POPSUGAR Books

Meet the Authors Behind 5 of the Most Anticipated Books of 2026

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:00:01 -0800

To put it lightly, 2025 has been . . . tumultuous. This madcap year marks the halfway point of the 2020s, a period that has brought instability and chaos like we've never seen before. What started with a pandemic has grown into a laundry list of collective traumas we've endured this past half-decade. (Of course, it hasn't all been bad - I adopted a cat, Rosalía started doing opera, we still have "The Great British Baking Show" on Netflix, and so on.)

As this year approaches its end, we not only have the opportunity to reflect on where we've been, but also where we're going. And if there's one tool that helps us envision those possibilities best, it's books. Our favorite books hold a mirror to our worlds - whether that's a funhouse mirror or one of those awful magnifying mirrors that they have in hotel bathrooms - and allow us to see bits of ourselves in all sorts of different scenarios and beings. Yes, books offer an escape, which can be especially welcome in times of such harsh discord. But they can also keep us grounded, helping us confront the very real challenges we face as individuals and communities.

Looking at the crop of books coming in 2026, we should be in good hands (in a literary sense, if nothing else). There's sure to be plenty more romantasy coming down the pike, able to satiate the masses of hungry readers looking for their next shadow daddy obsession. But we'll also be seeing standout works that tackle subjects like environmental collapse, TikTok politics, and the messy layers of everything from colonization to tragic love stories, in genres across literary and historical fiction and YA. These books and others like them promise to be a life raft for us readers, no matter what inclemency next year may bring.

Below, you'll find excerpts from interviews with the authors of four of the most anticipated books of next year (edited and shortened for clarity) to learn more about why their work deserves a spot on your 2026 TBR list. (Have those Popsugar Reading Challenge prompts handy!)

The Books That Changed Popsugar Editors' Lives

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:03 -0800

We all have books that reverberate in our bodies long after we flip the final page. Whether it's a book that formed some of our earliest memories - you will always be treasured, "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" - a book we were assigned in school, a book we received as a gift, or a random title we nabbed from a library or community bookstore, the stories we read have the ability to profoundly shape the people we become.

Some of us take that more literally than others. Maybe you read "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and now you only date shadow daddies. Maybe you read "The Catcher in the Rye" and now everyone in your life's a "phony." Maybe you read "Arianna and the Strawberry Tea" and begged your parents to make everyone at your fifth birthday party their own strawberry tea and chocolate tarts. No? Just me?

It might sound quaint in an age dominated by tech billionaires and artificial intelligence, but nothing beats a good book. To celebrate the role of reading in our lives and the launch of the 2026 Popsugar Reading Challenge, I asked Popsugar editors to share the one (or, let's be real, two or three) book(s) from anytime in their lives that have opened their minds to something new, and that they'll always return to. Because if you're not making a book your entire personality, what are you even doing?

Popsugar Editor Book Picks

Kaitlin Hatton, director of audience development

"Tomboyland: Essays" ($14, originally $15) by Melissa Faliveno moved me so deeply that I regularly return to the book, and it's been years since I first read it. It echoed my own roots as a queer person in the Midwest in a way that I had yet to see from a piece of media.

Runner-up: The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. I picked up the first book in junior high and essentially grew up with the main character, Jacky Faber, after that. It's ultimately a story of being a young girl in a man's world, and all the trials that come with that. It also has swords, so that's a plus.

Taylor Andrews, senior editor

Not to go all basic, but the book that changed my life is "Twilight" ($13, originally $17) by Stephenie Meyer. When I was little, I wasn't much of a reader. I spent most of my free time playing sports or hanging out with my family, so I never really got into books. But when I started hearing rumblings about a vampire/werewolf/human love triangle, I couldn't not read. Though the storyline didn't necessarily change my life, the series did spark my love for reading now. Most importantly, it taught me that books and reading don't have to feel like homework or a stuffy AP literature class.

Jordan Shalhoub, supervising producer of social video

My answer is kind of cringe so don't judge me: "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" ($16, originally $17) by Mark Manson.

Runner-up: "Keeping You a Secret" by Julie Anne Peters was a huge turning point for me as a young queer in high school. That was probably more timing and less the particular story, but hey.

Also "Be" by A.C. Ping.

Lena Felton, senior director of special projects and partnerships

I was in high school when my mom, a writer herself, first gave me "Bird by Bird" ($11, originally $17) by Anne Lamott. It's ostensibly a book about how to write - something I've loved to do forever - but also a book about how to live. Lamott lives in Marin County, CA, where I grew up, so my mom and I have always found her novels, memoirs, and general sensibility relatable and wise. "Bird by Bird" is a book I return to when I want to be reminded of why I do what I do, and where I came from.

Chandler Plante, staff writer and social producer

I hope it's not cliché, but "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" ($17, originally $18) genuinely made me want to be a kinder, gentler human being. I read it shortly before losing my right eye, but the way Ocean Vuong writes about love and loss and grief resonated with me throughout that entire journey.

Emma Glassman-Hughes, associate editor

For me, it might be "Wide Sargasso Sea" ($10, originally $15) by Jean Rhys. For the longest time, "Jane Eyre" was my favorite book, but when I discovered that someone wrote essentially a prequel for it over 100 years later, bestowing the "mad woman in the attic" with a backstory and undeniable humanity, it forced me to reckon with how there are always two sides to every story - especially for the countless women throughout history who have been systematically minimized. It kinda broke my brain when I read it in college. I was also fascinated by its critiques of colonialism.

Runners-up: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston; "Eileen" by Ottessa Moshfegh; "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer; literally anything by Toni Morrison; "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee; and "Twilight," TBH.

Caitlin Oates, editorial operations coordinator

"The Time Traveler's Wife" ($8, originally $15) by Audrey Niffenegger dazzled me in high school. It was one of the first iterations of a nuanced romance I'd seen depicted in fiction, clearly written by and told from the POV of sharp, erudite women. I was also impressed with how airtight the sci-fi, time travel aspect was - it didn't feel gimmicky, and the author didn't take shortcuts to get around grounding her fiction in truth and adhering to the rules of the world she created. Also, Chicago-forward, which may or may not have influenced my university decision.

Runners up: "Come As You Are" by Emily Nagoski - I mean. There are few women for whom this is not influential and eye-opening. I am deeply invested in sexual health, wellness, and education, as a reformed religious kid, and this simply blows open the whole concept of sex/sexuality, divorcing it from the very strict, narrow, heteronormative viewpoint that reigns supreme in our culture.

Also, "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson and "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson. Beautiful writing, and each makes its respective era come alive, truly.

There's also "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave, a devastating story about an English reporter and a Nigerian refugee, and how their paths intersect both in Nigeria and in England. It's heavy on the commentary on colonization, treatment of asylum-seekers, and political violence, and it does that through a deeply personal and specific lens. It devastated me for months and really expanded my awareness.

And lastly, "The Butterfly Effect" by Jon Ronson. It's a journalistic look at the real, gritty effects of "free" porn, and who suffers for it, and absolutely shifted my whole perspective on sex work generally.

Emma Glassman-Hughes (she/her) is the associate editor at PS Balance. In her seven years as a reporter, her beats have spanned the lifestyle spectrum; she's covered arts and culture for The Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, and food, climate, and farming for Ambrook Research.

Meet the "Shadow Daddies" of Romantasy

Erika W. Smith — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:02 -0800

If you're a reader of romantasy, even a casual one, you're familiar with this character. He's a particular type of enemies-to-lovers male love interest: a morally gray bad boy with a heart of gold, deadly to his enemies but sweet to his lover. He's the type to ask, "Who did this to you?!" He's tall, dark, and handsome. He might be a fae, a god, a vampire, or some other kind of supernatural creature. Most importantly, he has the power to wield shadows. What more could a beautiful (though she doesn't realize it) 18-to-22-year-old heroine want?

This archetype has been lovingly nicknamed the "shadow daddy," and he's everywhere. In particular, he spent considerable time at the top of the New York Times bestseller list in the form of Xaden Riorson, the male love interest of the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros (that's "Fourth Wing," "Iron Flame," and the latest "Onyx Storm").

