Summer Scares Author Panels With Booklist Begin TODAY!!!

Today is the first of our 3 author conversation webinars with Booklist to introduce you all to our Summer Scares books and wonderful authors and illustrators. Here is the full schedule: 

Booklist Webinars Featuring Summer Scares Authors

• Summer Scares Middle Grade Author Panel
• Register for Live May 12th, 2pm Eastern
• Summer Scares YA Author panel
• Register for Live May 24th, 2pm Eastern
• Summer Scares Adult Author panel
• Register for Live June 9th, 2pm Eastern

You still have time to sign-up to join us live today. I will be at all three panels in the "official" background space to help answer any of your questions. And of course, Konrad Stump and I are available 24 hours a day at libraries at horror dot org. Visit the Summer Scares  resource page for more including the 2023 Programming Guide.

Use the links above sign-up for all three panels, or visit the archive later to view for FREE. Check out the other free webinars while you are there as well. 

I hope to "see" you there.

For context, here is my initial announcement post about this series of webinars. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2023

Big News for the Summer Scares Authors Panels!

I can finally announce this! 

In past years, the Summer Scares committee has hosted panel discussions with the authors-- one panel per age group-- and we posted them on the HWA You Tube channel for free.

This year, however, we have coordinated with our Summer Scares partner, Booklist to take advantage of their robust, regularly scheduled, FREE webinars, and have scheduled all 3 panels to be offered live with easy, free on-demand access.

The first one features the Middle Grade authors and is Friday, May 12 at 1 pm CT. Julia Smith, from Booklist and our Summer Scares MG expert will be moderating.

By working with Booklist for these webinars we can now give the Summer Scares program a larger reach. The webinar announcements will end up on the radar of thousands of library workers. We also have gotten more buy in from the publishers than we ever have before, again, because they trust Booklist webinars. And we can take advantage of the archiving of past programs which Booklist does so well. Library workers already know to go to that archived webinars page to look for training of any kind, on demand, and for free.

Sign up for the MG panel today with this link. Or pass it on to your YS staff. The YA panel will be later in May and the Adult in early June. I will announce them all on both blogs just as I am doing this MG announcement today.

I will also add the link to the archived webinar after it happen to the Summer Scares Resources page. And those Summer Scares pages get archived as well here. Which means, not only can you watch this year's panels after they happen at this link, but also, you can still easily access those old YouTube discussions at this link.

I hope you join us!

Summer Scares Middle-Grade Panel  

Date & Time: May 12, 2023 01:00 PM CT

Description: Gather ‘round the campfire for a spine-tingling discussion of this year’s middle-grade horror selections for the Summer Scares Reading Program, a program designed for libraries by the Horror Writers Association, in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist. Books for Youth senior editor Julia Smith will gab with Summer Scares authors Katherine Arden (SMALL SPACES), K. G. Campbell (A SMALL ZOMBIE PROBLEM), and Dan SaSuWeh Jones (LIVING GHOSTS & MISCHIEVOUS MONSTERS) about all things horror and why scary stories belong on children’s shelves, both at home and at the library. This free, one-hour webinar will take place on Friday, May 12th at 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET. Register now, or the banshees will haunt you forever. 

Click here to register-- FOR FREE-- now!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 122: A Signed Copy of The Complex by Brian Keene

Ed note: I am cross posting this on the main blog because I am offering is a signed copy of a book by a major author in Horror and because you might want to enter now before the giveaway explodes this summer. Between the titles I have already and those I will get at the back-to-back occurrences of StokerCon and ALA this June, you are going to want your name in contention.

This week I have a signed copy of a book that I proclaim in my book as a "start with" title for one of the genres top authors. Details below, but first, here is how you enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #121. Our winner was Christopher from Buncombe County [NC] Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

In Chapter 2 of my book, I give an overview of the genre right now. In it, I name Brian Keene as one of my "Old Guard." I write about his work as a protector of the genre and a mentor to many of its best new voices. But then I get to his writing as I say:

However, while his importance as a mentor is unparalleled, he is also a fantastic writer. The undisputed king of mainstream pulp horror, Keene is a master at describing the dismemberment of bodies. He writes blue-collar horror featuring the people he encounters in his own life, from all political spectrums, and as a result. all of his characters are fully realized, heroes and villains. He also does not shy away from writing from the point of view of women or marginalized voices. Readers new to Keene can try The Rising, but the autobiographical and more recent, The Complex is the best place to begin.

