What I'm Reading: Booklist April 1, 2024 Issue

The April 1, 2024 issue of Booklist dropped a few days early and I have 2 reviews in this issue. As usual, you can find my draft review here with my three words and bonus appeal info and more readalikes.

Both titles are from small presses that I trust for you to add to your library collections. They are professionally edited and bound in a way that stands up to multiple checkouts. 

Cranberry Cove
By Hailey Piper

Apr. 2024. 152p. Bad Hand, paper, $12.99 (9798988128632). 
First published April 1, 2024 (Booklist).

Piper, known for her Cosmic Horror, employs the same terrifying tone, this time setting it all in a “people eating hotel.” Connor and Emberly are the private security staff for underground crime boss, Ricard, sent to investigate what really happened when his son was sexually assaulted by an unseen male attacker during a weapons deal at  the notorious, long deserted, and possibly haunted, Cranberry Cove hotel. What follows is the best crossover episode of  Law and Order SVU and X-Files that you never knew you wanted and now cannot live without. Readers experience the horror emanating from the walls with all five of their senses, as the compelling story ropes them in from the start and holds them rapt until the final, emotional scene, but it is Emberly and Connor, their tender relationship as long time partners and their honest discussions about gender and Emberly’s transition which standout here. This is a one-off novella that will appeal to fans of supernatural crime and intense haunted hotels such as in The Return by Rachel Harrison and the backlist gem, Travelers Rest by Keith Lee Morris.

Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive, compelling, haunted hotel.

Further Appeal: You can easily booktalk this novella with the sentence I wrote above: "What follows is the best crossover episode of  Law and Order SVU and X-Files that you never knew you wanted and now cannot live without."

The strong sense of place dominates this story. On page 21, Emberly refers to the place as a "people eating hotel." Piper tips her hat early, yes, but she really works hard to make this NOT a gimmick. The hotel and the world/mythology around it is built meticulously. This is not your ordinary haunted hotel. The world is immersive. You feel, smell, and see the rotting hotel. You get a sense of the underworld Em and Connor operate within.

Also of note is Emberly. She carries the story with the seriousness it needs. She is an excellent investigator, she is a fully realized person, not just a 2D character on a page. 

And it might sound like with all the world building and character development it would move slow, but this is not the case at all. With short chapters that feel like scenes or mini episodes, things move briskly. But not too fast to put plot over the mood, place and characters. it is well balanced.

And I am very tough on endings. This one has a great ending for the story. No other way it could end and feel like the story worked, in my opinion.

Readalikes: I had a whole bunch jotted down but the two above capture the mood of this story. It is menacing and Weird. The Harrison is a little more on the nose but Morris' novel is one of my all-time favorites. It is the very best menacing hotel story I have ever read.

I would also suggest Carmen Maria Machado's In the Dream House which is a memoir, but works very well here.

And for those who like supernatural investigative elements the best, fans of Simone St. James can be directed to this Piper title. While The Sun Down Motel seems like the most obvious option, I would actually direct people to The Book of Cold Cases.

Invaginies

 By Joe Koch June 2024. 238p. Clash, paper, $16.95 (9781960988119). First published April 1, 2024 (Booklist). 

Shirley Jackson Award nominee, Koch, presents a collection of 18 stories that are Weird, lyrical, and grotesquely beautiful. Featuring all of the creepy things readers would want in a Horror collection (e.g. rats, clowns, body horror), but showcased in ways readers would never expect, this is a volume that leaves both its characters and readers transformed. To describe the plot of any single story does Koch a disservice because each tale is more of a character sketch, a prose poem, or  a moment in time, but as the reader moves through, they are stitched together into a book that feels like it could all be one cohesive story, and yet, clearly it is not. A thought-provoking collection that readers will experience physically, making it a great  suggestion for those who like to mix their their literary fiction with visceral, lush prose, recounting stories that captivate and discomfort in equal measure, such as in Tinfoil Butterfly by Rachel Eve Moulton and The Seventh Mansion by Maryse Meijer.

Three Words That Describe This Book: grotesquely beautiful, thought provoking, lyrical

Further Appeal: This is not an "easy" book to read in just about every way that statement can be interpreted; however, that is not a negative thing about it. It is the best thing about it. This also is a signal to you that it is NOT for everyone. But people who really like dark, thought provoking, extremely well constructed prose that challenges the reader to look into themselves as well as makes them uncomfortable, this is the book for them.

