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Special Markets' Lisa Dolin Takes a Sabbatical for the Birds
22 March 2019

Lisa Dolin, Director of Sales for Special Markets Product Management, Penguin Random House, journeyed to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru to volunteer at the Tambopata Macaw Project last summer. In this “On Sabbatical” feature, Lisa presents bird’s-eye glimpses into her amazing adventure – with stories, photos, and even an audio clip of an actual macaw call. To learn why Lisa describes her sabbatical as “by far one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime,” read on.

Members of our home-office-based Mass Merchandise Sales team were together in Chicago the night of March 20 to celebrate PRH winning the 2018 Children's Publisher Award bestowed by Readerlink, our valued distribution partner, and North America's largest full-service trade-book distributor.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced yesterday that Netflix’s The Who Was? Show, a live-action sketch comedy series for children adapted from Penguin Young Readers’ #1 New York Times bestselling biography series, Who Was?, has been nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards in the following categories: Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series; Outstanding Writing for a Children’s, Preschool Children’s, Family Viewing; Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design for a Live Action Program; Outstanding Single Camera Editing; and Outstanding Sound Editing For A Live Action Program.

Last week in Seattle, readers attending Emerald City Comic Con had a special opportunity. In partnership with ReedPOP and the Emerald City Comic Con Writer’s Block Program, Del Rey and Penguin Publishing Group hosted exclusive book club events during the show. Penguin Publishing Group selected SALVATION DAY by Kali Wallace (Berkley, on sale July 9) as the featured title for the science fiction book club. Del Rey selected GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (on sale August 6) as the featured title for the fantasy book club.

Happy Spring! And happy birthday to Reese Witherspoon on Friday, March 22^nd. Reese’s Hello Sunshine Book Club is nearly two years old – it began with ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE and the current selection is DAISY JONES & THE SIX. Reese’s Hello Sunshine company is described on its site as “a media brand anchored in storytelling, creating and discovering content that celebrates women and puts them at the center of the story. We tell stories big and small, funny stories, complex stories, those that shine a light on where women are at right now and those that help chart a new path forward.” Is this the book club for you? Try one of these Hello Sunshine selections, thus far, from Penguin Random House (with Reese’s comments in quotes):

Readerlink Names PRH Top 2018 Children's Publisher
21 March 2019

Readerlink, North America's largest full-service book distributor, has honored Penguin Random House as its 2018 Children's Publisher of the Year.

The Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard have announced the winners of the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project Awards, with three of the five prizes going to one Crown and two Penguin Press authors. They will receive their awards at a ceremony on Tuesday, May 7, at the Nieman Foundation in Cambridge, MA. Established in 1998, the Lukas Prizes recognize excellence in American nonfiction writing from both published books and works in progress on history and topics of American political or social concern.

Tommy Orange Wins 2019 PEN/Hemingway Award—His 3rd Prestigious First-Novel Prize—for THERE THERE
20 March 2019

PEN America announces that Knopf author Tommy Orange’s acclaimed debut, THERE THERE, has won the 2019 PEN/Hemingway Award, which honors a distinguished first novel. Mr. Orange will receive $25,000 underwritten by the Hemingway Family and the Hemingway Foundation, as well as a month-long Residency Fellowship at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, a retreat for artists and writers, valued at $10,000.

As high school seniors are finding out which colleges have accepted them, the largest prosecuted college admissions scandal in U.S. history has dominated the news and public conversation. High profile celebrities, CEOs, college coaches and many others have been accused of "cheating the system." Going beyond the headlines, we present the following books:

Penguin Press authors Steve Coll and Zadie Smith, and Alfred A. Knopf first-time novelist Tommy Orange were among the winners of 2018 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Awards conferred last night, March 14, during a ceremony at Manhattan’s New School.

Friday Reads: Irish Lit
15 March 2019

“I read hungrily and delightedly, and have realized since that you can’t write unless you read.” ― William Trevor Once again, we turn to the fertile literary ground of Ireland in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday. Here is some of the most compelling recent fiction and nonfiction hailing from Eire this year:

Last year, Riverhead Books published the winner of the Man Booker International Prize, FLIGHTS by Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. The Penguin Random House imprint may have another prize winner on its hands this year. The 2019 The Man Booker International Prize longlist has been announced, and of the 13 titles, three are currently published or forthcoming from Riverhead. Tokarczuk is back on the longlist with her new novel, DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD, forthcoming from Riverhead this August. Also on the longlist are two current Riverhead titles: MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS by rising Argentinian star Samanta Schweblin, and THE SHAPE OF RUINS by renowned Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez.

Random House author Danielle McLaughlin, Penguin Books author Rebecca Solnit, along with Penguin Random House Canada / McClelland & Stewart author David Chariandy, were among the eight winners of the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prizes for 2019, announced on March 12 in London. Each of the winners will receive a $165,000 cash award to support their creative works.

Calling all music fans! Daisy Jones & The Six just released to an already dedicated following … destined to top the charts! The novel’s milieu of '70s rock 'n’ roll and the triumphs and travails of a band and its beautiful singer caused us to riff on the theme. So here’s your backstage pass to hang with the bands … in books:

Fantasy fiction fans in Colorado take note: New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop will be discussing her new Ace novel, WILD COUNTRY, on Thursday night at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver. This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. and Bishop will sign copies of her book following her talk and an audience Q&A.

5 PRH Authors 2019 Lukas Prize Shortlisters
12 March 2019

The 2019 shortlists for the prestigious J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project Awards, sponsored by the Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, include five of our authors. Established in 1998, these awards recognize excellence in American nonfiction writing from both published books and works in progress on history and topics of American political or social concern.

Lauren Groff’s FLORIDA Wins The Story Prize
8 March 2019

Lauren Groff's FLORIDA, published by Riverhead Books, has won the 15th annual Story Prize for short fiction, it was announced on Wednesday, March 6, at an awards ceremony at the New School in Manhattan. Groff received $20,000 and an engraved silver bowl. Judges praised Groff's book as an "immersive experience" into the "beauty and awfulness" of the state of Florida. Her story collection was previously named a 2018 National Book Award Fiction finalist. Among the many fans of FLORIDA is former President Barack Obama, who listed the title among his favorite books of 2018.

Madeline McIntosh was the Benefit Chair of last night’s Poets & Writers gala in Manhattan. This annual event, celebrating America’s largest nonprofit service organization dedicated to fostering the professional development of poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, brought together people from across the book industry, and raised a record $750,000.

Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace. This year, The International Women's Day 2019 campaign theme of #BalanceforBetter is “a call-to-action for driving gender balance across the world.” Forward the cause by reading one, or all, of our featured titles including Nobel Prize winners, graphic memoirs, diaries and oral histories from war zones as well as bestselling biographies of women who have left an indelible mark on our world:

Pamela Dorman Books/Viking is pleased to announce the publication of Jojo Moyes’s new stand-alone novel, THE GIVER OF STARS. Publisher Pamela Dorman acquired North American rights from Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown, Ltd. The book will be published in the United States in hardcover, e-book, and audio formats on October 8, 2019.

Final Moderators Announced for Last Dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama”
6 March 2019

Today, Live Nation and Crown Publishing announced all remaining moderators for the final tour dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama.” Produced by Live Nation, the tour continues next Wednesday, March 13, in St. Paul, MN, with Michele Norris joining as moderator. Before the highly successful tour wraps, Mrs. Obama will bring out an incredible array of moderators to join her on the final dates of her journey, including comedian and television show host Conan O’Brien, chef and television personality Carla Hall, former Let's Move! executive director Sam Kass, broadcaster Robin Roberts, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, television host Rachael Ray, comedian Phoebe Robinson, actress and comedian Jessica Williams, late-night host Stephen Colbert, journalist Isha Sesay, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett, and television personality Gayle King.

Random House has acquired a new cookbook by Samin Nosrat, the James Beard Award–winning and New York Times bestselling author of SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT. World rights, excluding UK, were preempted and negotiated by Gina Centrello, President of Random House, from Kari Stuart at ICM. Random House Editor In Chief Andy Ward will edit the book, to be titled WHAT TO COOK, for Ten Speed Press, an industry-leading publisher of food, lifestyle, and design books based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Penguin Random House South East Asia Unveils Debut Publishing Program
6 March 2019

Penguin Random House South East Asia has unveiled its first publishing catalog and plans to publish more than 90 titles from various genres this year, beginning in April. The announcement of the program marks a key milestone in the history of this Penguin Random House subsidiary, which was founded in October 2018.

Welcome Women’s History Month! In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated the month of March “Women’s History Month.” While women’s rights and issues have continued to see progress since then, there is more to do. The Equal Rights Amendment has yet to become part of the United States Constitution and many young people don’t know what it is. Women's History Month allows for reflection and education - where we've been and where we need to go. It's also a time to honor all the activists, leaders, creators, pioneers, athletes, artists that have furthered, and continue to strengthen, the role and visibility of women in the world. Here are some of the more recent, excellent books about inspiring women and their achievements that do so:

This time of year, parents with teens bound for college are grappling with how to best help their children make a smooth transition to this all-important next life chapter of their lives. Dr. Monique Rinere’s COUNTDOWN TO COLLEGE: The Essential Steps to Your Child’s Successful Launch (Ballantine) presents a unique month-by-month road map to a college experience that is rich, rewarding, and successful for teens and parents alike. Dr. Rinere, a three-time Ivy League dean, distills lessons and shares stories (some cautionary, some entertaining, all helpful) from her long college advisory career.

5 Wins for PRH Audio at the 2019 Audie Awards
5 March 2019

Penguin Random House Audio won five prizes, including two for Tara Westover’s #1 New York Times bestseller EDUCATED, last night, March 4, at the 24th annual Audie Awards® ceremony in New York. The Audio Publishers Association (APA) annually presents the premier awards program for audiobooks in the United States, recognizing excellence in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment.

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting a culture of reading and building the widest possible audience for our authors, Penguin Random House is proud to once again partner with the New York Public Library via a program to triple gift amounts donated to NYPL. Together, PRH and NYPL are providing people with essential benefits that go beyond the access to free books. Donations received from the campaign will ensure that New Yorkers continue to have access to critical free resources such as computers, early literacy workshops, job training classes, and more.

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has announced the finalists for the 2019 “One Book, One New York” campaign, the exciting citywide initiative that brings book-loving New Yorkers together to read the same book at the same time. Now in its third year, in partnership with BuzzFeed Book Club, and coinciding with Women’s History Month, “One Book, One New York” features five acclaimed books, all written by women, including Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A PLACE FOR US (SJP for Hogarth, paperback edition on sale now). To view all of this year’s finalists, click here.

Penguin Random House and the National Council of Teachers of English announce a new partnership to recognize the nation’s most dynamic and resourceful teachers who use their creativity to inspire and successfully instill a lifelong love of reading in students. Two teachers will be awarded $10,000 grants to help make their innovative reading programs possible. In addition, honorable mentions will receive book donations for their classrooms from Penguin Random House.

The fascinating tale of a fictional ‘70s rock band is chronicled in DAISY JONES & THE SIX, Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s riveting new novel written as an oral history – a literary roller-coaster ride marked by sex, drugs and rock & roll, with fly-on-the-wall glimpses of life in the recording studio, on the road and backstage. #1 on the March Indie Next list and the Penguin Random House Spring Title Wave pick, this Ballantine book has already earned many fans, including actress Reese Witherspoon, who raved, “I devoured DAISY JONES & THE SIX in a day, falling head over heels for it. Taylor Jenkins Reid transported me into the magic of the ’70s music scene in a way I’ll never forget. The characters are beautifully layered and complex. Daisy and the band captured my heart, and they’re sure to capture yours, too.”

Featured Author Event: Amber Tamblyn (NYC)
4 March 2019

Amber Tamblyn, author, actor and director, is discussing her new Crown Archetype book, ERA OF IGNITION: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution, at The Strand bookstore in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 5, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tamblyn will be in conversation with Cecile Richards, a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice. For more information about this Featured Author Event, click here.

Friday Reads: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
1 March 2019

“Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry.” ― Dr. Seuss Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! 28 years after the beloved author's death we continue to honor the life and work of Dr. Seuss who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2^nd, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Reading parties are taking place in libraries, schools and bookstores across the country in celebration. Through its Seussville site, Penguin Random House offers parents, children, librarians and teachers resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year! The following hilarious, silly, wise, colorful, eccentric titles are among Dr. Seuss’ lesser known books - well worth discovering! And be sure to read to the bottom for exciting new releases!

The Binc Foundation and Penguin Random House have announced INDIES WITH IMPACT, a new grant opportunity open to independent bookstores. Two grants will be awarded to two bookstores that work in tandem with a community nonprofit or organization of their choice for a program that strengthens their local communities and encourages a passion for reading. Applications will be accepted March 1 – May 1, 2019 and again during this period in 2020. A total of $3,000 will be awarded over the two years.

A new Dr. Seuss children’s book about creating and experiencing art will be published by Random House Children’s Books on September 3, 2019, with a first printing of 250,000 copies, it was announced today by Mallory Loehr, SVP, Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, and Susan Brandt, President, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. The original manuscript for DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM was discovered in the late author’s La Jolla home 21 years after his death, alongside the manuscript for the 2015 #1 New York Times bestseller What Pet Should I Get?

PEN America, the U.S. chapter of the world’s leading international literary-human rights organization, celebrated the winners of its 2019 Literary Awards last night, February 26, at a Manhattan ceremony. Will Mackin’s short story collection, published by Random House, and three titles published by Penguin Random House Publisher Services publisher clients, took home prizes. Vintage author Sandra Cisneros was presented with the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature.

There's a Book For That: Grand Canyon National Park Turns 100!
27 February 2019

You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted, but to see it, you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths. - John Wesley Powell Happy 100^th birthday Grand Canyon! The national park opened to the public on February 26, 1919 Colorful graphic of Grand Canyon

and centennial events will be ongoing throughout this year. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, “Grand Canyon welcomes approximately six million domestic and international visitors each year. After 100 years, whether it’s hiking a corridor trail, taking a stroll on the rim or enjoying the landscape from an overlook, Grand Canyon continues to provide a space for all visitors to connect with the outdoors.” (NPS.gov) To honor the centennial, we are featuring the following natural history titles that continue to educate and inspire readers of all ages:

The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader have announced the finalists for the 12th annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, the only national book awards voted on entirely by children and teens. Five of the nominated titles are published by Penguin Random House imprints or Penguin Random House Publisher Services clients. The three categories of children’s finalists were chosen in pre-voting by kids in different regions of the U.S., with supervision by the International Literacy Association. The finalists in the teen category were nominated by young readers at TeenReads.com.

Thirty-five years ago, Sue Grafton launched one of the most acclaimed and celebrated mystery series of all time with A IS FOR ALIBI, and with it created the model of the modern female detective with Kinsey Millhone, a feisty, whip-smart woman who is not above breaking the rules to solve a case or save a life. Like her fictional alter ego, Grafton was a true original, a model for every woman who has ever struck out on her own independent way.

Colleagues in and around Los Angeles take note: Chris Cander, author of THE WEIGHT OF A PIANO, published by Knopf, is appearing at Skylight Books in Los Angeles on Wednesday, February 27. Cander will be in conversation with Helga Kasimoff, who operates a Pasadena piano dealership, well known for restoring and placing Blüthner pianos (a key element in Cander’s novel) in homes, colleges and universities.

Lights, camera, action! The 91st Academy Awards show is this Sunday, February 24, at The Dolby Theatre in the heart of Hollywood. This puts us in the mood for novels about Hollywood and its stars, past and present. Over the weekend, roll out the red blanket and get cozy with these tales of tinsel town, both new and classic:

Clement, Orange Finalists for 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize
21 February 2019

The Aspen Words Literary Prize has announced this year's five finalists, including two books published by Penguin Random House imprints: Jennifer Clement’s GUN LOVE (Hogarth) and Tommy Orange’s THERE THERE (Alfred A. Knopf). The Aspen Institute's annual prize was established in 2018 to recognize “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.”

Our 16 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists, and Our Innovator’s Award Honoree
21 February 2019

The Los Angeles Times announced the finalists for its 39th annual Book Prizes, 16 of which are published by Penguin Random House imprints. Library of America, a Penguin Random House Publishers Services client, is being honored with the Innovator’s Award, which spotlights efforts to bring books, publishing and storytelling into the future.

There's a Book for That: Black History Month
20 February 2019

Exhaust the little moment. Soon it dies. And be it gash or gold it will not come again in this identical guise. -Gwendolyn Brooks In honor of Black History Month we present classics and contemporary biographies, memoirs, essays, history, even poetry, from a broad spectrum of voices. Speaking to slavery, civil rights, the arts and current events, these books will educate and engage readers of all ages. For more excellent resources visit https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.

Climbing the highest mountain in Africa requires rigorous training, a long-range plan, strong drive, courage and commitment; Jessica Wells, Director, Customer Operations, Penguin Random House, exhibited all of these as she successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro last month. In this special Igloo Interview, Jessica talks about what inspired her to take on this personal challenge, offers colorful insights into her remarkable journey and trek (accompanied by some amazing photos), and shares what accomplishing this feat meant to her.

On Monday, February 18, we celebrate Presidents’ Day. Established in 1885, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. As we reflect on our American Presidents past and present, 2020 presidential hopefuls are beginning to declare their candidacy for the office and a number of them have books that are published by Penguin Random House. Kids and adults can get to know these potential presidential candidates better in the following titles:

W.E.B. Griffin: 1929-2019
15 February 2019

It is with sadness that we share that prolific military fiction author William E. Butterworth III, known the world over as W.E.B. Griffin, died on Tuesday, February 12. He was 89.

HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE Wins 2019 Goldsmith Book Prize
14 February 2019

HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, published by Crown, Broadway, and Random House Audio, has been selected as the trade category winner of the 2019 Goldsmith Book Prize, awarded to the trade and academic books published in the United States in the last 24 months that best fulfill the objective of improving democratic governance through an examination of the intersection between the media, politics and public policy. The prize is judged by faculty members affiliated with Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

Vintage Author Sandra Cisneros Wins PEN/Nabokov Award
14 February 2019

Sandra Cisneros, a celebrated Mexican American novelist, poet and short story writer whose Vintage books include THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET, WOMAN HOLLERING CREEK and MY WICKED WICKED WAYS, has won the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. PEN America Literary Awards program director Nadxieli Nieto credited Cisneros with "inspiring a new era of Latinx writers we see emerging today," and noted, "A focus on cross-cultural dialogue, translation and international literature has long been at the heart of PEN America's Literary Awards program, and it is especially fitting that a binational writer with such an impressive and lyrical body of work is the PEN/Nabokov honoree this year. We are immensely honored to present this award to Sandra Cisneros.” She will receive her award on February 26 at the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony in New York City.

Putnam author Randy Wayne White has won the 2019 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing, this year’s honor shared with historian Raymond O. Arsenault. The Florida Humanities Council sponsors the award to “recognize divergent writers who have introduced Florida culture and history to a wide audience.” A five-person panel of judges praised White and Arsenault as “giants in their respective fields.”

There’s a Book For That: Love Poems
13 February 2019

“Love shook my heart Like the wind on the mountain rushing over the oak trees.” ― Sappho Whether or not you’ve been struck with cupid’s arrow, Valentine’s Day is THE auspicious occasion for love poetry. And we’ve got beautiful volumes to captivate the smitten and non-smitten alike: From lyrical to haiku to prose poems, Instagram to humorous verse. Reflecting various periods and cultures, these classic and contemporary poets, including our recently passed Mary Oliver, speak to the passions of the newly entangled, the long-married, the happily single, the hopeful, and heartbroken lovers amongst us. Happy Valentine's Day!

FINDING DOROTHY: “The Hidden Message of Oz is Girl Power!”
13 February 2019

Anyone who has ever been swept up in the magical Land of Oz will enjoy reading Elizabeth Letts’ FINDING DOROTHY, our new Igloo Book Buzz selection. Published by Ballantine, this richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s wife, Maud.

Attention colleagues in Colorado: Jill Santopolo, Philomel Associate Publisher and bestselling author, will present her new book, MORE THAN WORDS (Putnam) on Wednesday, February 13, at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. This free event begins at 9:00 p.m., Santopolo’s reading and talk to be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

As a young mother facing a terminal diagnosis, Julie Yip-Williams began to write her story, a story like no other. What started out as the chronicle of an imminent and early death became something much more—a powerful exhortation to the living. With humor, bracing honesty, and the cleansing power of well-deployed anger, Julie set the stage for her lasting legacy and one final miracle: the story of her life, which became her newly published Random House book, THE UNWINDING OF THE MIRACLE: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After.

Chris Jackson One of TIME’s “12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists”
8 February 2019

The Art of Optimism, a TIME Magazine special issue edited by Ava Duvernay, on newsstands for two weeks beginning February 8, features an article, “12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists,” in which Chris Jackson, Publisher and Editor in Chief, One World, is one of the dozen individuals recognized.

The Audio Publishers Association has announced its 2019 Audie Awards finalists, including 17 Penguin Random House Audio titles. These awards recognize excellence in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on March 4 in Manhattan.

Friday Reads: The Tao
8 February 2019

Chinese New Year and its culminating celebration, The Lantern Festival on February 19^th, incorporate ancient Taoist traditions. Taoism (or “The Way”) is a Chinese philosophy attributed to Lao Tzu and is popular in the West through martial arts, mindfulness, yoga and other practices. “The Tao” advocates a life of complete simplicity in harmony with nature and is a metaphor for one’s essence, or philosophy of living. This week, we are anchoring our otherwise pop-cultural approach with the acclaimed new translation of the essential Taoist text, the Tao Te Ching:

Legions of readers continue to flock to WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), the mesmerizing first novel by Delia Owens, propelling the title to #1 on The New York Times hardcover fiction and combined print & eBook fiction bestseller lists. One of the book’s most enthusiastic fans is actress Reese Witherspoon, who made it a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick, is producing a feature film adaptation, and said, “I can’t even express how much I love this book! I didn’t want this story to end!” Throughout the narrative, Kya Clark, “The Marsh Girl,” emerges as a literary character for the ages.

Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press took home awards at the 2018 André Simon Food and Drink Book Awards, the most prestigious food and drink book honors in the U.K., essentially the equivalent of the James Beard Awards in the U.S., at a ceremony in London on Tuesday, February 5. The Ten Speed Press title, THE SOMMELIER’S ATLAS OF TASTE: A Field Guide to the Great Wines of Europe by Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay, won the André Simon Drink Award. This marks the second year in a row that a TSP book has won this prize. The Clarkson Potter title, TOGETHER: Our Community Cookbook by the HUBB Community Kitchen, with a foreword by HRH The Duchess of Sussex, received an André Simon Special Commendation Award.

Soon to be a major motion picture: THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR, the #1 New York Times bestseller and National Book Award Finalist from Delacorte Press author Nicola Yoon, also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR hits theaters nationwide on May 17. Warner Brothers Pictures released the film’s first trailer this week. The paperback movie tie-in edition of THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR goes on sale April 16, and will feature key movie cover art as well as a photo insert.

“Gripping, action-packed … The literary equivalent of a Marvel Comics universe — filled with dizzying, magpie references to old movies and recent TV, ancient myths and classic comic books, and fused into something new and startling by his gifts for language and sheer inventiveness.” That is how book reviewer Michiko Kakutani describes Marlon James’ BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF, published on February 5 by Riverhead, in The New York Times Book Review.

There's a Book for That: The Year of the Pig
6 February 2019

I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. - George Bernard Shaw Welcome to the Year of the Pig! Chinese New Year was celebrated on February 5^th and according to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2019 is the year of the pig/boar. Publisher North Atlantic Books tells us: “Legend has it that when the Lord Buddha summoned all of the animals to bid him farewell before he departed the Earth, only 12 showed up. And to show his appreciation, he named a year for each animal in the order of its arrival. The animal that rules the year of your birth is said to have a profound influence over your life. Hence, the Chinese have coined the saying, “This is the animal that hides in your heart.” The Smithsonian Channel is airing “Amazing Pigs” this month showcasing pigs’ remarkable senses, intelligence, and adaptability. Seems like a fine time to learn more about them. Pig tales both true and fictional await readers of all ages:

Today, Crown Publishing and Live Nation announced the first set of moderators for the 2019 tour dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama.” Produced by Live Nation, the extension of the highly successful tour kicks off in Tacoma, WA, this Friday, February 8, at the Tacoma Dome with late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel. Additionally, Phoebe Robinson will join Mrs. Obama on stage once again as moderator at the Moda Center in Portland, OR, on February 9, with Valerie Jarrett moderating the February 12 event at the Comerica Theater in Phoenix, AZ.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has released its annual Notable Children’s Recordings list, which recognizes recordings for children 14 years of age and younger of especially commendable quality that demonstrate respect for young people’s intelligence and imagination. The 2019 Notable Children’s Recordings list includes 7 audiobook titles published by Penguin Random House Audio’s Listening Library:

You are invited to hear author Sigrid Nunez talk about THE FRIEND, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, in conversation with Lisa Lucas, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, on Friday, February 8, at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. This free event begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Rainbow Book List Committee has announced its 2019 Rainbow Book List, recognizing books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning content, for young readers and teens 18 and under, with 13 titles published by Penguin Random House imprints, and 4 by Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) clients:

Our 4 Finalists for B&N’s 2018 Discover Great New Writers Awards
1 February 2019

Four of the six finalists for Barnes & Noble’s 2018 Discover Great New Writers Awards are published by Penguin Random House imprints. The finalists share a cash prize totaling $105,000. The winners, who will each receive $30,000, will be announced on Wednesday, March 6, at an awards ceremony in New York City.

You are invited to join New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder, who will be discussing his new Dutton book, JUDGMENT, with his brother, Henry Finder, New Yorker Editorial Director, on Monday, February 4 at Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center (1 E 65^th St.) in NYC.

This week marks the 45^th anniversary of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, which launched the great tradition of role-playing games in 1974 with an unprecedented mix of adventure and strategy, dice-rolling, and storytelling. It became a phenomenon by tapping into the innate human need to gather with friends and tell an exciting story together. In honor of the occasion, we are highlighting the most popular and forthcoming D&D tie-in titles to escape into…

THE CUT OUT GIRL Wins Costa Book of the Year Award
31 January 2019

Bart van Es' THE CUT OUT GIRL: A Story of War and Family, Lost and Found, published by Penguin Press in the U.S. and Canada, has won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year Award, after winning a Costa Book Award in the Biography category earlier this year. Telling the extraordinary true story of Lien de Jong, the narrative chronicles how a young Jewish girl survived in Holland during World War II, hiding from the Nazis in the homes of an underground network of foster families, one of them the author’s grandparents. Mr. van Es accepted the prize at the Costa Awards ceremony in London on Tuesday, January 28, with Ms. de Jong at his side.

Rounding out our coverage of this week’s American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter meeting, a DK book and multiple Penguin Random House Audio titles were the recipients of awards and honors:

Our ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees, Part Three
30 January 2019

The American Library Association (ALA) announced more prize winners and honorees at their Midwinter Meeting. Our titles recognized for the following awards and honors:

“Can a book about grammar be fun? Yes! Random House’s longtime copy chief offers friendly guidance on everything from when to use the dreaded 'whom,' to words you should dump immediately …” So begins a rave People Magazine Pick for DREYER’S ENGLISH: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer, published by Random House on January 29. Publishers Weekly bestowed a starred review, saying: “This work is that rare writing handbook that writers might actually want to read straight through, rather than simply consult.”

Colleagues in the vicinity of the San Francisco Bay Area take note: Howard Schultz, the longtime CEO and chairman of Starbucks, will be discussing his new Random House book, FROM THE GROUND UP: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America, on Friday, February 1, at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco.

Happy publication week to Claire Adams and her debut novel from SJP for Hogarth, GOLDEN CHILD. Set in the author’s native Trinidad, the novel’s compelling narrative and setting brought to mind other Caribbean fiction. Given the news, and warnings, about this week’s arctic blast hitting many states in the U.S., we figure an immersive journey to warmer climes would be welcomed.

The American Library Association (ALA) continues to announce a cavalcade of award winners and honorees at their Midwinter Meeting, underway. Among our recognized titles:

Our Carnegie Medal Winner, Other ALA Midwinter Award Recipients, Part One
28 January 2019

The annual American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting is the occasion for an array of coveted prizes and honors bestowed upon distinguished children’s and adult books and audios, published (mostly) in the past year. The first group of awards were announced last night, Sunday, January 27, led by the Andrew Carnegie Medals.

This past weekend, the American Library Association (ALA) Council announced the debut of the Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation Through Adversity, an exciting new partnership created to support the librarians and staff at libraries nationwide. Through this program, a principal awardee will receive $10,000 in cash and four runners-up will receive $1,000 each. The criteria for the winners is to have overcome adversity to create lasting innovative community service programs that inspire and connect with readers.

MAKE ME A WORLD, New RHCB Imprint Led by Christopher Myers, to Launch First List This Fall
25 January 2019

MAKE ME A WORLD, a new Random House Children’s Books imprint led by Christopher Myers, award-winning author and artist and son of the late acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers, will launch its first list in Fall 2019, it was announced by Michelle Frey, Executive Editor, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has announced the nominees for the 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction as well as television teleplays published or produced in 2018. Seven books published by Penguin Random House imprints and Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) publisher clients earned nominations in the following categories:

Last Friday, the Riverhead Pop-Up Reading Room took over lunch hour at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a creative hub for over 400 businesses and 9,000 employees. The Pop-Up series, which in the past has centered around Caribbean Heritage Month and Banned Books Week, selected “Read to Reinvent” as the theme of this pop-up, with the goal of celebrating new ideas and playful creativity in the spirit of reinvention this New Year.

Friday Reads: James Baldwin
25 January 2019

“You read a book, and everything is activated. You watch a movie, and it's a very passive experience. In a book, the author describes the smell. Through synesthesia, you intellectually smell this thing in your head.” – Barry Jenkins, Director of If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk, the first feature film adaptation in English of a James Baldwin novel, is nominated for three Academy Awards, including best supporting actress and best adapted screenplay. As its director, Barry Jenkins, said in a PBS NewsHour interview about the process: “Baldwin's stock and trade was the interior voice, the interior life.” Penguin Random House is the proud publisher of James Baldwin’s oevre which we invite you to discover (or rediscover):

PEN America has announced the shortlists for its 2019 Literary Awards in the categories of debut novel, debut short story collection, nonfiction, essay, biography, literary sports writing, literary science writing, and translation as well as the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. The 13 finalists published by Penguin Random House imprints and Penguin Random House Publisher Services publisher clients are below:

As the U.S. federal government shutdown continues in its fifth week, more than 800,000 workers across the country are experiencing unexpected and sudden income loss. To help support these furloughed federal employees during this difficult time, Penguin Random House has donated to #ChefsForFeds, which is providing free meals to them through World Central Kitchen, a network of restaurants and food trucks established by Jose Andrés. Andrés is a chef, philanthropist, and author of Penguin Random House titles MADE IN SPAIN (Clarkson Potter, 2008) and TAPAS (Clarkson Potter, 2005).

New E L James Novel THE MISTER to Be Published by Vintage in April 2019
24 January 2019

E L James to publish her first novel following the blockbuster global phenomenon and #1 worldwide bestselling Fifty Shades of Grey series. Vintage Books sets publication of James’s THE MISTER in April 2019.

Housing and homelessness are critical issues in America. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the current government shutdown is negatively affecting vulnerable populations, including the homeless, who are living without a safety net. And a growing share of the nation’s renters cannot afford to live in the cities where they work. Penguin Random House publishes a number of books about the topic – from sociological studies to memoirs and even young readers’ fiction. These are titles that examine varied roots and causes while creating empathy and inspiring action:

WINNERS TAKE ALL Named 800-CEO-READ Business Book of the Year
22 January 2019

Anand Giridharadas’s WINNERS TAKE ALL: The Elite Charade of Changing the World (Alfred A. Knopf) has received the 800-CEO-READ Business Book of the Year Award for 2018. The award was presented last week at the company’s annual industry gathering in New York City.

Congratulations to our 8 National Book Critics Circle finalists for their 2018 Awards. Founded in 1974, the NBCC now comprises more than 1,000 working critics and book-review editors throughout the country, who annually vote and bestow its awards in six categories, honoring the best books published in the past year in the United States.

This week The Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature was announced. Named for prolific children’s and young adult author Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014), “The Walter” awards honor Myers’ memory and literary legacy. A two-time Newbery Award winner, Walter Dean Myers was the third National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, appointed in 2012 by the Library of Congress. He was a champion of diversity in children’s books.

Colleagues in the vicinity of Washington, DC take note: New York Times bestselling author Dani Shapiro will be discussing her new book, INHERITANCE: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love, published by Alfred A. Knopf, on Monday, January 21, at Politics & Prose. Shapiro will be in conversation with journalist Jennifer Mendelsohn, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Slate. This free, one-hour event begins at 7:00 p.m.

There's a Book for That: Diversity at Work
16 January 2019

"The more conversations you have … the more awareness and empathy there will be for the unique challenges people of color face at work." – Porter Braswell, author of LET THEM SEE YOU As we talk about diversity in the workplace, and actively listen to one another, books can enlighten and assist the conversation. To that end, we are highlighting the following titles that inspire discussion and growth:

LET THEM SEE YOU Author Porter Braswell Tackles Workplace Diversity and Inclusion
15 January 2019

Porter Braswell, the CEO and co-founder of Jopwell, the leading career advancement platform for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals, shares straight-talking advice and mentorship for diverse careerists, from college students to mid-level professionals, in LET THEM SEE YOU: The Guide for Leveraging Your Diversity at Work, published by Lorena Jones Books/Ten Speed Press on Tuesday, January 15.

