Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It took me longer than usual to put this newsletter together because Jonesy was conked out in my lap and absolutely refused to move for my computer. He’s now stretched out on the floor, acting pitiful because I dislodged him. Better finish this up quickly before he comes back!
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Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Simon & Schuster turns 100, and KKR is in no hurry to sell.
Could the AI industry implode?
How tech giants cut corners to harvest data for AI.
Are publishers publishing too many books?
An unhinged history of American publishing: Macmillan.
The book summary apps accused of damaging authors’ sales.
New & Upcoming Titles
Liane Moriarty has a new book coming out this fall.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has signed a mega deal for a new crime fiction series with Bantam Books.
Jordan Harper’s The Last King of California will be published in the US this fall.
Lauren Oyler’s essay collection, No Judgment, is soliciting a lot of…well…judgment. More info here.
Here’s a preview of Ruthi Thorpe’s latest novel, Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
Here’s a preview of Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens.
Cover reveal for Mariana Enríquez’s short story collection, A Sunny Place for Shady People.
The 25 most buzzworthy books of the moment.
The best horror books of 2024 (so far).
New dark and twisty novels from horror to thriller.
4 new books on women in the arts & sciences.
The major book club picks for April 2024.
Weekly picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times.
April picks from People.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Mania – Lionel Shriver (LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post)
The Familiar – Leigh Bardugo (New York Times, Washington Post)
The Garden – Clare Beams (New York Times, People)
RA/Genre Resources
Where to start with Patricia Highsmith.
Mystery writers for both standalone and series readers.
“Sad girl novels” and the dubious branding of women’s emotive fiction.
On the Riot
Book Riot founder Jeff O’Neal talks about what he would do if he were starting Book Riot today.
The best new weekly releases to TBR.
9 of the best romance books to bring with you this spring and summer.
An introduction to all the punk subgenres.
The best Japanese authors you’ve never heard of.
Where to begin with reading poetry.
Poetic memoirs, collections, and nonfiction books for your book club.
All Things Comics
Olivia Wilde is directing the Margot Robbie-produced adaptation of Avengelyne.
18 Canadian comics & graphic novels to check out this spring.
Audiophilia
The hottest new release on BookTok is the audio release of 1984, featuring Andrew Scott and Andrew Garfield, but listeners are focusing primarily on the torture scene between their two characters, which is…kinda icky.
Audiobooks to lull you to sleep.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
13 imaginative picture books about libraries.
18 Earth-friendly reads for kids.
Adults
The best reads for the total solar eclipse.
7 novels set in refugee camps.
The 30 greatest book series of all time.
A reading list for Americans in search of LGBTQ Canadian history.
Must-read “bad neighbor” thrillers.
5 of the best books about siblings.
17 baseball romance books that knock it out of the park.
On the Riot
8 genre-blending nonfiction books you need to read.
10 of the best books about octopuses (octopi? octopodes?).
8 out-of-this-world romances in space.
8 sci-noir books that blend genres.
8 of the best queer sports romance books.
8 mysteries and thrillers set during the Great Depression.
The best cookbooks for cooks of all levels.
8 fantasy horror books to delight you.
10 genre-blending short-story collections.
8 books that blend and transcend genre.
8 creepy and compelling historical horror novels.
Suggestions for National Poetry Month.
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!
This was taken earlier in the day, but it clearly shows Jonesy planning to assert dominance over my laptop by taking over my lap space.
All right, friends, that’s it for me. See you on Friday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.