Sponsored by Starscape.
Lily to the Rescue is an irresistible, illustrated chapter book series from the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, W. Bruce Cameron. Once a stray puppy, Lily was rescued by the kind people at the animal shelter run by Maggie Rose’s mom. Now Lily has a very important purpose: to rescue other animals in trouble. Join Lily in a brand new adventure featuring a litter of arctic fox kits that escaped from the zoo!
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I spent this afternoon on a boat watching a group of humpback whales flash their fins, and it was SO COOL! I was planning to share my video of a couple humpbacks diving in tandem next to the boat, but Twitter’s not letting me upload. You’ll just have to take my word for it that it was amazing as hell!
And now…books.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Amazon and the Big 5 publishers asked a federal court to dismiss the ebook price-fixing lawsuit.
Lena Waithe and Gillian Flynn are starting book imprints with the new indie publishing company, Zando.
Author Sara Gran has launched a new independent publisher, Dreamland Books.
Phoebe Robinson talks about her new book imprint, which launches this month.
The Guardian Review section has closed after almost 20 years.
New & Upcoming Titles
Sonia Sotomayor has a picture book coming out in January 2022 called Just Help!
Chuck Palahniuk is serializing his next novel on Substack.
Here’s a look at Gregory Maguire’s upcoming middle grade novel, Cress Watercress.
Take a peek at Casey McQuiston’s third novel, I Kissed Shara Wheeler.
Preview for Hernan Diaz’s upcoming novel, Trust.
Weekly book picks from Bustle, Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.
September picks from Crime Reads (debuts) and Goodreads (mysteries/thrillers).
October picks from Barnes & Noble (adults, children/teens) and Epic Reads.
Fall picks from AARP, BookBub (romance), Buzzfeed (SFF), Chicago Reader, and LitHub.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Bewilderment – Richard Powers (New York Times, NPR, Seattle Times, Washington Post)
Peril – Bob Woodward & Robert Costa (LA Times, NPR, Slate, Washington Post)
Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr (The Guardian, New York Times, Seattle Times)
The Book of Form and Emptiness – Ruth Ozeki (New York Times, USA Today)
The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century – Amia Srinivasan (LA Times, New York Times)
RA/Genre Resources
Readalikes for Peril by Bob Woodward & Robert Costa.
The dark reality behind cozy mysteries.
The absence of elderly sleuths in detective fiction.
Why noir and science fiction are still a perfect pairing.
On the Riot
8 new YA fantasy series from your favorite authors.
35 new YA horror novels to devour.
Reading pathways for Rochelle Alers.
How to start reading fiction (when you only read nonfiction).
10 authors like Shirley Jackson.
Why “don’t judge a book by its cover” is bad advice.
All Things Comics
3 new extra-unusual graphic novels.
On the Riot
On being a comics reader vs. being a comics fan.
Horror manga artists to fuel your nightmares.
6 (more) Sherlock Holmes comics.
Audiophilia
Audiobooks take off with students during the pandemic.
Hispanic Heritage Month books to listen to on audio.
On the Riot
6 awesome mysteries and thrillers on audio.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
22 YA books to read if your school won’t teach critical race theory.
Historical fantasy YA book recommendations to send you back in time.
Teen books featuring secret societies.
Adults
Recommended books for Hispanic Heritage Month from Bustle and OprahDaily.
15 novels by Dominican authors to add to your reading list.
12 books by women that Gabrielle Union is recommending the most.
9 novels starring bisexual+ main characters.
Romance suggestions based on your favorite romantic comedy films.
The 22 best Agatha Christie books, according to Goodreads users.
10 of the best horror books just in time for spooky season.
10 books about ghosts to scare the you-know-what out of you.
12 historical fiction books that will transport you around the world.
10 criminal characters motivated by good intentions.
On the Riot
The best Bible story books for kids.
14 music books for kids to teach and inspire.
10 magical middle grade reads.
The best YA pirate stories.
YA books about fat girls kicking butt.
Books for fans of Gossip Girl.
20 unabashedly bi books for Bi Visibility Day.
16 French books in English translations
9 of the best romance anthologies.
10 delicious coffee shop romances.
The best horror novels of the decade.
8 horror novels about the ocean.
8 more Indigenous horror novels to haunt your shelves.
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.
All right friends, I’ll catch you on Friday, by which point I will be preparing for my trip to the Upper Peninsula.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.