The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

From the Publisher

*An international bestseller * Over 80 million copies sold worldwide * A PBS Great American Read Top 100 pick *

Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different--and far more satisfying -- than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

From the Publisher

* An Instant New York Times Bestseller *

From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes a "thought-provoking and grimly enjoyable" (Kirkus Reviews) "epic biological thriller" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a world where happiness is contagious but the risks of catching it may be just as dangerous as the cure.

A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weigh them down are gone.

More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power--who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything--know this new state of being is bad for business. Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos. Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plans ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world.

It's nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who've had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever. 

All the Pretty Horses (Border, Book 1) by Cormac McCarthy

From the Publisher

* National Book Award Winner * National Bestseller *

The first volume in the Border Trilogy, from the bestselling author of The Passenger and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road.

All the Pretty Horses is the tale of John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself at the end of a long line of Texas ranchers, cut off from the only life he has ever imagined for himself. With two companions, he sets off for Mexico on a sometimes idyllic, sometimes comic journey to a place where dreams are paid for in blood. 

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert

From the Publisher

* Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller *

Bestselling author Melissa Albert returns with The Bad Ones, a supernatural horror novel about four mysterious disappearances in a town haunted by a sinister magical history

Goddess, goddess, count to five
In the morning, who's alive?

In the course of a single winter's night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora's estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca's disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town's past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local lore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca's own childhood games. . . .

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, The Bad Ones is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief. 

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

From the Publisher

Now more than ever: Aldous Huxley's enduring masterwork must be read and understood by anyone concerned with preserving the human spirit

"A masterpiece. . . . One of the most prophetic dystopian works." --Wall Street Journal

Aldous Huxley's profoundly important classic of world literature, Brave New World is a searching work of social commentary and a vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order--all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. "A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine" (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history's keenest observers of human nature and civilization.

This masterpiece of dystopian fiction, Brave New World, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as a thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, this science fiction classic likewise speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites.

Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren

From the Publisher

* A Junior Library Guild Selection *

From the author of The Last Thing You Said, a YA romance about a girl on a boys hockey team who happens to fall for the team captain.

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be one of the schools featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys' team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland's new fame, but there's one person who fiercely supports her, and it's the last person she expects: her bossy (and very cute) team captain, Wes. 

Conclave by Robert Harris

From the Publisher

The page-turning thriller set in the Vatican's secretive halls of power by the best-selling author of Enigma and Fatherland.

The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth. 

Dune (Dune, Book 1) by Frank Herbert

From the Publisher

* Nebula Award Winner * Hugo Award Winner *

Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time.

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of Paul Atreides—who would become known as Muad'Dib—and of a great family's ambition to bring to fruition mankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. 

Family of Liars (We Were Liars, Book 2) by E. Lockhart

From the Publisher

#1 New York Times Bestseller *

The addictive prequel to . . . We Were Liars: the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.

A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.

A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.

A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.

They were always liars. 

The Fellowship of the Ring : being the first part of the lord of the rings (Lord of the Rings, Book 1) by J. R. R. Tolkien

From the Publisher

* Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read *

The opening novel of The Lord of the Rings -- the greatest fantasy epic of all time -- which continues in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

The dark, fearsome Ringwraiths are searching for a Hobbit. Frodo Baggins knows that they are seeking him and the Ring he bears -- the Ring of Power that will enable evil Sauron to destroy all that is good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo and his faithful servant, Sam, with a small band of companions, to carry the Ring to the one place it can be destroyed: Mount Doom, in the very center of Sauron's realm. 

A First Time for Everything by K. L. Walther

From the Publisher

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes a fun new coming-of-age romance full of dating disasters, powerful firsts, and the importance of family.

Madeline has always been extremely close to her family, so she is shocked when her older brother gets engaged without including them (or even giving them a heads up!). Mads has never been the biggest fan of his fiancee, Katie, so in order to remain one happy family, she is determined to bond with Katie before the big day, which includes reluctantly agreeing to be a bridesmaid.

During a late-night bridesmaids-only game of "Truth or Dare" Mads is cornered into revealing she has never been kissed or even been on a date, which spurs the other girls to unite on a quest to find Mads the perfect plus-one for the wedding. Next thing she knows she's navigating a series of disastrous dates that include some major misunderstandings and mishaps.

