Book Riot Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz is a writer and former bookseller from San Diego, CA whose Spanish is even faster than her English. When not reading or writing, she enjoys dreaming up travel itineraries and drinking entirely too much tea. She is a regular co-host on the All the Books podcast who especially loves mysteries, gothic lit, mythology/folklore, and all things witchy. Vanessa can be found on Instagram at @BuenosDiazSD or taking pictures of pretty trees in Portland, OR, where she now resides.
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New week, new stories. Let’s get right to ’em.
8 Backpack Fantasy Recommendations for Heroes On the Go
Backpack fantasy is are for all heroes who travel light. For adventurers campaigning with naught but a rucksack, duffel, or carrier bag, they carry everything they need on their person. They decide to save the world with their just friends, some snacks, and a spare pair of socks and I commend them for their minimalist lifestyle.
Backpack fantasy books are, as Wyngraf puts it, fantasy books where adventurers move through the wilds to conquer goals as opposed to a home or community. Essentially, in backpack fantasy books party members bond on the go as they maneuver the challenges of the natural space, learning more about themselves, each other, and the world in the process.
Your Favorite Books in Translation You’ve Read This Year (So Far)
In the Read Harder Halfway Check-In Survey, I asked you what your favorite books are that you’ve read for the challenge so far, and you gave so many great answers that I couldn’t keep them to myself. So, today, I’m sharing the titles that you read and loved for task #8 of the 2024 Read Harder Challenge: Read a book in translation from a country you’ve never visited.
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Japanese works in translation were especially popular in your answers — if you’re looking for more, check out our lists of 14 Must-Read Japanese Books Available in English Translation and 20 Must-Read Japanese Books by Women in Translation. This list takes us around the world, though, from Brazil to Egypt to Italy.
9 of the Best New and Recent Middle Grade Mysteries
I love middle grade mystery books. Stories in this age bracket often have the best of all worlds — high-stakes adventure, well-written and loveable characters, and punchy plots that get your pulse racing as you unravel the clues and solve the mystery alongside the characters. Obviously, YA and adult books have this too — but middle grade books usually have clear resolutions and upbeat endings, while books targeted at older ages can sometimes get ambiguous or bleak. And while downbeat stories have their place,