How is it already almost June?! It feels like we just picked out Part 1 of our most anticipated books for 2024, and now we’re already back to stack our TBRs for the rest of the year!
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Title: Dreadful
Author: Caitlin Rozakis
Publication Date: 2024 May 28
Official Blurb:
A sharp-witted, high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival – all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.
It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.
It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.
Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.
But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?
A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.
Why I’m Excited:
Waking up without knowing who you are only to realize YOU’RE the villain? I’m intrigued! -Stephanie
Title: Looking for Smoke
Author: K.A. Cobell
Publication Date: 2024 June 04
Official Blurb:
Since moving to the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents, Mara Racette has felt like an outsider, taunted by her tight-knit classmates for growing up far away. So, when a local girl includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends.
Instead, a girl from the giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered.
Because the members of the giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation:
New-girl Mara, who hated Samantha for being particularly cruel.
Grief-stricken Loren Arnoux, who was Samantha’s best friend until her sister’s disappearance drove a wedge between them.
Class-clown Brody Clark, whose unreciprocated crush on Samantha is an open secret.
And tough-guy Eli First Kill, who has his own complicated history with Samantha.
Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer.
In her powerful debut novel, Looking for Smoke, author K. A. Cobell (Blackfeet) weaves loss, betrayal, and complex characters into a mystery that will illuminate, surprise, and engage readers until the final word.
Why I’m Excited:
I’m excited to see more Indigenous authors getting published, and this murder mystery sounds like it may crush me in a good way. –Stephanie (5)
(Seconded by Mandy W.)
Title: Past Present Future (Rowan & Neil #2)
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publication Date: 2024 June 04
Series: Rowan & Neil
Why I’m Excited:
I didn’t NEED a sequel to this Seattle love letter, but I’m not mad about it! –Stephanie
Title: Love, Off the Record
Author: Samantha Markum
Publication Date: 2024 June 11
Official Blurb:
The Hating Game meets Alex, Approximately in this smart, chemistry-filled teen rom-com about two rival journalism students competing for the same position on their university newspaper.
Wyn is going to beat Three even if it kills her—or, preferably, him. Being freshmen staffers on the university newspaper puts them at the bottom of the pecking order—until a rare reporter spot opens up. Wyn and Three are both determined to get the position, starting a game of sabotage that pushes them to do their worst, from stealing each other’s ideas to playing twisted mind games. No road is too low when it comes to winning.
As Wyn’s search for the perfect story leads her to an anonymous, campus-wide dating app, she hits it off with a mystery man she thinks might be the cute RA from her dorm. But Wyn is all too familiar with being rejected because of her weight, and she’s hesitant to reveal her identity, even as she grows closer with someone who might be the guy of her dreams.
When Three breaks a story that’s closer to home than he or Wyn expects, the two must put aside their differences to expose the truth—and face their real feelings for each other, which threaten everything Wyn has built with her anonymous match.
Why I’m Excited:
Coming-of-age contemporaries are not as en-vogue as they used to be, both in the publishing world and in my heart, but Markum’s 2023 You Wouldn’t Dare ended up being a delightful surprise, so I am excited to give her new book about rival school newspaper reporters a chance! –Stephanie
Title: A Novel Love Story
Author: Ashley Poston
Publication Date: 2024 June 25
Official Blurb:
A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.
Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…
Because it is.
This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.
Why I’m Excited:
All of Poston’s adult romances have made my heart smile, and I’m hoping this new one—about a woman who finds herself stuck in the town from her famous romance novels—does the same. –Mandy C.
Title: The Heart of the World (The Isles of the Gods #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman
Publication Date: 2024 July 02
Series: The Isles of the Gods
Why I’m Excited:
The Isles of the Gods features a flirty prince, a sarcastic sailor girl, an aromantic scholar who can’t believe what lovesick idiots he’s traveling with, and two nations on the brink of a holy war. It ends with such a massive cliffhanger that I can hardly wait for the sequel. -Regina
Title: You Shouldn’t Be Here
Author: Lauren Thoman
Publication Date: 2024 July 09
Official Blurb:
Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World.