Thank you, Claudio, and farewell!
14 January 2019

Dear all,

All of us are deeply shocked and greatly saddened over the events of the last 24 hours. I am still struggling to come to grips with the idea that Claudio has left us and will not be coming back. Claudio was, is and will be a great editor, a truly outstanding one, who devoted his whole life to his passion, which was no other than texts, books and authors. He felt that passion so keenly that he turned it into a craft, to which he dedicated all his energy and his wisdom. With his passing, we have lost an icon and one of the most influential figures of Spanish language publishing. We have also lost a great friend and colleague.

Join Karen Thompson Walker, the New York Times bestselling author of THE AGE OF MIRACLES, for a discussion of her new novel, THE DREAMERS, with fellow Penguin Random House author Emily St. John Mandel (STATION ELEVEN), on Tuesday night, January 15, at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. The hour-long free event begins at 7:30 p.m.

“The wall” is a dominant image and concept of the moment. Throughout history, walls have gone up and come down. Many books about walls are often really about building bridges, metaphorically speaking. This weekend, you can bridge a gap in your reading life and consider the following fiction and memoir set in lands near and far for adults and kids, each with a wall as the central construct:

Virginia Governor Ralph R. Northam proclaimed that February 10-16, 2019 will be recognized as “Random Acts of Kindness Week” for the commonwealth of Virginia, and referenced the works of Crown author Jamil Zaki, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University: Studies show that “people imitate not only the particulars of positive actions, but also the spirit underlying them … this implies that kindness in itself is contagious and that it can cascade across people, taking on new forms along the way.” -- Jamil Zaki

Penguin Random House Teams with lululemon to Create a "Cozy Pop-Up Library" in NYC’s Flatiron Building
9 January 2019

Penguin Random House has partnered with lululemon, the pioneering technical athletic apparel company, to launch a cozy pop-up library in lululemon’s HUB Seventeen community space in NYC’s Flatiron building. The pop-up library is an opportunity to connect Penguin Random House books and authors with wellness-focused readers, yoga enthusiasts and other mindful consumers.

Featured Author Event: Chris Bohjalian (Westminster)
9 January 2019

New York Times-bestselling author Chris Bohjalian will be discussing his novel, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, on Thursday, January 10, in Westminster, Maryland at “A Likely Story Bookstore” event at Carroll County Community College’s Scotts Center Theater, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

In this month of resolutions, most of us want sustainable solutions for our health and happiness rather than the quick fix. When you sort through the overwhelming spate of diet and nutrition information – from Ayurvedic to Keto to Vegan to Zone diets – plant-based eating rises to the top of healthy recommendations. And, although January 10^th is Houseplant Appreciation Day – we do not recommend nibbling on your spider plant! Here are some of the most popular books in the category:

”DK Life Stories” Launches with Six New Biographies for Young Readers
8 January 2019

Albert Einstein, Anne Frank, Gandhi, Helen Keller, Katherine Johnson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are the subjects of the first six titles featured in DK Life Stories, a new biography series for children. Published on Tuesday, January 8, each book goes beyond the basic facts to tell true life stories of some of history's most interesting people.

Michelle Obama's BECOMING is USA TODAY's #1 Book of 2018
7 January 2019

BECOMING by Michelle Obama (Crown) has earned the top spot on USA TODAY’s 100 bestsellers of 2018 list, according to final 2018 data announced by the newspaper on Saturday, January 5. USA TODAY reporters Christopher Schnaars and Mary Cadden commented: “While the majority of the top 100 bestsellers in 2018 are fiction, it was one heartfelt memoir that topped this year's list. Former first lady Michelle Obama, a.k.a. America’s most admired woman, dominated book sales in 2018, landing the No. 1 spot on the USA TODAY’s year-end top 100 best-selling books. Pretty impressive considering BECOMING was only published this past November.”

6 PRH Titles on NYTBR "Best Book Covers of 2018" List
4 January 2019

Six books published in the past year by Penguin Random House imprints – whose “covers,” a.k.a. "jackets," were created by our talented art directors and designers – are among the 12 recognized by The New York Times Book Review for its list of “Best Book Covers of 2018,” published in the December 23 print edition. Congratulations to our colleagues, whose distinctive and wonderfully imaginative work can be viewed below:

Last week, the Legal Aid Society announced a new campaign in collaboration with Penguin Random House called “Let Them Read,” which brings books into courtrooms for young New Yorkers to read while they wait for their cases to be called. PRH donated more than 200 titles for the launch of the pilot program in Brooklyn.

“If, then, my awareness of the past and future makes me less aware of the present, I must begin to wonder whether I am actually living in the real world.” - Alan Watts Are you present in the New Year? How can we avoid living in the past, or for the future, and missing the moment? What motivates us to achieve mind/body balance and our creative potential while letting go of our fears and keeping our appetites in check? For this first Friday Reads post of 2019, let us turn for inspiration to some of our favorite writers, thinkers and spiritual leaders. So serve yourself up some joy and serenity…now rather than later:

Looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle as the year 2019 begins? Marco Borges, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of 22 Days Nutrition, introduces inclusive, practical, and revolutionary plant-based lifestyle plans in his new book, THE GREENPRINT, published by Harmony on Monday, December 31. By following its 22 proven effective guidelines, readers have the opportunity to shift their mindset, improve their health, lose weight, and impact the planet for the better.

PEN America has announced the longlists for its 2019 Literary Awards in the categories of debut fiction, diversity, nonfiction, essay, biography, sports writing, science writing, and translation. The 17 longlisted titles published by Penguin Random House imprints and Penguin Random House Publisher Services publisher clients are presented below.

BECOMING Tops Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2018 List
2 January 2019

Before the end of 2018, former President Barack Obama shared some of the books, movies and music he found “most inspiring, thought-provoking or just plain loved,” posting his year-end list on Facebook.

“This was another banner year for our video team,” says Richard Wylde, Promotions Manager, Penguin Random House Digital Video. “The final numbers are still coming in, but in the past twelve months we’ve worked with more than 400 authors, made over 900 videos, and generated over 6 million views. We worked with divisions and verticals across the company to produce, shoot, edit, distribute, promote, and stream videos, and our studio has been revamped to produce podcasts and virtual media tours. This is just a taste of some of the things we’ve been up—from ads to book trailers to ongoing series to fun social content. More to come next year!”

As we wrap up 2018, “Best of the Year” lists abound. Last week, the anticipated issue of Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” was published. For 2018, the choice was not one person, but rather a group of journalists under the heading “The Guardians and The War on Truth” honoring the dedication and life-threatening risks that journalists take. In that vein, topping our list of Penguin Random House’s annual publications are two books on politics and journalism. Care for lighter or fictional fare? We’ve also got science fiction, short story collections, as well as cooking and art titles to offer:

The spirit of giving back and helping those in need in our communities is strong throughout Penguin Random House. As this year winds to a close, we take a look back at a number of the charitable activities by colleagues who work at our distribution centers in Crawfordsville, Indiana and Westminster, Maryland.

Happy Holidays, one and all! The team here at PRH Audio is thrilled to celebrate the many traditions that make the season sparkle, and we’ve started a new tradition of our own.

Sonny Mehta Receives Maxwell E. Perkins Award from the Center for Fiction
17 December 2018

At its Annual Benefit & Awards Dinner on Tuesday, December 11, the Center for Fiction presented awards to Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor in Chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and to Penguin Random House authors Toni Morrison and Tommy Orange. Event co-chairs and renowned authors Lee Child and Michael Ondaatje welcomed the hundreds of guests who gathered to celebrate these talents at the benefit, which was held in New York.

Oh come all ye readers! We’ve got more than a stocking’s full of Christmas fiction for you to savor this season, spanning genres and settings. From contemporary family stories to classic tales, here are some of the best holiday books on our list – some with gorgeous illustrations. Take a break from the chaos and settle in for a long winter’s read:

On Tuesday evening, Riverhead Books hosted their annual holiday fundraiser with hundreds of merry-making guests. This year’s festivities raised $4600 for Community-Word Project, a New York City arts-in-education organization that inspires children in underserved communities to read, interpret and respond to their world.

With a shared mission of empowering and publishing authors from all backgrounds, the Authors Guild Foundation and Penguin Random House are partnering to produce a series of Writing Business Bootcamps across the country. Available at no charge to participants due in part to an award from the National Endowment of the Arts, from the end of 2018 through spring 2019 six bootcamps will be held in underserved communities nationwide. In addition to Authors Guild and Penguin Random House representatives, local published authors will lead each session, bringing a variety of experience and knowledge.

WaterBrook Author LaTasha Morrison Receiving Up to $1 Million for “Be the Bridge,” Joins Facebook Community Leadership Program
13 December 2018

LaTasha Morrison, author of BE THE BRIDGE: Moving Toward Racial Reconciliation, to be published by WaterBrook next fall (10/15/19), and founder of the non-profit Be the Bridge, an organization that focuses on racial reconciliation, was recently selected as a Resident in Facebook’s Community Leadership Program. LaTasha is one of five Residents worldwide, the only one from North America, in this newly-created program, which comes with up to $1 million in grant money for Be the Bridge.

Portfolio’s Seth Godin to Receive Jack Covert Award
13 December 2018

Seth Godin is the recipient of the fifth annual Jack Covert Award for Contribution to the Business Book Industry, it was announced by business book authority 800-CEO-READ. The Jack Covert Award is named for 800-CEO-READ’s now-retired founder and president. Covert played a major role in the expansion of the business book industry and the award recognizes others central to the industry’s growth and success.

On Monday, December 10, Penguin Random House U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh joined a panel discussion with several authors as part of the “Who Owns the Word” speaker series co-presented by the Authors Guild and the New York Public Library.

At last month’s 8th annual YALLFest – one of the largest teen book festivals in the world, bringing some 70 authors and 12,500 fans to Charleston, South Carolina -- Random House Children’s Books colleagues asked attendees to pose with branded WONDER march signs for the WONDER photo wall.

2019 Dates for Final Leg of Michelle Obama’s Book Tour Announced
11 December 2018

After a highly successful 2018 12-event arena tour across 10 cities, Live Nation and Crown Publishing are pleased to announce that additional dates and cities have been added to “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama.” Click here for a video compilation from Mrs. Obama’s tour thus far.

Business book authority 800-CEO-READ has announced the shortlist for the company’s 12th annual Business Book Awards and Penguin Random House imprints publish four of the eight titles. The shortlist spans the breadth of the business genre. 800-CEO-READ will announce the 2018 Business Book of the Year at their annual awards ceremony and business book industry celebration in New York City on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

PRH Grupo Editorial’s Verónica Cervera Earns B&N Award
10 December 2018

Verónica Cervera, Sales Manager at Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, was presented with the Barnes & Noble Rep of the Year Award for University Press, Small Press or Specialty Publishing last week. Verónica has been at Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial USA for 23 years (including 19 years with Santillana USA), giving her great expertise in the US Hispanic market. She specializes in several Spanish-language categories, including Fiction, Nonfiction, Romance, Children’s, Cooking and Motivational, among others.

Our colleague Laurie Stark, Vice President, Business Process and Support, Penguin Random House, was honored by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) a Service Award at the Committee Town Hall Celebration event on Thursday, December 6 in New York. She received the BISG’s Industry Connector Award, which recognizes "an individual whose work helps BISG serve as an information hub for the industry." Warm congratulations to Ms. Stark on this well-deserved recognition.

Nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Thursday morning, December 6th, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Many of the nominees, in both television and film, are adaptations of Penguin Random House books. You can access the entire list of nominees at Variety.com. Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will host the 2019 Golden Globes Awards on January 6th. Before then, we highly recommend reading the writing that gave rise to your favorite viewing:

As is tradition, Barnes & Noble presented publisher-achievement awards at their annual holiday party Wednesday night, December 5, and I’m pleased to share the news that three of our colleagues were recognized. These special honors are voted on by the B&N buyers, and this year’s focus was on those reps that delivered most on sales, as well as initiatives that helped differentiate Barnes & Noble in the marketplace.

Two Tana French Novels Adapted for DUBLIN MURDERS TV Series
6 December 2018

Tana French’s first two novels, IN THE WOODS and THE LIKENESS (both bestsellers published by Viking/Penguin), are being adapted into an eight-episode television crime drama series, Dublin Murders, to air on Starz in 2019. Starz acquired U.S. and Canadian broadcast rights from Freemantle. Production is underway in Belfast and Dublin. Killian Scott (C.B. Strike) and Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful) lead the cast as detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox, central characters in French’s Dublin Murder Squad series.

NPR Celebrates 25 Years of Riverhead
6 December 2018

NPR’s Selected Shorts partnered with Symphony Space to host a memorable evening honoring 25 years of Riverhead Books on Wednesday, November 28. An assortment of Broadway actors read aloud six different short stories, and some of Riverhead’s marquis authors took the stage along with them, including National Book Award winner James McBride, two-time National Book Award finalist Lauren Groff, and story writers Daniel Alarcón and Lesley Nneka Arimah.

Penguin Random House U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh will participate in the Who Owns the Word speaker series at the New York Public Library (476 Fifth Avenue) on Monday, December 10 to share her industry-leading insights on promoting and supporting authors and championing free speech. Co-presented with the Authors Guild, Who Owns the Word is a series of discussions led by journalists, authors, and industry leaders regarding the future of published writing in our increasingly competitive and digital era. The event begins at 6:30 pm.

This year, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, began at sundown on Sunday, December 2nd and will last until sundown on Monday, December 10th. Hanukkah is Hebrew for “dedication" and commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek army, the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and restoring its menorah, or lamp. The “miracle” of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple lamp for one day, and yet it lasted for eight full days. As families gather to light the menorah, enjoy latkes, and exchange gifts, we are highlighting the following popular Hanukkah titles for young readers:

Winners of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced and feature 4 books published by Penguin Random House imprints in the Fiction, Romance, Memoir & Autobiography, and Food & Cookbooks categories. Heralded as the only major book prizes determined by readers, the Goodreads Choice Awards are a true reflection of public opinion. Congratulations to all of our award-winning authors as well as their editors and publishers.

Last month, Riverhead Executive Editor Courtney Young spent a week in Amsterdam as part of a fellowship hosted by the Dutch Foundation for Literature. The fellowship was intended to introduce English-language nonfiction editors to the publishing market in the Netherlands and build relationships between Dutch, English, and American publishers. Courtney joined nine editors from the UK – including Penguin Random House UK editors Jack Ramm from Viking, Sarah Rigby from Hutchinson, and Laura Stickney from Penguin Press – for visits to bookstores, publishers, and art galleries, where they networked and heard mini-lectures on art, philosophy, history, politics, and science.

Looking for Daily Inspiration?
3 December 2018

Penguin Random House has launched a Good Vibes skill for Amazon Alexa that provides a daily dose of inspiration from PRH’s bestselling books and authors. The skill features a wide range of uplifting, motivational quotes from audiobooks narrated by many of our authors, including Mindy Kaling, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Gilbert, William Shatner, Gretchen Rubin, Nick Offerman, and Fred Rogers , among others.

People around the world are mourning the passing of George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, who died on Friday, November 30, at the age of 94, at his home in Houston, Texas. His last words – “I love you, too” – were spoken to his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd President, author 41: A PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER, among other books. He announced the death of his “dear dad” Friday night, saying, “George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.”

Josie Silver’s ONE DAY IN DECEMBER is the New “Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine” Book Pick
3 December 2018

Reese Witherspoon has selected Josie Silver’s captivating American debut, ONE DAY IN DECEMBER (Broadway Books), as her “Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine” book pick for December. Upon making the announcement on Saturday, December 1, Witherspoon tweeted: “Do you believe in love at first sight? We think you’ll fall head over heels for this month’s book pick: #OneDayInDecember by @JosieSilver_! When Laurie locks eyes with a stranger one day in December, she feels an instant connection—and spends the next year looking for him.”

Michelle Obama's BECOMING Is The Best Selling Book of 2018
30 November 2018

Penguin Random House announced today that former First Lady Michelle Obama’s memoir BECOMING sold more than 2 million units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada during the first 15 days of its publication on November 13. According to NDP BookScan data, the hardcover edition of BECOMING has sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018.

Have you noticed that, in the competitive lexicon of one-word responses, “perfect!” seems to have overtaken “absolutely!” in our communiques? While we strive to be judicious with our superlatives and keep it real even in e-mail, our use of “perfect” is surely well-intentioned. In titles, the word “perfect” often tips to a story of unraveling ideals, and sometimes horror. Find out for yourselves in this selection of novels… just how perfect are they?

Our NYTBR “Notable Children’s Books of 2018” & “Best Illustrated Books of 2018”
28 November 2018

In their Sunday, December 2 print edition, the New York Times Book Review presents “the best” of this year’s picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, in the opinion of the publication’s children’s books editor. Five of the twenty-five are published by our Penguin Young Readers and Random House Children’s Books imprints.

Netflix has partnered with The Roald Dahl Story Company to extend the Roald Dahl universe of stories for global family audiences with an exclusive new slate of original animated event series, based on the books from the acclaimed and award-winning author’s best-selling library, including CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, MATILDA, THE BFG, THE TWITS, and many other beloved titles, published in the U.S. by Penguin Young Readers Puffin imprint.

Bay Area colleagues take note: Kirsten Gillibrand, the United States Senator from New York, is discussing her new book, BOLD & BRAVE: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers), on Friday, November 30, at the Nourse Theater in San Francisco as part of Books Inc’s City Arts & Lecture series. This special event begins at 7:30 p.m.

Today it was announced that Margaret Atwood’s forthcoming novel, THE TESTAMENTS, will be published on September 10, 2019. THE TESTAMENTS is set fifteen years after Offred’s final scene in The Handmaid’s Tale and is narrated by three female characters.

Michelle Obama’s memoir, BECOMING, is soaring as she holds audiences in rapt attention at sold-out events across the country. At least part of Michelle Obama’s popularity is the perspective she offers from the 8 years she spent as First Lady of the United States and our fascination with the role as well as the lives and accomplishments of the women who have inhabited the position. In fact, Penguin Random House has published a number of excellent biographies and memoirs of other First Ladies, a selection of which you may find here, accompanying BECOMING, for your reading or gift-giving pleasure:

Authors Launch Facebook Campaigns for Giving Tuesday
27 November 2018

As part of the annual campaign #GivingTuesday, Penguin Random House authors are supporting chosen causes as part of a donation match drive led by Facebook and PayPal. Three authors have been highlighted by Facebook to shine a light on their efforts and maximize giving. Credit goes to their marketing representatives Elina Vaysbeyn (Dutton); Jin Yu (Berkley); and Brianne Sperber and Shauna Barry (Crown) for helping to make these connections. Since launching these donation drives, the authors have already raised tens of thousands of dollars in contributions.

Hank Green, supporting Partners in Health
Laurell K. Hamilton, supporting COMTREA, a not-for-profit comprehensive health center
Shalane Flanagan, supporting New York Road Runners Team for Kids

As a reminder: all authors are encouraged to participate in #GivingTuesday and can find fundraising set up and tips here: https://www.facebook.com/fundraisers/ For any questions, please reach out to Kate Rados.

Penguin Random House and Worldreader Team Up for Giving Tuesday
27 November 2018

We are proud to announce that starting today, on Giving Tuesday, November 27, all purchases made through PRH.com will include a donation to Worldreader, our long-term partner organization that champions digital reading, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A $1 contribution for each purchase from Penguin Random House will ensure that one new eBook is made available to students in Worldreader programs. This special event will run for one week on PRH.com, from November 27 until December 4.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers to Publish R.J. Palacio’s Debut Graphic Novel
26 November 2018

R.J. Palacio, author of the blockbuster phenomenon WONDER, makes her graphic novel debut with WHITE BIRD: A Wonder Story, an unforgettable tale about the power of kindness in a time of war, it was announced by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. WHITE BIRD will be published on September 3, 2019, with a first printing of 250,000. Knopf acquired North American open market rights from Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media.

Have plans tonight? You are invited to join New York Times bestselling author and prominent sports journalist Mike Lupica for a special Monday night event at Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., Lupica will discuss ROBERT B. PARKER’S BLOOD FEUD (Putnam, 11/27), then participate in an audience Q&A before signing books. Go and you will still be able make it home in time to watch Monday Night Football.

Kristin Cochrane, CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, has for the fourth time been named to Toronto Life magazine's “50 Most Influential” list.

Our Appreciation for Teachers Nationally: PRH 2018 Teacher Awards at NCTE
21 November 2018

The Penguin Random House Foundation’s 2018 Teacher Awards for Literacy winners received their well-deserved grants at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention during its opening session on November 15 in Houston, TX. These hard working educators applied to the PRH Teacher Awards for Literacy and earned the top awards by successfully engaging their students to become lifelong readers through unique reading programs like our first place recipient’s “MONSTER LITERACY NIGHT” and the Maya Angelou Teacher Award for Poetry recipient’s “DRAFGON FLY CAFÉ.” Each unique reading program connected student readers with students outside their classrooms as well as the greater local community - creating even a greater impact.

There's a Book for That: Thanksgiving
21 November 2018

Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides. ― Anne Lamott Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving – a time where many will be gathering with family and friends for a feast. The original American holiday, Thanksgiving is also a time for connecting with, and serving, our communities as we reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives. With this in mind, we give thanks for a varied harvest of books that help nourish us, literally and figuratively!:

Last week, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Janet Evanovich, celebrated the launch of her milestone 25th Stephanie Plum novel, LOOK ALIVE TWENTY-FIVE, published by Putnam on November 13.

The "100 Notable Books of 2018" selected by the editors of the New York Times Book Review will include 40 titles published by our U.S. imprints: 19 Fiction & Poetry and 21 Nonfiction. Their complete list is now online, and will be published in the Sunday, December 3 edition. Here are this year's Penguin Random House "Notable Books":

Edugyan’s WASHINGTON BLACK (Knopf U.S.), 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize (Canada) Winner
20 November 2018

WASHINGTON BLACK, an epic 19th-century globe-spanning adventure by Esi Edugyan, published in the U.S. by Knopf and Random House Audio, has been selected as the 2018 winner of Canada’s most prestigious award for excellence in fiction, the Scotiabank Giller Prize. The award was announced Monday, November 19 at a dinner in Toronto attended by the five judges and leading members of the national and local cultural community, including Kristin Cochrane and our colleagues at Penguin Random House Canada.

Penguin Random House Donates RHCB and PYR Children’s Titles to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
19 November 2018

In the wake of the tragic Pittsburgh synagogue shooting last month, Kristen Keller, a librarian at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill “turned to books” for grief support. After she created a “wish list” for her library, Penguin Random House Sales and Customer Service quickly responded, setting in motion donations of multiple copies of such Random House Children’s Books titles as ALL ARE WELCOME, WE RISE, WE RESIST, WE RAISE OUR VOICES, ELMORE, THE FOREVER TREE and I WALK WITH VANESSA: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness and such Penguin Young Readers titles as HARBOR ME, LOVE and THE RABBIT LISTENED.

Penguin Random House has announced that BECOMING, the highly anticipated memoir by Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, sold more than 725,000 units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada on the first day of its publication, Tuesday, November 13.

On Thursday, November 15, while in Los Angeles for her BECOMING book tour, former First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise visit to the Para Los Niños Tina and Rick Caruso Early Education Center, located in Skid Row, to spend time and read with a group of four-year-old children from an underserved area of L..A.

Simon Sinek Partners with Portfolio on New Imprint, OPTIMISM PRESS
15 November 2018

Simon Sinek, the New York Times bestselling author of START WITH WHY, LEADERS EAT LAST, TOGETHER IS BETTER, FIND YOUR WHY, and the forthcoming THE INFINITE GAME, is partnering with his longtime publisher, Portfolio, to launch a new imprint called Optimism Press.

Attention Colorado colleagues with middle-grade level children: Jeff Seymour, author of NADYA SKYLUNG AND THE CLOUDSHIP RESCUE (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers), is presenting his new book on Monday, November 19, at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. The event begins at 7:00 p.m., beginning with a reading, followed by a discussion and book signing.

Riverhead’s THE FRIEND by Sigrid Nunez 2018 NBA Fiction Winner
15 November 2018

We celebrate THE FRIEND by Sigrid Nunez, published by Riverhead, chosen by the panel of five judges from 368 submissions, as the recipient of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, announced this evening at the annual National Book Foundation dinner in downtown Manhattan.

Fletcher Knebel’s novel NIGHT OF CAMP DAVID was a radical look at the presidency in 1965, exploring what our nation’s leaders would do if they came to discover that the president was unstable and unfit to continue in office. Fifty-three years later, this prescient novel that poses the question “What would happen if the President of the USA went stark-raving mad?” still resonates in America’s discussion of national politics and problems that are all too real. On November 20, Vintage will reissue NIGHT OF CAMP DAVID in paperback and as an eBook. The novel will also be available as an audio book from Random House Audio on the same date.

PRH to Install Water Bottle Filling Stations to Help Reduce Plastic Pollution
14 November 2018

Help Penguin Random House reduce plastic pollution and protect our oceans by using our new water refilling stations. We are happy to announce that Water Bottle Filling Stations will be installed on our floors at 1745 Broadway. Responding to frequent requests from many of you at both our uptown and downtown NYC locations, and in support of our sustainability efforts, our company has acquired FW-PRO Kitchen Counter Water Purifiers. In addition to saving money, you can now also help reduce and eliminate plastic pollution as part of your daily routine.

Portfolio Acquires New Book on Justice Brett Kavanaugh from NYT Reporters Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin
14 November 2018

New York Times journalists Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin have reached a publishing agreement with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, for a new book about the early years of the newest Associate Justice, titled THE EDUCATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH. Executive Editor Bria Sandford acquired world, audio and eBook rights from PJ Mark of Janklow & Nesbit Associates.

November is National Novel Writing Month and where would we be without our novelists? We marvel at their feats of imagination, storytelling gifts, research, craft and discipline. But the road to publication is usually a long one, rife with hills and valleys. That brave, creative journey is all the more reason to celebrate the following selection of debut novels published this year – spanning genre and region, but each having received myriad accolades from reviewers, librarians, booksellers and the reading public:

More Than 70 of Our Books are Finalists for 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards
13 November 2018

Finalists for the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced and feature 72 titles published by Penguin Random House imprints as well as Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) client publishers, across such categories as Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Horror, Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir & Autobiography, History & Biography, Science & Technology, Food & Cookbooks, Graphic Novels & Comics, Poetry, Debut Author, Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, Middle Grade & Children’s Books and Picture Books. This year, there is a new category, Best of the Best, where you can choose your favorite Goodreads Choice Award winner of the past ten years. Votes for the Finalists for the Goodreads Best Books of the Year can be cast through November 26. Here are our Goodreads Choice Awards 2018 Finalists:

Colleagues in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. take note: Ten Speed Press author Blair Imani will be discussing her new book, MODERN HERSTORY: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History, during a special event @ Politics and Prose at Union Market in DC on Wednesday, November 14. Imani will be in conversation with Mia Ives-Rublee, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

THIS JUST IN: O, The Oprah Magazine and OWN announced this morning that it has chosen Michelle Obama’s BECOMING its newest Oprah’s Book Club selection. In making the announcement, Oprah Winfrey said, “This book is everything you wanted to know and so much you didn’t even know you wanted to know. I believe it’s going to spark within you the desire to think about your own becoming … It’s so well-written I can hear her voice; I can hear her expressions; I can feel her emotion. What she allows us to see is how she was able to discover, define and then refine her voice.”

This morning, Amazon.com announced its selections for the Best Books of 2018, naming Tara Westover’s EDUCATED: A Memoir(Random House) the Best Book of the Year and Kekla Magoon’s THE SEASON OF STYX MALONE (Wendy Lamb Books) #1 Children’s Book.

Election-Day Opening: THE FRONT RUNNER, the Film Adaptation of Matt Bai’s ALL THE TRUTH IS OUT
6 November 2018

THE FRONT RUNNER, the new film starring Hugh Jackman, based on Matt Bai’s Vintage book, ALL THE TRUTH IS OUT: The Week Politics Went Tabloid, opens in theaters nationwide today, November 6, Election Day. Chronicling the promising rise and rapid fall of Colorado Senator Gary Hart as a U.S. presidential candidate, the book and film present a tour de force portrait of the American way of politics at the highest level, deepening our understanding of how we elect our presidents and how the bedrock of American values has shifted under our feet.

Penguin Random House and zulily Host Books for Kids’ “Buy 1, Give 1” Campaign
5 November 2018

To kick off the season of giving while also celebrating National Family Literacy Month in November, zulily, the online retailer obsessed with bringing special finds to its customers every day, is teaming up with Penguin Random House to help provide books to children in need across the U.S. There’s nothing quite like the immersive, imagination-inspiring power of books. Storytime is a treasured pastime for all, but many children may not have the opportunity to experience the magic of books.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 6. In a novel new way to help #BooktheVote and inspire more people to go to the polls, Penguin Young Readers and HeadCount , a non partisan voter engagement organization, have teamed up to create Election Mad Libs. Players can choose their own nouns, verbs and adjectives, and also fill in how and where they’ll vote. If someone doesn’t know their polling location, a link appears where they can easily access that information. The game makes it easier than ever for voters to create an Election Day plan for themselves – a practice that’s proven to increase the chances someone will vote.

The Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction, the most prestigious nonfiction award in the UK, has announced its six-title 2018 shortlist. Three of the finalists are published in the U.S. by Penguin Random House imprints. Formerly known as the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Baillie Gifford Prize aims to reward the best of nonfiction and is open to authors of any nationality, honoring all nonfiction in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Cheer On Our Colleagues Running in Sunday's New York City Marathon
2 November 2018

Penguin Random House will be well represented at this year’s New York City Marathon, which takes place across NYC’s five boroughs on Sunday, November 4. Among the more than 50,000 participants, there will be at least six of our colleagues – three first-timers and four veterans – running the 26.2-mile course. Whether you will be among those who observe the race live in the city or catch parts of it on television, we encourage you to join us in cheering on — in person or in spirit -- our runners. And make note of their marathon bib numbers, shown below, to help you pick them out along the course. Meet our Penguin Random House 2018 NYC Marathoners

Friday Reads: Shirley Jackson
2 November 2018

So long as you write it away regularly nothing can really hurt you. - Shirley Jackson For Dia De Los Muertos, we honor Shirley Jackson, who died at the young age of 49 in 1965, but is enjoying a renaissance: The Haunting of Hill House is a hit Netflix series and "The Lottery" is celebrating 70 years since its publication in The New Yorker. Jackson’s literary legacy has perhaps never been stronger with recent coverage in Rolling Stone, Bustle, Mental Floss, to name but a few. Certainly, a new generation is discovering her oevre – from horror to humor. You are hereby invited to enter the world of Shirley Jackson's imagination:

Anne Lamott Believes “Truth is Hope”
1 November 2018

Time for hope? Beloved Riverhead author Anne Lamott believes so. In a major New York Times profile, Lamott is declared the “Lefty Guru of Optimism”: “Like a feminist C.S. Lewis, Anne Lamott talks about God, politics and other unmentionables, and gently exhorts her readers, as she does herself, to find joy in a bleak and chaotic world.” As Lamott shares, she came to

Happy Halloween! Whether you are in costume, trick-or-treating or on door duty, get in the spirit with this gathering of ghost stories for all ages. These storytellers sure know how to put the BOO in books!

The Stranger Things publishing program officially launched on Tuesday, October 30, with the on-sale of STRANGER THINGS: Worlds Turned Upside Down from Del Rey, shortly followed by a children’s title, HOW TO SURVIVE IN A STRANGER THINGS WORLD, on sale in two weeks (11/13). To celebrate, Del Rey and Random House Children’s Books brought a taste of Hawkins, Indiana to the 1745 Broadway lobby.

The eagerly-awaited BEASTIE BOYS BOOK goes on sale today, October 30, in hardcover and eBook editions from Spiegel & Grau and as an audiobook from Random House Audio. Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip-hop superstardom. For more than thirty years, this band has had an inescapable and indelible influence on popular culture.

Penguin Random House U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh delivered the keynote address earlier this week at the Toronto International Festival of Authors to an audience of several hundred industry colleagues and authors in Canadian publishing.

Featured Author Event: Melissa Savage (Denver)
26 October 2018

Attention Colorado colleagues with children: young readers author Melissa Savage will talk about and read from her new Random House Children’s Books title, THE TRUTH ABOUT MARTIANS, at BookBar in Denver on Saturday, October 27, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Melissa will also be signing copies of her charming middle-grade novel, packed with adventure and heart, about a boy and his best friends, who set out to discover the aliens that crash-landed next to their Roswell, New Mexico farm.

Friday Reads: Witch Lit
26 October 2018

Something witchy this way comes… In the spirit of Halloween we’ve gathered a coven of books which are sure to cast a spell on you this weekend!

The 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction six-title shortlist has been announced and includes 4 books published by Penguin Random House imprints. Established by the American Library Association in 2012, the Carnegie Medals for Excellence serve as an ALA guide to help adults select quality reading material.

Attention colleagues in New York and Washington, D.C: Neil MacGregor, former head of the British Museum (and author of the bestselling A History of the World in 100 Objects, and the recent Germany: Memories of a Nation) will be discussing his beautifully illustrated new book, LIVING WITH THE GODS: On Beliefs and Peoples (Knopf, Oct. 30) at special events next week in NYC and DC. On Monday (10/29), MacGregor appears at the Morgan Library & Museum (225 Madison Avenue), with his talk to begin at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday (11/1), he will be at The Smithsonian (S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, S.W.), doors opening at 6:15 p.m., with his presentation, audience Q&A, and book signing concluding by 8:45 p.m.

