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On the professional side of things, it seems as if most of the review copies and recently-released books lining my shelves contain ghost stories. Other Terrors. Our Shadows Have Claws. A House with Good Bones. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just that fall — and October in particular — isn’t the only time to read horror. Sure, a slew of horror flicks and anthology series are always released right before Halloween, an occurrence I anticipate each year with ravenous glee....

Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Madalyn discovers she’s the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms. Don’t miss this relatable story from award-winning author Tanita S....

New Beginnings Reading Order Batman: The Man Who Laughs Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth Batman: Four of a Kind Batman: Snow A Family Affair Reading Order Batman: Dark Victory Batman: A Death in the Family Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying The 1990s and 2000s Reading Order Batman: Knightquest Batman: KnightsEnd Batman: No Man’s Land Batman: Hush Batman: War Games Batman: Detective Batman: Under the Red Hood...

How and Where to Read Manhwa and Webtoons Manhwa is produced in both South and North Korea, although the former predominates. Unlike manga, manhwa is read left to right, and it’s rare for manhwa series to be released in print anymore. Manhwa has been largely replaced by online comics (webtoons), with the rise of smartphones. Webtoons are read vertically in long segments, making scroll your best friend. The web/app format has also given rise to a common webtoon style of uncluttered images and abundant white (or occasionally black) space in the gutter between panels....

I would love to hear your recommendations, especially if you have any about non-Western cultures. Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter In 13th century Bohemia, Mouse—a ward at a convent—can see people’s souls and has unusual healing powers. Her mentor Father Lucas insists she’s a child of God, but she’s not so sure. When she looks at herself, she can see no soul, and the townspeople whisper she’s a witch....

As you’ll soon see, fantasy light novels really love two specific tropes. The first is portal fantasy (hello again, isekai sub-genre). The second veers a lot towards historical settings and romantic plots, and it involves being reborn as something or someone new. It’s not always like that though, and there’s a lot of room for creative and unique stories using those tropes. One last thing before we start. It’s pretty common for authors of light novels to use pen names in order to publish their stories....

Dark Fantasy Books Like The Witcher The Red Knight by Miles Cameron A young mercenary known as the Red Knight earns his living hunting and protecting others from all sorts of creatures. For the most part, his jobs are as he would expect: dangerous, but enough to earn a living from. When an abbess hires him to protect her nunnery from harm, he assumes that it will be more of the same....

A sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter’s fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born. New York Times bestseller Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia is a powerful novel from an incredible new talent. at Bustle: Books For, By, & About Black British LGBTQ+ People at Buzzfeed: Celebrate Pride Month With These 14 LGBTQ+ Books By Indian Authors at Crime Reads: The Literature of the Con: Great Books About Grifters and Swindlers at Electric Literature: 9 Books by Trans Authors Changing Literature Today at Good Housekeeping: 20 Best Poetry Books of All Time at In the Know: 10 Must-Read Books by Caribbean Authors To Add To Your Bookshelf at Mental Floss: The 10 Richest Authors of All Time at POPSUGAR: 10 Netflix Book Adaptations That Totally Missed the Mark at Today: 22 Beautiful and Inclusive Kids’ Books for Pride Month at Vulture: 35 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Summer

I think overall, horror manga is more sadistic and provocative than western horror as it not only illustrates monsters, but there is also a hidden philosophy in a lot of horror manga that insinuates that humans are the real monsters. A lot of the manga I recommend below aren’t exactly new; however, they are new to paperback. That means you have an opportunity to start a new series from the beginning and not have to worry about missing manga chapters....

Nonfiction Books About Musicians The Beautiful Ones by Prince Of course Prince needs no introduction, but he’s going to get one anyway. Prince was an American singer-songwriter who played many instruments and was considered a guitar virtuoso. He has many popular songs in his catalogue, including hits like “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” and “When Doves Cry.” Did you start singing just reading the titles of those songs? Because I did. Prince is one of the greatest musicians of his generation, and here we get his story, from childhood to superstardom, in his own words....

