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In The Club

Chilled — But Not From The Snow…

I’ve hit a little pocket of fascination: lately, I’ve been really into thrillers set in harsh, cold climates. It started with A Murder at the End of the World, and it’s mostly Icelandic setting, and is continuing on with the Alaskan-set fourth season of True Detective (starring Jodie Foster!).

It’s interesting to think on how my tastes in horror have changed, or maybe I should say how they’ve developed at all, since I wasn’t a very big consumer of the genre before. But, watching the two aforementioned shows, I’ve gained a certain appreciation for horror and thriller stories told in harshly cold climates. The shows’ landscapes are as stunning as they are deadly, so much so that they become their own kind of monster the protagonist has to survive.

As a newish fan of horror, I’m not entirely sure why pondering on this through these shows and the books below appeals to me. It could be because it adds stakes to the overarching plot or maybe even because it allows me to confront and resolve some subconscious fear. If you and your book club find cold settings to be similarly engaging, I’ve got a few thrillers below.

Nibbles and Sips

Butternut squash soup

Butternut squash soup by Aysha Harun

It’s prime time for soup, especially with these book recs. This one is vegan, and Aysha pairs it with a wild, good-looking grilled cheese.

You’ll need: butternut squash, carrots, shallots, rosemary, coconut milk, and a bevy of spices. For a full list of ingredients and instructions, here’s the Instagram video.


the winter people jennifer mcmahon cover

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

In 1908, in Vermont, Sara Harrison Shea’s dead body was found in the field behind her house not long after the death of her daughter. Now, about 100 years later, Alice has moved off the grid to Sara’s house to live with her two daughters, Ruthie and her younger sister. But this comes with a cost. One day, Ruthie wakes to a motherless house, with Alice nowhere to be found. As she searches for her mother, she finds a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary under Alice’s floorboards. The more she learns about Sara, the more she realizes she’s not the only one looking for someone.

the hunger alma katsu cover

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

There are a couple tales from American settler history that have always intrigued but also kind of haunted me — a few of them being the lost colony of Roanoke, what the Jamestown settlers did during “the starving time” (Google that if you dare), and what happened with the Donner Party. Here, Katsu gives life to the latter — an ill-fated journey made from Illinois to California in 1846. As misfortunes mount, many look at Tamsen Donner with blame. While they explain things away by labeling her a witch, they also can’t shake the feeling that there is something stalking them. As they try to endure the harsh conditions of the journey — from sand-boiling heat to immense cold — a growing evil begins to grow and fester. Around and within them.

cover of Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

As I understand it, the cause of the apocalypse that happens in Moon of the Crusted Snow isn’t explained, only felt one day, when a small northern Anishinaabe community suddenly loses cell service. Electricity is the next to go, which spells grave trouble as a harsh winter approaches. As the town tries to ration out its supplies and hold on, a stranger arrives, having escaped from the south, throwing what little order was left into chaos. As more die and become hopeless, tensions harden, but one person emerges as a leader. Young father Evan Whitesky leads a group of young friends back to the old Anishinaabe ways that looked to the land. This may be the solution to dissolving the chaos, but they aren’t out of the storm yet.

There’s a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow that just came out titled Moon of the Turning Leaves, for once you’ve read this one.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney book cover

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

This book has beaucoup reviews on Goodreads, which can be good if your book club likes to read books that a lot of other people have read to be part of the conversation. It follows a marriage hanging on by a string. Adam and Amelia are Mr. and Mrs. Wright (I know), a British couple who have decided to go on a trip to Scotland they’ve won, thinking it might fix their marriage. But it’s kind of the worst thing ever. The place they arrive at is a church that’s still mostly in its original form, freezing cold, and has a caretaker who…spies on them a bit. As a snowstorm rages on, their dog goes missing, and, through a narrative that shifts between Amelia and Adam, we find out about their usual traditional anniversary gifts to each other — paper, cotton, pottery, tin — and how Amelia writes a letter to him each year that she doesn’t let him read. Until this year. The year that one of them is lying and 10 years of secrets will finally come to a head.

Side note: but I didn’t understand what was meant by “traditional anniversary gifts,” and looked it up. Apparently, it’s been around since the Victorian era??

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

More To Read

Freedom to Read Act Reintroduced in New Jersey

100 Must-Read New Books by Black Authors

The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

12 of the Best Queer Books: 2024 New Releases

N. Scott Momaday, the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize, has passed away.


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

💗 Meet Cutes in the Club 💗

Valentine’s Day will be here in a couple weeks, and if your book club likes to do seasonal reads, it means y’all are probably ready to get into some romance.

After you catch up on a little book-banning news (Kansas legislators are trying to ban book bans!) and the latest book world tea 🍵 (what is going on with the Hugos??), I’ve got fake dating at weddings, fated romance, a love spanning centuries, and more.

But first, a little snacky snack.

Nibbles and Sips

beignets on a red plate

Nutella-Stuffed Beignets by Sara @ TheFrayedApron

Y’all. I stumbled upon some “chocolate hazelnut” (Nutella, basically) beignets at Whole Foods, and they had me trembling for a whole week. The cheat code was spraying them with a little cooking spray and putting them in the air fryer for five minutes. Oowee.

