Hello, librarians!
The ALA Midwinter Conference was held virtually at the end of January. The Library Love Fest Team had a virtual booth at the show where we chatted with many of you and gave away egalleys. We also presented many of the great books HarperCollins has coming out this summer.
Several of our authors were featured speakers at this conference:
Cicely Tyson, Author of Just As I Am
The late Cicely Tyson, actress, lecturer, activist, and one of the most respected talents in American theater and film history, discussed her memoir, Just As I Am, with Donald Bogle, film historian and author of the modern classic, Dorothy Dandridge, coming out for the first time in paperback in August 2021.
You can watch the replay on Facebook below, shared courtesy of the American Library Association.*
*Should you wish to share/repost, please be sure to credit the American Library Association.
Natalie Baszile, Author of We Are Each Other's Harvest
Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar—now a critically acclaimed series on OWN directed by Ava Duvernay—spoke about her upcoming book We Are Each Other's Harvest at the ALA Midwinter Diversity in Publishing stage. We Are Each Other's Harvest is a beautiful exploration and celebration of Black farming in America.
Sara Nisha Adams, Author of The Reading List
Sara Nisha Adams, author of The Reading List, joined authors from Macmillan (Jayci Lee, author of The Dating Dare) and Workman Publishing (Polly Samson, author of A Theater for Dreamers) on a panel called "Forget Your Troubles" which was followed by happy* reading recommendations from Library Love Fest’s Virginia Stanley, Talia Sherer from Macmillan, and Annie Mazes from Workman.
*Happy, defined as: enjoyable, escapist, pleasant, feel-good, why we got into this business in the first place…
LLF's Lainey Mays moderated "Representing," a panel of three authors who discussed the importance of writing diverse characters.
Book awards are announced at ALA Midwinter. HarperCollins did quite well! Awards ceremonies will take place in June at the ALA Annual Conference—which will also be virtual.
Here’s the list of winners and honors. Congratulations to all!
Rainbow Roundtable Award (Books that exhibit commendable literary quality and significant authentic LGBTQIA+ content)
Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth
For the full list: https://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/4705
ALEX Award (Ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18)
Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth
For the full list: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards
Carnegie Awards (For excellence in fiction and nonfiction)
Nonfiction Finalist:
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
For the full list: http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/carnegie-medals/2021-winners
Black Caucus of the ALA (For excellence in Adult fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by African American authors published in 2020)
The Honor Book for Fiction:
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston
The Honor Book for Nonfiction:
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
The Honor Book for Best Poetry:
We Want Our Bodies Back by jessica Care moore
Notable Awards (An annual best-of list composed of 25 titles written for adult readers and published in the US including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry)
For the full list: https://rusaupdate.org/news/
Fiction:
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Nonfiction:
Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
We Have Been Harmonized by Kai Strittmatter
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
Listen List (12 Outstanding Audiobook Narrations)
Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
For the full list: https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-listen-list-revealed/
Sophie Brody Medal (Given to encourage, recognize, and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature)
Honorable Mention:
The Lost Shtetl by Max Gross
For a full list: https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/yishai-sarid-named-winner-of-2021-sophie-brody-medal/
Reading List (Best in 8 different genres of fiction for adult readers as well as a shortlist of 4 honor titles)
Adrenaline – 3 shortlist titles included:
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Historical fiction – 1 shortlist title included:
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
Mystery – 1 shortlist title included:
A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden
Romance – 3 shortlist titles included:
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
Science Fiction – 2 shortlist titles included:
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
A Pale Light in the Black by K. B. Wagers
For the full list: https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/
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Congratulations (and a special shout-out to Lainey Mays for getting books to all of the various committee members!)
Virginia, Chris, and Lainey