What it’s about: A new horror novel from thriller virtuoso Giles, The Getaway will keep you up at night after this twisty roller coaster. Karloff County is a prime vacation destination, a theme park getaway from the increasingly troubling outside world. And unknown to its employees, it’s also where the rich and powerful have been buying shares for the end of the world. Jay works at the main theme park after school, but he didn’t sign up to cater to every whim of the clientele. Especially now that his friend Connie has gone missing and no one is willing to talk about it… Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Six months ago, Laura Ann Langston left Pennsylvania for New York City, hoping to earn a mage’s license. It’s 1937, and there’s a sharp divide among Americans — those who know how to harness mystical arts and those who don’t. With no job to turn to, she applies to the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a government agency who desires the thriving of Mechomancy, industry, and technology, as opposed to the mystical arts. Paired with mage Skylark as an apprentice, the pair make new discoveries about old truths, including a period of time where Black mages were killed for their power. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Micah’s two biggest claims to fame are as follows: One, his father is a sports radio host known as the King of Chicago, and two, his Instagram account, where he draws the crushes he’s too nervous to ask out, is about to reach its 100th post. But Micah wants Boy 100 to be more than just a crush, but the most promising candidate has just disappeared with only a jacket left behind. The pumpkin-embroidered jacket launches a whole search for the boy from the L, involving Micah’s friends in an epic adventure to try to return it. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: 1943. Kit Sutherland is brought in to serve as a codebreaker at Arlington Hall, helping the war effort at the secret government facility that was formerly a college. She joins a group that includes Dottie, Moya, and Violet, who she’ll soon need to lean on for more than just codebreaking. Brutal murders are occurring all over DC, and Kit has just stumbled onto one of the murder scenes, and now the girls are searching for a killer. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: If you’re looking for the perfect book for spooky season, check out this 1990s-set vampire chronicle. Strange things have been happening in Aja’s small town, and that was true even before her sister, Fiona, went missing. Unknown to her, the sky raining blood, the parasitic caterpillars, the weird fog, were all caused by one being — Padraic, a vampire. To try to find Fiona, Aja agrees to Padraic’s desire for her to follow him into the woods, but on her terms. If she is not wooed in one week, he lets her go…alive. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: All of Hannah’s senior year plans quickly unravel when her boyfriend, Nate, unexpectedly breaks her heart, explaining that, in his eyes, they have nothing in common. After all, Nate and his friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, something Hannah has not gotten into. But the arrival of her K-drama star former best friend, Jacob Kim, might take her mind off the breakup…if they can piece together what actually happened between them the last time they saw each other. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. In case you haven’t yet read book 1, Skin of the Sea: Simi collects the souls of those who die at sea, serving the gods as a Mami Wata, a mermaid. But after breaking the rules to save the life of a boy thrown overboard, one who seems to know more than he should, Simi heads to the Supreme Creator in order to make amends. What it’s about: Simi is now in the service of a new god, operating at the bottom of the ocean to oversee the Land of the Dead. But Simi’s life-saving trade brought with it unintended consequences, namely the appearance of demons who keep finding ways into the human world. But to fix things, she’ll not only need the help of a trickster; she’ll have to break her promise. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Chloe Gong’s world of These Violent Delights expands into the spy game with this intriguing 1930s take on As You Like It. Rosalind hasn’t slept in four years. Literally. After being brought back from the edge of death, she’s practically immortal — no wound stays for long, and she no longer sleeps or ages. Seeking a way to reinvent herself, she becomes Fortune, an assassin. As the Japanese Imperial Army begins its march, Rosalind is sent to infiltrate foreign society in Shanghai, posing as the wife of Orion Hong, another Nationalist spy with secrets of his own. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Shay Johnson is a junior at T.K. Anderson Magical Magnet School, where one learns all about being a witch. Her drama teacher, Mr. B, wants her to star in this year’s musical, even though she’s not particularly enthused by the idea. But Mr. B is also the head of the scholarship committee that decides who gets a full-ride university scholarship, and she wants to impress him to win it. With her main competition, Ana, cast alongside her as the other lead, she slowly begins to realize there’s more to her than Shay ever thought. And a scholarship on the line soon is the least of her worries, when Mr. B’s unwanted attention slowly turns Shay’s way. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Lark is working toward becoming a writer, and right now, that involves building their social media platform. But Lark’s Twitter soon plays host to an unexpected thread — love for an unrequited crush, accidentally declared by Kasim, Lark’s former best friend. As the thread gains traction, Lark claims the thread as their own and tries to wrangle their feelings about the never-ending judgment of internet strangers — especially as things between them and Kasim seem to grow ever more confusing by the day. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. What it’s about: Ashana and Poppy met on a school trip, and despite Ash’s track record of less-than-stellar dating luck, the two quickly begin to fall for each other. Unfortunately, everything comes to a crashing halt after a hit-and-run that leaves Ash with a new job — reaper. As the last person to die pre-midnight on New Year’s Eve, Ash is now tasked with helping lost souls cross over. But her mind constantly drifts to Poppy, even as she goes about her routine. When Ash runs into Poppy, and Poppy recognizes her (only someone close to death can see the reapers as they truly are), Ash has to figure out if a second chance is worth risking when tragedy lies so near. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Leigh Bardugo’s impressive Grishaverse adds this Darkling prequel graphic novel into the fold…Eryk and his mother have lived their lives on the run, wielders of rare and deadly gifts that they hide from those around them. But some secrets have a way of seeping out of the darkness. Pendergast’s outstanding art adds a whole new layer to the origin of a familiar face. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Sharlot Citra and George Clooney Tanuwijaya have been spending a lot of time chatting online, despite never having met. But the truth is Sharlot’s mother and George’s father, seeking the right kind of partner for their offspring, each hatched their own plans, which included writing most of their children’s information on the dating app. The teens themselves aren’t wildly enthused, but as they head on a trip, they begin to learn about each other outside of their parentally crafted bios. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Jo has been dreaming about being chosen from the Line Up her whole life, hoping to leave the Ashes behind. When her wish comes true, it turns out to just be the first of major shifts in her life. For one thing, she’s supposed to be impressing the New Georgia Reps at a gala, but one of their stepsons, Cove, was raised to be an emotional weapon and wants to break Jo instead. And the night of the Gala, there’s a riot back in the Ashes. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about The follow-up to Malinda Lo’s multiple-award-winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club is set in 2013. Aria’s expectation for the summer involved lots of sand, sun, friends, and fun on Martha’s Vineyard. But the truth is filled with much more potential to be boring — she’s being shipped off to her grandmother’s for the summer. But staying there leads her to Steph, who works for Aria’s grandma as a gardener, who welcomes her into a queer community Aria never could have imagined. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Rogers’s story collection follows one extended Cherokee family across centuries. Each story elicits chills in different ways, while also feeling incredibly grounded and intoxicating. From vampires to the Vietnam War, they vary in genre and style while Cherokee artist Jeff Edwards illustrates each story. A haunting and stunning book for you to enjoy. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Silvera’s majorly bestselling world of Death-Cast returns in this prequel novel that will leave you a crying mess once again. Tomorrow, Death-Cast, the service that will inform people on the day they die of their impending end, launches. But though skepticism runs rampant, many have signed up. Orion signs up because his heart condition doesn’t leave much question about death, simply a when. Valentino signs up after his twin sister’s near-death car accident. As the two cross paths in Times Square, the first End Day calls go out. But only one of them gets a call. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Edie and Violet are twin mediums, living in 1885 Sacramento. Though Violet is able to open the veil that separates life and death, and Edie has the power to enter the spirit world, they are hardly safe from death’s hand. Running away after the death of their mother, they join a traveling Spiritualist show, but when Violet’s act goes wrong, the two only have each other to trust. And in addition to the appearance of someone who is hunting mediums, the spirit that took their mother from them is now in their world. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: This delightful Shakespearean graphic novel follows Vi, who was hoping for a fresh start at Arden High. Though she’s operating sans her twin, she’s adjusting alright, though she did quite literally crash into Orsino (hot, broody poet influencer). Soon, she’s imagining dancing with him at the upcoming school dance. But he has other plans: namely getting Vi to help him get Olivia to come to the dance with him. And as is bound to happen in Shakespearean comedies, Olivia actually has a crush on Vi. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. What it’s about: There’s no question that young people are inheriting a catastrophic amount of crises. Lack of housing, widespread transphobia, the ever-growing wealth gap, and gun violence all contribute to the overwhelming anxiety and dread. This nonfiction title features interviews with tons of activists, authors, actors, and politicians (such as Elizabeth Warren, Robert Reich, Chelsea Clinton, Mehcad Brooks, Anna Paquin, and more!) about making change. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: This jaw-dropping debut might be about invisibility, but I hope to see it everywhere because it is just so deliciously thrilling. It’s one thing to feel invisible at your boarding school…it’s another to actually become invisible. Alice is not just content to fade away, however, deciding instead to use her newfound ability to her advantage. To earn enough money for her tuition, since her parents can no longer afford it, she decides to become an information gatherer, discovering scandals and secrets her fellow students might want to keep hidden, for a price. