller of the first order, but a very fine novel, indeed.
Read Ron Charles’s review at The Washington Post
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin will be published October 5, 2010 by William Morrow.
High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris
Hearing Jessica Harris discuss this book was one of the highlights of my week at SIBA. The experience was something akin to going to church. Harris is an academic who has spent much of her career studying the African diaspora, and this book is her exploration of the ways in which the food and cultural practices of Africa have become the food and cultural practices of the American south. In her short talk at SIBA, Harris discussed the propriety and manners we associate with white Southern culture and pointed out that those practices were often put in place by the African Americans who worked in the homes of white southerners. High on the Hog sounds fascinating, and I absolutely can’t wait to dig into it and try some of the tradition recipes Harris includes in her history.
High on the Hog by Jessica B. Harris will be published January 2011 by Bloomsbury USA.
Read more
The Book Lady’s Buzz, Post-NAIBA Edition [Four Books I Can't Wait to Read]
2010 at 5am Posted by Rebecca Schinsky
I spent the first part of this week in Atlantic City for the annual conference of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), where I gave a presentation with Ron Hogan about how bookstores can partner with bloggers to increase their online presence and leverage multiple networks to cross-promote store events. When I wasn’t busy giggling about how easy it was to pick out the book people amidst the casino people, I learned a lot, and I came home with some great books, hand-picked by publishing reps during the Pick of the Lists presentation.
Here are a few I’m really excited about.
Proust’s Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini
Okay, so this book is already out (good news for you!), but I couldn’t resist adding it to the list. Lorenza Foschini presents the story of Jacques Guérin, a prominent French businessman obsessed with all things Proust. Upon finding out that Proust’s family, who are deeply ashamed of, well, all of the things that him Proust, are destroying and giving away all of his belongings, Guérin charms his way into their lives and begins building the collection he’s always dreamed of. At a slim 130 pages, Proust’s Overcoat looks to be a one-sitting read, and I’m looking forward to spending a quiet afternoon with it soon.
Proust’s Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini was published August 3, 2010 by Ecco Publishing. Read more
