Newsletters Dev – Page 4 – getting it done!

The Year Of The Dragon, Ice Skating, And More!

Post author By Margaret Kingsbury
Post date February 9, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! Yesterday was the start of Lunar New Year celebrations, and while I’ve already recommended Lunar New Year children’s books in a previous newsletter, since this year is the Year of the Dragon, I thought I would review dragon books! I am a dragon girl and will read almost anything with a dragon in it.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

Books Are Magic Dragon Sticker by UmasWonderland

This adorable sticker is a perfect Lunar New Year gift for dragon-loving kids (or adults). $5+

New Releases

Not Yet: The Story of an Unstoppable Skater by Hadley Davis and Zahra Lari, illustrated by Sara Alfageeh

This is an inspiring picture book biography about the first figure skater to compete nationally in a hijab —Zahra Lari. As a child, Zahra would pretend to skate on her home’s hardwood floor in socks. Family and friends would tell her she couldn’t be a figure skater, but her father believed she should be able to follow her interests and signed her up for skating lessons. After many falls, she succeeds in competing and wears her hijab as she skates. Zahra co-writes this with the co-creator of Disney’s Ice Princesses, the movie Zahra says inspired her to become a figure skater. So cool! Ice Castles was the figure skating movie I was obsessed with as a kid.

The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber

This is a super fun middle grade mystery about secret societies, elite private schools, and sailing. It’s told from two perspectives. Weatherby earns a scholarship at an elite private school because of her sailing skills. Her father left before she was born, and her single mother raised her with the help of a neighbor who taught her how to sail. Jack is the youngest son of one of the richest families in America and feels constant pressure from his father to be the perfect Hunt. When he loses a sailing match to Weatherby, he’s angry and anxious. He, of course, attends the private school where Weatherby will now be attending. Both are tapped to join a secret society, but all is not what it seems.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

As I already mentioned, I love dragon books no matter what age group they’re written for. Here are four recentish or forthcoming ones I really enjoyed.

The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung, illustrated by Hanna Cha

This stunning picture book just won the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature and a Caldecott Honor at the recent ALA awards, and for good reason. It’s a beautifully illustrated and heartwarming picture book about a biracial child learning dragon folklore from grandmothers from two different cultures — Eastern and Western. He imagines himself exploring two different forests, encountering his grandmothers in these forests, and witnessing a dragon. It’s a really special book.

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Lian Cho

While the previous dragon picture book was a warm and delightful exploration of heritage, this one is completely hilarious and ludicrous. It won me over on the title alone, but I’m happy to say the contents lived up to the title. It’s a counting book about a large dragon family, all named Broccoli, slowly getting willowed down as they travel, go on adventures, and encounter wizards until finally, there’s only one dragon named Broccoli. Or is there more? The illustrations are so perfectly whimsical and expressive.

Drag and Rex 1: Forever Friends by Susan Lubner, illustrated by Blythe Russo

This delightful chapter book is on the lower end of chapter book reading levels. It describes the daily lives of two best friends — a dragon named Drag and a T-rex named Rex. These two friends have very different personalities. Drag is a daydreaming, disorganized, adventurous dragon full of new ideas. Rex is a polite, slightly grumpy, organized dinosaur who is always ready and willing to help friends. This chapter book is divided into three stories with three chapters each. It’s really great for kids just beginning to read chapter books.

Paper Dragons by Siobhan McDermott

This fun middle grade fantasy releases on March 5th. The world-building is really intricate and fascinating. The main character, 12-year-old Yeung, is training to become an immortal in a secret underwater world after being raised by an elderly healer woman and being shunned by her village because her hair doesn’t glow around dragon scales. All the students have to pass challenges to stay in the program. Meanwhile, the entire kingdom is being attacked by zombie-like creatures, and she has some kind of special powers to pull rails out of the sky. And a cute duck companion.

If you love the American Girl series, you might recognize this dress. A friend had extra American Girl dolls she was giving away and gave my daughter Felicity wearing this dress. I always wanted an American Girl doll as a kid and told my daughter about them, and we checked out a Felicity book at the library. The next day, one of her cat stuffed animals was wearing the dress, and she hasn’t played with the doll since that first day. Ah well! She loves her cats.

