What's Being Covered

This week, I thought I'd share something different. The entire business of publishing fascinates me from beginning to end. Having worked as a publicist and now in a bookstore, I still keep tabs on who's covering what. I thought I'd share what fiction books are currently (summer 2007) being covered in the mainstream media's magazines and top newspapers.

Why am I featuring this? Well, this gives the basic idea of what type of books are currently catching media's attention. Some publishers will ask something like: "What sort of media outlets, besides Oprah, would you like to see your book featured on or in"? The Oprah clause is only a half joke. There are a lot of newcomers who want to see their book picked up by major media without realizing what major media is picking up.

So, I thought I'd post what novels have made it into magazines and major newspapers during the months of June and July. The outlets are varied, Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Red Book . . . you get the picture. It's not a complete list. I've skipped trade magazines. This list does not include TV and radio.

Make of it what you will.


Helpless, by Barbara Gowdy

In this haunting and suspenseful novel of abduction and obsessive love, Gowdy draws on her trademark empathy to create a portrait of love at its most consuming and ambiguous to uncover the volatile point at which desire gives way to the unthinkable.

Sammy's House, by Kristin Gore (covered by multiple outlets)

The heroine of Gore's bestselling inside-the-beltway romp, "Sammy's Hill," returns, and this time the laughs are richer and the stakes are higher--at home and in the house (the White House, that is).

Life's a Beach, by Claire Cook (covered by multiple outlets)

By the bestselling author of "Must Love Dogs," the story of two grown-up sisters who fight like cats and dogs--but call each other at least twice a day.

A Model Summer, by Paulina Porizkova (covered my multiple outlets)

Told with grace, this incisive, beautifully written first novel by a former supermodel explores the glamorous and gritty world she inhabited.

Summer Reading, by Hilma Wolitzer

For those who loved "The Jane Austen Book Club," award-winning author Wolitzer has written the quintessential summer novel--about friendship, romance, longing, and, especially, the love of good books.

On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan (covered by multiple media outlets)

In a novel of remarkable depth and poignancy, McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of a newly married couple--both virgins--in 1962, when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence.

Slipknot, by Linda Greenlaw (covered in multiple outlets)

From bestselling author Greenlaw comes her exciting fiction debut of a snappy, spirited, and irresistible mystery series featuring marine investigator Jane Bunker.

Bad Luck and Trouble, by Lee Child (covered by multiple outlets)

From the first shocking scenes in Child's explosive new novel, Jack Reacher is plunged like a knife into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends and is on its way to something even worse.

After Dark, by Haruki Murakami

With his trademark humor and psychological insight, Murakami's power of observation plays out in this sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn.

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him, by Danielle Ganek (covered by multiple media outlets)

Just as "The Devil Wears Prada" demystified the world of high fashion, Ganeks delightfully funny and insightful first novel paints the oddly captivating New York City art scene as it exists today.

The Year of Fog, by Michelle Richmond

Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, this work is a riveting tale of how life can change in an instant and of one woman's faith in the redemptive power of love.

Sheer Abandon, by Penny Vincenzi

Three young women met at the start of their student travels; one of them abandoned a baby girl at Heathrow a year later. Kate, now a beautiful teenager, sets out to find her birth mother--a quest that unexpectedly brings the women together and exposes this long-buried secret.

Peony in Love, by Lisa See

Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, Sees novel beautifully explores the many manifestations of love and addresses the age-old desire of women to be heard.

A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies, by Ellen Cooney

Fresh, high-spirited, and wonderfully seductive, this irresistible tale follows a woman's search for her true self--a journey that takes her to the most surprising places.

The Infidelity Pact, by Carrie Karasyov

An ill-conceived pact between four L.A. housewives to each indulge in a year-long extramarital affair leads to freedom, revenge, sex, drugs, and murder, in this hilarious and biting solo debut by a coauthor of "The Right Address" and "Wolves in Chic Clothing."

The Manny, by Holly Peterson (covered in multiple outlets)

What does a savvy mother do when her beloved son needs a role model and his workaholic father cant deliver? She hires "The Manny."

Before, by Irini Spanidou

From the author of "Gods Snake" and "Fear" comes Spanidous first novel in seven years--a book that shines a light on what it means to be beautiful, and to be possessed, by oneself, and by others.

Thousand Splendid Suns, by Kahled Hosseini,

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made "The Kite Runner" a classic, Hosseinis latest novel is at once an incredible chronicle of 30 years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation found in love.

The Beautiful Miscellaneous, by Dominic Smith


From the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of "The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre" comes the moving story of a son trying to make peace with the crushing weight of his fathers expectations.