Chapter 17 - I Want It Now
As you already know I am addicted to new books. In the last US statistic I can find (2013), it estimates that 304,912 books are published each year. So if we go with that number, which I think is low, and break it down into weeks - that means that over 5800 books are published weekly. If only 10% of them are fiction, then about 586 new fiction books come out each week. It is, for me, a painful reality that I can never read them all!
That is why I read Publishers Weekly, a weekly industry magazine, subscribe to Bookmarks - a monthly magazine, and rely on BookBrowse, an online magazine/website to keep me informed as to the best books to read. I research carefully not only for myself but also for our customers. I always try to determine which new books to carry in the store and what customers will be asking for.
Because these resources give me a preview of coming attractions, so to speak, sometimes it is really hard because I have to wait a few months before the book comes out. Often we get Advanced Reader Copies which I enjoy, of course, but sometimes we don't because publishers limit distribution of these. So like Veruca Salt of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame, I often find myself thinking - "I Want It Now!"
Anyway here are some books, coming out in May which I am looking forward to...
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton - Cleeton whose previous books have all been best sellers in coming out with a new one May 4. It the novelized account of real-life Evangelina Cisneros, a revolutionary woman who changed the course of Cuban history in 1896.
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families - best friends and business partners - have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what they used to be - and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart, a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it too late? Look for this book May 18.
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren - Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Then she hears about GeneticAlly, a service that uses DNA to match soulmates. Jess is intrigued and tries it only to find herself matched with the founder of GeneticAlly. Expect this book May 18.
The Breakup Book Club by Wendy Wax - Four unlikely friends come together in this tribute to book clubs and friendships. This looks like it will be a terrific summer read. This also has a publication date of May 18.
The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff - This is a World War II story from one of the best writers of that genre. It is 1942 and Sadie Gault is living with her parents in the Krakow Ghetto. When the Nazis purge the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother flee to the tunnels under the city. Ella Stepanek, an affluent Polish girl sees Sadie under the sewer grill and they become friends. This book is available on May 4.
Are there any books you are looking forward to? Please let me know.