Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Just because life may be out of order, doesn’t mean it’s broken.
Oona Out of Order is a remarkably inventive novel that explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even if those moments are out of sequence.
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).
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- Penguin Random House parent company, Bertelsmann, announces plans to become carbon neutral by 2030.
- Apple is taking legal action against former German App Store manager Tom Sadowski, who has published a book about his work, saying that the book reveals “confidential business secrets” that the author wasn’t allowed to disclose.
- Flatiron Books announces a new imprint with iHeart Radio named Stuff You Should Read: An iHeart Book, which will focus on the podcast material from iHeart Radio.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Here’s a galley roundup for PLA. Even if you’re not going, you can still use this for collection development!
- Tiffany D. Jackson is publishing her first picture book!
- LeBron James is also publishing his first children’s book.
- Dan Brown (yes, that Dan Brown) is ALSO publishing his first children’s book.
- Jeff Bridges breaks the trend by illustrating a children’s book written by his daughter, Isabelle Bridges-Boesch.
- Zakiya Dalia Harris, a former Knopf assistant editor, just sold her debut novel in a 7 figure deal about a young black publishing assistant that’s a mix of suspense, horror, and cultural commentary. The book is described as “Get Out meets Younger” and I NEED THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW.
- Jennifer Niven’s next YA novel is coming out in October.
- Debut crime novels for February.
- 25 new books to add to your spring TBR list.
- 22 of the most anticipated YA novels for March, plus 39 YA sequels you won’t want to miss this year.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Whistleblower: My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber – Susan Fowler (LA Times, New York Times, NPR, Time)
- Amnesty – Aravind Adiga (New York Times, Washington Post)
- Little Constructions – Anna Burns (LA Times, New York Times)
- The Resisters – Gish Jen (New York Times, Washington Post)
- Saint X – Alexis Schaitkin (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times)
- The Only Child – Mi-ae Seo (LA Times, NPR)
RA/Genre Resources
- Bestselling YA authors are aiming at older readers.
- The hottest new literary genre is “doomer lit.”
- Why cozy mysteries are the hottest TV genre of 2020.
- Georgette Heyer and the state of the regency romance.
On the Riot
- YA anthologies and YA book collaborations coming out in 2020.
All Things Comics
- The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will become an official part of Oklahoma school curriculum, thanks to the HBO Watchmen series.
On the Riot
- 6 Muslim superheroes that deserve their own standalone comics.
- New middle grade graphic novels and comics.
- Lit ladies for your comics TBR.
Audiophilia
- The best celebrity-narrated audiobooks to listen to right now.
- Best audiobooks for February 2020 from Paste and AudioFile.
On the Riot
- 8 awesome contemporary romance audiobooks.
- Audiobook narrators who need to record more books ASAP.
- 5 middle grade and YA audiobooks with Muslim girl protagonists.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- 17 children’s book covers to make you cry on sight.
- If you’re a fan of the “fake dating trope,” make sure to check out these YA reads.
Adults
- 5 Korean thriller authors you need to read right now.
- Books where badass librarians fight for our future.
- 22 book club picks for your next meeting.
- 8 black LGBTQ poets to be familiar with.
- 6 books that celebrate being black and proud.
- 8 books that celebrate inspirational Afro-Latinos.
- 5 SFF reads that celebrate black excellence.
- 7 stories about the anxiety of settling down.
- A reading list about America’s housing crisis.
On the Riot
- 10 YA Shakespeare retellings.
- A reading pathway for Dawn Kurtagich.
- 6 historical romance series you can marathon.
- 10 underrated books for Black History Month.
- Scifi reads based on your favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation character.
- 12 romance reads if you enjoyed Red, White, and Royal Blue.
- 10 books about breastfeeding.
- 6 Sapphic Shakesperean retellings.
- 24 popular books from women writers around the world.
- 6 extremely disturbing books you HAVE to read.
- 12 authors recommended by Toni Morrison.
- 9 books about Iran to help understand current events.
Level Up (Library Reads)
Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? We’ve made it easy for you to find eligible diverse titles to nominate. Kelly Jensen created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
The next newsletter will be coming to you live from Nashville! Catch y’all later!
Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.