Similarly, I’ve always been skeptical of books that are advertised as “how-to” guides for writers. Articles like Jonathan Franzen’s “10 Rules for Novelists” can seem polemical. Instead of telling writers what to do, Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern contains unique tools for fiction writers. This is not a book to read from cover to cover; it’s one to browse through randomly and dip into again and again. My creative writing professor often cited this book in class, which inspired me to read the entire book....

Most of her work was written about the sights and animals surrounding her home in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she lived with her long-term partner, photography Molly Malone Cook (who died in 2005). Some of her later work was written in Hobe Sound, Florida. The geography is important, as Oliver wrote primarily about the sights and sounds of whatever was in her backyard, or in the nearby parks. I personally like to describe her as a writer who writes with incredible nuance and a candid and emotional attitude towards nature, spirituality, and the self....

The Farm by Joanne Ramos (Bloomsbury) A thought-provoking dystopian debut for fans of Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman. A chilling look at the probable future of corporatization of surrogacy and race relations in America. The Heavens by Sandra Newman (Granta) This bewitching novel is Newman’s dreamscape. Chimerical and captivating, this time travelling love story will challenge your notion of reality and fiction. The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal (Picador) This mesmerizing debut is set in the 1850s around the time of the Great Exhibition....

“I Forgot That You Existed” Intercepted by Alexa Martin “I forgot that you existed / It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference” After Marlee finds out that her boyfriend of 10 years has been cheating on her, she takes life into her own hands and vows to put herself first. Instead of dwelling over the broken relationship, she finds love with a caring, compassionate man and focuses on her career rather than putting others’ needs before her own....

Within these piles are resting multiple books that are open—marking the page I put them down at, fully intending to continue, thank you. But then A Thing occurred and somehow I lost my way, and then when I managed to return to reading again, got sidetracked by something else. I fully intend to come back to them. I really do. But these mid-read books have sat there for weeks, some of them months, some of them are even holding up my TBW (to-be-watched) list, as I refuse to watch The Handmaid’s Tale without reading it in full first....

The book will offer hope, wisdom, and guidance for navigating the world which has shifted since Becoming. As Obama explains, we’ve endured a pandemic, an insurrection, and an increase in bigotry, racism, and intolerance. “In ‘The Light We Carry,’ Mrs. Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress,” says the publisher’s announcement....

Two new outstanding collections drop this month, and I’ve paired them with two of my other old favorites. All in all, literally hundreds of story morsels to choose from! xo Orpheus, edited by Kate Bernheimer Book Deals Newsletter Sign up for our Book Deals newsletter and get up to 80% off books you actually want to read. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. By signing up you agree to our terms of use I love a good fairy tale, so a collection of fifty re-imagined myths for the 21st century blew my mind....

With a TV age-rating of 9+, the show has the lowest age-rating so far of any Disney Star Wars show. It will follow Obi-Wan as he tries to watch over a young Luke Skywalker after the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the empire. Inquisitor Reva, played by Moses Ingram from The Queen’s Gambit, shows what may be a personal interest in capturing the last of the Jedi as she yells “You can’t run, Obi-Wan!...

In an era of mass censorship, this year’s Read Across America Day takes on even more significance, and PFLAG — the largest organization for LGBTQ+ people, their families, friends, and allies — is encouraging those participating to also #ReadWithLove. #ReadWithLove aims to highlight the power that reading a wide range of books has on helping children develop critical thinking skills. The campaign is rooted in love, tied with positive action, to support the freedom to learn for all students, no matter their race, genders, or zip code....

If you want to read nonfiction about pandemics, Lily Dunn has you covered. But what about artists and writers chronicling their journey with COVID-19 in an interesting way? I’ve found a few. Among the first to start up corona diaries were—unsurprisingly—Lebanese comix artists. Many of today’s Lebanese comix artists grew up being locked in during the country’s 15-year civil war. Several have written beautiful graphic novels about this time. These include Zeina Abirached (A Game for Swallows, tr....

Yes, poets love alliteration, hence, pocket poem. The Academy of American Poets chooses one day every April for hash-tagging your heart out with #PocketPoem. During the extravaganza (on April 30 this year), you choose a poem, fold it up, and put it in your pocket (make sure you are wearing something that has pockets; otherwise, what’s the point, right?). Then you carry it around with you all day. You can share it with others....

Don’t fret. We’ve got you covered. Take the quiz below to determine what book fits today’s vibe. Quiz: What to Read for a Bones Day vs. a No Bones Day Check out the full list of books below the quiz if you prefer to select for yourself. For a Bones Day Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work by Alison Green Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche The Art of Showing Up: How to Be There for Yourself and Your People by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes...

Women’s heroes are everyone’s heroes! In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote, we read books that are by, for, and about powerful women of all ages. A pre-teen who helped discover the world’s first dinosaur bone, a young women in the early 20th century who braved the illness and death of the radium factories and fought a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights, or teens—one black, one white—who rely on each other to survive a night of violent race riots in their city—these are the stories of remarkable women of history and resourceful everyday girls....

TBR is Book Riot’s subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Been dreaming of a “Stitch Fix for books?” Now it’s here! Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. TBR is also available as a gift to give to the readers in your life!...

It’s heartening to see, but before we get too busy throwing a party about how far the publishing industry has come, there is still a ways to go. Disappointingly, in researching the lists I write for Book Riot and my library job, many picture books featuring kids of color are still being written by white authors. Current Statistics About Diversity in Picture Books The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) found that, since 2018, there has been an uptick in characters with “brown skin and of unspecified race or ethnicity, with no visible cultural markers in either the story or the art....

Atkinson’s award-winning books are both critically acclaimed and reader-friendly. Her skillful and clever prose is sublime and usually laced with a dark, dry wit peeking around the corners. Atkinson often avoids a linear narrative, weaving back and forth in time. Or sometimes she throws out several threads of the plot and spends the remainder of the book drawing them in to a satisfying conclusion. She’s also fond of slipping in a surprising plot twist when you least expect it....

McNeil, a music journalist, was present at the mid-1970s birth of punk rock and, along with John Holmstrom and Ged Dunn, published Punk magazine in 1976, popularizing the term itself. McCain began her writing career as a poet but devoted herself to oral history following her meeting McNeil through the late poet Maggie Estep. While the two have authored and co-authored work separately (the oral history The Other Hollywood from McNeil, and prose poetry collections Tilt and Religion from McCain), this article will focus on their collaborations…with one exception....

Here are nine* of my favorite Nikki Giovanni poems that feel like a good place to start among her long, important body of work. I hope when you read them, you feel like I did at 15 discovering her for the first time. Where to Start With Nikki Giovanni Poems: Her Ten Best* 1. Poem for a Lady Whose Voice I Like Excerpt: so he said: you ain’t got no talent and she said: god created heaven and earth and all that’s Black within them...

BOOK RIOT: What are you reading? MADELINE MILLER: So, I am right in the middle of (when I read, I tend to be in the middle of several things) Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. I can’t believe I didn’t read this book before now. It’s just pure pleasure to read; I absolutely love it. I am also reading Pnin by Nabokov–I always forget how funny he is. I also just finished Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik, part of her series that is sort of Jane Austen meets Christopher Paolini–it’s the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons!...

With the integration of the internet into every aspect of our lives, many libraries have shifted to include more community spaces than ever before. Alongside the traditional shelves of physical books, one can usually find computer terminals to borrow ebooks or do research, as well as clusters of community members with a librarian or volunteer in the center, teaching people about an aspect of literature or life. For many Americans, this starts at the school library....