Just over a quarter of a century has passed since Jenkins published her first novel, Night Song. That book, and the 39 others she published since then, changed the game. To celebrate that milestone and the many great books that have come along since then, I compiled a list of 15 of the best Black historical romance novels of each period. Legacy and Change The books on this list represent both lasting legacies and forward change....

With the wealth of information out there on Roman history, it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin as a new reader and researcher in the field. The Roman Empire lasted for over a millennium and spanned a huge chunk of the world; there are hundreds of different sub-fields to study, and thousands of important events and figures that had an impact on this crucial period in human history. Whether a reader wants to learn about the early days of Rome, when it was a small town in Italy instead of the massive global force it would become, or look into the final years of the Roman era as it became the Byzantine Empire, there is plenty for budding historians to grapple with....

Though all these novels are considered a crossover between mysteries and thrillers, they include a wide range of riveting and juicy stories from a talented and diverse selection of authors. From a compelling mystery set in the world of classical music to an iconic Gothic drama to a favorite YA novel with a major twist ending, everyone — from beginners to the genre to longtime mystery aficionados — are sure to find something within these options to suit their individual taste....

People toss out lots of properties to describe Red Queen: The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones meets The X-Men. Graceling meets The Selection. In short, the book is about a world divided by blood color: the typical red and the supernaturally-gifted silver. When Mare, a red-blooded girl, discovers her own deadly power, she is hidden in plain sight as a long-lost Silver princess and betrothed to a Silver prince....

If you’re looking for some more general Halloween book options beyond monster children’s books, here are my suggestions for best Halloween books for kids. There’s also these must-read scary stories (with some options for slightly older children). I’ve added a couple of nonfiction monster children’s books at the end as bonus content – they would still would work well as reads for monster-lovers. An additional note: on Book Riot, we do our best to actively promote diversity in books and publishing....

Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City. That role brings with it violent throw downs and access to the hottest boydega clubs, but the sixteen-year-old grows weary of the life. Her dream is to get off the streets and make a home in the exclusive Mega Towers, in which only a chosen few get to live. To make it to the Mega towers, Nalah must prove her loyalty to the city’s benevolent founder and cross the border in a search for a mysterious gang the Ashé Ryders....

Books Set At A Circus (Or Carnival) Caraval By Stephanie Garber “Admit One Isle de los Sueños To be used once, to gain entrance into Caraval. Main gates close at midnight, on the thirteenth day of the Growing Season, during the 57th year of the Elantine Dynasty. Anyone who arrives later than this will not be able to participate in the game, or win this year’s prize of one wish.” This book is the first in a trilogy....

Novel Gazing is your destination for all things literary fiction, bringing you news from the world of fiction, and recommendations for under the radar reads, works in translation, buzzy books, and more. Stay in the know, expand your TBR and your view of literary fiction, and, of course, have some laughs with hosts Mary Kay McBrayer and Louise Johnson. Novel Gazing is a biweekly show available wherever you get your podcasts–go listen to episode one now!...

Chair of the judges, Martha Lane Fox commented on the list, “Ahead of the longlist meeting I was anxious that the negotiations between judges might be as arduous as Brexit, but it was an absolute delight to pick our final 16 books. Entries for the Prize’s 25th year have been spectacular and we reveled in the variety, depth, humanity and joy of the writing–we hope everyone else will too.”...

Winners Writer Paul Harbridge won for Out into the Big Wide Lake Illustrator Gracey Zhang won for Lala’s Words Writer Anne Wynter for Everybody in the Red Brick Building Illustrator Marta Bartolj for Every Little Kindness Illustrator, Kenesha Sneed for Many Shapes of Clay Award winners have gone on to have successful careers in the world of children’s literature. Here is a list of past winners. If you’re more of a visual person, here is an award poster....

I have rounded up 24 of the best award-winning poetry books in the hope that this list will make it easier for you to find your next poetry read. I also hope that it will introduce you to some poets you aren’t familiar with, broaden your knowledge of the poetry world, and leave you wanting to read even more. That’s my dream, anyway! I decided to stick to books published in the last 15 years....

I’ve never been much of a poetry person. Steeped in the classics as a college student, I’ll admit to being a sucker for a good Greek epic, and there are a couple of Romans who rev my engine. Omar Khayyam has a special place in my heart. I suppose it would be more accurate to say I’m not much of a modern poetry person. I respect the theory and the effort and definitely the brevity, the ability to tell a story not only with a paucity of words but with the spaces between....

When the coronavirus crisis ends, some of us might want to visit Hong Kong at some point in our lives. The security measure could put us under surveillance if suspected of breaking the law as it is also applicable to people “from outside [Hong Kong]…who are not permanent residents of Hong Kong,” per the BBC. That seems frightening, to say the least. So frightening that even Hong Kongers are looking to migrate to countries such the UK, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines....

What the heart desires, the house destroys…Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire....

Truths your spawnlings may or may not understand. Or, quite possibly, may have understood at one point but have now forgotten how to navigate. Graphic novels are the perfect way to jog those little memories and prepare them, to go once more unto the breach, to receive all the input and reflect it back to their peers not only as not only sympathy and kindness, but as empathy and love....

And what I noticed when I started picking up sports romances was that they were hella white. Football, baseball, hockey, you name it. As many people who are remotely familiar with professional American sports know, it’s probably one of the most diverse professions out there. The NFL is 70 percent black. Baseball is just under 50 percent POC. And of course, hockey, the sport that definitely leads in the athletic romance universe, is like 99....

Novel Gazing is your destination for all things literary fiction, bringing you news from the world of fiction, and recommendations for under the radar reads, works in translation, buzzy books, and more. Stay in the know, expand your TBR and your view of literary fiction, and, of course, have some laughs with hosts Mary Kay McBrayer and Louise Johnson. Novel Gazing is a biweekly show available wherever you get your podcasts–go listen to episode one now!...

Here are five great books by or about black journalists. For more books on black history, check out this article by Book Riot’s Derek Attig. The Race Beat by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff A Pulitzer Prize–winning history of Civil Rights coverage by print journalists black and white, The Race Beat often verges on information overload, but aren’t all treasure troves like that? What Roberts and Klibanoff nail is the brick-by-brick march of history....

I was in high school the first time a police officer pulled a gun on me. There is a small town south of the Oklahoma City metroplex that is known for stopping people if they drive too fast (for obvious reasons) or too slow (because they look suspicious). One night, I drove through the town unwisely wearing a durag. I was trying (and failing) to cultivate waves on my head, so I chose to not listen to my mother who warned me of the dangers of driving wearing one....

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen Codi Teller is a queer teen with two fantastic friends, Maritza and JaKory, who are also queer. The three pass summers the same way every year: movie nights in Codi’s basement, days spent at the pool, and hanging out at their favorite coffeeshop. But this summer, Maritza and JaKory want more, and they want to try new things in the hopes of finding love....