Newsletters Dev – Page 44 – getting it done!

Critical Role Announces Prequel Novel by Cassandra Khaw and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date November 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Book Radar Friends!

And greetings from Belgium. Maybe I’ll find some cute cats here to send you pictures of. We all know that’s the highlight of travel for me. Finding new cats and visiting new bookstores. We’ll see what I can find! In the meantime, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Critical Role has announced their latest project with Penguin Random House, Bells Hells: What Doesn’t Break, a prequel novel written by horror author Cassandra Khaw. It’ll be out July 2024!

Here’s the cover reveal of Danez Smith’s upcoming poetry collection Bluff, designed by Mary Austin Speaker, with artwork by Devan Shimoyama. It’s out from Graywolf Press on August 20, 2024.

Netflix is finalizing details of Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia. They are hoping to commence production in 2024.

Oprah Daily has announced their picks for the best books of 2023. Books include Angie Kim’s Happiness Falls and The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis, among others.

These are the books all of the book clubs are reading this month. Grab a copy and learn how to join in.

To celebrate all things nonfiction November, here are some of the best nonfiction audiobooks from 2023 to try.

Spotify now offers audiobooks as part of its premium subscription service and has a catalogue of over 200,000 audiobooks from various genres.

Two major wins for libraries this week. Patmos Public Library is finally being funded after two previous losses and Pella Public Library retains its independence.

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.

Prepare Your Shelves!

Our Cursed Love by Julie Abe (Wednesday Books, December 12)

Okay. There are a couple of things I love about this book. First, look at this cover. It’s gorgeous. Secondly, I love that this book is giving Fifty First Dates/Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind vibes. But in Japan. It’s also just the perfect cute, sweet, heartbreaking YA romance/fantasy to keep you feeling warm and fuzzy during these cold months. And it’s coming out in December, so prepare your shelves!

Remy and Cam are best friends, but Remy has always felt like their relationship could be something more. And what better place to finally confess her feelings than Japan, on their winter vacation? But in Tokyo, Remy and Cam discover a secret magical apothecary, where they take a love potion…that makes Cam forget who Remy is. Not the outcome Remy was hoping for! Now she has until midnight New Year’s Eve to get Cam to remember her, or they will be forgotten to each other forever.

What I’m Reading This Week

Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Out There Screaming, ed. by Jordan Peele

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

This Spells Love by Kate Robb

Bookish Memes

Oops, sorry. I have more Taylor Swift bookish memes for you this week. I hope you’re enjoying.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Alert! Murray has a new cat bed and he loves it. And check out his little Calcifer cat toy. They’re almost the same color.

And that’s all for today, friends. I hope you have the best week. Do at least a few things that are kind. Be kind to yourself. Read books. Drink water. But most importantly, don’t listen to me and do what you want. I’ll see you on Thursday.

Emily

The Kids Are All Right

Biology, Hedgehogs, And More!

Post author By Margaret Kingsbury
Post date November 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! We have made it a week with no one catching a virus, so I’m calling it a win! I even got three vaccines (including the Covid-19 vaccine), and beyond a sore arm, I feel fine. Fingers crossed, we can have two healthy weeks in a row.

Today, I review biology children’s books for nonfiction November, as well as two new nonfiction releases. I also wanted to let you know about We Need Diverse Books’ new website—Indigenous Reads Rising. I’m so excited about this! The website is dedicated to celebrating Indigenous children’s literature of Native Nations and includes book lists, teaching resources, and more.

Power up your reading life with thoughtful writing on books and publishing, courtesy of The Deep Dive. Over at our Substack publication, you’ll find timely stories, informed takes, and useful advice from our in-house experts. We’re here to share our expertise and perspective, drawing from our backgrounds as booksellers, librarians, educators, authors, editors, and publishing professionals. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and then get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox. You can also upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.

