Category: Check Your Shelf

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Please note that this newsletter mentions both the LJ Library of the Year controversy and JKR’s transphobic remarks, both of which have made for a really crappy start to Pride Month for a lot of people. I wish I had better news to report on.

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Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

• There was a lot of controversy around Library Journal selecting the Seattle Public Library as its Library of the Year, particularly around the anti-trans programming that the SPL allowed to happen inside its building. This is LJ’s statement explaining why they stand behind their choice for the SPL as Library of the Year, followed by the editor-in-chief’s letter responding to the backlash and promising to do better…except they still stand behind the award.
• ALA releases its survey about the effects of the pandemic on library services.
• The Authors Guild has asked Congress to provide $2 billion in COVID financial relief to libraries.

Worth Reading

• School libraries and antiracism.
• Prioritizing staff mental health while reopening.
• What’s lost in a furlough?
• Public librarians reflect on whether or not to stock Narcan.
• Camel. Library. I want a camel library!

Book Adaptations in the News

• The Hate U Give is now streaming for free on all platforms.
• New trailer for Lovecraft Country.

Books & Authors in the News

• Ibram X. Kendi has been hired by Boston University to lead the BU Center for Antiracist Research.
• I’m not going to link to any of J.K. Rowling’s transphobic tweets or web essays, but I will link to Daniel Radcliffe’s response.

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Numbers & Trends

• The Amazon best-sellers list is dominated almost entirely by books on race.
• Nordic noir may be the next big trend on TV.

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Award News

• The Desmond Elliott Prize has shortlisted three black debut authors.
• The International Booker Prize’s new announcement date is August 26th.
• CWA Dagger Award longlists have been released.
• The Shirley Jackson Award and Anthony Award shortlists have been announced.
• Oyinkan Braithwaite’s amazing debut My Sister, the Serial Killer has been nominated for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Prize.

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Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

• The Seattle Times announces a summer reading bingo card for kids that you can download from their website.
• A Frankenstein museum has been approved for the city of Bath in the UK.

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On the Riot

• Best summer reading programs for kids & teens in 2020.
• What makes a good summer reading program?
• Authors, austerity, and the UK’s Save Our Library’s campaign.
• How to read Kindle books on a PC or Mac.
• A more in-depth look at the move from the RITAs to the Vivian.
• What happens to our brains when we read?

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Fingers crossed for everyone starting curbside services next week (including me!) Let’s hope next week is better than this one.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. This newsletter is bursting at the seams with anti-racist reading lists, queer pride lists, and upcoming June release lists, so get your ordering carts ready.

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Anti-Racism Reading Lists & Resources

• An anti-racist starter kit, including books, TV shows, movies, TED talks, and more.
• What is an anti-racism reading list for?
• General anti-racism reading lists from Amazon, Apartment Therapy, Bustle, The Cut, Esquire, The Guardian, Library Journal, Lifehacker, The Millions, New York Times, New York Magazine, Nylon, Publishers Weekly (nonfiction, poetry), and Town & Country.
• Audiobook anti-racism picks.
• Anti-racism reading lists for all ages from Booklist Reader and USA Today.
• Children’s books to teach about racism. (Buzzfeed, Essence)
• 100+ diverse children’s books. 
• Anti-racism book lists for kids and teens. (The Guardian, Town & Country)
• 17 YA books to teach teens to become better allies. 
• Reading requirements for every white person (Bustle, Pop Sugar)
• Other books that Black booksellers and publishers say you should read.
• 10 nonfiction books about why we need to defund the police.
• How to become a better ally.
• Books about race in Britain.
• Anti-racism graphic novels.
• Books about Black feminism. 
• 100+ books by Black women.
• Fiction by contemporary Black authors about navigating white supremacy.
• 5 books about Black movements and systemic racism.
• Essential movies from black filmmakers that confront systemic racism.
• Readings on racism, white supremacy, and police violence.
• National Museum of African American History & Culture presents resources for talking about race.
• Social justice resources for the book business, plus reasons why it’s time for the book business to change. 
• Black-owned bookstores to support (Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly)

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Pride Month Reading Lists

• LGBTQ reads for Pride Month. 
• The best YA picks for Pride Month.
• 101 unapologetically queer authors share the books that changed their lives.
• Queer literary classics. 
• 8 stories by LGBTQ women from around the world.
• LGBTQ-authored cookbooks.
• 5 queer romance series that center found families.
• Must-read LGBTQ+ memoirs.
• 31 queer books with happy endings.

