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P.S., Amanda also has a super rad list of classics read by famous people over here. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, narrated by Claire Danes Oh. Em. Eff. Gee. I listened to this audiobook recently and it was actually the genesis of the idea for this list. Claire Danes crushed the narration so hard that I am sad she won’t be playing Offred in the series, as much as I also love Elizabeth Moss and am glad she is in a series again so I can see her face....

You’ve most likely heard of manga, so let’s start there first. Light novels and manga are both forms of books from Japan that incorporate illustrations. If manga can be seen as Japanese graphic novels or similar to comic books, then light novels can be compared to young adult novels or novellas. The main difference between light novels and western YA novels is the presence of illustrations throughout, as well as the overall story, which a majority of the time, is divided into multiple volumes of the novel....

It’s said that the average American child only spends 4–7 minutes a day in unstructured play outside. This is not a debate about screens (which are often short-sighted and ableist), but more of a call to also get outside and play, walk, draw, read — even if it’s walking around the block with the kids every night while catching up on the day, or having them take their homework outside to do in the backyard....

You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy (Harvill Secker) An enlightening book about how actively listening is a key foundation for connecting and understanding others. Drawing on Murphy’s conversations with people from diverse walks of life – from CIA interrogators to bartenders – this is a useful handbook for communication. Untold Day and Night By Bae Suah (Jonathan Cape) Unfolding over a sultry day and night in Seoul, this is a dreamlike tale of a woman walking the streets of the city after completing her last shift at an audio theater....

Plenty More by Yottam Ottolenghi Plenty More is the follow up to London celebrity chef Yottam Ottolenghi’s first vegetarian cookbook Plenty, and it features over 150 new recipes organized by cooking method. Ottolenghi is often praised for his originality and his unique mixture of flavors, and this cookbook features plenty (pun intended) of both. This book promises to change the way you cook and eat vegetables. Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor Blogger Kathryne Taylor of Cookie + Kate offers over 100 healthy recipes in this, her first cookbook....

The teens in these books may have different ways of approaching it, but they all take back their power and use it against people or systems who try—and fail—to render them powerless. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, killing murderers and releasing their victims’ spirits. Then she meets Tark, a strange boy with evil trapped inside him. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu Inspired by her mom’s Riot Grrrl past, Vivian anonymously creates a feminist zine to take action against her misogynistic small-town Texas high school....

Back in March, schools, stores, restaurants, and, yes, all of our favorite local comic shops were forced to close their doors. Even Free Comic Book Day was postponed. In the wake of this, comic shops adapted, shifting their focus to online sales, shipping out orders and, in some cases, offering curbside pickup. Because there were no new print issues coming into shops, my own beloved LCS began pushing their backlist titles on Instagram and moving a lot of their community-building events—like Dungeons & Dragons campaigns and comics drawing classes—online....

I was raised in a small village, where evil-eye and ghost tales were told with almost the same certainty most people use to talk about science. People laugh about it, and dismiss it, but at the end of the day, they also believe those unlikely tales to be true. One of the most famous ghost stories going around in my family is the one where my grandfather, coming home at the late hours of a pitch dark night—there were no street lamps at the time—had an encounter with a spirit....

It’s hard to think of a more modest introduction for someone who was gifted in so many ways in arts and literature. A Renaissance man, Ellison studied music and sculpting; he was a literary critic, an essayist, and a professional photographer. During the war, he was a merchant-seaman. And, oh yeah, he happened to be a brilliant fiction writer as well. When he died in 1994, he had completed just one novel — Invisible Man....

In Daevabad, djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger, blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom in the thrilling sequel to THE CITY OF BRASS. As Nahri carefully navigates life in the dangerous royal court, Ali has been exiled and must rely on the frightening abilities gifted to him by unpredictable spirits in order to survive....

Oh, and my favorite post-apocalyptic novel? While I could rattle off a couple dozen that I love, I’d have to say that A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter J. Miller Jr. is my all-time favorite. The Best Adult Post-Apocalyptic Books of 2019 Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton Sorry, other books, but I have to admit that this is my favorite “world is ending” book of 2019. S.T. is a foul-mouthed domesticated crow who is trying to figure out why his human friend, Big Jim, has started acting funny....

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield This YA nonfiction book that won the Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award, recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults, tells the story of how building tension and conflicted interests exploded into the 1919 Chicago Race Riot. All-of-a-Kind-Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins (Author) and Paul Zelinsky (Illustrator) Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Readers that honors outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience, All-of-a-Kind-Family Hanukkah gives a glimpse of a Jewish immigrant family and their customs....

The thing with families are we don’t get to pick which ones we belong to. We walk around with their DNA trying to define who we are. Who do we look like? Are we really just like our mothers? Do we really have Grandpa Owen’s long nose? Or ear for music? Or taste for wine? For too much wine? Is our optimism from our father? Do I get my anger and insecurity from my mother?...

For those who want Alice in Wonderland tattoos representing many parts of this beloved tale: The Pin The Pin The Pin The Pin This intricate version of one of the Tenniel illustrations is striking in monochrome: The Pin I love this mash-up of Tenniel + Van Gogh: The Pin The Cheshire Cat in watercolor is really popular: The Pin Like, really popular: The Pin Like, really very popular: The Pin Still a watercolor Cheshire Cat, but this time the classic Disney version: The Pin While we’re talking about Disney’s classic Cheshire Cat: The Pin The Pin This version of the classic Disney Alice is lovely: The Pin I found this version of Alice to be quite clever: The Pin Let’s check out more watercolor tattoos: The Pin The Pin The Pin Surprise!...

The Best Percy Jackson Quotes “Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.” (The Lightning Thief) “If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” (The Lightning Thief) From Etsy “Come now, Percy. What you call ‘Western civilization.’ Do you think it’s just an abstract concept? No, it’s a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years.” (The Lightning Thief) “Where’s the glory in repeating what others have done?...

There’s a fine line between psychological thriller and psychological horror books, though. Psychological horror books are not mysteries; they’re not whodunnits. They inspire fear through suggestion, paranoia, and implication, rather than through violence, pursuit, or even gore itself. Below are the 25 most terrifying psychological horror books that I could find. 1. Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk This book is a collection of short stories, but it’s tied together by an over-arching narrative....

Now that I live in a place where snow literally needs to be made inside if it is to stay frozen at any time of year, I enjoy conjuring up those lovely mental images by reading about winter and snowy places. There is no crackling fire where I live, but I can still enjoy a wintery landscape without needing to add any layers or dig out my winter gloves I usually keep hidden in a drawer somewhere....

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is over a thousand pages long; if you love it, that’s already a sign that you know how to commit to art. If you’re thinking about an LOTR tattoo yourself, or just want to see how other fans have chosen to do it, this post is for you! Below you’ll find an array of colorful and intricate Lord of the Rings tattoos, ranging from tattoos of Hobbit-size all the way up to those that are Mordoresque in proportions....

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams Gavin Scott is second baseman for the Nashville Legends, but he’s a man with marriage troubles. When he finds out his wife Thea has been faking orgasms, he flies off the handle, which is the last straw for Thea. She asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he has blown it in a big way. He needs help being the kind of man Thea needs....

Princess Hesina of Yan, always eager to shirk responsibilities of the crown, until her father is murdered, finding herself thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death, as magic was outlawed. With information illicitly provided by the sooth, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator and convicted criminal with secrets of his own....