So before the hibernating truly begins, I’ve put together a list of crafts based on children’s books you can do with the children in your life over the winter. Kids make things more fun, and they’ll motivate you to get your project done by either 1) abandoning it halfway through, requiring you to finish it as a matter of principle, or 2) getting super into it and making it a joy and a bonding experience from beginning to end....
Etiquette for Runaways by Liza Nash Taylor, read by Elizabeth Evans. A sweeping Jazz Age tale of regret, ambition, and redemption inspired by true events, including the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 and Josephine Baker’s 1925 Paris debut in Le Revue Nègre. “An utterly absorbing tale of the trials of being a young woman of independent spirit during the glamorous but harsh years of post-WWI America, when the yearning for personal freedoms clashed with the heavy hand of prohibition, politics, and social mores....
Buddhism (The World Religions) by Madhu Bazaz Wangu Here’s an overview of Buddhism from its roots in India. The book chronicles how Buddhist ideas crossed the globe and how it’s continued to grow over time. In addition to the history, Wangu’s account introduces the foundational teachings of Buddhism and breaks down its three major schools (Tehravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana). I like this book as a good starting point because its mostly an overview without sounding like a manual....
New York Times bestselling authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have teamed up for the first time to create a novel that’s gripping, terrifying and more relevant every day. The Hive follows seventeen-year-old Cassie, who, after being “condemned” on social media, is on the run from a deadly state-sanctioned mob seeking to exact IRL punishment. Aided by a shadowy underground network, Cassie becomes an unlikely heroine, as her search for the truth makes her a threat to the entire unjust system....
“What The Living Do” by Marie Howe This poem begins by telling Johnny about a clogged sink. It then weaves its way to the thermostat, grocery shopping, and the streets of Cambridge. It presents such a tension of the to-do list of owning a home, the subtlety of desire, and the freedom of sipping coffee while ambling along. The speaker reveals, “But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass, / … and I’m gripped by a cherishing so deep // for my own blowing hair …” For more from Howe, read The Kingdom of Ordinary Time....
Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution by Amber Tamblyn His Own Where by June Jordan This is a story of 15-year-old Buddy and how his love for Angela is nothing less than an act of rebellion. Jordan keeps her language “black,” ergo zooming in on a thousand struggles that young black people face. She explores themes of parental abuse, familial dysfunctionality, children’s wisdom, and the sheer will to survive amidst all kinds of oppression that is central to every individual....
It is important to note that Hispanic Heritage Month is a month to commemorate Latinx whose ancestors hail from all of Latin America, not just Mexico. This is a special month to honor all Latinx “by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” So, in no particular order, here are some excellent underrated reads that you should get to reading:...
The list below features some of literature’s most memorable and complex stories of matrimonial strife. Some couples face personal challenges—betrayal, incompatibility, falling out of love. Some are vexed by circumstances beyond their control. Some are just disasters from the start. But all these must-read books about complicated marriages focus on the myriad ways that couples can go off the rails. Descriptions taken from publisher descriptions and condensed when necessary....
I like to read biographies that share a commonality with my own life, but like the best fiction, I’d rather be transported to worlds with characters that are larger than life. Lives that are tumultuous, scandal-ridden, and full of perils. Lives that are exciting and rich and full of conflict. Lives that produce stories like Native Son, The Bell Jar, Lolita, A Rage in Harlem, or Frankenstein. I also like to read about the lives of the authors of some of my favorite books—Iris Murdoch and The Sea, The Sea, Philip K....
Classics like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys still have a healthy readership, but the genre has come a long way. There are so many fantastic mystery series and standalone works out there by a diverse mix of authors and illustrators. I’ve compiled a list of 50 mystery books for kids, both new and tried & true. The list spans everything from cake theft capers in picture books to art heist novels for middle grade readers....
My absolute ultimate candle is one inspired by Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle – and now, I suppose, Call Down the Hawk and the other upcoming books in The Dreamer Trilogy as well. Something about the world of Henrietta and Cabeswater and The Barns is so connected to the idea of scent for me: these places seem tangible, and immersive, and above all, magical. I want to feel like I’m in them....
It doesn’t matter how often we’re told not to make assumptions about books based on what they look like. Covers matter. They tell us what to expect from a book – they’re a kind of an unspoken contract between reader and writer (or rather, as any author who’s argued with their editor knows, reader and publisher). One of my favourite books, for example, also has one of my favourite covers: the hardback of Come to the Edge by Christina Haag has a picture that perfectly evokes the tone of the memoir – wistful and romantic....
Whether you know a young reader that loves fantasy stories, wants to craft along with their reading, or just needs something new to read each month, there are great options out there. Book boxes can be a fantastic way to help parents and caregivers find new books for kids, and many of these boxes contain titles that are hand-selected by bookstore staff, bringing their years of experience right to your front door....
Books to Get Dad for Father’s Day Good Clean Fun by Nick Offerman For any Parks and Rec fan or novice woodworker, this coffee table book makes a great gift. The project tutorials feature Offerman’s real woodshop staff, offering sage advice and clearly defined instructions. The projects vary in difficulty from coasters to an entire bed frame. Each tutorial is accompanied by color photographs. Along the way, Offerman shares family recipes, embarrassing stories, and beard length charts....
7 Great Children’s Books About Courage and Bravery Go beyond children’s books about courage with these 25 must-read picture books for 2021.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James (February 5, 2019, from Riverhead Books) The award-winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings is back with a fantasy book—the first in a new trilogy. Tracker has been tasked with tracking down a missing boy because of his incredible talent for following scents. Breaking his own rule, he teams up with a band of others, including a shapeshifter, all of whom carry secrets of their own....
1. Once Upon A Book Club Once Upon A Book Club has a new release YA novel and individually wrapped gifts with page numbers on them. The gifts are not to be unwrapped until the reader reaches that page in the novel for a surprise that coincides with the book. It also comes with a 5×7 printed quote, and discussion questions with read-a-long dates for readers to participate with on Instagram and Facebook....
Book Riot is teaming up with Harlequin.com to give away the ultimate Christmas romance prize pack that includes the following titles: Holiday Playbook by Yahrah St. John, Christmas at the Chateau by Rochelle Alers, The Christmas She Married the Playboy by Louise Fuller, A Merry Christmas Date by Syndi Powell, Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak, and The Viscount’s Christmas Proposal by Carol Arens. Two of my favorite nonfiction titles of the year made not one but TWO PEN America longlists....
Since that first visit, I’ve seized every opportunity to return to Tokyo. In fact, I’d planned to attend the 2020 Summer Olympics. The pandemic, of course, had other ideas. So, I decided to do the next best thing: immerse myself in books about Japanese culture before, during, and after the Games. After all, what better way to get lost in a country than through the perspectives of other people who feel the same love for it that I do, including many #OwnVoices authors?...
As you’ll see from the titles, many of these books are specifically for or about women or written from a Feminist perspective. However, I think readers of all gender identities could benefit from reading the books on this list. Mindful Anger: A Pathway to Emotional Freedom by Andrea Brandt This is the first book on anger I ever read. It helped transform the concept of anger from something wholly negative to a normal emotion I could learn from....
