Sponsored by OverDrive
Digipalooza ‘21 has something for everyone! Join a global community of public, academic and corporate librarians, educators, publishers and technologists as they press forward success for ebooks, audiobooks and other digital media. Learn from the experts how data-driven decisions are helping shape the next chapter of digital content for readers everywhere.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s Star Wars Day, aka the perfect day to include Baby Yoda in all of your library social media posts today!
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
(TW: sexual abuse, misconduct) Vanity Fair takes a close look at the New York Times’ reporting of the Blake Bailey scandal.
Publishers are drawing fire for signing Trump officials to book deals.
Authors form a task force after Disney refuses to pay them.
Reese Witherspoon launches a fellowship for underrepresented women writers.
These are some of the fastest-growing indie publishers of 2021.
New & Upcoming Titles
Gabrielle Union is releasing a second memoir: You Got Anything Stronger? I am SUPER excited about this, and if you haven’t read We’re Going to Need More Wine yet, get on that ASAP!
Tordotcom Publishing has acquired six books by Martha Wells, three of which will be part of the Murderbot Diaries.
We’re getting a Jim Morrison book of poetry, lyrics, and other writings this summer.
Lil’ Kim is writing a memoir, The Queen Bee, which comes out in November.
The recent tell-all book about Harry and Meghan, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, is getting a revised edition with updated chapters.
Check out the cover of Christopher Golden’s upcoming horror novel!
Weekly book picks from Bustle, Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times, and USA Today.
May book picks from Barnes & Noble, Bustle, Epic Reads (YA), Gizmodo (SFF), New York Times, Washington Post.
Spring reading picks from the Seattle Times.
50 highly anticipated romance novels of 2021 to renew your faith in love.
55 Canadian poetry collections for spring.
30 stellar spring reads from diverse authors and creators.
50 of the best new nonfiction books about the natural world.
10 poetry books out this year by women of color.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Whereabouts – Jhumpa Lahiri (New York Times, NPR, USA Today)
Second Place – Rachel Cusk (LA Times, New York Times)
Secrets of Happiness – Joan Silber (NPR, Washington Post)
The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story – Kate Summerscale (New York Times, NPR)
White Magic – Elissa Washuta (LA Times, NPR)
RA/Genre Resources
Psychological thrillers and domestic suspense in the pandemic era.
Meg Gardiner and the essential elements of great thrillers.
How Bridgerton has changed the face of the romance genre.
On the Riot
Weekly book picks to add to your TBR.
5 recent and upcoming SFF books by trans and nonbinary authors.
The current state of disability representation in children’s books.
How inclusive is that diverse book cover, though?
The books that changed this reader’s life the most weren’t very good.
All Things Comics
Graphic novels that illustrate resilience.
Great graphic novels to add to your classroom library.
On the Riot
A closer look at Kindle Unlimited manga.
3 new comics anthologies for your TBR.
Audiophilia
Recorded Books has withdrawn the audio version of Blake Bailey’s Philip Roth biography.
The bizarre world of scam audiobooks. I…did not even know this was a thing.
The best audiobooks for soothing anxiety. Plus, the special comfort of audiobooks during COVID-19 and trying times.
If you liked these Oscar-nominated movies, you’ll love these audiobooks!
On the Riot
5 of the best audiobooks for your next sick day.
On the companionship of audiobooks and podcasts.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
20 of the best children’s books about the glory of summer.
19 YA books with southern charm.
26 YA trilogies that prove that trilogies are still the way to go.
18 of the most crush-worthy queer YA novels.
Adults
8 books for Lesbian Day of Visibility.
10 novels that illuminate lesser-known events in history.
5 SFF books about the magic of creativity.
11 fantasy novels to read after watching Shadow and Bone.
Historical fiction about war-torn love.
11 books to pull you out of a reading rut.
Stories based on Jewish folklore and magic.
Books that imagine a world without men.
12 of the best books about climate change.
10 of the best Star Wars books.
On the Riot
13 ocean books for seafaring kids.
15 of the best shark books for kids.
13 of the best middle grade science fiction books.
6 YA books about parents cheating.
13 books to inspire you for post-pandemic entertaining.
20 must-read contemporary sapphic novels.
8 of the best cats in science fiction and fantasy novels.
5 cookbooks for when you want to cook healthy food fast.
Horror anthology books for some mid-year frights.
7 nonfiction books about weird jobs.
8 books about prodigies and late bloomers.
8 books you didn’t know were musicals.
9 books where nature or landscape are main characters.
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.
Hope you’re all wearing your geekish best today! I’ll catch you all on Friday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading Girl A by Abigail Dean.