Author: Samm Saxby

Horror Comics That’ll Give You the Chills

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Steph Auteri.

I like all different sorts of horror. Comedic horror. Psychological horror. Horror with roots in the occult.

But the best sort of horror, in my humble opinion? The horror that keeps you up all night. The sort that creeps up on you, raising goosebumps on your arms, making the skin on your scalp and at the back of your neck prickle, giving you the all-over chills. This is the horror that leaves you feeling uneasy, even in the safety of your own home. The horror that makes you question every creak and moan of the house as it settles, that makes you afraid of the dark.

There are plenty of horror novels, of course, that do this well. In the case of those particular books, all I need is my imagination to freak myself out. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been consumed by regret over reading a work of horror right before bedtime, the dark looming outside my window, my spouse out of town. Why do I always do this to myself??

But there’s something about the visual aspect of comics and graphic novels that can elevate horror. The most talented comic artists can make a scary story even scarier. I have a rolodex of terrifying comic panels in my brain that have been so well done I’ll never forget them.

If you, like me, enjoy living in a constant state of low-level terror thanks to your creepy reading habits, I’ve got the list for you. Below, I share eight horror comics that have given me the chills. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

The Closet by James Tynion IV, Gavin Fullerton, Chris O’Halloran, and Tom Napolitano

Tynion is one of my favorite writers in the world of horror comics, and this won’t be the only time he appears on this list. This particular comic is very wee (it’s a three-issue miniseries), but it really packs a wallop. In the first issue, we’re introduced to a young boy who’s afraid of the monster in his closet and the father who dismisses his fears. His father insists that whether the monster is real doesn’t actually matter, as they’ll soon be moving across the country. But problems such as these are not so easily outrun, and the eventual reveal of the monster — and what it truly is — is like a punch to the heart.

Cover of The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado and Dani

I’ve written about this one before. This comic made my skin crawl, and, well, the story has stayed with me. Machado is exceptionally good at dark and upsetting, and whether she’s writing fiction or nonfiction, her explorations of desire and sexual violence are powerful. At the beginning of The Low, Low Woods, we’re introduced to two friends and their hometown of Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania, a former mining town where strange and unexplainable occurrences go unexplored. But when El and Octavia wake up in the movie theater with no memory of the past two hours, things come to a head. El wants to know more. Octavia wants to forget it ever happened. This push and pull is at the heart of what’s wrong in their small Pennsylvania town. (Content warnings for sexual assault and gaslighting.)

The Night Eaters, Book 2: Her Little Reapers by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

The first book in Liu and Takeda’s Night Eaters trilogy came out in 2022, and I really enjoyed the story of a pair of Chinese American twins who come to learn of an unbelievable family legacy (spoiler alert: they discover they’re demons). Book 2 came out late last year, upping the stakes dramatically for Ipo and Keon, who may just have to harness their brand-new powers to save the world. Beyond the story itself, I really enjoy the lush artwork in this series.

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

In this stunningly drawn graphic novel, Abby marries a man who was recently widowed and struggles to adjust to a new life with him and his young daughter. But the memory of his husband’s first wife soon seems to grow and expand, taking up even more space in Abby’s life. As Abby begins to have visions of her predecessor, she begins to question everything. Is she losing her grip on reality? Or, could it be possible that things are not what they seem?

Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis

Ellis is a comic artist and illustrator whose work I follow on Instagram and who used to be a staff cartoonist at BuzzFeed. So, I’m used to seeing his work in the context of just a small handful of panels. When I saw he had a book coming out — and that it was horror — I was pumped. In this graphic horror collection, described as a graphic version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Ellis presents a number of standalone supernatural tales, eerie and perplexing and, in some cases, leading me to legit shout out, “Ew!” Each of these tales is accompanied by a short description of what inspired the comic. A quick but satisfying (and unsettling) read.

cover of Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog, Vol. 1: The Fire Next Time by Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander, Patric Reynolds, Well-Bee, Luis Nct, and Szymon Kudranski

Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog, Vol. 1: The Fire Next Time by Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander, Patric Reynolds, Well-Bee, Luis Nct, and Szymon Kudranski

I’m not really one for vampire tales (well, not usually), but when I saw that the team behind Killadelphia had an offshoot series that trafficked in demon possession, I was in. I mean, just look at that cover art. In this first volume, paranormal investigator Nita Hawes — battling demons of her own — must test her mettle against a demon who’s inhabited the comatose body of a man who hungers for revenge. What makes the outcome particularly tricky is the fact that, just maybe, vengeance is warranted?

The Deviant by James Tynion IV, Joshua Hixson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

I told you we hadn’t seen the last of Tynion on this list. In this case, though, he’s working with a different creative team. Volume 1 of this creepy series doesn’t come out until October, but you can already read issues 1-5 individually. In this tale, a man dressed as Santa Claus commits a series of gruesome murders. Fifty years later, a young writer compelled by his own complicated emotions interviews the man who ended up behind bars for the crime — though he’s always maintained his innocence. Come for the disturbing crime; stay for the explorations of deviance and queer identity.

Bone Orchard: The Passageway by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart

Finally, this book is the first in the Bone Orchard Mythos, an ongoing, shared horror universe featuring a mix of limited series and standalone graphic novels. I really dig everything this creative team does together, so I’ve been truly enjoying everything that’s come out so far as part of this project. But, for me, the very first book is still the most unsettling. It’s about a geologist sent to a remote lighthouse to check out an odd phenomenon: a deep pit that’s appeared out of nowhere. Where does it come from, and does the lighthouse keeper know more than she’s revealing? The creep factor here is high, and once you read it, you won’t be able to resist the rest of the books in the Bone Orchard universe.

Hungry for more? In addition to those older posts of mine linked to at the beginning of this post, check out these 12 terrifying YA graphic novels.

Swords and Spaceships

10 Excellent Epic Fantasy Debuts

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by R. Nassor.

Excellent epic fantasy debuts are a glorious thing to behold. I love to see new authors on the scene make their first public attempts at crafting magical struggles or impossible quests. It is a difficult subgenre to pull off, and so it is even more impressive when they make a splash.

As a subgenre of high fantasy, epic fantasy must take place in an alternate world with fantastical (i.e., magical and/or otherworldly) elements and involve complex geopolitical plots and/or multi-step quests. Although they are not requirements of the subgenre, epic fantasy books have also come to include multiple point-of-view characters, maps, and pronunciation keys as well.

The subgenre is largely inspired by early epic poetry like Beowulf, the Illiad, or the Odyssey. These are long narrative poems that involve a hero’s journey against large threats across kingdoms, realms, or states. Taking inspiration from the fantastical epic poems, epic fantasy books have larger-than-life stakes as well.

This list of 10 excellent epic fantasy debuts dives into authors who debuted in epic fantasy recently. Many great epic fantasy books were, unfortunately, not the author’s debut and thus have been omitted from this list. I also limited the series to the last decade because I wanted to give some love to recent releases readers might have missed on the shelves. I highly recommend giving these epic fantasy debuts a go.

