Here are the new books coming out for this week on New Book Tuesday. Click each book for more information and to purchase. Which are you planning to read? Do you have a favorite of all the new titles being released this week? Tell us in the comments section below.
The Dark Becomes Her by Judy I. Lin
About the Book:
Ruby Chen has always played the part of the dutiful eldest daughter: excelling in school; excelling in piano lessons; excelling at keeping her younger sister, Tina, focused on extracurriculars meant to impress college admissions officers.
But when a ghost from the spirit world attacks Ruby in the middle of Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood, her life is plunged into a darkness that no amount of duty can free her from. Overnight, Ruby’s sister seems to change. There are strange noises coming from her bedroom at all hours; and the once sweet, funny Tina has been replaced by something dark and unnatural.
About the Author:
Judy I. Lin is the New York Times-bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology (A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet), was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughters.
Killer House Party by Lily Anderson
About the Book:
Red Solo cups? Check. Snacks? Check. Abandoned mansion full of countless horrors that won’t let you leave? Check.
The Deinhart Manor has been a looming shadow over town for as long as anyone can remember, and it’s been abandoned for even longer. When the final Deinhart descendent passes, the huge gothic manor is up for sale for the first time ever. Which means Arden can steal the keys from her mom’s real estate office . . . It’s time for a graduation party that no one will ever forget.
Arden and her friends each have different reasons for wanting to throw the party to end all parties. But when the manor doors bar everyone inside and the walls begin to bleed, all anyone wants to do is make it out alive.
About the Author:
Lily Anderson is the author of several novels for young adults including The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, Not Now Not Ever, and Undead Girl Gang. A former school librarian, she is deeply devoted to Shakespeare, fairy tales, and podcasts. Somewhere in Northern California, she is having strong opinions on musical theater.
The Magic You Make by Jason June
About the Book:
Still reeling from their deadly encounter with the Knife and the revelation that the Culling was unnecessary, soulmates Nigel and Ori have been thrust into a resistance movement overnight.
They’ll do whatever it takes to end the tradition of greedy elites taking power from teen magicians. But with Alister rallying the Guild against them, a mysterious spell erasing the memories of every ally they recruit, and a dark force threatening to take control of Nigel, the road ahead is treacherous. Can Nigel and Ori’s newfound love protect them as they fight for justice—and their lives?
About the Author:
Jason June is a New York Times bestselling author from Dallas, Texas, who as of this writing has no magical powers. Bummer. He’s a big fan of unicorns, stories that center the power of queer love, and embracing the camp of the Lone Star state. His novels include Out of the Blue, Jay’s Gay Agenda, and The Spells We Cast. Visit him on social media @HeyJasonJune, or on his website at www.HeyJasonJune.com.
Prince of Glass and Midnight by Linsey Miller
About the Book:
Ever since the death of his mother, Prince August of Charmant has sworn off love. Now with his growing responsibilities at court, August is unable to delay conversations of marriage any longer. But news of a magical memory curse plaguing a nearby village—the same village he used to spend his summers with his mother—offers August an escape. He convinces his father to give him five days to lead the royal investigation before returning to the palace for good. While away, August must confront his own bittersweet memories of the village, his mother, and Ella, the childhood friend he hasn’t spoken to in nearly six years. But maybe the best person to help him restore the town’s memories is the girl he hasn’t been able to forget.
Once reunited, August is surprised to see how Ella has changed. While she’s still beautiful and clever, she’s more reserved and possibly keeping secrets of her own—a fact August finds increasingly hard to ignore. Together they investigate the origins of the magic impacting the town, but the memory loss is spreading quickly, and their rekindled friendship places them in more danger than they could have imagined. With time ticking down to his return to the castle, August must grapple with his growing feelings for Ella and solve the mystery before it’s too late.
When the clock strikes midnight, the fate of the kingdom may just rely on finding the owner of a lost glass slipper…
About the Author:
Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll
About the Book:
After a long absence, 18-year-old Jasper is finally heading home for the holidays – and she’s keeping secrets.
