Manuscripts

Once upon a time, in a galaxy not so far away, the hallowed institution of nerdom became mainstream. No longer are the niche predilections of geeks sequestered to the outskirts of pop culture; these die-hard fans have cultivated a recognized movement that can shift the cultural discourse. But for fans like New York Times critic-at-large

We’ve made it to the home stretch of 2022, and while there’s still a ton of 2022 year fun to be had (hello, spooky season and the holidays!), we are winding down to the end of big release season with a lighter slate of offerings in our new YA comics and graphic novels releases. But

The Library of Congress has named 23 U.S. Poet Laureates since the position was renamed in 1985, and they have named their 24th: Ada Limón, author of six poetry collections, five of which have either won or been nominated for a multitude of awards. Limón is only one of eight female poets laureate, and the

Creepy season is in full swing, and it’s time to get those horror novel TBR piles ready. Of course, there are plenty of kinds of horror novels you could pick up to celebrate the best time of the year. You could go for vampires, zombies, monsters… but you know what kind of horror stories really

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — spooky season! I’m not usually one for seasonal decorating, but Halloween is the special holiday that gets me excited to pull out my skeletons and witch hats to spread the spine-chilling cheer. If you love books and the haunting magic of October 31, then these bookish

So why do book banners insist that they don’t ban books? Because the level of doubling down as book banning increases is, on one hand, impressive and on the other hand, is concerning about several key components of literacy. [embedded content][embedded content] During Banned Books Week, Tiffany Justice — one of the founders of Moms

The Swedish Academy has awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature to French writer Annie Ernaux for “the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements, and collective restraints of personal memory.” Ernaux is the author of over thirty works of fiction and memoir and is considered by many to be France’s

★ All the Living and the Dead We are not born with the innate knowledge that we, and all those around us, will die. At some point, someone has to tell us. A beloved pet or grandparent might pass into the great beyond, prompting a bedside conversation with a parent about the finitude of life. Alternatively,

USDish is offering a fan of fantasy the opportunity to win $2,000 plus a swag box worth $350. To win the prizes, first a fan must apply and be selected by USDish. They will then be expected to watch 40 hours of the following fantasy TV series over the course of 30 days: Game of

The season is upon us: Wrap a scarf around your neck—tightly—and crack open a book of undead intrigue. A Dowry of Blood A queer, feminist reimagining of Dracula, S.T. Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood starts with its narrator, Constanta, reclaiming a small bit of power. She refuses to grant her abuser a name, instead referring

It’s early September as I write this — the school year has just begun and it’s still warm enough for butterfly rompers and flip-flops — and already it’s happening. Bags of Halloween candy are sectioned off at the supermarket. Baking influencers in my Instagram feed are frosting ghost-shaped cookies and monster cake pops. Folks are

October may be primarily known as spooky season. But to me, it’s also “curl up in a cozy spot and stay indoors with the thickest book you can find” season. As it gets colder outside, I feel like the weather gives me a chance to take things slow and really enjoy the books I read.

Throughout history, female healers have been cast out, feared and labeled as witches, even though their work in herbalism and midwifery helped shape medicine as we know it today. In fiction, the witch—that wise, rebellious female character—can be even more disruptive, her healing gifts even more supernaturally powerful. T. Kingfisher’s dark (but still extremely funny)

The 2022 National Book Awards finalists were announced on October 4. The nominees were picked from the 50 longlists revealed in September for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. There are five authors and one translator among the five categories who have previously received National Book Awards recognition: Gayl Jones, selected as

What does it mean to write a novel in a world defined by the violence of colonization and white supremacy—a world that can’t be saved with mere words? What does it mean to want to write a novel at all, especially as you doubt yourself and recognize the contradictions in your desires and intentions? And

The Downers Grove Public Library in Illinois had planned to hold a Drag Queen Bingo event October 11th, to recognize National Coming Out Day. It has since been cancelled after the library received threats. The library was mailed a letter from “Your Friends at Maga” with a confederate flag, a note that says “[F-slur] Lover

