Last weekend, I ventured down to New Orleans for the annual American Library Association conference. My “what I did” post is up here, but in the mean time, I thought I’d share what I picked up on the expo floor, much in the way I did for Midwinter and BEA (part 1 and part 2). I was much more conservative in picking up books this time because many I’d already picked up, but hopefully this helps you in your future reading/collection development needs. One of the things I like doing at ALA conventions, as opposed to BEA, is asking the publicists for their favorite titles. When I got the chance to ask, I did, and I’m noting the publicist favorites — often (and again, I emphasize this is at ALA vs BEA) they are midlist titles or those that might not get quite the buzz as other titles.

The list is organized by publisher, with cover art as found, and links going to Goodreads. Without further ado:

Random House

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (July): I read this one on the plane home, and it’s a funny romp in a zombie-filled world.
Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler (July)
The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (October): I love the cover, the title, and the premise of a murder and the trial that follows/the exploration of whether the person accused is guilty or not.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale (September): The cover is historically inaccurate, but the book sounds pretty good!
Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder (September): A publicist at Random House gave this one to me as her favorite of the forthcoming season.
The Sharp Time by Mary O’Connell (November)

Penguin

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott (September): I am in awe of how quickly Scott puts out books. This one’s a thriller, rather than a straight up contemporary.
Stay With Me by Paul Griffin (September)
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff (November)

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder (December): This debut looks promising.
Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John (April 2012)

Harper Collins

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (September)
Enthralled edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong (September)
Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka (September)

Deep Zone by Tim Green (September)
Vanish by Sophie Jordan (September)
Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones (September)
There is No Long Distance Now: Very Short Stories by Naomi Shihab Nye (October)

Don’t Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala (October)
Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard (October)
Always Neverland by Zoe Barton (October)
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (October)

Macmillan

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto (August)
Dark Passage by MJ Putney (September): I read and liked the first book in this series, so I’m eager to see where this book takes the story.
Lie by Caroline Bock (September)

Amplified by Tara Kelly (October)
The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas (October): I’m in love with this cover. I have really liked Freitas’s prior books, so I’m eager to dive into this one.
Without Tess by Marcella Pixley (October): This was the one the publicist we talked with said was her favorite.

Tempest by Julie Cross (January 2012): This one’s gotten huge buzz already, thanks to being picked up by Summit Entertainment (yep, the folks who did Twilight). You can read about that here.

Disney-Hyperion

Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S. (Ball of Yellow String) by Charise Mericle Harper (October): A middle grade read!
Fetching by Kiera Stewart (November)
Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom (January 2012): This is a 2012 debut novel.

Little, Brown

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray (July)
Dark Parties by Sara Grant (August)
The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill (August): A middle grade read!

Simon and Schuster

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (September)

Scholastic

The Healing Spell by Kimberly Griffins Little (July)
Bronxwood by Coe Booth (September)
Under Dogs by Markus Zusak (September)

Candlewick

Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet (October): Historical fiction set during the nuclear arms race era seems to be emerging as a trend.

Sourcebooks

Darker Still by Lenna Renee Hieber (November)