Riot Roundup: The Best Books We Read July-September 2024


This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

It’s somehow already time for another edition of Riot Roundup, where we ask Book Riot staff and contributors to tell us about the best books they read over the last quarter then share those with our readers. We’re not just talking new books here: Riot Roundup includes frontlist, backlist, upcoming releases, and spans many genres and age ranges. We just want to know what books our people read and loved, period. As always, we read some pretty great books.

This time we have a sci-fi and fantasy mashup of star-crossed friends-turned-lovers; a guide to unusual plant and animal life around the world; a middle grade read about the power of storytelling; a genderqueer Eros and Psyche retelling, and lots more.

To the books!

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders book coverAll the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders book cover

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

After meeting Anders at the Nebula Awards and snagging a signed copy of this book, I dived in in July. The blend of science fiction and fantasy and ABSOLUTE JOY was more than I expected. This tale of star-crossed friends-turned-lovers was so surprising, so genuine, and so imaginative. I cannot recommend it enough.

—Chris M. Arnone

cover of Atlas Obscura: Wild Lifecover of Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

Atlas Obscura: Wild Life by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer

I was the kind of child who devoured thick books of weird and fascinating facts: Guinness Book of World Records, Pirateology, that kind of thing. Naturally, anything Atlas Obscura publishes is an automatic read for adult me. Their latest guide is focused on unusual plant and animal life found across the globe and through the millennia. Immersing myself in the entries and their vivid accompanying illustrations has given me a renewed sense of awe for the world we live in—not only for its beauty but its strangeness, too.

—CJ Connor

I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán book coverI Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán book cover

I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán

Guzmán’s life’s work revolves around cross-partisan communication, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that she’s the liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who happened to vote for Trump—twice. In her book, she writes of how we might turn toward each other in support of mutual understanding and empathy, rather than turning away. She delves into how we might find common ground, and how we might find expansiveness within our conversations with others if only we approach them in the spirit of open curiosity. As a human who has to live in the world with other humans, I appreciated this hopeful approach to cross-partisan discourse.

—Steph Auteri

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera book coverThe Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera book cover

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

This 2021 middle grade science fiction novel won the Pura Belpré Award and the Newbery Medal. When a comet is about to strike the Earth, Petra and her family are placed in stasis on a spaceship traveling to a distant planet named Sagan. The sci-fi concepts are fascinating, but the love between Petra and her family is one of the most compelling aspects of the book. The story also touches on the power of storytelling and the evils of eugenics. Petra must hide her disability to be allowed on the spaceship. The white supremacist collective that runs the ship hates all aspects of diversity.

—Grace Lapointe

cover of Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; image of koi swimming in the night skycover of Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; image of koi swimming in the night sky

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

During a week off from work, I finally read a stack of books that I had been dying to read but had not been able to fit into my reading life. In the second-best kind of lottery to win, I loved all of the books I read, including Light From Uncommon Stars. It has a hell of a premise, which it delivers on, but it also manages to be a page-turner focused on character while being dark and also fun—donut shop run by aliens, anyone? It is a highlight of my reading year.

–Jamie Canavés

Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight by Sara Gran (Dreamland Books, February 10, 2025)

I really just want to type “EEEEEEEEEEEE NEW SARA GRAN!” over and over here for several lines, but I will refrain. Instead, I will tell you (remind you?) that Sara Gran freaking rules. I love all her books and I’d put her face on currency if it was up to me. I love her Claire DeWitt detective novels, especially. (Who doesn’t love a complex, surly detective?) This is Gran’s first collection of stories, and I was so excited to learn some feature characters from that series. (You don’t need to have read that series to enjoy this collection. But you should definitely read them!) There’s also a historical mystery tale and stories in different formats and writing styles. Gran is a master at drawing readers in and keeping things interesting, and these are nine excellent examples of that. 

—Liberty Hardy

Cover of The Night Guest by Hildur KnútsdóttirCover of The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal

I was in a reading slump when I came upon The Night Guest, and it did not disappoint. Each morning, Iðunn wakes up exhausted and sore. Her doctor, family, and friends insist she’s fine, that she just needs more rest, or less stress, or daily walks, etc. It’s not until she gets a pedometer and wears it to bed, that she realizes something far more sinister is amiss. I mean, what would you do if your smartwatch said you walked 40,000 steps in your sleep? This story will keep you guessing, the dread deliciously mounting, until you reach the haunting climax. I love how this story plays with genre and expectations, while also shedding a light–especially in the beginning–on how much of women’s health is ignored. A short yet stunning read.

–Lyndsie Manusos

cover of On Rotationcover of On Rotation

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi

Angie Appiah is on the path to finally meeting her Ghanaian immigrant parents’ sky-high expectations for their oldest daughter. But in rapid succession, her perfect plans start to unravel when her impressive boyfriend breaks up with her and she gets a low score on the most important test of medical school. But somehow, she’s more upset about the meet-cute gone awry with Ricky, who turns out to already have a girlfriend. She needs to focus on getting her career as a doctor back on track. And Angie has some big friend issues that need her attention, too. But Ricky seems to pop up everywhere, from the Beyoncé concert with her friends to the hospital where she works. This book is deeply funny and romantic, but it’s Angie’s own journey of self-discovery and self-confidence that shines throughout the story. 

