Riot Headline The Best Books of 2024

Leila Roy

After a lengthy stint as a children's bookseller, Leila Roy took a step sideways into the library world. There, she does the same thing she did as a bookseller—matching people with stories in any and all formats, whether print, audio, film, comic, or some newfangled hybrid—but doesn't have to deal with changing the tape on the cash register. She lives in Maine with her husband, where she runs her small-town library and occasionally tries to rescue wildlife from her cat, who is a murderer. In addition to talking books at her long-running blog, Bookshelves of Doom, she's a weekly columnist at Kirkus Reviews. Blog: Bookshelves of Doom Twitter: @bkshelvesofdoom

Inspiring Young Feminists: The Amelia Bloomer List

Outside of library circles, the Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association is probably best-known for the announcements of the ...

I Want To Believe: Four First Contact Stories for X-Files Fans

While I suspect that most fans of The X-Files must be watching the new episodes as they air, I’ve been ...

LitKnits: 22 Patterns for Literary Mittens

While we at the Riot take some time off to rest and catch up on our reading, we’re re-running some of ...

Beyond River Heights: Four Books for Nancy Drew Fans

I came to the Nancy Drew books pretty late in life—I’d read a few as a kid, but only really ...

2016: All Women, All the Time (An FAQ)

In a way, 2015 was an excellent year for YA. Because there were awesome books! SO MANY AWESOME BOOKS! Off ...

Queens of Crime: Argentina

I’ve set off on a trip around the world—via female crime writers. When last we met, I was in Norway—now, ...

Rioters on Horror: What Makes a Scary Story Scary?

With the onset of Fall—and in October in particular—many Rioters are craving horror stories. But in recommending and discussing and ...

LitKnits: 22 Patterns for Literary Mittens

Earlier this month, we rounded up some knitting and crocheting patterns for book-inspired hats. But we’ve got to protect our ...

LitKnits: Nine Literary Hat Patterns

Here in Maine, we’re smack-dab in the middle of a heatwave… but we’ll be firing up the woodstove soon enough, ...

Queens of Crime: Norway

I’ve set off on a trip around the world—via female crime writers. First stop, canned mackerel for breakfast, fjords, and ...