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Author Kamala Harris

Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris is an author too: The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (Penguin) and Superheroes Are Everywhere illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe (Philomel Books: Penguin). There are also several children's books about her, including Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers: S. & S.) and Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris, illustrated by Ana Ramírez González (Balzer + Bray: Harper). Since the announcement, the books have seen an increase in sales or, in many cases, selling out.

Reviews

The Washington Post reviews Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron: Macmillan; LJ starred review): “The beauty and the heartbreak of this novel is that it’s not preposterous. It feels true and affecting, elegiac and imminent.”

NPR reviews She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality by Katie Hill (Grand Central: Hachette): “Hill's aim is to encourage more women to run for office, and the book does a fair job of laying out some of the barriers and obligations this involves. There is also a satisfyingly concrete list of legislative measures to address problems stemming from sexism, along with their status in Congress.” Also, Blood on the River: A Chronicle of Mutiny and Freedom on the Wild Coast by Marjoleine Kars (New Press): “comes alive with period illustrations, as well as meticulous attention to primary sources … Kars' telling is impressive.”

The L.A. Times reviews The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (Riverhead: Penguin; LJ starred review): “the novel’s greatest strength lies in creating a community of fully realized people, each touched in some profound way by Vivek’s existence.”

The NYT reviews The Erratics: A Memoir by Vicki Laveau-Harvie (Knopf): “how intriguing is its approach. Laveau-Harvie’s gaze repeatedly curves away from personality to place.” Also, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife by Ariel Sabar (Doubleday: Random House): “exhausting, madcap, unforgettable.” City at the Edge of Forever: Los Angeles Reimagined by Peter Lunenfeld (Viking: Penguin): “What’s missing is a shaping idea, some fresh thesis with which to think about the city.” Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America by Michael Hiltzik (HMH): “Hiltzik belongs to a long line of journalists, critics and historians who have viewed the financial and corporate leaders of the 19th and early 20th centuries, no matter their faults, as makers of history and shapers of the nation.” Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History by Kurt Andersen (Random House): “essential, absorbing, infuriating, full-of-facts-you-didn’t-know, saxophonely written.” Chasing Chopin: A Musical Journey Across Three Centuries, Four Countries, and a Half-Dozen Revolutions by Annik LaFarge (S. & S.): “charming and loving.” Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie, Carolyn Durand (Dey Street Books: Harper): “While the book offers no new bombshells, it does add small details to stories everyone thinks they already know.” Zo by Xander Miller (Knopf): “interest and momentum emerge from the specificity of place Miller establishes around us: the daily rhythms of Haiti, the stark demands of a life lived amid capricious, grinding poverty, and the marvelous, salty exchanges that occur alongside it all.”

Briefly Noted

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine: Random House) will publish on May 4, 2021. Tor.com has some details.

Sharon Stone has a memoir on the way. The Beauty of Living Twice will publish from Knopf on March 30. USA Today has coverage.

How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back by Jeff Tweedy (Dutton: Penguin) gets a sales bump.

The ballot is out for the 2020 Dragon Awards. Locus has an easy to read list of the nominees.

The Millions names its top ten picks for July.

Lit Hub suggests “15 new books to get excited about today.”

Mental Floss names “14 Black Authors You Should Read Right Now.”

Electric Lit suggests “7 Novels About Studying Abroad.”

Vanity Fair looks at Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie, Carolyn Durand (Dey Street: Hachette), writing “Opens Up Old Wounds Between Harry, Meghan, and the Royal Family. Is It Worth It?” and has a look at royal tell-all books over time. The Hollywood Reporter has a look at the authors.

Town & Country posts “The Fall Entertainment Cheat Sheet” spotlighting books and films.

New York Comic Con is now going virtual, It runs from Oct. 8 through Oct. 11.

People has a story about Madeleine Westerhout, Off the Record: My Dream Job at the White House, How I Lost It, and What I Learned (Center Street: Hachette). Fox has coverage of Westerhout too.

People also has a piece on I Promise by LeBron James, illustrated by Nina Mata (Harper).

Jezebel showcases BTS: Blood, Sweat & Tears by Tamar Herman (VIZ Media: S. & S.).

Bustle focuses on Katie Hill, She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality (Grand Central: Hachette).

The Guardian showcases Daniel Kraus, The Living Dead by George A. Romero, Daniel Kraus (Tor.com: Macmillan; LJ starred review).

Tor.com considers Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby in a piece entitled “Patriarchy Without Feminism Is Hell.”

Entertainment Weekly features Meg Cabot, No Offense (William Morrow: Harper).

Entertainment Weekly excerpts The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists by John Densmore (Hachette).

Vulture excerpts Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! by Claire McNear (Twelve: Hachette).

Tor.com excerpts Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston (Tor.com: Macmillan).

The Atlantic interviews Ariel Sabar, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife (Doubleday: Random House).

Bitch Media interviews Alisson Wood, Being Lolita: A Memoir (Flatiron Books: Macmillan).

CBC interviews Gil Adamson, Ridgerunner (House of Anansi Press).

Electric Lit interviews Morgan Jerkins, Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots (Harper).

Salon interviews Baynard Woods, Brandon Soderberg, I Got a Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad (St. Martin’s Press: Macmillan; LJ starred review).

CrimeReads interviews James Lee Burke, A Private Cathedral: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by (S. & S.).

Head of Zeus has a new imprint, Ad Astra. The press release states it will publish “the best high-concept SFF our world can offer” and that Cixin Liu will its “talisman.” Here is the full announcement.

Authors on Air

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is headed to Hulu. Deadline reports.

Hulu announces that Books of Blood movie will debut on Oct. 7. It is an adaptation of the work of Clive Barker.

Bustle suggests “20 Books Like Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries.”

NPR’s Fresh Air interviews Stuart Stevens, It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump (Knopf).

NPR’s “All Things Considered” looks at Studs Terkel and Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression (The New Press).

The Today show highlights New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads; With Recipes for Birote, Bagels, Pan de Coco, Beignets, and More by Bryan Ford (Quarry Books: Quarto) and Love Without Borders : How Bold Faith Opens the Door to Embracing the Unexpected by Angela Braniff (HarperOne).

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