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There have been a surge of protests in Hong Kong lately, a situation that peaked in 2014. Thousands of people in Hong Kong have been rallying through major thoroughfares to decry China’s advances. The police was quick to dispel them though—with tear gas and water cannons. But what exactly are they risking their lives for? Short answer: freedom and democracy as the Chinese Communist Party wants to show that it has Hong Kong’s leash....

I’ll Go On by Hwang Jungeun, Translated by Emily Yae Won This short novel is set in South Korea and tells the story of two sisters dealing with their complicated family past. Their father died violently when they were children, and their mother went into a deep depression, which meant she wasn’t always able to care for them. The story moves back and forth between present day when the sisters are adults—and one of them is newly pregnant—and their past as children....

Over the years, while the ARCs I’ve defaced have piled up, I’m left wondering what to do with them. Sure, I want to—and do—hang on to some, but for most of them, they’re collecting dust and taking up space. And putting them in the recycling bin feels a little wrong as a reader. So what is then the only solution? DIYs, of course! I’m going to share with you some of the ways I have upcycled my ARCs into decor and art....

via GIPHY Light on Yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar Reading just the introduction of Light On Yoga will offer a whole lot of yoga knowledge to think about for months. It covers the basics from the word “yoga” itself (it comes from yuj meaning “to yoke”) to all types of yoga paths. It incorporates Sanskrit words to show the major beliefs and goals of practicing yoga. The entire book presents ways to follow these paths—Karma, Jnana, Raja/Ashtanga/Kriya, and Bhakti—through meditation and movement....

And if you’re more of the armchair traveler-type… this list is also for you. Each of these 50 bookstores has at least one place you can follow them online (Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram) and most of them also have a website where you can buy books when you’re in that country. So whether you’re planning your next holiday or just daydreaming, here are 50 beautiful bookstore to visit around the world....

That’s not to mention accusations of fake news, harassment on social media, and being labeled “the enemy of the people.” It’s a hard time for journalists, but the work remains as important as it has been for hundreds of years. Without journalism, we wouldn’t know the real impacts of the opioid crisis or understand the damage left by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. These books are works of journalism in themselves, tales of how the story was reported, or stories about important journalists....

Book Riot is teaming up with Inkyard Press to giveaway one YA Fantasy & Sci-Fi book bundle!

Twin sisters Sunshine and Margot are as different as chalk and cheese, but what they do have in common is a complete lack of luck when it comes to love. Emotionally stunted by a mother who dropped everything to follow boyfriend after boyfriend, the sisters have ever only had each other for support and to share a pint of post-heartache ice cream. When Margot, an etiquette specialist, is hired to work with Bianca, an icon from Hollywood’s Golden Age with romantic entanglements of her own, she and Sunshine become the daughters she never had, and their friendship teaches them how to embrace the quirks that make them unique, and how to demand the love they deserve just as they are....

Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger and War With an Evil Power Master Did you know that there are two board games based on the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books House of Danger and War with An Evil Power Master? These games are awesome, and they ended up being a go-to Christmas gift last year for many friends. Both are collaborative, so everyone either wins or loses, and you can play solo or with however many people you’d like (although very large groups might get a bit unwieldy)....

But then, in the spring of 2018, Turner announced a new book in the saga, and shocked us all that summer by revealing a release date a mere two years after the last book (the release date has since been pushed back to August 2020). What joy! Such happiness! And then we read the announcement again, and realized it was to be the final book written for the series. While I would have happily spent the next 20 years patiently waiting for the occasional new chapter in the fantasy world Turner crafted, I understand that fictional stories have to end....

Here are some of my favorite audiobooks under six hours. These books are wildly different from each other, but they’re all got two things in common: they are short, and they are so well-narrated that you’ll find it almost impossible to stop listening. Becoming A Man by P. Carl, read by P. Carl (5 hours, 21 minutes) This is one of those memoirs that, after listening to it, I can’t imagine having read in print....

Not only is the show funny, there is a real investment in the characters and their wants, as well as great scenes of soccer playing. Despite the fact that I agree with critics of the show who are a little put off by the “white man who knows nothing comes to save the town and succeeds, despite still knowing nothing” narrative, I can’t bring myself to be anything but charmed by the team and the town (and Ted’s relentless confusion about British versus American culture)....

Each of these highly acclaimed, fresh-off-the-presses titles are ultra-absorbing, super fast reads, if only because you won’t be able to put them down. Learn more about the real world, the past, or just be transported into someone else’s real life. With historical researchers, political writers, essays from comedy to tragedy and everything in between, there’s something for everyone in the nonfiction section. Between fabulous back-lists and exciting new nonfiction books by women, it can be easy for even the most voracious readers to let recent releases slide to the bottom of the to-read stack....

It’s fitting, then, that this anime season contains a lot of endings. Among the many anime offerings are the final chapters of Tokyo Ghoul:re and Fairy Tail. We’re also seeing the latest installments of Golden Kamuy and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. But in addition to all the familiar names, we’re also getting a handful of new series—including the adaptation of a classic series. So if you’ve been enjoying the fall 2018 anime season or prefer reading over watching adaptations, here are the manga titles to take a look at....