Xaden is the son of a rebel leader who was executed before the start of the series, making him a sworn enemy of Violet, our heroine and the daughter of the general who ended the rebellion. (Of course, when he and Violet meet as young adults, sparks fly and the enemies-to-lovers plotline begins.) Xaden has onyx eyes with gold flecks, black hair, and tawny skin - and his signet, or unique signature power, is shadow summoning.

Shadow daddies like Xaden blend violence and love, outer darkness and inner light. One Redditor on r/fantasyromance offered this poignant definition: "A shadow daddy is OLD, like 500 years+, but looks young, has scars and tattoos, usually darker skin and dark hair, has shadow powers aka the name, like can control darkness or shadows, is HOT, . . . morally grey and has *issues* and always falls in love with the main female character." (It should be noted, however, that not all shadow daddies fit this exact profile. Xaden, for instance, is in his 20s, but hits every other mark.) A top reply adds another important trait: "Don't forget that said shadow daddy may also do certain things with those shadows."

Xaden is no exception. Throughout the series, he uses his shadows to kill enemies and caress Violet, sometimes at the same time. In chapter two of "Onyx Storm," Xaden comes to rescue Violet in the midst of a battle, and this happens: "Shadows explode around us, immediately devouring every speck of light in a sea of endless black I instantly recognize as home. A band of darkness wraps around my hips and yanks me backward, then brushes my cheek gently, steadying my galloping heartbeat and quieting my power. Screams fill the chamber, followed by a pair of thuds, and I know without a doubt any threat to my life's been extinguished."

For romantasy fans, these sexy, deadly shadows are familiar. In fact, there's another shadow-daddy book that also spent time on the New York Times bestseller list: "A Court of Thrones and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas. A trio of the series' male characters fit the archetype: Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel. The main love interest, Rhysand, doesn't actually control shadows, but he's grumpy, immortal, and the ruler of the Night Court. Then there's Azriel, Rhysand's lead spymaster and "shadowsinger" - he's the one with the power to control shadows. Azriel hasn't yet been the male love interest in one of the ACOTAR books, but fans suspect he'll be the subject of the next one. (For anyone anticipating book six, Maas apparently finished the draft in July.)

In fact, there have been dozens and dozens of shadow-daddy books released over the past 15 years: There's the Fae & Alchemy series by Callie Hart, the Flesh and Fire series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo, and the Bonds That Tie series by J. Bree. Want more? A Goodreads Bookshelf titled "Shadow Daddies Books" contains 347 titles.

Haters might insinuate that romantasy writers are all copying each other, but powerful and sexy characters linked to darkness are present throughout many different mythologies and folklores. Think of gods of death like Hades, Pluto, and Odin, and even fallen angel Lucifer (at least the "Paradise Lost" version). Many romantasy writers credit mythology as inspiration: "I love all sorts of world mythologies," Maas said in a 2022 Good Reading interview. "There's Norse mythology and Celtic mythology in there, along with dashes of Greek and Roman culture."

There's a reason why I said Hades and Odin but not Anubis. Descriptions of "tawny" or "bronzed" skin means that many of the shadow daddies can be read as racially ambiguous. On Reddit, there are frequent discussions over whether a shadow daddy is Asian, Middle Eastern, Black, Mediterranean, or just a white guy who spent some time in the sun. (Yarros has said that Xaden is a person of color but hasn't specified beyond that.)

However, when it comes to the most successful authors in the romantasy genre, including Yarros and Maas, the vast majority are white. One exception is N.K. Jemisin. Though she's best known for her sci-fi series, Broken Earth, her first novel, "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms," is shadow-daddy romantasy: The lead character, a warrior named Yeine, falls in love with Nahadoth, the god of chaos and change. Jemisin has frequently spoken out about the barriers Black writers face in the fantasy world. "It's still easier for a white person to write a book with an all-black cast set in fantasy Africa and get it published than for a black person," she told The Guardian in 2020.

Although there are authors who iterate on the shadow-daddy character type (for example, later books in Jemisin's "Inheritance" trilogy reveal that Nahadoth can change gender and has even given birth), some romantasy readers are starting to get bored of all these variations on a theme. Some fans have even complained about shadow daddy burnout. But there's a reason why this archetype keeps popping up: it sells. "Onyx Storm" sold nearly 3 million copies in its first week alone, making it the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years. And with money like that on the table, it's safe to say that shadow daddies aren't going away anytime soon.

Erika W. Smith (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers astrology, sex, relationships, lifestyle, and more. Her book series Astrosex was published in 2021.

Silent Book Clubs Are an Introvert-Friendly Way to Socialize

Helen Carefoot — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:00:02 -0800

It's a great time to be a reader. Several years ago, the words "book club" may have conjured a mental image of wine-soaked, charcuterie-fueled in-person meetups at a friend's home. Now, book clubs take many forms, with options for nearly every type of reader - whether in-person or online, through a local library or bookstore, a community built by celebrities or #BookTok.

Even so, the traditional pressures and commitments that exist in any sort of group activity can, for many, turn book clubs into a chore.

Welcome to Silent Book Club, a club that's based around a seemingly paradoxical idea: reading alone, together. Gone are the sometimes rambling, sometimes insightful discussions about tone or prose or themes. All that's required is showing up and reading a book of your choice - alone.

Crack open the latest Booker Prize winner, or mass market paperback, or your history textbook, or a portal to any world you wish to escape to. This experience of reading alone together is growing more popular among readers because it provides a measure of accountability and a chance to socialize and tailor the experience without the usual pressures.

Founded in 2012 by Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich, Silent Book Club started as a way for the two busy friends to fit reading for pleasure back into their packed schedules and also keep each other accountable. It was a small gathering among friends for about three years until 2016, when farther-flung acquaintances asked de la Mare about starting their own meetups. "People we knew started what we'd now call chapters, and that gave us the idea to put this out into the world and let everyone do it," she tells PS.

Readers around the world are keen to participate. According to the Silent Book Club site, there are nearly 2,000 Silent Book Clubs worldwide; after a lull during the pandemic when some chapters disbanded or stopped actively meeting, there's been "explosive growth."

On top of that, Silent Book Club receives about 20 requests per week to form new clubs, according to de la Mare. She credits it to a post-pandemic need for in-person connection and a desire to unplug and unwind from the constant grind of virtual connection.

"There's so much content and information available, and the way we consume that is constantly bouncing around and absorbing things in little snippets, so it really takes effort to shift gears in your brain back to focusing on one story at a time," de la Mare says.

This isn't to say that Silent Book Clubs are in direct opposition to meetups that involve discussion. Rather, the goal is to make fitting reading into the schedule as seamless as possible by eliminating distractions, like nerves about socializing or the feeling of having homework. Silent Book Clubs aren't necessarily an enemy of traditional book clubs - in fact, de la Mare says many Silent Book Club participants use their time to catch up on reading for other book clubs.

According to de la Mare, a typical Silent Book Club starts with some socializing and settling down before the organizer lets everyone know it's time to read (typically, for about an hour). But instead of that chatter continuing throughout, it stops before everyone picks up their own book of choice and dives in.

"Putting yourself in a room with a bunch of people who are doing the same thing is the extra peer pressure you need [to stay focused]," she explains. "It's a profound shift in stepping off the hamster wheel, and I feel like it's easier to put down the phone when everyone else around you is doing it, too." When this veil of sustained silent reading lifts, bookworms are free to stay and chat, or leave.

One of these chapters is run by Megan Sampson, a 35-year-old executive assistant in Easton, MA. Sampson had been on the hunt for a book club after a move, but she wasn't finding the right fit. "There was no homework associated with it, but the idea of coming up with something smart to say at a meeting didn't really resonate with me," she says.

That's when she saw a TikTok about Silent Book Club. The lack of pressure and performance - plus the promise of making new friends - drew her in. Sampson filled out an online form to launch the chapter and contacted local watering hole Shovel Town Brewery before posting about the club on social media.

She didn't expect anyone to show up for the first meeting at a local brewery in September 2023, but 37 people did, and she's been thrilled with the response and community she's since built. As of 2024, about 137 readers participated in monthly meetups at three local businesses. In the time since, plenty of friendships and acquaintances have formed - even a few job offers, too. The spines that litter the brewery's long tables every meeting span genres; people read romances, thrillers, sci-fi, and even sheet music, in one instance.

