Category: Riot Rundown

Sponsored by Amazon Publishing

The past holds her hostage. Is escape possible? Years ago, Lieutenant Abby Mullen survived the infamous Wilcox cult. Now working as a hostage negotiator for the NYPD, nothing fazes her anymore… at least she thought. When fellow survivor Eden Fletcher comes to Abby for help finding her kidnapped son, Abby can’t help but wonder why a kidnapper would target Eden. But Eden refuses to talk. She’s silent about the relics of their shared past hanging on her walls. About the kidnapper’s possible motives. About what’s happened in the years since she and Abby parted ways.

Sponsored by Farrar Straus and Giroux/MCD Books

From the author of Annihilation, a brilliant speculative thriller of dark conspiracy, endangered species, and the possible end of all things.

Sponsored by Amazon Publishing

Two decades ago Marissa Mo escaped a basement prison. At twenty-seven, Marissa’s moved beyond the trauma and is working under a new name as a freelance photographer. But when she accepts a job covering a string of macabre murders in Portland, all the evidence reminds her of her own abduction. And then there is the note that freezes Marissa’s blood: “See you soon, Missy.” To determine the killer’s next move, Marissa must retrieve her long-forgotten memories. But she won’t be facing her fears alone. Someone is waiting for her in the dark. Read Lies We Bury at www.amazon.com/LiesWeBury.

Sponsored by Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo with Fierce Reads

The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times–bestselling King of Scars duology, which Popsugar called “an instant classic.” King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall. It all started with Shadow and Bone, coming to Netflix April 23!

Sponsored by What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson with Fierce Reads

“A chilling footpath of love and loss.”—Ruta Sepetys, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Cory Anderson’s stunning debut novel, What Beauty There Is, tells the story of broken people trying to survive. This beautiful and brutal story is perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Laura Ruby, and Meg Rosoff.

Sponsored by The Loft’s Wordplay, May 2-8, 2021

The Loft’s Wordplay, presented by St. Catherine University and Star Tribune, is a week-long, free, and virtual celebration of the year in books (May 2-8). Each day will host a morning session for youth, including visits from Chelsea Clinton, Marjorie Liu, and Jon Klassen. Then an afternoon session with international authors including Helen Oyeyemi, Sofia Segovia, and Rivers Solomon. Finally, evening conversations between authors including Alison Bechdel, Cheryl Strayed, Hanif Abdurraqib, Kazim Ali, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Dean Koontz, and Donika Kelly on themes of climate change, black ambition, native voices, the patriarchy, and more.

Sponsored by Simon & Schuster

In early seventies New York City, just as rising rock act Opal & Nev are finding their niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to their label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but will also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women–especially black women–who dare to speak their truth.

Sponsored by The Vines by Shelley Nolden

In the shadows of New York City lies the abandoned, forbidden North Brother Island, where the remains of a shuttered hospital hide the haunting memories of quarantines and human experiments. The ruins conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned there by contagions and the doctors who torment her. When Finn, a young urban explorer, arrives on the island and glimpses this enigmatic woman through the foliage, intrigue turns to obsession as he seeks to uncover her past–and his own family’s dark secrets.

Sponsored by Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

Dark. Luscious. Forbidden Magic. Sing Me Forgotten is a magical, gender-bent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera that tells the story of young Isda, a young woman who is born with the ability to manipulate memories through song. Now she must fight against both the outside world that fears her and the inner darkness that tempts her in order to save the young man she loves.

Sponsored by Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley with Fierce Reads

The groundbreaking thriller that Courtney Summers calls “gripping and unforgettable” centers on Daunis, a biracial unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal who’s never quite fit in. After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover with the FBI. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?