On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, we celebrate Audiobook Month a little early with a conversation between host Susan Maguire and three audiobook listeners on the Booklist staff: Annie Bostrom, Maren Flessen, and Abby McCabe. They cover what they like to listen to, how they choose between reading with their eyes and their ears, and the fact that listening to an audiobook is, in fact, reading. And, of course, they talk about a lot of (audio)books.

Here’s what we talked about:

Down the Drain. By Julia Fox. Read by the author.

Wuthering Heights. By Emily Brontë. Read by Alison Larkin and Andrew Wincott.

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. By Gabrielle Hamilton. Read by the author.

Lit. By Mary Karr. Read by the author.

GoodReads & StoryGraph

Rodham. By Curtis Sittenfeld. Read by Carrington MacDuffie.

Julia Whelan, audiobook narrator

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. By Kate McKinnon. Read by Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne.

The Devils. By Joe Abercrombie. Read by Steven Pacey.

Forget Me Not. By Stacy Willingham. Read by Karissa Vacker and Helen Laser.

Alchemy of Secrets. By Stephanie Garber. Read by Sutton Foster.

The Body. By Stephen King. Read by Wil Wheaton.

Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith. By Phil Hanley. Read by the author.

From Here to the Great Unknown. By Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keogh. Read by Riley Keogh and Julia Roberts.

Revisionist History podcast

The Questlove Show podcast

The Moth podcast

Wait for Me. By Amy Jo Burns. Read by Patti Murin, Mark Sanderlin, and Gail Shalan.

I Told You So! Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right. By Matt Kaplan. Read by Sean Pratt.

Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away. By Coltan Scrivner. Read by the author.

Dungeon Crawler Carl. By Matt Dinniman. Read by Jeff Hays.

Binti. By Nnedi Okorafor. Read by Robin Miles.

Binti Home. By Nnedi Okorafor. Read by Robin Miles.

Binti: The Night Masquerade. By Nnedi Okorafor. Read by Robin Miles.

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth. By Patrick Radden Keefe. Read by the author.

Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks. By Patrick Radden Keefe. Read by the author.

What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts). By Stanley Tucci. Read by the author.

Folks are probably well into planning for summer reading programs, so now is the perfect time to talk about Summer Scares! On this Episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to the folks involved. First, this year’s celebrity spokesperson, author Jennifer McMachon, joins Susan and readers’ advisory and horror expert Becky Spratford to talk about the adult and YA Summer Scares titles, and Jennifer’s journey from misfit girl to capital-H horror writer. Then, Booklist’s Julia Smith talks to Susan about the middle-grade Summer Scares titles. Finally, Susan sits down with HWA Library Committee co-chair Konrad Stump along with New York Public Library’s Allison Nellis and Kate Federiconi to talk about programming and NYPL’s best-of lists.

Here’s what we talked about:

(* indicates a Summer Scares 2026 title)

Readers’ Advisory survey (it’s quick!)

Summer Scares Resource Page (RA for All)

Summer Scares Middle-Grade Panel (March 12)

Summer Scares YA Panel (March 23)

Summer Scares Adult Panel (March 26)

*A Botanical Daughter, by Noah Medlock

*Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr.

*Maeve Fly, by CJ Leede

iRead Summer Reading 2026: Plant a Seed, Read

*What We Harvest, by Ann Fraistat

*Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, by Linda Cheng

*Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories, edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz, illustrated by Ricardo López Ortiz

Stay Buried, by Jennifer McMahon (coming August 2026)

“Monster Girl: How Horror Gave Me a Place to Belong,” by Jennifer McMahon, in Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature, edited by Becky Siegel Spratford

*This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness

*It Came from the Trees, by Ally Russell

*Garlic and the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen, art by the author

The Lion’s Run, by Sarah Pennypacker

Max in the House of Spies, by Adam Gidwitz

Max in the Land of Lies, by Adam Gidwitz

Summer Scares 2026 Programming Guide

NYPL’s Best New Horror for Adults 2025

Dollface, by Lindy Ryan

Headlights, by CJ Leede

Kiss, Slay, Replay, by Rachel Harrison

Japanese Gothic, by Kylie Lee Baker

Abyss, by Nicholas Binge

Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish Landscape, by Manchán Magan

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire speaks to Seattle Public Library Reader Services Librarian Misha Stone about nerding out about reading, reading more (or at least reading more intentionally), and the thrill of the backlist (along with Heated Rivalry, of course). Then, Booklist’s Audio Editor Heather Booth drops some brief but powerful insight into what makes an audiobook reader, and what makes them valid readers (because, yes, audiobooks count as reading), and what you can look forward to in Booklist. Finally, Booklist’s Editor-in-Chief and Adult Books Editor Donna Seaman chats with Susan about some forthcoming books all kinds of readers can look forward to.