So here I am trying to find another, more cost-effective way to get my Nutella-filled beignets. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey. You’ll need:

Donut stuff: yeast, sugar, flour, egg, salt, half-and-half, coconut oil

Nutella (obvs)

Powdered sugar and cinnamon (if you want)

Full list and instructions on The Frayed Apron.


cover of Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

When theater teacher and hopeful playwright Meghna Raman’s writing partner and secret crush Seth becomes engaged, he asks her to be his best man. And she agrees! In an effort to move on (while still planning some of Seth’s wedding activities), she agrees to be set up by her parents and meets the grumpy engineer Karthik Murthy. He agrees to stage a fake engagement with Meghna to keep both their parents at bay but doesn’t bargain for the vibrancy that Meghna brings into his life.

cover of Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen

Fate and love collide in this rom-com based on the Chinese legend that says that everyone is tied to their true love by a red string. Artist Rooney Gao believes this legend so strongly that she’s even incorporated red string into her artwork. But once she starts experiencing artist’s block, she starts questioning everything. A perfect date with a new guy in her life, Jack Liu, reinvigorates her, and she thinks she’s found her one true love. Thing is, Jack isn’t a believer, and she’s not even sure they’ll see each other after their magical date.

cover of The Emperor and the Endless Palace 
 by Justinian Huang

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang (March 26)

In 4 BCE, a courtier is made to seduce a young emperor, which sets off a love story that echoes through centuries. Years later, in 1740, an innkeeper helps a mysterious visitor, and finally, in modern-day L.A., a college student is coaxed out of the closet by an enigmatic artist. Across these lives is a love that is reborn, relived, and timeless.

cover of Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny Story by Emily Henry (April 23)

Emily Henry’s joints are always popular, and I understand why. She takes common romance tropes and puts her own little spin on them. On top of that, her characters’ often undergo some meaningful growth. With Funny Story, we’ve been gifted an opposites-attract, fake-dating story that starts off a bit messy. Daphne’s fiancé Peter leaves her for Petra, and Petra leaves her fiancé Miles for Peter. Then, these two Messy Melindas invite both their exes to their wedding. So, naturally, Daphne and Miles decide to fake date and attend the wedding. But practical children’s librarian Daphne may find more than she bargained for in the chaotic Miles.

Extra mention: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (Feb. 6) (I didn’t want to leave this one out in a discussion about new romance books, but also didn’t want to do another feature since I mentioned it recently. As a quick reminder, it’s: Harlem Renaissance + Romance + a Lil Razzle Dazzle!)

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

More To Read

Read the Books These 2024 Oscar Nominees are Based On

Bestselling Books of the Week

This Year’s Winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

Biographies and Memoirs to Read in 2024

When I interviewed for my current position at Book Riot, I remember being asked about my reading habits (naturally). I’ve always been a big fantasy/literary fiction/graphic novel girl, but am terrible with reading nonfiction.

Welp, I am still kind of bad, but I think I’ve gotten a *little* bit better. Just a smidge. Since I’ve noticed some great memoirs and biographies coming out in the new year, I thought to highlight some for your book clubs since it’s the genre of nonfiction I’m probably least likely to pick up *hides face in shame*.

First, I’ve got a li’l snack for ya.

Nibbles and Sips

soufflé pancakes

Japanese soufflé pancakes by Kristen/Mochi Mommy

I don’t know what time of day you hold your book club meeting, but if you ever want to have them during prime brunch hours (or in the evening; I’m a breakfast-as-dinner girl myself), these fluffy soufflé pancakes would be perfect.

You’ll need: eggs, sugar, cake flour, baking powder, salt, milk, vanilla extract, and butter. You’ll mix all ingredients with a hand mixer at different intervals, which the full recipe and instruction list on Kristen’s website tells you about.

For some video guidance, check out her clip on Instagram. Top with cream or Nutella!


cover of The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

RuPaul had already made a name for himself as a premier drag queen and entertainer before the first episode of Drag Race. But since the show started, he’s become even more iconic, even ushering in a new era of Drag. Here, he offers a more intimate side of himself, detailing his life growing up as a queer Black kid in California, his time as a punk in Atlanta and New York, and how he found self-acceptance.

cover of Carson McCullers: A Life by Mary V. Dearborn

Carson McCullers: A Life by Mary V. Dearborn

McCullers is one of my favorite Southern writers, and just writers ever. I remember being amazed at how well she could write from the perspective of those who had experiences so outside of her own at such a young age (23, if we’re thinking of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter). This is the first biography of the genius author in the last couple of decades, and it details her life — from the time she thought she’d be a concert pianist to her inherent queerness — referencing materials unavailable until the last decade or so.

cover of Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe

Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe

Though this is a collection of essays rather than a straight memoir (the author does have a memoir as well: Red Paint), it still gets into LaPointe’s experiences as a queer Indigenous woman. With a very punk spirit (and the help of her family archives and her great-grandmother’s anthropological work), LaPointe picks apart narratives surrounding Indigenous people, analyzes cultural displacement, and critiques environmental destruction.

cover of Private Equity by Carrie Sun

Private Equity by Carrie Sun

Carrie Sun has always worked hard. She excelled in school, graduated early from MIT, and entered the corporate world, all in the name of the American Dream her parents wished for her when they immigrated to the U.S. from China. But once she hits 29, she starts feeling like something’s missing. So, she drops out of a master’s program and quits her job. When she gets the opportunity to work for one of the most respected hedge funds in the world, she jumps at it. Soon, luxury and privilege like she’s never known are opened up to her, but it also starts to swallow her whole.

