January 7th
Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall (Putnam)
As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.
18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.
Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life.
This Is the Year by Gloria Muñoz (Holiday House)
This is the year. Yes, Ofe, on this gloomy first day of my last year of high school, I swear before your grave, Hermana, this is the year I am getting out of here.
So swears Julieta Villareal, a seventeen-year-old wannabe writer whose twin sister died in a hit-and-run a few months ago. Juli’s Florida home is crumbling in the face of climate disaster, and with Ofelia gone, Juli can’t stand to stay any longer in a place that doesn’t seem to have room for her. She’s not sure how she’s going to do it—everyone knows brown-skinned, poverty-stricken New Americans like Juli have no options—but she’s getting out.
Then, Juli is recruited by the Cometa Initiative, a private space program enlisting high-aptitude New American teens for a high-stakes mission to establish a human sanctuary on the Moon. Cometa pitches this as an opportunity for Juli to give back to her adopted country; Juli sees it as her only chance to do something big with her life.
Juli begins her training, convinced Cometa is her path to freedom. But her senior year is full of surprises, including new friendships and fresh love, and against all odds, Juli begins to find hope where she was sure there wasn’t any. As her world collapses from the ramifications—both environmental and social—of the climate crisis, Juli must decide if she’ll carry her loss together with her community or leave it all behind.
A gripping prose narrative interspersed with poems from Juli’s writing journal, this genre-bending novel explores themes of immigration, climate justice, and the power of communities.
Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia (Disney Hyperion) - previously titled The Strange Will of Xavier Stoutmire.
The only thing sixteen-year-old Mullory Prudence has left of her mom is a warning: "Run if the strange finds you." But mysterious warnings don’t pay the bills or help take care of her sick Gran. And they certainly don’t make her miserable after-school job any more bearable. When unexpected letters start appearing in peculiar places––sealed in bags of dog food and hidden in the refrigerator––Mullory knows she should avoid them to heed her mother’s warning, but her curiosity thinks otherwise. She uncovers an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale for the chance at a sizable inheritance.
Dizzy with the prospect of billions, Mullory enters the game only to unearth the true prize––the illusionary magical properties of Xavier Stoutmire, a recluse without an heir. A recluse who was expected to keep his magic in the family, especially when there isn’t enough for each member. With a prize worth killing for, the game is simple: be the first to solve the mystery––who killed Xavier Stoutmire? One week full of lavish parties dripping with enchantments, in a mansion brimming with clues of the past, and everyone’s a suspect. To win, Mullory will need to untangle a twisted family web and decide who she can trust…
Whitaker Stoutmire, the golden boy who’s harboring deadly secrets?
Ellison Stoutmire, his closed off twin, who saw something she shouldn’t have?
Lyric Stoutmire the youngest sibling, exiled by the family and burning with resentment?
Or Mateo Cruz, the only other outsider whose reserved manner allows him to hide in the shadows... At least at first.
But most of all, Mullory must ask herself, why? Why her? A question most strange, indeed.
Among Serpents by Marc J. Gregson (Peachtree Teen)
It takes guts to rise to the top of Meritocracy. It’ll take sheer ruthlessness to stay there. As militants and monsters lay waste to the Skylands, Uncle’s lawless tyranny threatens to unravel fragile Trade alliances. Conrad, no longer a mere Captain, now commands a squadron of ships at the order of the King. But Conrad’s High status can’t protect him from his own turmoil, and the price of power is steeped in blood.
Tormented by tragedies of war and by betrayal from his own family, Conrad must prove his worth to all of the Skylands. Led by an unhinged Explorer, Conrad embarks on a secret expedition to turn the tides of battle—before another island falls at the jaws of the gigataun. It’s a journey fraught with peril: Deadly monstrosities. Sabotage. Stowaways. And with friendships pushed to the brink and gentle romance stirring, Conrad will have to muster more than courage to weather the raging storms ahead.