A phrase that didn't make the review which I saved for here is, "told with lyrical prose  that will burrow into readers, leaving them transformed."

Here are some more notes from when I was reading and trying to figure out how I was going to talk about this book as a single volume:

• This is literary fiction told through a Weird lens where the grotesque odd and dark corners shine through or twist around the prose 
• Prose is complex and lyrical but also beautiful in a grotesque way. You get lost in the prose and how it takes over you grabs a hold of you and then lets you go feeling changed.

Koch, already critically acclaimed, will keep rising, so get this book on your radar now.

Readalikes: The two books in the review are perfect examples of the reading experience of this collection. I really liked both of those novels and gave them reviews in Booklist as well. If you use those links to read more, you will see many other readalike options.

Back Monday with my April LJ column, so 8 more reviews. And that's no April Fools.

Common Myths About Book Bans via Kelly Jensen at Book Riot

Today I am mostly off to assist a family member, but I saved this important article for today. 

As I have mentioned multiple times in the past, Kelly Jensen is one of the only people doing the hard work reporting on censorship and she has been doing it with journalistic integrity and without help from main stream media, for years now. You can access that reporting, which she also complies in a weekly round-up with this link that Book Riot has created to make their "Censorship" reporting available with one click.

But specifically, last week's roundup is one that every single person who works in any library needs to read, especially those of you who think you are "safe."

It is entitled, "You're Wrong About These Common Myths About Book Bans." Don't think you know it all and don't need to read this. I needed to read this. So do you, so do your co-workers, and so do your patrons.

Please click through and read it. Read her censorship coverage every week. And also, ACT. These pieces have action steps. Do something no matter who you are and where you live. We are still losing ground as a society. As we gain victories in court, the banners switch tactics and go after us in new and horrifying ways. Case in point, this report Jensen put out this past Monday. 

And thank you to Kelly Jensen for all of her hard work. There are not enough of us out there helping her though. Let that sink in and do something.

Shelf Care Podcast Gets Taken Over By Summer Scares PLUS Access to All 3 Booklist Webinars Featuring Our 9 2024 Authors

Click here to access the
Summer Scares resource page

A huge part of the work of Summer Scares comes AFTER to books are announced as we prepare the resources to help you understand the books and get them into readers' hands. 

It begins with the programming guide yes, but as one of our sponsors, Booklist allows us to bring the program to life, putting the authors and library workers who have had success using Summer Scares to promote Horror front and center.

Monday we completed our series of three webinars, one with each set of the three authors. All are free to view now and in perpetuity:

• 2024 MG authors in conversation with Sarah Hunter, Editor, Books for Youth and Graphic Novels
• 2024 YA authors in conversation with Yaika Sabat, Manager of Readers Services, NoveList
• 2024 Adult authors in conversation with Clay McLeod Chapman, Author and 2024 Summer Scares Spokesperson

You can also click here for all upcoming Booklist webinars, on every type of book and for all ages of readers, or here for the archive of all past webinars. And all are always free to view.

Also now available, you can listen to committee members and some librarians who use Summer Scares in their libraries talk about the program, in general, and this year's selected titles, specifically, on Booklist's Shelf Care, the podcast here on Sound Cloud and here through Booklist Online's landing page for the podcast where you can scroll down to see the most current episode and browse the archive for more.

Specifically, big thanks to Clay McLeod Chapman for appearing with me and for sharing the personal story behind his latest novel, What Kind of Mother. We were the adult-YA tag team dream team.

I have updated the Summer Scares Resource page with all of this info as well. 

And, don't forget the Summer Scares Archive for past year's webinars, programming guides, podcasts, and resources. You can use any year's information now and in the future, and at anytime of year, not just Summer.

Jade Daniels' Story is Finally Complete and She is THE 21st Century's Final Girl

Today is a day that will be remembered and celebrated for years to come. I am not exaggerating either. May 26th 2024 is the day that the final installment in the Indian Lake Trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones releases and Jade Daniels story comes to its moving conclusion. 

In honor of the release of the this book, The Angel of Indian Lake, I wanted to repost my STAR review from Library Journal and make a few comments about the entire trilogy. 