Epic Fantasy Debuts Await

cover of the rage of dragons by evan winter

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter (2017)

For 200 years, the Omehi people have been at war. Military power is everything. So, the one of two thousand women born with the power to call dragons and the one of a hundred men born with the power to enlarge and strengthen themselves are valued. Without any gifts to speak of, Tau is fodder, hoping for an early injury that will end his mandatory service. That is until everyone he loves is murdered. His thirst for revenge sets him on a path to become a swordsman talented enough to kill the three men responsible for his pain.

Content Warnings: Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Racism

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (2018)

Inspired by 20th-century China, this epic fantasy book is a demonstration of the way the lives of insignificant people are twisted and crushed in war. Rin studied and struggled so that when she aced the empire-wide test to go to the academy, she could leave her town and her arranged marriage behind. At the elite military school, she discovered her talent for shamanism, but her gender, poverty, and dark skin stopped her from gaining many allies. Nonetheless, when war came to the Empire, her powers became more valuable than ever, but that power might just come at the cost of her humanity.

Cover of The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (2020)

Nearing the end of the emperor’s reign, a battle for succession upends what little stability the kingdom had left. The unrecognized heir to the throne, Lin, knows she must learn how to manipulate bone shard magic to create animal-like constructs and keep the peace. On the ocean, Jovis is saving children from the Tithing Festival and becoming the people’s hero. But such hope only further fuels the oncoming revolution, and Lin will be forced to decide what she will sacrifice to save everyone.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick (2021)

The best heroes are always con artists, and Ren is one of the greatest in the city. She might just be talented enough to fake her way into the nobility for the sake of her and her sister’s future. However, the aristocracy might be even deadlier than the gang she escaped as a teenager, and as myth and magic begin to seep into her dreams, she will have to trust a vigilante, a merchant with a criminal past, and a police captain working for the nobility she is trying to con. That is if she wants to survive in this queer Venetian-inspired epic fantasy world.

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark (2021)

A rebellious princess finds the rebel figurehead she is looking for when she meets a soldier she thinks could change everything. Princess Luca knows she must usurp her uncle if she wants her people to flourish. Touraine was stolen by the empire and raised to kill for them, but when she is sent back home to quell a rebellion, her allegiance to her childhood home feels stronger than ever. When Luca meets Touraine at the right moment, she convinces her that together, they can pacify the rebels and usurp the king.

Cover of The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi (2022)

In this sapphic epic fantasy novel inspired by Ghanaian mythology, a born revolutionary, a princess, and a low-caste woman work together to start a revolution. Sylah’s dreams of overthrowing the ruling class died when her family was murdered. Anoor has never known the love of her mother, the empire’s ruler. As a member of the low caste, Hassa’s hands and tongue were removed as a child, leaving her invisible enough to the upper classes that she holds all their secrets. As the trial-by-combat begins to select new leaders, they are given the chance to act and change the world.

cover of The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy Book 1) by Chelsea Abdullah; an illustration of a gold locket design surrounded by swirling flames

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (2022)

Loulie al-Nazari and her jinn bodyguard are in the business of selling illegal magic, not rescuing royalty, but when she saves a prince, she attracts the attention of the sultan. He offers her a choice: retrieve a magical artifact or be executed. Now, Loulie is on the hook for finding a magic lamp — that could revive the land in exchange for the lives of all jinn — with the sultan’s son and her bodyguard. A take on One Thousand and One Nights wouldn’t be complete without daring escapes and dangerous magical foes, but the three will have to do their best if they want to survive an impossible journey in this epic fantasy debut.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem (2023)

A magically talented heir-in-hiding is tested when she meets the son of her kingdom’s enemy. Sylvia was content hiding her magic as an orphaned apothecary’s assistant in a small town. She escaped the kingdom of Jasad when it fell a decade ago, and ever since, her dampened magic has escaped detection. That is until the heir of Nizahl uncovers it and blackmails her into becoming his champion for the deadly inter-kingdom competition. He doesn’t know she’s the lost heir and will make her compete to protect her peaceful life. Although Jasadi rebels and her conscious insists she take up the crown, Sylvia will have to decide if she wants justice more than safety.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland (2024)

In this Korean-inspired high fantasy epic, five assassins team up to do the impossible: steal the immortal crown from the god-king. Together, a poison maiden and the son of the lord who controls her; the king’s rogue spymaster and the exiled prince; and an impossibly fast thief and her hired muscle must travel separately to the heart of the empire if they want a shot at killing the king. There is an equal chance they will kill each other before they even get there. Worse yet, as their journey continues, it is more apparent than ever that they might just be replacing one unstable dictator for another.

Epic fantasy debuts are almost impossible to pull off, but when they succeed, fantasy at large is given an opportunity to experience the impossible. Impossible odds, impossible quests, and impossible successes await readers ready to embark on a journey only epic fantasy debuts can deliver.

Kissing Books

12 Immersive Romantic Adventure Stories To Take You Away

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date May 7, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Jessica Pryde.

What is an immersive romantic adventure story? The first word is easy: immersive simply means the reader will immediately be pulled into the story, whether it’s through the hook, the plot, or the storytelling itself. The stories in this list vary in terms of how the story is told, but they all have that one thing that will keep you going.

As for romantic — I’m a Romance Novel reader, so a lot of these stories have a love story at their center and an emotionally satisfying ending. But they don’t all have a Happily Ever After because a story can be romantic without that. Since I’m me, though, I’m giving you quite a few love stories steeped in adventure and topped with a HEA or Happy For Now.

Adventure is the hardest aspect to define. Very often, we think of an adventure as something that requires a journey, like Romancing the Stone or Outlander. One or both of the characters are out of their element, and there’s a quest or destination involved. Maybe there’s some element of suspense or danger from an external source — someone is on the run, or there’s a quest to save the world (or maybe just a person). Some adventures might take us to exotic or unfamiliar locations, while others happen right in our backyard. As long as there’s excitement and danger involved, either from the environment or from people — or, in the best cases, from both! — we can call something an adventure. (Why then, you’re asking, don’t romantic suspense novels count as adventure? I have no good answer; they just don’t, sorry.)

The books I’ve pulled together are adventures of all kinds. Some are set in the here and now, while others are set in the past or in fantasy lands. Some are a little more serious, while others are light and fun. There are spies, and pirates, and worlds upon worlds. There are some of our favorite romance novel tropes. There are road trips, and kidnappings, and other kinds of over-the-top action. Many of these stand alone, but others are the start of a series.

Now, let’s set off on our own adventure through romantic adventure stories!

