Happy October, everyone!
I can’t believe we’re already in October. It’s the month of spooky reads and fall is in full force. It’s definitely one of my favourite times of the year so I’m excited to curl up and read!
Today, Iβm adding to your already huge TBR. With 40 new young adult and adult books releasing this October, youβre sure to find your next read here. Iβve included books in different genres and for a wide range of audiences! Whether you enjoy contemporary, romance, fantasy, thrillers, or anything in between, this list is definitely for you.October 1st
Katherine Tegen Books // 272 Pages // Science Fiction, Short Stories
Bestselling Divergent andΒ Carve the MarkΒ author Veronica Roth delivers a stunning collection of novella-length stories set in the future, illustrated with startling black-and-white artwork.
No world is like the other. Within this masterful collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.
In these six stories, Veronica Roth reaches into the unknown and draws forth something startlingly familiar and profoundly beautiful.
With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe, this collection has something for new and old fans alike. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.
With beautifully intricate black-and-white interior illustrations and a uniquely designed package, this is the perfect gift for book lovers.
Berkley // 304 Pages // Contemporary, Romance
New York TimesΒ bestselling author Jasmine Guillory makes her hardcover debut with a heartwarming Christmas romance.Β
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain Private Secretary and his charming accent and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has been the Queen’s Private Secretary for years and has never given a personal, private tour…until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.
Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy fling come New Year’s Day…or are they?
Graydon House // 352 Pages // Tara Laskowski
It was the perfect place to disappear …
One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anewβto achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureenβs new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes.
Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all …
Philomel Books // 512 Pages // Historical Fiction
Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming guise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother’s birth through the lens of his camera. Photography – and fateΒ introduce him to Ana, whose family’s interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War – as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel’s photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.
Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history’s darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence – inspired by the true post-war struggles of Spain.
Inkyard Press // 384 Pages // Contemporary
From the author ofΒ When Elephants FlyΒ comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don’t miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.
Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else’s needs. She’s certain that her mom’s bitterness and her TV star father’s absence are her fault. If only she wereΒ moreβmore athletic, charismatic, attractiveβlife would be perfect.
When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she’s not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.
Roaring Book Press // 384 Pages // Science Fiction
Respect the Legend. Idolize the Prodigy. Celebrate the Champion. But never underestimate the Rebel.Β
With unmatched suspense and her signature cinematic storytelling, #1 New York Timesβbestselling author Marie Lu plunges readers back into the unforgettable world of Legend for a truly grand finale.
Eden Wing has been living in his brotherβs shadow for years. Even though heβs a top student at his academy in Ross City, Antarctica, and a brilliant inventor, most people know him only as Daniel Wingβs little brother.
A decade ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy from the streets who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. But Day is no longer the same young man who was once a national hero. These days heβd rather hide out from the world and leave his past behind. All that matters to him now is keeping Eden safeβeven if that also means giving up June, the great love of Danielβs life.
As the two brothers struggle to accept who theyβve each become since their time in the Republic, a new danger creeps into the distance thatβs grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross Cityβs dark side, even his legendary brother canβt save him. At least not on his own …Β
Greenwillow Books // 368 Pages // Mystery
Zora Novak has been framed.
When someone burns down the home of the school janitor and he dies in the blaze, everyone in Addamsville, Indiana, points a finger at Zora. Never mind that Zora has been on the straight and narrow since her father was thrown in jail. With everyone looking for evidence against her, her only choice is to uncover the identity of the real killer. Thereβs one big problemβZora has no leads. No one does. Addamsville has a history of tragedy, and thirty years ago a similar string of fires left several townspeople dead. The arsonist was never caught.
Now, Zora must team up with her cousin Artemisβan annoying self-proclaimed Addamsville historianβto clear her name. But with a popular ghost-hunting television show riling up the townspeople, almost no support from her family and friends, and rumors spinning out of control, things arenβt looking good. Zora will have to read between the lines of Addamsvilleβs ghost stories before she becomes one herself.
Balzer + Bray // 384 Pages // Historical Fiction
National Book Award 2019 Longlist Nominee!
From the author of Printz Medal winnerΒ Bone GapΒ comes the unforgettable story of two young womenβone living, one deadβdealing with loss, desire, and the fragility of the American dream during WWII.
