Horror Anthology Books For Some Mid Year Frights

I do feel obliged to clarify what anthologies are. I have seen plenty of lists classifying collections as anthologies. But they’re not the same thing. Anthologies are collections, but not all collections can be anthologies. An anthology is a book or a collection written about one topic by different authors. On the other hand, a collection is most likely a book of selected writings by a single author. See? Not the same....

November 29, 2022 · 1 min · 208 words · Donald Hewes

Horror Socks To Warm Your Feet But Not Your Soul

The Shining Twins: Do allow the twins to follow you into every room you go. All they want to do is play with you, after all. The Exorcist: Let Regan, excuse me, Captain Howdy, possess your feet so the fires of hell can warm them. Jaws: It’s just a little Great White Shark chomping at your toes, no big deal. You won’t even feel it. Frankenstein: Dr. Frankenstein’s monster is looking pretty relaxed and chill on those socks (his bride, not so much)....

November 29, 2022 · 3 min · 465 words · Margaret Saenphimmacha

How Japanese Literature Provided Comfort In A Time Of Despair

Love In The Unlikeliest Of Places In Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper And The Professor (translated by Stephen Snyder), we see a housekeeper and her son finding companionship and tenderness in a math professor. The housekeeper had to reintroduce herself to him every day as after a traumatic accident, the professor couldn’t remember anything past 1975 for longer than about 80 minutes. When he discovered, over and over, that she had a son, he urged her to bring him to his house as he didn’t want him to be alone after school....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 677 words · John Totman

How Much Do Ratings And Reviews On Goodreads Affect Book Sales

But do Goodreads reviews and ratings affect sales? That question can be difficult to answer. To find out, I reached out to several Goodreads authors via email and Twitter to ask their thoughts. Tirzah Price (who is also, in the interest of full disclosure, a Book Riot senior contributing editor) told me that while she does not care for Goodreads as a platform, “I created an account and claimed my Goodreads author profile because authors are really encouraged to do so in order to access stats and for sharing accurate information about your books....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 728 words · James Marston

How The Code Of Chivalry Of Medieval Knights Still Influences Sff Today

However, many fantasy worlds were built as a reflection of various European societies through the ages. Medieval Europe in particular has a stronghold on fantasy worlds, such as in The Wheel of Time and The Witcher series. Interestingly enough, whether you’re in Westlands or The Continent, the rules of engagement and manners almost always seem to mirror those in our (European) world, despite all their differences. Even on the planet of Arrakis in Dune, there are certain codes of conduct that wouldn’t be remiss on the Round Table....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 780 words · Nick Grant

How To Fake That You Read The Book Club Book

Now, back to the business of book binding. What did everyone think of the end papers? I know that’s kind of silly, but they really add something to the sensory experience for me. I could really SEE the map, I could really IMAGINE the journey. And how about that font?? Decent spacing too. I like a bit of white space on the page. Hat tip to the typesetter! Those little white space breaks really give you a moment to reflect, even if you’re not fully aware of it....

November 29, 2022 · 3 min · 588 words · Tiffany Driscoll

How To Find Free Books And Comics When You Re On A Budget

Go To Your Library Where else can a list like this begin? Get thee to a library my friends. It’s [usually] free to join and free to use! However, if things are really financially tight and you can’t afford the bus fare or don’t have a library anywhere nearby, there are other options… Free Comic Book Day: May 4, 2019 Every year, the first Saturday of May is Free Comic Book Day....

November 29, 2022 · 3 min · 438 words · Warren Blackmon

How To Get A Library Of Congress Reader S Card

Getting There First things first—you need to get yourself to the Library of Congress. Located in Washington, D.C., the Jefferson Building is directly across from the Capitol Building, so you can feasibly make a day of it. The best way to get to the area is by Metro. The Capitol South Metro station is accessible via the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines. Once you exit the station, you’ll walk about a third of a mile....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 775 words · Bernard Reed

How To Have A Positive Bookish Community Even On Twitter

Yet, something I have noticed in the past few years is that the book community, especially in various forms of social media, can be a bit harsh towards authors and other readers. This is far from peaceful. From angry rants at authors for reasons like not appreciating a specific story angle to even attacks on other readers, it’s made me step away from the screen to protect my mental health at times....

November 29, 2022 · 5 min · 972 words · James Butler

Hygge Home Goods For Bibliophiles

According to Visit Denmark, “hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.” What better way to achieve this than with a good book? Of course, if you’re going to read, you may need some snuggle assistance or cozy facilitation. In other words, some stuff to help you get your hygge on. Hygge gear for bibliophiles, that is. Whether you’re looking for blankets and pillows, tea and chocolates, or candles and mood lighting, this list has it all....

November 29, 2022 · 3 min · 449 words · Harold Regis

I Read The Unpublished Man From U N C L E Novel And I Must Scream

Grab your scuba gear, amigos, because we’re going in for a deep dive. The Secret Origins Affair As you may have guessed from the title, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was originally supposed to have just one star. Napoleon Solo, played by Robert Vaughn, was a Bond-esque super spy with the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. And for the first two episodes, it was indeed a solo act (lol)....

