Author: Katie McLain

When Can We Read the Great American Werewolf Novel?

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 27, 2021

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Drag Queen Story Time library event draws fire from some Haddonfield (NJ) residents.

A New York librarian has been accused of robbing a bank.

Cool Library Updates

So you’ve seen that viral video of the Linda Lindas playing their punk rock at the Los Angeles Public Library? Yeah, they’ve just signed a record deal!

Why more public libraries are doubling as food distribution hubs.

Toyota donated a brand new 2021 Sienna to the LAPL after the library system retired its Toyota minivan last year.

Worth Reading

Countering anti-Asian hate in the library.

Pandemic pivoting, continued.

The REALM project: what they’ve learned and what’s next.

Summer reading realities in this second pandemic summer.

Conducting a diversity audit of adult biographies.

Book Adaptations in the News

Elizabeth Banks is directing and co-starring in a series adaptation of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen.

Timothy Chalamet has been cast to play a young Willy Wonka in an upcoming prequel about Willy Wonka’s earlier years.

Tim Burton casts Wednesday Addams for the new Netflix live-action series.

Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy book series will be adapted for TV at Peacock.

Trailers for The Lost Symbol and the new Fear Street series.

How does a book get adapted for TV or film?

Shadow and Bone: Netflix vs. the books.

Books & Authors in the News

Beloved children’s author Eric Carle has died at 91.

“The book I wrote was just banned. Now I’m fighting to get it to every kid I can.”

Scarborough (ME) schools failed to follow policy in pulling the book Freak the Mighty from their seventh grade curriculum.

Loudoun County Public Schools and parents are at odds over “dirty” books: Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson and #MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil.

Philip Roth’s estate is planning to destroy the author’s personal papers in accord with the late author’s wishes. Plus, how authors try to control their image from beyond the grave.

John Steinbeck’s estate is being urged to let the world read his rejected werewolf mystery novel. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

Breaking up with your favorite racist childhood classic books.

Numbers & Trends

RBG’s annotated Columbia Law School textbook has sold for over $18,000.

Award News

The 2020 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced!

Valeria Luiselli is the first Mexican author to win the 2021 Dublin Literary Award.

The British Book Awards have been announced.

Damon Young wins the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

The CWA Dagger Award shortlists have been released.

Alexandra Huynh has been named the National Youth Poet Laureate.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

A trove of unseen Brontë family manuscripts has been discovered.

Evelyn Waugh’s 12 bedroom house – complete with party barn – is now for sale.

On the Riot

To patrons who place library holds (and don’t pick them up).

13 movie and TV adaptations of horror novels and where to find them.

15 book club questions for Know My Name.

Here’s a review, go see a Star War.

Overanalyzing every book in Ted Lasso to predict Season 2.

A brief history of Reading is Fundamental.

The past, present, and future of BookTube, according to BookTubers.

Is StoryGraph good enough to replace Goodreads?

How shopping at a local indie bookstore made this reader feel whole again.

Can you be nostalgic for a book you never read?

How to read less (for real).

And now, I shall depart and sneeze myself into Memorial Day. Have a good allergy-free holiday weekend, everyone!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Reading Recs For Your First Post-Vaccination Vacation

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 24, 2021

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

Skyhorse has acquired Blake Bailey’s recently pulled Philip Roth biography.

Not exactly publishing news, but in the world of gigantic mergers, Amazon is reported to make a $9 billion offer for MGM.

Inside the Simon & Schuster blowup over its Mike Pence book deal.

Who deserves a book deal?

The Hachette Group released a diversity update for 2020.

The publishing industry is overwhelmingly white. Could unions be the answer?

Here’s the schedule of events for the 2021 virtual TorCon.

New & Upcoming Titles

Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra are teaming up again for another YA thriller!! SIGN ME UP.

Stacey Abrams signed a deal for two more political thrillers featuring Avery Keene.

A first look at the cover of Jami Attenberg’s first nonfiction book, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home.

Ibi Zoboi announces a pub date for her upcoming middle grade novel-in-verse.

8 new and forthcoming books by writers from the Indian diaspora.

22 new books by Asian-American and Pacific Islander authors perfect for mystery fans.

13 new books to read if you have royal fever.