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Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

• The #PublishingPaidMe hashtag goes viral as authors compare advances they earned for their books.
• Three agents resign from the Red Sofa Literary Agency after its owner called Minneapolis police on potential looters.
• We Need Diverse Books steps up to help the kidlit community.
• Authors take publishing’s diversity issues into their own hands.
• Inclusive independent UK publishers Knights Of and Jacaranda have seen a drastic uptick in donations since the murder of George Floyd.
• Publishers are starting to announce they will not attend the Frankfurt Book Fair.
• BookExpo & BookCon saw strong numbers for their online panels, and will likely include digital options for future conferences.

New & Upcoming Titles

• With all of the postponed publication dates, fall is jam-packed with new releases. The NYT reports on why this could be a problem.
• Rachel Howzell Hall has a new crime novel coming out!
• Michael Punke, author of The Revenant, has a new fiction title coming out in 2021 – the first in almost 20 years.
• 20 new books by Asian American authors to read right now.
• 17 new books by Black YA authors.
• 60 queer and feminist books coming your way in summer 2020.
• Must-read books for June from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bustle, CrimeReads (crime novels & psychological thrillers), Entertainment Weekly, io9, LitHub, The Millions, Pop Sugar, Shondaland, Tor.com (fantasy, science fiction, YA SFF), and Washington Post.
• Summer reading picks from Bustle, Buzzfeed, New York Times, Parade, and Pop Sugar.
• Best books of 2020 so far.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

• The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Washington Post)
• A Burning – Megha Majumdar (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, USA Today)
• Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight For a Fair America – Stacey Abrams (New York Times, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

• You can view the Adult and Middle Grade Buzz sessions from BookExpo.
• The Library Journal Day of Dialog is archived for viewing.

On the Riot

• Why publishing needs to pay attention to the nuances within the LGBTQ+ acronym.
• How publishers determine when to release hardcover books in paperback.
• 45 upcoming books by Black authors you can order right now.
• 14 queer books for the summer.
• June 2020 YA releases to TBR.

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All Things Comics

• We’ve got the 2020 Eisner Award nominees.

On the Riot

• 18 of the best manhwa you can read. (Unfamiliar with manhwa? Here’s a primer.)

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Audiophilia

• AudioFile names their 2020 Golden Voices.
• A look at the explosion in the audiobook industry.
• As the audiobook market grows, narrators of color find their voice.

On the Riot

• The audio version of Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi is available for free on Spotify.
• 6 of the best audiobooks by women for Caribbean Heritage Month.
• 15 compelling historical fiction audiobooks.

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Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

• Books for kids to inspire diversity and change.

Adults

• June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada – here’s a list of 35 recommended titles.
• 9 Meghan Markle-approved books.
• Black-authored cookbooks.
• Top 10 Scottish crime novels.
• 7 true stories about seeking asylum in the US.
• 7 books about confinement and the need to escape.

On the Riot

• 15 middle school books with happy endings.
• 13 hard-hitting YA novels to read ASAP.
• 21 books with happy endings.
• 15 of the best Korean War books ever published.

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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.

Stay safe and stay well, everyone. Black Lives Matter.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Let’s all take some time to figure out how we’re going to use our libraries and our resources to push back against systemic racism.

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Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

• The Black Caucus of the American Library Association made this statement in response to the murder of George Floyd. And here’s an expanding list of other libraries and library organizations that have made statements as well.
• Hennepin County is working on getting an estimate for the damage done to its libraries during the protests.
• All branches of the Chicago Public Library will open on June 8th.
• Publishers have charged the Internet Archive with copyright infringement.
• New Zealand libraries get a $60 million funding boost to protect library jobs in the wake of COVID-19.

Cool Library Updates

• This library created eReading rooms for their patrons, complete with reading materials selected by library employees. This is really cool!

Worth Reading

• A look at how different libraries are tackling their reopening plans.
• Science-based reopening plans for libraries in plain English.
• Addressing eContent issues in times of crisis.
• Tips for recording digital book talks.
• Visiting the Galapagos’ traveling libraries.