Since Book the Vote launched in early September, we have seen amazing enthusiasm and energy from our authors, readers, and employees who have spread the word about this campaign. Thanks to your great work, there have been 36 million unique web impressions for the hashtag #BooktheVote!

Behind the Pages of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ART & ARCANA
24 October 2018

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ART & ARCANA: A Visual History, published on October 23 by Ten Speed Press, is an illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the iconic role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, illustrations, and visual ephemera behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. The superstar author team of Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson and Sam Witwer created the most comprehensive collection of D&D imagery ever assembled. There are more than 700 pieces of artwork—from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements, and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts. In this “Behind the Pages” Igloo interview, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS authors discuss their passion for the game and its colorful history, what was involved in putting this book together, the project’s personal rewards, and their views on why Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign, symbolized by pink ribbons, to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. Please find below a selection of some of the best books Penguin Random House publishes to educate and support those confronting breast cancer. Visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month for more information.

Featured Author Events: Ryder Carroll (Brooklyn, Manhattan)
23 October 2018

Ryder Carroll is the author of THE BULLET JOURNAL METHOD: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future, on sale from Portfolio today, October 23. Read on for details about this book and two special author events. Everyone is invited to hear Ryder talk about his new book in conversation with Amber Rae at a book launch tonight at Powerhouse Arena (28 Adams St.) in Brooklyn, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night, October 24, at NYC’s NeueHouse (110 E 25th St.), Ryder will engage in a discussion and experiential event in conversation with New York mag “Science of Us” editor and fellow Portfolio author Melissa Dahl, whose book, CRINGEWORTHY: A Theory of Awkwardness, was published last February, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. RSVPs are required for the Wednesday (10/24) event. To RSVP, click here.

Can a book jacket design be so iconic and recognizable that it can have a life beyond the book itself? This was the question addressed at an art + design conference, October 19-20, in Milan, Italy by the Riverhead Art Director Helen Yentus and Riverhead Associate Publisher Jynne Dilling Martin. The Italian cultural foundation Mondadori partnered with Mimaster Illustrations to fly Helen and Jynne to Milan, where they spoke to professional illustrators, designers, editors and publishers about the unique Riverhead approach to design. They described how each jacket is created in a collaborative process with publicity and marketing, so it can be carried through a campaign and used across many platforms. The team asked if the design can become the visual “identity” for the book, even when stripped of its text. Helen (far left) and Jynne (far right) are pictured with the Mondadori and Mimaster Illustration executives.

Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s largest retail bookseller, has announced that Dr. Seuss’s THE GRINCH will take over its stores this holiday season, with special displays in 536 stores featuring exclusive books, holiday ornaments, puzzles, games and toys starting today, Monday, October 22. B&N’s bookstores around the country will also be hosting a free Grinch Storytime on Saturday, November 3, ahead of the November 9 release of The Grinch movie, based on Dr. Seuss’s timeless book, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! (Random House Children’s Books).

Featured Author Event: Jill Soloway (San Francisco)
22 October 2018

Attention colleagues in the San Francisco Bay Area: Jill Soloway will be discussing and signing copies of their new Crown Archetype book, SHE WANTS IT: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy on Wednesday, October 24, at Kanbar Hall in San Francisco. Hosted by the JCC of San Francisco, the event promises to be a night of candor, humor and creative brilliance, charting Jil’s evolution from straight, married mother of two to identifying as queer and nonbinary.

Milestone Spotlights feature an interview with a recent recipient of a Penguin Random House Milestone Award, which is given out to employees who have reached 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and more years of service with the company. The Employee Milestone Spotlight interview allows us to celebrate our colleagues’ service by highlighting their successes within the company, and is a chance for them to share some fun and personal information about themselves. This month, we shine the spotlight on Dave Zimmer, Manager, Corporate Communications. He celebrated his 15-year milestone earlier this year. Get the scoop on Dave by checking out his interview below:

Friday Reads: Thurber Prize for American Humor
19 October 2018

Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility. - James Thurber Let’s all resolve to laugh more! Thurber House (the home of humorist, author, and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber) has unveiled the finalists for the $5,000 Thurber Prize for American Humor. The winner will be announced December 5 in Columbus, Ohio. Among this year’s finalists are two Penguin Random House titles which we’ve paired with books by James Thurber himself and previous Thurber Prize winners. It’s their world and welcome to it…

CITY OF DOGS Author & Photographer Kick Off NYC Tour In Conversation with Jacqueline Woodson
19 October 2018

Ken Foster and photographer Traer Scott kicked off their five-borough tour for CITY OF DOGS: New York Dogs, Their Neighborhoods, and the People Who Love Them, just on-sale from Avery, with a fantastic event at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn. The two were in conversation with fellow Penguin Random House author Jacqueline Woodson, who is featured in the book with her dogs, Toffee and Shadow (you can check out an excerpt of Jacqueline’s chapter on The Bark). If you missed the Brooklyn CITY OF DOGS event, you can still catch Ken & Traer at Boris & Horton Dog Cafe in the East Village on 10/23, Comic Book Jones in Staten Island and Kew & Willow Books in Kew Gardens on 11/3, or Bronx Barx on 11/4. Furry friends are welcome to attend all events! The book and canines will be featured in an upcoming edition of The New York Times. Stay tuned!

Penguin Random House Acquires Will Smith’s Autobiography
19 October 2018

World-renowned actor Will Smith is writing his autobiography for Penguin Random House, with Penguin Press to publish the book in the U.S. Penguin Press Vice President & Publisher Scott Moyers acquired North American rights. Penguin Random House UK imprint Century will publish in the UK and Commonwealth, excluding Canada.

PRH Creative Writing Awards Alumnus Elizabeth Acevedo NBA Finalist
18 October 2018

Elizabeth Acevedo, an alumnus of Penguin Random House’s Creative Writing Awards (CWA), is a finalist for a 2018 National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category for her book, POET X (Harper Teen), a New York Times bestseller. Elizabeth was the recipient of a 2^nd place scholarship award of $5,000 for her poem “Vicious Cycle” in our 2006 CWA program – then called Bertelsmann’s World of Expression Scholarship program. $2.6 million dollars in scholarships have been awarded to New York City high school writers since the program’s inception in 1993.

Last week, Penguin Random House Education held their Tenth Annual Event for Educators. In partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and The Moth, our Education team hosted several dozen teachers in the L’Amour Room at 1745 Broadway for a storytelling workshop.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month - established in 2006 by Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center which “actively leads social change, so that bullying is no longer considered an accepted childhood rite of passage.” National Bullying Prevention Month recognizes bullying as a serious community issue that impacts education, physical and emotional health, and the safety and well-being of students. For ideas, events and resources visit: www.stopbullying.gov. To help parents and children avoid and overcome bullying, we offer the following fiction and nonfiction for parents, educators, children and teens:

Refinery29 recently posted How These Instagrammable Book Covers Are Tricking People Into Reading Romance by Elena Nicolaou, an article that explores the visual power of cover design on such romance novels as Jasmine Guillory’s THE WEDDING DATE, Helen Hoang’s THE KISS QUOTIENT and Alexa Martin’s INTERCEPTED. Nicolaou notes that these books (as well as several other titles mentioned) “have three crucial elements in common. First, they’re novelized takes on cinematic rom-com, in which the lovers’ banter is just as memorable as their sex scenes. Second, they’re sold as trade paperbacks, which are physically wider and more expensive than mass market romance novels. Finally, they’re published by Berkley.”

Music fan colleagues in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. take note: longtime jazz critic, columnist and author Nate Chinen will be discussing his new Pantheon book, PLAYING CHANGES: Jazz for the New Century, in conversation with Lauren Onkey, senior director of NPR Music, on Saturday, October 20, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m., at Politics & Prose Bookstore in D.C.

TSP Editor-In-Chief Lorena Jones on Yotam Ottolenghi and His New “SIMPLE” Cookbook
16 October 2018

Yotam Ottolenghi, bestselling cookbook author, renowned chef and restaurant owner, has collected 130 easy, flavor-forward recipes in his new Ten Speed Press book, OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE. Featuring Ottolenghi’s signature Middle Eastern–inspired flavors, all of the recipes are simple in at least (and often more than) one way: made in 30 minutes or less, with 10 or fewer ingredients, in a single pot, using pantry staples, or prepared ahead of time for deliciously simple meals. In this special “Behind the Pages” Igloo interview, Ten Speed Press Editor-In-Chief Lorena Jones shares personal insights into Ottolenghi’s singular cooking style, his impact on the American culinary landscape, the process involved when editing his books for US readers, and several of her favorite OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE recipes.

We are excited to announce that Penguin Random House has become the first book publisher to sign onto the Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, part of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA), which informs utilities and other suppliers what industry-leading, multinational companies are looking for when buying renewable energy from the grid. The program, which is supported by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), launched in July of 2014 with just 12 signatories. Penguin Random House is now the 78th company to sign.

Johns Hopkins University is naming a new building after Henrietta Lacks, a Baltimore woman whose cells were the basis of research for numerous modern medical breakthroughs. The building is planned for Hopkins’ East Baltimore campus and expected to be completed in 2022.

Former President Barack Obama posted a message on his Facebook page on Friday, October 12, that began, “I wanted to share a handful of books and articles that speak to the current political moment and something I’ve been talking about around the country this fall.” Among the books that Obama has read and recommends that everyone consider reading before Election Day on November 6 are three titles published by Penguin Random House imprints:

In its first week on-sale from TarcherPerigee, BLEND: The Secret to Co-Parenting and Creating a Balanced Family by Mashonda Tifrere with contributions from her co-parents—Swizz Beatz and his wife, Grammy-Award winning singer and songwriter Alicia Keys—sparked major media attention and exciting events, including a book launch celebration at Urban Zen in NYC. Pictured (left to right) Mashonda, her son Kasseem Jr., Alicia Keys, and Swizz Beatz.

Penguin Random House’s Big Presence @ New York Comic-Con 2018
12 October 2018

With 250,000 attendees, New York Comic-Con, October 4-7, was the biggest it’s ever been and continues to grow. Penguin Random House had a successful year with strong sales and appearances by many of our talented authors and illustrators. With events taking place at the Javits Center, Shop Studios, and Hammerstein Ballroom, this year’s show was packed with exciting programming.

This week Markus Zusak was the author of the moment at the Penguin Random House 1745 Broadway offices in NYC. Celebrating the October 9 Alfred A. Knopf publication of his extraordinary new novel, BRIDGE OF CLAY, the highly anticipated follow-up to his #1 international bestseller, THE BOOK THIEF, a dazzling display to herald the book’s release was featured in the 1745 lobby. It was a sight to behold and was graced by a visit from the author himself. Zusak is pictured with his editor, Erin Clarke, Senior Executive Editor, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Are you game? It’s that time of year again, as baseball’s magnificent Fall Classic approaches, but before you can play in the World Series, you have to get there. This weekend begins the league championship series’ in which baseball’s final four – the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers – will compete for that coveted World Series berth. To enhance your viewing, we’re pitching the following books we know to be hits…

Let’s hear it for the girls! It’s International Day of the Girl. Since its United Nation’s declaration in 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl, focused on the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting their empowerment and human rights. The theme for 2018 is “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force.” From unwomen.org: “The 1.1 billion girls of today’s world are challenging the status quo. They’re redefining girlhood, and they’re doing so against the odds. Across the world, girls face adversities that hinder their education, training and entry into the workforce. They have less access to information, communication technology and resources. And yet, they persist, they succeed. They are innovating technology to solve global challenges, they are standing up for the environment, they are raising their voices against violence and they are preparing to run for office.” Penguin Random House publishes an array of relevant books on the topic of girls in the world and we begin with a Nobel Prize winner:

Devoted readers of Tana French’s award-winning, bestselling “Dublin Murder Squad” novels, including THE TRESPASSER, THE SECRET PLACE and IN THE WOODS, will be mesmerized by THE WITCH ELM, her new spellbinding standalone mystery, published by Viking on Tuesday, October 9. This week’s Igloo Book Buzz selection has been called “Tana French’s best and most intricately nuanced novel yet. . . Get ready for the whiplash brought on by its final twists and turns.” –The New York Times

3 PRH Fiction Finalists for 2018 NBAs
10 October 2018

Presenting the five finalists for the 2018 National Book Awards published by Penguin Random House U.S. imprints:

Markus Zusak's U.S. Book Tour Includes Events This Week in NYC and Washington, DC
9 October 2018

With the October 9 Alfred A. Knopf publication of Markus Zusak’s new novel, BRIDGE OF CLAY, the international bestselling author is embarking on a 17-date national U.S. book tour, including events this week in New York City and Washington, DC. Colleagues in NYC and Westminster take note: on Wednesday, October 10, Zusak appears at Symphony Space in NYC. For Symphony Space event tickets, click here. On Friday, October 12, he will be at the Cleveland Park Public Library (presented by bookseller Politics & Prose) in DC. For Cleveland Park Public Library event tickets, click here.

Beloved international bestselling author Markus Zusak has written an extraordinary new novel, BRIDGE OF CLAY, published by Alfred A. Knopf on October 9. Began 13 years ago, Zusak’s latest brilliant tome is the story of five brothers, raised in a world run by their own rules. At the center of the family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.

Netflix has secured the rights to international bestselling author Blake Crouch’s upcoming novel RECURSION for Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beer’s Shondaland and Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho for a feature film as well as a television universe. RECURSION will be published by Crown on June 11, 2019.

Random House author Kelly Link is among the MacArthur Foundation’s 25 MacArthur Fellows of 2018, “extraordinarily creative people who inspire us all.” She will receive a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant” – $625,000 paid out over five years to people who "show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future.” Link was praised by the Foundation for “pushing the boundaries of literary fiction in works that combine the surreal and fantastical with the concerns and emotional realism of contemporary life."

Penguin Random House Expanding Its Local Publishing Presence To South East Asia In 2019
8 October 2018

On the eve of the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, the annual international celebration of the global book marketplace, Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade-book publisher, announces the extension and expansion of its commitment to local publishing in Asia, currently represented by its Penguin Random House North Asia and Penguin Random House India companies, with the launch of its Penguin Random House South East Asia publishing operation in 2019.

Crown Group, Grupo Editorial Author Nadia Murad Awarded 2018 Nobel Peace Prize
5 October 2018

Nadia Murad, a former captive of the Islamic State, was one of the two winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, announced today by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Her book, THE LAST GIRL, published by Crown Publishing Group imprint Tim Duggan Books, is an intimate memoir of survival, chronicling her harrowing and ultimately inspiring experiences.

The film rights for THE EDITOR, an upcoming Putnam title from Steven Rowley, have been acquired by Fox 2000. Greg Berlanti, director of Love Simon, has been set to direct and produce the film, as reported by Variety. Rowley will write the screenplay and executive produce, with Berlanti producing alongside Rob Weisbach and Sarah Schechter. Erin Siminoff and Molly Saffron will oversee for Fox 2000.

Andy Warhol was certainly prescient in 1968 when he said "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes" in a catalog for an exhibition of his work. Widespread fame has never been more available to the masses than in the 21^st century where digital cameras and the internet make “going viral” possible – for better or worse. Not surprisingly, internet fame is a tantalizing theme for novelists – for reasons of social commentary and compelling character studies. The following diverse books, for adult and young adults, all share a “video goes viral” plot point. Topping the charts, of course, is Hank Green’s debut novel:

Rose Byrne's Desert Island Books: PRH Publishes 6 of Her 10 Picks
4 October 2018

Actress Rose Byrne, most recently starring in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s JULIET, NAKED (Riverhead), was asked by bookseller One Grand Books to name 10 titles she would take to a desert island. Among her picks were 6 books published by Penguin Random House imprints. See these titles below, with personal thoughts about each one by Ms. Byrne:

20 of Our Titles Longlisted for 2019 Carnegie Medals for Excellence
4 October 2018

The 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Longlist has been announced and includes 20 books published by Penguin Random House imprints. Established by the American Library Association in 2012, the Carnegie Medals for Excellence serve as an ALA guide to help adults select quality reading material.

The Random House Group has announced it will publish long-time CEO, Chairman, and current Chairman Emeritus of Starbucks Howard Schultz’s most revelatory and visionary book yet, FROM THE GROUND UP: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America, on February 12, 2019. North American publishing rights, including audio and first serial, were acquired by Random House President Gina Centrello from Jennifer Rudolph Walsh of WME. The book will be edited by Chris Jackson for Random House.

There's a Book for That: Hispanic Heritage Month
2 October 2018

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15, during which time we honor the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate their heritage and culture. Hispanic Heritage Month, whose roots go back to 1968, begins each year on September 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this period and Columbus Day (Día de la Raza) is October 12 (observed this year in the U.S. on Monday, October 8). Enjoy the following array of titles for all ages – biography, cooking, history, poetry and fiction – to mark the occasion.

Two Penguin Random House Canada authors, plus one Penguin Random House U.S. author, are in the running for the 25^th-Anniversary Scotiabank Giller Prize, as finalists on the 2018 shortlist, announced on Monday.

Crown Publishing Group is thrilled to share the news that PBS and the New York Times selected Nate Blakeslee’s AMERICAN WOLF (Crown/Broadway Books) for their October Book Club. This title was an Amazon Best Science Book of the Year Selection, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, an IndieBound Bestseller, an NPR Science Friday Best Science Book of the Year Selection, and received numerous other accolades.

Our Colleagues Jen Loja and Phoebe Yeh Win CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Awards
1 October 2018

The Children’s Book Council's CBC Diversity Committee has announced the winners of the inaugural CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Awards. Among the award recipients are Jen Loja, President and Publisher of Penguin Young Readers, and Phoebe Yeh, VP & Co-Publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books. Jen Loja is honored for demonstrating “exemplary allyship by supporting diverse voices across PYRG’s publishing program and encouraging diversity and inclusion in hiring.” Phoebe Yeh is honored for supporting and helping launch the careers of some of today’s leading diverse voices, including Kwame Alexander, Ellen Oh, Lamar Giles, and Soman Chainani. “If it were not for Phoebe,” says the CBC, “the fight for diversity in children's books would be years or even decades behind what it is today.”

Colleagues in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. take note: this is the last weekend of the MLB regular season, and with no Nationals home games on tap, consider joining Ben Reiter for a discussion of his fascinating baseball book, ASTROBALL: The New Way to Win It All (Crown Archetype) on Saturday night, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Politics & Prose Bookstore in D.C.

Throughout Banned Books Week, September 23 – 29, we will be highlighting frequently banned and challenged books to help raise awareness of how the right to freedom of expression and the protection against censorship are essential to the development of our society and cultures around the world. Keep reading for Banned Books reading list inspiration, and stay tuned all week for more recommendations.

Attention fans of Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and David Grann: the film adaptation of Grann’s story, “The Old Man and the Gun,” opens in theaters today, September 28. Starring Redford, in what is being billed as his final screen role, The Old Man & the Gun is based on a story by Grann that was first published in The New Yorker in 2003, then included in Grann’s 2010 collection, THE DEVIL AND SHERLOCK HOLMES: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsession (Doubleday/Vintage), and now headlines a movie tie-in edition, THE OLD MAN & THE GUN: And Other Tales of True Crime, published by Vintage earlier this month.

Let’s send September out with literary strains on music…it’s Classical Music Month and we have a concert of excellent titles on composers for your reading, and listening, pleasure. Classical Music Month was first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1994. The proclamation eloquently states: “Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence…This month we exalt the many talented composers, conductors, and musicians who bring classical music to our ears. Whether in new American works or in the masterpieces of the great composers of old, music is a unifying force in our world, bringing people together across vast cultural and geographical divisions. Classical music speaks both to the mind and to the heart, giving us something to think about as well as to experience.”

Riverhead Pop-Up Reading Room Supports Banned Books Week
28 September 2018

Riverhead Books will host the latest installment of its Pop-Up Reading Room on Saturday, September 29, 1:00 – 4:00 pm at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in support of Banned Books Week. This much anticipated event has been covered in BookRiot and Culture Trip.

Random House Children’s Books and Puffin UK are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of a new picture book written by one of the world’s most famous and best loved grandfathers, Paul McCartney. HEY GRANDUDE! is Paul McCartney’s first picture book and will be published by the Random House Books for Young Readers imprint in the US and the Puffin imprint in the UK in September 2019. Penguin Random House Children’s MD Francesca Dow and Random House Children’s Books President & Publisher Barbara Marcus acquired world rights in a joint acquisition from Richard Ewbank at MPL Communications.

Throughout Banned Books Week, September 23 – 29, we will be highlighting frequently banned and challenged books to help raise awareness of how the right to freedom of expression and the protection against censorship are essential to the development of our society and cultures around the world. Keep reading for Banned Books reading list inspiration, and stay tuned all week for more recommendations.

How Francesco Sedita Transformed the “Who Was?” Bestselling Books into a Hit Netflix Series
27 September 2018

Francesco Sedita, President & Publisher of Penguin Workshop, was a featured speaker at Bertelsmann’s 2018 Venice Summit earlier this month. He wowed attendees when he talked about the creation The Who Was? Show Netflix series, based on the #1 New York Times bestselling Who Was? book series. Thirteen episodes of The Who Was? Show have aired on Netflix since the series premiered in May and helped propel the Who Was? books to the top of the New York Times children’s series bestseller list for the first time. In this “From Page to Screen” Igloo interview, Sedita provides insights into the genesis and production of The Who Was? Show Netflix series as well as the project’s most rewarding aspects and a look to the future.

Who is Michael Ovitz? The man himself says, “In twenty years I went from a complete unknown, to a comer, to being hailed as the most powerful man in Hollywood – invariably described as a gap-toothed, tightly scripted, secrecy obsessed superagent. After a few years of that, I became the most feared man in town. And once I left CAA (Creative Artists Agency, Inc.), when it was safe for everyone to vent, I became the most hated.”

Penguin Young Readers Launches “World of Eric Carle,” a New Imprint Dedicated to the Acclaimed and Beloved Author/Illustrator
26 September 2018

Penguin Young Readers has announced the launch of World of Eric Carle, a new imprint dedicated to the works of the acclaimed and beloved author and illustrator. Under the editorial leadership of Francesco Sedita, Publisher of Penguin Workshop, World of Eric Carle will focus on publishing books that are based in core values of discovery, creativity, learning and growing—all hallmarks of Eric Carle books. The imprint will launch in Winter 2019 with three all-new titles: CALM WITH THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, ERIC CARLE’S BOOK OF MANY THINGS, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. The launch coincides with the 50^th Anniversary of Carle’s iconic picture book, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR.

Yes, it’s Banned Books Week. Did you know that The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 354 challenges to library, school and university materials in 2017? According to the ALA, the year 2017 saw an increase in censorship attempts and a revitalized effort to remove books from communal shelves to avoid controversy. Of the 416 books challenged or banned in 2017, the following four Penguin Random House titles (here with ALA's annotation about the challenge) were on the Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged List:

Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, Inc., today announced a multi-year extension of its sales and distribution partnership with Soho Press, which began in 2011. Soho Press, an independent publisher of a wide range of literary fiction, young adult fiction, and international crime fiction, will continue to utilize the full portfolio of Penguin Random House's sales and distribution services.

If you’ve been following our posts about Book the Vote, you’ll know that today is National Voter Registration Day! Book the Vote is a Penguin Random House nonpartisan company-wide initiative dedicated to encouraging voter registration and voter turnout through employee and author engagement and to providing tools for brick and mortar stores across the country for this shared goal.

Our #BannedBooksWeek Reading List #2
25 September 2018

Prepare to be swept away by the adventures of April May in Hank Green’s AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING , an engaging, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she’s part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined. This week’s Igloo Book Buzz, published by Dutton today, September 25, grapples with big themes, including how the social internet is changing fame, rhetoric, and radicalization; how our culture deals with fear and uncertainty; and how vilification and adoration spring for the same dehumanization that follows a life in the public eye.

With its ongoing mission to invest in voices that reflect wide-ranging opinions that impact our society in meaningful ways, Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade publisher, is supporting this year’s Banned Books Week with major books and financial contributions. From September 23-29, thousands of libraries, schools, bookstores, and community centers across the nation and the world unite to celebrate the freedom to read without interference or censorship.

Friday Reads: International Peace Day
21 September 2018

“I have lost my smile, but don't worry. The dandelion has it.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh Today, September 21^st, is International Peace Day and so we are highlighting books for all ages about peace and from some revered peace workers including Thich Nhat Hanh. Celebrated each year around the world, International Peace Day was declared by The United Nations as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. For more information visit http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/.

Tim Duggan to be Honored with 2018 BIO Editorial Excellence Award
21 September 2018

Biographers International Organization (BIO) will present its fifth annual Editorial Excellence Award to Tim Duggan, Publisher of Tim Duggan Books, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, at a special BIO event on Wednesday, November 7, in Manhattan. There will be a celebration of Mr. Duggan’s work on behalf of his authors, with a discussion of the pleasures and challenges of editing, and of the state of the art of serious biography and nonfiction, at the Fabbri Mansion (also known as House of the Redeemer).

First Book and PBS have announced a partnership to distribute more than 350,000 brand new books to children in need through local PBS stations embedded in communities across the U.S., as part of The Great American Read. Penguin Random House was the first publisher to commit to this campaign as we continue to reinforce our leadership position in connecting our authors and books with readers everywhere. The Great American Read is a 9-hour, 8-episode PBS documentary series and public service campaign that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of 100 best-loved books (as chosen in a nationally-representative survey). Penguin Random House imprints publish 59 of the 100 titles on The Great American Read list.

Edugyan, Robertson Man Booker Finalists
20 September 2018

WASHINGTON BLACK, a novel by Esi Edugyan, published by Knopf and Random House Audio, and THE LONG TAKE by Robin Robertson, which Knopf will publish in January in the U.S., have been selected by the judges as two of six semi-finalists for the 2018 Man Booker Prize.

In an impressive display of recognition for both Penguin Random House Canada and the breadth of the company’s nonfiction publishing, three authors (out of five nominated authors) have been announced today to the shortlist for this year’s Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction:

Random House author Lynne Olson was one of the featured speakers at Carroll County Public Library’s “Day for Book Lovers” on September 17 at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Co-sponsored by Penguin Random House, the sold-out event was front-page news in the Carroll County Times, covered in the article Acclaimed Authors Enthrall Audience of 'Book Lovers' at McDaniel College by Catalina Righter. In the article’s lead photo, Olson is pictured, along with a glimpse of our Westminster Distribution Center colleague Annette Danek., who attended the event.

There's a Book for That: Yom Kippur
19 September 2018

This year, Yom Kippur began on September 18, at sundown and will end on September 19, at sundown. Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith and is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service. Yom Kippur is the culmination of the Ten Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance that follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. According to tradition, it is on Yom Kippur that God decides each person’s fate, so Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask forgiveness for transgressions committed during the past year. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are known as Judaism’s “High Holy Days.” In honor of the holiday, we invite you to explore the following titles:

Today marks the much anticipated Riverhead release of new work by Khaled Hosseini, one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the world. His short, illustrated book titled SEA PRAYER, our Igloo Book Buzz selection, has been called “essential” by the San Francisco Chronicle. It was written by Hosseini as a response to the current refugee crisis and the haunting image of young Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body was found washed up on the Turkish shore on this day three years ago. Kirkus, in a starred review, wrote, SEA PRAYER is “an emotional gut-punch” and “impossible to read without feeling intense compassion for those—and there are thousands—whose lives resemble those of the characters in the book.”

Hank Green to Launch His Debut Novel at NYC's Town Hall, with Special Guest John Green
18 September 2018

Dutton author Hank Green will launch his debut novel, AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING, at Town Hall in Manhattan on the book’s publication day, September 25, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are still available, but going fast! Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster by clicking here. Each ticket includes a pre-signed copy of AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING, a sweeping, cinematic tale about a young woman who becomes an overnight celebrity before realizing she’s part of something bigger, and stranger, than anyone could have possibly imagined.

PRHPS And Beacon Press Renew Sales And Distribution Partnership
18 September 2018

Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, Inc., today announced a multi-year extension of its sales and distribution partnership with Beacon Press. Beacon Press, an independent, nonprofit publisher of a wide range of serious nonfiction, including sociology, history, religion, biography and memoir, and literary nonfiction, will continue to utilize the full portfolio of Penguin Random House's sales and distribution services.

Penguin Random House Canada celebrates the announcement of six authors (out of 12 nominees) on the longlist for this year’s 25^th-Anniversary Scotiabank Giller Prize:

Clarkson Potter to Publish “TOGETHER: Our Community Cookbook” on September 25
17 September 2018

TOGETHER: Our Community Cookbook will be published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, on September 25. TOGETHER celebrates the power of cooking to connect us to one another. In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, a group of local women gathered together to cook fresh food for their families and neighbors.

From Page to Screen: Cristina Alger’s THE BANKER’S WIFE, a USA Today-bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller published by Putnam, will be adapted into a television series by Homeland producers Meredith Stiehm and Lesli Linka Glatter, featuring Rosamund Pike (a 2015 Best Actress Oscar nominee for her Gone Girl performance) in the starring role. The book was optioned earlier this summer by Federation Entertainment and Marsh Productions. They are currently pitching the project to cable and streaming networks.

Join our author Esi Edugyan for a discussion of her new Knopf novel, WASHINGTON BLACK, on Wednesday, September 19 at Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Esi will be in conversation with Knopf Senior Editor Diana Miller. The event, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will be followed by a wine reception to celebrate the book’s launch.

Congratulations to our Penguin Random House authors and their publishing teams who have been chosen by the respective five category judges as “longlisted” semi-finalists–including five of the ten Fiction titles–for the 2018 National Book Awards.

Have Friday night plans? New Yorkers and everyone else have the opportunity to see, hear and meet Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl, creators of the Ten Speed Press books RAD WOMEN WORLDWIDE and, most recently, RAD GIRLS CAN, at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. The event begins at 7:30 p.m., with a booksigning to follow the author discussion and audience Q&A.

Friday Reads: National Translation Month
14 September 2018

Did you know that September is National Translation Month? Founded in 2013 National Translation Month (NTM) is a celebration of translation throughout the month. From nationaltranslationmonth.org: “Language is a way to express the human experience, yet it also presents communication barriers. With the efforts of accomplished translators, however, those barriers can be overcome to foster artistic unity across linguistic boundaries.” In recognition of the art of translation, we are highlighting our most recent Pen Translation Prize nominees and winners along with this week’s announced 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS LONGLIST FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE. Finalists will be announced on October 10th and winners will be announced on November 14th, 2018. Your weekend reading is spoken for…

Here are the Penguin Random House titles longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award in Nonfiction.

Two Penguin Books authors are among the ten longlisted by the 2018 National Book Awards judges in the Poetry category:

Today, Live Nation and the Crown Publishing Group announced the fall 2018 dates for Michelle Obama’s live U.S. book tour events in support of her highly anticipated memoir, BECOMING. Produced by Live Nation, the 10-city U.S. tour will kick off in Mrs. Obama’s home town of Chicago on Tuesday, November 13, and will feature intimate and honest conversations between Mrs. Obama and a selection of to-be-announced moderators, reflective of the extraordinary stories shared in the wide-ranging chapters of her deeply personal book.

This year, the National Book Awards is debuting a new category: Translated Literature. We have two nominees on its 2018 Longlist:

McCullough, Partridge, Stamper NBA “Young People’s” Longlisters
12 September 2018

The 2018 National Book Awards season is officially underway with this week’s serial announcements of the ten titles “long-listed” in each of five categories.

Dear Colleagues, It is my great pleasure to announce that James Johnston, one of our most trusted leaders, is named global Chief Financial Officer of Penguin Random House, effective today, reporting to me.

The Great American Read “Fall Kick-Off” Premieres, Remember to Vote!
11 September 2018

PBS’ The Great American Read “Fall Kick-Off” episode premieres tonight on PBS, continuing this documentary series that celebrates America’s 100 best-loved novels (as chosen in a nationally-representative survey). You can vote online at http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/, via Facebook and Twitter, and you can also cast your votes by sending a Text Message to 97979, using a specific hashtag for each title. The hashtags for the books published by Penguin Random House can be found here. More details about your voting options, plus a complete directory of title hashtags, are viewable here. All Penguin Random House colleagues are encouraged to participate. Public voting will continue until October 18 at 12:00 midnight (PT), leading up to the “Grand Finale,” airing on October 23, when America’s Best-Loved Book will be announced.

Multiple authors and their books published by Penguin Random House imprints received awards at the 2018 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in St. Petersburg, Florida this past weekend.

The shortlist for the Center for Fiction’s 2018 First Novel Prize, annually awarded to the best debut novel of the year, has been announced. Among the seven finalists are three of our authors and their books published by Penguin Random House imprints:

How THE WONDROUS WORKINGS OF PLANET EARTH Entertains, Informs and Empowers Everyone
10 September 2018

Rachel Ignotofsky’s THE WONDROUS WORKINGS OF PLANET EARTH: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems presents an expansive and beautifully illustrated tour of our planet, exploring ecosystems large and small, from reefs, deserts, and rainforests to a single drop of water. Making earth science accessible and entertaining through art, maps, and infographics, this newly published Ten Speed Press book explains how our planet works – from its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants, to the levels of ecology, the importance of biodiversity, and the cycles of nature.

