As library staff, we all love to read, are excitedly curious about new things, and are naturally inclined to share with others what we learn. And of course, we always aim to have our fingers on the pulse of what is popular and “the next big thing.” Starting today, join us every Wednesday at 11 a.m. this summer for The Buzz, a weekly, informal chat that promises to be lots of fun! PPL staff members will talk about books, films, technology, apps, articles, and music that we think you should have on your radar, and you will come away with tons of ideas to keep you entertained and in-the-know.
To give you a taste of what The Buzz is about, last week I had the fortune of attending the annual Book Expo America conference in New York City. Think of it as a “fashion week” for the book publishing industry, where publishers, librarians, booksellers, and authors all gather to discuss the trends of the upcoming season, as well as reveal the titles that everyone will be buzzing about for fall 2012 and winter 2013. After walking the convention floor for 3 days, I must say, there are an abundance of must-read books coming out in the fall and I can’t wait. Here are a few favorites from my own must-read list:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
(publishing July 24, by Random House)
Retired Englishman Harold Fry receives a letter that a friend 500 miles away is dying from cancer. He immediately writes a response and goes to mail it, but at the mailbox, he thinks that if he does something extraordinary for his friend, she will do something extraordinary to try and live. And so he decides to walk 500 miles to see his dying friend. Meanwhile, his wife is angry that her husband leaves suddenly, but then becomes nostalgic for the past when the two were completely in love, with the world at their fingertips. A love story, in reverse.
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
(publishing September 11, by Little, Brown and Company)
Being touted as the novel of the Iraq war, this is the story of two young soldiers who must find a way to survive the horror of a war for which they are not physically and mentally prepared to fight. The author is an Iraq war veteran who joined the military at age 17 and served two missions. Upon ending his service, he went on to receive an MFA in Poetry as a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
(publishes November 13, by Free Press)
A true story of the woman who had it all – a job at the New York Post, a new boyfriend, a great Manhattan apartment – who, within two weeks, deteriorates into complete psychosis, facing a lifetime in an institution without control of her bodily functions. With medical professionals at a complete loss, a new doctor steps in and takes a chance to try and save her life. The most shocking part – doctors believe Cahalan’s illness resulted from inhaling a sneeze on the subway. Read the article that sparked this compelling memoir here.
So join us for The Buzz, and share what you’ve been reading, watching, and listening to this summer. This series is part of our Adult Summer Reading Club, which launches today. As part of our prizes, we will be giving away tote bags filled with advanced reader and signed copies of books publishing in the fall. You actually have a chance to get your hands on the most buzzed-about books before anyone else!
We’ll meet behind the Welcome Desk. Coffee is on us. I hope to see you there!
(Photo courtesy of Flickr user Sean MacEntee)