From the bittersweet honesty of "Lucky Man" to the nail-biting thrills of "Beach House," book consumers may find this summer's selection of new releases to be the best in years. With more than 100 major titles now available, U.S. Data Group surveyed publishing industry professionals in an attempt to determine this year's "Top Summer Reading Picks."
"Lucky Man" by Michael J. Fox was the most popularly selected title, followed by three thrillers, "Beach House" by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge, "City Of Bones" by Michael Connelly and "Quietus," a word-of-mouth hit by newcomer Vivian Schilling. Mary Higgins Clark's re-titled and re-released romance novel "Mount Vernon Love Story" was the next most selected book, with Janet Evanovich's "Hard Eight" and Tom Clancy's "Red Rabbit" rounding out the list of the seven most anticipated summer releases.
The survey was conducted at last month's Book Expo America convention in New York, and included approximately 1,000 book retailers, wholesalers, reviewers and publishers. Survey participants were asked to select three titles from a list of 100 nominees which they would be most likely to recommend to a customer or friend. As most of the books are new releases, some of those surveyed indicated that titles were selected based on the reputations of the authors or from publisher-supplied, advance reading copies. Book retailers participating in the survey included store managers from Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings Books, Waldenbooks, W.H. Smith, Joseph-Beth Booksellers and Davis-Kidd Bookstores. Selection criteria included reading enjoyment, popularity and anticipated sales volume.
Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox - An insightful, introspective autobiographical look at some of the bittersweet experiences of this remarkable American talent.
Beach House by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge - A thrilling portrait of a darker life for some wealthy inhabitants of the Hamptons.
Quietus by Vivian Schilling - A powerful, gothic masterpiece that is both engaging and suspenseful, inspired by the author's own near-death experience.
City of Bones by Michael Connelly - His eighth novel featuring L.A. Detective Harry Bosch, this time on the trail of a child's murderer from 20 years ago.
Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark - A re-release of her 1969 romantic and historic novel about George and Martha Washington.
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich - Brings back bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, but this child custody bond is no simple case, leading to much mayhem.
Red Rabbit by Tom Clancy - Marks a return of the popular Jack Ryan, this time investigating a Soviet plot to assassinate the Pope and destabilize the World.