Bookish Goods

Hedgehog Reading Art Print by deborahhocking

This print is absolutely adorable! $22+

New Releases

Small Shoes, Great Strides by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Alex Bostic

While Ruby Bridges is well known for integrating William Frantz Elementary School in 1960, just a few miles away in New Orleans, on the same day, three other girls were the first to integrate the all-white McDonogh No. 19 Public School. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells their story. The girls were escorted into their school where they would be attending first grade by U.S. Marshalls, with a crowd of protestors outside. Inside, the three were taught alone, with no other students in their classroom, and the windows were covered with brown paper so they couldn’t see the protestors outside. It’s a lovely picture book about an important historical moment.

I’m Gonna Paint! by Anne Broyles, illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

This picture book biography details the life of folk artist and labor organizer Ralph Fasanella. The son of Italian immigrants, Fasanella grew up hearing stories of his mother’s work in a dress factory and unions and strikes. When he grew up, he began work in a garment factory and also joined a union, but when his hands began hurting, he turned to art to help, and in drawing and art, he found his passion. This is a vibrantly illustrated picture book about immigration, worker’s rights, and the power of art as a tool for activism.

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

Riot Recommendations

It’s nonfiction November, so I decided to highlight some of the amazing new biology-themed children’s books that have released this year. These would all make great gifts as well!

Surprising Mammals of the Ancient Arctic by Dana Hopkins, illustrated by Aaron Edzerza

This picture book tells the story of Arctic animal life from millions of years ago. Many of these animals are ancestors of current animals, like the megalonyx and the sloth. It’s a really cool read and illustrated by an Indigenous artist. It’s part of a Nunavut-developed leveled book series.

A Home for Every Plant by Matthew Biggs, illustrated by Lucila Perini

This immersive, 124-page nonfiction book looks at the botanical life in different regions. Sections are divided by habitat: tropical, Mediterranean, temperate, arid, cold, and water. Each page spread explores different topics and places within that habitat, such as the Sonoran Desert, Mount Everest, the Congo rainforest, and so much more. It’s heavily illustrated in vibrant, bold colors. Plant lovers of all ages will enjoy it.

Paper World: Human Body by Gail Armstrong

This paper-cut nonfiction is so cool! Each page has flaps to lift to uncover more about the human body. On one page, paper cuts of a running man’s muscles can be lifted to reveal the skeleton and more information about the skeletal and muscular systems. On the next page, ribs can be lifted to reveal the lungs and heart, which can be lifted to reveal a dissection of the heart. Every page is super neat and full of facts. It is for older readers; it says ages 8-12, but my 5-year-old loves it. I just wouldn’t give it to a toddler unless you want all those neat flaps to be torn out.

The River That Flows Beside Me by Charlotte Guillain, illustrated by Jo Empson

This beautifully illustrated accordion-style picture book folds out to 8 feet tall! Both front and back contain lots of fascinating ecological information as it follows a river to the sea. It can be read unfolded or like a normal book. It’s part of a series that includes several other foldout books. I’ve only read one other — The Sea Below My Toes — and loved it as well.

Speaking of nature, we went on a walk Saturday and found a low-hanging abandoned bird’s nest. We discussed how bird’s nests are made, and then my daughter plopped JiJi into the nest for a cozy rest. Later, JiJi plummeted from the tree and needed a little surgery. Thankfully, a vet was on hand (my daughter), and he has made a full recovery. It was not his first injury on our journey, as you can see by the cast on his back leg.

If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, 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

YA Poetry Collections and More YA Book Talk and New Releases: November 13, 2023

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date November 10, 2023

Sponsored by

Hey YA Readers!

It’s a packed newsletter this week. I’m personally getting ready to head out of town for a long weekend, and I could not be more excited. The last couple of weeks have been extremely challenging, and not needing to be responsible for anyone or anything for a few days sounds like a dream. I might even be able to listen to a book or two. I cannot say it’s been much of a reading month so far, so maybe this will help out a bit.

Let’s dive on in.

Bookish Goods

Underwater Library Puzzle by reveriepuzzles

I only wish you could see the image a little bit clearer in this newsletter, but do click over to look at this gorgeous underwater library scene you can construct with this 1000-piece puzzle. Don’t care for this design? This shop has so many gorgeous bookish puzzles. $37.

