Sponsored by I Am Golden by Eva Chen, illustrated by Sophie Diao.
This joyful and lyrical picture book from New York Times bestselling author Eva Chen and acclaimed illustrator Sophie Diao is a moving ode to the immigrant experience, and a manifesto of self-love for Chinese American children.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. Well…it’s been a few weeks, hasn’t it? I’m torn between good things like my library officially going fines-free (this was the good news I alluded to in my newsletters last month), and terrible things like *gestures to the window.* I’m boosted and taking as many precautions as I can against COVID, but over the last week, it seems like everyone I know has tested positive, and all of these people were vaccinated. (No one I was in close contact with, but still — it’s alarming.) Plus I still have a few family members who aren’t vaccinated, and let’s just say the worry game is real right now.
So whatever you have to do to take care of YOU right now, please do so. Hunker down if you can. Wear your mask. Block out the world if you need to.
And if books bring you comfort, keep reading. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be work related — just find yourself a new book that makes you feel excited! (I won’t tell…)
Collection Development Corner
Publishing News
Authors win $7.8 million in a default judgment against the KISS library, an overseas eBook piracy operation.
African authors took the literary world by storm in 2021.
New & Upcoming Titles
Publisher’s Weekly looks at the battle of the Beatles books that came out late last year. (And because I have awesome people in my life who know me extremely well, I ended up getting both of these for Christmas!)
Here’s a book to put on your 2022 radar: The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu, “a queer, locked-room sci-fi mystery inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet,” which will be published in September.
Here’s a first look at Ingrid Rojas Contreras’ memoir, The Man Who Could Move Clouds, which comes out in July.
January picks from Barnes & Noble for adults and kids/teens.
Best books of 2021 from Buzzfeed, Crime Reads (psychological thrillers, horror, speculative mysteries & thrillers), LA Times, New Yorker (cookbooks), People (children’s books), and San Francisco Chronicle.
LitHub created “The Ultimate Best Books of 2021” list, which collates the results from 49 other lists.
But if you really want to get your Best Books jam on, this is the final word in best book lists roundups every year.
Kirkus shared their 100 favorite Indie books of 2021, including:
– Best Thrillers and Mysteries
– Best Romance
– Best Fiction & Literature
– Best Nonfiction
– Best Biography and Memoir
– Best Children’s Books
– Best YA and Middle Grade Fiction
– Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal Fiction
– Best Historical Fiction
– Best Short Story Collections
– Best Poetry Collections
Most anticipated 2022 books from Barnes & Noble (debuts), Electric Lit (LGBTQ), Epic Reads (YA debuts), Goodreads, USA Today, and Vogue.
What Your Patrons Are Hearing About
A Marvellous Light – Freya Marske (NPR)
All Her Little Secrets – Wanda M. Morris (NPR)
To Paradise – Hanya Yanagihara (The Atlantic)
RA/Genre Resources
A look at “impact narratives,” a long-running genre about threats from space.
On the Riot
Check out the 2022 Book Riot Reading Log!
Why we feel the need to share what we read.
One reader’s adventure in speed reading vs. slow reading.
The benefits of reviewing every book you read. On the flip side, we also have the joy of not reviewing a book. Which side are you on?
All Things Comics
Indie comics publishing house Dark Horse Media has been acquired by the Embracer Group, a Swedish video game development company.
Michael Keaton joins the cast of Batgirl on HBO.
On the Riot
New 2022 manga to put on your radar.
11 of the best comic book podcasts.
Love that queer book? Read this queer comic!
8 great horror manga to creep you out.
You will never understand comics (and that’s okay).
Audiophilia
Dolly Parton will headline the audiobook cast for her upcoming collaboration with James Patterson.
9 great audiobooks to listen to during your holiday travels.
On the Riot
8 audiobooks longlisted for the PEN America Awards.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists
Children/Teens
26 short YA books when all you want is a quick read.
12 YA books to inspire you to go after your goals.
Adults
8 emotionally fulfilling novels for fans of The Midnight Library.
16 African romance novels bound to keep you warm this winter.
15 books by trans, genderqueer, and non-binary authors.
10 rom-com readalikes for fans of Emily in Paris.
On the Riot
14 award-winning children’s books of 2021.
20 of the best picture books you’ve never heard of.
15 middle grade books for autistic tweens and teens.
Essential YA nonfiction: a guide to reading widely.
Be gay, do crimes: YA mysteries/thrillers starring LGBTQ+ characters.
20 of the most influential historical fiction books of all time.
8 magical New Year’s Eve romances.
14 must-read Japanese books available in English translation.
10 showstopper books for K-drama fans.
8 books like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
9 great books about building habits.
Must-read under-the-radar mysteries of 2021.
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 created a database of upcoming diverse books that anyone can edit, and Nora Rawlins of Early Word is doing the same, as well as including information about series, vendors, and publisher buzz.
Stay well, everyone. See you on Friday.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to Take it Back by Kia Abdullah.
