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The appeal is in the potential. As evidenced with I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and the subsequent identification of the Golden State Killer, mysteries that have long been unsolved can reach resolution. Where mystery novels promise an answer in the end, real life tends to offer scattered information and narratives that trail off into formlessness. Still, books about unsolved mysteries are for people with a sense of hope. With fresh eyes, new ideas, and continued attention on a given case, closure is always a possibility....

In researching, I have discovered this niche category is largely populated by white authors, so there is not a lot of diversity reflected in this list. As horror trends upward in popularity, hopefully we will see a rise in this soon. In the meantime, check out these horror books by authors of color. If holiday ghosts are more your thing, also check out this roundup of Christmas ghost stories!

Anyway, my must-read picks for October children’s book releases include several by Latine authors for Latine Heritage Month — which ends October 15th, but of course these books can be read all year long — some really silly picture books that get big belly laughs from both my kid and me, and so much more. It’s a great month full of excellent children’s book releases. There are even three picture books with cats (two black, one white), so my introduction isn’t totally irrelevant....

Below are a smattering of book selections focused on queer women’s history. They range in identity from queer to bi to lesbian and more. But they are all about women who love women and they all help expand our view of the world. How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective Edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor The Combahee River Collective was a group of radical Black lesbian feminists in 1960s and ’70s Boston who believed in intersectionality (before we had a word for it) and the idea that “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free....

But what are social thrillers? Social thriller novels use elements of suspense, horror, and mystery genres to explore and point out issues of oppression and societal inequities. Notice how a lot of novels are compared to Get Out lately? Yeah, that’s sort of become shorthand for “this is a social thriller.” But Get Out isn’t the first instance of social thriller in film or novels, and it won’t be the last....

This has been changing in recent times, as scholars and historians are using novel research methods and previously ignored sources to bring to us the stories of women who made an impact on history, but were forgotten, erased, or misrepresented. I enjoy reading these stories. They are empowering and inspiring. They help develop a nuanced understanding of how the world as we know it came to be, and drive home the importance of social justice and inclusion....

There are also a ton of book clubs to draw inspiration from! Like Oprah’s Book Club and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Or fun communities like Literati, a subscription box for one of five celebrity’s book clubs (like Stephen Curry or Malala Yousafzai). With so many bookish celebrities out there, there is a well of inspiration to find our next read! So today I present to you, a list of 15 books recommended by celebrities in the past year or so....

When I first started thinking about the best coming-of-age manga, I was absolutely overwhelmed with choices. Because there are just so damn many of them out there! As those familiar with the medium can probably attest, young protagonists coming into their own in some way or another is a huge theme in manga, so you can imagine my plight in narrowing it down. I’ve undoubtedly left out some gems as I just couldn’t include them all, but I’ve done the best that I can, dear reader, to include a good variety in these best coming-of-age manga picks....

I’ve worked in several office environments and have had hands-off leaders and hands-on leaders. And while there’s no formula for what makes a good and bad leader, what I’ve realized is that it comes down to how leaders treat those they lead. Workers will stick it out with a toxic company if their managers protect and support them. Alternatively, workers will leave a good company if their managers are toxic....

The Next Level of Science Fiction Short Stories The below list includes short stories that are accessible online, though I encourage you to buy the collections and anthologies many of these stories appear in. I also encourage you to subscribe to any or all of the illustrious magazines these stories appear in as well. You may notice the absence of some notable authors like Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke on this list....

For those new to shifter romance, this category falls under the larger umbrella of paranormal romance, in which the love interests—either one or both of the main pair—can shift into another form, be it an animal or mythological creature. A Brief Note on “Mates” Shifter romance books can be problematic for some readers, and for good reason. Some of the titles listed below dabble with that you-were-destined-for-me pairing, using the common shifter romance term “mate....

If you’re looking for more great book club picks, check out our list of recommended 2020 book club picks! And if you want more uplifting books, consider signing up for TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. TBR is a quarterly subscription service that offers readers personalized book recommendations via letter, or book deliveries! Here’s how it works: Fill out our reader survey and let us know what you love and what you don’t like, and what you want to read more of—such as uplifting novels....

There’s no doubt in my mind that From Blood and Ash is a fantasy romance. So I’m going to take a look at the genre — but with a little twist. Let me explain. We already have a post for some steamy, adult romances that are absolutely worth reading! But some people like their romance a bit less graphic. Therefore, I’m specifically looking at YA books that have all the tension of a good forbidden romance (or even enemies-to-lovers) without the explicit sex scenes....

The mayor of New York’s daughter is missing and in danger. Detective Michael Bennett’s son is in prison. The two strike a deal. Bennett and the mayor have always had a tense relationship, but now the mayor sees in Bennett a discreet investigator with family worries of his own. The detective leaps into the case and finds himself at the center of a dangerous triangle anchored by NYPD, FBI, and a transnational criminal organization....

Great Picture Books About Music Great Early Chapter Books about Music Great Middle Grades Children’s Books about Music Great Young Adult Books about Music

These novels are not what I’d call feel-good books. Many of them deal with hard and painful subjects—sexual assault, homophobia, police brutality, suicide, domestic abuse, racism. But while they’re not breezy, these are not books that leave you feeling like the world is a dumpster fire and humans are trash and there’s no hope for any of us so let’s all just hide under rocks forever. These books have uplifting endings....

While I’ve read all kinds of romance books, steamy romance novels are definitely the ones that I’m more into because, well, the smut, the steam, the spice. You know what I mean! Every romance, either low or high heat, needs to have a romantic central plot line. They are focused on the romantic growth and development of certain pairings, and everything surrounding them has to cater to that romantic relationship....

Children’s Literature A Different Pond by Bao Phi (Author) and Thi Bui (Illustrator) A moving story about the simple event of fishing and the relationship between father and son. Before starting his long workday, a father brings his son to a small Minneapolis pond to fish for enough food to feed their family for the day while sharing stories about their homeland of Vietnam. Dumpling Days by Grace Lin Loosely based on Lin’s Taiwanese American childhood, Dumpling Days follows Pacy as she takes her first trip to Taiwan to visit distant relatives and learn more about her parents’ home country....

“I felt like you were someone I’d always been waiting for. I saw you feel it too.”Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl, is traveling alone to Victorian London and runs afoul of the city’s sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, she quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends—including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing… Experience the graphic novel adaptation of The Infernal Devices, prequel to Cassandra Clare’s best-selling Mortal Instruments series, in this beautiful omnibus!...

One of the things that I love about Kelly’s coverage here at Book Riot is her commitment to elevating amazing YA nonfiction. As a teen, I was convinced that I hated nonfiction. I can recall precisely one nonfiction title I read in high school (it was for a class), and I found it excruciating to read. And silly me, I just assumed all nonfiction was like that. It didn’t help that most of the nonfiction available to YA audiences when I was a teen were boring-looking research texts or didactic tomes on uninspiring topics (this was when libraries were still stocking titles that teens might use for research papers, before they realized we all were much more comfortable with the internet)....