First my draft review and 3 words for this specific book.: 

It’s October, 2023. Four years have passed since the Dark Mills South Massacre and eight years since the Lake Massacre both which sent Jade to prison. Now, thanks to her best friend Lethe, she is back as the high school history teacher just as Proofrock is about to face another massacre, its most devastating and deadly night yet. This Halloween, will be Proofrock’s final stand against the secrets that have been hidden under the pristine waters of the lake at the center of this cursed town for generations. Readers will get wrapped up in the action, as the bodies pile up, but it will be Jade who leads them through as she comes to terms with traumas both personal and historical, relies on her knowledge of slashers, and learns to trust herself and her renewed connection to her Native heritage. It is the perfect conclusion to this story of ghosts and monsters, both real and supernatural and of secrets that must finally be brought to the surface. A story masterfully told, allowing every detail to matter, but most of all one that provides a final girl to cherish, the angel at its center, the one who believes it is all worth saving. 

Verdict: Jones has given the world a gift, an epic tale for the ages, one that is both a violent, high octane slasher and a frank, thought provoking indictment of America, past and present. For any reader but especially those who love when Horror stays true to its genre roots while always striving to let readers see themselves and their reality in its terror such as written by Due, Moreno-Garcia, and Tremblay.

Three Words That Describe This Book: heartbreakingly beautiful, thought provoking, perfect ending

So that's the final book in my limited review word count. 

But that is the last book, let's talk about the trilogy now that it is finished. Here is my review of My Heart is a Chainsaw [book 1] where we first meet Jade, Proof Rock, ID, and all of the townspeople. And here is my review of Don't Fear the Reaper [book 2] in which the world building and mythology of Proof Rock was expanded in important and necessary ways. I am going to break down a few of the reasons why this trilogy is so perfect.

First, let's talk construction of the trilogy as a single story. Books 1 and 3 are ONLY from Jade's POV while book 2 is from the point of view of a variety of people. THIS WAS BRILLIANT. I know some readers were bothered by book 2 moving away from Jade. I thought it was a great idea while reading because it fleshed out not only the other people in Proof Rock, but also it enhanced the world building and mythology of what was REALLY going on. Second books in a trilogy are the lynchpin of the entire story. If you don't expand the world, the action, the characters properly, the ending will fall flat. It is tricky. When SGJ returned to Jade's POV exclusively in Book 3, it is was more striking and important that Book 2 was different. You could see in the first few pages of Book 3 how great Book 2 was, and how it set the stage for this final chapter. And this leads to....

Second, and this is something that amazes me in every book Jones writes....every. single. detail. matters. I am not giving them away, these details, but some are glaring, like a certain window in the police station is key. Others are much smaller, like multiple scenes that take place on a bench, or a cut in Jade's skin that becomes important, all of it matters. And often, in books or series where details are key, you need to pour over the books and take notes, but not with SGJ. He is able to keep the story going, in his unique and mesmerizing cadence, and remember for the reader, through the narrative, effortlessly sharing and reminding the reader of the details they need to know about things that happened before and why they matter now. And it is not in a way that makes you feel bad for missing it. Like the excellent professor Jones is in real life, he allows you to discover what, for lack of a better phrase, he did there, and make you feel like you did that work on your own.

Third, this is a the story of Jade coming into her adult self, of over coming trauma, both personal and the trauma of really being a marginalized human in America. And that is another part of the brilliance here. Marginalization comes in a variety of forms and it is explored in the present, but also the past. Oppressors are everywhere and everyone can be an oppressor. Take the Elk, who appear throughout the trilogy, who have been harmed by humans as a great example, and yet, they survive. 

But Jade specifically, the girl who becomes a woman, in front of us. She becomes her true self amidst the Horror (of her life, in front of her) and unites past and present, taking on so much the pain to help heal us all. The pure joy I felt as a reader at the end of this trilogy, despite the death and destruction, the pure joy I felt that Jade was going to be alright not because she was the Final Girl, but because she knew who she was, was finally happy with who that person was, and had the power and confidence to help others be their best selves going forward.

