Welcome to The Best of Book Riot, our daily round-up of what’s on offer across our site, newsletters, podcasts, and social channels. Not everything is for everyone, but there is something for everyone.
Nothing Says Lovin’ Like Something from the Coven: Witchy Romance Novels!
A chill in the air? Check. Pumpkin spice-flavored everything hitting the shelves? Check. Pop-up Halloween stores appearing overnight? Check. It’s official: it’s the season of the witch! Today’s recommendations have hex appeal and feature witches who can work all kinds of spells (or maybe not), but can’t stop themselves from falling in love. Oh-oh-oh, it’s magic!
8 Haunting Appalachian and Southern Gothic Novels
Southern Gothic may contain nods to its antebellum history. This type of literature frequently features the grotesque, sinister vibes, or evil characters that disguise themselves as innocent or good people. Appalachian Gothic is deeply connected to place. There’s often a rural setting with deep connections to the natural world. Sometimes nature itself seems to seek vengeance for the intrusion of industry and its destruction of the land.
Book Nerds, Librarians, Teachers (+ Cat Ladies) For Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
So make sure you’re registered to vote (“Check your voter registration status here. You need to do this sooner, rather than later. Once you have verified your registration status, take a screenshot and save it to your phone. No registered voters can be removed from rolls 90 or fewer days from the election. Use this screenshot if you are challenged at the polls.”), have a plan to vote, and wherever/however you can, volunteer.
Then have fun showing your support thanks to Etsy seemingly exploding overnight with all the cat ladies, bibliophiles, book nerds, teachers, and librarians for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz merch. From yard signs to T-shirts, people are fired up, cracking jokes again, and joining the movement to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on November 5th, so I rounded up 11 items.
5 of the Best Books About Longevity to Help You Live a Longer Life
Books on longevity often dig into the science behind the things that impact the length of study participants’ lives and ways readers can apply those to their own lives. It’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all area, though. As with many health or self-help books, not all of what you read in this genre will fit into your life, and that’s okay! Not all exercises are achievable by everyone. Not all diets are attainable. However, there’s sure to be a recommendation or a new way of looking at things that you can apply to your life in the mix.
Resources for Hurricane Helene Relief
Our thoughts are with everyone in Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee who’s been impacted by this natural disaster. Relief efforts are ongoing but the road to recovery will be long, so we’re dedicating this week’s bonus send of The Deep Dive to sharing resources. If you’re interested in donating to relief efforts or are looking for assistance yourself, here are a few of the options I’ve come across in the last few days. The first is a charitable foundation providing assistance to bookstores and their employees both now and year-round, and the rest are general relief resources. All mission and objective descriptions are from the group or organization’s website.
Magically Delicious Books for Fantasy Foodies
We are up to our necks in fall reading, and so I thought I would lean into the fall feelings with today’s recommendations. These selections are cozy fantasy books with autumnal vibes about sustenance! Because he who controls the pumpkin spice, controls the universe. These aren’t the same fantasy books about food and drink that you see recommended all the time (but those are good, too), so hopefully you find some new-to-you books that you’ll love.
Not the Only Fruit: The Significance of Oranges in Queer Literature
In Jeanette Winterson’s classic work of lesbian literature, the main character’s abusive, homophobic mother hands her an orange instead of providing any comfort — and only ever oranges. To her mother, oranges are the only fruit. But as Jeanette grows up, she realizes that there are a lot more possibilities than just the narrow life her mother has raised her in: there are many more fruits in the world. This was published less than ten years after the Anita Bryant events, and while Jeanette Winterson was writing in England and not the U.S., I don’t think it’s a coincidence that oranges stand in for the repressive and religious life that the fictional Jeanette’s mother espoused.
Sapphic YA Books About Getting Revenge on Ex-Boyfriends
These YA books range from contemporary to romance to fantasy and even a vampire story. Some of them take their revenge and the threat of the ex seriously, while others are treated more as a zany plot point or background to the real action. They all came out within the last five years, with one publishing later this year.
New Hardcover and Paperback Books On Sale Today for 50% Off for Amazon Prime Members (UPDATED October 3)
Amazon Prime Days are coming up next week, and today they have some Prime Early Deals that include big discounts on print books. Below, we’ve selected some of the most exciting sales that are all 50% off or more for Prime members, but check out the website for many, many more titles on sale, including children’s books, Halloween books, cookbooks, romance novels, business books, and critically acclaimed literature.
10 of the Best New Children’s Books Out October 2024
October picture book releases include wonderful debuts by AR Cribbins and Jocelyn Chung that tugged at my heart, as well as new stories by beloved authors and illustrators like Juana Medina and Daniel Nayeri. Two early chapter book new releases delighted me and my six-year-old. In middle grade new releases, books explore folklore, comedy, and sci-fi. Several books across age groups examine sibling life, and even more had me cackling.
What are you reading? Let us know in the comments!
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