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Welcome to 2007. We hope that all of you had an enjoyable New Year's and we extend our wishes for a prosperous, safe and, especially, healthy new year to all of our subscribers.
This week's special
A favorite female PI returns for This Week's Special, a book which will start your new year off right. Take a look at this week's special where you can save 20% and have a treat for a snowy weekend.
What we're reading
A brand new Staff Picks for January 2007 is the perfect place to find some interesting reading for the new year. You'll find mysteries from cozy to noir to classic and even books that aren't mysteries at all in this month's Staff Picks.
Favorites of 2006
In addition to the monthly picks, this year we decided to ask the staff to pick a favorite book of 2006. The results will be found at Staff Favorites of 2006. Although all of us read dozens of books a year, these are some choices that stuck out for us.
Take a look and see if you can find a new favorite of your own.
What you're reading
From our picks to yours brings us the Bestsellers of December 2006. Not surprisingly, there are a number of holiday and gift books among the more usual suspects including Tony Hillerman, Michael Crichton, Sarah Strohmeyer, P.D. James, Elaine Viets and others. As always, book clubs have their contribution to make to the numbers, particularly Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, a favorite work of history that is well worth reading.
Check out Bestsellers of December 2006 and see what other folks are reading.
And now, the envelope for 2006...
We've also compiled a list of our best selling titles for 2006. Many authors have asked us the best way to become an MLB best seller. Here are three simple rules:
- Be named Donna Leon,
- Come to MLB for an event,
- Link to our website for sales of your books.
Our 2006 best sellers were certainly dominated by those categories although writing a good book that readers enjoy will also get you on the list. Donna Leon led paperback sales by a considerable margin as we continue to attract new fans of her Venetian-set mysteries.
The top spots in each category went to local writers: Nancy Martin for hardcovers, Mary Jo Rulnick for trade paperback and Rebecca Drake for mass market paper.
Authors who have built and audience at MLB also have good representation including Lisa Scottoline, Laura Lippman, Jacqueline Winspear and Elaine Viets.
Sales to bookclubs and outside events, such as the Drue Heinz lectures, also made their contribution to the diversity of our list.
We invite you to check out our Best Sellers for 2006.
This Just In
January books are starting to arrive and we've got quite an assortment of interesting titles since the last email Newsletter.
Charles Todd's A False Mirror has arrived, the latest in the Inspector Rutledge series set in post WW I England. At the same time, the first in the series, A Test of Wills, has been reissued after having been unavailable for some time. Those who enjoy well-crafted British mystery with a unique historical setting will want to check out this series. Caroline Todd, half of the mother-son team behind Charles Todd will be at MLB on Saturday, January 27 to kick off our Winter Coffee & Crime Series.
Fans of Stephanie Plum get a post-holiday bonus with Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich. This is a "between the numbers" Plum novel (really a novella) so you'll get your regular fix with Lean, Mean 13 in June.
Plenty of other titles including books by Richard North Patterson, Sarah Graves, Deborah Donnelly, Stephen Booth and others.
You'll find the complete list of what's new in our New Arrivals pages.
New British imports
Some new titles in British Imports are here. Those who have been enjoying the reissue of W.J. Burley's wonderful police procedurals with Inspector Wycliffe will finally be able to read the first in the series: Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy. We've also got a new Sheila Quigley, Living on a Prayer, as well as a Victorian-set mystery from Ann Granger: A Rare Interest in Corpses.
See our New British Books page for the complete list.
Harry Potter hits year 7
The word is out that the seventh, and final, Harr Potter book from J.K. Rowling will be titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
There is no price or publication date as yet for this book (despite what you may have seen or heard on the internet).
You can get on the Harry Potter notification list through our website and we'll let you know via email as soon as a date and price have been announced.
Upcoming Events
Jan. 27 - Charles (Caroline) Todd
Feb. 24 - Deborah Crombie
Happy reading and a prosperous, healthy and wonderful New Year
Richard, Mary Alice and the MLB Staff