New Releases

It’s time for new books! Let’s look at two new hardcovers hitting shelves this week. You can catch the entire list of new YA releases over here.

Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

Chloe Chang moved from New York City to Los Angeles and she was then dumped by her boyfriend via the postal service. She’s ready to destroy her box of artifacts from the relationship until she gets a better idea. What if she created an art exhibit dedicated to showcasing the romantic artifacts of other ended relationships from her peers?

Chloe wants to make the exhibit, which she’s called Heartifacts, successful. There are just a few problems—first, the influencers who want to take her down.

Second: the boy she’s met at the show and is falling hard for.

Pritty by Keith F. Miller, Jr.

It’s the summer before senior year. Jay is the exact opposite of his brother: Jay is soft, gentle, while his brother is the definition of all one thinks of as a man. Then he catches the attention of Leroy, and while Jay is shocked, he is getting the attention of a guy who could have his pick of anyone; he’s feeling it.

But their relationship is challenged because of Leroy’s family obligations to protect the neighborhood and to learn who attacked his own brother.

This book is being pitched as Concrete Rose meets Things We Couldn’t Say and looks fantastic.

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

YA Poetry Collections

Over the last few months, the conversation around YA poetry collections has bubbled up on social media among school and public librarians. There has always been good poetry for teens–by them and not by them but written for them–but keeping up with the latest in teen poetry collections can sometimes be tricky. Like so many other forms of writing outside of the traditional teen novel, it does not get the same level of love or attention, let alone marketing time or money. In some ways, that makes sense, as its popularity among adults (those who have the money to buy the collections) is not as great as a novel.

Unfortunately, because many of these collections are by authors of color, the lack of attention hurts those whose work is not only enjoyed by but connects with teen readers.

Let’s look at some of the recent YA poetry collections to hit shelves, as well as look at some of the upcoming collections to have on your radar. Note that these are collections of poetry. They are not novels in verse, though those are great, too. There is some crossover, as you’ll see, between the YA authors who do write verse novels and those who also write poetry collections. I have not included books published for the adult market with great YA crossover appeal (like Rupi Kaur or Amanda Lovelace). These are poetry books specifically for YA readers.

This is not a comprehensive guide, but if there’s interest, I might be tempted to offer something much more in-depth in the future. I’ve limited to collections published in 2019 or after.

Dark Testament by Crystal Simone Smith

Created as black-out poems from George Saunders’s book Lincoln in the Bardo, Smith tells the story of those lost to racial violence and gives voices to those engaged in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Grace Notes: Poetry About Families by Naomi Shihab Nye (May 7)

There is not yet a cover for this collection, nor is there a description beyond what you can know via the title itself. What is known, though, is this is the first Naomi Shihab Nye poetry collection for teens in quite a while–her last few releases have been middle grade. For those newer to YA poetry, she’s a major name, so this is a very exciting upcoming release.

Poemhood: Our Black Revival: History, Folklore & the Black Experience: A Young Adult Poetry Anthology edited by Amber McBride, Erica Martin, and Taylor Byas (January 30)

Beginning with the incredible cover, this book promises to be nothing short of the kind of collection of Black poetry–both contemporary and historical–that YA readers deserve. Among some of the contributors are Kwame Alexander, James Baldwin, Ibi Zoboi, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, and Gwendolyn Brooks, and the poems dive into the Black experience.

Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Loveis Wise

If you want an incredible audiobook experience, this is one you’ll want to listen to. Know, though, you will miss out on the art if you only listen; this might be one of those collections you listen to as you read along with the print edition.

Elliot’s collection focuses on bringing voice, power, and memory to the victims of police brutality and to the activists who have been engaged in Black Lives Matter.

There are 49 poems, and a handful are tribute poems inspired by Black poet luminaries.

These Are The Words by Nikita Gill

Gill has built a big following, and this season, she released her first collection for YA readers. She’d published several for adults prior.