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

More To Read

This is what your favourite book genre says about you

Does Literary Fiction Also Work on BookTok?

7 Types of Booktoks That Skyrocketed My Reading By 1000%

8 of the Best Historical Fiction of 2023


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

Some of My Most Anticipated Books for 2024

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

I’ll still hype about all the new releases and possibilities for the upcoming months, so I’ve compiled a list of books that I’m most excited about for book club reading.

The books below are ones I think will be great conversation starters and include everything from a Harlem Renaissance love story to a novel about grief, AIDS, and the internet.

But first, a little something sweet…

Nibbles and Sips

Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting by thelivelykitchen1

Listen, I believe in year-round pumpkin activities, and these look amazing.

For the batter, you’ll need the usual baking supplies, in addition to dark brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice. For the frosting, you’ll need cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and the spices from the batter. After baking at 350 for about 20 minutes, you can let them cool and frost those bad boys.

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, you can look at this Instagram video.


cover of Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase (Jan. 23)

There is a lot going on here. In the best way. In a future Botswana, technology and folklore collide. Nelah’s consciousness currently resides in a body that is microchipped and controlled by her husband. Still, Nelah is able to rebel and have an affair, which leads to an accidental death that she tries to cover up. A murder cover-up goes about as well as you’d expect, and soon, Nelah is being haunted by the ghost of her victim — one that wants vengeance paid in blood.

cover of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson (Jan. 23)

Food is so heavily tied to language and culture, and I always love reading about how the three are intertwined in Black American history because so much of our history isn’t widely taught. I think any other lover of history and food will appreciate how Wilkinson does that here, as she writes out the history and fortitude of Black Appalachians through recipes passed down from the women in her family. Part memoir, part cookbook, I think this is a perfect book club read.

cover of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (Feb. 6)

Here’s another book that has a lot going on. I also suspect it’ll be one of the major releases of the year. It follows Ricki, the outsider of her socialite family, who decides to move from Atlanta to Harlem to open a flower shop. It’s tough going for a while, but then she meets the enigmatic Ezra, and magic seems to unfurl around them. There’s a secondary timeline that takes place during the Harlem Renaissance that gives some context to Ezra and the huge secret he’s harboring.

cover of The Observable Universe: An Investigation by Heather McCalden

The Observable Universe: An Investigation by Heather McCalden (March 19)

In this genre-blending memoir, McCalden explores what grieving the loss of her parents to AIDS was like during the ’90s. Turns out, there are some parallels between the development of the internet and the development of AIDS, and here, McCalden scours through scientific papers, shows, and various internet histories to detail the double meaning of “going viral.” This is both a meditation on grief and a look at how we connect to each other in this new age.

cover of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (April 9)

Reading Bardugo at the top of the year is becoming somewhat of a tradition for me. Last year, Ninth House and Hellbent were a couple of the first books I read in January, and they had me gasping. As a longtime lover of fantasy, I really appreciate Bardugo’s brand of adult fantasy — there’s something about it that feels very real and relatable, even as there are literal demons coming out of the depths of hell.

Here, Bardugo takes that relatability to the Golden Age of Spain. In the 16th century, Luzia is a lowly kitchen servant who can perform light magic. When her mistress realizes her talent, she tries to exploit her to the benefit of bored nobility. But this leads to Luzia gaining the attention of Antonio Pérez, who is trying to get back in good with the king after a disgrace. As Luzia gets deeper into the world of miracle workers, seers, and alchemists, she becomes more known and therefore, more in danger if the fact of her Jewish heritage were to get out. But there is a familiar, Guillén Santangel, who could help secure her future…even if their secrets may be worse than hers.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

More To Read

West Seattle’s silent book club

7 Cozy Fantasy Books to Start 2024 Off On a Gentle Note

9 of the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of January 2024

9 New Nonfiction Releases to Read in January


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

A New Year and 6 Books on New Ways of Being

And just like that, we are in 2024! The year we just left was a mess (for so many reasons), but I feel like I still learned a lot and made some meaningful progress towards goals I have set for myself. In this first week of the new year, I am hopeful to continue this progress, which now means stepping outside of my comfort zone more. I have the impression that is kind of the vibe surrounding some areas of the self-help book industry.

Whereas previous new years brought in a deluge of new ways to diet, save money, and exercise (which are all fine goals to have if you want, don’t get me wrong), these new self-help books offer different perspectives on how to look at life, relate to others, and care for ourselves.

The books I have below all embody this spirit of expanding perspectives by looking at everything from the pervasiveness of ableism to reevaluating what productivity means to us to even how curiosity can be healing.

Before we get to them, I reflect a bit on a (delicious) Black American tradition.

Nibbles and Sips

Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake

Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake by Cheryl Day

Over the holidays, I was speaking to a friend of mine about different Black American dishes. When we got to desserts, one of my favorites that I remember eating growing up was coconut cake. Though he’s Black as well, he’s also from California and so hadn’t had the dessert often. This made me wonder if it was a thing particular to the South or just my family. What I found out was super interesting.

