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It’s not spooky, in spite of its title. It’s even endearing, enchanting, yes. A living boy who is raised by the spirits of a graveyard. It sounds like the premise for a ghost story – well, a scary ghost story – but it turns out, in this book, the spirits of the dead are kindhearted, or snobbish, clumsy, or pragmatic, as are the spirits of the living. The characters are so diverse and witty that imagining a cemetery filled with ghostly figures stops being as scary as we might imagine....

But sometimes I wonder if it’s just that I haven’t found my superhero yet. I love queer lit, and while there are plenty of queer superheroes out there, maybe I’d be more into superheroes if queer ones were the norm. I love stories about characters struggling to balance different parts of themselves and their lives, and this, too, is something that superheroes often have to do. Maybe I’d be more into superhero stories if they focused more on the human aspects of the characters, and less on their extraordinary abilities....

Without a doubt, this season’s biggest shows are My Hero Academia and Food Wars. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other series to check out, though. For those of us who prefer to read manga over watching anime, I compiled a list of the most interesting titles that inspired shows from the 2019 fall anime season. As usual, this list only contains series that are premiering for the first time. No follow-up seasons, no sequels, no spin-offs....

Luckily, nowadays there are so many beautifully written and illustrated books out there that do just that. Some teach about the Chinese zodiac, others about mythological creatures, and still others about the origins of various traditions. While the Lunar New Year is celebrated in many cultures, this list focuses on books about Chinese New Year and its attendant festivities. Today, February 12, 2021, will see us enter the Year of the Ox....

The library is asking for public support in the face of such loud opposition. They have suggestions both for locals of the county as well as other supporters, including: — CDCCLJonesboro (@CDCCLJonesboro) February 6, 2022 Frequenting the library and checking out books (to help circulation numbers and prove the library is crucial for the community) Requesting titles or topics that the library should carry Sending library workers thank you cards for defending library users’ First Amendment rights and standing up to censorship Attending the February 14 library board meeting, “where the board will vote on the outcome of the appealed reconsideration decisions for All Boys Aren’t Blue“ Speaking at the February 14 meeting in support of keeping All Boys Aren’t Blue on the shelves Sharing their post about the situation Educating yourself about censorship happening across the country....

Take note of the solar eclipse taking place on December 14. Solar eclipses signify a new path becoming clear, a cosmic shift in your direction. Signs across the zodiac will experience big changes mid-December. Some signs handle change better than others. If you’re struggling with a big life change, I recommend turning to a beloved old book. A reread may bring something into new light for you this month....

The nights are dark and long. The days are cold and crisp. It’s the perfect recipe for dimming the lights, snuggling up under a blanket, lighting a candle (or ten), and reading some demonic horror novels that scare the living daylights out of you. You may have seen fellow Rioter Jessica Avery’s post on demonic possession in horror literature last winter. The books on that list were spine-tingling, hair-raising, and all the other things you might imagine horror novels about demons would be....

Alabama Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award The purpose of the Alabama Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award is to encourage Alabama’s young readers to engage with quality literature, to let students honor their favorite books and authors, and to help young readers become better acquainted with recently published books. Public and private K–12 schools as well as public library patrons are eligible to vote for submitted books. Awards are given to the book with the highest number of votes in 4 categories: Grades K–1, Grades 2–3, Grades 4–5, and Grades 6–8....

Nathanson is a singer-songwriter with 14 albums to his name, and his hit single “Come On Get Higher” went twice platinum in the U.S. His partner in the Nook is Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author of a number of books, including Tell Me More and The Middle Place. Together, they’ve developed one of the most impassioned and engaging book clubs using technology to connect them with their fans and other readers eager to expand their literary horizons....

