Doubleday, Fall 2008

Met with T.D. , smart and with it as always.

Coming in August 2008
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. A BIG, BIG debut novel that, according to T., “will knock your socks off.” It involves a badly burned man, the woman who appears at the foot of his bed in the burn unit, who may or may not be real and/or sane and the love story she involves him in. And there’s subplot about Dante.

When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale. Big Nan Talese book from the author of English Passengers. A young boy tries to hold his world together when he and his sister move to Rome with their mother to escape their estranged father.

Coming in September 2008
A Cure for Night by Justin Peacock. Debut by a New York lawyer about a young Brooklyn public defender on a case that will offer him career redemption or more disaster. Very high expectations.

Blue Genes: A Memoir of Loss and Survival by Christopher Lukas. A devastating but uplifting memoir portrays of the shattering effects of a family legacy of depression and suicide on the author and his brother Tony Lukas, who committed suicide in 1997.

The Shadow Factory: The Ultra Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America by James Bamford. Embargoed, so can't say much here, but they're promising big revelations.

Coming in October 2008
The Hero by Jon Krakauer. The biggest title on the fall list--an unforgettable portrait of Pat Tillman, who walked away from a huge NFL contract to join the Army. When he was killed 2 years later his death became a propaganda tool for the White House. Only later did it come out that he had been killed by “friendly fire.” Krakauer who had access to Tillman’s diaries, letters, family, closest friends and fellow soldiers and who spent time on the ground in Afghanistan, reveals the compelling, complex figure Tillman really was.

The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd. A truly in-depth portrait of contemporary Iran that captures the all-too-often misunderstood character of its people, rich and poor. Majd reveals the real nature of the country--complex, paradoxical and changing--far different from what is pictured in most American media.

Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason by Russell Shorto. Descartes’ bones were fought over, stolen, sold, studied and used in séances. Using this odd, 350-year journey of the great philosopher's remains as a springboard, Shorto analyzes the debate that has raged between religion and science since the 17th century and Descartes’ momentous “cogito, ergo sum.” T. says it is beautifully done.

Searching for Schindler by Thomas Keneally. Keneally’s chronicle of his pursuit of one of “history’s most fascinating and paradoxical” heroes” that took him to the US, Israel, Poland, Austria and Germany and, later, to work with Spielberg and the actors in the Oscar-winning film. This is the 15th anniversary of the film’s release.

Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America by Jay Parini. An “eloquent” guide to the books--from “Of Plymouth Plantation” to “On the Road”--that shaped and defined the American character.

Coming in November 2008
Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds by Joel Kramer. Billed as the first definitive bio of Moses Maimonidies, the 12th century physician, philosopher and lawgiver who influenced generations of Christian, Muslim and Jewish thinkers. .A paperback edition of Sherwin Nuland’s bio of Maimonides in the Schocken Jewish Encounters series will be available in August.

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid. Hard to think about Christmas in April, but.........here’s the story of how one dog showed a family the Christmas spirit.

Hyperion, Fall 2008

Met A.M., as charming and smart as ever, for lunch at Bar Boulud, an excellent addition to Lincoln Center dining. Small list, but some fab cookbooks from the Hyperion stalwarts, Jamie and Nigella. This is the first of the Fall posts -- more TK of course...

Coming in September 2008
Smile as They Blow by Nu Nu Yi. A “mesmerizing” novel set among the gay spirit mediums of Burma. Was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize.

Sweetsmoke by David Fuller. A debut novel by a well-known screenwriter set during the Civil War, featuring a slave working on a Virginia tobacco plantation. While researching the book, Fuller discovered that one of his own ancestors fought in the civil War and was a slave owner.

The Sea Is so Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Letters to Our Leaders and the Next Generation by Marian Edelman Wright. The founder of The Children’s Defense Fund looks at what has been done and what still needs to to be done to make our nation, and our world safe for all children.

CLICK: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters by Bill Tancer. Billed as the book that does for the internet what The Tipping Point did for marketing--but that's as much as I can explain. There will be ABC Network-wide support--GMA, World News, 20/20.
One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell. Bushnell must be getting on herself--now her characters are hitting 40 but still struggling to make it big in the city that never sleeps. Here Bushnell uses the stories of 5 women who live in chic, hot One Fifth to explore the social and sexual politics of New Yorkers in the early 21st century.

Coming in October 2008
Always Looking Up: Meditations of Optimism by Michael J. Fox. Fox writes about the personal philosophy that has carried him through his darkest hours, how recognizing the gifts of everyday life has made him a happier and more satisfied person despite his increasing debilitation from Parkinson’s.

back to the main page

Simon & Schuster, Summer 2008

Met with J. P.--solid list with an emphasis on David McCullough’s 40th anniversary in publishing.