Saturday, September 8^th is International Literacy Day. Since 1989, the International Literacy Association’s Teachers’ Choices project has identified books that teachers, librarians, and literacy specialists consider exceptional for encouraging young people to read. Parents and families will also find these recommendations

Colleagues who will be in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. tonight take note: DeRay Mckesson, internationally recognized civil rights activist/organizer and host of the popular podcast, Save the People, will discuss his new Viking book, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: The Case for Hope, in conversation with Taylor Branch, author of

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of Putnam’s perennial bestseller WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? by Spencer Johnson. The Friday edition of The Washington Post features an in-depth article by long-time book reporter Ron Charles, titled “‘Who Moved My Cheese’ Became a Monster Hit. Twenty Years Later, We’re Still Wondering Why.”

New Release Spotlight: I’M AFRAID OF MEN by Vivek Shraya
6 September 2018

Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada, is thrilled to be publishing the urgent and essential I’M AFRAID OF MEN by trans writer and artist Vivek Shraya, whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, poetry, fiction, visual art, and film.

Celebrating Our 7 PW Star Watch 2018 Honorees
5 September 2018

Penguin Random House is proud to have 7 colleagues among this year’s 45 PW Star Watch honorees, recognized as “outstanding individuals who further the cultural and economic success of publishers, bookstores, and the industry at large,” as noted by Publishers Weekly, celebrating some of the “rising stars of our industry” in the fourth annual Star Watch program.

The U.S. Open Tennis Tournament is in full swing at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York City. Some of the highlights, and upsets, so far include Australian John Millman defeating his “hero” Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova losing to Spain's Carla Suárez Navarro. With all eyes on the ball this week, we’ve decided to serve some court-side reading to fans… aces all!

The film and television rights for SUCH A FUN AGE, an upcoming Putnam title from Kiley Reid, have been acquired by Emmy-winning actress, producer, and screenwriter Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Sight Unseen Pictures, as reported by Deadline.

The Anchor editions of Kevin Kwan’s fiction trilogy – CRAZY RICH ASIANS, CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND and RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS – command the top three positions, respectively, on the Sunday, September 9 New York Times Trade Paperback bestseller list — an almost unprecedented single-author-and-publisher trifecta last accomplished in 2012, by sister imprint Vintage, with E L James’s FIFTY SHADES trilogy. There are over 3.7 million copies of the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy in print in the U.S. and Canada, across all formats. And the Crazy Rich Asians Warner Bros. film has grossed $117 million in North America after just three weekends in theaters.

Penguin Random House is proud to announce Book the Vote, a new nonpartisan company-wide initiative to begin next month, aimed toward encouraging voter registration and voter turnout through author engagement, and by providing tools for brick and mortar stores across the country to create their own displays, community nights, and initiatives toward this shared goal. The idea was born out of the excitement about the forthcoming publication of GLIMMER OF HOPE: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement (Razorbill and Dutton Adult, October 16), written by the March for Our Lives founders. These incredible students just completed their “Road to Change” tour, registering voters in 50 events across the country. Penguin Random House is excited to continue this initiative, and to inspire authors and bookstores across the country to get involved.

Featured Author Event: Gary Shteyngart (NYC)
31 August 2018

New York Times bestselling Random House author Gary Shteyngart will be launching his new novel, LAKE SUCCESS, on Tuesday, September 4, with a talk and reading at Barnes & Noble Union Square in NYC. There will also be a book signing.

Labor Day weekend is upon us. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is dedicated to the achievements of American workers. What better way to honor work than by relaxing with a good book? Grab the snacks because we can’t think of anything that fits the bill more perfectly than books adapted for the big and smaller screen this season. Here’s a fine selection to complement your viewing:

Penguin Random House will have a big presence at the 18th Library of Congress National Book Festival, Saturday, September 1, at the Washington Convention Center, with 34 of our authors making presentations and holding book signings throughout the day, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Colleagues in the vicinity of DC this weekend take note, and admission is free.

During the last sweltering days of August in Manhattan, Penguin Random House extended its 25^th Anniversary CWA program to give a select group of recipients a deeper dive into writing with the “What’s Your Story” Summer Writer’s Retreat. Over four consecutive days young local writers generated new pieces, prompted by a potent array of writing exercises. Students were encouraged to share works-in-progress as well as bits of writing that may have been abandoned along the way.

Novelist John Larison Hears “The Story of The Person, not The Story of The Labels”
30 August 2018

John Larison’s WHISKEY WHEN WE’RE DRY, published last week by Viking, is a gritty and lyrical American epic about a young woman who disguises herself as a boy and heads West. In the spring of 1885, seventeen-year-old Jessilyn Harney finds herself orphaned and alone on her family’s homestead. Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. Told in Jess’s wholly original and unforgettable voice, the book draws readers into its expansive adventures that tangle with the myths that are entwined with our history.

Penguin Random House India Wins “Best Social Media Brands” Sammie Award
30 August 2018

Penguin Random House India has been honored at the Sammie Awards for the second year in a row. Our New Delhi colleagues won the Silver Award in the “Best Social Media Brands – Content Publisher” category. The Indian online platform Social Samosa, which presents the awards, researches trends and developments in social media marketing.

NO HARD FEELINGS Authors Blog About “The Evolution of Our Book Cover”
29 August 2018

Portfolio authors Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy were actively involved in the cover design of their upcoming book, NO HARD FEELINGS: Emotions at Work (and How They Help Us Succeed), on sale January 22, 2019. A visual exploration of how to embrace emotion at work and become more authentic and fulfilled while staying professional, this book combines practical advice and scientific research to give readers the tools they need. The authors recently created a blog that chronicled the design process: Behind the Book: The Evolution of Our Book Cover.

Students are heading back to school! Social media pages are filling up with updates and photos of the college-bound waving from car windows, standing in their dorm rooms - full of anticipation. This put us in mind of all the captivating novels set on campuses. We present a syllabus of such novels full of self-discovery, new relationships and intrigue:

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selections are HARBOR ME and THE DAY YOU BEGIN, on sale August 28, published by Nancy Paulsen Books. Both titles feature Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical writing and explore themes of building bridges and sparking empathy.

With a goal of expanding support for the higher-education market, Penguin Random House announces the launch of a new, far-reaching online platform uniquely designed to meet educators’ needs. Featuring a large collection of the publisher’s most frequently-adopted titles for hundreds of college courses, the site allows professors to more easily identify the books and resources most appropriate for a wide range of courses. Penguin Random House is the first trade publisher to provide this comprehensive and extensive a service across its front- and backlist.

John McCain: 1936 – 2018
27 August 2018

People around the world are mourning the passing of Senator John McCain, who died Saturday, August 25, at the age of 81. War hero, military and political maverick, two-time presidential contender, and devoted father, McCain was also the bestselling author of seven greatly admired books, the first four of which were published by Random House: FAITH OF MY FATHERS: A Family Memoir (1999), WORTH THE FIGHTING FOR: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him (2003), WHY COURAGE MATTERS: The Way to a Braver Life (2004), and CHARACTER IS DESTINY: Inspiring Stories We Should All Remember (2005). The co-author of all of McCain’s books was Mark Salter, who also served as the Senator’s speech writer and staff aide.

Colleagues in the Bay Area are invited to experience a celebration of diverse new literary voices. Vanessa Hua, San Francisco Chronicle columnist and author of the debut novel, A RIVER OF STARS (Ballantine), will be featured on a “Diverse Voices in Publishing” panel at Book Passage in San Francisco on Wednesday, August 29. Other panelists include Riverhead author R. O. Kwon (THE INCINDIARIES) and Doubleday author Ingrid Rojas Contreras (FRUIT OF THE DRUNKEN TREE). Also joining for this evening event will be authors Crystal Hana Kim and Lillian Li. Beginning at 7:00 p.m., the writers will each read from their debut novels, examining identity, family, and more.

Susan Kamil on the Enduring Resonance of GUERNSEY and the Novel’s Netflix Film Adaptation
27 August 2018

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways, was originally published by The Dial Press in 2008. Structured as a series of letters, this beloved novel quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller and a book club favorite. Fast forward to this summer, when Netflix released a film adaptation of GUERNSEY. Rave reviews have been rolling in, sparking renewed interest in the book, with Dial publishing a movie tie-in edition that has returned the title to the New York Times bestseller list. In this “From Page to Screen” Igloo interview, Susan Kamil, Executive Vice President, Publisher, Random House and The Dial Press, shares insights into the process of how GUERNSEY became a book, her impressions of the film adaptation, and why both the novel and film resonate so strongly with readers and viewers.

This week saw the publication of the much-anticipated novel, WHISKEY WHEN WE’RE DRY by John Larison. In honor of its American West setting, strong characters, family themes and gorgeous writing we’ve rounded-up others of its ilk for your weekend reading adventures:

Colleagues in Southern California take note: Random House author Joshua Cohen will be discussing his latest book, ATTENTION: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction, in conversation with his editor, Sam Nicholson, at Book Soup in West Hollywood on Sunday, August 26. This afternoon author event begins at 3:00 p.m. and will conclude with a book signing.

Worldcon Report: A Great Year for DAW at the 2018 Hugo Awards
24 August 2018

This year’s Worldcon, held August 16 – 20, in San Jose, California, was capped by the Hugos, the premier sci-fi and fantasy book awards. And it was a great year for DAW. Sheila E. Gilbert, DAW Co-Publisher and Vice President, won her second Hugo in the Best Editor--Long Form category. The Best Novelette Hugo went to author Suzanne Palmer (DAW is publishing her debut novel FINDER in April 2019).

August seems to be the month of the elephant. August 12^th was World Elephant Day, an auspicious birthdate for Zuli, a healthy male African elephant born that day to his mother “Ndlula” at San Diego’s Wild Animal Park. Science has taught us that elephants are some of the most intelligent, social and empathic animals around. Elephants' captivity is controversial, but conservation is a concern. This week, Carl Zimmer (SHE HAS HER MOTHER'S LAUGH) wrote in The New York Times about research showing elephants protect themselves with a unique gene that fights cancer which may help treatment in humans. Also this week, tragedy struck when two Tanzanians were trampled to death by elephants in Kenya: Clashes between people and wild animals are a growing problem in East Africa. These powerful mammals are the subject of the following fiction and nonfiction for all ages:

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is Christina Dalcher’s VOX, on sale today from Berkley. One of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated novels of the summer, VOX tells the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter when half the U.S. population has

In the ongoing spirit of us giving back to our communities, Penguin Random House has been a longtime supporter of Shakespeare in the Park, one of the cornerstones of the Public Theater’s mission to bring performing arts to the people of New York City. Since 1962, over five million people have experienced more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other

Attention all Brooklynites and everyone else: you are invited to enjoy what promises to be an entertaining evening with Mara Altman, author of the new Putnam book, GROSS ANATOMY: Dispatches From the Front (and Back), on Wednesday, August 22, at WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn. Described as “an honest, funny, neurotic, and totally gross love child of Mindy Kaling and Mary Roach,” Altman will present a talk/reading beginning at 7:30 p.m. and then sign copies of her book following a Q&A with the audience.

Reviewers Rave About GOOD LUCK WITH THAT as Author Kristan Higgins Embarks on National Tour
17 August 2018

Even before galleys were available, New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins’most personal novel to date, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, caused a stir, challenging readers to think about their views on weight and body image. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, a story of three lifelong friends who battle their own, very different issues with weight and body image and

Friday Reads: Aretha Franklin
16 August 2018

“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.” – Aretha Franklin

PRH’s “Grand Central Reads” Featured in New York Times’ “New York Today”
16 August 2018

Penguin Random House’s Grand Central Reads, launched earlier this summer in partnership with the MTA Metro-North Railroad, is featured in today’s edition of The New York Times’ “New York Today” column. Written by Molly Horan and Alexandra S. Levine, the article notes, “For those who prefer books to beats during your commute, Grand Central Reads may whet your literary appetite. Until the end of August, you can download and read book excerpts about New York and by New York authors — for free — through Grand Central Reads … Similar to music playlists, you can customize your book choice based on the length of your commute.”

The World Fantasy Convention has announced that DAW Books Publisher Betsy Wollheim will be awarded the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award, for demonstrating outstanding service to the fantasy field. She is being honored alongside author Charles de Lint.

Summer movie alert! Today, August 15, Crazy Rich Asians opens in theaters nationwide. The film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel, CRAZY RICH ASIANS has been hotly anticipated and is the first film with an all-Asian cast and director since Wayne Wang’s The Joy Luck Club 25 years ago. In its 100-point Metacritic review, Time Out writes, “Bursting with attitude and heart, Hollywood's first Asian-centric rom-com in years makes up for lost time in a big way.” The first in a trilogy, CRAZY RICH ASIANS inspired us to seek out more reading riches in the following Asian novels:

V. S. Naipaul: August 17, 1932—August 11, 2018
14 August 2018

We are sad to report the passing of V.S. Naipaul, who died late Saturday at his home in London. He was 85. Naipaul’s long association with Alfred A. Knopf began in 1970, when the house published THE LOSS OF EL DORADO. Robert Gottlieb, who was head of Knopf at the time, was his editor.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is THE LINE THAT HELD US, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons on August 14, the dazzling third novel of Appalachian noir by Edgar Award nominee David Joy, whose work has drawn comparisons to Cormac McCarthy, Flannery O’Connor, Ron Rash, Daniel Woodrell, Tom Franklin, and Wiley Cash.

The prestigious FT (Financial Times)/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Awards, which annually recognizes the book published in the U.S. and UK that “provides the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues, including management, finance and economics,” has announced its 2018 longlist of 15 titles.

This fall Penguin Young Readers will introduce a brand new format to the American market - Penguin Minis - pocket-sized, full-length books that can easily fit in the palm of your hand. The inaugural list will debut with four titles by internationally bestselling author John Green: Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars. Additional titles will follow in 2019. Available as single titles or a complete box set, the inaugural Penguin Minis have a first print run of 500,000 copies and will be available nationwide on October 23, 2018, just in time for the holiday season.

With the 21^st century’s advent of smart phone cameras and social media sharing, we have certainly become tourists in our own lives like never before… snapping and posting photos whenever inspiration strikes. Thusly, vicarious travel is at an all-time high in the summer. Depending on the trips of your circle of “friends”, you may visit Japan, Giverny, Maine, Greenland, etcetera through their photos. In that vein, we've turned our lens to some of the best photography books for the summer – from instruction to stunning works of art to pictorial travelogues:

Featured Author Event: R. O. Kwon (Denver)
10 August 2018

Colorado colleagues take note: Riverhead author R. O. Kwon will be presenting her gripping novel, THE INCENDIARIES, at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver on Saturday, August 11, at 2:00pm. The event will feature Kwon in conversation with journalist, fiction writer, and the former business editor of newyorker.com Vauhini Vara.

As the summer draws to an end, so too does our time at Penguin Random House. Interning at Penguin Random House has provided us with the incredible opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of the publishing industry, develop crucial professional skills, forge lifelong connections, and experience everything the City That Never Sleeps has to offer.

Berkley’s Danielle Perez Probes the “Addictive” OUR HOUSE and its “Twisty Suspense”
8 August 2018

Louise Candlish’s OUR HOUSE, published by Berkley on August 7, is an addictive novel of domestic suspense, where secrets kept hidden from spouses cause shocking surprises: When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she’s sure there’s been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern co-parenting arrangement: “bird’s nest” custody, where each parent spends a few nights a week with their two sons at the prized family home to maintain stability for their children. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down. In this Three Questions for an Editor interview, Berkley Executive Editor Danielle Perez discusses what drew her to author Louise Candlish and her remarkable page-turner, the process of weaving together the different threads of the story into a finished novel, and the kinds of readers that will fall under the spell of this “twisty suspense.”

The countdown continues: the film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Vintage), which is currently #1 on The New York Times bestseller list, opens in theaters nationwide on August 15. If ever a book was made for the big screen, it is CRAZY RICH ASIANS: When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.

What is it like to work in the White House, for the President? This week, inspired by the current New York Times bestseller, FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL, we are featuring memoirs that help answer the question. From the perspectives of presidential speechwriters, aides and others, the following titles also give historical insight and shed light on the differences between administrations:

Featured Author Event: Jessica Blank (NYC)
8 August 2018

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers author Jessica Blank will be sharing her stunning new novel, LEGACY, at her launch party. The launch party will take place at The Word Bookstore in Brooklyn on Wednesday, August 8, at 7:00pm.

In what surely is one of 2018’s most anticipated screen adaptations, the film version of James Baldwin’s classic fiction IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK will be coming to theatre screens this fall, marking the return of Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning director of “Moonlight,” which won Academy Awards in 2017 for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK will premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Friday Reads: Peaches!
3 August 2018

"The peach lay there still, blushing deeper in the window light. She bent to smell, and the perfume was headier than before, a scent of meadows and summers home from school." – Allegra Goodman, The Cookbook Collector

Penguin Books author Maeve Higgins will be sharing her timely memoir, MAEVE IN AMERICA: Essays by a Girl From Somewhere Else, at The Strand in the Rare Book Room on Tuesday, August 7, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television announced today that it has optioned the rights to Elaine Weiss’s critically-acclaimed Viking book, THE WOMAN’S HOUR: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, and will develop it as a long-form project for premium cable or streaming platforms. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Elaine Weiss, as well as Amblin Television’s Co-Presidents, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, will serve as executive producers. The book follows the remarkable activists who led the decades-long fight to grant women the right to vote and sheds light on how close the battle to ratify the 19^th Amendment really was. An inspiring story, THE WOMAN’S HOUR, celebrates those who changed history and laid the foundation for the civil rights movement that came decades later.

Comic-Con Revisited: Watch Cool Panel Videos
1 August 2018

This year's San Diego Comic-Con (July 19-22) at the San Diego Convention Center drew huge waves of consumer traffic. Our Penguin Random House Digital Video team was on the scene to shoot videos of popular panels, including ones featuring Penguin Random House colleagues and authors Naomi Novik, Andy Weir, Tricia Narwani, and many more.

Welcome August! The hottest month of summer calls for chilling page-turners and we’ve selected some of the most popular thrillers on our list. Enter the realm of double-lives, marital secrets, trauma and survival. Read on!

Colleagues in the Bay Area take note: Doubleday author Ingrid Rojas Contreras will be presenting her mesmerizing debut novel, FRUIT OF THE DRUNKEN TREE, at a release party that will take place at The Bindery in San Francisco on Thursday, August 2, at 7:00 pm.

“At PRH, Producing a Publishing Powerhouse” reads the headline of the cover story in the newly released print edition of Publishers Weekly. In recognition of this month’s five-year anniversary of the Penguin Random House merger, PW “looks back at how two publishing giants were integrated.” The article by PW Editorial Director Jim Milliot presents detailed insights into the full scope of the merger, featuring comments from Penguin Random House Global CEO Markus Dohle.

First-Ever RIF Quiz Show on Facebook Live and Instagram Connects Readers to Exciting New Books
29 July 2018

Read It Forward (RIF), the Penguin Random House community that helps readers discover exciting new books and classic reads, has launched its first-ever quiz show on Facebook Live and Instagram. The Read It Forward Quiz Show will take place daily at 1:00 pm (EDT) from July 30 through August 3, and feature trivia-like questions related to Penguin Random House books on the Indie Next List, comprised of independent bookseller-nominated favorite handsells. Each episode will provide viewers a daily chance to win a $100 gift certificate to a sponsoring independent bookstore, which can be redeemed on each bookstore’s e-commerce site.

Featured Author Event: Miriam Parker (NYC)
29 July 2018

Dutton author Miriam Parker will be sharing her captivating debut novel, THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, at Books are Magic in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, August 1, from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The event will feature Miriam in conversation with our very own Rachel Fershleiser, Senior Director of Marketing, Alfred A. Knopf, Pantheon, Schocken Books.

The Crime Writers' Association announced the shortlists for the prestigious UK-based Crime Writing Dagger Awards at Daunt Books in London on Wednesday, July 25. A number of our authors are finalists in various categories:

Vintage author Brian Catling will be presenting the stunning conclusion to his beloved Vorrh Trilogy, THE CLOVEN, at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn on Monday, July 30, beginning at 7:30 pm. The event will feature Brian in conversation with author and Vol. 1 Brooklyn editor Tobias Carroll.

Summer vacation is a popular time to read young adult novels, even for adults. It's not just the nostalgia factor: Young adult fiction tends to tackle relationships and intense social themes in a raw, though sometimes humorous, way. These novels provide windows into what young people are dealing with in our complex world - what's universal and what is unique to this time and place. And It’s no easy feat to write young characters who ring true in stories that offer fresh perspectives and insights. Below are some recently published standouts for your weekend reading:

This morning in London our minority shareholder Pearson presented its 2018 half-year results. The complete press release, which contains information about Penguin Random House, is available here.

Penguin Random House Has Impressive Presence at San Diego Comic-Con 2018
26 July 2018

Penguin Random House had another successful year at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. With record breaking sales and over forty in-booth author signings, the Con was a perfect opportunity for our divisions to engage face-to-face with fans. Featured items included Tim Zahn's THRAWN: Alliances Con Edition which could also be purchased as a bundle with a very special audiobook edition, plus freshly designed Fight Evil, Read Books t-shirts, designed by Pantheon author and Eisner Award winner Sonny Liew.

Penguin Random House is Highest-Rated Media Company on Forbes List of “America's Best Employers for Women”
26 July 2018

Forbes’s newly released “America's Best Employers for Women 2018” list features Penguin Random House at the highest rating in the Media & Advertising sector: #58, among the 300 companies ranked. This strong showing follows Penguin Random House’s recent #1 position on America’s Best Midsize Employers 2018 Forbes list,

Summer is sailing by! How to choose what to read? The New York Times bestseller list is but one source… and it’s interesting to compare it to regional bestseller lists. Where is there overlap and where can you discover a regional favorite? In the case of the following fiction and nonfiction, we’ve found a hot handful of new releases that have made the regional lists this week and are accruing accolades as the days go by:

Valerie Jarrett Reveals the Title and Cover of Her Upcoming Memoir on “The View”
26 July 2018

Valerie Jarrett, the longest serving senior advisor to President Obama, revealed her upcoming memoir’s cover and title, FINDING MY VOICE: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, on The View on Wednesday, July 25. The book, publishing with Viking on April 2, 2019, describes Jarrett’s circuitous journey from childhood to the White House. Her forthright, optimistic perspective on the importance of leadership and the responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century will inspire readers to lift their own voices.

The longlist of thirteen semi-finalists for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, one of the most influential annual English-language international literary fiction honors, has been announced from London. They were chosen from more than 170 submitted books being published in the UK between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2018. Here are our longlisted titles published by Penguin Random House imprints in the U.S., Canada and the UK:

Dutton and Razorbill Announce New Book, GLIMMER OF HOPE, by March For Our Lives Founders, to be Published in October
24 July 2018

The students from Parkland, Florida who founded The March For Our Lives after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, are now adding a book to their movement. GLIMMER OF HOPE: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement will be the official, definitive book from the founders and will document the ongoing fight for sensible gun control legislation and their journey on the road to change. In a rare move, Razorbill, a Penguin Young Readers imprint, and Dutton, an adult imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, have teamed up to sell this single title together and jointly market the book, which will go on sale on October 16.

Ten Speed Press authors Jim Meehan and Thad Vogler are winners of the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in both book-related categories. The recipients of the 12th Annual Spirited Awards, considered the most prestigious accolades in the spirits world, were announced Saturday evening at the annual Tales of the Cocktail Festival in New Orleans.

Friday Reads: Steampunk!
20 July 2018

“Steam” has entered our contemporary vernacular in a big way. “STEAM” programming is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. As a popular literary genre and aesthetic, Steampunk can generally be defined as a story set in either Victorian England or America's Wild West wherein modern technologies are re-imagined. For instance, “Dr. Who” has Steampunk elements with its time-travel plots. As for the genre’s origin story, K.W. Jeter wrote to Locus magazine in 1987: “Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like 'steam-punks', perhaps.”

Colleagues in Westminster take note: Penguin Press author Ottessa Moshfegh will be sharing her bold new novel, MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION, a New York Times bestseller, at Politics & Prose at the Wharf in Washington, DC on Wednesday, July 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

PBS’ The Great American Read series premiered last month, kicking off a celebration of America’s 100 best-loved novels (as chosen in a nationally-representative survey). You can vote online at http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/, via Facebook and Twitter, and now you can also cast your votes by sending a Text Message to 97979, using a specific hashtag for each title. The hashtags for the books published by Penguin Random House can be found here. More details about your voting options, plus a complete directory of title hashtags, are viewable here. All Penguin Random House colleagues are encouraged to participate. Public voting will continue throughout the summer, leading up to the Grand Finale in October, when America’s Best-Loved Book will be announced.

There's a Book for That: Russia, Putin and Trump
18 July 2018

This week's dominant story is President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the time of this post, news and social media is abuzz with reactions to the summit on the heels of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report indicting 12 Russian officers. To add context, we offer the following expertly researched titles full of trenchant analysis and narrative history by world-renowned journalists and insiders:

TSP Author Kate Schatz on the Making of RAD GIRLS CAN
17 July 2018

RAD GIRLS CAN: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women, published by Ten Speed Press today, July 17, is a new collection of stories and art about inspiring and accomplished girls who have made positive impacts on the world before the age of 20. This is the third book in the series by author Kate Schatz and illustrator Miriam Klein Stahl that also includes New York Times bestsellers RAD WOMEN WORLDWIDE and RAD AMERICAN WOMEN A-Z. You might know the stories of Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Jazz Jennings, and Joan of Arc. But have you heard about Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee who swam a sinking boat to shore, saved twenty lives, then went on to compete as an Olympic swimmer? Or Trisha Prabhu, who invented an anti-cyberbullying app at age 13? Or Barbara Rose Johns, whose high school protest helped spark the civil rights movement? In this “Meet Our Author” interview, Kate Schatz talks about the development of the idea behind the concept for RAD GIRLS CAN, how the book was created, and what elements are expected to resonate most strongly with readers.

Friday the 13^th is your lucky day! We have 13 debut novels to freshen up your reading life. THERE, THERE by Tommy Orange reminds us all about the thrill of discovery as will the following varied new voices in fiction this summer…

The New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) has announced that Random House Children’s Books Sales Manager Kate Sullivan has won its 2018 Saul Gilman Award, for outstanding service as a sales representative to New England independent bookstores. Congratulations to Kate on this well-deserved honor.

Given Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's decision to retire, President Trump announced this week his nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh currently serves on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He will now make “courtesy calls” with senators though his confirmation hearings are yet to be announced. The Supreme Court has also entered popular culture this summer with the hit documentary, RBG, about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At 85 years-old, Justice Ginsburg is the eldest on the court. As testament to her popularity, FCTRY, a Brooklyn-based product design company, has raised more than $600,000 for a Ruth Bader Ginsburg life-like action figure, exceeding its funding goal of $15,000 by over 4,000%. With public interest percolating, we're highlighting books about the highest court in the land – its history, landmark cases, personalities and its crucial role in American democracy.

How Pantheon’s Lexy Bloom Brought Hanan al-Shaykh’s New Novel to American Readers
10 July 2018

THE OCCASIONAL VIRGIN is a frank and fearless novel from acclaimed writer Hanan al-Shaykh, published today by Pantheon. The book’s storyline follows the tumultuous lives and sometimes shocking choices of two women, successful in their careers but unlucky in love. In this Three Questions for an Editor interview, Lexy Bloom, Senior Editor/Senior Culinary Editor, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor, offers insights into her editorial work with the author, the process of transforming what was originally a short story into THE OCCASIONAL VIRGIN, and the ways in which this book will resonate with American readers. Read on.

Penguin Random House author Michael Ondaatje has won the Golden Man Booker Prize for his classic novel THE ENGLISH PATIENT, it was announced in London last night. This one-time prize was awarded for the best work of fiction from the last five decades of The Man Booker Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious annual fiction awards, as chosen by five judges, and then voted on by the public.

G.P. Putnam’s Sons author Cristina Alger will be presenting her thrilling new novel, THE BANKER’S WIFE, at the 86^th Street and Lexington Avenue Barnes & Noble in Manhattan on Tuesday, July 10. The event will feature Christina in conversation with Lee Childs, author of twenty-two New York Times bestselling JACK REACHER thrillers.

Penguin Random House continues to honor its dedication to literacy at the annual American Library Association Conference and Exhibition, where our 2018 Penguin Random House Library Awards for Innovation grant winners were announced. Skip Dye, Vice President & Director of Operations and Library Sales, Penguin Random House, presented the awards at the Penguin Random House Librarian Reception, held on the opening day of last month's ALA conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Penguin Random House Ireland Partners with Fighting Words Charity to Release Student Anthology
6 July 2018

Penguin Random House Ireland partnered with the Fighting Words charity, an organization in Dublin dedicated to helping youth and young adults discover and cultivate their passions for creative writing. The charity recently launched its latest anthology, BEYOND BOUNDARIES, an inspired collection of short stories written by fourth year students at the Manor House School and edited by the PRH Ireland editorial team.

The anthology features a written introduction by Penguin Ireland author, Sinéad Moriarty, in which she writes: In a year where women have stood up, spoken out and no longer been afraid to call out bad behaviour, it’s lovely to see a short story compilation from a group of young, fresh-faced and talented girls. The stories cover a wide range of subject matters and plots that will make you sit up and pay attention. Some will move you to tears, others will make you laugh and some will make you gasp out loud.

Penguin Random House Donates Books to Save the Children as Part of “Grand Central Reads”
5 July 2018

Penguin Random House has launched a limited-time charitable-giving opportunity as part of our Grand Central Reads partnership with MTA Metro-North Railroad and Grand Central Terminal, a brand new program that allows commuters and visitors to use their mobile devices to download free Penguin Random House book excerpts. In celebration of Penguin Random House’s five-year anniversary, the company is offering Grand Central Reads users a special 5-minute Reads section on the mobile platform, which will trigger book donations from Penguin Random House to its charitable partner, Save the Children, empowering New Yorkers to give back to those in need. For every five minutes read in this section, Penguin Random House will donate one of its book to global humanitarian organization Save the Children, up to 25,000 books, which will be distributed during community events, family activities and holiday celebrations at parks, schools, and libraries in the areas the organization serves.

Mexico has a new President: Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City, won Mexico’s presidential election by a large margin last Sunday. López Obrador’s party, Morena, is new and he defeated two candidates from parties that have ruled Mexico for a century. He ran on a message of tackling corruption and more government aid to the poor. The United States’ current border issues with Mexico draw attention to the hardships of life there. CNN reports that nearly 35,000 individuals were arrested crossing the southern US border illegally in June. The separation of children from their families created public outcry and nationwide human rights protests. To educate ourselves further, here is a selection of books about Mexico and border crossing:

Our special 4^th of July Igloo Book Buzz selection is the new paperback edition of Andy Weir’s New York Times bestseller, ARTEMIS, on sale today, July 3, from Broadway Books. Weir talks about the creation of his latest novel: “I wanted to write a story about the first human settlement off of Earth. And I just really think that’ll be on the Moon. It’s so much closer to

Reese Witherspoon announced yesterday that the July Reese’s Book Club selection is Chanel Cleeton’s novel NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA, published by Berkley in February. In her Instagram announcement, Witherspoon called NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA “a beautiful novel that’s full of forbidden passions, family secrets, and a lot of courage and sacrifice.”

Welcome summer! As many of us seek bodies of water to refresh ourselves in the heat… refreshing reads with "water" in the title have become conspicuous to us. Water doesn’t only sustain, it entertains! So dip into this glimmering selection of fiction – including mysteries, thrillers, historical tales, and children’s classics - which take readers to exotic and domestic locales… Care for a ticket to Nevada or Bora Bora?

Video: Employees From Around The World Share What Penguin Random House Means to Them
28 June 2018

Our company turns five years old on Sunday. Here’s a video that captures what being a part of our special community of book lovers has meant to some of our colleagues around the world.

Penguin Random House and MTA Metro-North RR Debut “Grand Central Reads”
27 June 2018

Penguin Random House is exclusively partnering with the MTA Metro-North Rail Road on Grand Central Reads, which mirrors the Subway Reads platform we launched two years ago, this time targeting commuters going through Grand Central Terminal. The June 26 launch was timed to coincide with the 40^th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement of a decision in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City that saved Grand Central from redevelopment. Through August 31, commuters can use their mobile devices to download free Penguin Random House book excerpts from inside Grand Central Terminal, station platforms and the Park Avenue Tunnel. To access Grand Central Reads, customers can connect to the public Wi-Fi and visit grandcentralreads.com.

As we ready ourselves for the festivities of July 4^th, Independence Day, The people of the United States of America are in the throes of declaring their values while grappling with many complex issues. For the occasion, we’ve selected contemporary and classic titles which showcase our country’s vast natural beauty and history alongside portraits of current communities and people’s lives here in America:

On Sunday, June 24, the Penguin Random House LGBTQ Network participated in the NYC Pride March that was organized to celebrate, advocate for and support the LGBTQ community. For the sixth year in a row, Penguin Random House employees and their spouses, partners, friends, and family marched to support LGBT rights. Read on for pictures and to hear what marchers had to say about the day!

Kicking off what he called “the summer of reading," Jimmy Fallon recently announced that he is launching The Tonight Show's first-ever-book club. Dubbed the "The Tonight Show Summer Reads,” Jimmy picked five finalists and Penguin Random House publishes these three titles:

Charles Krauthammer: March 13, 1950 – June 21, 2018
25 June 2018

We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of our beloved author and Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer. Charles will always remain one of our country’s most outstanding and most influential columnists and public intellectuals, holding the respect and admiration of those on all sides of the political spectrum. It was our extreme honor to publish his #1 New York Times bestseller THINGS THAT MATTER: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes, and Politics, which has sold over one millions copies in all formats. Known for his honesty, wisdom, keen wit, and love of baseball, Charles gave readers an insight into politics and American life that will surely be missed. We are proud to continue his legacy as the publisher of THINGS THAT MATTER, bringing new generations of readers to his thoughtful and important collection of writings. The Crown Publishing Group

There's an Audiobook for That! Celebrity Readers
21 June 2018

Happy Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year allows for more listening, and June is Audiobook Month! We congratulate this year’s Audie Award winners, view them here. We’d also like to draw attention to this week’s new release, BEDTIME STORIES FOR REBEL GIRLS, as well as other outstanding audiobooks brought to vivid life by celebrity narrators. These adult and children’s titles, available in the CD format and as audio downloads, are ideal for vacations, commutes or while walking the dog! So turn up the volume…your Summer listening may commence!

