What's the deal? Your weekly Publisher's Lunch deal snark: New Year's Roundup Edition (plus: Jane Austen Must Die!)

Since I'm just now getting my snark back after the deep freeze, we're going to take a long trip down What's the Deal? lane. You won't miss a thing!

February 2, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Jojo Moyes's THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER, searching her newspaper's archives for a story, a woman is surprised to discover a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband; despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man, she can't help but investigate; in 1960 a different woman wakes up in hospital after a car accident; she can't remember anything - her husband, her friends, who she used to be; and then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for, to Pamela Dorman of Pamela Dorman Books, for publication in summer 2011, by Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown UK (NA).

Indichik says: Seriously, guys? Amnesia? We're talking about a plot point that even the writers for "Days of Our Lives" would dismiss as "too big of a cliche."

Publisher's Lunch says: Cindy Jone's debut I'LL FIND YOU IN MANSFIELD PARK, about a young woman who flies to England to re-enact scenes from Mansfield Park at a Jane Austen Festival and must confront whether she is a protagonist in her own life or merely a secondary character repeating foolish mistakes, to Lucia Macro at Avon, at auction, for publication spring/summer 2011, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Indichik says: You know, I don't even know what to say about these anymore. I'll continue running them because it's becoming too hilariously awful to resist. But I'm at the point where, if you could see me, I'd just be pulling a John Stewart, by putting up a portrait of Jane Austen in the upper corner of the screen and making a face.

Also: the long-awaited(?) Tucker Max sequel.

January 20, 2010

Publisher's Lunch says: Bloggers and journalists Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich's STUFF HIPSTERS HATE, based on their popular Tumblr site, an anthropological guide to the buzzed-about subculture, featuring analysis of the mating habits, habitat, theology, grooming practices and preferred entertainment of the modern-day hipster, with helpful graphs and charts to understand the elusive character of the trendy beast, to Kelly Reed at Ulysses Press, for publication in Fall 2010, by Jason Allen Ashlock at Movable Type Literary Group.

Indichik says: The people writing this are not hipsters. The people who will read this (if any) are not hipsters. Where are the hipsters? Tsk. You have to ask?

Publisher's Lunch says: Laura Spinella's BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, in which a sheltered college girl's life is forever altered by the motorcycle-riding stranger who blows into town followed by a trail of secrets, to Leis Pederson at Berkley, by Susan Ginsburg at Writers House.

Indichik says: Motorcycle-riding strangers ceased to be edgy around oh, 1956 or so, so for her sake, I'm really hoping Spinella has something else up her sleeve.

And finally, going back even another week, to January 12, 2010 and making this a true New Year's Roundup:

Publisher's Lunch says: Founder of www.myparentswereawesome.tumblr.com Eliot Glazer's MY PARENTS WERE AWESOME, an anthology of humorous and endearing writings from children about their parents -- before the fanny packs and Andrea Bocelli concerts -- when they were fashion-forward and super awesome, to Ryan Doherty at Villard, by Hannah Brown Gordon at Foundry Literary + Media (NA).

Indichik says: Blog books. Feh. But more relevantly -- seriously. If your parents really were awesome, why would you need to go on the Internet to share that fact? And run the risk finding out that somebody out there has parents that were even cooler than yours? Seems foolish, personally.


P.S. Apparently, the Y2K bug hit Publisher's Marketplace after all, albeit 10 years late. Today's blast was dated February 2, 1900. Here's to a capital 20th century, good sirs.