Olivia Abtahi does a stellar job of introducing the concept of boundaries, while cautioning readers that being super-accommodating might result in being overburdened, even by those who care about us.
With its subtle humor and whiff of nostalgia about the inevitable passage of time, Scamp is likely to be kept on the shelf for years to come.
No Purchase Necessary is an entertaining, thought-provoking read rife with suspenseful twists and turns and well-drawn characters, and enlivened by the witty, appealing voice of its protagonist.
A sci-fi, second-chance romance, Iluminae is utterly immersive (and has an immaculate audiobook version).
Readers who enjoy twisted thrillers in bright tropical settings will revel in Honeysuckle and Bone’s exploration of the contrast between glittery surfaces and the secrets buried beneath them.
Go Tell It is an inspiring look at James Baldwin, one of America’s most important writers.
Perfect for those who are grown up and those who are still growing up, Dreamover is a nostalgic and thought-provoking experience.
Dream a Dress, Dream a Poem offers a world of inspiration for young creators of many kinds.
While several excellent children’s biographies of Toni Morrison already exist, And She Was Loved is a welcome addition, bound to be treasured, just like the author herself.
Kacen Callender has swept awards in children’s, young adult and adult literature, and we found their YA novel, Infinity Alchemist, to be a “resonant fantasy.” The next soon-to-be-conquered frontier for Callender is, naturally, dark academia. In We Are Villains, Milo tries to untangle the mystery behind his best friend’s death, which has been deemed an accident but leaves several unanswered questions. In the process, he gets mixed up with Liam, the student king of Yates Academy, whose influence threatens to wane when he becomes the target of blackmail.
A release by an author as critically acclaimed as the Emmy-nominated George M. Johnson (All Boys Aren’t Blue, Flamboyants) is something to mark on your calendars. But double your excitement, since There’s Always Next Year is a collaboration with mighty powerhouse Leah Johnson, whose You Should See Me in a Crown won a Stonewall Honor and was listed as one of TIME’s “100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.” Together, the two authors are bringing you a rom-com switching between the perspectives of two cousins who are both racing to fix their individual love lives before New Year’s Day is over.
Julie Kagawa is adding a new trilogy to her already long list of bestselling endeavors, which includes the Iron Fey series and the Talon saga. The first installment, Fateless, introduces us to a desert world with two suns and our protagonist, Sparrow, a member of the Thieves Guild who is given a dangerous mission to enter the city of the Deathless Kings that now lies buried beneath the sands and steal a relic that may unlock secrets from the ancient past. This will be no easy task—the long-forgotten undercity is full of magical traps, and an assassin is on her tail.
Susan Dennard’s fans have much to celebrate: The Luminaries series continues—with the second installment, The Hunting Moon, having been released last year—and the Witchlands series has a TV adaptation in development. In case we didn’t have enough to wait for, Dennard is graciously offering yet another title to anticipate: The Executioners Three, a mystery with supernatural flair following an escalating prank war—which happens to coincide with an increasing number of corpses being found in the woods.
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