When sixteen-year-old Angie Stewart starts hearing a mysterious voice in her house, she’s thrilled at the possibility of a ghost. Finally, something interesting is happening in her boring hometown of East Henderson, Pennsylvania. But why is she the only one who can hear it? And what does it want from her?
Meanwhile, first-year teacher Madelyn Zhao just got the keys to her new home, which is located close to her job, within walking distance of a dog park—and, most importantly, in the town where her cousin went missing several years ago. No one in East Henderson wants to talk about what happened, but Madelyn is determined to find answers.
As the two strangers search for clues, their investigations begin to point toward the same dark place. But by the time they realize that the truth could be deadly, it’s too late to turn back. And someone out there will stop at nothing to make sure their secrets stay buried.
CW: You Shouldn’t Be Here contains depictions of narcissistic abuse and manipulation, assault, misogyny, discussion of school shootings, gun violence, murder, and death.
Why I’m Excited:
I adored Thoman’s debut (as evidence: it was one of our recent book club reads) so I’m looking forward to another hopefully fun and interesting mystery! –Stephanie
Title: Portrait of a Shadow
Author: Meriam Metoui
Publication Date: 2024 July 16
Official Blurb:
A missing sister. A mysterious boy. And a painting that holds the truth beneath its peeling edge…
Inez is missing, but missing things can always be found.
Mae knows this as a fact, even though the police investigation has come to a standstill, even though her parents are moving on. But when she goes to clear out her older sister’s studio, she finds a mess of research and a white canvas that seems even older than the ornate frame it is set in. The closer Mae gets to the canvas, the more difficult it is to pull her eyes away from its mottled surface, its heavy layers of white paint, its peeling top corner she is tempted to pull to see what’s beneath. But she doesn’t. Not yet.
Mae decides to trace her sister’s last steps in the hopes of finding answers, certain that Inez’s disappearance is related to the painting. And she knows she is desperate enough to let the strange boy who claims to have been Inez’s neighbor tag along. Even if his good looks don’t help distract from his avoidance of her questions. So begins a scavenger hunt piecing together what they can find from what Inez left behind. One that leads to centuries-old questions best left unasked and secrets best kept in the dark.
From the author of A Guide to the Dark comes another tender horror story about the lengths we are willing to go for the truth and the ones we love.
Why I’m Excited:
Haunted painting, Victorian flashbacks, love triangle…oh, hell with it. The cover sold me. –Brian
Title: Trespass Against Us
Author: Leon Kemp
Publication Date: 2024 July 16
Official Blurb:
Perfect for fans of Ace of Spades and The Taking of Jake Livingston, this young adult horror debut is told in dual timelines, following a group of teens as they visit an abandoned school for troubled youth and then return two years later to confront the supernatural evil they awoke there.
Two years ago, Riley visited the abandoned and allegedly haunted religious reform school Dominic House with his boyfriend, Ethan, and his best friends, Colton and Vee.
Ethan never came out. Colton’s leg will never quite heal, Vee is branded as hysterical, and Riley has horrific scars as a reminder of that night.
Now, at eighteen, Riley hasn’t exactly moved on, but he’s kept away from all things paranormal.
Until legendary ghost chaser Jordan Jones shows up with an offer: return to Dominic House with her to film an episode of her Spirit Seekers TV show.
Riley may have vowed never to return, but he has unfinished business at Dominic House. With a reluctant Colton and Vee at his side, Riley is determined to find out what happened to Ethan once and for all.
But as the night wears on, Riley realizes he isn’t just revisiting the most terrifying night of his life— he’s reliving it.
With an eerily elegant voice, dual timelines that slowly unravel a chilling ghost story, themes of religious trauma, and secrets in every corner, Trespass Against Us is the kind of horror story that will keep you up long into the night.
Why I’m Excited:
Haunted school with an evil reputation, and I love a good horror story. -Brian
Title: The Lost Souls of Benzaiten
Author: Kelly Murashige
Publication Date: 2024 July 23
Official Blurb:
A fantastical and heartfelt debut, quirky and transportive, that follows a young outcast on a journey of transformation . . . into a robot vacuum cleaner.