"It's great to have this alone time together."

That flexibility and freedom to read whatever one wants also appealed to Ashley Mason, a 27-year-old marketing firm founder who lives in Middleborough, MA. Mason joined Sampson's chapter back in September. She'd been in book clubs before but was hesitant to regularly attend any because she's particular about what she reads and didn't feel drawn to all the assigned books. It was an added bonus that Mason could trade the nightmarish commute into Boston, where most local cultural happenings take place, for an easier 20-minute drive to Easton. "It's great to have this alone time together," Mason says, "and knowing you're around people who love to read is really great."

Silent Book Club is now a beloved ritual for Mason. She works from home, so getting out into the world and meeting other people is another reason to attend Silent Book Club. She's since recruited her longtime best friend, and they have a monthly routine that involves trying different restaurants for early dinner in Easton before going to Shovel Town together. The casual conversations between silent reading periods add to her day, and she's also found other people who run book accounts on Instagram.

The club provides a way for introverts to emerge from their shells in manageable ways. Lindsey Chastain, a 47-year-old founder and CEO who lives near Tulsa, OK, has attended Silent Book Club meetups at Magic City Books for a couple of years.

Chastain relishes the balance of independence and mingling. "I'm so much an introvert, and one of my main issues with book clubs is that people either haven't read the book or the conversation doesn't stay on the book, which is what I went there to do," she explains. "For the most part, [my chapter] is a bunch of people who don't really want to socialize but want to be social."

It's the combo of in-person meetings and silent time that keeps her coming back; it's a welcome escape from the responsibilities of running her own businesses, parenting four teenagers, and running a hobby farm, and it helps her carve out precious time for herself where nobody is asking her for anything. "I'm removing all of the obstacles to reading when I arrive at Silent Book Club so I can clear my mind of all these other things," she explains.

Being around other readers has helped Chastain glean lots of reading inspiration just from glancing at what others are reading, and she likes that she can then enjoy these books without any preconceived notions based on others' opinions shared in discussions. She also likes that this format eliminates any barriers or differences that can make conversations stumble - say, some people reading just for the plot or vibes while others are closely analyzing prose - so each reader can have the experience they want without judgment or disappointment.

Even though she didn't set out to meet others through the book club (she wouldn't be opposed, but doesn't have a lot of time to dedicate to new friends), Chastain has strengthened an important relationship through her participation in Silent Book Club: she and her 18-year-old son have attended meetups twice together and read the same book. "It's given us now some common ground to not just be mother and son, but also literary buddies and friends," she says.

Helen Carefoot is a freelance lifestyle, culture, and entertainment journalist based in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was Well+Good's Lifestyle Writer and worked at The Washington Post on the lifestyle desk in the features section.

The 2026 PS Reading Challenge Came Early This Year - Just in Time For Reading Season

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 06:00:02 -0700

They say the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, but around these parts, we know nothing tops the launch of the annual Popsugar Reading Challenge - our take on a virtual book club that connects book lovers all around the world. That's part of the reason we're giving readers an extra month this year to get started working through the 50 prompts that we've compiled, each one designed to keep your bibliophile juices flowing and your library card dust-free.

While it's possible that some of the books you'll choose to read over the next year won't be rosy in nature (I, for one, love a dark and twisted read), the theme for the 2026 Reading Challenge certainly is; not just rosy, but also leafy and viney and all-around generative. The idea is that our prompts will "plant" your "garden" (ahem, your personal library) with bookspo, and that, over the span of the year, your hearts, brains, and bookshelves will blossom with the great reads you and all the eager readers in the PS Book Club Facebook group have nurtured.

A couple of this year's prompts reflect that garden theme, like "a book that takes place during harvesting season" and "a book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title." Others take inspiration from some of our favorite PS stories from 2025, like "a book with a dad as the primary caregiver" (shout-out to dad clubs) and "a book about a granny hobby." And some - like "a book set in Michigan or written by an author from Michigan," aka the 26th state - are an homage to the number 26, looking ahead to next year and the bounty that 2026 will hopefully bring. Maybe "a book that makes you want to travel to Italy" will inspire you to attend the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan?

Image Source: PS Photography / Patricia O'Connor

In typical Reading Challenge style, our team has also been hard at work crafting some IRL extras to help you keep your 2026 reading goals on track, including a printable "bouquet" - but instead of flowers, each stem is a different prompt. You can download the printable list of book prompts here, the sheet of book selections that will become your bouquet here, and the book-cover tracking sheet here. And if you haven't already, join the PS Book Club on Facebook and the Ultimate PS Reading Challenge on Goodreads to keep in touch with your reading buddies throughout the year.

However you choose to tackle the 2026 prompts, we hope they help germinate a very fruitful year of reading.

2026 PS Reading Challenge Prompts

A book where gardening or a garden is central to the plot

A book that features a platonic friendship between a man and woman

A book you meant to read in 2025

A book that starts with the letter "Z"

A book about women astronauts

A book with an overweight main character whose story isn't about losing weight

A book about a granny hobby

A book about a sexless marriage

A book with a "type C" character

A book about a horse or with a horse on the cover

A book with a dad as the primary caregiver

A book with "pop" or "sugar" in the title

A book featuring a character with a hidden past

A book set in Michigan or written by an author from Michigan

A book about new beginnings

A book less than 260 pages

A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics

A love story that defies social boundaries

A book about teen angst

A book with a character who does Pilates or Lagree

A book about a bachelorette trip

A book about a book club

A book you were hoping would fit into a prompt but doesn't

A book about postpartum

A book that explores influencer culture

A book with a character who navigates infertility

A book with a character who has curly hair

A book about debt

A book that takes place during harvesting season

A travel ghost story

A book that makes you feel FOMO

A book with an underwater civilization

A book about college

A book with a trans or nonbinary protagonist

A book that makes you want to travel to Italy

A book about a mob (fiction or nonfiction)

A book about a pop star

A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title

A book with a character who runs a marathon

A book outside your comfort zone

Advanced Prompts

A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook

A book inspired by a real song, album, band, or artist

Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (1)

Two books written by real-life partners or spouses (2)

A book that features birding

A sapphic comic

A book told entirely through letters

A book with a shadow daddy

A book with a mention of your zodiac sign

A book about Afrofuturism

2026 PS Reading Challenge Printables

Below are the printables you'll want to take with you while you tend to your 2026 PS Reading Challenge garden. How will your bouquet take shape?

14 Library Card Benefits That Aren't Just Free Books

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:35:02 -0700

Just when we feared the public library might slip into oblivion as little more than an artifact of the analog age, #LibraryTok put the centuries-old democratic institution back on the map. Pioneered by chronically online zillennials - with the help, humor, and award-worthy acting of their older colleagues - LibraryTok has given us such gems as this meditation on teamwork and this rendition of "Hot To Go," making it known that libraries (and all their many, many services) will never go out of style.

Nowadays, with the dismantling of state-funded programs and massive cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, public libraries are in dire need of support. But even if you were a library-loving baddie in elementary school (all hotties were!), it's understandable if you lost touch with the public library system somewhere along the line and forgot - or never knew - about all the different library card benefits that you get for free just by signing up. Everyone knows the library has a trove of free books ripe for the picking, but fewer know about the technology services, career advice workshops, community classes, museum passes, and so many more perks that come with a free library card.

Whether you're looking to rekindle your love of reading, need a quiet spot to do remote work, or want to print out more adult coloring pages, your library card benefits will open more doors than you think. Read on for a roundup of just some of the perks available at your local library.

Library Card Benefits

Free Books

Alright let's just get this out of the way: Obviously the main appeal of every library is the books. You won't need to spend a cent on books when you borrow from the library, and if you can't find the book you want at your local branch, you can always put in a request and the book will be sent from another branch to a library near you. Most libraries make it easy to request holds for books online using their site, but you can always ask a librarian for some in-person assistance.

Job Search Help

For those on the job hunt, your local library might be an unlikely resource. Not only does the library tend to have a quiet, office-like atmosphere, but many branches also offer free services, like résumé and LinkedIn workshops, and free access to online programs that can help you prep for interviews.

Access to Newspapers and Magazines

It's hard to keep up with the news when that also means keeping up with all the different news subscriptions. Luckily, your local library is home to copies of most major and local newspapers that you can peruse for free. They also have stacks of magazines, from The Atlantic to National Geographic to Bon Appétit, that are available for cardholders.

