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It’s important to mention first that coding has a diversity problem. More than half of the titles on this list were written by white men. There just aren’t enough non-white, non-male people writing programming books, much less programming books for kids, to represent the diversity of the actual population. It’s a problem throughout the computer science world. While the issue of homogeneity in computer science is complicated, books like these can help spur a shift toward diversity....

Of course, there’s always room for every story to be a little queerer, right? But the reason queerness fit so well in 2020’s The Baby-Sitters Club is perhaps because The Baby-sitters Club was pretty LGBTQ+ friendly already. So with that in mind, here’s a look at the queer history of The Baby-Sitters Club. Babysitters-Club fan Carmen Phillips over at Autostraddle wrote that the Baby-Sitters Club series is “beloved by lesbian, bisexual, and queer women who grew up seeing themselves in these scrappy young girls who never took ‘No’ for an answer....

It is no secret, and should come as no surprise, that fiction about robots is full of conversations about industry, humanity, and how the organic self is perhaps forced to blend with the artificial; either to its own detriment, maybe in the name of progress, or simply as a way of reconciling feelings on authenticity in the contemporary industrial age. The themes of self and other, of person vs machine, are engaging and thoughtful – even moreso in our current times....

The 2021 Lambda Literary Awards recognized books in 24 categories published between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Finalists were selected by a panel of more than 60 literary professionals from more than 1,000 book submissions. The awards are typically held in-person in New York City, but their virtual format this year allowed them to open the ceremony to readers and literature lovers across the world. The event was hosted by Rakesh Satyal, author of Blue Boy, and awards announced by James Sie....

I discovered Silly Old Bear, an audio drama adaptation of the beloved classic Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A Milne. Created by Caroline Mincks, the show brings fresh voices to stories we already know and love. And despite some slight reservations (I just have a strong attachment to the very specific versions of these characters that I grew up with), I found myself utterly enchanted from the very first minute. It had all of the warmth and whimsy of the original while still feeling new and exciting, and I’m looking forward to hearing more episodes as they come....

I don’t mean straight up picking up a nonfiction tome on Vincent van Gogh or Frida Kahlo — although I have read many of those. But rather, I mean choices that are a bit outside the box. This is the land of creatives, after all. So the biographies I have are in the format of graphic nonfiction and picture books. The nonfiction is about colors and their histories. The memoir is about a portrait artist whose outlook changed thanks to meeting a group of artists building Disability Culture....

My job at this library focused on teen collection development, so it felt crucial to stay abreast there. But I quickly found myself also using the audiobook time to listen to some of the nonfiction for adults that my eyes could not consume quickly enough. Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Happiness cracked open the possibility of nonfiction on audio for me. I left that job after a year and took a new library job in the town where I lived, cutting my two hour car time into roughly 5 minutes each way....

Why Are Authors On Goodreads? For context, it might help to understand why authors are even on Goodreads in the first place when the first piece of advice authors receive upon selling a book is “Get off of Goodreads.” I think there is a fairly simple and straightforward answer: Authors are readers first. Many of us create accounts and start shelving, rating, and reviewing books before we begin to pursue publication seriously, or even start writing....

You might also know Cheryl Strayed from Dear Sugar, an advice column Strayed wrote for The Rumpus. Strayed’s answers to reader’s questions were especially poignant because of her ability to make personal connections to every person who wrote in through personal anecdotes and comforting language. Additionally, Strayed later published some of her more poignant responses as Sugar in a book called Tiny Beautiful Things. Now the column is no longer running, but you can connect to Sugar through the podcast Dear Sugar....

2020 also happens to be a year in which several DC characters are celebrating the 80th anniversaries of their first appearances. Next to hit the milestone is Green Lantern, who made his first appearance in All-American Comics #16 (July, 1940). Like Robin, Green Lantern has become legacy title, though the first person to use the title wasn’t a member of the Corps. That changed in 1959 when a Green Lantern ring found Hal Jordan....