Arthur, a budding filmmaker, is turning the town of Lake Pristine into a small town story worthy of the big screen. His plans are disrupted by the arrival of the town’s golden girl – the antagonist of his school days; a girl he’s never forgotten.
Jasper Montgomery is back in Lake Pristine for one reason: to say goodbye. But before long small-town tensions start to rise, and a certain brooding film buff starts to look like a very big reason to stay . . .
The perfect story to get lost in, Some Like it Cold centers Jasper as an autistic heroine in a big-hearted small-town romance that will melt your heart.
About the Author:
ELLE MCNICOLLis a bestselling and award-winning children’s novelist. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as Blackwell’s Book of 2020. She is twice Carnegie nominated, and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2020, the Branford Boase Award and The Little Rebels Award. Her novels have been published in the US and translated into multiple languages. A Kind Of Spark has been adapted for Television in partnership with 9Story and BBC Childrens, with Elle is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing, and currently lives in North London.
Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
About the Book:
For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.
Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.
Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only…Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.
Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.
About the Author:
Lynn Painter writes romantic comedies for both teens and adults. She is the author of Better Than the Movies, Mr. Wrong Number, The Do-Over, Betting on You, and Nothing Like the Movies, as well as being a regular contributor to the Omaha World-Herald. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and pack of wild children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, odds are good she’s guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms. You can find her at LynnPainter.com, on Instagram @LynnPainterKirkle, or on Twitter @LAPainter.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
About the Book:
About the Author:
SABAA TAHIR is a former newspaper editor who grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, listening to thunderous indie rock, and playing guitar and piano badly. Her #1 New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes series has been translated into more than thirty-five languages, and the first book in the series was named one of TIME’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Tahir’s most recent novel, All My Rage, won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry.
Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz
About the Book:
Never go beyond the stave church.
Within Tiveden Forest, bloodthirsty monsters known as draugr lurk behind every tree, and secrets run through the soil like twisted roots. When her grandmother vanishes into the forest, Astrid won’t let Crohn’s disease get in the way of finding her. But in searching for her lost loved one, Astrid soon uncovers an even greater mystery:
A conflict that’s haunted her village and family for generations.
An ancient blood oath her ancestor made to protect them.
A deadly draugr imprisoned for centuries…who Astrid accidentally awakens.
Newly revived, Soren first mistakes Astrid for her ancestor, his ex-lover turned enemy. Astrid can’t tell if he would rather kill her or kiss her. But Soren knows the forest better than anyone, and Astrid quickly realizes that she’ll need his help to rescue her grandmother.
The deeper they venture into Tiveden, the closer Astrid gets to the cold, alluring Soren and the truth behind her grandmother’s disappearance. To save her home, a dark ritual must be performed before Midwinter—and only Astrid can fulfill her ancestor’s blood oath…or break it.
That is, if Soren—or the forest—doesn’t break Astrid first.
About the Author:
Crystal Seitz is a young adult contemporary fantasy writer. A Viking at heart, Crystal battles Crohn’s disease and raids libraries for all the books on Norse mythology she can find. She works in marketing and web design, but only because she can’t be a professional shield-maiden. She has a penchant for mythology, history, and all things creative. When she isn’t writing, Crystal can be found doing archery, drawing, or rewatching Game of Thrones.
Ros Demir Is Not the One by Leyla Brittan
About the Book:
Sixteen-year-old Ros is a go-getter. When she wants something, she makes sure she gets it.
But a lingering rumor (and maybe some ambivalence about her half-Turkish heritage) has kept Ros from achieving the kind of reputation she deserves. So, after years of plotting her big comeback, she just needs one thing: a hot, adoring guy on her arm at junior year homecoming. And when she meets charming new classmate Aydın at the Pine Bay resort over the summer, she thinks she’s found The One.