Here's what we talked about:

To register for Readers’ Advisory: Ideas and Practice, visit booklistonline.com/webinars

Take our brief Readers’ Advisory survey (please and thank you!)

How to Read More in 2025 – Shelf Talk (from Seattle Public Library)

“Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking.”

― Christopher Morley

Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid

Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee

Cat Sebastian

Pagebound

GoodReads

The Storygraph

SPL’s Your Next Five Books

Hemlock & Silver, by T. Kingfisher

The Mountains We Call Home, by Kim Michele Richardson

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson

“Reading Is a Vice,” by Adam Kirsch, published in The Atlantic on Jan. 2, 2026

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon

The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary, by Terry Tempest Williams

The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change, Rebecca Solnit

Men Explain Things to Me, by Rebecca Solnit

Figuring, by Maria Popova

Traversal, by Maria Popova

Isola, by Allegra Goodman

This Is Not about Us, by Allegra Goodman

The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories, 1978 – 2008, by Louise Erdrich

Python’s Kiss, by Louise Erdrich

Discipline, by Larissa Pham

Pop Song: Adventures in Art and Intimacy, by Larissa Pham

No Way Home, by T. C. Boyle

Five Weeks in the Country, by Francine Prose

It’s bigger than Santa, it’s bigger than the Super Bowl…it’s Editors’ Choice! The full list is a highlight of our December issue, but every winter, Booklist editors gather ‘round the podcast mic and share some of their favorites from the list. Prepare your TBR piles, because we’ve got a little something for every reader.

Here’s what we talked about:

Donna:

The Phoebe Variations, by Jane Hamilton

The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life, by Graham Watson

Mother Mary Comes to Me, by Arundhati Roy

Song of Ancient Lovers, by Laura Restrepo. Translated By Caro De Robertis

Annie:

Heart the Lover, by Lily King

Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America, by Sean Sherman and others

Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook, by Samin Nosrat. Illustrated by Aya Brackett

All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now, by Ruby Tandoh

Susan:

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater

The View from Lake Como, by Adriana Trigiani

The Filling Station, by Vanessa Miller

Heather:

Automatic Noodle, by Annalee Newitz. Read by Em Grosland

How to Dodge a Cannonball, by Dennard Dayle. Read by William DeMeritt

Songs for Other People’s Weddings, by David Levithan and Jens Lekman. Read by Jefferson Mays

The Dead of Summer, by Ryan La Sala. Read by Pete Cross and others

Soundtrack, by Jason Reynolds. Read by Nile Bullock and others

Sarah:

The Witch in the Tower, by Júlia Sardà. Illustrated by the author

Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (a Love Story), by Deborah Heiligman

More Weight: A Salem Story, by Ben Wickey. Art by the author

Angelica and the Bear Prince, by Trung Le Nguyen. Art by the author

Julia:

Bad Badger: A Love Story, by Maryrose Wood. Illustrated by Giulia Ghigini

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest, by Aubrey Hartman. Illustrated by Marcin Minor

The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham, by Ryan James Black

Scarlet Morning, by ND Stevenson. Illustrated by the author

Graciela in the Abyss, by Meg Medina. Illustrated by Anna Balbusso and Elena Balbusso

Xolo, by Donna Barba Higuera. Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

Ronny:

The Bi Book, by A. J. Irving. Illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

Kelly:

Fable for the End of the World, by Ava Reid

A Fix of Light, by Kel Menton

One of the Boys, by Victoria Zeller

They Bloom at Night, by Trang Thanh Tran

Scarlet Morning, by ND Stevenson. Illustrated by the author

Saint Catherine, by Anna Meyer. Art by the author

Fairy tale retelling are having a moment, a moment that has extended for, like, millennia, but now the trend feels particularly hot. Host Susan Maguire sat down with librarian and Booklist reviewer Lucy Lockley about what’s behind the fanfare and some titles and authors you should know. Then Audio Editor Heather Booth spoke to an art educator Heather Kostal about how she uses audiobooks in the classroom. Finally, Books for Youth’s Ronny Khuri and I chatted about picture books about poop and other topics. We cover everything!