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Book Adaptations in the News

• Just Mercy will be available for free streaming on all digital platforms through the month of June.
• Manny Jacinto joins the cast of Nine Perfect Strangers.
• Before I Fall will be available on Netflix beginning June 8th.
• New Line acquires rights to Sarah Knight’s best-selling The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck. What this particular adaptation will look like is still unknown, but I’m definitely intrigued!
• Amazon puts itself into the mix after CBS dropped the upcoming Lincoln Lawyer series.

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Books & Authors in the News

• Kwame Alexander, Jason Reynolds, and Jacqueline Woodson have organized a Kid Lit Rally for Black Lives.

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Numbers & Trends

• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and that’s including the fact that most libraries and bookstores are either closed or only offering limited services right now.
• However, anti-racism books have been outselling even The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in recent days.

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Award News

• The winners for the Lambda Literary Awards, Nebula Awards, Horn Book Awards, and the Best Translated Book Awards have all been announced.
• The finalists for the 2020 Locus Awards have been announced.
• Bryan Washington, author of Lot, wins the £30,000 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize.

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Pop Cultured

• Looks like we’re getting a sequel to Labyrinth.

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Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

• How bookstores are showing support for the ongoing protests.
• The Royal Shakespeare Company postpones/cancels all planned 2020 performances.
• A prayer book inscribed by Mary, Queen of Scots is expected to sell for up to $434,000.
• 6 steps to becoming a better reader.
• How to recover from reader’s block.
• Top 5 books for properly packing books in a move. (Hint: USE SMALL BOXES!!)

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On the Riot

• Website-building resources for school librarians.
• How to responsibly recycle eReaders.

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Stay safe this weekend, everyone.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I can’t start the newsletter without acknowledging the protests that are happening right now around the world in response to the murder of George Floyd. It seems wrong to jump into a collection development newsletter when the world is burning, but please take this as an opportunity to consider your library’s collections and what your library will do to stand for what’s right. This is not the time to stay silent or “neutral.”

I also found a few posts from the Book Riot archives that may be useful:

• 35 Must-Read Books About Racism
• So You Want to Be Woke: A Reading Guide for White People
• 8 Nonfiction Reads About Social Justice
• Why Public Libraries Should Support Black Lives Matter (this is mine from a few years ago)
• A Millennial Book List For Black Liberation

Now, on with the newsletter.

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Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

• How the protests against police brutality are affecting bookstores in the Twin Cities.
• The National Book Festival will be going digital this year.
• Will China’s entry into US publishing lead to censorship?
• A NYC bookstore owner says that artificially high rent costs could mean the end for lots of city bookstores.

New & Upcoming Titles

• Francine Pascal (creator of the Sweet Valley High series) talks about her new adult thriller, Little Crew of Butchers.
• Sophie Kinsella announces a new book out October 27, Love Your Life.
• Robyn Carr announces a new Virgin River novel, the first in eight years.
• Debut crime novels for May 2020.
• 13 books to watch for in June.
• Upcoming summer picks from Barnes & Noble, Book Page (YA), LitHub, People, Time, and Vulture.
• Most anticipated crime novels of 2020: summer reading edition.
• 60 queer and feminist books coming this summer.
• 14 books by black authors to add to your summer reading list.
• 17 summer fantasy novels to preorder now.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

• The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (LA Times, New York Times)
• All My Mother’s Lovers – Ilana Masad (USA Today, Washington Post)

RA/Genre Resources

• If you didn’t get a chance to attend the BookExpo Online session on “Reader’s Advisory After Coronavirus”, here’s a summary. And here’s the link to the archived Facebook Live video from the session.
• The enduring popularity of traditional mysteries.
• A round table discussion on diversity in crime fiction.

On the Riot

• Exploring the thriller genre post–Gone Girl.

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All Things Comics

• What quarantine innovations can tell us about the future of comics.
• Stormy Daniels (remember her?) is teaming up with TidalWave Productions for a Space Force comic series.
• Gorillaz is publishing a 120 page illustrated Gorillaz Almanac that collects artwork from the band’s 20+ year career.

On the Riot

• 50 best manga to read right now.
• 15 of the best comic books for kids.
• 5 more comics representing 5 more emotions.

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Audiophilia

• 100 absorbing YA audiobooks that adults will enjoy too.
• Mystery & suspense audiobooks for kids and teens.
• 5 audio romances with unexpected revelations.

On the Riot

• 10 audiobooks under 10 hours.
• 6 fun and happy audiobooks.
• How to download Audible books to your Apple Watch.

