New Book Tuesday: October 8th

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.

Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride 

About the Book:

Faolan Kelly’s grandfather is dead. She’s alone in the world and suddenly homeless, all because the local powers that be don’t think a young man of sixteen is mature enough to take over his grandfather’s homestead…and that’s with them thinking Faolan is a young man. If she revealed that her grandfather had been disguising her for years, they would marry her off at the first opportunity.

The mayor finds a solution that serves everyone but Faolan: He hires a gunslinger to ship her off to the Settlement, a remote fort where social outcasts live under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard. It’s a place rife with mystery, kept afloat by suspicious wealth. Dillard’s absolute command over his staff just doesn’t seem right. And neither do the strange noises that keep Faolan up at night.

When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can’t possibly be human, it’s clear something vicious is stalking the palisades. And as Settlement boarders continue to drop like flies, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature’s wrath.

About the Author:

Lish McBride is the author of funny and creepy young adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; Pyromantic; and Curses. She has published short stories on Tor.com, and in the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, and Kisses & Curses. Her first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults title, a Morris Award finalist, and the winner of the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award. Lish is a former indie bookseller, has a MFA from University of New Orleans, and prefers pie to cake. While she has no long term goals for world domination, she would like her own castle.

If You’re Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi 

About the Book:

Anisa Shirani is…well, perfect. A fact, not an opinion. Of course, it’s all a front to feed her own praise-obsessed ego. Behind closed doors, she is—some might say—a little slobbish and snobbish, and she works obsessively to maintain her God-given talents. Fate has favored her, but Ani knows better than anyone that fate is made by effort.

But she must, especially when all signs point to her being a top-notch lawyer with a top-notch education and being destined to marry Isaac, total heartthrob and eldest son of the richest family in the community. A perfect girl deserves a perfect life, and Ani’s perfect life is going exactly the way it should…

Until Ani’s parents announce they’re getting divorced.

Until Isaac shows all the signs of…cheating. Sort of.

Until she starts catching feelings for Marlow, an overly friendly weirdo she’s hated since the moment she laid eyes on him in class.

How can fate be so wrong?

About the Author:

Farah Naz Rishi (she/they) is a Pakistani American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her BA in English from Bryn Mawr College, her JD from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. She is the author of I Hope You Get This Message and It All Comes Back to You. You can find her at home in Philadelphia or on Twitter/Instagram at @farahnazrishi.

Divine Mortals by Amanda M. Helander 

About the Book:

Blessed by the gods, Mona Arnett has the unique ability to divine soulmates, but she refuses to seek out her own—until she learns the king is dying without an heir, threatening the royal line and the world’s access to magic. Tasked with naming his future queen, Mona discovers the king’s soulmate is . . . her.

A royal match is the last thing Mona wants—especially when she starts falling for the king’s closest advisor—so she lies, cheats, and contends with scheming gods to hide the truth. But when this high-stakes game of thrones leads to murder, survival and the fate of the kingdom will depend on her finding the courage to face her destiny.

About the Author:

Amanda M. Helander is a fantasy author and paralegal from Seattle, Washington. When she’s not writing, Amanda can be found watching horror movies, learning to crochet, or eating entire blocks of parmesan in one sitting. Visit her online at www.amandahelander.com or @helander_amanda on Instagram.

The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance by Joshua Ulrich

About the Book:

Parents in Pensmouth tell their children a devious bedtime tale—their beloved town is riddled with flesh-takers, monsters who snatch unruly kids off the street if they don’t go to sleep on time.

Vivian Vance, amateur teen detective, heard that story as a kid and never believed it.

When Vivian takes on a case in the Pillars, a downtrodden and long-ignored community beneath the highway, she stumbles on a dark secret about her town’s history and finds herself face-to-face with those horrifying monsters. Saved from certain death by a group of kids from the Pillars, Vivian decides her next job will be exposing the flesh-takers to the world–at any cost.

But her biggest opportunity quickly becomes her worst nightmare. Her pride puts Pensmouth and her new-found friends in mortal danger. In order to right her mistakes, she must stand up to the creatures that offer all her heart desires before she loses the only people left who matters.

About the Author:

Josh Ulrich is a professional cartoonist from Jacksonville, Florida. He has been working in comics for over a decade and completed three graphic novels in his Jackie Rose series, both independently and with the digital publisher NAVER Webtoon. He has also completed over a thousand pages of comics for his series Newman, which is also digitally published through NAVER Webtoon. In his spare time, Josh enjoys fishing, kayaking, and painting miniatures.

Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal 

About the Book:

Evie has just barely acknowledged that she has an eating disorder when she’s admitted to an inpatient treatment facility. Now her days are filled with calorie loading, therapy sessions, and longing—for home, for control, and for the time before her troubles began. As the winter of her treatment goes on, she gradually begins to face her fears and to love herself again, with the help of caregivers and of peers who are fighting their own disordered-eating battles. This insightful, beautiful novel will touch every reader and offer hope and understanding to those who need it most.

