Welcome to Check Your Shelf. We had our first day of summer reading last Friday, and while most of the SRC questions were handled before the patrons came to the circulation desk, holy banana pants were we busy! Our SRC kickoff also coincided with recruit graduation at the nearby military base, so we also got a ton of calls from new grads looking for passport appointments THAT DAY. Phew. Pretty sure we all survived though, emphasis on the “pretty sure.”
Attention librarians, booksellers, and book nerds! You can apply to become a Bibliologist for Tailored Book Recommendations and get paid for your bookish knowledge! TBR is a subscription-based book recommendation service where customers receive three hand-picked recommendations per quarter that are tailored to their specific reading likes and dislikes. Of special interest: bibliologists who can recommend across a variety of genres. Click here to read more and fill out an application.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Imbalances still remain when it comes to Black authors in the bestsellers’ lists.
Four textbook publishers have sued Google for promoting pirated copies of their titles.
OpenAI insiders warn of a “reckless” race for dominance.
Costco plans to stop selling books year-round.
Disney announced a new children’s book program focusing on environmental topics.
A look at how more authors are funding their own marketing campaigns when publishing companies cut budgets.
New & Upcoming Titles
Suzanne Collins is writing a new Hunger Games book, out in March 2025.
Megan Abbott has a new book coming out next summer!
Lisa Scottoline has signed a four-book deal with Grand Central.
Musician Neko Case has written a memoir, out in January 2025.
Bill Gates is also publishing a memoir.
Clay McLeod Chapman announced his first horror short story collection.
Speaking of horror, librarian and horror advocate Becky Spratford is editing a collection of essays from acclaimed horror authors about why they love their genre. Authors include Stephen Graham Jones, Tananarive Due, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu, Grady Hendrix, Rachel Harrison, Gabino Iglesias…seriously, this is just scratching the surface, and I need this book IMMEDIATELY.
Best books of the year (so far) from Barnes & Noble, Time.
Summer picks from AARP, Bustle, Chicago Tribune, LA Times (romance), Town & Country.
Weekly picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times.
June picks from Amazon, AV Club, Ebony, Epic Reads, People, Reactor (fantasy, SF).
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Fire Exit – Morgan Talty (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
The Comfort of Ghosts – Jacqueline Winspear (New York Times, Washington Post)
On the Riot
5 upcoming queer books that you may not have heard about yet.
The best weekly LGBTQ+ book releases.
June picks for mystery/thrillers, romance, SFF, children’s books.
All Things Comics
Anime NYC and Japan Society are launching the American Manga Awards.
8 comics to read for Pride Month.
Audiophilia
AudioFile magazine has named its 2024 Golden Voice narrators.
Apple Books is now the official audiobook home for Reese’s Book Club.
19 of the best audiobooks by Latinas.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
31 sweet picture books that celebrate fatherhood.
9 mysteries that fourth and fifth graders would recommend to their friends.
Timeless books for sixth-grade readers.
The ultimate YA summer reading list.
Adults
15 LGBTQ+ books to read for Pride Month.
75 books for every Pride vibe.
Essential books by Native and Indigenous authors.
30 must-read books to learn about the Indigenous experience in North America.
7 books to help you battle burnout.
5 of the best books about fatherhood.
Crime fiction that deals with the fascination with fame.
10 books to read if you love Abby Jimenez.
25 books sure to delight Agatha Christie fans.
10 debut LGBTQ+ authors talk about the books that shaped them as writers.
A Father’s Day reading list for every type of dad.
On the Riot
10 thrilling YA heist novels.
The most-read books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (so far).
8 LGBTQ+ serial stories to explore.
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!
Hard to see from the small size, but that’s Jonesy giving Dini some head kisses. And then a few minutes later, Jonesy tried to gnaw on Dini’s leg like a drumstick. Always exciting with these two!
Okay friends, I’ll pop back on Friday! Peace out!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.