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Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

• 10 books about friendship for tween readers.
• Motivational YA books that will have you ready to take on the world.
• 9 YA books about love at first sight.

Adults

• 13 books packed with queer joy.
• 15 books to help you better understand and support your LGBTQIA+ kid.
• 9 books about the burden of female beauty standards.
• An anti-racist reading list.
• 25 books by Asian-American and Pacific Islander writers to read right now.

On the Riot

• 10 baby shower books you probably haven’t gifted yet.
• 5 children’s books about Latina trailblazers.
• Standalone YA fantasy novels.
• 25 of the top true crime titles on Goodreads.
• 8 North Korean defector and captivity stories.
• 9 books for those of us missing libraries and bookstores.
• 10 horror books that are great for book clubs.
• Pick up a new hobby with these crafty books.

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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.

Stay safe and stay well, everyone. Black Lives Matter.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The First Prehistoric Serial Killer: and Other Stories by Teresa Solana.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf.

Do we all need to collectively scream into the void together? You have my permission to do so.

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Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

• Corrections departments are turning to private companies to force prisoners to pay to read via tablets.
• Chicago Public Library staff are allegedly asking people to hold off on visiting the library after it reopens because the library’s administrators are implementing an unsafe plan for reopening.
• NYPL is pursuing its curbside options during quarantine.
• The La Crosse (WI) Public Library is offering computer access to patrons by appointment.
• The Michigan National Guard helps save 80,000 items from the flooded Grace A. Dow Memorial Library.

Cool Library Updates

• ALA partners with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to donate 6,000 book sets to public and school libraries.
• Programming through the pandemic.
• Librarians are recruited as COVID hunters.
• The Illinois Prairie District Public Library created an outside obstacle course for passersby.
• This Ohio teen who walked to the library every day for homework help has been accepted to 12 different colleges!
• The NYPL shares its list of 125 kids books that they love.

Worth Reading

• The Toledo Lucas County Public Library created a safety guide designed for libraries during the pandemic.
• Best practices for Little Free Libraries during the COVID outbreak.
• What Hollywood gets right (and wrong) about librarians.

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Book Adaptations in the News

• We’re getting close to an Amazon adaptation of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache crime novels.
• Rights have been sold for Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.
• Reese Witherspoon will be starring in and producing two Netflix rom coms, including one based on Sarah Haywood’s novel The Cactus.
• Netflix is doing a TV adaptation of Anatomy of a Scandal.
• An early look at the upcoming adaptation of The Stand.
• Trailers for I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (documentary); The Alienist, Season 2; NOS4A2, Season 2; and Love, Victor. 
• 8 musicals you may not have known were based on books.

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Books & Authors in the News

• The New York Times asked if Ronan Farrow was too good to be true, and Vanity Fair and the LA Times reported on the response.
• Playright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer dies at age 84.
• The Mat-Su School District board has rescinded its previous vote to remove five books from the high school curriculum.
• J.K. Rowling releases a new serialized kid’s book online, for free.
• Taika Waititi is leading an all-star reading of James and the Giant Peach on YouTube to fund COVID relief efforts.
• There’s going to be a virtual Kidlit Pride conference in June.
• Check out the author lineup for the new virtual TorCon 2020.

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Numbers & Trends

• Print sales fell last week, although they’re still higher than they were this time last year. The New York Times also looks at overall publishing trends and sales since quarantine began.
• The types of books that could flourish in the pandemic era.

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Award News

• The RWA retires the RITA Awards permanently and announces the new Vivian Awards.
• Shortlists for the 2020 Orwell Prizes.
• Shortlist for the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, including one of my favorites, The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey!

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On the Riot

• How libraries are handling summer reading during COVID.

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Enjoy the weekend, everyone. You deserve it.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf, where I am going to try not to talk about curbside services.

If you need a giggle, here’s an example of a criminal living his best life during quarantine – taking selfies with dinosaur skeletons. 

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Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

• Thomas Low, one of the co-founders of Lee & Low Publishing, has died at 78.
• Publishers are unsurprisingly snatching up coronavirus books, from poetry to case studies. But what other types of books are they looking for during the pandemic?
• How the publishing world is staying afloat.

