Why Are We So Obsessed With Dead Girls? These Books Explore if True Crime Is Ethical
Recent true‑crime titles are challenging the genre’s long‑standing voyeurism toward murdered women and girls. Alice Bolin’s Dead Girls argues that society repeatedly mythologizes victims without recognizing patterns, while Myriam Gurba’s Creep reclaims narrative agency for survivors. Sarah Weinman’s edited collection Unspeakable Acts highlights writers who center victims and avoid exploitation. Together, these books spark a debate on the ethics of consuming true‑crime media.
The Best in Sci Fi and Fantasy, As Picked by Readers
The article spotlights four literary developments: the 2025 Locus Awards finalists, a new PBS documentary titled “What’s the Story, Wishbone?” debuting May 27, an analysis of books turning into luxury items amid economic strain, and a curated list of the...
My Favorite Nonfiction Book for Creatives
"Creative Quest" by Questlove is a nonfiction guide that blends memoir, philosophy, and actionable exercises for creators across any discipline. The book’s audiobook adds original Roots music and guest appearances, turning the listening experience into a multimedia lesson. Questlove draws...
When Housewives Get Revenge, and More Mystery News
The latest Book Riot newsletter highlights a wave of new paperback releases, including 66 mystery‑thriller titles, and several adaptation projects. Actress‑author Krysten Ritter is set to star in a series version of her novel *Retreat* alongside producer Steve Yockey. Iantha...
The Book News We Covered This Week
Book Riot’s weekly roundup spotlights several pivotal developments in the literary world. The American Library Association settled its lawsuit, securing Institute of Museum and Library Services funding after the Trump administration withdrew its appeal. After a seven‑year pause, the Indies...
Mega Bestselling Thriller Writer Freida McFadden’s Identity Revealed
The mystery surrounding bestselling thriller author Freida McFadden has been solved: she is Dr. Sara Cohen, a neurologist who treats brain disorders. Cohen adopted the McFadden pen name, a wig and glasses to keep her literary work separate from her...
Where and How Book Censorship Is Impacting Children’s Publishing Right Now: Book Censorship News, April 10, 2026
The abrupt closure of Penguin Random House's Dial Books imprint highlights the cascading effects of intensified book censorship in U.S. schools and libraries. Aggressive legislation in Texas and Florida—particularly Senate Bills 12 and 13—has stalled thousands of titles, costing publishers...
THE HOUSEMAID Author Freida McFadden’s Identity Revealed
The article highlights three major publishing trends: Nigerian Muslim women are circumventing strict censorship by sharing erotica in women‑only WhatsApp groups; bestselling thriller author Freida McFadden’s true identity was uncovered as Dr. Sara Cohen, a brain‑disorder specialist who uses a wig and...
Indie Booksellers Award the Best Books of 2025
Independent booksellers revived the Indies Choice Book Awards in 2025 after a seven‑year hiatus, honoring titles that appeared on the ABA’s Indie Next, Kids’ Indie Next and Indies Introduce lists. Winners include Virginia Evans’ novel *The Correspondent*—soon to be a...
A PARABLE OF THE SOWER Adaptation Is Coming
Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel *Parable of the Sower* is finally getting a film adaptation, with Melina Matsoukas directing for Warner Bros. The story, set in a near‑future United States ravaged by climate‑driven scarcity, follows Lauren Olamina’s trek north after her...
Sex Work Is Real Work, Even in Romance
The article examines the persistent stigma surrounding sex work—even in its modern, consensual forms like cam work and adult entertainment—and how romance novels have traditionally depicted sex workers as victims. It traces the genre’s evolution from rescue‑oriented tropes to more...
5 of the Best Poetry Picture Books for Kids
National Poetry Month, celebrated each April since 1996, renews focus on poetry across schools, libraries, and homes. The article highlights five picture‑book selections that introduce poetry to children, beginning with two standout titles: Exquisite, a biography of Pulitzer‑winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks,...
The Winner of the First James Patterson & Bookshop.org Prize Is One of Last Year’s Buzziest Titles
Bookshop.org and bestselling author James Patterson launched their inaugural prize for debut novels published in the United States within the past year. Virginia Evans’ epistolary work, The Correspondent, was named the winner, with Milo Todd’s The Lilac People as runner‑up....