“I wish to become one of those round vacuum cleaner robots.” That’s what Machi writes while praying at the altar of Japanese goddess Benzaiten. She writes it because ever since her two best friends Angel and Sunny decided they want nothing to do with her, Machi hasn’t been able to speak. After months and months of online school and seeing different therapists, Machi still hasn’t uttered a word, and she can no longer see the point of being human. But she doesn’t expect Benzaiten to actually hear her prayer, much less offer a to show Machi all the beauty of humanity, ultimately restoring her voice.
Benzaiten is enamored with the human world—possibly a little too enamored—and, as she’s the goddess of love, humanity is enamored right back. Being second-best to another friend isn’t helping Machi move past her trauma, and with each adventure they share, Machi is reminded of everything she’s lost. It isn’t until Machi starts interacting with the souls of the dead—a phenomena of spending so much time around a goddess—that she starts to understand pain can serve a purpose. And when she really stops to take a look around her, she realizes the potential for happiness, and for closure, has been there all along.
Why I’m Excited:
I will confidently assume this is the only book on our list that prominently features a robot vacuum cleaner. -Mandy W.
Title: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love’s Academic #1)
Author: India Holton
Publication Date: 2024 July 23
Series: Love’s Academic
Official Blurb:
Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that’s beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She’s so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they’re professional rivals.
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.
Why I’m Excited:
Birds aren’t exactly my thing, but Holton has a wonderfully weird and witty way of writing, so I look forward to what strange things these birds will do. –Stephanie
Title: The Blonde Dies First
Author: Joelle Wellington
Publication Date: 2024 July 30
Official Blurb:
A group of friends fight to choose their own fates in this trope-savvy, self-referential young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games, about a demonic force that acts according to horror movie rules in the spirit of the Scream movies.
Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?
But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.
Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?
Why I’m Excited:
I’m not usually into slashers, but I do love subverting tired tropes. –Mandy W.
(Seconded by Stephanie)
Title: Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: 2024 July 30
Series: Time of Iron
Official Blurb:
A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she’s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor’s tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they’re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor’s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain’s shoes, for an adventure that is both ‘brilliant’ (Holly Black) and ‘supremely satisfying’ (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue’s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.
Why I’m Excited:
I love Sarah’s brand of humor, and luckily the plot also sounds pretty great! –Stephanie
(Seconded by Mandy C.)
Title: Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch
Author: Codie Crowley
Publication Date: 2024 August 06
Official Blurb:
Murdered bad girl Annie Lane is back from the grave and hellbent on revenge . . . she just has to figure out who killed her.
This fast-paced thriller by a talented debut delivers a horror-infused hunt for justice that’s at once furiously feminist, darkly funny, and utterly satisfying.
Between her careless mom, her cheating ex-boyfriend, and her rotten reputation around town, Annie Lane is used to being left behind. But she’s never been left for dead before—until she wakes up to find her body’s been dumped on a mountain rumored to raise the dead.
Annie can’t remember who killed her, but she’ll stop at nothing to figure it out and make them pay. Because girls like her don’t get justice unless they take it for themselves.
Codie Crowley’s propulsive debut presents a furious and cathartic thriller skewering society’s condemnation of “unlikeable” girls.
Why I’m Excited:
PERFECT TITLE IS PERFECT. -Mandy W.
(Seconded by Stephanie)
Title: Ghostsmith (House of the Dead #2)
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Publication Date: 2024 August 13
Series: House of the Dea
Why I’m Excited:
This book’s prequel was the second enemies-to-lovers book I read last year about bone magic, and the one that stuck with me best. Here’s hoping the sequel proves I chose correctly! –Mandy C.
Title: My Salty Mary
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: 2024 August 20
Series: Mary
Official Blurb:
Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.
Don’t call this mermaid “little”—call her “captain,” unless you want to walk the plank.
Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn’t love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she’s a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she’ll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.
But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn’t willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she’s ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won’t let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard’s cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who’s having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can’t be a pirate just because she’s a girl.
She may not be the best man for the job, but she’ll definitely prove that she’s worth her salt.