Firstly, it’s believed that coconuts came to the Americas with enslaved Africans who knew how to grow and harvest them. Secondly, the coconut cake recipe that I start to crave around the holidays came from a fun event Black folk had that satirized white Southern aristocracy in antebellum times. Enslaved people would hold little competitions called “cakewalks,” and whoever won got a fabulous coconut cake (these gatherings are where we get phrases like “that was a cakewalk,” etc.).

Since this is recent, here’s a little context on the significance of the New Year’s countdown if you’d like to read more on Black American holidays and celebrations.

As for Cheryl Day’s recipe, you’ll need the usual things for a cake, like baking powder, baking soda, flour, salt, butter, sugar, and vanilla, as well as cream of coconut, coconut milk, cardamom, and more. For a full list of ingredients and directions, visit this recipe page.


cover of On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life's Great Labors by Brandi Sellerz-Jackson

On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life’s Great Labors by Brandi Sellerz-Jackson

Sellerz-Jackson uses her vast experience as a trusted doula as well as her personal life to guide others through various labors in this new book. She looks at potentially rut-inducing moments that we all experience at some point in our lives and shows how we can be present by asking ourselves things like, “What do we need to flourish and thrive under current conditions?”

cover of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World by Scott Shigeoka

Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World by Scott Shigeoka

Shigeoka both explains how being deeply curious can better connect us to others and shows how to engage in the practice of Deep Curiosity. Using research and personal anecdotes, he outlines ways to heal, connect, and understand by being more curious.

cover of The Creative Act: A Way of Being

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Though I love listening to music — my Spotify Wrapped said I spent over 30,000 minutes in 2023 listening to music…which felt like a mild drag, but I digress — I am not very knowledgeable on the major players behind the scenes, except for Rick Rubin. He’s produced records for everyone from Sir Mix-A-Lot to Weezer to Macy Gray, and here, he shows how the creative process can be and is part of all our lives. His illustrious career spent coaxing the best work out of musical artists of varying genres has shown him not only where creativity comes from but also how it connects one to the world.

cover of Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life by Alice Wong; illustration of a red tiger on a yellow background

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong

Wong mentions how the title of the book and its release came as a result of “deliberate manifestation” and “big cat energy.” In it, Wong, the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, shares a collection of everything from essays to graphics and art commissioned by disabled Asian American artists to show what her life has been like as a disability advocate. With humor and insight, she explores pop culture, her Asian American identity, and the various consequences of ableism.

cover of Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock

Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell

Odell gets into the thing that runs our lives once we become adults: time. And, surprise, surprise, she finds that the clock was built for profit, not necessarily to help people (capitalism strikes again, in other words). Our very concept of time is worth exploring because, even when we are meant to be caring for ourselves, we are pressed by time. I suspect that the concept of time factors into cultural differences a lot, so this is an interesting read on many levels.

cover of Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal

Feel Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal

Here, Ali Abdaal, who has gained a huge following on YouTube as a productivity expert, helps to reshape how we look at productivity and how to achieve it. He argues that we can be the most productive by finding joy in work and outlines ways to do it.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

More To Read


Thanks for starting the new year with me! I look forward to continuing to share more great book club books and recipes to keep your book clubs poppin’.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

The Best Book Club Books of January

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

This is written a little more ahead than usual because of holiday things, so you may have already seen this, but Obama released his favorite books of 2023. He has some books in common with a few best-of-the-year lists, as well as a few ones I haven’t heard of as much. Check it out when you get a chance.

As for today’s roundup, there’s a queer coming-of-age story, a lurking djinn, the story of a trailblazing Black Hollywood star, and social commentary à la Kiley Reid.

But before that, we’re getting a little tipsy!

Nibbles and Sips

red cocktail in champagne flute

New Year’s Eve Champagne Punch by Rebecca

This New Year’s Eve champagne punch sounds (and looks!) magical. It’s also pretty easy to assemble. You’ll need triple sec, blackberry brandy, pineapple juice, Chambord, lemon lime soda, pink or Brut champagne, and garnish. You’ll want to mix some of the ingredients the day before and let them sit overnight. Then, you serve with triple sec and soda the day of.

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, visit Sugar and Soul.


cover of How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica

How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorica

Daniel de La Luna starts his tenure as a scholarship student at a prestigious East Coast college with the weight of the world on his shoulders — his family’s hopes and expectations are heavy, as are the shoes of his late uncle, whose name he shares. But his roommate Sam changes everything. In Sam, he finds a comforting friendship, but then something more. Their relationship isn’t able to fully take off just yet, though, because of Sam’s hesitation as well as a tragedy that changes Daniel’s worldview. When he returns to his ancestral home in México, he’ll finally have a chance to reconcile all that’s changed and what’s to come.