This collection is meant to be a series of works to help young people through the tough experiences they go through, including breakups, feeling anger, dealing with family, and more. It is illustrated throughout, too, making it a really immersive experience.

When The World Didn’t End by Caroline Kaufman

In addition to teens loving poetry written for them, there is something even more special about teen poetry written by teens for them. Kaufman earned recognition and success through being an Instagram poet and this is her second collection of poems. Among the topics in her short works are love, self-discovery, forgiveness, and more.

You Don’t Have To Be Everything edited by Diana Whitney

Sixty-eight poets from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including Amanda Gorman, Sharon Olds, Kate Baer, and Naomi Shihab Nye, explode the idea of stereotypical femininity. The collection is aimed at young female-identifying individuals, encouraging them to be who they are and not what others expect them to be.

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Thursday for more YA book releases and YA book news.

Until then, happy reading!

–Kelly Jensen

Giveaways

111023-Nov.EACPushes-2023-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date November 10, 2023

We’re partnering with Dragons & Spaceships to give away a Kindle Scribe to one lucky winner!

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

Here’s a bit more from our partner: Dungeons & Spaceships – For the Fans, By the Fans. We keep a close eye on the horizon of fantasy and scifi books, ensuring you’re the first to know about shifts in the genre, upcoming releases, and author interviews. Step into a realm where magic meets machinery, where dragons soar amongst the stars, and where every week is a new journey. Join the adventure!

Unusual Suspects

Scottish Detective Book Series to Read Right Now

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date November 9, 2023

Sponsored by

Hello, mystery fans! I’m finally getting around to watching the second season of Good Omens (Prime) while impatiently waiting for three films from this year to finally hit streaming services (Bottoms, Down Low, Joy Ride).

Bookish Goods

Anti-Social Book Club Shirt by ChapterCatchers

For the anti-social book lovers! ($23)

New Releases

The Mantis (Assassins #3) by Kōtarō Isaka, Sam Malissa (Translator)

For fans of Japanese crime novels and assassins!

Kabuto sees his physician, known as The Doctor, and during visits, is also given his assignments…because he’s an assassin. The problem is Kabuto no longer wants this line of work, and The Doctor doesn’t want to give him up, so a deal is struck: Kabuto will complete a few jobs and be released. Naturally, his final assignments are a challenge: take out fellow assassins. What could go wrong?!

If you want to start at the beginning, pick up Three Assassins, and if you like streaming adaptations, read Bullet Train and then watch the film on Netflix.

The Revenge Game by Jordyn Taylor

For fans of YA, prep schools, revenge games, nonlinear chapters, and articles, social media posts, interviews, and transcripts throughout!

Alyson Benowitz is hoping her prep school integrating from all girls to allowing boys will afford her a clean slate since she’s a hopeless romantic who is terrible at flirting. And all seems to be going great when she does get a boyfriend, except—it’s a mystery/revenge, so OF COURSE there is an ‘of course’—the girls learn that the boys have a secret contest that rewards points for sexual encounters. So, the girls create their own game to take back power…

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

Riot Recommendations

Here are two of my favorite releases from this year if you’re looking for 2023 books not to miss reading before the end of the year. Spoiler: books don’t expire at the end of the year; you can still read them next year 😉

Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza

This is an excellent true crime memoir where Cristina Rivera Garza focuses on her sister’s life—including sharing diary entries—up until when Liliana, an architecture student, was murdered at the age of twenty. Almost thirty years after the crime took place, Cristina decides to get the case files and takes readers along for the process while also shining a light on femicide cases in Mexico and the protests as they try to fight back against gender-targeted crime.

If you’re an audiobook listener, Victoria Villarreal does a fantastic job with narration.

(TW mentions rape cases the way the news does/ talks of femicide cases/ mentions case believed to be suicide that was later determined murder/ mentions partner sexual assault, not graphic/ partner abuse/ mentions brief threat of suicide)

Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin

For reasons related to everything happening in the world, I have found fewer books grabbing me from the very beginning and keeping me fully invested. But this book broke through all the noise, I think, for three reasons: the initial hook, the MC’s voice, and the narrator on the audiobook (Karissa Vacker).