Why I’m Excited:
I’ve been a Lady Janies stan since the first book (My Lady Jane), so when I say I’m excited for the third book in their second series, I’m downplaying it quite a bit. And even if I wasn’t a stan, the idea of The Little Mermaid meets Pirates of the Caribbean would have sold me, regardless. –Mandy C.
Title: The New Camelot (Emry Merlin #3)
Author: Robyn Schneider
Publication Date: 2024 August 27
Series: Emry Merlin
Why I’m Excited:
I’m a sucker for any sort of Arthurian legend, and this series has been entertaining from the start. Will I have TEABS once it’s all said and done? Likely, but I bet it’ll be worth it. –Mandy C.
Title: Ruin Road
Author: Lamar Giles
Publication Date: 2024 September 17
Official Blurb:
“My twin, Lamar, is a phenomenal innovative storyteller. His thrillers have laid the groundwork for us all. A true king!” — Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Grown and The Weight of Blood
Sometimes a little fear is a good thing…
Cade Webster lives between worlds. He’s a standout football star at the right school but lives in the wrong neighborhood–if you let his classmates tell it. Everywhere but home, people are afraid of him for one reason or another. Afraid he’s too big, too fast, too ambitious, too Black.
Then one fateful night, to avoid a dangerous encounter with the police, he ducks into a pawn shop. An impulse purchase and misspoken desire change everything when Cade tells the shopkeeper he wishes people would stop acting so scared around him, and the wish is granted…
At first, it feels like things have taken a turn for the better. But it’s not just Cade that people no longer fear–it’s everything. With Cade spreading this newfound “courage” wherever he goes, anything can happen. Fearless acts of violence begin to escalate in both his neighborhood and at school. Something monstrous is clearly at work and it’s up to Cade to stop it. But just what did he buy and what’s the price to undo the damage? After all, the devil’s in the details.
Why I’m Excited:
Another great cover. I like this author, though this is the first time I’m reading him not as part of a short story collection. -Brian
(Seconded by Mandy W.)
Title: Spells to Forget Us
Author: Aislinn Brophy
Publication Date: 2024 September 17
Official Blurb:
A witch and a non-magical girl get stuck in a cycle of meet-cutes and breakups in this dazzling, romantic young adult fantasy.
Fate brought them together. Magic made them strangers.
Luna is a powerful witch. Known for her skills and feared for her temper, she’s set to preserve her family’s legacy by becoming the head of Boston’s Witch Council—a job she does not want.
Aoife is a non-magical girl. Raised under the lens of her influencer family, she’s grown up in the public eye. Now she yearns for privacy—but knows her parents won’t oblige.
Just when they are at their lowest, Aoife and Luna find each other and start dating. As decreed by magic law, Luna casts a spell that will erase Aoife’s memories of their history together if they ever break up. But when Aoife and Luna end things, it’s both of them who forget . . . that is, until they meet again, fall for each other, and recover all the memories of their last attempt at dating.
So begins the story of two star-crossed lovers who keep finding their way into each other’s orbits, even as the universe pulls them apart. When they set out to break the cycle, will they be strangers forever or together at last?
Why I’m Excited:
What if Groundhog Day, with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? -Mandy W.
Title: Touch of Death
Author: Taylor Munsell
Publication Date: 2024 September 17
Official Blurb:
George, a sixteen-year-old death witch and medium, hates her “gift” of experiencing someone’s future death with a touch, but when she sees herself killing the new student, she must embrace her magic before blood stains her hands.
Death is permanent. Even if it hasn’t happened yet.
With just a touch, George experiences a person’s future death. High school is hard enough, but sixteen-year-old death witch Georgiana “George” Colburn can’t seem to catch a break. Even Jen’s ghost, the recently deceased popular girl who ignored George in life, won’t leave her alone. George is convinced her life can’t get any worse. That is until she bumps into the new student and experiences his death at her hand.
When a coven mate, Trixie, offers to help her with her magic, George finds herself with a new friend and crush, but she knows even if she found the courage to ask her out, a relationship is impossible: she’d never be able to touch her. With the help of her friends, George must face her fears and learn to embrace her powers to unlock the secrets of her magic before blood stains her hands.