Summer picks from Entertainment Weekly (debuts & thrillers), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (mysteries), New York Times, and Off the Shelf.

Readers’ favorite books of 2021 so far.

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

Barnes & Noble has June reading recommendations for adults and kids/teens.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Dead Souls – Sam Riviere (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)

Unsettled Ground – Claire Fuller (LA Times, NPR)

Freedom – Sebastian Junger (New York Times, NPR)

Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service – Carol Leonnig (New York Times, Washington Post)

Phase Six – Jim Shepard (LA Times, New York Times)

RA/Genre Resources

A look at Martha Wells’ backlist, before Murderbot.

Recommendations for science fiction by authors of color.

On the Riot

Weekly book picks to TBR.

24 must-read new books of Spring and Summer 2021.

3 new and upcoming diverse YA romances.

Don’t ask this reader what their favorite book is.

All Things Comics

A new Black Panther comics series is launching in August.

What the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger might mean for DC Comics.

Legendary Comics announces a new YA imprint, which will launch with five original comic series.

The best new YA graphic novels to read right now.

On the Riot

5 YA novels turned into comics.

6 of the best nonfiction comics for YA readers.

Audiophilia

Storytel audiobooks will be available on Spotify later this year.

Celebrating the audiobooks of the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

5 reasons to listen to mysteries and thrillers on audio. (Other than because I said so!)

On the Riot

5 fantastic YA audiobooks narrated by Frankie Corzo.

6 audiobooks by Palestinian women.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

18 YA books to provide small town comfort.

20 YA SFF novels by Asian American authors.

25 of the greatest queer YA books to add to your summer reading list.

Adults

25 must-read books by Asian and Asian American authors.

20 joyful Asian stories you’re going to love.

18 must-read books by Asian American authors.

15 books by Asian Canadian authors.

Books by Colson Whitehead to read after watching The Underground Railroad.

Slow-burn fantasy romances for your TBR.

Novels that aren’t mysteries but are still full of suspense.

7 uninhabitable houses in fiction.

11 books to help you understand the 1960’s.

16 best-selling books to help you be more successful in life.

The best books to read on your first post-vax vacation.

5 SFF books that showcase siblings at their core.

30 fantasy series written by women that will give you a new perspective.

On the Riot

10 great postmodern picture books.

10 great books for young gamers.

3 YA books about teen entrepreneurs.

8 historical YA novels about war.

Must-read books for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

11 AAPI-owned bookstores and the books they recommend.

4 Pulitzer Prize nonfiction winners not by white men.

6 historical fiction books set in the 1960’s.

10 great 2020 cozy mysteries to catch up on.

20 must-read novels you may have missed because of the pandemic.

7 of the best nonfiction books from 2020.

Science fiction and fantasy by Palestinian authors.

8 takes on a fantasy of manners.

10 great books about Washington D.C.

Horror in the halls: books at extremely suspect boarding schools.

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.

Catch you on Friday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

How Women Conquered the World of Fiction

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 20, 2021

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Digital Public Library of America just signed an agreement with Amazon Publishing to make Amazon ebooks & eAudiobooks available to US public libraries for the first time.

The Nashville Library Board elects its first African American president.

The IMLS National Medal winners have been announced, and I gotta put in a shout out to the Highwood Public Library in Illinois, where a lot of my former colleagues now work! They did amazing work when we were all at the Waukegan Public Library (another IMLS National Medal winner!), and they continue to do amazing work now!

The Escondido (CA) library board is reviewing its weeding policy to address patron concerns, because nothing’s more terrifying than a library removing a book from its collection.

Cool Library Updates

Drive-in story time.

Worth Reading

Here’s a peek at the results of the American Association of School Librarians’ survey regarding the state of schools and libraries during the pandemic.

The over-the-top library with a secret treasure.

Book Adaptations in the News

Not surprisingly, Stacey Abrams’ new book, While Justice Sleeps, will be adapted for television!

Queen Latifah’s production company is adapting The Conductors by Nicole Glover for film.

Regina King is set to direct an adaptation of the comics series Bitter Root.

Netflix will adapt A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal.

Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill are returning for the Enola Holmes sequel on Netflix.

Cherry Jones joins the cast for Five Days at Memorial.

