Every month, there’s a flood of new mystery and thriller books coming out clamoring for a spot on your TBR. But with so many competing for your attention, it’s easy to lose track of the ones you’re most excited about. And often, you just end up hearing about the titles with the biggest marketing budgets.

So, how do you keep up with new releases without it spiraling into a part-time job of catalog reviews and spreadsheets? That’s where the New Release Index comes in.

The New Release Index is a database of upcoming books, curated by Book Riot. It’s organized by release date, and you can filter by genre: above is a sneak peek of some of the mystery and thriller books out in April.

Here’s how it works: scroll through the covers until you find one that catches your eye. Click on the cover for the book description, and then save the titles you’re interested in on your Watchlist.

The post The Best Way to Keep Track of Upcoming Mystery and Thriller Books appeared first on Our Story Insight.

There have never been more new queer books coming out every week—but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to find. When I put together my round-up of new queer releases each month for Our Queerest Shelves, it requires a ton of research, including sifting through early reviews for any mentions of queerness, because that’s not always included in the book description.

Luckily for you, there is a way to keep track of upcoming queer books without making it a part-time job of queer book investigating, and that’s the New Release Index.

The New Release Index is a database of upcoming books, curated by Book Riot. I’m one of the curators, so you know I add a ton of queer books in!

It’s organized by release date, and you can filter by genre. You can also hit the LGBTQ+ Books toggle to filter by queer books. Because you can combine them, that means you can search just for, say, upcoming queer horror books.

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Here’s how it works: scroll through the covers until you find one that catches your eye. Click on the cover for the book description, and then save the titles you’re interested in on your Watchlist.

The best part is that the New Release Index is included in your All Access subscription. For $6 a month, you not only get the New Release Index, but also all of Book Riot’s paid content.

Sign up for All Access to get started, or you can check out our guide to the New Release Index for more information.

The post The Best Way to Keep Track of New and Upcoming Queer Books appeared first on Our Story Insight.

The leader insists the gambling activity will be limited to five-star hotels, with a 25% tax levy applied to fund social programs, including school meals and child malnutrition.

In a detailed communication on Elon Musk’s X social media platform, Noboa outlined that multiple issues would be addressed in the proposed “consulta popular” (popular consultation) referendum. 

“Today we take a new step: a popular consultation that asks the people about issues that for years have been of popular interest and in urgent need of change, he said.

“These 7 questions give citizens the power to choose, once and for all, whether we, as a nation, want to bury the past and embrace with hope a future of peace and development.”

The question on gambling could lead to the legalization of any form of gambling for the first time in 14 years. 

It is anticipated that he plebiscite could take place on December 14, but there is a legal and constitutional process that must be followed, due to potential amendments to the constitution, pending the outcome of the vote.

Desde el inicio de este proyecto político luchamos por justicia y progreso, por hacer lo correcto sobre lo cómodo, lo justo sobre lo tradicional, y lo valiente sobre lo complaciente.

A diario recibimos críticas, especialmente de los que están más lejos de la gente, aquellos que…

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) August 5, 2025

Ecuador gambling ban in place since 2011

Gambling houses, including casinos, have been banned in Ecuador since 2011, following a referendum during the tenure of the 45th President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. 

Noboa assumed office in November 2023, becoming the 48th head of state.

At the time, a social and moral question was posed to the public, with gambling considered to be causing financial harm and contributing to the proceeds of organized crime.

7.¿Está usted de acuerdo con permitir el funcionamiento de salas de juego y casinos dedicados a juegos de azar en hoteles categorizados con cinco estrellas, quienes entregarán al Estado un tributo del veinte y cinco por ciento (25 %) de sus ventas por esta actividad, para el…

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) August 5, 2025

There will still be significant opposition this time around, with concerns over the social impact on families, finances, and well-being, but proponents will argue the need for reform. 

Supporters take the position that the casino and gambling activity will be limited to exclusive locations, providing a valuable outlet for tourist spending as well as returning important tax income. 

It will also create employment in the controlled facilities, while providing a regulated outlet for the demand, taking people away from illicit underground activity.

Image credit: Presidencia de la República del Ecuador / Creative Commons 4.0

The post Ecuador president Daniel Noboa could legalize gambling in upcoming referendum appeared first on Our Story Insight.

Content for All Access members continues below.

Click here for the spreadsheet of more than 250 LGBTQ books coming out in the second half of 2025!