Since childhood, Vivvy Bouchet has had OCD and her mom’s psychic gift, except while her mom worked as a psychic, Vivvy instead became an astrophysicist. But her past comes to find her when a boy she once saved, who is now a cop, asks for her help on a complicated case: a missing child case where a body has never been found, and the imprisoned mother of the child continues to plead innocent.

(TW mentions eating disorder, detail/ murdered child/ brief mention past suicide attempt, detail/ mentions rape case/ mentions still birth/ past parent death of cancer/ OCD/ mentions all kinds of cases with brief mentions of every kind of violence/ past child abuse)

News And Roundups

Speaking of favorite reads from this year: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, and I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai are all on the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist.

REACHER Season 2 – Official Trailer

True Detective: Night Country First Look: “It’s Cold and It’s Dark and It’s Female”

What’s Going On With Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes 3, According To A Netflix Exec

Wonderland Murders and the Secret History of Hollywood Podcast From Michael Connelly Gets Docuseries Adaptation at MGM+

Tess Gerritsen writes an un-put-downable spin on espionage novels with The Spy Coast

Scottish Detective Book Series to Read Right Now

Two Wins for Public Libraries This Week at The Polls

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 releases. 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.

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date November 9, 2023

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 great book if you’re looking for something a little outside of the box and if you want to read some translated YA literature—there isn’t a ton on the YA market here in the U.S., which is unfortunate because there’s some great YA being published in the rest of the world. One of my goals this year is to try and read a little more translated lit, so I picked up the Mirror Quartet series, and I can safely say there is nothing else like it in YA!

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

Ophelia is quiet, small, and peculiar. She can “read” any object she touches with her hands and know its extensive history, and she has the ability to pass through mirrors. She spends most of her days in her family’s museum of artifacts from before the world fractured, but when she learns that the matriarchs of her ark have agreed to arrange her marriage to a foreigner from another ark, her life is turned upside down. Sent away to the Pole, a frigid ark whose politics are deceptive and deadly, Ophelia isn’t thought much of by her icy new fiancé, Thorn. But he underestimates her…for Ophelia may look timid, but she’s not to be shoved into a corner.

The world-building in this book is truly remarkable, and the author throws the reader into it with little explanation or backstory, so one must read carefully to fully envision this strange world. If that’s not your preferred reading experience, I totally get it, but I do enjoy a good immersive fantasy experience, and the details were just interesting enough to pique my interest. I also liked that Ophelia is not your typical YA fantasy protagonist. She’s not outgoing, she’s not beautiful or even pretty, and she doesn’t have much in the way of physical strength. She also has zero interest in her new fiancé, but she does have a passion for her own unique abilities, and she has curiosity. This curiosity gets her in trouble…but it also saves her, too. The court intrigue that she is subjected to is dark, sometimes violent, and always very perilous as alliances are forged and broken, and you never quite know who to trust.

This is the first in a series, and I found myself absorbed by this strange world, the various odd characters within, and Ophelia’s quiet resilience. While the true motives and intentions of various characters take some time to emerge, by the end of the book, I promise you’ll be clamoring for the next volume. I’m not kidding when I say I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it in YA, and that alone makes it worth picking up if you enjoy fantasy!

Fun fact: This book was published in the U.S. by Europa Editions (you might know them as the U.S. publisher of Elena Ferrante), and it’s the first YA book they’ve brought to the U.S.!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

True Story

Perfect Books For Holiday Gifting!

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date November 9, 2023

Sponsored by

With the holiday season right around the corner, a gift-giving extravaganza is almost here. But when you have book-loving people on your list, how do you know if they already have any given book? When I come up against this issue, I always try to find a lesser-known title, usually from an indie or university press. This way, I have much better odds that that person doesn’t already have the book I’m giving them. So this week, I’m recommending two beautiful books perfect for gift-giving this holiday season. But first, new books!

