Author: Katie McLain

Racism in the Dewey Decimal System

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date September 9, 2021

Sponsored by Little, Brown Book for Young Readers.

George M. Johnson returns with a striking memoir that celebrates Black boyhood and brotherhood in all its glory. This is the story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul — four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. The boys hold one another close through early brushes with racism, first loves and losses. With Nanny at their center, they are never broken.

“An intensely emotional, stunning read.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“There’s not a lot of current literature that explores stories of young, Black, gay men. This accessible and reflective memoir helps fill that gap.” —Booklist, starred review

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. The holiday weekend has completely thrown me off, so I’m perpetually in a state of panic about how much time I have to get stuff done this week. Honestly, this newsletter is about the only constant I have to help me figure out what day it is!

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

A Danbury, CT officer has been suspended for his remarks caught on body camera during a First Amendment audit at the local library.

The Indianapolis Public Library interim CEO talks about plans to rebuild relationships and trust.

After facing community backlash about its Pride Month Display, the Prairie du Chien (WI) Library has received dozens of donated LGBTQ+ books with more on the way.

The Library of Congress and NPR announce a National Book Festival podcast series.

Cool Library Updates

Nancy Pearl has received the National Book Foundation’s 2021 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service!

Full-time librarian Kristy Cooper has written and self-published a memoir called I Was a Stripper Librarian: From Cardigans to G-Strings. I would read the HELL out of this book!

Worth Reading

Librarians in Rhode Island are trying to dispel misconceptions about school librarians with the documentary Overdue: The Value of School Librarians.

The surprisingly big business of library ebooks.

Services for people impacted by incarceration.

Racism in the Dewey Decimal System.

Book Adaptations in the News

Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch is being adapted as a TV series.

Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union are adapting the graphic novel Sorcerority for film.

C.L. Polk’s Kingston Cycle is headed to TV.

Netflix is adapting D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Casting update for the remake of Salem’s Lot.

Books & Authors in the News

Gillette, Wyoming residents continue to call for controversial books to be moved (or removed) from the library.

An Indianapolis woman calls for the banning of LGBTQ books at the West Perry Library in Indianapolis.

Teachers at Central York High School (PA) say that a recent list of banned books, movies, and other teaching materials has made them “afraid to teach.” “Let’s just call it what it is — every author on that list is a Black voice.”

Amanda Gorman is the new face of Estée Lauder.

Lessons to learn from the Kate Clanchy memoir fiasco.

Pop Cultured

I don’t know that this necessarily belongs under “Pop Culture,” but Elizabeth Holmes’s trial is set to begin, so you may get patrons asking for a copy of Bad Blood to refresh their memories about Holmes and Theranos.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

LeVar Burton’s Reading Rainbow is being celebrated in a new documentary called Butterfly in the Sky.

How social media is reinventing the book club.

On the Riot

What are libraries doing for National Library Card Sign Up Month?

Do romance novels ruin relationships? (No. No they do not.)

Authors and parasocial relationships.

Virtual book clubs during the pandemic.

Is it the weekend yet? Are we in September? Where am I? I think I’ll see you on Tuesday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Angry Women, Jealous Women, and Women Who Lose Control

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date September 7, 2021

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Hilary Mantel and William Boyd warn of a book industry collapse if post-Brexit copyright rule changes go into effect.

Why authors are turning down lucrative deals in favor of Substack.

In literary organizations, diversity disputes keep coming.

New & Upcoming Titles

Indie publisher Milkweed Editions announces a new disability-focused literary series that focuses on neurodivergence and “different ways of languaging.”

James Norbury, the self-published author of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, snags a six-figure publishing deal.

LeBron James is writing his second children’s book.

Take a look at Marlon James’ Moon Witch, Spider King, which is a follow-up to Black Leopard, Red Wolf, and will be published in February 2022.

Padma Lakshmi is publishing a picture book with a message.

Here’s a first look at Nghi Vo’s upcoming novel, Siren Queen, and the cover is just as gorgeous as The Chosen and the Beautiful.

Indie speculative fiction picks for August.

Weekly book picks from Bustle, Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.

September picks from Barnes & Noble, BookMarks (SFF), Brightly (children’s/YA), Bustle, Crime Reads, Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, NPR, and Washington Post.

Fall picks from Esquire, LitHub, Publishers Weekly (indie releases), and Time.

A running list of the best books of 2021.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

My Heart is a Chainsaw – Stephen Graham Jones (Crime Reads, Slate, Tor.com, Washington Post)

A Slow Fire Burning – Paula Hawkins (USA Today, Washington Post)

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois – Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (New York Times, NPR)

RA/Genre Resources

Here’s a list of readalikes for patrons who are waiting for A Slow Fire Burning.

