Best of Book Riot

New Mysteries and Thrillers to Your TBR

Jeff O'Neal

CEO and co-founder

Jeff O'Neal is the executive editor of Book Riot and Panels. He also co-hosts The Book Riot Podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @thejeffoneal.

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.

Add These New Mysteries and Thrillers to Your TBR

These days, I’ve found myself really enjoying listening to mysteries and thrillers on audiobook. In addition to being a favorite book genre of mine, I also love a good mystery/thriller show. Listening to audiobooks sometimes feels akin to watching a show, especially when the narrator is good. This is why I always keep a mystery or thriller in the holster, ready to be listened to in between the other books I’m reading.

11 New Mystery & Thrillers for February 2025

Mystery fans can settle in with a YA missing person case; a middle grade mystery that begins with invitations to a party; a cozy with a mother-in-law waking up to a dead body in her hotel room; a small-town police procedural; an excellently paired historical PI; a remote family drama mystery; a legal romantic suspense; a short story collection, a friendship drama suspense; and a family drama crime novel.

14 New Romances To Read in February

Once again, I had a lot of trouble culling this list down to the recommended length for this sort of thing, so sorry to my editors (insert Keke Palmer voice). Romance continues to thrive, and we’ve got a lot of stories to choose from! Some are continuing or concluding series, while others are starting brand new series, even if they’re by authors we are (or should be) familiar with. I also dug around and pulled out some books by new authors that sound really interesting, so I want folks to read them and let me know what they think.

The Game is Afoot and It’s Gay: Queer Mysteries and Thrillers to Read Right Now

I have several series starters and a few standalones to recommend for this Read Harder task, all by and about queer people. Most of the titles are from the last few years, and a couple are 2025 releases. In historical mysteries, we’ll travel to Georgian London,1920s Harlem, and 19th Century Chicago. In contemporary mysteries, we’ll head to Salt Lake City game shop, an exclusive boarding school, the London drag scene, and more. Get ready to chase down clues, map out theories, and figure out whodunit. That’s right, folks: be gay, solve crimes.

Romantic Gifts for the Romance-Obsessed Valentine in Your Life

So you might be nervous about finding something that really makes them happy. But you’ve done everything you need to do: you’ve come to me. I’ve assembled a list of excellent gifts for your favorite romance-obsessed bookworm, whether you’re looking for something small or something big, something to decorate their shelves or for them to wear while reading. I’ve combed Etsy for things handmade and crafted, designed, and carefully stitched. Give them a Sarah J. Maas perfume, a collection of new enamel pins, or a delicate bookish locket. No matter what or how they read, there will be something on this list they’ll love.

Utah Has Banned Two More YA Books From All Public Schools

The bill is retroactive, meaning that titles which met the state’s guidelines prior to the bill’s start date were included on the list. Per HB 29, any time a public or charter school removes a book deemed “sensitive material,” they must notify the State Board of Education. If that book meets the threshold of removals, allschools will be notified and expected to dispose of it.

Lean Into the Work and the People

While this book isn’t particularly long, it contains a wealth of information and insight. It includes so many lessons learned from past (and continuing) struggles, including but not limited to lessons learned during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are becoming increasingly familiar with things like mass protest and mutual aid but lack more than a surface-level understanding. Kaba and Hayes dive into the intricacies of truly connecting with community beyond the often one-way bullhorn of social media.

12 of the Best New Children’s Books Out February 2025

Maybe it’s to do with the time of year — the slightly wistful point after the winter holidays but before spring starts to bloom — but many of the books published this month deal with serious topics, like the big changes that come with moving house, or processing loss and grief. These upcoming stories deal with these themes in a thoughtful way, encouraging young readers to work through their emotions and understand that there’s no wrong way to feel. There’s also escapism, with funny fantasy stories or high-stakes thrillers, that will chase away the February doldrums and keep readers on the edge of their seats.