In WHAT THE EYES DON’T SEE: A Story of Crisis, Resistance and Hope in an American City (One World), Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha shares her powerful first-hand account of how an Iraqi-American pediatrician used science to prove Flint, Michigan kids were exposed to lead. In riveting detail, she takes readers into the heart of the crisis and how she successfully stood up against the government that accused her of spreading hysteria. But this book is not only about environmental injustice, it is a story of hope. It is about how each of us – no matter who we are, where we are, or how we ended up in this country – has the power to fix and change things.

A Farewell To Smashing Ideas
18 June 2018

We are bidding farewell to everyone at Seattle-based Smashing Ideas, Inc., the tremendously creative design and innovation agency, which has been part of our company since 2011. As you’ll read in their purchaser's press release, Smashing has been acquired by Luxoft Holding, Inc., a global IT service provider, in a transaction announced the afternoon of June 18. We wish our now-former colleagues as collegial and productive a working relationship with Luxoft as the one we long have enjoyed with them.

Colleagues in Westminster take note: Knopf author Tommy Orange will be presenting his groundbreaking debut novel, THERE THERE, at Politics & Prose at the Wharf in Washington, DC on Monday, June 25.

Friday Reads: Summer Weddings
15 June 2018

Have your Facebook and Instagram feeds begun to fill with glorious wedding photos from romantic locales? Perhaps you are the one getting married this summer or are in the wedding party or a guest. Whatever the case, Summer is high season for matrimony. This weekend, catch our book bouquet - great for gifts or reading on the way to the wedding.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is a transformative debut novel, A PLACE FOR US. “To be taken hostage by Fatima Farheen Mirza’s heartrending and timely story is a gutting pleasure,” says Sarah Jessica Parker, Editorial Director of SJP for Hogarth, of her newly published inaugural acquisition for the imprint. “It allows her reader to better understand what it means to reconcile one’s love of family and culture with a desire to find one’s own path, and one’s own faith. Ms. Mirza painstakingly details the life of an Indian Muslim family in America and their children’s search to feel whole, fulfilled, and content. She captures your mind and heart with an urgency that defies you to stop reading. I guarantee you will be different when you close the book.”

There's a Book for That: Fathers
13 June 2018

Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it.―Mike Myers Sunday, June 17, is Father’s Day. As is true for all relationships, the Hallmark card model doesn’t necessarily speak to the complexities between father and child. Penguin Random House titles do though! To honor the role of fatherhood in our lives – the joys and hurts of the bond, whether present or missing – take a look at our wide range of subjects (including the famous), voices and perspectives on fathers. Add to those, some great titles for kids!

Our Author Brandon Sanderson Creating New Multi-Media Experience in Partnership with Random House Studio and FMNA
13 June 2018

Random House Studio and sister Bertelsmann company FremantleMedia North America are partnering with bestselling Random House Children’s Books fantasy author Brandon Sanderson to create a groundbreaking, multi-media experience. Sanderson’s DARK ONE series will be transformed into a narrative that spans multiple platforms, including the small screen, print, and audiobooks.

When Penguin Press author Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book, HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Lesley Nneka Arimah Wins 2018 NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award
11 June 2018

Riverhead Books is thrilled to announce that Lesley Nneka Arimah has won the 2018 New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award for her debut short story collection, WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY. She received her prize during an awards ceremony at the New York Public Library on Thursday night, June 7.

Riverhead author Lauren Groff will be sharing insights into the writing of her bold new short story collection, FLORIDA, at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn on Tuesday, June 12. The event will feature Lauren in conversation with Lisa Lucas, the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation.

Friday Reads: Best Friends
8 June 2018

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. - Helen Keller Friday, June 8^th is Best Friends Day. As the cliché goes, “friends are the family we choose” and a best friend can ease your burden, make life sweeter and more fun. To honor the day and the bond, here are some special books – for adults and children - perfect for sharing with your best friend…

Riverhead author Kamila Shamsie has won the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel, HOME FIRE, it was announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, June 6. This annual award, now in its 23rd year, celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world. "In the end we chose the book which we felt spoke for our times,” said Sarah Sands, chair of the Women’s Prize panel of judges. "HOME FIRE is about identity, conflicting loyalties, love and politics. And it sustains mastery of its themes and its form. It is a remarkable book which we passionately recommend.

Penguin Random House authors, editors, books and colleagues were in constant demand at this year’s BookExpo (May 30 – June 1) and BookCon (June 2 – 3) at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. We welcomed innumerable authors, booksellers, and industry visitors to our PRH booth during the BEA trade show on Thursday and Friday, with masses of book-loving consumers coming to see us Saturday and Sunday during BookCon.

Our Colleagues Make Care-Cards on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Host #WearOrange Post-It Note Walls at BookCon
7 June 2018

Last Friday, June 1, Penguin Publishing Group recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day by organizing an event at our 375 Hudson Street offices for Penguin Random House employees to make and write care-cards for families of victims of gun violence. Over the course of two hours, dozens of our colleagues created more than 130 hand-designed and thoughtfully written cards. They’ll be distributed to members of the Everytown Survivor Network, which brings together survivors, victims, and loved ones of those affected by gun violence.

It's been more than 50 years since Timothy Leary popularized the phrase "turn on, tune in, drop out," promoting LSD use during the Summer of Love. Considering Penguin Press' current New York Times bestseller, HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND, by Michael Pollan, talk (and research) has now turned to the therapeutic uses of psychedelic drugs in treating anxiety and depression, among other mood disorders. And this week, Newsweek reported that “men who have previously used psychedelic drugs are less likely to act violently against their intimate partners, according to a new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology”. Penguin Random House publishes a range of entertaining fiction and compelling nonfiction about psychedelics. With Pollan’s book as the centerpiece, we invite you to tune in to books, personal and scientific, which educate readers by exploring treatment possibilities as well as drug myths and stereotypes:

The chance to engage with a real-life Monster Truck has sparked many students’ interest in reading books at a number of elementary schools in Crawfordsville, Indiana, thanks to Rev Up for Reading, a wonderful program created by Beth Hiatt, Manager, Receiving, at our Crawfordsville distribution center, and her husband. Beth explains, “With our program, teachers challenge their students to read. They set a ‘minutes goal’ and track their progress throughout the school year. As a reward, we bring our Monster Truck to their school towards the end of the academic year.

Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden will moderate a conversation with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama during the Opening General Session of the 2018 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition on Friday, June 22. This session will take place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Coinciding with the beginning of Pride Month, Publisher’s Weekly featured a special section devoted to LGBTQ Publishing. The lead article, “Office Support: Pride Groups at Publishing Houses Bring Employees Together and Advocate for LGBTQ Books,” opened with a fabulous photo of the Penguin Random House LGBTQ Network. Nora Alice Demick, who co-chairs the network with Tan Chan, was quoted extensively throughout the piece.

LINCOLN IN THE BARDO Wins Audiobook of the Year at the Audies
1 June 2018

Penguin Random House Audio won the top prize – Audiobook of the Year – for George Saunders’ LINCOLN IN THE BARDO (Random House Audio) last night at the 23nd annual Audie Awards® in New York. The Audio Publishers Association (APA) annually presents the premier awards program for audiobooks in the United States, recognizing excellence in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.

DK Revamps, Refreshes and Relaunches Eyewitness Travel Guide Series
1 June 2018

DK is proud to announce that it has revamped, refreshed and relaunched its award-winning Eyewitness Travel Guide series, keeping the views and experiences of its loyal readers at the forefront.

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month), which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. First, President Bill Clinton declared June "Gay & Lesbian Pride Month" on June 2, 2000. In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. For this Friday Reads installment, we bring you some of the best biographies and memoirs on the topic, including historical perspectives and young readers titles:

Support the #WearOrange Movement and National Gun Violence Awareness Day TODAY, Friday, 6/1
1 June 2018

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is TODAY, June 1st. This year, Penguin Publishing Group has partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety and the #WearOrange movement to recognize the date and to help send a powerful message to end gun violence.

In celebration of the newly published DR. SEUSS’S 100 FIRST WORDS, Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) and Dr. Seuss Enterprises (DSE) launched the first-ever Dr. Seuss’s Word Challenge (#SeussWordChallenge) on May 29. With a goal of reading 20 million Dr. Seuss words nationwide, consumers can enter the challenge via Seussville.com and track their progress through July 31.

“Be My Cover” Exhibit: Watch Video of Our Designers In Conversation
31 May 2018

Penguin Random House, in partnership with Strand Book Store, recently presented an exhibit of 100 notable book covers created by a select group of Penguin Random House creative designers and art directors in a special “Be My Cover” exhibit in the Rare Book Room at Strand Book Store in New York City. To celebrate the exhibit, Penguin Random House presented a conversation with acclaimed designers Peter Mendelsund, Jaya Miceli, Oliver Munday and Helen Yentus on May 14, when the featured guests were able to discuss their experiences designing for books.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is Dave Zirin’s JIM BROWN: Last Man Standing – a raw and revealing biography that redefines an American icon who was not only a football legend but a Hollywood star and controversial activist as well. Mr. Zirin says, “Jim Brown is one of the most fascinating and relentlessly relevant figures in US culture over the last 60 years. His triumphs and his flaws alike make for the kind of material about which a writer dreams. I worked on this book for five years. In the first year, an old teammate of Jim Brown’s hooked us up and I was able to speak to him about the themes I was exploring in the book.

The news continues to be grim about drug addiction and the opioid crisis in America, especially how pervasive opiates have become in our nation’s high schools. The stereotype of a heroin addict has been upended as the statistics in suburbia and small-town America have grown. A March, 2018 press release from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states “An in-depth analysis of 2016 U.S. drug overdose data shows that America’s overdose epidemic is spreading geographically and increasing across demographic groups. Drug overdoses killed 63,632 Americans in 2016. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths (66%) involved a prescription or illicit opioid.” This week Random House releases a thoroughly updated edition of the groundbreaking expose on OxyContin and its makers, PAIN KILLER by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barry Meier. In an effort to inform, here are titles on the subject ranging from investigative journalism to scientific research to personal memoirs:

Bestselling Author Lisa Scottoline Comes to Putnam
30 May 2018

Lisa Scottoline is bringing her beloved and bestselling brand to G.P. Putnam’s Sons with a six-book deal, including three domestic thrillers as well as her first foray into historical fiction with ETERNAL, an epic trilogy set in Fascist Italy during World War II. The deal was announced by the Associated Press and has been picked up in more than sixty outlets all across the country. Ivan Held negotiated the deal with Robert Gottlieb, Chairman at Trident Media Group, and the first domestic thriller, tentatively titled SOMEONE KNOWS, will publish in Spring 2019. Mark Tavani will edit.

Friday Reads: Great American Young Adult Reads
25 May 2018

The Great American Read is here! On Tuesday, May 22, PBS launched THE GREAT AMERICAN READ - an eight-part series that celebrates the power of reading, “told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. It investigates how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.” Voting has begun among the 100 titles: The project will culminate in October’s finale wherein America’s elected “favorite” book will be announced. The list has been categorized on the website here. For this week’s Friday Reads we are focusing on the Young Adult nominees:

Fast Company Recognizes Penguin Random House for its “College Degree Not Required” Hiring Policy
25 May 2018

National business magazine Fast Company recently highlighted Penguin Random House as a prime example of companies who are expanding the scope of their talent pools by hiring workers without college degrees. The feature article by Gwen Moran noted that “while there isn’t exactly a race to drop degree requirements, some top companies are broadening their hiring criteria. At publishing house Penguin Random House U.S. it’s long been policy not to require college degrees, says Paige McInerny, Vice President, Human Resources. The company has some job postings that state as a suggested requirement ‘college degree or equivalent work experience.’ Except for specific jobs where a targeted, accredited degree is truly required–such as a certified public accountant or attorney–‘we do not have a mandatory, companywide higher education requirement for working at Penguin Random House U.S.,’ she says.”

Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama revealed today on Instagram the book cover of her highly anticipated memoir, BECOMING, which is scheduled to be published globally on November 13, 2018.

Edited by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) journalism and broadcasting teachers Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner, WE SAY #NEVERAGAIN: Reporting from the School That Inspired the Nation, a collection of first-person accounts, richly researched and reported articles, and photographs by and about the students at MSD, will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers on October 2, 2018.

In mourning the loss of Philip Roth, who died Tuesday, May 22 in Manhattan, we take pride in the long, ongoing publishing history Penguin Random House imprints have with the career-spanning body of work he created. All of his more than 30 leading works are in print with us.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection, D.B. John’s STAR OF THE NORTH, published by Crown on May 22, is particularly timely, as much of the highly-charged narrative unfolds in North Korea. Crown Senior Editor Nate Roberson offers these insights: “Describing STAR OF THE NORTH as a ‘thriller’ is accurate—it’s one of the most exciting books I’ve read in years—but also incomplete, because this book is so much more than just an entertaining thrill ride.

Riverhead to Publish 2018 Man Booker International Prize Winner in August
23 May 2018

FLIGHTS, a “non-traditional” narrative by acclaimed Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, has won the 2018 Man Booker International Prize, awarded annually to a fiction work judged to be the year’s outstanding work of translated fiction. Translator Jennifer Croft will share the 50,000 pound prize with Tokarczuk. FLIGHTS will be published in the U.S. by Riverhead on August 14.

On Monday, May 28^th, we pay tribute to the American men and women who have died in service to our country. To honor the occasion, we are highlighting titles — fiction and nonfiction — with themes that honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s military.

The 69th annual Christopher Awards, presented in New York City on May 17, celebrated and honored writers, producers, directors, authors and illustrators whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit.” WaterBrook’s CONVICTED: A Crooked Cop, An Innocent Man, and an Unlikely Journey of Forgiveness and Friendship by Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins with Mark Tabb won in the Books for Adults category. Viking Books for Young Readers’ THE RED BANDANNA by Tom Rinaldi won in the Books for Young People category.

Author Jojo Moyes Rescues UK Literacy Program "Quick Reads"
22 May 2018

Jojo Moyes, author of #1 bestselling Pamela Dorman / Viking / Penguin books such as ME BEFORE YOU, AFTER YOU and STILL ME, learned that Quick Reads, a UK-based literacy program for adults with reading challenges, was in dire financial straits and on the verge of closing. So she personally donated £360,000 in order to ensure that Quick Reads, which has distributed 4.8 million copies of short novels by big-name author since the program began in 2006, will be able to operate for at least three more years.

Support the #WearOrange Movement and National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, 6/1
21 May 2018

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is on June 1. This year, Penguin Publishing Group has partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety and the #WearOrange movement to recognize the date and to help send a powerful message to end gun violence.

Kristin Cochrane Named CEO of Penguin Random House Canada
17 May 2018

Dear Colleagues, Since 2015 KRISTIN COCHRANE has served as President and Publisher of Penguin Random House Canada, working closely with CEO Brad Martin, who announced his retirement today. It gives me great pleasure to share with you that Kristin will succeed Brad as CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, reporting to me, effective July 1, 2018. She will also join our Global Executive Committee.

Dear Colleagues, Today, BRAD MARTIN is announcing that he will retire as CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, effective June 30, 2018, the culmination of a career of unparalleled accomplishment with our company and in Canadian trade publishing.

DK Supports STAR WARS’ ‘ROAR FOR CHANGE’ Challenge
17 May 2018

DK recently participated in Roar For Change, a global challenge organized by Lucasfilm and Star Wars: Force for Change in support of UNICEF. The initiative invites fans and families to share their own version of Chewbacca’s iconic roar. For each public post, like, or share on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter that includes #RoarForChange through May 25, Star Wars: Force for Change U.S. will donate $1 to UNICEF USA, up to $1 million. Funds will be used to support UNICEF’s lifesaving work for children around the world.

This time, it’s about time: Italian theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli’s latest book, THE ORDER OF TIME, released last week and his calendar is full! Rovelli discussed time travel, how he’s working on a way to quantify gravity in which time doesn’t exist.and more on NPR's "Science Friday."(Listen to the full segment here). In a parallel universe, the site Unbound Worlds has also taken up the theme of time travel in excellent fashion. All worm-holes and word worlds considered, if there is no “time” then the following books are indeed timeless:

From Austin Channing Brown, a powerful new narrative nonfiction voice on racial justice, comes I’M STILL HERE: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, published by Convergent today, May 15. This book is an eye-opening account of growing up Black, Christian, and female in middle-class white America. Ms. Brown’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age 7, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man.

Remembering Peter Mayer
14 May 2018

Peter Mayer, former Chairman and CEO of Penguin Group and founder of The Overlook Press, died in Manhattan on Friday, May 11. He was 82. During Mayer’s 1978 – 1997 tenure, Penguin became a global player in trade publishing. He encouraged his imprints to publish a wide range of literary and commercial adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction titles, many of which he personally acquired. Among the renowned Penguin Group authors whose careers flowered under his leadership are Paul Auster, Saul Bellow, T.C. Boyle, J.M. Coetzee, Don DeLillo, Robertson Davies, Jan Karon, William Kennedy, Stephen King, Terry McMillan, Iris Murdoch, and Salman Rushdie – including the latter’s THE SATANIC VERSES. Mayer’s more than 50-year career in book publishing also included the 1971 creation of The Overlook Press. He presided over that independent entity “to publish books that for one reason or another have been ‘overlooked.’” To read the Peter Mayer obituary in The New York Times, click here.

All Ears on Penguin Random House Audio’s Amanda D’Acierno and Dan Zitt
14 May 2018

Penguin Random House Audio, voted the inaugural winner of the Audiobook Publisher of the Year prize at the 2018 London Book Fair International Excellence Awards, was front and center at last month’s packed “Lunch & Learn” session featuring Amanda D’Acierno, Executive Vice President and Publisher, and Dan Zitt, Vice President of Content Production. Introduced by Penguin Publishing Group President Allison Dobson, Amanda and Dan shared insights into the world of audiobooks – a publishing category on an upward swing; the inner-workings of Penguin Random House Audio; and career highlights.

Every 11 seconds, a Who HQ book is sold somewhere in the world. Now Penguin Workshop’s wildly popular children’s biography series is coming to Netflix Kids & Family in The Who Was? Show, a laugh-out-loud original series that tells the stories of famous historical figures from across the globe through improv, sketches, impersonations, music videos and animated shorts in a show-within-a-show format that is as entertaining as it is educational.

Penguin Random House, in partnership with Strand Book Store, is proud to present an exhibit of 100 notable book covers created by a select group of Penguin Random House creative designers and art directors in a special “Be My Cover” exhibit, May 11–23 in the Rare Book Room at Strand Book Store in New York City. Books on display range from classics such as MOBY-DICK by Herman Melville and WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy to contemporary titles such as THE STRANGE LIBRARY by Haruki Murakami and THE MOTHERS by Brit Bennett.

North Korea has been prominent in headlines this week. The New York Times read, “Releasing 3 Americans, North Koreans Signal Openness to Washington.” Curiosity and concern is continuous about what a meeting between President Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un would mean for the world. To respond to that curiosity, we’ve gathered strong fiction and nonfiction titles related to North Korea: from personal memoirs of escape to journalistic accounts of the repressive regime to award-winning fiction:

Our 2018 ABA Indies Choice Award Winners and Picture Book Hall of Fame Inductee
10 May 2018

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) has announced the winners of the 2018 Indies Choice Awards and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards. Our authors received two Indies Choice Awards, through which independent booksellers from ABA member stores selected their favorite titles published last year, casting their votes via online balloting. These booksellers also chose three new inductees into the Picture Book Hall of Fame, including one of our beloved children’s book author/illustrators. All prizes and honors will be presented at the ABA Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch on Wednesday, May 30, at BookExpo 2018 at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is James and Deborah Fallows’ OUR TOWNS: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published by Pantheon on May 8. For the last five years, the Fallowses have been traveling across America in a single-engine prop airplane. Visiting dozens of towns, they met hundreds of civic leaders, workers, immigrants, educators, environmentalists, artists, public servants, librarians, business people, city planners, students, and entrepreneurs to take the pulse and understand the prospects of places that usually draw notice only after a disaster or during a political campaign.

Read It Forward celebrates Mother’s Day with the original essay series, Word to Your Mother, which examines the intersection between motherhood and books. The site invited authors from Penguin Random House and other publishers to share personal accounts of the myriad ways that books help develop bonds between mothers and children.

Random House Children’s Books will launch Random House Graphic, a dedicated graphic novel imprint, with Gina Gagliano hired to lead the imprint as Publishing Director, it was announced by Barbara Marcus, President & Publisher, Random House Children’s Books. Gagliano will report to SVP, Associate Publisher, Judith Haut.

There's a Book for That: Mother's Day
9 May 2018

"Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all." - Oliver Wendell Holmes It’s been more than 100 years since Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national celebration in May 1914! Mother’s Day, 2018, is this Sunday, May 12^th. The mother-child bond is such a profound one – loving, complex, and sometimes painful. Over the course of a lifetime, roles may switch due to old age or illness. To honor the occasion, here are 10 incredible memoirs, some by celebrity authors, which reveal the emotional nuances and intensity of perhaps the most fundamental relationship in our lives:

Our 2018 James Beard Chef Award Winners: Gabrielle Hamilton Named Outstanding Chef and Abraham Conlon is Best Chef: Great Lakes
9 May 2018

Champagne corks were popping in Chicago on Tuesday night at the 2018 James Beard Foundation Chef and Restaurant Awards ceremony when it was announced that the Outstanding Chef Award went to Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune restaurant in New York’s East Village and Random House author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, BLOOD, BONES & BUTTER: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, and her cookbook, PRUNE. Random House will publish her new memoir, KIND REGARDS, next year.

Prima Games Launching New Gaming and Pop Culture Publishing Line with WOMEN IN GAMING
8 May 2018

DK imprint Prima Games, the world’s leading publisher of strategy content for PC and console video games, has announced the forthcoming publication of WOMEN IN GAMING: 100 Pioneers of Play, a celebratory look at accomplished women in the video game industry. On sale November 6, 2018, WOMEN IN GAMING is the first title from Prima Games' new Gaming and Pop Culture line, which focuses on publishing that is entertaining as well as educational. Eight titles will come out later this year, including officially licensed Pokémon Readers, with more publishing slated for 2019.

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, author, and the wife of the 44th President, Barack Obama. Through her initiatives as First Lady, she has become a role model for women and girls, and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls’ education. She will appear at the opening general session of the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition on Friday, June 22, 4:00—5:30 pm, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Her appearance at the conference is sponsored by Penguin Random House.

The Penguin Random House Library Marketing team recently held their bi-annual Librarian Open Book Event where several Penguin Random House authors spoke to 100 of the Tri-state area’s top librarians. The team also buzzed about over 40 upcoming titles and presented Maker Space ideas and concepts for libraries. The event kicked off with opening remarks from Jennifer Childs, VP Library Marketing, and a special guest appearance from our newly appointed Penguin Random House US CEO, Madeline McIntosh.

Illustrator Joana Avillez and writer Molly Young have joined forces to create a charming, illustrated ode to NYC: D C-T! (“The City!”), published on May 1 by Penguin Press. Combining the puzzle language first created by William Steig (author of CDB! and creator of Shrek) with humorous observations of their beloved city, D C-T! is endlessly entertaining and a “breezy charmer” (Publishers Weekly).

Friday Reads: Of Mermen and Mermaids
4 May 2018

This week, poet Melissa Broder published her first novel, THE PISCES – a blend of realism and fantasy involving Venice Beach, Sappho and a doctoral candidate’s love affair with a merman. As Broder told Bustle, "I had never thought very much about how the mermaid figure embodies that darkness... You know, how many men in literature have, like, dove off the back of boats in search of another taste of that nectar, and they were sort of rendered unable to live on land peacefully after that, and so I ended up thinking, It's always these men diving in after mermaids. Why can't it be a merman and a woman, and why couldn't it happen now?" It is happening now (consider the popularity of "The Shape of Water"), but we won’t leave out the mermaids! Presenting Friday Reads: Of Mermen and Mermaids:

Friends, family and colleagues of #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton celebrated her life and legacy on Tuesday, April 24, throughout a special memorial at the New York Public Library. The publishing industry was well represented with authors, media, and publishing colleagues from Penguin Random House and Holt, alongside many of Sue’s family and friends. G.P. Putnam’s Sons President Ivan Held welcomed the group and noted that “we’ve all worked with writers we admire, writers we are in awe of, writers who are entertaining or menschy or funny. Sue was all that – but Sue: we also LOVED her … everyone who worked with her loved her.”

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the winners of the 2018 Christian Book Awards on Tuesday, May 1, at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, during the ECPA Leadership Summit. Among the prize winners were two authors and their books published by Crown Publishing Group’s Multnomah imprint:

Penguin Random House Ranks #1 on Forbes List of America’s Best Midsize Employers
2 May 2018

Penguin Random House is #1 on the newly released Forbes list of “America’s Best Midsize Employers 2018.” Our company rose to the top spot after placing #33 on last year’s list. Forbes annually recognizes and ranks U.S. employers based on an independent survey that evaluates the attitude of employees toward their own company and the public perception of the company by industry employees.

In LOVE AND RUIN, Paula McLain, the bestselling author of The Paris Wife, returns to the subject of Ernest Hemingway in a novel about his passionate, stormy marriage to Martha Gellhorn—a fiercely independent, ambitious young woman who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the twentieth century. In this "Three Questions for an Editor" interview, Ballantine Vice President & Executive Editor Susanna Porter pulls back the curtain and offers a look at the editing of this absorbing historical novel, the process of working with the author, and how LOVE AND RUIN may resonate with today’s readers.

There's a Book for That: Children's Book Week
2 May 2018

It’s C

hildren’s Book Week from May 1^st to May 7^th and do we have books to celebrate! Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Considering recent raves from School Library Journal, Horn Book, Indie Next and “much love” from booksellers and librarians here are a dozen books reflecting many cultures and situations, from the silly to the serious. Whether told from a human or animal perspective, these are books to buy, borrow and relish!

As April gives way to May, it’s finally starting to feel like spring, and our new Igloo Book Buzz selection, Catherine Isaac’s YOU ME EVERYTHING, published by Pamela Dorman Books/Viking today, is a title best read while relaxing outdoors. Set in the French countryside on an idyllic summer vacation, this beautifully written novel is by turns heart wrenching and hopeful, driven by one woman’s fierce determination to grab hold of the family she has and never let go.

The James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its definitive Cookbook, Broadcast Media, and Journalism awards for 2018 on April 27, at a dinner in Manhattan---and Crown Publishing Group imprints ruled the night: Ten Speed Press books and authors received four awards while Clarkson Potter authors were recognized with two prizes. Of special note: the 11 JBF Cookbook Award nominations received by Ten Speed Press are the most in its history (and in the history of the JBF Cookbook Awards for one imprint), and its 4 JBF Cookbook Award wins are the most for Ten Speed since 2008.

Actor, author and comedian H. Jon Benjamin is launching his new Dutton book, FAILURE IS AN OPTION: An Attempted Memoir, at The Strand in New York City on Tuesday, May 1, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Benjamin is best known for voicing characters, including Sterling Archer in Archer, Bob Belcher in Bob’s Burgers, Dr. Katz in Dr. Katz, and Jason in Home Movies. He will be joined at The Strand by fellow comedian, actor and writer Eugene Mirman, known for playing Yvgeny Mirminsky on Delocated, and voicing Gene Belcher on Bob's Burgers.

Doubleday/Vintage author David Grann was among the winners of this year’s Edgar Allen Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2017, which were announced at the Mystery Writers of America’s 72nd Edgar Awards gala on Thursday, April 26, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. Grann’s latest book, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI (Doubleday/Vintage), received the Edgar for Best Fact Crime. View the complete list of Edgar and MWA honorees here.

Friday Reads: Maira Kalman
27 April 2018

“Everyone I know is looking for solace, hope and a tasty snack.” ― Maira Kalman Welcome to the multi-faceted, colorful world of Maira Kalman! Her imagination, artistry and smarts are on full display in the books we publish, the most recent of which is CAKE with Barbara Scott-Goodman in which they give us dessert! Kalman has created books for all ages about Lincoln, Jefferson, philosophy, dogs…and has illustrated classic works by Michael Pollan and Strunk and White. Find out more about her here and treat yourself and others to her work:

Our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection, WARNING LIGHT, David Ricciardi’s debut spy thriller, was published by Berkley on Tuesday, April 17, to widespread acclaim. The book takes off with a bang, as new covert operator Zac Miller literally flies under the radar on a job for the CIA. Zac finds himself on a mission gone wrong, and soon embarks on a globe-trotting epic in order to clear his own name and set the record straight before he can be captured by the Iranian government—or a litany of enemies he makes along the way to get back to his bosses and save his own skin.

Dutton Books for Young Readers is publishing Ransom Riggs’ A MAP OF DAYS: The Fourth Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children on October 2, 2018. USA Today broke this news Thursday afternoon, when the national newspaper also unveiled the book’s cover art (see below) and spoke with Riggs about what fans can expect in this next installation of the internationally bestselling series. A MAP OF DAYS will have a first print run of 1 million copies.

As the creator of the ‘Cathy’ comic strip, Cathy Guisewite found her way into the hearts of readers over 40 years ago, and has been there ever since. Her deeply funny and relatable look at the life of a frazzled career woman became a cultural touchstone for women everywhere—the strips have been compiled into more than twenty books, and earned Guisewite the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1992 and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program for the Cathy TV special in 1987.

April 26, 2018 is Poem in Your Pocket Day! Initiated in 2002 in partnership with the New York City Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education, Poem in Your Pocket Day has been adopted by all fifty states. In 2016, the League of Canadian Poets extended Poem in Your Pocket Day to Canada. As a grassroots part of National Poetry Month, people celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others throughout the day at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, and on Twitter using the hashtag #pocketpoem. Find out more ways to celebrate at Poets.org Everyman’s Library Pocket Poet Series editions are ideal collections to read, savor and share. Here are 8 gorgeous volumes, of the more than 100 in the series, edited by some of our most distinguished poets. Spread the word!

Maira Kalman Celebrates CAKE: View Her Art, Watch Her Video
24 April 2018

With great style, wit, and joy, Maira Kalman and Barbara Scott-Goodman have collaborated to celebrate their favorite dessert in CAKE, published by Penguin Press. Kalman's enchanting illustrations, in her inimitable style, and Scott-Goodman's mouthwatering recipes complement each other perfectly, making CAKE a whimsical celebration of a timeless dessert.

Westminster colleagues take note: Pantheon author David Reich will be discussing his groundbreaking book, WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past, on Thursday, April 26, in Washington, D.C in the Rasmuson Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian, as part of the Smithsonian Inside Science Program. The event will begin at 6:45 p.m., with Reich’s talk followed by a book signing.

The Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced its 2018 shortlist. This annual award, now in its 23rd year, celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world. Three books published by Penguin Random House in the U.S. and Canada are on this year’s Women’s Prize shortlist:

The 39th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced at the L.A. Times Festival of Books this past weekend at the University of Southern California, and among the award winners for books published in 2017 were five titles from Penguin Random House imprints in the following categories:

PBS’ The Great American Read list of 100 books was revealed on Friday, April 20, at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan. Penguin Random House imprints publish 59 of the 100 titles, including AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak, THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Díaz, THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E L James, THE HANDMAID’S TALE by Margaret Atwood, GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn, LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green, THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton and READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline. View the complete list here.

Crown Hosts NYU Students for an Inside Look at the Making of a Book That Matters
20 April 2018

A contingent of 28 students from the NYU School of Professional Studies, led by Andrea Chambers, Director of NYU’s Center for Publishing, visited the Crown Publishing Group offices at 1745 Broadway on Friday, April 6, to learn about and discuss a forthcoming Fall 2018 title, THIRST by Scott Harrison, to be published on October 2 by CPG imprint Currency. The book is an inspiring personal story of redemption, second chances, and the transformative power of change, from the founder and CEO of the successful nonprofit charity: water.

In a world swirling with words… the haiku offers refreshment: three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables which capture the essence of a moment in time. Haiku is an ancient Japanese form mastered by Basho and Issa, brought to the West in the 20^th century and celebrated by imagist poets such as HD and Ezra Pound. National Poetry Month seems a fine time to showcase some of our best Haiku collections. Reading some of these might even inspire a haiku or two in you.

Riverhead author Lesley Nneka Arimah shares her award-winning, dazzlingly accomplished debut story collection, WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY, at The Strand in Manhattan on Monday, April 23. Lesley will discuss her stories with fellow author Alice Sola Kim, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm, in the bookstore's second floor Art Department.

