Sponsored by The Oddmire Series by William Ritter, new from Algonquin Young Readers
Don’t miss this middle-grade fantasy-adventure series from the bestselling author of Jackaby. To renew the magic fading from the Wild Wood, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving a newborn changeling. But when the night arrives, something goes terribly wrong. Tinn and Cole are raised as human twins, neither knowing what secrets may be buried deep inside one of them. When they turn thirteen, a mysterious message arrives, calling them to leave their sleepy town and risk their lives journeying through the Deep Dark to uncover who they truly are.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. What day is it?
Black Lives Matter
- Reading is only a step on the path to anti-racism.
- The New York Times commissioned new poems by Claudia Rankine and Jericho Brown.
- Black Writers’ Guild calls for sweeping changes in UK publishing.
- Can #BlackoutBestsellerList be the reckoning the publishing industry needs?
- All five big publishers promise to make more room for Black authors and staff. What this will look like in practice remains to be seen.
- LA Times argues that paying editorial assistants more will help fix the racial diversity in book advances.
- 50 Black-owned independent bookstores you can support.
- The June GalleyChat from EarlyWord focused on Black authors, and also includes spreadsheets of diverse titles.
- Anti-racist reading lists from Books in the Media, Epic Reads (YA), and The Millions.
- Juneteenth reading lists from LitHub and USA Today.
- Books by Black authors everyone should read.
- Black writers are telling the essential stories of our time.
- 10 children’s books by burgeoning Black authors.
- 33 picture books featuring Black female protagonists.
- 10 books on history of racism in America.
- 15 books by #OwnVoices authors.
- 20 books to read if you want to get into Black SFF.
- 5 YA audiobooks that center Black lives.
- 29 YA books by Black authors.
- YA books by Black British authors.
- Audiobook listens for raising an anti-racist.
Pride Month Resources
- Queer quarantine recommendations.
- 39 LGBTQ+ books to read with your kids.
- LGBTQ+ YA picks from BuzzFeed, Epic Reads, PopSugar, and Riveted Lit.
- 5 queer YA books about friendship.
- Pride Month reads from Bustle and NYPL.
- A reading list for queer true crime.
- 13 indie queer genre comics.
Book Riot’s Pride Day Resources
- 8 LGBTQ+ fairy tales from 2020.
- 10 LGBTQIA+ fantasy and science fiction adventures.
- 12 recent queer audiobooks to put in your ears.
- 5 fun LGBTQ Pride Day comics and graphic novels.
- 8 asexual books.
- 4 queer poets.
- 11 queer photography books.
- 12 queer women’s history books.
- 9 informative books about Stonewall.
- 6 LGBTQ+ South Asian books.
- 41 rainbow books for Pride Month.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- Despite staff concerns, Hachette UK has chosen to back J.K. Rowling in light of her recent transphobic comments.
- The publishing industry may never recover from #PublishingPaidMe.
- Publishing’s next battle? Ditching writers that don’t live up to publishers’ stated values.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Bob Woodward has a new book about the Trump administration coming out in September.
- Kazuo Ishiguro has a new book coming out in 2021.
- Diana Gabaldon announces she’s working on an Outlander prequel.
- June picks from Crime Reads and Salon.
- Summer picks from Poets & Writers, PopSugar, and USA Today.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump – Mary Jordan (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
- Miss Iceland – Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (NPR, Washington Post)
- Billion Dollar Burger: Inside Big Tech’s Race for the Future of Food – Chase Purdy (New York Times, NPR)
- A Burning – Megha Majumdar (Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
- Why more children’s books are tackling sexual harassment and abuse.
- The history of vampires in YA fiction.
On the Riot
- A brief guide to grimdark fantasy.
All Things Comics
- Free Comic Book Day will be extended this year due to the pandemic.
- Spotify signs a deal with Warner Brothers & DC for a bunch of all-new, exclusive, scripted podcasts.
- There’s going to be a 10-part comic adaptation of Stephen King and Owen King’s book Sleeping Beauties.
- 5 comics to read this June.
- 12 new & forthcoming graphic novels.
Audiophilia
- Mary Robinette Kowal shows how books get narrated.
- 21 audiobooks to put on your radar this summer.
- Audio picks for June.
On the Riot
- 5 audiobooks narrated by a full cast.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- 10 YA books about summer love.
Adults
- Thriller picks from Cosmopolitan and O: Oprah Magazine.
- 13 best books about road trips.
- 6 gift-worthy memoirs about and for dads.
- 10 novels about overlooked moments from the past.
On the Riot
- 14 read-aloud books for preschoolers.
- Great books for 7th graders.
- 12 of the best books for Father’s Day (includes picture books).
- 4 apocalyptically good books similar to The Last of Us.
- 5 books by neurodiverse authors.
- 4 time travel books about lost time.
- 6 long books to help you continue to pass the time during quarantine.
- Adult interracial romances.
Level Up (Library Reads)
Do you take part in Library Reads, 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.
Stay safe and stay well, everyone.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.