Here are the news stories we covered at Book Riot this week:
The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction recognizes authors who are “realists of a larger reality, who can imagine real grounds for hope and see alternatives to how we live now”—the kind of stories Ursula K. Le Guin referenced in her 2014 National Book Awards speech. This year, the $25,000 prize was awarded by a panel of judges made up of Margaret Atwood, Omar El Akkad, Megan Giddings, Ken Liu, and Carmen Maria Machado.
October continues to be one of the heaviest-hitting months for new book releases of the year. Understandably, publishers want to avoid November—both so books don’t get lost in election coverage and so titles are out before holiday shopping season. That means that this is yet another very exciting week in new releases.
So this week, here’s your reminder to get to know what is on your local ballot, how to determine the best candidate for office, and then what to do after you don your “I voted” sticker. The suggestions here will take some time, so carve out an hour or so before you go to vote. You can do these things all at once or break them up into chunks.
2024 has been such an exciting year for adaptations. Wicked is a big one coming out next month that everyone is buzzing about. This year has also seen adaptations of favorites like Pachinko, Heartstopper, and many more. But with so many options in theaters and to stream at home, there are some fantastic adaptations that have flown under the radar. Here are three great book-to-screen adaptations that you might have missed.
This list of the top five most read books on Goodreads this week looks pretty similar to last time, with one exception: The Women by Kristin Hannah has fought its way back onto the top five, beating out Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros by only a few hundred reads.
To add some variety, then, I’ve also included the top five in countries around the world. This time, I’m highlighting Estonia, India, and Mexico. You’ll see some titles you’ve likely never heard of before, unless you speak Estonian, but there are also some familiar authors that are read across the globe.
Most of the bestsellers this week are familiar from weeks before: Freida McFadden and Rebecca Yarros continue to comfortably hold onto the top spots across all five of the biggest bestseller lists. We do have a couple of new titles, including From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. This memoir was written by Riley Keough based on the notes her mother had recorded before she died, and it’s told in both their voices. This is the newest Oprah’s Book Club pick.
Last week, York County Library in South Carolina released a statement, pictured below, across their website and social media accounts. It explained that due to a new proviso in the state budget, the library board would place a moratorium on purchasing any items for the collection meant for those under the age of 18.
Victoria Monét has turned her Grammy award-winning pen to writing a lyrical children’s story with her debut children’s book Everywhere You Are. The picture book is set to publish June 24, 2025 in English and Spanish simultaneously, and aims to comfort children with separation anxiety and hardworking parents.