The Complex is the best book to showcase how Brian Keene writes today. It perfectly captures why readers love him.

Last week, Brian came Bucket O'Blood in Chicago for an event and I was there. I bought a copy of The Complex with the intent to have him  sign it and give it away to one of you. 

So this week, a signed, finished copy of The Complex is going to one of you to add to your library collections. But to all of you, I want to remind you to add Brian Keene titles to your circulating collections. Since he mostly publishes with small presses, you have to order from a book store. Here is the Bookshop.org link to Keene's catalog to make it easier for you.

Make sure you have The Rising (credited as part of a trifecta that marked the beginning the 21st Century zombie craze- info in the link), Earthworm Gods (one of the first cli-fi horror novels of this era and an OG Summer Scares title), Ghoul (an emotional coming-of-age horror story), and of course, The Complex (being given away today), at a bare minimum. I promise you, they will be very popular.

Enter now and you are entered going forward. And forward includes books by Isabel Cañas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay, lots of Nightfire authors, and more. 

Good luck!

Photographic proof that Brian signed 
the book just for my winner.

Consider Collecting Print Literary Magazines

I have been in libraries long enough to remember our large print magazine collections. I remember having them in a "reading room" type ares. And, I remember patrons coming specifically to read the latest issues of the most popular magazines, or waiting for the day the issues went from in library only use to check out. Titles like The New Yorker and The Atlantic were among the most popular with our fiction readers as well, and I had patrons who knew exactly when an issue was made available for checkout. 

As our magazine collections have moved online (OverDrive has finally made them accessible in the easiest way), there are still readers who enjoy reading short fiction in print. 

Today, I would like to argue for those of you who work with leisure readers to consider looking into adding some print literary magazine to you fiction collections--  not magazine collections. There are still some great literary journals out there, introducing new voices, printing stories by well known writers, and continuing to make the format relevant to a larger swath of leisure readers.

Now, I realize this is outside the norm of how we shelve our collections. Normally you would not have a literary magazine interfiled with fiction, but I would argue that if we have any of the "Best American" anthologies in our fiction collection, shelved by title of the series-- and we all do-- then we can also add literary magazines.

You will get push back just because this is not how regularly do things. This can be combatted with the argument above (comparing these two this "best of" anthologies) and by explaining that since we do not have a centralized place where magazines are kept anymore, we are no longer serving these readers adequately.  

But another argument  you may come up against is the physical product's incompatibility with our fiction shelving. This is fair. My advice to that criticism is to carve out a smaller section within your collections for literary magazine, much like we did with our larger magazine collections. It could even be a small area of shelving in the middle of your fiction collection so that readers can stumble upon it when browsing. Or, if you have enough money and space, you can buy some specific shelving and give literary magazine a corner to themselves. But if none of this will work, you can also limit yourself to literary magazines like The Common, an award winning literary magazine, which comes in a bound paperback format that can fit easily on your existing shelves.

Okay, Becky, you convinced me to give this a try. Where should I start? 

Great question. I personally subscribe to The Common and Southwest Review. In the past I have subscribed to Granta and Ploughshares. These are a good general, literary fiction focused places to start. But I would also explore genre options for the more popular genres in your collections. A great way to identify those journals is to look in the credits of your genre based, "Best Fiction of the Year" anthologies. Where are those stories being published? Are there print magazine options that pop up over and over again? Add one and give it a try.

Or you can take a look at this Lit Hub article from January entitled: Some guy ranked all of the lit journals you've ever heard of (and the other ones, too). This one is helpful to a point and a little tongue in cheek, but worth a look. More useful is Lit Hub's tag for anytime they have talked about Literary Journals.

Start small and add one or two. Promote them. Put them on display, add them to staff picks, post them in your online spaces. Give them a chance to connect with potential readers, ask for feedback, and see how it goes. I would even go so far as to put a book mark in every lit magazine issue asking for feedback. Write something at the top about how this is a new addition to the collection and we'd love to hear your feedback when you return it. Leave space for them to write a response. 

