Riot Headline The Best Books of 2024

Cecilia Lyra

Cecilia Lyra holds a Master’s Degree in Banking and Financial Law from Boston University, but she recently bid adieu to her life as a lawyer and professor of law to become a full-time writer. She blames this heretical career move on her nine-year-old self, who was bitten by the reading bug and began to dream about the day when she, too, would write a book. Cecilia moved to Canada in 2016 and has since fallen in love with The Great White North, and begun to use the interrogative utterance “eh” at the end of sentences. She hopes to soon be able to update this bio with information on her debut novel. When she isn’t devouring books, blogging for Book Riot, or writing, Cecilia can be found drinking wine, eating chocolate, and snuggling with her son, an adorable English Bulldog named Babaganoush. Cecilia claims to be allergic to exercise, cigarette smoke, and people who confuse feelings with opinions. She has been told by multiple people that it is odd that she and her sister live in the same building, though she strongly believes that said people do not require free babysitting and must be oblivious to the epicurean wonders of sharing a vacuum cleaner. While she is frequently charged with being a complainer (a riotously unfair accusation!), Cecilia is blissfully aware of how lucky she is to live in the beautiful and diverse Toronto with her husband and their aforementioned son. Follow her on Twitter: @ceciliaclyra.

The Five Love Languages of Books

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past twenty-five years, chances are you’ve heard of Gary Chapman ...

On the (Unsurprising) Connection Between Books and Insomnia

An insomniac on the bedtime reading rituals she's crafted to prevent her reading life from keeping her awake.

On Bookish Habits

Reading while eating at a restaurant alone, only reading local authors while traveling, and more interesting bookish habits.

Can Novels Help Save an Unhappy Marriage?

When a friend requested book recommendations to help her work on her marriage, this reader gave her a stack of nevels. Here's what happened!

On Bookish Friendships

"We focus on what we have in common: we are all women and we all love books." On the power and dynamic of bookish friendships.

Two Good Books in One: A Bookish Phenomenon

On the serendipity of being recommended a book by a book you're reading.

Lessons from Girls: Growing Up with My Favorite Fictional Characters

One reader on the memorable women characters who made an impact, for better or worse, in her reading life from childhood through the teen years.

Skipping Ahead: A Necessary Bookish Habit

“Look away,” my dad says to my sister and me. His voice is gentle. The three of us are sitting ...

Can I Be a Feminist and Still Enjoy Chick Lit?

Yes, yes you can. A reader discusses her surprise at finding a one-star review that stated, "As a feminist, I cannot enjoy chick lit."

The Rules of Reading…According to My Grandmother, Anyway

A reader remembers her grandmother's wise and sometimes prophetic rules of reading (which she regarded as commandments, rather than advice).