cover of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

Apart from being a great book out in January, this is one I’m looking forward to for the entire year. It’s giving Rebecca meets the movie Three Thousand Years of Longing (starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, if you’re unfamiliar). It centers around Sana, who, along with her father, is one of the latest inhabitants of the once grand Akbar Manzil, an estate off the coast of South Africa. Usually, the estate is a place where people go to forget themselves, even going so far as to ignore the estate’s uncanny qualities — like bones in the garden and mysterious moving figures — but Sana becomes obsessed with the contents of a forgotten room. The room’s pictures, diary, and other artifacts tell Sana of Akbar Manzil’s original owner’s second wife, who died a hundred years ago. She compulsively dives deeper into the woman’s life, but little does she know of the djinn that watches her from the shadows.

cover of The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate

Here is a fictional portrait of a trailblazer who I don’t see much written about. Hattie McDaniel was a prolific actress and the first Black person to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Which is where some of her heartache started. The role was controversial and barred her from both white and Black gatherings because white people only saw her as The Help, while Black people thought her Oscar-winning role was demeaning. Even so, she still fought for a place for Black actors in Hollywood, and leaned on friends like Clark Gable and Dorothy Dandridge when she had to. This tells McDaniel’s story, covering everything from the Oscars to the war to her marriages.

cover of Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

From the author of Such a Fun Age comes a skewering of academia and privilege. At the University of Arkansas in 2017, Millie Cousins is working as a senior resident assistant when visiting professor Agatha Paul offers her an odd but easy chance to earn some money. Agatha wants Millie to let her listen in on conversations had by a group of privileged women who are living in a dorm meant for scholarship recipients. What follows is an often humorous narrative filled with the aptest of social observations.

Suggestion Section

It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. We’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Book Club:

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Book Riot’s 2024 Read Harder Challenge

The Most Popular Books in US Public Libraries 2023

The Best Books We Read in 2023 (That Weren’t Published in 2023)


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

The Best Book Club Books of 2023

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

Now that we’ve come to the end of the year, I wanted to review some of the best books that were chosen by various book clubs (like Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club, Reese’s Book Club, or the Subtle Asian Book Club).

The 11 books below are a mix of nonfiction and fiction, with dystopian realities and romance hopefulness. Some get into heavy topics, while others keep it light. No matter which ones your book club ends up reading, their stories will stick with you.

Nibbles and Sips

cheesecake topped with caramel and pecans

Pecan Pie Cheesecake by Natalie | Parsley and Icing

As Southern and pecan pie-loving as I am, I’m surprised I’ve never had a pecan pie cheesecake. Which may be just as well because it sounds like it might be habit-forming for me.

You’ll need the usual cheesecake things, like cream cheese, sugar, butter, eggs, sour cream, and graham cracker crust, as well as butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla extract, and more for the pecan portion.

For a full list of ingredients, visit Natalie’s site or watch the Instagram post.


Cover of Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Book Clubs: Audacious, Jenna Bush

This National Book Award finalist comes from the author of Friday Black, and tells the bloody story of Loretta Thurwar and “Hurricane Staxxx,” two women who are friends, lovers, and popular Chain-Gang All-Stars. As All-Stars, they’ve fought against other prisoners in lethal battles to win shortened sentences through a highly contested program that’s run through the controversial Criminal Action Penal Entertainment organization in a (not so) alternative United States. Loretta nears the day she’ll finally be free, but the burden of all she’s done — and still has to do — weighs heavily on her in this damning look at America’s prison industrial complex and culture of violence.

a graphic of the cover of Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

Book Clubs: Audacious,Vibe Check

Desmond is the Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist and author of Evicted, and with his latest, he asks why the U.S. is the richest country on earth with more poverty than any other democratic nation. Through research and original reporting, Desmond shows how the financially secure leech off the poor, securing their own comfort through the sacrifice of those in lower socioeconomic classes. He also gives ways for us to change — by becoming poverty abolitionists, we can make it so that everyone has the chance to have their basic necessities met.

a graphic of the cover of Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Book Clubs: Sapph-Lit and the Audacious Book Club

Lamya, like so many people who have marginalized identities, grew up feeling on the outside of everything. When, as a young teen, she develops a crush on a female teacher, she at first tries to hide it. But then, as she reads the Quran, she finds familiarity — the characters she reads about don’t seem to fit within the heteronormative boundaries that have been making her feel ill at ease. As she grows up, eventually moving to New York City in early adulthood, her faith, along with her sense of self as a queer Muslim woman, grows. I’ve never read the Quran, but I love reading about different interpretations of religious texts.

cover of Commitment by Mona Simpson

Commitment by Mona Simpson

Book Clubs: NYPL and WNYC

After having risked so much for her children — including illegally entering them into a wealthy public school — Diane Aziz’s last act as a parent is to drive her son Walter to college at UC Berkeley. Then, she falls into a deep depression and enters into a state hospital. Diane’s best friend tries to keep things together for her other children, but it’s tough going — Walter may not be able to continue with school because of finances, his sister Lina risks it all in order to keep up with her wealthy classmates, and Donny, the little brother, is slowly drifting into a life of drugs and listless days at the beach.

cover of The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Book Clubs: Oprah

The bestselling author of Cutting for Stone pens a family saga spanning more than 70 years. The story of a girl who would come to be known as Big Ammachi — which essentially translates to “Big Momma” — twists and turns, intertwining as the waterways do that her and her would-be family live in Southern India. Big Ammachi’s family, part of a Christian community with a long history, will be as gifted as they are cursed, with the curious incidence of drowning being a common theme reoccurring through the generations. Starting in 1900, we experience the change and advancements time brings as Big Ammachi experiences them.

