Welcome to Check Your Shelf. A quick note about my current reading: I’m in the middle of the audio version of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Hunting Vampires by Grady Hendrix. I expected a darkly humorous horror novel. I was not prepared for how deeply I would despise the male characters. I can’t remember the last time I’ve wished for such a gory, painful fate towards a fictional character. The writing is fantastic and extremely well crafted, but let’s just say the real horror isn’t with the vampires. Hoo boy.
So while I collect my feelings, let’s talk about other books!
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
The oldest children’s bookstore in the Boston area is closing at the end of April.
25 years of changes to book publicity.
Book sales in the US are stronger than ever.
A look at the state of the Big 5 publishers today.
How the Russian invasion has impacted Ukraine’s publishing industry.
How the book industry turns its own racism into a marketable product.
New & Upcoming Titles
Reba McEntire is coming out with a new nonfiction book in Fall 2023, which will contain lifestyle tips, recipes, and career stories.
E.J. Koh, author of The Magical Language of Others, announces her debut novel, The Liberators, which will be published in 2023.
Alan Moore is publishing his first ever short story collection in October.
Ling Ma, author of Severance, has a short story collection coming in September.
Sandra Cisneros has sold her first poetry collection in almost 30 years.
Betty Gilpin, who you may know from Nurse Jackie and GLOW, is releasing her first book on September 6th: All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns.
Lucy A. Snyder is releasing a cosmic horror novel next February: Sister, Maiden, Monster.
Speaking of Grady Hendrix…here’s the cover reveal for Grady Hendrix’s upcoming horror novel, How to Sell a Haunted House.
Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, The Millions, New York Times, and USA Today.
April picks from Crime Reads (true crime, international thrillers), The Guardian (thrillers), and USA Today (rom-coms).
Spring picks from Buzzfeed (LGBTQ YA), and USA Today.
9 books by Black authors to read in May.
Barnes & Noble picks their most anticipated books for kids and teens in May.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae (New York Times, Shondaland, USA Today, Washington Post)
Stepping Back From the Ledge: A Daughter’s Search For Truth and Renewal – Laura Trujillo (New York Times, USA Today)
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus (The Guardian)
City on Fire – Don Winslow (LA Times)
RA/Genre Resources
Reading pathway for Nicola Griffith.
On the Riot
The best weekly new releases to TBR.
10 new book genres and subgenres for your TBR.
The “dark side” of female desire in recent literary fiction.
Dear historical fiction: Stop romanticizing World War I.
All Things Comics
Comic book creators are collaborating on the Sunflower Seed anthology to benefit the Ukraine relief effort.
The best comics to read right now: 4/20 edition.
On the Riot
Reboots, retcons, and more: a comics explainer.
8 of the best Korean graphic novels.
Audiophilia
14 enthralling audiobooks by trans authors to check out immediately.
22 audiobooks to listen to with your family on long car trips.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
On the Riot
8 of the best audiobook adaptations of graphic novels.
Fulfill your bookish dream job: how to become an audiobook narrator.
Making space for audiobooks: an exercise in mindfulness.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
17 must-read coming-of-age YA novels.
17 incredible YA books about found families.
Adults
10 must-read nonfiction serial killer books.
5 atmospheric, setting-driven novels.
7 books centered around people of color and technology.
7 books about Black women returning home.
7 crime novels that are also about coming of age.
10 of the best books on gardening.
12 books about mermaids, sirens, and sea gods.
Modern horror books written by contemporary Black creators.
5 historical murder mysteries that will consume you.
On the Riot
10 fantastically sweet middle school romance books.
Badass female heroines in YA fantasy.
10 of the best romance novels where there’s only one bed…
Here are the great millennial novels (so far).
Reading suggestions for fans of The Lost City.
20 of the best genre-blending horror novels.
10 books that feel like a Wes Anderson movie.
8 fictional books that are critical of the art world.
10 feel-good nonfiction books about animals.
8 of the best queer Arthurian retellings.
15 of the best books about Egyptian mythology.
10 books about deadly games.
Books that will scratch your Resident Alien itch.
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 has a guide to discovering upcoming diverse books, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word has created a database of upcoming diverse titles to nominate, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
Our guest kitty in this newsletter is my parents’ new cat, Penny, who enjoys watching her shows on my mom’s iPad. Her shows are just YouTube videos of birds and squirrels, but she loves them, and my parents are willing to give up their iPad for her. The baking sheet is covering the keyboard so she doesn’t accidentally turn off the iPad or delete a bunch of apps or something. It must be nice to be so spoiled.
Well, let’s all take a deep breath and muscle through this week. (My to-do list is already crying.) Catch you on Friday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.