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This year has seen the publication of some very high profile books about sexual assault, #MeToo, and the global exposure of prevalent sexual offenders. From Chanel Miller’s Know My Name to She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, it feels like key voices are finally coming to the fore to tell stories in the hopes of commanding attention and creating change. But these aren’t the only stories, and in the past few months I have swallowed as many books on this topic as I could....

There are tons of books about loss out there, but sometimes psychological studies or research-based works aren’t quite the comfort that literature can be. Whether you gravitate toward fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, here are some books about losing a parent to get your heart hurting just a little bit less. For more thoughts on books and grief, here are some personal essays and lists by other Rioters to peruse: What I Read When I Miss My Mother 8 of the Best Memoirs About Mothers, Motherhood, and Loss The Books I Read and Didn’t Read While Grieving 8 of the Best Novels About Grief and Recovering From Trauma

After the story’s protagonist completes her traditional hero’s journey, there’s yet another twist — essentially a fourth act to the story that feels like a prolonged afterward, and completely pivots the novel’s significance another, final time. This story is mind-bendy in several ways, but the structure on its own is enough to keep readers enticingly off kilter. This is one of many ways in which this novel is sure to stretch and challenge its readers that makes it stand out as beyond the norm....

Certain books are like a hit of caffeine to our world-weary souls. Finding a book that helps create lifelong habits is admittedly much harder. So many self-help books out there are like a pep talk from your best friend. You feel great for a while, maybe even long enough to take action on something, but eventually you find yourself once again staring down Suzanne Sommers at Barnes & Noble. I can’t speak universally, but I do know that the following books have greatly altered my life for the better in specific and long-lasting ways....

Now, everyone wants something different out of their fanfic, so I’ve tried to include a variety of Game of Thrones fan fiction styles and genres. The majority of the fic summaries are from the authors, and I’ve made a note of whether it’s completed, ongoing (still being updated), or incomplete and dormant, as well as the length and rating of each title. The night is dark and full of angsty Jon/Dany fic....

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is an excellent book. I have no doubt. But by the time you’re done reading all 916 pages, there’s a real chance you’ll have developed carpal tunnel in your wrists. Big books are heavy! They take FOREVER to read. And you know there’s going to be boring parts. Nonfiction is intimidating enough without the extra worry of physical pain that might be associated with reading it....

Whether you use these inspiring quotes about change in your bullet journal, on your vision board, or as a daily mantra to yourself, they’re sure to help you find that mindset for whatever it is you’re seeking. Find below a wealth of quotes about change that highlight how many different ways change can look, feel, and manifest. All are by authors from works of fiction and nonfiction (or from their personal journals, memoirs, or other similar works)....

Oreo by Fran Ross As befits its name, Oreo is food-obsessed. And one character in this dazzling and madcap satire of race relations is a comically over-the-top gourmet cook. Author Fran Ross devotes five full pages in the middle of the book to a nine-course menu, with six choices for each course. The abundance of dishes and cuisines (plus the assortment of fonts for the menu) is stupefying. For soups, for instance, there are: mtori, stracciatella, New England clam chowder, matzo-ball soup, Hühner Suppe, awase miso, yen-wo-t’ ang, canja, petite marmite, and rassolnik, to be washed down with Amontillado and Madeira....

Book Riot is teaming up with the Macmillan Audio newsletter, Hear, Here! to giveaway a year subscription to Audible! Enter the form here and subscribe to Hear, Here! for a chance to win! A little more about Hear, Here: Sign up to receive information about new releases, advance clips and more, all related to your favorite audiobooks and authors. Want more 3 on a YA Theme? We’ve got you covered....

A Brief History of the Fan Convention To understand the perfection of the fan con as a dating space, I would like to present a brief history. Many date 1936’s Philcon, a science fiction fan meet up, as the first recorded fandom conference. Through the 20th century, conventions discussing pulp magazines and pulp novels grew from underground affairs to niche conventions. Unsurprisingly, fan conventions grew in size and popularity with the rise of superheroes in the ’60s....

Christian Bale, of course, did his own three-movie stint as the star of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films not too long ago—though some of us love him best for his earnest singing and hair-floppery in the endlessly delightful 1992 Disney musical Newsies. via GIPHY Now that he’s crossing over to the Marvel side of things, who could he be playing? I have a few suggestions: 1. Adam Warlock Okay, this is probably the most likely....

The solution I arrived at was to listen to more audiobooks. Now, this does not work for everyone, of course. But for me, it was a good solution. Listening to audiobooks relieved my tired eyes and allowed me to focus on the story (something that is hard to do after researching for hours). I find nonfiction, especially memoirs, to be particularly enjoyable in this format. Because of the personal nature of memoirs, I have always thought that the authors narrating their work enhanced the audiobook experience....

But Chancellorsville has stuck in my head. Not because the battle held any meaning. I’m naturally very uninterested in war or battles or saber rattling of any kind. But I remember my government teacher telling us this was where Stonewall Jackson was shot, lost his arm, and then died shortly after from pneumonia. He said losing Stonewall was a huge loss for the Confederates and his death changed the course of the war....

The Memory Police by Yokō Ogawa This haunting science fiction novel is one that readers will not be able to put down once they dive into it. Pitched as “a haunting, Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance,” this quiet drama throws readers into the midst of an island where the residents’ memories are being manipulated by the Memory Police. Over time, pieces of their memories are plucked away. First it’s hats, roses, birds, until it escalates and body parts begin disappearing, too....

Beloved television reporter Lily Atwood has it all—fame, fortune, Emmys, an adorable seven-year-old daughter, and the hashtag her loving fans created: #PerfectLily. To keep it, all she has to do is protect one life-changing secret. Her own. Lily has an anonymous source who feeds her story tips—but suddenly, the source begins telling Lily inside information about her own life. Now she’s terrified someone is determined to destroy her world—and with it, everyone and everything she holds dear....

Elemental Fantasy Books Like Avatar: The Last Airbender Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee This brand new elemental fantasy adventure is the first book in the planned Shamanborn trilogy. There are various versions of light and shadow magic, though they’re not all welcome in all parts of a divided realm. Sirscha Ashwyn has risen from orphan to assassin-in-training. But an attempted assassination reveals her own unusual powers and sends her to the Dead Wood, an expanding forest possessed by souls of the dead....

However, I would first like to address the title of this article. To be clear: each author is unique, and their books stand on their own. However, there are plenty of elements that Maas’s fans have come to love that these authors also employ expertly. These elements include strong females leads, some romance (with the occasional spice), creative fantasy worlds, and engaging plots that keep you turning the pages. While the authors on this list might not hit every note, they will hopefully be welcome by fans of Maas’s writing....

So, I’m sure you can imagine that when Alan Alda announced that his communication podcast Clear + Vivid would be hosting a MASH reunion of sorts, I was giddy. Loretta Swit, Mike Farrell, Jaime Farr, and Gary Burghoff would be joining Alda for a conversation about their time on the beloved show and how their communication with each other only enhanced their performances. This episode did not disappoint. Being privy to the laughs and inside jokes of this group of actors whom have been friends for nearly 50 years was as comforting to me as Radar’s teddy bear....

Personally, I often like to wait until a series is released in a volume before reading it, because I like to be able to really dig into the story in one go. But some issues are just too exciting and anticipated for that, so we’ve got a great combination of single issues and collected editions / softcover releases here. Whether you’re a hardcore DC or Marvel fan or prefer to keep to the indie scene, there are May comics here for everyone....