If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, Bluesky @AReaderlyMom.bsky.social, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.

All the best,

Margaret Kingsbury

What's Up in YA

New YA Graphic Novel Extravaganza: YA Book Talk, February 12, 2024

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date February 9, 2024

Sponsored by

Hey, YA Readers!

I hope your Monday is off to a good start as we enter the week of all things love. I know folks have conflicted feelings on Valentine’s Day, but I enjoy it a lot and always emphasize every year that this holiday is not only historical—it’s been commercialized, of course, but it’s not a Hallmark* invention—but like Halloween, you can enjoy it whatever way you want to. Go on a date with a partner! Take your best friends out for coffee! Grab a book and take a bath with some chocolate hearts! It’s about love and warmth, so let yourself enjoy it.

This week, let’s love on all things books, if nothing else. Onward into the new releases—and it’s a mega roundup!

*My first job as a teenager was at Hallmark, and my favorite little thing about that job was memorizing where any kind of card was located. You want a “Thanks for being an amazing bus driver” card? I could find you several.

Bookish Goods

Young Adult Reader Sticker by SprinklesStudios

You’re here because you care about and enjoy young adult books. Now share that love on your water bottle, planner, or physical TBR notebook with this sticker. $4.

New Releases

We’re being blessed with abundance in new releases this time of the year. Below are two hardcovers hitting shelves this week. You can grab the entire list right here.

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson, Ekua Holmes (Illustrated by)

Renée Watson is back, and this time, she’s written a collection of poetry that is semi-autobiographical. It explores coming of age as a Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender. The poetry includes all kinds of formats and is not only Watson’s story but a call for Black girls today to take the time to know themselves, love themselves, and champion themselves.

This Is How You Fall In Love by Anika Hussain

Zara is a fan of all things love and hopes for her own swoony romance. Adnan has been her best friend since childhood, and while everyone has told them they are the perfect couple, Zara knows they’re meant to be friends.

That is until Adnan asks Zara to do him a huge favor: pretend to be his girlfriend so he can cover up his real secret relationship. Zara is on board, but those fake feelings might start to get a little bit too real and, worse, get confusing when a new boy enters her life. Who does she choose? Does she get to choose at all?

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

A Graphic Novel Extravaganza

This week is one of the biggest weeks for new YA graphic novels/comics in a while. I do not remember the last time so many were released on the same day, and I don’t want to not highlight them.

Dive into some new comics with these releases, which truly do have something for every kind of reader.

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu, illustrated by Mad Rupert

Molly Bauer is off to college, but it is starting out to be a disaster. All of the money she was promised in the form of financial aid disappeared. But she’s scoured the papers and policies of her school and discovered something: if she and nine other art students can win one game of softball, they’ll all be able to enjoy a full athletic scholarship.

Of course, they’re going for it! Who cares if they don’t know a thing about the sport?

Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre, illustrated by Rafael Rosado

Iggy is an Ohio-born Colombian American. Once he bumps into Marisol, he becomes quickly infatuated. Marisol, however, is way too busy with her own life—including getting her legal papers—to engage. Iggy is desperate to catch her attention, and then he is quickly approached by his abuelo with suggestions.

The problem? His abuelo is dead and also gives terrible advice.

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Kai Song wants to follow in the footsteps of her father and become a warrior. The problem is she’s a girl, and society isn’t keen on female warriors.

She’s also been subject of rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the legendary nine-tail fox that her father killed.

When Kai finds out a huge secret about her mother’s past, Kai finds herself unraveling, worried that everything she thought she knew about herself, her history, and her family are all untruths.

Freshman Year by Sarah Mai

I would have eaten this book up as a high schooler and have, in my adulthood, read several comics that cover this terrain: moving away to college.

This is Sarah’s graphic memoir of leaving her home in Wisconsin to attend college in Minnesota. It’s about all of the expectations and anticipation she has and what happens when those things butt against the realities of what college life is actually like.

King Cheer by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green

This is the second comic in a series that brings a fresh twist to Shakespeare. In King Cheer, we get a queer twist on King Lear (one of my fav Shakespeare plays!).

