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Awards

The 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners are announced, with Tom Lin becoming the youngest Carnegie Medal Winner for Excellence in Fiction for The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu (Little, Brown). Hanif Abdurraqib wins the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction for A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (Random House). 

The 2022 RUSA Book & Media Awards were announced Sunday, including the 2022 Notable Books List,  2022 Reading List,  The Listen List, The Sophie Brody Medal, Essential Cookbooks: The CODES List, and the Outstanding References Sources List. Watch the announcement here.  

The Jew­ish Book Coun­cil announces the win­ners of the 2021 Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards.

Sheikh Zayed Book Award Names Four 2022 Category Longlists. Publishing Perspectives has details. 

Big Books of the Week

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis (Dutton; LJ starred review) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

Savage Road by Christine Feehan (Berkley)

Violeta by Isabel Allende (Ballantine)

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner (Gallery)

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row)

These books and others publishing the week of January 24th, 2022 are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Six LibraryReads selections and seven Indie Next picks publish this week:

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis (Dutton; LJ starred review)

"In 1966 model Veronica and art curator Joshua discover a mystery involving a missing diamond from the Frick Museum, which is connected to Lilian, the private secretary of Helen Frick in the Gilded Age. Read if you love gorgeously written historical fiction set in New York! For fans of Park Avenue Summer or The Swans of Fifth Avenue."—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier Public Library, Warrenton, VA

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict (Sourcebooks Landmark)

"This story takes us to the lab and shows us the internal and external struggles of Rosalind Franklin, trailblazer and a meaningful contributor to DNA research. She must deal with the objections of her family and the jealous and mean-spirited fellow scientists. For fans of The Rose Code."—Laura Downes, EC Scranton Library, Madison, CT

The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz (Ballantine)

"In an expertly crafted mystery, sly in tone, and strongly character- driven with complex personalities, Luna sets out to discover who murdered the wife of Owen, her best friend from college. Unexpected twists, red herrings, and secrets unite in a completely satisfying read. For fans of Megan Miranda, Wendy Walker, and Lexie Elliott"—Kelly Moore, Carrollton Public Library, Carrollton, TX

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (Berkley)

“In this bookish romance, two estranged co-authors are pressured into fulfilling the last book on their contract after their relationship goes haywire. It's always fun to read about the writing/publishing process, and there’s great chemistry between the leads. For fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry.”— Rebecca Swanson, Fitchburg Public Library, Fitchburg, WI

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row)

“A violent, suspenseful page turner with a compelling plot: A young girl narrowly escapes harm when her parents are shot dead in their home and her brother and best friend (who was sleeping over) disappear. The story then toggles to follow a true-crime writer investigating the town years later. For fans of Dark Places and When You See Me.”—Heidi Sandiford, Hillsdale Free Public Library, Hillsdale, NJ

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk (Poisoned Pen Press)

“When the director of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections suffers a stroke, Liesl is put in charge. Then a newly acquired manuscript goes missing, and Liesl’s leadership is questioned. A fast read that features older and imperfect characters, and addresses mental illness. For fans of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore and The Lions of Fifth Avenue.”—Alison Zaya, Lowell Library, Lowell, MA

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Missing manuscripts, disappearing librarians, and university politics — Leisl Weiss is tasked with dealing with it all. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections hits the mark. No book lover could ask for more!”—Jann Griffiths, BookSmart, Morgan Hill, CA

An additional six Indie Next picks publish this week:

Perpetual West by Mesha Maren (Algonquin)

“As much social critique as thriller, Perpetual West is rich and memorable. You'll care for and challenge Elana as you fret over where her husband, Alex, has gone. All along the way, Maren's writing sings.”—Laura Lilly Cotten, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL

Violeta by Isabel Allende, trans. by Frances Riddle (Ballantine)

“Spanning 100 years, Isabel Allende recounts Violeta’s life in letters to her grandson. The author develops each character in Violeta’s life — children, lovers, and neighbors. This book flows easily and is hard to put down. Loved it!”—Kathy Clemmons, Sundog Books, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Devil House by John Darnielle (MCD)

“John Darnielle interrogates the true crime genre’s highest aspirations and basest instincts. Devil House is a gripping read that questions what the true costs of salacious stories are, and who pays them.”—Keith Mosman, Powell's Books, Portland, OR

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner (Gallery)

“Such a fun and addicting thriller! I was torn between reading slowly to catch all the nuances and speed reading to figure out what happens. The book pulls punches to the very end. Highly recommended for psychological thriller lovers!”—Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books, Dallas, TX

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (Morrow; LJ starred review)

“Notes on an Execution flows like a quiet river coming to a waterfall — lyrical, tense, and quietly explosive. This book is full of compassion for each character, even the killer to be executed. Kukafka has outdone herself with this book.”—Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