When Frankieβs mother died and her father left her and her siblings at an orphanage in Chicago, it was supposed to be only temporaryβjust long enough for him to get back on his feet and be able to provide for them once again. Thatβs why Frankie’s not prepared for the day that he arrives for his weekend visit with a new woman on his arm and out-of-state train tickets in his pocket.
Now Frankie and her sister, Toni, are abandoned alongside so many other orphansβtwo young, unwanted women doing everything they can to survive.
And as the embers of the Great Depression are kindledΒ into the fires of World War II, and the shadows of injustice, poverty, and death walk the streets in broad daylight, it will be up to Frankie to find somethingΒ worth holding on to in theΒ ruins ofΒ this shattered Americaβevery minute of every day spent wondering if the lifeΒ she’s able to carve out will be enough.
I will admit I do not know the answer. But I will be watching, waiting to find out.Β
Thatβs what ghosts do.
Grand Central Publishing // 720 Pages // Mystery
Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.
Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.
At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.
Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.
Atlantic Monthly // 288 Pages // Mystery
Just a few years ago, Corie Geller was busting terrorists as an agent for the FBI. But at thirty-five, she traded in her badge for the stability of marriage and motherhood. Now Corie is married to the brilliant and remarkably handsome Judge Josh Geller and is the adoptive mother of his lovely 14-year-old daughter. Between cooking meals and playing chauffeur, Corie scouts Arabic fiction for a few literary agencies and, on Wednesdays, has lunch with her fellow Shorehaven freelancers at a so-so French restaurant. Life is, as they say,Β fine.
But at her weekly lunches, Corie senses that something’s off. Pete Delaney, a milquetoast package designer, always shows up early, sits in the same spot (often with a different phone in hand), and keeps one eye on the Jeep he parks in the lot across the street. Corie intuitively feels that Pete is hiding something–and as someone who is accustomed to keeping her FBI past from her new neighbors, she should know. But does Pete really have a shady alternate life, or is Corie just imagining things, desperate to add some spark to her humdrum suburban existence? She decides that the only way to find out is to dust off her FBI toolkit and take a deep dive into Pete Delaney’s affairs.
Always sassy, smart, and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs is at her formidable best in a novel that is both bitingly wry and ominously thrilling.
In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.
Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the cityβs asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a βcriminal’s” memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.
To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.
Tor Teen // 352 Pages // Fantasy, Historical Fiction
WestworldΒ meetsΒ The Handmaid’s TaleΒ in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.
Aster, the protector
Violet, the favorite
Tansy, the medic
Mallow, the fighter
Clementine, the catalyst
THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS
The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls–they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a “welcome house” as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen.
When Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by Arketta’s most vicious and powerful forces, both human and inhuman, their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one Good Luck Girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.
It’s going to take more than luck for them all to survive.
Disney-Hyperion // 336 Pages // Contemporary, Romance
Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.
Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.
When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.
This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?
HarperTeen // 448 Pages // Fantasy, LGBTQ+
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their ownersβ estates and bent the human race to their will.
Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her familyβs deathβ¦by killing the sovereignβs daughter, Lady Crier.
Crier was Made to be beautiful, flawless, and to carry on her fatherβs legacy. But that was before her betrothal to the enigmatic Scyre Kinok, before she discovered her father isnβt the benevolent king she once admired, and most importantly, before she met Ayla.
Now, with growing human unrest across the land, pressures from a foreign queen, and an evil new leader on the rise, Crier and Ayla find there may be only one path to love: war.
Katherine Tegen Books // 560 Pages // Fantasy
More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.
A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.
Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaranβs descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.
But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.
The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliathβs grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else …
HarperCollins // 256 Pages // Poetry
Perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur and Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasmin Kaurβs stunning debut novel is a collection of poetry, illustrations, and prose.
scream
so that one day
a hundred years from now
another sister will not have to
dry her tears wondering
where in history
she lost her voice
The six sections of the book explore what itΒ means to be aΒ young woman living in a world that doesnβt always hear her and tell the story of Kiran as she flees a history of trauma and raises her daughter, Sahaara, while living undocumented in North America.
