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A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! From the author of Halsey Street, a sweeping novel of legacy, identity, the American family—and the ways that race affects even our most intimate relationships. A North Carolina community rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the next twenty years....

When I started putting together the list of books like Trust Exercise below, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. Trust Exercise itself is divided into three parts. The first part puts the bulk of its focus on an intense relationship between two teens in a high school drama program, Sarah and David, with some attention given to the other students around them. After that, the book doesn’t exactly move away from those characters, but it’s only in the second and third parts that we truly get an idea of the scope of Choi’s novel....

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice This post-apocalyptic thriller by Anishinaabe writer Waubgeshig Rice is set in a community uniquely positioned to survive the collapse of human society: a remote Indigenous community in northern Canada. Though not everyone in the community is skilled at living off the land, our protagonist, Evan, and his family are practiced hunters and know how to conserve resources. With no word from the south about what’s happened, all the community has to go on is the loss of their satellite signal and, later, power....

Turns out, that’s a big fat yes. Here’s a thread of books that look like Avengers. Iron Man Ms. Marvel The Hulk Captain America Thor Black Widow Dr. Strange War Machine Spider-Man Black Panther Vision Hawkeye Scarlet Witch Winter Soldier Falcon If this wasn’t enough Avengers, we’ve got more content for you. How about taking a quiz to work out which Avenger best describes your reading style, or learning more about the big bad himself, Thanos?...

For now, the app is totally free, and there’s no paywall to prevent access to its advanced features. Setting Up a BookSloth Account The BookSloth app is available on Android and iOS. Upon installation, users can sign up using their existing Facebook, Google, or email accounts. After that, the mobile app will prompt users to pick their favorite genres and preferred reading elements, namely story, worldbuilding, writing style, characters, romance, and perspective....

The History of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Upside-down cakes have a history dating back to the Middle Ages, when cakes baked in skillets over the fire and inverted were much more reliable than oven technology. But it wasn’t until the 1920s, when canned pineapple became widely available and therefore all the rage, that pineapple upside-down cakes got their chance to shine. It’s unclear who first tried putting pineapple in a skillet cake, but a 1925 pineapple recipe contest sponsored by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now Dole) is credited with putting the dish on the national stage....

The Adults by Caroline Hulse. Out November 27 from Random House. Archenemies by Marissa Meyer. Out November 6 from Feiwel & Friends. Bad Advice: How to Survive and Thrive in an Age of Bullshit by Venus Nicolino. Out November 6 from HarperOne. Book Deals Newsletter Sign up for our Book Deals newsletter and get up to 80% off books you actually want to read. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox....

There’s a long-running joke that, after “coming out,” a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You’re welcome. Inside you’ll find the answers to all the questions you ever wanted to ask: from sex to politics, hooking up to stereotypes, coming out and more. This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it’s like to grow up LGBT also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations....

I’d intended to do a giant roundup of this year’s YA horror books earlier. But one of the perks of waiting to highlight the incredible wealth of horror titles is being able to preview some of what’s to come next year. Horror isn’t a genre, but a mood, which means it applies across genre. Many paranormal romances could easily be seen as horror — you’ll see some below — while wholly realistic tales of darkness can fall right in line with what many consider more traditional horror topes, including ghosts, haunted houses, serial killers, and more....

I read it. I loved it. I walked over to the comic book store on the other side of the mall from the Borders and bought all the issues that were out at that point, and continued to buy them every month until the series ended. I now believe that Identity Crisis is one of the worst things that ever happened to the comic book industry, and we’re still shaking off its effects....

The first paper dolls of Europe appeared in Slavic countries, where paper crafts continue to thrive. Paper cutting folk art, or wycinaki in Polish, began to appear around the 15th century. As popularity rose, more figures began to appear in the art. Wycinaki is and was part of home decor, toys, furniture, and gifts. In Japan, early origami took the shape of figures in kimono. Paper art and doll making are historically linked in Japan....

The Need by Helen Phillips: Maple Cold Brew A paleobotanist, a controversial bible with feminine pronouns, and a mysterious intruder in a deer mask. Caffeine is probably the last thing you should mix with this mind-bending thriller about identity and alternate universes. But you’re probably going to need some since you definitely won’t be able to put this book down. You’ll be glad for that extra strong maple cold brew when you’re up reading to the very last page....

Beau Devereaux is the only child of a powerful family. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch. He is also a psychopath. A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s twin sister, Leslie. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize....

Who are the Jokers? Batman doesn’t understand how or why, but the fact is certain: the man he has spent a lifetime chasing isn’t one man at all. There are three Jokers. Now that he knows the unbelievable truth, Bruce needs real answers. Joined by Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd, two former victims of the Joker’s brutality, the Dark Knight is finally on a path to defeat the madman once and for all....

As I pulled together this list, I discovered that many authors use flowers as a shorthand for fragile femininity. Because of this, I wanted to find books that tempered the vulnerability of their protagonists with strength. Luckily, there are a lot of wonderful authors out there who write complex characters. Here are just a few of them. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min Min is a prolific author who has a penchant for book names involving nature....