In Sunlight and Shadow by Mark Helprin Publication Date: October 2, 2012 Genre: Literary Fiction Publisher’s Synopsis: “In 1946, Harry Copeland has returned after fighting in the 82nd Airborne from North Africa all the way to the Elbe. Reluctantly assuming the direction of the family fine leather goods manufacture, he finds his life unsatisfactory and [...]
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This Riot Recommendation is sponsored by The Well of Tears by Robert Trahan. More than five centuries after Camelot, a new king heralded by prophecy has appeared. As one of the last sorceresses of a dying order sworn to protect the new ruler at all costs, Alwen must answer a summons she thought she might never receive. [...]
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Two things happened recently. Almost simultaneously. First, Book Riot asked me to join the team. And second, I signed a ton of paperwork and became a homeowner. I always imagined that when I bought my own home I would make room for a library. Initially, this imaginary library was an entire room with built-in floor-to-ceiling [...]
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Readers, may I introduce you to Glassboard? Glassboard, these are readers. Years ago a few friends of mine from San Francisco and I were talking about wishing we lived in the same city so the three of us could start a book club. We decided we would try to read a book together and talk [...]
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If book people were going to pick a mantra, a good candidate would be, “the book is always better than the movie.” Except that’s not true. There are some books that provided a style, a plot line, or an atmosphere, but that were executed in a more interesting, unpredictable, or entertaining way on screen. While [...]
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Did you hear? Did you? Today is R.L. Stine’s birthday! So exciting. Here at Book Riot, we decided to throw a birthday party fit for the Papa Bear of creepy teen slasher lit. Let’s face it: he is the genre in so many ways. Here’s what you might encounter at a Stine-a-licious birthday bash. Oh [...]
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Last television season was an experiment. In the fall of 2011, ABC slotted their hour-long fantasy soap Once Upon a Time on Sundays, while NBC stuck their fantasy crime procedural Grimm on Fridays, which is like sending your average person into the wilderness with a Swiss Army Knife and half-empty canteen and being like, “Have [...]
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The folks at Super Precious–an online art gallery that presents almost-monthly shows to display contemporary art inspired by a topic or theme–have combined two of our favorite things (books and art, natch) in their latest show, 20th Century American Authors. We’ve gathered a few of the highlights here–click over to Super Precious to see all 13 [...]
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Today is the birthday of R.L. Stine, author of the Fear Street and Goosebumps kids books on which many of us grew up (And in case you’re wondering, he’s still at it. His twitter bio is “my job: to terrify kids.”). In celebration, I’ve compiled some interesting Stine-ish schtuff from around the web: A 2008 [...]
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“Publisher revenue from ebooks doubled last year.” Just wait until the 50 Shades numbers hit the books in 2013. ____________________________ “We’re still angry that readers are honest about what they think about books? WHY?” Fundamentally, I think the issue is that many authors don’t think readers have the right to judge their books. Let that [...]
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From Michiko Kakutani’s review of In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprin. (See more baby animals read the NYTBR here.)
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If you’re a fan of fantasy/adventure literature, American history, or advances in underwater warfare,* then you might know that last week marked the 58th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS. Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Of course, it derives its name from the craft first captained by one Nemo in Jules Verne’s 20,000 [...]
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Here are the most-read stories from the last week in Critical Linking…. Before publication, it will be subjected to a prolonged and intense process of subediting. Crucially, it will be signed, and usually paid for. Compared with the raw material of your average blog, it has been refined and distilled to within an inch [...]
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I know approximately 700 couples who are getting ready to have kids. Or at least that’s what it seems like. Not only are they all having kids, but they also know that I a) have a kid and b) like books. As a result, I am constantly being asked about what books they should read. [...]
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Nothing brings the literary community together like a week of celebrating our freedom to read, and few organizations know that better than the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, KS. One of only eight libraries to receive a grant from the Freedom to Read Foundation for Banned Books Week promotion, the Lawrence Public Library put out the call this [...]
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There are two big, Internet-wide Dewey readathons each year: one in April and one in October. Book lovers come together to ignore the world and sit on their duffs for a 24-hour period, doing nothing but reading (and also snacking–the snacking is very important). This year’s fall readathon is next Saturday, October 13th, so you [...]
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Our most popular posts from the week that was… The recent renovation of the Musashino University Library in Tokyo strips the idea of the library down to its most basic element–the bookshelf. That is, the library is constructed as one giant bookshelf, filling every inch of wall-space with more than 100,000 accessible volumes (there are another [...]
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Here are the most popular book trailers from the last week on BookRiot.tv. Click the cover to watch!
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Another hallmark of tween fiction for girls is that it revolves around core emotional needs of a girl versus a high stakes plot. This doesn’t mean it’s devoid of action. It’s just that the action often involves everyday battles (i.e. how to get invited to that slumber party). One could argue that these books [...]
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