Leah is the cheerleading captain but decides to call it quits just before graduation. She is struggling with a lot of things, including her identity, with being waitlisted at her dream college, and more.

A pair of twins have now stepped in to replace Leah as co-captains and the situation for the team is not good. They’ve put the cheer squad in such a position that now, they’re fighting the basketball team.

One person can solve the problem. But for Leah, that first requires untangling her own.

Thanks as always for hanging out, and know I am so glad we get to talk books as much as we do.

I’ll see you later this week for (spoiler) MORE BOOK TALK.

Until then, happy reading!

–Kelly Jensen, listening to Once In a Millennial by Kate Kennedy

True Story

Women Writers from Around the World

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date February 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Here in the United States, most of the books published are by authors from the U.S. or the U.K., so it’s easy to get into the habit of just going with the flow. But for readers who want to broaden their perspectives, it’s important that we think about where our books are coming from — their country of origin, their original language, etc. — and how we can incorporate more books from around the world into our lives.

With that goal in mind, today I’m recommending two books featuring authors from around the world, each writer sharing her perspective on the world. But before we jump into books, it’s time for bookish goods!

Bookish Goods

Communities Of Resistance — Bell Hooks Quote by Ink2Inspire

This week, I’m featuring bookish gifts for galentine’s day. I adore bell hooks, on of my favorite Appalachian authors, so this print seems like the perfect gift. $16+

New Releases

How To Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson

Kentucky author Shayla Lawson writes about traveling as a femme-presenting Black person, the ups, the downs, and everything in between. They explore ideas around Blackness in other countries and cultures, going through transformative experiences as they discover new things about themself in each new place.

Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

Author Sheila Heti kept a diary for ten years, writing down her observations about life. In this new memoir, she types up her journals and organizes the sentences from A to Z, creating something wholly unique.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Dinner on Monster Island: Essays by Tania De Rozario

In her short collection of essays, queer Singaporean author Tania De Rozario shares her experience growing up as a fat, biracial girl during a time when Singapore required children with a “high” BMI to participate in food restriction and extra exercise. Much of the novel follows De Rozario as she begins her journey of self-acceptance, embracing her body and sexuality as they are, not as society tells her they should be.

It’s Not About the Burqa, edited by Mariam Khan

Editor Mariam Khan has gathered together a stunning group of Muslim women writers who all share their experiences. In 2016, Mariam Khan heard David Cameron had linked the radicalization of Muslim men to the “traditional submissiveness” of Muslim women. Appalled, Khan decided to push back with a collection of essays of Muslim women from around the world. They discuss issues around family, marriage, sex, gender, and so much more. This is such an incredible collection with so many different views and perspectives. A must-read for any nonfiction lover.

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy Reading, Friends!

~ Kendra

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date February 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!

Today’s pick is a recent romance that I loved, to celebrate Valentine’s Day next week. Whether you’re happily single or in a relationship, remember to treat yo’ shelf, buy yourself the flowers (and books), and celebrate you!

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Raine is a traveling musician who makes her living by playing at street corners and parks, in pubs and under monuments. She gave up holding down a “real” job, and now she travels across Europe wherever she wants, not having to worry that her ADHD will get her fired. But when her beloved guitar is stolen in Cobh, Ireland, Raine is facing the very real prospect of having to return home to Boston, defeated. Until she lands in a pub called The Local and meets a very hot tattooed man named Jack. When she confesses that The Local is rather lacking in character, Jack reveals that he owns it…and then offers her a job. As Raine is tasked with making The Local a destination, Jack can’t help but fall in love with her, even as he worries that his OCD might get in the way of a happy ending.