Fourth, despite all this in-depth discussion, this is a Horror novel. Yes it is thought provoking and has a lot to say about the world we live in now, but it is also a Slasher with a high body count, with bloody, well described, and creative kill scenes. Many people die. Key characters do not make it out alive (in every book). More specifically, it is in the Slasher subgenre, and yet, it has turned the entire genre on its head, in the process setting a new standard that redefines the subgenre. Like all Slashers, there is violence and revenge. The revenge is for specific things in Jade's time and life but also historical. The revenge is sought by creatures both living and dead.

But most importantly, this trilogy presents a Final Girl for our current times. Jade is NOT forced to fight the same monster over and over like the Slashers of our childhood, one she cannot beat until the final sequel (if that ever comes). Each book presents a new killer, one she defeats. And her scars from her "wins" are discussed in the next book-- explicitly-- become part of who she is, and help her to be the woman she will become at the end of this final book. One that is ready to be herself, one that is proud of who she is, and one who will share what she has learned with those she loves. But I should also say, SGJ does retain a bit of the subgenre that inspires him. There is an overall "killer" that permeates all of the books and in that way Jade is also a traditional Final Girl, saving the entire town by the end. 

Yes I am saying this book both supports the history of the Slasher and makes it new. Both are true and it is why this trilogy is going to be read FOR YEARS TO COME.

All of this is why I am going one the record, very clearly to say this. Just as the generation before me looked to Stephen King's The Stand and it's 1,500 pages as the epic book that defined Horror in the 80s and 90s, just as Brian Keene is on record saying that he rereads it every year, I am saying to you now-- Jade's story, all 1,000+ pages of The Indian Lake Trilogy is THE 21st Century's Horror epic. It will forever define this time and place; it has taken talk of Stephen Graham Jones being the best Horror author of our time and risen him to one of the best authors, period. The Only Good Indians showed us he could be one of the best living writers today, but the Indian Lake Trilogy proves it. This is why I said, in writing, in Library Journal (above), "Jones has given the world a gift, an epic tale for the ages..." It is a gift to all readers, now and those into the future. And I NEVER reread books, but I may listen to my mentor Brian Keene and start rereading Jade's story from start to finish every year.

But wait, there's more....

I am also writing this blog post as I prepare to turn in my review of Jones' second novel coming out in 2024, I Was a Teenaged Slasher, later this week, and it is not only great on it's own, it is the yin to Jade Daniels' yang. I would even go so far as to give it to people new to SGJ  first. It lays the foundation for how Jones sees the Slasher, how he takes the trope, raises it up to the status of a capital C Classic form of storytelling (across all mediums), honors its roots, and then probes it deeply, turning it into something new (and I would argue better). 

I know some people may read this and think I am exaggerating. And that's fine. But may I remind you of my track record in elevating and praising the very best Horror books out there. And may I remind you that these words eliciting the highest praise, I rarely use them. I am paid to write about books for a living. I take my job as one of the most important reviewers of Horror fiction VERY SERIOUSLY. I know what I am saying and choose my words carefully. I am not willing to risk my career on any old book.

That being said, I know for a lot of my library worker readers, this series is not for you. It is terrifying in ways both violently gruesome and existentially personal. That is fine. However, that does not mean you can ignore what I am saying. This is series you need to have, promote, and share with as many people as possible. Use my words to book talk it. Buy all of SGJ's books and make them available in as ubiquitous a way as you have made Stephen King's books front and center for years.

Today, let's celebrate Jade Daniels on the day that her full story is officially out in the world. And the absolutely perfect ending that will leave you in tears, the best kind of tears, tears that make you want to go back and start at the beginning of the trilogy immediately after finishing the story.

Happy Book Birthday to The Angel of Indian Lake. Now Jade's story is complete and we are all better because of it.

Click here to explore the trilogy

PLA Galley Guide and Becky's Plan to Keep Those Left Behind In the Know

I leave for PLA in Columbus a week from tomorrow. I will be presenting my general schedule at that time, including details about my presentation on Wednesday morning and a chance to meet one-on-one with Robin and I on Thursday.

I will also have a more details about my blogging plan because I want to bring as much of the conference to you, my readers who cannot make it, as possible. But to see what you can expect from me in terms of reporting back, click here for my ALA 2023 recap posts. I no longer live Tweet events as I don't pay as good attention when I do that. I may retweet others but I focus on recaps from my handwritten written notes.

So you can all plan on next week being ALL PLA info and recaps.

