Somewhere in the course of history, the medieval practice of eating “soul cakes”—to represent the dead departing purgatory—morphed into the distribution to unsuspecting children little morsels of diabetes- and obesity-inducing... Read More

Not all fantasy is filled with alternative worlds where the good fight evil alongside elves, goblins, and other mythical warriors. Some fantasy books are darker. These books are still magical, but no one can mistake them for the classic... Read More

Before you put on that pointy black hat for Halloween, consider that real witches are among the fastest growing religious group in the United States. Witchcraft may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think religion, but... Read More

October—the month of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters. Oh, and terrifying horror books, filled with the scariest ghosts, goblins, and ghouls you’ve ever seen. It is the month of Halloween after all. If you’re craving some... Read More

With dystopian sagas on the wane (though there’s still one juicy entry in this lineup), the best new science fiction strikes out for unexplored territory, weaving humor and satire into story lines and drawing fewer and fewer distinctions... Read More