Court Victory for American Libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Trump administration has withdrawn its appeal in Rhode Island v. Trump, leaving Judge John J. McConnell’s permanent injunction intact and restoring full grant funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The decision reverses a year‑long effort...
The Best Way to Keep Track of Upcoming Mystery and Thriller Books
Book Riot’s New Release Index is a searchable database that lists upcoming mystery and thriller titles by release date, letting readers filter by genre and save favorites to a personal Watchlist. The tool is bundled with the All Access membership,...
The Best Way to Keep Track of Upcoming Graphic Novels
Book Riot’s New Release Index is a searchable database that lists upcoming graphic novels by release date, letting readers filter by genre and save titles to a personal Watchlist. The tool is bundled with the All Access subscription, which costs...
Friday Link-O-Thon
Today’s Books roundup notes a 3.1% drop in U.S. print sales for Q1 2026, rising legal tensions as Penguin sues OpenAI over an AI‑generated German children’s book, and a cultural flashpoint with a Tennessee librarian fired for refusing to move over‑100...
An Interactive Approach Helps Librarians Protect Intellectual Freedom: Book Censorship News, April 3, 2026
Library Futures has released a free, web‑based game called “Imagine IF” that lets librarians role‑play common censorship confrontations and practice de‑escalation techniques. The American Library Association reported 2,452 book challenges in 2024, and more than 40 anti‑library bills were introduced...
Explore the Lives of Incredible Women in April’s New Historical Fiction
April 2026 brings a wave of historical fiction that centers on women defying societal norms, building on the recent Women’s History Month momentum. The article highlights two releases: *Honey in the Wound*, a Korean resistance tale infused with magical realism,...
April Is Showering Us With New Comics and Graphic Novels
April brings a fresh wave of graphic novels and comics, ranging from horror‑infused series like "Unemployed Killers Support Group" to Lily Kim Qian’s memoir‑style "Until We Meet Again." The releases showcase a mix of genre‑bending storytelling, vivid illustration, and personal...
New York Times Reviewer Fired For (Badly) Using AI
The New York Times terminated a book reviewer after discovering that the critic used artificial intelligence to draft a review, resulting in near‑verbatim plagiarism from a Guardian piece. The incident underscores AI’s limitations in generating original content for niche topics...
7 of the Best New Book Releases Out March 31, 2026
The March 31, 2026 roundup spotlights several high‑profile releases, including Yann Martel’s literary experiment "Son of Nobody," Brandy’s debut memoir "Phases," and Arsenio Hall’s new autobiography. It also teases a forthcoming 2027 romance novel co‑written by Roxane Gay and Channing Tatum, while noting librarian...
The Voice of the Shadow Daddies
The article spotlights a wave of spring literary adaptations, including Apple TV’s upcoming "Margo’s Got Money Troubles" and Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale sequel based on Margaret Atwood’s "The Testaments," alongside other film and streaming releases. It also honors Gertrude Chandler Warner,...
The Winners of the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Awards
The National Book Critics Circle announced its 2025 award winners at New School in New York. Han Kang captured the fiction prize for "We Do Not Part," while Arundhati Roy earned the autobiography award for "Mother Mary Comes to Me."...
Manipulating the Law: Dismantling the Miller Test and Exploiting the “Government Speech” Doctrine: Book Censorship News, March 27, 2026
State legislators in Florida, Idaho and other states are drafting bills that undermine the Supreme Court's Miller test for obscenity and invoke a stretched government‑speech doctrine to justify book bans in public schools and libraries. Florida's Senate Bill 1692 and...
The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists
The weekly roundup identifies titles that dominate multiple bestseller charts, with Andy Weir’s *Project Hail Mary* and Allen Levi’s *Theo of Golden* appearing on all five major lists. New entrants include Lucy Score’s sequel *Mistakes Were Made* and the unexpected...
The HEATED RIVALRY Precursor Coming Back to Print
Vogue’s latest fashion spread spotlights the resurgence of paper books, featuring models, chefs and Sarah Jessica Parker as symbols of reading as style. A surprising literary discovery revealed that Don DeLillo penned a 1980 hockey romance under the pseudonym Cleo Birdwell,...