Shaken to the Core by Jae

A good way to send folks on an adventure is to offer them a natural disaster to survive through, and Jae doesn’t pull any punches with sending her main characters through the wringer in 1906 San Francisco. Kate and Giuliana, two women from very different backgrounds, are brought together when Giuliana comes to work as a maid in Kate’s household. They have a connection, but it’s 1906, and their attraction is unfamiliar and very much Not Acceptable. When tragedy strikes, they have to rely on each other to make it through to the other side of the devastation that ravages the city in the form of earthquakes and fire.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

If you want something a little more light, Raiders of the Lost Heart is a jungle-based adventure that will draw the eye of folks who enjoyed Romancing the Stone and The Lost City. Academic rivals Corrie and Ford wind up working together on an archaeological dig when Corrie gets kinda tricked into coming to help Ford on the project that he literally stole from under her. She would turn it down, except for the fact that it’s her biggest passion and life’s work to find the burial site of her warrior ancestor. But their search turns into a bit of misadventure when thieves, authorities, and the landscape itself get in their way.

Olivia and the Masked Duke by Grace Callaway

A historical Charlie’s Angels, you say? (Seriously, the series is literally called Lady Charlotte’s Society of Angels.) Yes, please.

Livy loves two things: solving mysteries and the Duke of Hadleigh. One of those things is surprisingly more attainable than the other, especially when she is recruited into a ladies’ society of spies. Of course, little does she know that Ben, the duke himself, is also set on helping those in need, all while getting his Victorian Batman on as a masked avenger. As the two are brought together by danger, their relationship evolves in the most unexpected ways. (I will add that there is a notable age gap if that’s not your thing, and she has been in love with him since she was 13.)

Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert

If you’re searching for an adventure story that is surprisingly low-key, this might be the series starter for you. Witch Evelyn steals something from her vampire ex-girlfriend and somehow ends up escaping through a portal to another world. She’s picked up by pirates in the land between realms and must not only traverse this new experience, but also deal with the telekinetic captain of said pirates. And whatever might be going on between them.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

This magical successor to the Amelia Peabody Mysteries, this book has everything: mystery, intrigue, displacement, an “infuriatingly handsome assistant,” and all the other great things that contribute to a historical adventure story.

Inez is living The Life in 19th Century Buenos Aires — or she would be if her parents were ever at home. When she inherits their fortune after their sudden death abroad, Inez travels to Cairo to find answers from her new guardian and sets on a journey to find the truth about her parents, the ring her father left her, and the old world magic that seems to be drawing her in.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

Back in the twenty-first century, we’ve got the modern-day successor to Romancing the Stone in romance novel form, in which two people who really can’t stand each other are stuck together in the wilderness for far longer than either of them would like. Lily leads fake treasure hunts through the wilderness, and Leo is the last man she ever wants to see again (okay, maybe her dead dad has that honor, but Leo is pretty close). But when their planned fake treasure hunt turns into a very real Dangerous Adventure, they have to work together to figure out how to get back to civilization.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Flying houses, swashbuckling, and the perfect will-they-or-won’t-they of Actual Enemies To Lovers: what more could you want in an adventure romance? Did I mention the flying houses? Cecilia is a novice member of the Wisteria Society who wants nothing more than to prove herself. When she comes across assassin Ned breaking into her house, we’re put on the path of an adventure like no other.

Deal With the Devil by Kit Rocha

This is a completed series by Kit Rocha (the new one is all about dragons and court intrigue), but that just means you can slam through it without having to wait for another book to release! The logline for this one is “Orphan Black meets post-apocalyptic Avengers,” and you’re going to get everything that works in those two universes here!

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Come for the adventure, stay for the Words. Erin Morgenstern has only published two books, but they were both worth the wait for the storytelling alone. Here, we have story upon story upon story, with one reluctant hero at the center. We go from present-day New York to worlds beyond and continue to guess with every chapter.

(I could wax poetic about this book for several pages, but it’s better to go in knowing very little!)

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Do you want to laugh your way through an adventure? Kimberly Lemming is your girl. In this series opener, Cinnamon’s family are spice farmers (of course), and you can take it exactly as it says on the tin. Cin gets drunk with her BFF Brie (who, yes, is a cheesemonger), and on the way home from town finds herself on the wrong end of a demon attack. When she surprisingly breaks him out of the haze he’s been cursed into, he…asks…her to help him on a quest to save all demonkind from the witch who cursed them. Road trip, here we go!

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane

Speaking of road trips, two people on either side of a war find themselves unlikely traveling partners in this incredibly violent and gory fantasy romance. (This one is also quite the doorstopper, which few of the rest are.) Maddek and Yvenne each have their own reasons for entering an alliance, and both of them involve bloodshed in some way. But as they travel together, getting into and out of all kinds of trouble, they learn more about each other and themselves.

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Let’s wrap things up with a caper!

Mira and Naveen are very boring people, and they like it that way. Mira has determined that the best way to find the quiet future she desires is to go through a matchmaker, and Naveen would be just the type she’s looking for. If only they hadn’t already met. And dated. And broken up. Now, however, they find themselves spending one wild night in Vegas, dealing with all kinds of Bad Actors. Maybe this will help bring the two of them together?

Past Tense

That Old Back Magic: 9 Must-Read Historical Fantasy Books

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 26, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Liberty Hardy.

We as humans tend to romanticize the past, but these books fantasize the past by giving history speculative elements! Who doesn’t wish the past had more magic? Or at least more dragons. Er, any dragons, really. (Do dinosaurs count as kinda-dragons?) After all, a lot more people from centuries ago believed in magic and supernatural creatures than we do today. (Silly science, ruining all our fun.) But it’s still exciting to imagine these things were possible. So why not add a little extra something to stories from days of yore? Give history the old razzle dazzle and add a touch of magic to your historical fiction reading with this list of nine must-read historical fantasy books!

In these pages, you’ll find women spontaneously turning into dragons and getting the heck out of Dodge; a sister searching for her brother lost on the battlefield (who may have had a little supernatural help); fox gods at the turn of the 20th-century in Manchuria; a boy with an unusual talent in Singapore during the Japanese invasion; a fantastical reimagining of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor; and more! Whether you’re looking to add magic to your reading life, or you just love good books, there’s something here for everyone!

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

This is an amazing novel of literal and figurative hauntings set during World War I. After field nurse Laura Iven was wounded in action, she is sent home to Halifax. But shortly after, she loses her parents in the munitions explosion and receives a strange package indicating her brother Freddie has died in battle. With no date of death, explanation, or a body, Laura holds out hope that the missive is incorrect and returns to Belgium to look for Freddie. Meanwhile, the book goes back in time in alternating chapters to show readers what happened to Freddie on the battlefield, some of which involve a mysterious figure he meets. Even with the speculative elements, it’s one of the most harrowing, powerful portrayals of war in fiction in recent years.

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Barnhill’s first novel for adults is a fun feminist fantasy! In 1955, in what is now called the Mass Dragoning, hundreds of thousands of women turned into dragons. As in scaly, fire-breathing, flying dragons. Then they took off, because, hello, they’re dragons now and can fly. But, the dragon women left behind a lot of loved ones and a lot of questions. Why did it happen? Why didn’t all women turn into dragons? And, young Alex wants to know, why aren’t they allowed to talk about what happened?