Yellowface cover

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Book Clubs: Marie Claire, Reese, and Audacious

I’m sure y’all have been seeing this one everywhere. It’s definitely one of the It Books of the year, which I love for several reasons. One being its unflinching look at race within the publishing industry. When June Hayward’s peer Athena Liu dies in an accident, she impulsively takes the literary star’s unfinished manuscript as her own. As the book catapults her into literary relevance — a marked difference from her previous status — her image as a writer becomes more and more racially ambiguous. But Athena isn’t so easily forgotten, and June — now Juniper Song — sees the dead woman’s shadow wherever she goes.

the cover of An Island Princess Starts a Scandal

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Book Clubs: Amor en Páginas

This sapphic 19th-century romance follows Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, who is living it up one last summer in Paris with her two best friends before she becomes trapped in a future loveless marriage. It’s during this time in Paris that she meets the business-savvy Duchess of Sundridge, Cora Kempf Bristol, who tries to tempt her to sell a piece of land she said she’d never part with. But Manuela agrees to sell on the condition that the duchess spend the summer with her. What follows are nights of reawakened passions and days full of art admiration. Cora is the happiest she’s ever been, but is she happy enough to cause one of the biggest scandals in Paris is the question.

a graphic of the cover of How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

Book Clubs: Today Book Club

Memoirs and other writings by poets are some of my favorite books to read, and in How to Say Babylon, Sinclair lends her poet’s voice to the story of her upbringing. In it, she recounts life as a child reared by a militant Rastafarian father, who projected his oppressive patriarchal views on the women and girls in his household. In an effort to avoid Western influences, her and her sisters’ clothing is restricted, as is the scope of their education and who they can socialize with. But through her mother, Sinclair, and her sisters learned through books and poetry, which helped her to develop her own singular voice.

cover of Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter 

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Book Clubs: Marie Claire

The horrors of capitalism are on full display in Ripe. Cassie has gotten her dream job at a Silicon Valley startup but is also seriously regretting it. The people she works with are toxic, entitled, and downright criminal — and once her bosses start requiring she engage in illegal activity, too, the black hole that’s always been with her, that gets stronger through her depression and anxiety, feels closer than ever.

cover of Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Book Clubs: Good Morning America, Eclectix

Here, the author of the award-winning Miracle Creek writes a mystery that asks some interesting questions. When the father and son of a biracial Korean and white family don’t come home on time from a walk, the rest of the family doesn’t immediately call the police. But when Mia’s 20-year-old brother, Eugene, comes through the door bloody and without their father, they know that something’s wrong. Eugene is a witness to what happened but is unable to speak. As time passes and the window for finding their father alive shrinks, we learn of the intricacies of the Parksons’ lives, including the secrets that may be connected to the father’s disappearance.

cover of Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, translated Elisabeth Jaquette

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, translated Elisabeth Jaquette

Book Clubs: Subtle Asian Book Club

(Content warning)

This award-winning novel takes place in the summer of 1949, a year after 700,000 Palestinians were displaced. A young Palestinian woman is captured by Israeli soldiers, assaulted, and buried in the sand. Years later, a woman becomes transfixed on this piece of history — this “minor detail” that has been forgotten by everyone else.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for that bookish special someone in your life this holiday season? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! Here at TBR, we pair our customers with a professional book nerd (aka bibliologist) who just gets them. They fill out a survey and then sit back and relax as we pick books just for them. We’ve got three levels — recs-only, paperback, and hardcover — and you can gift a full year or one time, so there are options for every budget! Get all the details at mybtro.com/gift

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I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

Cozy Books for Winter Reading

I know cozy reading has been a thing for a big chunk of 2023, but I think seeking out cozy books, particularly for winter reading, has a longer tradition. For me, anyway. Also, I’m sure we could all do with some soothing stories.

So, for today’s club, I’ve got a great collection of cozy books. From cozy foodie mystery to found family celebrating the holidays in NYC to sapphic sci-fi mystery — the books below all scratch different cozy itches.

The holidays have arrived, and so has our new paperback level at TBR! If you (or a reader you know) are just over-carrying around bulky hardcovers or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, we’ve got you. Check out all the offerings at mybtro.com/gift, and give personalized reading recommendations customized for any and every reader.

Nibbles and Sips

potato cheese balls

3-Ingredient Cheese Bombs by Giorgia Paino

It’s all in the title. I think this must be one of the most efficient ways of combining two of the most common ingredients in comfort food (potatoes + cheese).

You’ll need: boiled potatoes, cornflour, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper.

Assembling them is pretty easy; just combine everything together and form into small balls, then cook in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 180°. Serve with marinara or some other sauce (I could even see chipotle mayo, maybe).