How 9/11 has influenced literature over the last 20 years.

Why small towns are perfect settings for romance.

The new canon of “dark academia.”

On the Riot

Must-read September children’s and YA releases.

Weekly new releases to TBR.

Where to find the best children’s book reviews.

Use the #TransBooks365 hashtag to find tons of great trans reading recommendations!

Romance tropetonite: famous fake flings.

All Things Comics

Alicia Keys is adapting her song “Girl on Fire” into a graphic novel.

On the Riot

Is DC really making Superman gay?

10 comics to put on your pull list this month.

A quick-ish history of licensed comics.

Audiophilia

The September 2021 Earphones Award Winners have been announced.

How to become an audiobook narrator.

Celebrating Women in Translation Month with European mysteries on audio.

4 romance audiobooks that mix the professional with the personal.

On the Riot

8 Native memoirs on audio from Erin & Dani’s Book Club.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

17 children’s books by Latinx authors to add to your kid’s bookshelf.

3 books perfect for middle-school readers.

11 books to read after They Both Die at the End.

11 YA books about addiction and recovery.

12 YA romances that take place abroad.

Adults

The American Library Association’s ranking of the 100 Most Banned Books.

8 books about women dealing with professional jealousy.

10 books by Malaysian women authors.

Books to inspire activism and advocacy.

Books that channel the powerful force of women’s anger.

8 books about women breaking free, losing control, and taking charge.

9 of the worst jobs in literature.

5 books that changed Megan Rapinoe’s life.

16 self-help books to empower you.

18 books that deserve more hype.

On the Riot

8 uplifting and feel-good speculative YA books.

9 of the best dark YA dystopias.

9 books like Verity by Colleen Hoover.

8 books about voter suppression to ignite your inner activist.

9 LGBTQ enemies-to-lovers romance novels you’ll love reading.

10 bibliomemoirs about the life-altering power of reading.

Monstrify your bookshelf with these horror novels about monsters.

8 horror novels about witches that are truly scary.

13 LGBTQ books that will make you cry.

The best slasher novels for a bloody good time.

15 top investment books for new investors.

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 created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.

Hopefully your schedules aren’t making you want to scream right now. I’ll see you all on Friday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Don’t Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM by Sarah Berman.

Check Your Shelf

Library Cats and Library Ducks

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date September 2, 2021

Sponsored by Oni Press.

Give the gift of self-discovery in this first-ever collection box, containing all four Quick & Easy Guides released to date. Learn about lived experiences and validate your own with the witty and wise creators of A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, Queer & Trans Identities, Sex & Disability, and Consent. A conscious and charming gift for any loved one, and a must-have for your own bookshelf.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf, where apparently it’s September now. I mean, I don’t care that it’s September, but I’m just saying…no one asked me.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Public libraries in the Northeast report a recent rise in “first amendment audits.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, hostile school board meetings have members calling it quits.

Ohioans are increasingly turning to libraries for coronavirus testing.

Cool Library Updates

This library has started dressing up their (incredibly patient) library cat to promote the library, and the photos are ADORABLE.

The Jaffrey (NH) Public Library introduces a Farm Fresh Checkout refrigerator to promote food literacy.

Denver Public Library cards now give patrons free access to the Denver Tool Library, which normally charges $120 for a yearly membership.

Worth Reading

The US Copyright Office weighs in on Maryland’s new library eBook law.

Take a look at PLA’s 2020 Public Library Technology survey.

WiFi extenders vs. boosters vs. repeaters (helpful if your library is looking to loan out WiFi technology to patrons!)

Nothing to see here, just an adorable family of ducks waddling their way through a university library.

Book Adaptations in the News

Game of Thrones star Jacob Anderson has been cast as Louis in the upcoming adaptation of Interview With the Vampire.

The CW just ordered a series for Tom Swift, a Nancy Drew spinoff series.

Netflix announced an adaptation of Samanta Schweblin’s novel Fever Dream.

Lionsgate and Picturestart are adapting the YA horror graphic novel, Squad.

Season 2 of The Baby-Sitters Club will release on Netflix on October 11th.

Books & Authors in the News

Romance authors are teaming up to support Haiti earthquake relief.

After more than thirty years, a suspect has confessed to the murder of Lois Duncan’s daughter.

The Chelsea (MI) school board votes to keep The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison in the library, despite pushback from parents.

Salman Rushdie is serializing a new novella on Substack.

Numbers & Trends

3 in 5 Americans hope their summer reads will make them look smarter.