Coming in May 2008
The Indigo Year by Susan Hubbard. In this sequel to “The Society of S,” Ari, the teenage vampire, discovers that the leading presidential candidate is----guess--A vampire!

Coming in June 2008
The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver. Lincoln Rhyme and his partner and paramour Amelia Sachs are back solving crimes again.
Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America by Charles Leerhsen. A forgotten, turn-of-the-20th century hero horse, pre-Seabiscuit,is brought back to life and with him his bygone era.
The Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst. The first of the “Wolf Chronicles,” a new series with wolves as actual characters, being compared to the Clan of the Cave Bear and Watership Down. High expectations, in other words.

War Journal by Richard Engel. The longest-serving TV journalist in Iraq offers a vivid account of his years there.

Out of Mao's Shadow by Philip Pan. Portraits of ordinary Chinese people and their fight for greater freedom by the former Beijing bureau chief of the Washington Post.

Untitled on Bush by Bob Woodward. The fourth behind-the-scenes look at Bush’s waning years--EMBARGOED.

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger. The author of The Devil Wears Prada is back with a novel about 3 best girlfriends in Manhattan who make a pact to change their lives in one year.

Coming in July 2008
Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World by David Maraniss. One of the few books about the Olympics to come out for the Olympics--this is the “Blockbuster” story of the “first modern Olympics.”

Swan Peak by James Lee Burke. Dave Robicheaux moves to Montana, as did his creator. Always topnotch.

Coming in August 2008
Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown. A tale of corruption, betrayal, revenge and reversal--what more could you ask for.
Coming in September 2008
The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of his Life: His Own by David Carr. This NYTimes reporter and columnist reports on his years as an addict by actually going back and interviewing the people from his sordid past and discovers that it was much worse than he remembered. Should be big.

The Irregulars: The The Baker Street Spies in Wartime Washington by Jennet Conant. A “lively” true account of the UK’s secret propaganda campaign to weaken American isolationist forces and bring the US into WWII--the Brits included Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and David Ogilvy. All based on never-before-seen wartime letters, diaries and interviews.

Lost Girls by George Shuman. The 3rd in the Sherry Moore trilogy, starring the blind psychic.


back to the main page

Crown, Summer 2008

Had lunch with K.W., as on top of things and savvy as ever, at a very good Japanese restaurant near the Bertelsmann barracks. Note--Tony Curtis book from the last report is now scheduled for Oct.

Coming in April 2008
The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. Three women in love with the wrong men, another Hoffman look a the “alchemical nature of love.” See the BookPage review!

Infected by Scott Sigler. Sigler, referred to as the “world’s most successful podcasting author,” has now written a “no-holds-barred horror-thriller.” This is the first in a BIG 3-book deal.

Yum-O by Rachael Ray. Rachael rides again.

Coming in May 2008
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. Inspired by an actual WWII diary, this novel follows a small band as they work their way across the remnants of the Third Reich toward allied lines--a flight that tests love and friendship.

Black Out by Lisa Unger. A new thriller-diller from an increasingly popular practitioner of the genre.

The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson. An epic story of a woman taken in 1625 from England to be sold as a slave by Barbary pirates Morocco and the London woman of today who finds her diary and goes to authenticate it. The author, publishing director for Harper Collins in the UK, now lives part of the year in a remote Berber village. An ancestor of hers was stolen by pirates.

The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace. The lead nonfiction title on the list--referred to in-house as “Midnight in the Garden of Chateau Lafite.” Wallace unravels the mystery surrounding a 1787 bottle of Lafite Bordeaux sold for $156,000 to a Forbes family member in 1985.

A Champion’s Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis by Pete Sampras. Sampras “draws back the curtain on his storied career”--revealing how he managed to dominate for so long. A big deal for tennis aficionados.

Coming in June 2008
The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars by Andrew X. Pham. From the author of Catfish and Mandala, a memoir about his Vietnamese father’s life over the course of three wars.

Outakes from a Marriage by Ann Leary. A debut novel about motherhood and marriage and the perils of fame --billed as both poignant and hilarious. The author is Dennis Leary’s wife.

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--and Why by Amanda Ripley. By deconstructing some of the world’s most harrowing catastrophes, Ripley details the three stages of disaster response and identifies the factors that can give some disaster victims a better chance to survive.

Coming in July 2008
How Far Is the Ocean from Here by Ann Shearn. Another debut novel about an unmarried surrogate mother who flees Chicago for a bleak motel in the Southwest just days before she’s due.

Coming in August 2008
Holding My Breath by Sidura Ludwig. A coming-of-age tale told by a precocious young woman in a household of strong Jewish women. Set in post-WWII Winnipeg.

back to the main page