New & Upcoming Titles

• James Patterson and Bill Clinton announce their second book, The President’s Daughter, which is a standalone and not a sequel to The President is Missing.
• Charlie Jane Anders has a YA novel coming out, as well as a nonfiction book/memoir about writing, which Tor.com will publish online, week by week.
• Best international crime novels for May.
• 15 YA books to read this spring.
• Most anticipated YA books for June 2020.
• The New York Times unveils its summer reading picks.
• Most anticipated crime books of 2020: summer reading edition.
• 17 thrillers to speed through this summer.
• 27 of the best books to read in 2020.

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

• Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld (New York Times, NPR, USA Today, Washington Post)
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, NPR, Slate)
• These Women – Ivy Pochoda (Entertainment Weekly, NPR)
• Wuhan Diary: Dispatches From a Quarantined City – Fang Fang (New York Times)

RA/Genre Resources

• Genre labels: what makes a book more thriller than sci-fi?
• Tananarive Due talks about black horror.
• A look at how trans representation is changing in YA fiction.

On the Riot

• A deep dive into the secret-keeping romance trope.

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All Things Comics

• Ruby Rose is no longer playing Batwoman.

On the Riot

• 5 comics representing 5 emotions.
• 9 of the best comics featuring F/F relationships.
• Holy bell hooks! 21 books about the women mentioned in the first 6 volumes of Lumberjanes!

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Audiophilia

• Audible is releasing the first unabridged audio version of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, performed by Laurence Fishburne.
• Best audiobooks of May 2020.
• 20 of the best audiobooks to listen to in quarantine.
• 8 sci-fi audiobooks to lose yourself in over a weekend.
• Authors recommend their favorite soothing audiobooks.

On the Riot

• 8 audiobooks under 8 hours, and 9 audiobooks under 9 hours.
• 5 nonfiction audiobooks by Asian American women authors.

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Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

• The best children’s books to read at home right now.
• Wired picks some books for kids to read during their very long summer.
• 21 YA books to read during Mental Health Awareness Week.
• 10 YA books that shed light on police brutality.
• 20 books to read after you finish The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Adults

• 19 books to read for AAPI Heritage Month.
• 23 guaranteed good mood books.
• 20 books to read in quarantine this summer.
• 6 Muslim authors recommend their favorite Ramadan reads.
• 8 queer historical fiction novels similar to Tipping the Velvet.
• 7 books about cyberspace by women writers.
• 5 back-to-basics cookbooks.
• 7 queer SFF books.

On the Riot

• 6 multicultural Cinderella picture books.
• 35 must-read books about racism.
• 9 rom-com books for foodies.
• I saw a tiger, and the tiger saw a man: 8 books like Tiger King. (Bonus meme here.)
• 6 cookbook authors and their one must-have cookbook.
• 4 books for readers quarantining in dysfunctional households.
• 10 microhistories for this moment.
• 20 free classics you can find on Project Gutenberg.

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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.

Keep on keeping on, everyone. I’ll see you on Friday.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. We’re almost to Memorial Day weekend. I hope everyone gets a very well-deserved physical, emotional, and mental break.

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Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

• The Chicago Public Library calls staff back to work and plans for a full reopen as of June 1st, although mayor Lori Lightfoot says that no reopening date has been set.
• Fort Worth librarians are calling their older patrons to check and see how they’re holding up. While many are applauding this as a way for libraries to stay in contact with their patrons, it also raises a lot of questions about patron information and privacy.
• Library Journal looks at the massive library worker furloughs and layoffs in response to ongoing closure.

Cool Library Updates

• The Obamas read The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds for the Chicago Public Library’s “Live from the Library” series. Oprah and other celebrities will also read for the library.
• A look at how library book clubs have gone virtual during the pandemic.
• Library pen pal programs unite communities during quarantine.
• This North Carolina bookstore owner is giving away new books to keep Little Free Libraries in the community stocked.

Worth Reading

• Don’t leave workers out of the library narrative.
• Essential until we’re not: the disregard for library staff safety. (Full disclosure, I wrote this one.)
• How to move from teen-centered to teen-driven services.
• The ground floor of this Japanese home is a public library.
• Here’s something to brighten your day: a cat that wears elaborate costumes to promote his local library!

