Leah Rachel von Essen

Leah Rachel von Essen reviews genre-bending fiction for Booklist, and writes regularly as a senior contributor at Book Riot. Her blog While Reading and Walking has over 10,000 dedicated followers over several social media outlets, including Instagram. She writes passionately about books in translation, chronic illness and bias in healthcare, queer books, twisty SFF, and magical realism and folklore. She was one of a select few bookstagrammers named to NewCity’s Chicago Lit50 in 2022. She is an avid traveler, a passionate fan of women’s basketball and soccer, and a lifelong learner. Twitter: @reading_while

8 Genre-Defying Horror Books

What's your favorite horror novel that plays with genre conventions?

Here Are All the Books in FRIENDS — And its Best Bookish Moments

Did you spot all of these?

12 Fantasy Books Inspired by Mythologies From Around the World

What's your favorite book inspired by mythology?

Riot Roundup: The Best Comics We Read April-June 2024

These are the comics and graphic novels we've been loving — what should we read next?

9 Action-Packed Books Like Helldivers 2

These books like Helldivers offer readers nonstop action, engaging battle scenes, and a heavy dose of questioning authority.

10 Exciting Books to Read this Summer

These 10 books will have you set up for an excellent summer of reading.

Books that Break Your Heart and Put It Back Together Again

There will be sad tears, there will be happy tears. Have those tissues at the ready!

Black-Owned Bookish Etsy Shops for You to Support

From T-shirts honoring bell hooks to cute washi tape and bookmarks, these bookish items will make nice treats for yourself and friends this month.

Has TikTok Ruined Reading?

Has TikTok ruined reading by making it shallow and commercial, or is it inspiring a new generation of passionate readers? Let's explore.

20 of the Best Fantasy Books of 2023

Catch up with all the best fantasy books from 2023, from dark gory horror to magical realism to rich Chinese historical fantasy.