Here’s a first look and trailer for Amazon’s adaptation of Panic by Lauren Oliver.

Trailer for Lupin, Part 2 on Netflix.

Books & Authors in the News

Literati announces new book clubs from authors such as Cheryl Strayed, Jesmyn Ward, and Roxane Gay, who is actually merging her existing book club with Literati.

How women conquered the world of fiction.

Numbers & Trends

Did the pandemic change summer reading for good?

Award News

Raven Leilani wins the Dylan Thomas prize for Luster.

Here are the winners and finalists for the 2021 Publishing Triangle Awards.

Richard Osman has been named Author of the Year by the British Book Awards, for his debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club.

Simon & Schuster is launching a Books Like Us First Novel contest to create accessibility for underrepresented authors.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Summer Reading Camp is back!

On the Riot

Tales of a library unicorn: A magic spell to find any kid a book.

Book club questions for On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.

Why authors shouldn’t respond to reviewers.

A perfect reading day, imagined.

Both the cats have abandoned me, although thankfully so has the smell of cat farts. And on that note, have a good weekend, everyone!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Airplane Thrillers and Climate Anxiety

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 17, 2021

Sponsored by Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group

Keep the queer reads coming! From the inclusive and informative Quick & Easy series, to tales of teen love like Mooncakes and Cheer Up!, to gentle middle-grade fantasies like The Tea Dragon Tapestry and Girl Haven, celebrate finding yourself and what makes you happy this Pride month and beyond with joyful, empowering stories from the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group!

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m preparing for another hectic week where it feels like I’m accomplishing absolutely nothing…so, basically the very definition of library work. Let me just say that I will be very happy when our summer reading program has launched.

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

The inaugural US Book Show will take the place of Book Expo, and it will offer a library-specific track.

This publisher claimed to have cancer, as well as experience as a Trump advisor in order to swindle authors, and now she’s in jail facing fraud charges.

HarperCollins completes its purchase of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Colin Kaepernick’s publishing house announces its first title, Abolition for the People: The Movement for a Future Without Policing in Prisons, which Kaepernick will edit himself.

Powell’s employee union files grievances over rehires.

Want to feel old? American Girl is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a new Random House publishing program.

New & Upcoming Titles

Sarah J. Maas announced the title and release date of her next book.

50 of the best LGBTQ books that will heat up the literary landscape in 2021.

New books to read for AAPI Heritage Month.

The most exciting Canadian books coming out in Spring 2021.

The complete list of buzzy books for Fall and Winter 2021.

Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, The Root, and USA Today.

May picks from Crime Reads (psychological thrillers) and Tor.com (horror & genre-benders).

Summer reading picks from Crime Reads, Parade, and Shondaland.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Billie Eilish – Billie Eilish (LA Times, Washington Post)

Brat: An 80’s Story – Andrew McCarthy (USA Today, Washington Post)

Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire – Brad Stone (New York Times, Washington Post)

While Justice Sleeps – Stacey Abrams (New York Times)

Mary Jane – Jessica Anya Blau (New York Times)

The Plot – Jean Hanff Korelitz (New York Times)

RA/Genre Resources

The essential Elin Hildebrand.

Forget the best-seller list: these lesser-known works deserve your attention.

Airplane thrillers take off this summer.

Meet the climate anxiety novel.

On the Riot

20 of the best new psychological thrillers.

7 exciting new murder mysteries.

3 upcoming and new YA apocalyptic and dystopian novels.

Reading pathway for Helen Oyeyemi.

10 best book recommendation sites.

All Things Comics

This graphic novel tackles COVID disinformation and shows what people can do to limit the fallout.

How The Good Asian comic book series uses detective noir to explore anti-Asian racism.

Best comics to read in May.

10 most romantic comic book weddings.

On the Riot

The 25 best comic and graphic novel fairy tale retellings.

Audiophilia

Slate is jumping into the audiobook arena.

How trans and nonbinary actors are revolutionizing audiobooks.

Celebrating AAPI stories and lives.

The power of stories of new Americans for young listeners.

The top 20 most recommended audiobooks.

On the Riot

6 more of the best audiobooks for Mental Health Awareness Month.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

10 fantastic YA Jane Austen retellings to add to your shelves.