Have you read 12 RULES FOR LIFE? It’s the bestseller from Canadian Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson, a widely cited scholar of personality. The New York Times’ David Brooks calls Dr. Peterson “the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now.” The popularity of his book reveals once again the appeal of thinkers who make sense out of the uncertainties of the human condition, i.e. offer antidotes. Those of us in publishing know also the power of finite numbers, so we’ll take the number and run. Here are Penguin Random House’s current top 12 psychology titles. Recurrent themes of community, surviving trauma, solitude, brain science and their applications for professional and personal success are meant to assist you on your journey:

Why couldn’t Michael Jordan, master athlete that he was, crush a baseball? Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection, Zach Schonbrun’s THE PERFORMANCE CORTEX, published by Dutton on April 17, provides an answer to that question and many others while revealing what actually drives human movement and its spectacular potential. Whether it is timing a 95 mph fastball or reaching for a coffee mug, movement requires a complex suite of computations that many take for granted. With this book, Schonbrun ushers in a new way of thinking about the athletic gifts we marvel over and seek to develop in our own lives. It’s not about the million-dollar arm anymore. It’s about the million-dollar brain.

Featured Author Event: Claire Dederer (Seattle)
17 April 2018

Attention colleagues in the Pacific Northwest: Tonight author Claire Dederer is launching the paperback edition of LOVE AND TROUBLE: A Midlife Reckoning (Vintage) at the University Book Store on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (PDT). She will be read from her book, and following a Q&A, sign copies for attendees.

The Crown Publishing Group is celebrating an historic milestone: its first New York Times bestseller since the venerable wellness publisher became an imprint within its division earlier this year. Rodale Books’ TRUE ROOTS by Kristin Cavallari debuts at #3 on the NYT April 22 Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous list.

The New York Public Library has announced the five finalists for its 2018 Young Lions Fiction Award, which annually champions emerging writers and encourages innovation and excellence in contemporary fiction, with Penguin Random House imprints publishing three of the five authors’ books on this year’s shortlist. The winner will be announced on June 7 during an awards ceremony in the Celeste Bartos Forum of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the New York Public Library.

The Man Booker International Prize, which annually celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, has announced its 2018 shortlist of six titles, with three of the books published by Penguin Random House imprints:

“People are mostly layers of violence and tenderness wrapped like bulbs, and it is difficult to say what makes them onions or hyacinths.” ― Eudora Welty For this week’s Friday Reads we are casting our gaze on Pulitzer-prize winning Southern writer Eudora Welty who was born this day, April 13^th, 1901 and passed away in 2001. Welty was an American short story writer and novelist who wrote about the American South and has inspired many writers. Her novel THE OPTIMIST'S DAUGHTER won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. She was the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America. Welty’s house in Jackson, Mississippi has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as a house museum.

A Vet’s Tales of Caring for Our Beloved Pets – Plus a Furry Friends Photo Gallery
12 April 2018

National Pet Day was April 11 and our new Igloo Book Buzz selection, Suzy Fincham-Gray’s MY PATIENTS AND OTHER ANIMALS: A Veterinarian’s Stories of Love, Loss and Hope, was published by Spiegel & Grau on April 10. Looking at her life spent in the company of animals, veterinarian Fincham-Gray invites readers into her personal world of loving, healing, and assisting with the loss of our beloved pets, while showing the many ways they change our lives. In her literary debut, she writes with the same tenderness she brings to her patients, whose needs she must meet with her mind, her hands, and her heart.

The newest novel in the Hogarth Shakespeare Series is Jo Nesbø’s MACBETH, published on April 10. Set in the 1970s in a run-down, rainy industrial town, this gripping transformative take on one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest plays centers around a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem. Creating an engrossing story of love and guilt, political ambition, and greed for more, Nesbø explores the darkest corners of human nature, and the aspirations of the criminal mind. In this “Three Questions for an Editor” interview, Alexis Washam, Executive Editor, Crown Publishers and Hogarth, offers insights into the Hogarth Shakespeare Series, the process of working with Nesbø on this project, and how readers may embrace the remarkable novel that was created. Read on.

Riverhead Author Mohsin Hamid Wins Aspen Words Literary Prize for EXIT WEST
11 April 2018

Mohsin Hamid’s EXIT WEST (Riverhead Books) has won the inaugural Aspen Words Literary Prize, a new $35,000 award given to “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” The four finalists included fellow Riverhead author Lesley Nneka Arimah for WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY and Viking author Zinzi Clemmons for WHAT WE LOSE.

Penguin Random House Named Audiobook Publisher of the Year at LBF
11 April 2018

Penguin Random House Audio is the inaugural winner of the Audiobook Publisher of the Year prize, which was presented at the 2018 London Book Fair International Excellence Awards the evening of April 10.

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, the Autism Society declared April National Autism Awareness Month as an excellent opportunity to promote autism awareness, autism acceptance and to draw attention to the tens of thousands facing an autism diagnosis each year. Through our publishing, Penguin Random House is part of the effort to educate and broaden perspectives about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Below are nonfiction and fiction titles which expand our understanding:

Our 4 Finalists for California Book Awards
9 April 2018

The Commonwealth Club has announced the finalists for the 87^th annual California Book Awards and four titles published by Penguin Random House imprints are among the nominees. Created in 1931, this competition recognizes the state’s best writers and illuminate the wealth and diversity of literature written in California. Monetary prizes are given in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, juvenile literature, young adult literature, first work of fiction, Californiana and notable contribution to publishing.

The 10 finalists for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award have been announced, the shortlist including 4 authors and their books published in the U.S. by Penguin Random House imprints. Sponsored by the Dublin City Council and managed by Dublin City Libraries, the international competition receives its nominations from public libraries in cities around the world and recognizes both writers and translators.

Hogarth Author Anthony Marra Wins the Simpson Family Literary Prize
9 April 2018

Hogarth author Anthony Marra has won the Simpson Family Literary Prize, which honors mid-career authors who have earned a distinguished reputation with a $50,000 cash award to encourage and support forthcoming work. Now in its second year, the Simpson Prize is administered by the University of California, Berkeley English Department and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation. As the prize winner, Marra will give a public reading, make a limited number of Bay Area public appearances, and be in brief residence at the Lafayette Library and UC Berkeley.

Steven Spielberg's “Ready Player One” is a hit, pulling in $181 million worldwide in box office receipts during its inaugural weekend. The attention has reinvigorated the screen adaptation of Ernest Cline’s second novel, Armada. Thus, for this week’s Friday Reads installment we invite you to discover fantastic books with virtual reality themes, including nonfiction!

April 5, 2018 Dear colleagues, Ten years ago, in the spring of 2008, my first week at Random House was Madeline McIntosh’s last week with the company. She was relocating to Luxembourg to join Amazon’s

There's a Book for That: National Poetry Month!
3 April 2018

Now I think poetry will save nothing from oblivion, but I keep writing about the ordinary because for me it's the home of the extraordinary, the only home. - Philip Levine

Northern California colleagues take note: author Leila Slimani, winner of the Prix Goncourt in France, will be discussing her novel, THE PERFECT NANNY (Penguin Books), at the new Women Lit program at the Bay Area Book Festival Theater on Sunday, April 8. Translated by Sam Taylor, THE PERFECT NANNY was named one of 2018’s Most Anticipated Books by NPR’s Weekend Edition, Real Simple, The Millions, The Guardian, Bustle, and Book Riot. Join Leila at Peet's Theater at the Berkeley Repertory, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 p.m., followed by a book signing.

The annual spring gala benefit dinner for Poets & Writers—America’s largest nonprofit service organization dedicated to fostering the professional development of poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers—is always an enjoyably memorable occasion to celebrate one of its core missions: “to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public.” This objective was thrillingly achieved at this year’s event, held in Manhattan on March 28, at which Riverhead Books Vice President and Editorial Director Rebecca Saletan and Knopf authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Richard Russo were honored for their exceptional contributions to the writing and publishing community.

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is Meg Wolitzer’s THE FEMALE PERSUASION, an eagerly awaited, much buzzed about book published by Riverhead today, April 3. Charming and wise, knowing and witty, Wolitzer delivers a novel about power and influence, ego and loyalty, womanhood and ambition. At its heart, THE FEMALE PERSUASION is about the flame we all believe is flickering inside of us, waiting to be seen and fanned by the right person at the right time. It’s a story about the people who guide and the people who follow (and how those roles evolve over time), and the desire within all of us to be pulled into the light.

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment this morning launched this year’s “One Book, One New York,” the exciting citywide initiative that brings book-loving New Yorkers together to read the same book at the same time. Among the five finalists are three books published by Penguin Random House imprints:

Penguin Press Author Stephen Kotkin Wins the Mark Lynton History Prize for STALIN
30 March 2018

Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard announced the winners of the 2018 J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project Awards, including the Mark Lynton History Prize for Stephen Kotkin’s STALIN: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941, published by Penguin Press. Established in 1998, the Lukas Prize Project, marking its 20^th anniversary year, honors the best in American nonfiction writing. The late Mark Lynton was an historian and senior executive at the firm Hunter Douglas in the Netherlands. Mr. Kotkin will receive his $10,000 prize at a the Lukas Prize Project Awards ceremony on May 10 at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.

April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain.

- T.S. Eliot

The American Booksellers Association has announced the finalists for the 2018 Indies Choice Awards, the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, as well as nominees for the Indie Champion Award and Picture Book Fall of Fame honors — and Penguin Random House adult and children’s titles across our divisions are prominently represented. Through “Indies Choice,” independent booksellers from ABA member stores get to select their favorite titles published last year, and vote for them through May 2 via online balloting. Winners will be announced on May 9, and will be celebrated along with the honor book recipients, at the ABA Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Lunch on Wednesday, May 30, at BookExpo 2018 at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Penguin Random House author Jacqueline Woodson was named the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Laureate, the world's largest award for children's and young adult literature. The prize amounts to 5 million Swedish krona (approximately $613,000). Woodson is the author of more than thirty books, including novels, poetry and picture books. One of her most lauded titles is the National Book Award- winning memoir in verse BROWN GIRL DREAMING (Nancy Paulsen Books).

#1 New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box takes his storytelling to new levels in his 18th Joe Pickett novel, THE DISAPPEARED, published by Putnam on March 27. Branded “one of today’s solid gold, A-list, must-read writers” by fellow Penguin Random House author Lee Child, Mr. Box has a remarkable ability to evolve his core characters – game warden Joe Pickett, his wife Mary Beth, their children, and friend Nate Romanowski – while introducing vexing mysteries, unexpected dilemmas, and multi-dimensional forces of nature.

Watch New and Trending Penguin Random House Digital Video Productions
27 March 2018

The Penguin Random House Digital Video team has been busy, creating a series of new, noteworthy and trending video productions. Ranging from how the romance genre empowers women to how author Tamora Pierce started writing female heroes to a deep dive into “conspiracies” surrounding the Random House Home Video division’s animated logo from the ’80s. Watch below:

The publishing world lost one of its most distinguished modern thriller writers. Philip Kerr, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Bernie Gunther novels, died on Friday, March 23 in London after an eight-month battle with cancer.

Crown Author Lauren Markham Wins the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize for THE FAR AWAY BROTHERS
26 March 2018

Lauren Markham, author of THE FAR AWAY BROTHERS: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life (Crown), has won the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize, among the awards given annually for the past 15 years to extraordinary individuals “who persevere in the act of truth-telling that protect the public interest, promote social justice, or illuminate a more just vision of society,” by the Nation Institute, Fertel Foundation, and Stewart R. Mott Foundation.

Penguin Random House is proud and honored to be the publisher of many of 2017’s most prestigious and coveted literary prize-winning adult and children’s books and their authors.

Current conditions to the contrary, Spring sprang this week! Or so our calendars tell us. We are readers, we are patient: It won’t be long before snow and rain yield to sun and blooms. To cultivate that feeling of renewal this weekend (one likely spent indoors), we invite you to enjoy the following books for children and adults, all under the auspices of “Spring”!

WaterBrook’s Andrew Stoddard Opens Windows Into Brian Houston’s New Book
22 March 2018

“I’m certain that THERE IS MORE is going to be one of those books I remember working on for the rest of my career,” said Andrew Stoddard, Lead Acquisitions Editor for WaterBrook, in this Three Questions for an Editor interview. Mr. Stoddard takes us inside the formative phases, the creative process, and why WaterBrook was the best home for this new book by Brian Houston – the founder and Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, considered by many to be a leading voice in the shaping of contemporary leadership values and church culture. Pastor Houston shows how it is possible for anyone to live life with greater expectancy. “Creative. Collaborative. Conscious of how the world is, but fiercely focused on the future – and a brighter future at that … it was encouraging to work with such a talented and overwhelming positive voice,” is how Mr. Stoddard described the author/editor process. For the complete Three Questions interview, read on.

The Audio Publishers Association has announced additional 2018 Audie Awards finalists, including for its Audio Book of the Year honor, recognizing LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders, narrated by George Saunders, Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and 163 other voices (Random House Audio). LINCOLN IN THE BARDO is also nominated for Excellence in Production; and Penguin Random House Audio’s “Transform Your Commute” campaign is up for the Excellence in Marketing award.

This week we are leaping on the news that the beloved novel, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY, is being adapted for a major motion picture by Netflix. Shaffer and Barrow’s epistolary novel (a tale told through letters) reminds us of the particular power over readers epistolary novels have. So we have selected some of the best of them from our catalog. These contemporary and classic works move from the era of parchment to email, and may just inspire the letter-writer in you:

Lauri Hornik, President and Publisher of Dial Books for Young Readers, has announced that Nancy Mercado will join Dial as Associate Publisher and Editorial Director, reporting to her effective April 9, 2018. Ms. Mercado will work closely with Ms. Hornik in overseeing the acquisition and development of Dial’s list in addition to editing her own projects and supervising Dial editors. Ms. Mercado was previously Editorial Director at Scholastic, where she managed a team of editors and oversaw and edited chapter books, middle grade and YA novels. Over the years Nancy’s had the good fortune of editing books by Paul Acampora, Cecil Castellucci, Veronica Chambers, Tommy Greenwald, Paul Griffin, Steve Kluger, Diana López, Jennifer Mathieu, Caragh O’Brien, Peter Raymundo, Kevin Sherry, Isabel Quintero, Lauren Tarshis, Taeeun Yoo, and many others.

Hailed as “this season’s hottest new TV show” is NBC’s Rise, based on Riverhead’s beloved book, DRAMA HIGH: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater by Michael Sokolove. Critics and fans alike are raving over the silver screen adaptation of this true story of “a brilliant, demanding and subversive teacher who practices the best kind of magic – the kind that's real and that changes lives” (USA Today).

Featured Author Event: Brian Castner (Denver)
19 March 2018

Colleagues in Colorado take note: Doubleday author Brian Castner is presenting his new book, DISAPPOINTMENT RIVER: Finding and Losing the Northwest Passage, at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver on Thursday, March 22. His talk begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by a book signing.

Our Finalists for the 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards
16 March 2018

The James Beard Foundation has announced the finalists for its 2018 Cookbook, Journalism, Broadcast Media, and Restaurant & Chef Awards. Among the finalists are a fleet of our authors and books published by Penguin Random House imprints Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press, and Pam Krauss Books, as well as Taste . The winners of the Cookbook and Media awards will be announced in New York on April 27, and the Chef awards will be announced in Chicago on May 7. Click here to view the complete list of nominees.

“Everybody knows deep down that life is as much about the things that do not happen as the things that do and that’s not something that ought to be glossed over or denied because without frustration there would hardly be any need to daydream.” ― Claire-Louise Bennett, Pond Is there more fertile soil for a writer than that of Ireland? The names come easy – Joyce, Yeats, O’Brien, Wilde, Binchy, Doyle, Shaw, Heaney, Trevor, Banville, Barry, French – to name a handful. On this St. Patrick’s Day though, let’s pull a pint for some of the newest Irish storytellers on the scene:

The countdown continues to March 29, when the Steven Spielberg-directed film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s #1 bestselling book READY PLAYER ONE (Broadway) will open in theaters nationwide. The world premiere was at this week’s South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, where Mr. Cline was a featured speaker. Janet Pierson, director of film at SXSW, commented, “The film brings to the screen a story that has captivated millions of readers around the globe, written by Austin’s very own Ernest Cline.” To help further ratchet up fan enthusiasm, Warner Bros. Pictures has debuted a new READY PLAYER ONE “Dreamer” trailer: “Save the Oasis. Save the world.”

Netflix Acquires Adaptation of THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
15 March 2018

Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’ New York Times bestseller THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, a book club favorite since it was first published by The Dial Press in 2008, has now been adapted for the screen by the production company Blue Print (producers of the Oscar and Golden Globe award-winning film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) in partnership with Studiocanal and The Mazur Kaplan Company. Netflix acquired the rights to air the film in North America, Latin America, Italy, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Studiocanal will release it theatrically in Australia, France, and Germany.

Our Publishing Triangle Awards Finalists
15 March 2018

Finalists for the 30th annual Publishing Triangle Awards have been announced, honoring the best LGBTQ fiction, nonfiction and poetry published in 2017, as well as the year's best trans and gender-variant literature. Winners will be celebrated April 26 at a ceremony in New York City.

There's a Book for That: Winston Churchill
15 March 2018

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." - Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, whose courage and conviction as Prime Minister led Britain to an allied victory in the Second World War, is once-again part of our cultural conversation due to the popular biopic, The Darkest Hour. Earlier this month, Gary Oldman took home the Oscar for Best Actor due to his exquisite embodiment of Churchill in the movie. To learn more about the full life, including family perspectives, of Winston Churchill we’ve gathered many hours’ worth of fine reading about the visionary leader.

Our Women’s Prize for Fiction 2018 Longlisters
14 March 2018

The Women’s Prize for Fiction has announced its 2018 Longlist. This annual award, now in its 23^rd year, celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women throughout the world. Seven books published by Penguin Random House in the U.S. and Canada are on this year’s Women’s Prize Longlist:

Honorary Book Club Central Chair Sarah Jessica Parker has selected Jonathan Miles’ ANATOMY OF A MIRACLE, on sale March 13 from Hogarth, as the latest addition to the American Library Association’s Book Club Central SJP list. ANATOMY OF A MIRACLE is a remarkable novel about a paralyzed young man’s unexplainable recovery, and explores faith, science, mystery and the meaning of life.

#1 New York Times and Internationally Bestselling Author of THE BOOK THIEF, Markus Zusak, to Publish His Eagerly Awaited Next Novel, BRIDGE OF CLAY, This Fall
13 March 2018

BRIDGE OF CLAY, the highly anticipated novel by internationally bestselling and award-winning author Markus Zusak, will be published this Fall, it was announced globally today. On sale October 9, 2018, the book will release with a first printing of 500,000 copies in the U.S., and be published by Alfred A. Knopf, home of Zusak’s THE BOOK THIEF. It will publish simultaneously in Zusak’s native Australia, and in the U.K. two days later. BRIDGE OF CLAY will be edited in the U.S. by Zusak’s longtime editor Erin Clarke. Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management represents Zusak.

Junot Díaz Celebrates Diversity, Immigration and Imagination
13 March 2018

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is ISLANDBORN (Dial Books for Young Readers), a debut picture book from Junot Díaz, the New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer prize-winning author of THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO and THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER. Illustrated by Leo Espinosa, ISLANDBORN celebrates cultural diversity in America and our imagination's boundless ability to connect us – to our families, to our past and to ourselves. LOLA, a Spanish-language edition of ISLANDBORN, is being published simultaneously in the U.S. and Canada.

The Man Booker International Prize has announced its 2018 longlist of 13 titles (often referred to as the “Man Booker Dozen”) vying for the award, which annually celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world. The shortlist of six books will be announced on April 12, and the winner of the 2018 prize will be announced on May 22 at an awards dinner in London.

Westminster colleagues take note: Portfolio author Ryan Holiday will be at Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. on Friday, March 16, at 7:00 p.m. to talk about his new book, CONSPIRACY: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue. Examining the case that rocked the media world, and the billionaire mastermind behind it, Holiday’s narrative is part cyber-era true-crime and part complex, thought-provoking investigation of questions of privacy and power in the digital age.

Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks is an iconic rock album shrouded in legend that has touched generations of listeners (the record topping many personal “Desert Island” music lists) and influenced everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Martin Scorsese. ASTRAL WEEKS: A Secret History of 1968 (Penguin Press), the first book by musician/ journalist Ryan H. Walsh, unearths the album’s fascinating backstory and takes a mind-expanding deep dive into a lost chapter of Boston, circa 1968, featuring both the famous and the forgotten, including Van Morrison himself, folkie-turned-cult-leader Mel Lyman, Timothy Leary, the Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol, Peter Wolf, and James Brown.

This week we’re celebrating Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day (3/8), with books by women of color. Women’s history is still under-discussed and undervalued, doubly so when it comes to the history of women of color. So we’re highlighting some of our recent favorite titles, bringing these women’s stories and perspectives to the front, where they belong.

PRH Audio’s READY PLAYER ONE First-Ever NY Times #1 Audio Fiction Bestseller
9 March 2018

The Random House Audio edition of Ernest Cline’s READY PLAYER ONE is making publishing history as the first #1 Audio Fiction Bestseller on the first-ever New York Times Bestseller List devoted separately and solely to Audio titles. The debut rankings appear in the Sunday, March 18 print edition of The New York Times Book Review, now available online, and will henceforth appear monthly, reporting combined physical and digital audio sales for the top 15 fiction and nonfiction audiobooks respectively.

Lambda Literary, America’s oldest and largest literary arts organization advancing LGBTQ literature, has announced the finalists of the 30th Annual Lambda Literary Awards (a.k.a the “Lammys”). Among the finalists are five books published by Penguin Random House imprints and one title by a Penguin Random House Publisher Services client publisher.

John A. Farrell’s RICHARD NIXON Wins New-York Historical Society Book Prize
8 March 2018

RICHARD NIXON: The Life by John A. Farrell (Random House) has won the New-York Historical Society’s Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize, awarded annually to the best work in the field of American history or biography.

Today, we are celebrating International Women’s Day with our readers by highlighting many of our publishing divisions’ female authors on the Penguin Random House consumer website. On this Day, which annually honors the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women globally, we will showcase treasured classics, major biographies, and contemporary storytelling, and more we publish by and about women. See a title sampling here.

On the heels of Elizabeth Strout winning The Story Prize last week for her collection ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, we contend the short story is not, merely, an unrealized novel. With its economy of language in getting plot and character across, a great short story can take your breath away. Short stories are like fiction concentrate. Adding words would just dilute the glory of what we love about the short story! In the first few months of 2018 alone, Penguin Random House has rolled out new collections from masters of the form as well as exciting debuts. Will one of these take home next year’s prize?

Arimah, Clemmons, Hamid are 2018 Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalists
7 March 2018

The inaugural Aspen Words Literary Prize has unveiled its five finalists and three of the authors and their books are published by Penguin Random House imprints. The Aspen Institute established this new annual prize to recognize "an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture."

Our new Igloo Book Buzz selection is Sarah McBride’s TOMORROW WILL BE DIFFERENT: Love, Loss and the Fight for Trans Equality, published on March 6 by Crown Archetype. Before she became the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention in 2016 at the age of twenty-six, Sarah McBride struggled with the decision to come out—not just to her family but to the students of American University, where she was serving as student body president. Informative, heartbreaking, and profoundly empowering, TOMORROW WILL BE DIFFERENT is McBride’s story of love, loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community’s battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender.

Author Ian Buruma will be presenting his latest book, A TOKYO ROMANCE: A Memoir (Penguin Press) on Thursday, March 8 at 7:00 pm at McNally Jackson Books in NYC. Buruma will be in conversation with Darryl Pinckney, followed by a book signing.

Ten Speed Press is pleased to announce that the prestigious Art of Eating Prize for Best Food Book of 2018 has been awarded to Leela Punyaratabandhu for BANGKOK: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand Leela receives a $10,000 prize and a specially crafted hand-wrought ladle, a beautiful emblem of the prize. The Art of Eating Prize is awarded annually to the author of the year’s best book about food (or food and drink together). Where other food book awards involve nominations in many categories, The Art of Eating Prize focuses on a single best book. The founders of the prize, by rewarding the highest quality work, hope to encourage the excellence of food writing in general. The winner is decided by a panel of judges drawn from varied realms connected with food and drink. The seven judges are Eric Asimov, Lisa Abend, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Peter Meehan, Pim Techamuanvivit, Adam Sachs, and Frank Stitt.

Be part of the launch of Amy Kaufman’s highly anticipated BACHELOR NATION: Inside The World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure (Dutton) at the Strand Book Store in NYC on Wednesday, March 7. Amy will be in conversation with Emma Gray and Claire Fallon, hosts of Huffington Post's Here to Make Friends podcast. The event will begin at 7:00 in the Rare Books Room, where wine will be served. Please RSVP here.

On Sabbatical: Gerry Bondoc Eats His Way Through Asia
2 March 2018

Our On Sabbatical series is back! This time with Gerry Bondoc, Desktop Support Analyst in NYC. Read on to see how Gerry spent his sabbatical traveling to 11 cities and 5 countries in Asia this winter.

Friday Reads: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
2 March 2018

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! - Dr. Seuss Is there a wocket in your pocket? Did you have green eggs and ham this morning? Today, March 2^nd, is Dr. Seuss' birthday - celebrated nationwide with NEA’s Read Across America events in schools, libraries and bookstores. Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on the birthday of the beloved children's author. Here’s a treasure-trove of Seuss for the party!

The real-world impact of Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling book EVICTED: Poverty and Profit in the American City (Crown/Broadway) continues. Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee, recently announced a commitment to build or improve 10,000 housing units in that Wisconsin city over the next 10 years. Mr. Barrett acknowledged that his plan was hatched in the wake of lessons learned from scenarios presented in EVICTED, which follows the fates of eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

Elizabeth Strout Wins The Story Prize for ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
1 March 2018

Elizabeth Strout has won The Story Prize for ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE (Random House), receiving a $20,000 award and an engraved silver bowl at the 14th annual Story Prize event, which took place on Wednesday, February 28, at The New School in Manhattan. The Story Prize judges offered high praise for Strout and her latest collection of short stories: "The intelligent prose is seemingly humble but elegant in its subtlety and enchanting in its overall effect. The blade of her wit is so sharp, you barely feel it until after the slice. Strout is a specialist in the reticence of people, and her characters are compelling because of the complexity of their internal lives, and the clarity with which that complexity is depicted. It is a sublime pleasure to read her work."

In anticipation of March’s Women’s History Month and International Women's Day on March 8, we’ve taken a cue from Marie Claire’s list of most inspirational women in history to bring readers of all ages some excellent biographies on women who have made a difference in many realms of government, science, and the arts:

Watch the Trailer for TV Adaptation of THE LOOMING TOWER, Hulu Original Series Debuts Tonight
28 February 2018

Lawrence Wright’s THE LOOMING TOWER: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Knopf/Vintage), which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, has been adapted into a 10-episode Hulu original series and debuts tonight. Starring Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, Alec Baldwin and Tahar Rahim, the gripping narrative spans five decades, powerfully illuminating the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the 9/11 attacks.

At our latest Igloo Live event, Marysarah Quinn (SVP, Director of Creative Design, Crown) and Kendra Levin (Associate Editorial Director, Viking Books for Young Readers) shared first-hand accounts about their week spent volunteering in Rwanda in partnership with Save the Children on their School-Community Partnership for Education (SCOPE) project. The discussion, which took place on February 5 at 1745 Broadway, was moderated by Save the Children’s Jennifer Kendra (Director of Impact Marketing and Partnership Innovation). Melanie Fallon-Houska (Director, Corporate Giving, Penguin Random House), who worked closely together with Jennifer to realize this amazing volunteer opportunity, also joined the panel to introduce the guests and talk about other exciting opportunities to support our companywide Social Impact initiatives.

Viking’s Wendy Wolf on the Wisdom of Steven Pinker and ENLIGHTENMENT NOW
26 February 2018

Steven Pinker’s ENLIGHTENMENT NOW: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress, acclaimed New York Times bestseller (debuting at #2) from Viking, is “the book of the moment” everyone is talking about, including avid reader Bill Gates: “The world is getting better, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. I’m glad we have brilliant thinkers like Steven Pinker to help us see the big picture. ENLIGHTENMENT NOW is not only the best book Pinker’s ever written. It’s my new favorite book of all time.”

The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the winners of its 2018 Awards at the annual IACP conference on February 25 in New York, recognizing the very best food writing and publishing of the year, from cookbooks and journalism to photography and digital media. Our 8 IACP 2018 Award winners include books and authors from Crown Publishing Group imprints Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press and Lorena Jones Books, as well as Alfred A. Knopf.

Worldwide Publication Date Set for Michelle Obama Memoir
26 February 2018

BECOMING, the memoir by Michelle Obama, will be published in the U.S. and Canada on November 13, 2018, by the Crown Publishing Group/Penguin Random House. There will be a simultaneous publication of the book in 24 languages worldwide.

Watch the New Netflix Adaptation of Richard K. Morgan’s ALTERED CARBON
26 February 2018

The cinematic scope of Richard K. Morgan’s genre-bending science fiction book, ALTERED CARBON (Del Rey), made it a natural for screen adaptation. Now streaming exclusively on Netflix, this ten-episode series takes place more than 350 years into the future, when humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person’s consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or “sleeve”) making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen.

Today, we complete our eight-part Social Impact Highlights Summary series by highlighting our vision for 2020.

Friday Reads: The Year of the Dog
23 February 2018

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! February 16th marked the first day in China’s traditional lunar calendar and is the country’s most important holiday with colorful celebrations that culminate with The Lantern Festival on March 2nd. 2018 is the Year of the Dog and, running with that lead, we are unleashing classic and contemporary canine stories for the occasion - all ages welcome!

Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard have announced The J. Anthony Lukas Prizes shortlist, honoring “the best in American nonfiction writing” in 2017 on history and topics of American political or social concern. The judges selected three of our 2017 titles as finalists in two of the three categories, from more than 350 submissions:

Penguin Random House: A Story of Shared Values – Environment & Sourcing
23 February 2018

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today’s installment features environment and sourcing. We are constantly inspired to do more with less. We are dedicated to the practices of responsible book publishing, and our policy on environmental sourcing highlights our values and actions on conservation and sustainability. We are proactive in minimizing the energy consumption in our offices and facilities by adopting cleaner energy sources, and it shows.

Our 15 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists
22 February 2018

The Los Angeles Times has announced the finalists for its 2017 Book Prize Awards, which annually honors outstanding books in 10 categories. Below are our 15 Penguin Random House imprint nominations, and our winners of two of their non-competitive prizes. The winners in the literary categories will revealed on April 20.

In the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14^,, the school’s students and their counterparts across the country are speaking out non-stop against gun violence, leading to two nationwide planned events: the National School Walkout on March 14 and the March for Our Lives on March 24. You may be interested in the following books about this urgent matter published by Penguin Random House imprints:

Riverhead Books is proud to announce a new work from the award-winning and internationally-bestselling writer and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador,Khaled Hosseini as was revealed in Entertainment Weekly. The new work, titled SEA PRAYER, is a short, illustrated book that Hosseini wrote in response to the current refugee crisis and the haunting image of young Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on the beach in Turkey in September 2015.

Penguin Random House: A Story of Shared Values – Creativity & Culture
21 February 2018

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today’s installment features creativity and culture. Creativity often equals choices. As a company, we foster the development of a wide range of viewpoints in the writers we publish and the stories they share around the world. We broaden the creative spectrum through our partnerships and programs that discover new authors and connect books to new places.

Penguin Random House: A Story of Shared Values – People & Community
20 February 2018

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today’s installment features people and community. People are at the heart of what we do at Penguin Random House. From our employees to our booksellers and ultimately our readers, we believe in the power of reading— and how just one story can change a perspective for a lifetime, enriching ourselves and our global community in ways we never could have imagined.

Penguin Random House India Launches a New Digital Imprint, Penguin Petit
20 February 2018

Penguin Random House India is delighted to announce an exciting digital initiative, the launch of its digital imprint Penguin Petit. Featuring a carefully curated selection from Penguin Random House India’s extensive list of titles, Penguin Petits are short reads, approximately 50 pages each, designed for ease of reading across digital devices. Readers will now be able to enjoy the writings by some of their favourite authors in short, low priced and highly accessible digital formats, including works by Premchand, Gulzar, Devdutt Pattanaik, Ramachandra Guha, Sudha Murty and Anita Nair to begin with.

The Rainbow Book List Committee has announced its 2018 Rainbow Book List, recognizing books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning content, for youth and children 18 and under. This year’s Rainbow Book List includes five titles published by Penguin Random House imprints, and one title published by a Penguin Random House Publisher Services client:

YA Author Samira Ahmed Takes on Islamophobia in Her Debut Novel
16 February 2018

Samira Ahmed’s debut novel, LOVE, HATE AND OTHER FILTERS, features an Indian-American Muslim teen coping with Islamophobia, cultural divides among peers and parents, and a reality she can neither explain nor escape. Published by Soho Teen, the Young Adult division of Soho Press, a Penguin Random House Publisher Services client, this book is a Spring 2018 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, a New York Times bestseller, and was recently featured in The New York Times Book Review’s “Inside the List” column.

On Monday, February 19th we celebrate President’s Day. Did you know that President's Day never falls on the actual birthday of any American president? Four chief executives—George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were born in February, but their birthdays all come either too early or late to coincide with Presidents’ Day, which is always celebrated on the third Monday of the month since 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act: “an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers…” It’s a great occasion to learn something new by reading the following acclaimed adult and children’s nonfiction:

Author Ben Dolnick will be at Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. this Saturday, February 17, presenting his latest novel, THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS (Pantheon), a supernatural story of love, ghosts, and madness as a young couple, newly engaged, become caretakers of a historic museum. The event will begin at 6:00 pm.

Penguin Random House: A Story of Shared Values – Literacy & Education
16 February 2018

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today’s installment features literacy and education. The power of reading and writing knows no bounds. The ability to read and write is key to unlocking a new perspective and a greater awareness of not only the world outside but also the one within. It is the starting point in both transcending and uniting generations and cultures, building empathy and expanding the imagination.

