Books

خلاصہ: Yearn, Baby! Yearn: Five Romances Full of PiningLonging. Thirst. Yearning. It doesn’t matter what you call it. One of the most fun elements of a romance novel is when one of the characters has been pining for the other – preferably for a long time and even better if both characters have been full of longing. Yes, the smooching and the sex and the main characters actually getting together is one of the most satisfying parts of reading romance. But you know what they say: hunger makes the best sauce. And the yearning in romance is what makes the characters getting together so incredible to read. I don’t know if I should blame Gilbert Blythe’s decade-long crush in Anne of Green Gables or Mr. Darcy struggling in vain in Pride and Prejudice, but I might just love the pining in a romance most of all. The most important part of a romance plot is conflict—a reason the characters can’t be together. And when you add pining into the mix, it makes the obstacles on the way to the happily ever after feel like the author is twisting the knife into their characters’ backs. These five romance novels feature a love-lorn R&B star, childhood best friends who never got over their first love, an utterly and completely inappropriate Regency pairing with regrettably good sexual chemistry, and the alpha from a werewolf pack. They all contain very different characters, plots, and subgenres, but what they all have in common is intense, delicious yearning. The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest Famous R&B singer Angel hasn’t just had a crush on his stylist’s sister, Iris, for years. He also wrote a song about their brief encounter at a wedding. And now it’s the song of the summer. Swoon. But Iris is a single mother and widow who wants professional success and companionship, not the kind of all-encompassing love she had and lost when her first husband died. A professional opportunity throws the two together when Angel becomes a brand ambassador for the makeup and beauty company where Iris works. Angel views this as his chance to finally woo the woman he’s been pining after. And despite Iris’ focus on doing a good job and getting a promotion, there is something about Angel she just can’t resist. Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur Margot and Olivia are childhood best friends, first loves, and first heartbreaks, and it’s been 10 years since they’ve seen each other. Margot has never been able to move on from their relationship and has only had casual hookups in the decade since they were together. Olivia has gotten married and divorced, but never stopped thinking about Margot and what could’ve been. A chance encounter, when Olivia becomes the wedding planner for Margot’s best friend, throws the pair back towards each other. Then circumstances bring them even closer when Margot accepts an offer to live temporarily in Olivia’s spare bedroom. After years of longing, will the two give in to fate and accept this second chance at love? Mate by Ali Hazelwood Serena has lived her whole life believing she’s second best, an orphan who nobody wants, and that she’s human. But she’s recently learned she’s half werewolf … which shouldn’t be possible. And now that everyone knows, her life is in danger from many different threats. Koen is the alpha wolf of the brutal and respected Northwest pack. The moment he sees Serena, he knows she is his mate. Despite the biologically encoded longing he feels for her, he’s determined not to force her into a relationship she doesn’t want. But he’s equally determined to keep her safe. Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai I’m going deep into Alisha Rai’s backlist, because this is one of my all-time favorite romance novels. And I’m pretty sure when you look up yearning in the romance dictionary, all you see is this book. Livvy and Nicholas are first loves from feuding families. When tragedy tore their families apart, they broke up, too. Nicholas stayed in New York to run the family business and Livvy ran away to become a tattoo artist and travel the world. For nine years, Livvy and Nicholas met up on her birthday for a night of mind-blowing, deep, emotional sex. Last year, Livvy didn’t show up, but now she’s back in town for the first time. And the two of them can’t seem to stay apart even in the face of family disapproval, long-held resentments, and the uncovering of past secrets. Her Night With the Duke by Diana Quincy When the Lady Delilah is stranded at a small inn, she gives in to a night of passion with a handsome stranger. They agree it has to be for one night only and don’t share any personal details. But then the next day, she discovers the handsome stranger is Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington—also known as her stepdaughter’s fiancé. And Elliot discovers the woman he can’t stop thinking about is his future mother-in-law. They agree to keep the night before a secret and never get close to each other again. But neither of them can forget the passion they shared or resist the chemistry that comes out every time they are in the same room. The way they long for each other in this very forbidden romance is so intense. Ready to fall into a yearning ring of fire? Or maybe to find out if this yearning is an eternal flame? I’ll stop with the song puns, and let you pick which of these romance novels full of pining you want to read first! For more yearning and pining and swooning, try these 12 romances with epic mutual pining.Source InformationPublisher: Book RiotOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: The Enduring Popularity and Industry Appeal of FanFictionWelcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. A Deep Dive Into the Rise of FanFiction in Publishing Writing for Defector , Eli Cugini explores the vast landscape of FanFiction , focusing on where it stands in publishing today and how it has come to dominate culture with its mass appeal and established fan bases. In so doing, Cugini touches on some of the problematic pieces of FanFic’s current popularity that have generated much online discourse and present complicated questions. For instance, does the ick and real harm of J.K. Rowling’s TERF activism and anti-trans rhetoric stick to Harry Potter FanFic, or do some of these works achieve the claim that writing HP FanFic is an