Riot New Media – Page 44

050324-KingOfSloth-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 3, 2024

We’re giving away three bundles of the complete Kings of Sin series (King of Wrath, King of Pride, King of Greed and King of Sloth) by Ana Huang to three lucky Riot readers!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Charming, easygoing, and rich, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips. He also has no interest in taking over his family’s empire, but that hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist.

Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who’s used to dealing with difficult clients. However, none infuriate—or tempt—her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude.

She may be forced to work with him, but she’ll never fall for him…He’s her client, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Right?

True Story

A Little Bit of Everything!

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date May 2, 2024

Sponsored by

I don’t know about you, but whenever I try to theme my reading, it never seems to work. I always end up treating my reading like it’s a buffet. Does a history of the Lusitania and a pop science book about the history of binding books in human skin go together? Probably not. But do I read them together anyway? 100%. So today, I’ve brought a little bit of everything. There’s a queer coming-of-age story, a breakup memoir, a history of a tiny town in West Virginia, and a memoir of an exvangelical lesbian. But first, bookish goods!

Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!

Bookish Goods

a photo of a wooden book holder that say "now reading" on the side

Book Holder Stand For Readers by TheArtOfEngraving

I found this adorable book holder. Not only does it hold your current read, but it also has room for all the other books you’re ALSO currently reading. $80

New Releases

Mean Boys: A Personal History by Geoffrey Mak

The gay son of an evangelical minister, Geoffrey Mak, fled to queer spaces looking for the safe haven he’d never had growing up. In his memoir in essays, Mak invites us into his world full of longing, lust, and a search for belonging.

a graphic of the cover of The Chain: Love, Betrayal, and the Sisterhood That Heals Us by Chimene Suleyman

The Chain: A Memoir: Love, Betrayal, and the Sisterhood That Heals Us by Chimene Suleyman

Chimene Suleyman’s world turns upside down when she realizes that her boyfriend — the man she’d loved and trusted — isn’t actually who he says he is. Suleyman writes in solidarity with women who’ve been lied to, gaslit, and belittled into harmful relationships that they should have left long ago. The Chain is a love letter to the sisterhood and resilience of women in spite of terrible men.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

A graphic of the cover of The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns by Dr. William H. Turner

The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns by William H. Turner

Dr. William H. Turner introduces readers to the history of Black Appalachian coal towns, places that many outside the region may not have even realized existed. He describes daily life and the economic boom they experienced after WWII. They were also cultural centers with their own magazines and organizations. And, of course, he also follows the region’s decline, which deeply affected these towns and was eventually their downfall. Dr. Turner strives to ensure that these places, the places he loves, are not forgotten.

a graphic of the cover of Heretic: A Memoir by Jeanna Kadlec

Heretic by Jeanna Kadlec

Jeanna Kadlec gives us a peek into her life growing up in conservative Christianity. She always wanted to be the perfect Christian girl. She married a pastor’s son and waited to have sex until she was married. But doing all of these things didn’t make her happy. She eventually realized that the faith she had been told was the only true way to live was actually very flawed and abusive to her, emotionally and spiritually. She filed for divorce, came out as queer, and completely changed the direction of her life. Like she says in the beginning of the book, she didn’t just leave the church because she’s a lesbian — long before she realized that she was queer, Kadlec understood that the Christian culture she grew up in was incredibly harmful. From this starting point, Kadlec gives readers a more complex view of her faith experience.

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy reading, Friends!

~ Kendra

Unusual Suspects

Sean Connery Wrote An Unmade James Bond Movie Featuring Robot Sharks

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 2, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, mystery fans! There’s always a balance between my reading and viewing life — one gets great as the other gets meh — which works out. I’m currently trying to find my next new show(s), so I hit a great reading streak: Guide Me Home by Attica Locke, Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson, and Oye by Melissa Mogollon.

Bookish Goods

image of a brown tote bag that says Murder She Tote

Murder She Tote by TheRetromaniak

A+ tote game! ($35)

New Releases

While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi

For fans of dual POVs, exploration of mental illness, and domestic thrillers that start with moving to a new neighborhood!

Husband and wife Elizabeth and David Smith should be enjoying their new suburban Tennessee neighborhood. But Elizabeth is taking time to settle in, and after finally relenting to join a neighbor for a jog, she instead finds the neighbor dead. With police quick to rule it a suicide Elizabeth can’t let the idea of murder go. With her mental health declining, David thinks the solution is to hire her a personal assistant. But what if the person hired to distract you from a possible murder ends up having their own questions and wanting to join in finding out what really happened?

cover image for Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

For fans of bookish whodunnits, author leads, and fun asides!