But today, I want to focus on one of my favorite resources that comes out before every major Library conference and it is one that is useful to all, especially those who are not in attendance-- the Library Journal PLA Galley Guide (Sponsored by Sourcebooks). This resource is a list of all of the ARCs that attendees can get in the exhibit hall. But again, it is not about being there. It is important to remember that the LJ Galley Guide for any conference is a wonderful resource for everyone, but it may be even more valuable for those staying home.

First, and most obvious, every single one of the ARCs listed here is also going to be super easy to download from NetGalley or Edelweiss. The publishers are prioritizing that.  If you get the Library marketing emails, you have probably already seen that. They want everyone to have access to these books.

Second, those of you who are back at home, you have time to go through the Galley Guide, taking note of which books the publishers are pushing the hardest. What do they think will take off? What should we be pre-ordering? We should all be using it as a resource to help our patrons and craft our collections, but unfortunately, those who are there, they mostly use it to be greedy and go around and grab books. [I am on the record here saying that running around trying to get free books and wait in long lines is not a good use of your time.] You should take your time and use it for collection development. I will be using it as resource not for a treasure hunt.

Third, everyone, whether they are attending PLA or not, should look through the guide and note trends or authors who you already have in your collections who are going to have a new book, etc... Across the entire guide, what are you seeing that is similar? Where are the trends? Promote these upcoming titles and start taking holds. You could even make a few lists based off trends you find that would most interest your patrons and call them, "Hot Upcoming Titles from the Publishers Library Association Conference." 

I will be going through the guide in detail this week to find those trends that I am seeing and then compare them with the Book Buzzes and programs I attend. If you take your time to go through this guide before I start my recaps, you will reap the same benefits.

Fourth, after noting trends in the guide and trying to gather advanced holds numbers to make your ordering easier, you should also be making displays of titles that fit those trends you are noticing at the same time. Reminding people of what you already have that they may like while you are letting them know what is coming soon is very important to do in tandem. Those buzzy titles coming soon can be supplemented by readalikes from your backlist. You are anticipating what they want to read by giving your readers targeted displays now. You get them excited about a trend or some readalieks of the titles you know are coming soon, and then when they see those titles promoted in the books news, they feel like you "get them," because you promoted books just like the ones they already like. Trust me it works and you look brilliant and even a bit clairvoyant. 

So that is my push for the PLA Galley Guide for those left behind.  I hope those of you who are going, go back to this post and do the same thing after you return.

Here is the introduction to the Galley Guide which is organized by booth number.

Is there anything better than discovering new titles? Library Journal’s Galley Guide serves as a finding tool for just that, highlighting books readers will be asking for. Get a jump on demand and get in the know with this listing of the giveaways on offer. Also included are in-booth signings, both by publisher and listed in a handy daily guide. Our thanks to Sourcebooks, Booth 1115, for supporting this guide to the key titles to be found
at the 2024 Public Library Association conference.

Click here to explore it.

Library Freedom Project's Events at PLA

Allison Macrina from Library Freedom Project reached out to ask me to help spread the word about their 2 events at PLA. Details below but first, for this eof you who are unfamiliar with LFP here is the link to their homepage and their mission (also embedded in the image):

Library Freedom Project is radically rethinking the library professional organization by creating a network of values-driven librarian-activists working together to build information democracy. 

Whether you are going to PLA or not, I encourage you to visit their website and consider finding ways to get involved in their regional hubs. Robin and I often have conversations with Alison about the work all three of us do.

Alison wanted to make sure the RA and Collection Development library workers out there know about their 2 events. I am going to link them and include the descriptions below, but I would also like to reiterate that although these events have a fee, NO ONE has to pay if they cannot afford it. From Alison directly to me to pass on to all of you:

"please emphasize that no one should be deterred by the ticket cost - we are a small nonprofit and would love to recoup some of our costs but we do not want that to be a barrier to entry."

Alison will be at Robin, Yaika and my presentation at PLA as well, in case you want to ask her questions about these events.

[Side note: That program is Anti-Racist Reader Services: Beyond the Basics on Wednesday, April 3 at 10:15am in GCCC Union. But I will have more on the conference and my schedule closer to the event.]

Please reach out to me with questions as well, but these events will not only be fun but a great chance to have some real conversations -- not the well-meaning, toothless ones-- about the work we really need to be doing to fight systemic oppression in libraries.

