Books

It’s the end of another year and that means we’re being treated to another look into the reading life of former President Barack Obama. Like previous years, it’s a diverse mix of titles and includes both fiction and nonfiction. This year includes a powerful graphic memoir as well. Of little surprise, Obama’s first pick is

We know, we know. Christmas hasn’t even happened yet but already we’re talking about the new year. We just can’t help it. Look at these books – who wouldn’t be excited about new titles by Chris Hammer, Jordan Harper or Tom Rob Smith? Death in Heels and the Dublin drag scene with Kitty Murphy, and

Poor Nubby. The plush toy rabbit has been “carried, buried, dropped, dragged, torn, worn, chewed on, sat on, and even used as a nose wipe. Repeatedly.” What a life! No wonder Nubby decides to head off in search of a place where he’ll be far more appreciated than he is at home.  First, Nubby tries

Barnes & Noble has a plan to open 30 stores in 2023, making the bookseller the leader in what’s being called a big-box revival. This expansion comes after more than a decade of shrinking its number in response to competition from Amazon. There are even a couple of the new stores being opened in the

A few months back someone asked me what my favourite book of the year was, so far. After staring into space for a minute or three, I came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a favourite or best book of the year. Maybe the best book I’m currently reading or the

For all its peculiarities and problems, 2022 has been another excellent year for crime fiction, particularly for fans of puzzle mysteries, both new works and republished classics. The five books – four novels and one short story collection – I’ve selected as my top five reads of the year all feature tightly plotted and fiendishly

Coretta Scott King Honor author Lesa Cline-Ransome has earned a reputation as an excellent chronicler of American history in more than 20 works of fiction and nonfiction. In For Lamb, she powerfully captures the events that lead to a fictitious lynching in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1940.  Cline-Ransome was inspired to write For Lamb after visiting

2022 has been a wild ride. As I reflect back on the year, it seems like 2022 has been filled with truly scary moments. But at least the horror books of this year have been good scary and not fear-for-the-future-of-humanity scary. Horror novels, as always, remain a great way to escape from the terrors of

We like our politics to be binary. It is comforting to hear that we are on the good side and other people are on the bad. But life, obviously, is not binary, and neither are our politics. In V.V. Ganeshananthan’s second novel, readers are carried to a reckoning with this fact.  Set in 1980s Sri

Picking my favourite crime novels of the year is always a double-edged sword. There’s great satisfaction in recognising some brilliant work, but also a little doubt, and guilt, about the books I leave out. I have to stick to five though, and after some consideration, I’m happy with my choices. My list includes some returning

Readers have likely noticed that super-bright colors continue to dominate book cover design in 2022, but while evaluating all the covers she’s seen this year, BookPage’s Brand & Production Designer Meagan Vanderhill was looking for more than eye-catching colors. Good book jacket design is certainly about grabbing a reader’s attention, she explains, but it’s also

Today Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution step to the fore in our new books column. Darwin was Right has a title that might make you laugh out loud for its directness, while the story will evoke a range of emotions. In addition to this debut by Denise Harrison, we’ve got new titles from

Crime novels trump all else for me and we have had another great year of reading about the darker side of human nature. Looking back over the books I have reviewed in 2022 these are the ones that stick with me. They provided the purest reading pleasure and I smile when I think how much

Are you guilty of reading ahead? We certainly are: The January issue previews some of our most anticipated books of 2023, including upcoming books from Tom Hanks, KJ Charles, S.A. Cosby and many more! Plus, love will be in the air in our February issue, which includes Valentine’s Day features & an expanded romance column.

