Sponsored by When My Cousins Come to Town by Angela Shanté
A fun, lively story of Black family and cousin culture. Every summer a young girl eagerly waits for her cousins to come visit and celebrate her birthday. Every cousin has a unique nickname… all except for the smallest cousin. But this year things are going to be different. This year before summer ends, she’s determined to earn her own nickname! Filled with warmth, love, and laughter, When My Cousins Come to Town is proof that you don’t need to be anyone else to be special—being yourself is enough!
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. So, Killing Eve. I’m writing this newsletter while watching the last episode of Season 2, and I just realized I have the biggest tension headache from how hard I’ve been clenching my jaw. So. I’m going to go grab some Advil, and then get back to this newsletter.
Okay. Advil consumed. Let’s library.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
The CDC acknowledges what scientist have been saying: the risk of virus infection from surfaces is low.
Westfield, New Jersey is set to repeal a law that previously could land library patrons in court for overdue books.
Yahoo Answers will shut down permanently on May 4th.
Cool Library Updates
How libraries are improving climate literacy in their communities.
This New Orleans Library program connects residents to City Hall representatives to help solve community issues.
Jason Reynolds is serving as inaugural Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week.
These mini free libraries around NYC only carry books by BIPOC authors.
Worth Reading
Restorative justice practices and how to implement them in libraries.
School librarians must lead the ongoing conversation about problematic titles and library collections.
Over 140,000 US public library workers have kept their communities informed, connected, and engaged, but their jobs may be at risk.
Book Adaptations in the News
Netflix renews Bridgerton for a third and fourth season.
Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism is getting a film adaptation.
25 short films based on Stephen King’s short stories are being shown at this virtual festival, some of which have never been released.
Becky Albertalli’s The Upside of Unrequited is being adapted for film.
Stacey Lee’s The Downstairs Girl is being developed as a series.
Elin Hilderbrand’s Summer of ‘69 is also being adapted as a series.
Kennedy Ryan’s Hoops and All the King’s Men romance series have been snagged for two series adaptations.
Amazon is adapting The Peripheral by William Gibson.
José Saramago’s Blindness is being adapted for Broadway.
Casting updates for The Lincoln Lawyer and The Essex Serpent.
Catch the trailers for Monster by Walter Dean Myers and The Woman In the Window.
Books & Authors in the News
Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb debuted at number 1 on USA Today’s Best-Selling Books list, the first time this has happened for a work of poetry.
Senator Ted Cruz allegedly promoted his book illegally with campaign funds.
The Haymarket Books anthology Against Ableism has come under scrutiny from members of the disability and poetry communities.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, launches Season 2 of her Instagram book club.
Numbers & Trends
The status of ebook lending in the US.
Award News
Here are all the winners of the 2021 PEN America Literary Awards, along with a link to the virtual awards ceremony on YouTube.
The Hugo Awards finalists have been announced, along with the 2020 Aurealis Awards finalists.
Check out the finalists for the 2021 Young Lions Fiction Award, sponsored by the New York Public Library.
(TW: transphobia) Torrey Peters addresses the transphobic backlash over her Women’s Prize for Fiction nomination.
Pop Cultured
The 13 best crime drama series on Netflix right now.
We’ve got movie sign (again)!!: Mystery Science Theater 3000 is launching another revival kickstarter.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
16 YA booktubers to have on your radar.
7 Bookstagrammers on how to create a cozy reading nook.
14 online book clubs you can join right now.
Why reading first thing in the morning is actually pretty good.
On the Riot
Community spirit: looking at the Gender Community Lending Library.
Racist kids’ books raise racist kids: reading isn’t neutral.
A reader’s defense of labeling #OwnVoices LGBTQ books.
The secret life of a sensitivity reader.
Dead female poets are not your punchline.
The soothing order of bookish bullet journal videos.
25+ book review templates and ideas to organize your thoughts.
Look, being vaccinated does NOT mean…
Have a safe weekend, everyone! And if you’re going to watch a stressful TV show, make sure to keep some ibuprofen on hanad.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.