It doesn’t work, though. And things get messy when Ros’s plan ends up hurting the only friend she has left… poor, sweet, forgiving Eleanor. This has happened before—things tend to get messy with Ros around—and it’s getting harder for her to ignore the pattern of hurt feelings. Plus, it seems like Ros and Aydın aren’t really meant to be. What kind of a plan results in everyone ending up unhappy? Not a very good one.
A not-quite rom com starring a bold, outspoken antiheroine, this Turkish-American Romeo and Juliet remix is refreshingly snarky. Witty, whip-smart dialogue plays with the complexities of multicultural identity and female friendships, from Ros’s very first screw-up to her unconventional happy ending. Perfect for fans of Crystal Maldonado and Michelle Quach.
About the Author:
Leyla Brittan is a Turkish-American writer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a secondary concentration in computer science from Harvard University, and an MFA from the University of Wyoming. Leyla is also a graduate of the Tin House YA Novel Workshop, and her short fiction has recently appeared in The Harvard Advocate, 5×5, and Pigeon Pages. Originally from Westchester, she’s worked as an outdoor sports journalist and travel writer, as well as in film and television. Find her online at www.leylabrittan.com and @leylabrittan
The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner
About the Book:
1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.
Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father’s Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.
But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent — a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched. . . there’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.
As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.
Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?
About the Author:
ADI DENNER was only 13 years old when the enchanted notes of the opera La Traviata by Verdi stole her heart. She is now a professionally trained opera singer with a specialization in contemporary operas. But having too much creative energy to be contained to a single discipline, Adi also discovered painting, sculpting, wood carving, knitting, theatre, 3D art, and her burning love for writing. Her books are heavily inspired by her constant aspiration to intertwine her passions and her firm belief that art is magic.
Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey
About the Book:
Ella knew transferring to a new school wouldn’t be easy. The first day, while defending her sister, Ella makes an enemy out of the student council president and lands in detention. Swearing revenge on him, Ella will stop at nothing to unseat him—even calling for a redo election in which she’s the only one brave enough to run against him.
As a new student, Ella isn’t sure she can secure the votes until she meets unfailingly flirtatious Patrick and hears his wild idea to help her. He’ll pretend to be her boyfriend and show their classmates that she and her ideas for the school aren’t so bad. It’s like something out of her sister’s fan fiction.
But when their fake romance starts feeling too real, and Patrick’s true motives for their arrangement come to light, Ella has to decide what’s more important: Patrick or the polls.
About the Author:
Kelsey Rodkey is a burrito lover and banter enthusiast striving to create the stories she lacked as a teenager. She lives near the capital of Pennsylvania, which a lot of people think is Philadelphia, with her significant other and their cat, Cheese. She is the author of Last Chance Books, A Disaster in Three Acts, and Plus One. Follow her at kelseyrodkey.com.
Three Things About Emmy Crawford by Allison L. Bitz
About the Book:
There are three things high school senior Emmy Crawford will accomplish, no matter what:
- Taking Nationals in debate this season.
- Shielding her sister, Issy, from anything that could hurt her, especially her anxiety.
- Representing her family well, since her mom may be the next president.
And nothing can get in Emmy’s way. Not Crohn’s disease, even if her gut has been acting up. Not the paparazzi, who snap any photos they can get of the daughters of a presidential candidate. And definitely not her feelings for Gabe Castillo, the only debater in DC who stands a chance at beating her—and who she used to be on secret kissing terms with, before he ghosted her. When Gabe unexpectedly returns to the debate scene and Issy starts crushing on him, Emmy works harder than ever to keep her eyes on winning and off her aching heart and body, because the alternative means losing the three things that matter most.
