How to judge a book by its cover

It may sound sacrilegious, but if you're in a hurry, and especially if you're a fan of genre fiction, you can often spot the sort of book you might like with just a quick glance at the new release section.  (This obviously only works if all the covers are facing out).  Here's a slightly tongue in cheek primer to get you started. 

Action: 
Political thrillers are easy to spot.  Look for flames, stern-looking (usually U.S. government) buildings, flags, and men who have no distinguishable faces but may have guns or briefcases.  Eagles and official-looking crests or seals are another giveaway that there will be lawyers, spies, secret agents, evil corporations, and/or conspiracies. 

Murder mystery: 
Tougher to spot than thrillers, but there are still hints.  Images can be anything, but will usually look darker and more sinister than they would on your average novel.  The background is frequently black, red, or yellow.  Anything police related is a good sign: handcuffs, guns, fingerprints, etc.

Chick lit: 
One of the easiest!  Look for pastel backgrounds with women in dresses and/or high heels.  The chick lit/murder mystery hybrid will often include a similar woman, but will have the aforementioned red, black, or yellow cover.

If you find yourself staring at a cover that does not fit these categories, you're going to have to read the back.  It could be general fiction, non-fiction, or just hiding its secrets.

Book of Negroes is here!

We have finally received Lawrence Hill's huge bestseller, The Book of Negroes! In case you haven't heard about it, we have collected some great articles for you: 

Here's a review from the Globe and Mail that explains why you should read The Book of Negroes: 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/article312208.ece  

And here's an interview with the author, Lawrence Hill:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/book_of_negroes.html 

Finally, did you know they're planning to make a film? 
http://www.thestar.com/article/683108

The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell

Fans of great murder mysteries and thrillers will love Henning Mankell's new audiobook, The Man From Beijing, about a series of murders in Sweden intertwined with Chinese politics.  Check out this review: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/07/man-from-beijing-henning-mankell

From the review: 
"But perhaps the point is the general mood of anxiety, modulating into terror, rather than any particular trigger. A lone assassin or a rising superpower: either will do to disrupt the neatly curtained domestic lives of the Swedish bourgeoisie. It is the disruption, the threat and the delicious chill of fear, all safely contained, that is the pleasure of all these books."

Audiobook narrators

Check out this fantastic article from the Telegraph about the process of audiobook narration: 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/7188438/Audiobook-confidential-the-art-of-reading-aloud.html 

From the article: 

" 'When I did Michael Connelly’s Nine Dragons,’ he says, 'I felt like I was doing King Lear in a closet.  Sometimes I banged on the table. Sometimes I got up and started to rant. But the recording guys knew me and the way I liked to work. So, whatever way I wanted to do it, they went with. That’s my style, I guess.’" 

Click here for more info on 9 Dragons.

Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox wins a Grammy

Heard about Michael J. Fox's Grammy Award for Always Looking Up?  Check out this interview: 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/article978414.ece 

From the interview: 
"He'd rather focus on the positive aspects of his situation. "I may be different from other people, but someone told me that the growth of happiness is in direct proportion to your acceptance, and in inverse proportion to your expectation," he says."

Audiobook narrators for Haiti

Anyone who is interested in the audiobook industry in general might want to check out the Hear My Voice fundraiser:

http://www.voicecoaches.com/hearmyvoice/

Featured panelists include Barbara Rosenblatt and Alan Sklar, both of whom have narrated lots of great audiobooks (Wikinomics, Age of Empathy, Fatally Flaky, and Elegance of the Hedgehog, for instance).

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Check out this fantastic review of Tracy Chevalier's new book, Remarkable Creatures:

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/story/1915119.html#tvg

From the review:  "This is a good choice for those who like stories of strong women, and it’s also an interesting exploration into the mindset of the scientific community on fossils before the theory of evolution."