About the Author:

Lauren Seal is a writer, librarian, and the Poet Laureate of St. Albert in Alberta, Canada. She mentors the teen and young adult poets of a spoken word youth choir and her poems have been published in various anthologies. This novel-in-verse, her first book, is inspired by her own experiences with anorexia, anxiety, and hospitalization. When she’s not busy recommending books to library patrons, Lauren can be found reading, writing, and composing poems in her head on long dog walks.

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden 

About the Book:

Marco should be at university, studying biomedicine. Instead, he’s been sent to live on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean with his estranged uncle, all because of a “blip” everyone else is convinced was a panic attack. (Which it most definitely was not.)

And even though Marco’s trip is supposed to provide answers―about himself, about his family―all he finds on board the Ocean Melody are more and more questions.

But then his best friend CeCe proposes a new plan: for someone who has always done the right thing, in every possible way, it’s time for Marco to get a few things wrong. And hooking up with a hot dancer from the ship is only the beginning . . .

About the Author:

Originally from Ballarat, Australia, Tobias now lives in New York City with his husband, Daniel, and their Cavoodle, Ollie. In 2019, Tobias edited and published Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories. He also co-wrote the cabaret show Siblingship, which played to sold-out audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Tobias’s debut novel, Anything But Fine, was published in 2021 and shortlisted for ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children. His second novel, Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell, is available now. Tobias is a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA and LGBTQ+ communities, and he currently works full-time in digital marketing.

Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw 

About the Book:

After one of his songs goes viral, Ollie Cheriet gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a cross-country tour, an album deal, and a chance to help his family with their financial struggles. The only problem? Ollie has major stage fright, a symptom of his anxiety disorder. As pressure from performing, social media rumors, and his romantic life rises, his mental health starts to spiral. So he’s surprised at how grounded he feels when he collaborates with his wildly talented―and distractingly cute―touring partner, Jesse. Music has always helped Ollie through hard times, but he’s going to have to be more vulnerable than he ever thought possible to find self-acceptance in the glow of the spotlight.

Featuring characters from Maya Ameyaw’s acclaimed debut When It All Syncs Up, this story takes readers into the green room, immersing them in the vivid behind-the-scenes world of touring musicians.

About the Author:

MAYA AMEYAW is a former bookseller and currently works as a community arts writing instructor. She has edited several mental health–themed anthologies for youth and adults, and her writing was included in the anthology Brilliance Is the Clothing I Wear(Dundurn Press). Maya also runs a YouTube series and blog where she interviews YA authors about their writing journeys. She lives in Toronto and can be found on Twitter @MayaAmeyaw.

Sally’s Lament by Mari Mancusi 

About the Book:

Sally has mostly loved her creepy hometown of Halloween Town. But lately, she can’t help but want something more. In a place full of the frightening, you’d think living in the shadows wouldn’t feel so . . . isolating. She knows she could do so much more if she wasn’t always stuck in the lab of her creator, Dr. Finkelstein. Soon Sally is surprised to learn that the Pumpkin King, Jack, is longing for a change of his own. Determined to find a solution for them both, Sally follows a vision that could be the key to changing their fates.

But the more time Sally spends in the strange, jolly land of Christmas Town, the more suspicious she grows of the seemingly idyllic winter wonderland. What is lurking behind those dancing sugar plums? And what exactly does it mean to be put on the Naughty List? Will Sally be able to save the best of both towns—before it’s too late?

About the Author:

Mari Mancusi is a former Emmy award winning TV producer and author of more than two dozen sci-fi/fantasy books for kids, teens and adults. Her bestselling series have been chosen as featured selections in the Scholastic Book Fairs and clubs and have been selected by the American Library Association as “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers” and “Popular Paperbacks.” In addition to writing, Mari is an avid cosplayer, horror aficionado, and MMORPG gamer. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and their young daughter.

Fledgling by S.K. Ali 

About the Book:

Would you trade love for peace?

Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father’s arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth.

Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.

Or is justice more urgent?

Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding.

Convinced her cousin Lein’s alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.

When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada’s twin brother, a fugitive on the run.

In Nayf and Raisa meeting, the long-simmering animosity between their worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.

But the Crown Prince wants his bride — and future — back. And he will go to the ends of the earths to reclaim them.

About the Author:

S. K. Ali is the author of several books, including Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association’s 2018 William C. Morris Award and winner of the APALA Honor Award and Middle East Book Honor Award; and Love from A to Z, a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club selection. Both novels were named best YA novels of the year by various media sources including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus. You can find Sajidah online at SKAliBooks.com and follow her on Instagram @SKAliBooks, on TikTok @SKAliBooks, and on Twitter @SajidahWrites.

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