Making its rounds on social media over the past two weeks is a story from The Atlantic about the end of high school English class. It’s not necessarily what you think it might be. The author, a high school teacher in Berkeley, California, explores how ChatGPT, a conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, might radically alter

John Straley is both a criminal investigator and an award-winning crime novelist. His home is Alaska, he clearly loves the place, and he was the state’s writer laureate from 2006 to 2008. His fine storytelling and literary skills are on full burn in Blown by the Same Wind, the latest novel in the quirky, non-sequential

After solving two notorious cold cases, Stevie and her friends from Ellingham Academy are off to jolly old England to uncover the truth about a double murder that took place at a wealthy country estate in 1995. Meanwhile, they’re also dealing with college applications, academic pressures, romantic entanglements and more. In Nine Liars, bestselling author

Here at Book Riot, we publish 8-10 posts every weekday, not counting news stories, deals round ups, and other miscellanea. That’s thousands of posts in a year. Some of them blow up, and some of them are snubbed by social media algorithms. Regardless of the views, likes, or shares, though, our contributors have written some

If you love a good medical thriller, then Dissection by Cristina LePort is a book to watch out for. Released earlier this year, Dissection is Cristina’s debut and is based partly on her 30 years of experience as a doctor, and on her love of a suspenseful mystery. Between the novel’s covers, a DC heart

Teen sleuth Stevie Bell is back! It’s the autumn of her senior year at Ellingham Academy, and she and her friends Nate, Janelle and Vi have been invited by Stevie’s boyfriend, David, to join him in London to solve another cold case. One rain-soaked night 1995, nine inseparable friends played a game of hide-and-seek on

The end of 2022 is fast approaching. How was your reading life this year? Did you read a ton of amazing books? Did you struggle through reading slump after reading slump? Did you discover any amazing new authors, or stick to your tried-and-true favorites? Are you feeling satisfied with what you read, or do you

A few years back, I used to be a reader who was almost exclusively drawn to fiction. I had to convince myself to pick up a work of nonfiction every now and then, only because I felt like I had to. Cut to the present, when I actively look forward to new nonfiction releases and

In Lauren Groff’s Matrix, 17-year-old Marie de France becomes prioress of a run-down abbey in 12th-century England. Ill-suited to a life of privation, Marie struggles in her new role, but she forms strong bonds with the women in her charge, and the abbey begins to flourish. When tensions rise between the abbey and the outside

When we last heard from Vicky Newham, she was deep in the East End of London, following the trail of DI Maya Rahman. That was back in 2019, when Out of the Ashes was just pipped at the post for a place in my Top Five Books of the Year. Now Vicky is back, writing

“Solitude is tolerable, even enjoyable at times. But when you realise that you’ve given your life to someone, yet you know nothing but his name? That kind of solitude is loneliness. That’s what kills you.” In An Yu’s ethereal Ghost Music, a woman’s grip on her suffocating life loosens as she is drawn into a

Determining the best audiobooks of all time is a highly subjective process. What makes an audiobook the best? Do they have to have famous narrators or an ensemble cast? Are the most popular audiobooks the best, or do they have to be award-winning to be the best? Audiobooks have come a long way since their

A sweet and touching portrayal of friendship, heartbreak and healing, The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis is a poignant romance with astute observations about life after loss. It’s been two years since her husband, Russ, died, and 32-year-old Natalie Fincher is still grieving. She’s lost her passion for the dreamy cottage she lives

In this trio of suspense novels, a seasoned spy, a clever reward-seeker and a thief extraordinaire take on complicated, dangerous assignments as they race against time and attempt to elude their equally determined enemies.  JUDAS 62 At just under 500 pages, Charles Cumming’s JUDAS 62 is a commitment, but those who love immersive espionage thrillers

In the middle-American city of Dayton, Ohio, retired homicide detective John Burke isn’t wildly happy about the reduced pace of his life, but in this quick-moving new thriller by Tom Harley Campbell, that is about to change. Unbeknownst to Burke, trouble – and a fascinating mystery – are headed straight toward him, all the way

Love stories set during the holidays are almost always good-natured, but this year’s standouts take good cheer and good will to another level. Personal transformations and turning points abound in these empathetic and festive happily ever afters.     ★ So This Is Christmas Author Jenny Holiday takes readers on a third trip to the fictional country