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.
This month, there are three mystery/crime adaptations that should satisfy fans of historical crime, psychological thrillers, and cozy mysteries. You also have viewing options, as one is a film playing in theaters, another one is a seven-episode streaming series, and the third one is a four-part series on TV and streaming. So grab the books, if you’ve yet to read them, and make some popcorn! Heads up, though, that publishing continues to publish and market books by a majority white people, and the resulting lack of diversity in new books tickles down to book adaptations.
Every week, there’s a new fear-mongering article about kids and teens growing up online. Smartphones are the death knell for civilization. Kids these days are worse than our generation — which every generation has said for centuries, but this time it’s true! No doubt, there are many legitimate concerns about developing minds being fed a steady diet of social media and short-form videos. But I have spent most of my life glued to a screen, I’m grateful I was able to grow up online. It made me a better person, a better writer, and a better reader.
Halloween isn’t all sugar rushes and giggling. There were always also haunted houses, the dark decrepit porches, the motion-activated animatronics that lurched out as you reach out for a handful of sweets. It’s not only a fun night, it’s a scary one! It’s not a surprise that some authors have leaned into that, turning the night of Halloween even scarier, with things like Halloween parties gone awry, masked strangers lurking around, and crowds where no one cares if they hear you scream. What better setting for a horror book could there be?
How can we take the themes that make these books so appealing and expand the reading horizons of our BSC-loving young ones? A librarian (or parent, or discerning adult) would be a fool not to capitalize on this craze! I’ve gathered middle grade recommendations for readers who love The Baby-Sitter’s Club for its discussions of friendship, crushes, family issues, and identity. Young, diverse main characters will spark interest and the universal struggles of kids coming into their own will be familiar. I hope you can use these read-alikes to help your most devoted BSC fans find some new books to love while never forgetting the spunky sitters who got them started.
October is absolutely bursting with awesome new reads for whatever genre or interest you might have. Below you’ll find a handful of new hardcover and new paperback releases covering a range of genres and styles.