Sponsored by Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers
Inside Book Riot’s Lit Stitch, you’ll find a number of badass, bookish cross-stitch patterns. Some of these are for bookmarks, others are for wall decor, and still others can take on a whole host of finished outcomes. What they have in common is their literary bent—the patterns speak to all manner of literary-minded book lovers, who are happy to display their nerdier sides. And what better way than through your own cross-stitch art to hang on your wall, prop on your desk, or even gift to friends and family. And most, if not all, are beginner friendly and can be completed in a few hours—instant stitchification! So grab yourself some excellent embroidery floss, hoops, and needles, and pick out one or more of these great cross-stitch patterns for your next project.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf.
Do we all need to collectively scream into the void together? You have my permission to do so.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
- Corrections departments are turning to private companies to force prisoners to pay to read via tablets.
- Chicago Public Library staff are allegedly asking people to hold off on visiting the library after it reopens because the library’s administrators are implementing an unsafe plan for reopening.
- NYPL is pursuing its curbside options during quarantine.
- The La Crosse (WI) Public Library is offering computer access to patrons by appointment.
- The Michigan National Guard helps save 80,000 items from the flooded Grace A. Dow Memorial Library.
Cool Library Updates
- ALA partners with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to donate 6,000 book sets to public and school libraries.
- Programming through the pandemic.
- Librarians are recruited as COVID hunters.
- The Illinois Prairie District Public Library created an outside obstacle course for passersby.
- This Ohio teen who walked to the library every day for homework help has been accepted to 12 different colleges!
- The NYPL shares its list of 125 kids books that they love.
Worth Reading
- The Toledo Lucas County Public Library created a safety guide designed for libraries during the pandemic.
- Best practices for Little Free Libraries during the COVID outbreak.
- What Hollywood gets right (and wrong) about librarians.
Book Adaptations in the News
- We’re getting close to an Amazon adaptation of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache crime novels.
- Rights have been sold for Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.
- Reese Witherspoon will be starring in and producing two Netflix rom coms, including one based on Sarah Haywood’s novel The Cactus.
- Netflix is doing a TV adaptation of Anatomy of a Scandal.
- An early look at the upcoming adaptation of The Stand.
- Trailers for I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (documentary); The Alienist, Season 2; NOS4A2, Season 2; and Love, Victor.
- 8 musicals you may not have known were based on books.
Books & Authors in the News
- The New York Times asked if Ronan Farrow was too good to be true, and Vanity Fair and the LA Times reported on the response.
- Playright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer dies at age 84.
- The Mat-Su School District board has rescinded its previous vote to remove five books from the high school curriculum.
- J.K. Rowling releases a new serialized kid’s book online, for free.
- Taika Waititi is leading an all-star reading of James and the Giant Peach on YouTube to fund COVID relief efforts.
- There’s going to be a virtual Kidlit Pride conference in June.
- Check out the author lineup for the new virtual TorCon 2020.
Numbers & Trends
- Print sales fell last week, although they’re still higher than they were this time last year. The New York Times also looks at overall publishing trends and sales since quarantine began.
- The types of books that could flourish in the pandemic era.
Award News
- The RWA retires the RITA Awards permanently and announces the new Vivian Awards.
- Shortlists for the 2020 Orwell Prizes.
- Shortlist for the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, including one of my favorites, The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey!
On the Riot
- How libraries are handling summer reading during COVID.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. You deserve it.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.