Delving into current cultural conversations including sexual assault,Β mental health, feminism, and immigration, this narrative of resilience, healing, empowerment, and love will galvanize readers to fight for what is right in their world.
October 8th
Flatiron Books // 480 Pages // Fantasy
The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy βAlexβ Stern is the most unlikely member of Yaleβs freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say sheβs thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the worldβs most elite universities on a full ride. Whatβs the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yaleβs secret societies. These eight windowless βtombsβ are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywoodβs biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
Feiwel and Friends // 384 Pages // Fantasy
Into the Crooked PlaceΒ begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author ofΒ To Kill a Kingdom.
The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.
Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. Sheβll do anything to put her crimes behind her.
Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he wonβt stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.
Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the cityβs worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.
And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.
Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magicβa weapon she didnβt know she hadβto someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before itβs too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers // 448 Pages // Fantasy, Paranormal
New York TimesΒ bestselling author RenΓ©e Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirΓ©es andβespeciallyβto the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic SΓ©bastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about SΓ©bastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the looseβone Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller RenΓ©e Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet:Β The Beautiful.
Razorbill // 336 Pages // Mystery, Thriller
Jennifer Donaldson is back with another twisted thriller perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Gone Girl.
Zahra Gaines is missing.
After three long years away, Ruthie Hayden arrives in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska to this devastating news. Zahra was Ruthie’s best friend–the only person who ever really understood her–and she vows to do whatever it takes to find her.
Zahra vanished from a party just days before Ruthie’s return, but the more people she talks to, the more she realizes that the Zahra she knew disappeared long before that fateful night. Gone is the whimsical, artistic girl who loved books and knew Ruthie’s every secret. In her place is an athlete, a partier, a girl with secrets of her own. Darker still are the rumors that something happened to Zahra while Ruthie was gone, something that changed her forever …
As Ruthie desperately tries to piece together the truth, she falls deeper and deeper into her friend’s new world, circling closer to a dangerous revelation about what Zahra experienced in the days before her disappearance–one that might be better off buried.
In her stunning follow-up to Lies You Never Told Me, Jennifer Donaldson once again delivers a propulsive thriller with a masterful twist, skillfully creating a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
Little, Brown and Company // 432 Pages // Contemporary
Secret lives and new loves emerge in the bright Caribbean sunlight, in the follow-up to national bestsellerΒ Winter in Paradise.
A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn’t Irene’s only shattering news: he’d also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too.
Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life -and death – of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they’re about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures.
Lush with the tropical details, romance, and drama that madeΒ Winter in ParadiseΒ a national bestseller,Β What Happens in ParadiseΒ is another immensely satisfying page-turner from one of American’s most beloved and engaging storytellers.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt // 368 // Mystery
A dying billionaire sends one woman and a cast of dreamers and rivals on a citywide treasure hunt in this irresistible novel by the author of Bellweather Rhapsody.
Tuesday Mooney is a loner. She keeps to herself, begrudgingly socializes, and spends much of her time watching old Twin Peaks and X-Files DVDs. But when Vincent Pryce, Bostonβs most eccentric billionaire, diesβleaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan PoeβTuesdayβs adventure finally begins.
Puzzle-loving Tuesday searches for clue after clue, joined by a ragtag crew: a wisecracking friend, an adoring teen neighbor, and a handsome, cagey young heir. The hunt tests their mettle, and with other teams from around the city also vying for the promised prizeβa share of Pryceβs immense wealthβthey must move quickly. Pryceβs clues can’t be cracked with sharp wit alone; the searchers must summon the courage to face painful ghosts from their pasts (some more vivid than others) and discover their most guarded desires and dreams.
A deliciously funny ode to imagination, overflowing with love letters to art, from The Westing Game to Madonna to the Knights of the Round Table, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is the perfect read for thrill seekers, wanderers, word lovers, and anyone looking for an escape to the extraordinary.
Inkyard Press // 384 Pages // Contemporary
From the moment she first learned to read, literary genius Darcy Wells has spent most of her time living in the worlds of her books. There, she can avoid the crushing reality of her motherβs hoarding and pretend her life is simply ordinary. But when a new property manager becomes more active in the upkeep of their apartment complex, the only home Darcy has ever known outside of her books suddenly hangs in the balance.