Penguin Random House: A Story of Shared Values – Inclusion
15 February 2018

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today's installment features inclusion and diversity. Authors and books have never been more important in our championing of diverse voices in our culture, as well as an inspiration in our workplace. We are committed to strengthening and promoting equality, diversity and social inclusion through our company and among our shareholders, and by partnering with organizations that share our commitment.

Activist DeRay Mckesson to Publish Book with Viking
14 February 2018

Viking is pleased to announce ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM: The Case for Hope, a new book by DeRay Mckesson, civil rights activist and host of the podcast Pod Save the People, coming September 4, 2018. Georgia Bodnar and Wendy Wolf at Viking acquired North American rights, as well as audio and first serial, from CAA.

Our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection is Kimmery Martin’s debut novel, THE QUEEN OF HEARTS, published by Berkley on February 13. An emergency medicine doctor, born and raised in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, Kimmery sets her book’s narrative in a world of hospital rounds and life-or-death decisions, while exploring the heart’s capacity for forgiveness.

This eight-part series highlights individual sections from our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary. Today's installment features freedom of speech and expression. The right to freedom of expression and the protection of writers against censorship and unjust persecution are indispensable to the development of society and culture. We are unwavering in our support of writers who seek out truth in their stories and stand with organizations that share in our commitment and devotion to free speech as a fundamental right. Please read on to learn about some of our initiatives to support Freedom of Speech & Expression.

There’s a Book for That: Must-Read Memoirs
13 February 2018

“…the literary memoir, the stylized recollection of personal experience, is often as much about character and story and emotion as fiction is.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Join The Art Students League of New York for a Gallery Lecture by renowned art critic and Knopf author Jed Perl, as he discusses his biography CALDER: The Conquest of Time (Knopf). Tonight, February 13, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at The Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery, Jed will show why Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was–and remains–a barrier breaker, an avant-garde artist with mass appeal. A wine, cheese and book-signing reception will follow the lecture.

Viking to Publish New Novel by Deborah Harkness This Fall
12 February 2018

Deborah Harkness, #1 bestselling author of the All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life), will publish her next novel for Viking on September 25, 2018. The book is called TIME’S CONVERT and set in the same universe at the All Souls Trilogy, as it jumps between contemporary London and Paris as well as the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Readers can expect to see some of their favorite characters from the Trilogy, as Harkness uses her expertise as a professor of history at USC to deftly weave historical events into her page-turning story.

Continuing our coverage of this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting award winners and honorees:

From bestselling author Dave Eggers comes the incredible true story of a young Yemeni American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana’a by civil war. Enjoy an evening with Dave Eggers as he discusses his latest book, THE MONK OF MOKHA (Knopf), on February 13 with Politics & Prose at Sixth & I in Washington, D.C. The discussion, beginning at 6:00 p.m., will be followed by a book signing.

Our ALA Midwinter Award Recipients, Part One: Odyssey, RUSA Listen Audio Winners
12 February 2018

Each year, the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting brings forth a cascade of awards and honors accorded distinguished Children's and Adults books and audios, published (mostly) in the past year. We'll be reporting on all our winners ahead. First up, our Penguin Random House Audio recognitions.

Last December, our CEO Markus Dohle shared Penguin Random House's first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary as part of his year-end letter. As Markus wrote, the summary “showcases how our company operates responsibly and complements our publishing efforts by going beyond the day-to-day activities of the business to give back to our communities, both locally and globally, across our territories.”

To the delight of the books’ millions of fans, a film version of the third, final volume of E L James’s FIFTY SHADES trilogy, published by Vintage, arrived on film screens worldwide Thursday night from Universal Pictures, timed anew for pre-Valentine’s Day viewing.

The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the finalists for its 2018 Awards, recognizing the very best food writing and publishing of the year, from cookbooks and journalism to photography and digital media. We received 23 nominations for books, authors and editors from Crown Publishing Group imprints Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press and Lorena Jones Books, as well as Alfred A. Knopf and America’s Test Kitchen (a PRHPS publisher client). The winners will be selected at the annual IACP conference on February 25 in New York.

Friday Reads: Moral Philosophy as Seen on T.V.
9 February 2018

“One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy” – Aristotle

Penguin Young Readers to Launch New Imprint Kokila
8 February 2018

Jen Loja, President, Penguin Young Readers, announced today the launch of Kokila (pronounced KO-ki-la), a new imprint which will be dedicated to centering stories from the margins with books that add nuance and depth to the way children and young adults see the world and their place in it. Kokila will be

The Audio Publishers Association has announced its 2018 Audie Awards finalists, including 12 Penguin Random House Audio titles. This year’s honorees were revealed via a social media campaign, with each category’s finalists announced by a notable author, narrator, or media outlet. Three PRH Audio authors nominated this year participated in the announcement. George Saunders revealed the Short Stories/Collections category on his Facebook (30.21K followers), John le Carré revealed the Mystery category on his Twitter (6.4K followers), and Libba Bray revealed the Middle Grade category on her Twitter (55.8K followers).

Whether personal, expository, analytical or persuasive, the art of the essay isn’t easy to master. The most compelling essays to read are often a blend of type: Those which are propelled by intellectual curiosity, but with a strong narrative, even autobiographical, element. Prompted by the recent release of the three essay collections by literary masters at the top of our list, we present an exciting survey course (if you will) in the Essay and on subjects as varied as art, pop-culture, travel, politics, and, of course, writers themselves.

Our Penguin Random House Digital Video Team has produced a 360 video that shows, in a dynamic way, how books travel through our Crawfordsville, Indiana distribution center. “There is so much that happens to get a book into the marketplace and everyone here is part of that,” says Annette Danek, Senior Vice President of Fulfillment, who narrates the video. “Our 1,700 employees take so much pride in delivering our books with speed, accuracy and in pristine condition to our customers.”

WWE Champion and Global Celebrity John Cena to Make Publishing Debut with RHCB
6 February 2018

Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will publish a line of books written by globally beloved WWE champion, movie star, multi-talented entertainer, and philanthropist John Cena. The acquisition was announced today by Mallory Loehr, Senior Vice President, Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers Group. Worldwide publishing rights were acquired from Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners.

The Truth about the Border in Francisco Cantú’s THE LINE BECOMES A RIVER
6 February 2018

THE LINE BECOMES A RIVER: Dispatches from the Border, published by Riverhead Books, presents a first-person narrative by author and former Border Patrol agent Francisco Cantú. The border between the United States and Mexico is in his blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, Cantú became an agent for the United States Border Patrol in 2008, working in the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. He and his partners were posted to remote regions crisscrossed by drug routes and smuggling corridors, where they learned to track other humans under blistering sun and through frigid nights. They hauled in the dead and delivered to detention those they found alive. Plagued by nightmares, Cantú abandoned the Border Patrol for civilian life in 2012. But when an immigrant friend traveled to Mexico to visit his dying mother and did not return, Cantú discovered that the border had migrated with him. In our Behind the Pages interview, Francisco Cantú and Rebecca Saletan, Vice President, Editorial Director for Riverhead, share personal insights into the creation of THE LINE BECOMES A RIVER, ongoing border-related issues, and the harsh realities that this book illuminates.

Psychoanalyst and AEDP psychotherapist Hilary Jacobs Hendel will share fascinating patient stories and dynamic exercises that help you connect to healing emotions, ease anxiety and depression, and discover your authentic self in her new book, IT’S NOT ALWAYS DEPRESSION: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self (Spiegel & Grau). Join this book launch event on Wednesday, February 7, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in The Strand's Rare Book Room. Hendel will be in conversation with Dr. Courtney Rennicke, a Columbia University trained clinical psychologist, who specializes in attachment-focused approaches (DDP, AEDP) to working with adults, children and families.

Last week I had the privilege of visiting our colleagues in India on the heels of last year’s 30th anniversary of PRH India. It was an inspiring trip that underscored the importance of local editorial independence—and the opportunities we have to share best practices across our territories and connect outstanding books to even more readers around the world.

Penguin Random House India Publishing Book for Young Readers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
2 February 2018

Penguin Random House India has announced the publication of EXAM WARRIORS by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. This inspiring book for young readers is written in a fun and interactive style, with illustrations, activities and yoga exercises, intended to be a friend to youths not only in acing exams but also in facing life.

Award news! For the first time in more than two decades, the National Book Foundation is adding a new category to its literary prizes: the National Book Award for Translated Literature. Announced this week, the new prize will recognize a work of either fiction or nonfiction translated into English and published in the U.S.

Our Volunteers Kendra Levin and Marysarah Quinn Revisit Their Week in Rwanda
31 January 2018

Journeying from America to the heart of Africa, our Penguin Random House colleagues Marysarah Quinn (Senior Vice President, Director of Creative Design, Crown) and Kendra Levin (Associate Editorial Director, Viking Books for Young Readers) were the first publisher-funded volunteers to go to Rwanda and work in partnership with Save the Children on their School-Community Partnership for Education (SCOPE) project.

“What a world this will be when human possibilities are freed, when we discover each other, when the stranger is no longer the potential criminal and the certain inferior!” – W. E. B. Du Bois In anticipation and honor of Black History Month in February, Penguin Random House has an array of beautiful and relevant classics, nonfiction and young readers’ books in the spotlight:

High praise has been bestowed upon our colleague Kristin Cochrane, President & Publisher of Penguin Random House Canada. She is on Toronto Life’s “50 Most Influentials” list for the third year in a row. From the 2017 edition testimonial: “If you read a bestselling Canadian book this year, Kristin Cochrane probably read it first.

Our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection is THE MONK OF MOKHA by bestselling author Dave Eggers. Published by Knopf, this book tells the remarkable true story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana’a by civil war.

From Zadie Smith, one of the most beloved authors of her generation, comes a new collection of essays. Enjoy an evening with Zadie at Barnes & Noble Upper West Side on February 8 at 7:00 pm as she discusses and reads from FEEL FREE (Penguin Press), followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Arranged into five sections–In the World, In the Audience, In the Gallery, On the Bookshelf, and Feel Free–this new collection poses questions we immediately recognize.

Friday Reads: Our Finalists for the 2018 PEN America Literary Awards
26 January 2018

PEN America has announced the finalists for its 2018 PEN America Literary Awards, in the categories of debut fiction, diversity, translation, biography, essay, science and sports writing, as well as for the PEN/Jean Stein Award. The shortlisted titles include 14 books published by Penguin Random House imprints, as well as two books from PRHPS client publishers.

What about the Children? When Parenting, Careers and Class Collide
26 January 2018

Leïla Slimani became the first Moroccan woman to win the prestigious French literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, which she received for her novel, THE PERFECT NANNY, a #1 bestseller in France. Now this Penguin Books Original is an Indie Bestseller in the U.S. Both a riveting thriller and a literary exploration of issues of class, modern parenting, and feminism, it captures the sometimes overwhelming isolation of raising young children as well as the financial and emotional strain of navigating careers, costly childcare, social pressures, and personal fulfillment.

A new featurette and trailer for the Steven Spielberg-directed film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s bestselling book READY PLAYER ONE (Broadway) are now out in the world. The very cool featurette is narrated by Spielberg and Cline.

With the New Year just getting rolling, our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection, Daymond John’s RISE AND GRIND, presents a diverse series of practical, anecdotal, and motivational success stories.

Two of our most luminous writers, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Ali Smith, published second books in their seasonal quartets this month, both titled, WINTER. The occasion seemed right to bundle together a blanket of other wintery reads… something for everyone, whether seeking warmth or additional chill factor!

Featured Author Event: Charles C. Mann (Seattle)
23 January 2018

Environmental historian and bestselling, award-winning author Charles C. Mann presents his new book, THE WIZARD AND THE PROPHET (Knopf) on Thursday, January 25, at Seattle University in the Pigott Auditorium, beginning at 7:00 pm. Mann will be giving his own perspective of his exploration.

The National Book Critics Circle has announced the finalists for its 2017 awards. Penguin Random House imprints publish six finalists for NBCC Awards in the following categories:

800-CEO-READ presented its annual awards ceremony and business book industry celebration in New York City on Thursday, January 18.

The wait is over at last for a filmed adaptation of the classic historical thriller, THE ALIENIST by Caleb Carr. Tonight, at 9:00 pm (ET/PT), TNT Network premieres the first episode of the much-anticipated mini-series based on the multi-million-copy selling novel.

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has announced its nominees for the 2018 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced in 2017. Five books published by Penguin Random House imprints earned nominations in the following categories:

Friday Reads: Immigrant Stories
19 January 2018

Immigration continues to be a lead story in Washington, DC and across the country. Many books published by Penguin Random House imprints reflect an America that is a nation of immigrants and their stories make for truly absorbing and enlightening reading. Here is a selection of titles.

Biographers International Organization (BIO) has nominated ten books as semi-finalists for its 2018 Plutarch Award, the only international literary prize for biography that is chosen by fellow biographers. Four of the nominees are published by Penguin Random House imprints:

Some of the biggest questions and mysteries that many humans ponder are at the heart of Thomas Pierce’s new Riverhead novel, THE AFTERLIVES, our latest Igloo Book Buzz selection. The author reveals, “I set out to write a story about a guy trying to find bedrock in a world that often feels so ridiculous and so full of spectacle and along the way wound up writing about love and death and ghosts and holograms. Go figure..”

Dear Penguin Random House Colleagues, Happy New Year. I’d like to start 2018 with a big thank you for all your efforts and contributions to another solidly profitable year for Penguin Random House in 2017.

The Library of Michigan has announced its 2018 Michigan Notable Books honorees as part of its annual recognition program. This year’s 20 books were chosen by Michigan librarians from a list of nearly 300 titles published in 2017. Two of the books being honored are published by Penguin Random House imprints:

Celebrate Langston Hughes’ Legacy and NOT WITHOUT LAUGHTER Novel Tonight
17 January 2018

To celebrate Langston Hughes’ legacy and the publication of a new Penguin Classics edition of his novel, NOT WITHOUT LAUGHTER, our own Chris Jackson, Vice President, Publisher and Editor in Chief, One World/Random House, will join Angela Flournoy, novelist and author of NOT WITHOUT LAUGHTER’s new introduction , and Doreen St. Felix, staff writer for The New Yorker, on a special panel at the Langston Hughes House in Harlem, where the author lived and wrote during the last twenty years of his life.

As the first African-American woman to receive the prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award, Oprah Winfrey’s speech at the Golden Globes was so powerful that the after-buzz was she should run for president. With current #metoo and Time’s Up movements, women in Hollywood have been at the forefront. To quote Oprah, “Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year, we became the story.” Taking that lead, this week we bring you fiction and nonfiction by and about women in Hollywood.

Spanish-Language Edition of Michael Wolff’s FIRE AND FURY to be Published by Vintage Español
16 January 2018

Vintage Español will publish the Spanish-language edition of Michael Wolff’s #1 bestseller, FUEGO Y FURIA: DENTRO DE LA CASA BLANCA DE TRUMP, in paperback and ebook on February 27 2018. A phenomenon for its sales and media impact, FIRE AND FURY: Inside Trump’s White House was published in English by Holt/Macmillan on January 5 and has broken records as the fastest selling nonfiction title in that company’s history.

The three finalists for the 2017 Story Prize, which annually honors authors of outstanding short story collections published in the prior year, are all published by Penguin Random House imprints:

“Genius” is a word bandied about in the common vernacular, but just what, or who, is an actual “genius”? Has the word lost meaning? According to our keyword search, it’s a pretty popular one to include in book titles, and the meaning isn’t just limited to someone who staggers others with the power of their intellect.

Featured Author Event: Dan Harris (NYC)
11 January 2018

Dan Harris, co-anchor of ABC’s Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America, will present MEDITATION FOR FIDGETY SKEPTICS: A 10% Happier How-To Book (Spiegel & Grau) in conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, along with Jeff Warren and Carlye Adler. Enjoy the chance to become 10% happier on Sunday, January 14 at the 92nd Street Y, in Kaufmann Hall, at 5:00 pm.

Riverhead’s Lesley Nneka Arimah Named Artist of the Year by Minneapolis Star Tribune
11 January 2018

Lesley Nneka Arimah, author of WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY (Riverhead), was recently named the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s 2017 Artist of the Year. In an admiring announcement article titled “Lesley Nneka Arimah: A Wordsmith Who Spins Magic,” the Star Tribune provides a comprehensive overview of Arimah’s career, sprinkled with high praise throughout, including quotes from Riverhead Editorial Director Becky Saletan, National Book Foundation President Lisa Lucas and fellow Riverhead author Meg Wolitzer.

There’s a Book for That: Martin Luther King, Jr.
9 January 2018

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." - Martin Luther King, Jr. On Monday, January 15^th we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. And April 4, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of King's assassination. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. It’s a time to commemorate the timeless values he exemplified – courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service – as well as the forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his leadership. It’s especially important for the young to learn about Dr. King’s character and contributions and the power of words. We recommend the books herein for education and inspiration for all ages.

Penguin Random House Acquires Rodale Books’ Trade Publishing Assets
9 January 2018

Penguin Random House has purchased the trade-book publishing assets of Rodale Books, the pathfinding, highly regarded wellness publisher, and will take over the publication of its frontlist and backlist titles effective immediately, it was announced today by Markus Dohle, Chief Executive Officer, Penguin Random House. Rodale Books was acquired from Hearst, which completed its purchase of Rodale, Inc., the parent publisher of Rodale Books, last week. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Acclaimed magazine Texas Monthly has partnered with Penguin Random House Audio to record more than 20 features from the magazine’s archives on audio for the first time. This collaboration offers listeners thought-provoking stories perfect for the length of a commute, similar to a podcast, but recorded with the high production quality listeners have come to expect from full-length audiobook programs.

Penguin Random House India Presents Priyanka Chopra: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Chasing a Dream
9 January 2018

Penguin Random House India’s annual lecture event featured Priyanka Chopra, global entertainment personality, game changer and Unicef ambassador, last month in New Delhi. Launched in 2007, The Penguin Annual Lecture series has become one of the most prestigious cultural events in India. The eleventh edition, held on December 26, was themed “Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Chasing a Dream” and marked the conclusion of Penguin Random House India’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

In her new Random House book, TELL ME MORE: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say, New York Times bestselling author Kelly Corrigan swings between meditations on life with a preoccupied husband and two mercurial teenage daughters to profound observations on love and loss. Kelly’s editor, Andy Ward, Vice President, Editor in Chief, Random House, was closely involved with the creation of this collection of stories and shares insights into his impressions of Kelly’s voice on the page, their editor/author working relationship, and who will find her new stories most beneficial in this Three Questions for an Editor interview.

Hit television series based on Liane Moriarty’s BIG LITTLE LIES (Berkley) and Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Anchor) took home a combined 6 awards at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards, Sunday night, January 7, in Los Angeles.

Celebrating the publication of THE IMMORTALISTS, one of the most highly anticipated books of 2018, we present a special “Behind the Pages” interview with the novel’s editor, Sally Kim, Vice President, Editorial Director, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, and author Chloe Benjamin.

Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long will read and present their new picture book, LOVE (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers), a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all. Matt and Loren will appear at Books are Magic, beginning at 6:00 pm on January 9 for an evening about LOVE, A Winter 2017-2018 Kids’ Indie Next Top Pick.

Jacqueline Woodson Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
4 January 2018

The Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Library of Congress has announced the appointment of Jacqueline Woodson as the sixth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Our Penguin Random House author is a four-time Newbery Honor Medalist, Coretta Scott King Book Award-winner, former Young People’s Poet Laureate and National Book Award Winner for her memoir-in-verse BROWN GIRL DREAMING (Nancy Paulsen Books).

For the first Friday Reads of the New Year, we are focusing on young readers and hope for the future. Penguin Random House author Jacqueline Woodson was just named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by The Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Library of Congress. During her two-year term, Woodson, a four-time Newbery Award winner and former Young People’s Poet Laureate, will travel the country promoting her platform, READING = HOPE x CHANGE (What’s Your Equation?). You can read more about Jacqueline Woodson’s appointment here and we invite you to immerse yourself in her award-winning books:

Winners of the 2017 Costa Book Awards, one of the UK’s most prestigious and popular literary prizes, have been announced and two Penguin Random House authors and their books topped the following categories:

The publishing world lost a legend and friend, Sue Grafton, #1 New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal- bestselling author of the ground-breaking Alphabet Mystery series featuring beloved Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone, died on Thursday, December 28 in Santa Barbara after a two-year battle with cancer of the appendiceil. She was 77.

Welcome 2018! Have you declared any New Years’ resolutions? Or do you not participate in that tradition? Whatever one’s perspective on the need or efficacy of New Years’ resolutions, the common goals of weight loss, eating healthier, exercising more start with that most basic need: sleep.

Employee Volunteers Kendra Levin and Marysarah Quinn Bound for Rwanda
2 January 2018

Save the Children, a non-profit organization that shares our passion for books and for creating the next generation of readers around the world, has selected Penguin Random House U.S. volunteer applicants Marysarah Quinn (SVP, Director of Creative Design, Crown) and Kendra Levin (Associate Editorial Director, Viking Books for Young Readers) to be the first publisher-funded volunteers to travel to Rwanda and work in partnership with the organization on their School-Community Partnership for Education (SCOPE) project. Coinciding with our Community Day of Service on January 12, Marysarah and Kendra will leave on January 13 to volunteer their time on behalf of Penguin Random House for one full week in Kigali, Rwanda.

World renowned singer Art Garfunkel will discuss his new memoir WHAT IS IT ALL BUT LUMINOUS: Notes from an Underground Man (Knopf) at Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, January 10 beginning at 7:00 pm. He will be in conversation with Victoria Wilson, vice president and senior editor at Alfred A. Knopf. Mr. Garfunkel will not be signing books at this event, however pre-signed copies will be available.

Book of the Month has announced that its more than 100,000 members elected John Boyne’s THE HEART’S INVISIBLE FURIES (Hogarth) as the 2017 Book of the Year Award winner. Boyne, a highly-acclaimed author living in Ireland, wins the $10,000 grand prize and his novel will be reprinted in a special limited edition rose gold jacket, available exclusively to Book of the Month members.

Capitol Hill veteran and New York Times bestselling author Bruce Bartlett will discuss THE TRUTH MATTERS (Ten Speed Press), his clear and concise handbook on distinguishing fake news from reliable journalism, at Washington, D.C.’s Politics and Prose bookstore on January 2, beginning at 7:00 pm, followed by a book signing.

PEN America has announced the longlists for its 2018 Literary Awards in the categories of debut fiction, essay, diversity, science, sports writing, biography, and translation. The 21 longlisted titles published by Penguin Random House imprints are presented below, with some of the category winners to be publicly revealed on February 20.

There’s a Book for That: Musicals!
20 December 2017

“Hamilton," like many musicals before it, has reminded us just how passionate people can be about a musical. It’s not surprising there’s also a cognitive health benefit: A study out of George Mason University, presented at the Society of Neuroscience meeting in November, says that singing show tunes can fight off dementia. That brought to mind books that are either the basis for, or companions to, popular American musicals. May they also bring out the song in you…

Our Penguin Random House Digital Video team created an amazing array of new and trending videos throughout 2017: from a fun parody of people trying books for the first time and Elmo’s Trick Tongue Twisters to Norm Macdonald convincing readers to buy his book BASED ON A TRUE STORY and a BookCon 2017 panel featuring THE HANDMAID’S TALE author Margaret Atwood and showrunner Bruce Miller. Watch and enjoy these videos below on Signature Views, Brightly and our Penguin Random House Channel.

Each December, Riverhead Books throws a fundraising party for a literary nonprofit. This year, hundreds of publishing folks, authors, media and book friends gathered at Lite Brite Neon in Brooklyn to drink beer, celebrate literature, and fundraise for the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, a nonprofit devoted to supporting and disseminating creative writing by Asian Americans. Riverhead has benefited from their advocacy of many authors through the years, including Katie Kitamura, Dina Nayeri, Chang-rae Lee, and Mohsin Hamid. Thanks to the generosity of the attendees, and the dazzling raffle prizes donated by Aftelier Perfumes and the 20×200 art print company, $3,500 was raised to support AAWW.

Dear Colleagues, As 2017 comes to a close, I have been reflecting on our role and responsibility as publishers. In today’s divided world, books matter more than ever. Books, we know, have the power to connect and transform us. As a global community of book lovers, we are passionate about making a positive difference in the world. And I believe we do: with our publishing and through our corporate citizenship. Both drive the social impact we have as Penguin Random House. Today, I am pleased to be writing to share our first-ever Social Impact Highlights Summary, which showcases how our company operates responsibly and complements our publishing efforts by going beyond the day-to-day activities of the business to give back to our communities, both locally and globally, across our territories.

The legion of Star Wars fans can rejoice. Not only does The Last Jedi movie premiere, at last, this weekend, but our DK Publishing and Ballantine/Del Rey/Lucas Books imprints are releasing a raft of new specially created tie-in books with Lucasfilm Ltd. to enjoy before and long after their attendance.

Friday Reads: Sam Shepard
15 December 2017

Careers don't interest me. The only thing that interests me is continuing to be a poet on one level or another, whether acting or writing or directing. - Sam Shepard

Vintage to Publish Book on the Immigrant Experience by Univision Anchor Jorge Ramos
13 December 2017

STRANGER: The Challenge of a Latino Immigrant in the Trump Era, a new book by award-winning journalist Jorge Ramos, will be published by Vintage Books as a trade paperback original and ebook in English and Spanish on February 27, 2018. The publication will coincide with the deadline to extend DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), when thousands of immigration permits are set to expire. The announcement was made by Cristóbal Pera, Publishing Director of Vintage Español.

The latest American Library Association (ALA) Book Club Central SJP pick, chosen by Honorary Book Club Central Chair Sarah Jessica Parker, is STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo, published by Knopf. Shortlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, and named a Notable Book by the New York Times, STAY WITH ME is Ms. Adebayo’s debut novel. Set in Nigeria, this book gives voice to both husband and wife as they tell the story of their marriage – and the forces that threaten to tear it apart.

Stumped about what to give that difficult someone on your list? What about a biography or memoir of one of their favorite celebrities? Culling through the plethora of biographical bestsellers this year, one thing became clear: we love the people who make us laugh, listen, dance and sing! The following books offer insights into beloved artists’ lives as well as the music, shows and podcasts which made them famous. Just looking at these covers can cause reverie and lift the spirit. Imagine what’s inside! So let’s hear it for the comedians and musicians…

Featured Author Event: Jaime Lowe (NYC)
11 December 2017

Two authors share memoirs that trace their time dealing with bipolar disorder and the people who helped them through it all. On Tuesday, December 12, The Strand in NYC welcomes Penguin Random House author Jaime Lowe as she presents MENTAL: Lithium, Love, and Losing My Mind (Blue Rider Press). Fellow author Zack McDermott presents Gorilla and the Bird: A Memoir of Madness and A Mother’s Love. The event will be in The Strand’s Secret Room on the 10^th floor and begins at 7:30 p.m. Following the discussion, both authors will sign copies of their books.

The National Book Critics Circle has announced the finalists for the 2017 John Leonard Prize, which honors the first book in any genre, with Penguin Random House imprints publishing three of the six nominated titles:

Bertelsmann’s Thomas Rabe Hosts Lunch for Salman Rushdie in Berlin
8 December 2017

Thomas Rabe welcomed Salman Rushdie, one of Penguin Random House’s most renowned authors, to Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin last Friday, December 1. Bertelsmann’s Chairman and CEO hosted a private lunch to honor Mr. Rushdie, praising him as a defender of freedom of speech and a brilliant storyteller. “We are grateful and proud to have served, for decades, as the publishing home to such an eminent author,” said Mr. Rabe.

NBC TV’s The TODAY Show celebrates its 24th annual Toy Drive this month, and DK returned as a major donor, marking its 17th consecutive year of giving books to children in need. On Tuesday, December 5, during Kathie Lee & Hoda’s segment in the 10 o’clock hour, Editor Allie Singer announced DK’s 2017 donation of $1,000,000 worth of brand new children’s books. Allie was joined by Ava and Madeleine, the twin daughters of Simon Fraser, Vice President of Finance & Operations. The girls held up copies of some of DK’s lead holiday titles for the season: ANIMAL, 3rd Edition, GOOD NIGHT, BABY MOON and EXPLANATORIUM OF NATURE.

As we approach the holidays and look for gifts that are meaningful and fashionable, let us consider international lifestyle trends past, present and future. The following titles feature lifestyle philosophies that hail from Asia and Scandinavia, but have been embraced in America. Beautiful to a page, these books offer inspiration to anybody who wants their environs to inspire and reflect inner peace.

Featured Author Event: Lili Wright (Indiana)
7 December 2017

Journalist and author Lili Wright presents and signs copies of her first novel DANCING WITH THE TIGER (Marian Wood Books/Putnam) at Eli’s Bookstore in Greencastle, Indiana on Saturday, December 10. Taut, acidly witty, menacingly erotic, and often absolutely terrifying, this literary thriller introduces a powerful storyteller. DANCING WITH THE TIGER was an Edgar Finalist for Best First Novel, and a Semifinalist for the 2017 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Wright will begin her discussion at 1:00 p.m. and sign copies of her book until 5:00pm.

Jeremy Peters, NYT Political Reporter, to Write Definitive Account of the Battle for the Republican Party for Crown
6 December 2017

Crown, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, has announced that it will publish a book of investigative nonfiction by New York Times political reporter Jeremy Peters, tentatively titled INSURGENCY: The Inside Story of the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party. Crown Executive Editor Kevin Doughten acquired world, audio, and first and second serial rights from David Kuhn of Aevitas Creative Management. The book will be published simultaneously in print, digital, and audio formats in 2019.

Winners of the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced and feature 7 books published by Penguin Random House imprints in the Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Humor, Nonfiction, and Picture Books categories. Heralded as the only major book prizes determined by readers, the Goodreads Choice Awards are a true reflection of public opinion. Congratulations to all of our award-winning authors as well as their editors and publishers.

Inspired by December’s highly anticipated movie, The Post (directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks) about Washington Post journalists Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee, this week we highlight some of the most important women journalists of our day, in memoir and investigative reporting.

Penguin Random House India Earns “Publisher of the Year” Award
4 December 2017

Penguin Random House India has been honored at the 8^th annual Tata Literature Live Festival in Mumbai with the Publisher of the Year award, which recognizes the efforts of India’s publishers to discover and nurture writers.

Behind the Book Covers with Berkley’s Colleen Reinhart
4 December 2017

Our latest Behind the Book Covers feature presents Colleen Reinhart, Senior Designer at Berkley. She has worked at Penguin Random House for more than four years, designing dozens of covers along the way. Colleen brings an imaginative, original, and striking style to the design process, resulting in unique, colorful and sometimes playful creations that connect with and visually engage readers. Read on to learn about her creative design world and view a selection of her wonderful covers.

As part of our Igloo Climate Change series, we are presenting highlights from Bertelsmann’s recently released Carbon Footprint 2016 Report that provides information on the development of relevant environmental indicators and climate emissions across our majority shareholder and its divisions.

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” - Marc Chagall

Selected by editors of the New York Times Book Review, here are the 5 fiction and nonfiction books published by our imprints, among their presentation of “The 10 Best Books of 2017.” The full list is published online, and will appear in the publication’s December 10 print edition.

Poets & Writers, the distinguished nonprofit literary organization that fosters the professional creative development of poets as well as fiction and nonfiction writers, has announced its annual awards recipients:

Our 7 NYTBR "Notable Children's Books of 2017"
28 November 2017

The New York Times Book Review children’s books editor has selected seven titles published by our Penguin Young Readers and Random House Children’s Books imprints among the “Notable Children’s Books of 2017” in the picture books, middle grade, young adult fiction and nonfiction categories.

Media outlets are buzzing about American Meghan Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry, announced this week. Markle, a self-described “California girl,”,grew up in Los Angeles and met the Prince through a friend in 2016. She says she intends to become a British citizen after their marriage.

Carrie Fisher’s THE PRINCESS DIARIST is nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY® Award. Read by its author, along with her daughter Billie Lourd, the Penguin Random House Audio release is one of five finalists in this category announced this morning.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the fourth annual #GiveaBook on Giving Tuesday campaign, giving readers across the country the power to give back and donate Penguin Random House books to students and educators in their local communities and to support disaster relief efforts in impacted communities nationwide.

To celebrate #GivingTuesday, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite ways to give back and support books and reading this holiday season. Keep reading to learn how you can give the gift of reading, literacy and educatin through our long-time charitable partners.

Give the Best Books All Season Long with Help from the Penguin Hotline
28 November 2017

The busiest gifting season is approaching, and the Penguin Hotline is back in business! Inspired by the Butterball Turkey Hotline, the Penguin Hotline, now in its fourth year, offers free personalized book recommendations via email for everyone on your holiday gift list. From November 28th through December 18th, simply fill out a quick form online and receive a curated list of suggestions from one of the hundreds of Penguin Random House employees on duty. In a world overrun by algorithms, the Hotline offers a more personal touch, recommending books from every publisher across the industry.

Penguin Random House is helping zulily kick off National Family Literacy Month this November with its first-ever interactive book fair, running now through December 10. Six sales events will feature a curated selection of children’s books, and each book purchased will trigger a donation from Penguin Random House to First Book. First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books and other essentials to children in need, is aiding teachers, students and schools affected by the recent hurricanes.

Masha Gessen, author of THE FUTURE IS HISTORY, was honored Wednesday night at a ceremony in Manhattan with the National Book Award for Nonfiction, continuing a cherished, time-honored connection for Penguin Random House authors with one of America’s most coveted literary prizes.

