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But I’ve decided to visit this trope a little more in-depth, especially when it comes to complete strangers or people who don’t particularly like each other suddenly finding themselves attached by a legal piece of paper and maybe some jewelry. There’s something about their journey of discovery after the fact that is very different than any other kind of relationship-starter. So here are a few books that I’ve either read or that are very high on my to-read list so I can just keep gobbling up this very specific trope....

There does not seem to be a lot of in-depth scientific research on the pressing physiological problem of falling asleep when you really want to be reading, so I can only postulate a few causes and propose some solutions I’ve tested myself. Why do we sometimes fall asleep while reading, even when we’re interested in the book? And how do we stop it? via GIPHY Does this ring a bell?...

Nothing could tear Detective Michael Bennett away from his new bride—except the murder of his best friend. NYPD master homicide investigator Michael Bennett and FBI abduction specialist Emily Parker have a history. When she fails to show at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, Bennett ventures outside his jurisdiction. The investigation he undertakes is the most brilliant detective work of his career…and the most intensely personal. A portrait begins to emerge of a woman as adept at keeping secrets as forging powerful connections....

One night. No one will know. That was the deal. Every year, Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler would share one perfect night of illicit pleasure. The forbidden hours let them forget the tragedy that haunted their pasts—and the last names that made them enemies. Until the night she didn’t show up. Now Nicholas has an empire to run. He doesn’t have time for distractions and Livvy’s sudden reappearance in town is a major distraction....

No matter the genre, the character growth displayed in many books has lessons that could potentially be learned by the reader. There are books that have stayed in my mind for years, and from these, specific scenes that have really left an impression. Most of these scenes are middle grade and young adult books, a few of which I read when I was a teen and some that I picked up as an adult....

Who Was Shirley Jackson? Born December 14, 1916, in Burlingame, California, Shirley Jackson was one of the great American novelists of the 20th century. Her family moved to Rochester, New York, in the early 1930s. After finishing high school and completing a year at the University of Rochester, she transferred to Syracuse University, where she met her husband, the literary critic Stanley Hyman. After a few years in New York, they moved to Vermont, where they lived (except for a brief move to Connecticut) for the rest of their lives....

It wasn’t until I started library science graduate school, interning, volunteering, and networking with other library professionals that I realized none of the library myths I’d believed—the ones that held me back from asking a question or finding a book—are grounded in truth. Well, maybe one is… via GIPHY Leslie Knope’s “Punk-Ass Book Jockeys” might not be a myth after all… We are kind of a (mostly cat-loving) cult of punk-ass book jockeys....

There’s a price, though, because of course there is. De-aging methods are always unpredictable and even unstable. Half the time, the de-aging is an accident or an unintended side effect of some other project. While the affected heroes usually return to their proper ages sooner or later, it’s not always easy. Each hero handles it in different ways, such as… Get Involved in Shenanigans I could write this entire article using examples just from Silver Age Superman....

Firstly, however, let’s do a quick recap of the theories behind books that make you smarter. Fluid intelligence is the ability to think abstractly, to establish relationships between separate concepts, to reason and learn new things. Crystallized intelligence involves the compilation of knowledge acquired throughout your life, and the ability to solve problems based on such knowledge. Finally, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions....

If you asked children what their favorite part of Chinese New Year is, most would tell you “lì xì!” They are red envelopes full of money to signify good luck and prosperity. Just before I became a teenager, I learned that if the current year’s zodiac is the same as your birth year, it’s often considered back luck (i.e., when you are age 12, 24, 36, 48, etc.). So beware if you were born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, or 1959!...

— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) October 5, 2019 No, there’s a special category that for me has always spoken to what is so special about artistic collaboration. Neil Gaiman is prolific: he has written poetry, short stories, fairytales, myths. And some incredible artists have taken his words, magical and provocative as they are, and crafted them into works of visual art. It is the most incredible coming together: a pile of books, all gorgeous in their own different styles and ways, and they are all united by a love for one author’s words; they all leapt off Gaiman’s imagination into their own, and together the two minds crafted what is ultimately in every case a new world and a new story....

But since we’re all book nerds here, I thought it would be neat to celebrate by discussing some literary Mexicans and Mexican Americans. And since I love me some comic books, let’s kick off this Independence Day by looking at some kickass Mexican superheroes! Mexicans? In My Comics? It’s Less Likely Than You Think Historically, Mexicans—and Latinos in general—didn’t often show up in American comic books. When we did, it was usually as villains, and very silly ones at that....

Here are ten books that have been consistently popular this school year, and even before that.

It’s sometimes difficult to figure out which books have queer characters in them if character identities or love interests aren’t obvious in the publisher’s marketing. Sometimes marketing is cagey—I can only assume that’s a holdover from the days when the industry felt as though coming out and stating queer content might hurt a book’s chances in schools and libraries. But if 2019 has shown us anything, it’s that readers are hungry for these books, and while not every cover needs to have a rainbow on it, signaling to readers that a book centers queer characters and stories is actually a selling point!...

If you’re in that boat, or you’re barely hanging on to a life preserver floating next to that boat, check out this list of books, conveniently broken down based on motivation for this challenge. Dry January for Health Reasons It seems like every week there’s a new study showing that alcohol is/is not good for your health, or that drinking a glass of wine a night does/does not help achieve longevity....

The murder of a shipping clerk…The strange disappearance of friends…Rumors of corruption within the East India Company… In the new installment of the atmospheric Wrexford & Sloane Mystery series set in Regency London, brilliant scientist Earl of Wrexford and secret cartoonist Charlotte Sloane become entangled in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear—and about each other… “Scientific discoveries combine with a complex mystery to provide an action-packed brainteaser....

The Hard Truth about Manga Apps and Sites Before I dive into that topic, I want to clear up some confusion regarding reading manga online. You can’t do it for free. I’m sorry. There are no online manga readers or manga apps that allow you to do that legally. While there are some sites that let you sample a couple series or chapters for free, there are none that let you read everything without paying something....

If you’re looking for more creepy tales, check out psychological thrillers for fall, 15 of the most terrifying books, horror books by authors of color, 18 diverse YA horror books, 10 eco horror novels, and Indigenous horror books. Urban fantasy unlike you’ve ever seen it. This incredible debut by my friend David Slayton is the start of a fantasy series full of trailer park wizards, unearthly possessions, and all-too-real family drama you won’t be able to get enough of....

Fast forward two years and those cockroaches have names and you’re still making the same amount of money. Sure, you have more responsibilities than you did when you started, and sure you’re expected to answer emails at home, and yeah you spend your weekend teaching Pilates—but at least you’re paying your bills on time, and at least you have health insurance. Maybe you should look for a new job, but when you look at hiring sites, jobs that aren’t entry-level require five to six years of experience....

1. Carmen Boullosa Fans of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende looking for more coming-of-age stories with hints of magic should try Leaving Tabasco and the buildingsroman-slash-ghost story Before. 2. Ana Castillo Though I read a lot of Chicana feminist writers in college, which is why I’m interested in reading the recent memoir of radical feminist Latina activist Ana Castillo. In Black Dove: Mamá, Mi’jo, and Me she explores her family history, rape, her son’s incarceration, and her experiences as an activist....