Predictability isn't always a bad thing — sometimes, it's a comfort. For October, our romance columnist rounds up three reads that give you exactly what you need in a romance, happy ending and all.

In 1961, Chiang opened San Francisco's The Mandarin, a high-end Chinese restaurant that served authentic fare. Today, her DNA is all over American Chinese food, from P.F. Chang's to Panda Express.

In her memoir, Christie Tate sets a positive example in the telling of how group therapy saved her — and in the care she takes to never present herself as an expert.

The voting simulation is hosted by Rock The Vote and aims to demystify the voting process by allowing kids to cast mock ballots on a number of issues. The results will be released before Election Day.

This isn't only a biography of Malcolm X; Les and Tamara Payne contextualize race in America prior to Malcolm's birth, and take a nuanced, unflinching look at his life, his death — and its aftermath.

Bryan Washington's eagerly awaited first novel is set in Houston — just like his short stories — and follows two young gay men whose relationship is tested when one man's mother comes to visit.

An exhibition at MoMa PS1 features work created by currently or formerly incarcerated artists and their family members. Curator Nicole R. Fleetwood knows what it's like to love someone on the inside.

Jess Walter's new novel an adventure tale based on actual events in the early days of the last century's labor movement — which was much wilder and bloodier than most people remember.

The New Yorker's Evan Osnos writes about the candidate's enduring quest to become president. He says Joe Biden has a different mindset today than he once had: "He's a man who is at peace."

Di Prima wrote over 40 books of poetry and memoir, including her collection the radical and political Revolutionary Letters,

Sarah Cooper became famous for TikTok videos in which she lip-synced the president. Now, she's digging deeper into the emotional messes of this year.

Rebecca Wragg Sykes describes evidence showing that as innovative tool- and fire-makers, Neanderthals adapted to changing climates, adopted symbolic cultural practices and expressed profound emotions.

Carlos Lozada tells NPR: "It's ironic that a president with such a negative force for race relations" and women's rights has presided over a period where both groups feel more empowered to speak out.

"We've been programmed to say great stuff comes from Europe and not from Africa," Samuelsson says. The chef's new book, The Rise, is a celebration of Black excellence in the culinary world.

The work is much more like reading a book-length poem than reading a play, though few poems or poetry collections come filled with charming illustrations of trees, dancers, and party-hatted dogs.