Despite my dad’s best efforts and his love of John Wayne, I was never a fan of westerns growing up. That all changed, though, when I discovered the world of alternate-history westerns. Alternate history books explore history through the question, “What if?” What if: angels and demons controlled a western town? What if: hippos had been introduced to the Mississippi? What if: abused women in brothels got their revenge? Those are just a few of the questions explored in the pages of alternate history westerns, a genre sometimes also referred to as “the weird west.”

Alternate histories often — but not always — blend history with fantasy or science fiction to reimagine what could have been. Think of the popular steampunk aesthetic, for example, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Alternate history can also be a great way to reclaim the narrative or frame history in a different way — something that’s especially compelling when you’re talking about a place and period as complicated and violent as the American West. While the westerns of old featured an all too predictable glorification of life in the west, despite the brutality that led to western expansion in the United States, these alternate-history westerns often feature more nuanced stories. And with a touch of magic or technology, they’re a lot more fun, too.

So giddy on up and find out how the west was weird.

Reading Legends and Lattes has gotten me thoroughly obsessed with the cozy fantasy genre, and lucky for me — and you — there are some really great books like Legends and Lattes out there to enjoy. Exactly what makes a cozy fantasy novel cozy can shift a bit from book to book, but there are some similarities across the board. They’re generally full of heartwarming characters, little to no drama, and relatively low stakes. And the addition of bookstores, coffee shops, tea shops, or bakeries doesn’t hurt. That might just be a personal preference, though.

When it comes to books like Legends and Lattes, in particular, I’m looking for books about characters finally looking to settle down, stories set in magical shops, casts of found families, friendship, and maybe a touch of romance. But most of all, I’m looking for books that invite you in and envelope you a nice, warm hug. Because that is what cozy fantasy is, really: the bookish form of pure comfort. And that’s what Legends and Lattes does so well. So brew up a pot of tea or coffee, drag out your fluffiest blanket, and settle in for the coziest of cozy books, just like Legends and Lattes.

Even if you don’t pay much attention to literary news, there are some book awards you’ve probably heard of: The Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Awards, the Booker Prize. But these big-name awards are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens and dozens of smaller book awards out there, and paying attention to them will lead you to exciting books that get overlooked by the flashy, mainstream prizes.

One of the best things about these smaller awards is that they often recognize books from indie presses that don’t get huge marketing budgets. There are also lots of prizes designed to celebrate literature from certain regions and written by authors from marginalized communities. All literary awards are subjective and a bit random, but if you’re looking to expand your reading beyond the bestsellers, checking out the past and current winners of niche prizes is a great way to do so!

These eight nonfiction books have all won different literary prizes in the last five years. But many of them have flown under the radar and only have a few hundred ratings on Goodreads. In other words: these are hidden nonfiction gems, each of them brilliant in its own way, and you’re going to want to get your hands on them.

December 2 – 30, 2023

November 4 – December 29, 2023

What do we remember about our favourite fantasy stories? Apart from the compelling plots and characters, we’re most likely to fall in love with a fantasy novel because of strong worldbuilding, whether that’s the creation of a fascinating fictional society, the inclusion of fun legendary creatures, or, in many cases, the construction of an interesting and thought-provoking magic system. Throughout the years of fantasy dominating as a genre, there have been many different types of magic systems, some well-explained, with strong structures, while others fall into the “no rules, just vibes” category. But what makes for the best magic systems in fantasy, while others are disappointing?

Many magic systems are based on concepts or ideas that exist in the real world. The wizards of Discworld devote years at university to learning spells from ancient times (or, in later years, simply enjoying big dinners and doing very little real magic). Some magic systems are based on maths, while others draw on crafts such as sewing or weaving. Some fantasy authors have created magic systems based on music, while others have taken a religious slant to their characters’ magical practices, having them work closely with gods to cast spells in their worlds. A good magical system is consistent, not too overpowered (even magic users need to struggle to make a story interesting), and is interesting enough to stick in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished the story. Here are some of the best magic systems in recent — and not-so-recent — fantasy literature.

As every author has probably revealed in an interview at some point, writing a novel is hard work. Writer’s block is a constant professional hazard; characters can decide to do their own thing at a moment’s notice, and I can confirm that it’s a real struggle to stop a plot from getting soggy and slow in the middle. This doesn’t go away with practice; as Joe Fassler noted in his article My 150 Writing Mentors and Me, “The artistic process never seems to get easier, not even for the most successful, famous authors.”

In more practical terms, many writers are hampered by day-to-day life, like having to work a day job or the time-consuming commitment of childcare, something noted by the women writer’s magazine Mslexia: “Survey after survey has found that women spend more time on housework and childcare than men […] So it was for Mrs. Gaskell at the birth of the novel, complaining that ‘everybody comes in to me perpetually’ while ‘Mr. Gaskell just trots off to his study.’” There are also major structural inequalities within the world of publishing that mean Black authors and other authors of colour are underrepresented across the board, with the publishing world throwing up roadblocks such as “quotas for books by or featuring people of colour, a perceived limited appeal for these books and a feeling that authors of colour could only write about race issues.”

But when you finally get the book published, all the difficulties are worth it, right? Well, not always. Sometimes, authors deeply regret the books that they have published, even if — and sometimes because — those books made their names or brought them wild success. Arthur Conan Doyle famously hated Sherlock Holmes so much that he tried to kill the character off permanently, only to be forced to bring him back after a public outcry. Agatha Christie resented the public demand for more Poirot novels; she found her creation irritating and hated all the idiosyncrasies she had given him, something she wryly references when writing crime author Ariadne Oliver’s hatred of her own fictional detective character.

Many of the books that authors regretted writing are well known, but others come as a surprise. However, it’s important to note that nearly all of the authors who went on to regret their books are white, and most are men. As the publishing statistics show, authors of colour struggle far more than white authors to be published in the first place — it’s likely that there are simply not enough books being published by authors of colour for those authors to have those same feelings of regret about the work they have struggled to get out there in the first place.

The famous steam engine turned 100 this year – why is it such an enduring icon?

We’re back with more fond reminisces! On today’s episode, we return to a difficult day for VAR and an even more difficult day for Pete Donaldson’s Twitter mentions. Plus, some of the worst stadium trivia you will ever hear in Jack’s Encyclopaedia and an update on Andy Carroll’s French renaissance!

If you missed it, catch Part 1 of our 2023 throwback which came out on Boxing Day!

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