The most read books on Goodreads this week aren’t new names, but they are shuffled differently. We’re also witnessing the return of Colleen Hoover’s popularity, just when it was beginning to wane: It Ends With Us is back in the top five (as well as back on the bestseller lists), following the movie adaptation. It’s hard to believe there’s anyone left to read it for the first time!

The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

Back-to-school season is almost upon us, and you know what that means: school supplies! We at Book Riot know you’re never too old to get high on the joy of fresh notebooks and colored pencils, so we found some bookish stationery and school supplies to help you turn your nostalgia engines up to 11.

Power Ranking the Bookish Movies of 1999

With the Olympics winding down, it’s the perfect time to talk about sports fiction. I’ll be honest, it’s not a subject I’m typically drawn to. Then again, seeing incredible athletes like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Stephen Nedoroscik, Rebecca Andrade (can you see my clear gymnastics bias?), Ilona Maher, and Katie Ledecky doing what they do best and making it look equal parts impossible and easy definitely has me more amped for sports than usual. That, and going to my first-ever roller derby game last week, has me unusually invested in the world of sports. For a woman who’s almost certainly referred to half-time as “intermission” at some point in my life (I was a theatre kid, what can I say?), that’s saying something.

Play Ball With These Historical Sports Novels

Have you ever experienced the dread that comes with hearing a disembodied buzzing in the room with you, only to see the slim leg of a paper wasp come creeping out from behind the blinds? Have you experienced the disgust that comes when you go to pick an errant hair away from your sweaty neck, only to realize it’s a click beetle? How do you feel when you see a silverfish scurry across your bathroom ceiling…a spotted lantern fly pinwheel toward you on a current of air…a hulking spider retreat into the dark, narrow space between your mailbox and your house’s siding?

An Infestation of Insect-Related Horror

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Herbie J Pilato

It's been eight years since former TV child star Sawyer Sweeten, best known from Everybody Loves Raymond, died tragically by suicide at only 19 years old. Sawyer Sweeten, his twin brother Sullivan Sweeten, and their older sister Madylin, played Ray Romano's TV children on Everybody Loves Raymond, the Emmy-winning sitcom that originally aired on CBS 1996 to 2005.

The Tragic Suicide of Former TV Child Star Sawyer Sweeten ('Everybody Loves Raymond'): 9 Years Later

The Caribbean’s most legendary paranormal villain, “The White Witch of Rose Hall,” has become an unlikely hero for the tourism industry in Jamaica.

A murderous ghost haunted an exclusive Jamaican resort for centuries. But could she survive a paranormal investigation?

Ever wondered about the mysterious world of witches? From ancient folklore to modern pop culture, witches have always sparked curiosity and intrigue. These magical beings, often depicted with pointy hats and broomsticks, have a rich history filled with fascinating facts. Did you know that witches were once revered as wise healers before being persecuted during the infamous witch hunts? Or that the iconic witch's broomstick has roots in ancient fertility rituals? Whether you're a fan of Harry Potter or just curious about the origins of witchcraft, this list of 40 facts will enchant and educate. Get ready to dive into the spellbinding world of witches!

40 Facts About Witches

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. If you’ve been wanting to turn your book club into an episode of Hot Ones, now’s your moment. Walmart, the big-box retailer historically devoted to ~family values, has created a line of hot sauces inspired by spicy romance novels. Made in partnership with Melinda’s Hot Sauces, the Spicy Books limited-edition set includes five 5oz bottles of various heat levels and retails for $14.98. Walmart cooked up the caliente condiments as a surprise for screenwriter Yulin Kuang, who is set to adapt two Emily Henry novels (Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation) and whose own debut, How to End a Love Story, was published in April. Stay tuned for the next culinary tie-in, James Patterson’s “mystery” meat Spam promo.

🌶️ Walmart Gets Spicy with Romance-Inspired Hot Sauce (Yes, Really)

Actor Buddy Ebsen, who died at age 95 in 2003, found fame by starring in two of the most popular classic television shows in history: The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS, 1962 to 1971) and Barnaby Jones (CBS, 1973 to 1980). On the Hillbillies, he played former Tennessee country mountain-folk-turned-wealthy Beverly Hills resident Jed Clampett. On Barnaby Jones, he was one of TV's most senior, slyest, health-conscious detectives. Ebsen, however, almost became even more famous for a certain big-screen classic film in which he ultimately did not appear.

