Catch-up on the Best-Selling Historical Fiction of All Time
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.
The Best-Selling Historical Fiction Books of All Time
Historical fiction can cover real events, reimagine the lives of historical figures, and help us understand humanity then and now. Today, the best sellers of historical fiction range from classics to family sagas and romantic epics. But what makes an all-time best seller? Time. Many of the historical fiction best sellers have been in print for decades, with more people reading and sharing them constantly. Universal stories of love, redemption, identity, and struggle appeal to all kinds of readers.
What historical fiction novels from the last 10-20 years do you think will become all-time best sellers? Books like Pachinko and Homegoing are on my list. In the meantime, these all-time best sellers are still waiting to be read, in no particular order.
The Best Book Covers of 2025 So Far
Now that we’re nearly a quarter of the way through 2025, let’s take the opportunity to appreciate some of the best book covers of 2025 so far.
Book cover design is interesting because it’s got to play to some trends, got to play to some conventions of genre and age category, and because it’s got to play to consumer tastes. We need book covers to sell a book — it’s the number one marketing opportunity for any title. But we need those covers to also give insight into the story and to be nice to look at and to be easy to render on mobile.
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6 Queer Thrillers to Enjoy This Springtime
As springtime arrives and with it new warmth and new growth, why not pick up something thrilling to enjoy while you soak in the first rays of the year? Not that there’s any bad time for a thriller, but there’s something so special about curling up with your first poolside mystery of the year or lounging in a grassy park with a thriller clutched tightly in hand. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of the beautiful day around you or maybe it’s the way the thrillers make you take a second look at those nearby, giving a new perspective to the day, but regardless, it’s so fun! Pair it with a sweet snack or a drippy ice cream cone, and you’ve got yourself perfection.
New YA Book Releases This Week
Here’s your roundup of new books hitting shelves this week. Whatever you’re experiencing right now, be it cold or warm, rainy or snowy or sunny or foggy, you’re in for a good time with some new YA books. Find below an array of fiction across genres. I’ve pulled out series books into a separate section under each format to avoid spoilers without overlooking these excellent reads altogether.
A Funny Mystery to Revitalize Your Book Club
If your book club conversations have been feeling a bit sluggish lately, consider shaking things up with a hilarious romp of a mystery featuring a former girl band member turned mom and amateur sleuth. I mean, who wouldn’t have something to say about a messy 31-year-old forced to solve the mystery of her son’s missing bully? In the following excerpt, we’re introduced to Florence Grimes’ off-kilter style of motherhood, and we begin to understand why she’s not too upset about the disappearance of Alfie Risby.
