Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I have a T-shirt that says “Ban Bigots, Not Books,” and I wear it a lot when I’m not at work. This weekend, I got my first compliment on my shirt out in the wild (from the cashier at Potbelly, of all places), and it made my day way more than I expected it to. Just a teeny tiny reminder that not all is bad.
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Hachette released its most recent yearly diversity report.
Gillian Flynn wants to use her imprint to open the door for more “off-kilter” books.
Are celebrity publishing imprints the new celebrity vodka?
New & Upcoming Titles
Brittney Griner will be writing a memoir.
Salman Rushdie will be writing a book about his attack last year.
Cover reveal for Beth O’Leary’s upcoming romance novel, The Wakeup Call.
Cover reveal for Jesmyn Ward’s new book, Let Us Descend.
Cover reveal for Jesse Q. Sutanto’s upcoming YA novel, Didn’t See That Coming.
12 poetry collections by Latina poets coming out in 2023.
10 new thrillers you won’t be able to put down.
Weekly picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times, USA Today.
April picks from Crime Reads (psychological thrillers), Ebony, The Root.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Life and Other Love Songs – Anissa Gray (New York Times, Shondaland)
This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew – Daniel Wallace (New York Times, Washington Post)
The Last Animal – Ramona Ausubel (Washington Post)
Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court’s Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences – Joan Biskupic (New York Times)
RA/Genre Resources
The essential Gabriel García Márquez.
On the Riot
The best new weekly releases to TBR.
A roundup of all the April picks from your favorite celebrity book clubs.
A deep dive into the world of Gail Gibbons.
A love letter to Oliver Jeffers’ books.
8 incredible authors like R.F. Kuang.
4 different styles of mystery novels from around the world.
How this reader finally got themselves into historical fiction.
If your favorite gif/meme was a book. (Fun display idea??)
All Things Comics
A look at The Marvels trailer.
On the Riot
10 new manga adaptations to look forward to in 2023.
22 of the best graphic novels of all time.
20 must-read YA comics for new and seasoned fans of the format.
9 fun manga with talking animals.
Audiophilia
11 great children’s audiobooks for National Poetry Month.
On the Riot
10 of Libro.fm’s most-preordered audiobooks for spring 2023.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Adults
13 contemporary Latina poets to read for National Poetry Month.
A reading list of multi-generational mischief.
7 short story collections set in American cities.
5 speculative novels set in worlds full of books.
7 historical novels with mysteries at their center.
Top 10 espionage novels that center women’s stories.
5 books filled with existential anxiety.
Top 10 badly behaved biographies.
Epistolary novels to celebrate National Letter Writing Month.
55 enemies-to-lovers romance novels.
9 romcoms to add some joy to your romance-reading life.
110 essential Los Angeles books.
10 unique murder mysteries for a bloody good time.
Do you need help finding your next great read? Subscribe to Tailored Book Recommendations for really great reads year-round.
On the Riot
8 romantic queer YA books to add to your TBR.
YA romances that take inspiration from classic romcom movies.
20 must-read Indigenous historical fiction books set in North America.
8 of the best French novels that accurately represent Francophone culture.
Horror retellings to scare you all over again.
If you like this prose book, try this poetry collection.
11 of the best nonfiction books about basketball.
Fabulous books by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants and winners.
Adult versions of your favorite childhood books.
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 that includes information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
This is Dini getting limbered up right before I came home with groceries. He must have been a little too limbered up because as I was handing the grocery bags to Blaine through the open door, Dini decided he was going to trot onto the porch to see what all this “outdoors” stuff was all about. Thankfully he didn’t get more than a couple steps out the door, but I almost had a heart attack as I scooped up his chonky butt and told him that the outside was no place for Dinis! So we’re going to have to keep a closer eye on the door next time I bring home groceries.
That’s all I have for today, folks. Don’t forget, you can check out Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, for fascinating stories, informed takes, and more from a variety of bookish experts! Choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.