14 YA books featuring Jewish protagonists.

Adults

9 nonfiction books by AAPI authors that should be on your TBR.

Books by Haitian and Haitian American authors.

7 books that will make you think about motherhood in new ways.

15 books you and your mom will love.

15 books to read after devouring The Lost Apothecary.

10 thrillers to wake you up faster than a shot of espresso.

33 beach reads to help you escape.

7 books about the partition of India and Pakistan.

Good noir novels set in the Pacific Northwest.

9 great thrillers featuring alter egos.

18 of the best books on writing.

5 fictional planets plagued by extreme climate shifts.

21 horror novels to read with the lights on.

9 books to expand your Star Wars reading list.

On the Riot

4 of the best picture books about photography.

9 heartfelt middle grade books about friendship.

5 great YA novels set in hotels and resorts.

7 cozy & cheerful books like Ted Lasso.

20 must-read crime novels to keep you up at night.

Epistolary romance novels.

14 must-read books about Indian history.

Hauntings in horror literature.

Parenting books for parents who hate parenting books.

5 contemporary novels featuring queer parents.

4 of the best books behind Oscar-winning films.

37 fantasy books with no homophobia or transphobia.

8 great books about high school reunions.

9 of the best books for adults about friendship.

25 of your favorite stories about animals.

Level Up (Library Reads)

As one of my high school English teachers used to say, “Be good this week, and if you can’t be good, be careful!” I’ll see you all on Friday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Firefighting Goats Dispatched to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 13, 2021

Sponsored by When My Cousins Come to Town by Angela Shanté

A fun, lively story of Black family and cousin culture. Every summer a young girl eagerly waits for her cousins to come visit and celebrate her birthday. Every cousin has a unique nickname… all except for the smallest cousin. But this year things are going to be different. This year before summer ends, she’s determined to earn her own nickname! Filled with warmth, love, and laughter, When My Cousins Come to Town is proof that you don’t need to be anyone else to be special—being yourself is enough!

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! By the time you read this newsletter, it will be Friday, which means that the last of my super busy work week will be pretty much over by that point. Did I make it? Will one of you tweet at me to let me know if I survived or not?

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

A new report highlights a decline in public library usage statistics and a call to action for library leaders.

(TW: transphobia) Activists and parents of trans children ask Halifax Public Libraries to pull a new book from its shelves that actively promotes transphobia. “If the library is safe for transphobia, it’s not safe for trans people.”

A similar situation is happening at the Ottawa Public Library as well, in regards to the same book.

The Kootenai (ID) County library board election has turned partisan with accusations of censorship and Satanic agendas.

Cool Library Updates

The Tyler (TX) Public Library created job fairs in a bag for patrons looking for employment during the pandemic.

With the library as her cheering section, this woman read 175 Nancy Drew books in a year.

By the Numbers: National Bike Month and libraries.

Worth Reading

Can libraries require staff and patrons to show proof of vaccination?

The American Association of School Librarians addresses labeling practices in school libraries.

Firefighting goats are dispatched to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. You know…sometimes I struggle to come up with a title for these newsletters, and sometimes they just write themselves.

Book Adaptations in the News

Adam Silvera is adapting his YA novel They Both Die At the End as a TV series.

The Obamas’ Higher Ground production company is adapting Heather McGhee’s The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together as a Spotify podcast series.

Universal purchased screen rights to Michael Lewis’s new book, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.

Elizabeth Olsen and Elisabeth Moss are both cast to play the same ax-murderer in two different adaptations of Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by Jim Atkinson and Joe Bob Briggs.

Holly Hunter is in talks to star in the adaptation of Monogamy by Sue Miller.

Where the Crawdads Sing gets a June 2022 release date.

E. Lynn Harris’ Invisible Life trilogy is set for an HBO TV adaptation.

Casting updates for Persuasion and My Best Friend’s Exorcism.

Trailers for The Green Knight and Lisey’s Story.

If you liked Gone Girl, watch these movies next.

Books & Authors in the News

Parents and a police union have complained about a South Florida school system teaching the book Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, and the book has been temporarily pulled.

Carmen Maria Machado wrote an essay for the New York Times titled “Banning My Book Won’t Protect Your Child.”

LeVar Burton has started his own book club.

