Sponsored by Into the Deep by Robert Ballard/National Geographic
Best known for finding the wreck of the Titanic, celebrated adventurer Robert Ballard has a lifetime of stories about exploring the ocean depths. From discovering new extremophile life-forms thriving at 750°F hydrothermal vents in 1977 to finding famous shipwrecks including the Bismarck and PT 109, Ballard has made history. For the first time, Ballard gets personal, telling the inside stories of his adventures and challenges as a midwestern kid with dyslexia who became an internationally renowned ocean explorer. Here is the definitive story of the danger and discovery, conflict and triumph that make up his remarkable life.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s Mother’s Day as I type this newsletter, and I hope that everyone who celebrated had a pleasant weekend! I got to enthusiastically hug a few people this weekend, and that was very, very much needed.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
What does book publishing stand for?
Members of Britain’s publishing industry have written an open letter about the issues of transphobia.
Bookstagrammers demand publishers pay up.
What happens when #MeToo memoirs are marketed towards a wider audience?
New & Upcoming Titles
Stacey Abrams’ first three romance novels under her Selena Montgomery pen name are set to be re-released.
Meghan Markle announces her first children’s book, which is based on a Father’s Day poem she wrote for Harry.
Brandy Colbert’s next middle grade book puts a spin on the classic Parent Trap storyline.
Bloomsbury acquires two new book projects from Alan Moore.
5 of the best romance novels of April 2021.
The 20 best beach reads of 2021.
Weekly book picks from Crime Reads and USA Today.
May picks from AV Club, Crime Reads, Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, io9 (SFF), Lambda Literary (LGBTQ), LitHub (nonfiction), The Millions, New York Times, PopSugar (mystery/thriller), Shondaland, Time, and Tor.com (sci-fi).
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Second Place – Rachel Cusk (The Guardian, New York Times, Vox, Washington Post)
Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir (Locus Magazine, New York Times, USA Today)
Everybody: A Book About Freedom – Olivia Laing (LA Times, NPR)
Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead (New York Times, Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
Meet the romantic fiction novelists who switched to thrillers.
Readalikes for The Push by Ashley Audrain.
On the Riot
12 of the best April 2021 mystery books.
Reading pathways for the Star Wars books.
Roughing it: the appeal of survivalist kids books.
All Things Comics
Blake Lively and Diablo Cody team up for an adaptation of the Lady Killer comic.
Loki premiere date has been moved up to June 9th.
The Marvels arrives in theaters November, 2022.
A beginner’s guide to manga genres and subgenres.
10 modern comic books that have already aged poorly.
On the Riot
Comics about mental health for Mental Health Awareness Month.
12 famous mangaka you should know.
Are comics for kids, or aren’t they?
Audiophilia
May 2021 Earphones Award Winners.
6 mystery audiobooks for AAPI Heritage Month.
Audiobooks celebrating all things gardening.
On the Riot
7 fictional audiobooks for AAPI Heritage Month.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
11 picture books that celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
34 YA books with mind-blowingly creative titles.
Adults
8 must-read titles for AAPI Heritage Month.
Books to celebrate AAPI Month.
11 books for moms who – more than ever – need an escape.
Stories about mother-son relationships.
20 books to get your mom for Mother’s Day.
10 essential books by Vietnamese American writers.
12 books written by Muslim authors you should read next.
9 beginner-friendly books that helped this reader get out of debt.
7 great thrillers that play with form.
10 of the creepiest gothic novels.
5 SFF books with island settings.
8 unusual SFF librarians who probably won’t “shush” you.
15 books to read after devouring The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.
12 dystopian books to read if you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale.
On the Riot
15 diverse picture book biographies.
Indestructible books for curious kids.
10 great feminist children’s books.
Children’s books that contextualize, correct, or challenge classic kid lit.
Great early chapter books for emerging readers.
8 middle grade books with Latinx characters.
9 antiracist middle grade books.
10 delicious middle grade novels about kids who love to cook and bake.
9 middle grade novels with disabled main characters.
Middle grade books about music, band, and musicals.
12 queer memoirs for when you feel alone.
6 creepy dark fantasy stories.
9 great works of genre-bending gothic fiction.
5 hair-raising historical horror novels.
15 of the best funny fantasy books.
10 ghost stories to keep you up at night.
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.
Be good this week, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.