Why I’m Excited:
I’m pretty sure this was a Twilight Zone episode, but it’s one of those catchy plots I wish I’d thought of. -Brian
Title: Pick the Lock
Author: A.S. King
Publication Date: 2024 September 24
Official Blurb:
From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King, a weird and insightful new novel about a girl intent on picking the lock of her toxic family with punk rock and opera.
Jane’s mother is an artist constantly on tour to earn a living and support the family. While her mother is away, Jane lives in a Victorian mansion with her younger brother and their controlling, mendacious father and aunt, both of whom have conspired to confine Jane and Henry’s mother to a system of pneumatic tubes whenever she’s at home. Pick the Lock follows Jane’s bizarre and brilliant journey to rediscover and reconnect with her mother through punk rock and opera.
Why I’m Excited:
What’s the last installment of The Lord of the Rings? That’s right — IT’S THE RETURN OF THE KING. -Mandy W.
Title: Killer House Party
Author: Lily Anderson
Publication Date: 2024 October 01
Official Blurb:
From Printz Honor winning author Lily Anderson comes a young adult horror that follows Arden and her three best friends as their graduation party at an abandoned mansion turns into a bloody fight for survival.
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 best friends Maddy, Remi, and Shane, 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.
Why I’m Excited:
The tagline is “R.S.V.P. to R.I.P.” I’m sold. –Mandy C.
(Seconded by Stephanie)
Title: Zodiac Rising (Descendants of the Zodiac #1)
Author: Katie Zhao
Publication Date: 2024 October 08
Series: Descendants of the Zodiac
Official Blurb:
At a secret Manhattan boarding school, the Descendants of the Chinese zodiac have hidden away since the source of their magic—the twelve zodiac statues—was vandalized and lost to time. Thus, a curse befell the Descendants, and they’ve lived as creatures of darkness . . . until now.
When the lost statues suddenly resurface and a powerful classmate is found dead, all signs point to foul play from the fae. The Descendants finally have the chance to take back what’s rightfully theirs and break the curse. To pull this deadly heist off, though, they must assemble an elite crew:
THE VAMPIRE: After a century of burning hunger, Evangeline is out for blood.
THE SHAPESHIFTER: Nicholas yearns to restore justice to his people—and make peace with his past.
THE MORTAL: Alice seeks the truth of her mysterious heritage, and this mission may be the key.
THE WEREWOLF: Tristan will do anything to break free from the monstrous wolf inside.
Only these four have the power to save the Descendants, but the wrath of the fae waits at every turn. One wrong move and the fate of their kind will come crashing down. . . .
Why I’m Excited:
Boarding school! Chinese zodiac! Heist! -Mandy W.
Title: The Ancient’s Game
Author: Loni Crittenden
Publication Date: 2024 October 29
Official Blurb:
Alchemy and ancient spirits come to life in this debut fantasy inspired by African Diasporic folklore and the 1920s World Fair, wherein sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre, an orphan from a reviled class, must compete for a coveted apprenticeship among the nation’s elite in order to save her adoptive father from a twisted fate.
Sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre is the descendant of traitors. She never knew her family members or which one of them betrayed the isle of Nanseau. But like all Du orphaned after the war, Kellan is forbidden by law from practicing makecraft, the trade of carving magic into metal that was perfected by the Guild of Engineers and their maker apprentices. No one can know that Kellan has been using makecraft in secret and that, in the wake of a tragic miscarve, she’s been helping her adoptive father, Edgar, run his celebrated makeshop.
But Edgar’s condition is worsening, and his shop is on the brink of ruin. On the eve of the Eighty-Fourth Annual Makers’ Exposition in Nanseau’s sparkling city of Riz, Kellan is thrust into the Guild’s twisted web of political intrigue and ancient secrets when she strikes a dangerous deal with one of its members to save Edgar and his shop. Now Kellan must compete in a rigorous gauntlet against the nation’s elite for a coveted spot as a maker’s apprentice.
But danger lurks at every turn. And as Kellan falls into a budding relationship with the illegitimate son from one of Nanseau’s most revered families, she’s put into the limelight when something sinister begins targeting the Gauntlet’s competitors and wreaking havoc on Riz. Amidst a crumbling city and a ticking clock, winning the Gauntlet won’t just be a test of survival—it will mean pulling back the veil of secrets behind the Guild and uncovering the shrouded legacies of Nanseau itself.