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

And this is a fantastical mystery, set in Manchuria in the early 1900s. When a woman is found frozen outside, it is said she may have been lured by a fox god, who has the ability to change into a beautiful human. Bao is the detective charged with discovering the woman’s identity, which is intriguing for him because the case also involves his fascination with the fox gods. Meanwhile, Snow is a mother bent on revenge, chasing a murderer, and soon, Bao will be following in her footsteps. And all the while, the world of mortals and spirits weaves in and out of their stories. It’s a quietly beautiful mystery that pulls from mythology and history.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

In a world where magic is real, Hetty and her husband are conductors for the Underground Railroad, using their abilities to help enslaved people to freedom. After the Civil War, they wind up in Philadelphia, working as detectives to help solve cases for Black people that the white police ignore. When an old friend is found dead, the unusual case will uncover old secrets and new dangers that could cost them their lives.

The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng

Heng has taken a period of history and added a dash of magic in this sad, lovely story of family, war, and love. Ah Boon has grown up in Singapore in the time of British rule, and has been in love with his neighbor Siok Mei for years. He is not interested in being a fisherman like the other men in his village, but he does have a unique gift for finding and moving islands. (What, you can’t do that?) When the Japanese army invades and occupies their village, Ah Boon and Siok Mei will have to make hard choices about their future and their family, before all is lost.

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Two women are on a collision course with magic and danger in this exciting debut fantasy inspired by the history and stories of colonial South America! Eva wants nothing more than to be accepted by her family, but, being an “illegitimate” child, she is an outcast. Her secret doesn’t help matters: Eva has magic in her — magic she can’t use, under punishment of death. Reina is a young woman who is almost killed in an attack until she is saved by her grandmother, a dark sorceress. But to keep her life, Reina must do her grandmother’s bidding, no matter the cost. Even if it involves ancient gods.

She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor Duology) by Shelley Parker-Chan

The Ming Dynasty, but make it speculative! In 14th-century China, it is said a young boy named Zhu is destined for greatness. Unfortunately, he dies, leaving behind his sister. Refusing to believe it is her destiny to be a quiet, servile woman, she takes her brother’s destiny as her own, disguising herself as a boy and joining a monastery. As this new Zhu grows, she learns the ways of the harsh, unforgiving world, and decides she wants to take as much of the future for herself as she can, eventually rising up to be a great leader.

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

And how about a Jazz Age heist novel, with a side of spirits? Magic almost always comes with a cost. Clara can talk to ghosts, but in return, she is indebted to them. But then a spirit gives her a chance to get out of her obligation. All she has to do is steal a magic ring from the richest woman in the city. A little breaking and entering — easy, right? To pull off the robbery, Clara calls on other friends with unusual abilities. But, as they get their plans together, it turns out that the trickster spirit may not have been very forthcoming with all the details of the job. And the threats growing in the real world have Clara and her friends rushing to find a solution.

Ours by Phillip B. Williams

And, last but not least, this amazing speculative novel of history and sanctuary. In the 1830s, just outside St. Louis is a town called Ours. But it’s not on any map, and outsiders can’t find it. It’s a town specifically created by a conjuror named Saint, who rescues enslaved people and hides them away in Ours. But as the years go by, Saint’s powers start to wane, making the special town vulnerable to the outside world that Saint wanted to keep out, as well as powerful people with motives of their own. Can the sanctuary be saved? Or was it too good to be true? Ours is a fantastical reimagining of American history, a magical epic infused with imagination and pain and joy.

If you want to learn about more great fantasy and/or historical fiction books, check out New Historical Fiction for Your Book Club, 10 of the Best Historical Fiction Books About Books, and 12 Perfect Dragon Books to Read During the Year of the Dragon. And be sure to sign up for our nonfiction newsletter, True Story, our SFF newsletter, Swords and Spaceships, and listen to our SFF podcast, SFF Yeah!

Finally, you can also find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.

Unusual Suspects

Here’s The Scoop: 8 News Reporters and Journalists Solving Crime

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 23, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Jamie Canavés.

There are so many great tropes in mystery and thrillers books that you can spend your life reading the genre and never get bored: one last heist, closed circle mystery, amateur sleuth, PI, procedural, legal, archeologist sleuth — and the reason you’re here: a journalist or reporter sleuth! You may immediately think of the blockbuster adaptation and series The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which stars Lisbeth Salander and Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist. It’s a thriller with a pairing of opposite strangers at the beginning and just one example of the many ways the trope can unfold.

Keeping with the vastness that is the mystery and thriller genre, I wanted to find books that first had the trope of a reporter or journalist investigating and then hit multiple subgenres and mixes with other tropes — something for as many reading tastes as possible. You’ll find leads from a local news reporter to a desperate-for-a-big-break journalist — plus a true crime reporter. And there are historical mysteries with the fun inheritance trope, a remote mystery set on a mountain (the eighth-highest peak in the world!), a thriller with a journalist at a struggling newspaper stumbling into a crime, a family mystery, and a historical mystery with a divorced-her-husband-to-be-a-reporter lead that is currently being adapted (starring Natalie Portman).

Time’s Undoing by Cheryl A. Head

For fans of past and present storylines with alternating points of view, a newspaper reporter lead, and a family mystery!

In the late 1920s, Robert Lee Harrington is a carpenter starting a new life in Birmingham, Alabama with his young daughter and his pregnant wife.

In the present, Meghan McKenzie is a Detroit Free Press reporter who pitches her own family mystery — her great-grandfather’s murder — as an article she wants to write. The only information she has is that he died a woodworker at the age of 28, so Meghan travels to Birmingham to find the answers she’s looking for. Both Robert and Meghan’s stories slowly unfold, increasing in danger, as what happened to Meghan’s great-grandfather is uncovered.

The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger

For fans of dual POVs and a journalist who won’t let the story go!

Marina Tourneau is a journalist who is recently engaged to a man in a political family who wants her to quit her job — good luck with that! Annabel is an ex-NY socialite who is now living in Switzerland when her husband dies in a plane crash, leading her to question if his work at Swiss United may not have been what she thought…

Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang

For fans of sibling POVs (one a journalist!), historical fiction, and solving the murder to get the inheritance!

In the early 1900s, Sir Lawrence Linwood’s three adopted children return home from their lives around the world: Alan (archeologist), Roger (engineer), and Caroline (journalist). Their mother greets them by informing them their father was murdered and a detective will speak with them in the morning. Welcome home! What they learn is that their father’s will states that if he’s murdered, the children must find the killer — and whoever does gets the estate and can null the previous will!

Breathless by Amy McCulloch

For fans of remote mysteries and a writer taking what they think is their last shot to have a career!

Cecily Wong needs a high-profile interview to get a chance at the journalist career she wants. A world-famous mountaineer will let Cecily interview him, but only if she summits Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world with him. So Cecily sets out with the group to get her interview, except she’s not an expert climber, and people start dying along the way…

Some Die Nameless by Wallace Stroby

For fans of thrillers, multiple POVs, assassin stories, action, and an investigative reporter who stumbles into a crime!

