Sponsored by Lerner Books
Nineteen-year-old Na has always lived in the shadow of her younger brother, Bao-bao, her parents’ cherished son. Years ago, Na’s parents left her in the countryside and went to work in the city, bringing Bao-bao along and committing everything to his education. But when Bao-bao dies suddenly, Na realizes how little she knew him. Did he really kill himself because of a low score on China’s all-important college entrance exam? Na learns that Bao-bao had many secrets and that his death may not be what it seems.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Before we jump in, I have to share this delightful video of the Chicago Cubs’ off-the-field talents. I hope it makes you giggle as much as it did for me!
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
- Harper Collins and Penguin Random House parent company Bertelsmann have expressed interest in acquiring Simon & Schuster.
- All copies of the first printing of Michael Cohen’s upcoming book will apparently be released exclusively to Amazon.
- Publishers and the Internet Archive propose a yearlong discovery plan for the ongoing copyright case.
New & Upcoming Titles
- 21-year-old YA author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé signs a 7-figure book deal.
- Pope Francis is writing a response to COVID-19, which will be published in December.
- Zen Cho is writing a new book!
- Allie Brosh has another book coming out at the end of this month!! I AM SO EXCITED!
- Kira Jane Buxton is writing a sequel to Hollow Kingdom.
- Check out this new anthology of African American poetry that spans 250 years.
- Channing Tatum is writing a children’s book dedicated to his six-year-old daughter, Everly.
- 17 YA books that came out this summer you need to read ASAP.
- New books for the week from Bustle, Buzzfeed, Crime Reads, Lithub, USA Today.
- Fall picks from Amazon, Buzzfeed, The Guardian, New York Post, O: Oprah Magazine, People, Publisher’s Weekly (indie picks), Pop Sugar, Shondaland, Time, Town & Country, and Vulture.
- September picks from (hoo boy, there’s a lot) Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bitch Media, Bustle, Crime Reads, Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, Library Journal, The Millions, O: Oprah Magazine, Pop Sugar (general picks, romance, thrillers), Shondaland, Tor.com (fantasy, scifi, horror/genre bending novels, YA SFF), and Washington Post.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
- Daddy: Stories – Emma Cline (LA Times, New York Times, NPR)
- The Lying Life of Adults – Elena Ferrante (New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post)
- I Have Something to Tell You – Chasten Buttigieg (USA Today, Washington Post)
- Transcendent Kingdom – Yaa Gyasi (New York Times, USA Today)
RA/Genre Resources
- 5 ways to think about social justice through crime fiction.
On the Riot
- The suffocating homogeneity of bestselling children’s books.
- What’s the difference between young adult and new adult?
- Know your folklore! What’s the difference between a myth, a fairytale, and a legend?
- Get to know Nordic noir with these 10 novels.
All Things Comics
- Check out this Kickstarter for a fantasy graphic novel inspired by African mythology!
- Batman has COVID, and production on The Batman has been halted.
- 10 new comic books for the fall.
On the Riot
- Comics for people with anxiety.
- 12 queer webcomics you can read for free.
- A glossary of manga terms for beginners.
Audiophilia
- Laurence Fishburne talks about the experience of narrating The Autobiography of Malcolm X on audio.
- Sesame Workshop and Audible are partnering on a podcast.
- September Earphone Award titles are out from AudioFile.
- Most anticipated audiobooks for fall.
- 5 new enemies-to-lovers romances on audio.
On the Riot
- 7 literary authors who read their own audiobooks.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
- NPR’s 100 favorite books for young readers.
- 37 books that address COVID-19 for kids.
- 5 kids books set during WWII.
- Not your average back-to-school children’s books.
- 14 series like Percy Jackson to read next.
- Epic YA series finales you don’t want to miss.
Adults
- 10 self-improvement books so good, you’ll want to read them twice.
- 9 diverse, women-authored crime novels set in remote and forgotten places.
- 6 whydunit thrillers where the motive is the mystery.
- 20 steamy romance novels to read ASAP.
- 5 sequels better than the first book in the series.
On the Riot
- 10 great children’s books about voting and elections.
- 4 YA books about struggles in creativity.
- 11 YA books exploring the realities of poverty.
- 21 must-read books for 12th graders by authors of color.
- 10 of the best urban fantasy series.
- 10 books like the Dresden Files.
- 5 campus novels to get you in the mood for fall.
- 7 LGBTQ sports romance books.
- 10 mystery and thriller books starring older women.
- 8 of the best books to read for #ScienceSeptember.
- 6 under-the-radar queer books by authors of color.
- 10 novels about marriage secrets.
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.
Catch you on the flipside, everyone.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.