act of resistance to Rowling’s repugnant views? Also, does some erotic FanFic work to normalize taboos that are actually problematic and should be rejected? While the story of FanFic’s success and appeal to the publishing industry offers no simple answers, going down the rabbit hole with Cugini is an interesting exercise. Middle Grade Books for the Digital Era Publishers Weekly reports that Scholastic will offer a line of middle grade fiction designed to appeal to a generation of visual and digital content consumers . The publisher’s NEXT line of MG fic will be shorter, include more illustrations, and promises plenty of cliffhangers. Editorial director Aimee Friedman told PW that light novels, popular in Japan and increasingly so in the U.S., inspired the line of books. If you’re trying to figure out what this looks like, take a gander at The Luckies series by Christina Soontornvat and Sarah Mlynowski, illustrated by Madi Wong, following a group of siblings adjusting to their newly-blended family. It’s one of the series in NEXT’s inaugural lineup. A New $95K Contest for Emerging Writers ProWritingAid, a writing and editing platform for writers, has launched a global contest for unrepresented fiction writers. Novel Beginnings invites writers who haven’t published a novel with an established publisher to submit the first 5,000 words of a fiction manuscript to be considered for the prize, which will support writers in the early stages of their process. A grand prize winner will receive $50,000 and up to nine emerging writers will be awarded $5,000. According to the press release, in addition to the monetary awards “shortlisted writers will participate in a structured manuscript development program, including expert-led sessions, live drafting sprints, and a guided revision period designed to help participants move from idea to completed draft.” Learn more about the Novel Beginnings . 8 of the Best New Books Out in February 2026 It’s the start of February, and that means a month of new releases to look forward to! There’s plenty for horror and dark fiction fans to anticipate, including some bloody love stories. Find the full list of February new release recommendations here . What are you reading? Let us know in the comments !Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Millions of books died so Claude could liveWhen ChatGPT launched , in November of 2022, it started a race that almost immediately consumed the tech industry. OpenAI didn't invent the concept of AI, but most of the state-of-the-art technology was confined to research labs at companies and institutions around the world. Then, suddenly, it was everywhere. And better than anyone expected. So many companies decided they needed to catch up as quickly as possible, by any means necessary, or risk losing the battle for maybe the most important technology ever. Verge subscribers, don't forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Vergecast wherever you get your podcasts. Head here . Not a subs … Read the full story at The Verge.Source InformationPublisher: The VergeOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: This Stock Has A 16.88% Yield And Sells For Less Than BookARMOUR Residential REIT Inc. (Symbol: ARR) has been named as a Top 10 Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), according to Dividend Channel, which published its most recent ''DividendRank'' report. The report noted that among REITs, ARR shares displayed both attractive valuationSource InformationPublisher: Stocks FeedOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: A Nobel Prize-Winner Wrote the Boarding School Book of All Boarding School BooksLike every delusional young person, I wanted to be enrolled in boarding school where a crumbling but austere academic institution surely held some kind of magic and much unsupervised mischief made just for me, and where I would come into my own as the main character. Reading Simi Bedford’s Yoruba Girl Dancing gave me my first “ah-ha” moment about the kind of education I would more likely receive as a middle-class, brown-skinned student against a field of affluent white, but it didn’t entirely cleanse me of my desire to don a smart uniform and kick leaves across cobblestone with my roomie and neighbor-chums in tow. Does this sound familiar? Do you still feel the yearning for that inaccessible experience and seek it out in books? Well then, I have a work of speculative literature you’ll want to read. One that will crawl under your skin and never leave but that will also bathe you in the essence of that imagined boarding school experience with its deliciously dreary dreaminess and undercurrent of strange happenings afoot. Ready to refresh your shelves? We have a giveaway that can help! Enter to win a 1-year subscription to Book of the Month! Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Kazuo Ishiguro won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature and has produced numerous award-winning books, including The Remains of the Day , which is perhaps his most widely-known novel. Japanese-born but raised in Surrey from an early age, Ishiguro’s England is at once quintessentially English and entirely unique. I would also use these words to describe Never Let Me Go and if you have the privilege of enjoying this book for the first time, I recommend you go into it knowing as little as possible about the premise. I’ll do my best to avoid divulging too much here. I will tell you that it’s set in a boarding school in the English countryside and that our narrator, Kathy, is a compelling observer of her and her classmates’ lives at Hailsham, revealing just enough to clue you in that something isn’t adding up without being so obscure that the story lags. In fact, the curiosities and questions she and her companions, Ruth and Tommy, explore build the tension and sustain the momentum that quickens the pacing of a story so subdued you would expect it to be a slow read. My memories of this book are of a misty campus, drafty rooms, and creaking old furniture. The students have their cliques and their inside secrets. They fill the hallways with muffled whispers and furtive goings-on. But what stays with me most is the big question Ishiguro seems to be seeking the answer to in multiple works: what might the quiet nightmare of proving your humanity look like? And the most sinister point I gleaned from this book–a point that isn’t new or novel to those of us in the BIPOC community–is how mundane and acceptable a society that forces one to do so might look. What are you reading? Let us know in the comments !Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: 7 Book-to-Screen Adaptations You’ll Love in February 2026Happy February to everyone who is a book fan and a movie/TV lover. You are our people! And this month is going to be great for you, because in addition to getting the second half of the new Bridgerton season , we have a lot more book adaptations to look forward to. Adaptations of classics, new seasons of shows we love, thrillers, horror, and heartfelt dramas: February has it all. The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix, February 5) All ten episodes of the fourth season of The Lincoln Lawyer are dropping on Netflix on Thursday, February 5. In this season, Mickey (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) finds himself on the opposite side of the courtroom, fighting to defend his innocence. Season 4 is based on Michael Connelly’s novel The Law of Innocence , the sixth book in the Mickey Haller series. Returning to star alongside Garcia Rulfo are Becki Newton, Angus Sampson, Jazz Raycole, Krista Warner, and Elliot Gould. Neve Campbell is also returning as Maggie McPherson in a full-time role. Joining the cast are Constance Zimmer and Sasha Alexander. Dracula (Theatrical Release, February 6) Luc Besson’s adaptation of the Victorian Gothic classic Dracula promises to take Bram Stoker’s story in a new direction. Besson (the director behind The Fifth Element ) envisions Dracula as a more romantic tale in which Count Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones) searches for his lost love over centuries and finds her exact likeness in Mina (Zoë Bleu). Cristoph Waltz also stars. The Huntsman (Theatrical Release, February 6) The Huntsman, based on the novel by Judith Sanders, will get a limited theatrical release on February 6 before being available to rent on the 10th. This mystery-thriller centers around an ICU nurse who agrees to help a coma patient accused of murdering six women. It’s directed by Kyle Kauwika Harris and stars Shawn Ashmore, Elizabeth Mitchell, Jessy Schram, and Garret Dillahunt. Wuthering Heights (Theatrical Release, February 16) Get ready for one of the most controversial adaptations of the year. From strange casting decisions (Jacob Elordi doesn’t quite match the description of Heathcliff, who Emily Brontë describes multiple times as dark-skinned) to discordant costume choices, Emerald Fennel’s Wuthering Heights film has been a hot topic for over a year prior to its release. Now, we can finally find out for ourselves what all the fuss is about. Margot Robbie stars opposite Elordi as Cathy. This is Not a Test (Theatrical Release, February 20) Based on the 2012 novel by Courtney Summers, This is Not a Test is an apocalyptic horror-thriller film about a group of students trying to escape zombies. The film is directed and written by Adam Macdonald. The cast is led by Olivia Holt, who stars as Sloane Price. Also starring are Froy Gutierrez, Luke MacFarlane, Corteon Moore, Chloe Avakian, and Carson MacCormac. Midwinter Break (Theatrical Release, February 20) This drama is based on the novel of the same name by Bernard MacLaverty. Directed by Polly Findlay, Mindwinter Break stars Leslie Manville and Ciarán Hinds as Stella and Gary, a retired couple who fly from Scotland to Amsterdam for a long weekend vacation. While away together, old memories are brought to the surface, and long-held secrets are revealed. The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV, February 20) Apple TV’s The Last Thing He Told Me is back for its second season later this month. This season will be based on Lara Dave’s recently released thriller novel, The First Time I Saw Him . The series stars and is executive-produced by Jennifer Garner. Also returning for the second season are Angourie Rice, David Morse, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Judy Greer and Rita Wilson will join the cast. The first episode will drop on Apple TV on Friday, February 20, with subsequent episodes releasing every week. It’s still the beginning of the year, so we’re hoping as the year goes on that we’ll get more adaptations of works by authors of color. There are a few coming out this year that we’re really looking forward to . In the meantime, keep reading diversely to let Hollywood know we want stories from diverse voices.Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Read In Community: Two New Celebrity Book Clubs for 2026Celebrities have been bumping for years now. They’re a nice way for celebrities to feel like “real” people to their fans, and they’re a nice way for those celebrities to highlight books they’re digging through their platforms. It’s a marriage of social connection and literary marketing, and with so many tools that can be used to facilitate book discussion, it’s even easier now than ever for these book clubs to pop up. If you’ve been an “In The Club” reader for a while, you’re likely familiar with the regular roundups of book club picks each month. They include established celeb clubs, as well as clubs hosted and run by social media creators. With the start of 2026, there are now two new celebrity book clubs joining the ranks of their peers, which means there are now two more book clubs you can consider taking part in, too. These two clubs will reach very different audiences, which makes their introductions a lot of fun. The range of titles will capture the interests of a wide array of readers, and readers looking to expand beyond their typical picks will enjoy reaching for something a little different. Sunnie Reads Launched by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company, Sunnie Reads aims to reach younger Gen Z readers. This low-stakes, cozy book club will offer one selection every other month, beginning with their first, Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet. These are the titles that the club will read and discuss together, but Sunnie Reads goes further than that. It’ll offer monthly curated book lists, playlists and moodboards connected to the types of books younger readers are digging, and “non-challenge challenges,” meant to expand your reading horizons without too much pressure. All Access members, your exclusive content begins below. This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: 5 Ways to Show Your Library Love This MonthFebruary is Library Lovers’ Month, and since you are sitting here reading Book Riot, there is a good chance that you’re someone who loves their library. If you are invested in libraries, you likely know that the last few years haven’t been easy for librarians: censorship is a continuous issue, and resources are lacking . Maybe this February, all you library lovers out there can take a moment to show appreciation to the staff at your local branch. If you’re interested in doing that, here are my librarian-approved suggestions that staff will find meaningful. 