I am a Black woman who loves Jane Austen. I know that Austen wrote with no thought of people like me and I don’t care. As a Black woman in academia, I am skilled at navigating spaces not made for me. I revel in excelling in places and enjoying things that I was never meant to access. Call me petty or call me unbothered, either way I’m going to keep unapologetically taking up space....
Now, as a (very tired) adult with two kids, interactive children’s books are a bit more exhausting. (Example: I need to be in a very special mood to “read” wordless picture books.) While I try to beg off reading interactive children’s books, my kids have other plans for me. They want The Book With No Pictures for the hundredth time just so they can hear me say GLuURR GA-wocko over and over again....
But you can still enjoy queer witch books in summer! Summertime is an ideal time for witches because of those gorgeous (and magical!) midsummer nights. A lot of witches have strong nature connections, and summer is full of life and growing things. As a queer person, I feel a connection to people who practice witchcraft in real life (witches, Pagans, Wiccans, etc). Witches have a remarkable parallel with queerness, as, like LGBTQIA+ people, witches have been ostracized and punished throughout history for being different....
Our uber famous twenty-two year old narrator has it all. A teen idol since he was twelve, when a video of him singing went viral, his star has only risen since. Now, haunted by the suicide of his manager-father, unsettled by the very different paths he and his teenage love (and girl pop-star counterpart) “Mandy” have taken, and increasingly aware that he has signed on to something he has little control over, he begins to parse the divide that separates him from the “normal people” of the world....
As a teacher, I meet students of all ages who say their favorite animal is a dragon. And it’s easy to see why. The strength of dragon lore is captivating to many readers of all ages. Also, just the idea of breathing fire is pretty awesome. As one of my young students once said, “If they breath fire, what do you think their farts are like?” There are a plethora of dragons in YA and middle grade fantasy novels, and there are plenty of story options for younger dragon lovers, too....
Perhaps one of the ultimate personalized book club gifts you could bestow upon another reader is a book subscription. While there are plenty of subscription services out there, for a truly personalized experience, try giving the gift of Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations service! Tell our bibliologists about reading likes and habits and get personalized book recommendations sent straight to your home. Best of all, there is a digital only recommendations version, so there is no need to wait for physical books to arrive and your friends can purchase the suggestions immediately through their favorite ebook or audiobook service!...
What is mindfulness? To me, mindfulness is a state of mind, a way of living. Before I read anything about it, I used to associate the word with a full, yet empty mind. As in, you would stop your thoughts from wandering and just fill your head with…nothingness. I always thought that would be an extremely difficult task—after all, how can one free its mind from all thoughts? Then, after reading about mindfulness, I realized it has more to do with the present moment....
In this list of the best books on self-love and healing, you’ll find a variety of books that help you discover more self-love for yourself, covering topics like loving yourself in a culture of damaging perfectionism, toxic misogyny, and unhealthy body expectations. And without further ado, the best-self love books for 2021 and beyond. Looking for more books on the topic of self-love and self-help? Read more of our coverage of self-care and self-love:...
For older, more experienced readers, short stories and anthologies might be met with some resistance. Sometimes it’s hard for readers to adjust to several tones and paces throughout one book. However, these titles are some of the best Black short stories published. They include a number of Black experiences that include slavery, discrimination, equality, and feminism. Short Stories by Black Authors for Middle Grade Readers Short Stories by Black Authors for YA Readers Short Stories by Black Authors for Adults
Cottagecore Books: What You Need To know Cottagecore is an aesthetic that has been popularized recently as COVID-19 has confined people to their homes and people have turned to new crafts and hobbies to ward off boredom. At its core (pardon the pun) cottagecore is an idealization of a simple, and sustainable lifestyle. In part, It’s a way to reduce your carbon footprint even without having a tiny house or homestead....
A post shared by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Dec 10, 2016 at 7:37pm PST Anthony Bourdain Quotes About Travel “Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafés and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head?...
19 Quotes from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Perhaps, if you had some interest in this world besides law, taxes, and your grandchildren, you could almost be a fascinating person. Almost. It seemed senseless to run away without money. Living in the suburbs had taught her that everything costs. Since she intended to return home after everyone had learned a lesson in Claudia appreciation, she had to save money for her return trip, too, which was like full fare one way....
I’ve compiled a list of what I think are the best, most innovative nonfiction books of 2019. Below you will find memoirs, essay collections, social commentary, history, and more. Each book either experiments with form in a new way, presents ideas that are new, or both. The books cover feminism, masculinity, disability, music, literary history, ecology, and more. I think everyone can find something here they will like. So take a look at my take on the best nonfiction of 2019 and see what you think!...
The Best New Crime Novels Upcoming Crime Novel Releases The Best True Crime Novels of 2021 I’ve saved the best for last with the must-read true crime novels from 2021. But then they find her bones. Suddenly, the neighbors aren’t so smug about their opinions regarding what really happened to Nina. How did her body end up in the woods? If you’ve read The Girl on The Train, something tells me you’ll be excited for another opportunity for Hawkins to mess with your head....
Word of warning though: Fanfiction is a slippery slope into a very very deep hole. There are some great stories and then there are some absolute tropey tales. A couple of things to note before we jump into the best Percy Jackson fanfiction: The following recommendations are based on you being familiar with the official and original series of The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan....
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In honor of Native American Heritage Month, which takes place in November, I’ve focused exclusively on Indigenous authors from the U.S. and Canada. I’ve also limited the list to authors with at least two published works, though many of these writers have written dozens of books. I’ve tried to select a group of authors that reflects the incredible diversity of First Nations and Indigenous literature, but this is by no means a comprehensive list....
This internship was life-changing for me. I had just gotten out of an unhealthy relationship with a man who coerced me out of my virginity, and I was struggling to find a sense of sexual autonomy. At my internship, I was tasked with reviewing vibrators and porn and other sexy products, and I approached this task as a way to fix myself. When I moved back home to New Jersey, I explored the sex-positive scene in NYC....
Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri (Penguin Books, May 2, 2019, audio only) From pre-colonial Africa to today’s Natural Hair Movement, this book is an exploration of all the ways that black hair matters. From styles that served as secret code to lead enslaved Africans to freedom to an exploration of cultural appropriation, Emma Dabiri shows us how “black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation”....
Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario Rowena and Ariana are sisters who have drifted apart after the death of their mother. Then one morning, Rowena wakes up and Ariana is nowhere to be found. Not only did she disappear, she left in the middle of the night, while a snowstorm raged. Rowena begins desperately searching for her sister, and along the way she’ll have to face the fact that she may be part of the reason why Ariana left....