Eleanor Dash should be enjoying the benefits of her successful mystery series, but the real Connor Smith has been threatening her over her fictional Connor Smith. Her solution is to kill off her character and be done with both the fictional and real Connor Smith. But while on her Italian book tour, the real Connor Smith becomes the target of someone trying to kill him, and Eleanor has a not fictional mystery and book tour to get through!

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

It’s a new month, so let’s do two more prompts from the 2024 Read Harder Challenge! I decided to go with the prompt “Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!” and I picked the first year Book Riot did the Read Harder Challenge in 2015!

An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten cover image

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (Translator)

From 2015 Read Harder: A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people)

If you like dark humor, elderly protagonists, following a murderer, and a short story collection that reads together like a novel, pick this one up!

Maud is an 88-year-old Swedish woman who lives rent-free in an apartment thanks to her father’s will. She is not a “feeble old woman,” however, and if you treat her as such, or anger her, or threaten her, you’re probs gonna die…

(TW domestic abuse)

The Verifiers by Jane Pek

From 2015 Read Harder: A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ

If you like character-driven mysteries that explore family dynamics, amateur sleuths, and interesting jobs, pick this one up!

Claudia Lin has started working for Veracity, a company that focuses on finding out if the person you’re matched with on a dating app is, in fact, their authentic self — and not married, catfishing, etc. She’s keeping the job a secret from her family. But her very first case goes off the rails, and soon she’s deep into a mystery and playing amateur sleuth, propelled by growing up with a mystery series and oftentimes questioning what the fictional lead detective would do in her situation!

(TW case revolves around whether a death is a suicide or not, method detail/ brief mentions of past domestic and child abuse)

News and Roundups

Writer Leonardo Padura chronicles life in Cuba as his detective ‘alter ego’ solves gripping crimes

Sean Connery Wrote An Unmade James Bond Movie Featuring Robot Sharks

Here’s every song on the Sugar soundtrack on Apple TV+

Break Out the Black Eyeliner and Tighten Those Pigtails: Wednesday Season 2 Is On Its Way

Reporter-turned-author Christina Estes unveils debut mystery novel Off the Air

Conspiracies Swirl Around Missing White Woman

This Gritty Murder Mystery Thriller Starring Denzel Washington Is a Netflix Hidden Gem

Star of Lupin says notions of justice, equality, and fraternity have been shaken along with his optimism

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 2, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, your go-to newsletter if you’re looking to expand your TBR pile. Each week, I’ll recommend a book I think is an absolute must-read. Some will be new releases, some will be old favorites, and the books will vary in genre and subject matter every time. I hope you’re ready to get reading!

Have you ever dreamed of being fluent in other languages? What if you could become fluent in another language in just about two weeks? This book was such a wish-fulfillment moment for me, but also, be careful what you wish for…

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

Anisa Ellahi wants to be a translator of great literature, but that world doesn’t really open up to her until she meets Adam. When Anisa invites Adam to meet her parents, she’s immediately shocked by how quickly he’s able to pick up Urdu and speak the language fluently to her family. In fact, he speaks Urdu better than she does. How is this possible? What is his secret?

His secret, friends, is The Centre. Have you ever wished you could learn to speak a language fluently in less than a month? Read it, write it, listen to it, speak it, everything? Well, then set Duolingo aside because The Centre is your answer. Of course, there’s a catch. Or a few catches, really. First of all, you can’t just walk into the Centre. The program is extremely elite and invite-only. It also costs upwards of $20k to take a course. If you’re able to get in and you’re able to pay the exorbitant price, you’ll be forced to cut yourself off from the outside world. Every day, you’ll listen to language recordings and meditate without any contact with any other of The Centre’s learners. If you can do all of that, you will leave speaking the language of your choice fluently.

During Anisa’s time in the Centre, she chooses to learn German, and she spends her days listening to recordings of a man speaking German, telling his full life story. At first, she can’t understand a word he’s saying. Then, suddenly, when she enters the listening booth, she realizes she understands every word he’s saying and she remembers everything he’s told her since the beginning of the recordings. After Anisa leaves the circle, she’s able to translate works of German literature, and her translation career becomes so successful that she decides to come back to the Centre to learn Russian.

Sound good? Well, Anisa soon learns that it might just be too good to be true. As Anisa becomes more enthralled by The Centre and what it’s capable of doing, she starts to look into how the program works. And the answers to her questions will surprise you. You won’t see this ending coming.

