Library Reads: September 2018

Okay, so another month, and the Library Reads list-- which you need to remember is YOUR list-- is still not diverse enough.

The first thing I want to say about this is that the titles on the list have nothing to do with the organization of Library Reads. In fact, I know many of the people on the Steering Committee and they are also disappointed personally BUT, and this is huge and one of the reasons I am willing to stick this out and fight for improvements, they do not interfere with the voting process. 

Which leads to the second point, any disappointment any of us have about the lack of diversity on the list is 100% on us. Why do we-- as a group of library workers-- insist on voting for so many domestic suspense titles and books about books? They show up on every list. What about titles that are in other genres, let alone titles written by authors of color?

I need more of you to vote, but to also use your votes thoughtfully. Please look for books that could use the boost that Library Reads can give a title that your colleagues might not know about without that vote, especially more inclusive titles.

Here and here you can find links to databases by library professionals who are going through the digital ARCS and screening titles for you to choose from. Please consider staring here, not with the latest domestic suspense or book themed title. Seriously, if you want to help, start at those databases, start by reading those titles. Try something new and if you like it, vote for it.

Don’t start with a book you already know you are going to like. That is the worst thing you can do. We are trying to broaden everyone’s horizons-- patrons, yes, but also the publishers. We want to show them that more inclusive titles will resonate and sell. But, we need to start with ourselves first.

But again, we should not be angry at “Library Reads” for this. They are doing everything they can, without rigging the vote, to help change come. It’s us, the library workers, who collectively need to make changes.  I am willing to wait as we move forward together with baby steps, but we need to move forward, not backward.

That being said there was one very big, positive change thing this month that is worth mentioning. The #1 Library Reads pick is from a non-big 5 publisher-- Sourcebooks! Even more interesting, they had the #2 title last month. This is a big deal. This is a sign that we are making steps toward not just picking the big name titles. We can do this. We can make change. We just need to keep moving forward.

Now let’s get to my normal Library Reads preamble and this month’s list.

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Yesterday  was  Library Reads day and that means three things here on RA for All:

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about Library Reads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any Library Reads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Also, please remember to click here for my Library Reads 101 recap for everything you need to know about how to participate. And click here and here to see databases of eligible diverse titles.

September 2018 LibraryReads

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn
Hardcastle

by Stuart Turton

Published: 9/18/2018 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781492657965

“Imagine the movie Groundhog Day, except this time Aiden Bishop wakes up each day in a deteriorating manor house, as a different person, and must work out who he is and how he relates to everyone else at the party commemorating the long ago death of a child. If he can’t solve the murder that occurs at the party, he is doomed to continue the loop every eight days. A riveting page turner.”

Becky Bowen, Kenton County Public Library, Erlanger, KY

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

by Christina Lauren

Published: 9/4/2018 by Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781501165856

“Hazel is the eccentric, exuberant friend who’ll make you fall in love with her, and she’s not interested in being ‘dateable.’ Josh is busy being a workaholic, trying to make a long distance relationship work, and not pursuing romance with anyone else. But when his sister’s best friend Hazel blows back into his life, he is powerless to resist her genuine joie de vivre. If you’re looking for your next perfect read after The Kiss Quotient, look no further! A lovely slow burn.”

Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, WI

Lies

by T.M. Logan

Published: 9/11/2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250182265

“When Joe unwittingly discovers that his wife has been having an affair with her friend’s husband, his life starts to unravel. It seems that her lover now wants Joe out of the picture. Follow the cat-and-mouse plot as it explodes with a shocking finish! Great fun for those readers who love a good psychological thriller.”

Paulette Brooks, Elm Grove Public Library, Elm Grove, WI

Night and Silence

by Seanan McGuire

Published: 9/4/2018 by DAW
ISBN: 9780756414764

“Toby is back in this latest installment of the October Daye series. Still reeling and recovering from the events of the last book, Toby and company are laying low. When her human daughter goes missing (again), Toby embarks on a twisty-turny race against time to find her. A solid entry and good choice for libraries with a strong demand for fantasy and urban fantasy.”

Mei-Ling Thomas, Rochester Hills Public Library, Rochester, MI

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

by Sarah Bird

Published: 9/4/2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250193162
“A fascinating work of historical fiction about Cathay/Cathy Williams, a former slave turned Buffalo Soldier in post-Civil War America. Her raw and powerful story is sure to be popular with book clubs.”

Sarah Fetterman, Upper St. Clair Township Library, Upper St. Clair, PA

Lake Success: A Novel

by Gary Shteyngart

Published: 9/4/2018 by Random House
ISBN: 9780812997415

“Shteyngart delivers another painfully funny novel about ambition, disappointment, and the darker side of the American dream. For fans of witty, offbeat, satirical humor.”

Jennifer Alexander, St. Louis County Public Library, St. Louis, MO 

The Dinner List: A Novel

by Rebecca Serle

Published: 9/11/2018 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250295187

“If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be? On her thirtieth birthday, Sabrina finds herself at dinner with her best friend, her ex-fiance, her long lost father, her college mentor and Audrey Hepburn, all with something to say to her. A charming combination of magical realism and romance.”

Tracy Babiasz, Chapel Hill Public Library, Chapel Hill, NC 

Transcription: A Novel

by Kate Atkinson

Published: 9/25/2018 by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316176637

“In WWII era London, Juliet Armstrong is working as an espionage monitor for MI5. Ten years later she suddenly finds herself targeted by dangerous individuals from her past. For fans of smart, witty, suspenseful, historical or spy fiction and authors like Tana French, Laurie R. King, and John Le Carre.”

Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC

When the Lights Go Out

by Mary Kubica

Published: 9/4/2018 by Park Row Books
ISBN: 9780778330783

“After her mother’s death, Jessie is trying is trying to rebuild her life. In her way is her debilitating insomnia and a secret that shakes the core of her identity. Psychological suspense with an unreliable narrator. This one’s for you Gone Girl fans.”

Diane Gring, Chester County Library & District Center, Exton, PA

Hitting the Books

by Jenn McKinlay

Published: 9/11/2018 by Berkley Prime Crime
ISBN: 9780451492678

“McKinlay’s Lindsay Norris is back for another adventure in Briar Creek. As a fellow librarian, I appreciate her spot on observations of the library world. An upbeat cozy mystery with great characters and strong sense of place. For fans of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries and the Isabel Dalhousie mysteries.”

Carly Budzynski, Salem Public Library, Salem, VA