All of a sudden Mads finds her heart tugged in different directions: to Connor, the boy next door who knows her best. To Marco, the former classmate who knows how to push all her buttons. And to some of the new suitors who surprisingly aren't all bad.

As the wedding draws nearer, Mads has to figure out who she wants most as a dance partner, while also making sure her brother isn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

From the Publisher

* One of the New York Time's Notable Books of the Year, Best Thriller of the Year, and Best Crime Novel of the Year * A New York Times Bestseller * People Magazine's #1 Book of the Year *

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn't just any thirteen-year-old: she's the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region's residents. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara's older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore's most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet. 

The Gray Man (Gray Man, Book 1) by Mark Greaney

From the Publisher

The first Gray Man novel from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Mark Greaney.

To those who lurk in the shadows, he's known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target. Always.

But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.

But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there's no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive.... 

Hamilton and Peggy! : a revolutionary friendship by L. M. Elliott

From the Publisher

* Bank Street College Best Book of the Year (Historical Fiction, 2019) * 2018 Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention * A Recommended Reading Title by Ken Burns' The American Revolution Resource Center *

Drawing from historical journals and letters, New York Times bestselling author Laura Elliot weaves a richly detailed tale about the extraordinary Peggy Schuyler and her revolutionary friendship with Alexander Hamilton. Perfect for fans of the smash musical sensation Hamilton.

Peggy Schuyler has always felt like she's existed in the shadows of her beloved sisters: the fiery, intelligent Angelica and beautiful, sweet Eliza. But it's in the throes of a chaotic war that Peggy finds herself a central figure amid Loyalists and Patriots, spies and traitors, friends and family.

When a flirtatious aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, writes to Peggy asking for her help in wooing the earnest Eliza, Peggy finds herself unable to deny such an impassioned plea. A fast friendship forms between the two, but Alexander is caught in the same war as her father, and the danger to all their lives is real.

Everything is a battlefield--from the frontlines to their carefully coded letters--but will Peggy's bravery's and intelligence be enough to keep them all safe?

Heart of a Champion : a novel by Carl Deuker

From the Publisher

* An ALA Best Book for Young Adults * An ALA Best Book for Reluctant Readers * A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age * Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Book of the Year *

Baseball keeps them together- but will loss break them apart? This moving story about friendship, grief, and the healing power of sports is a loving ode to the people that keep us batting a thousand, even when we lose our strength.

Seth and Jimmy both live and breathe baseball, but while Seth struggles to be good enough to make the varsity team, Jimmy, a natural, looks like he's on is way to becoming a major league star some day. Still, their shared passion for the game unites them in an life-long friendship- both on and off the field. But when Seth experiences an unthinkable loss, he's forced to find his own personal strength- and he'll need a friend to do it.

Hunger's Bite by Robin Taylor

From the Publisher

* A 2025 School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of the Year * A 2025 Booklist Editors' Choice Graphic Novel * 

A specter is haunting the Atlantic!

After growing up together on the luxurious SS Lark, Neeta Pandey and Emery Botwright are ready to start their lives. Emery wants to follow in his father's footsteps and sail the Lark forever, while Neeta yearns to travel the world. But neither will have any future at all if the Lark's new owner, Mr. Honeycutt, has his way.

Mr. Honeycutt . . . The first-class passengers adore him, while he makes the ship a nightmare for the crew. Twisted by unnatural appetites, the rich are actually transforming into something less than human, and their insatiable demands soon push the staff toward a--quite literal-- burnout.

Something otherworldly is undeniably aboard the SS Lark, something horribly hungry. But it's not Wick Farley: vampire, secret agent, and paranormal investigator. Alone and at sea, with only Neeta and Emery to help him, he must uncover the truth about Mr. Honeycutt. And fast--before a ravenous craving for power consumes them all.

Taylor Robin's debut graphic novel is a thrilling supernatural adventure told in crackling, vibrant colors. 

I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney

From the Publisher

* Instant National Bestseller * An NPR 2025 "Books We Love" * USA Today April Pick * An Indie Next & LibraryReads Pick * 2026 Gotham Book Prize Finalist * Winner of the AudioFiles Earphones Award * 2026 Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List Pick *

Obituary writer Bud Stanley isn't really living his best life. He's fallen into a funk after a divorce. (She left him for another man, who, in fairness, was far more interesting.) He's not doing his job well. He's given up on dating. And he's about to be fired for accidentally publishing his own obituary one mildly drunken night (though technically the company can't legally fire a dead person).