Award News

NBC will not air the Golden Globes in 2022 due to ongoing controversy with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Ruth Gilligan’s The Butchers’ Blessing wins the Ondaatje Prize.

Dorothy Koomson, Susan Yearwood, and Joffe Books launch a crime prize for unagented crime writers of color to submit their unpublished manuscripts. The winner will receive a two-book publishing contract with Joffe Books.

The winners of the inaugural Comic Creators’ Prize have been revealed.

The Anthony Award nominees have been announced.

Pop Cultured

Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd (aka Merry and Pippin) launch their own podcast talking about the Lord of the Rings movies.

Discovery+ greenlights the true crime anthology series Confessions of a Crime Queen from 50 Cent.

The Irregulars on Netflix has been canceled after one season.

New teaser trailer for Stranger Things.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

This Utahn raises over $53,000 to bring a “queer little bookstore” to Salt Lake City.

On the Riot

Why you should start a Dungeons & Dragons club in your library.

Summer tasks to prepare you for fall school library reopenings.

NFTs for books: how this emerging technology can reward authors and readers.

15 heist movies inspired by literature.

4 of the best books behind Oscar-winning films.

Book club questions for Sense and Sensibility.

Still no half stars: the pros and cons of the new Goodreads Book View.

My daughter’s male world and the books that reinforce it.

How to ignore your phone while reading.

Enjoy the weekend, folks! Catch you next week.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

Middle Grade Madness

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 10, 2021

Sponsored by Into the Deep by Robert Ballard/National Geographic

Best known for finding the wreck of the Titanic, celebrated adventurer Robert Ballard has a lifetime of stories about exploring the ocean depths. From discovering new extremophile life-forms thriving at 750°F hydrothermal vents in 1977 to finding famous shipwrecks including the Bismarck and PT 109, Ballard has made history. For the first time, Ballard gets personal, telling the inside stories of his adventures and challenges as a midwestern kid with dyslexia who became an internationally renowned ocean explorer. Here is the definitive story of the danger and discovery, conflict and triumph that make up his remarkable life.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s Mother’s Day as I type this newsletter, and I hope that everyone who celebrated had a pleasant weekend! I got to enthusiastically hug a few people this weekend, and that was very, very much needed.

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

What does book publishing stand for?

Members of Britain’s publishing industry have written an open letter about the issues of transphobia.

Bookstagrammers demand publishers pay up.

What happens when #MeToo memoirs are marketed towards a wider audience?

New & Upcoming Titles

Stacey Abrams’ first three romance novels under her Selena Montgomery pen name are set to be re-released.

Meghan Markle announces her first children’s book, which is based on a Father’s Day poem she wrote for Harry.

Brandy Colbert’s next middle grade book puts a spin on the classic Parent Trap storyline.

Bloomsbury acquires two new book projects from Alan Moore.

5 of the best romance novels of April 2021.

The 20 best beach reads of 2021.

Weekly book picks from Crime Reads and USA Today.

May picks from AV Club, Crime Reads, Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, io9 (SFF), Lambda Literary (LGBTQ), LitHub (nonfiction), The Millions, New York Times, PopSugar (mystery/thriller), Shondaland, Time, and Tor.com (sci-fi).

All Things Comics

Blake Lively and Diablo Cody team up for an adaptation of the Lady Killer comic.

Loki premiere date has been moved up to June 9th.

The Marvels arrives in theaters November, 2022.

A beginner’s guide to manga genres and subgenres.

10 modern comic books that have already aged poorly.

On the Riot

Comics about mental health for Mental Health Awareness Month.

12 famous mangaka you should know.

Are comics for kids, or aren’t they?

Audiophilia

May 2021 Earphones Award Winners.

6 mystery audiobooks for AAPI Heritage Month.

Audiobooks celebrating all things gardening.

On the Riot

7 fictional audiobooks for AAPI Heritage Month.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

11 picture books that celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

34 YA books with mind-blowingly creative titles.

Adults

8 must-read titles for AAPI Heritage Month.

Books to celebrate AAPI Month.

11 books for moms who – more than ever – need an escape.

Stories about mother-son relationships.

20 books to get your mom for Mother’s Day.

10 essential books by Vietnamese American writers.

Top 10 books about Columbia.