But what about the slice-of-life folx? Not all heroes wear capes. I’m going to dive into the backlist this week because I just read the utterly delightful, couldn’t-put-it-down-until-I-finished, collected volumes of Ngozi Ukazu’s Check Please and I want to give the Samwell Hockey Team a much deserved shoutout. There are still a lot of serious stereotypes where sexuality and sports are concerned, and the split by the social construct known as gender is just as dumb, and damaging, as the garbage remnants of outmoded homophobic bullshit: women in some sports are graciously permitted to be part of the LGBT+ family while men (with a few notable exceptions) are to be straight bros who bro with their straight bros and espouse support of their straight bros in straight bro manner....

“If you’re a book lover, a trip to Paris might seem like the perfect opportunity to pick up a couple of good novels, collections of poetry, or even an antique volume or two for your treasured collection. But unless you speak and read fluently in French or are primarily looking for collectors’ items, it can be difficult to find independent sellers that specialize in English and languages outside of French....

I was always a nervous kid. I didn’t jump off buildings, didn’t climb trees, treated Bic lighters like they were explosive detonators, and was afraid to plug in electric cords—and that’s just the tip of the anxiety iceberg. My childhood was spent reading, playing video games, and playing outside with the occasional stick. In short, being anything but reckless. I was 19 years old when my doctor diagnosed me with depression and an anxiety disorder....

Sadly, the demise of so many of these publishers is not surprising given the current state of US publishing. In the past several years, there has been some important reporting about the lack of diversity in publishing—not just the fact that authors of color often have to work harder to get published, but that the industry itself is overwhelming white (a fact illustrated starkly in this 2016 report). As one rioter eloquently discusses in a piece about her experience with publishing as a woman of color, the publishing industry is heavily biased toward white men....

When It Rains It Poes Sweatshirt: I want to lounge in all the literary pun sweatshirts. Fell Asleep Here Spoon Bookmark: Isn’t this a lovely way to upcycle an old spoon? Books Help You Grow the Flowers in Your Brain Print: Plant something wonderful! Classic Book Stack Vinyl Sticker: Get this lovely little book stack on a sticker for your water bottle or laptop! The Book Was Better T-Shirt: Sometimes a simple T-shirt with a straightforward message is the best....

Mary Poppins Teapot: Celebrate your love of tea and whimsy with this gorgeous teapot inspired by Mary Poppins Returns! Harry Potter Porcelain Dinnerware: Whatever they say about Millennials not buying china is about to be disproved! Smoko Book Light: Look at this adorable reading light! Perfect for all that late night reading. Floral Book Embroidery Pattern: I think I found my next embroidery project! Ex Libris Personalized Stamp: Make your book collection your own with this personalized stamp!...

It’s not too late to send your Mom, or the mother figures in your life, something special for Mother’s Day . . . especially if books are their passion! Check out these great, last-minute gift ideas. There’s Ex Libris, a gorgeously illustrated, impassioned reminder of why reading matters, with seminal titles to discover or revisit; Stet!, a fun card game for language lovers, grammar goddesses, and bibliophiles; and Book Club: A Journal, a space to record and remember everything about their gathering with friends....

Book Riot is teaming up with Macmillan eDeals to giveaway one Kindle Paperwhite. Enter the form and sign-up for the Macmillan eDeals newsletter for a chance to win! Here’s a little more about the Macmillan eDeals newsletter: Be the first to hear about our down-priced eBooks across a variety of genres from your favorite authors, starting at $2.99! Old Books Postcards: Brighten someone’s day with these old books postcards! ($7+) Bookish Stickers: Now is the time to stock up for your brand new planners!...

Book Riot is teaming up with Macmillan’s Nightfire newsletter for a chance to win a Horror Lover’s prize pack containing the following: a $200 Visa gift card and copies of The Living Dead by George Romero and Daniel Kraus; Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Slewfoot by Brom; Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt; and The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Simply sign up for the Nightfire newsletter and fill out the form here to be entered to win....

title: “Book Riot Youtube” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Beverly Nolan”