Ray Devlin is living the retired life, but his past as a mercenary comes to get him, literally: he’s almost murdered and needs to find out why a fellow mercenary is after him. Reporter Tracy Quinn is trying to keep her job by uncovering a big story for a newspaper that is struggling between the print and digital age when her path crosses with Devlin’s…

cover image for The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

For fans of stories about cults, past mysteries, true crime reporters, and novels written in messages, interviews, recordings, screenplays, and diary entries!

Years ago, three members of a cult died by suicide, and the baby they believed to be the Antichrist disappeared with its mother. Now the baby will be turning 18, and a literary agent thinks their story will be a great sell, so she assigns the case to a true crime reporter for a book deal. The problem is that no one knows who the baby is, so Amanda Bailey has a massive investigation ahead of her. Plus, Amanda will soon find out that she’s not the only person on this assignment — the guy she blames for ruining her career is also writing a book on this case!

cover of As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall, featuring a hose seen through the leaves on a tree

As the Wicked Watch (Jordan Manning #1) by Tamron Hall

For fans of news reporters working as an amateur sleuth in a case that doesn’t feel right!

Jordan Manning is a Chicago reporter who starts off by looking into a missing girl case, which ends up turning into a murder case, with suspects immediately named. But Manning doesn’t agree with the police’s story and goes into overdrive to find the truth herself. You get a behind-the-scenes of a reporter’s daily life, along with community activism and politics, and you see a case play out from beginning to end.

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman

For fans of historical mysteries, murder mysteries, and undertones of noir.

In 1960s Baltimore, Maddie Schwartz leaves her husband to become a journalist. She’s not getting much respect as a newspaper journalist, has to keep secret that she’s sleeping with a Black police officer, and is obsessed with a dead woman case that police and journalists are ignoring.

Bonus: this is currently being adapted by Apple TV+ with Natalie Portman as the lead.

Love work by journalists? Check out 6 Books to Remind Us Why Journalism is Important, Why I’ve Started Reading Books of Investigative Journalism, and True Story: The Best Journalistic Nonfiction!

Check Your Shelf

How to Celebrate National Library Week

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 12, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Nikki DeMarco.

Every year, the American Library Association sponsors a week-long celebration of libraries. This year, it’s being held from April 7 to 13, and though we’re at the tail-end of the celebration, this is still the perfect time to remember to be grateful for libraries and library staff. It’s easy to take community staples, like libraries, parks, and schools, for granted. With this one week each year that the ALA designates, we’re reminded to take action for our libraries, fight censorship, and appreciate library workers. Please don’t let that be an excuse for you to only take action, fight censorship, and appreciate library workers once a year. They need to be supported all year long, so they can continue to serve the community.

When did National Library Week start and where did it come from, you may wonder. Let me explain. In the 1950s, there was a concern that Americans weren’t reading enough, instead spending their time listening to the radio, watching TV, and playing musical instruments. The American Library Association and American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit called the National book committee in 1954.

In 1957, the National Library Week idea was born, and the next year the first National Library Week was celebrated with the theme: “Wake Up and Read!” The ALA has continued observing the week ever since, even after the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974. At that time, the ALA took on full sponsorship responsibility. If you’d like to read a more detailed history, you can here.

Promotional poster reading "Wake up and Read! National Library Week April 12-18 1959"

THEMES

The theme of this year’s National Library Week is “Ready, Set, Library!” The idea being that, in an internet age, the library is a place where people can find what the internet can’t give them: community, connection, and a place to learn. And not just from the books, either. Libraries hold workshops and clubs with local experts. They host author talks. They have conference and study rooms available for fellow enthusiasts, tutors and students, and small groups to meet. This way, patrons will be able to build relationships with other people in their community. No matter what stage of life you’re in, the library has something for you. It has something for everyone.

Also, the ALA starts National Library Week with the release of the State of America’s Libraries Report for 2024, which includes the list of Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2023.

And, four of the seven days of National Library Week have their own additional themes:

Monday, April 8th: Right to Read Day is a day for readers and all library lovers to take action to defend and celebrate the right to read. This day is reading specific. Book Riot writers — especially Editor Kelly Jensen — have been writing how-to guides on supporting libraries and fighting censorship for years, and released How to Fight Book Bans and Challenges, if you’re looking for all the good stuff in one place.

Tuesday, April 9th: National Library Workers Day is a day for all library lovers to recognize the invaluable contributions library workers have made.

Wednesday, April 10th: National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day) is a day to celebrate not just the outreach efforts of libraries, but also to recognize library staff for meeting their patrons and community members where they are.

Thursday, April 11th: Take Action for Libraries Day is a day to advocate and rally for libraries, which I’m going to get into more detail on below.

HONORARY CHAIR

Every year, the American Library Association chooses someone to act as the honorary chair of National Library Week. This year it’s Meg Medina, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a Newbery and Pura Belpré-award winning author. Meg Medina writes for all ages, and her middle-grade Merci Suárez Changes Gears won a Newbery Medal, and also made me cry. Highly recommend.

National Library Week April 7-13, 2024. A picture of a hispanic woman wearing glasses and the words, "Libraries connect our communities and enrich our lives inw ays we may not realize, and one of my greatest pleasure is discovering the unexpected and beautiful things libraries offer. Join me in celebrating the gift of libraries everywhere and teh adventures and opportunities they unlock for us every day. Ready, Set, Library!" Meg Medina

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

Visit your library. Really. With Libby, Hoopla, and Overdrive, it’s easy to be a library patron without actually setting foot in a library. Going to the library exposes you to displays, books, librarians, and programs you otherwise would have missed. Checking out materials through the apps absolutely helps, too. There’s something about the smell and quiet hush of libraries that can’t be experienced anywhere else.

Write your local and school librarians thank-you notes. Like most public service jobs, working in a library can be frustrating and thankless. Often, it can feel like you’re working as hard as you can, for very little money, with few resources and no one even notices. Of course, we believe in the work we do. That’s why we do it. But hearing appreciation from patrons is a small act that goes a long way. Many librarians aren’t able to accept gifts from patrons at all, so a sure way to brighten your librarian’s day is with a simple note.

Fight censorship. Fighting censorship ensures that your library stays funded and staffed. Stay informed about what is happening with censorship around the country by subscribing to the Literary Activism newsletter. Buy How to Fight Book Bans and Challenges and do what it says.

Find out who your local representatives are and contact them about your library. Local politicians, especially, can have a big hand in shaping library budgets and funding. Be specific. Tell them which programs and which library workers you love.

Educate yourself on the realities that libraries are facing, so you are able to talk to politicians and community members from a place of authority. Many Book Riot writers have written about this — there’s everything from how to support your library in the wake of rising fascism to a trauma resource guide for library workers and supporters.