Here’s the video!


cover of Coconut Drop Dead by Olivia Matthews

Coconut Drop Dead by Olivia Matthews

This is the third in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series, and while an older version of myself would feel compelled to always start at the beginning, the current iteration of me is very fine with dropping in wherever with cozy mysteries. You can start with Against the Current, in which the main character, Lyndsay Murray, opens the Caribbean Spice Isle Bakery with her family but has to find out who killed a rival baker. Or, you can go ahead with the latest, Coconut Drop Dead, where she works as one of the vendors for the Caribbean American Heritage Festival but has to take a step back from the festivities in order to figure out who killed an up-and-coming reggae singer.

cover of Orphan Christmas Club by Becca Freeman

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman

Becca Freeman is one of the hosts of the Bad on Paper podcast and has given us what sounds to be a sweet, holiday-themed story of found family. Every Christmas since college, Hannah and Finn have spent the holiday together. With Hannah’s parents having died and Finn’s disowning him once he came out, the two became each other’s solace. As the years carried on, they added Priya and Theo to their group, and the four were happy for a time. But now Finn’s moving to L.A., maybe even without telling Theo how he feels about him, and Hannah is scared that her self-made family is shattering. As the four of them continue to grow into themselves, they’ll have to figure out how to grow into the relationship they have with each other.

cover of The Mimicking of Known Successes (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti) by Malka Older; illustration of shadow of two people walking against the backdrop of a red and orange sky

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

The official blurb of this book calls it “a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance, set on Jupiter,” which I feel hits all the right buttons for a particular subset of people (me, I’m people). Investigator Mossa follows a missing man’s trail to Valdegeld, a place on Jupiter where a human colony’s university is located. A university where Pleiti, Mossa’s ex-girlfriend, works as a researcher. Once Pleiti joins Mossa’s investigation, the two set out on a convoluted path that involves the future of living on Earth…as well as their future together.

cover of Fake Dates and Mooncakes  by Sher Lee 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Foodie romances are a special kind of soothing, and this one takes place during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Dylan Tang wants to win the festival’s mooncake-making competition for teen chefs for a couple of reasons: 1) to honor the memory of his mother, 2) to publicize his aunt’s struggling Chinese restaurant and hopefully get more business. But the focus he needs to commit to winning keeps getting interrupted by the charming and wealthy Theo, who ends up asking Dylan to pretend to be his date for a Hamptons wedding. Suddenly, Dylan finds himself in a sparkling world of privilege, and maybe even falling for Theo for realsies…

cover of A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

This Regency-era mystery follows the spicy Beatrice Steele, who would rather read about true crime cases in the newspaper than focus on her needlework. So it makes sense that when eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth (lol) drops dead during the autumnal ball, it’s Beatrice who steps up to stop anyone else from being murdered while a storm rages outside.

Along this same vein is a series of YA cozy mysteries by my podcast co-host Tirzah Price, the first of which is Pride and Premeditation.

Suggestion Section


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

THE END OF THE WORLD IS A CUL DE SAC and More of the Best Books Out in December

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

So, of course, now is the time we’re flooded with best-of lists from everyone and their mother. But Goodreads got a little cute with theirs and released a list of their staff’s individual top picks. This is similar to many other end-of-the-year lists in that its selection has been chosen by staff, of course, but it doesn’t rely on a popular vote and includes people who I imagine aren’t usually included in these kinds of editorial decisions (like the sales director and the senior risk manager, for example). It also has books released from whenever, not just this year. Altogether, I like the idea, and obviously always appreciate a chance to see what other people are reading.

Check it out when you get a chance.

As for today’s book club, there’s cozy wonton soup, dazzling Nigerian leopard girls, nerd love, a look at the current state of philanthropy, and more.

Nibbles and Sips

Wonton Soup by Maxine Sharf

It’s soup season! Well, for me, every season is soup season, but I know that normal people prefer theirs when the temperature drops. This one stood out to me because it looks easy, sounds like it would be a comforting addition to any book club meeting, and I’ve been tearing up Trader Joe’s frozen Asian-inspired food lately, so I know in my spirit these wontons hit.

You’ll need: Trader Joe’s chicken cilantro wontons, shrimp (or tofu), bamboo shoots, garlic, broth, mushrooms, bok choy, and a few other items. For a full list with instructions, check out Maxine’s Instagram.


cover of Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ

Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ

Two girls in Nigeria are at the precipice of great change. Treasure and her mother struggled after her father died, having to beg for scraps in the marketplace just to get by. Then, a man promises to solve her problems. But his feet are hovering above the ground, and salvation through him comes at a terrible price. Then there’s Ozoemena, whose father said that the itch at the middle of her back is part of a great honor. It means she will become a Leopard capable of defending her land and people, something that girls were never before able to do. But all she wants is to fit in at her new boarding school. As the two girls travel on these new trajectories, they become wilder and soon ask the question of what girls must do to make it in the world.

cover of AIRPLANE MODE BY SHAHNAZ HABIB

Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib

Habib looks at what it means to find joy in traveling in the wake of climate change, capitalism, and the long-lasting effects of colonialism. She considers travel from a colonialist mindset — referencing everything from passports to flowers — and the history of travel while grappling with who is afforded the luxury.

cover of Game On by Seressia Glass

Game On by Seressia Glass

Glass continues the nerd love, following The Love Con. But here, instead of a cosplayer, we have an influential gamer. Samara’s video pointing out the popular game Legendsfall’s shortcomings surrounding representation goes viral, and suddenly, its creator company, Artemis Games, is under fire. Since the company’s CEO, Aron Galanis, has been trying to make Artemis Games’ products more accessible, the bad publicity stings, which is why he decides to hire the person who made the viral video. Samara and Aron start off working together as enemies, but then later as something else…question is, what will going public with what they have going on do considering everything that’s happened?

