Courtesy of gennasarnak.com
There was a lot happening last week, Obama’s trip overseas, Fleet Week, and for those of you Jersey Shore fans, one last GTL before going DTS for MDW (I am not entirely sure those actually mean anything), so it was pretty easy to miss out on Book Expo America 2011 and New York Book Week. Fortunately I got a badge through my day job, so I dressed up as Eugene Onegin and got ready to mingle with booth babes and fanboys at the expo mecca, the Jacob Javitts Center. Of course Book Expo America (BEA) is a bit lacking in tacky costumes but I did get a taste of what is to come in the publishing industry this year so here are some of the highlights and some titles to look for in the coming months.
The day started with the Authors’ Breakfast. It was a panel of authors discussing their new works and life as a writer. After some formalities there was a video from Ellen DeGeneres pushing her new book, Seriously…I’m Kidding. It was a bit early yet, but she had most of the crowd laughing by the end of the video. Seriously…I’m Kidding is being released in October from Grand Central Publishing. The first live presenter was Jim Lehrer, host of PBS NewsHour and 11-time moderator for presidential debates. His book, Tension City, will not be out until September but is something to keep an eye out for if you are interested in politics or recent American history. Tension City takes a look at presidential debates since Kennedy-Nixon, sharing anecdotes from behind the scenes but also looking at what happened and how it affected the elections from someone who has had the best seat in the house more time than any other moderator. Following him was Roger Ebert, aided by his wife and Alex, the name he gave the text-to-speech program in his computer. They read from his memoir Life Itself, which provided some of the most amusing anecdotes of the program from appearing on late night tv to encounters with Oprah, before she ruled the world. Ann Enright’s The Forgotten Waltz is another fall release. This is her first book since winning the 2007 Man Booker Prize for The Gathering, and she has written this one for her readers. Erik Larsson wrapped things up speaking about his book In the Garden of Beasts. Out now, Larsson’s newest release follows William E. Dodd and his family after he becomes the American ambassador to Germany in 1933. It is a fresh look at the Third Reich, focusing on Dodd’s growing concern with the developments in Germany, and his daughter, Martha, who, at least initially, gets swept up in the excitement of the Nazi movement.
From the breakfast I went out to the floor which is a bit overwhelming. The initial idea is to grab what you can before they realize they have been handing out stuff for free and change their minds. This is not wise as there is a lot to go through. Some highlights from the floor include Revolver journals. They produce a line of journals that flip inside out (Jacob’s Ladder style) producing a new cover and a new journal, usually one lined vs. on plain or plain vs. grid. Akashic Books, based out of Brooklyn showed off some interesting titles, including a faux story book Go the F**k to Sleep which, despite its comical tone, and clearly not safe for children language, boasts some nice artwork and the writing is of surprising quality.
The true star of the show, however, was technology. With e-readers sweeping up an ever larger share of the market, the book industry is scrambling to say ahead of the curve. While there was a booth from Amazon, most of the technology came from the publishing side, with Blio e-reading software from distributor Baker & Taylor, Google books new deal with the ABA, and BookExpo America’s own BEA mobile, allowing attendee’s to search booths and shows from their smart phone.
There was a lot to see at the show, and I’m still going through a multitude of catalogs, business cards, and advanced readers, but I hope you keep a look out for these titles. Many of these will reappear later with full review treatment. Overall, I saw a lot to get excited for in the coming months so keep watch for some neat new titles. And for those who are looking beyond the printed word, get ready for a wealth of new ways to access the latest books.