Order your copy of Book Two of the Above the Black trilogy and continue the adventure! Marc J Gregson expands his fast-paced fantasy universe with shocking twists, treacherous battles, and a memorable cast of characters. Fans of Frank Herbert and Jules Verne will appreciate touches of classic science fiction, including speculative frontiers and turbulent political intrigue.
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West (Delacorte)
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school’s podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she’s left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen’s spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen’s cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can’t let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally (Sourcebooks Fire)
Brooke works hard to maintain perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect life—especially after "the incident" that threatened everything. Getting into her dream university puts her that much closer to a fresh start. How can she say no to her best friend's coaxing to celebrate the good news...even if it means returning to the very beach that she's avoided all year?
Spending time by the bonfire with her crush is the perfect end to the night. Except leaving the party turns out to be only the beginning. A truck starts tailing Brooke along the isolated two-lane highway that winds through the woods toward home. And the dark night is about to bring out her darkest fears...
The Dryad Storm by Laurie Forest (Inkyard Press) - moved from November 2023.
Magical
forces clash and Erthia hovers on the brink of ruin in the finale of
New York Times bestselling author Laurie Forest’s epic fantasy series,
The Black Witch Chronicles!
Who can survive the Shadow storm?
Black
Witch of prophecy Elloren Gardner Grey has unleashed her powers and
embraced her legacy as a Dryad and guardian of the Forest. But the
losses—of life, of love—have been almost too great to withstand as the
Shadow continues to devour the world. With only a tattered shred of hope
remaining, the Bearers of the Wand of Myth must battle their way back
to each other to mount a final stand.
But Elloren and her allies
are not only facing Mage Vogel's advancing forces—the armies of the
Eastern Realm will stop at nothing to see the Black Witch struck down.
With
Elloren's bonded mate prophesied to kill her, Shadow demons rising, and
the ties between allies unraveling, can this fracturing world unite to
face down the coming storm?
Breath of the Dragon: Breathmarked by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee (Wednesday Books) - previously titled Scroll of Heaven, moved from 2024.
Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.
But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.
As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold (Delacorte)
As the end of the world approaches, is there time for one final love story?
An apocalyptic storm has wreaked havoc on the world. Haunted by the memories of those she couldn’t save, Liz returns to the only place she felt safe before the world fell: the bookstore where she used to work. She settles into a routine – operating the shop as a trading post, welcoming stragglers who want to trade supplies for a book or leave behind messages for loved ones.
Then she learns another life-ending storm is coming and she’s nowhere near ready. Until she finds an intruder breaking into the bookstore late at night. Enter Maeve, a guarded, spikey, and potentially dangerous out-of-towner.
When Maeve’s secrets come to light and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, the pair find themselves fighting for their lives in more ways than one.
The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker (Candlewick) - description not yet added to Goodreads.
Tru has been hiding all her life. Her parents taught her to conceal her bastion Talent: indestructible skin, muscles, and bones. In a world where Talents are common and varied, no one trusts a bastion—they’re too powerful. Hiding failed to keep Tru’s parents alive, but moments before their murder, Tru’s mom pointed her to Logan Dire, a famed recluse assassin who adopted and trained orphaned Tru. At seventeen, she’s still hiding. Not even her closest friends know her true name or Talent, or that she’s balancing high school with knife and stealth training (while crushing on her BFF’s older sister). When assassins interrupt a mundane babysitting job booked through BountyApp—where lethal hunters find work and babysitters for their kids—Tru flees with a one-year-old strapped to her chest and spiraling questions: Who killed her parents? Whom can she trust? What does it mean to be a bastion? And is it ever OK to kiss a girl who’s trying to hunt you down? From an award-winning author comes a masterfully plotted thriller that holds character and relationship on a par with action and nail-biting suspense.
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce (Delacorte) - moved from February 2025.
From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!
After
moving to a new high school, Quinn is desperate for friends, so she
joins a D&D group with their own livestream and serious rules—most
no dating fellow party members.
But when sparks fly with a cute
but irritating player, and ex-friends from an old campaign start
stirring up trouble, she’ll need to figure out where her loyalties—and
heart—lie beyond the game.