As Bud awaits his fate at work, he does the only logical thing: He goes to the wakes and funerals of total strangers to learn how to live again. 

Just Friends : a novel by Haley Pham

From the Publisher

* A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller *

This heartwarming and swoon-worthy second chance romance about childhood friends reconnecting as adults is the highly anticipated debut novel from YouTube creator Haley Pham.

Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up--best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.

Now, four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie as her health declines. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop--only to discover it's managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.

As Blair's path keeps crossing with Declan's, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed, and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?

Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams, and finding your way back to the people who feel like home. 

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong by Brian Buccellato (Author), Christian Duce (Illustrator) 

From the Publisher

The DC Universe is about to get shaken-up when the Legion of Doom unlocks a portal to another dimension, unleashing the fiercest Monsters in the Multiverse.

Godzilla, the King of the Monsters has emerged from the deep seas of Metropolis, interrupting Superman’s proposal to Lois Lane. King Kong is taking on the world’s greatest heroes in his home turf, Skull Island. Can the Justice League send these creatures back to their own dimension before it’s too late?

How do you destroy the Justice League? The question has been plaguing Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom since the two titanic groups first came to blows. When confronted with the colossal entities of Skull Island, Lex believes he's found the answer to their eternal question.

It's Superman vs. Godzilla, Wonder Woman vs. Behemoth, Green Lantern vs. Scylla, Batman vs. Camazotz, and Supergirl vs. Kong in this all-out battle for the fate of the DC Universe.

Can Superman stand up to the power of Godzilla? Can Lex Luthor harness the primal forces of Skull Island? It's time to find out the answers to these questions and more!

Acclaimed writer Brian Buccellato (Injustice) and bestselling artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point) bring the cataclysmic crossover event of the year as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary's MonsterVerse.

This collection contains: Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1-7. 

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

From the Publisher

* Five Starred Reviews: Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book, and Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books *

. . . told in many voices at many angles . . .

You are new here

and we don’t want to scare you away

but we want you to know the truth

so we will start by telling you what is most important:

They did not have to die.

From two-time National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles, a masterpiece exploration of one of the darkest moments in our history, when American troops killed four American students protesting the Vietnam War.

May 4, 1970. Kent State University. As protestors roil the campus, National Guardsmen are called in. In the chaos of what happens next, shots are fired and four students are killed. To this day, there is still argument of what happened and why. Told in multiple voices from a number of vantage points -- protestor, Guardsman, townie, student -- Deborah Wiles's Kent State gives a moving, terrifying, galvanizing picture of what happened that weekend in Ohio . . . an event that, even 50 years later, still resonates deeply. 

From the Author

You can listen at Spotify to selections from the audiobook as well as the protest songs used in the book.

You can also see at Pinterest the Kent State playlist and some of the sources used in researching and writing the book.

The Magnolia Sword : a ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas

From the Publisher

Bestselling writer Sherry Thomas weaves an enthralling retelling of a story that has thrilled readers for centuries: the ballad of Mulan.

CHINA, 484 A.D.

A Warrior in Disguise
All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.

Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.

A War for a Dynasty
Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling--the royal duke's son, who is also the handsomest man she's ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion ... before it's too late.

Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is perfect for fans of Renee Ahdieh, Marie Lu, or Kristin Cashore -- a thrilling, romantic, and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine.

Mary Jane : a novel by Jessica Anya Blau

From the Publisher

Almost Famous meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this "delightful" (New York Times Book Review) piece of book club fiction about a fourteen-year-old girl's coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her straight-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for -- who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer.

In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family's subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she's glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane's mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it's a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane's mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job--helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in for a summer that promises unforgettable rock and roll fiction.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she's always known and the future she's only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she's going to be. 

The Metamorphosis by Kafka

From the Publisher

"When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin."

With this startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first sentence, Kafka begins his masterpiece, The Metamorphosis. It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetlelike insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing -though absurdly comic -meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosis has taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction.

First published in 1915, Kafka's surreal novel about living in an indifferent universe has long been considered a seminal work of Existentialist literature. 

Not Quite Dead Yet : a novel by Holly Jackson

From the Publisher

 #1 New York Times Bestseller * Good Morning America Book Club Pick * A Washington Post and NPR Best Book of the Year *

The author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder returns with her first novel for adults: an "irresistible" (The Washington Post) thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder, "full of the writer's signature twists and turns" (People).