—Alison Doherty 

The Palace of Eros coverThe Palace of Eros cover

The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis

Ever since Madeline Miller kicked off a feminist Greek mythology retelling trend with her books Circe and The Song of Achilles, I’ve been waiting for another queer book in the genre to really sweep me off my feet. So when Caro de Robertis, one of my all-time favorite authors, announced a genderqueer retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche, I was obviously thrilled. The book absolutely lived up to my expectations, with lush, bewitching prose, mystical settings, and deeply layered characters. It’s a transcendent love story about queer identity and carving out space for peace in a hostile world. The final chapter gave me full-body goosebumps and will stay with me forever. 

—Susie Dumond

cover of The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews by Rossicover of The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews by Rossi

The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews by Rossi

This is the second memoir by Chef Rossi and it takes place in the rough and gritty New York City of the 1980s. During her rebellious teenager era, Rossi’s conservative Jewish parents became overwhelmed and sent her to live with a Chasidic rabbi and his family in Brooklyn. The book is an ode to the incredible women she met during this period, many of whom were religious and yet championed Rossi just as she was. At times heartbreaking, hilarious, and frightening, this coming-of-age-meets-coming-out-story is one I won’t soon forget. And, as a mostly non-practicing Jew, I found insights about the community and culture to be fascinating.

—Rachel Rosenberg

cover of The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarrcover of The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr translated by Alison Anderson

As debates about immigration rage in this election season, here is a book for this moment. It’s the story of a small Sicilian town that hosts 72 immigrants who have come to Italy for a better life. It’s told through many voices, from the point of view of some of the immigrants themselves, the people who want to help them, and even the people who want to do everything they can to stop them from staying in Italy. The stories of each character will mesmerize you as you learn about their desires, their loves, and even their hatred. The language will stop you in your tracks. It’s not a book to be missed.

—Elisa Shoenberger

Sorcery and Small Magics book coverSorcery and Small Magics book cover

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy (October 15, 2024)

Charming class clown, and master of small magic, Leovander Lovage is known for squandering his noble connections with public displays of frivolity. It frustrates Sebastian Grimm to no end. The quiet, hardworking, and talented sorcerer avoids Leo at all costs—that is until he accidentally casts forbidden magic binding Leo to him. Now the two academic rivals will have to traverse a magically murderous forest if they want to break the curse before it does both of them in. Their relationship simmers in an aggressively slow burn that threatens even the most patient readers. There is no HEA to be found in the first book following Leo and Sebastian, but I anticipate the most satisfying payoff. I, for one, was thoroughly enraptured by the development of magic’s academically prescribed rigidity that only blossoms as Leo tests the limits of his bardic-style spell work. Doocy hits every beat with finesse in her queer romantasy debut.

—R. Nassor

Twisted Shadows by Allie Therin

In an alternate Seattle, empaths have the power to read other people’s emotions with a touch…and if they become corrupted and dangerous, empath hunter Evan Grayson, better known as the Dead Man, will be there to stop them. That’s the only thing keeping empath Reece Davies sane, ever since he learned how close he was to becoming corrupted. But there are forces at play that want to use Reece and other empaths as weapons, and the more complicated Reece and Grayson’s relationship becomes, the harder it will be for the Dead Man to take Reece down if he has to. The first book in this paranormal romance series, Liar City, was heavy on the paranormal and low on the romance — they didn’t even kiss! — but this second installment makes up for it in spades. The tension and longing between these men who aren’t sure if they are allies or enemies is excruciating and delicious, and when it finally explodes…well! My only complaint is that I can’t read Book 3 right now.

—Jess Plummer

cover of Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Mannecover of Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne

Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne

Manne’s book about fatphobia is a must-read in every way. A powerful, dare I say healing, text—it changed the way I view my own body and my unapologetic fatness. An associate professor of philosophy, Manne uses scientific research, logic, and analysis to philosophically prove that it is not immoral to be fat, and that society has no right or duty to pressure fat people to lose weight. It is necessary reading for anyone who’s ever felt uncomfortable because of how others see their body or anyone trying to raise a child in this difficult world.

—Leah Rachel von Essen

cover of The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner; illustration of bookshelves and a red catcover of The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner; illustration of bookshelves and a red cat

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner

This is a delightful cozy murder mystery with a good dash of the supernatural. It’s about a 65-year-old librarian, Sherry Pinkwhistle, solving murders in a snowy small town in northern New York. Sherry loves solving the murders and outthinking the police, but why are there so many murders in such a small town, exactly? That seems…odd, but she can’t remember why. While the body count has never bothered Sherry much, when one of the murders is personal, she begins to realize something is wrong. Then her cat, Thomas Cromwell, begins speaking to her as if he’s the ghost of the real Thomas Cromwell. I absolutely adored this and might reread it come this winter!

—Margaret Kingsbury

Want more recs? Don’t forget to check out the best comics, graphic novels, and manga we read last quarter, too.



Source link

About The Author

Scroll to Top