Need a Laugh? Read These Murder Mysteries
Welcome to The Best of Book Riot, our daily round-up of what’s on offer across our site, newsletters, podcasts, and social channels. Not everything is for everyone, but there is something for everyone.
8 Funny Murder Mysteries
These days, it seems that humor and murder mysteries go together like cookies and milk. With films like Knives Out and See How They Run and television shows like Only Murders in the Building, it seems that murder mysteries with a lot of humor are fashionable right now. Plus, we’re going to get the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s delightful The Thursday Murder Club later this year. (I keep hoping for a remake of Clue with a new generation of stars taking up those familiar roles in new and fun ways, but I digress).
Celebrate Black History Month With These Bookish Goodies
While we love to celebrate diverse writers 24/7/365, it feels especially important to display support for and highlight them more these days. As Black history (which is American history) is being stripped from schools, and books by and about Black people (and others) are being taken off school library shelves, showing your love for your favorite Black authors is starting to feel a little radical. At least to me.
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8 Books About Obsession to Lose Yourself In
One of the best parts of reading is being able to live inside someone else’s head for a while, and characters who are obsessed—with a person, fandom, ambition, or something else—offer a radically different way of looking at the world. That’s why task #4 of the 2025 Read Harder Challenge is “Read a book about obsession.” Some of the most memorable books I’ve ever read are ones with this theme, because they’re so easy to get absorbed in. They also tend to get pretty weird: obsession can lead people to unexpected places.
Five Flavorful Romances for Foodies
From fast-paced cooking competitions to struggling hometown bakeries and delicious details of simmering spices and decadent desserts, there are more than enough foodie romances to draw in every kind of reader. Like building a good recipe, a good foodie romance invites the reader to appreciate all the ingredients. The superstar chef love interest. The hot new restaurant setting. The chaotic cast of supporting characters that add life to a story. The playful kitchen banter. Add a little bit of tension, a pinch of pining, stir, and romance is served!
Beautiful and Inspiring Picture Books About Artists
Ursula K. Le Guin said, “The creative adult is the child who survived.” But in order to survive, to keep our creative impulses alive, we must value art and artists. Picture books about artists are one way to help make that happen. Assembled here are five of my favorite picture books about artists. There are stories to introduce readers to the artists Yayoi Kusama and Alma Thomas; a story featuring a childlike dinosaur creature with many lessons to learn about valuing their own art, even when it isn’t perfect; a beautiful tale about art transcending language barriers and building family connections; and a manifesto of sorts about art that makes me tear up every time I read it to my baby.