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson (HarperTeen)
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies, and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get a summer internship studying dragon languages, be smart, be sweet, and make sure her little sister never, ever has to risk growing up Third Class. She just has to free one dragon.
By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents and cousin arrested and her sister missing, Viv is brought to Bletchley Park as a codebreaker—if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
As Viv begins to discover the secrets of a hidden dragon language, she realizes that the fragile peace treaty that holds human and dragon societies together is corrupt, and the dangerous work Viv is doing could be the thread that unravels it.
Set in an alternative 1920s with a rigid class system and dragons on every corner, A Language of Dragons is a rich fantasy about language, loyalty, love, and redemption.
Togetha by Keith F. Miller Jr. (HarperCollins) - description not yet updated on Goodreads.
After finally reuniting, Jay and Leroy have never been in more danger. Caught in the crosshairs of the affluent Bainbridge family, who they’ve learned is determined to reshape Savannah in their own image, the duo has only just survived a series of near-death experiences before reaching the safety of the Black Diamonds. But the BDs’ ability to protect the Black neighborhoods of their city is slipping….
Missing the key piece of evidence that could have broken the Bainbridges’ hold over Savannah, everyone is scrambling for options. But when one of their own is kidnapped, Jay and Leroy realize they can’t rely on anyone but themselves to save them. Recruiting old friends, former enemies, and their most risky ally, Jay’s once-upon-a-time crush, Will, they set out to do the impossible: find the evidence they lost in order to finally expose the Bainbridges’ corruption to the world, by any means necessary.
But even as their plans bring them closer to revealing the Bainbridges’ treacherous endgame, Jay and Leroy’s own secrets from each other threaten to pull their love apart, just as old feelings between Jay and Will begin to blossom again. And as the battle for a brighter future boils over into the streets, to save their homes—and everyone they love—Jay, Leroy, and Will must decide: When the cost of justice might be each of their happiness, will they be able to make the sacrifice togetha?
The Afterdark by E. Latimer (Tundra Books)
Northcroft is an elite boarding school with a deadly secret. Each night as the bell tolls and the shutters slam down, cutting off the outside world, the Afterdark descends, turning the surrounding old growth forest into a macabre copy of itself. A negative photograph crawling with horrors.
Evie Laurent is certain of one thing from the moment she sees Holland Morgan on the front steps of Northcroft: she wants to know everything there is to know about her. But there are some things about Evie herself that are better kept secret. Especially the fact that she let her sister drown. And that it’s getting harder to ignore her dark impulses . . .
Holland Morgan knows falling for Evie is just one more terrible choice in her long history of terrible choices. The problem is, she’s not sure she cares.
As attraction turns slowly to obsession, they find themselves playing a dangerous game. Something out there is calling to each of them. Beckoning to the shadows within.
Do they fight the call and protect one another, or answer and embrace the darkness?
Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga (Christy Ottaviano Books) - previously titled The Academy, moved from January 14th.
For fifty years, King Leander Eldana has ruled Ashland without naming an heir to the crown. After sending away his grandchildren to be raised out of the public eye, it’s finally time to secure his nation’s future by appointing one definitive heir. The best way to appraise his successor? In the halls of Almus Terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders—and liars.
Titus Eldana has always known he’d inherit Ashland’s future. Now he must prove he has what it takes. Alaric Eldana was not raised with a silver spoon. His secondhand clothes might not be fit for a king, but he knows how to rule: with his fist. Emmeline Eldana only wants to please her neglectful parents. If that means securing the crown, she won’t hesitate to destroy anyone in her way. Sadie Aurelia has no idea why she’s been given a chance to bring new blood to the throne. With nothing left to lose back home, she’s ready to take it.
Filled with competition, secret alliances, enemies-to-lovers romance, and cunning revenge, Royal Heirs Academy is a breathless, entertaining read set in modern-day. This gossip-filled school for the global elite is inspired by UWC of the Atlantic, which Vanity Fair has described as "Hippie Hogwarts."
The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley (HarperTeen) - description not yet updated on Goodreads.
