Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Best-selling author Jacqueline Davies tells the story of two unlikely friends: Sydney and Taylor, a skunk and a hedgehog live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all. Charming full-color illustrations and a laugh-out-loud story make this chapter book perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson and Owl Diaries series.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf, where I am currently hibernating from the 6-10″ of cement-like snow that Mother Nature dropped on Chicagoland this weekend. I went outside earlier to clear off my car, and it was like trying to brush wet clay from the windshield. Future Katie had better appreciate the favor that Past Katie did for her…
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Author’s Guild asks the Department of Justice to stop the Penguin Random House acquisition of Simon & Schuster.
Semicolon Bookstore in Chicago launches National Black Literacy Day on February 14th.
Thoughts on the future of conservative publishing.
The history and future of progressive bookselling.
New & Upcoming Titles
Michael Lewis has a new book coming out about how to prevent a viral outbreak worse than COVID-19. You know…some light, relaxing reading.
Due to overwhelming demand, Amanda Gorman’s three books are getting a one million print run EACH.
Talia Hibbert just signed a three book deal for a series of contemporary Jane Austen-inspired rom-coms.
There’s a new Enola Holmes book coming out, called Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche.
Tarana Burke, the activist who started the #MeToo movement, has a book of essays coming out in April that she’s co-edited with Brené Brown.
Malcolm Gladwell has a new book coming out in April, and Liane Moriarty has a new book coming out in September.
SNL cast member Cecily Strong has a memoir coming out in August.
Seth Rogan’s first book, Yearbook, comes out on May 11 and his mother provided a statement for the press release.
Danielle Steel has six new books coming out this year, which isn’t quite up to Jimmy P.’s publication levels, but it’s getting there.
Weekly book picks from Bustle, BuzzFeed, Crime Reads, LitHub, The Millions, New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Shelf Awareness, and USA Today.
Debut crime novels and international crime novels to read in January.
February book picks from Barnes & Noble (adult & children’s), Bustle, Epic Reads (YA), and New York Times.
Library Journal presents 300 (!!!) titles to watch in 2021.
The buzziest fiction of winter and spring.
Highly anticipated romantic comedies.
40 YA fantasy novels coming out in 2021.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Let Me Tell You What I Mean – Joan Didion (New York Times, NPR, USA Today)
We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year – Charles Wheelan (LA Times, New York Times)
The Swallowed Man – Edward Carey (New York Times, Washington Post)
Just As I Am – Cicely Tyson (Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
The Melanin Library is a new resource to help you find new books by Black authors for all ages!
A new generation discovers the joys of the cozy mystery.
On the Riot
The best YA nonfiction books coming out this year.
Exciting queer women, bisexual, and lesbian books coming out in early 2021.
7 poets like Amanda Gorman to watch.
Books like House of Leaves: an introduction to ergodic fiction.
A beginner’s guide to godpunk.
Mystery writers who write in other genres.
10 ways to find books to read.
7 more reading challenges to diversify your reading in 2021.
All Things Comics
Mayim Bialik teams up with DC Comics to release an educational YA book called Flash Facts.
On the Riot
5 comic and animation-themed cookbooks.
How 20-year-old manga helps this reader get through the day.
Audiophilia
Spotify launches an audiobook program with 9 classic titles. And if you’re wondering how you listen to audiobooks on Spotify, here’s a guide.
18 audiobooks to preorder before spring.
The audiobook version of Four Hundred Souls (edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain) has 87 different narrators, including Dion Graham, Phylicia Rashad, Leslie Odom Jr., Bahni Turpin, Robin Miles, and more. EIGHTY. SEVEN.
Families in mystery audiobooks: the good and the REALLY bad.
5 audiobook essay collections.
On the Riot
6 of the best audiobooks narrated by Prentice Onayemi.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
14 YA apocalyptic and dystopian novels to lose yourself in.
18 must-ready YA SFF books with LGBTQ characters.
Adults
20 books to ring in Joe Biden’s presidency.
5 contemporary Black poets you should be familiar with.
22 books that helped this writer write the story of their transition.
8 books about mothers separated from their daughters.
10 books about children fending for themselves.
Books that present “the new Western.”
18 of the sweetest books to give as Valentine’s Day gifts.
5 dark SFF books to make you laugh out loud.
15 Canadian books about mental health.
On the Riot
Best found family YA books.
15 of the best YA thriller books.
15 of the best feminist mystery novels.
The best humorous scifi books out there.
15 books recommended by celebrities in 2021.
9 of the best Japanese history books.
4 awesome backlist mysteries.
6 books on caste to read after Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste.
5 history books with diverse perspectives.
15 of the best books by female comedians.
Best detective novels to keep you up at night.
8 story collections inspired by novels.
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.
See everyone on Friday, assuming Chicago doesn’t get another 10 inches of snow in the meantime. Stay warm!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.