A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive. For fans of Flight Behavior and Station Eleven, a novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world’s last birds―and her own final chance for redemption. Migrations has been named a “most anticipated” book by Entertainment Weekly, Vulture, Elle, and more. Emily St. John Mandel calls this powerful novel “extraordinary.” Start reading Migrations now. Looking for more children’s books about the environment?...

Here, then, is a compilation of some buzziest books of 2020. Hopefully this will help you (and me!) read some of them soon. This is a mix of fiction and nonfiction, and not in a particular order otherwise.

New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin’s hilarious and horrifying John Dies at the End series continues with If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe.“Pargin once again delights with scathing social commentary thinly disguised as an outrageous action novel…This is a feast."—Publishers Weekly"Within the snarky humor is an incisive commentary on social media and the state of our connected world, and a story about trauma and how people lash out when they’re hurt…This isn’t just a funny tale of inept supernatural investigators; it’s a story of people struggling through pain to find a better path....

All of this amazing queer lit has made me hungry for more queer books from indie presses. There is so much out there to discover! Indie presses are doing such important work: publishing queer books in translation, books that push the boundaries of genre, radical works of fiction and nonfiction that change the way I think about storytelling. I am so grateful that these publishers exist, that they are uplifting the voices of so many queer writers and bringing so many different kinds of queer stories into the world....

Reading Light Apps for Apple and Android Phones Flashlight (Free) This app lets you get the most out of your phone’s built-in flashlight. It also comes with a compass and a strobing ability so you can read, but with a dance club feel (I’m just kidding, but it’d probably be useful for self defense or something). Reading Light Apps for Apple Phones Flashlight for iPhone + iPad (Free With In-App Purchases) This app provides different types of light, including fire so you can read by candlelight with none of the fire hazard....

“[A]n amazing Christmas read guaranteed to heat you up on a cold day.” USA Today bestselling author Heidi Rice; “This book is the LOL, sexy romp you need to give yourself this Christmas. Amy Andrews can do no wrong.” NYT bestselling author Sarah Mayberry; “[A] smart, sexy and charming romance. I spent a dreamy weekend falling for Suzanne and Grady and I hope a million other people do too.” Eve Dangerfield As a life long romance reader, particularly one who grew up in a decade where authors were just as likely to write standalone romances as they were to write a series, navigating the modern romance genre can be exhausting....

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list, and like all non-exhaustive lists the choices made for its content are, to some extent, subjective. But nonetheless, these novels set in London will give you a good feel for the history, culture, and geography of the city. 26a by Diana Evans “Identical twins, Georgia and Bessi, live in the loft of 26 Waifer Avenue. Their Nigerian mother puts cayenne pepper on her Yorkshire pudding and has mysterious ways of dealing with homesickness; their father angrily roams the streets of Neasden....

While divorce is tough, there are many divorce books for kids exploring it either directly or obliquely that will help reassure younger and older children that they’re not alone, and that while their situation may be upsetting, they will adapt and thrive as they move forwards. If you are or you know an older child or teen dealing with divorce, have a look at Book Riot’s list of YA Books About Divorce....

Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh Sometimes the best way to defeat your anger is to show it compassion. Hanh advocates using meditation and empathy techniques to defuse anger and turn it into something productive. This book is definitely a good pick for people in challenging relationships, but anybody with an anger management issue could stand to gain from it. The Anger Management Workbook for Women: A 5-Step Guide to Managing Your Emotions and Breaking the Cycle of Anger by Julie Catalano Women have a LOT to be angry about....

Allende’s father and stepfather were both diplomats, and her godfather, Salvador Allende, was the first socialist president of Chile. Pinochet’s coup, which ousted Salvador Allende, had a huge impact on her family. Magic realism, or magical realism, is a Latin American literary movement that subverts European realism and colonialism by incorporating supernatural beliefs and elements. Many authors outside of Latin America write genre-bending books with fantasy elements. Some authors classify these works as magical realism....