I had never read a Sarah Grunder Ruiz romance before, and this one is a companion to her previous novels (Luck and Last Resorts; Love, Lists, and Many Ships), but you don’t need to have read those in order to enjoy this one. I really loved the wonderful banter between Raine and Jack, which kicks off at the very beginning and doesn’t let up. This is a fantastic romance about falling in love while mentally ill and neurodivergent, and it’s also a great example of a romance where the love interests have great chemistry, are super into each other, and don’t have a big, extravagant miscommunication or external force keeping them apart…which I think is actually more difficult to pull off, but Ruiz does exactly that. Raine has ADHD, which she fears makes her annoying and unreliable, especially as she sometimes struggles with time management and doesn’t want to let Jack down. Jack has OCD, and while he’s been in therapy in the past, he’s struggling with intrusive thoughts that make taking a chance on love scary, and he feels because he is unable to do the things that he used to do—notably, work as a tattoo artist and travel.

As the story unfolds and Raine works at transforming the bar into a place that locals and tourists will love, she has to grapple with the idea of putting down roots while also fearing that she’ll disappoint Jack, and Jack worries that his OCD will hold them both back. But as they work through their fears and skewed perceptions, their love only grows, and they realize that the only thing standing in the way of giving it a shot is themselves. As an added bonus, the setting felt warm and inviting, so much so that I am a bit sad that The Local isn’t a place I can visit IRL, and there is a very, very cute cat character that I adored. This might be my first Ruiz romance, but it won’t be my last!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Find me on Book Riot, Hey YA, All the Books, and Instagram. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, click here to subscribe.

Unusual Suspects

Idaho Murders Docuseries Reveals How Dangerous Internet Sleuths Can Be: THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date February 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, mystery fans! Carla Hall has a new food show on Max, Chasing Flavor, and it is as delightful and adventurous as she is! My only complaint is no one has designed TVs where I can grab and eat the food on the screen.

Bookish Goods

Mobile Bookshop Sticker Bundle by TerraVCo

I love bookmobiles, and I found these illustrations lovely. ($19 — they’re also sold individually if you prefer.)

New Releases

A Matrimonial Murder (Temple Hill Mystery #2) by Meeti Shroff-Shah

For fans of armchair traveling while solving a murder mystery and novelist-turned-amateur sleuth MCs!

Novelist Radhi Zaveri is once again finding herself solving a murder mystery: the killing of a matchmaker’s assistant in Mumbai. With a long list of clients (any who could have motive), first, Radhi will have to figure out if the assistant was even the target or the actual matchmaker.

If you want to start at the beginning, pick up A Mumbai Murder Mystery.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

For fans of stories where wills leave someone a business and a mystery, British murder mysteries, and antiques (C.L. Miller is the daughter of the late Judith Miller of the BBC Antiques Roadshow)!

Divorced and with a kid in college, Freya Lockwood learns that the man she tracked down valuable antiques with 20 years ago has died and left her and her aunt his business in a small English village. But that’s not all he left: there’s also a cryptic letter for Freya that she’s about to realize puts her on the hunt for his murderer…

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Based on two new releases of things to watch, I thought I’d give “buddy” book recs.

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Film: Lisa Frankenstein, written by Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) and directed by Zelda Williams (Robin Williams’s daughter), is inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and is now playing in theaters. It’s a horror comedy following a teen girl struggling with her new family dynamic and hanging out in the cemetery when she accidentally brings a dead guy to life.

Book: While the film and this book have different plots, I immediately thought of this book when I heard about the film: misunderstood teen lead, bringing back a dead person, living teen + the “dead” teaming up, the Lisa Frank aesthetic, and the fun, smart, humor mix! Plus, in the book, you get the bonus of a mystery: the mean girls accidentally brought back to life were murdered, but by who?

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

Series: Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (an 8-episode limited series on FX that you can stream on Hulu) is based on the book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer. It’s about Truman Capote, known for his true crime book In Cold Blood, and his final novel, which he spent years talking about but never published, as he befriended a group of wealthy women he called his Swans, and the betrayal that led to them never speaking to him again. The series has a hell of a cast if you grew up when I did: Naomi Watts as Babe Paley, Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest, Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill, Demi Moore as Ann Woodward, Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson.

Book: This is a super interesting true crime + history + biography that delves into the story of a serial killer preacher, the lawyer who defended the preacher and then defended the man who killed the preacher (!), Harper Lee’s (To Kill a Mockingbird) research for Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, and how Lee wrote about the preacher’s case because she wanted to write her own true crime book. Did you wonder how I was going to pull this all together? Always have faith in my twisty, turny brain!