In seven days, Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old and back home, she's still waiting for her life to begin. I'll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when she is violently attacked by an unseen intruder, suffering a catastrophic head injury. Doctors are certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a fatal aneurysm. To her parents' dismay, Jet rejects an extremely risky operation in order to guarantee herself at least a few more days.

Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now, in the one week she has left, she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

As her condition deteriorates, she reconnects with her childhood friend Billy, the only one willing to help her. With Billy at her side, she's absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

From the Publisher

This #1 New York Times bestselling coming-of-age story with millions of copies in print takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory.

The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

A #1 New York Times bestseller for more than a year . . . and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), this novel for teen readers (or wallflowers of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life. 

The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas

From the Publisher

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust…from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other… not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom. 

Raybearer (Raybearer, Book 1) by Jordan Ifueko

From the Publisher

* Named one of the best books of the year by: People magazine, Buzzfeed, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and more! *

Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you've sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as the Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If she's picked, she'll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere.

But the Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won't stand by and become someone's pawn -- but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we're willing to go for the ones we love. 

Royals by Rachel Hawkins [Alternate Title: Prince Charming)

From the Publisher

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins serves up a deliciously royal romance, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Huntley Fitzpatrick.

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings her signature humor, love of Americana, and flair for romance to this page-turning Princess Diaries turned-upside-down story. 

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

From the Publisher

* An instant #1 New York Times bestseller *

There's no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes -- all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there's nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong ... unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake.

But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what's between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life--and even a love--worth remembering. 

Scythe (Arc of A Scythe, Book 1) by Neal Shusterman

From the Publisher

* ALA Printz Honor Book *

Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life -- and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe -- a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award-winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

From the Publisher

* A Printz Honor Book * An AIYLA Honor Book * A Good Morning America Book Club Pick *

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.

Ever since Lucy Smith's father died five years ago, "home" has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a "ward of the state". But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his "friend-not-friend", a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has - had - a sister, and more siblings, a grandmother who'd look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of?

When the past comes for revenge, it's fight or flight.

Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter; Warrior Girl Unearthed; and Sisters of the Wind in any order; but like the world itself; there are echoes within each for the other stories. 

Star Wars Path of the Lightsaber (Star Wars Path of the Lightsaber, Book 1) by Kenny Ruiz

From the Publisher

Star Wars: The Path of the Lightsaber is an action-packed adventure that takes the reader along on the relatable journey to learn what it takes to actually be able to use lightsaber.

All Jedi Knights are bestowed an important item that only those in tune with the Force could wield--the lightsaber. These powerful objects disappeared with the Jedi when the Empire took over, but even if you find one, you may not be able to master it.

The First Order rules the galaxy, but some still remember the Jedi Knights who once bravely defended the Republic. Nioka, a resourceful young tinkerer, dreams of becoming a Jedi like the legendary Luke Skywalker. For now, though, she keeps a low profile aboard salvage ship the Random Luck with her crewmate Barun, an enthusiastic supporter of the Resistance.

During an expedition to a mysterious asteroid, Nioka stumbles upon an incredible find--a lightsaber, the weapon of the Jedi. As she tries to figure out how to use it, she realizes others are after the artifact as well, seeking to use it for sinister purposes. With danger closing in, Nioka must protect the lightsaber and herself while learning what it truly means to wield such power. But if she's going to stand a chance, she'll need someone to teach her the ways of the Jedi. 

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

From the Publisher

* 2024 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction * 2024 ALA Alex Award * Finalist for 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novel * 2024 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel * A New York Times bestseller *

Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat. 

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

From the Publisher

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek and the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours.

It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.

But sometime around midnight, she vanished.

Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion -- and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.

The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found...

Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night?

Thirsty by M. T. Anderson

From the Publisher

* YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers * Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: Bulletin Blue Ribbons 

"Entertaining, disturbing, memorable, and sophisticated, this mortality tale will continue to haunt after the last pages are turned." – School Library Journal 

All Chris really wants is to be a normal kid, to hang out with his friends, avoid his parents, and get a date with Rebecca Schwartz. Unfortunately, Chris appears to be turning into a vampire. So while his hometown performs an ancient ritual that keeps Tch'muchgar, the Vampire Lord, locked in another world, Chris desperately tries to save himself from his own vampiric fate.