“In the industrious town of Shady Hollow, woodland creatures go about their lives until a brutal betrayal shatters the peace. Vera Vixen, a tenacious reporter and cunning fox, unravels a murder mystery in this smart series debut.”—Margaret Walker, Union Avenue Books, Knoxville, TN

In the Media

The February 2022 issue of Entertainment Weekly is out with a close-up interview with Noah Hawley, Anthem (Grand Central). There is a Q&A with Christina Tosi, Dessert Can Save the World: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes for a Stubbornly Joyful Existence (Harmony: Penguin), plus a recipe from Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook by The Editors of Saveur Magazine (Weldon Owen) in the “Playing with Food” section. There is a feature section on Oscar season contenders. Other book coverage includes a Winter Thriller Guide, which is also on EW online.

The People "Picks" book of the week is Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski (Holt & Co.). Also getting attention are Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (Avid Reader: S. & S.), and Small World by Jonathan Evison (Dutton). There is a Q&A with Justice Sonia Sotomayor about her new children’s book, Just Help!: How to Build a Better World, illus. by Angela Dominguez (Philomel).

The “Picks” section highlights Munich—The Edge of War, based on the book by Robert Harris on Netflix. For the cover feature, actor and author Rob Lowe reflects on his journey to sobriety and enduring stardom. There is also a feature on The Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay's new memoir, Miss Me with That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths (Ballantine). Plus, Kristen Hong, Fridge Love: Organize Your Refrigerator for a Healthier, Happier Life—with 100 Recipes, shares a recipe. 

Reviews

USA Today reviews Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (Morrow; LJ starred review), giving it 4 out of 4 stars: “a career-defining novel – powerful, important, intensely human, and filled with a unique examination of tragedy, one where the reader is left with a curious emotion: hope.”

NPR reviews Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang (Random): ”But Wang's novel, in a way, is a sly correction of Hemingway's tragic individualism. Even at the novel's outset, Joan has already achieved her American Dream, and her parents have regained their Chinese Eden.”  NYT also reviews: “Like Joan herself, Wang’s narrative is at once laser-focused and multilayered. She raises provocative questions about motherhood, daughterhood, belonging and the many definitions of ‘home’.” 

NYT reviews A Previous Life by Edmund White (Bloomsbury): “through all of White’s travels, after everything he’s witnessed and surveying the wide range of his work, it’s heartening to know that, at 82, the writer still believes in love, passion and grappling with the endurance of storytelling.”

The Washington Post reviews Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari (Crown): “We are collectively losing our capacity for sustained concentration, he argues in his new book… and the problem is getting worse every day. We’re not present in our daily lives; not much gains traction in our minds. And we’re not simply losing our focus: It’s actively being stolen.” And, The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation, by Rosemary Sullivan (Harper): “Perhaps unintentionally, perhaps not, the revelations in Sullivan’s book have muddied the roiling waters of Holocaust remembrance, pulling Anne Frank’s iconic story into what the Israeli scholar Rivka Brot calls ‘the gray zone,’ where good and evil are scrambled by extreme circumstances and true responsibility for horrific crimes is thus harder to assign.”  

LA Times reviews All Day Is a Long Time by David Sanchez (Harper): “the tender heart of the book is literature — namely its capacity to save us, its utility even for the meanest meth head.”

Briefly Noted

The Buzz Books Spring/Summer Sampler from Publisher's Lunch is available now on Edelweiss and Netgalley.  

NPR has a Q&A with Imani Perry about her new book, South to America (Ecco).

FoxNews talks with Nikki Sixx about his memoir, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx (Hachette), sobriety, and why he left California.

The Millions has a Q&A with Rachel Krantz about her new book, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy--A Polyamory Memoir (Harmony).

Little, Brown will publish Hugh Bonneville’s memoir, Hiding Under the Piano: from Highclere to Hollywood, in October 2022. The Bookseller has details.  

The New Yorker asks: "Can Science Fiction Wake Us Up to Our Climate Reality?"

USA Today picks five books for the week.

CrimeReads suggests 10 books out this week.

Authors On Air

NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday talks with Lizzie Damilola Blackburn about her debut novel, Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? (Pamela Dorman: Viking).

NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour has book recommendations for music fans. 

Cindy Pon’s bestselling sci-fi novels Want and Ruse (S. & S. for Young Readers) will be adapted as an international television series. Deadline reports.  

Ginger Zee, A Little Closer to Home: How I Found the Calm After the Storm (Hyperion Avenue), is on Tamron Hall today. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Just Help!: How to Build a Better World, illus. by Angela Dominguez (Philomel) and Michael Schur, How to Be Perfect (S. & S.) will visit Seth Meyers tomorrow. Plus, Rachel Lindsay, Miss Me with That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths (Ballantine), will be on The View.  

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