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Let’s take a look at some of the recent YA earworms you have recently or may soon encounter. These book titles have gotten a song stuck in my head and continue to do so every time I run into it. Don’t blame me when you’re singing these songs to yourself. Freshmen by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison This YA title came out last summer, and it follows a girl named Phoebe who is super excited about going to college—the same college her long-time crush Luke is going to....

But, they’re not absent all together. Finding anthologies with YA horror short stories just takes a little bit of work. Part of the challenge is, perhaps, that there’s a bit of misunderstanding around what horror is. Rather than a genre in and of itself, horror is a mood. This means that horror transcends genre and can be part of any genre. There are romance horror stories—paranormal romance, for example—as much as there are realistic horror stories, science fiction horror stories, and horror thriller stories....

Young Adult books are so underrated. Can we just talk about the injustice they suffer? “Isn’t that a kids book?” “Aren’t you a little too old to be reading _________?” “Wouldn’t you rather read a real book?” Stop. Stop. Stop. Young Adult books are real books, first of all. They are filled with hopes and dreams and magic. Sometimes with blood, gore and darkness. There are so many genres and sub-genres and themes woven into them that you could be reading a sci-fi/fantasy book while also reading a romance where the main character is suffering through the loss of her family....

Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a yearly reminder of the beauty of poetry, why it matters, and how it continues to influence our culture. Over the course of nearly 30 years, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world. There are many ways to participate in this celebration. My friends and I are challenging ourselves to write one poem a day, which we will share with each other throughout the month of April....

Harley Quinn A blood-soaked bad apple who loves flouting authority and ruthlessly mocking those who want to stop her from having a good time? Hello, Reefer Madness! Heck, it’s got “madness” right in the title! Doctor Strange The Sorcerer Supreme is totally Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: it’s enjoyable enough, but given the nature of the story, why is the protagonist a middle-aged white guy? Superman He is forever optimistic, fights racism, has great hair, and can really tear up a dance floor....

Note: as we have written about before, the current landscape of Christmas publishing is very white, cis, and heteronormative. As such, there are no authors of color on this list of bookish Hallmark Christmas movies. The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter The basis for Christmas On My Mind, this book shares the story of amnesiac Lucy, who wakes up with a wedding dress in her hand. She thinks she’s late to her wedding to Zac—but actually, she’s forgotten the past two years, and is engaged to a different man....

It’s easy to think of only two big name authors in ’90s YA horror: the first being Stine and the second Christopher Pike. Both are beloved and classic for a reason. And while much of old teen horror is quite white and male, thanks to systemic challenges of publishing diverse voices, there are more than those two authors. One of the most prolific publishers of horror in this era was Point Horror, an imprint from Scholastic....

Oh, did I forget to mention? Most hero-gods, while powerful compared to mere mortals, pale in comparison to their elder gods. These elders, usually a strict father figure, can either bless the hero-god’s activities or make their lives miserable in a variety of cruel and unusual ways. For instance: Banish Them Hercules is famed for his strength, not his brains. Turns out there’s a reason for that. After falling for a super obvious trap and causing trouble on Earth in Avengers #38, Herc’s dad Zeus was like “Fine, you like Earth so much?...

Enter Stede Bonnett, the self-proclaimed Gentleman Pirate. Unsatisfied with his wealthy, land-owning life at home, he sets sail on his ship The Revenge. Aboard, he wears fancy outfits, lounges in his library, and has a people-positive management style that leaves his crew itching for adventure. Enter Blackbeard, terrifying by name alone. He’s leather-clad, black-bearded (well, okay gray-bearded), and bored. So bored. Fascinated by this Gentleman Pirate’s original take on piracy, the pair team up to learn a thing or two from each other....

These behaviors can be cute, but they also take on a different meaning if they disrupt our lifestyle. Whether their rambunctious outbursts interrupt your reading time, sleep schedule, or any other habit, know that there are tons of resources out there to help you understand and try to adjust the behavior of your cat. Since you’re prone to reading books anyway, why not pick up some cat behavior books to better understand your feline friend?...

