Weekly book agenda: Guadalajara book fair, popular new releases

(All Rights Reserved)

The week of November 23 begins with the release of the posthumous Michael Crichton title Pirate Latitudes, followed by the start of the FIL book fair in Guadalajara. Coming soon: follow-up releases to Three Cups of Tea and Eat, Pray, Love.

Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes
November 24
International

Pirate Latitudes was discovered as a complete manuscript in Michael Crichton's files after his death in 2008. This final complete work, published by Harper, takes place in 1665 in Jamaica, when the English colony is holding out against the Spanish Empire. Michael Crichton's novels have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. They have been translated into 36 languages, and 13 have been made into films.

Guadalajara International Book Fair
November 28-December 6
Guadalajara, Mexico

The Guadalajara International Book Fair, known as the "FIL" (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara) is the second largest book fair in the world, after that of Frankfurt. It is the principal book fair for Spanish-language publishing worldwide. An estimated 500,000 readers attend the event each year, as well as 1,600 publishers from 40 countries. This year, the fair will celebrate the cultural and literary heritage Los Angeles, its 2009 Guest of Honor.
http://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/i_index.asp

Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson and Mike Bryan
December 1
International

The follow-up to 2003's Three Cups of Tea, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan follows Greg Mortenson's continued humanitarian efforts as founder of the Central Asia Institute. Three Cups of Tea was translated into nearly 20 languages and earned literary awards in Italy, Canada, and the USA. Stones into Schools will be published by Viking Press.

Cook This, Not That! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding
December 29
International

In late December, Rodale Press will publish the follow-up to Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution, Amazon.com's sixth bestselling title of 2009. Cook This, Not That!: Kitchen Survival Guide includes recipes for healthy versions of chain-restaurant dishes, strategies for cutting calories and saving money at the supermarket, and cooking tips such as 37 Ways to Cook a Chicken Breast and A Dozen 10-Minute Pasta Sauces.

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
January 5
International

Elizabeth Gilbert is author of the widely popular 2006 memoir Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, which is due to be released as a film featuring Julia Roberts in 2011. Committed: A skeptic makes peace with marriage is a memoir that picks up where Eat, Pray, Love left off, following the heroine into the next chapter of her life.

Costa Book Awards
January 5
London, UK

The Costa Book Awards, previously called the Whitbread awards, are given annually to authors based in the UK and Ireland. Launched in 1971, the awards recognize the "most enjoyable books of the year," and are a more populist version of the Booker Prize. Winners are chosen in five categories, and each receives £5,000; an overall winner for Costa Book of the Year is given a further £25,000. The 2009 Book of the Year award went to Irish author Sebastian Barry for The Secret Scripture.
http://costabookawards.com/