Waiting for Wednesday/Wowbrary Wednesday

How can it be only February 6th, yet I am already overwhelmed with the 2013 publishing season? Folks, we have some outstanding books coming our way. The new publishing year used to not really get underway until March or so, but 2013 has started out like gangbusters. Not only do I have MORE tantalizing adult nonfiction/fiction to share, but we also recently sent off both an order cart based on the 2013 Youth Media Awards announcements AND a February 2013 children's/YA cart. Whoa!

Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us


Salt, Sugar, Fat will likely get a ton of attention when it is released in late February: early reviews are calling it "a mouth-watering, gut-wrenching look at the foods we hate to love (Publishers Weekly)" and "...one of the most important books of the year (Kirkus Reviews)." Books about food/food politics/the food industry tend to be popular, so keep an eye out for this one.

The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do--And How to Get Them to Do What You Want


I love all animals. I really do. Dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, sharks--I find them all fascinating and wondrous. I am biased toward dogs, though, simply because I grew up around dogs and have always lived in neighborhoods populated with dogs. Cats, on the other hand....I have had little experience with them, until one came into my life last fall (accompanied by a human male). This cat and I have taken our time getting comfortable with each other, but we're becoming friends. As with any new relationship, there have been some bumps and some setbacks (with the cat, that is), so I'm hoping that The Cat Whisperer will give me some pointers to help me understand my new buddy a bit more. I'm not the only one wanting to learn more about a feline friend, for this has already racked up several holds.

All the Light There Was


This historical fiction novel set among an Armenian community in France during World War II is already drawing comparisons to Sarah's Key, according to Library Journal.

A Tale for the Time Being


I'm drawn to novels set outside of the United States, so this tale set in Japan after the 2011 tsunami is on my reading list. Kirkus Reviews hails this as "a masterpiece, pure and simple." Seems like there's a lot going on here--a despondent bullied teenage girl, Buddhist nuns, and the writing life.

Truth in Advertising

On the other hand, I'm rarely drawn to books that deal with a character's midlife crisis. I do, however, enjoy books that focus on a specific larger-than-life business, such as the entertainment industry, advertising industry, popular culture, etc. This satire of the advertising industry has received blockbuster reviews and coverage in mainstream magazines such as People and Entertainment Weekly, so this should get a lot of notice.

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine

Entertainment Weekly loved this satire on the pop music industry, as seen through the eyes of a teenage pop sensation. Eleven year old Jonny Valentine became an overnight Youtube sensation and quickly became a heartthrob for the prepubescent set (Jonny is obviously very similar to Justin Bieber, although Jonny is a few years younger than the Biebster was when he hit it big). Jonny is very savvy in the ways of the music industry and promotion, yet his limited contact with children his age has caused some emotional development delays.  It's getting terrific notices: "sharply written novel (Publishers Weekly), "a very funny novel when it isn't so sad, and vice versa  (Kirkus Reviews)," including praise for its authentic-sounding 11 year old character and its skewering of the pop music world and child stardom. 


This is just a sample of the new titles that have been ordered; if you want to be in the loop, you need to subscribe to Wowbrary, our weekly email describing all the new books, DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, and ebooks/eaudiobooks that have been ordered (and you can be among the first to place holds on them).