Bookish Goods

Library Card Bookmark by She Me You Care

Maybe you aren’t a book journal type of person. Maybe you are more of a simple bookmark-reading tracker sort of person. Etsy is here for you, as always. $3

New Releases

To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul by Tracy K. Smith

Former Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith weaves together personal narrative and family history as she delves into big questions around who the United States is and what it stands for as a country.

The View From Down Here: Life as a Young Disabled Woman by Lucy Webster

Lucy Webster writes about life as a disabled woman, with all of its joys and struggles. She describes her life experiences as a wheelchair user and advocates for a more accessible world.

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

Riot Recommendations

Sown in the Stars: Planting by the Signs by Sarah L. Hall, Photos by Meg Wilson

Hall’s gorgeous book delves into the world of planting crops by the signs in the stars. It’s a beautiful blend of culture, folklore, and foodways rooted in generations of tradition. Hall talks to central and eastern Kentuckians who have been planting by the signs for decades. They all have their own traditional practices of crop planting. Some gardeners plant by the phases of the moon, while others use the stars to guide their lives as a whole. Wilson’s photos are stunning, making this book an incredible gift for any gardener or general plant lover.

A is for Affrilachia by Frank X Walker, Illustrations by upfromsumdirt

Former Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker coined the term “Affrilachian” to refer to the unique experiences of Black Appalachians. A is for Affrilachia is a beautiful children’s alphabet book that highlights the accomplishments of Affrilachian people across the region. In the back of the book, there is more detail on each of the people, places, or things mentioned, giving adults more information to share with the kids in their lives. It’s a great way to start conversations about the importance of Affrilachian people to the region. This book makes a great gift, and I’ve already bought several copies for baby showers and birthday presents.

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

Swords and Spaceships

SFF Books by Veterans to Read On Veterans Day

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date November 9, 2023

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got two more new releases for you and a couple of recommendations for books written by veterans on this Veterans Day. I have spent an unseemly amount of time raking leaves, and boy, are my arms tired. All I can say is thank goodness for audiobooks. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and crunch some leaves! I’ll see you on Tuesday.

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 Entertainment Community Fund, which supports entertainment workers who are striking for living wages and a future where humans can continue to create art for each other.

Bookish Goods

Dragon Bookmark and Bookshelf Display by bubbithings

This absolutely gorgeous bookmark is made from PLA and inspired by Rebecca Yarros’s book Fourth Wing. I’m honestly a little in awe of how pretty it is. You can also get a bookmark stand to go with it so you can just display it on its own. Available in several color variations. $15

New Releases

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park

This is an alternate history that supposes what might happen if the Korean Provisional Government that formed in 1919 to protest the Japanese occupation of their country persisted well after World War II instead of dissolving on the eve of the civil war that split Korea into north and south.

The Future by Naomi Alderman

Martha Einkorn fled her father’s cult in Oregon and eventually became an employee of a powerful social media mogul…which she’s begun to realize may be a cult of its own, or perhaps the true subject of her father’s apocalyptic fox and rabbit sermon. Her path crosses a Singaporean survivalist named Lai Zhen, who’s on the run from an assassin after a mysterious piece of software popped up on her phone and gave her an escape route.

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

Riot Recommendations

This year, for veteran’s day, I’ve got two book recommendations for you from authors who are military veterans! I will point you to JR Handley’s blog as well, where he has an interview series with SFF authors who are veterans. Handley is a SFF author himself who mostly writes quite intense military sci-fi, and he’s also written a book titled Vacuums Suck Hard!

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo

The logline of the book kind of says it all: “Felix Gomez went to Iraq a soldier. He came back a vampire.”

Though his vampiric return isn’t the end of the story, only the beginning. Now, he’s an investigator trying to discover the truth behind an outbreak of nymphomania at a secret government research facility in Rocky Flats.

