Sponsored by Algonquin Books/Workman Publishing.
Afi Tekple is a young seamstress in Ghana who has been convinced by her mother to marry a man she does not really know. Elikem is a wealthy businessman whose mother has chosen Afi in the hopes that she will distract him from his relationship with a woman his family claims is inappropriate. But Afi is not prepared for the shift her life takes when she moves to Accra, Ghana’s gleaming capital. His Only Wife is a witty, smart, and moving debut novel about a brave young woman traversing the minefield of modern life with its taboos and injustices.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I have been steadily reading for the last couple weeks, which is the first time in a LONG time that I’ve been able to say that! Hoping to ride this wave for as long as I can.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- Parneshia Jones is named director of Northwestern University Press, the first Black director in the press’ 127-year history.
- How the Black Lives Matter protests impacted book media.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Here’s a list of 2020 YA horror novels to sink your pointy teeth into.
- These are the bestselling mysteries and thrillers of 2020, according to Amazon.
- 20 new fall books from Latinx writers.
- 5 books you may have missed in August.
- Books of the week from Bustle, New York Times, and USA Today.
- September picks from Bustle, Lit Hub, and Pop Sugar.
- Fall picks from Buzzfeed (historical fiction), Crime Reads, Eater (cookbooks), Parade (historical fiction), People, and Washington Post.
- 40 YA novels for the first half of 2021.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Rage – Bob Woodward (CNN, New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
- What Are You Going Through – Sigrid Nunez (New York Times, NPR, USA Today)
- Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump – Peter Strozk (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
- Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump – Michael Cohen (New York Times, Vanity Fair)
- One By One – Ruth Ware (USA Today, Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
- The enduring, pernicious whiteness of true crime.
- A crime reader’s guide to Alexander McCall Smith.
On the Riot
- 5 upcoming books with nonbinary characters front and center.
- 6 new books about COVID-19.
- The troubling gap between fat representation and fat acceptance in romance.
- What is gothic horror? 18 examples of the genre.
All Things Comics
- Christian Cooper, the Black birder who filmed a white woman making a false 911 call against him in Central Park, has turned his experience into a graphic novel about racism.
- A look at the boom of comic books on crowdfunding sites.
- Best new comics to read in September.
Audiophilia
- Those who don’t consider audiobooks to be “real” reading can kindly GTFO.
- 5 audiobooks for Library Card Sign-Up Month.
- Masterful audiobook narration from actors and actresses.
On the Riot
- 6 of the best memoirs on audio.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- Must-read picture books written by Black authors.
- 6 must-read books about race for kids and teens.
- 13 YA books from indie publishers.
- 16 YA enemies-to-lovers romances.
- 18 YA books to diversify your kids’ bookshelves and teach them to become better allies.
Adults
- 7 books that dive into the long history of America’s labor movement.
- 11 books you probably haven’t read yet, but should.
- 15 modern Indian classics in translation.
- 10 books about books.
- 5 classic noir villains with a touch of humanity.
- 10 books about the promise and peril of alternative schooling.
- 5 back-to-school thrillers with truly villainous students.
- 5 SFF books written collaboratively.
On the Riot
- 5 children’s books about WWII and the Japanese experience.
- 8 middle grade books about resilient kids.
- 8 cozy middle grade ghost stories.
- 5 must-read YA retellings by authors of color.
- 18 diverse YA horror books packed with #OwnVoice tales.
- 8 transgender YA books written by trans and nonbinary authors.
- 8 books like And Then There Were None.
- Fresh Irish writing for your shelf.
- 4 indigenous horror novels to try.
- 7 engaging short story collections by Indian writers.
- 4 great novels about philanthropy.
- 5 of the best psychological thrillers for fall.
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 the flipside, everyone.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.
