When the Jews went into the Temple, there was only one jar of oil, enough to light the candles for just one day — but the Talmud says the oil burned for eight days, which gave them time to get more oil. This is why it’s also called “the Festival of Lights.” It’s a holiday that celebrates liberation and the refusal to assimilate, as well as the miracle of the oil....

A book I read in the third grade, The Measly Middle Ages, began my slightly morbid obsession with illness. It described the bubonic plague from a perspective that fascinated me: nobody at the time knew what was killing them, how it was doing so, or how to protect themselves from this invisible monster. A “problem” I had when starting my own academic path in the biological sciences was that everyone is so darn specialized....

That’s why I was excited to read Anna James’ new middle grade novel Pages & Co. because the book is a love letter to bookshops and actually getting lost in classic books. The main character, Tilly, discovers she’s a Book Wanderer, in that she can magically travel to the pages of her favourite novels and interact with the characters. Pages & Co has been nominated for The Bookling, our annual High School Book Award and I’ve been promoting it heavily amongst the students to get them involved in the Award....

Welcome to Finale, the final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series! It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist. Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend. After uncovering a secret, Scarlett will need to do the impossible....

Handmade Houseplants offers a no-water option for your urban jungle: plants made from paper! This stylish guide includes step-by-step instructions and templates for making 30 of the most popular houseplants, from monstera to fiddle leaf fig. Additional projects show how to use paper plants for home décor, wall art, holiday decorations, gift giving, and more. The projects are simple enough to be made in few hours, and the materials are affordable and easy to find....

The monster hidden behind pale, tortured eyes and a devastating smile. The girl with Dark Gods whispering spells in her head. The prince surrounded by deadly assassins and ambitious suitors. “This gothic jewel of a story will sink its visceral iron claws into you, never letting go until you’ve turned the last page.” (Robin LaFevers) We have 5 copies of Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan to give away to 5 Riot readers!...

New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin’s hilarious and horrifying John Dies at the End series continues with If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe. Publishers Weekly says “Pargin once again delights with scathing social commentary thinly disguised as an outrageous action novel…This is a feast.” at Electric Lit: 7 Books Starring Characters With Rare Abilities at Goodreads: 9 Hit Books by This Season’s Biggest Authors at Goodreads: 66 Spellbinding New Novels About Witches at Tor: 5 Books in Which Giant Insects Ruin Everyone’s Day at LGBTQ Reads: New Queer Adult Horror...

That’s the intention behind the items on this list. I wanted to bring together all things bookish, from home decor to book accessories, so that you can find a way to bring paper play into your Halloween season this year. Now, it would be absolutely amazing if I had curated a list of costumes to dress your books in. Unfortunately, that’s apparently not a thing. (Believe me, I dug around a bit in hopes of finding ears, claws, hats, or other accoutrements to dress your books in for the big 31....

You’re probably thinking I went with clowns and dolls and only scary horror covers, but there’s a romance on this list because the only criteria was if the image stayed swirling around in my brain even after the book wasn’t in front of me. Don’t follow me, creepy cover! Okay, maybe some of you can. If you’re wondering why I didn’t credit the artists for the covers, it’s a thing I went back and forth on a bit and ended up feeling better about not attaching a name to something that could be read as negative when my opinions aren’t meant to attack someone’s hard work....

This year, the organization received 1,368 nominating ballots, which have been narrowed down to a shortlist of finalists in several categories, including Best Novel, Best Short Story, Best Professional Artist, Best Fan Cast, and more. They also announced related awards (though not Hugos): Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book and Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Best Novel Finalists A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki A Master of Djinn by P....

With the increase in book bans happening all around the United States, the conversations in my classroom with my sophomores have turned to reading and why books matter to them. A lot of them eagerly walk into my classroom clutching books that they discovered on YouTube, through my recommendations or, of course, BookTok. They proudly show me their picks as they sneak reading time in class when they’re done with work....

I reached out to Goodreads to specifically ask them that, even going to their website to do a lot of digging and asking some tech experts to weigh in on the subject. The bookish social media site doesn’t have an official media kit at the moment, according to a representative. But a media kit dated 2017 reveals that its business model revolves around offering “book discovery packages” that consist of “owned, earned, and paid media....

Despite killing more people than WWI, the influenza wasn’t a major subject for novelists during that time and is commonly referred to as “the forgotten pandemic.” There are plenty of reasons for this, including the fact that the influenza occurred during the same time as WWI, a global war in which brutal trench warfare was first introduced. In addition, with its sheer cost of human life, the influenza could very well have overwhelmed human expression, especially because the killer went unseen and largely misunderstood....

In 2018, the Authors Guild partnered with 14 other writers organizations as well as some publishing platforms to conduct a survey of 5,067 professional writers in the United States. The median 2017 income of participating authors was $6,080 with just $3,100 of that being from book income alone (as opposed to speaking fees, teaching, book reviewing, and other supplemental activities). The median income of people who described themselves as full-time authors was just $20,300 when including all book-related activities....

I’m convinced that this is a lapse in education, so I’m gonna edumacate you right here and right now. If you think you’re a stellar patron, read this anyway. There is a special variety of the Dunning-Kruger effect just for public libraries, and the last thing you want is to be a statistic. Rule 1: Ask Us, We’re Bored Librarians live for questions. We like everything about recommending books, finding information, showing you how to use our databases, and doing deep dive local history research....

I totally agree with these sentiments. Our world is really unique and diverse and not everyone reads the same book. So why not follow some people who choose differently? Ultimately, this begs the question: does reading diverse novels make you an ally? I’ll admit that I’m a bit sheltered. I’m ignorant about different people and their lives. I live in a bubble and I try my best to shatter that bubble with the diverse books I read....

You are cordially invited to the wedding of the decade, when Christian Grey will make Anastasia Steele his wife. But is he really husband material? His dad is unsure, his brother wants to organize one helluva bachelor party, and his fiancée won’t vow to obey… Their passion for each other burns hotter than ever, but Ana’s defiant spirit continues to stir Christian’s darkest fears and tests his need for control....

Does that sound like a cop-out? Okay, kinda. But I think spending time thinking about reading and figuring out how you read best is never a bad option. There are tons of ways that people read, and sometimes the idea of how you’re going to read can be just as exciting as what you’re going to read. By looking at how you picture the perfect reading session you can start to get excited to read just like that....

How to Sell Books on Etsy: Operations Leave No Stone Unturned This is almost too obvious for words, but one of the easiest ways to find success on Etsy right off the bat is to familiarize yourself with the tool. From handling money to renewing listings and selling ads, Etsy has developed over the years to be hugely supportive to its sellers. By filling out as much of your profile as you can (and trust me — Etsy makes it very painless) you’re starting out on a strong foot....

While people challenge books for a variety of reasons, the most frequent attacks target books by or featuring LGBTQ+ people, and books featuring BIPOC characters. Often, the voices behind attempted bans cite “inappropriateness” or “sexual explicitness” in their reasoning. However, those arguments do not hold up to scrutiny. Books like Melissa are no more sexually explicit than other children’s books. As an educator and an education scholar, I’ve read, taught, and reviewed many children’s books in my career....