Rioter Christy Childers started a list of Great British Bake Off cookbooks from contestants in 2015 and it’s amazing to see just how many more cookbooks have been published from the GBBO hoards in just three years. Mary Berry is especially prolific. Quinntessential Baking by Frances Quinn B.I.Y: Bake it Yourself: A Manual for Everyday Baking by Richard Burr Nadiya’s British Food Adventure: Over 120 Fresh, Easy, and Enticing New Recipes by Nadiya Hussain Nadiya’s Bake Me a Story: Fifteen Stories and Recipes for Children by Nadiya Hussain Nadiya’s Bake Me a Festive Story: Thirty Festive Recipes and Stories for Children by Nadiya Hussain Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes by Martha Collison Comfort: Delicious Bakes & Family Treats by Candice Brown Gatherings by Flora Sheddon Eat Up: Food, Appetite, and Eating What You Want by Ruby Tandoh Crumb: A Baking Book by Ruby Tandoh Brilliant Bread by James Morton How Baking Works and What to Do When It Doesn’t by James Morton Perfect Plates in Five Ingredients by John Whaite Comfort: Food to Sooth the Soul by John Whaite John Whaite Bakes at Home by John Whaite John Whaite Bakes: Recipes for Every Day and Every Mood by John Whaite Patisserie Made Simple: From Macarons to Millefeuille and More by Edd Kimber The Boy Who Bakes by Edd Kimber Say It With Cake: Celebrate With Over 80 Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More by Edd Kimber Home Baking by Jo Wheatley The Pink Whisk Brilliant Baking Step-by-Step Cake Making: All the Essential Techniques with Foolproof Recipes by Ruth Clemens The Pink Whisk Brilliant Baking Step-by-Step Bread Making: All the Essential Techniques with Foolproof Recipes by Ruth Clemens Creative Eclairs: Over 30 Fabulous Flavours and Easy Cake Decorating Ideas for Eclairs and Other Choux Pastry Creations by Ruth Clemens Let’s Bake by Cathryn Dresser Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can: Over 100 Super Easy, Fast, and Delicious Recipes by Miranda Gore Browne BISCUIT by Miranda Gore Browne Chai, Chaat, and Chutney: A Street Journey Through India by Chetna Makan Mary Berry’s Baking Bible by Mary Berry Baking with Mary Berry by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook by Mary Berry Mary Berry 100 Cakes and Bakes by Mary Berry Cooking with Mary Berry by Mary Berry Absolute Favourites by Mary Berry Mary Berry: Foolproof Cooking by Mary Berry Mary Berry Everyday: Make Every Meal Special by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Family Sunday Lunch by Mary Berry Classic by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Book by Mary Berry 100 Sweet Treats and Puds by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Christmas Collection by Mary Berry Simple Cakes by Mary Berry Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect by Mary Berry Mary Berry at Home by Mary Berry Mary Berry Cooks by Mary Berry Popular French Cookery by Mary Berry Cook Up a Feast by Mary Berry Fast Cakes by Mary Berry Mary Berry Cookery Course by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s New Aga Book by Mary Berry The Complete Aga Cookbook by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Stress-Free Kitchen by Mary Berry Real Food – Fast by Mary Berry New Cook by Mary Berry Supper for Friends by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Desserts by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Complete Television Cookbook by Mary Berry Mary Berry’s Cooking in Colour by Mary Berry A Baker’s Life by Paul Hollywood Paul Hollywood’s Bread by Paul Hollywood The Weekend Baker by Paul Hollywood Paul Hollywood’s British Baking by Paul Hollywood Paul Hollywood’s Pies and Puds by Paul Hollywood 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood

Last year, in 2021, there were some amazing contemporary reads that I truly loved digging into. From the romantic XOXO by Axie Oh, to the swoony and realistic Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno and the anticipated and stellar The Hate U Give prequel, Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, I love how YA contemporaries are not only extremely fun to read, but they also immerse us in worlds and realities that we can learn from, and at the same time, enjoy reading about....

Embroidered Floral Bookmark by NZEmbroideryEmbassy This adorable metal bookmark with the teeniest floral embroidery detail will let you channel your inner crafty grandma. Flip through your latest cozy mystery with your equally cozy bookmark. Looking for more embroidered goodness? Check out these literary-inspired embroidery hoops! Forget Me Not Floral Bookmark By PatsysPressedFlowers How about a bookmark with some actual flowers? These very simple, aesthetic floral bookmarks will bring a touch of springtime to any book you’re reading....

To track down a missing girl, former Chicago PD detective Ashe Cayne will have to seek answers in dark places. Hired by her wealthy family when a young woman goes missing, Cayne quickly uncovers secrets she’s been hiding from those who thought they knew her best. He also fears he’ll never find her alive. Then, when her boyfriend is found murdered, Cayne will have to navigate his complicated relationships within the Chicago PD to find the missing woman, see justice done, and earn his redemption....

A competitive diver, seventeen-year-old Ingrid is haunted by what she saw at the pool at a routine meet, before falling off the high dive and waking up concussed. The only thing she remembers about the moment before her dive is locking eyes with Van—her neighbor, former best friend, and forever crush—kissing his girlfriend on the sidelines. But that can’t be all. Then one sleepless night, she sees Van out her window…looking right back at her....

Move over Grumpy Cat and Garfield, there’s a new cat in town! Haughty housecat Your Highness expects nothing short of the royal treatment and delights in reminding his “kiddo” who’s really in charge. The kiddo in question does his best to accommodate Your Highness’s whims, but is only promoted to “General of Poop Scooping” for his efforts. Illustrated in a composite style of simple comics and classic Chinese art, My Cat Hates Me follows the daily exploits of a petulant “purr-sonality,” his canine sidekick Bubba Boo and their long-suffering artist owner....