Actions Panel

Library Freedom Project presents: a Radical Book Buzz!

Join us on Wednesday, April 3rd at Two Dollar Radio, 1124 Parsons Ave.

Doors are at 6 pm, event will begin around 6:30 pm

Publishers including Haymarket, Seven Stories, Europa Editions, Verso, Beacon Press, Feminist Press, Two Dollar Radio, Wave Books, Microcosm, Grove Atlantic, Daydreamer Press, and Coach House will take turns sharing new and upcoming titles.

Click through for all of the details and to reserve your spot. 

AND the second event.

Join Library Freedom Project, Library Futures, and Urban Librarians Unite on Thursday April 4th, between 5 and 8 pm, for a cute little networking and social event.

Library Freedom Project is radically rethinking the library professional organization by creating a network of values-driven librarian-activists working together to build information democracy. We host events, create resources, and build community with other library workers who are motivated by social justice.

Library Futures conducts research and advocacy for the future of libraries. We mobilize a community of experts to encourage the adoption of technologies that uplift libraries in the digital age, promoting new possibilities for preservation of and unfettered access to information.

Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) is a passionate group of urban library professionals and advocates working to build community centered 21st Century Libraries.

Come hang out and learn what our organizations are all about!

Novak's Tavern and Patio is located at 475 N High Street (very close to the PLA conference). We've reserved the patio space (it'll probably still be covered for the winter), we're offering an open bar, and we'll have pizzas from Mikey's Late Night Slice.

Click here for all of the details and to reserve your spot

NoveList Interviews Sadie Hartmann About Her Bram Stoker Nominated Book and Her Love of NoveList

When Sadie Hartmann was working on her now Bram Stoker Award Nominated book, 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered, I suggested she take a look at NoveList. As a professional reader and huge library user, Hartmann had never heard of NoveList; however, once she started using her library card to begin exploring, she could not stop.

Now she is one of the database's biggest fans on social media, introducing younger readers to the resource, directing them to their public libraries to find even more assistance as they look for their next good read.

Recently, Yaika Sabat, Manager of Readers' Services over at NoveList, caught up with Hartmann to talk about her book and how she uses and promotes NoveList.

This interview is a great reminder about how doing a little promotion about your databases can lead to happy patrons.

Below is the introduction to the interview and a link to keep reading. 

"Mother Horror" Shares Love of Scary Stories

Yaika Sabat

19 March 2024

Anyone who knows me knows that I am all about horror. Whether it be books, movies, or podcasts, I'm always looking for great new horror stories.  

When I came across Sadie Hartmann's Instagram account, I loved her posts. I’ve been following her work ever since. Recently, she posted a Reel all about NoveList Plus, and the NoveList team knew we wanted to chat with her.  

Sadie Hartmann is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor (Dark Matter Presents Human Monsters: A Horror Anthology) and author (101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered). With over 40,000 followers, she's an established presence in Instagram's Bookstagram, where you'll find her beautifully designed posts and wide-ranging horror recommendations. Along with Ashley Sawyers, she owns and runs Night Worms, a curated monthly horror subscription box.  

Click here to read the interview. 

Weird Westerns: An Annotated Reading List by Me via The LineUp

One of my favorite outlets to write for is The LineUp. You can click here for all of the times I have written for them or about them here on the blog. 

I love getting to write about books directly to the reader audience.  And I really believe in the work that the LineUp does. They are professional, care about getting backlist titles into the hands of readers, and pay me as promised and on time.

This is one of 5 columns I have contracted to write for the LineUp this calendar year. You can read everything I have written for them with this link.

Below is a link to the entire article with the introduction reposted here.

These Weird Horror Western Books Are Re-Inventing the Genre

Where the horror howls.

By Becky Spratford | Published Mar 19, 2024

• 
• Photo Credit: Kym MacKinnon / Unsplash

Back in 2017, I noted the following trend on my blog for library workers:  

“…Westerns are making a comeback…because the genre is shifting to fit what readers want to read about today, while still staying true to the essence of what makes something "a Western." 

Up until recently, in order to be called a "Western" a book needed to be about the expansion of the West—and the men who “tamed” it. It also had to be set from after the Civil War to the turn of the 20th Century.