Star Nomad by Lindsay Buroker

Everyone in the Alliance is celebrating their victory over a tyrannical empire…except for Captain Alisa Marchenko, who got shot down in the final battle and is now stranded on a backwater dustball of a planet with no money, no resources, and no way to get home to her young daughter. She has a plan that’s only slightly suicidal: steal a malfunctioning freighter from a junkyard patrolled by lawless pirates. Except, even worse, she finds someone else has had the same idea as her, and he’s an elite cyborg soldier from the empire.

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 Lose Big at the Polls

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date November 9, 2023

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m injecting some much-needed humor into my evenings by re-watching the TV version of What We Do In the Shadows. For those of you who’ve seen it, the episode in Season 2 where the vampires are trying to avoid the email curse from Bloody Mary always gives me strong “patron computer assistance” vibes.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The Nashville Public Library is considering its interim director for the permanent position.

Worth Reading

(Paywalled): LibraryTok flips the script on public libraries and their relevance to Gen Z.

Book Adaptations in the News

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is getting a series adaptation with Amazon.

AMC picks up Nautilus, a reimagining of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

A24 is developing the TikTok-famous self-published Magnolia Parks novels into a TV series.

Censorship News

Most people don’t know how librarians select collection materials, so what do they think of book bans?

Here’s some news to make you smile: Parental rights activists, especially Moms for Liberty, lost big in their elections Tuesday night.

Two wins for public libraries this week at the polls.

The public library trustees in Graham, Texas, are arguing over what to do about the book We Need to Talk About Vaginas: An IMPORTANT Book About Vulvas, Periods, Puberty and Sex!, which, as we’ve mentioned before, is written by a reproductive endocrinologist and geared towards 11-14 year old readers. But again, it’s the adults who are making puberty a controversial and sexual topic.

A Tyler (TX) resident wrote a letter to the editor in response to a previous letter encouraging people to oppose book bans, which she said had “misleading information.” “I don’t know if this it [sic] due to blissful ignorance, naivety or is intentionally meant to give out bad information.” There’s someone in this conversation suffering from “blissful ignorance,” but I don’t think it was the person calling for an opposition to book bans…

Public libraries ponder Florida’s rule against the American Library Association.

LaBelle (FL) City Commissioner Hugo Vargas expressed displeasure with the public library’s Banned Books Week display. When he was told that middle school children could check certain books out with parental permission, he said, “‘There are people who don’t pay attention to what their children are doing.’” So, none of this is really about parental rights…it’s about the ability of one specific group of parents to impose their beliefs on an entire community.

“Two Florida members of the right-wing Moms for Liberty group called police on a pair of school librarians over a book in a bestselling young adult fantasy series.” This is in Santa Rosa County, and the book is Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Truly, I don’t know if they genuinely believe that these books are pornographic or if they’re just that committed to the party line.

An update from last week’s news item: “With no comment at all from board members, the Hernando County [FL] School Board on Oct. 24 unanimously approved the removal of the books “It’s So Amazing” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

Dover School Board (NH) unanimously rejected an effort to remove Boy Toy from the school library.

(Paywalled): “A Downington [PA] school board candidate pretended to be the ‘Society for College Medicine’ to challenge books.” I am so ticked this article is paywalled.

A Pennsylvania public library had funding cut because of LGBTQ+ books, and then Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir stepped in.

(Paywalled): Catawba County (NC) parents have options for restricting student access to books.

The Moore County (NC) Board of Education has tabled a vote on 9 challenged books until their December meeting.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC) voted to remove A Court of Frost and Starlight, saying it was too mature for high school students and “lacked educational value.”

(Paywalled): Horry County (SC) school district voted to ban an LGBTQ+ history book for kids, as well as limit access to titles by Toni Morrison and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

More on the recent decision made by the Alabama Public Library Service to sever ties with the American Library Association. It’s definitely due to pressure from funding cuts, but this quote from a member of Read Freely Alabama really hits the nail on the head: “’As much as we have empathy for the situation she found herself in, we do wish we had some stronger leadership,’ Hayden said.” Librarians and Read Freely Alabama react to the recent APLS memo, and an Alabama librarian wrote to the Alabama Library Association, saying that residents “have been betrayed by the very professionals meant to protect their rights.”