BTS leader RM unwittingly demonstrated the “K-pop effect” when he was spotted reading an out-of-print book, which ended up being republished and hitting the best-seller lists thanks to demand from K-pop fans.

How #BookTok is helping Canadian authors and retailers gain new audiences.

Award News

The 2021 Anthony Award winners have been announced!

The Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education has announced the creation of the Margaret Wise Brown Board Book Award.

The Republic of Consciousness just launched a new Prize for Small Presses in the US.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

You know you’ve hit the big time when you’ve made it into the MLA Style Handbook, and TikTok has been added to MLA’s list of citation guidelines.

Words invented by authors.

New York’s legendary literary hangouts.

On the Riot

Billions of dollars in library funding hang in the balance during Congressional budget negotiations.

Advocate for a public good: library fundraising ideas.

A personal history of library use.

Every bookish movie coming to Netflix this fall.

The Hunger Games’s three-finger salute: a symbol of resistance to tyranny in Asia.

A better world for disabled readers.

A history of Little Golden Books.

An ode to the author’s note.

The best apps to sell used books.

And, you know, it’s okay if you don’t like to read.

Come work with Book Riot — we’re hiring an Ad Operations Associate! Apply by September 30th.

It’s a long weekend, friends. Take time for yourself, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

I am the Thing That Haunts the House

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 30, 2021

Sponsored by Wattpad Books, publisher of Rest Easy.

When heartsore Dee Warrington and eccentric Naya Stephens both find themselves volunteering at Salvation Hill Nursing Home, the sparks are sadly earthbound. But as they slowly unravel the history of a resident at the home together, they find that some friendships can withstand the test of time. Inspired by a true story, Warona Jolomba shares a tale of love and loss, and a bond that forms in the unlikeliest of places.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Our state has implemented a new mask mandate effective this week, and I’ve been designated as the second-in-command for enforcing masks with patrons. Now, we’ve gotten off pretty easily in terms of dealing with people refusing to wear a mask so far, but I feel like we’re in uncharted territory now, and I’ve got to be honest, my stomach is sinking at the thought of what the next few weeks are going to be like. This is the kind of stuff they don’t train you for in library school.

So let’s distract ourselves with some book news, shall we?

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

PRH announced that not only will Amanda Gorman’s upcoming book be double its original length, but it will also increase in price.

What lies ahead for the publishing industry this fall.

New & Upcoming Titles

Penguin Classics launches a “new canon” of environmental literature in the UK.

C.L. Polk is writing a noir fantasy novella, Even Though I Knew the End, which is slated for a Fall 2022 release.

Representative Cori Bush has landed a book deal for The Cori Chronicles.

Here’s a peek at Paul McCartney’s upcoming book The Lyrics, which will include handwritten lyrics to an unrecorded and never-before-seen Beatles song from the early 60’s.

Ruta Sepetys will be publishing a new book in February 2022, called I Must Betray You.

First look at Sabaa Tahir’s new standalone novel, All My Rage.

And here’s a first look at Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jessie Q. Sutanto.

Here’s the cover reveal for Wendy Heard’s upcoming Dead End Girls, which is described as Thelma & Louise meets Heathers and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

Here’s the cover reveal for the third book in Nnedi Okorafor’s Nsibidi Scripts series, Akata Woman.

These are the sexiest books of 2021.

10 new books written and translated by women.

Spellbinding new books about witches.

New novels to help you read across the 20th century.

Fall picks from Amazon (mysteries/thrillers), Brightly (picture books, middle grade, YA), CBC (poetry) Entertainment Weekly (memoirs), Goodreads (mysteries/thrillers), L.A. Times (general picks, thrillers, nonfiction), Publishers Weekly (cookbooks).

Weekly book picks from Bustle, Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.

August picks from Crime Reads (debut novels, true crime).

September picks from Epic Reads (YA), and New York Times.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Seeing Ghosts – Kat Chow (New York Times, NPR, Shondaland)

Real Estate: A Living Autobiography – Deborah Levy (L.A. Times, NPR, Washington Post)

The Women of Troy – Pat Barker (The Guardian, Washington Post)

The Guide – Peter Heller (New York Times, USA Today)

RA/Genre Resources

A beginner’s guide to science fiction and fantasy.

Becoming the thing that haunts the house: Gothic fiction and the fear of change.

On the Riot

Weekly book releases to TBR.

8 of the best horror novels to creep you out this fall.

Weird westerns explained.

It’s okay to be an adventurous reader.

Please don’t make me read in order.

How to find themes in books.

All Things Comics

Here’s the teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

25 graphic novels your kids will love reading.

