Category: Riot Rundown

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by HMH.

The Emperor of the vast Burnt Empire has died, leaving a turbulent realm without a sovereign. Two young princes are in line to rule, but birthright does not guarantee inheritance: For any successor must sit upon the Burning Throne and pass The Test of Fire. Imbued with dark sorceries, the throne is a crucible—one that incinerates the unworthy.

The princes pass The Test . . . but there is another who also survives: a girl from an outlying kingdom. When she is denied her claim, her father, a powerful demonlord, declares war—leaving the princes to rule a shattered realm embroiled in rebellion.

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by BoGoDo Press and And So We Die, Having First Slept by Jennifer Spiegel.

Brett is older than Cash by a decade; both are world-weary from negotiating brain trauma, addiction, road trips, and a Billy Graham crusade. Bath salts and babies work on their relationship in a unique, intimate and honest, raw and redemptive novel. This “weird, true, and singular” story (Kyle Minor) travels with Gen X on Sappho-inspired prose. If you like Jenny Offill, Elena Ferrante, Karen Joy Fowler, and David Sedaris, you’ll love this brutally honest look at love’s imperfections. Lovely Bookshelf calls it “just as compelling and rich as Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch or Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings.”

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Shadow Mountain Publishing.

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile is engaged to the best navigator in Hawai’i. But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed. Maile takes John Harbottle prisoner—even knowing the now-wounded man killed her fiancé—and she reluctantly heals him. In the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead. Inspired by a true story, A Song for the Stars will enchant fans of Romeo and Juliet and Disney’s Pocahontas.

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Amazon Publishing.

Lured back for one last mission, an ex-CIA agent plays a deadly game of Russian roulette. But when he finds the mastermind behind a string of assassinations, he begins to question everything that he was led to believe.

Duplicity is the name of the game in the new pulse-pounding thriller of espionage, spy games, and treachery. Get New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s latest read, The Eighth Sister. Prime members read for free.

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by the audiobook edition of Saving Meghan by D. J. Palmer.

Fifteen-year-old Meghan has been in and out of hospitals with a plague of unexplained illnesses. But when the ailments take a sharp turn, clashing medical opinions begin to raise questions about the puzzling nature of Meghan’s illness. Doctors suspect Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare behavioral disorder where the primary caretaker seeks medical help for made-up symptoms of a child. Is this what’s going on? Or is there something even more sinister at hand?

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn.

Since her father’s death, Cat has taken care of her brother with special needs, for their hardworking mother—but on an unexpected island trip to visit grandparents they never knew, Cat has the chance to be a child again. This beautifully honest, emotionally resonant debut is perfect for readers of Lauren Wolk, Ali Benjamin, and Rebecca Stead.

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins and Fierce Reads.

Katina King is the reigning teen jujitsu champion of Northern California, but she’s having trouble fighting off the secrets in her past.

Robin Thornton was adopted from an orphanage in India and is reluctant to take on his future. If he can’t find his roots, how can he possibly plan ahead?

Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places—a summer service trip to Kolkata to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds build between the travelmates, Robin and Kat discover that you can’t rewind life; sometimes you just have to push play.

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Unscripted by Claire Handscombe.

Nobody is a bigger fan of actor Thomas Cassidy than Libby is. Nobody. That’s why she’s totally going to marry him. She’s going to write a novel, name the main character after Thom, and find a way to get it to him. Intrigued and flattered, he will read it, and ask to turn it into a movie. Their eyes will meet over the script… and fade to black. But with four interwoven lives in play, can anything be that simple? Thoughtful, quirky, and moving, Unscripted is a story of friendship and second chances, and asks the question: how far can you take your dream?

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Crazy Cat Lady, written and illustrated by Agnes Loonstra & Ester Scholten.

Do you often wake up covered in cat hair? Do you prefer staying home Friday nights so you can cuddle your kitties? Proclaim your feline obsession proudly! Joyfully illustrated with cheeky mottoes, flowcharts, and fun facts, this little book is an affectionate tribute to cats and the cool ladies who love them. Includes a bonus sheet of colorful stickers!