As someone who has always loved learning languages, I found this premise so intriguing, and the story definitely delivered. The Centre is a book that celebrates literature and the joy of learning languages. But it’s also a dark, unsettling novel that will give you the creeps and leave you with so many thoughts about classism, the elitism of higher learning, and more. Read this book, friends! You won’t regret it.

Happy weekend reading, bibliophiles! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!

Swords and Spaceships

Fantastic Filipine SFF

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 2, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex with your very last April new releases (we get the May ones starting next week), and more Filipine SFF. I’m super excited because tomorrow, I get to go to the refurbished Casa Bonita (yes, really, the one that was in the South Park episode), and I am ready for a blast from the past…but with actual edible food. Though, I suppose if I go mysteriously missing next week, you’ll know what happened to me…Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here are two places to start: Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which provides medical and humanitarian relief to children in the Middle East regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation; and Ernesto’s Sanctuary, a cat sanctuary and animal rescue in Syria that is near and dear to my heart.

Bookish Goods

a book sculpture with the illustrations in a book cut out and rearranged

Inspirational Journey of Creativity Book Sculpture by CreativeRascal

I don’t even know what to say about this “book sculpture” other than that it’s cool as absolute heck. I love that it’s 3D, I love that it uses the original illustrations, and I love that it’s so colorful. SO COOL. $124

Note: at the time of writing this newsletter, the book sculpture is available, but in case it’s not, there are other book sculptures available by the same seller.

New Releases

In Universes by Emet North

Raffi is a physicist searching for dark matter, who understands only how little they know about their own research. They become fixated both on parallel universe theory and Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them. They wish they could mean as much to Britt as Britt means to them…and they know somewhere, there is a universe where this is the truth; if only they could find it.

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Wonderland is a dark forest where monstrous Saints lurk — and where the witches and lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were exiled five years ago for a crime they didn’t commit. Four years ago, they turned on each other for a chance at freedom; Caro made it out and Iccadora didn’t. Now, Caro is a Saint-harvester for the Red Queen, and Icca is a hunter who will stop at nothing to exact vengeance on Caro, the queen, and the throne itself.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I found so much excellent Filipine SFF on Tuesday that I wanted to name a couple more books — short story collections this time.

Cover of Virtual Center and Other Science Fiction Stories by Raissa Claire R. Falgui

Virtual Centre and Other Science Fiction Stories by Raissa Claire R. Falgui

This collection contains stories of the future and science, married with stories of Filipine supernatural lore and legend.

Wonderlust: Stories by Nikki Alfar

This short story collection features 14 tales that range genres — and geographical locations.

See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Check Your Shelf

Fighting Satan’s Influence in the Public Library

Post author By Katie McLain
Post date May 2, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Check Your Shelf. I’m compiling this newsletter on May 1st, which is also the 25th anniversary of Spongebob (talk about feeling old)! My sister and I have already engaged in a lengthy debate about the ranked episodes in the article, and boy do I have some THOUGHTS.

Libraries & Librarians

News Updates

The FCC voted to restore net neutrality rules.

Cool Library Updates

The Milwaukee Public Library has been nominated for a Peabody Award for its work on social media.

USA Today has a profile on Mychal Threets.

Book Adaptations in the News

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is being adapted for film.

Elliot Page’s production company is adapting Eliot Schrefer’s YA sci-fi novel, The Darkness Outside Us.

Censorship News

How to fight book bans in 2024.

A middle school banned book club makes good trouble on a national scale.

Amarillo ISD (TX) recently canceled their partnership with Storybridge, a program that provides free access to children’s books for families in low-income areas. The reason? A parent complained because one of the books given away featured a family with two dads, so the district ended the program.

Fort Worth ISD (TX) is returning some banned books to library shelves after over 100 books were initially pulled by the district for review. How many are being returned? Unclear. And amidst these challenges and school district budget cuts, eight Fort Worth ISD schools will lose their full-time librarians.

A college student at the University of Florida challenged two books in Alachua County (FL) schools, but the district needs to determine if this student meets the residency requirements for filing a challenge in the first place.

The Cumberland Valley School Board (PA) voted to reinstate Maulik Pancholy’s author visit, which was canceled after parents and trustees complained about the author’s “lifestyle.” (Pancholy is gay.) My friends in reading, it is 2024. Why is this even still a thing?

Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act was signed into law. “The act requires local school officials to manage library programs and not exclude or remove materials “because of partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval.” Meanwhile, Carroll County commissioners want to withhold funding for the public library because the staff supported the Freedom to Read Act.

The Rockingham County School Board (VA) apparently has two different review policies depending on whether or not the book is being challenged for sexually explicit content.

Cobb County School District (GA) removed four more books for containing “lewd, vulgar and sexually graphic content.”