Again, I suggest straying with The Common-- it is published at my alma matter, I am a subscriber, it's focus is on fiction and nonfiction, the writers come from a wide range of identities and perspectives, it is the size of a paperback, and, in the interest of full disclosure, my daughter has recently joined the staff.

If you give this a try, reach out and let me know how it went. 

Using Awards Lists As A RA Tool: Pulitzer Prize Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.   

Last week, I warned you that the Pulitzer Prize announcements were coming today. And here is the access to the link with this year's winners in every category as well as the the statement for why they won ( an addition I always enjoy).

I will post the text for the book specific awards below, but please note, all of these awards have implications for your collections and patrons. For example, this year's general nonfiction winner is about George Floyd, and a few years ago, the same topic won journalism prizes. No let's think about all of the award that went to coverage of the war in Ukraine. I would wager that in a few years, books on this war will be winning in those categories. 

And the Pulitzer Prizes also have awards for drama, music, and poetry. There is a lot to use here to help readers.

Please note, this link take you to this year's winners with access tot every winner right on the page.

Fiction: Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper)

A masterful recasting of “David Copperfield,” narrated by an Appalachian boy whose wise, unwavering voice relates his encounters with poverty, addiction, institutional failures and moral collapse–and his efforts to conquer them.

And

Trust, by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books)
A riveting novel set in a bygone America that explores family, wealth and ambition through linked narratives rendered in different literary styles, a complex examination of love and power in a country where capitalism is king.

Drama: Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, by Jefferson Cowie (Basic Books)

A quietly powerful play about four Iranian adults preparing for an English language exam in a storefront school near Tehran, where family separations and travel restrictions drive them to learn a new language that may alter their identities and also represent a new life

History: Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, by Jefferson Cowie (Basic Books)

A resonant account of an Alabama county in the 19th and 20th centuries shaped by settler colonialism and slavery, a portrait that illustrates the evolution of white supremacy by drawing powerful connections between anti-government and racist ideologies.

Biography: G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, by Beverly Gage (Viking)

A deeply researched and nuanced look at one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history that depicts the longtime FBI director in all his complexity, with monumental achievements and crippling flaws.

Memoir or Autobiography: Hua Hsu of Stay True

An elegant and poignant coming of age account that considers intense, youthful friendships but also random violence that can suddenly and permanently alter the presumed logic of our personal narratives.

Poetry: Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020, by Carl Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

A masterful collection that chronicles American culture as the country struggles to make sense of its politics, of life in the wake of a pandemic, and of our place in a changing global community.  

General Nonfiction: His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice, by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa (Viking)

An intimate, riveting portrait of an ordinary man whose fatal encounter with police officers in 2020 sparked an international movement for social change, but whose humanity and complicated personal story were unknown. (Moved by the Board from the Biography category.)

Display Idea: Books We Have Faked Reading

One of my favorite book news resources is the Shelf Awareness free daily newsletter for booksellers and librarians. When they have an author interview, one of the questions they ask is "What is a book you have faked reading?"

I love this question because it twists the idea of every writer being some sort of elevated being that can do no wrong. It is not even close to what you think they will be asked. And even though I know it is coming, and whether or not I care about the author being profiled, I read every answer to this question. It its fascinating.

I talk about doing something similar in my booktalk training programs (see slide 8) when I encourage you to surprise your patrons by starting a conversation with, "What is your least favorite type of book?" 

This question will make your patrons do a double take and look at you as if saying, "Did you really just ask me what I don't like?" 

We need ways to shake people out of the same old, same old. This is why surprising them with authentic questions that are clearly meant to spark a conversation is key.

Back to Shelf Awareness and their similarly shocking question, "What is a book you have faked reading?" 

This is a GREAT idea for a display and/or an online conversation. Send around this question to all staff and explain that you want to get up a display of titles that answer this question, and you want to start with everyone who works at the library. Then get up the book display and make sure you ask patrons to add their own titles to the list. Have them add a post-it notes to a board, put a slip of paper in a box, or add their title online. This display will work best virtually on Facebook as a conversation and on Instagram after you post a photo of the display and ask for comments.

Oh, and don't forget, my overall best advice for interactive RA, get this question on a bookmark and put it in every book on the hold shelf for 3 weeks. Even if only 10% of them come back with an answer, that is a LOT of titles to add to this fun display.