On the Riot

Where to start reading Marvel comics.

Comic books don’t count as reading, and other lies people tell you.

Light novels vs. manga: we can have both.

Under the sea comics for all ages.

20 of the best light novels.

11 emotional manga that will give you all the feels.

Audiophilia

7 great audiobooks to listen to this month.

3 audiobooks that explore family.

End-of-summer romance listening.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

24 YA mystery and thriller novels you’ll consume in one sitting.

10 YA books that prove the ocean is a scary place.

10 of the best horror novels for teens.

Adults

Books that reimagine Greek mythology.

4 books to help understand Haiti.

The best books about islands.

10 great SFF novellas and novellettes.

6 books about women leaving strict religious communities and finding themselves.

7 vampire books for fans of What We Do in the Shadows.

Appalachian SFF recommendations.

Perfect books for dog lovers.

19 books for a cozy fall day.

6 books about reincarnation.

On the Riot

18 of the best books for autistic children.

9 books by women from Afghanistan to read right now.

8 remarkable Black lesbian fiction books to add to your TBR.

12 great Indigenous memoirs.

8 high-tech mysteries for when social media becomes deadly.

26 of the best cozy mystery series.

10 of the best horror novels featuring cults.

The most-translated books from every country in the world.

20 must-read books from university presses.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Keep wearing your masks, and take care of yourselves. I’ll catch you on Friday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

The Value of Library Labor

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 26, 2021

Sponsored by Oni Press.

From the hit Choose Your Own Adventure® game book comes a newly adapted graphic novel taking readers on their own visual adventure! Enter a ghoulish world of nightmares, witches, ghosts, and dreaded the eighth grade as Rabbit, the new kid on the block! From learning about the mysterious witch Prudence Deadly, to trouncing through spooky graveyards, to meeting ghostly ancestors or channeling some witchcraft with classmates, no one path leads to the same destination. Will you choose a path that leads to the light? Or will the path you choose lead to a gruesome end? You get to decide!

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I don’t know if it’s the barometric pressure today or what, but my eyeballs feel like they’re going to strain right out of my skull. So let’s get to this newsletter and then we can all rest our peepers.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

As most people know already, there was a bomb threat outside the Library of Congress last week, prompting an evacuation and an hours-long standoff with the police, but thankfully no one was injured.

The Indianapolis Public Library CEO steps down in response to allegations of systemic racism.

A GOP congressional candidate for Wisconsin terrified a young library worker with his anger over a Pride Month display in the library.

The Campbell (WY) library board tells community members that if they have a concern with books on the library’s shelves, they need to follow proper procedure and file a formal complaint.

The Craigshead County (AR) Public Library Board narrowly voted down two new proposals that would have made the board responsible for approving monthly displays and guest speakers.

One resident’s query about allegedly biased books at the Pasadena Public Library prompts a city council discussion on how books are selected.

A new proposal from the San Diego Public Library calls for bigger library branches in low-income areas.

A look inside a Florida library that was converted to a COVID-19 treatment site.

The Chicago group Protect Our Parks has filed a request with the Supreme Court to halt construction on Obama’s presidential library in Jackson Park, arguing that the federal government failed to conduct the legally required reviews of the building’s environmental impacts.

Cool Library Updates

Leslie Jones sparked “happy tears” for a middle school librarian, who was looking to raise money to provide free PPE for staff and students in a mask-optional district.

Worth Reading

No single staffer should control collection decisions.

Calculating the true value of library labor.

Weeding is fundamental: on libraries and throwing away books.

Take a look at the 2021 Public Library of the Year winner!

9 unique library jobs that have nothing to do with books.

These mobile libraries give hope to girls in Afghanistan.

Thinking beyond crafts.

Book Adaptations in the News

The BBC is adapting The English Patient into a TV series.

Disney Branded Television is developing an original movie based on the book From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks.

Lakeith Stanfield is starring in the adaptation of Victor LaValle’s The Changeling.

MGM scores the rights to Lisa Taddeo’s novel, Animal.

Candice Carty-Williams is adapting her novel Queenie as a drama series.

Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes series is being adapted into a TV series.

Here’s a first look at the Wheel of Time series.

Here’s the trailer for the Apple TV+ adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.

SFF books that could make for good adaptations.

Books & Authors in the News

Oprah selects The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers for her latest book club pick.

Children’s author and illustrator, Jill Murphy, has died at age 72.

Advance copies of Sally Rooney’s unpublished novel keep popping up for sale online, often for hundreds of dollars.

Numbers & Trends

The romance novel sale boom continues.

