Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to all things book talk worth knowing to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).
“Check Your Shelf” is sponsored by Moon by Alison Oliver, a debut picture book from Clarion Books.
For the over-scheduled generation, MOON explores the joy found in wildness, following in the footsteps of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.
Like many children, Moon leads a busy life. School, music lessons, sports, and the next day it begins again. One night, she meets a wolf. The wolf takes Moon deep into the dark, fantastical forest and there she learns to howl, how to hide, how to be still, and how to be wild.
This simply worded and stunningly illustrated story reveals the joy to be found in play, nature, and, most of all, embracing the wild in us all.
Libraries & Librarians
- Here are this year’s IMLS winners for the top 10 libraries and museums.
- Did you know there’s a new book out about libraries and more specifically, the human side of collections? Check out this piece about the stories behind libraries.
- It’s a cliche that every article about beautiful libraries begins with the lies about how digital reading means libraries are struggling. But, damn, these are some nice looking libraries.
- An older piece but fascinating nonetheless: the world of subscription libraries.
- Ayer Library And The Mystery Of The Single Word Missing From A Book.
- We all know librarians don’t get to read all day, but…should librarians get to read on the job sometimes?
Book Adaptations in the News
- Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects will be hitting screens soon, and you can check out the trailer.
- There’s a trailer for Crazy Rich Asians.
- Armistad Maupin’s “Tales of the City” is getting a series order at Netflix, with Ellen Page attached.
- The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang has been optioned. This is a graphic novel that would be an amazing film.
- Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark is being adapted and by none other than Guillermo Del Toro.
- Colin Firth + The Secret Garden.
- A first look at the Cormoran Strike adaptation.
- Meg Wolitzer’s new novel The Female Persuasion sure isn’t missing a beat. Now, Nicole Kidman’s attached to the adaptation.
- The Hate U Give will hit screens this fall, and here’s a still from the film.
Books in the News
- Husband of YA author Nicola Yoon, David Yoon, just snagged one of the biggest YA deals of the year.
- There’s a new George RR Martin book coming. No, it’s not that one. It’s a different one.
- Are you invested in The Great American Read on PBS? The list of 100 books was just released and honestly, I’d love to see Twilight take it.
- Book lover Reese Witherspoon is releasing her own book, so make sure you order a couple copies for your collection.
By the Numbers
- The James Comey book has a big number behind it, and it’s only poised to get bigger.
- When’s the last time you thought about page numbers?
- Nearly 1 in 5 adults in the USA are listening to audiobooks.
Award News
- Check out the winners of this year’s Edgar Awards.
- This year’s slate of Locus Award finalists is a great looking one.
- Here’s the short list for this year’s Women’s Prize.
All Things Comics
- Queer webcomics you should be reading.
- Comics to read and enjoy if you loved Infinity Wars.
- 50 must-read middle grade graphic novels.
- And a nice guide to graphic novels for reluctant readers. Many of these comics would be excellent “palate cleanser” reads.
Audiophilia
- Great listens for working out. Here’s an excellent display idea.
- Paste shares the best audiobooks of the year so far, and it’s a really nice mix of titles.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
- Need feminist dystopia book recommendations, a la The Handmaid’s Tale? Entertainment Weekly’s got some.
- In light of the news about the arrest of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, a round-up of books where the author helped solve the crime (thanks, Michelle McNamara!).
- Need more true crime? Here are 50 must-reads.
- Must-read fairy tale retellings for adult and YA readers.
- Pride and Prejudice retellings for all kinds of readers.
- The Halloween reboot will definitely bring more interest to horror, so have these books ready to go for readers itching to be a little (or a lot!) scared.
- Tons of great books in translation you can add to your library now.
- Get to know the cyberpunk genre.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
- 10 great book towns to check out in the course of your worldly travels.
- 100 perfect book memes.
Level Up
Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? Whether or not you read and nominate titles, we’ll end every newsletter with a few upcoming titles worth reading and sharing (and nominating for LibraryReads, if you so choose!). Links here will direct to Edelweiss digital review copies. These books hit shelves in August, giving you plenty of time to read and nominate by June 20th.
Note: soon, there will be an even easier way to do this. I’m working on a database of forthcoming adult fiction titles by marginalized authors and hope to debut it in the near future on Book Riot.
- We Are The Young by Preti Taneja: “A stunning debut novel, a modern-day King Lear set in contemporary India: the tale of a battle for power within a turbulent family, for status within a nation in a constant state of transformation, and for the love and respect of a father disappearing into dementia”
- The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles: “The story of an intense female friendship fueled by affection, envy and pride—and each woman’s fear that she would be nothing without the other.”
- Temper by Nicky Drayden: “In a land similar to South Africa, twin brothers are beset by powerful forces beyond their understanding or control in this thrilling blend of science fiction, horror, magic, and dark humor—evocative of the works of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor—from the author of The Prey of Gods.“
Grab yourself a colorful library aesthetic mug while you sip your bevvy of choice at the library.
____________________
Thanks for hanging out! We’ll see you back here in two weeks with another edition of Check Your Shelf.
–Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram