Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m writing this newsletter fresh off of Ryan Gosling’s Oscar performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars, which was pink, sparkly, and absolutely ridiculous. I’m also going to demand more hot pink tuxedoes at all future awards ceremonies. (Also also, here’s an explanation for the newsletter title for anyone who needs it.)
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
RuPaul announced a new online bookstore, but the announcement is getting a lot of critical feedback due to its selection of controversial right-wing and anti-LGBTQ books.
The fanfiction community is rocked by Etsy sellers turning their work into bound books.
Publishing adjacent news, but here’s why the political clock is ticking for TikTok.
New & Upcoming Titles
Haruki Murakami announces his first novel in six years, set to be published in November.
Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, tech reporters for the New York Times, are publishing a book about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, called Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. It’ll be out in September.
Digital content creator and online celebrity Ms. Rachel announces a multi-book deal with Random House.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez wanted to destroy his last novel. It’s about to be published.
One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz announces a memoir about her decade spent in a Hollywood cult.
Dolly Parton announces a cookbook with her sister, Rachel.
6 new books about mothers and motherhood.
7 brand new cocktail books to add to your home bar.
The best sci-fi books of 2024 so far.
Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times, Wall Street Journal.
March picks from New York Times, People, Reactor (SF, SFF crossover), Time, Vanity Fair, Washington Post.
Spring 2024 picks from Bustle, Datebook.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Anita de Monte Laughs Last – Xochitl Gonzalez (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
The Hunter – Tana French (Esquire, Washington Post)
Parasol Against the Axe – Helen Oyeyemi (New York Times, Washington Post)
The House of Hidden Meanings – RuPaul (New York Times, Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
The Washington Post does a deep dive into Dune.
The enduring appeal of the suburban gothic.
Espionage thriller authors pick their favorite fictional spies.
On the Riot
The best new weekly releases to TBR.
March picks for romance, horror, nonfiction, children’s books.
New nonfiction by women to use for your book club.
All Things Comics
Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has died at 68.
On the Riot
March picks for comics and graphic novels.
Audiophilia
The 2024 Audie Winners have been announced! (And if you listen to the latest episode of Read or Dead, you’ll hear Kendra and me raving about S.A. Cosby’s All The Sinners Bleed, which won for Best Thriller/Suspense and was nominated for Audiobook of the Year!)
Here are the winners of AudioFile’s March Earphones Awards.
Brandon Sanderson talks about the deal he brokered with Audible and the changes he hopes to see.
35 celebrity memoir audiobooks narrated by the stars themselves.
On the Riot
10 of the most pre-ordered audiobooks for Spring 2024.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
10 engaging picture books for fans of Pete the Cat.
New Easter picture books to read with your little bunny.
Adults
Some of the best books written by and about powerful women.
A reading list of women behaving badly.
7 books written as letters to family members.
10 iconic fantasy novels ripe for rediscovery.
5 books about democracy in crisis.
7 modern gothics featuring an intersectional feminist perspective.
10 gripping books about history’s greatest mysteries.
On the Riot
7 conversation-starting books to read for Women’s History Month.
11 of the best books about politics to read before the election.
9 books set in ancient worlds.
8 of the best haunted house stories to make you shiver.
10 fresh paranormal romance reads.
8 thrilling novellas to read in one sitting.
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 Edelweiss has a new catalog dedicated to diverse titles, which is managed by Early Word Galley Chatter Vicki Nesting. Check it out!
Who told Dini about the time change?? Because this is him pestering us for his afternoon snack a full hour early. I know he’s not smart enough to read a clock.
Well, that’s all for me. I’ll be back on Friday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.