A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge . . .
The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all else: revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial ‘humanitarianism,’ which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle—even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once again: marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.
Loosely inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller perfect for fans of A Dowry of Blood and Grave Mercy.
Reign of the Talon by Sophie Kim (Entangled Teen)
January 14th
Biology Lessons by Melissa Kantor (Feiwel and Friends)
Grace Williams has her future all mapped out. A high school senior in her beloved state of Texas, Grace plans to move to New York after graduation to study at Barnard College, and maybe, someday, win a Nobel Prize in biology. When she's asked to tutor Jack Nelson, the star baseball player who's flunking bio, she thinks it'll be just another activity to list on her college application. Studying turns to flirting, flirting becomes secret hook ups, and despite her expertise in bio, Grace gets pregnant. In a state where abortion is illegal, with parents who would expect her to keep the baby, Grace’s future is over before it’s begun.
With no one else to turn to, Grace must rely on her best friends, Addie and Sebastian, but anti-abortion laws put anyone who helps Grace in grave danger, and anyone they encounter might be an informant. When Grace finds a phone number and an offer of help scrawled in a bathroom stall, the three friends hatch a plan to sneak Grace across state lines. The risks to people she loves and those who have befriended her terrify Grace, but with Addie and Sebastian by her side, at least she isn't alone.
A love letter to hometowns, New York, and infinite possibilities, Biology Lessons showcases the transformative power of friendship in a world where choice is something you have to fight for.
Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough (Dutton) - moved from 2024.
Early 17th-Century Rome
For
as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one
thing: to be a part of La Tofana’s, her mother’s apothecary in Campo
Marzio, Rome. When she finally turns sixteen, she’s allowed into the
inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother and two assistants craft
renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling
flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker
ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of
last resort. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s
footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them
all.
Everything Is Poison is a story of a deadly secret
hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide
care for those with nowhere else to turn.
First Love Language by Stefany Valentine (Penguin Workshop)
For fans of Frankly in Love and Tokyo Ever After comes a romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways.
Taiwanese
American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much
as she loves her stepmom and stepsister, she yearns to understand more
about her culture and find her biological mother.
So Catie is
shocked when an opportunity comes knocking on her door: Her summer spa
coworker, Toby, says he’ll teach her Mandarin. In exchange, she needs to
teach him how to date so he can finally work up the courage to ask out
his crush. The only problem is that Catie doesn’t actually have any dating experience. But she can fake it.
With her late father’s copy of The Five Love Languages and all his annotated notes, Catie becomes the perfect dating coach. Or so she thinks. As she gets dangerously close to Toby and to
finding out what really happened to her biological mom, she realizes
that learning the language of love might be tougher than she thought.
Stefany
Valentine’s debut novel is both a fresh, fun romance as well as a
profound, luminous story about grief, family, transracial adoption, and
what it means to truly follow your heart.
Leo Martino Steals Back His Heart by Eric Geron (HarperCollins)
Leo Anthony Martino loves love.
Unfortunately, love doesn’t love Leo back.
Leo Martino’s hunt for love has been a total flop. Over the years, every single crush has ghosted him, leaving him miserable and alone. By senior year, Leo concludes he must be unlovable. It’s time to stop trying.
But when he finds himself obsessing over the irresistible Lincoln Chan, Leo decides to give love one last shot—and this time, he has a plan. He’s going to change everything about himself to become the “perfect boyfriend.” And the plan actually works... but will he take it too far?
All the Love Under the Vast Sky by Various YA Authors (Nancy Paulsen Books) - moved from 2024.
Twelve short stories in verse by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the highs and lows of love – romantic, platonic, familial, and self-love.
Love can be many things – all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction.
With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again.
Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love.
Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon (Union Square & Co.) - moved from September 2024.
Love can be many things – all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction.
With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again.
Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love.
After dumping his girlfriend,
walking out of the SATs, and quitting his job at his parent’s coffee
shop all in one day, landing a job at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for
Two, seems like his lucky break. Until he discovers his new coworker is
the snarky goth girl who humiliated him at his old job: Sarang Cho,
who’s as determined to save her family’s cafe as she is to make River’s
life hell.