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Book Adaptations in the News

• The Percy Jackson series is officially coming to Disney+.
• Ryan Gosling is already set to star in the upcoming adaptation of Andy Weir’s as-yet-untitled new novel.
• Netflix is planning an adaptation of S.A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy.
• Ivy Pochoda’s new novel These Women sells rights for a series adaptation.
• Another Harlan Coben novel is coming to Netflix.
• HBO Max is adapting Throttle by Stephen King and Joe Hill.
• Great Expectations is being adapted by the creator of Peaky Blinders.
• AMC has acquired the rights to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches series.
• The graphic novel Sweet Tooth is being adapted as a live-action Netflix series, with Will Forte and James Brolin attached to the project.
• 10 book-to-screen adaptations that are perfectly suited to quarantine.

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Books & Authors in the News

• Washington Post created a virtual literary event calendar.
• Indie bookstores across the country are planning digital celebrations for the new Hunger Games novel.
• French author and serial killer expert Stéphane Bourgoin admits that much of his nonfiction work was made up. (This story is bonkers.)
• Judy Mikovits, the disgraced doctor at the center of Plandemic, has a best-selling book on Amazon. I’m not linking to the book here, but I’m mentioning it because inevitably, we’re going to have patrons asking libraries to purchase a copy of her book, and we’ll have to grapple with whether patron access takes priority over providing access to accurate information.
• 6 queer authors on what it’s like to launch their books in a pandemic.

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Numbers & Trends

• Not surprisingly, bookstore sales plunged 33.4% in March. However, print unit sales continue to rise by double digits, two months into the quarantine.
• Editors are apparently shying away from acquiring new dystopian fiction.

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Award News

• There’s controversy stirring around Benjamin Moser’s Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his book Sontag: Her Life and Work, both in terms of the content and the author’s behavior towards women translators and biographers.
• The British Science Fiction Association Awards are announced via video.

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Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

• The Globe Theater faces permanent closure due to COVID 19.
• This Tampa Bay woman is making sure kids get to keep reading, thanks to her book bus.
• A Wisconsin retirement center put out a call for used books and got a flood of donations.
• This new app aims to connect people based on on their reading preferences and location.
• This Paris bookstore reveals the reading habits of its famous historical clientele, including Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein.
• You can download Zoom backgrounds from the Harry Potter Studio Tour at Leavesden Studios. Brb, currently wailing about how I wanna do the studio tour again.

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On the Riot

• Back to borrowing: regaining a love for the library.
• The different types of book formats, explained.
• 6 ways to maximize your reading time during the pandemic.

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Enjoy the long weekend, but please keep social distancing! Keep on keeping on, everyone.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. How the heck is it already the beginning of another week?

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Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

• Caroline Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster has passed away.
• The Seattle Review of Books is going on indefinite hiatus.
• The Author’s Guild and National Book Critics Circle send an open letter encouraging media outlets to continue their book coverage.
• Barnes & Noble is slowly reopening.
• Inside the book industry’s battle to stay afloat during the COVID crisis.

New & Upcoming Titles

• Sarah MacLean announces a new romance series centered around a Victorian-era girl gang. Holy cow, this sounds amazing!
• Get a first look at Sandhya Menon’s first adult romance, Make Up Break Up, which will be written under the name Lily Menon.
• Sarah Gailey has a domestic thriller with a sci-fi twist coming out. Um, yes please!
• A first look at Courtney Summers’ upcoming thriller, The Project.
• 5 books you may have missed in April.
• May picks from Crime Reads (psychological thrillers) and Town & Country.
• 13 books feminists should read in May.
• Best spring books from O: Oprah Magazine and Esquire.
• 23 debut novels of 2020 that are too good to ignore.
• Best beach reads of the year.
• Best books of 2020 (so far).

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

• Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State – Barton Gellman (New York Times, Washington Post)
• The Last Trial – Scott Turow (New York Times, Washington Post)
• Yes No Maybe So – Becky Albertalli (New York Times)
• A Children’s Bible – Lydia Millet (Washington Post)
• My Mother’s House – Francesca Momplaisir (New York Times)
  
• Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld (New York Times)
• Network Effect – Martha Wells (NPR)

RA/Genre Resources

• A queer author roundtable, including Nicole Dennis-Benn and Garth Greenwell.

On the Riot

• 7 great books by writers of color from the first half of 2020.
• 10 2020 queer women romance books to watch for.
• A reading pathway for Cat Sebastian.
• Book club questions and reading guide for The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

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All Things Comics

• How to attend the virtual San Diego Comic Con from home.
• Since Diamond Book Distributors shut down, graphic novel sales from bookstores have risen 43%.