1) Write Letters to the Library Board Board trustees are crucial to the running of a library, advocating on behalf of the organization to the local government and helping to develop policies. It can be very beneficial when patrons send supportive messages about how much the library means to them because it lets the trustees know what is working and what still needs championing. 2) Write Letters to Library Staff Letters to staff can be just as important in terms of bolstering morale. We love knowing about how our efforts have positively impacted your life. Most of us are in this job because we want to help the community, so hearing from real people makes it feel worth it. On my last day as a librarian at a specific branch, a regular I’d been helping for years left a card for me before he left for the night. Believe it or not, we don’t get much thanks, so I teared up as his message thanked me and explained that my computer support had helped him get a job. As a children’s librarian, I have gotten to know many classes and families over the years, and one of my favourite possessions is a folder full of drawings done by kiddos over the years. There are so many wonderful items—thank you cards, drawings from regulars, and goodbye cards as children leave my storytime to move on to preschool. I treasure these. So, don’t underestimate how good it feels for staff when they receive letters, art, or cards. 3) Get a Library Card and Attend Programs Then there are the tangible measures that support our specific branches. We need good statistics, so show up for your library by attending our programs and getting a library card. Good attendance equals better stats equals more money to provide future programs and events. From experience, it feels amazing when you put a bunch of time into planning a program and the community actually shows up for it! And we always love someone signing up for a library card, especially since the world seems to actively attempt to make us feel obsolete. 4) Educate Yourself on Library Jobs This is one I can’t emphasize enough. Learn what working in a librar y is like. Read up on our job —our tasks and responsibilities, our challenges. Too often, it feels like no one gets our job. Everyone thinks they know what librarians do, for instance, shushing people and chatting about books, but rarely do people know the specifics. We are told how relaxing it must be, or treated like our desk time is just us chilling on a computer. When I’m sitting at the information desk and not actively assisting patrons, I’m working on programs, contacting community members, updating resources related to the job, organizing meetings, and dealing with collection maintenance. Whenever a patron has an actual understanding of what a day is like for a librarian, I am overjoyed. I am euphoric. I feel seen. If you learn what we do, you don’t even need to mention it to us; it will be clear in how you treat us. 5) Voice Positive Feedback My final suggestion is to tell us that you appreciate library workers and services. The truth is that we hear a lot of disgruntled feedback from patrons—the library is too loud, not enough seats, the printing is hard to figure out, and on and on—but less often do we hear from people who appreciate what we do. Next time you visit your local branch, let your library staff know that you see how hard we’re working and that you appreciate our services. Kind words from people are huge for us, and they make a big difference in our day. This Library Lovers’ Month, I hope these ideas inspire you to show up for your library staff.Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: 13 of the Best New Queer Books Out in February 2026February is only 28 days long, and this is usually one of the quieter seasons of publishing. So how is this month so jam-packed with exciting new queer books? We have the much-anticipated U.S. release of Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth, a new F/F romance from Ashley Herring Blake, a new lesbian sci-fi heist from Makana Yamamoto, a slapstick fantasy “In Which Many Dangerous and Homosexual Things Happen,” and so much more. This is also Black History Month in the U.S. and LGBTQ History Month in the UK, and we have some excellent queer Black nonfiction out in February. There’s a new edition of Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde that includes a new foreword by Evie Shockley and afterword by Melinda Goodman. A Body Made Home: They Black Trans Love by K. Marshall Green is a memoir and mythography written in the tradition of Audre Lorde. And don’t miss The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Ethelene Whitmire, a biography of a queer Black scholar who deserves to be more well-known. At the end of this post, All Access members can find a list of 22 more new queer books out in the first week of the month! Obsessed with Audiobooks? Win 12 Credits to Libro.fm and upgrade your 2026 commute! Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth (February 3) Chloe Michelle Howarth’s Sunburn got a lot of buzz, so fans have been counting down to the U.S. release of the follow-up. It’s being pitched as a “new take on sapphic obsession, for fans of All Our Wives Under the Sea ,” which instantly put it on my TBR. It follows a set of siblings who have just moved to the town of Ballycrea in 1965. A wealthy, childless couple in their forties takes them under their wing, but one of the sisters soon becomes obsessed with the wife, Betty. And the siblings are hiding secrets about their past. Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake (February 3) The follow-up to Dream On, Ramona Riley takes us back to the idyllic setting of Clover Lake, New Hampshire. The tattoo artist in town, April Evans, has had to close her shop and is reeling from a recent breakup. At an art class, she runs into Daphne Love, who has also had a recent breakup – with April’s ex. The enmity melts away the more time they spend together, and appreciate each other’s artwork. —Julia Rittenberg Peaches and Pucks by M.A. Wardell (February 3) When English teacher Harry is joined by P.E. teacher Darius on a trip for the boys’ hockey team, he’s at about the end of his rope. He can barely deal with seeing Darius in school, much less spending a night with him. Darius is of course intrigued by and kind of in love with Harry. The sparks between the two men are barely contained, even while they watch a bunch of tweens chase each other around the ice. —Julia Rittenberg A Slow and Secret Poison by Carmella Lowkis (February 10) I hope you’re not tired of me talking about sapphic gothic novels yet, because I’m certainly not. In 1922, Vee tries to make a fresh start by taking a job as a gardener at the crumbling Harfold Manor. She’s immediately drawn to her employer, Lady Arabella, who is convinced she will soon fall victim to the same curse that killed the rest of her family one by one. The only escape would be finding the folkloric dancing hare that gave the estate its name. But as Vee tries to help Arabella, her past threatens to catch up with her. Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die by Greer Stothers (February 3) In this funny debut fantasy, Sir Cameron is a knight who dislikes confrontation, and has done a good job avoiding it…until now. The Church has decided that in order to beat mad sorcerer Merulo, Sir Cameron—wait for it—needs to die. And in order to keep this from happening, he runs to the one person he should be afraid of: mad sorcerer Merulo. (Also it deserves a “Subtitle of the Year” award for “In Which Many Dangerous and Homosexual Things Happen.”) —Liberty Hardy The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto (February 17) From the author of Hammajang Luck comes a new lesbian sci-fi heist! Malia used to be the Obake, a notorious hacker, but she was successful enough to retire three years ago. It turns out that leaving a life of crime behind is easier said than done, though, and Malia can’t help rigging a few cybernetic fights. That lands her on the wrong side of a brutal gang leader, who gives her a deal: take down a local politician “cleaning up the streets”—or die. It’s a pretty easy choice, and Malia calls in her old contacts for help (including a femme fatale con artist) but is soon embroiled in a political and superhacker conspiracy. Queen of Faces by Petra Lord (February 3) In the world of this sapphic YA dark academia, human bodies can be replaced, if you have the money. Anabelle Gage is trapped in a decaying male body and desperate to get out of it, so she attempts to steal one from the Paragon Academy, where students are automatically given new ones. But caught by the school’s headmaster, Anabelle is blackmailed into being his personal mercenary instead. —Liberty Hardy This Wretched Beauty by Elle Grenier (February 17) Feiwel & Friends’ Remix series has had so many great hits for me (especially Travelers Along the Way and Most Ardently ). This new addition to the series reimagines Dorian Gray as a young trans person, trapped under her grandfather’s thumb as heir to his estate. When she meets a painter who sees her for who she is and introduces her to the world of molly houses and drag, she sees a new possible future for herself...

خلاصہ: Short but Sweet: 12 Exciting New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of February 2026Just because February is the shortest month doesn’t mean it’s pulling any punches! This month is loaded with amazing new science fiction and fantasy books. It’s a great way to spend 28 days, and way better than being chased by zombies. Below, you’ll find an awesome selection of exciting new sci-fi and fantasy reads out in February that will keep you busy! There’s a sci-fi medical thriller; a now-mortal goddess of death looking to undo her curse; a colonized planet trying to keep from being destroyed by Earth gamers; a queer fantasy about a timid knight who must rely on the enemy for safety; a game of life and death between humans and immortals; a monster-hunting professor in eighteenth-century with a heart-eating demon inside him; a young woman who must help restore the dragon gods to save her kingdom; and much more. Now buckle your safety belt, put on your goggles, and prepare for blast off! Obsessed with Audiobooks? Win 12 Credits to Libro.fm and upgrade your 2026 commute! All Access members, read on for the best sci-fi and fantasy books out in February 2026. This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. If you want to learn about more sci-fi and fantasy books, check out 6 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Short Stories You Can Read Online For Free , 5 Great SFF Books About Time , and The Best Fantasy Books of the Century So Far . Also, be sure to sign up for our SFF newsletter, Swords and Spaceships ! Finally, you can also find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index , carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: 8 of the Best New Books Out in February 2026February may be a short month, but it’s packed full of exciting new releases in every genre! These eight books only scratch the surface, but we’ll be back every Tuesday with more out each week. I’m especially loving all the horror-ish genre-blending books out in February, like the slasher rom-com How to Kill A Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson and the horror/psychological thriller Greedy by Callie Kazumi. Even the YA dark academia fantasy Queen of Faces by Petra Lord is full of inconvenient corpses. What can I say—horror feels relevant to every genre these days. But don’t worry, there’s also a slapstick fantasy book to escape into, or you can immerse yourself in a story of sapphic obsession in small town Ireland. Let us know what’s at the top of your TBR for February! Ready to refresh your shelves? We have a giveaway that can help! Enter to win a 1-year subscription to Book of the Month! All Access members, read on for eight of the most exciting new books out in February. This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. Other Book Riot New Releases Resources: All the Books , our weekly new book releases podcast, where Liberty and a cast of co-hosts talk about the most interesting books out that week. The New Books Newsletter , where we send you an email of the books out this week that are getting buzz. Finally, if you want the real inside scoop on new releases, you have to check out Book Riot’s New Release Index! That’s where I find 90% of new releases. What are you reading in February? Let us know in the comments !Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: The Most Read Books on Goodreads in JanuaryThe most read books on Goodreads in January mostly come down to recent adaptations, from the explosive popularity of the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation to the movie version of The Housemaid and People We Meet On Vacation . Nothing sells a book like it making it to the screen! While I have you, here’s something you should know about: if you’re reading this on the day it goes up, you still have time to bid in the Publishing for Minnesota auction ! A group of authors, editors, illustrators, and agents have responded to the crisis in Minneapolis by organizing an auction to raise money for organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and more to those most impacted by ICE raids, including Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota , Women’s Foundation of Minnesota , Midwest Immigrant Bond Fund , and more. The auction starts ends today, so get your bids in now! Items include signed books, original art, and Ask Me Anything Zoom calls with authors. This auction is also a great tool for writers: many publishing professionals are offering query critiques, manuscript critiques, and more. Teachers should also check out the many virtual school visits on offer. New Books Out in January You Should Know About Unfortunately, the most read books on Goodreads tend not to be diverse by any definition of the word. So, here are a few new books that came out in January that deserve wider readership. You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya Killing Eve fans, take note. This is a sapphic cat-and-mouse thriller about an actress, Dimple, who accidentally killed her rival, Irene, at a party. Years later, she has put it behind her and is enjoying her newfound success with Irene out of the way. But Irene’s parents have hired a private investigator, Saffi, who invites Dimple to help her on the case. Dimple knows Saffi suspects her, but she plays along, and the two of them keep raising the stakes. Dimple needs Saffi dead, and Saffi needs Dimple behind bars—which makes the sparks flying between them even more dangerous. — Danika Ellis Last First Kiss by Julian Winters A second-chance romance awaits you in Julian Winters’s Last First Kiss ! If you’re familiar with Winters’s previous novel, I Think They Love You , you’ll be happy to find out that this new release stars Denz’s cousin, Jordan, and his best friend, Jamie. You were teased about them in the last book, and it’s finally time to get their happily ever after! Get ready to go through the ups and downs of a second-chance love, especially one that pulls at your heartstrings so much. Jordan is focused on the family business, but when his boss assigns him to plan a wedding, he bumps into Jamie, and all those old feelings come flooding back. — Silvana Reyes Lopez City of Others by Jared Poon (January 13) Benjamin Toh works for the Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders in Singapore, overseeing the city’s supernatural inhabitants and keeping things running smoothly. When parts of the city begin to disappear, he’ll have to rely on his coworkers to get to the bottom of it while there’s still anything left to save. This promises to be a “charming urban fantasy full of workplace found family, queer romance, and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore.” — Danika Ellis The Most Read Books on Goodreads in January #5: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans This turned out to be the sleeper hit of 2025: it has kept growing in popularity, seemingly just from word-of-mouth recommendations. Recently, Katie Couric named it the first pick for her new book club . It’s about a woman who has written letters daily her whole life. When someone from her past writes back, she has to reevaluate a painful period in her life and find a way to forgive. This was read by almost 93,000 users this month and has a 4.6 average rating. #4: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Like Heated Rivalry and The Housemaid , this book has seen a boost from its recent adaptation to the screen. People We Meet on Vacation first came out in 2021, but expect to see Emily Henry’s books back on the bestseller and most read lists as more of them are adapted—four more are in the works. 94,000 users read it this month, and it has a 3.9 average rating. #3: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid The incredible popularity of the Heated Rivalry TV show adaptation is hard to overstate, and we’re all on tenterhooks waiting for season two. What better way to pass the time than picking up the book that inspired it? This was read by almost 103,000 Goodreads users this week and has a 4.3 average rating. #2: The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden The recent release of The Housemaid adaptation has given renewed attention to the series. This is book two, which came out in 2023. It was read by almost 106,000 users this month and has a 4.2 average rating. #1: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden This is the first book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series, followed by The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching . It’s about a housemaid who cleans for a wealthy family, takes care of their child, and lives in their attic bedroom. She’s soon pulled into the family’s dangerous secrets, but her employers may have underestimated what she’s capable of. The movie adaptation is out now. This was read by 226,000 Goodreads users, with a 4.3 average rating. If you’re looking for more buzzy books, check out The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists . Keep up with all the latest book news by signing up for the Book Riot Newsletter .Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: Supporting Minneapolis Through Literary Activism: Book Censorship News, January 30, 2026It’s been a long year under our current authoritarian regime. Among the innumerable brutal attacks on civility and democracy have been the invasions of United States cities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It began in Los Angeles–where it’s never left–and soon bled into Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Brutality against our neighbors continued in other cities, with the current surge not only persisting in Minneapolis but growing in places like small-town Maine . The targeted areas aren’t coincidental. They’re blue cities with large immigrant communities. ICE had its deadliest year in 2025, with at least 32 people dead while in custody. At the rate ICE is going, they will likely surpass that number in 2026. Two point-blank murders by ICE in Minneapolis have already accounted for two of the three total homicides in the city so far this year. From rural Maine to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, people have been showing up in support of their vulnerable and targeted neighbors. This has been evident in every state-occupied initiative in the last 12 months, though it has become especially documented, observed, and championed in Minneapolis. Whether you live in the Twin Cities or not, you can help support those who are fighting back on the ground. There are so many worthy causes and organizations helping to support both those with privilege and those who ICE is targeting. But in an effort to offer specific ideas and tie them to the bookish community, here are a few ways to support our Minneapolis neighbors through literary activism. Publishing for Minnesota Auction A large group of authors, illustrators, agents, and editors has joined forces to auction off an array of goods–ranging from signed books to manuscript reviews, video chats, and a whole lot more. The auction, which kicked off on Wednesday, January 28, runs through tonight, January 30. Item winners will then donate to one of several organizations linked by the auction organizers. Fundraising auctions like these have raised tens of thousands of dollars in the past, and this one is likely to meet or exceed those totals. You can find a complete list of available auction items here. Red Balloon’s CAN MN and Local Schools Book Drive Red Balloon Bookshop, a children’s bookstore in St. Paul, has been collecting books for Community Aid Network Minnesota and several local schools. These books go to children who are staying home amidst the violence being perpetrated on city residents. There are two ways to participate in this donation drive. You can purchase a book (or more than one) from Red Balloon for them to donate, using the code CANMN20. You can do this in person if you’re local or online if you’re not. There is a specific request for Spanish-language books. You can also make a monetary donation through the Red Balloon Bookshop. A Book of My Own Donation Drive A Book Of My Own is a Minnesota nonprofit that ships curated book collections to families in need across the state. Throughout January and continuing into February, they are collecting monetary donations to curate collections for Minneapolis families. Like Red Balloon, their focus is especially on Spanish-language books. You can make a donation here and know that your contributions will help bring literature to some of the most in-need children in the Twin Cities. Support Dreamhaven Books A brutal and powerful image surfacing on social media over the last week is one of 70-year-old comics retailer Greg Ketter being tear-gassed while standing up against ICE. You can see him here yelling at ICE agents for destroying his community and disrupting the lives of his neighbors. Kettler is the owner of Dreamhaven Books, which was vandalized in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Kettler ran a successful GoFundMe that year to help restore the shop, which you can read about here . As of writing, the store’s website is down , likely due to increased traffic and attention. You can learn more about Dreamhaven on their Instagram account , and once their website is back up, consider making a purchase or two in support. You can also make purchases through their eBay account and their AbeBooks accounts. On Dreamhaven’s Facebook page , Kettler wrote about his experience and the increased attention to the prior GoFundMe campaign. He asks folks who want to take action no t to donate there but to offer that money to local food banks instead. This is where you can marry two actions at once–support Kettler’s shop with a purchase and make a monetary donation to a Minneapolis area food bank. Shop Independent Bookstores While consumerism isn’t the best answer for helping in times of crisis, it is a meaningful action when applied to small businesses. Many of Minnesota’s independent bookshops have seen their traffic decrease, and many have been deeply supportive of anti-ICE efforts, including participating in the General Strike. Some shops to consider purchasing your next reads through include: + Birchbark Books , owned and operated by Native author Louise Erdrich + Big Hill Books , the owner of which shared this powerful message about the love and care she has for her Somali neighbors and customers. + Moon Palace Books , which has displayed a giant anti-ICE sign outside its building and which is currently helping collect Spanish-language books for a local book drive. + Black Garnet Books , owned by a queer Black woman, with a focus on inclusive literature for teens and adults. + Planting People, Growing Justice , a newer social justice focused bookstore (which began and still exists as a small publishing business as well), owned and operated by a Black woman with a focus on diverse children’s titles. + Wild Rumpus Books has been coordinating several give-back campaigns and helped coordinate a donation drive to get kids in the community art supplies during this trying time. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming projects. Help Fund Local...

