The Nightmare Fuel You Need?
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.
Cryptid Horror Novels to Chill Your Bones
Cryptid horror books allow us to imagine that something else is out there and that we haven’t seen everything there is to see. Cryptoids are probably not real, you tell yourself, but what if they are? What if they’re out there, waiting for your next evening walk home? Quick, tell me what a deer is supposed to look like.
While I was absolutely delighted by the amount of cryptid romance there is out there with remarkably clever titles, I tried to focus this list on books to make you feel frightened rather than…any other feelings. I do wish the happy couple in I’m Getting Married to Mothman all the best, though.
Anti-Book Ban Legislation Proposals 2025
If you live in any of the states with anti-book ban bills in the legislature this year, it’s crucial to have your voice heard. Make the phone calls, send the emails, and show up in person to talk to your state-level representatives about these bills and why they are crucial for protecting not only the freedom to read and institutions like public schools and libraries but also for protecting the rights, voices, and lives of marginalized people.
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Black People in Superhero Comics: A Timeline
Superhero comics are still dominated by white creators and white characters, but there have always have been voices of color contributing to the adventures we all love so much. Black History Month is the perfect time to review the influence that Black writers, artists, and characters have had on the world of superheroes.
The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
To add a little variety, I’ve included the top five from three different countries across the globe: Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Ukraine. There’s a lot of overlap, but also some notable deviations. For example, the #1 most-read book on Goodreads this week in Ukraine is Bunny by Mona Awad, which came out in 2020.
Even the full top 50 most-read books this week list is pretty homogenous: almost all of the titles are by white authors, and there are only a few genres represented (mostly romance, fantasy, and thrillers). So, let’s start with a couple new books out this week that should be on your radar, then we’ll get into the most-read books.
Nonfiction With Gorgeous and Immersive Prose
There are few things that I love more than reading nonfiction books with incredible prose. I lose myself in underlining, annotating, and thinking through ideas in the text. Sometimes I read a sentence and just think, “Wow, what a sentence!”
Here are a few books that I just adored reading and think have some especially noteworthy prose.