'Beverly Hillbillies" Actor Buddy Ebsen Was "Bitter" about not playing the Tin Man in 'Wizard of Oz'

Actor Clarence Williams III, best known as the super cool undercover cop Lincoln "Linc" Hayes on TV's classic crime drama, The Mod Squad, died three years ago from colon cancer at 81 years old. This is the story of a talent that lives on.

The Tragic Death of 'Mod Squad'/'Purple Rain' Actor Clarence Williams III: Three Years Later

Looking for recently published books to add to your TBR list? Here are five new books to consider adding to your reading list. Each offers a unique journey through history, culture, and personal discovery. Every book on this list takes readers on an enlightening journey into the transformational power of...

5 Recently Published Books to Add to Your TBR List

Hollywood child stardom has taken its toll on many actors through the decades. Lani O'Grady, for one, found fame in the 1970s on the TV family series, Eight is Enough. O'Grady followed in the footsteps of her brother, actor Don Grady, an original Mouseketeer and member of another popular TV family show: My Three Sons. Their mother, Mary B. Grady, was a talent agent who represented several child actors. But Lani, who would also eventually become an agent, died in 2001 just one week before what would have been her 47th birthday.

TV's 'Eight is Enough' Star Lani O'Grady Found Fame Early in Life but Died a Tragic Death

South Carolina State

Explore Beaufort SC

The mantis shrimp is one tough customer. Beautiful and deadly are two words you don’t typically use to describe shrimp, but the mantis shrimp is definitely in a class of its own; earning a reputation as the ‘savage boxer of the sea’ and one of the most fearsome creatures in the ocean. And, they're right at home here in South Carolina.

Savage Boxer of the Sea: The Deadly Beauty of Mantis Shrimp

Chicago, IL

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Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

Do ghosts exist? This question has puzzled humans for centuries. Some swear by their eerie encounters, while others dismiss them as mere figments of imagination. Ghost stories span cultures, from ancient Egyptian spirits to modern-day hauntings. Believers argue that ghosts are the souls of the departed, lingering due to unfinished business or strong emotional ties. Skeptics counter with scientific explanations, attributing ghostly experiences to psychological phenomena or environmental factors. Whether you’re a firm believer or a curious skeptic, the mystery of ghosts continues to captivate our minds. Let’s explore 13 intriguing facts about these elusive entities.

13 Facts About Do Ghosts Exist

Interesting Engineering

Archaeologists uncovered a rare hoard of Persian gold coins in the ancient city of Notion in Turkey that most likely belonged to a wealthy mercenary soldier.

Pot filled with gold coins buried by soldier 2400-year-ago discovered

ST. PAUL, MN – Mary Magdalene is one of history’s most enigmatic figures, often shrouded in myth and mystery. Was she a sinner, a saint, or perhaps something more scandalous? For centuries, her true story has been hidden beneath layers of misconception and intrigue. Buckle up as we...

Fascinating Facts About Mary Magdalene: The Untold Scandals and Mysteries Revealed!

The Lens

This year’s area of low oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Thursday. The “dead zone” is approximately 6,705 square miles , as measured last week. Within NOAA’s 38 years of measuring the dead zone, this year’s assessment marks the 12th-largest area of low to no oxygen, which can kill fish and marine life.

Gulf ‘dead zone’ larger than average, larger than expected for 2024, scientists announce

It’s Women in Translation Month! Like it says on the Women in Translation website, “Every August, readers from all continents around the world (except Antarctica, but we’ll get those penguins yet!) gather in spirit (and sometimes in person) to read, review, and discuss works by women writers in translation.” I first started observing #WITmonth back in 2016 and have loved it ever since. So today, we’re looking at two different nonfiction titles by women in translation. But first, bookish goods!

It’s Women in Translation Month!

Paisley Marten

This article may contain AI-generated images. The 19th century was a time of significant social and economic transformation, marked by the decline of feudal systems and the rise of industrialization. However, in many parts of Europe, particularly in Russia, serfdom persisted as a brutal and dehumanizing institution. This article provides a historically accurate and chronologically detailed account of serfdom in the 19th century, exploring its origins, conditions, and eventual abolition, with a look at its lingering effects up to the present day.

Serfdom in the 19th Century: A Condition Worse Than Slavery

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Compelling Historical Fantasy YA

It's 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in Harlem. Elise is the reluctant heir to a reaper-hunting empire....

Compelling Historical Fantasy YA

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