While Darcy is struggling to survive beneath the weight of her motherβs compulsive shopping, Asher Fleet, a former teen pilot with an unexpectedly shattered future, walks into the bookstore where she worksβ¦and straight into her heart. For the first time in her life, Darcy canβt seem to find the right words. Fairy tales are one thing, but real love makes her want to hide inside her carefully constructed ink-and-paper bomb shelter.
Still, after spending her whole life keeping people out, something about Asher makes Darcy want to open up. But securing her own happily-ever-after will mean sheβll need to stop hiding and start living her own truthβeven if itβs messy.
Wednesday Books // 416 Pages // Dystopian
A speculative thriller in the vein ofΒ The Handmaidβs TaleΒ andΒ The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture!
βA visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggettβs deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story thatβs equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldnβt stop reading.β β Libba Bray,Β New York TimesΒ bestselling author
Survive the year.
No one speaks of the grace year. Itβs forbidden.
In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. Thatβs why theyβre banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better lifeβa society that doesnβt pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that itβs not just the brutal elements they must fear. Itβs not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.
With sharp prose and gritty realism,Β The Grace YearΒ examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.
Pamela Dorman Books // 400 // Historical Fiction
Set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their unforgettable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, from the author ofΒ Me Before You and The Peacock Emporium.
When Alice Wright agrees to marry handsome American Bennett Van Cleve and leave behind her stifling life in England for a new adventure in Kentucky, sheβs soon disenchanted by her newlywed status and overbearing father-in-law, owner of the local coal mine. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.
The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, the smart-talking, self-sufficient daughter of a notorious local criminal, a woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. Alice finds Margery as bracing and courageous as anyone she’s ever met–and comes to rely on her, especially as her marriage starts to fail.
They will be joined by three diverse women and become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky.
What happens to these women–and to the men they love–becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers–from moonshiners to snakes, from mountains to floods–and social disapproval to boot. But they believe deeply in their work bringing books to people who had never had any, expanding horizons and arming them with facts that will change their lives.
Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, the storytelling itself here is enthralling–the pages fly, and the book is unparalleled in its scope and its epic breadth. Funny, heartbreaking, and rewarding, it is a rich novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.
Tor Teen // 432 Pages // Fantasy
When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Luxβonly to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.
Because the Luxen arenβt the only ones with a hidden past. Thereβs a gap in Evieβs memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she canβt remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she isβand who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.
Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. Heβs powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerousβ¦and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she canβt help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.
And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.
#1Β New York Times, USA Today,Β and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with this steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.
HarperCollins // 112 Pages // Fantasy
This fourth companion novella to Tahereh Mafiβs New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series is narrated by fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto!
The explosive revelations in Defy Me have left readers reeling and desperate for answers. This fourth and final novella in the series will bring readers back to the world of the Shatter Me before the final novel installment hits shelves in winter 2020.
And donβt miss Find Me, the gorgeous paperback bind-up that brings together Shadow Me and Reveal Me in print for the first time!
Berkley // 336 Pages // Contemporary, Romance
Debut author Sarah Smith nails this fun and sexy multicultural romance where two office foes hammer out their differences to build a love that will last …
Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.
One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps…
When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get … heated. Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.
William Morrow Paperbacks // 352 Pages // Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
In this heartwarming, feel-good holiday novel, one woman needs to find a little inspiration in the 25 days leading up to Christmas to help her remember the magic of the season and the magic of falling in loveβperfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Josie Silver.
Kate Potter used to love Christmas. A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kateβs husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.
Kate canβt deny sheβs lonely, yet she doesnβt think sheβs ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to rememberβjust like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So sheβs decided if there isnβt a miracle on its way, sheβll just have to make her own.
As Kateβs advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you canβt plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.October 15th
HarperTeen // 400 Pages // Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.
Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sisterβs betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.
While one sister rules Aranthβa frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea βher twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sisterβs betrayal.
But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses βalong with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger βset out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.
Simon Pulse // 320 Pages // Contemporary
A teen outcast is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white midwestern town in this remarkable new novel from the critically acclaimed author ofΒ American Panda, whichΒ The Wall Street Journalcalled βweepingly funny.β
Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name,Β Ah-lee, after the mountain in Taiwan.
Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to theΒ they belong togetherΒ whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.
But when Aliβs mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into theΒ whyΒ behind her motherβs disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.
Snippets of a love story from nineteenth-century China (a retelling of the Chinese folktaleΒ The Butterfly Lovers) are interspersed with Aliβs narrative and intertwined with her fate.
Lion Forge // 256 Pages // Graphic Novel, LGBTQ+
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Crown Books for Young Readers // 352 Pages // Contemporary, Romance
From the author of theΒ New York TimesΒ bestsellerΒ Dear MartinΒ –which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author ofΒ The Hate U Give,Β called “a must read”–comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life.
Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas ‘n’ Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she–with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan–can find the ticket holder who hasn’t claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite…or divide?
Nic Stone, theΒ New York TimesΒ bestselling author ofΒ Dear MartinΒ andΒ Odd One Out,Β creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money–both too little and too much–and how you make your own luck in the world.
Bantam Press // 384 Pages // Contemporary, Holiday
Celebrate Christmas with the ultimate Shopaholic!
The brilliant laugh-out-loud festive novel from the Number One bestselling author.
Becky Brandon (nΓ©e Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It’s always the same β Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers.
And now it’s even easier with online bargain-shopping sites β if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted!
But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky’s parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she’ll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong?
With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershaveΒ again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper β surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear . . .
Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas?October 22nd
Gallery Books // 368 Pages // Contemporary, Romance
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the βdelectable, movingβ (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it …
Sam Brandis was Tate Jonesβs first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.
During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tateβthe long-lost daughter of one of the worldβs biggest film starsβever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.
Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, heβs the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if itβs possible to do the wrong thing for the right reasonβ¦ and whether βonce in a lifetimeβΒ canΒ come around twice.
With Christina Laurenβs signature βbeautifully written and remarkably compellingβ (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.
HarperTeen // 432 Pages // Science Fiction, LGBTQ+
In this high concept YA novel debut thatβsΒ We All Looked UpΒ meetsΒ The Sun Is Also a Star, three teens must face down the mistakes of their past after they learn that life on Earth might end in less than a week.
News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planetβAlmaβclaiming to be its creator. If theyβre being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their βcolonyβ Earth.
True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever.
Jesse, who has been dealt one bad blow after another, wonders if it even matters what happens to the world. Cate, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she never met. And Adeem, who hasnβt spoken to his estranged sister in years, must find out if he has it in him to forgive her for leaving.
With only a week to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeemβs paths collide as their worlds are pulled apart.October 29th
Delacorte Press // 416 Pages // Fantasy
The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor … and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.
In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.
When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammaniβs beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. Itβs an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.
But Kammani sees the selection for what it really isβa death sentence.
Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own lifeβand heartβare at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palaceβs buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything … including herself.
Feiwel and Friends // 320 Pages // Feminism, Historical Fiction
Set in the summer of 1972, this moving YA historical novel is narrated by teen girls from different backgrounds with one thing in common: Each girl is dealing with pregnancy.
Four teenage girls. Four different stories. What they all have in common is that theyβre dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out sheβs pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesnβt fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.
Randi Pink masterfully weaves four lives into a larger story β as timely as ever β about a womanβs right to choose her future.
Knopf Books for Young Readers // 288 Pages // Contemporary, LGBTQ+
In a community that isn’t always understanding, an HIV-positive teen must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time. Powerful and uplifting, Full Disclosure will speak to fans of Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.
Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on …
Imprint // 400 Pages // Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn’t listen …
Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkersβlike Kamai and her motherβcan journey into other people’s souls while they sleep.
But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.
When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.
A.M. Strickland’s imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai’s own soul, but the entire kingdom …
Let’s Chat in the Comments!
What book are you most looking forward to reading this month? Which cover is your favourite? Did you find a new read?
Stephen Writes says
Fantastic list, Victoria. A lot of them look like great reads that I may add to my TBR. Thank you for sharing!
Victoria @ The Contented Reader says
Thank you so much, Stephen! I’m glad you enjoyed the list. Happy reading!!
acouplereads says
Holy books! Thanks for the list!
Victoria @ The Contented Reader says
Hehe, leave it to me to add more to your TBR π β€οΈ