Protest censorship by participating in a Banned Books Week read-in. For a second year, Libro.fm and Silent Book Club are partnering to host read-ins at independent bookstores and libraries this October 4-10.

More than 400 libraries and bookshops across the U.S. and more will be hosting these read-ins. Shout-out to my own local shop, Firestorm Books. Explore the impressive read-in map and find an event near you.

Events will feature impactful activities designed to help readers take action locally, including:

• Writing postcards to representatives
• Signing petitions
• Preparing for school or library board meetings

Continue doing the good work. Attendees will receive a free audiobook of either:

• How to Defend Books and Why: Book Bans and How We Fight Them by Danny Caine, or
• Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez

Learn more about why protesting censorship now is vitally important. – SZW

It’s been a heavy week for survivors of sexual assault. The news of the “Cornell 7″ has been a stark reminder that accountability too often evades perpetrators while victims are left to live a nightmare. 

• Look no further than the details of the case, and the “punishment” assigned to the young men involved. An essay for SA. I do not have words for this kind of rage.

→ I’ve been thinking a lot about survivor memoirs and essays, not because books will save us, but because they remind us what survival looks like and call rape culture out for what it is. Here are three worth revisiting in this moment. Content warning for discussions of sexual assault.

→ Not That Bad edited by Roxane Gay – The testimonies in this collection drive home the reality that is existing as a woman, of walking through a violent world and then being put through hell when we report the harm we experience. It was sobering to hear just how many victims describe what happened to them as “not that bad.” It’s all bad and so often the most bad, but the instinct to make less of that pain persists. 

→ Know My Name by Chanel Miller – You might know Chanel Miller as Emily Doe, the woman assaulted by Brock Turner at Stanford University whose victim impact statement went viral in the aftermath. Her story is one of immense courage when the justice system failed her, one that helped bring about change in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. 

A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot, translated by Natasha Lehrer – In 2020, Gisèle Pelicot learned that her husband had been drugging her, raping her, and inviting men over to assault her in their home for over a decade. In 2024, she waived her right to anonymity in her legal fight against her husband and 50 other men. Pelicot’s declaration at trial became a rallying cry around the world, and inspired the subtitle of this book. —VD

In case you haven’t heard, we’re celebrating our 15th anniversary this month! Throughout October, we’ll be looking back on the last 15 years in books and publishing, and you’re invited to join us on a book nerd journey down memory lane.

We’re kicking things off with a look at the biggest literary controversies of the last 15 years: the fun and frivolous, the serious and sobering, and everything in between.

• From breaking news that changed the industry to stories that lit up the staff chat, these are moments that made an impact (and certainly made that day more interesting).

We’ll give a rundown of each event, followed by commentary from Book Riot Staff. Expect a little insight, a little reflection, and definitely a little snark.

This is just Part 1 of the time machine trip – stay tuned for Part 2 next week! To stay in the know and up to date, be sure you follow us on social (@BookRiot everywhere), subscribe to the Book Riot Newsletter and the Book Riot Podcast, and visit us at BookRiot.com. —VD

It’s Halloween month! This is the time of year to stock your TBR with horror reads—but those can encompass more than just Stephen King titles. There’s horror poetry, horror picture books, horror romance, and, yes, even horror nonfiction.

Here are five morbid nonfiction books perfect for horror readers.

Dark Archives: A Librarian’s Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom: Around the world, there are dozens of books bound in human skin. This book explores their history and the ethics of their custodianship.

The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman, PhD and Mark H. Harris: This history of Black horror includes infographics, trivia, and sections like “The Black Character Horror Movie Survival Guide.”

Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt: A science reporter explores all the goriest parts of the natural world, including eye worms, sordid animal sex, and why some corpses float while others sink.

In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s Family by Nansook Hong: Cults are terrifying in horror novels, but their real-life counterparts are just as horrifying. This is a memoir from a woman raised in the “Moonies” cult who endured years of abuse before escaping.

Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear by Jan Bondeson: This is an illustrated history of being buried alive, from folklore to medicine. As one review put it: “Cremation never sounded so good.”

Looking for more? Check out these morbid nonfiction books and these nonfiction books for horror fans. —DE

October’s new mystery, thriller, and true crime books offer a little something for everyone.

• Want something Gothic? How about an homage to Edgar Allen Poe
• In the mood for true crime, but make it historical? Here’s the story of the doctor who Sherlock Holmes is based on.
• If you’re looking for thrills and suspense, there’s the search for a missing Anishinaabe woman, a genre-bending journey into New York City’s punk scene, and a YA horror thriller about a final girl out for revenge.
• There’s even a Christmas “romystery” in the mix—I know, it’s October, but we’ve gotta line them up now!
• And we’re getting a new Freida McFadden, a witchy thriller set at a 17th-century estate in rural Massachusetts.

In ongoing series, we have Louise Penny’s 21st(!) Chief Inspector Gamache book, the third Ruby and Cordelia paranormal mystery by Olivia Blacke, and Walter Mosley’s latest King Oliver crime novel.

Get even more new releases + mystery recs here.—VD

Webtoons, for the uninitiated, are pretty much what they like sound like: toons (comics) on the web. They were first published in the ‘90s in Korea, but have since grown in popularity through various platforms.

• One such platform—simply named Webtoons—has about 170 million monthly users, making it the world’s largest webcomic platform.

And it really puts out bangers. Not only that, but some of said bangers go on to get physical editions that become super popular. 

Here are some of the most popular webtoons that got turned into YA books:

• Your Letter by Hyeon A Cho: This multi-award-nominated comic follows Sori, who is hoping a new school will mean no more bullies. One day, she finds a mysterious note taped to her desk inviting her to a scavenger hunt. As she follows the clues, she finds new people and places that open her up.
• Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman: This got so popular that it was adapted into a popular show! The openly gay, overthinking Charlie befriends soft-hearted rugby player Nick. But what they have going on may soon turn into more than just friendship.
• Morgana and Oz Volume 1 by Miyuli: This enemies-to-lovers romantasy has hints of Romeo and Juliet. Morgana’s well-off witch family hosts an important dinner meant to squash the longstanding beef between them and the Red Vampire Clan. But things go south, and Morgana accidentally turns vampire Oz into a cute lil kitty cat. They’ll spend the next few days trying to turn him back, but then Morgana’s grandfather goes missing…

More popular webtoons turned into YA books. —EE

Did you know? Greene wrote about 500 words every day in a small black notebook. He would then put it away until the next day. His editor, Michael Korda, referred to it as his daily “penance.”

Find out who made the First Novel Prize shortlist

Bundle up with a cozy read for fall

Learn more about romance’s chile-pepper ranking scale

Find out who made the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist

Read a great new historical fiction novel

Written by Sharifah Williams, Jeff O’Neal, Vanessa Diaz, Erica Ezeifedi, and Danika Ellis. Thanks to Vanessa Diaz for copy editing.

Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.

_{Got a tip, question, comment, or story idea? Drop us a line: thenewsletter@bookriot.com}