Here's what we talked about:

Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine

The Kingdom of Sweets, by Erika Johansen

The Swallowed Man, by Edward Carey

A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher

Alice, by Christina Henry

Horseman, by Christina Henry

Gods of Jade and Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

Mary McMyne

After the Forest, by Kel Woods

Sistersong, by Lucy Holland

Song of the Huntress, by Lucy Holland

Uprooted, by Naomi Novik

The Summer War, by Naomi Novik

The Witch’s Heart, by Genevieve Gornichec

A Spindle Splintered, by Alix E. Harrow

Thief Liar Lady, by D. L. Soria

Hemlock & Silver, by T. Kingfisher

After Happily Ever: An Epic Novel of Midlife Rebellion, by Jennifer Safrey

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett

Crocodile on the Sandbank, by Elizabeth Peters (Ameila Peabody series)

The Maiden and Her Monster, by Maddie Martinez

Cinder House, by Freya Marske

Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun, by Jane Harrington, illustrated by Khoa Le

F*cked Up Fairy Tales: Sinful Cinderellas, Prince Alarmings, and Other Timeless Classics, by Liz Gotauco

The Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, read by David Baker

The Boxcar Children series

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, read by Jeff Woodman

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, read by Tatiana Maslany

Murder of a Movie Star, by L. B. Hathaway

Henry Is an Artist, written and illustrated by Justin Worsley

Little Moments in a Big Universe, written and illustrated by Todd Stewart

Max in the Land of Lies, by Adam Gidwitz

Max in the House of Spies, by Adam Gidwitz

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire sits down with two of our favorite Sara(h)s. First, librarian and Booklister Sara Martínez talks about REFORMA’s National Book Award winner and tips for Spanish-language collection development. Then, Sarah Hunter, Editor, Books for Youth and Graphic Novels, drops some book suggestions perfect for fall reading.

Here's what we talked about:

REFORMA.org

Pura Belpré Award

REFORMA’s 2024 National Book Award (includes longlist and shortlist)

Malas, by Marcela Fuentes

Spanish Sure Bets for Adult Readers: Summer 2025

ALA Free Pass Program

Spanish-language book stores: Liberías Gandhi in Mexico, Casa del Libro in Spain

America Reads Spanish newsletter

Guatemalan Rhapsody, by Jared Lemus

Brother Brontë, by Fernando A. Flores

Starling House, by Alix E. Harrow

By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land, by Rebecca Nagle

Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (a Love Story), by Deborah Heiligman

Angelica and the Bear Prince, by Trung Le Nguyen, art by the author

Cat Nap, by Brian Lies, art by the author

Popo the Xolo, by Paloma Angelina Lopez, illustrated by Abraham Matias

The Witch in the Tower, by Júlia Sardà, illustrated by the author

The Queen in the Cave, by Júlia Sardà, illustrated by the author

More Weight: A Salem Story, by Ben Wickey, art by the author

In this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, we’re coming to you live from ALA’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia. Audio Editor Heather Booth chats with three authors who were excited to share insight into their forthcoming books and what libraries mean to them: Victor Piñeiro (The Island of Forgotten Gods, August 2025, Sourcebooks Young Readers), E. Lockhart (We Fell Apart, November 2025, Delacorte), and Kevin Henkes (Is It Spring?, February 2026, Greenwillow).

Here's what we talked about:

Read n Rave list

The Island of Forgotten Gods, by Victor Piñeiro

Time Villains, by Victor Piñeiro

The Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

We Fell Apart, by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

They Both Die at the End, by Adam Silvera

Family of Liars, by E. Lockhart

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, by E. Lockhart

Is It Spring?, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Sun Flower Lion, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes,

Finding Things, by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Waiting, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Garth Williams

American Picture Books from Noah’s Ark to the Beast Within, by Barbara Bader

Episode 42 Show Notes

In this episode of Booklist’s Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to librarian and horror expert Becky Spratford about the forthcoming collection of essays she edited, Why I Love Horror, what Mary Shelley might think about the current trend of monster romance, and, of course, why she loves horror. Then Booklist’s Audio Editor Heather Booth presents an epic rant against AI-narrated audiobooks, and Susan and Booklist Senior Editor, Adult Books Annie Bostrom chat about two water-related books they’re loving.