Feel free to make a copy to sort or filter by genre or representation. Because these books aren’t out yet, there are some I’m not sure about: the question marks mean I haven’t verified the representation yet. Feel free to let me know if you spot any errors!

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The post 250+ Upcoming Queer Books Out in the Rest of 2025 appeared first on Our Story Insight.

Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of three rom-coms: QUEERLY BELOVED, LOOKING FOR A SIGN, and BED AND BREAKUP, all from Dial Press/Random House. Susie is also a bookseller at her favorite local indie bookstore and a cupcake enthusiast. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.

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An enduring love of food has a way of seeping into every corner of your life. As a foodie and a bibliophile, I personally can’t get enough books centered around bold flavors and the culinary world. Books with food themes are as irresistible as candy at the grocery checkout counter for me. If you feel the same way, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got six new works of nonfiction for foodies for you, plus four upcoming books to preorder now. You’ll find no cookbooks here—although reading a cookbook from cover to cover can often be a surprisingly engaging exercise. Instead, I’ve rounded up books with scrumptious true stories to tell about ingredients, dishes, cuisines, and cooking.

Got a sweet tooth? Check out books on the history of candy and the current movement to preserve heirloom strains of chocolate. More of a fruit lover? Read thoughtful reflections on mangoes and oranges. Can’t get enough restaurant drama? You’ll love juicy memoirs by celebrity chefs and fine dining insiders. No matter which books you choose, be sure to have snacks on hand because this food writing is sure to stoke your appetite.

From food history to travelogues to lyrical essay collections to personal memoirs, these enticing works of nonfiction are sure to give you lots of new ideas to chew on.

New Nonfiction for Foodies

Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacao’s Soul by Rowan Jacobsen

Chocolate is highly valued in cuisines across the globe. But the vast majority of the chocolate we consume comes from one strain of cacao, the heartiest and easiest to grow, and it is primarily now grown in West Africa. There’s a big movement to change the way we look at chocolate by protecting and cultivating wild, ancient, and heirloom cacao beans across Central and South America. In Wild Chocolate, food journalist Rowan Jacobsen takes readers on a gripping adventure through the Amazon in search of these endangered cacao beans, following a quirky cast of (real!) characters including farmers, activists, chocolate makers, and more, all working to preserve and celebrate the magic of wild cacao. Full of fascinating history, dangerous travels, and delicious food writing, Wild Chocolate will send you on a quest to taste single-source heirloom chocolate for yourself.

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Sweet Nothings: Confessions of a Candy Lover by Sarah Perry

In a delectable combination of food history, pop culture, social science, and personal memoir, writer Sarah Perry pens 100 microessays in Sweet Nothings, each centered around a different candy. Perry investigates the charm and staying power of candy, including classics like Werther’s Originals, divisive favorites like candy corn, luxury chocolates like Ferrero Rocher, and lesser-known international delights. It’s a far-reaching collection that draws on colorful nostalgia and a love of all things sweet.

The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich

Journalist Annabelle Tometich begins her story with a surprising phone call from her mother from the county jail where she was being held for shooting a BB gun at a man trying to steal mangoes from her yard. The call, as it turns out, wasn’t entirely shocking. The mango tree was one of Tometich’s mother’s most treasured belongings, a reminder of all she’d left behind in the Philippines to raise a family in Florida. Tometich shares her experiences growing up as a mixed-race Filipina in Fort Myers, torn between a distant father and emotionally volatile mother, with the mango tree as a bittersweet central theme for her family’s struggles. The Mango Tree is a highly entertaining and deeply moving memoir about family, identity, belonging, and the foods that remind us of home.

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Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown

Alton Brown, host of foodie TV shows like Good Eats and Cutthroat Kitchen, has amassed a cult following thanks to his culinary talent, scientific and historical approach to food, and endless curiosity about flavor. In his new essay collection Food for Thought, you’ll find Brown’s signature blend of quirky humor, educational storytelling, and personal memories. Brown tackles a wide variety of topics, from his grandmother’s legendary biscuits to why he no longer eats octopus to his real thoughts on the current state of Food Network. If you enjoy Alton Brown’s unique approach to food, you’ll love how his unimitable voice comes through the essays in Food for Thought.

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

If you’re looking for exquisite food writing that explores how flavors shape our memories and interactions with the world, look no further than poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil. The short personal essays in Bite by Bite are each inspired by a different food, including fresh produce like watermelon and mango, flavorful ingredients like vanilla and pecans, and the author’s family favorites like lumpia and halo-halo. The way Nezhukumatathil combines food facts and history with her own personal memories draws you in from the first essay, and the beautiful illustrations by Fumi Nakamura make you want to sit with each food a little longer.

