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Louise Penny, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels, selects the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year, including contributions from T. C. Boyle, James Lee Burke, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Charlaine Harris, Andrew Klavan, Martin Limón, Joyce Carol Oates, and others. The crime genre and horror genre aren’t always that far off from each other, as they can have neighboring or overlapping elements....

That anecdote about dog-earing doesn’t quite capture the fact I use an animal bookmark for the majority of my page-saving needs. I flip between it and a bookmark a professor picked up for me in Tasmania when I was in graduate school. The animal bookmark is a gold rabbit and I had to have a friend track it down after I saw it in a store, got kicked out of the store during a fire alarm, and then never actually got to purchase it....

Things rated “R” usually aren’t, but there seems to be increased protest when the property is question is one based on a comic. Any comic. There’s a persistent misconception that all comics-related media should be kid-friendly, which suggests a persistent misconception that all comics are for children. And maybe, once a upon a time, kids were the intended market, but the fact remains comics are a storytelling medium and not an age-specific genre....

Let me preface this by saying I’m a sucker for art. For real. When walking into my LCS or browsing indie publisher catalogues, I will 100% of the time order a book if the art is killer. I don’t have to know the writer or even the artist; if the illustrations knock me on my ass, I will buy that comic. The Spectators sent me on a similar trajectory. Why?...

BE YE WARNED: Mercury enters retrograde on October 13 and stays there until November 3, which means trouble in technology, communication, travel, and more. As I always stay, the best way to avoid Mercury retrograde chaos is by staying home with a good book. Looking for more? Check out your July, August, and September horoscopes and book recommendations!

Though Oklahoma legislators are still pushing for reforms in school curriculum and oversight into the books in classrooms and school libraries, Attorney General John O’Connor dropped his investigation. “I received complaints from several parents about books in public school libraries which the parents found obscene. I will always listen to the complaints of Oklahomans. I recommended that they present their objections to the school boards. I also recommended that they talk with the legislature regarding how Oklahoma law defines ‘obscenity,’” O’Connor said in a statement Thursday....

It’s a common refrain among book lovers. Though I, too, have always owned a considerable amount of books, this sentiment is one I didn’t understand until recently. When I used to hear people talking about how badly they wanted to make a dent in their physical TBRs, or how overwhelming it was to own so many books they hadn’t yet read, I’d scratch my head, confused. I figured I’d get to the books on my shelves eventually....

True. I had never heard of Nunez until she wrote this short Coetzee- and Kundera-esque novel about a Harlequin Great Dane. Her publisher had hoped to market this work more widely because the topic was a doggo and we (meaning the internet that binds us) is obsessed by DOGGOS! Smart publisher. It worked. We are all ears. Drooling, even. At least I am. I loved this book. In fact, I am now on a Nunez kick like a Labrador retriever chases a stick....

Thank everything holy we’ve got books! There are so many amazing titles that help adults navigate social emotional topics with kids, and lying is no exception. Whether little ones are struggling with exaggeration, lying to fit in, covering mistakes, or even managing brutal honesty, there is a book to impart a lesson and spark a discussion. As a society, we are moving away from a “right and wrong” method of teaching morality....

“No, not yet.” “I think it might be too scary for you.” Well, she wasn’t wrong. I am a known weenie when it comes to horror. I get frustrated because I want to watch the amazing scary movies or read the books, but then I hate myself after when I can’t sleep. And I’ve got a long history with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I was 11 when the third and final installment of the series came out, which made me the target age group, I think....

Of course, there’s a lot more to publishing jobs than finding authors with brilliant new books, doing business with other bookish people to change the world through your work, and designing the marketing materials that will get amazing books into the hands of voracious readers. Before applying to all the publishing jobs you can find LinkedIn — whether as an agent, editor, designer, or any of the other thousands of people who make books — consider the following four, less-glamorous realities of the publishing industry....

Name of the plant is below, and obviously not one of the punned author names. Unless you want it to be. How great would these plants look in your reading nook? Majesty palm tree Fronds Kafka Figinia Woolf Jules Fern Jane Aspen Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Flytraps Douglas Fir Adams Live Anthurium Brown-Eyed Susan Choi Ernest Hempingway Carrie Ficus The Sunflower Also Rises Willa Cactus...

If you’re a fan of haunted house stories, you’ve probably read some of the classics, like The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, and/or The Shining by Stephen King. But where do you go from there? If you’re feeling haunted house-y this season and you’re looking for what to read next, here’s an idea. Why don’t you build your own ideal haunted house, and based on that, you can read the haunted house novel that best suits your style....

In Pride and Prejudice, it is Bingley renting Netherfield that kickstarts the entire story. Caroline’s insistence on Charles buying a house in Derbyshire isn’t simply a matter of wanting to be close to Darcy: she’s eager to leave the family’s history of trade behind and make the leap into landed gentry. Elizabeth, for the first time, feels “something like regret” when she first visits Pemberley. In Sense and Sensibility, finding Barton Cottage enables the Dashwoods to leave John and Fanny, despite mourning Norland Park....

Each year, lexicographers, editors, and other fine folks at various institutions decide which word has become the spirit of the times. Words like, bailout, Not!, podcast, geek, blog, justice, bovvered, and carbon-neutral have all been prior Words of the Year. Some go on to be used again and again (app comes to mind); others are forgotten nearly as soon as they’ve been noted. (Anyone remember hypermiling? Not so much.) With well-known dictionaries like Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary announcing their choices, you may not be aware that the American ritual began in 1991 with an organization called the American Dialect Society....

Meet Libby. The award-winning reading app that makes sure you always have something to read. It’s like having your entire library right in your pocket. Download the app today and get instant access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks for free thanks to your public library and OverDrive. Looking for a long read for the long summer? Whether you have a vacation planned or just want to enjoy the summer reading weather, we’ve got a book for you....

My name is Grace, not “Kyle’s little sister!” Having a good-looking, friendly, outgoing older brother sucks—especially when you’re the total opposite, someone who likes staying home and playing video games. Your parents like him better (even if they deny it!), and everyone calls you “Kyle’s little sister” while looking disappointed that you’re not more like him. I was really hoping I’d get to go to a different middle school, but no such luck....

Created by Book Riot, this smartly designed reading log consists of entry pages to record stats, impressions, and reviews of each book you read. Evenly interspersed among these entry pages are 12 challenges inspired by Book Riot’s annual Read Harder initiative, which began in 2015 to encourage readers to pick up passed-over books, try out new genres, and choose titles from a wider range of voices and perspectives. Indulge your inner book nerd and read a book about books, get a new perspective on current events by reading a book written by an immigrant, find a hidden gem by reading a book published by an independent press, and so much more....

Christmas Book For Book Clubs to Welcome the Holidays 1. Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz A fun, feisty, and gender-bending tale from the 18th-century classic. If you want to laugh and smile while also feeling the holiday romance, this one is for your group. 2. Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb Historical romance for the holidays? This well-regarded and romantic tale of the Great War and the sacrifices made during wartime will make your romantic-driven book club sigh and smile....