I promise you, people will do a double take when they see a title over a display that reads, "Books We Have Faked Reading." Fill it up because I know there are plenty of titles, and for staff, many of then are going to be bestsellers which will shock your patrons even more.

Now, and I know these people are out there, some of you bosses are going to not love this idea because it uses a perceived negative to get people's attention. However, that is not true, and here are your counter arguments.

1. It is a question from the highly respected Shelf Awareness newsletter. 
2. We want to showcase that every reader has a different taste in books and that we cater to all of them. Acknowledging what works for some people and not others is a great way to engage our patrons in more nuanced conversations about what they like and why.
3. This display shows we want to listen. We are asking something that could be perceived as a negative. It will get their attention and encourages engagement with more nuance.
4. Finally, these more nuanced conversations lead to us being able to craft more responsive collections AND the relationships created by these conversations have been shown to lead to more checkouts.

There is a larger mission here. We are not trying to be snarky. It might seem cheeky to put up a "Books We Have Faked Reading Display," but in reality, it will increase satisfaction, engagement, and participation from your patrons.

And it is fun. 

RA for All Roadshow Visits Reaching Forward -- ILA's Library Support Staff Conference

Today I am at one of my favorite Library Conferences-- Reaching Forward. This is put on by the Illinois Library Association as a library support staff focused conference. Back when I worked at the library, I used to take as many staff members as would fit in my minivan for the entire day.

The library paid all of our registration but me offering to take people way key. Why? Because there are a few barriers toward library workers getting involved in professional development especially at the conference level.

First, the paying for a conference. Often when we talk about library conferences usually only the librarians and managers get to go. We here in Chicagoland are lucky because ALA Annual comes through town every few years and with it, the systems offer discounted exhibit passes ($40 this year) to allow anyone to go. But the vast majority of library workers never get the chance to go to ALA or even their regional or state conference, purely because there are no funds for support staff to attend.

Second, even when there is funding, going to a library conference is a bit scary the first time. It is overwhelming. So many people, sessions, and the giant exhibit hall. Where do you go first? The great thing about Reaching Forward is, everyone is like you and the entire conference, including presenters, is there to mentors help, and guide. When the experience is tailored to the library support staff, they are treated as the top of the heap, and that matters; it makes them more comfortable.

Third, and don't underestimate this, lunch is included. This is more important that you think. Because everyone is given a sit down lunch with their ticket, everyone goes into the same giant room, there are dozens of tables. You pick one and sit. No assigned seating. Those of us who are the presenters are also there at lunch and we are encouraged to engage everyone in conversation and make them feel comfortable. You won't spend the time hunting for something to eat and sitting alone in a corner between sessions. You will be together with others and have great conversation. And again, because it is a support staff conference, you will meet other people who have a similar job to yours from another library. 

And finally, during the lunch two awards are given to library support staff. It is important that all library workers are honored for all they do, not just those with the masters degree. While almost everyone is NOT  one of the winners, seeing someone who does a similar job to yours, being honored by the Illinois Library Association, is an inspirational moment.

Click here to see the schedule and learn more about this year's Reaching Forward conference.

I am excited about my presentation this year, as I am reprising a program I was a part of a few years ago, and it is literally a program that can be described as the summary of what Reaching Forward is: 

Level Up Your Career: Professional Involvement Opportunities for Library Staff

Are you eager to grow personally and contribute professionally in the library world? Are you looking for more ways to become engaged in librarianship and gain more training without going back to school? Then this is the program for you. We will introduce you to the numerous committees and professional organizations you can beginning participating in right now. Your skills will grow while you network with library professionals and add positively to the entire library community. You will also hear from three people whose library careers all started as paraprofessionals but eventually followed very different professional paths. We want you! And you really can choose your own library adventure! 

Click here for access to my and Karen's slides and here for Rosie's handout. For the record, Rosie is doing all of her awesome stuff-- incoming chair of the Reaching Forward Committee, RAILS Board, REFORMA, presenting all over the country about bilingual programming-- all of it without a MLIS. We are speaking from experience. 

I will also be working at the RAILS booth from 12:30-1:30. And I will be at lunch as mentioned above. I will have a name tag on and will be wearing my "Ban the Fascists, Save the Books" T-Shirt for most of the day (Changing into RAILS t-shirt for booth time). Please come up and say hi. You will have an easier time identifying me than I will you. I will have stickers and pens to give out as well.