12 books written by Muslim authors you should read next.

9 beginner-friendly books that helped this reader get out of debt.

7 great thrillers that play with form.

10 of the creepiest gothic novels.

5 SFF books with island settings.

8 unusual SFF librarians who probably won’t “shush” you.

15 books to read after devouring The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.

12 dystopian books to read if you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale.

On the Riot

15 diverse picture book biographies.

Indestructible books for curious kids.

10 great feminist children’s books.

Children’s books that contextualize, correct, or challenge classic kid lit.

Great early chapter books for emerging readers.

8 middle grade books with Latinx characters.

9 antiracist middle grade books.

10 delicious middle grade novels about kids who love to cook and bake.

9 middle grade novels with disabled main characters.

Middle grade books about music, band, and musicals.

12 queer memoirs for when you feel alone.

6 creepy dark fantasy stories.

4 excellent microhistories.

9 great works of genre-bending gothic fiction.

5 hair-raising historical horror novels.

15 of the best funny fantasy books.

10 ghost stories to keep you up at night.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Be good this week, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Check Your Shelf

The Libraries are Slowly Reopening

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 6, 2021

Sponsored by Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group

Long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by their hand. But when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites’ magical talents became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kind-hearted sprite begins to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening, she’ll find her newly honed skills might not be the welcome surprise she intends them to be. Bursting with whimsical art and vibrant characters, Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego’s debut graphic novel, The Sprite and the Gardener, is a beautiful, gentle fantasy about blossoming gardens and budding friendships.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. The last 14 months of difficult work setups at home have finally caught up to me in the form of a pinched nerve in my shoulder. OW. On the plus side, I get out of garbage duties for a few days at home. (Don’t tell my husband I’m secretly a little glad about this!)

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Here is a list of the NYC libraries reopening on May 10th for in-person browsing and services.

Did you see this? The San Francisco Public Library reopened for in-house use, and the staff gave the patrons a standing ovation as they entered the building! *sniff* Who’s cutting onions in here?

Remembering Kathie Coblentz, the NYPL’s third-longest serving employee, who died at 73.

Cool Library Updates

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library opens little libraries in 11 Charlotte, NC locations.

The Niagra Falls Public Library offers fishing equipment to check out through its TackleShare program.

Worth Reading

Gaining patron cooperation on mask wearing.

The library employment landscape.

Vintage supplies that kept libraries running.

Book Adaptations in the News

Amazon snagged rights to Akwaeke Emezi’s upcoming novel, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon are adapting Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me.

Florence Pugh is starring in the adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder.

In another Florence update, Florence Welch will be scoring the upcoming Broadway musical production of The Great Gatsby, along with Thomas Bartlett.

Gal Gadot is starring in and producing an adaptation of Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey.

Don Winslow’s debut novel, A Cool Breeze on the Underground, has been optioned for a limited series.

The cast for Amazon’s Paper Girls series has been set.

Casting updates for The Summer I Turned Pretty, and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.

Here’s the trailer for the Netflix adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth graphic novel series.

First teaser trailer for the Dexter revival series.

10 greatest movies adapted from crime novels.

Books & Authors in the News

Arundhati Roy speaks out on India’s COVID catastrophe.

Celebrate your bookish pride with the Pride Book Fest making its virtual debut this June.

Numbers & Trends

Data shows that children read more challenging books during lockdown.

Award News

The Edgar Award winners have been announced!

Barnes & Noble announces the winners of its inaugural Children’s and YA Book Awards.

Here are the Top 10 finalists for each category in the Locus Awards.

The shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced.

The shortlist for the 2021 Ignyte Awards has also been announced.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Libro.fm has a bookstore map that allows you to find AAPI, Black, Disabled, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and/or women-owned bookstores!

On the Riot

10 famous libraries from movies and TV.

Check out this list of the top streaming movies and shows based on children’s books.

What’s the best way to teach reading?

How to start reading again after grad school.

Well, that’s it for me. I’m off to rest my poor miserable shoulder this weekend. Catch you on the flip side!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson.

Check Your Shelf

May the Fourth Be With You!

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 3, 2021

Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

(TW: sexual abuse, misconduct) Vanity Fair takes a close look at the New York Times’ reporting of the Blake Bailey scandal.