News and Roundups

Missouri Secretary of State Candidate Promises to Burn Books

Anna Diop Joins Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe in The Man in My Basement (an adaptation of Walter Mosley’s The Man in My Basement)

Idaho Murders Docuseries Reveals How Dangerous Internet Sleuths Can Be: They Are Not Qualified

Downton Abbey and Line of Duty stars team up for new Netflix crime series – and it sounds gripping (based on The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen)

Legal Worlds Collide When the Suits Cast Meets Judge Judy in e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Super Bowl Spot

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel Author Lisa Jewell Shatters the Promise of Perfection

Black-Owned Bookish Etsy Shops for You to Support

First Look at Sugar, Colin Farrell’s Slick Detective Series Inspired by ’40s Noir

Hijack, Starring Idris Elba, Renewed at Apple TV+

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

Swords and Spaceships

Sword Fighting Magistrates and More Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date February 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and today I have two new releases and two recent indie releases for you. I’m particularly excited about Praiseworthy since the author is Waanyi (Aboriginal Australian), and I feel like we haven’t gotten to see a lot of Waanyi writing in SFF so far. Give me more perspectives! There’s a lot of really cool stuff coming our way in February in general, and this is just the beginning.

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.

Bookish Goods

Laminated Celestial Bookmarks by SeeknfindCreations

I am a sucker for shiny things and pretty pictures, so these bookmarks certainly hit me right where I live. They’re laminated, too, to make them more durable! $13.

New Releases

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan

This book contains nine short stories, seven of which have never been published elsewhere, each about the Celestial Kingdom we visited in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Even better, it contains illustrations by Kelly Chong!

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell

Greatcoats are the king’s personal investigators of all things supernatural, magistrates who specialize in sword fighting. Estevar is one such Greatcoat, dispatched to an abbey after a frantic message from the abbot who is trying to deal with the monks warring from within over a new pantheon of gods starting. But Estevar has problems beyond a bunch of mad, violent monks. He’s got a near-fatal sword wound he’s trying to nurse along, a diabolical inquisitor dogging him, and a young woman who keeps popping up and claiming to be his ally when she’s likely anything but.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Here are a couple of recent indie releases that sound absolutely fascinating!

Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright

A mysterious cloud descends on a small town in northern Australia, bringing with it ecological catastrophe—and a gathering of the ancestors. The Aboriginal residents of the town react in different ways. One sees donkeys as a solution to both the climate crisis and the economic dependency the Aboriginal people labor under. His wife follows butterflies and tries to find a way for her family to be repatriated to China. Meanwhile, their sons court death, driven by the nightmare or dream of being white and powerful.

Triangulum by Subodhana Wijeyeratne

For three thousand years, the garden world of Prithvi has been kept safe by the godlike Dawn and her Golden Swarm, while the Red Fleet, under her nephew, watches over the Nine Worlds. But nothing lasts forever, and Night, Dawn’s estranged sister, is coming to right an ancient wrong and topple the old order. The people of the worlds will soon find out that everything they thought they knew about the order, about those who rule them, is terribly wrong.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Check Your Shelf

Moms For Liberty Thinks Goblin Butts Are Sexual

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date February 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. This newsletter has taken about three times as long to put together because I decided to put on RuPaul’s Drag Race as background noise, and…let’s just say it’s not helpful if you need to focus.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

Library Journal is pausing the LJ Index of Public Library Service and Star Library rating.

(Paywalled): In Philadelphia, Mayor Parker’s social media crackdown ruffles feathers with librarians.

Southern New Mexico rural library funding is in limbo.

Book Adaptations in the News

Amy Adams is in talks to star opposite Jenna Ortega in Klara and the Sun.

In more Amy Adams news, Nightbitch gets a director and a potential fall 2024 release date.

FX orders a limited series adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing.

Sara Bareilles and Sarah Ruhl are teaming up on a musical adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings.

Casting update for Hamnet.

Censorship News

American intolerance and book bans.

EveryLibrary has launched a Libraries2024 Initiative to engage voters about the big issues affecting libraries.