How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert

Throughout her childhood, Bonny Reichert’s Polish immigrant father mostly protected his sensitive daughter from his harrowing memories of surviving the Holocaust. But he still found a way to instill his culture and memories through their shared love of food. A satisfying bowl of borscht eaten while visiting Warsaw inspired Reichert to finally learn her father’s history and explore the foods that shaped generations of her family, ultimately inspiring her to become a chef. How to Share an Egg is a moving reflection on how food shapes our memories and allows us to pass them on to the next generation.

Upcoming Nonfiction for Foodies

Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly by Hannah Selinger (March 25, Little, Brown and Company)

The world of fine dining seems glamorous from the outside, full of celebrity chefs, exotic ingredients, and elegant wines. But behind the scenes, even the most seemingly flawless restaurants are full of bad behavior from both customers and staff. Hannah Selinger spent a decade moving up the service industry ranks, from her humble hometown pub to working as a sommelier at a legendary restaurant in the Hamptons. In her dishy tell-all memoir Cellar Rat, Selinger reveals the highs and lows of her restaurant career, from meeting world-famous food influencers to facing crushing sexism and abuses of power. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like working at elite restaurants, Cellar Rat is a must-read insider account.

Eating More Asian America: A Food Studies Reader edited by Robert Ji-Song Ku, Martin Manalansan IV, and Anita Mannur (April 8, NYU Press)

Asian flavors have often been at the center of some of the biggest culinary trends in the U.S. Things like boba tea, gochujang, matcha, and ube that have long been popular in Asian cuisines have been introduced to American foodies in recent years as if they’re brand new. In Eating More Asian America, a follow-up to the 2013 anthology Eating Asian America, 21 writers investigate the ways Asian flavors and dishes have made their way into American culture, and how their rising popularity intersects with the lived experiences of Asian Americans. From the politics of bibingka to learning culture through cookbooks as a transracial adoptee, Eating More Asian America is a multifaceted exploration of Asian American culture and food that transcends borders.

Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange by Katie Goh (May 6, Tin House Books)

Oranges are one of the most consistently popular and widely available fruits across the globe. That makes it easy to forget that at one point in history, they were considered a luxury indulgence reserved for kings and emperors. In Foreign Fruit, Katie Goh traces the history of the orange from rare curiosity to culinary staple. Additionally, Goh investigates her family history and queer identity through the lens of the orange, unpeeling and segmenting out her experiences growing up in Northern Ireland in a Chinese-Malaysian-Irish household. With historical, sociological, and personal reflections on the orange, Foreign Fruit is foodie nonfiction at its best.

The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found by Michael Shaikh (June 24, Crown Publishing)

War changes everything about how people live, work, create art, and, of course, how they eat. In The Last Sweet Bite, human rights investigator Michael Shaikh shows how war changes the food and cooking of people in conflict zones, as well as how war endangers culinary heritage. With research into the history of food migration, Shaikh’s personal travels through war zones, and conversations with activists feeding those impacted by violence and working to save diasporic cuisines, it’s a fascinating book showcasing what food can teach us about war, genocide, and human rights.

I hope this ten-course meal of nonfiction for foodies satisfied your cravings! You might also enjoy:

The Most Anticipated Cookbooks of 2025

Eating in the Club: Cookbooks and Foodie Memoirs for Your Book Club

Magically Delicious Books for Fantasy Foodies

The post Tasty New and Upcoming Nonfiction for Foodies appeared first on Our Story Insight.

October 22, 2024, 2:32pm

Today Hulu released a trailer for the forthcoming Interior Chinatown, a limited series adapted from Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning novel of the same name.

The show—like the book—will follow Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural called “Black and White.” The world unravels around our hero as he descends into an all too “real” web of criminal activity.

The series stars Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng and Chloe Bennet. It’s executive produced and occasionally directed by Taika Waititi, the hardest working man in show business. Author Charles Yu is also on board as the showrunner, creator, and executive producer.

We’re especially excited for this adaptation because Interior Chinatown is so primed for the filmic treatment. The novel is written (in part) as and about screenplays. And Yu himself, in addition to being a novelist, is a seasoned television writer. He wrote for HBO’s Westworld, and shows on FX, AMC, Facebook Watch, and Adult Swim.

The series premieres with all 10 episodes on November 19.

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