What age group constitutes “toddler?” For me, I’d say any kid between the ages of 1 through 4. Other people may have their own definitions, and that’s fine. But for the purposes of this book list, that’s how I was working when I looked at the books. Some of the picture books listed are more suited to adults reading to older toddlers, whereas the board books are great for reading to a toddler or for them to explore on their own....

It’s 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he’s sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do’s and a much longer list of don’ts. But the small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer’s years serving in the war or his time in jail. When a murder takes place right under Archer’s nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison ....

Here are 10 Canadian LGBTQ+ books to get you started. Annabel by Kathleen Winter In 1968, an intersex child was born in a rural hunting community and raised as a boy, Wayne. Secretly, Wayne’s mother and her friend call Wayne “Annabel.” Wayne begins to recognize their feminine self as Annabel, even through hyper-masculine activities prompted by their father. When Wayne is an adult, they move into a city, finding the anonymity they never had back home to be both Wayne and Annabel....

From Ellen Oh, co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, comes a gripping story inspired by her mother’s real-life experiences during the Korean War. Junie Kim just wants to fit in, but when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, she must decide between staying silent or speaking out. Then Junie’s history teacher assigns a project and Junie decides to interview her grandparents, learning about their unbelievable experiences as kids during the Korean War....

“Pilot”: A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan There is not a ton of action in the first ever episode of The Office (U.S. edition), but we are introduced to the motley crew, all bound by their workplace and confounding boss, Michael Scott. And, even in its fledgling state, the first episode pulses with energy and potential. If you were immediately drawn in by this unlikely gang, you should check out Jennifer Egan’s cast-of-characters novel, all connected by one man (not Michael Scott, sorry to say)....

Nothing could tear Detective Michael Bennett away from his new bride—except the murder of his best friend. NYPD master homicide investigator Michael Bennett and FBI abduction specialist Emily Parker have a history. When she fails to show at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, Bennett ventures outside his jurisdiction. The investigation he undertakes is the most brilliant detective work of his career…and the most intensely personal. A portrait begins to emerge of a woman as adept at keeping secrets as forging powerful connections....

2021 is going to be a year of superb releases in speculative collections. Short fiction has always been a preferred length for me, especially lately. I have very small short breaks between newborn baby naps and toddler quiet time. Short stories make for the perfect read when I’m able to steal a moment. Below is a sample of 2021 speculative short story collections. They range from speculative literary fiction to horror, sci-fi, fantasy, or all the above....

Alone Forever: The Singles Collection by Liz Prince Liz Prince is so fun! Here’s a delightful collection of comics about the single life. She’s utterly relatable in these self-deprecating comics about cats and punk rock and cute boys. This one is great to read in one sitting with a glass of your favorite beverage (mine was cheap wine). Aya by Marguerite Abouet, Clément Oubrerie (Illustrator), Alisia Grace Chase, Helge Dascher (Translator), Tom Devlin (Letterer) In 1978 in “Yop City,” Ivory Coast, things are nice....

Book Riot is teaming up with NOVL to giveaway one $250 Visa gift card plus a book bundle of the following titles: Fence by Sara Rees Brennan, Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalo, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein, and Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald. at Brightly: 10 Books About Love for Growing Readers Ages 6 – 8 at Bustle: 34 Books To Cozy Up With By A Fire at BuzzFeed: 19 YA Books On Fat Acceptance That Are 100% Worth Reading at Crime Reads: January’s Best International Crime Fiction at Electric Lit: 10 Spy Novels With Women Protagonists at Epic Reads: 44 YA Books You Need to Read—Especially During Black History Month at Esquire: These 15 Books on Climate Change Are Essential Reading at Gizmodo: February Is Here With an Avalanche of New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books at Lit Hub: Who Are the Mean Girls in Literature?...

Silvia Bradshaw is ready to be treated as an equal and prove her worth as one of Hollywood’s newest film editors. She and Ben Mason had worked together as editors before Silvia got her big break, so he’s the perfect person to ask for feedback on her first major film. But as their friendship begins to blossom into something more, a lawsuit surfaces, jeopardizing both Ben and Silvia’s jobs—as well as their fledgling romance....