Sponsored by The Mistletoe Matchmaker by Felicity Hayes-McCoy and Harper Perennial
The days are turning colder, preparations are under way for the Winter Fest, and everyone is hoping for a little holiday magic on the Finfarran peninsula. And as Cassie Fitzgerald, fresh from Toronto, is about to discover, there’s more to the holidays on the west coast of Ireland than mistletoe and mince pies. The dazzling third book in Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s Finfarran Peninsula series, The Mistletoe Matchmaker is a heartfelt celebration of community, family, and the meaning of home.
“The perfect winter heart-warmer.” — Cathy Kelly, bestselling author of Between Sisters
Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
- Napa County residents flood the library for access to WiFi and other services after the massive regional power outage. The Napa County Library in downtown Napa saw 1400 more people than usual last Wednesday – I can’t even imagine what that must have looked like inside the building.
- The director of the Batavia (IL) Public Library wrote a letter to the Chicago Sun Times about why late fines are necessary. The New York Daily News editorial board also had a similar position. But here’s another article about why more libraries are giving up on late fees.
Cool Library Updates
- The director of the Dorcas (ME) Library is hiking the Appalachian Trail to raise funds for her library!
- Library programs that focus on climate change and sustainability.
- Cool things librarians are doing, beyond books.
Worth Reading
- As the welfare state decays, public libraries become sites of social trauma. This is worth a read, and speaks a lot to the type of work that library staff are expected to perform without any sort of meaningful support or training.
Book Adaptations in the News
- Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson are starring in the CBS miniseries adaptation of James Comey’s memoir, A Higher Loyalty.
- You can stream the adaptation of the YA novel Let It Snow on Netflix beginning November 8th.
- Given all the recent coverage, it should come as no surprise that Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is being adapted.
- A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult is getting a limited series.
- HBO is adapting The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo.
- Shailene Woodley and Felicity Jones are starring in the adaptation for The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes.
- Clive Owen & Julianne Moore are starring in Lisey’s Story, based on the Stephen King novel.
- Margot Robbie is in talks to produce and star in the adaptation of After the Flood by Kassandra Montag.
- A list of the book adaptations coming out this fall.
- A plea to watch the movie WITHOUT reading the book first.
Books & Authors in the News
- Jojo Moyes has been accused of publishing a book (The Giver of Stars) that has “alarming similarities to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson.
- A professor spoke about whiteness at Georgia Southern University, and several students decided to burn copies of her book instead.
- Harold Bloom, the most notorious literary critic in America, has died at age 89.
Numbers & Trends
- Kid-oriented comics & graphic novels account for 41% of sell-through at bookstores, along with 28% for manga, while superhero content is at less than 10%.
- A rare hardcover first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sells for £50,000!
Award News
- Olga Tokarczuk and Peter Handke win the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature, respectively. The Washington Post, PEN America, Electric Lit, and Vox write about the issues with Handke’s award.
- Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo are the co-winners of the 2019 Booker Prize.
- A look at the 2019 National Book Award finalists.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
- Flint names Semaj Brown as the city’s first poet laureate.
- Check out this list of 12 authors and their corresponding TED Talks!
- Literary wedding ideas for people who don’t really understand books.
Thanks for hanging! See everyone on Tuesday!
–Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.