Leave positive reviews. Many libraries have pages on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and more where patrons can leave reviews. So often, people only leave reviews when they want to complain. Writing a positive review for your library really helps them. You don’t even have to leave your couch to do it. Go ahead, leave them a five-star rating.

Participate in programming. Patrons will suggest programming that they wish the library had, but then when it comes time for that particular event, no one shows. Going to the programs that your libraries have is helpful because attendance statistics are a way that libraries can “show their work,” so to say. The more attended an event or program, the more likely that it will get funding to happen again.

I hope these suggestions have given you some ideas on how to get involved. Libraries improve communities. They are safe spaces for everyone. They provide services to people who need help. More than that, they provide enrichment for anyone who wants to participate. Libraries deserve to be celebrated.

Past Tense

Twisty, Turny & Dusty: 8 Thrillers and Mysteries Set During the Great Depression

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 12, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Susie Dumond.

The Roaring ’20s are an incredibly popular setting for historical mysteries, full of speakeasies and flappers and dead bootleggers. You can also find a slew of 1940s-set WWII espionage thrillers at any bookstore. The 1930s? Not such a hot period for crime historical fiction. I imagine the Great Depression doesn’t have the same glamorous or action-packed appeal, evocative as it is of crashing stock markets, destitute farmers, and dusty orphans. But not to worry! I’ve rounded up some of the best thrillers and mysteries set during the Great Depression for your reading pleasure. Whether these mysteries are set in the Dust Bowl, Harlem, Hollywood, or halfway around the world, they’re full of Depression-era history and plenty of twists and turns.

Interestingly, many of the most iconic mystery writers and series got their start or hit their stride during the 1930s. Agatha Christie was in her prime, publishing a whopping 20 books starring detectives like Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and others during the decade. Iconic mystery solvers like Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Ellery Queen were introduced during the Great Depression. Even young readers got in on the action with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. It’s strange that the Golden Age of Detective Fiction hasn’t become a trendier setting for historical mysteries written today. But these eight thrillers and mysteries set during the Great Depression show what a dynamic setting the 1930s can make.

Thrillers and Mysteries Set During the Great Depression

Little Underworld by Chris Harding Thornton

Ah, those uniquely joyless years when Prohibition met the Great Depression. It was a dark time, making it an excellent setting for a grungy noir mystery. In 1930 Omaha, an unfortunate series of events led to a cop catching private investigator Jim Beely with a dead body in his car. The cop, an ethically flexible guy named Frank Tvrdik, promises not only to keep his secret, but to help Beely make the body disappear if Beely will help him take down a city commissioner who plays dirty. But the deeper Beely and Tvrdik get in Omaha’s political underbelly, the harder they’ll have to work to stay alive.

Death of a Rainmaker by Laurie Loewenstein

Travel the heart of the Dust Bowl in this 1930s small-town Oklahoma murder mystery. When a rainmaker — an important figure in the deathly dry region — is found bludgeoned to death in the middle of a dust storm, Sheriff Temple Jennings is distracted from his reelection campaign by the case. But the rainmaker’s wife has some major doubts about Jenning’s prime suspect, and when she starts prying, dark secrets surrounding Jennings might come to light.

The Conjure-Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher

Not only is this book set during the Great Depression, but it was also written in the 1930s by a Harlem Renaissance legend, and it’s the first published murder mystery by an African American author. It tells the story of Frimbo, an African immigrant who becomes a mystic and fortune teller in 1930s Harlem. When Frimbo dies during a reading, a doctor and a police detective are tasked with solving the case. But is Frimbo truly dead, or are rumors of Frimbo’s ability to cheat death credible? Fisher intended to write two more mysteries in this series but tragically passed away before they could be completed.

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

In this historical mystery set around the true story of a doomed 1934 roundtrip cruise from New York City to Havana, a wide variety of characters are looking to escape the reality of the Great Depression with a glamorous voyage. An heiress is hiding the fact that her family’s fortune has dwindled. A jewel thief is believed dead but is on a secret mission for revenge. Both of their secrets are at risk of being revealed. It’s a transportive, juicy mystery about wealth lost and gained during a time of economic upheaval.

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

As the Great Depression caused hunger and fear across the country, the Golden Age of Hollywood offered a sparkling distraction. But when Chinese American star Lulu Wong is found dead, it’s clear there’s something sinister going on in 1932 L.A. The police seem to go out of their way to avoid investigating, instead using Lulu’s murder as evidence that Chinatown is a dangerous place that should be knocked down and replaced with a new train station. But Lulu’s childhood friends refuse to let her death go unnoticed.

A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill

Although the Great Depression may have shown its earliest signs in the U.S., it impacted economic and political life across the globe. In this 1930s Australia-set mystery, we see how wealthy gentleman Rowland Sinclair, despite his disinterest in politics, is thrust into upheaval by the Depression. When Rowland’s uncle is murdered, Rowland infiltrates a group of conservative loyalists hellbent on protecting their country from a communist revolution. It’s the first in a series that will show you new perspectives on Australian history.

Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow

Investigator William Garrett is desperate for cash in the financial turmoil of 1933 Birmingham, so he takes a lucrative job working for wealthy men who suspect their wives are cheating. Garrett uses his friend, a handsome out-of-work actor, to tempt the women and capture evidence, but he’s wracked with guilt. It gets even more complicated when Garrett falls for a beautiful artist who turns out to be the wife of one of his clients, putting both of them in terrible danger. It’s a twisty noir thriller that explores class, poverty, and sexism in the 1930s.

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua

Although this mystery/thriller is primarily set after the Great Depression in 1944 California, it’s got flashbacks to a crime in 1930 that shows how much the world can change in a little over a decade. When a former presidential candidate is murdered at the glamorous Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, detective Al Sullivan finds the man’s numerous political and personal enemies lead to a long list of suspects. The hotel is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a girl murdered there, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful family. Could the two deaths be connected?

We hope this list of thrillers and mysteries set during the Great Depression helped you find some new books to add to your TBR! You might also enjoy:

Whodunits Abroad: 8 Historical Mysteries Set Outside the U.S.

10 Newly Published Historical Mysteries From the 1880s to 1970s

QUIZ: Pick Your Favorite Period Piece Films, Get a Historical Fiction Recommendation

Kissing Books

9 Romance Books You’ll Want to Tote with You this Spring and Summer

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 9, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Carolina Ciucci.

The warmer weather has officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, which means that those of us who like to read seasonally appropriate romances will want to stock up. We’ve been blessed with a lot of amazing romances to enjoy during this spring and summer season, so the only issue with this list was getting the number of options down to a manageable amount. In other words: a list of fabulous books that wouldn’t completely empty your bank account. But narrow it down, I did! So now I present you with nine amazing romances that’ll give you all the springtime and summertime vibes.

If you enjoy descriptions of flower shops, long days at the beach, and the London season, look no further than this list, where you’ll find all of that and more. Also present are some of everyone’s favorite tropes, including fake dating and love across times and lifetimes, among others. Ranging from contemporary romances to romantasy, the books included in this list will satisfy your seasonal romance cravings.