Publishers are drawing fire for signing Trump officials to book deals.

Authors form a task force after Disney refuses to pay them.

Reese Witherspoon launches a fellowship for underrepresented women writers.

These are some of the fastest-growing indie publishers of 2021.

New & Upcoming Titles

Gabrielle Union is releasing a second memoir: You Got Anything Stronger? I am SUPER excited about this, and if you haven’t read We’re Going to Need More Wine yet, get on that ASAP!

Tordotcom Publishing has acquired six books by Martha Wells, three of which will be part of the Murderbot Diaries.

We’re getting a Jim Morrison book of poetry, lyrics, and other writings this summer.

Lil’ Kim is writing a memoir, The Queen Bee, which comes out in November.

The recent tell-all book about Harry and Meghan, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, is getting a revised edition with updated chapters.

Check out the cover of Christopher Golden’s upcoming horror novel!

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

May book picks from Barnes & Noble, Bustle, Epic Reads (YA), Gizmodo (SFF), New York Times, Washington Post.

Spring reading picks from the Seattle Times.

50 highly anticipated romance novels of 2021 to renew your faith in love.

55 Canadian poetry collections for spring.

30 stellar spring reads from diverse authors and creators.

50 of the best new nonfiction books about the natural world.

10 poetry books out this year by women of color.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

Whereabouts – Jhumpa Lahiri (New York Times, NPR, USA Today)

Second Place – Rachel Cusk (LA Times, New York Times)

Secrets of Happiness – Joan Silber (NPR, Washington Post)

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story – Kate Summerscale (New York Times, NPR)

White Magic – Elissa Washuta (LA Times, NPR)

RA/Genre Resources

Psychological thrillers and domestic suspense in the pandemic era.

Meg Gardiner and the essential elements of great thrillers.

How Bridgerton has changed the face of the romance genre.

On the Riot

Weekly book picks to add to your TBR.

5 recent and upcoming SFF books by trans and nonbinary authors.

The current state of disability representation in children’s books.

How inclusive is that diverse book cover, though?

The books that changed this reader’s life the most weren’t very good.

All Things Comics

Graphic novels that illustrate resilience.

Great graphic novels to add to your classroom library.

On the Riot

How to read manga.

A closer look at Kindle Unlimited manga.

3 new comics anthologies for your TBR.

Audiophilia

Recorded Books has withdrawn the audio version of Blake Bailey’s Philip Roth biography.

The bizarre world of scam audiobooks. I…did not even know this was a thing.

The best audiobooks for soothing anxiety. Plus, the special comfort of audiobooks during COVID-19 and trying times.

If you liked these Oscar-nominated movies, you’ll love these audiobooks!

On the Riot

5 of the best audiobooks for your next sick day.

On the companionship of audiobooks and podcasts.

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

20 of the best children’s books about the glory of summer.

19 YA books with southern charm.

26 YA trilogies that prove that trilogies are still the way to go.

18 of the most crush-worthy queer YA novels.

Adults

8 books for Lesbian Day of Visibility.

10 novels that illuminate lesser-known events in history.

5 SFF books about the magic of creativity.

11 fantasy novels to read after watching Shadow and Bone.

Historical fiction about war-torn love.

11 books to pull you out of a reading rut.

Stories based on Jewish folklore and magic.

Books that imagine a world without men.

Top 10 books about brothers.

12 of the best books about climate change.

10 of the best Star Wars books.

On the Riot

13 ocean books for seafaring kids.

15 of the best shark books for kids.

13 of the best middle grade science fiction books.

6 YA books about parents cheating.

13 books to inspire you for post-pandemic entertaining.

20 must-read contemporary sapphic novels.

8 of the best cats in science fiction and fantasy novels.

5 cookbooks for when you want to cook healthy food fast.

Horror anthology books for some mid-year frights.

7 nonfiction books about weird jobs.

8 books about prodigies and late bloomers.

8 books you didn’t know were musicals.

9 books where nature or landscape are main characters.

Level Up (Library Reads)

Hope you’re all wearing your geekish best today! I’ll catch you all on Friday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Girl A by Abigail Dean.

