The It Books of February 2025
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 It Books of February 2025
Every month on the Book Riot podcast, Rebecca Schinksy and I go through the top contenders for “it” book of the month and make our best guess about what it will be. Our record is 50/50ish I would say, but it’s always a fun and interesting exercise. Go listen to it here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Best Valentine’s Day Cards for Book Lovers
With these literary Valentine’s cards, you can tell your favorite person that they’re your happily ever after, express your punny sense of bookish humor, or send a friend a card that shows you appreciate their love of books. From a gothic-inspired raven card for those who prefer their Valentine’s greetings on the darker side to a colorful card to send your favorite romance reader, there are plenty of options here to spread the love, and a love of books, this Valentine’s Day.
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The Harlem Renaissance in Today’s YA Literature
The Harlem Renaissance encapsulates the Black creative explosion between roughly the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression. This era brought about a huge increase in Black literature, Black music, Black art, and Black creative endeavors. While centered in Harlem, Black American creators considered part of the movement didn’t all reside or spend time in Harlem. While the Great Migration* led so many Black artists to call Harlem and her creative climate home, other Black writers, musicians, and artists who moved to places like Detroit and Chicago found themselves included within the Harlem Renaissance, too.
10 of the Most-Anticipated Queer Books of February 2025
I know I say this every month, but there are so many excellent new queer books out in February 2025. I had a difficult time narrowing it down to only these 10 titles. Consider this an overview of some of the most exciting queer releases of the month, not a complete list. I tried to include a range of genres and representation, including gay and lesbian historical fiction, sapphic gothic, M/M cozy fantasy, trans guy middle grade horror, and lots more.
2025 Romance Books By Your Favorite Authors
I don’t always read romance, but when I do, you better bet it’s by one of these authors. Maybe not exclusively, but you get the idea. I’m choosy when it comes to romance: I want it to be really good and exactly what I’m looking for. I just think that means my tastes are discerning, so you can trust me when I say these romance authors are some of my—and the internet’s—favorites for a reason. They’re tried and true champions of the romance genre with bestselling books under their belt. Not only do each of these authors have a great backlog of books you can dive into, they also each have new releases coming out this year. Your favorite romance author? With a new book coming out this year? More likely than you think.
Dystopian Books Have Taken Over the Bestseller Lists…That Can’t Be a Good Sign
The other thing to note on the bestseller lists you can’t actually see in this round-up, but it’s definitely worth noting: the rise in sales of classic dystopian novels. Looking at the full bestseller lists, not just the top 10, we see Parable of the Sower on four bestseller lists, Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale on three, and 1984 on two. I’m no political scientist…but that can’t be a good sign.
Should Sci-Fi Authors Advise Governments On the Future? — and More SFF Links
In today’s round-up of recent sci-fi and fantasy links, I have stuff to share with you about exciting upcoming science fiction TV shows, a sci-fi writer’s thoughts on a place for authors in shaping our future, an excerpt from the Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology, and more!
9 World-Changing Climate Fiction Books for Kids
Climate fiction is more and more relevant with each passing day. One month into the new year, the world has already seen devastating wildfires, storms, and other “natural” disasters that are, in fact, a result of human-made climate change. People in the Global South have been wrestling with the impact of climate change for many years, and now the devastation is starting to seriously impact countries in the Global North, whose citizens may have previously believed they were exempt from the disasters. With the world heating up and the weather getting increasingly dangerous and unpredictable, it’s no surprise that many authors have incorporated climate themes into their work, including in climate fiction books for kids.
The CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE Film Adaptation: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Paramount Pictures is adapting Tomi Adeyemi’s young adult fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone into a film. Last month, the author took to TikTok to tell the whole world that the film had been cast. And I’ll just go ahead and say it: this cast is stacked. It looks like the film is really coming together, and it’s time to add this one to our list of highly-anticipated book-to-screen adaptations. But who is going to be in the movie? When will it start filming? When can we watch it? Here’s what we know so far!