Georgia is stopping a bookstore from sending books to prisons.

“The Alabama House approved HB385 Thursday, which would allow for the prosecution of librarians who fail to remove the challenged materials in a timely manner.” They also approved HB130, which would prohibit teachers from teaching about gender ideology in 6th – 8th grades.

Twenty-six books have been banned this year in Rutherford County Schools (TN).

A group of right-wing Catholics showed up to pray the rosary over offensive books at the Mercer County (OH) Public Library.

“The school district’s plan to offer an optional class for some first graders at Schavey Road Elementary School on the use of pronouns by individuals drew backlash, enough that by Friday the district had reversed course and canceled the plan announced to parents in an April 11 letter.” This is in Michigan, and again, the chief word here is optional.

Dragon Ball Z has been challenged at the Eau Claire School District (WI) for nudity and sexualized content.

A pastor vows to fight Satan’s influence at the local library. (This is part of the ongoing coverage in Metropolis, IL.)

A school board member in the Anoka-Hennepin School District (MN) is threatening a budget standoff if the district doesn’t scrap its plans for programs aimed at racial and gender equity. This is apparently considered the “spreading of divisive, one-sided views.”

“American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), the free expression initiative of the American Booksellers Association, has filed an amicus brief in support of two lawsuits that challenge parts of Iowa’s “Don’t Say Gay” and book banning law.”

The Campbell County Public Library (WY) will allow two of its staff members to attend an online ALA course, despite the library cutting ties with ALA over a year ago. Yes, this is what counts as news now.

Colorado lawmakers make a second attempt at curbing book bans in public libraries.

“The law states that any parents or child, whether they’re a resident of Idaho or not, can complain about a book they deem to be inappropriate for their child’s age group…After receiving the complaint the library has 30 days to relocate that book to an adults-only area, if not they will have a monetary penalty.” This is the legislation that Idaho governor Brad Little recently signed, where apparently anyone can issue a challenge and libraries are forced to comply.

The Washoe County Library (NV) “rejects book bans pushed by conservative activists.”

Seaside Public Library (OR) is dealing with city councilors who are eager to ban books and who offer solutions like allowing parents to restrict their kids from entire sections of the library. I’m guessing that none of them have thought about how a restriction like that would be enforced.

“California lawmakers recently voted down a bill requiring school boards to ban books with “harmful material” from libraries and classrooms, legislation that would have given parents the ability to sue those that did not comply.”

Books & Authors in the News

Author Paul Auster has died at 77.

Dracula Daily starts again on May 3rd.

Numbers & Trends

Farshore and HarperCollins Children’s Books released a report on children’s reading habits and trends.

The most-read books on Goodreads this week.

The best-selling books of the week.

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Fall in love with Charlotte’s (NC) romance book store on wheels.

On the Riot

Adaptation roundup for May 2024.

a white cat jammed between a window pane and the window screen

In celebration of my parents’ new cat having full reign of the house, I present this photo of Oliver, who managed to cram himself in between the window pane and the screen. My mom thought for a second he had somehow snuck outside.

Well, I’m off to watch some Spongebob. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.

Giveaways

050224-EACInternalPushes-May2024-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 2, 2024

We’re teaming up with Crime & Chocolate to give away a 1-year subscription to BOTM (Book of the Month) to one lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Here’s a bit more from our sponsor: Immerse yourself in the gripping world of mystery, crime, and unexpected sweetness with our exclusive newsletter, Crime & Chocolate. Tailored for the discerning aficionado of intrigue and supense, this newsletter is your monthly gateway to the latest and greatest in crime, mystery, and thriller novels. Join us on a journey through the shadows, where every page turned is a step deeper into the unknown.

The Stack

Complex Comics for Our Complex Selves

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date May 1, 2024

Sponsored by

You made it to May! Congratulations! There’s a lot of cool stuff to look forward to this month, some of which you can read about by scrolling down.

Bookish Goods

A set of three outlet covers, each resembling a brightly colored onomatopoeia from a comic book

Light Switch / Outlet Covers: Comic Book Sound Effects by JoeMagnet

Add some exciting sound effects to the most mundane of tasks with these light switch and outlet covers! $20+

New Releases

Fish Society by panpanya

The fishing industry is a mess, and no one but Protrag seems interested in fixing it. Luckily, they have a brilliant idea. Why not let the fish take over? After all, who better understands how to catch and sell a creature of the sea than the creatures of the sea?