An interview with the recently fired Saline County (AR) Library Director, who was fired after refusing to relocate three challenged items. Namely, she regrets nothing. “‘I would rather be fired for supporting the First Amendment than sued for violating it.’” This is real leadership.

“Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the Rutherford County Library System [TN] will implement a new library card policy that will make it harder for minors to check out books not meant for their age group.”

Citizens for Ashland Library [OH] Accountability have distributed a flyer urging residents to vote no against the library levy. “‘It’s time to inform the library that the voices of concerned citizens who feel strongly about protecting childhood innocence and local accountability matter. Vote no on Nov. 7.’” (But it was all for naught…voters approved the library levy by almost 2,000 votes!)

Voters pass the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library tax levy. This isn’t directly related to censorship, but at this point, library levy elections all feel related.

A Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. (IN) school board member has suggested that the school libraries start labeling “controversial” books in the collection. “The policy defines a controversial issue as ‘a topic on which opposing points of view have been promulgated by responsible opinion and/or likely to arouse both support and opposition in the community,’” which, of course, would be a perfectly objective and reasonable metric to use. /s

The question of book banning continues in the Kenosha School District (WI).

Before running for a spot on her school board, West Des Moines (IA) resident Teri Patrick joined a group of people two years ago, calling for the school district to be investigated for distributing child pornography.

The Wyoming Department of Education has released guidance for school districts looking to revise their library book policies.

The Campbell County Public Library (WY) has appointed a new director after unceremoniously firing the previous director earlier in the year for not removing a set of challenged books from the collection. However, the new director has also had experience dealing with book challenges, and earlier this year, he refused to remove LGBTQ books from the children’s collection at his last library. So…we’ll see how this plays out.

Garfield County (CO) residents rallied against the controversial American Birthright social studies standards being implemented in the school district…and won.

Escondido Union School District (CA) just removed Looking For Alaska and This Book is Gay after a parent complained.

Elk Grove Unified School District Trustees Anthony Perez and Carmine Forcina continue to push for censorship in the school libraries.

Students at Mat-Su Career and Tech High School in Wasilla, Alaska, walked out in protest of a recent slate of school board decisions, including book bans.

The history and rise of book bans in Ireland.

Books & Authors in the News

LitHub wrote an open letter to the 92nd Street Y in New York City about its decision to cancel its event with Viet Thanh Nguyen, apparently because of Nguyen’s criticisms of Israel.

A number of Jewish authors have signed an open letter pushing back on the belief that criticism of Israel is antisemitic.

Rupi Kaur declined an invitation to the White House for a Diwali event, citing the administration’s “support of the current atrocities against Palestinians.”

An academic researcher has uncovered a new body of work that they believe was written by Louisa May Alcott using a pseudonym.

Stephen King gives a tour of his personal library.

Numbers & Trends

Britney Spears’ memoir has already sold over 1 million copies!

A new study from the National Endowment for the Arts shows a “worrying” drop in reading participation amongst adults.

The best-selling books of the week.

ALA has released a report on how Gen Z and Millennials use their public libraries and identify through media use.

Award News

Barnes & Noble has released its finalists for the 2023 Book of the Year.

The 2023 Ignyte Awards winners have been announced.

The 2023 Diverse Book Award winners have been announced.

Here’s the shortlist for the 2023 Waterstones Book of the Year awards.

What 35 years of data can tell us about the National Book Awards.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

A love letter to the paperback.

On the Riot

The 16 books most commonly stolen from high school libraries.

The bookish life of boygenius.

a black and white cat and a black cat peeking over the edge of a basket

I spy with my little eye two kitty goobers in a basket!

All right, friends. Let’s recharge this weekend. I’ll be back on Tuesday!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Giveaways

110923-Nov.EACPushes-2023-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date November 9, 2023

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

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