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Welcome to The Best of Book Riot, our 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. Here is what readers were most interested in the week that was.
Kiss Me, Wait: 5 of the Most Anticipated Romance Novels of 2025
From the blog posts and lists on Goodreads that I perused, I whittled it down to these five books that kept appearing. (Including one that is probably going to be the biggest book of next year.) Now you can mark them down on your list of upcoming books you want to read! (Everyone makes those, right?) As for me, my most anticipated romance of 2025 is Bed and Breakup by Book Riot’s very own Susie Dumond! Now, let’s take a peek at what the internet has to say.
Author Buy/Sell/Hold: 2024 Edition
On the most recent episode of the Book Riot podcast, Rebecca Schinksy and I take discuss twelve notable authors and try to decide if we would buy, sell, or hold stock in them. Where do we see their careers now? Are they at their peak? Past it? Or just getting cooking? Also, the Book Riot Podcast is now on Instagram. I have some ideas for it. Might actually do a few of them.
Must-Read New Horror, From Light Scares to Nightmare Fuel
Looking for some quick thrills and oh-so-satisfying chills? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve got 10 must-read new horror novels, ranging from light scares to nightmare fuel, waiting for you.
What Next?: Recent Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Post-apocalyptic fiction takes many forms. These books include elements of dystopia, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, literary fiction, and even comedy. (Because at the end of the world, what else can you do but laugh?) Whether it’s a close-to-home story set in the near future or a space opera set centuries from now, these stories envision a path for our world with varying levels of fear and hope. There’s a lot we can learn from imagining where human behavior — the good, the bad, and everything in between — might lead. May these books inspire you to take care of your neighbors, your community, our planet, and our collective future with a little more intention.
Book-to-Screen Adaptations You Might Have Missed This Year
2024 has been such an exciting year for adaptations. Wicked is a big one coming out next month that everyone is buzzing about. This year has also seen adaptations of favorites like Pachinko, Heartstopper, and many more. But with so many options in theaters and to stream at home, there are some fantastic adaptations that have flown under the radar. Here are three great book-to-screen adaptations that you might have missed. Best of all, they’re all available to stream now!
Feminist Magical Realism: 8 Recent Novels to Charm Your Bookshelves
If you want to read more about the genre, Emma Allmann’s essay “What is Magical Realism?” is a great place to start. But here, I’m interested in a specific phenomenon: feminist magical realist books. It’s an interesting trend, albeit not a new one, and it makes for some powerful reading.
The books on this list range from mostly realism with smatterings of magic to magic-infused realism that’s not a far cry from fantasy. Whatever you’re looking for, I hope you find it here!
What are you reading? Let us know in the comments!
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