About the Author:
Allison L. Bitz is the award-winning author of The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom and Three Things About Emmy Crawford. She hails from Lincoln, Nebraska, where she lives with her spouse and two kids. Her superpower is empathy, and she’s been known to have resting tell-me-your-life-story face. Allison holds a PhD in counseling psychology and has worked as a licensed psychologist since 2012. When she’s not working on a novel or counseling, Allison is more than likely writing a song, getting riled up about something political, or trying to track down a pastry to enjoy with her coffee. She has a soft spot for rescue animals, which are vying for species majority in her home (two perfect dogs, two ornery cats). You can learn more about Allison at allisonlbitz-author.com or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @AllisonLBitz.
Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood
About the Book:
On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire—love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendant of the god Eros.
Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire’s thrall—until Leandros’s wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: If she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.
Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly—something hungry—stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood. . . .
About the Author:
Sarah Underwood grew up by the sea in Devon. A data scientist by training, she is a graduate of Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge and is now studying for her PhD at the University of Oxford.
Sarah has been writing as long as she can remember and has always been drawn to stories of myth and magic. Her debut novel, Lies We Sing to the Sea, was an instant New York Times, indie, and international bestseller.
The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Dr Edith Eva Eger
About the Book:
Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter “with brains but no looks,” Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl.
Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. “I’ll never forget your eyes,” he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie. Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit.
Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again.
About the Author:
Edith Eger is an eminent psychologist and one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors old enough to remember life in the camps. A colleague of Viktor Frankl, Dr. Edith Eger has worked with veterans, military personnel, and victims of physical and mental trauma. She lives in La Jolla, California, and is the author of the bestselling and award-winning books The Choice and The Gift. Edie and her daughter, Marianne Engle—a renowned psychologist and food writer who helped develop the recipes in The Gift—encourage you to try the delicious dishes in the book and share your thoughts at [email protected].
There Is No Map for This by Tom Birdseye
About the Book:
Seventeen-year-old Ren Adams feels lucky to be living with his brother, Levi, and Levi’s girlfriend, Ellie ― a welcome escape from his mother and her fundamentalist husband. Ren finally feels able to breathe, even if Levi and Ellie insist on trying to RENovate him, make him push his limits, live up to his potential ― “man up” … whatever that means.
Ren does his best to keep up ― until Levi is killed in an avalanche on one of their follow-the-leader dares. Overcome with grief, Ren feels unmoored, while Ellie embraces new risks and adventures, and tries to pull Ren into her orbit. He cannot resist her wattage, and when she comes to his bed one night, he stops trying.
The next morning, Ellie has disappeared. Ren throws himself into full Ren-to-the-rescue mode ― out of love, brotherly loyalty, guilt or grief? He doesn’t quite know. His search is by turns enlightening and reckless, as he discovers that there is no map for becoming a man.
About the Author:
TOM BIRDSEYE is the author of nineteen books for young readers, including fiction, picture books and nonfiction. His books have won or been a finalist for state children’s choice awards forty-three times and have been recognized by the International Literacy Association, the National Council for the Social Studies, the Oregon Library Association and the Oregon State Literacy Association. Tom is faculty emeritus in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. He lives in Corvallis, Oregon.
This Dark Pardise by Erin Luken
About the Book:
An enchanted island.
In the tenements where Lucia lives, everyone dreams of making it to the enchanted island of Estaralla, where mystical fountains reveal your deepest desires, fantastical feasts appear from nowhere, and dark caverns allow you to whisper with the dead.
A dangerous heist.
But Lucia Arduini isn’t going to Estaralla to experience miracles. She’s going to steal the most valuable object in the world: the source of the island’s magic.
Lucia has five days to steal the source or a dangerous gang will go after her brother.
A deadly secret.
But Estaralla is not what it seems.
Torn between a boy who once broke her heart and a girl with a dark secret, Lucia soon discovers that something sinister is happening behind the enchantments . . . and she might not survive the island’s magic long enough to steal it.
About the Author:
Erin Luken was a longtime resident of New England until she finally abandoned winter for year-round sun in San Diego. When not writing or working her job as a software support engineer, she enjoys being active outdoors, preferably in the mountains. Erin writes speculative stories about morally questionable queer girls doing their best in a brutal world.