Cast as criminals, America’s librarians rally to their own defense.

A look at how Penguin Random House is fighting back against book bans.

How African American museums are navigating book bans.

Your rights as a student in US public schools.

“How one Katy ISD [TX] parent has essentially taken over the “internal review” process.”

“Florida’s war on books enters ‘goblin butts are sexual‘ territory, and of course Moms for Liberty is behind the whole thing.”

A Miami-Dade (FL) school is asking parents to consent for students to participate in Black History Month activities.

Nassau County (FL) schools removed 34 books after the ironically named Citizens Defending Freedom complained to the board.

88,000 books are being reviewed in Lee County (FL) schools. No, that’s not a typo. The district requires media specialists to review, catalog, and approve all books in all teacher’s classrooms before they are accessible to students.

Book challenges may cost Polk County (FL) schools $25,000 this year. This is also not a typo.

“Wealthy, liberal-leaning Blue Hill [ME] prided itself on staying above the fray — until the library stocked a book that drew anger from the left.” The book was Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.

A parent in Regional School Unit 73 (ME) suggested that the school board implement “Universal Book Ratings,” created by Moms for Liberty.

“Four months after a library director’s high-profile departure, the town of Suffield [CT] has yet to hire a new director, half of its library commission has been replaced, and the library’s associate director announced that she too will resign.” There are allegations of an anti-LGBTQ agenda.

This Philadelphia nonprofit is bringing attention to banned books by Black authors with Little Free(dom) Library.

A school-board-appointed committee in Hanover County (VA) voted to remove Valiant Ladies.

A bill in Virginia would ban book bans by school boards.

“One community member has sent a complaint to Dorchester School District 2 [SC] staff to take a second look at the material they consider obscene in 673 books, despite knowing only 170 are actually in the district.” What’s the endgame here, challenging hundreds of books that they know aren’t in the district?

Georgia is considering two recently proposed bills, one of which would “loosen restrictions on librarian certification and cut funding to any programs tied to the American Library Association,” and the other would “require the state board of education to establish standards for school books, as well as define what material might be construed as ‘harmful to minors, restricted materials, and sexually explicit.’” ALA issued a statement opposing the proposed legislation.

“Alabama Legislative Services Agency proposed rule changes to the Alabama Public Library Service that would force libraries to move books deemed ‘inappropriate’ for children in order to receive state funding.

Meanwhile, the Alabama Library Association has released a counterproposal to Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent proposed changes by saying that libraries cannot act in loco parentis, meaning that libraries cannot determine what is appropriate or inappropriate for minors.

“Parents representing Moms for Liberty asked the library board to move any books they deem as sexual content from the children’s section, to the adult section.” So, Moms for Liberty is calling the shots at the Huntsville Public Library (AL) now?

A Petal (MS) alderman wants to ban all books about gender, “transgenderism,” and sexuality from children under 12.

“Librarians urged Missouri lawmakers Wednesday to close the book on a plan to make public library boards throughout Missouri elected positions instead of appointed.”

Valetina Gomez, a candidate for Missouri Secretary of State, posted a video on Twitter of her holding a flamethrower, saying, “I will BURN all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children.”

Cape Girardeau Public Library [MO] had a board meeting adjourn early because a member of the public couldn’t behave.

“Book bans are expanding from schools into public libraries in Sumner County [TN]. The group behind the shift is contributing to a culture of fear.”

A newly introduced bill in Tennessee would restrict access to materials in public libraries through public petitions, although a legal expert says that the bill “could jeopardize adults’ constitutional rights to access some kinds of information.”

A new Iowa law would allow cities and counties to opt out of funding public libraries. Taking the “public” out of “public libraries,” I see.

Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs is creating a library review board because they value “parent choice.”

“On Dec. 5, the Laramie County School District [WY] 1 Board of Trustees passed a controversial amendment to its Library Media Services policy, which allows parents and faculty members to nominate library titles they believe are inappropriate. To date, 18 titles at Cheyenne high schools have been added to the list.”

The Oklahoma State Board of Education will decide in March whether to revoke the license of the Norman School teacher who gave her students access to banned books via QR code.