The endless cycle of book cover trends.

Award News

The winners of the American Book Awards have been announced.

For your hard-core horror fans: the 2021 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced.

Pop Cultured

Make LeVar Burton the new Jeopardy host, you cowards!

On the Riot

The Golden Library of the Moscow tsars that no one can find.

The 5 best libraries to see in Cambridge.

Your in-depth guide to romance novel awards.

5 bookish hills this reader is willing to die on.

Have a restful weekend, everyone. I’ll see you on Tuesday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

150 Of the Most Anticipated Books For Fall 2021

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 23, 2021

Sponsored by Oni Press.

Rainbow has been looking for her younger sister, Jonna, for over a year—since the monsters appeared and the world began to dry up. Rainbow asks every survivor she meets: Have you seen my sister? Then, one day, Jonna’s spotted out in the wild: filthy, but very much alive—and strong. Strong enough to knock back a towering monster with one punch. All this time, she’s been surviving. On her own. Without Rainbow. Without anyone. But there are more dangers in the world than monsters, and when the two sisters reunite, they’ll discover the secrets of this new and terrifying world firsthand.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. In this latest iteration of weird pandemic interests, my husband sent me down a rabbit hole of watching Adam Driver’s SNL skits, and now I think I’m mildly obsessed. Can’t explain it, and I’m not going to try.

So let’s talk about books!

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Hachette Books will acquire Workman Publishing.

The police officer involved in Breonna Taylor’s shooting returned his book advance and is now looking for a new publisher.

New & Upcoming Titles

Here’s a look at Seanan McGuire’s Seasonal Fears, the follow-up to Middlegame.

Scholastic is releasing a set of illustrated children’s books based on the characters from Friends.

Barbra Streisand is working on a memoir.

George Floyd’s aunt, Angela Harrelson, will be coming out with a book in 2022.

150 of the most-anticipated books for Fall 2021.

Canadian fiction and nonfiction books to look for this fall.

5 gripping new thrillers to get lost in.

9 dazzling new debut novels.

The best books of 2021 so far.

Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.

August picks from Crime Reads (psychological thrillers, international crime), and Tor.com (YA SFF).

September picks from Barnes & Noble (adult, children/teens), Chicago Tribune.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You – Maurice Carlos Ruffin (Entertainment Weekly, L.A. Times, New York Times)

The Reckoning: Our Nation’s Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal – Mary L. Trump (The Guardian, USA Today, Washington Post)

Silent Winds, Dry Seas – Vinod Busjeet (New York Times, NPR)

Velvet Was the Night – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (USA Today, Washington Post)

Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America – Eyal Press (New York Times, NPR)

The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War – Craig Whitlock (New York Times, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

NPR readers’ 50 favorite SFF books from the last decade.

Why we need ADHD representation in fiction.

How to diversify your reading, and why it’s so important.

On the Riot

New releases by women in translation.

New and forthcoming YA disability nonfiction.

New weekly picks to TBR.

Horror books for beginners.

What makes a book an absorbing read?

Mystery series you can read out of order.

How you know the mystery genre is still leaving out marginalized voices.

This reader’s point of view about POV in romance.

All Things Comics

Walter Mosley is writing a six-issue series featuring The Thing, which will debut in November.

New DC comics are coming to Webtoon, the South Korean webcomics publisher.

Cixin Liu’s short stories are being adapted into graphic novels.

It’s actually almost impossible for most writers and artists to make money in comics.

8 must-read modern Superman comics.

On the Riot

Where to read comics online for free.

What is a light novel?

The impact of crowdfunding on indie comics.

8 of the scariest manga to keep you up at night.

10 manga like Jujutsu Kaisen for monster lovers.

Exactly how big is the Marvel Comics Universe?

Audiophilia

After 46 years, Judy Blume’s Forever is finally becoming an audiobook.

Your audiobook guide to book awards.

17 audiobooks to make your next road trip that much more fun.

On the Riot

6 myth retellings on audio.

7 audiobooks under 7 hours to help tune out the world.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

30 books about consent and bodily autonomy for toddlers and kids.

Adults

A reading list for the 20th anniversary of September 11th.

The best books about Western intervention in Afghanistan, past and present.

15 books that reimagine fairy tales and classic literature.

11 modern classics every book collection needs.

5 tense books that blend sci-fi and horror.

33 tales about campus life.

7 thrillers about the dark side of academia.

8 SFF heist novels.

6 books about reincarnation.

On the Riot

11 thoughtful divorce books for kids.

5 YA books about being the new kid.

What to read after Get a Life, Chloe Brown.