Proceed with caution, though: reading these might result in an intense urge to live your spring and summer to the fullest. Or it might result in you burrowing down on your comfiest chair and reading all through both seasons — which, when you think about it, is pretty much the same thing.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

Ricki Wilde is the underdog in her wealthy family, so when the chance comes to rent the bottom floor of a Harlem brownstone and get away from them, Ricki doesn’t have to think about it. She moves in, opens her long-dreamed-of flower shop, and sets out to live her best life. What she hasn’t dreamed of is the mysterious stranger who bursts into her life in the most unexpected of ways.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman

Gene Ionescu loves his life. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, he knows he has achieved most of what he’s set out to do. But his near-perfect life threatens to crumble like a house of cards when Luis Estrada, his rival and former teammate, is traded to his current team.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

We’ve all heard about romances when one of the protagonists is cursed to be the last person others date before meeting their soulmate. But what happens when both protagonists share this curse? Justin and Emma, who agreed to date in order to cancel their curses out, are about to find out.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

When her fiancé realizes that he’s in love with his best friend, Daphne finds herself stranded in a town, not of her choosing, and sharing an apartment with Miles, her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex.

Talk about complicated.

But their relationship soon becomes a friendship, and they come up with a plan. This plan may include deliberately misleading their exes by posting pictures where it seems like they’re having the summer of their lives.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Nothing says spring to me like romantasy, which makes this the perfect book to curl up with. From 4 BCE to present-day Los Angeles, two men are reincarnated again and again. The one thing all their lifetimes have in common? Each other.

cover of Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban

Beth has to find a husband soon, lest she and her widowed mother end up on the streets. But worry not! Her best friend Gwen has figured it all out: they will make their parents fall in love and get married!

Except that it isn’t working. And even if it did, Gwen and Beth are becoming increasingly aware that getting their parents together matters less to them than being together themselves.

In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander

Meeting the perfect guy after vowing to remain single is one thing. Meeting him after promising your employers that you’ll stay single? Ouch.

But no matter: Sloane knows that things won’t lead anywhere with Charlie, despite their fake dating scheme, because he’s trying to win back his ex. Right?

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

A lot of us have wondered what we’d do if we won the lottery. Our imaginations probably didn’t show us Opal Devlin’s fate: being harassed from all sides to part with her money until she gives up and buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina.

But then! Fate must have a twisted sense of humor, because her refuge is now being contested by Pepper Smith, who claims the farm truly belongs to her. The two end up living together, but it’s only a temporary arrangement. Or so they think.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

Eve Hatch likes her life. Perhaps she doesn’t love it, but she doesn’t have anything to complain about. But when an unexpected pregnancy throws her for a loop, she must reevaluate fast. It’s Shep, her best friend’s brother, who steps up to help her, and…was he always this hot?

Can’t get enough of seasonal romances? Try this list of YA spring romances, or this one full of summertime romance goodness.

What's Up in YA

8 Perfect YA Reads for Your Next Picnic

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 2, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Danika Ellis.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we’re finally beginning to see the sun again! The beginning of spring and the warmer weather it brings means one thing for readers: it’s time to return to reading outside. Is there any more peaceful image than reading under a flowering tree, petals dancing in the spring breeze?

If you’re serious about reading for a long period of time, whether outside or indoors, you’ll need some snacks and beverages to sustain you. The perfect array of fun drinks and finger foods transforms a 15-minute reading session into hours of page-turning. This is a great excuse to combine reading outside with another seasonal activity: picnics. You’ll be the envy of the park with a basket of picnic foods and a stack of books. Reading over a picnic can be done solo or with other book-loving friends. Either way, make sure to check the weather forecast because outdoor reading and rainstorms don’t mix well!

Just as important as packing the right snacks is selecting the right books to read with a picnic. You’ll want a book that’s easy to read with distractions — one that will grab your attention but isn’t so heavy that it clashes with the fun, light atmosphere of a picnic. Young adult novels and comics are a good place to start. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorites that pair well with a picnic, from romance to adventure to cozy fantasy. Enjoy!

Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert

For readers looking to take a fun sports-themed comic on a picnic.

Molly Bauer is off to college, but it is starting out to be a disaster. All of the money she was promised in the form of financial aid disappeared. But she’s scoured the papers and policies of her school and discovered something: if she and nine other art students can win one game of softball, they’ll all be able to enjoy a full athletic scholarship.

Of course, they’re going for it! Who cares if they don’t know a thing about the sport?

Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

For readers who want a cozy fantasy for their picnic.

It might sound like a dream gig, but for 17-year-old Aurelie, Basil’s Bakery is tough work. She keeps to herself, even though she’s overworked as an apprentice. Then a stranger walks in and gives her a set of Seeking stones. Seeking, an old-fashioned way of magic, is a skill Aurelie has, even though most people in her world do not.

The stranger is a bounty hunter and has a request of Aurelie: help rescue Prince Hapless from the Underwood. She agrees and quickly finds herself drawn into Hapless’s world full of portals, trolls, and more.

Soon, she finds herself falling hard for Hapless and his wild world. Should she stay or return to her dependable, if boring, life at the bakery?

A Suffragist’s Guide to the Antarctic by Yi Shun Lai

For readers who would like an adventure story for their picnic.

This book has everything: a historic setting, the Suffragist movement, a girl on an Antarctic exposition, and a survival story.

Clara Ketterling-Dunbar is part of The Resolute, a team of 28 crew members on an Antarctic exposition. It is November 1914, and the ship is stuck on ice 100 miles from the continent. How will the team survive? How will Clara figure out who she is amid a crew that is not necessarily happy there is a woman on board?

As a heads up: this book has sexual assault and harm to animals — the first is not unpunished, and the second is not out of gross cruelty but survival.

If you love survival, discussions of feminism and what it does or does not entail, and reading about the perceptions held by people around the globe about Americans in this era, don’t miss this one.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

For readers seeking a swoony, frothy historical picnic companion.

If you want a delicious historical novel featuring an all-Black cast at the beginning of the 1900s in Chicago, do not look further. This book DELIVERS and then some.

Inspired by the very real Black entrepreneur CR Patterson, this book imagines what it would be like to be the daughters of a successful businessman at the time, and in addition to the two sisters’ voices, we get to know another daughter of wealth, as well as the assistant of the Davenport daughters. All of the girls have dreams and passions that fall outside of what is expected of them, and all four seem to be falling for people who are outside of their appropriate circles, too. So what happens when they seek to get what they want rather than what’s expected of them?

highly suspicious and unfairly cute book cover

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

For readers who want to take an outdoorsy, (unfairly) cute contemporary romance picnicking.

Celine, the resident conspiracy theorist and local weird girl at her high school, and Bradley, the star football player who struggles with OCD, are ex-best friends. Actually, Bradley abandoned Celine because she didn’t fit in with his new, cool friends (tsks loudly). Now, they’re just academic rivals who engage in general pettiness and who have to work together in a survival course in the woods as part of a scholarship competition. To win, the outdoors isn’t the only messy thing they’ll have to wade through.

