Listen. I love my kids. I would step in front a bus for them. I would take bullets for them. I almost had a stroke for number one and I threw up multiple times daily even with medication for number two and despite having a medically necessary c-section scheduled for their ass, they decided they needed to be born four days early. But breathing their air all day, every day for a year?...

Book Riot is teaming up with Early Bird Books to give away a 1-year subscription to Scribd! Want more 3 on a YA Theme? We’ve got you covered.

They’re better. Do I still enjoy the tales of ye olden days? Sure. Then again, I’ve always been a bit macabre. Preferred the original version of The Little Mermaid. Cheered for Judith (bible stories are a sort of fairytale) and rolled my eyes at Cinderella. My poor mother despaired. Pretty sure she still does. There have, of course, always been stories for women who thirsted for something different. For power, for autonomy, for freedom, for space....

Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh Khushwant Singh humanizes Partition by not going much into its political aspect. It’s a relatively short book where every character has been sketched to bring out the fatal consequences of Partition. Mano Majra, a fictional village, provides the backdrop of this novel. Love transcends religious fanaticism and that’s what this book is all about. No matter how low people stoop, love will incite all the deepest bonds of empathy that lie dormant deep down....

What are you favorite cat books? Picture Books Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag Maneki Neko: The Tale of the Beckoning Cat by Susan Lendroth and Kathryn Otoshi In a small Japanese village, a poor monk and his cat Tama live a simple life at the Kotoku Monastery. One day, a great storm passes through the village, and Tama is caught in the rain outside the temple. She waits under the eaves of a small shrine, cleaning her face and whiskers as best she can with her paw....

If you are into baking, right now is good time to be alive. With the popularity of shows like The Great British Baking Show, more and more women chefs, especially women of color, are getting the recognition and attention they deserve. These books represent both newcomers to the baking world and women who’ve been at it for a long time. Some of them own bakeries and restaurants; some of them are charming the internet with their mouthwatering Instagram accounts and YouTube cooking channels....

Asian Americans have been the target of physical and verbal attacks recently, reports The Washington Post. What’s worse, this may have been exacerbated when President Trump himself called COVID-19 the “Chinese virus.” This blatant racism is not only shameful, but also dangerous for all Asian Americans at a time when violence and hate incidents are rampant in America. As May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I recommend these five must-read books to show solidarity for Asian Americans (as well as Pacific Islanders) in these challenging times, celebrate their cultures, and appreciate their contributions to the American society:...

Transportation on the surface does not seem to be poetic. However, have you ever seen Poetry In Motion? Subway cars across New York City display poems for riders to read. According to poetrysociety.org, “It was launched by MTA New York City Transit and the Poetry Society of America in 1992.” Getting from one place to another has its poetic moments, both gloomy and bright. Here are a few. “Transport” by Safia Elhillo This poem appears with a lot of white space across the page....

These books are fiction, yes, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t explore parts of real life. Relationships are often complicated, both on the page and in the real world. Kezi, a social activist, is killed, and Happi and Genny go on a trip together after the tragic event. New information is revealed about Kezi’s murder, which changes things in a major way. The Moulite sisters also wrote Dear Haiti, Love Elaine....

The importance of raising kids to be anti-racist and inclusive of all differences has only become more apparent as Black Lives Matter has become an everyday news story, and more people than ever have become aware of institutional racism and other forms of oppression. It’s not enough to talk about this only when it makes the news, though. To prevent kids from growing up to adopt the everyday racism, heterosexism, and ableism that is all around them, we have to educate them about a better way to see the world....

For those who’d rather read their way through this fear than ignore it (and I think those are equally valid strategies), here’s a list of suggested reading. This list has been compiled with the help of Jaime Herndon, Heather Bottoms, Dana Staves, and Liberty Hardy. Blurbs are adapted from Goodreads. Novels About Death Memento Mori by Muriel Spark “In late 1950s London, something uncanny besets a group of elderly friends: an insinuating voice on the telephone informs each, “Remember you must die....

Historical Romances With Younger Heroes 1. Suddenly You by Lisa Klepyas She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn’t about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible… but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream....

So what’s a reader to do when bedtime comes calling and you want your best, least-interrupted sleep? Try these habits to make your dreams as sweet and book-filled as possible. Know Your Screen’s Light Influence The research is piling up that the blue-wavelength light in screens we use signals to our brains that it is day time and thus time to be awake. One good way to start creating a consistent sleep routine is to leave all backlit reading devices outside the bedroom; having your phone handy for an alarm is fine if you aren’t secretly using it to dig back into your favorite ebook!...

I’ve heard enough blah blah blah about how the United States is a Christian nation to know that a) some folks do NOT understand the U.S., and b) we need to work on our religious tolerance. The United States has the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. Further, Jewish people have been here since our ancestors stole this land. As an educator, I focus a lot on disrupting the status quo and promoting inclusivity....

In the mood for more speculative fiction? Check out these speculative story collections to enjoy in 2021. Where to start…Everyone in this book has ennui. Though of course much of the book’s 2020 success must go to V.E. Schwab’s imagination and talent, as well as her loyal and well-earned following, I’d also argue this book touched on a certain mood that was present during the pandemic. Time stopped having its usual meaning....

No one is sure why dragons appear in almost every culture, but one theory is that the ancients discovered the bones of dinosaurs and imagination took over. Yet another assumption is that the innate fear many humans have toward snakes manifested into our favorite fire-breathers. Either way, the stories have taken a life of their own. With all of the rich source text and generations worth of stories, it is no surprise that the fiery drakes have made their way into the pages of fantasy novels, including YA fantasy novels that have inspired generations of young adults....

For young readers, having something to interact with is so important to their development, and with isolation being a major concern for so many parents, these books with stuffed animals may be just what they need. If you want to go the extra mile, why not try personalising books for that extra special touch?

Split timelines can be found in any genre. They can work especially well in contemporary literary fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction. In a book with multiple timelines, discrepancies between characters’ points of view become obvious in ways that readers usually discover only at the end of a more linear story. Reading novels with split timelines gives me a similar feeling to watching Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women. The choice to tell such a beloved, linear story in a non-linear way was controversial....

These women are not superheroes. They don’t traverse through life smoothly. They falter every now and then, at times even doubt themselves, but their conviction, in the end, keeps them going. They push and shove to make space for themselves in a man’s world. When they lose, they try their best to bounce back. They leave inspiration for their real-life counterparts about how to stand tall in the face of the world and its many atrocities....

The perfect summer reading book can be a lot of things, but the most important aspect is this: does your kid enjoy reading it? This counts if they’re scouring the pictures with a smile on their face, snuggling up while someone reads aloud, or buckled in, listening to the audio version on a road trip. Almost every summer reading challenge understands that “reading” means interacting with a preferred book (physical, digital, or audio—IT ALL COUNTS!...