خلاصہ: Out of This World Psychedelic Horror NovelsPsychedelic horror isn’t new . Classic horror films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Suspiria capitalized on the feelings of surreality that good horror can drum up. Those distinct feelings of dreamlike dread are what made them classics in the first place. But psychedelic horror literature is something of an untapped market. While plenty of indie publishers are exploring the limits of the horror genre, many mainstream outfits aren’t willing—or ready—to take the plunge. Publishing in general is risk-averse; it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry in which investors want to be sure of their investments. That goes doubly so for horror, which often feels like the forgotten category in a booming speculative fiction market . So how do we fix this? How do we get more psychedelic horror novels on store shelves? For starters, we put our money where our mouths are, buying the types of books we’d love to see more of. Hyping those reads up on social media, bookish or otherwise, helps to promote authors and sales. If you’re serious about horror fiction, you’ve got to consume more of it and encourage others to do the same. Care to take a trip? We’ve picked out five psychedelic horror novels that will leave you feeling stunned—and possibly wanting more. Psychedelic Horror Novels Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram A suicidal man in Montreal gets himself trapped in a maze-like subway station with no exit to be found in this psychedelic horror novel. Perfect for fans of Piranesi , Coup de Grâce takes readers on a frightening journey through one man’s tortured psyche as he realizes, with ever-dawning horror, that he’s not the only entity trapped in the maze. Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud The first book in Nathan Ballingrud’s “Lunar Gothic” Trilogy centers on one mentally ill woman. Abandoned on the moon by her emotionally distant husband, Veronica is the newest resident at the Barrowfield Home for Treatment of the Melancholy, where doctors conduct mind-altering experiments on their desperate patients. The Cipher by Kathe Koja They called it the Funhole, the strange black hole that appeared inside his apartment building’s storage room. They had sex next to it, then she started putting things inside it. Pretty soon, it was all he could think about. Bleak, existential body horror awaits. A Feast of Putrid Delights by Valentina Rojas Years ago, Antonia survived a homophobic assault at a local nightclub. She’s since managed to open a new restaurant with her pals, but she’s plagued by a relentless insomnia that only a new street drug can cure. Unfortunately for Antonia, the Cloud she takes to help her sleep comes with some unintended side effects—ones that could make or break her culinary career. Negative Space by B.R. Yeager In a small town left reeling by a rash of suicides, a group of burned-out teens begin experimenting with new drugs and the occult. WHORL opens a portal to another plane, allowing users to channel its supernatural powers to affect their own world. But once the kids are completely hooked, will they be able to use their newfound powers for good? Want more great horror reads? Check out the most anticipated horror novels of 2026 and this list of international horror novels .Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more

خلاصہ: The Most Surprising Thrillers Ever WrittenIt’s been over 25 years since the film The Sixth Sense hit theaters. People still quote the famous twist-revealing line, and I remember the collective gasps (and an “Oh shit!”) from fellow moviegoers. That feeling is something that many readers hope for when they pick up a thriller. The quick turning of pages is, in part, an act of seeking at least one moment of shocking surprise. In a world full of shocking moments that are at best unpleasant, the idea of having a shocking moment in a controlled manner where the stakes feel high but aren’t actually real, adds an element of fun, escapist reading. While there is thankfully no shortage of twisty thrillers, there are novels that stand out either for doing something first, being read by everyone, finding a place in pop culture, and/or being different in some way from the rest. Here are six thrillers with at least one surprising element that have stuck with me over the years. In case you haven’t read them–you should!–and have yet to have them spoiled–amazing!–I discuss the books in a spoiler-free manner. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is in large part responsible for the massive explosion of the domestic thriller subgenre and the growth of more authors, including shocking twists in their thrillers. It has also been more than a decade since the book’s release, and yet, it’s still one of the most comped books. Even after knowing the “twists,” Gone Girl still makes for an excellent reread—with hindsight, you can see how it all intricately came together. Not only do the twists feel earned, but the pacing and tension are tight throughout as readers get to know Nick Dunne, a husband whose wife has disappeared and who looks guiltier and guiltier as the investigation ramps up. If you’re a fan of adaptations, the film was directed by David Fincher and stars Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson Jackson made a name for herself with her debut and has since built an excellent catalog of crime novels that showcase her storytelling gift, featuring compelling characters and twisty, shocking reveals. Mary went to jail as a child for killing a baby that her mother was babysitting. Now, she’s in a group home and trying to figure out what kind of life she can have as a reputed baby killer in a system not designed for rehabilitation. The thing is, Mary has never once told her story about what happened. But now that she finds herself pregnant and threatened, she might need to tell. Bahni Turpin narrates the audiobook, so absolutely go with that format if you can. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough This has a shocking surprise twist, of course, but Pinborough’s novel also has an element of WTF that adds to the fun of reading this psychological thriller about a single mom who discovers that her one-night stand is her new boss and that his wife wants to befriend her. In my first review of this book, I wrote, “You might want a reading partner for this one so you can share your guesses and discuss the ending,” which I feel is always a bonus to a book. You can watch the six-episode series adaptation on Netflix, which stars Eve Hewson, Simona Brown, and Tom Bateman. Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier Jennifer Hillier made a name for herself writing dark, twisty thrillers. In Jar of Hearts , she not only delivers on the shocking twist department but also on the popular fictional serial killer trope. As a wealthy 30-year-old executive, Geo Shaw should be living the high life. Instead, her high school best friend’s body has finally been found, so she’s going to prison. But with a string of new murders with messages left on their bodies, the question is, does Geo know more than she’s revealed? The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Alex Michaelides’ debut novel won the 2019 Goodreads Favorite Mystery & Thriller, thanks to its shocking twist. In this psychological thriller, we meet criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber, who begins working at a hospital where Alicia Berenson resides. Alicia was a famous painter who shot her husband dead and has refused to speak since. Now Theo is determined to get the answers everyone wants. Death Notice by Zhou Haohui, translated by Zac Haluza Translated from Chinese, this action-packed police procedural thriller is filled with twists sure to keep readers on their toes. The book centers on a tense cat-and-mouse game between a vigilante out to kill those who’ve evaded punishment and the police he’s taunting by leaving “death notices” stating his intent before each act. If this one captures your interest, you’re in luck. It’s the first in a series. Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this she lf , and see 2026 releases! Until next time , come talk books with me on Bluesky , Goodreads , Litsy , and Multitudes Contained. If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you or you read it on bookriot.com and you’d like to get it right in your inbox, you can sign up here .Source InformationPublisher: BOOK RIOTOriginal Source: Read more