Last week I shared a little bit of what I saw at the Editor's Buzz talk at BookExpo America. Well, guess what, there's more! These are the titles the editors from some of the major houses really believe in. The one's they believe will be the big books of the coming year. So since I know what to look for, I figure you should be in the loop too!
BAD SCIENCE: QUACKS, HACKS, AND BIG PHARMA FLACKS by Ben Goldacre
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Already a hit in the UK, this book is described as a funny but scathing look at modern science. It has a silly side but really takes people to task for all the confusion in the world of science today. I believe there will be a different cover for the US release so keep your eye out.
THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES: A BIOGRAPHY OF CANCER by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Hardcover Release Date: November 2010
The editor explains that though this book is in some ways a history of cancer it is really much more than that. They decided it was really a biography as much because cancer is a character that has deeply affected world history and humanity, but also because of the personal stories that are a part of the book. Possibly a long and intense read, but I'm sure quite eye opening.
WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison
Hardcover Release Date: February 15, 2011
This release is still a little ways off, and because the editor was the first to talk at the Editor's Buzz session it was a little overshadowed by some of the other titles. It is described on the author's website as an "epic western adventure wrapped in the history of one small town, from the rugged mudflats of the northwestern frontier, to a rusting strip mall cornucopia, WEST OF HERE is a conversation between two epochs, one rushing blindly toward the future, and the other struggling to undo the damage of the past". The editor who spoke about the book talked about the unusual way the past and present collide in the book and even described it as having a touch of magical realism.
More from BEA to come, so stay tuned!
-- Dana Barrett, Contributing Editor