November 29, 2022 · 8 min · 1505 words · Michele Slowe

I Ve Got To Talk To Someone About This A History Of Book Clubs

Book clubs are often formed between people with shared identities. There are groups for women, for mothers, for lesbians, for Black professionals—the possibilities are endless. Some groups read books by a single author, others only cover particular topics (like books about the Civil War). However you identify and whatever your niche, there is a book club for you. Looking to get involved? Check out these online book clubs to join in 2020....

November 29, 2022 · 8 min · 1673 words · Jason Lin

I Ve Outgrown Young Adult Fiction And I Think I M Okay With That

It’s time to face facts: I think I’ve outgrown young adult fiction (YA). The fact that I continued to read YA well beyond being in the acceptable age category (they say 12–18-year-olds are generally the target audience) can’t exactly be considered odd, since according to The Atlantic, half of YA readers are fully grown adults. While there are several schools of thought on why readers continue to enjoy fiction aimed at teenagers well into adulthood, it was a bit of a backward experience for me: I only started reading YA when I was about 17....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 723 words · Angie Donaldson

If It Has Spoilers Why Make It A Foreword

Then, I turned the page, just to find out Machado had had the audacity to start her book claiming not to read prologues but included one in her book anyway. I haven’t read it. In fact, I’ve read In The Dream House twice and I skipped the prologue each time, driven by pettiness stemmed from a feeling of having been tricked by Machado, refusing to play her little prologue game (I love her, and In The Dream House, very much, though)....

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 771 words · Gregory West

In Defense Of Druh Strana The Nightmare Country Of Gingerbread

I should mention that this novel is (to borrow Jordan Peele’s term) a “spiritual sequel” to the fairytale of “Hansel and Gretel”…but really it more so hinges around the main trope of the tale, the gingerbread house. The Lee family is famous for its maybe-magical gingerbread that sustains them through Druhástrana’s famine, both in Druhástrana and in England. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Druhástrana is dope in concept for several reasons, the first being that I thought it was a real place, which speaks to the conviction of Oyeyemi’s writing....

November 29, 2022 · 5 min · 923 words · Helen Galarza

Indie Bookstores You Can Shop At From Anywhere

The numbers are in, and the news is this: indie bookstores are thriving. The New York Times reported an impressive rally after the slump of book sales in 2020, and a good 80% of bookseller respondents to a survey put out by the American Booksellers Association said that profits were up in 2021 from 2019-2020. Since our last post on indie bookstores to shop at online, penned by Christine Hoxmeier, over 300 new independent bookstores have opened....

November 29, 2022 · 22 min · 4647 words · Mae Reiber

Interview With Lyz Lenz On God Land And Religious And Political Divides

Lyz and I both live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it was my great joy to discuss these important topics with my knowledgeable, investigative, and empathetic friend, Lyz. Emily Stochl: Can you give us an introduction to the book? Where your mindset was when you were writing it? Lyz Lenz: In 2015, a church that I started closed in a tragic sort of way. The fallout showed a lot of cracks in my life—cracks in my personal life, in my community, and the foundation of my faith....

November 29, 2022 · 15 min · 3187 words · John Walsh

Is Dc Really Making Superman Gay

In the wake of this, a new rumor arose: DC’s next character who will be revealed to be queer is Jon Kent, son of Superman. Congratulations, Jon! Except, hmm, this seemed pretty unlikely to me. Superhero comics are still overwhelmingly straight, so the odds of DC revealing two major franchise characters as queer within the span of a few months are pretty steep — especially one who is currently wearing the mantle of Superman....

November 29, 2022 · 7 min · 1433 words · Angie Lacuesta

Japan Inspired Fantasy Novels

A debut urban fantasy perfect for readers of N.K. Jemisin and S.A. Chakraborty, Yume is imbued “with empathetic characters, terrifying monsters, and a cinematic feel” (Richard Ford Burley). As Cybelle struggles with the ostracism she faces daily teaching English in Japan, she gets caught in a supernatural clash between the yokai in a dreamworld spilling onto the streets of Osaka and Kyoto. Faced with these out-of-control demons, Cybelle must figure out what is real and, more importantly, what she really wants … before her life spirals out of control altogether....

November 29, 2022 · 2 min · 273 words · Raymond Grimes

Just A Bunch Of Pictures Of Dogs And Books That S It That S The Post

So with that in mind, I see Abby’s pictures of cats and books, and I answer it with a list of dogs and books. You’re welcome. Oh, can your cats pose like models with books? Probably not. A post shared by Allie & Sadie (@speakingof_books) on Oct 2, 2019 at 2:16pm PDT Can your cat politely visit your local indie bookstore? I doubt it. A post shared by Esme Flynn 🇺🇸 Boston, MA (@dogearedtails) on Oct 14, 2019 at 10:47am PDT Will your cat wear silly outfits for the ‘gram?...

November 29, 2022 · 4 min · 721 words · Mary Kittrell