I know not all of my readers can be there, but please note that anyone can access the slides and handouts for all programs on this site. No password or registration needed. Click here.

Predicting the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction via Electric Literature

The Pulitzer Prizes, including the prize for fiction, will be announced on Monday, May 8th, at 3pm Eastern. This is an award that does not release a long-list, as a result, what people think might win is always fodder for discussion in literary circles. It could be anything! Well, anything from the time frame.

For example, earlier this week, Electric Literature had this great article "Predicting the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction." As someone who read many books that could win as part of this past year's selection committee for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellent in Fiction and Nonfiction, I am especially interested this year. Most of the books mentioned in the essay are titles I have read. 

But for the rest of you, this is also a fun piece to use as an idea to build excitement for the Pulitzer Prize announcement. 

Take this article and use it to start a Pulitzer Prize display and/or lists online or on social media right now. Make a display of the many past award winners in books, both fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and even music. Click here for easy past winners access.

But also, make a smaller display of the current front runners, from the Electric Lit piece. Maybe include the ACM finalists as well (some are mentioned in the article). And then, ask people to cast their own votes. They can vote for one of the titles in the article or do a write-in for their choice. Make this interactive part of the display fun and promise to reveal the library winner along with the actual winner on Monday. You can have the official Pulitzer winner and the Library one. 

This is a display that will draw interest and participation in the building and online, especially on social media where people can vote with a comment. But it will also showcase that the library is a place that has so many of these winners in a variety of categories.

Plus, if you get the display up before the weekend, you will already have it up and ready to go when the announcement is made on Monday. As people come in that day or the next few after, you are already there with information and titles about something in the news. You look like you are "listening" to them because you have anticipated what they were thinking about reading.

Plus come, Monday afternoon, you will have more titles to add. And it can stay up for at least another week or two. It's a win all around. 

With the announcement being Monday afternoon,  I'll post about the winners on Tuesday with commentary and RA implications specific to those winners, but for now, you can start making displays of contenders and previous winners to get people excited.

Big Five Imprints Infographic

Whether you realize it or not, much of what we do in libraries is inexorably tied to the Big 5 publishers, and specifically to the fact that the vast majority of books in our collections are published by only 5 companies. 

Because these publishers have dozens of imprints, it is easy to forget that it all boils down to 5 and only 5. Yes we collect items by others presses, but it is pocket change in comparison.

I know many of you know this, but how many of you have sat down and really thought about it. Probably none of you. Heck, I barely give this the brain space I should. I grapple with this 4x a year as I build my Library Journal Horror Review Column and try as hard as I can to have no more than 2 books by one publisher.

Well someone who thinks about this a lot and has turned it into an infographic that will force you to realize how much we are beholden to the Big 5 is Ali Almossawi who runs "The Critical Thinker."

Click here to see their infographic illustrating the Big 5's control on publishing. I promise you, even if you think you are ready to see this, you are not.

I, for one, am going to keep this graphic in mind more often as I go about my day to day work.

Please take a moment to look and absorb.

Fiction to Nonfiction Recs: A List from Book Riot and Why I Think You Should Do This More Often

I frequently write and lecture about matching books based on why someone would like it, not what happens in the plot. This opens you up to making better suggestions to potential readers. Plot is a bad way to match books. 

A recent Book Riot list however, made me realize another important book suggestion stumbling block that  I often hint at, but don't say directly often enough, is that you should not be afraid to suggest Nonfiction to someone who enjoyed a Fiction title.

That list is literally Bestselling Novel to It's Nonfiction Readalike. Check out the list and explanations for each readalike. All of it serves as a reminder to do this for any popular book. You can use the actual matches the list to make a display or list of your own, or to use the titles as a back pocket suggestion.

But this post should also be a reminder that too often we think in silos. Some of it is not our fault. Our structure creates those silos. We separate books by age range and fiction from nonfiction. While this makes it easier for browsing, it also puts up mental barriers as we think about vs books to readers. We should always be considering our entire collections when we are helping readers find books-- whether that is with active conversation or through our passive RA (lists and displays).