cover of The Wildest Son by Asha Lemmie

The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie

This book is essentially a messy historical coming-of-age novel with lyrical writing. So, naturally, I’m here for it. It follows Delphine, a biracial writer just coming into herself, who leaves Paris following a tragedy. The journey she embarks on is self-discovery, but with a twist: she’s on the hunt for her missing father who she believes to be literary icon Ernest Hemingway. Tracking down the elusive Hemingway takes her everywhere — from Harlem to Havana — but the scariest part of the journey may be what it would mean if everything she imagined about her father (and, therefore, herself) was wrong.

cover of The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong―And How to Fix It by Amy Schiller

The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong And How to Fix It by Amy Schiller

This is a book that covers something I hadn’t directly thought about but that I feel may have been a nebulous thought lurking in the back of my mind. It asks why, given the enormity that is the philanthropic industry, does nothing seem to change? Billionaires stay rich, and the struggling poor don’t seem to be receiving the millions (billions?) in aid. Schiller looks at the history of philanthropy — from the philosophy of St. Augustine to LeBron James’ work — and argues that philanthropy shouldn’t be focused on everyday survival for the people it sets out to help. Instead, public institutions should cover things like food and shelter when needed, and philanthropy’s main goal should be to help make people feel more fulfilled. I haven’t read this one yet, so I don’t know how she fully fleshes out her ideas, but I’m looking forward to getting into it.

cover of The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy

The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy

From the author of Trespasses comes a new collection of stories that looks largely at heterosexual relationship dynamics in Ireland — especially as they relate to class. A woman has an affair with a man who resents her “posh” ways, another woman contends with her husband’s revenge, and a man realizes that maybe his wife isn’t the best mother. The writing is melodic and damning but still has glimmers of hope.

It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Suggestion Section

Book Club:

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Rizz named word of year. So what is it and who has it? – BBC News


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica

Categories
In The Club

Non-Book Club Gifts!

Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.

I was, admittedly, up way too late scouring the internet for deals this past weekend (Black Friday has high-key turned into Black Week, if we’re keeping it real). I come from a long line of couponing women, so I was in my zone a little bit. But I also overdid it (lolz).

Well, I’m sharing with you some of the things I found. Though some of the deals are over, there are still a lot of things that either have good sale prices or are perfect for book club gifting. And if you order now, you should be able to get them before Christmas, if that’s your goal.

Nibbles and Sips

braised short ribs and potatoes

Spiced, Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes by Alison Roman

Rebecca Schinsky, Book Riot’s Chief of Staff, shared a ridiculous-looking recipe for braised short ribs, and though I haven’t tried it yet, I don’t see how it could miss.

You’ll need bone-in short ribs and potatoes, obvi, as well as onion, garlic, chili de arbol, cumin seeds, fennel seed, coriander seed, ground cinnamon, tomato paste, white wine vinegar, beef or chicken broth, lemons, and cilantro.

For a full list of ingredient amounts and instructions, visit Alison Roman’s page.

Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.


Custom Miniature Book & Media Ornament,

Even if your giftee doesn’t want to hang this ornament on a Christmas tree, a collection of miniature versions of the books they read this year (or all-time faves) would be amazing to have. $38

Bookstore Candle

I have this candle, and yes, it somehow really does smell like a bookstore. Which is to say that it is comfort in a jar. $9

Personalized Magnetic Bookmark

These simple but adorable magnetic bookmarks have a range of potential colors. $6

Bookclub Christmas Ornament

We are all in our book club era. $25

green bookworm sweatshirt

For those of us in a lot of the U.S., it’s sweatshirt season, and I love how this green bookworm sweatshirt looks like it’s for a college. $41+

Custom Indie Book Earrings

Customize these book earrings with your giftee’s favorite book! $9+

Really Loud Librarians game

I’m sure any book club member who’s also a board game lover would really love this Really Loud Librarians game. $20

Kate Spade New York Canvas Tote Bag with Interior Pocket

There are never enough totes (especially ones gifted to you by other people!). I am 100% certain this Kate Spade New York canvas tote bag (with interior pocket) will be very much appreciated. $34

Personalized Book Mug

This personalized book mug could hold coffee, sure, but it could also potentially hold other liquids favored by book clubs. What I’m saying is that I’m not against wine in a mug. Plus, being able to add your giftee’s favorite books is such a nice touch. $21

Book Enamel Pin

I really love the idea of everyone in the book club having this book club enamel pin, so y’all could look like one (cute) bookish unit. $14

holiday gift guide image

For more holiday suggestions, check out our holiday page, which gets weekly updates.

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The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2022 and 2023, Crunched

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This is the Word of the Year, According to Merriam-Webster


I hope this newsletter found you well, and as always, thanks for hanging out! If you have any comments or just want to connect, send an email to erica@riotnewmedia.com or holla at me on Twitter @erica_eze_. You can also catch me talking more mess in our In Reading Color Substack as well as chattin’ with my co-host Tirzah Price on the Hey YA podcast.

Until next time,

Erica