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Check Your Shelf

Motorcycle Noir and the Meaning of Zombies

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Friends, if you’re in the mood for something light and uplifting similar to Great British Baking Show, do yourself a favor and watch Glow Up on Netflix. It’s a British makeup artist reality show, with a very similar uplifting tone, and the artistry is absolutely amazing! Plus amazing representation on many different levels, and it’s just a delightful, escapist treat. (I have an episode on in the background right now!)

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

A look at the dramatic drop in Amazon book orders over the last several weeks.

The Washington Post’s book section is back!

New & Upcoming Titles

Indie booksellers select their Fall children’s picks.

Ava Reid is writing a reimagined version of Macbeth that’s pitched as Circe meets Wolf Hall.

Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwayne Wade are publishing their second picture book, Shady Baby Feels.

Meg Cabot’s next Princess Diaries novel will take place during the pandemic and feature a suspected royal affair.

Here’s the cover reveal for Charlie Jane Anders’ upcoming book, Promises Stronger Than Darkness.

And here’s the cover reveal for Abby Jimenez’ upcoming book, Yours Truly.

Fall picks from Electric Lit (LGBTQ+) and The Guardian.

Weekly picks from Bustle, Crime Reads, The Millions, New York Times, USA Today.

Best international crime fiction for August.

September picks from AV Club, Barnes & Noble (adult, teens, kids), The Root.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

My Government Means to Kill Me – Rasheed Newson (Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, LA Times, New York Times)

Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis – Beth Macy (Electric Literature, Washington Post)

Want to read books from this newsletter? You can, for free! Get three free audiobooks with a trial to Audiobooks.com. Claim your 3 free audiobooks now!

RA/Genre Resources

The Game of Thrones effect prompts reissues of other fantasy fiction classics.

How today’s romances are revising interracial romance tropes.

On the Riot

Culturally diverse children’s book publishers and imprints.

Bust out the brooms for these new witchy YA books.

New weekly releases to TBR.

From braaaains to hordes: what are zombies a metaphor for?

All Things Comics

Stephen Graham Jones’s graphic novel Earthdivers is being adapted as a TV series.

On the Riot

What in the world is Elseworlds?

Some of the best fantasy light novels you can read.

Audiophilia

Hoda Kotb is the new narrator for the Goodnight Moon audiobook.

Best audiobooks with celebrity narrators.

Audiobooks to thrill, delight, and spread hope.

7 great audiobooks to listen to this month.

On the Riot

Falling ears over heels for audiobooks.

The best fantasy audiobooks available on Libby.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

20 back-to-school picture books.

YA books for Stephen King fans.

Adults

6 historical noir reads with pulse-pounding mysteries.

A mathematical reading list.

5 key works of motorcycle noir.

7 books featuring a chorus of voices of color.

8 books that will lead you down a rabbit hole.

16 great books about mental health for empathy, insight, and so much more.

5 mystery books to cozy up with on vacation.

On the Riot

Learning to say goodbye: 8 children’s books about death.

YA books with reality TV elements sure to capture your attention.

8 mystery novels revolving around food.

Queer SFF for the genre-shy.

Books set in South America to inspire wanderlust.

Short books by South Asian writers.

15 compelling Chilean books in translation.

20 wonderful wellness books to read in 2022.

8 books to read after watching Prehistoric Planet.

The best Kindle Unlimited mysteries to read.

13 gentle low-drama romances.

10 great romance novels set in London.

5 SFF books about the multiverse.

8 witchy books full of trans & nonbinary magic.

The best slasher books that will leave you screaming for more.

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.

black cat sitting in a gray cat bed on top of a light blue blanket

Gilbert took a pause from his regular napping schedule to give us full-on kitty glamor. And then promptly went back to napping.

Okay friends, I’ll check in again on Friday. We got this!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green.