Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I am sad to say that we did not encounter any spirits at the Stanley Hotel, so I am on to my next vacation/life quest, which is to see a wild bear. I am literally planning early morning drives around Breckenridge in search of one, and I am NOT an early riser! And before anyone panics, I’m not one of those people to jump out of the car and run toward wildlife. I just want to see the damn thing!
Don’t forget…today is the last chance for new free Deep Dive subscribers to enter to win a copy of Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus five mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription — no payment method required!
Libraries & Librarians
Cool Library Updates
The New York Times profiled the library boat that brings books to isolated villages along the coast of Norway.
Book Adaptations in the News
Lily Gladstone will campaign for Lead Actress for Killers of the Flower Moon, which could make her the first-ever Native American nominee.
Millie Bobby Brown is planning an adaptation of her new novel, Nineteen Steps.
Here is the latest Percy Jackson trailer.
Censorship News
Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute have released the results from their survey of parental perceptions of public libraries and book banning.
The overwhelming cost of book banning.
Student groups against book bans.
Everything you need to know about the right-wing war on books.
Simon & Schuster announced a new program to combat book bans.
How the government is removing our right to read in private.
A new PEN America report says that book bans in public schools are up 33% from last year.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has issued a temporary hold on Judge Albright’s ruling that blocked Texas’ controversial book rating law.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the company will “quiet the noise” in the ongoing “culture wars,” which are happening primarily in Florida against Ron DeSantis.
Paywalled: Teachers and students call on Pennsylvania lawmakers to enact a ban on book bans.
Virginia book challenges take a toll on authors and librarians.
Nancy Pack, Director of the Alabama Public Library Service, explains why severing ties with ALA would have negative repercussions for the state.
Ozark Library (AL) increases parental supervision (and unnecessarily increases work for library staff) but doesn’t remove any books.
A Republican candidate for Missouri governor has vowed to burn books after his flamethrower video went viral.
Four members of the library board in Iron River (WI) have been removed amidst a push to remove LGBTQ+ books. However, Town Board Chair David Ciembronowicz says that the decision to remove the board members had nothing to do with the book controversy and everything to do with the fact that the library board had eight members (state law only allows up to seven members), and only two members can be residents from another community. All four of the ousted members were from other communities. How on earth does this even happen??
Illinois State Library was evacuated last week after another bomb threat.
Yorkville Board of Education (IL) voted to remove Just Mercy from the high school English 2 curriculum, saying that it was “too controversial.”
Kootenai County (ID) Sheriff Bob Norris has gotten far too involved in the book banning push and has determined that several books are considered inappropriate by his standards. Please note that Sheriff Norris is, in fact, a member of law enforcement and not a trained librarian with an appropriate master’s degree.
Gavin Newsome has signed a bill blocking California school boards from banning inclusive books.
A Columbia County (WA) court barred an initiative to close the Dayton Library from appearing on the November ballot. “The initiative…was unconstitutional, procedurally invalid and the signature gathering was marred by ‘potential criminal acts.’”
Books & Authors in the News
Hollywood studios and the WGA have reached a deal that has officially ended the writers’ strike. Here’s an explanation of the new contract.
These 183,000 books are fueling the biggest fight in publishing and tech.
A previously unknown Truman Capote story has been published for the first time.
Numbers & Trends
Booksellers stock up on genre fiction.
The best-selling books of the week.
Book Riot has podcasts to keep your ears listening for days! Check them out and subscribe.
Award News
The 2023 Booker Prize shortlist has been announced.
On the Riot
In praise of Bookstagram scholarship.
The absolute worst advice this Rioter found in dating books.
No cat picture this week, but I do want to share one of the most glorious views we’ve experienced on this trip so far. This is at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, where the aspens have turned the most beautiful shade of gold I’ve ever seen (#nofilter). Starting now, I’m pledging to make yearly mountain vacations a part of my self-care routine.
All right, friends. This is your reminder (and my reminder!) to stay hydrated this weekend! (High altitude exercise + allergies means I need to be drinking ALL THE WATER to keep functioning.) I’ll see you on Tuesday, at which point I will be back home and very grumbly about it.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.