Books

Once upon a time, we didn’t have cell phones. Emergency Quarters, written by Carlos Matias and illustrated by Gracey Zhang, takes us back to those days, while coming with a perfectly worded note for those young enough to not remember technology-free days. Emergency Quarters follows Ernesto through his first week of going to and from

With the first half of the year firmly in our rear view — and all the subsequent “best of the year, so far” lists published — it’s time for the Book World to turn our eyes to the rest of the year. LitHub is among the first to toss their hat in the ring with

With Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple, award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon launches a new chapter book series starring a lovable protagonist “with a whole lot to say.” Eight-year-old Bibsy loves school and learning (especially about science), and she has adored all of her teachers—that is, until third grade, when her teacher is stern Mrs.

Katie’s parents never told her “no” when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Lake Forest College and is working towards a master’s degree in library science at U of I. She works full time at a public library reference

July is Disability Pride Month! It celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Roughly one in four U.S. Americans have a disability, “representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.” Despite how common disability is, disabled people are still underrepresented in all kinds of media,

Joseph Nightingale, nicknamed Fearless after a moment of heroism during the Bosnian conflict, is a British war photographer who was in Nairobi during the August 1998 attack on the U.S. Embassy. While he was away, his pregnant girlfriend, an award-winning investigative journalist, was killed in an automobile accident. As Praveen Herat’s gripping debut political thriller,

We cover a lot of news here at Book Riot. These are the stories readers found most interesting this week, accompanied by my commentary. The Most-Anticipated Most Anticipated Summer Reading List The Millions‘s seasonal preview lists have been a staple of the bookish internet since well before BuzzFeed popularized the idea of the listicle, and

Every week for the Tuesday edition of Our Queerest Shelves, I put together a list of the most exciting new LGBTQ books out that week. Since I first started keeping track of upcoming LGBTQ new releases, this list has grown and grown. I follow a ton of different queer book blogs as well as Bookstagram,

Hello, mystery fans! Welcome to another edition of the Unusual Suspects newsletter! While I am not the biggest fan of rehashing old properties—*points at all the incredible new writers waiting for a shot*—I did grow up a huge fan of the everything-goes-boom action comedy films and a big Eddie Murphy fan, so I am absolutely

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside

Rosena Fung’s latest graphic novel, Age 16, explores the complicated relationships between three generations, jumping in time between the experiences of three 16-year-old girls: Roz in Toronto in 2000; her mother, Lydia, in Hong Kong in 1972; and Roz’s grandmother, Mei Laan, in Guangdong in 1954. How did you come up with the narrative structure

Shay Youngblood, playwright and novelist, has passed away in Peachtree City, GA at the age of 64. Her friend, Kelley Alexander, said the cause of death was ovarian cancer. Youngblood’s works, which include the short story collection The Big Mama Stories (1989), the novels Soul Kiss (1997) and Black Girl in Paris (2000), and her

What are your bookstore rituals? For example, where do you go first in a store?I go first to the new in paperback section. I love the feel and heft of a paperback as well as its affordability and convenience. I also love reading staff recommendations, even for books that I’ve read before. It’s always fun

After Wordle took over our screens in 2022, word games continued to climb in popularity. Once seen as a niche hobby, it’s now common to see someone puzzling over a crossword on their phone as a daily activity. Of course, there’s a pretty big overlap between crossword puzzlers and readers: we’re both word people. So

Get ready to fall in love with Max, the irrepressible elementary school narrator of That Always Happens Sometimes. He’s full of energy and enthusiasm that constantly erupts like a volcano. In Kiley Frank’s clever text, Max poses a series of questions that reveal his personality, such as “Have your electric pencil sharpener privileges ever been

If you are the sort of person who can’t bear to part with sentimental objects—“That belonged to Mamaw!”—this book is for you. Packed inside The Heirloomist: 100 Heirlooms and the Stories They Tell are photographs and stories of 100 items belonging to everyday as well as famous people, including Gloria Steinem, Rosanne Cash and Gabby