15 more books about Appalachia to read instead of Hillbilly Elegy.

15 Argentinian books in translation.

16 of the best contemporary romance novels since 2016.

10 genre-defying memoirs you need to read.

8 thought-provoking books about adults going back to school.

10 thrilling books that take place at an amusement park.

Level Up (Library Reads)

I hope your own pandemic obsessions continue to bring you entertainment. Catch you on Friday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

What is an ISBN, Anyway?

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 19, 2021

Sponsored by Be Strong by Pat Zietlow Miller; illustrated by Jen Hill.

A picture book about finding strength in unlikely places from the team behind the hugely popular New York Times bestseller Be Kind.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. My husband went in for planned surgery this week and is resting at home (doing fine), and somehow I thought I was going to get work done from home during all this. I stand seriously corrected. We’ll try again next week. Meanwhile, hubby and I are re-watching The IT Crowd to get our Noel Fielding fix now that we’ve mostly caught up on Great British Baking Show.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Craighead County (AR) Library board voted “no” on two key policy changes that would have created board oversight on the creation of library displays, as well as all materials added to the children’s collection.

If the library tax renewal fails in Lafayette Parish, only one or two libraries may be able to remain open in the entire parish.

Hawaii’s public libraries are enforcing temporary closures due to high COVID rates.

Worth Reading

The critical role that Black librarians play.

During the height of segregation, Indiana’s first Black librarian changed lives.

Can Maryland’s new eBook law help change the marketplace?

Book Adaptations in the News

Jodie Comer talks about Killing Eve’s bittersweet end. (My husband and I became similarly obsessed with Killing Eve this year, as well as with Jodie Comer. She is magnificent.)

Mindy Kaling is adapting Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin for Amazon Studios.

Carol Leonnig’s Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service is being adapted for TV.

Vince Vaughn is starring in the Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey, based on the Carl Hiaasen book of the same name.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches series is being developed for TV at AMC.

The graphic novel Gun Honey is reportedly being adapted for TV.

John Lithgow joins the cast of Killers of the Flower Moon.

Jack Kerouac’s estate is working to produce new podcasts based on his work.

24 book-to-screen adaptations that didn’t disappoint.

Books & Authors in the News

Anthony Horowitz has become Japan’s most-decorated foreign crime author.

Janet Dailey and the curious case of the missing author. This is a really interesting read…

The picture book fighting back against Russia’s LGBTQ propaganda law.

Award News

The Shirley Jackson Award winners have been announced.

The 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Awards have been announced.

Bouchercon has been canceled due to COVID concerns.

Penguin Random House and Amanda Gorman launch a new creative writing award for poetry.

“Romance Writers of America was doing better with race – until a recent award choice.” Was it, though?…

Pop Cultured

The best true crime documentaries streaming on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Max. (Brb, adding all of these to my watch list.)

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Megan Rapinoe has a new book club with Literati.

Our connection to physical books during the pandemic.

On the Riot

The ethics of selling advanced reader copies.

Bookish hotels and BnBs for your next getaway.

How to enter a flow state while reading.

How to remember more of what you read.

What is an ISBN?

Catch you next week, and we’ll see what TV shows we’ve moved on to by then.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Murder Books 101 and Rage-Filled Women

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 16, 2021

Collection Development Corner

New & Upcoming Titles

Dolly Parton and James Patterson are co-writing a suspense novel called Run, Rose, Run.

Chelsea Clinton is planning a full series of She Persisted children’s books.

Fans of queer suspense should take a look at this upcoming book from Kelly J. Ford.

John Darnielle announces his third novel.

Jasmine Guillory is writing a Disney princess book, focused on a retelling of Belle’s story.

Rin Chupeco announces a new queer gothic fantasy with vampires!

Vanessa Hua announces her next novel.

Jean Hanff Korelitz has already announced her next novel, The Latecomer.

Sarah Ferguson confirms a second book deal after the release of Her Heart for a Compass.

Walter Isaacson is writing an authorized biography of Elon Musk.

Here’s a first look at Huma Abedin’s upcoming memoir, Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds.

A first look at Harvey Fierstein’s upcoming memoir, I Was Better Last Night.

Stephen King talks about wanting to write a novel set in 2020 during the pandemic. (Talk about terrifying.)

Don Winslow’s City on Fire has been postponed until 2022.

Best books of 2021 so far from Amazon (YA), BBC, The Guardian (thrillers), and Vulture (comedy).

2021 YA nonfiction for the second half of 2021.

Writers to watch this fall.

The best books to read this fall.

14 Canadian SFF books and 18 Canadian mysteries & thrillers to check out this summer.

Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.