Access to Archives

If you're feeling nostalgic, you can relive your teen days with copies of magazines you used to read during your younger years. But if you're looking for news clips dating back further, the library is an excellent resource - many have extensive archives of physical and microfiche news sources that can help bring research projects of all kinds to life.

Access to DVDs, CDs, and More

Blockbuster may be long dead, but if you've recently exhausted the Netflix catalog and you need some new inspiration, check out your local library's collection of DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, and more depending on your location. (Your librarian will have a good sense of what's available and what they might need to specially order for you.)

Ebook Access

It's not just physical books that you'll find at the library! If ebooks are your preferred form of absorbing the written word, your library card will get you free access to a handful of different audiobook services.

Sheet Music Access

Musicians love their local libraries. You can scan the sheet music of your favorite songs for free and hold onto copies forever without spending a dime.

Exhibit Your Art

Many libraries display work from local artists. If you're looking to gain exposure, the walls of your public library are a great place to start building community awareness of your work. Get in touch with the librarians to discuss how they curate their walls.

Free Printing and Scanning Services

Scan pages from books, sheet music, receipts, whatever you might need. Many library cards come with a (free) prepaid balance for using printers and scanners. If you're a ritual printer and you spend all your free money, the per-page rates for future print jobs are still quite low and shouldn't break the bank.

Entertainment For Kids

Want hours of entertainment for your child but don't want to just stick them in front of an iPad screen? It's public library time. Not only will it help your child develop a healthy love for books at a young age, there's also lots of children's programming, kids' sections, and sometimes even play spaces for little ones.

Internet and Computer Access

Free WiFi and computer access are big draws to the library. (Shocker.) Whether you need to borrow a laptop or desktop computer, or you just want a quiet, safe space to get some work done on your own machine, the public library is a great option.

Free Access to Sites or Databases With Paywalls

With a library card, you can often access paid databases and sites with paywalls for free, such as Ancestry.com, Morningstar, journals, and more.

Museum Passes

Some libraries offer discounts or free passes to cultural institutions like art museums and aquariums. These typically have to be reserved well in advance, but it's always worth checking in with your librarians about what's available and when.

Legal Help

Curious about the legality of some action taken by your landlord or employer? You can look up the city, state, and federal codes in their entirety at the library. Staff librarians are well-versed in how to help if you're feeling stuck.

Crafty Fun

Craft time is a sacred time for many, and many libraries host craft clubs that you can join. Also check out the DIY section for books that can help you choose your next big craft project.

Your Next Friend Hang: A Reading Weekend Indoors

Taylor Andrews — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:25:16 -0700

Josie Wilde and her friends were looking for a fun way to hangout in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter, and that's when the idea of hosting a reading weekend came to mind. "We're in a book club together, and we already have a lot of conversations together about reading and books, so we decided we should just read together."

Wilde and her friends then gathered together one weekend in January to read, hike, bake desserts, cook new dinner recipes, and craft DIY bookmarks. "It was great to spend time with each other in a way that was off our phones, low cost, and also relaxing and fun," she tells PS.

When Wilde later posted a video on TikTok documenting the reading weekend, she had no idea it would go as viral as it did: With over two million pageviews, the comment section was filled with people eager to try a reading weekend themselves. "Y'all taking applications for friendships or??" one person wrote. Another person commented, "May this type of friendship find me."

With granny hobbies on the rise, hosting a reading weekend with your group chat might just be the perfect plan. It's cozy, intimate, and a great way to connect with your friends without spending $17 on a cocktail. It might even help you make a new couch friend or two. Whether you're interested in finding a new hobby or reading your way through your TBR pile, here's everything to know about how to host the perfect reading weekend.

@josiewilde
🤍🤍🤍🤍 #reading #readingweekend #bookmarksdiy #diy #flowerbookmarks #kitchenaidblizzards #blizzards #girlsweekend #cozy #cabin #sjm #acotar #fourthwing @Emily Hagen @erinwear @ava @Emma Pitzl @lydia @Cassie Anderson
♬ origineel geluid - r & m <3 ⸆⸉

Why You Should Host a Reading Weekend

Hosting a reading weekend will help you become a better reader, if that's something you're interested in improving. For Wilde, she enjoyed the accountability. "I am the type of person that's like, 'I'm free tonight, I can't wait to read my book!' and then spend two hours scrolling on TikTok. So it's nice to have other people around you reading - it's like a dedicated time to do it," she says. It's also a great way to tackle any lingering books on your TBR pile or get ahead on a book club read.

But even if reading isn't necessarily something you're interested in, it's still an easy hobby to pursue. Because many zillennials report not having any hobbies, reading is a pretty low-stakes activity that connects you with other people while also getting you off of your phone. And really, it's the perfect way to spend time with friends or make new ones.

Not only is it cost effective, but you can connect with people in a different way than you normally would. For Wilde, she loves that she can talk about a book with her friends as she's reading it.

How to Host a Reading Weekend

Your reading weekend can look however you want it to, and with however many people you want to include. However, Wilde suggests starting by inviting friends who you share similar interests with - even if you haven't bonded over books before. "Find people that you know love to read or you know want to try new things," she says.

"Reading is something people think you just do by yourself, but let's do it together."

On Wilde's viral TikTok, many people commented that they didn't have friends to do a reading weekend with, but Wilde says to invite people anyway. "You don't have to be in reading jail all weekend," Wilde says. "There's other activities to do, so you don't have to be a big reader to do a reading weekend." (And if you are looking for friends who share similar reading habits as you, try joining a book club or PS's Reading Challenge Facebook page.)

Once you have the invite list down, it's time to decide where you want to host the reading weekend. Wilde and her friends host theirs in a friend's living room, but you can also rent a cabin or vacation home and make a trip out of it. (Just make sure to plan ahead since people have busy schedules. Wilde and her friends planned their reading weekend four months in advance.)

No matter where and when your reading weekend takes place, however, snacks, cozy PJs, and books are absolutely essential. Also, make sure you have other activities planned for when you need a reading break: Wilde and her friends crafted DIY bookmarks and went on hot girl walks when they needed to switch things up.

At the end of the day, a reading weekend is all about combining a healthy hobby with community – in whatever way that looks like for you. So don't let the fact that you're not in a book club or don't have friends that read discourage you from trying it. "Reading is something people think you just do by yourself, but let's do it together," Wilde says.

Taylor Andrews (she/her) is the balance editor at PS, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With seven years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.

23 Enemies-to-Lovers Books That Turn Rivalry to Romance

Amanda Prahl — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:35:01 -0800

Of all the romance tropes, enemies-to-lovers is one of the juiciest. What could be better than two characters slowly learning that their hate for each other is actually intense attraction? It's a recipe for delicious tension - and for incredibly compelling plotlines. (Just ask Shakespeare.)

The best enemies-to-lovers books weave together a bunch of different dynamics. They might feature a clash of personalities between two people who are stuck with each other, like in "Well Met" by Jen DeLuca or "The Ruin of a Rake" by Cat Sebastian. The rivalry might be traced to long-ago grudges, like in "The Hookup Plan" by Farrah Rochon or "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston. Or, in some cases, these enemies are quite literally out for blood, like in India Holton's "The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels" or "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros.

However you like your enemies-to-lovers plots, you're sure to find a book you love on this list.

32 Essential Books by Trans and Nonbinary Authors to Add to Your Reading List

Marlo Willows — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:45:03 -0800

Given the deluge of anti-trans and anti-queer legislation that the federal government has flushed through the nation - including executive orders mandating the existence of only two genders and the deletion of critical scientific and medical research from federal websites - it no longer feels like enough to celebrate a couple trans holidays throughout the year and call it a day.

While the annual observance of something like Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the memory of trans folks whose lives have been lost to acts of anti-trans violence (which only continues to increase), queer folks and allies can take simple actions to support the transgender people who are very much still alive, including reading books by transgender and nonbinary authors.

From beautifully illustrated collections of poetry to compelling fiction novels and poignant memoirs, this list has something any reader at any level can enjoy. We've included well-loved titles from pioneering trans authors as well as a few new works that we're looking forward to reading when they come out this year.

