Melody’s love of words has taken her on a variety of adventures, beyond the adventures on the page, including librarian, bookseller, literary intern, dramaturg, and script reader. Reading hundreds of books a year, she's constantly seeking that next literary fix.
Grab your corn for popping and get those lights turned down low—though not so low you can’t read. Christmas is less than a week away, which means we’re in prime holiday movie territory. Hopefully you’ve seen Netflix’s adaption of the YA collection Let It Snow. If not, I’ll wait. If you’re looking for something to […]
This weekend saw the passing of daylight saving time back into standard time, giving many of us a coveted extra hour of sleep. And sure, in Chicago at least, that means we may also never see the sun again. But if we think about the changing of the clocks as time travel, it all becomes […]
The concept of the haunted house comes up again and again. After all, houses hold histories—and those histories aren’t always kind. When we are at home, we are often our most unguarded and vulnerable . . . but are we safe? These six stories (intended for both adults and young adults) suggest otherwise. House of […]
‘Tis the season for some of the most fun genre fiction. Stalwarts like Stephen King will always be around for reliable scares, but some novels that sit on the boundary of literary fiction and genre horror also serve well-deserved creeps. Whether you’re looking to get into the Halloween spirit or just enjoy the crisp weather […]
I was adding fall releases to my TBR when I noticed something: three titles all featuring birds on the cover (Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton, The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt, and The Swallows by Lisa Lutz). So I went searching back through 2019 releases, and sure enough, there were more birds to be found. […]
We’ve all had a couple weeks to digest Taylor Swift’s latest album, Lover. And with Booklist‘s focus on romance this month—as of yesterday, the September 15 Spotlight on Romance is live on www.booklistonline.com!—I figured, what better time than now to explore TSwift’s most romantic album through the lens of romance novels? Sure, there are some […]
We are somehow over halfway through August, which means we are also over halfway through Booklist’s annual Spotlight on SF/Fantasy & Horror. But did you know it is also Women in Translation Month? So, why not feature books where female authors, female translators, and horror intersect? The prose in the following three books is lyrical […]
Let’s face it: the world’s a mess. Who doesn’t need a good laugh in the face of the apocalypse? (You know, laugh to keep from crying and all that jazz.) And Good Omens, a product of the combined genius of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, has had us giggling over the threat of doomsday since […]
Summer was off to a mild start here in Chicago . . . then last weekend’s heat wave made it very clear the season—and its sweltering 95-degree temps—was upon us. Whether you’re ready to head to the beach, the pool, or just want to dream of being near (ice-cold) water, here are some reads guaranteed […]
It’s been over a year since we celebrated Harry and Meghan’s wedding with some royal reads. But just because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are married and living happily ever after (especially with the arrival of adorable baby Archie), it doesn’t mean we as readers should stop indulging in fairy tales. In fact, 2019 […]