August book picks from Autostraddle.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

This Will All Be Over Soon – Cecily Strong (Bustle, NPR, USA Today, Washington Post)

Mrs. March – Virginia Feito (New York Times, Vogue, Vox)

Run: Book One – John Lewis & Andrew Aydin (The Millions, New York Times)

In the Country of Others – Leila Slimani (Guardian, New York Times)

Savage Tongues – Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi (NPR, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

The uncomfortable rise of the Instagram novel.

The rise of Welsh crime fiction.

Three queer women of color writers talk crime fiction.

Murder Books 101: The rise of true crime, from highbrow to cash cow.

On the Riot

10 of the most anticipated 2021 Fall middle grade releases.

Weekly book releases to add to your TBR.

What is Star Wars: The High Republic, and where to start reading.

Mood-boosting cozy mysteries are becoming increasingly diverse.

What is Indian American literature?

The history and future of “new adult.”

Why adults should read middle grade books.

The books that almost got away.

All Things Comics

Comics creators are struggling for fair payment for DC and Marvel adaptations.

A new Batman ‘89 comic will be coming out in July 2022, which will be based on the Tim Burton movie.

Robin’s bisexuality is now Batman canon.

5 comic books that celebrate the LGBTQ community.

15 best martial arts manga.

On the Riot

Your guide to new Marvel movies and TV in 2021 and 2022.

12 terrifying YA graphic novels.

A look at today’s North American manga market.

Audiophilia

10 free audiobook sites for discovering your next obsession.

7 kids’ audiobooks for going back to school.

Audio mysteries that take on the COVID pandemic.

On the Riot

10 more audiobooks for Women in Translation Month.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

The 100 best YA books of all time.

15 books like The Kissing Booth.

15 YA books with fat female protagonists.

10 YA retellings of Little Red Riding Hood.

Sci-fi books for teens you should read ASAP.

Adults

11 translated books by Asian women writers to read for Women in Translation Month.

Women’s memoirs at the intersection of chronic illness, mental illness, addiction, and trauma.

13 books to celebrate National Book Lovers Day.

7 books about women in purgatory.

8 thrillers to feed your true crime addiction.

6 terrifying reimagined fairy tales.

Beyond Camp Crystal Lake: Horror books for summer reading.

6 crime novels based on real cases.

The perfect beers to pair with your favorite crime novels.

15 of the best travel books to inspire your next big trip.

Books about L.A. and the movie industry.

8 books that illuminate the hidden histories of Hollywood.

30 steamy romance novels to read right now.

Books about fictional sisters.

Top 10 bookworms in fiction.

On the Riot

The most popular children’s books from every country in the world.

20 of the best read-aloud books for kids.

17 Star Wars books for kids.

The 90’s teen book series you loved and probably forgot.

4 YA books about races.

Top 20 books like Six of Crows.

12 books about AAPI athletes for kids, teens, and adults.

Flirty before 30: 9 sweet new adult romance books.

9 mysteries with environmental and conservation themes.

20 must-read Southern Gothic novels.

10 bookstore romances to get lost in.

10 books on disability justice.

World War II books for your next book club meeting.

Favorite (fictional) rage-filled women.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Catch you later, friends!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Dinosaurs At the Library!

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 12, 2021

Sponsored by Oni Press.

Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who’s under pressure to join the cheerleading squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend Bebe is a people-pleaser, a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to maintain their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped-up social pressures (not to mention microaggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. This week has been just a continuous streak of bad thunderstorms, and the power has gone out multiple times at the library. Today (Wednesday) was the worst — we ended up closing for the entire day because it took over 6 hours to get the power, Internet, and phones back online, just in time for another round of severe storms tonight.

And now on to the newsletter, which (fair warning) contains a lot of news items about parents and “concerned citizens” getting upset over books with diverse representation.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Campbell County (WY) library board receives both support and calls for resignation after the library promoted its LGBTQ teen collection on social media and also booked a magician to perform at the library, who the community later learned was a transgender woman. (This article has me pretty steamed, but if you click on the link, scroll through for a choice comment made by a library-supporting member of the public.)

A city foundation announced that it will be withholding funds from the Indianapolis Public Library until it acts on the recent reports of racial inequity in the workplace.

Critical race theory controversy hits the quiet public library in Attleboro, Massachusetts.

Citrus County (FL) director defends the library’s use of displays, particularly an LGBTQ Pride display that sparked recent controversy.

After a so-called YouTube “auditor” came to Danbury, nearby towns evaluate their video policies for public buildings.

Overdrive announces a plan and timeline to sunset the OverDrive app in order to focus on Libby.