On the Riot

• 5 historical manga.

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Audiophilia

• James McAvoy leads the cast of the Audible adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. Add James McAvoy to my personal list of celebrities who I want to read everything to me.
• The best books and audiobooks of 2020 so far.
• Here’s an audio excerpt of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
• 8 relatable audiobooks that will help you fill the void from missing your best friends.
• Pairing up favorite romance listens.

On the Riot

• 6 audiobooks you won’t believe are narrated by only one person.
• 7 audiobooks under 7 hours.
• 6 audiobooks for Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Put these sci-fi podcasts in your ears.

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Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

• The Royal Family’s favorite children’s books.
• 20 vampire novels to read before Midnight Sun hits shelves.
• 32 cinematic YA novels to read while pop culture is on hold.
• 31 YA books to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month.

Adults

• AAPI Heritage Month reading recommendations from Mental Floss and Book Page.
• 50 of the best contemporary novels under 200 pages.
• 11 heartwarming books to make you laugh.
• 9 diverse books set in the American West.
• 10 fascinating celebrity memoirs to dig into.
• 8 books for the eerie days of summer.
• 7 novels about grieving a family member.
• Best vegan and vegetarian cookbooks.
• 7 classics to power through over a weekend.
• 11 books to make you feel like you’re on vacation.
• The 107 (!!!) female authors everyone should have on their bookshelves.
• 5 beauty books by black authors.
• 11 book series and collections to dive into.
• 17 books for people who have a hard time finishing books.
• The things we miss the most, and the books that can help.

On the Riot

• 10 science books for babies and curious kids.
• 20 must-read adult books for YA readers.
• Feel-good romance novels to dive into.
• 10 mystery & thriller authors like Agatha Christie.
• 5 great books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
• 10 cozy culinary mysteries.

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Level Up (Library Reads)

Do you take part in LibraryReads, 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.

Virtual hugs if you need them. Stay safe and healthy.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Shamed by Linda Castillo.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. We’re a little light on news updates for this week, mainly because most of the news right now is about libraries furloughing and laying off employees. It’s been a rough week.

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Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

• The National Library of China is reopening as of May 12th, with a daily cap on the number of visitors.

Cool Library Updates

• Here are the 2020 Library Journal Movers & Shakers.
• Fargo Public Library and North Dakota State University partner to grow vegetables for food pantries.
• Law librarians increase access to the legal system with outreach to public librarians.
• Library pen pal programs can help communities stay connected during quarantine.
• The Library of Congress announces a new project called Citizen DJ, which allows users to sample public audio collections for hip hop music.

Worth Reading

• Ensuring free speech requires more than neutrality. I fully support this article.
• Pushing back against the “Libraries are resilient” narrative.
• Inside a secret library in Syria.

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Book Adaptations in the News

• Oooh! Check out the trailer for Shirley, starring Elisabeth Moss as Shirley Jackson!
• The film version of Hamilton will debut on Disney+ on July 3, 2020, over a full year ahead of its original release date.
• Netflix is adapting Elena Ferrante’s upcoming novel, The Lying Life of Adults.
• The filmmakers behind Doctor Sleep are tackling Stephen King’s novel Revival next.
• Here’s the trailer for The Good Lord Bird, which debuts on Showtime on August 9th.
• Christopher Pike’s Midnight Club is being adapted as a Netflix series.
• The 90’s nostalgia is real…here’s the first teaser trailer for the Netflix adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club!
• SPOILER ALERT! The ending to the Defending Jacob adaptation is totally different than the book.

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Books & Authors in the News

• Cookbook author Alison Roman takes shots at Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo in a recent interview, leading to a huge PR and social media mess.
• And in other news of authors-behaving-badly, Emily Giffin has made a lot of social media attacks on Meghan Markle.
• Haruki Murakami will host a lockdown radio special in Japan.

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Award News

• Jacqueline Woodson and Albertine win 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Awards.
• Finalists for the Best Translated Book Awards are announced.

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Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

• In 2008, these first edition Harry Potter books were almost discarded from a British school library, but now they’re up for auction for thousands of pounds each!
• A neuroscientist explains why pandemic reading is so difficult for a lot of us.