Regardless of what a few powerful people at the top have to say about gender, these books are a reminder that there are infinite ways to express your identity, and infinite reasons to celebrate just that.

- Additional reporting by Lena Felton and Emma Glassman-Hughes

The 18 Best Fantasy Romance Books

Kaley Rohlinger — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:50:03 -0800

If you feel like fantasy romance books are having a moment lately, you're probably right. As the broader romance genre grows in popularity, fantasy grows right along with it. With a romance book, you typically know what you're going to get - while the tropes vary, you can bet that the two main characters will be in love by the end. Fantasy introduces a whole new twist to the genre: you can have human characters set in a fantastical world, or any variety of supernatural characters, magic, and power in the mix.

Whether you're reading for the fantasy, the romance, or the "spice" - BookTok slang for steamy sex scenes - the fantasy romance genre has something for just about everyone, as long as you're interested in the two main categories, of course.

Just remember before diving in: these aren't your childhood fairies. Additionally, like romance novels, a large number of fantasy romance reads contain a healthy amount of spice, so reading reviews beforehand can help you determine the appropriate number of "peppers," the BookTok ranking system for spice.

Ahead, browse the 18 best fantasy romance books currently out there.

The 2025 PS Reading Challenge Is Here - Are You Ready For It?

Taylor Andrews — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:30:03 -0800

Welcome to the 2025 PS Reading Challenge, a different kind of book club where we introduce 50 new prompts to inspire your next read. We hope you're just as excited as we are. This year, we decided to change things up and tap you, our dedicated and loyal fan base, for book prompt ideas - and your creativity did not disappoint.

Some of those are reflected on our PS Reading Challenge list, like "a book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma" and "a book mentioned in another book," to name a few. (If one of your ideas was selected, take this as permission to flex about it in the PS Book Club on Facebook.) We couldn't let you all have all the fun, though. The PS team also came up with topical, zeitgeisty prompts that will be especially relevant in 2025.

One, for example, is "a book about soccer" to help you get ready for the 2025 FIFA World Cup. Then, when you're ready to move on to "a book set in a luxury hotel," you can pregame by binge-watching the third season of "The White Lotus" on Max, set to premiere in 2025. You can also challenge yourself with an advanced prompt, like finding a book that features a married couple who don't live together, a nod to the viral "living apart together" movement.

As you work your way through the list, you'll notice a theme: this year, we're exploring the topic of transformation. We hope the challenge inspires you to transform into whatever you want to be, whether that's a better reader, a better writer, or perhaps a better small talker when the topic of books comes up.

This theme also extends to something new we're offering this year: a PS Pocket Field Guide. For every prompt you complete, you can use this guide to write down the book you read, the date you started it, the date you completed it, and your rating. The best part? It can be folded and assembled into a little booklet so you can take it with you on the go (get a sneak peek below). Even our advanced prompt list is designed as a choose-your-own-adventure trail map, complete with "easy," "medium," and "hard" paths to follow. Whichever terrain you take is completely up to you. Remember, it's all a part of the journey.

Image Source: PS Photography / Patricia O'Connor

Speaking of the journey, if you want more space to share your thoughts throughout the challenge, we also designed journal pages for you. Take your time to reflect on each prompt, and jot down any additional notes or thoughts you have in the free space. Print as many pages as you'd like.

Ready to get started? Download our printable list of book prompts here, our PS Pocket Field Guide here, and the journal pages here. Oh, and if you haven't already, join our PS Book Club on Facebook and the Ultimate PS Reading Challenge on Goodreads to chat everything out with your fellow reading challenge buddies. Your transformation awaits.

2025 PS Reading Challenge Prompts

A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma
A book you want to read based on the last sentence
A book about space tourism
A book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title
A book with a snake on the cover or in the title
A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge
A book about a cult
A book under 250 pages
A book that features a character going through menopause
A book you got for free
A book mentioned in another book
A book about a road trip
A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads
A book about a nontraditional education
A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book
A book set in or around a body of water
A book about a run club
A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons
A highly anticipated read of 2025
A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out)
A book where the main character is a politician
A book about soccer
A book that is considered healing fiction
A book with a happily single woman protagonist
A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee
A book where an adult character changes careers
A book set at a luxury resort
A book that features an unlikely friendship
A book about a food truck
A book that reminds you of your childhood
A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline
A book about an overlooked woman in history
A book featuring an activity on your bucket list
A book written by an author who is neurodivergent
A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out
A book with silver on the cover or in the title
Two books with the same title (1)
Two books with the same title (2)
A classic you've never read
A book about chosen family

Advanced Prompts

Easy

A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile
A book with a title that starts with the letter Y
A book that includes a nonverbal character
A book you have always avoided reading

Medium

A book with a left-handed character
A book where nature is the antagonist
A book of interconnected short stories

Hard

A book that features a married couple who don't live together
A dystopian book with a happy ending
A book that features a character with chronic pain

2025 PS Reading Challenge Printables

Image Source: PS Photography / Patricia O'Connor

Below are all the printables you'll want to have as you take on the 2025 PS Reading Challenge. Here is where your transformation begins:

The 16 Best Books About Music From the Last Decade

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:35:03 -0800

Whether you need a unique gift for the punk rocker in your life or you've listened to Dolly Parton's entire discography one too many times, sometimes you have to hit pause on the Spotify playlist and shift mediums altogether. Lucky for you, there are endless great books about music to turn to when you want to immerse yourself in the glory of your favorite artists but need to give your precious ears a rest.

As for genres, books about music come in all shapes and sizes. There's the always popular musician memoir, road-tested by many of pop's heaviest hitters like Mariah Carey, Brittney Spears, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Lopez, who each have published one. But there are also biographies, photo collections, and works of fiction that will satisfy your musical curiosity.

Below, we've curated a tight list of some of the best books about music, published mostly within the last decade, with a few notable outliers. (Because who can resist autobiographies from Nina Simone, Patti Smith, and Billie Holliday?)

The Best Classic Books to Have on Your Bookshelf

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:15:02 -0800

No matter how many exciting new books are published each year, book lovers will never truly escape the pull of the classics. Whether you want to relive your school days, expand your familiarity with the canon, or catch up on all the literature that didn't fit into your busy schedule of napping, yapping, and playing, the following classic books are a great starting point.

There are plenty other compilations out there of the "best classic books of all time," like the daunting Greatest Books list, which has used an algorithm to pull beloved titles from across the world. But hardly anyone has the time to sort through thousands of books, so we've narrowed it down to 41 that we think should make the cut onto your coveted TBR list.

To keep it simple, we've excluded poetry, short story collections, and plays, and we've only included books published before 2000. So while you won't find any Sally Rooney, Sarah J. Maas, or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (who has a new book coming in 2025) on this list, you'll spot lots of familiar titles that have cemented their place in history as some of the best and most influential classic books ever written.

11 Books About Road Trips to Fuel Your Wanderlust

Helen Carefoot — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:05:02 -0800

Everyone loves road trips - likely because an open road offers possibility. For some, it represents opportunity; for others, it offers an escape. Whether a road trip is filled with happy memories and bonding or it's a quest to search for something, it's a formative experience that feels at home in any genre.

A journey from point A to point B allows characters to explore adventures, learn lessons, have love affairs, find growth, and look introspectively, which is why a book about a road trip is one of the prompts in the 2025 PS Reading Challenge. Though the prompt may sound very specific, rest assured that there are lots of books about road trips that cater to nearly every genre.

No matter if you prefer romance or literary fiction, this list includes 11 great books about road trips that would be worthy additions to your reading pile. You'll find car quests that fuel romance, spirited travelogues that capture key moments in history, a moving ghost story, and unlikely pairs forging friendships as a result of the open road.

Keep reading for 11 great books about road trips that would make excellent companions on any journey. Enjoy!

12 Books About Politicians to Read This Year

Kaley Rohlinger — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:15:02 -0800

There's no shortage of things to say about politics, but regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, you can always benefit from being more informed. Understanding the lives of major politicians helps add context to the movements that they were part of, and the major events that happened during their leadership. The glass ceiling breakers, movement leaders, and first-evers both inspire and inform us, and all of these books about politicians have lessons to offer about power and our country's past.

