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It’s foolproof. That is, until people start asking questions. Perhaps—and I’m just painting a hypothetical here—many years in the gift-giving department have gone smoothly until all of a sudden, people pick up the wrapped gifts you painstakingly selected for them and say something like, “Oh I wonder what this is?” with just a hint (or maybe more than a hint) of sarcasm. Can it possibly be that the members of your family are tired of receiving bookish gifts?...

The internet is awash in suggestions for reading more quickly. But let’s face it: you’re never going to get to all of the books you want to read. So instead of sprinting through a dispiritingly long TBR list, there’s much to be said for slowing down and savoring the books you can finish. You’ll absorb more from a book consumed at a more reflective pace. Here’s how to read slowly, in a world that’s geared toward doing the opposite:...

1. Shake it off, shake it off! Get the book as dry as you can! Stat! Put something absorbent between the pages and cover and squeeze. Shake it gently to get water out of it. Towel off the covers. Be gentle, thorough, and quick. If there’s glossy paper and photographic material in the book, put wax paper between them right away, before you do anything else. 2. Stick it in the freezer!...

Don’t worry though, I include a few things from the movie as well! If you’re like Howl, you’ll probably treasure the lovely earrings or journal I included in this post. If you’re snarky, but a real softie at heart like Calcifer, there’s enough goodies for any lover of the fire demon. And if you’re like Sophie, with a bit more magic than you thought you had, you’ll appreciate some of these practical and pretty gifts....

There are so many found friendship comic books, which is awesome. But there’s a problem here. They’re all mostly teenagers. I am not a teenager. I do not want to be a teenager. I’m proud of my 35 years and would never ever return to those not so happy, hormonally tumultuous years. No. Thanks. What I want is a group of intrepid olds battling magic, hurtling into space, and taking care of their friends while engaging in fun banter....

I was a library volunteer at my middle school when I was 12. How long, I couldn’t tell you. How I landed such a role, I couldn’t begin to hazard a guess. I have no memory of how it began, only that it happened, and being a library volunteer in that old, enclosed little library was the single greatest light of my entire time in school. I was a voracious reader....

Now don’t get me wrong. I realize there are many reasons why moving from live events to virtual (or some combination) has been incredible. Particularly from an accessibility standpoint, virtual events can be just as good or better than attending in person. Jessica Pryde offers a compelling case for why this is in her plea to keep doing virtual book events after the pandemic subsides. And Alice Nutall gives an excellent look at the rise of virtual book festivals, a development I likewise applaud....

Her parents deceased, Camille must try to survive famine, disease, and her brother’s drunken squandering of the little money they own. However, Camille has a secret. She can turn worthless metal into coins, for a short period at least. This magic skill buys her and Sophie some time while she figures out a plan. After delving into much darker magic, magic that her mother warned her about, Camille is able to disguise herself as nobility and enter the famed halls of Versailles, where she partakes in expensive and dangerous card games where the rewards are great....

And because this is Book Riot, there was no gatekeeping. My later entry into this fantasy classic was not used to diminish my love for it or my place as a fantasy fan (even if I publicly quit The Wheel of Time). The bigger point that came to mind was this: It is never too late to become a reader. A Wee Reader Like most people, I don’t have my own memories of being read to as a child....

It’s one of those cerebral cortex moments: Certain characters or authors and their names imprint deeply and happily. You can end up incorrigibly partial to names otherwise ordinary (Jane) or unusual (Wendy, which J. M. Barrie may have made up). Not every beloved character carries over into the fantasy name list, though. Certain names set too high a bar. Atticus, for instance—to me, it’s so noble it’s stifling. Arjuna’s a pretty succulent name, but is the archer hero of the Mahabharata too much to live up to?...

But you can see all that later, after we find all the fantastic, bookish spots in the Mat-Su. Because we are readers, first and foremost! Not mountain climbers. (Says someone who hasn’t done cardio in, ahem, too long.) When I moved here a year and a half ago, I instantly hit up lots of literary spots with my baby son. I want him to grow up surrounded by books, and Palmer, Alaska, is a great first stop for readers of all ages....

Because long is a relative term, it’s hard to define exactly what a long poem is. Compared to a 14 line sonnet or a 3 line haiku, a 100 line poem feels long. However, compared to the Sanskrit epic poem the Mahābhārata which has over 200,000 verses, this would feel very short. The long poems listed below range from 400 lines to 10,000. For each of them, the length is not just about the number of words, lines, or pages....

Months later, amidst many starts and stops and identity crises in my new writing life, a friend invited me to a reading and book talk with celebrated fantasy author N.K. Jemisin. I had heard of her, but had never read her work. I walked in late, as she read a short story, “Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters.” It was riveting, it was beautiful, it was surprising, but it was not fantasy, not in any way I understood it to be....

A majority of these classic protagonists are going to be assigned zodiac signs according to their personality, values, and driving forces. Some signs may have more classic fictional characters assigned to them than others, but each zodiac sign has at least one protagonist to match! Aries (March 21–April 19) The more passionate of the zodiac signs, Aries are independent, resilient, and fearless, but they can also have a bit of a temper, make rash decisions, and be a little impatient....

These comics and graphic novels range the gamut from undersea adventures and magical encounters to star-crossed love stories and romps with drunken mermaids trying to get their land legs. These under the sea comics have something — and someone, mermaid or otherwise — for everyone. What are you waiting for? Dive on in! Middle Grade Young Adult Adult Want even more mermaids in fiction? Try these: A young witch hoping to attend an elite magical university travels to her aunt on the coast to learn her family’s magic....

The myth that graphic novels aren’t “real” reading is anything but true. Graphic novels are chock-full of text, readers still have to follow plot and character development, and the combination of text and pictures keeps kids reading, especially reluctant readers. In fact, there is research that says that graphic novels actually add complexity to reading because readers analyze images and use both the images and text to synthesize information. Not bad, right?...

I didn’t read a lot of sci-fi or fantasy (SFF) growing up; I wasn’t weaned on Ender’s Game or Dune. And–Swapna, cover your eyes–I didn’t get into Star Wars until very recently. (Blame it on watching the movies too young to understand the plot.) Even when I’ve read SFF as an adult, I’ve tended more toward fantasy than sci-fi. But there’s something about comics set in space that just thrills me....

Fret not! I’ve selected some of my favourite books of 2019 which I think should be on everyone’s TBR stack. No matter which genre you like, there’s hopefully something for everyone in this list. And by the way, even if you’re not in the UK, most of these books are available elsewhere as well. Lanny by Max Porter (Faber) This follow-up novel from one of my favorite writers (of Grief is a Thing with Feathers fame) is an ethereal masterpiece....

That’s why we’re here today: to take a look at some of the new SFF releases out this month, ranging from middle grade to adult. Of course, there are many more sci-fi and fantasy books out in September. But I chose these nine because they’re absolute must-reads that should be on your radar. Whether you want more kick-ass adventures from our favorite space necromancers, a romantic historical fantasy, or you want to get your Halloween vibes on with witchy magic and vampires, there’s a book for you on this list....

OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries, schools, corporations and organizations worldwide. We deliver the industry’s largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, streaming media and more to a growing network of 81,000+ partners in 106 countries. I’m still new to this library lifestyle, still trying to figure things out. My instincts are still teacher instincts: quick reactions, fast decisions, and implementing plans quickly. The school library has a different pace, though....