Last Comics on Earth Too Many Villains cover

The Last Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains! by Max Brallier, Joshua Pruett, Jay Cooper, and Douglas Holgate

In this sequel to The Last Comics on Earth, our nerdy heroes, who first donned their tights as a reaction to their favorite comic book getting canceled, face an even bigger challenge: creating a worthy sequel! Oh, yeah, and finding the mastermind behind every villain’s evil scheme, too.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: intersectionality! May is AAPI Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month, among many others. These comics show how the different aspects of a person’s identity combine to affect their lives and personalities.

I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz

It took a while, but De La Cruz is now confident in identifying as a queer woman. This book explores why it took so long for her to figure out who she is and how sexism, homophobia, and transphobia collide to make life worse for everyone, including those they purport to uplift.

Gender Studies: True Confessions of an Accidental Outlaw by Ajuan Mance

In this fun memoir, Mance discusses how her race and her gender presentation have affected her academic and artistic career. It also highlights the importance of representation and language in allowing people to figure out and express who they are.

It doesn’t fit with the theme, but I also encourage you to read Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf. Not only is the 54th anniversary of the murders this Saturday, but given recent events on campuses around the world, we should all remember how important it is to respect freedom of speech and assembly — and what the consequences can look like when we don’t.

~Eileen

Giveaways

050124-AComedyOfNobodies(formerlyCharlie’sHarvard)-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 1, 2024

We’re giving away three copies of A Comedy of Nobodies by Baron Ryan to three lucky Riot readers!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

Seinfeld meets Fleabag in A Comedy of Nobodies, the debut story collection from popular internet filmmaker Baron Ryan. Charlie knows he’s not the main character in his own story. He’s just another schmuck in the Ivy League looking to be somebody. He plays in a terrible jazz band, falls in love too easily, and struggles with the human being business. Written in a wry, comedic style, A Comedy of Nobodies: A Collection of Stories traces one fall semester in the lives of four typical but unforgettable university students who, as compensation for their existential anxieties, just want to feel understood.

Kissing Books

Will Shop for Books

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 1, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, your guide to all things romance-related. Thanks for taking the time to give this a read! I hope that this newsletter helps to brighten up your day just a little bit more.

As promised last week, here is the update from my Independent Bookstore Day adventure. I went to four stores and walked away with three books. The books in question were Austin Noir, Confessions of a Teenage Drag King, and a new copy of The Hacienda. Not too shabby, if I say so myself.

Now to the rest of the newsletter!

Bookish Goods

“I Brake for Bookstores” License Plate Cover by TheRightPlacetoBe

This seemed to be the appropriate bookish goodie for after Independent Bookstore Day. I’m actually been looking for a new license plate cover myself, and when I saw this, I couldn’t help sharing it with all of y’all. $18

New Releases

Sink Into Her by Elaine J. Daniels

Alex is a resort pool manager whose life is turned upside down when she discovers a female Kraken floating in the pool. The Kraken doesn’t remember anything about her life, including her name, and Alex reluctantly agrees to help her rediscover who she is. As they work together to solve this mystery, feelings begin to develop, leaving them to wonder where that will leave them once the Kraken’s memory is restored.

King of Sloth by Ana Huang

Publicist Sloane has had her share of annoying clients. However, charming playboy Xavier is a top contender for the most challenging one. It’s not just because of his cavalier attitude; it’s because he also tempts Sloane to act in an unprofessional manner. When an unexpected tragedy strikes and the two find themselves having to work together even more, it makes it that harder for Sloane to keep those boundaries in place.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Last Sunday, I went to my city’s Witch Fest, which, as you may have suspected, was a witchy convention. I had a great time there looking at all the crafts and soaking up all the good vibes. While I picked up a few things, my favorite was a new green fluorite pendant to add to my ever-growing collection of necklaces.

As such, today’s recommendations were selected to reference my adventures from last weekend. Enjoy!

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

Lucy loves her life in the magical town of Freya Grove, but something in her can’t help but yearn for something more. After a wish she makes evolves into a spell, she’s unable to say no to anything she’s asked to do. So, when her high school crush Alex asks for help with lifting a jinx from his house, she has to agree. This results in another type of magic developing between them. But with the travel-happy Alex planning on leaving as soon as his house sells, is there an actual chance at a happily ever after for the two?

Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey

Bookstore owner Rosie and sapphic romance author Brie have a flirtatious friendship online. In real life, Brie is Jane and works for the property development company that is going to terminate the lease on Rosie’s bookstore. When those two worlds collide, it leaves them both wondering if this is something that they can overcome for a chance at true love, or if anything romantic is now dead in the water.

And that’s all I have for you today and this week. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday with a fresh newsletter, and in the meantime, you can find my adventures in Book-land over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated!