via 📚 A major win in a high-stakes space<div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-heading"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#333;box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;margin:0;padding:15px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:12px" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>May 28, 2026</td><td style="text-align:right"><span><a href="%5BNEWSLETTER_POST_URL%5D" style="color:inherit">View Online</a> | </span><span><a href="https://bookriot.com/join" style="color:inherit">Join All Access</a> | </span><span><a href="https://bookriot.com/listen/shows/zero-to-well-read/" style="color:inherit">Listen</a></span></td></tr><tr><td align="center" colspan="2" style="padding-top:25px;margin-bottom:18px"><a href="%5BNEWSLETTER_HEADING_IMAGE_LINK%5D" style="display:block;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" alt="Newsletter Graphic" style="max-width:revert;border-radius:8px;width:100%;margin:0 auto;display:block" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Book-Riot-Newsletter-Heading-black.jpg.optimal.jpg" width="540"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="top-blurb-container" colspan="2" style="padding-top:20px">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">🤝 <strong>The good people</strong> at <a href="https://www.gladysbooksandwine.com/" style="color:inherit">Gladys Books & Wine</a> in Brooklyn need your help. Their store, which provides an important space for Black feminist and queer literary culture, has been impacted by repeated flooding and water damage, and they are working to raise $60k to repair the damage and prevent future harm. <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gladys-books-wine-after-flood-damage" style="color:inherit">You can chip in here</a>.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Spread the word.</strong> <a href="mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20Book%20Riot%27s%20amazing%20newsletter&body=Hey%2C%0D%0A%0D%0AI've%20been%20reading%20Book%20Riot's%20newsletter%2C%20and%20definitely%20think%20you'd%20enjoy%20it%20as%20well.%20It's%20packed%20with%20book%20recommendations%2C%20literary%20news%2C%20reading%20tips%2C%20and%20so%20much%20more%20for%20book%20lovers.%20I%20always%20find%20something%20new%20to%20read%20when%20I%20open%20it.%20Check%20out%20Book%20Riot's%20newsletter%20here%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fbookriot.com%2Fnewsletter%0D%0A%0D%0AEnjoy%20reading!" style="color:inherit">Share this email</a> with friends.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><a href="https://bookriot.com/spotifys-audiobooks-user-data/" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:none"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px;cursor:pointer">THE HEADLINE</span></a></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">Spotify’s audiobooks play is working</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><a href="https://bookriot.com/spotifys-audiobooks-user-data/" style="display:block;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" alt="black mobile phone displaying a spotify audiobooks landing page" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/spotify-audiobooks-UX-visual.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></a><p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><small><em style="margin-left:10px">Spotify</em></small></p></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Spotify dropped major lore</strong> during its annual <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-05-21/investor-day-audiobook-features-updates/" style="color:inherit">Investor Day presentations</a> on May 21 indicating that the big bets the platform placed on books are paying off.</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>Total audiobook listening</strong> hours are up 60% year-over-year.</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>More than 1 million</strong> customers—accounting for $100 million in annualized revenue—have subscribed to Audiobooks+ to access additional books and listening hours beyond those included in Spotify Premium.</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>Audiobooks+ customers</strong> are super valuable, accounting for 3x more lifetime value than standard subscribers who listen to audiobooks.</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>PageMatch</strong>, which makes it easier to bounce between audio and print formats of the same title, has resulted in increases of up to 55% more monthly listening, with some users completing books twice as fast.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Most notable</strong> is the revelation that nearly half of Spotify’s audiobook consumers, many of whom had never tried the format before audiobooks were included in Spotify Premium, just started listening within the last year.</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>This means</strong> that the platform’s foray into audiobooks hasn’t just resulted in a shuffling of the deck chairs between major players in the space but has actually created new consumers for the format. That’s a major win in a high-stakes space.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>What’s next?</strong> Spotify will build on the success of Audiobooks+ with new tiers offering even more listening hours and will introduce Family and Student plans later this year. <em>— RJS</em></p>
</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:12px 0 15px 15px;margin:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr><td style="margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:middle"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbookriot.com%2Fspotifys-audiobooks-user-data%2F" style="margin:0;padding:0;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/plugins/riot-home-customizations/public/images/facebook.png" style="width:25px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="25" alt="Share on Facebook"></a></td><td style="margin:0;padding:0;padding-left:15px;vertical-align:middle"><a href="https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=Spotify's%20audiobooks%20play%20is%20working%20https%3A%2F%2Fbookriot.com%2Fspotifys-audiobooks-user-data%2F" style="margin:0;padding:0;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/plugins/riot-home-customizations/public/images/threads.png" style="width:25px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="25" alt="Share on Threads"></a></td><td style="margin:0;padding:0;padding-left:15px;vertical-align:middle"><a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Spotify's%20audiobooks%20play%20is%20working%20https%3A%2F%2Fbookriot.com%2Fspotifys-audiobooks-user-data%2F" style="margin:0;padding:0;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/plugins/riot-home-customizations/public/images/bluesky.png" style="width:25px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="25" alt="Share on Bluesky"></a></td><td style="margin:0;padding:0;padding-left:15px;vertical-align:middle"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookriot.com%2Fspotifys-audiobooks-user-data%2F&title=Spotify's%20audiobooks%20play%20is%20working" style="margin:0;padding:0;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/plugins/riot-home-customizations/public/images/reddit.png" style="width:25px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="25" alt="Share on Reddit"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">ADAPTATION NATION</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">The biggest adaptations of the summer</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="posters for three films: Is God Is, The Odyssey, and Tony" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/summer-2026-adaptations.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>It’s got to be a good sign</strong> for books and reading that so many of the season’s biggest movies are based on books, and not just that: they all look really good! </p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Let’s check out the highlight reel:</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">🔪 <strong><em>Is God Is</em></strong>: Two sisters set out on a revenge mission in Aleshea Harris’s thrilling adaptation of her <a title="Buy from Bookshop.org" href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9780573707339" style="color:inherit">award-winning play</a>, in theaters now</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">🌈 <strong><em>Girls Like Girls</em></strong>: Teen girls fall in love with each other and learn to love themselves in Hayley Kiyoko’s adaptation of the <a title="Buy from Bookshop.org" href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9781250359636" style="color:inherit">bestselling YA romance</a> based on her hit song, out June 19</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">🏛️ <strong><em>The Odyssey</em></strong>: Hot Greek Summer begins July 17 when Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9780393356250" title="Buy from Bookshop.org" style="color:inherit">Homer’s epic</a>—starring basically everyone in Hollywood—hits the silver screen</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">👨‍🍳 <strong><em>Tony</em></strong>: Dominic Sessa portrays Anthony Bourdain in a coming-of-age flick based on the iconic cook and writer’s origin story as told in <em><a title="Buy from Bookshop.org" href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9780060899226" style="color:inherit">Kitchen Confidential</a></em>, out August 7</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">✨ <strong><em>The Dog Stars</em></strong>: Jacob Elordi continues his page-to-screen run as the star of Ridley Scott’s spin on Peter Heller’s critically acclaimed 2012 <a title="Buy from Bookshop.org" href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9780307950475" style="color:inherit">post-apocalyptic tale</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">🎧 <strong>Hear the details</strong> about these and more summer adaptations on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2026-summer-adaptation-preview/id647720354?i=1000769809168" style="color:inherit">Book Riot Podcast</a>.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/6MACDT" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:none"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px;cursor:pointer">TOGETHER WITH ELEVENREADER </span></a></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/6MACDT" style="display:block;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" alt="Promotional image for Eleven Reader" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bookriot_newsletter_native_3-wide-2.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>100,000+ audiobooks. $8.25 a month.</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><a href="https://tr.ee/6MACDT" style="color:inherit">ElevenReader</a> gives you more listening than Spotify Premium at a fraction of what Audible costs. Enjoy 20 hours a month of bestsellers, hidden gems, and guilty pleasures, plus sleep timers, background soundscapes that actually match the mood, and the ability to turn your unread articles and documents into audio so you can finally clear the backlog.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Start with 10 free hours when you search ElevenReader in the app store or visit their website.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">ALL ACCESS</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">Give Your Group All Access</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="AllAccess immage 970x550 " src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AllAccess_970x550-copy.pdf.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">The Book Riot Crew has been hard at work, and we’ve got something absolutely <em>fire</em> to show for it: <strong><em><a href="https://bookriot.com/join/?show_group_plans=1&pmpro_level=9" style="color:inherit">We’ve launched our Group Membership feature for All Access!</a></em></strong> *cue the horns* </p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Now, bookish groups—like libraries, book clubs, and more—can get in on the goodies All Access membership has to offer, but at the discounted rate of $5/month per member. </p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">With a membership, group members can:</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>Revel in the New Release Index</strong>, a robust tool for learning about books way before they’re out, adding them to their watchlist, and bolstering their TBRs</li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>Participate in community features</strong>, like commenting and poll participation, and become part of a cozy bookish community.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong>Get exclusive access</strong> to members-only content, which includes expert insights on publishing and book culture</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Starting a group membership is easy. To join:</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><a href="https://bookriot.com/join/?show_group_plans=1&pmpro_level=9" style="color:inherit">Click here</a></li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">Select a monthly ($5/month) or yearly ($50/year) subscription </li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">Choose the number of members for your subscription, making sure to include the Group Admin seat (you can select between 2 and 1,000 member seats)</li>
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;">Enter your info, and that’s it! Enjoy being bad and bookish!</li>
</ul>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">ANNIVERSARIES</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">The greatest mystery of all time turns 100</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="cover of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie next to an image of the author" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design62.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>By 1926</strong>, Agatha Christie had already published five mysteries and one collection of short stories. So when <em><a href="https://tr.ee/wBVrTz" style="color:inherit">The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</a></em> was published that summer, readers expected to read a great Agatha Christie book. They got that, and more.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>I am not </strong>going to tell you what it is about. I will say that it is the third of Christie’s novels to feature Hercule Poirot and that there is a murder (and that another character in the book is often considered the progenitor of Miss Marple herself).</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>If you have not read it yet</strong>, it’s worth going into pretty cold, except to know that a) the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24832635" style="color:inherit">British Crime Writers Association</a> named it the greatest mystery novel of all time in 2013, and b) it made some people pretty cranky.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Your hint</strong> as to why it ticked some readers off is best given by pointing to Ronald Knox’s “<a href="https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/ronald-knox-10-commandments-of-detective-fiction" style="color:inherit">10 Commandments of Detective Fiction</a>,” which he created in 1929 in response to <a href="https://tr.ee/wBVrTz" style="color:inherit"><em>The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</em></a>‘s supposed violation of one of the rules, which of course didn’t exist in 1926 when the book was published. Anyway. For my part, Ronald Knox was a stick in the mud and Ackroyd rules. <em>— JO</em></p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/kMTYS7" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:none"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px;cursor:pointer">TOGETHER WITH ELEVENREADER</span></a></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/kMTYS7" style="display:block;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" alt="Promotional image for Eleven Reader" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bookriot_newsletter_native_3-wide-2.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>100,000+ audiobooks. $8.25 a month.</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><a href="https://tr.ee/kMTYS7" style="color:inherit">ElevenReader</a> gives you more listening than Spotify Premium at a fraction of what Audible costs. Enjoy 20 hours a month of bestsellers, hidden gems, and guilty pleasures, plus sleep timers, background soundscapes that actually match the mood, and the ability to turn your unread articles and documents into audio so you can finally clear the backlog.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Start with 10 free hours when you search ElevenReader in the app store or visit their website.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">AUDIOBOOKS</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">The Latest Listens at Libro.fm</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="covers of audiobooks versions of The Divorce, The Last Contract of Isako, and The Midnight Train" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/libro.fm-new-notable-may-2026.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Three exciting releases</strong> from authors you know and love are new at <a href="http://libro.fm" style="color:inherit">Libro.fm</a> this month. There’s a revenge thriller from the author of <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781803144399-the-housemaid" style="color:inherit"><em>The Housemaid</em></a>, a standalone dystopian sci-fi novel from the author of <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781478993858-jade-city" style="color:inherit"><em>Jade City</em></a>, and a magical, time-traveling love story set in the world of <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9780593340233-the-midnight-library" style="color:inherit"><em>The Midnight Library</em></a>. Fire up the app!</p>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9798349169304-the-divorce" style="color:inherit"><em>The Divorce</em></a> by Frieda McFadden</strong>– McFadden is back with a new must-read thriller about a woman’s obsession with the younger woman her husband left her for.</li>
</ul>
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<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781668657638-the-last-contract-of-isako" style="color:inherit"><em>The Last Contract of Isako</em></a> by Fonda Lee</strong> – On a frozen wasteland of a planet, a battle-weary corporate samurai’s final mission draws her into a world of corporate espionage. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding:0 0 0 10px;">
<li style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;margin:0 0 15px 20px;"><strong><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&awinaffid=258769&ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9798217348527-the-midnight-train" style="color:inherit"><em>The Midnight Train</em></a> by Matt Haig</strong> – An octogenarian boards a magical train that allows him to look back on key moments in his life, reflecting on his choices and regrets. <em>— VD</em></li>
</ul>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">Fairy-tale advice for surviving difficult times</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="the cover of Ripening and a photo of Sharon Blackie" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sharon-Blackie-1.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"><p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><small><em style="margin-left:10px">photo credit: Rachel Winter</em></small></p></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><em>Sharon Blackie is the author of </em><a title="Buy from Bookshop.org" href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=92005&awinaffid=258769&pref1=bookriot&pref2=a-major-win-in-a-high-stakes-space&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbook%2F9781914613524" style="color:inherit">Ripening: Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now</a>, <em>out June 2nd from September Publishing. Below, she discusses three pieces of fairy-tale advice that are relevant to modern life.</em></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">In <em>Ripening</em>, I argue that fairytales show us how to survive—maybe even thrive—in challenging times, because every fairytale heroine’s journey begins with catastrophe snapping at her heels. Encoded within these beautiful old stories is information about the behaviours and qualities of character that help us find a way through. Here are three fairytales which offer such advice.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Trust your instincts and you won’t be eaten</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">In the Slavic fairytale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” our heroine, given the opportunity to question the fearsome witch Baba Yaga, instinctively intuits that she shouldn’t ask about the three pairs of disembodied hands which appear in Baba’s kitchen each night to take away the fruits of Vasilisa’s work. Her intuition saves her, as Baba Yaga confirms: “It’s a very good thing that you didn’t ask about things here inside my house. I don’t like people to tell stories about me, and I eat up those who are too curious.”</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Be generous, even when you’re lost and afraid</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">The heroine of the German story “Frau Holle,” lost and alone in an otherworld at the bottom of a well, responds to the pleas of some burning loaves to remove them from their oven, then cheerfully stops to pick the heavy crop of apples weighing an old tree down. So the magical old Frau Holle rewards her with a shower of gold—while rewarding her sister, who refuses to help in any way, with a shower of tar.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Show hospitality to unexpected guests</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">The mother in the Grimms’ story “Snow-White and Rose-Red” bravely welcomes in an enormous, exhausted bear who shows up at her cottage door one night. She feeds the fearsome bear and lets him warm himself by the fire, so teaching her daughters both that hospitality is a sacred duty, and that the wild Other isn’t always to be feared. (The bear, inevitably, turns out to be a handsome prince who marries one sister, then arranges for his brother to marry the other.)</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/V8IuZq" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:none"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px;cursor:pointer">TOGETHER WITH ELEVENREADER</span></a></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><a href="https://tr.ee/V8IuZq" style="display:block;color:inherit"><img decoding="async" alt="Promotional image for Eleven Reader" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bookriot_newsletter_native_3-wide-2.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>100,000+ audiobooks. $8.25 a month.</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><a href="https://tr.ee/V8IuZq" style="color:inherit">ElevenReader</a> gives you more listening than Spotify Premium at a fraction of what Audible costs. Enjoy 20 hours a month of bestsellers, hidden gems, and guilty pleasures, plus sleep timers, background soundscapes that actually match the mood, and the ability to turn your unread articles and documents into audio so you can finally clear the backlog.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">Start with 10 free hours when you search ElevenReader in the app store or visit their website.</p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">HAPPY BIRTHDAY</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">Ian Fleming (May 28, 1908)</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Surround-yourself-with-human-beings-my-dear-James.-They-are-easier-to-fight-for-than-principles.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><strong>Did you know?</strong> Ian Fleming named his new spy character James Bond after American ornithologist, James Bond. This is not because Fleming had some personal attachment to Bond, but because his original conception of the character was an extremely average person to whom extraordinary things happened, and James Bond was the most boring name he could imagine. </p>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="wp-block-rnmg-newsletter-story"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:15px 0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="box-shadow:none;border:1px solid #e6e6e6;border-radius:13px;color:#333;margin:0;padding:0"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0;padding:0;width:100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:15px 15px 0;margin:0"><span class="story-category" style="background-color:#fdd700;color:#333333 !important;font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;margin:0;padding:2px 6px">CRITICAL LINKING</span></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:0 15px;margin:0"><h1 style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;line-height:26px;margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0">You are now free to roam about the internet</h1></td></tr><tr><td style="padding:15px 0 0;margin:0"><img decoding="async" alt="a laptop computer with scattered headlines on its screen against a red background" src="https://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/critical-linking.jpg.optimal.jpg" style="width:100%;max-width:670px;display:block;margin:0;padding:0" width="670"></td></tr><tr><td class="content-container" style="padding:15px;margin:0">
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">📬 <strong>Get</strong> the highlight reel<strong> </strong>in your inbox by signing up for the <a href="https://tr.ee/DZihEK" style="color:inherit">Best of Book Riot newsletter</a>.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">🤬 <strong>Spice up</strong> your group chat with some <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a71363531/the-rise-of-ragebait-lit/" style="color:inherit">ragebait lit</a>. </p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">🐝 <strong>Tune in </strong>to the <a href="https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/watch-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee-stream-online-free-1236758383/" style="color:inherit">Scripps Spelling Bee</a>.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">👀 <strong>Peep</strong> the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/whats-missing-from-belle-burdens-strangers" style="color:inherit">eye-popping info</a> that’s conspicuously absent from one of the year’s buzziest memoirs.</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;">👻 <strong>Add</strong> some <a href="https://bookriot.com/queer-horror-books-june-2026/" style="color:inherit">new queer horror</a> to your Pride Month TBR.</p>
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<p style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial;font-size:17px;line-height:25px;"><em>Written by Rebecca Schinsky, Jeff O’Neal, Vanessa Diaz, Erica Ezeifedi, and Danika Ellis. Thanks to Vanessa Diaz for copy editing.</em></p>
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