I know many of you already consider nonfiction for your crime readers and/or historical fiction fans, but as this list illustrates, there are more opportunities to make these fiction to nonfiction suggestions. Even for Colleen Hoover! Not only are you helping readers to find books they will enjoy but could never have found without your help, but also, you are helping some forgotten titles to circulate. With the nonfiction stacks containing so many more books, often some great nonfiction titles get lost in the stacks.

Another positive, when we move our patrons across our entire collection to find items for their leisure needs, we are literally reminding them of everything the library has to offer. Moving people physically out of their regular stops is key to library services. You think we often forget to suggest things from other areas, patrons are even worse at remembering. Set the example that the entire library is there with options they will be sure to enjoy by stepping outside of the fiction box for them. Be the example and they will follow.

Once you use this list to make a display or give suggestions, I bet you will have requests to keep it going. Give it a try. And make it interactive by asking for more suggestions to add to the fiction-nonfiction readalikes. You can encourage people to add their suggestions if you post the list online or leave a suggestion box or a place to leave post-it notes near your physical displays. 

What I'm Reading and Booklist's Annual Mystery Issue Dedicated to Bill Ott

I have 2 reviews in the May 1, 2023 issue of Booklist. It is the annual Mysteries and Thrillers issue, one of the most popular of the year. It is also the brain child of former head of Booklist, Bill Ott who recently passed away. This issue is dedicated to him and contains many remembrances by those who worked for him. The editorial team also linked to John Green's moving video saying Goodbye to his mentor and friend, Bill Ott. Caution, have some tissues handy, even if you didn't know Bill like those of us who worked for him did.

As I mentioned, the awesome May 1 annual Crime focused issue was Bill's favorite of the year. And all of us have been graced with a plethora of articles and lists by him in this issue. Pieces that are among his final contributions to the magazine.

Use this link to see all of the feature articles Bill prepared for this issue, including the Top 10 Mystery and Thriller titles for 2023.

I have 2 reviews in this issue and it is fitting that my STAR review in this issue happens to be the newest book by Daniel Kraus, who worked for Bill Ott and counts him as a mentor.

I wrote about my memories of Bill in this post.

Below here are my draft reviews with bonus RA info from the May 1, 2023  issue.

STAR

Whalefall
by Daniel Kraus
Aug. 2023. 336p. MTV, $27.99 (9781665918169); e-book (9781665918183). 
First published May 1, 2023 (Booklist).

Prolific, bestseller Kraus presents a moving character study disguised as a riveting, cinematic, survival thriller. Jay is a high school senior dealing not only with the loss of his local hero and diving legend father, Mitt, but also his unresolved anger with their complicated relationship. In an attempt to bring some peace to his mother and sisters, Jay attempts a dangerous solo dive that is cut short when he is swallowed by a whale. Told from Jay’s point of view in short, alternating chapters set in the present, denoted by how much air is left in his tank, and the past, mostly between 2015 and 2021, readers fall into the story immediately. The pacing is relentless, the awe, astounding, and the tension, palpably constricting, even as Kraus takes time to add the necessary details both scientific and visceral. However, it is Jay’s constant growth throughout the story where this novel shines, allowing its beauty to emerge, and leave its mark on all who encounter it. An easy sell to fans of Ocean Horror like Pressure by Keene or harrowing survival stories like 127 Hours by Ralston, but also those who love the wonder, disgust, and heartfelt emotions found in Eric LaRocca’s work.

YA Statement: Written by an author with many YA fans, featuring a 17 year old protagonist and mixing high-action, high stakes adventure with an honest look at a complicated parent-child relationship, WHALEFALL will attract a wide range of teen readers.

Further Appeal: Before we get to how great this books, I wanted to comment that this novel is part of the relaunch of MTV Books this year, a seminal publishing imprint back in my childhood, that is staging  a comeback. 

Now back tot he book itself, While there is no denying the excitement, awe, and visceral descriptions that the plot sets up this book is a star because of the  story Kraus tells about Jay– the very complicated relationship with his dad, how he handled Mitt’s illness, decline, and death, and how he can grow and learn from it to become his own man– one that can that can never be disentangled from his family. It is both disgusting and beautiful– at the same time.

