Sponsored by Scullion: A Dishwasher’s Guide to Mistaken Identity from Oni Press
n celebrity-obsessed Timberwood Village, humble dishwashing teens Darlis and Mae are looking forward to the great warrior Riqa’s wedding of the century. That is, until Riqa mysteriously disappears and an unsuspecting Darlis is mistaken for her! It’s flattering until two trolls try to capture him for ransom. To get out of this predicament, these dishwashers will have to get their hands a little dirty. Armed with only their wits and Riqa’s book, The Fair Maiden’s Guide to Eating Your Captor for Breakfast, can Darlis and Mae give their captors a run for their money?
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. As I put this newsletter together, I am about to go back to work after a week’s staycation, and somehow I feel more tired at the end of this week than I was at the beginning. So let’s mask up and push through the week.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- Editor and publisher Nan A. Talese announces her retirement after six decades.
- The American Booksellers Association is asking its membership to vote on a change to its bylaws that would promote diversity on its organization board.
- Phoebe Robinson is launching a new book imprint.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Ernest Cline is publishing a follow-up to Ready Player One called…Ready Player Two. (My husband was the first person to tell me about this news, and to be honest, I thought he was making it up.)
- There’s another Trump tell-all book coming this fall, this time from a former confidante of Melania Trump.
- Actor Norman Reedus is writing a novel.
- Pete Buttigieg announces a new book: Trust: America’s Best Chance.
- Mariah Carey’s memoir is coming out in September.
- Philip Pullman is publishing a new story set in the His Dark Materials universe.
- A final collection of early short stories from the late Terry Pratchett will be published in September.
- Lana del Rey has a debut poetry collection coming in September.
- 7 books from the first half of 2020 that you may have missed.
- Barnes & Noble’s best books of 2020 so far.
- July picks from Bustle, LitHub, and Tor.com (fantasy, sci-fi, and YA SFF)
- Summer reading picks from LitHub and Salon.
- 20 popular mystery series returning this fall.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Want – Lynn Steger Strong (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
- Antkind – Charlie Kaufman (New York Times, NPR, Washington Post)
- The Golden Cage – Camilla Läckberg (LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post)
- Utopia Avenue – David Mitchell (LA Times, New York Times)
RA/Genre Resources
- A list of SFF events that have been cancelled or rescheduled due to COVID.
- Tour through the history of Black science fiction.
- Top horror titles and trends coming this season.
- A brief history of queer women detectives in crime fiction.
On the Riot
- Book Riot’s Best Books of 2020 so far.
- Queer book talk from Book Riot’s #OwnVoices.
- 12 must-read high fantasy novels coming out in the second half of 2020.
- 5 new genre-bending nonfiction books.
All Things Comics
- (TW: sexual harassment) This article outlines a long history of bullying and sexual harassment at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
- Comic-Con 2020 announces its virtual lineup.
- Marvel and Scholastic are launching an all-new line of original graphic novels for young readers.
- Archie Comics joins with Spotify to develop podcasts based on the Archie Comics universe.
- Javicia Leslie has been cast as the new Batwoman.
- 5 must-read comics for July.
On the Riot
- 8 comics and graphic novels if you loved Watchmen.
- Summer 2020 YA comics and graphic novel releases.
Audiophilia
- Andy Serkis is recording The Hobbit for a new audiobook to be released in September.
- Audiobook recs for road trips.
- Must-listen audiobooks for July.
On the Riot
- What’s the difference between audio dramas and full cast audiobooks?
- 6 audiobook mysteries to take you around the world.
- 10 audiobook thrillers with complicated relationships.
- 5 classic audiobooks narrated by famous actors.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- 8 picture books that let young minds wonder and wander.
- 11 illustrated biographies that introduce kids to diverse heroes.
- 16 YA books set at boarding school.
- 15 sizzling YA thrillers.
- 5 YA SFF/Horror novels about women reclaiming their identities.
Adults
- 8 spine-chilling books about occult mysteries.
- The ultimate summer reading list from Wired.
- 5 SFF books set in contemporary African locales.
- 7 books about NYC’s drastic economic divide.
- 5 books about voter suppression.
- 16 romance novels that are scorchingly sexy.
- 7 books told from the perspective of domestic workers.
On the Riot
- YouTube books for kids to watch.
- 3 YA books about K-Pop.
- An updated required reading list.
- The best legal thrillers that aren’t by John Grisham.
- 10 books with Beatles songs as titles.
- 8 memoirs about mothers, motherhood, and loss.
- 8 books set in India.
- 6 books on inequities within the healthcare system.
- 10 books that celebrate Black girls and women.
- 10 of the best books about musicians.
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.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The Deep by Alma Katsu.