When River accidentally uploads a video of his
coworkers to his popular fandom account, Bingsu for Two goes viral, but
to keep the internet’s attention and save the store, River and Sarang
must pretend to be a couple for their adoring subscribers. Easier said
than done when they’re one more milk frothing incident away from
throwing hands in the breakroom.
Between brewing coffee and
acting lovey-dovey for the camera, River realizes Sarang isn’t the
heartless girl he originally took her for. But when his ex-girlfriend
and old coworkers blackmail him into tanking Bingsu for Two’s fame,
River must choose: sabotage Sarang and the one place that feels like
home, or save himself from his parents finding out that he’s helping the
competitor run their family’s cafe out of business.
Brewed With Love by Sheley Page (Joy Revolution) - description not yet updated on Goodreads.
Plant witch, Sage Bishop, is determined to run her family’s old apothecary one day. She spends her time trying to invent the perfect tonic to put Bishop Brews on the map. And she’s going to need one quickly, too, because their biggest competitor is drawing away customers.
Short-staffed, her nana hires Ximena Reyes, Sage’s ex-best friend and first crush, who’s more of an unwelcome distraction than anything. Ximena has always dreamed of leaving their small town behind while Sage wants to tend to her roots. And during one of their first shifts together, someone breaks into Bishop Brews, stealing several tonics, including the one Sage has been working tirelessly on, the same one that wipes a councilmember’s kid’s memory.
To avoid being shut down by the sheriff, Sage decides to investigate. If so much wasn’t at stake, she’d do it alone. But with her grandmother’s legacy and her future on the line, she must partner with her ever smug and unfairly pretty new coworker. As Sage begins to fall for Ximena (again), she’ll have to decide if the comfort of the familiar is worth missing out on a chance at real happiness.
After Life by Gayle Forman (Quill Tree Books)
Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.
This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?
This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.
Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz (Simon and Schuster) - moved from September 2024.
To the surprise of no one, Amelia Hernandez is once again single. It’s her family curse at work; whether it’s by heartbreak, scandal, or even accidental death, every romantic relationship that a Hernandez woman has will meet its demise eventually. And that may be fine with Amelia’s sisters, mom, and aunts, but definitely not with Amelia.
So, convinced that she is the problem, Amelia decides to embark on an “Ex Retrospective:” tracking down her exes, finding out where she went wrong, and using that information to finally become un-break-up-able for whenever her next relationship comes along. Because Amelia is determined to be free of the family curse…and her family.
However, when Amelia is unwillingly reunited with Leon, the ex to end all exes, she can’t resist having a little revenge on the side, too. After all, what better way to test out her new persona of perfect girlfriend traits than on the boy who broke her heart?
But old loves die hard, and as Amelia’s feelings grow more complicated, she suspects that she may be in for more than she bargained for.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith (HarperTeen)
When one makes a bargain with the Faerie Queen, one must be prepared to pay the price.
Lady Ivy Benton's sister has ruined her life. When Lydia Benton disappeared, then reappeared, two weeks later, with no memory of where she’d been, she destroyed her family’s reputation and her little sister Ivy’s chances at making a match during the 1848 London social season. Ivy’s only hope is to make a magical bargain clever enough to save both herself and her family from complete ruination. For in the center of London, ensconced in Kensington Palace, lives the immortal Queen Mor, who grants every resident of Britain the opportunity to make one faerie bargain in their lifetime. The bigger the ask, the higher the cost.
As the social season begins, Ivy and the other girls of high society are summoned to the palace for a shocking announcement. This is the season the Queen’s son, Prince Bram, intends to find a wife. In order to ensure fair play and dedicated courtship, girls who wish to be considered must sign a magically binding contract: should they not win the Prince's hand, they will never marry another. Ivy is the first to sign in blood. She has nothing else to lose.
