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.
8 of the Best Debut Mystery Novels Ever Written
As one of the most popular types of genre fiction, mystery novels have devoted fans who make these books consistently some of the most popular when it comes to sales. Many lovers of mysteries have read their way through multiple series, as authors will often center several books around a central detective or character. This gives readers a chance to get to know not just the plot of a single novel but also the writing style of their favorite mystery authors, as well as recurring characters and settings.
Of course, as prolific writers continue to publish, even their most avid fans may have trouble reaching all the way back into their backlist. To help with this, I’ve rounded up the debut novels of popular mystery novels that both avowed mystery readers and newbies to the genre can enjoy.
BIPOC Books to Gift
We are in an interesting pocket of time where it feels like we’re constantly cycling between despair, incredulity, denial, and depression, with some moments of levity mixed in. It’s kind of surreal, to be honest. Unsurprisingly, books have been excellent at making me feel grounded (or, maybe escaping from reality, to be real), and looking forward to sharing books with people feels especially joyous. Since we’re talking gifts, I made sure that the books below were very cutesy…
Romance, Drama, and a Wealth Black Family
Davenports fans, the wait is over! Ruby, Olivia, Amy-Rose, and Helen are back to give you something to swoon about and, better still, you’re invited to the glamorous and luxe celebration of Ruby Tremaine and Harrison Barton’s engagement. Read on for an excerpt from The Davenports: More Than This following Ruby as she basks in Harrison’s love and is introduced to a daring and, unfortunately, allied newcomer.
5 Immigrant and Refugee Stories for Kids
Even though the United States is a nation made up primarily of immigrants, it is often unwelcoming to immigrants and refugees who come here to find a new home. These five children’s books about immigrants and refugees tell their stories, from language struggles to experiencing racism to celebrating family stories. Each one is a beautiful exploration of what it’s like to be an immigrant and refugee.
Overachieving and Unfulfilled? Read This Book.
Today’s book recommendation is a new addition to the self-help/self-improvement genre. It’s focused on a very particular audience but there are more than a few of us. The author is a self-described Underfulfilled Overachiever, which she abbreviates as UFOA, and she has written this for all the other UFOAs out there. During the month and a half since I read it I found myself recommending it repeatedly, something I don’t take lightly when dealing with this genre. This book continues to give me a lot to think about.
The Week’s Most Interesting Bookish News
On today’s episode of the Book Riot Podcast, Jeff O’Neal and I discuss Amazon’s best books of the year, the start of the Goodreads Choice Awards, and more.
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