Sponsored by Get Booked: The Handsell
Get Booked has added a weekly bonus episode called The Handsell! Jenn and Amanda, former booksellers, take 5 minutes every episode to pitch you a book they think you’ll love, with notes about what readers the book is perfect for. The hosts will be focusing on books they haven’t talked about much or at all on the show before, so come hear about a new-to-you read! Regular episodes of Get Booked will continue to come out every Thursday, with bonus episodes of The Handsell coming out every Monday. Subscribe to Get Booked wherever you get your podcasts!
Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- B&N pulls their controversial “Diverse Editions” campaign after a lot of people referred to it as “literary blackface.”
- Macmillan and the leaders of #DignidadLiteraria met to discuss the backlash following American Dirt, and Macmillan has promised to expand Latinx representation through its books and its staff.
- James Daunt, the new Barnes & Noble CEO, says that B&N is a “big mess” right now, although Waterstones is showing a profit.
New & Upcoming Titles
- We’re going to get not one but two posthumously published books by Katherine Dunn this year.
- Alice Hoffman reveals the cover for an upcoming prequel to Practical Magic.
- P.C. and Kristin Cast announce a new YA series, Sisters of Salem.
- The next Wayward Children book by Seanan McGuire will be published in January 2021, called Across the Green Grass Fields.
- Here’s a teaser for Susanna Clarke’s new book, Piranesi, which comes out in September of this year.
- Books by black women we can’t wait for in 2020.
- 27 novels feminists should read in 2020.
- True crime books to watch out for in 2020.
- Best books of the month from Amazon, Bustle, Crime Reads, Entertainment Weekly, Gizmodo (SFF), LitHub (SFF), Paste (YA), PopSugar, Refinery29, Salon, and Time.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Weather – Jenny Offill (LA Times, New York Times, Time)
- Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line – Deepa Anappara (New York Times, Washington Post)
- Unmaking the Presidency: Donald Trump’s War on the World’s Most Powerful Office – Susan Hennessey & Benjamin Wittes (New York Times, Washington Post)
- The Cactus League – Emily Nemens (LA Times, Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
- YA fantasy where the oppression is real.
On the Riot
- 5 of the most anticipated books from Asian Authors in 2020
- February indie press roundups.
- The haunted house in fiction.
All Things Comics
- 5 comics to read in February.
- Sam Raimi may direct the new Doctor Strange film.
On the Riot
- 5 books that would make awesome graphic novels.
- The experience of rereading Persepolis in 2020.
- DC graphic novels for kids and young adults.
Audiophilia
- In the final captions copyright settlement, Audible agrees not to use AAP member content without permission.
- Short story suggestions for podcast fans trying to get into audiobooks.
- 8 audiobooks about queer women.
On the Riot
- 5 of the best audiobooks narrated by Soneela Nankani.
- A listening pathway for Bahni Turpin.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- 10 children’s books to read this winter, reviewed by kids!
- 10 books about equality for tweens.
- 21 YA recommendations for fans of Birds of Prey.
- 20 YA books to read during Black History Month.
Adults
- 23 classic retellings from science fiction and fantasy.
- Must-read black history recommendations from Bustle, Shondaland, and USA Today.
- Roxane Gay’s favorite books of 2019.
- 14 books to read in honor of Doctor Who’s first black doctor.
- 17 books to make you believe in love.
- 8 crime novels about people haunted by their pasts.
- Books with reality-bending settings.
- 11 books about forbidden romances.
- 8 SFF romances.
On the Riot
- Books for the littlest Star Wars fans in your life.
- 11 funny picture books to read out loud.
- 18 gorgeous children’s books for storytime.
- 6 mysteries set in Scotland.
- 40 of the best feminist books.
- 5 M/F romances that are queer as hell.
- 5 books about pandemics to help you understand coronavirus.
- 5 books for anyone who was disappointed by the sequel to Call Me By Your Name.
- 19 fiction & nonfiction books about affairs.
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.
Keep on chugging – I’ll see you on Friday!
Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James.