The Best Way to Keep Track of New Horror Books
Book Riot’s New Release Index consolidates upcoming horror titles into a searchable, date‑ordered database, letting readers filter by genre and save favorites. The tool replaces manual tracking with an intuitive cover‑scroll interface and detailed synopses. It is bundled with the...
The Best Way to Keep Track of New Romance Books
Book Riot’s New Release Index offers a curated database of upcoming romance titles, organized by release date and filterable by genre. Readers can browse cover images, read descriptions, and add favorites to a personal Watchlist, eliminating the need for manual...
The Nationwide Book Ban Bill Moves to the House: How to Take Action Now
The House Education and Workforce Committee approved HR 7661, the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” and sent it to the full House. The bill would prohibit federal funding for any public‑school program that provides or promotes literature deemed “sexually...
Utah Bans 28th Book for All Public School Students
On March 2, 2026 Utah added John Green's *Looking for Alaska* as the 28th title banned statewide under the controversial House Bill 29, bringing the total prohibited books to 28. The ban follows a lawsuit filed by the Maya Angelou...
Whispering Walls and Haunted Halls: 8 Gothic Novels
The article spotlights nine recent gothic novels, ranging from the award‑winning Southern Gothic "Beloved" to the breakout hit "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno‑Garcia. It highlights how contemporary authors are remixing classic haunted‑house tropes with modern themes like consent, domestic violence,...
The 2026 Indies Choice Awards Shortlists Are Here
The American Booksellers Association has unveiled the shortlists for the 2026 Indies Choice Book Awards, marking the awards' return after a hiatus since 2019. The shortlists cover seven categories, including adult fiction, young adult, adult nonfiction, picture books, and middle‑grade,...
Must Love Pets: Romance Novels with the Best Animal Characters
The article spotlights romance novels that elevate their stories with memorable animal characters, ranging from dogs and cats to fantastical baby dragons. It highlights five titles—*The Re‑Do List*, *Get a Life, Chloe Brown*, *Alice Rue Evades the Truth*, *The Baby...
The Latest Author Protest Against AI
Around 10,000 UK authors have jointly released an empty volume titled *Don’t Steal This Book* to protest the use of their works in training AI systems. The book, containing only a roster of contributors, will be distributed at the London...
HBO Max and Paramount+ to Combine Into One Streaming Platform, Paramount Says HBO Brand Will ‘Operate With Independence’
Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global announced that HBO Max and Paramount+ will be combined into a single streaming service. The new platform will house HBO’s premium DC‑based series alongside Paramount+’s catalog of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek and...
One of These Writers Will Win $150,000
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction unveiled its 2026 longlist of 15 titles, including Katie Kitamura’s *Audition* and Megha Majumdar’s *A Guardian and a Thief*, with a $150,000 award slated for June. Author Sarah J. Maas announced she has reclaimed the TV‑adaptation rights to...
I Get Why All The Book Clubs Chose This Book
Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel *Cursed Daughters* was selected by several prominent book clubs in late 2024, earning a spot on the year’s most popular book‑club list. The story follows three cousins trapped by a generational curse, mixing saga‑like scope with contemporary...
Read Harder This Women’s History Month
To mark Women’s History Month, Book Riot curates two titles that also satisfy the 2026 Read Harder Challenge. Wendy L. Rouse’s *Her Own Hero* offers a micro‑history of the early 20th‑century women’s self‑defense movement and its racial contradictions. Edited by...
The Surprising Culprit Behind the Death of Reading
The piece links the decline of deep reading to deliberately engineered digital design that fragments attention, arguing that today’s delivery mechanisms are the real culprits. It also highlights Daisy Edgar-Jones’ casting in the upcoming film adaptation of Gabrielle Zevin’s gaming‑industry...
This Massive Fandom Is Screaming About a Major Reveal
Sarah J. Maas revealed release dates for the sixth (Oct 27, 2026) and seventh (Jan 12, 2027) *A Court of Thorns and Roses* novels, sparking massive BookTok excitement. Hulu released the trailer for *The Testaments*, a *Handmaid’s Tale* spinoff starring Chase Infiniti, highlighting Gilead’s...