Along with the five other girls who agree to the terms, Ivy moves onto the grounds of Kensington palace for the London social season, ready to fight for the Prince's hand. The competition for the Bram’s time and attention is fierce, but Ivy is keeping her own secrets. She and Prince Emmett, Bram's brother, met by chance months before, and Emmett has promised to help Ivy become the perfect match for Bram, even at the cost of his own growing feelings.
Through a social season of glittering balls, promenades around the park, and sun-soaked regattas, Ivy and Emmett work to uncover what really happened to Ivy's older sister those weeks she disappeared, and the rotten truth of the magical bargains made by their mysterious Queen. But by tugging on a thread that spans beyond their world, they might just unravel a plot that could destroy the whole of England.
Prophecy by M.L. Fergus (Tundra Books)
The only life Persephone has ever known has been one of servitude, and she dreams of a life of freedom, buoyed by a spirit and sense of humor that have never wavered. When a chance encounter with a handsome thief offers her a chance to leave, she grabs it with both hands... and the thief, Azriel, will just have to keep up.
But Azriel is not everything he seems, and he believes Persephone holds the key to a greater freedom for himself and his people, who have been hunted for years by the king's regent, an evil and sadistic man who will stop at nothing in his quest for power. Azriel has a plan to defeat him, and he needs Persephone — but does Persephone need him?
As her journey brings her deeper and deeper into a cruel and dangerous world, Persephone must quickly learn who to trust . . . and whether an impossibly broad-shouldered thief holds the key to her future, or her ruin.
Once Upon a Broken Heart meets The Queen's Thief in Prophecy, the first book in The Fractured Kingdom trilogy — filled with heart-pounding romance and epic adventure.
Truth, Lies and the Questions in Between by L.M. Elliott (Algonquin) - previously titled Gates.
Patty Appleton is making history. As one of the Senate’s first female Congressional Pages, she’s not only paving the way for other politically minded girls, she has a front-row seat to debates dividing the nation, especially around women’s rights and roles. The battle between the old ways and the new polarizes the women in Patty’s life, and she finds herself torn between traditional expectations—to be anobedient daughter aspiring to become a perfect wife—and questions new friends like fiercely feminist Simone encourage her to ask.
But the questions don’t stop at women’s rights: The Watergate scandal is intensifying. As evidence mounts that the White House engaged in crimes, smears, and cover-ups to manipulate an election, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. Determining truth from lies becomes ever more essential for the nation’s future—and for Patty’s as well.
Illustrated throughout with remarkable real-life images and headlines, this timely exploration of 1973—the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade—unfolds through the story of a young woman driven to question everything as she learns to think for, and rely on, herself.
Liar's Kingdom by Christine Calella (Page Street)
However, Ell finds that being royalty comes with its own problems. Bayard’s sister, the princess, has gone missing. The king is preparing for war against the fae. And Maxim, Bayard’s treacherous (and handsome) best friend, appears to know Ell is lying.
If Ell wants to keep this life she’s stolen, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and rescue herself.
January 21st
The Rival by Emma Lord (Wednesday Books)
Rivals-to-lovers
gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic
comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute
and Begin Again!At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong
academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door
neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college.
Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the
waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again,
this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she
dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her
writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come
to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are
popping up along the way.But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.
Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout (First Second Books) - YA graphic novel.
In the present day, teenage Annick is desperate to find a bone marrow donor that could save the life of her grandmother, Johanna. She turns to her family history and discovers a photograph taken by Emma Bergsma.
Decades earlier, Emma is a young art student about to be drawn into what will become the biggest bank heist in European history: swapping 50 Million Guilders' worth of forged bank notes for real ones—right under the noses of the Nazis! Emma’s life—and the lives of thousands, including a young woman named Johanna—hangs in the balance.
In this stranger-than-fiction graphic novel, Maria van Lieshout weaves a tale about family, courage, and the power of art. Deeply personal yet universal, Song of a Blackbird sheds light on an untold WWII story and sends a powerful message about compassion and resistance.
Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao (Viking)
Family secrets that can't stay buried . . .
A globe-spanning treasure hunt with puzzles to solve . . .
