Wednesday, December 05, 2007

On the way...a whole raft of good books....

From Publishers Lunch Weekly:

FICTION/DEBUT:

Film director David Cronenberg's first novel, partially set in Toronto, to Nicole Winstanley at Penguin Canada, who wrote him "several months ago to inquire about whether or not he'd consider writing a novel," in a pre-empt, for publication in early 2010, by Andrew Wylie of The Wylie Agency.

Doubleday editor Sarah Rainone's LOVE SONGS FOR LOST CHILDREN, set at a wedding where a group of twenty-somethings, reunited for the first time in years, are forced to live through and live down who they were then, and reveal the secrets that have defined them since, to Carrie Thornton at Three Rivers Press, by Jud Laghi at LJK Literary Management (NA).

Film/TV rights are being handled by Shari Smiley at CAA.

Recent Harvard grad, 23-year-old Pakistani writer Ali Sethi's debut novel, set in his native Lahore, the story of a fatherless Pakistani boy being raised in a family of outspoken women, and the guilt he experiences when his fate diverges from that of his closest friend and cousin, whose unconventional behavior brings severe consequences for her, to Megan Lynch at Riverhead, at auction, by Barney Karpfinger at The Karpfinger Agency (US). Rights have also gone to Hamish Hamilton in the UK and Penguin India.

Ivy Pochoda's THE ART OF LOSING, in which a woman weds a talented magician, whose hands attract stray saltshakers and poker chips�after one of his tricks goes terribly awry, the newly-wed is left with the question whether things she believes in are real or just another illusion, to Hilary Rubin Teeman of St. Martin's, in a nice deal, by Kim Witherspoon of Inkwell Management (World).

MYSTERY/CRIME:

Former firearms industry professional Lori Armstrong's RITUAL SACRIFICES, the first in a new mystery series featuring an Army sniper who has returned home to run her family's South Dakota ranch, to Trish Lande Grader at Touchstone Fireside, in a two-book deal, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group (NA).

GENERAL/OTHER:

Bridie Clark's novel I THINK SHE'S GOT IT, a modern retelling of Pygmalion, the story of a shy, young Midwesterner who is transformed into a sophisticated socialite by a dashing but arrogant man-about-town who is convinced he can turn anyone -- even the most awkward wallflower -- into this year's "it" girl, to Rob Weisbach at the Weinstein Company, also optioning film and TV rights for the Weinstein Company, for publication in 2009, by Daniel Greenberg at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency (world).

CHILDREN'S/MIDDLE GRADE:
Ann Haywood Leal's debut ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER, about a girl named after Harper Lee (and her brother, named after Hemingway) whose family is evicted from their house and makes a new home at a run down motel, to Reka Simonsen at Holt, at auction, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (world).

CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT:

Aprilynne Pike's AUTUMN WINGS, a four-book series about an ordinary girl who discovers that she is a faerie sent to guard the gateway to Avalon in the mortal world, and when she is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a mortal and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds, to Tara Weikum at Harper Children's, in a pre-empt, by Jodi Reamer at Writers House (World English).

John Green and David Levithan's WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, about two teens - both named Will Grayson - whose paths cross and lives become intertwined after a chance meeting in a very unexpected place, to Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton Children's, by Jodi Reamer at Writers House (world).

Children's librarian Josh Berk's debut BIG DEAF FATTY, set in coal mining Pennsylvania and narrated with sardonic humor by a boy who is overweight, deaf, and mute during his first year in mainstream high school, when he begrudgingly solves a murder and uncovers a secret truth about his family history, to Cecile Goyette at Knopf, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Ted Malawer at Firebrand Literary.
ted@firebrandliterary.com

Jane Smiley's daughter, Lucy Silag's debut trilogy PERFECTLY PARIS follows four Americans to Paris for their junior year of high school, where they enjoy their first taste of real freedom until one girl mysteriously disappears, to Lexa Hillyer at Razorbill, by Molly Friedrich at Friedrich Agency.

ADVICE/RELATIONSHIPS:

Computer science professor Dr. Randy Pausch's THE LAST LECTURE, written with WSJ columnist Jeff Zaslow, based on his lecture "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," in which he disclosed his terminal pancreatic cancer and talked about "how we play the hand" we are dealt, now viewed by millions of people online, to Bob Miller and Will Balliett at Hyperion, in a major deal, reportedly for approximately $6.75 million, for publication in spring 2008, by David Black and Gary Morris at the David Black Literary Agency (world).

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:

Bob Schieffer's FACE THE NATION, a review of issues the show has dealt with over the years, to Neil Nyren at Putnam, for publication in Fall 2008, by Esther Newberg at ICM (NA).

Former Fortune managing editor Eric Pooley's first book CLIMATE WARS: Politics, Business and the Next Flight to Save the Planet, looking at global warming from a political point of view, to Will Balliett at Hyperion, for publication in 2009, by Suzanne Gluck at William Morris Agency.

NYT bestselling author of IT'S GETTING UGLY OUT THERE Jack Cafferty's untitled book, returning with a totally new, spot on take on our world...and his, to Tom Miller at Wiley, for publication in early 2009, by Paul Fedorko at Trident Media Group (World English).

MEMOIR:

Senator Ted Kennedy's book of "reflections [to] contribute to a deeper understanding of many events in the history of this great country and to a more in-depth picture of an American family," to Jamie Raab at Grand Central and Jonathan Karp at Twelve, with Karp editing, at auction, reportedly for $8 million or more, for publication in 2010, by Robert Barnett and Gregory Craig at Williams & Connolly (world).

Former worldwide head of television for the William Morris Agency who retired three years ago at 49, Sam Haskell's memoir with life lessons, a roadmap to living a principled life in unprincipled times, written with bestselling collaborator David Rensin, to Susan Mercandetti for Ballantine, at auction, for publication in spring 2009, by Richard Abate of Endeavor (world English).

Syndicated political cartoonist Jeffrey Koterba's INKLINGS, the moving story about the survival of a family, the power of artistic creation, and the spirit of one sensitive child who went on to do amazing things - not despite but because of his relationship with his complicated father, who, like Koterba, suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, to Rebecca Saletan at Harcourt, by Amy Moore-Benson at AMB Literary Management (NA).

NARRATIVE:

Tara Austen Weaver's THE BUTCHER & THE VEGETARIAN: One Woman's Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis, to Leigh Haber at Modern Times, by Danielle Svetcov, at auction, for Levine Greenberg Literary Agency (NA).
dsvetcov@levinegreenberg.com

SPORTS:

Former New York Giants star and long-time Monday Night Football broadcaster Frank Gifford's THE GLORY GAME: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Pro Football Forever, written with Peter Richmond, about the memorable showdown between the Giants and the Baltimore Colts that featured thirteen players including Gifford who would later be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, to David Hirshey at Harper in a pre-empt, by Andrew Blauner of the Blauner Books Literary Agency.

Wrap...

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