If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

For readers who want to picnic with a super sweet and sapphic romance.

Momo is an introverted sweetie. She’s always willing to help people, and she may be just a little naive. PG, though, is on the other end of things. And, though she has a bit of an f-girl reputation, she’s a loner. When Momo and PG have their meet-cute, an awkward but endearing romance starts. Hopefully, it’ll survive Momo’s friend and PG’s past.

The art in this is as adorable as the cover, and it follows characters on the older end of the YA spectrum.

Laid Back Camp by Afro

For readers who’d like a soul-soothing slice-of-life manga about camping to enjoy with their picnic.

Two teen girls — Rin and Nadeshiko — meet each other at a campsite near Mount Fuji. While Rin is an experienced camper and just vibin’, Nadeshiko is going through it. Seeing Nadeshiko’s struggle, Rin offers the younger-looking girl hot ramen and a fire to stay nearby. Eventually, the two girls realize they go to the same school, and Nadeshiko joins the wilderness club with the hopes of going camping properly, while Rin is reluctant to sacrifice her alone time by camping with others.

It’s impressive how appealing this manga made camping seem — it essentially teaches you the basics of camping while showing you the tranquility of being outdoors. Perfect for a picnic.

Salt the Water by Candice Iloh

For readers who’d like a novel-in-verse about a Black, nonbinary teen who’s trying their best to forge their own path ahead.

High school senior Cerulean Gene was raised in a free-spirited household, which is partially why their school environment feels especially oppressive. Society at large feels oppressive, to be honest, and Cerulean plans to live off the grid with some friends after graduating from high school. Except, they get into it with a problematic teacher and impulsively decides to drop out. A family emergency means they’ll have to use the money they saved up to live with their friends, and we see how easily dreams can be deferred and what it means when they do.

Looking for more recommendations? Check out the best books to read in a hammock and these YA books set around the world.

Unusual Suspects

What Is Your Damage, Heather?: 9 Thrillers About Friendships Gone South

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date April 2, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Liberty Hardy.

There is a famous saying that goes something like, “Good friends help you move, but true friends help you move bodies.” But what happens if you stop being friends and they still know where the bodies are buried? That just opens you up to blackmail. Then the expression “Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead” is better suited. (Or, in Billy Shakespeare’s case, “Two may keep counsel, putting one away.”) When your relationship with your bestie goes bust, that can be a very sad occasion — or even a deadly one, like the friendships in the books on this list of thrillers about friendships gone south!

There is a terrible secret that tears two friends apart, only to find themselves working together years later; a group of old friends and festering resentments snowed in at a chalet; a group of teenagers who get drawn into a neighbor’s murder; a young girl who thinks she wants the life her friend has; a woman whose BFF is murdered and isn’t sure that she isn’t the killer; and more! Some of these friendships were tried and true, and some…well, were they ever really friends to begin with, or was it all an act? You’ll have to read them to find out!

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

Kit and Diane were as close as two friends could be when they were teenagers — or so they thought. But then Diane confessed something that ripped their friendship apart. Years later, Kit is striving to be the best in her field as a scientist. But it turns out that when a position opens up to work on groundbreaking research, Diane is her competition for the job. How far will Kit go to get the job she wants? How far will Diane go to keep Kit from sharing what she knows?

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

Emily is really looking forward to her annual vacation with her BFF Kristen. When a dead backpacker turns up in their room, Kristen says it was self-defense, and Emily wants to believe her. But there was that dead body that turned up during vacation last year as well…Emily doesn’t want to think the worst of her best friend, so she decides some time away from Kristen might do her good. But when Kristen shows up unannounced, is she there as a friend, or to make sure Emily doesn’t tell her secret?

The Hunting Party By Lucy Foley

This is another thriller about a group of old friends reuniting each year as a tradition. This time it’s friends from Oxford, who visit an isolated Scottish estate for the winter holidays. Their reunion soon turns sour when old secrets rear their ugly heads, and a snowstorm traps them in the house. By the time help arrives and they are shoveled out, one of them is dead. But which one did it?

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

For 14 years, everyone thought Geo was mourning her friend, Angela, who disappeared without a trace. They thought Angela was another victim of the local serial killer Calvin James. How devastating for Geo to lose her best friend that way. But for 14 years, Geo has kept a terrible secret. And now Angela’s remains have been found, and the truth will no longer stay silent.

Real World by Natsuo Kirino

Four bored teenage girls are spending a hot summer in a Tokyo suburb. When the neighbor of one of the girls is murdered, and her teenage son is suspected, suddenly, things are more interesting for them. A murder next door, how exciting! And they know the killer! While the suspected killer is on the run, the girls speculate about events, and keep secrets, and get closer and closer to danger as the days go on.

Summer’s Edge by Dana Mele

This is a YA thriller about a group of friends who reunite at the site where one of them died the year before. Emily’s death in a fire on the lake drove a wedge between the once-close friend group. But in honor of her memory, they decide to gather together a year later. Only it’s seeming more and more possible that, somehow, Emily has joined them as well. What really happened to Emily last summer, and who was responsible? Inquiring ghosts want to know.

Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow

Farrah is very close with her best friend, Cherish. Cherish and Farrah are the only two Black girls in their community. But Cherish has wealthy white parents, which makes Farrah jealous since her family is in dire financial straits. So she comes up with a scheme to ingratiate herself in Cherish’s home and hopefully live in the lap of luxury. But — you know what comes next — be careful what you wish for! Weird things happen in Cherish’s home, alarming and upsetting things, and Farrah realizes that maybe things aren’t what they seem.

cover image for I'm Not Done With You Yet

I’m Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto

When Jane and Thalia, two aspiring writers, were BFFs at Oxford, it was the happiest Jane had ever been. But then a horrible event shattered their friendship, and Jane lost Thalia for what she thought was forever. But many years later, Jane recognizes a famous author appearing at a mystery convention. It’s Thalia, writing under a pseudonym. So Jane buys a ticket to the convention. She’s going to reunite with her bestie, and this time, she’s never going to let her go.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Everyone was devastated when golden girl Savvy was murdered in a small Texas town, and they were shocked when her BFF Lucy was suspected of the crime. But no one was more shocked than Lucy, because she’s not sure she didn’t kill Savvy. Lucy can’t remember anything from that night, and with no evidence, she’s never charged with murder. Still, she leaves town, because no one wants a probable murderer around. But when a popular podcast decides to do an episode on the murder of Savvy, Lucy agrees to return to town and talk to the host to get to the bottom of what happened on that summer night. Even if it means the story ends with her behind bars.

For more books on friendships, check out these books about obsessive friendships. And if you enjoy thrillers, be sure to sign up for our mystery newsletter, Unusual Suspects, and listen to our mystery podcast, Read or Dead!