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On the Riot

• 13 pioneering black American librarians.
• The most popular books in libraries, January – March 2020.
• I miss the library: and other thoughts on quarantine reading life.
• 7 weirdly specific libraries and collections from around the world.
• How local literary communities can find strength during social distancing.

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Keep on keeping on, everyone. Be kind to yourselves, and I’ll see you all next week.

Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I know a lot of libraries are starting to open up in the coming weeks, and you are all in my thoughts.

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Collection Development Corner

Publishing News

• BookExpo and BookCon are going virtual for the end of May.
• Books-a-Million is re-opening most of its stores in the US.
• How authors, booksellers, and publicists are adapting to a virtual literary world.

New & Upcoming Titles

• It’s heeeeere! Publishers Weekly’s Summer Reading 2020 list!
• Josh Malerman announces a collection of short stories and novellas being released in 2021!
• It’s a new Jane Harper novel!
• A look at Kristin Hannah’s next book, The Four Winds, which will be published in February 2021.
• Guns ‘n Roses announce a picture book collaboration with James Patterson called…you guessed it…Sweet Child o’ Mine.
• Chuck Wendig announces his first middle grade novel.
• 17 thrillers to be on the watch for this summer.
• Best books of May from AV Club, Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, Lit Hub, The Millions, O: Oprah Magazine, Pop Sugar, Salon, Time, and Tor.com (fantasy, sci fi, YA SFF, and genre-benders).

What Your Patrons Are Hearing About

• All Adults Here – Emma Straub (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post)
• The Book of V – Anna Solomon (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, Washington Post)
• Warhol – Blake Gopnik (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times)
• Little Eyes – Samanta Schweblin (LA Times, New York Times)
• Big Summer – Jennifer Weiner (USA Today, Washington Post)
• The End of October – Lawrence Wright (New York Times, NPR)

RA/Genre Resources

• The return of the YA vampire (including new releases by Caleb Roehrig and Zoraida Cordova!)
• Take a look at the 2020 Summer Scares programming guide. Becky Spratford at RA For All (and one of the co-sponsors of the program) has more details as well.

On the Riot

• Crying censorship: the ethics of publishing the problematic.
• Brief intro and guide to contemporary Pakistani literature.

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All Things Comics

• How the comic industry is suffering from the pandemic and what its plans are moving forward.
• Disney+ is creating Just Beyond, based on the graphic novel series by R.L. Stine.

On the Riot

• 20 superhero books for kids of all ages.
• 3 of the best graphic novels to help prepare kids for their release back into the wild.
• 8 underrated romance manga.

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Audiophilia

• 5 new fantasy audiobook series.

On the Riot

• Oh be still, my beating heart: Daniel Radcliffe leads an all-star read-along of the first Harry Potter book!
• Andy Serkis will be doing a marathon reading of The Hobbit to raise money for the NHS.
• 5 under 5 and 6 under 6: Audiobooks under 5 and 6 hours for one-day listening.
• 6 of the best audiobooks by Korean American women writers.
• 5 graphic novels and memoirs that are also amazing audiobooks.
• The best-selling audiobooks of all time.

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Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Children/Teens

• 18 librarian-approved books for kids of all ages.
• 28 YA comfort reads.
• 9 #OwnVoices YA novels with trans and nonbinary characters.

Adults

• 16 page-turning mysteries that aren’t too dark and gloomy.
• 6 mystery novels inspired by true crimes.
• 7 books by and about Muslim women.
• 17 surprising indie bookstore best sellers.
• Another reading list for fans of Normal People by Sally Rooney.
• 5 books that capture the honest reality of motherhood.
• 8 novels that celebrate unlikeable women.
• 13 hilarious books if you need a good laugh.
• 26 cookbooks by moms, for moms.
• 21 important books that address mental health topics.

On the Riot

• 15 books about shapes for preschoolers.
• 15+ activity books to inspire indoor fun and learning for kids.
• 9 awesome books for kids and adults about Mr. Rogers.
  
• 5 of the best books to read for Star Wars Day (or any day, because I didn’t get a chance to post this list in time for May the 4th).
• 20 must-read poetry collections by queer female poets.
• 20 must-read books for runners.
• Reading recommendations for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
• 5 must-read biographies of women politicians.

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Level Up (Library Reads)

Do you take part in LibraryReads, 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.

Virtual hugs if you need them. Stay safe, healthy, and relatively sane.

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently re-reading The Good House by Tananarive Due.