Books

Here's The Feminist 'Beowulf' You Wish Your Teachers Assigned — & You Can Start Reading Now

If you were ever forced to read Beowulf in school, the idea of a YA Beowulf retelling is probably super unappealing to you. As action packed as the epic poem is, the language is notoriously hard to read, and the plot is, well, not exactly riveting. B…
By Kerri Jarema

13 Iconic Accessories From Books That You Can Buy Right Now

If you ask your friends and family what they want for the holidays, they'll probably demure and ask for something sensible. They'll need a new non-stick pan, or a nice sweater. They'll claim to be "happy with anything." But deep in their eyes, you ca…
By Charlotte Ahlin

These 7 Iconic Book Scenes Didn't Make It Into The Movie Versions

Adapting a book into a movie is no mean feat. On the one hand, literature and film are very different mediums. What works on the page might not work at all on the screen. Change is inevitable, especially since a large portion of the audience has neve…
By Charlotte Ahlin

This Interactive Comic Book Is Giving Syrian Refugees The Info They Need To Stay Safe

Ask any book-lover and they will tell you of the undeniable power reading has to change a life. Ask a staff member at the International Rescue Committee's Women's Center in Lebanon, a not-for-profit organization that is using an interactive comic boo…
By Sadie Trombetta

'Avatar' Books Are Coming & You'll Probably Get Them Before The Sequel Even Comes Out

Fans have been waiting for the sequel to James Cameron's record-breaking hit film Avatar since it premiered in 2009, and, with a December 2020 release date, the next installment is still pretty far away. While you wait on more of Jake and Neytiri's a…
By Kristian Wilson

This YA Novel About Grief & Immigration Is A Call For Empathy — & You Can Start Reading Now

Acclaimed young adult author Marie Marquardt is known for creating works of emotional fiction that truly resonate with her readers, whether they are teens or adults. In her upcoming novel Flight Season, out from Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press in …
By Sadie Trombetta

Here's The Feminist 'Beowulf' You Wish Your Teachers Assigned — & You Can Start Reading Now

If you were ever forced to read Beowulf in school, the idea of a YA Beowulf retelling is probably super unappealing to you. As action packed as the epic poem is, the language is notoriously hard to read, and the plot is, well, not exactly riveting. B…
By Kerri Jarema

The Reporters Who Broke The Harvey Weinstein News Are Now Writing A Book

Since the publication of their first article detailing Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct back in October, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's reporting has revealed one of the biggest abuse scandals in American history, but it seems their work isn't do…
By Sadie Trombetta

Why 'To Siri With Love' Is Incredibly Damaging To Autistic People Like Me

When I say the world hates me, what I mean by "world" is a lot of neurotypicals, or people who are not on the autism spectrum, hate me. When you're autistic and people around you don't know it, you often don't get the help you need to learn how to na…
By Kaelan Rhywiol

The President Just Recommended A Book About Andrew Jackson & People Are Confused

Twitter users were perplexed by a Thursday morning tweet from Donald Trump, who recommended Fox News host Brian Kilmeade's latest book, Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny. One problem: Trump has a …
By Kristian Wilson

The 18 Best Poetry Collections Of 2017 Will Inspire You To Give The Genre A Chance

Although those New Year’s resolutions you made all the way back in January are probably a distant memory by now — if you’re anything like me, anyway — there’s one item on your 2017 to-do list that you should definitely complete: making your way throu…
By E. Ce Miller

The Internet Is Calling Out This BIG Problem With J.K. Rowling's Johnny Depp Comments

As the wave of reckoning for decades (and, if we're being honest, centuries) of sexual violence has swept through Hollywood, it has felt like every day brings about a new uncovering of misconduct and another subsequent resignation. For the first time…
By Maddy Foley

Two Queens Battle In A Cosmic War In This YA Fantasy — And You Can Start Reading Now

Author Claire Legrand has quietly become one of those names you see all over the bookstore, probably without even realizing it. Since her popular 2012 middle grade debut, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, she has been churning out a steady strea…
By Kerri Jarema

Your Favorite Marvel Villain Is Getting His Own YA Novel

There are two types of people in this world: those who write off superhero villains as all-around baddies, and those who want to conduct a deep-dive into why, and how, these super-villains started doing all this villainous, uh, stuff. If you're a mem…
By Maddy Foley

'Black Girl Magic' Got Turned Into A Beautiful Illustrated Poem — And You Can See It Here

Women have been in the media a lot this year, for reasons both good and horrifyingly bad. From fighting against legislation that seeks to threaten women's rights and autonomy, to the outcry of the #MeToo movement, women have taken center stage in man…
By Kerri Jarema

A Fan Just Noticed That Hermione Waited 6 Years To Clapback At Ron & It's Pretty Amazing

For Potterheads around the world, dissecting the magically dense wizarding canon laid out by J.K. Rowling seems to be a favorite pastime. And of course it is: each new read of a Harry Potter novel is sure to reveal some little Easter egg, some moment…
By Maddy Foley

11 Books Set In Winter To Read With A Cup Of Hot Cocoa By The Fire

As a born-and-bred Windy City girl whose once-temporary move to the southeastern United States is looking more and more permanent by the day, I can honestly say that I do not miss winter. But there is one thing I definitely do miss about living in a …
By E. Ce Miller

The 'Paris Review' Editor Resigned Amid An Investigation Into His Behavior Toward Women

The Paris Review editor Lorin Stein has resigned amid an internal investigation about his behavior toward women. Stein has worked in that capacity since 2010, when he succeeded Philip Gourevitch, the author of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We W…
By Kristian Wilson

I'm In A Total Reading Slump Right Now — But Here's My Plan For Getting Out Of It

I consider myself a very public reader. A Reader with a capital R if you will. But it wasn't always this way. It used to be that I read whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn't give much thought to how many books I read in a year, or whether I …
By Kerri Jarema

This Publisher Rejection Letter From 1928 Is The Most Crushing Thing You'll Read Today

Every aspiring author's biggest fear is having their work rejected by a publisher, but not even in the worst kind of nightmares could any writer imagine receiving this heartless rejection letter from 1928. It may only be four sentences long, but it i…
By Sadie Trombetta

9 Classic Christmas Books That Aren't 'A Christmas Carol'

December is supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, but for a lot of adults, the youthful magic of the holiday season is nearly impossible to find underneath all of the stress and anxiety that comes with being a grown-up at Christmas. Instead…
By Sadie Trombetta