Founder of the Nap Ministry Tricia Hersey has created a startling, generous new work in Rest Is Resistance. Grounding her debut book in Black liberation theology, abolitionist traditions and Afrofuturism, Hersey provides a blueprint for rejecting the demands of modern capitalism in favor of our collective health and social progress. Hersey delineates American society as

Jess Kidd’s novels have an uncommonly stunning tactile quality, plunging the reader headlong into worlds that are both recognizable and strange, where just about anything seems possible. Her fourth book, The Night Ship, is the latest example of this gift. Part historical fiction, part coming-of-age story, it’s an elegantly told tale about two young people

Welcome, welcome to another edition of Riot Roundup! We’ve asked contributors to share the best comics, graphic novels, and manga they’ve read within the past few months. In this list, you’ll find everything from battles with mental illness to battles with literal devils, journeys of self-discovery and journeys through the cosmos. Some of the stories

In her third novel, Our Missing Hearts, the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere delivers a timely dystopian tale about Bird Gardner, a 12-year-old boy who is desperately trying to hold on to memories of his mother from before she left their family. Bird, who is called Noah by

It wasn’t until very recently that I began reading horror books — but now I’m hooked. I’m also Mexican, so I like to read as many Latine authors as I can. The best thing? Those two things intersect perfectly. Latine authors write amazing horror stories across the board — middle grade, YA, and adult. And

What’s not to love about Only Murders in the Building? The Hulu TV series is led by the dynamic trio of Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez). They play three neighbors in a Manhattan apartment complex who become unlikely friends/podcast hosts/amateur sleuths. They’re funny. They’re quirky. They’re endearing. And, most importantly,

Since the early 1990s, Jeremiah Moss has lived in—and fiercely loved—New York City. In 2007, the poet and psychoanalyst launched the blog Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York, which became the foundation for 2017’s well-received Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul. In blog and book, Moss bemoaned the damaging outcomes of hypergentrification. Five

When I was a teenager, I had acne. The kind of acne that meant my face was never clear except in rare and random instances, I considered bangs for their ability to hide my forehead, and I got to know the skincare aisle of my local drugstore really, really well. Worrying about my breakouts and

In the popular imagination, the banjo is an instrument played by white bluegrass or old-time musicians plucking out traditional Appalachian ballads on their front porches. Many folks associate banjo music with the theme from the “Beverly Hillbillies,” played by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, or Eric Weissberg’s “Dueling Banjos” from the movie Deliverance. However, in

Books are an ideal helpmate when dealing with mental health issues. I don’t mean self-help books, although they can certainly help if you like them. I mean books in general: literary and genre fiction, nonfiction, poetry. To be clear, books aren’t a substitute for professional help. But they can be an addendum: there is a

Guided by Dadaism, an art movement that sought to reject logic, author Jon Scieszka and illustrator Julia Rothman turn traditional nursery rhymes on their heads in the playful, subversive The Real Dada Mother Goose.  Nonsense and absurdity take center stage as Scieszka and Rothman spin and twist six evergreen verses inside out and upside down.

“Moms for Liberty” and similar groups say that they are fighting for “parents’ rights” by trying to remove books from schools. They claim to speak for all parents. The truth is, though, that most parents (and people in general) do not support book bans. When given the choice to opt their children out of access

When a house appears at the end of Juniper Drive, Jacqueline “Jac” Price-Dupree’s reaction isn’t what you’d expect from most 12-year-olds, but Jac isn’t like most 12-year-olds. Ever since she was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, Jac has been haunted by the fear that it might return, so when Jac sees the house, she

It’s almost October, which is prime horror reading season. If you’re preparing to pack your seasonal TBR, now is the time to start exploring the best the genre has to offer. Like many genres, there are a few authors and titles that are classics that show up on every list, like Stephen King’s older works