Welcome to Check Your Shelf. All vacations must come to an end, and by the time you read this, I will be heading back to LAX, hopefully without another 4.5 hour stay at the car rental agency. I have to say, L.A. was interesting enough, but San Diego has been AMAZING. I definitely want to come back!
And in Book Riot news, we’re launching a new, in-depth newsletter, The Deep Dive, which features fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading! Subscription is $5/month for two newsletters each month, but if you’re on the fence or need some time before making the commitment, a free subscription will get you The Splash Pad, which rounds up some of the experts’ recommended reading and bookish lifestyle goods monthly. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com.
Okay, now on to the newsletter!
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Women are now publishing more books than men, and it’s good for business.
The Big Five aren’t enough: supporting small presses supports communities.
New & Upcoming Titles
Haruki Murakami is publishing a new novel in April.
Zadie Smith also has a new novel coming out in September.
Fonda Lee has a new sci-fi novel coming out that she describes as “a cyberpunk samurai space opera (without the space).”
A collection of rediscovered short stories by Terry Pratchett will be published in October.
Augusten Burroughs is writing his first picture book.
Cover reveal for Percy Jackson and the Chalice of the Gods.
7 new southern gothic novels by women writers.
11 2023 speculative fiction titles that are perfect for crime fans.
Weekly book picks from Crime Reads, New York Times, and USA Today.
March picks from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads, Epic Reads, L.A. Times, LitHub (SFF), New York Times, The Root, Time.
2023’s most anticipated from PopSugar (historical fiction, fantasy).
RA/Genre Resources
Building a new canon of Black literature.
The exuberant diversity of Ukrainian literature.
On the Riot
The best weekly releases to TBR.
Why do people read true crime?
Reading pathway for Valerie Burns.
When is a novel’s ambiguous ending justified?
25 most iconic book covers of all time.
All Things Comics
Marvel launches a 20th Century Studios imprint with a Planet of the Apes comic.
Great British Baking Show finalist Kim-Joy is publishing a graphic novel about how baking has helped her overcome social anxiety.
On the Riot
2023 queer comics and graphic memoirs to add to your TBR.
10 comics to read after Marvel’s Dark Web.
Novels starring comic book characters.
When championing graphic novels, is it possible to go too far?
Audiophilia
The March 2023 Earphones Award Winners have been announced.
12 funny audiobooks to make you laugh out loud.
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
15 children’s books that teach, not preach.
Mystery books for 6-8 year olds.
Kids’ books about amazing Black women in history.
Adults
What to read if you loved Daisy Jones and the Six.
16 great international books for U.S. readers.
All the best romance novels on BookTok.
7 novels about immigrant mothers who defy societal expectations.
10 stories featuring haunted corridors and sinister spaces.
15 book recommendations from Chris Pine.
6 memoirs that go beyond memories.
8 books if you loved 1923.
On the Riot
8 of the best children’s books about airplanes.
YA books with fat protagonists.
12 of the best books by Black authors that you probably have never heard of.
31 of the best Kindle Unlimited romance books in 2023.
Survival game horror novels to keep you tense until the very last page.
Nobel Prize winners you need to read.
10 celebrity memoirs from 2022 you may have missed.
What to read to learn more about the world and historical events.
The best-selling fantasy books of all time.
Famous authors who wrote franchise novels.
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.
Surprise cat sighting! Blaine and I were visiting the cactus garden at Balboa Park, when I spotted these adorable strays! Apparently they’re known residents of the park because there were several trays of food laid out for them. Blaine had to keep me from tearing off into the cactus to reach the cats, which is probably the most on-brand sentence I’ve ever written in my life.
Okay, friends. I’ll catch you on Friday when I’m back in Illinois. (Sigh.)
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on