Table of contents for November 2021 in Booklist Reader

From the Editor & Publisher Perhaps it’s strange, but when I’m in a library, I have a sense of togetherness with others in the space. It’s especially odd because usually I don’t know anyone else when I’m there. Maybe I feel this way because patrons have a common purpose, searching for information, resources, and great books for learning or entertainment (or both!). November is a month to observe togetherness with family, friends, … and library patrons(!), and a theme in the Adult section of this issue also celebrates togetherness with features on crafting, book-group book recommendations, and reading together. In Youth, find middle-grade debuts, novels for tweens, and much, much more. And in Audio, don’t miss middle-grade audiobook recommendations and, shhh … “Listener Confidential.” Remember to check out “Reserve These…

Adult Books Top 10 Book-Group Books These outstanding books will spark discussions on language, history, family, how to live in society, and so much more. Nonfiction Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. By Amanda Montell. 2021. HarperWave. Montell demystifies the twisty language of belonging that is used in groups as varied as Scientology and SoulCycle, revealing how it’s employed to manipulate or motivate. How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery across America. By Clint Smith. 2021. Little, Brown. Smith visits sites emblematic of American slavery and engages with those he finds there, probing the contradictions of our collective memory and how deliberate mis-education, nostalgia, and denial fuel beliefs that shape the U.S. today. The Loneliest Polar Bear: A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge…

Adult Books Reserve These Reads Adult Get your hands on these hotly anticipated books, all out this month. Nonfiction 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows. By Ai Weiwei. Crown. World-acclaimed artist of conscience Ai Weiwei chronicles the dramatic stories of how he and his father, revered poet Ai Qing, resisted China’s diabolical tyranny and remained committed to art and freedom. Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. By Brené Brown. Random. Best-selling professor and podcaster Brown illuminates the range of emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human and provides the language, tools, and skills we need to make good choices and connections. Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds. By Huma Abedin. Scribner. Abedin, prominent advisor to Hillary Clinton and former…

Books for Youth Reserve These Reads Children & Teens Get your hands on these hotly anticipated books, all out this month. Older Aurora’s End. By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Knopf. Gr. 9–12. The ensemble cast of Kaufman and Kristoff’s high-energy sf series have been trying to save the galaxy from evil, but we’ve reached the final book; can they do it? Gilded. By Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends. Gr. 9–12. Best-selling Meyer brings her story-spinning skills to this reimagined Rumpelstiltskin, which features a girl adept at telling tales who finds herself trapped with an impossible task in front of her. Our Violent Delights. By Chloe Gong. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. Gr. 9–12. This sequel to Gong’s thrilling, New York Times best-selling debut, These Violent Delights, follows Juliette and Roma…

Adult Books Reading Together Recent Social Justice Choices for Book Groups by Annie Bostrom, Susan Maguire, and Donna Seaman As book groups seek captivating books that will launch thoughtful conversations, they will be looking for recent titles that explore such social-justice issues as racism, sexism, climate change, immigration, and body image from various perspectives, whether factual or imaginative, bold or sensitive, humorous or lyrical. The nonfiction titles below are works of history and analysis, memoir, and essay collections, while the fiction titles cover a broad emotional spectrum, from harrowing to romantic and from witty to uplifting. Written by debut authors and longtime favorites, these vital and relevant book-group candidates will engross readers and inspire lively and significant discussions. Nonfiction After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort.…

LIBRARY READS All Her Little Secretst A Novel by Wanda M. Morris (William Morrow Paperbacks) “All is not as it first seems in this thriller set in present-day Atlanta. In-house attorney Ellice is suddenly elevated to corporate general counsel after her boss’s death, but things don’t add up. A beautifully written, entertaining mystery with on-target social commentary about workplace politics and racial and sexual discrimination. For fans of Hank Phillippi Ryan, Attica Locke, and S. A. Cosby.” —Nina Radakovich, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Atlanta, GA NoveListread-alike: AstheWickedWatch by Tamron Hall November 2021 - The top ten books published this month that library staff across the country love. The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu (Avon) “Jas is lost and working in her family’s donut shop. When she accidentally follows her crush…

Audiobooks Top 10 Middle-Grade Audiobooks Audiobooks for middle-grade listeners showcase some of the best narration work around. These top 10 titles are infused with drama, tension, hilarity, and heartbreak. All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team. By Christina Soontornvat. Read by Quincy Surasmith. 2020. 4hr. Brilliance. Gr. 5–8. In his audiobook debut, Surasmith narrates with a calm, journalistic demeanor and pays careful attention to the correct pronunciation of Thai names. Narration seamlessly weaves in sidebars in this nonfiction selection; a great choice for fans of the I Survived series. The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell. By Jordan Sonnenblick. Read by the author. 2021. 5hr. Scholastic. Gr. 3–7. In author/narrator Sonnenblick’s homage to his childhood, he reads his adventures with understated humor, and listeners are treated…

Adult Books Top 10 Crafts & Hobbies For all the crafters and hobbyists who are seeking hands-on projects that range from meditative to expressive, these exceptional how-to’s about needlework and painting, cosplay and hat-making offer opportunities for acquiring new skills and perfecting favorite techniques. The Act of Sewing: How to Make and Modify Clothes to Wear Every Day. By Sonya Philip. 2021. Roost. With an eye to creating garments designed for comfort, Philips concentrates on four elementary pieces and simple techniques, explaining the basics and the fine points and offering many variations. Colour Demystified: A Complete Guide to Mixing and Using Watercolours. By Julie Collins. 2021. Search. Award-winning watercolorist Collins delves into all the different ways hues, shades, and tones can play together as she illuminates various techniques and presents seven…

Books for Youth Top 10 Middle-Grade Debuts These 10 beautiful novels showcase the ever-expanding scope of middle-grade fiction, with many representing various global perspectives and offering a range of genres, including historical, contemporary, and fantasy fiction. Amari and the Night Brothers. By B. B. Alston. 2021. HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray. Gr. 3–7. In this series starter, Amari is swept up into a world of magic, technology, and mysticism as she searches for her missing brother by competing for a summer internship at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Boy, Everywhere. By A. M. Dassu. 2021. Lee & Low/Tu. Gr. 6–8. As Syria plunges into civil war and the danger draws closer, eighth-grader Sami and his family flee their comfortable life in Damascus to seek refuge in the UK—if the journey doesn’t break them first. The…

Books for Youth How Do I Move On? Ivy + Bean by Julia Smtih I first met Ivy and Bean when I was working at The Magic Tree Bookstore, a children’s bookstore in Oak Park, Illinois. I was reveling in being surrounded by kid’s books and learning everything I could about classics, best sellers, and, most excitingly, new releases. The year was 2006, and Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall’s new early chapter-book series about an odd-couple pair of best friends and neighbors had just hit the shelves. I was instantly besotted. Over the next 15 years, the girls would hunt ghosts, dabble in science and witchcraft, solve mysteries, and get into plenty of trouble. Their twelfth and final (weep!) adventure, Ivy + Bean Get to Work, published in April, and…