This novel is another example of how Kraus can write gripping stories for any age. Specifically, this story can be read by a teen or an adult and both would enjoy it and connect with the emotions of three story, but for different reasons.

Here are some of my reading notes:

• You fall right in-- pun intended.
• Punchy writing, fast paced, short chapters, pervasive intense unease– crushes you. But the pattern, it keeps the balance between the serious character development and growth that has to happen, the necessary background details and the riveting cinematic action.
• intense, fast paced, harrowing, raw emotion, survival, wonder, awe, coming of age, character study, moving, emotional, cinematic.
• This book is screaming to be made into a movie!!!!
• The extensive scientific research grounds the entire book. It anchors you to the story which keeps the you in place as the emotional power of the story knocks you over.
• Jay Gardiner is so real as well. He could be any kid. Bad relationship with dad, Covid, dad gets sick and dies, coming of age, finding self, growing up.
• Chapters are either how much air is in his tank 3000 PSI and going down or a year mostly between 2015 and 2022– ages 10 to 17 how Jay comes to terms with his father– Mitt

One final note, "Sleeper, Arise!" is a phrase that is key to the story. In fact, you may say it is the 2 word summary of the entire book. Without giving it away, the meaning of this phrase goes from the worst thing Jay can hear to the best thing he can say. I didn't know how to fit those words into my 200 word limit and have the impact and importance of the phrase make sense, so I left it out.

Three Words That Describe This Book: harrowing, survival thriller, moving character study (but this was hard to narrow down)

Readalikes: I have 3 up in the review. But really any horror or SF thriller would work. Fans of Blake Crouch, for example. But also visceral horror with heart, like Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper.

Jackal, Jackal: Tales of the Dark Fantastic

by Tobi Ogundiran
July 2023. 317p. Undertow, paper, $18.99  (9781988964430). 
First published May 1, 2023 (Booklist).

With award nominations piling up for stories scattered across the speculative fiction publishing landscape, Ogundrian thankfully has gathered 18 of his compelling tales of dark magic in one place. Clearly framed by the author’s Nigerian roots, but with a conscious nod to dark speculative tales from all over the world, the stories in this volume will captivate readers with their haunting atmosphere, confident voice, and immersive settings. The two original stories in this collection are a great example. “Jackal. Jackal,” expertly combines the animal masks as a form of haunting trope with a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to erase the past, injecting it all with new terror in just a few short pages, while “Midnight in Moscow,” riffs off of the well-known Slavic character of Baba Yaga to showcase the enduring power of folklore across cultures. A great introduction to an up-and-coming author, this book will appeal to readers of dark speculative fiction by marginalized voices who actively engage with the white western canon such as Stephen Graham Jones, Marlon James, and Cassandra Khaw.

Further Appeal: This is an author you need to know about. He has already won or been nominated for many awards. He was in the EXCELLENT anthology Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction which got a STAR in Booklist here. He mentions in the notes that he has an epic fantasy series of novels already set to publish; one of the stories is from that world. 

Speaking of the notes, the story notes are a huge plus here. Ogundiran explains his process, but also how he used western tropes and explores them as an African who has lived in many countries around the world. 

I mentioned two of the stories I liked, and that title story is still with me, but I liked too many more to discuss. I don't want to give away plots, but some other other familiar tropes that show up range from Pinocchio to Lovecraft, the haunted house to the tragic epic hero. But there are also tales that showcase traditional African tropes and characters as well.

It is a great collection from a trusted small press. Totally worth an add, especially because he has that epic fantasy series coming. Get this on the shelf before Ogundiran's popularity explodes.

Three Words That Describe This Book: haunting, immersive, compelling

Readalikes: The Only Good Indians is a great readalike for the "Jackal, Jackal" story and Cassandra Khaw’s stories– Breakable Things (same publisher as this collection) or Nothing but Blackened Teeth– both work as general readalikes. Marlon James' Dark Star Trilogy has lots of similarities. 

Other authors that are similar include: Nuzo Ohno, Helen Oyeyemi, SA Chakraborty. But Usman Malik is the most similar. I couldn't list him because no one reviewed his Midnight Doorways for Booklist as I did for LJ. Both men are excellent writers in the short form, both use the entire landscape of dark fantasy to tell their tales, and, something I found out about Ogundiran in the story notes, both are also medical doctors.