This latest YA novel by acclaimed writer Gloria Chao takes readers on a soaring adventure through love, loss, and the lively streets of Taiwan.
For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.
There's just one major to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.
Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.
Love On Paper by Danielle Parker (Joy Revolution)
The daughter of two prestigious writers, Macy Descanso has decided to take her own writing seriously. So what if her mother pulled some strings to get Macy into a prestigious writing retreat? Macy belongs here. But when she arrives, she learns that the theme has been changed to romance, per the bequest of the late, prolific romance author Betty Quinn. Though a cynic, Macy lives for a challenge.
What she’s not prepared for is to be partnered with Caleb Bernard, also the child of two prestigious writers. The Descansos and Bernards notably have beef—a rivalry that has lasted generations. With something to prove, Macy and Caleb decide to put their family squabbles aside to work together as critique partners.
But this retreat is anything but ordinary. According to lore, every year, authors leave easter eggs behind for new students to find. Macy and Caleb are eager to solve Betty Quinn’s mystery. And in the process, Macy and Caleb find that they have a lot in common. Still, will their connection be enough to surpass their families’ feud? Can the relationship they’ve built continue after the retreat?
The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed (HarperTeen)
Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.
But the competition is fierce and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.
Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a life-changing prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.
Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan (Greenwillow Books) - previously published in the UK.
It is 1846, Ireland is starving, and a poor Irish scullery maid falls in love with the British heir to the land. Can their romance stay hidden during the devastating famine? The potatoes are black, people are dying, and in the midst of it all, Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together and everyone she loves alive.
It is hard to tell a love story
and also the story of a people
being torn apart.
With her first historical novel-in-verse, Carnegie Medal–winning author Sarah Crossan has crafted a sweeping love story but also a family story, a class story, and the story of a particular moment in history that had a lasting impact on both Ireland and the United States. Nell’s story is suspenseful, heartbreaking, and utterly compelling, and will appeal to fans of Malinda Lo, Kip Wilson, and Ruta Sepetys.
Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias (Zando) - moved from March 2025.
Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother’s alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and politically powerful Hall family. After months of being the target of vicious rumors and hate online (which she just might deserve), the luxurious Blackbead House seems to hold everything she wants, a world of mango trees, tropical breezes, and glamorous parties—and a place to disappear.
Once there, Carina joins up with her fellow junior staff members, the self-named Young Birds, and finds herself sinking right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the Halls run a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension amongst the family, but she’s content flying under the radar, doing her job, and hanging out with her new friends—not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone—or something—is out to get her. Is it the house itself? The Halls? Or, worse, is it her own past catching up with her? With the help of Aaron, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she is forced out of Blackbead House for good.
Eerie, propulsive, and full of intrigue, Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously atmospheric, young adult novel, following an imperfect yet courageous teen as she seeks to remake herself in the homeland she always idealized, only to discover that new beginnings don’t always come easy.
All the Bright Places: The Collector's Edition by Jennifer Niven (Ember) - 10th anniversary edition of a 2015 release.
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might die. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself–a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
January 28th
Where Shadows Meet by Patricia Caldwell (Wednesday Books) - previously dated September 2022, September 2023, October 2024 and February 2025, previously titled Where Shadows Reign and Where Shadows Fall. Publisher confirms this release date.
You have no idea what I’ve done for love. Just as you have no idea what you may one day do.
Once long ago, a girl named Favre sacrificed her wings for love. Thana, the young goddess she so willingly gave them up for, sacrificed that same love for power. But everything has a cost.
Favre never got over the loss of her wings. And Thana’s choices led to a life of eternal night, and later, their destruction. Favre has bided her time ever since, waiting for the chance to resurrect the girl she loves who turned her into the creature she hates.
Now, a thousand years later, Leyla, the crown princess of the malichora—an ancient race that survives on human blood —must travel to the Island of the Dead when her best friend is captured during an attack on her nation’s capital. Along with Najja, a fierce, beautiful seer, and the last person she expected to help her, Leyla forges down a dangerous path, intent on saving her friend. But nothing is as it seems. The closer she gets to her goal, the more she risks awakening an ancient evil and destroying everything she holds dear.
Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?
I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang (Inkyard Press) - moved from 2024, then from March 2025
Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.
It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson (HarperTeen)
Until she meets Alexa Goldstein. A prickly, perfectionist ice princess with her sights set on the Olympics, Alexa is the last person Charlie would ever want to share a rink with -- no matter how good she looks in her figure skating leotard. But when Alexa’s skating partner breaks his ankle and torpedoes her chances for a gold medal career, the two unlikely allies -- along with Alexa’s terrifying, ex-Olympian mother -- strike a deal: Charlie will practice with Alexa until her partner heals, and Alexa’s mother will use her connections to get Charlie back in her hockey uniform.
But as the ice between Charlie and Alexa begins to melt, their partnership only gets more complicated. Charlie’s falling hard -- and not just when she’s trying to land a double axel. What happens when making Alexa’s skating dreams come true means giving up her own?
On the Wings of La Noche by Vanessa L. Torres (Knopf) - moved from 2023.
Death waits for Noche Villanueva. In her human form, she is a lone science girl grieving the tragic accidental drowning of her girlfriend, Dante Fuentes. In her other reality, Noche is shapeshifter, an ethereal jet-black owl called a Lechuza, an escort for the dead to the mystery of the ever after. It is her legacy, her duty, one she now refuses to honor for Dante because she can’t fathom letting her go, even though every moment Dante’s spirit roams the earth, the more she fades into the unknown to be lost forever.
That’s when a new kid comes to town, Jax, another science nerd like Noche. They connect in a way she can’t ignore, her heart beating like it hasn’t since before Dante died. Noche begins to imagine a life without Dante, until Jax reveals his own precarious mortality, which leaves Noche questioning her inherited purpose and everything she’s ever believed in.
Carving Shadows Into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury) - moved from 2023.
The King's Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray's life, one false move could end everything.
Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges--and unlikely adversaries.
After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen's side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can't trust anyone--including the man she thought she loved.
Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king's rivals gain strength, time is running out.
War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer.
Rhino's Run by Robert Lipstye (HarperCollins)
Ronnie Rhinehart, better known as “Rhino” on the field, is the captain of his high school team in Woodhaven, a small town obsessed with football. His only goal is to earn a division I football scholarship so he can escape this town forever. Until the day he punches Josh Kremens in the face.
To avoid serious punishment and stay in school, Ronnie is forced to join Group, a cast of misfits who discuss their feelings with a counselor. At the same time, tensions are rising on the football team. Not everyone is happy that Ronnie, a junior, was named captain, especially Cogan and his friends, the Berserkers. Other than his best friend, Andy, Ronnie struggles to find solace and support, even at home, where his dad puts pressure on him to maintain his role on the team. Reluctantly, Ronnie finds himself liking aspects of Group, even if he isn’t always a welcome presence to the other members. Then one fateful day, Keith, another Group member, comes to school with a gun... and everything changes.
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn (Wednesday Books) - moved from February 2025.
Patch Simmons has decided that this is the year he will get a boyfriend, so it's goodbye to his French pen-pal Jean-Pierre and hello to the world!
Unfortunately, the only other "out" boys in his school year are dating each other, so finding a boyfriend isn't going to be easy... Until fate finally intervenes and two new mysterious boys join drama club: Peter, who’s just moved from New York (very chic) and his best friend, Sam.
Patch is confident that one of them (although either of them will do!) will be his first boyfriend. So armed with his single mum’s outdated self-help books, his over-supportive best friend Jean and an alarming level of self-confidence, Patch is confident that this mission will be a complete success. Whether or not they actually like boys or him is a problem for later.
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud comedy from rising star Harry Trevaldwyn, a story about boldly being yourself, going for what you want, but never losing sight of who truly has your back.
You should also check out Obsessing Over Coffee and Us by Shae Lee to be released January 31, 2025!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Thank you for continuously doing these lists! It helps me pick a book I can read every month in Spotify!
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