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. In case you haven’t yet read book 1, Love from A to Z: When Zayneb is suspended for confronting her anti-Muslim teacher, who then starts investigating her activist friends, she takes the opportunity to start spring break early and head to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar. And that’s when Adam crosses her path. He’s been keeping his multiple sclerosis diagnosis a secret from his family, who is all still reeling from the loss of his mother. What it’s about: Adam is in Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, while Zayneb is at school in Chicago. Luckily, the two get a chance to spend a week together on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. As the two reckon with the reality of their trips versus their expectations, including wrinkles such as Zayneb’s increasing anxiety and Adam’s former flame showing up as part of their traveling group, they have to keep themselves as a pair from falling apart. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Katyani grew up bound to the Queen of Chandela, knowing she would one day become a protector of Ayan, the crown prince, upon his ascension to the throne. What she didn’t know was that it would involve staying in a monastic school in the middle of the forest with Ayan and his cousin after a series of assassination attempts. And when they’re summoned back and tragedy follows them, Katyani is left on her own in a land filled with monsters and has to make her own way back. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Godbole University is known for its program that trains students to travel between parallel worlds. Delaney is thrilled to prove herself, but in addition to a professor not accommodating her disability (she’s Deaf), she also suddenly has to deal with a murder on campus. Not only that, but the guy helping her is someone from her past — Colton, who died when he was 9 and woke up only to see Delaney weeks later. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Hijabi alien hunter Abyan has two goals: graduate, and help her elite squad take down the Nosaru, the aliens that have invaded Earth. After the death of one of her squad mates at the hands of the Nosaru, their team gets an unwelcome guest in Artemis, their replacement member who is…less than exemplary. Now they’ll not only have to work to rid Earth of the Nosaru, but also unravel the mystery of why Artemis is with them in the first place. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: This is a breathtaking new YA fantasy inspired by Three Kingdoms. Zephyr is a strategist, serving under the warlordess Xin Ren. While there is an empress on the throne, the realm has split into three factions, each following a warlordess who wishes to control it all. To further Ren’s goals, Zephyr is sent into an enemy camp with the aim of infiltration. But Crow, a strategist in the camp, might be the only one who can truly match her. His worlds are some of the most dynamic in YA, and this commanding series starter is a treasure. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Shani’s plans for Christmas Eve did not include getting snowed in with May, a girl she previously hit with a car. To be fair, why would she plan that, as not only are Shani and May both Jewish, but also the chances of running into each other again after the car incident were extremely slim. That latter part happened because of a dog-walking gig (a corgi who wears snow booties!), and now Shani has to determine if she’s ready for a relationship again. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: When a big supermarket chain moves into Olinda, Brazil, the ripple effect causes many small businesses in town to close their doors. While Lari’s family bakery, Salt, has always had a huge rivalry with Sugar, the bakery across the street, Lari comes up with a nearly unthinkable plan. Working together with Pedro, whose family owns Sugar, the two begin to bond as they try to save not only their bakeries, but their family legacies. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: No one has seen a vampire in 10 years, but that doesn’t mean Ava has fully given up. Though it’s hard to cling to hope that she’ll be able to get revenge on the vampire who murdered her mother, she has recently fallen in with a magic show, where the magicians are part of an ancient secret society. But to prove herself worthy of them, she’ll need to put on one heck of a performance, and if she succeeds she will get to keep the power offered. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Dennard’s newest begins with a triumphant success, heralding her third sensational series filled with delectable worldbuilding and dynamic characters. Winnie cannot wait for her 16th birthday, since that’s when she can take the Luminary hunter trials. The Luminaries are an ancient order, protecting the town of Hemlock Falls from the nighttime monsters, and if Winnie makes it she may just be able to restore her family’s name. But she’ll have to live through the trials first. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. In case you haven’t yet read books 1–4 of the series: I know I usually just sum up book one here, but y’all, each book pretty much follows a different lead. Start with Graceling (a girl with a special ability to fight goes on a quest that includes an unexpected princess rescue and a villain who gaslights on a kingdom-wide scale), or with Fire (the prequel to the previous, where I started reading, about a girl with great beauty and great power (and whose father corrupted the previous king) who has to rebuild trust and help stop two separate power-seeking forces). Then after that, go in order! What it’s about: This fifth voyage in the Graceling Realm follows Hava, the spy and secret half sister of Queen Bitterblue. As Hava and the rest of the queen’s entourage head back to Monsea, and Bitterblue reckons with the discovery of new weaponry, their ship is wrecked in the ice, north — far north — of where they need to go. I may be biased, as Cashore has been my self-proclaimed favorite author for over a decade, but this book quite literally made me sob at my desk at one moment, so longtime (and newer to the series) fans will be extremely thrilled. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Number 8 Sunflower Street has seen a lot over the last three decades, and it has some stories to tell you — like one about Ana, bringing in the new millennium with an unexpected move to Rio de Janeiro and leaving behind her childhood home and her girlfriend in the process. Ten years later, there’s Greg, temporarily living with his aunt (who runs a video rental store out of her garage) and her dog, Keanu Reeves, while his parents try to work out their divorce. The story of Beto in the 2020s features a hold on his dreams of becoming a photographer when COVID-19 arrives. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. In case you haven’t yet read book 1, Grimrose Girls: Nani Eszes has just arrived at Grimrose Académie and is thrust into the center of a mystery. After all, her new roommates — Ella, Yuki, and Rory — lost a best friend last year in what police ruled a suicide. As they retrace their friend’s last steps, they discover connections to ancient fairy-tale curses and the brutal endings to their stories they’re doomed to repeat if they can’t break the cycle. What it’s about: Regrettably for Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory, learning of a curse’s existence and knowing how to stop it are two very different things. As they search for answers about not just the end of the curse, but also its beginning, their secrets are threatening to come to light. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. What it’s about: Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho are all part of families that fled Nubia, a utopic island nation off the coast of West Africa destroyed by a massive storm, for New York City. But the upper class lives in the Up High, a technology-heavy city in the sky, while the rest in Manhattan deal with constant flooding and difficulties. But these three teens will unlock new powers and draw the interest of those Up High, leaving them with a choice that will affect their city and their people. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Last year, six incredible authors came together to write Blackout, a story of Black teen love set amidst…well, a blackout, in New York City. This time around, they’re crafting a tale in Atlanta, when the ground (and everything else) is covered in snow. Though everything has shut down, Stevie is trying to pull off a huge apology after being given an ultimatum by her girlfriend, Sola. With the help of her friends, she might just make it happen before her deadline. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. In case you haven’t yet read book 1, Legendborn: During Bree’s very first night on campus for a residential program for high schoolers, she witnesses a flying demon feeding on human energies. Of course, if the teenage mage who attempted to wipe Bree’s memory had succeeded, she wouldn’t remember any of this. But instead of erasing her memory, it unlocks Bree’s own magic and reveals a hidden connection between the teenage mage and someone who was at the hospital the night her mother died. Determined to find out what really happened to her mother, she decides to infiltrate the Legendborn — descendants of King Arthur and his knights — as an initiate, deciding how far she’ll go for the truth. What it’s about: Bree’s search for the truth behind her mother’s death has led her to a new position within the Legendborn Order. But with Nick kidnapped and other friends threatened, it’s harder and harder for Bree to trust others. Plus, she has her new powers that she’s still adjusting to, and complicated feelings about both Nick and Selwyn. I truly mean it when I say this series is one of the best fantasy YA series ever written. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: The Q used to be Austin, Texas, but now it’s a quarantine zone surrounded by high security walls. Maisie has lived all of her 17 years within the wall, and serves as a lieutenant to one of the families in control. Lennon has just been flung into the Q with nothing but a parachute, thanks to the enemies of his presidential candidate father. If he doesn’t get out in 48 hours, he will be forced to stay permanently. As Maisie and Lennon try their best to get him out within their time constraints, they realize that failure puts the entire quarantine zone in danger. Get it from Bookshop. What it’s about: Capri Collins and her brother Justin have big plans once they get out of their town of Hamilton. Zach Whitman has just moved from Philly to Bayside, the town across the train tracks from Hamilton. The two towns are racially divided, and no one crosses the tracks. When Zach heads to Hamilton to meet a famous jazz musician at a record shop, he and Capri meet. But both towns are going to have to reckon with the murder of Hamilton’s star football player, murdered by a white Bayside police officer. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Getting over your ex-boyfriend is always hard, especially when he cheated on you and now seems to be wooing the general public. Maya’s struggling extra hard right now, since his sister married a crown prince, and so now he’s the hot younger brother. But Jordy’s heading for reality TV — a dating show called Second-Chance Romance, which features a plethora of exes competing for him — and Maya’s along for the ride. While Skye, another (and extremely recent) ex, is wanting to rekindle, Maya wants revenge. But it’s not long before the thing Skye and Maya want most…is each other. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm. What it’s about: Four girls are boarding the RMS Titanic with a common goal: the jeweled Rubaiyat, a book encrusted with thousands of jewels lined with gold. Thief Josefa has put together a group to undertake this heist with her: acrobat Hinnah, artist Emilie, and actor Violet. And as is bound to happen in a story set aboard the doomed vessel that is the Titanic, disaster strikes, and an adventure to steal a book becomes a quest for survival that not all of them are guaranteed to make it out of. Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
