April 2017 Picks

| By Elyse Monahan |

April Editors’ Picks 

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Hand-picked titles from our expert editorial team are here! At Thorndike Press, our editors have a knack for picking the next great reads. They have been doing so for over thirty years! Here is a list of April titles they know your patrons will enjoy.

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2017 RUSA Reading List and March Bestsellers

2017 RUSA Reading List

Jump to the March Bestsellers 

The Reading List Council has announced the 2017 selections for the Reading List, an annual best-of list for adult readers. Announced during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting, the list seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction. We are excited to have many of the titles that were announced and we know your readers will enjoy all of these great reads. Titles we’ve published include:

Adrenaline Winner and Short List Nominee 
**Winner — ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz
9781410486370
The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It’s said that when he’s reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. Booklist’s starred review called it “a high-tech, nonstop thriller . . . A standout,” while Publishers Weekly’s starred review called it “an excellent series opener.” This Indie Next Pick if perfect for fans of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, and Jason Bourne. (Basic 6 — 2/3/2016)

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LibraryReads and Indie Next Picks: March 2017

LibraryReads Picks

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LibraryReads publishes a list of the top books released every month that librarians across the country love. Thorndike Press honored to have many of these titles available in Large Print. Below is the full list of Large Print LibraryReads picks just for you and your patrons!

THE WANDERERS by Meg Howrey
9781432838263
Station Eleven meets The Martian in this brilliantly inventive literary novel about three astronauts auditioning for the first-ever mission to Mars, an experience that will push the boundary between real and unreal, test their relationships, and leave each of them — and their families — changed forever. This novel is fast-paced and sharp, with some unforgettable moments of tenderness. In their starred review, Kirkus called it “engrossing . . . Although the contours of a space drama may seem familiar to a 21stcentury readership, Howrey, through the poetry of her writing and the richness of her characters, makes it all seem new. A lyrical and subtle space opera.” For fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Andy Weir. (Core 6 — 5/3/2017)

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Now in Large Print: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

 

“Greg’s adventures will be bigger than ever in the new format. I’m glad we’re publishing these stories in a way that makes them more accessible for everyone,” said author Jeff Kinney.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is the most popular middle-reader (grades 4-8) series of all time. This award-winning series received rave reviews from Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Publishers Weekly and/or Library Journal. Nearly every book in the series has been #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

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“Huck Out West”… The Buzz Keeps Coming!


Amazon named it a “Best Book of 2016” and Men’s Journal named it one of the 7 Best Books of January!

Coming soon in Large Print, Huck Out West by Robert Coover, is continuing to receive extraordinary reviews from Booklist, The Washington Post, Publisher’s Weekly, and many more! We can’t be more excited to have this title available soon in a format for all readers to enjoy.

“Coover delivers a near-masterpiece. It’s pitch-perfect and laceratingly funny but also a surprisingly tender, touching paean to the power of storytelling and the pains of growing up.”—STAR Booklist review 

“The characters are colorful, with names such as Pegleg, Yaller Whiskers, and Eyepatch. Huck finds love and there’s the inevitable return of Tom, whose adult mischief is more sinister than his teen antics. A lively and fast-paced encore for a beloved American hero.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Revisiting Huckleberry Finn’s America—by picking up where Mark Twain left off.”-Kirkus Reviews 

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Shame Reading

By Mary Kelly

When I first started out as a student, I thought my taste should gravitate to the “serious” and “important” works of literature. I kind of wanted to be that person that read Kafka or Joyce on the train or went to a poetry reading. I even wanted to wear a beret. I was hoping that I would be considered a “deep thinker” and an “intellectual” reader. I guess I wanted to be the early 1980s version of Rory Gilmore. No one needed to know that although I read widely on occasion (and sometimes with a gun to my head), I secretly loved books by the likes of Erica Jong, Jacqueline Susanne, and Sydney Sheldon. If it had a wild plot, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, I was a fan. I could chew these books up like candy. It was my secret shame reading list.

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Aging in the 21st Century

Did you know? Over 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day, and the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. is women over the age of 85. A radical shift—driven by the numerous (and vocal) “baby boom” generation—pushes the portion of U.S. citizens 65 and older to be 21% by 2050. As older citizens’ self-perceptions change, … Read more

Not Your Mother’s Large Print

By Mary Kelly

Back in olden times, large print was hardly full of current best sellers.  When I was growing up, large print materials were relegated to one of the dustier corners of the library complete and with the occasional old person looking for something. It was a small collection and to be honest, kind of crappy looking. There was no real cover art and the selection seemed to be only romance. This is what I remember as a youngster. Well now I am one of the “old people” and we aren’t going to do that anymore.  I can only imagine that many people my age remember this as well.  

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Fun, New Ways to Celebrate Book Lover’s Day

By Tara Blair

Readers rejoice—Book Lovers Day (August 9th) is here, encouraging you to kick back and relax with a great book. From shaded spots under arching trees to being tucked in a warm bed, there is no better way to celebrate the holiday than reading. To keep you from growing tired of the norm, we thought of a few ‘out-of-the-box’ ways to honor the occasion.

Read some new ways to observe the classic holiday! 

Find a Literary Haunt Near You
Did you know F. Scott Fitzgerald frequented Oak Bar in New York City’s Plaza Hotel? Or that Victor Hugo found inspiration to write Les Miserables while strolling Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens? No matter where in the world you reside, you can find a great place to get closer to your favorite author while reading.

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Try Something Different this Summer

By Mary Kelly

One of the more tired phrases in publishing and library world is the use of the phrase “beach reads”. Evidently summer reading is about the light and easy book choices. Usually, this pops up when we talk about romances, women’s fiction (or domestic fiction) and books that are somehow not “serious”.  Summer reading or a beach reads often implies a lesser type of read.

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