Celebrating 2 Decades of This Banned Book
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.
Celebrating 20 Years of AND TANGO MAKES THREE
This year, the groundbreaking nonfiction children’s picture book And Tango Makes Three celebrates its 20th anniversary. First published in April 2005, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson’s story about two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo caring for and hatching an egg together. Roy and Silo, the penguins at the center of the book, shared their names with the real chinstrap penguins who formed a bond at the zoo. The pair tried to incubate a rock together, and seeing this, senior penguin keeper Rob Gramzay gave them an extra egg from another penguin pair. That egg became Tango.
Best Beachy Bookish Goods for Summer Reading
It’s beach read season in the Northern Hemisphere, and not a moment too soon. Readers everywhere are emerging from their cozy dens, shrugging off warm blankets and tucking away thick socks, ready to take their bookish worlds out of doors and into the sun. Mood readers are frantically adjusting their TBR, looking for something as light and airy as the weather. You might be headed to the ocean, to a far-flung all-inclusive resort, or just to the back deck. No matter the destination, it’s time for vacation reading. If you need help selecting the perfect book to slip into your tote bag, check out Book Riot’s Best Beach Reads!
Behave or El Cuco Will Take You: Horror Inspired by Latin American Folklore
When I was around 11 or 12 years old, my family traveled to Jalisco for a quinceañera. We began the trip in the city of Guadalajara where I hung out with cousins I was meeting for the first time, and we engaged in a sort of cross-cultural exchange. I answered their questions about American TV and customs, and translated the lyrics to Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” at their request. In return, they showed me how to get around the city, took me to my first real Posada, and introduced me to Jaliscan delights like tortas ahogadas. Knowing that we’d soon be making the long, windy trip to the tiny rural towns that were our final destination, they also made sure to warn me about La Llorona.
The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists
After many months of the bestseller lists staying pretty much the same week to week, we have four new titles on the round up this time! First up is Ocean Vuong’s newest, The Emperor of Gladness. It takes a lot for a literary fiction title to hit the bestseller lists, and this one is currently the #1 Indie Bestseller in hardcover fiction. Then we have A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen, book two of the Saga of the Unfated romantasy series. Also new on this list is The Devils, the first in a new fantasy series by Joe Abercrombie. And finally, in the celebrity memoir category, it’s Big Dumb Eyes by comedian Nate Bargatze.
The Story Beside the Story: 6 of the Best SFF and Horror Sidequels
Many retellings take the form of sidequels. If you’ve ever wondered what a secondary character was thinking or doing during the main narrative, sidequels may intrigue you. March by Geraldine Brooks is a historical novel about Robert March’s experiences as a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War. His wife and daughters are the main characters in Little Women. Sidequels can also offer new perspectives on characters who are usually vilified. Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror have great potential for sidequels because they often have rich world-building, and readers can explore new lore and places within the main setting.
