Welcome to Check Your Shelf. It’s been a devastating week in the Horner household — we had to say goodbye to our beloved kitty Gilbert on Friday. He had so much unconditional love and trust, and I can’t adequately describe how much Blaine and I loved him back. He was the best cat we could have ever hoped for. I’m getting through the day with lots of distractions, but this, by far, is the hardest pet loss I’ve ever had to go through. Give all of your furry friends a hug for me.
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Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Shipping costs are likely to increase due to the ongoing Red Sea crisis.
Why is March 2024 shaping up to be one of the best months in years for new books?
Why did Atria Books send a TikTok influencer on an Antarctic cruise?
New & Upcoming Titles
Senator John Fetterman is writing a political memoir with Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights.
We’re getting an illustrated edition of The Hunger Games later this year.
Most anticipated 2024 titles from Brightly (YA), Crime Reads, Paste (romance), Washington Post.
Vogue picks the best books of 2024 so far. (Okay, calm down, Vogue).
The 10 best new novelists for 2024.
20 books by Latinx authors coming out in 2024.
10 promising fiction debuts for spring 2024.
Weekly picks from Crime Reads, LitHub, New York Times.
January picks from Crime Reads (psychological thrillers), Kirkus.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture – Kyle Chayka (Atlantic, NPR, Washington Post)
The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History – Manjula Martin (LA Times, New York Times)
The Fetishist – Katherine Min (LA Times, Seattle Times)
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage – Molly Roden Winter (New York Times, Washington Post)
RA/Genre Resources
On the Riot
The best mysteries/thrillers, romance, science fiction, and nonfiction of 2023.
The most popular books on Book Riot in 2023.
The best new weekly releases to TBR.
25 of the best self-improvement books to read in 2024.
Cozy fantasy books you won’t want to miss in 2024.
8 science books to look for in early 2024.
The best book club books for 2024.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
Children’s books that carry on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
12 YA historical fiction books by Black authors.
Adults
9 great speculative whodunnits.
Recent crime novels by AAPI authors.
10 of the best vegan cookbooks.
5 reads perfect for chilly days.
5 of the best postcolonial novels.
12 hot and heavy hotel romance novels.
Turn up the heat with these spicy romances.
10 life-affirming reads for fans of Frederik Backman.
10 historical fiction mysteries perfect for winter reading.
The best books on artificial intelligence, as selected by ChatGPT.
On the Riot
9 books to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mean Girls.
Must-read historical fiction set in Italy.
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.
I had Blaine pick out a photo of Gilbert for this newsletter because I’m still struggling to go through our photos. This one was taken within the last couple of months and shows Gilbert in his happiest state — being aggressively snuggled by one of his humans. This is how I’ll always remember him.
Let’s hope for a happier week this week. I’ll see you again on Friday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.