Shuggie Bain tells the story of a young boy in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1980s who grows up in public housing surrounded by poverty, violence, and addiction. As he reaches adolescence, Bain grapples with his sexuality, his mother’s worsening alcoholism, and abandonment by his older siblings. An earlier review from the Booker Prize judges said Shuggie Bain “creates an amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love.” After publishing in February, Shuggie Bain received stellar reviews and international acclaim; Vulture dubbed the novel “the best-reviewed book you’ve not yet read in 2020....

JK Rowling revealed that Dumbledore was gay in 2007. She didn’t write it into the books. And she didn’t put it into the movies. But she did act astonished at the idea that everybody hadn’t already realised that Dumbledore was gay – as if she hadn’t put in considerable time not writing him gay, while simultaneously writing multiple side characters as explicitly straight. In the eleven years since her announcement, people have been debating this topic over and over again....

Some may read this sub-genre primarily as a warning. Others will gravitate towards books like these for catharsis or entertainment. Probably, most readers will take away all three. Eco-dystopian novels, clearly establish the link between the health of our environment and the health of our societies and governments. In the vast collection of environmentally themed fiction, here is a list of five to get you started.

Over the years, the chronicles grew to include Roman demigod Jason with The Heroes of Olympus, arriving at Camp Half Blood with his friends but without his memories. It’s through The Heroes of Olympus that the world began to expand immensely as Percy and other fan favorite characters unite with new ones to save the world from all kinds of deadly creatures from Greek and Roman myth. Riordan’s two other series aren’t technically part of the Camp Half Blood Chronicles but take place in the same fictional universe (and occasionally feature delightful cameos from Percy and his friends)....

The Train Was On Time by Heinrich Boll (Viking) This novel from the German Nobel Laureate is part of Penguin European Writer series. Twenty-four-year-old Andreas, a disillusioned German soldier, is travelling on a troop train to the Eastern Front when he has an awful premonition that he will die in exactly five days. As he hurtles towards his death, he reflects on the chaos around him and the reader is taken along on a profoundly poignant journey through history....

It’s the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he’s sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his Blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he’s not welcome there. Except for Juniper Jones. The town’s resident oddball and free spirit, she’s everything the townspeople aren’t―open, kind, and full of acceptance....

These festive fall bookshelf decorations are just what you need to spruce up your bookshelves for autumn. Pick a few favorites that fit your personal style or go all in for a big impact. There’s everything from seasonal touches to spooky Halloween decor. We’re talking pumpkin planters, skull bookends, and spell books galore! There’s a little something for everyone, whatever your style. Pumpkin Planters Pop some succulents into these adorable little pumpkins to add the perfect autumnal touch to your shelves....

There are five authors and one translator among the five categories who have previously received National Book Awards recognition: Gayl Jones, selected as a finalist in 1998 for Fiction; Scholastique Mukasonga, chosen as a finalist for Translated Literature in 2019; Sharon Olds, nominated as a finalist in 2002 for Poetry; David Quammen, longlisted in 2018 for Nonfiction; and Yoko Tawada and Margaret Mitsutani, winners of Translated Literature in 2018. The five Young People’s Literature Finalists are all first-time National Book Award nominees....

Which of these free bookish gift ideas appeals to you? For more on bookish gifts, try these resources: 5 Cheap (or Free) Last Minute Homemade Bookish Gifts How to Ask for Better Bookish Gifts

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah Noah shares his coming-of-age story during the end times of apartheid that began with his birth, a criminal act punishable by five years in prison. In 18 personal essays, Noah weaves a moving and funny story of a young man struggling to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Coconut by Kopano Matlwa Matlwa’s debut novel explores the psychological trauma due to apartheid through the lives of two women....

In a time where phrases like “OK, Boomer” have entered the mainstream in direct retaliation against sweeping statements made toward younger Millennials and Generation Z, intergenerational discourse has reached a relative peak. Age groups have polarized in defense. Every generation has its own share of critics. All too often, I see caricatures and comics that depict my age group as fundamentally clueless. We supposedly don’t know how to use cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and rotary phones....