Check Your Shelf

Possums and Potatoes

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date April 29, 2021

Sponsored by The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman

Any child can spark magic, but only the elite are allowed to kindle it. Those denied access to the secrets of the ritual will see their magic snuffed out before their thirteenth birthday. Can Emma and Izzy set aside their differences before their magic is snuffed out forever? “Sweet and magical.” —Melissa de la Cruz, bestselling author of The Descendants series

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. So, what’s happened in the life of Katie this week? I finally replaced my ancient, cracked phone, my husband and I have officially caught up on Killing Eve, and we’ve started on a healthy smoothie kick, so our freezer is absolutely stuffed with frozen fruit, and our fridge is full of almond milk, yogurt, and spinach. Should be some tasty concoctions in our future though!

Let’s library.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The newest board member of the Lafayette Parish Library Board of Control wants the library to remove “recreation, cultural enrichment” from its mission statement.

Midland (TX) libraries have removed their Pride displays after community complaints.

Cool Library Updates

The Iowa City Bike Library has received money from the city’s social justice and racial equity program, and plans to put the money towards a new guided bike tour of local Black-owned businesses and Black historical sites.

Well, now I’ve seen everything. The Rochester Public Library has a potato library.

Opossums at the Alexandria (LA) Zoo get their library cards!

Worth Reading

Academic library leaders are not confident in their organizations’ diversity strategies.

Librarian, market thyself.

Book lovers are excited to head back to the library stacks as the pandemic eases.

Book Adaptations in the News

Ava DuVernay is adapting The Wings of Fire books by Tui Sutherland into a Netflix animated series.

Sarah Dessen’s Along for the Ride is being adapted for Netflix.

Did someone say Mindhunter Season 3???

Casting updates for Life After Life and The Lincoln Lawyer.

First teaser trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers.

Here’s a guide for the Shadow and Bone adaptation on Netflix.

Books & Authors in the News

Authors respond to the Texas school district book ban.

If you’ve seen the viral news story from the New York Post about Kamala Harris’ children’s book Superheroes Are Everywhere being distributed at migrant shelters and the subsequent uproar from conservatives, just know that it’s not true, and the journalist who wrote the original article has resigned after being “ordered to write” the story which she knew wasn’t true.

Simon & Schuster will die on the hill that is Mike Pence’s multimillion dollar book deal.

In-person author tours probably won’t be back for awhile.

Award News

Danielle Evans wins the Joyce Carol Oates Prize.

Chloé Zhao makes Oscars history as the first woman of color to win Best Director (Nomadland).

The shortlist for the International Booker Prize has been announced.

Louise Erdrich wins the Aspen Words Literary Prize for The Night Watchman.

Here are the finalists for the 2020 This is Horror awards.

Pop Cultured

LeVar Burton is guest-hosting Jeopardy!

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Instagram, jacket design, and judging books by their covers.

On the Riot

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: free to the people.

Bowling for Books: A library program to get kids moving.

15 horror movies based on books.

A quick-and-easy 34-step strategy for making Booktube videos.

Why don’t we have more illustrated books for adults?

This reader’s most mundane post-pandemic bookish fantasy.

How to read when you have a baby.

How fiction showed this reader the reality of being a parent.

Books anchor me in an increasingly chaotic world.

Hope the weather’s nice for everyone this weekend! Go get some fresh air if you can, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson.

Check Your Shelf

“A Banner Day For Bad Books”

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date April 26, 2021

Sponsored by Under the Magnolias by T. I. Lowe

Magnolia, South Carolina, 1980

Austin Foster is barely a teenager when her mama dies, leaving her to care for her six siblings and try to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.

As Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia’s most colorful citizens to ease the Fosters’ hardships, her father makes a choice that will crack the family’s secrets wide-open. T. I. Lowe’s gritty yet tender tale reminds us that a great story can break your heart . . . then heal it in the best possible way.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! I got my second vaccine dose on Friday, and you all are allowed to hate me a little bit because aside from a sore arm and a fairly deep sleep Friday night, I had no side effects. I was totally prepared to feel like death warmed over, and then…nothing happened. Not that I’m complaining, but this felt like a very anti-climactic weekend, AND I didn’t even get the chance to use my “Ugh, can’t take out the garbage — I feel like crap from the vaccine” excuse! Oh well…at least I get to hug people now!!