Whether you'd like to complete the PS Reading Challenge prompt about "a book about a politician" or you enjoy diving into memoirs and nonfiction novels, read on for our top books about politicians. After reading, you just might be inspired to write the next Hamilton.

10 Books About Running to Add to Your TBR Pile

Helen Carefoot — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 06:10:02 -0800

Like eating or sleeping, running is one of the most natural actions. Whether for fun or survival, propelling yourself toward something by picking up your two feet is instinctual. For this reason, it's no surprise that running has graced the pages of many books, both fiction and non-fiction.

When you try to draw up a list of books about running, you're likely to encounter plenty of recommendations for memoirs of skilled runners, fun stories about finding love in a run club, or technical tomes about how to improve your stride or move faster.

There are a couple mainstays of the category, like Haruki Murakami's lovely memoir "What I Mean When I Talk About Running" and perhaps the most famous running novel, John L. Parker Jr.'s classic "Once a Runner." While both of these books are absolutely worth reading, our list aims to give you some ideas for some less frequently mentioned picks.

In this list, you'll find a mix of fiction and non-fiction books that tackle running as both a recreational pursuit and a necessity. You'll find stories that include running as the catalyst for finding love, building community, finding purpose and oneself, and carrying oneself to safety. Ready to stack your TBR or fulfill a 2025 PS Reading Challenge prompt? Read on for the 10 best books about running.

The Most Anticipated Books of 2025

Kaley Rohlinger — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:40:01 -0800

Every year is a great year for books, but 2025 is looking particularly exciting. Fans of YA dystopia and fantasy will be excited to see new additions to beloved book series like "The Hunger Games" and "The Empyrean." Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez, famous for their romance novels, will be dropping some of the most anticipated books of 2025 in the summer beach read category. And lastly, 2025 will bring long-awaited books from authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Taylor Jenkins Reid, who have been on hiatuses recently.

Whether you're looking to fill a prompt for the PS Reading Challenge or add a new book to your TBR list, there's something for everyone in this roundup. From thrillers and dark academic to historical fiction and more, scroll down to see which books are making your TBR list. (No shade if it's all of them.)

How Sarah J. Maas Fans Built a World of Their Own

Shahamat Uddin — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:30:00 -0800

The world of Sarah J. Maas's novels is laced with stories of assassins, wolves, turbulent romances, and two-faced, stubborn characters that divide the opinions of thousands of fans. But outside Maas's novels, thousands of fans find connection across identities, building community in places like Discord, TikTok, and Facebook, creating a world almost bigger than the ones written by Maas herself.

After selling more than 40 million copies, Maas has emerged as the year's top-selling fiction author. (It all began with her 2012 debut novel, "Throne of Glass," which Maas started writing when she was just 16.) Maas told Today that she credits her success to BookTok, where many users point to her series as an entrypoint into the fantasy romance ("romantasy") renaissance. A search of her name on TikTok reveals a customized drop-down menu of topics related to her books, including "ranking," "tandem read," and "theories."

For many Maas readers, however, the conversation is expanding far beyond BookTok.

Long-distance best friends Lauren and Conn - a 30-year-old high school choir teacher and a 30-year-old graphic designer, respectively - pioneered Between Pages & Friends, an online community of more than 300,000 book lovers across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. The endeavor began when Lauren and Conn encouraged their respective husbands, Kyle and John, to read Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" after they had each become deeply enthralled by the larger series. Soon, the husbands were hooked too.

After watching their husbands go semi-viral on TikTok for their videos reacting to the books, Lauren and Conn decided to create a larger platform. "One of us will tend to have a crazy idea and the other will be like, 'We're never doing that,'" Lauren tells PS. One of those crazy ideas was the inception of their book community, which came to life after the two released social media content from a trip they took together to attend a book's midnight release party. Eventually, this all led to a Patreon, a podcast, and longer-form content on YouTube.

For Lauren, Conn, Kyle, and John, the novels not only paved the way for them to create a new platform for discussion and community, but also completely reintroduced them to the very act of reading for pleasure. John says the last time he had read a fiction book, let alone a fantasy one, was in his final years of high school; for Kyle, it was even further back.

"I took a much longer gap in reading. We're talking like fourth grade was the last time I read a full book," Kyle says. "My wife, Lauren, would be reading the SJM books and giving me the play-by-play, and although it was hard for me to get back into reading at first, I knew I had to because of how obsessed my wife was with them."

Zarina Morgan similarly hadn't read a full-length book since the second grade until she stumbled upon a Maas novel at her local bookstore when she was around 14 years old. Now, the 18-year-old high school senior is the creator of the Sarah J Maas Book Club Facebook group.

Morgan recognized "A Court of Thorns of and Roses" from a few videos she had seen on TikTok, and after convincing her mom to buy the book for her, she was glued to the series for weeks. "There's a photo I come back to all the time of me in tears, laying on a desk somewhere in school, reading that book," Morgan says. "I'll never forget the emotions I felt the first time I ever read Sarah J. Maas."

In 2021, while Morgan was deep inside the ACOTAR series, she met a few friends on the social media app Amino who were also reading the Maas novels at a similar pace. The small group decided to move their conversations to a Facebook group where they could post memes and share theories, and during the period when the group was set to public, Morgan says she witnessed it grow exponentially in real time. By mid-2021, the group had accumulated over 50,000 members with Morgan at the helm; at the time, she was just a high school freshman.

"When we had just under 50,000 people and there were so many people having intense conversations about which characters did what and who's in the right, I was like, shoot, I need a moderator," Morgan says.

The group's first official moderator, Lindsay Labrie Dover, ended up becoming a dear friend to Morgan. "I trust her with my life," Morgan says. And since then, additional moderators have been brought on. "She and the other moderators are my family. When I lost my best friend recently, Lindsay was there for me. When I was going through financial troubles, a group of the moderators all pitched in and encouraged me to keep moving on."

To date, the Facebook group has over 257,700 members - all required to answer SJM novel-related questions to gain approval to join the group. Morgan estimates that, of those members, approximately 50 percent are women in their 30s and 40s, which she believes accurately reflects the demo of the SJM fandom.

Amid this massive collective, Morgan says it's been beautiful to witness vastly different kinds of people coalesce around their love for reading and fantasy. "It gives people an escape," she adds.

Like Morgan, Sarah Mori, a 30-year-old digital community manager living in Austin, oversees an active subset of the SJM fandom. Mori's group of 6,000 fans, however, find a home for their spirited discussions on Discord, which Mori describes as "Slack meets AOL Messenger."

Like many SJM readers, Mori was introduced to the novels through TikTok, but while "A Court of Thorns and Roses" is the gateway for most, Mori first read "Throne of Glass." Although skeptical at first, when Mori arrived at the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, she says she was hooked. "When I finished the series, the only thought I had was [that] this was the best thing I've read in a very long time, and I want other people to experience that," she adds.

An early adopter of Discord, Mori turned to the app to cultivate a community of SJM fans and participate in conversations she was already having in her own real-life social circles. Her community caught the attention of SJM's publishing company, Bloomsbury, and Mori had the opportunity to discuss the fandom with them and discover new ways for the publishers to engage with fans on the platforms where they already were.

"This fandom has always been very passionate. They've always led with their hearts," Mori says. "I think what makes SJM so unique is, regardless if people love her or hate her, they have to acknowledge that she is the reason a lot of these indie authors are seeing success right now in the romanticism genre. And so we have to kind of be a champion of that."

When asked to distinguish what turns casual readers into mega Maas fans, each subject interviewed cited the community aspect; it's one thing to discover content that resonates with you on a personal level, but it's a deeper and more meaningful experience to discover a community that shares your interest and celebrates you for how you engage with a piece of art.

"That's what makes the SJM fandom feel like home," Morgan says. "We're all just a bit nerdy and want to talk about something that really, really excites us."

Shahamat Uddin is a freelance writer largely covering queer and South Asian issues, but also related lifestyle topics and entertainment. His family hails from Sylhet, Bangladesh, but after growing up in Roswell, GA, he now lives in Brooklyn with his cat, Butter. Outside of PS, he also has bylines in Teen Vogue, Vogue, Vogue India, New York Magazine, Them, The Nation, and more.

