Booklist Relationship Fiction Spotlight w/ a Bonus Booklist Reader Print Access Reminder

The latest issue of Booklist, in which I have 2 reviews, but today, I would like to highlight their Spotlight on Relationship Fiction.

What is Relationship Fiction? Well, I like to define it as all of emotionally driven relationships between people that are NOT Romance. For a more official definition, you can turn to my publisher and the series I write for here:

Relationship Fiction focuses on emotional stories filled with characters seeking to find balance, accept loss, or start anew. Story lines recount moments of inner conflict and domestic discord played out on a small, intimate scale. The problems in these books are rarely too big to overcome and even in the edgier titles there can be a somewhat comforting ethos. Readers enjoy that these stories are meaningful and reveal the core of a situation, character, or issue — and impart lessons learned.

Now on to Booklist's April 15, 2023 issue and their Relationship Fiction resources. 

My editor, Susan Maguire, has this list of the Top 10 Relationship Fiction: 2023. From that page:

The top 10 relationship fiction titles reviewed in Booklist from April 15, 2022 through April 1, 2023, plumb depths of feeling while exploring the power of human connection through intergenerational conflict, biological and found family, and, sometimes, humor.

To go with that list of print, Heather Booth also has a Top 10 Relationship Fiction on Audio: 2023. From that page:

The emotions at play in the relationship fiction titles listed below come through vibrantly thanks to narrations that are keenly attuned to their characters’ experiences and the interactions among family members, friends, and lovers. All titles were reviewed in Booklist from May 1, 2022, to April 15, 2023. 

And to round out the spotlight, Susan wrote this article with a list about Intergenerational Relationship Fiction. You will need to get your log in to read that last one, or check it out in the print edition. Again, if your library gets Booklist (which most do), you have free online access. Click here to set that up.

Relationship fiction is very popular and these resources showcase why. Use all to suggest titles, start a display, and/or share the lists with your patrons. And because this coverage focuses on titles from the last year, chances are many are on the shelf right now.

Relationship Fiction is also a category in the RUSA CODES Reading List Awards. This means you have access to many more backlist best titles with one click here. Now you have no  excuse to build those displays today.

Finally, this is a reminder that every issue of Booklist is a spotlight issue and will have best lists on a format, genre, or interest area that will include a top 10 list of the best titles from the past year. And most importantly, that spotlight content is also now available in the Booklist Reader, a magazine that features diverse readers' advisory recommendations for readers and listeners of all ages. It is filled with high-interest, themed lists that showcase books you can read and check out now. And you can click here to find out how to order print copies to give away to your patrons at the library.

Click here to learn more