Yes, working in a bookstore is still a retail job and independent bookstores are made on customer service and community reputation. People don’t do it for the money, I can assure you. But hey, I worked at JC Penney in college and have seen cashiers crying in the break room. I have had to work Black Friday at 3 AM at a very busy mall in a college town. Bookselling is retail, but it isn’t that....
The ten books below take you from high-powered executive settings to behind the counter at a cozy yarn shop, and they feature everything from workplace rivals competing for the same goals to the oh-so-complicated joy and stress of being hot for the boss. But no matter the industry or workplace environment, these workplace romances will pull you in with their tension during the 9 to 5 work day, and leave you swooning with their after-hours steaminess!...
There’s something here for every kind of writer, and certainly something that belongs on your tote bag, your shirt, or your lunch sacks. Enamel Pins for Writers Don’t let your stories go untold. $12. Allow yourself to make mistakes as a writer. That’s how you grow. $12. Fanfic writers are real writers. Be proud of being a fanfic writer with this enamel pin. $10. Little is as symbolic of the writing life as a gorgeous fountain pen....
Her accolades included a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, and being a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, among many others. She also wrote one of the first mainstream media articles – in 1991, in the NY Review of Books – that suggested the Exonerated Five (known then as the Central Park Five) were wrongfully convicted. (You can read it in her essay collection After Henry). Didion’s writing spanned genres, from fiction (Play It As It Lays) to memoir (The Year of Magical Thinking) to journalism and cultural criticism (Let Me Tell You What I Mean)....
And then, in Spider-Man 3, Sam Raimi changes the game. Peter Parker, constantly vilified by the public while tirelessly fighting for their safety, stands in awe of a news announcement that Spider-man will receive the key to the city. Sure enough, standing next to him at that moment is Stan Lee. In his unmistakeable raspy yet booming voice, Lee declares: “I guess one person can make a difference.” He shrugs and exits on his classic line: “Nuff said....
Jasmine Guillory’s Gateway Romance Reads For many newer readers of romance, Jasmine’s books are the gateway to the genre, so I asked her what books got her started reading romance. Like many people, she’d read romance here and there over the years, including Georgette Heyer’s books, but she says “Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, and Lisa Kleypas’s books were the ones that made me dive head first into the genre. I never looked back!...
I don’t know about you, but 2020 and most of 2021 have been full of reading slumps. Books that have immediately captured my attention from the very first page have been few and far between. But when those lightning in a bottle moments have happened? Good LORD they’ve been fantastic. While our specific definitions of “gripping” might differ from person to person, this list is a collection of recent gripping books to read from across different genres, YA to adult, and with diverse casts of characters....
I have read a fair amount of romance in my not-so-long life thus far. Among the various tropes, friends-to-lovers has always been a favorite of mine. In a world with a population over seven billion, finding a partner, and especially the right partner, can be surprisingly difficult. But what if that person was there, a part of your life, all along? Watching (or, rather, reading about) friendships bud into something more is heart-warming....
Asia is the largest continent in the world, and as such is filled with cultural diversity! In the last few years, we’ve had some amazing books by authors who can trace their lineage to various parts of Asia. Here are a few of these books that I think will make amazing adaptations: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon In a lot of ways, When Dimple Met Rishi feels like the natural follow-up to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before....
It’s been a day. I spent the hours from 9:00 to 5:00 being screamed at by baby boomers (#notallboomers) who still use AOL exclusively and wonder why I’m not literally Google. In my brief respite from that, I check into Twitter only to regret doing so immediately. My brain reels as I read the words “fake news” for the 3 bazillionth time and the fact that I even know the term “tender age shelters” leaves me with a crushing sense of despair....
Reading through reviews, most readers love TJR’s characters, attention to detail, and realistic historical settings. One of the reoccurring criticisms of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s books, though, is that her characters of color are flat compared to the white characters, or are stereotypes. Taylor Jenkins Reid is white. Evelyn Hugo, the starlet protagonist of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is Cuban, but changes her name and appearance to suit Hollywood standards....
The beloved Newbery Medal winner is now in paperback! A girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon must unlock the dangerous magic buried deep inside her in order to save her life, her family, and even the community that once left her to die. “Impossible to put down . . . The Girl Who Drank the Moon is as exciting and layered as classics like Peter Pan or The Wizard of Oz....
The Wicked King by Holly Black The sequel to The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King really puts everything one step above. The drama, the action, the political plays, the romance. It’s just that series you need to pick up. The Wicked King picks up a few months later after the end of book one. This time around, we have Cardan who just became the wicked king. Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway Dark of the West tells the story of a princess and a fighter pilot, both longing for something more....
YA and Middle Grade Novels Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys Josie Moraine is the spirited 17-year-old daughter of a brothel prostitute in 1950s New Orleans. Disillusioned with the dark secrets of the Big Easy, and frustrated with her self-centered mother, Josie works at a bookstore in exchange for a place to sleep other than the brothel. She makes plans to leave New Orleans and go to college. But Josie’s plans are foiled when her mother is implicated in a murder investigation and flees town, leaving Josie with mob debt....
Hazel Hughes has the remarkable ability to heal the sick and injured, which draws the attention of her employer, Dr. Sam MacInnes. When a mysterious count reveals that Hazel was abducted at birth and her twin sister has fallen dangerously ill, Hazel must travel to Romania to find her. Worried for Hazel’s safety, Sam insists on traveling with her. Hazel and Sam rely on each other to untangle the web of secrets surrounding the count....
15-year-old Roan Montgomery trains under the laser focus of her father, but she’s come to realize that their relationship goes dangerously beyond that of rider and coach, or daughter and overprotective parent–and she’s ready for it to stop. But to save herself, will she have to sacrifice her dreams? In the tradition of My Dark Vanessa or My Absolute Darling, Dark Horses is a searing, stunning novel not to be missed....
Dearest reader, I love you. Though I’m not a big fan of the holiday, it seems fitting that I get to talk about books and love. There are few things I love more than sharing books, so thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love. As a former elementary school teacher, I can get behind the kid version of this holiday. Kids truly got this one right....
Book of Flight by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Sam Brewster This is a stunning book. It’s about ten record-breaking animals with wings, and it’s written in a question-and-answer format so there is a bit of a puzzle. There are interesting facts about the creatures and the text and information is fascinating. But what makes this book stand out for me is the illustrations. There are blueprint-inspired diagrams as well as gorgeous full colour drawings....
Celie and Shug Eleanor and Raymond Eliza Sommers and Tao Chi’en Westley and Buttercup Evelyn and Celia Katniss and Peeta Cath and Levi Genly and Estraven Linus Baker and Arthur Parnassus Severin and Laila Alex and Henry —Senjuti Patra —Rachel Brittain —Aurora Lydia Dominguez —Jeffrey Davies —Zoe Robertson —Gianessa Refermat —Cathleen Perez Brenycz —Rachel Rosenberg
I’ve put together a list of children’s books about Rosh Hashanah that can be shared before or during the holiday. An additional note: on Book Riot, we do our best to actively promote diversity in books and publishing. This list features very few authors and illustrators of colour because there aren’t many children’s books by Jewish people of colour. Rosh Hashanah Board Books It’s A Mitzvah by Julie Merberg and Beck Feiner Mitzvahs – acts of good deeds – are especially emphasized during the High Holy Days....