48 of the Best Books by Women Authors to Read in Your Lifetime

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:30:01 -0800

Literature hasn't always been kind to women. Male writers have abused, infantilized, degraded, and ignored women characters for as long as stories have been told. Great writing was long considered something only a man can produce. Generations of women were barred from reading and writing, and some, until the 19th century, were even expelled to psychiatric hospitals for spending too much time with a book or newspaper.

Still, remarkably, some of the world's greatest works of literature have come from a woman's pen. From Murasaki Shikibu's 11th century "The Tale of Genji," considered the world's first novel; to Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights"; to Toni Morrison's "Beloved"; the best books by women authors have shaped culture for millennia, despite what can feel like insurmountable hurdles that women writers have to clear just to get half the recognition of their male peers.

While women's literacy is taken for granted today, misogyny continues to infiltrate culture. Since the #MeToo movement highlighted modern institutional sexism on a massive scale, there's been a concerted effort from politicians and lobbyists to roll back women's rights and freedoms. The media assault on Planned Parenthood, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the re-election of Donald Trump - whose political allies reject reproductive freedom and in some cases even higher education and suffrage for women - represent just some of the cultural backslide pushing women deeper into the margins. Regardless, women continue to make innumerable contributions to society in every field, including literature.

That it's subversive to read books by women authors might seem absurd in an era of unprecedented progress, but women thinkers, intellectuals, and dreamers need our support now more than ever. Scroll on for a round-up that only scratches the surface of the best books by women authors that everyone should read in their lifetime.

- Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes and Hilary White

24 Gifts For the Bookworm Who Doesn't Need Another Book

India Yaffe — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:30:01 -0800

Book-lovers are pretty easy to shop for - all you really have to do is make contributions to their already-overflowing bookshelves. But why stop there? This year, get creative with your gifts for literature-lovers and think outside the book. There are so many book-themed items they'll love, and chances are they've already devoured the new fantasy novel you were thinking of gifting, so why not do something different? We've rounded up 24 great ideas for the bookworm in your life, from bookmarks and mugs to fun games and home decor.

Though they may never admit it, lovers of reading often need more than just a great story to really dive into a book. Help the bibliophiles in your life set the tone for a voracious reading sesh with some book-themed teas, a pair of cozy literary sock, or a set of clever bookshelves that will help (literally) support their serious reading habit. If you really want to splurge, go for a luxury perfume that smells like an old library - it might sound weird to those who are less book-obsessed, but trust us, your literature-lover will go nuts.

Shop our picks here, or pay a visit to your local independent bookstore - in between the stacks of books, they're always stocked with extra goodies.

Stock Up on Books From These Black-Owned Bookshops Across the US

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:30:03 -0800

The legacy of the Black American bookshop goes all the way back to 1834, when free-born David Ruggles opened a space in New York City dedicated to abolitionist and feminist works. Visitors included the likes of Frederick Douglass, whom Ruggles aided during his escape from slavery. Since that time, Black literary circles and bookstores have been bedrocks of some of the strongest radical political movements in history, including in 2020, during the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the racial reckoning that characterized that era, when it seemed every liberal from Tucson to Tallahassee was eager to pour their money into antiracist books and bookstores.

Today, though they may look slightly different than they did in the 1830s, Black-owned bookshops remain powerful centers of progressive thought in an increasingly polarized political climate - and still in need of your dollars.

Like any consumer, book-lovers have an opportunity to be discerning about where they buy their books, knowing that their individual cash adds up in the collective. Spending money at a local independent bookshop or ordering from one in a less diverse area is an important part of keeping these spaces open and accessible, and keeping independent thought flowing freely. While your purchase alone won't fix systemic racism, a groundswell of support for Black-owned bookshops ultimately supports the greater Black economy and helps to shrink racial disparities.

Whether you're looking to snag some books by Black authors for your own TBR list or as a gift for a loved one, check out this list of Black-owned bookstores across the US.

I Retrained My Attention Span and Remembered How to Read More

Chanel Vargas — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:40:03 -0800

As a kid, Scholastic book fairs were my personal all-you-can-eat buffet. Nancy Drew. Lemony Snicket. Harry Potter. Junie B. Jones. Beezus and Ramona. I devoured books the way Bunnicula devoured carrot juice, drinking stories down to the last drop to sustain myself until I came across a new bookshelf lined with tales waiting to be told.

I was the kid who read during recess, who frequented the public library on weekends and stayed up way past my bed time just to squeeze in one more chapter of my newest treasure. I like to think Matilda Wormwood and I would have been great friends. But when I went away to college, I hardly had time to read the required textbooks, let alone indulge in my favorite pastime. As much as I longed to get lost in fantasies and fairy tales, I had to prioritize school. Classes soon turned into work, and before I knew it, reading had been written off my to-do list altogether.

Despite my lack of free time, I still visited book shops and requested books as gifts on every holiday and birthday, surrounding myself with the thing I loved in the hopes that I would finally rediscover that hunger for literature that once consumed me. But even when I did have free time at the end of a long day, I would find myself reaching for the remote or my phone instead of a book, ready to turn my brain off and let myself fall into a zombie-like trance in front of a screen. When I did find the energy to pick up a book again, I couldn't concentrate and had to force myself to reread paragraph after paragraph because nothing would stick. When I couldn't even make it through a full page without getting distracted, I knew I had a problem.

Desperate to dive back into the world of magic and adventure, I set a list of goals for myself to achieve. After just a few days, I was on the path towards retraining my attention span and getting myself back on track to reading the books I longed to get lost in. Here's what I changed to help myself relearn how to read more.

How to Read More: 5 Tips

Read the First Chapter

If you haven't read through an entire book in a while, tasking yourself with getting from beginning to end can seem pretty daunting. That's why I made it my goal to start with one of the many books I'd promised myself I'd get through someday and just read the first chapter. As simple as it might sound, getting through the first chapter of a book without setting it down to check my phone was a major struggle. It took nearly twice as long as I'd expected, but with each new chapter that I read, my focus became clearer and I became more and more invested in the plot. Before I knew it, I was halfway through my first book and my new goal was to reach the end.

Schedule 20-Minute Windows For Reading

Given that I was no longer accustomed to staring at words on a page for more than a minute at a time, I knew I would have to immerse myself in the world of reading in a way that trained my brain to refocus. To do this, I set time goals for myself. For 15 then 20 then 30 (and so on) minutes at a time, I would sit down with a book and no screens to distract me. While I didn't have a page number to reach within the time I'd designated for myself, I found that having the structure of a time window for reading meant I was more focused, and my attention span quickly began to increase.

Take Books on the Go

While getting through the first chapter of a book was a journey, motivating myself to keep going after a couple chapters was even more difficult. No matter how invested in the story I was, I found countless ways to distract myself from returning to the book I was reading. As someone who loves being organized and having a plan, the solution was obvious: I made a schedule. Every morning and every afternoon on my bus commute to and from the city, I would stuff my phone into my pocket and pull out my latest novel, forcing myself to read through (and take in) as many pages as I could before I arrived at my stop. It took a little bit of getting used to, but after a week I was set in a routine that had me feeling like the kid with a book in her hands on the playground all over again.

Make Your Books Your Newest Accessory

I've made novels of all sizes and page lengths my newest accessory. The best part? They never go out of style. Just having a book on hand makes me more likely to pull it out when I have five minutes to spare, leaving me more fulfilled than if I'd played a game on my phone or scrolled through Instagram during my breaks throughout the day.

Join a Book Club

Since the start of my reading-related journey, I've joined two book clubs and created an ongoing two-person book club with my best friend. Even if I don't particularly like what we're reading that week or month, I've found that having conversations about the books brings them to life and encourages me to think more deeply about the words on the page. So whether the book is fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, or a book of poems, having that community of people around me who also love to read motivates me to dig up a new bookmark and delve into another world.

It's been over a year and a half since I started out on my quest to rediscover my love for reading, and I'm proud to say that I've made my way through dozens of new books. While I still don't have the time to devour story after story in a single day, reading for pleasure has become a regular part of my adult life in a way that my younger self would be happy to see.

At the end of a long day, I can curl up with a good book and feel more fulfilled than I would while taking in my latest Netflix obsession. I can order books without feeling guilty about letting them sit on a shelf for years on end before I get to them, and I can look forward to cracking open the spine of a hardback and letting myself be teleported to another universe over the weekend. A quick peek into my apartment will show stacks of books piled in the corners of almost every room, and I plan to make my way through all of them one page at a time.

Chanel Vargas was an associate editor on the Breaking News team at PS. Her areas of expertise include TV, film, music, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content, with an emphasis on original features. Chanel's work spans a wide breadth of topics, including celebrity style moments, true-crime documetaries, thrillers, rising TikTok stars, reproductive rights, and more.

26 Fantasy Books Like "A Court of Thorns and Roses"

Amanda Prahl — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:00:03 -0700

Sarah J. Maas's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" just seems to keep getting bigger, even years after the book's release. With multiple sequels, including "A Court of Mist and Fury," "A Court of Wings and Ruin," "A Court of Frost and Starlight," and "A Court of Silver Flames," the series is a favorite in the fantasy-loving communities of BookTok, and was even optioned for a Hulu TV series in 2021, though the fate of the show is still unclear.

If you're desperate for even more books like "A Court of Thorns and Roses" - full of epic fantasy, dangerous romance, and powerful storytelling - look no further. Anyone stuck on what to read after "ACOTAR" will find something satisfying in this round-up of YA fantasy greats. From unexpected titles to new authors and unique stories, we're certain you'll love these books that are similar to "ACOTAR."

Whether you're searching for a fantasy novel with magic and mystery like "This Woven Kingdom," a twisted fairytale like "Cinderella Is Dead," classic YA like "Six of Crows," or something else entirely, we think you'll find a few books like "A Court of Thorns and Roses" that you'll love on our list. Before you place your next library hold, peruse these recommendations for your next spellbinding fantasy read.

50 Spicy Romance Books to Add to Your Reading List

Camila Barbeito — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:55:02 -0700

Who doesn't love a good tale? A book you simply can't put down that ends up stained with coffee and dog-eared into oblivion? Whether you're cozying up with one by the fire or by the pool, spicy romance books are some of the best page-turners out there, because let's face it: Anyone in their right mind needs the answer to a will-they-or-won't-they, and they need it ASAP. It's just in our DNA.

The best steamy romance novels will have you fantasizing about far-off times and lands, or plant the seeds for adventures closer to home (like discovering some new bedroom kinks that you never knew you had). And while sexy romance books are full of role-play ideas to bring into your own sex life, for example, they're also grounded in love and affection, which gives them a sweetness that most porn doesn't have.

With all that sexuality and passion, there's no question that spicy romance books will hold your attention. The following list of the sexiest romance books has options for everyone, from the BDSM-ers to the vanilla, the enemies-to-lovers fanatics, and the readers who spend their days stalking BookTok for whatever the internet has crowned the best sexy romance book of the day.

Keep scrolling for our picks of the best spicy romance books for adults.

The Queer Healing of Sapphic Comics

Emma Glassman-Hughes — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 09:25:02 -0700

Danika Ellis founded The Lesbrary out of frustration. It was 2010, the "heyday of book blogs," but her search for sapphic literature led only to a few lesbian titles amid a sea of gay male romance. There were no blogs doing what she wanted them to do. So she reluctantly made one herself.

Fourteen years later, the landscape has totally changed. First, the catch-all use of "lesbian" to describe the category of non-men who date other non-men has been all but replaced by the more inclusive "sapphic" or "WLW" (women-loving women). Today's queer women have more visibility than at any point in history, from midwest princess Chappell Roan to sapphic fight clubs and smooching Olympians. And contemporary literature, Ellis's primary focus, is more than keeping pace with the cultural shift.

"When I was first writing about them I could at least think I could keep up with all the mainstream releases of sapphic books in a year, but now that's not remotely the case," Ellis tells PS. And while the sapphic book category at large has blown up, a literary niche that was once synonymous with preteen boys and middle-aged men has now been sapphicized, too: comics.

Though Mary Wings's "Come Out Comix" (1973) is considered the first lesbian comic book, it wasn't until Alison Bechdel's 2006 "Fun Home," which gained all new popularity after its 2015 Broadway musical premiere, that a WLW graphic novel hit the mainstream. Before that, sapphic comics were mostly written off as time-consuming DIY hobbies with a fanbase buried deep underground. But Ellis says the demand not only for queer female representation but queer female authorship has grown significantly louder just in these last five years, and popular indie publishers like Dead Sky, Northwest Press, and Iron Circus Comics are paying attention.

Throughout its long history, which dates back to 19th century newspapers, the comics medium has largely ignored sapphic plots, characters, authors, and illustrators. In 1991, there was graphic lesbian erotica like "Carmilla," illustrated by and based on a story written by men. In 2006, Batwoman "came out" as a lesbian, though some believe her character was first introduced by DC Comics in 1956 as a romantic interest for Batman, to counteract the charge that he and Robin were "promoting a gay lifestyle."

But today, a new era for comics has dawned: While comics-lovers were once stereotyped as sloppy incel-types who live in their mothers' basements (see: Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons"), the medium has expanded massively, propelled by a new wave of queer creators, and encompasses all different genres and styles - not just male superheroes and detectives.

The early success of graphic memoir "Fun Home" set the tone for the queer comics that came directly after it, Ellis says. If it wasn't "super literary," it was unlikely to be published. But today, the much pulpier Japanese manga, which Ellis loves, is the number one search term that brings people to the Lesbrary, and the changes even within the subcategory have been notable over the last several years.

"When I was first reading [sapphic manga], it was the same thing coming over in English translations - two schoolgirls blushing at each other. Now there's actual queer manga coming out using words like 'lesbians,'" she says.

"Deprog," a new comic series published by Dead Sky this month, blends body horror with crime thriller for a darkly kinky tale that transcends time and space. It follows Tate, a "hard-boiled leather-loving detective who specializes in deprogramming cult victims," and a "femme who might just be fatale" who needs help saving her brother from the very cult Tate herself once escaped.

Author Tina Horn, also a journalist and professional dominatrix, says for this project, she really wanted to "savor" the campier elements of crime thrillers. "The genre that we're working within is pleasure for pleasure's sake, it's style from top to bottom and that is just so delicious," she says.

That classic campy aesthetic is also native to queer culture, which Horn says may explain some of the draw. "Deprog" illustrator Lisa Sterle, creator of the "Modern Witch Tarot deck," adds that the barrier to entry for comics is lower than many other creative mediums, making it more accessible to voices that might not otherwise receive institutional support. Instead of pitching a multi-million dollar project that will take years to produce, a modern-day comic artist can publish relatively quickly and with a small budget.

"What's cool about comics is that they can kind of stay ahead of or be very contemporary and more aware of the zeitgeist and respond to it or be inspired by it, or warp it in a certain way," Sterle says.

Jenifer Prince agrees. She's a Brazil-based illustrator whose recent work includes the cover art for Nico Vincenty's sapphic sci-fi novel "A Swift and Sudden Exit," published in May, and her WLW comic illustrations have earned her 359,000 followers on Instagram.

But Prince also notes that mainstream American comics were long censored by the Comics Code Authority, which "had a strong influence" on the sanitizing of gay characters and stories until 1989. Because of that, "the history of inclusivity of queer voices and perspectives is pretty recent," she says. "So even though there is inclusivity, we still have a long way to go."

Ellis feels similarly. "We're starting to see more diverse representation, more trans characters in sapphic comics, more people of color writing and being represented," Ellis says. But more expansive diversity is still a work in progress.

The nostalgia is palpable in both Prince's illustrations and the pages of "Deprog," each a cheeky nod to the iconic comics of a bygone era, when women were sidelined by intrepid men. But if their style is sentimental, it's not for that version of the past. It's for the fungible, fantastical worlds constructed by generations of queer artists like themselves, whose eyes and leather chokers have always pointed toward a freer future, even when it felt further out of reach.

"It's partially out of necessity because we don't see literal representations of who we are and how we fuck and what kind of adventures we want to go on, but queer people think in metaphor, we think in symbolism," Horn says. "It's the way that our imaginations work."

Emma Glassman-Hughes is the associate editor at PS Balance. Before joining PS, her freelance and staff reporting roles spanned the lifestyle spectrum; she covered arts and culture for The Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, travel for Here Magazine, and food, climate, and agriculture for Ambrook Research.