“The Utah House has approved legislation that would potentially make it quicker to pull books with sexual content from school library shelves.”

Idaho legislators have modified a proposed “library porn” bill that a) does not redefine obscenity and b) doesn’t inherently classify “homosexual activity” as obscene. Private schools are also exempt from this legislation.

Meanwhile, Idaho librarians are contemplating leaving the profession and the state.

“A Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council member wants to reorganize the Half Moon Bay Library System’s [CA] children’s sections to move ‘inappropriate’ material to the adult’s section.”

(Paywalled): The Mat-Su (AK) school board cut a book banning discussion short after it devolved into “a shouting match and name-calling.”

Books & Authors in the News

Broadway legend and memoirist Chita Rivera has died at 91.

Robie Harris, author of the frequently-targeted book It’s Perfectly Normal, has died at 83.

The identity behind the Elly Conway pseudonym has been revealed, and it is officially not Taylor Swift.

Numbers & Trends

The best-selling books of the week.

Award News

More information on the fallout from the recent Hugo Awards controversy.

The longlist for the PEN/Faulkner Award has been announced.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

The toddler book tolerability index.

The glitzy IRL book party is back.

a black and white cat using an orange and white cat's butt as a pillow

Today’s cat photo is a guest appearance from my parents’ cats Wrigley and Groucho. Groucho apparently thinks Wrigley’s bony butt makes for a lovely pillow.

All right, friends. I’ll be back on Tuesday. Have a good weekend!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Giveaways

020824-FebEACPushes-2024-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date February 8, 2024

We’re teaming up with Harlequin to give away a Kobo Libra 2 to one lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Here’s a bit more from our sponsor: Harlequin.com is the official Harlequin book site. Join us to see the newest romance novels, read exclusive free stories from Harlequin authors, connect with our community of romance book lovers, meet your favorite authors, buy romance books online and more!

The Stack

The Case of the Amazing Comics

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date February 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Thursday to you, nerd friends! I’m proud of us for making it through another week, mostly unscathed. As a reward, let’s check out the latest in comic book goodies!

Bookish Goods

Alice in Borderland manga Set by AGENTIK

These fashionable press-on nails are the perfect accessory for Alice in Borderland fans. Comes with the supplies you need to help put them on and keep them on for about a week. $50

New Releases

Zips and Eeloo Make Hummus by Leila Boukarim and Alex Lopez

Want a cute story that teaches you about both friendship and making delicious snacks? This is the comic for you! Alien amigos Zips and Eeloo are on a quest to make the perfect bowl of hummus, but they will need each other (and a whole lot of chickpeas) to succeed.

Vinland Saga Deluxe Volume One by Makoto Yukimura

This beautiful hardcover collects the first three volumes of Vinland Saga, an exciting tale of a young boy, Thorfinn, who swears vengeance on the Viking warrior who murdered his family. At the same time, Thorfinn yearns for a peaceful life in the lush western land he grew up hearing about.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: mysteries! These comics are sure to make you think twice about every panel and line of dialogue as you hunt for clues.

Nancy Drew: The Palace of Wisdom by Kelly Thompson and Jenn St. Onge

Nancy is famous for being able to solve any mystery, but there’s one puzzle she has yet to crack: friendship. When everyone’s favorite teen detective has to return to her hometown, she must quickly sort friend from foe before a deadly adversary gets the chance to strike!

The Rez Detectives: Justice Served Cold by Steven Paul Judd, Tvli Jacob, and M.K. Perker

When the Ice Cream Man fails to appear on schedule, Tasembo grabs his friend and his dog and founds the Rez Dog Detective Agency to figure out what happened! Between the three of them, surely they can find the missing man and help everyone on the Reservation get their ice cream.

And a very happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate!

~Eileen

Giveaways

020324-BetterLivingThroughBooks-Feb2024-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date February 7, 2024

To celebrate Better Living Through Books’ launch, we’re giving away 5 books featured in the newsletter!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur
Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu

All you have to do is subscribe to Better Living Through Books newsletter. Simply start a free subscription to Better Living Through Books. No payment method required!