Here's what we talked about:

Becky’s early “Why I Love Horror,” featuring Booklist folks

The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, by Becky Siegel Spratford

Danse Macabre, by Stephen King

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

“The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith

The Hunger, by Alma Katsu

Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones

James, by Percival Everett

Horror for Weenies, by Emily Hughes

Circulating Ideas podcast, hosted by Steve Thomas

LibraryReads Hall of Fame

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

The Grip of It, by Jac Jemc

Horror Makes Us Happy podcast with Becky Spratford

The Bewitching, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Cynthia Pelayo

101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered, Sadie Hartmnn

Paperbacks from Hell, by Grady Hendrix

A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, by Erin Frankel and Paola Escobar. Read by Luis Carlos de la Lombana. (Odyssey Award Winner, 2025)

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet, by Tony Keith Jr. Read by the author. (Odyssey Award Winner, 2025)

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story, by Pagan Kennedy. Read by Claire Danes

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart. Read by Del Roy

Listening Still, by Anne Griffin. Read by Nicola Coughlan

A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck, by Sophie Elmhirst

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer

The Love Fix, by Jill Shalvis

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater

It’s time for Summer Scares, and the popular horror-reading program is in fine form again. Shelf Care host Susan Maguire spoke to librarian Becky Spratford, author Kendare Blake, and Booklist’s Julia Smith about this year’s selections for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers; transgressive horror; and Hellmouth Pokémon, as you do. She also spoke to Jocelyn Codner and Carina Stopenski, both of the Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council, about the Summer Scares program guide, why libraries should serve horror readers, and what they’re reading and loving.

Here’s what we talked about:

Summer Scares Resource Page

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead, by Kristen Simmons

iRead Summer 2025: Level Up at Your Library

The Getaway, by Lamar Giles

Devils unto Dust, by Emma Berquist

Reprieve, by James Han Mattson

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, by Eric LaRocca

The Luminous Dead, by Caitlin Starling

Summer Scares webinars: for Adult, YA, and Middle Grade

All These Bodies, by Kendare Blake

In Every Generation, by Kendare Blake

Summer Scares Program Guide

HWA Young Adults Write Now scholarship

(or email [email protected])

Stoker Con 2025 Librarians’ Day

Stag Dance, by Torrey Peters

Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters

It Came from the Trees, by Ally Russell

Hide and Seeker, by Daka Hermon

Ravenous Things, by Derrick Chow

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams, by Graham Annable, art by the author

Skunk and Badger, by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest, by Aubrey Hartman, illustrated by Macin Minor

Bad Badger: A Love Story, by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Giulia Ghigini

Reluctant Witch, by Melissa Marr

On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire talks to Katie Clausen, a Chicagoland children’s librarian, about what it’s like to be on the front lines of a book banning, who offers some tips and suggested language for dealing with a challenge. Then, on a lighter note, Susan talks to Audio Editor Heather Booth about what she’s been reading (and listening to) and loving lately.

Here's what we talked about:

Interview with Kelly Jensen in Episode 22

Foundations of Intellectual Freedom, by Emily Knox

Kate Messner’s Letter to Parents

The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story, by Pagan Kennedy. Read by Claire Danes.

The Use of Photography, by Annie Ernaux and Marc Marie. Translated by Alison L. Strayer. Read by Tavia Gilbert.

The Suite Spot, by Trish Doller. Read by Sarah Naughton.

Birding with Benefits, by Sarah T. Dubb. Read by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Evan Sibley.

How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague. Read by Cynthia Nixon.

Nightbitch, by Rache Yoder.

The Payback, by Kashana Cauley.

The Survivalists, by Kashana Cauley.

Other helpful resources for dealing with contentious book challenges:

The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About, by Mel Robbins (A useful book for work and personal development, especially for helping to take book challenges less personally.)

Quick Tips & Language When Someone Wants to Challenge Materials

Handling Book Challenges