In less than a week, I’ll be on summer break! Until then, I’m in the midst of finalizing things at the five school libraries where I work. Besides my right arm being especially tired after doing inventory in so many buildings and the number of unreturned books making me silently weep in the corner, I’m doing great.
I hope you are too! Enjoy this week’s roundup.
Across the high school libraries where I work, a recent project has been diversifying our collections, and part of that is including more books that represent the disability experience. This is a nice interview between two kid lit authors as they discuss why that type of representation is so important. Sally J. Pla says this:
“I do consider it my mission, of sorts, to populate children’s literature with as many nuanced neurodivergent characters as I can, because those characters did not exist when I was young and struggling to understand how to engage with the world. I felt like I was from a different planet. I would have given anything to have “met” a character going through the same stuff, who could perhaps guide me. I was a voracious reader, but never saw my struggles (let alone any potential solutions) portrayed anywhere. It made me feel like I didn’t quite exist.”
In Florida, a book about book banning has been banned. Of course it has.
If you’re looking for easy ways to support your local libraries, check out this advice from Book Riot.
David Sedaris has a new piece in The New Yorker about a recent safari trip, and no one is more excited than I am.
I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of Ruth Ware’s thrillers. She talks about her new book and where she finds inspiration in this interview with CrimeReads.
I just finished reading Birds of America by Lorrie Moore, which I liked a lot. Moore talks with The Guardian and shares what she thinks about whether or not her writing has changed.
Six authors talk about how they deal with writer’s block, including George Saunders and Leslie Jamison.
Electric Lit lists 10 feminist crime novels that subvert the dead girl trope. I was happy to see Bright Young Women and I Have Some Questions for You on their list.
I love viewing books through unique lenses. The guest on this week’s episode of What Should I Read Next? is searching for “hospitable books with a strong sense of welcome.” What a fun prompt! I haven’t had a chance to listen to this episode yet, but I always enjoy the conversations between Anne Bogel and her guests.
R. O. Kwon opens up about her anxiety journey for Elle.
For CrimeReads, author Lori Brand talks about body shaming, women’s rage, and the power of the thriller. She says:
It’s almost impossible to exist as a woman today without experiencing the persistent drip of Diet Culture. From well-meaning questions from loved ones (“should you really be eating that?”), to the cruel comments of online strangers (“she’s a fat pig”), to the villainization of whole food groups (carbs, fats, dairy, red meat), to the media’s obsession with celebrities’ bodies (Jessica Simpson, Lizzo, Adele). The message is clear: Be small. Be pliable.
What if you don’t feel like it?”
One of my favorite reads of last summer was None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. I’m thrilled the book is getting adapted for Netflix!
Morgan Talty recommends his favorite books by Native American and Indigenous authors.
I’ve worked in elementary schools, and currently work in high schools, like I mentioned. I’ve noticed that many students seem to lose their love for reading in middle school. What if we could prevent that slide? Brightly suggests some timeless books for sixth-grade readers. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is one of my absolute favorites, so I was glad to see it on their list.
Here are seven books to help you battle burnout.
Has anything caught your eye this week? Thanks for reading!
I’m excited to read Fire Exit this summer, and I’m surprised that he didn’t include Amanda Peter’s The Berry Pickers on his list! That is a tremendous story, one of my favorite books I’ve read.
I really like the project that the high schools you work at are "including more books that represent the disability experience." I would love to know who initiated this project. The banning of books is something that really gets me going. One parent, in many areas of our country, have disliked books and gotten them banned in their school district(s). It happens in other ways as well, but when does it end?