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We’ve got all kinds of cozy, from mysteries to cookbooks to kids books, and then some more chilling fare, from stories set in cold climes to ones that will make you shiver. Brew up a warm beverage and read on!

But do you know all his canonical powers? Or the non-canonical ones he used to have but doesn’t anymore? Spoiler: one of them is super disco. Just saying. Let’s run through what he can do, what he used to be able to do, and what he couldn’t do for a while but now can again! Flight “You will believe a man can fly,” the 1978 movie promised, and they were right....

Before we dive in, let me give you my credentials. I’m by no means an expert, nor do I (or have I ever) work for a publisher or for Barnes & Noble. I got my start in bookselling; I was hired by Borders in 2004 (RIP, Borders!), worked for independent bookstores from 2005 to 2015, and have been working for Book Riot since then. I’m also the co-editor of two anthologies, Sword Stone Table with Swapna Krishna and (coming in 2023!...

We won’t talk about my galaxy brain wolf, who thinks that all fiction is historical fiction because books cannot help but reflect history by dint of being a human endeavor taking place within ongoing history. But that wolf is not helpful and spends all her time chasing her own tail. We’ll leave her be and attend to the other two. It’s heartening to know that both of my reasonable opinions have merit, and which one is correct varies on who is making the call....

If you’re here, you probably know “ship” in fandom is short for relationship. This usage originated from X-Files fans in 1995. Some early fans called themselves “relationshippers” or wanted an “MSR” (a Mulder and Scully romantic relationship). These original fans didn’t combine Mulder and Scully to form a ship name. “Sculder” is sometimes used ironically or by more recent fans. Ship names can be funny and inventive: based on nicknames, puns, or the beginning of one name and the end of another....

In fourth grade, I found the premise of characters switching bodies with one another endlessly hilarious. It was just the right combination of slapstick and gross-out humor to amuse my friends and me at age 9. My mom, who always encouraged me to read whatever I wanted, said this trend was silly. Maybe she thought it was a fad I’d quickly outgrow. Or maybe her adult perspective made her realize how problematic it could be for adults to inhabit children’s bodies and vice versa....

I have one child, a son. I try not to say I “only” have one child, or that I have an “only child.” I’m a big believer that words matter, and it includes terms we use regarding parenting and families. Growing up, I always thought I’d have two children. But life has a way of working out in ways we don’t expect, and I’m a single mom to my amazing kiddo....

Mental illness has never, and will never be, a one size fits all. Many of the illnesses themselves make it difficult for the person experiencing them to reach out and piling on top of that a society that adds to the stigma leaves so many people alone, vulnerable, and feeling trapped when help does exist. We should be creating a world where people have an easy and accessible way to reach out where they will be met with understanding and patience rather than mockery, stigma, or fear....

There is fairly little Serbian literature in translation. Book Riot has previously covered a Serbian fantasy novel by Aleksandar Tešić and Directions for Use by Ana Ristović, which made the 2018 Best Translated Book Award shortlist. But here, as elsewhere, there has been little chatter about Serbian lit. I wanted to ask Rachael: Where should we start with Serbian literature in translation? To start off, I’m interested how & what took you to Serbia and Serbian literature?...

You may disagree with who we decided was officially an Avenger at this moment in time, but quite frankly, our heroes need all the help they can get, so we’ve included the original 6 Avengers, plus some friends they’ve picked up along the way. Bruce Banner might have some issues with our data and algorithm, but I’m pretty sure Scott Lang would declare this quiz “neat!” Avoid the spoilers, take our “Which Avenger Are You?...

The song is dark, crackly, like something you’d pick up on a castle radio during a midnight thunderstorm. One can even imagine Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, temporary King of Scotland Macbeth bobbing his head to the beat. So who better to drop a few bars than the Immortal Bard, straight outta Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare? Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee....

Both Yankee and his sidekick, Dandy, debuted in Yankee Comics #1 in 1941. If you have seen Captain America: The First Avenger or are even vaguely familiar with Cap’s beginnings, Yankee’s origin story will look suspiciously familiar. Yankee’s story does add two unique elements, however: ableism and stupidity. (I blotted out a potentially offensive word in the first panel; that’s not a glitch in the image.) You really could just publish anything in the ’40s, huh....

In many ways, both campaigns follow the same trails that the Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s did. The morality of teaching white kids about race rides alongside the idea that a global satanic cult worked to abduct and ritually abuse children. But today, the leaders of the satanic-like cults are educators and library personnel who are indoctrinating children with books about Black lives, about racism, and about queer people....

From beachside enclaves to cozy corner shops, these bookstores are packed full of not only mystery books but also booksellers who can help mystery lovers find their next read. Stopping into one of these shops (or browsing their online offerings) is a great way to get introduced to new reads as well as connect with other readers who share a love of mysteries and find out about author visits or upcoming releases....

From Alien to Terminator to Sharknado, the fight against the bizarre and terrible are a longstanding tradition of science fiction. If the Demogorgon is your favorite part of Stranger Things (obviously), these books feature even more of the dark, mysterious and horrific monsters that have made the show an instant hit, and others into all-time classics. Find your next monster of the week thrill right here. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer On the other side of a mysterious border, no one knows what happens in Area X....

— Ilene Chaiken (@ilenechaiken) July 11, 2017 We grasped our phones in our hands and delighted in the crumbs creator Ilene Chaiken and stars Jennifer Beals (Bette), Katherine Moennig (Shane), and Leisha Hailey (Alice) threw to us. — Jennifer Beals (@jenniferbeals) July 11, 2017 But finally we have an update! The sequel to the groundbreaking series about a group of lesbian women living and loving in Los Angeles is due by the end of the year....

Home to the Hollywood dream machine, California is also present in the U.S. American imaginary in a very unusual way: films ranging from sci-fi epics such as The Planet of the Apes to blockbuster hits like the Back to the Future films all feature California in the background. Whether it’s an alien landscape, a western frontier, or a cosmopolitan city, California is splashed all over the silver screen. Embarrassingly, it wasn’t until my mid-20s when I moved out of state for several years that I realized the backdrop of foliage and terrain in so many movies was the logistical result of the L....

Picture Books About Empathy for Young Readers These children’s books about empathy are great for kids in preschool and elementary school. Children’s Books About Empathy for Older Kids If you’re catering to the reading tastes of older elementary schoolers, give these children’s books about empathy a try. Sheldon the turtle is having a lousy day until he finds two of Clara’s creations. The kind words on his new rocks make him feel much better....

Four women. Four secrets. A weekend that will change them forever…if they survive. Each woman has come to the retreat for different reasons. Each has her secrets to hide. And at the end of this weekend only one will be left standing. Sherri Smith illuminates the dark side of the self-care and wellness industry in a thrilling ride of revenge perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers. The Retreat is a twisting, bone-chilling suspense that asks: how well do you really know your friends?...

The series is led by an Iraqi police inspector who struggles to keep his daughters safe during the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. Finally(!), an English-language TV series that centers Iraqi lives in Iraq. After you watch, a few more books that center Iraqi perspectives and take place in Iraq post-2003: The Beekeeper By Dunya Mikhail, translated by Max Weiss and Mikhail Iraqi poet Dunya Mikhail’s tremendously moving The Beekeeper was longlisted for the inaugural “Translated Literature” category of the National Book Awards....