Man, it’s cold. As we polish off this new year’s spring announcements issue, there is much to look forward to: weather that must be warmer and, from what we can tell, great books to keep us company and keep publishers, booksellers, and librarians happy that the flow of great content between covers goes unabated.
Herewith our seventh season gathering announcements with the help of Above the Treeline’s Edelweiss system. For spring 2014, we have collected, from more than 1,700 publishers and imprints more than 14,000 titles—14,145 to be exact (these include children’s titles, selected listings of which will appear in our Feb. 24 Spring Children’s Announcement issue). The publisher and title counts are records for us.
The following pages contain our editors’ picks of the notable books of the season by category, more than 900 titles in all across the 20 areas, ranging from art, business, and cookbooks to fiction, memoir, lifestyle, poetry, sports, and travel. Our editors also selected their top 10 books in each category, which they introduce with essays—making it an even 200 titles highlighted for special attention.
Readers are encouraged to visit the full aggregation of title information for all 14,145 titles, where they can browse the titles submitted by using a variety of helpful filters—by publisher, imprint, subject category, publication date, and format. The site, chockfull of information on each book (full description, author bios, marketing plans, on-sale dates, etc.) is set to go live Monday, January 27.
We hope that this selection gives booksellers, librarians, and media a good snapshot of what the spring season holds in store.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Green and Other Colors: Art, Architecture & Photography
Concern about global warming should be, well, a global one—it is arguably (people still argue) the principle political struggle of our time, or will be.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Women and Baby Boomers First: Business & Economics
Women and retiring baby boomers are two of the audiences targeted by business book publishers this spring.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Comics Ponder the Meaning Of Life: Comics and Graphic Novels
Over the past 10 years, graphic novels have become more and more “novelistic,” for lack of a better word, led by such dense and revealing books as Persepolis and Fun Home.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Back to Basics: Eggs, Meat, and Sweets: Cookbooks
It’s somehow refreshing to see strong catalogue lists with books by so many writers and chefs who haven’t necessarily made their name on a TV competition show.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Secret Histories: History & Military History
2014 is a landmark year for history buffs, with two major anniversaries on the horizon this spring: the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Rights Act and, of course, the WWI centennial.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Familiar Names, Flawed Stars: Lifestyle
No more dieting? It’s devoutly to be wished by millions, but probably not publishing executives hoping for another heavy-hitter in the health and fitness category this spring.
Spring 2014 Announcements: All Praise the Essay: Literary Biographies, Essays & Criticism
In a season that promises fresh attention for J.D. Salinger, John Updike, Penelope Lively, and others, let’s not forget the pleasures of a great essay collection.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Introductions and Welcome Backs: Literary Fiction
Story collections, debuts, big names, historical mysteries, and modern-day absurdities all collide as the weather once again turns warm.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Rock, Soul… and Leonard Cohen: Music
Last season saw two solid books about Montreal-native singer, songwriter, and poet Leonard Cohen—I’m Your Man by Sylvie Simmons and Alan Light’s The Holy or the Broken, about Cohen’s anthem “Hallelujah.”
Spring 2014 Announcements: Danger! Mysteries & Thrillers
Chris Pavone follows The Expats, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, with The Accident, in which a New York literary agent receives a nonfiction manuscript submission that shocks her with its dangerous revelations about a media baron.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Wilds of Humor & Music: Poetry
A few big names stand out among a spring list overflowing with alluring titles from figures both new and well-known.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Rebel, Rebel: Politics
Whether investigating the stories behind the headlines, narrating socioeconomic transformations, or explaining Hillary Clinton’s resurgence, this season’s top political books question the status quo.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Digital Stars Come to Print: Romance/Erotica
The explosive growth of digital romance and erotica publishing has given new authors exciting opportunities to find readers and refine their talents.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Shiny and New: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror
Some big-name genre authors are starting the year with exciting new ventures: series launches, standalone novels, and other departures from the norm.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Engineering for a Warming Planet: Science
The bulk of science titles in the first half of 2014 show a clear preoccupation with human impacts on the Earth’s ecological systems.
Spring 2014 Announcements: ‘Freak’ Out: Social Sciences
Our world is constantly changing, but does it feel like the pace of change is picking up?
Spring 2014 Announcements: Soccer vs. Baseball: Sports
Although many Americans might not know just what FIFA stands for, the world’s most popular sport, soccer, is increasingly catching on in the U.S.
Spring 2014 Announcements: Be There... or Be Square: Travel
The Grand Tour has included Europe for centuries, and one of its most desirable stops has always been Paris.
Spring 2014 Announcements: And Then... What Happened? Memoir
Life stories can entertain; they can teach, amaze, and if you’ve ever been trapped in a corner at a cocktail party having your ear bent, you know they can bore.
