Welcome to Check Your Shelf. In the midst of everything that has happened over the last few weeks, one bright spot is that my husband and I started using a meal kit subscription for our dinners, and I now suddenly have a desire to cook! Maybe it’s just the relief at not having to actively plan meals or grocery shop, or maybe it’s the fact that the recipes are way tastier than I expected, but I found myself over the weekend actually asking if I could cook dinner! And not in a “Well, if you don’t feel like cooking, I guess I’ll need to do it” way but in a “Hey, I’m looking forward to 6:00 because I want to start chopping veggies” way. Fingers crossed that this success continues, because I’m kinda loving it.
Oh, and before I forget, Book Riot has an opening for an Editorial Operations Associate! This person will have the opportunity to dive into the nitty gritty, behind-the-scenes work at Book Riot and help support the editors and writers! We’re committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Application deadline is August 8th.
And now onto the books. (Worth mentioning that this newsletter is going to be a bit shorter than usual, since we’re coming off of a holiday week/end.)
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Publishers and the Internet Archive have filed dueling summary judgment motions in what is set to be a landmark lawsuit over the scanning and lending of books.
The HarperCollins union has voted to strike, citing wages that have not kept up with cost-of-living expenses and wanting to create meaningful change towards an equitable workplace.
Brandon Taylor has joined Unnamed Press as its acquiring editor.
Paul Tremblay announced that the Kindle version of The Pallbearers Club has been pulled due to formatting errors, but should be available to readers by July 19th.
How TikTok became a best-seller machine.
What it’s been like as a writer of color trying to sell a book that isn’t all about trauma.
New & Upcoming Titles
Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes are co-writing a new Bridgerton prequel novel centered around Queen Charlotte.
Publishers Weekly picks 10 writers to watch this fall.
12 new historical romance novels out this summer.
36 of the most popular historical fiction titles of 2022, so far.
101 romance novels to spice up your summer.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Thank You For Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission – Mark Leibovich (NPR, Washington Post)
The Displacements – Bruce Holsinger (USA Today)
Acts of Violet – Margarita Montimore (USA Today)
Florida Woman – Deb Rogers (Washington Post)
The Pallbearers Club – Paul Tremblay (Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
A question of character: on James Patterson and diversity in crime fiction.
On the Riot
15 buzzy books to pack in your beach bag.
The best new short story collections.
8 new nonfiction books to read this summer.
18 horror novels that will chill you to the bone this summer.
20 must-read under the radar queer books from the first half of 2022.
July picks for SFF, romance, mysteries/thrillers, children’s books, and queer books.
Why are so many fantasy series about war?
All Things Comics
Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, was found dead at sea. He was 60 years old.
San Diego Comic-Con is returning for its first in-person event in three years.
The Duffer Brothers are making a new live-action adaptation of the manga series Death Note for Netflix.
Have you ever wanted to own George Clooney’s Batman suit? You know, the one with the inexplicable nipples? Well, here’s your chance! The suit is going up for auction starting at $40,000!
On the Riot
YA comics and graphic novels out July-September 2022.
Audiophilia
On the Riot
7 fictional audiobooks to listen to for Disability Pride Month.
10 of the best fantasy series to listen to on audio.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
The best books to prep your little one for school.
10 of the best scary stories for young readers.
12 of the best horror novels for teens.
YA book suggestions based off your favorite female superheroes.
25 YA books with bisexual characters.
Adults
7 locked room mysteries to keep you in suspense.
5 books about fragile worlds.
Top 5 dragon fantasy adventure book series.
On the Riot
10 touch-and-feel books for babies like Pat the Bunny.
3 YA novels about bucket lists.
What to read if you loved The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Modern short stories to read for high school English class.
8 feminist cozy mysteries to read right away.
Read these books if you like the show Arcane.
15 legendary books about King Arthur.
20 must-read books about musicians.
Books that bring the 80’s nostalgia.
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 has a guide to discovering upcoming diverse books, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word has created a database of upcoming diverse titles to nominate, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
Dini just wanted to show everyone his glorious tummy. And if you look closely in the second photo, you can see two of his little toofs sticking out. I’m a sucker for cats who show off their toofies. And Dini’s a sucker for head scritches and belly rubs! Everyone wins!
All right, let’s see how this week goes. Might be a good time to send a message to your representatives and check in on them. I’ll see you all on Friday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.