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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.
“Are you living the life you chose? Are you living the life that chose you?”
It’s a warm autumn night in Nashville, and Jason Isbell is on stage at the legendary Ryman Auditorium asking some pretty big questions. I’m standing beside my dad, who gave me my love of music, and wearing rhinestone cowboy boots I bought on a Mary Oliver-inspired impulse: “If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate.” Dad and I are here because we love Isbell’s songbook and we’ve both wanted to see a show at the Ryman—the “mother church” of country music—for as long as I can remember. We’re here now in large part because of a book I read three years ago.
Most romantasy book covers have a similar vibe, especially lately. There’s almost always something floral or foliage-like, usually as a border, and little details from the book might be included. Skulls, crowns, and weapons are a common addition. They might sparkle like jewels, or even have bejeweled items, or they have a dreamlike, flowing quality. They definitely say, “This book is not taking place in the boring, old real world.” And in the past couple of years, many of them even have sprayed edges in jewel tones, with designs on the end pages. Romantasy books have become as elaborate on the outside as they are on the inside!
While I try not to play favorites, there are always books that I am more excited about than others. Every reader has them. So I sat down and made a list of the upcoming 2024 SFF releases I want to read the most (which was something like 50) and then I whittled it down to five titles that I think are going to be amazing. You’ll probably want to mark them all down on your TBR, too! It’s a selection from some tried-and-true favorite authors, plus an intriguing debut!
I had a draft of cozy reading essentials saved for my next send, and I’ll get back to that when coziness feels more accessible, but I decided to take a moment here to make an attempt at articulating my experience, which I’ve been struggling to do. Books are mentioned, but you’ll find no bookish angle here. This is just me, sharing about that week I unexpectedly couldn’t show up to work at Book Riot because I was cut off from power and internet, but also learning to exist after a natural disaster and grieving with my city. I spent that week learning how to live in uncertainty, without water, power, or information about what was happening just down the road.
It’s incredibly difficult to get over a Heartstopper hangover, especially when you have no definite dates to look forward to in the near future. Heartstopper, the adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel, just released its third season on Netflix on October 3. I tried so hard to savor the eight episodes. I paced myself as much as I could. But before I knew what hit me, I’d cried my way through the whole season in less than a week. And now here I am, deep in my feelings with no new Heartstopper to comfort me. Feeling those same pangs of post-Heartstopper sadness? Here’s a little bit of Heartstopper news to get you through.
