A hopeless romantic with a passion for writing that comes to her genetically, Arlem Hawks turned her communications degree into a job as sports information director for Brigham Young University’s Athletics Department. But when Arlem and her family moved to Arizona, she proceeded to channel her love of creative writing and a considerable literary crush […]
Last January, which now feels like approximately 8,000 Januarys ago, we here at Booklist set out to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. The precise date of the historic milestone was August 26, 2020, but our celebration went year-round: we underscored reviews of powerful, female-centered stories with a special “Women […]
Chicago Public Library goes all out for its One Book, One Chicago programs, holding numerous events at branches throughout the city, culminating in a grand finale with the author at the magnificent Harold Washington Library Center. I’ve had the immense honor of participating in these events, and the energy in the auditorium is elevating. This […]
The shortlist for the tenth annual Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction has been announced. To see which three fiction and three nonfiction titles are still under consideration for the American Library Association’s first single-title medal given to books for adults, check out the links below! And be sure to join us […]
One author was in London, another in Los Angeles, and the third was in Chicago, as was I. We all convened virtually on September 30, 2020, coming together as the United for Libraries Author Panel at the 2020 Association of Rural & Small Libraries Conference. I was honored by the invitation to moderate this discussion […]
Pets make everything better. So is it any wonder that many romance novels include a furry, four-footed sidekick in the plot? Authors can showcase the softer side of a hero or heroine who might initially comes across as cold or emotionally distant by incorporating a dog/cat into the love story (as seen with gruff Jack […]
Every month, library staff from across the country have the chance to vote on upcoming adult titles that they loved reading and cannot wait to share. Participation is open to everyone who works in a public library, whether they are senior staff or new arrivals, in any area of the library. LibraryReads is designed to […]
We are celebrating Pride Month within the glow of the historic June 15, 2020 U. S. Supreme Court decision ruling, which states that the 1964 Civil Rights Act does, indeed, protect gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. The long, difficult, now stronger-than-ever fight for LGBTQIA+ rights has inspired and been inspired […]
Since the May 25 murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, the world’s seen many days straight of protest, of resistance, of demands for change, of work—hard work. And this work can look like many things: enduring the tear gas and rubber bullets of police at rallies; running supplies to […]
This regular feature gives Booklist contributing reviewer Terry Hong the opportunity to shout about a recently published book she adored. She’ll tell us why we should read it, then provide five read-alikes for the title. ★ Tropic of Violence, by Nathacha Appanah and translated by Geoffrey Strachan How can a story so harrowing, so wrenching be so gorgeous? In […]