Okay, before I go any further, you can see right away why there is a problem with this definition—mostly white men, very strict time frame, and limited scope. 

But there are other things that are appealing about Westerns that many readers love and that this genre always got 100% right. For example, the rich descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the plots which place the characters in a morality play (with) revenge and redemption…at the center. These appeals are not unique to the West but they are things about the genre that fans also adore. 

This renewed interest in Westerns uses these basic appeal factors and a broad definition of "The West" as a place, but not always in those former strict time constraints. These are stories of the West that add in something else, like another genre, a darker tone…or are just plain "weird." They can now also be set anytime as long as "The West" as a place features prominently.” 

This popularity has only increased in the seven years since I first wrote that post, culminating most recently with Lone Women by Victor LaValle, a Weird Western, showing up on best lists from Library Journal to Book Page and as a nominee for awards like the Bram Stoker Award and the LA Times Book Prize.  

Looking back from 2017 to now, we not only see an increase in the number of titles being released, but within the classification of “Weird Western,” we have also seen a wider range of stories available to readers.

From science fiction and dark fantasy influences to atmospheric historicals to pulps, there is a Weird Western for every reader to join the wagon train and ride this popular trend into the sunset. 

Click here to see the full article and annotated list of books.

Demystifying Genre Program Gets a HUGE Overhaul: With Slide Access

I am currently in the process of my annual major update to my genre program. From Becky's most popular programs page:

Demystifying Genre: Nothing is scarier than trying to help a fan of a genre you yourself don’t enjoy. You want to help that, for example, Romance reader, find the perfect book, but you are having trouble knowing where to begin because...eek!... you don’t read Romance. You are afraid they will find out you are a fraud. How can YOU possibly help THEM?!? Never fear, in this program, Readers’ Advisory expert, Becky Spratford, will teach you the basic appeals of the major genres, give you the inside track on what a fan of that genre is most drawn to, and provide you with talking points to get your genres readers to tell you what they want. This program focuses on providing you with a diverse and inclusive list of up-to-date authors; only living authors will be discussed. You will leave this session with the confidence and skill to help fans of every genre, regardless of whether or not you have ever read a book in that genre yourself. And that will leave a trail of happy patrons in your wake. 75-90 mins

I have given a version of this program going back over a decade. It all began as an outshoot of the work I did when I was adjunct faculty at the graduate school. When I taught the RA class, a majority of the weeks were spent focusing on genres, their appeal factors, current trends, and their readers. Once I stopped teaching in 2012, I didn't want to lose my connection to all genres. 

Yes, I immerse myself in Horror, but it is when you pull back and take a broader look at all of adult fiction, that you are able to appreciate what readers are gravitating towards and what authors are writing. 

I also include YA genre trends in this talk as well because the teen readers will become adult readers soon. The years I spent serving teens made me realize that trends with teens make their way into adult books with regularity.

Here is the 2024 version of my Genre Overview program. I have given this program a HUGE overhaul. I use the work I do at the end of each year, analyzing the stats, trends, and bestsellers for the year that was and combine it with the titles that are called out my the RUSA Reading List committee, Goodreads Best Picks by readers, Bestsellers, and NoveList Recommended Reads. 

My goal with this program is to highlight a sampling of the titles that most represent the genre as it is RIGHT now. No dead authors. No history of the genre. Rather how it is defined by the most relevant writers and its most rabid fans.

Every time I give this program, I get a chorus of people saying things like... But you forgot this and this. Or what about this. ETC... 

I embrace that because if I have inspired people to get riled up and share their favs, it means I have done exactly what I am trying to do-- have a vibrant conversation about genre fiction. In fact, when I give this virtually, I have the person running the webinar encourage this by putting the name of the genre on the screen into the chat and asking everyone to share their favs in the chat. Then, after the event, participants have my slides, with 141 titles and all of their crowd sourced authors and titles.

I tell the audience to engage with the genres you love during the presentation but then go back and choose an author for the genre you are least comfortable with after the event, to give it a try based on the joy of your fellow library workers.

I will be giving the overhauled version of this talk tomorrow for the first time. And I have a bunch more already scheduled throughout the rest of 2024. 

Finally, here is the link to my most popular free, genre resources. That was also updated and the link is in the slides as well.