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Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’ll get to the library/book stuff in a minute, but first: we added a new feline member of our family this week! Say hello to Houdini, who is a world-class snuggle monster and an absolute doll! We still miss our Star every day, but we were ready to find another kitty who needed a home.
Okay, back to book stuff!
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- O: The Oprah Magazine will cease print publication as of December 2020.
New & Upcoming Titles
- Matthew McConaughey is writing a memoir in his own style, which will be published this fall (and sadly, the book is not called Alright Alright Alright).
- Jessica Simpson and Karin Slaughter pick summer reads for Amazon.
- Elle picks the best books of Summer 2020.
- August picks from Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads, Epic Reads, New York Times, Washington Post.
- Writers to watch this fall.
- 8 true crime books for your 2020 TBR.
- Best romance novels for 2020 (so far).
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir – Natasha Trethewey (Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post)
- Intimations: Six Essays – Zadie Smith (LA Times, NPR, Vulture)
- Afterland – Lauren Beukes (Tor.com, Washington Post)
- A Star is Bored – Byron Lane (New York Times, USA Today)
RA/Genre Resources
- What makes epic fantasy “epic?”
- The New York Times has a guide to the essential Tana French before her new novel is published this fall. And if you want another look at Tana French (as well as the best order to read her books), here’s our post from way back in 2016.
- A guide to Nordic noir.
- BuzzFeed News and Crime Reads both talk about how the future of true crime will have to be different.
On the Riot
- The best books you’ve never heard of, Summer 2020 edition.
- Reading pathway for James Baldwin.
All Things Comics
- (TW sexual assault): The comic book industry reckons with abuse claims.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender will get a graphic novel spin-off.
- 20 graphic novels and nonfiction for YA readers.
On the Riot
- New, upcoming, and undiscovered graphic history and memoir.
- 8 powerful graphic memoirs about mothers and motherhood.
Audiophilia
- The harmful impact of Audible-exclusive audiobooks.
- 5 audiobooks to help you travel the world from home.
- Best audiobooks of July.
On the Riot
- 6 short story collections on audio for your TBR.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- Kid-approved books for struggling 2nd and 3rd grade readers.
- 20 must-have classic children’s books – and when to introduce them.
- 16 clever and underestimated YA novels.
- 20 YA books to help you deal with grief.
Adults
- 6 books about defunding the police that will inspire you to protest.
- 10 books set to become new feminist classics.
- 6 stories with fierce female friendships.
- 8 books to take you back to the 1980’s.
- 9 books where women of color tell their own stories about mental health.
- 7 crime & suspense novels that explore the causes & consequences of infatuation.
- 9 uplifting books by YouTubers.
- 5 genre-jumping masterpieces.
On the Riot
- 8 back-to-school picture books for teaching coronavirus procedures.
- 6 of the most popular children’s & YA series published since 2010.
- 3 YA books about basketball.
- 13 fantastic Black fantasy authors.
- 20 must-read Black authors of LGBTQ books.
- 5 contemporary Afro-Latinx authors to know.
- 10 extremely unique crime reads.
- 16 best pandemic books – fiction & nonfiction.
- 20 must-read books set in Spain by Spanish authors.
- 8 thrillers told from multiple points of view.
- 5 books that provide a holistic perspective on the immigrant experience.
- 10 books for your intersectional environmentalist reading list.
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.
Mask up and stay hydrated. See you on Friday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.