Kansas City Public Library hires the first-ever “Wikipedian-In-Residence” appointed by a public library in the US.

A 50-years-overdue book gets returned to the Plymouth (PA) Public Library, along with a note and a $20 donation. Same thing happened at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library too.

Cool Library Updates

There’s a dinosaur at the library!

LA County Libraries have eliminated overdue fines.

Baltimore County Public Library debuts the first mobile library law center.

Worth Reading

Baltimore bets on a new type of first responder: the librarian. (Ooooh, I have so many thoughts about mission creep and how incredibly willing local governments are to push social service responsibilities onto libraries, instead of…properly funding libraries or the agencies that would be much better suited to providing these services in the first place…Actually, those are my thoughts right there.)

Getting police out of libraries.

How hiring managers can help to increase diversity and battle hiring biases.

Drag Queen Storytime continues to stir up excitement and controversy with library patrons.

Add antiracism to your web usability work.

Book Adaptations in the News

Laurence Fishburne is producing an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor.

Margaret Cho joins the cast for Fire Island, described as a modern gay take on Pride and Prejudice.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes is being adapted for film.

The first trailer for House of Gucci has been released, which is based on the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden. (I am obsessed with everything about this trailer.)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will start filming next year.

Here’s the trailer for Cinderella, starring Camila Cabello and Billy Porter.

Books & Authors in the News

The American Booksellers Association apologizes for accidentally promoting Candace Owens’ book, Blackout, rather than Dhonielle Clayton’s Blackout.

A Commack (NY) schools English director has filed a lawsuit against the district, saying that he was reassigned to a new position without union representation in retaliation for his protest over the removal of Persepolis from school shelves.

Anti-critical race theory parents are now fighting The Hate U Give.

Book controversy invades the Hamilton Southeastern School Board (IN) meeting.

The Leander, Texas School District pulls more books from student reading lists.

In the wake of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, the New York Times looks at “how Cuomo’s book became a cautionary tale” for publishers backing political books.

Kate Clanchy is rewriting parts of her memoir, Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, after backlash over racialized stereotypes and problematic language.

Sixth-grade author Simeon Hudson wrote a children’s book to help combat bullying.

21 commonly banned books in 2021, and the reasons why.

Numbers & Trends

How much do ratings and reviews on Goodreads affect book sales?

Award News

The RWA has rescinded the award for At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer.

Every Child a Reader revamps its book awards.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

A look at the extortion scams and review bombing that are plaguing Goodreads.

This Scottish guy built a hobbit house workshop in his backyard.

How to make time to read for pleasure in college.

Maybe you CAN have too many books in your TBR?

On the Riot

7 US libraries and collections named after trailblazing women.

How to start a bookmobile.

5 ways working in a bookstore changed this reader forever.

Why you should break up with 3-star reads.

A mathematical formula for packing books for vacation.

Why you should start keeping a reading journal.

This reader has terrible reading comprehension, but they still love reading.

Learning to let go of reading books at the “right time.”

Death and the TBR.

Okay, hopefully all of you have power this weekend! I’ll catch you next week.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to The Witch Elm by Tana French.

Check Your Shelf

What We Talk About When We Talk About Our Favorite Books

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date August 9, 2021

Sponsored by Oni Press.

When it comes to the kitchen, no one knows cooking better than twelve-year-old Pax Samson. He’s a hero when it comes to supplying Dragon Noodle Soup at his family’s cookouts. It’s tough being a master chef, though, when the rest of your family are world-famous superheroes, and they expect Pax to take up the beacon to keep the world safe with his telekinetic powers. But when old villains resurface and threaten his world, he’ll have to make a choice between the superhero life and the chef life, and it’ll take a lot of training to live up to his family’s legends.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Blaine has asked me to mention the fact that J.W. Rinzler, author of multiple best-selling “making of” books about Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Alien has passed away at 58. He asked me to mention this because he had been thinking about how J.W. Rinzler would be a great author to do a making-of book about The Shining, and when he went to check if there were any updates about Rinzler’s work, he learned that a) Rinzler had passed away and b) that Rinzler had indeed been working on a making-of book about The Shining, so he ~~demanded~~ asked nicely that I mention his telepathic incident in the newsletter. On a serious note, though, Rinzler’s books are gorgeous keepsakes for pop culture/movie buffs, and if you haven’t looked at one yet, make sure to do so.

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Reese Witherspoon’s media business, Hello Sunshine, has been sold to an unnamed-media venture run by two former Disney executives for an estimated $900,000.

TikTok users launch a free virtual BookTalk conference.