A savagely funny tale of terror, teen angst, suspense, and satire from National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson. 

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki (author) and Nicole Goux (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

A compelling, propulsive YA graphic novel mystery from acclaimed Eisner Award-winning author of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Mariko Tamaki, and Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Goux

At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society -- a.k.a. the WTS - -and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it's no surprise she's starring as Juliet in the WTS's performance of Shakespeare's classic tragedy. But when she's found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl's death a suicide, Abby's not convinced. She's sure there's more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore. 

Watch Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic, Book 1) by Tahereh Mafi

From the Publisher

* An instant #1 New York Times bestseller * An instant indie bestseller * A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick *

Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. He managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. No outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It's been ten years since the notorious duo Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect assassin for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. Her every movement is monitored--and when she's given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question--

Who are we when no one is watching?

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

From the Publisher

* National Book Award Finalist * Printz Honor Book ( Walter Honor Book * Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book *

From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.

Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.

Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.

Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.

In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

From the Publisher

* A Pura Belpre 2021 Young Adult Author Honor Book * A BookPage Best Book of 2020 * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of 2020 * A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020 * A New York Public Library 2020 Top 10 Best Book for Teens *

A poignant novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border, inspired by current events.

Pulga has his dreams.
Chico has his grief.
Pequena has her pride.

And these three teens have one another. But none of them have illusions about the town they''ve grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home.

Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life--if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequena know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go.

In this striking portrait of lives torn apart, the plight of migrants at the U.S. southern border is brought to light through poignant, vivid storytelling. An epic journey of danger, resilience, heartache, and hope. 

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

From the Publisher

* ALA / YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - Top Ten * ALA Rainbow Book List Top Ten * Goodreads Choice Award Nominee (YA Fantasy & Science Fiction, 2016) * Kirkus Prize Nominee * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best * NYPL Best Books for Teens * Time Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time * and more! *

From the "author to watch" (Kirkus Reviews) of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley comes an "equal parts sarcastic and profound" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel about a teenage boy who must decide whether or not the world is worth saving.

Henry Denton has spent years being periodically abducted by aliens. Then the aliens give him an ultimatum: The world will end in 144 days, and all Henry has to do to stop it is push a big red button.

Only he isn't sure he wants to.

After all, life hasn't been great for Henry. His mom is a struggling waitress held together by a thin layer of cigarette smoke. His brother is a jobless dropout who just knocked someone up. His grandmother is slowly losing herself to Alzheimer's. And Henry is still dealing with the grief of his boyfriend's suicide last year.

Wiping the slate clean sounds like a pretty good choice to him.

But Henry is a scientist first, and facing the question thoroughly and logically, he begins to look for pros and cons: in the bully who is his perpetual one-night stand, in the best friend who betrayed him, in the brilliant and mysterious boy who walked into the wrong class. Weighing the pain and the joy that surrounds him, Henry is left with the ultimate choice: push the button and save the planet and everyone on it...or let the world -- and his pain -- be destroyed forever. 

Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins by Katarina Bivald

From the Publisher

From New York Times bestselling author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.

A charming tale of a ramshackle roadside motel: a heartwarming story of love, friendship, community, and the art of living, even when it's already too late.

The Pine Creek Motel has seen better days. Henny would call it charming, but she's always seen the best in things. Like now, when she's just met an untimely end crossing the road. She's not going to let a tiny thing like death stop her from living fully -- not when her friends and family need her the most.

After the funeral is over, her body is buried, and the last casserole dish is empty, Henny is still around. She's not sure why, but she realizes she has one last opportunity to help her friends discover the happiness they once knew before they lose the motel and cabins they've cherished for years.

Schitt's Creek meets The Chicken Sisters with a dash of small-town heart and a whole lot of hope, Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins is the perfect book club read.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

From the Publisher

Emily Bronte's only novel and a gothic classic -- a gripping story of obsession, revenge, and tragedy . . .

"Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same."

There are few more convincing, less sentimental accounts of passionate love than Wuthering Heights. This is the story of the savage, tormented foundling Heathcliff, who falls wildly in love with Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of his benefactor, and of the violence and misery that result from their thwarted longing for each other.

A book of immense power and strength, it is filled with the raw beauty of the moors and an uncanny understanding of the terrible truths about men and women. It is an understanding made even more extraordinary by the fact that it came from the heart of a woman who lived most of her brief life in remote rural England. Emily Bronte died a year after this great novel was published.