It was an honor to welcome Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, to Penguin Random House for a special event presented by the Penguin Young Readers Marketing & Publicity Diversity Committee, with Penguin Young Readers Brand Coordinator Chloe Goodhart producing, at 345 Hudson Street on

PRHPS’s “On the Road: Berkeley” Event Connects, Informs and Raises Funds
10 November 2017

Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) and many of their client publishers gathered in Berkeley, California for “On the Road: Berkeley,” an Ideas Exchange event on November 1 and 2. Todd Berman, Vice President, Business Development and Publishing Strategy for PRHPS, said, “On the Road events are a unique way for our publishers to connect with their PRHPS colleagues, other clients, and industry leaders. And it is invaluable to us to be able to see our clients on their home turfs.”

Behind the New Translations of Federico García Lorca’s Poetry with Knopf’s Deb Garrison and Sarah Arvio
10 November 2017

For the first time in a quarter century, a major new volume of translations of the beloved poetry by Federico García Lorca, considered Spain’s most famous poet and dramatist of all time, was published by Alfred A. Knopf. POET IN SPAIN, presented in a stunning bilingual edition and heralded as a literary landmark, was edited by Deb Garrison, Senior Editor, Alfred A. Knopf. Here she shares fascinating personal insights into how this collection was created and the editorial process involved while working closely with Knopf poet, author and translator Sarah Arvio.

November is Picture Book Month! Though picture books are the usual entry way to a child’s reading life, the right picture book can capture the imagination of any age. And what better bridge between child and adult is there than sharing a beautiful picture book? Most of us can recall with fond feelings the picture books of our youth. Here are some newer titles that are sure to delight and inspire!

Uber Whistleblower Susan Fowler to Publish Book with Viking
9 November 2017

Viking is pleased to announce a forthcoming book by Susan Fowler, whose account of the harassment and discrimination she faced at Uber led to the ouster of its CEO and twenty other employees. Senior Editor Lindsey Schwoeri acquired North American rights from Liz Parker and Eliza Rothstein at InkWell.

The longlist for the 11^th annual 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards includes 14 books published by Penguin Random House imprints and one Penguin Random House Publisher Services client title.

November is National American Indian Heritage Month designated as such by President George W. Bush in 1990. The Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and other cultural centers join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. In commemoration of the culture and people that were the original settlers of this land, we present the following books that celebrate and offer insight into Native life.

New Book Detailing “Trump-Russia” Story to be Published by Vintage on November 16
6 November 2017

A new book that looks into the accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia will be published by Vintage Books, and simultaneously around the world, on November 16. COLLUSION: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win by Luke Harding, a foreign correspondent for The Guardian, brings the details of the Trump-Russia story together in one place for the first time.

On Friday, October 27th in Beverly Hills, PEN Center USA honored Margaret Atwood with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. In conversation with novelist Edan Lepucki, Ms. Atwood discussed the screen adaptations of her novels, notably THE HANDMAID’S TALE, but especially ALIAS GRACE. The Netflix Original miniseries about a 19^th century murder, “Alias Grace” was adapted by Sarah Polley and premieres tonight Friday, November 3^rd. Ms. Atwood read a beautiful excerpt from the novel and you may watch the trailer here. Don’t stop there though… for this Friday Reads edition we offer the following superb books from Margaret Atwood’s distinguished body of work.

Bertelsmann’s Corporate Responsibility Report 2016 has been released and presents insights into how our majority shareholder company and its divisions around the world embody and implement a wide range of CR programs and initiatives. Penguin Random House CR efforts are featured throughout this comprehensive

Semifinalists for the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced and feature more than 90 titles published by Penguin Random House imprints across such categories as Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Horror, Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir & Autobiography, History & Biography, Science & Technology, Food & Cookbooks, Debut Goodreads Author, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, Middle Grade & Children’s Books and Picture Books. Semifinalst votes can be cast for the Goodreads Best Books of the Year through November 12.

Here are our Goodreads Choice Awards 2017 semifinalists: Fiction

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng (Penguin Press)

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout (Random House)

WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY by Lesley Nneka Arimah (Riverhead)

MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE by Sophie Kinsella (Dial Press Trade)

EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid (Riverhead)

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman (Pamela Dorman Books/Viking)

RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS by Kevin Kwan (Doubleday)

HOME FIRE by Kamila Shamsie (Riverhead)

Mystery & Thriller

THE GIRL BEFORE by J.P. Delaney (Ballantine)

INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead)

GOLDEN PREY by John Sanford (G.P. Putnam's Sons)

ORIGIN by Dan Brown (Doubleday)

Historical Fiction

THE HEART’S INVISIBLE FURIES by John Boyne (Hogarth)

A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follet (Viking)

LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders (Random House)

BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate (Ballantine)

THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve (Knopf)

WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES by Georgia Hunter (Viking)

Fantasy

FEVERSONG by Karen Marie Moning (Delacorte Press)

RED SISTER by Mark Lawrence (Ace)

ASSASSIN’S FATE by Robin Hobb (Del Rey)

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden (Del Rey)

THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Williams (DAW Books)

SILENCE FALLEN (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs (Ace)

ETCHED IN BONE (The Others #5) by Anne Bishop (Roc)

Romance

BLOOD VOW By J.R. Ward (Ballantine)

SILVER SILENCE by Nalini Singh (Berkley Books)

Science Fiction

ALL OUR WRONG TODAYS by Elan Mastai (Dutton)

WALKING GODS by Sylvain Neuvel (Del Rey)

AMERICAN WAR by Omar El Akkad (Knopf)

THRAWN (Star Wars) by Timothy Zahn (Random House)

ARTEMIS by Andy Weir (Crown)

Horror

WHITE TEARS by Hari Kunzru (Knopf)

LOST BOY: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry (Berkley Books)

FINAL GIRLS by Riley Sager (Dutton)

MEDDLING KIDS by Edgar Cantero (Doubleday)

PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS by Anne Rice (Knopf)

FULL WOLF MOON (Jeremy Logan #5) by Lincoln Child (Doubleday)

Humor

TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN by Lauren Graham (Ballantine)

BELIEVE ME by Eddie Izzard (Blue Rider Press)

VACATIONLAND by John Hodgman (Viking)

ONE DAY WE’LL ALL BE DEAD AND NONE OF THIS WILL MATTER by Scaachi Koul (Doubleday Canada)

UNQUALIFIED by Anna Faris (Dutton)

THE AWKWARD THOUGHTS OF W. KAMAU BELL by W. Kamau Bell (Dutton)

WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE by Samantha Irby (Vintage)

I’M FINE…AND OTHER LIES by Whitney Cummings (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

Nonfiction

HALLELUJAH ANYWAY: REDISCOVERING MERCY by Anna Lamott (Riverhead)

DEAR IJEAWELE, OR A FEMINIST MANIFESTO IN FIFTEEN SUGGESTIONS by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Knopf)

THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel (Knopf)

WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World/Random House)

DARING TO HOPE: Finding God's Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful by Katie Davis Majors (Multnomah)

OPTION B Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant (Knopf)

HOW TO BE A BAWSE: A Guide to Conquering Life by Lilly Singh (Ballantine)

AMERICAN KINGPIN: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton (Portfolio)

Memoir & Autobiography

THE RULES DO NOT APPLY by Ariel Levy (Random House)

PRIESTDADDY: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood (Riverhead)

History & Biography

GRANT by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press)

ON TYRANNY: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder (Tim Duggan Books)

THE GATEKEEPERS: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple (Crown)

LAST HOPE ISLAND: Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War by Lynne Olson (Random House)

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Doubleday)

VICTORIA: THE QUEEN: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird (Random House)

Science & Technology

THE CASE AGAINST SUGAR by Gary Taubes (Knopf)

BEHAVE: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky (Penguin Press)

INFERIOR: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini (Beacon Press)

HIT MAKERS: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson (Penguin Press)

IRRESISTIBLE: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter (Penguin Press)

WE HAVE NO IDEA: A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Jorge Cham, Daniel Whiteson (Riverhead)

SOONISH: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything by Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith (Penguin Press)

Food & Cookbooks

CORK DORK: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker (Penguin Books)

GIVE A GIRL A KNIFE by Amy Thielen (Clarkson Potter)

WHOLE NEW YOU: How Real Food Transforms Your Life, for a Healthier, More Gorgeous You by Tia Mowry, Jessica Porter (Ballantine)

THE WELLNESS MAMA COOKBOOK by Katie Wells (Harmony)

SMITTEN KITCHEN EVERYDAY: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman (Knopf)

COMING TO MY SENSES: The Making of a Counterculture Cook by Alice Waters (Clarkson Potter)

Debut Goodreads Author

MY ABSOLUTE DARLING by Gabriel Tallent (Riverhead)

AMERICAN WAR by Omar El Akkad (Knopf)

WHAT WE LOSE by Zinzi Clemmons (Viking)

STAY WITH ME by Ayobami Adebayo (Knopf)

THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR by Jennifer Ryan (Crown)

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE (The Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden (Del Rey)

ALL OUR WRONG TODAYS by Elan Mastai (Dutton)

WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES by Georgia Hunter (Viking)

THE ANIMATORS by Kayla Rae Whitaker (Random House)

Young Adult Fiction

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green (Dutton Books for Young Readers)

GEEKERELLA by Ashley Poston (Quirk Books)

ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus (Delacorte Press)

GOODBYE DAYS by Jeff Zentner (Crown Books for Young Readers)

ONCE AND FOR ALL by Sarah Dessen (Viking Books for Young Reasders)

Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

CRYSTAL STORM (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgan Rhodes (Razorbill)

WARCROSS (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu (Putnam Books for Young Readers)

THE BOOK OF DUST: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

FLAME IN THE MIST (Flame in the Mist #1) by Renee Ahdieh (Putnam Books for Young Readers)

TRAITOR TO THE THRONE (Rebel of the Sands #2) by Alwyn Hamilton (Viking Books for Young Readers)

Middle Grade & Children’s Books

FLYING LESSONS & Other Stories by Ellen Oh (Editor), Kwame Alexander, Kelly J. Baptist, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Pena, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina (Crown Books for Young Readers)

BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA by Lauren Wolk (Dutton Books for Young Readers)

SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS by Jack Cheng (Dial Books for Young Readers)

Picture Books

A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG by Emily Jenkins, Chris Appelhans (Illustrations) (Schwartz & Wade Books)

LITTLE FOX IN THE FOREST by Stephanie Graegin (Schwartz & Wade Books)

THE BOOK OF MISTAKES by Corinna Luyken (Dial Books for Young Readers)

SHE PERSISTED: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger(Illustrator) (Philomel)

WE'RE ALL WONDERS by R.J. Palacio (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Featured Author Event: Gretchen Rubin (Indianapolis)
2 November 2017

Bestselling author and famed podcaster, speaker, and blogger, Gretchen Rubin, will be a Keynote speaker at the Indiana Conference for Women next Tuesday, November 7 in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. She will be discussing her latest book, THE FOUR TENDENCIES: The Indispensable Personality Profiles that Reveal How to Make Your Life (Harmony), and presenting other speakers, including Laurie Burns McRobbie, Gerry Dick, and Joe Hogsett, from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. There will be a book signing following an audience Q&A.

Showtime Picks Up TV Series Based on World of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 November 2017

From page to screen: Showtime is developing a television series based on #1 New York Times-bestselling author Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series The Kingkiller Chronicle, published by DAW. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Hamilton (based on Ron Chernow’s book, ALEXANDER HAMILTON) will executive produce and also compose music for the series, which is being produced by Lionsgate.

PEN Center USA, The West Coast center of PEN International, which is the world's oldest international literary and human rights organization, held their 27^th annual Literary Awards last Friday, October 27 in Beverly Hills, California. Hosted by Nick Offerman, the ceremony honored Margaret Atwood with a Lifetime Achievement Award and winners in 8 categories were announced. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

Riverhead to Publish Two New Books by National Book Award-Winning Author Jacqueline Woodson
31 October 2017

Riverhead Books is thrilled to announce that the imprint will be publishing the next two books by National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson. The celebrated author of such books as BROWN GIRL DREAMING, which won the 2014 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, says that she’s “had a long-distance crush on Riverhead” from her early writing days, and shares that she is planning to “write a novel and then something that is true,” but wouldn’t divulge anything further to Entertainment Weekly. “Since my other books are already part of the Penguin family, it felt right and good to continue my work with Riverhead. It’s exciting that so many of my books will be at one house.”

Friday Listens: Spooky Stories
26 October 2017

This is, indeed, Halloween. Or near enough. Any time is a good time for haunting, hair-raising books, but have you considered listening to one during this particularly spooky time of year? From classics to modern day treasures, here are some picks to make your Halloween just a bit more bone chilling.

Peddling fake facts was John Hodgman’s stock in trade on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and in his three bestselling books. That all changed with the release of VACATIONLAND: True Stories from Painful Beaches, published by Viking on October 24 and featured as this week’s Igloo Book Buzz selection. Hodgman writes about his journeys, navigating three distinct wildernesses: one, rural Western Massachusetts where he spent much of his youth; two, coastal Maine, home to the most painful beaches on earth; lastly, the metaphoric wildernesses of middle age.

Today Only: Shop at Out of Print and Support Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Efforts
26 October 2017

Today only, October 26, when you visit our colleagues at Out of Print, 100% of net proceeds from all purchases made will be donated to Puerto Rico and Caribbean hurricane relief efforts.

There's a Book for That: Witch Lit
25 October 2017

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble… In the spirit of Halloween we have a witch’s brew of books to offer all ages in the mood for spellbinding reading treats. Which witch tale will you put in your bag?

Two widely acclaimed books published earlier this year by Penguin Random House imprints are among the finalists for the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, bestowed by the American Library Association:

Enjoy an evening with actress, author, producer, and hit podcaster Anna Faris as she celebrates her new book, UNQUALIFIED (Dutton). She will be discussing her candid, sympathetic, and entertaining stories of love lost and won with Kate Coyne of People Magazine at this WORD Bookstores event at the Landmark Loews Jersey Theatre in Jersey City on Tuesday, October 24 at 8:00 pm. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

There is so much to praise about Mary Oliver: Her wisdom, her humility, her love of the world (especially dogs and birds) while addressing suffering – both personal and planetary. Her books are exhilarating, born of faith, intellect and attention. Just think if she hadn’t put her writing into the world, if she’d kept her rare gift to herself? And yet we at Penguin Random House are fortunate enough to publish Mary Oliver, with the latest offering, DEVOTIONS, making its way into the hands of readers, including those who once believed they didn’t like poetry.

Today Everyone is Reading RHCB’s QUACKERS for Jumpstart’s Read for the Record
19 October 2017

Random House Children’s Books is the official publisher for today’s Read for the Record and QUACKERS, written and illustrated by first-time author Liz Wong, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, is this year’s book choice. Jumpstart’s 12th annual RFTR campaign is a national effort to raise awareness about the need for high-quality early learning for all children while also raising funds to support the important work Jumpstart does in communities across the United States. Children and adults across the country are gathering together to celebrate Read for the Record Day by reading QUACKERS and attempting to beat the world record for most people reading the same book at the same time.

This week’s Igloo Book Buzz title is Philip Pullman’s long-awaited THE BOOK OF DUST: La Belle Sauvage, published today, October 19, by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers in coordination with Penguin Random House Children’s and David Fickling Books in the U.K. THE BOOK OF DUST is a work in three parts, like Mr. Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (THE GOLDEN COMPASS, THE SUBTLE KNIFE, and THE AMBER SPYGLASS).

This week saw the release of AMERICAN WOLF by journalist Nate Blakeslee who tells the story of Yellowstone’s alpha female wolf O-Six. Called “gripping and fascinating” by Margaret Atwood, AMERICAN WOLF is also this season’s Title Wave pick by Penguin Random House employees. Wolves have always captured authors’ and readers’ imaginations, whether in classic fiction, children’s literature or the nonfiction of animal science. Our selection of wonderful wolf titles runs the gamut and should satisfy piqued interest in readers of all ages.

TSP Editor Kaitlin Ketchum on Producing CHASING LIGHT
19 October 2017

CHASING LIGHT: Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer by Amanda Lucidon, was published by Ten Speed Press, a Crown Publishing Group imprint, on Tuesday, October 17. This collection of striking and intimate photographs of Michelle Obama—many never before seen—is coupled with personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories from former Official White House Photographer Amanda Lucidon, presented in a deluxe format.

Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author Nathan Englander will be in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 19, to lead a discussion about his second novel, DINNER AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (Knopf), a political thriller that unfolds in the highly charged territory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pivots on the complex relationship between a secret prisoner and his guard. The event takes place at Politics & Prose Bookstore and begins at 7:00 pm.

RH’s LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders 2017 Man Booker Winner
18 October 2017

“The form and style of this utterly original novel, reveals a witty, intelligent, and deeply moving narrative,” Lola, Baroness Young, Chair of Judges, is describing the rapturously reviewed and New York Times number one bestselling LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders which has won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, one of the most renowned annual international literary honors. First awarded in 1969, the Prize is open for writers of any nationality, writing in English, and published in the U.K.

Two Books by Astronaut Scott Kelly on His Year in Space Published Simultaneously
18 October 2017

Scott Kelly was the first NASA astronaut ever to spend a year in space. He writes about his record-breaking experience in two books, ENDURANCE: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery (Knopf) and MY JOURNEY TO THE STARS (Crown Books for Young Readers), both published on Tuesday, October 17. While it is not uncommon for an author to write books on the same subject for both adult and young readers, it is extremely rare when the two titles are published simultaneously.

Penguin Random House celebrates its heritage and creativity internationally through the designs of its book covers, at the heart of the company’s tradition of enduring quality and innovation. An exhibit of 100 of our notable book covers, created by a select group of Penguin Random House creative designers and art directors, is being presented in a special “Be My Cover” exhibit at Torino Graphic Days, October 12-15, in Turin, Italy. The exhibit’s visuals transcend geographic borders – from the United States to Sweden, from the U.K. to Italy – while presenting a variety of styles and trends of cover-visual design.

Tim Tebow Launches SHAKEN: The Young Readers Edition with Book Report Contest
11 October 2017

Tim Tebow’s newest book, SHAKEN: The Young Reader’s Edition – Fighting to Stand Strong No Matter What Comes Your Way, was published by WaterBrook, a Crown Publishing Group imprint, on September 12, and launched with a book report contest that is running through January 8, 2018. The Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL quarterback, professional baseball player (in the New York Mets minor league system) and author is very enthused about this contest, which is aimed at youth ages 10 to 15 years old, to encourage reading and writing while reminding them of their identity in Jesus.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. Please find below books that educate and support those confronting breast cancer.

Sarah Jessica Parker Selects Mohsin Hamid’s EXIT WEST as ALA Book Club Central SJP Fall Pick
11 October 2017

The latest American Library Association (ALA) Book Club Central SJP pick, chosen by Honorary Book Club Central Chair Sarah Jessica Parker, is EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid, published by Riverhead. EXIT WEST has been shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and is a finalist for the 2017 Kirkus Prize.

E L James’s DARKER: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian to be Published November 28, 2017
10 October 2017

E L James's DARKER: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian will be published by Vintage Books as a trade paperback and eBook on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. The announcement was made today by Anne Messitte, Publisher of Vintage/Anchor Books.

Readers across the country are flipping over Riverhead Books’ latest collaborative catalog. To launch the Spring 2018 list, Riverhead Design Labs partnered with renowned illustrator Grace Helmer, beloved for her bright, beautiful oil paintings which bring everyday life to vivid, colorful life, on a clever and charming flip book. Paging forward and backwards reveals two different narratives, with every detail – a musical turtle, a perilously discarded coffee cup – representing a title on Riverhead’s spring list.

Celebrated poet Yrsa Daley-Ward will appear at The Strand to discuss, read and sign copies of BONE (Penguin Books), her poignant collection of poems about the heart, life, and the inner self. The event will be held in The Strand’s Rare Book Room on Tuesday, October 10, 7:00 – 8:00 pm.

The 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature was just awarded to Kazuo Ishiguro and we congratulate him! Another perennial favorite for the award is the African writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Thiong’o, who is from Kenya, is a distinguished professor of comparative literature and English at University of California, Irvine. Featured below are some of the best works from the novelist, playwright, essayist and memoirist to immerse yourselves in this weekend and beyond…

There's a Book for That: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
5 October 2017

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The National Coalition against Domestic Violence created and observed the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 1987 and Congress designated it as such in 1989. Domestic Violence Awareness Month events promote awareness, encourage reporting, provide safety for victims, encourage people to look out for one another, and ensure treatment is provided and administrative action taken when needed. It’s a painful reality that deserves attention and gets better with education and compassion. It is our hope the following books will help:

Special Markets' Lisa Dolin Takes a Sabbatical for the Birds 22 March 2019

Celebrating Our Readerlink Children's Publisher Award 22 March 2019

Netflix’s The Who Was? Show, Inspired by Penguin Workshop’s #1 NYT Bestselling Who Was? Series, Nominated for 5 Daytime Emmys 22 March 2019

Penguin Random House Touts Sci-Fi & Fantasy Titles and Authors at Emerald City Comic Con 22 March 2019

Friday Reads: Hello Spring, Hello Sunshine! 22 March 2019

Readerlink Names PRH Top 2018 Children's Publisher 21 March 2019

Three of Our Authors Win 2019 Lukas Prizes 21 March 2019

Tommy Orange Wins 2019 PEN/Hemingway Award—His 3rd Prestigious First-Novel Prize—for THERE THERE 20 March 2019

There's a Book for That: College Admissions 20 March 2019

Coll, Smith, Orange Win 2018 National Book Critics Circle Awards 15 March 2019

Friday Reads: Irish Lit 15 March 2019

Riverhead Publishes 3 of 13 Man Booker International Prize Longlisted Titles 15 March 2019

McLaughlin, Solnit, Chariandy Win 2019 Windham-Campbell Prizes 15 March 2019

There's a Book for That: Rock 'n' Roll Novels 14 March 2019

Featured Author Event: Anne Bishop (Denver) 13 March 2019

5 PRH Authors 2019 Lukas Prize Shortlisters 12 March 2019

Lauren Groff’s FLORIDA Wins The Story Prize 8 March 2019

Madeline McIntosh Chairs Poets & Writers Gala That Sets Fundraising Record 8 March 2019

Friday Reads: International Women's Day 8 March 2019

Jojo Moyes to Publish New Stand-Alone Novel with Pamela Dorman Books/Viking 7 March 2019

Final Moderators Announced for Last Dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama” 6 March 2019

Random House Acquires New Samin Nosrat Cookbook 6 March 2019

Penguin Random House South East Asia Unveils Debut Publishing Program 6 March 2019

There's a Book for That: Women's History Month 6 March 2019

For Colleagues with College-Bound Teens: Ballantine Author Monique Rinere Shares Valuable Stories 5 March 2019

5 Wins for PRH Audio at the 2019 Audie Awards 5 March 2019

Penguin Random House Supports the NYPL by Tripling Donation Amounts 5 March 2019

Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A PLACE FOR US a Finalist for “One Book, One New York” 5 March 2019

PRH and NCTE Announce Partnership for Two $10,000 Grants for Teachers 4 March 2019

Ballantine's Jennifer Hershey on Why Reading DAISY JONES & THE SIX Will Have You Revisiting Your Favorite ‘70s Rock Albums 4 March 2019

Featured Author Event: Amber Tamblyn (NYC) 4 March 2019

Friday Reads: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! 1 March 2019

Binc Foundation and Penguin Random House Launch New Grant Program, INDIES WITH IMPACT 1 March 2019

DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM — New Dr. Seuss Book to be Published by RHCB This Fall 28 February 2019

Our 5 Winners of 2019 PEN America Literary Awards 27 February 2019

There's a Book For That: Grand Canyon National Park Turns 100! 27 February 2019

Our 5 Finalists for 2019 Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards 26 February 2019

Putnam Partners with MWA to Create Sue Grafton Memorial Award 25 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Chris Cander (Los Angeles) 25 February 2019

Friday Reads: Hollywood Novels 22 February 2019

Clement, Orange Finalists for 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize 21 February 2019

Our 16 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists, and Our Innovator’s Award Honoree 21 February 2019

There's a Book for That: Black History Month 20 February 2019

Our Colleague Jessica Wells Summits Mt. Kilimanjaro: Her Story & Photos 20 February 2019

Friday Reads: Presidential Hopefuls 15 February 2019

W.E.B. Griffin: 1929-2019 15 February 2019

HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE Wins 2019 Goldsmith Book Prize 14 February 2019

Vintage Author Sandra Cisneros Wins PEN/Nabokov Award 14 February 2019

Putnam Author Randy Wayne White Wins 2019 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing 13 February 2019

There’s a Book For That: Love Poems 13 February 2019

FINDING DOROTHY: “The Hidden Message of Oz is Girl Power!” 13 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Jill Santopolo (Denver) 11 February 2019

How Random House’s Mark Warren Helped Julie Yip-Williams with Her Remarkable Memoir 11 February 2019

Chris Jackson One of TIME’s “12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists” 8 February 2019

Our 17 Finalists for 2019 Audie Awards 8 February 2019

Friday Reads: The Tao 8 February 2019

How Delia Owens Created Her Breakout Debut Novel, Starring Kya “The Marsh Girl” 7 February 2019

TOGETHER and THE SOMMELIER’S ATLAS OF TASTE Receive André Simon Awards 7 February 2019

Watch Just-Released Trailer for Film Adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR 7 February 2019

Marlon James Creates “a Vast Playground of Myth, History and Legend” 6 February 2019

There's a Book for That: The Year of the Pig 6 February 2019

First Set of Moderators Announced for “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama” 2019 Tour Dates 5 February 2019

7 Listening Library Titles on ALSC’s 2019 Notable Children’s Recordings List 5 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Sigrid Nunez (Brooklyn) 5 February 2019

Our Titles on the 2019 Rainbow List 4 February 2019

Our 4 Finalists for B&N’s 2018 Discover Great New Writers Awards 1 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Joseph Finder (NYC) 1 February 2019

Friday Reads: Dungeons & Dragons 1 February 2019

THE CUT OUT GIRL Wins Costa Book of the Year Award 31 January 2019

More of Our ALA Midwinter Award Winners and Honorees, Part Four 31 January 2019

Our ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees, Part Three 30 January 2019

RH Copy Chief Benjamin Dreyer on His Second Career As An Author + Some Grammatical Tips 30 January 2019

Featured Author Event: Howard Schultz (San Francisco) 30 January 2019

There's a Book for That: The Caribbean 30 January 2019

Our Newberry Honor, ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees, Part Two 29 January 2019

Our Carnegie Medal Winner, Other ALA Midwinter Award Recipients, Part One 28 January 2019

Penguin Random House Launches New Award with the ALA: Innovation Through Adversity 28 January 2019

MAKE ME A WORLD, New RHCB Imprint Led by Christopher Myers, to Launch First List This Fall 25 January 2019

Our 2019 Edgar Awards Nominees 25 January 2019

Riverhead Pop-Up Reading Room: “Read to Reinvent” 25 January 2019

Special Markets' Lisa Dolin Takes a Sabbatical for the Birds
22 March 2019

Celebrating Our Readerlink Children's Publisher Award
22 March 2019

Netflix’s The Who Was? Show, Inspired by Penguin Workshop’s #1 NYT Bestselling Who Was? Series, Nominated for 5 Daytime Emmys
22 March 2019

Penguin Random House Touts Sci-Fi & Fantasy Titles and Authors at Emerald City Comic Con
22 March 2019

Friday Reads: Hello Spring, Hello Sunshine!
22 March 2019

Readerlink Names PRH Top 2018 Children's Publisher
21 March 2019

Three of Our Authors Win 2019 Lukas Prizes
21 March 2019

Tommy Orange Wins 2019 PEN/Hemingway Award—His 3rd Prestigious First-Novel Prize—for THERE THERE
20 March 2019

There's a Book for That: College Admissions
20 March 2019

Coll, Smith, Orange Win 2018 National Book Critics Circle Awards
15 March 2019

Friday Reads: Irish Lit
15 March 2019

Riverhead Publishes 3 of 13 Man Booker International Prize Longlisted Titles
15 March 2019

McLaughlin, Solnit, Chariandy Win 2019 Windham-Campbell Prizes
15 March 2019

There's a Book for That: Rock 'n' Roll Novels
14 March 2019

Featured Author Event: Anne Bishop (Denver)
13 March 2019

5 PRH Authors 2019 Lukas Prize Shortlisters
12 March 2019

Lauren Groff’s FLORIDA Wins The Story Prize
8 March 2019

Madeline McIntosh Chairs Poets & Writers Gala That Sets Fundraising Record
8 March 2019

Friday Reads: International Women's Day
8 March 2019

Jojo Moyes to Publish New Stand-Alone Novel with Pamela Dorman Books/Viking
7 March 2019

Final Moderators Announced for Last Dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama”
6 March 2019

Random House Acquires New Samin Nosrat Cookbook
6 March 2019

Penguin Random House South East Asia Unveils Debut Publishing Program
6 March 2019

There's a Book for That: Women's History Month
6 March 2019

For Colleagues with College-Bound Teens: Ballantine Author Monique Rinere Shares Valuable Stories
5 March 2019

5 Wins for PRH Audio at the 2019 Audie Awards
5 March 2019

Penguin Random House Supports the NYPL by Tripling Donation Amounts
5 March 2019

Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A PLACE FOR US a Finalist for “One Book, One New York”
5 March 2019

PRH and NCTE Announce Partnership for Two $10,000 Grants for Teachers
4 March 2019

Ballantine's Jennifer Hershey on Why Reading DAISY JONES & THE SIX Will Have You Revisiting Your Favorite ‘70s Rock Albums
4 March 2019

Featured Author Event: Amber Tamblyn (NYC)
4 March 2019

Friday Reads: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
1 March 2019

Binc Foundation and Penguin Random House Launch New Grant Program, INDIES WITH IMPACT
1 March 2019

DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM — New Dr. Seuss Book to be Published by RHCB This Fall
28 February 2019

Our 5 Winners of 2019 PEN America Literary Awards
27 February 2019

There's a Book For That: Grand Canyon National Park Turns 100!
27 February 2019

Our 5 Finalists for 2019 Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards
26 February 2019

Putnam Partners with MWA to Create Sue Grafton Memorial Award
25 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Chris Cander (Los Angeles)
25 February 2019

Friday Reads: Hollywood Novels
22 February 2019

Clement, Orange Finalists for 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize
21 February 2019

Our 16 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists, and Our Innovator’s Award Honoree
21 February 2019

There's a Book for That: Black History Month
20 February 2019

Our Colleague Jessica Wells Summits Mt. Kilimanjaro: Her Story & Photos
20 February 2019

Friday Reads: Presidential Hopefuls
15 February 2019

W.E.B. Griffin: 1929-2019
15 February 2019

HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE Wins 2019 Goldsmith Book Prize
14 February 2019

Vintage Author Sandra Cisneros Wins PEN/Nabokov Award
14 February 2019

Putnam Author Randy Wayne White Wins 2019 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing
13 February 2019

There’s a Book For That: Love Poems
13 February 2019

FINDING DOROTHY: “The Hidden Message of Oz is Girl Power!”
13 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Jill Santopolo (Denver)
11 February 2019

How Random House’s Mark Warren Helped Julie Yip-Williams with Her Remarkable Memoir
11 February 2019

Chris Jackson One of TIME’s “12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists”
8 February 2019

Our 17 Finalists for 2019 Audie Awards
8 February 2019

Friday Reads: The Tao
8 February 2019

How Delia Owens Created Her Breakout Debut Novel, Starring Kya “The Marsh Girl”
7 February 2019

TOGETHER and THE SOMMELIER’S ATLAS OF TASTE Receive André Simon Awards
7 February 2019

Watch Just-Released Trailer for Film Adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR
7 February 2019

Marlon James Creates “a Vast Playground of Myth, History and Legend”
6 February 2019

There's a Book for That: The Year of the Pig
6 February 2019

First Set of Moderators Announced for “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama” 2019 Tour Dates
5 February 2019

7 Listening Library Titles on ALSC’s 2019 Notable Children’s Recordings List
5 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Sigrid Nunez (Brooklyn)
5 February 2019

Our Titles on the 2019 Rainbow List
4 February 2019

Our 4 Finalists for B&N’s 2018 Discover Great New Writers Awards
1 February 2019

Featured Author Event: Joseph Finder (NYC)
1 February 2019

Friday Reads: Dungeons & Dragons
1 February 2019

THE CUT OUT GIRL Wins Costa Book of the Year Award
31 January 2019

More of Our ALA Midwinter Award Winners and Honorees, Part Four
31 January 2019

Our ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees, Part Three
30 January 2019

RH Copy Chief Benjamin Dreyer on His Second Career As An Author + Some Grammatical Tips
30 January 2019

Featured Author Event: Howard Schultz (San Francisco)
30 January 2019

There's a Book for That: The Caribbean
30 January 2019

Our Newberry Honor, ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees, Part Two
29 January 2019

Our Carnegie Medal Winner, Other ALA Midwinter Award Recipients, Part One
28 January 2019

Penguin Random House Launches New Award with the ALA: Innovation Through Adversity
28 January 2019

MAKE ME A WORLD, New RHCB Imprint Led by Christopher Myers, to Launch First List This Fall
25 January 2019

Our 2019 Edgar Awards Nominees
25 January 2019

Riverhead Pop-Up Reading Room: “Read to Reinvent”
25 January 2019