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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.
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.
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.
Audiophilia
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.
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.
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.