Why I’m Excited:
“Inspired by African Diasporic folklore and the 1920s World Fair” — say no more, mon amour! -Mandy W.
Title: Darkly
Author: Marisha Pessl
Publication Date: 2024 November 12
Official Blurb:
A seemingly ordinary high school student. A mysterious summer internship. And a legendary game designer, now dead, leaving a dark legacy. The New York Times bestselling author of Night Film spins a twisted web in this masterful YA psychological thriller.
What would you kill for?
When an ad for an internship with the Louisiana Veda Foundation poses this question, seemingly every high school student in the country rushes to apply. Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the late game designer whose obsessive creations have attained a cultlike status, ever since she and her mom played Disappearing Act—but Dia has never won anything in her life. So she’s shocked when she’s chosen as an intern, along with six other teenagers from around the world.
Little is known about Louisiana Veda. Her game-making empire, Darkly, was renowned for its ingenious, utterly terrifying toys and games, rife with hidden symbols and secrets. But after Veda’s mysterious death, Darkly went bankrupt and production was discontinued. The remaining games are priced like highly sought-after works of art, with the rarest and most notorious items commanding tens of millions of dollars at auction.
Now the interns are thrust into the enigmatic heart of Louisiana Veda’s operation, and Dia immediately questions everything. Who are these other kids? Why do they all seem to have something to hide? And why was she really chosen? It soon becomes clear that this summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.
As chilling and addictive as one of Louisiana Veda’s complicated and inventive games, Darkly is an intricate labyrinth full of buried clues and hidden connections created by Marisha Pessl, whose dazzling prose and signature powers of imagination will startle, tantalize, and delight readers.
Why I’m Excited:
I am a huge fan of Marisha Pessl’s adult novels, so when she published her first YA book, I was practically foaming at the mouth to read it. The darkly thrilling imagination and layered character craftsmanship that I had come to expect from her were on full display in Neverworld Wake, and now she’s FINALLY back with what looks like another deeply intriguing and mesmerizing read. I mean, a legendary (and dead) game designer? A mysterious internship? “An intricate labyrinth full of buried clues and hidden connections”?! Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, just get me this book already!!! – Sarah
Title: The Whispering Night (The Luminaries #3)
Author: Susan Dennard
Publication Date: 2024 November 19
Series: The Luminaries
Why I’m Excited:
I love Dennard’s wild world of families named for days of the week and the monsters they hunt. And Ugh, Jay, is exactly the kind of misunderstood YA boyfriend I just can’t quit. –Mandy C.
Title: Not For the Faint of Heart
Author: Lex Croucher
Publication Date: 2024 November 26
Official Blurb:
Beloved author Lex Croucher’s second queer historical YA romance, with all the swoons, laughs, and heart-pounding moments you’d expect from a story about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she’s accidentally kidnapped.
‘You aren’t merry,’ said Clem to her captor. ‘And you aren’t all men. So there’s been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line.’
Mariel, a newly blooded and perpetually grumpy captain of the Merry Men, is desperate to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the legendary Robin Hood. Clem, a too-perky backwoods healer known for her new-fangled cures, just wants to help people.
When Mariel’s ramshackle band of bandits kidnap Clem as retribution for her guardian helping the Sheriff of Nottingham, all seems to be going (sort of) to plan … until Jack Hartley, Mariel’s father and Commander of the Merry Men, is captured in a deadly ambush. Determined to prove herself, Mariel sets out to get him back – with her annoyingly cheerful kidnappee in tow.
But the wood is at war. Many believe the Merry Men are no longer on the right side of history. Watching Clem tend the party’s wounds and crack relentlessly terrible jokes, Mariel begins to doubt the noble cause to which she has devoted her life. As the two of them grow closer, forced by circumstances to share a single horse and bed, one thing is clear. They must prepare to fight for their lives and for those of everyone they’ve sworn to protect.
Lex Croucher’s Not For the Faint of Heart is a thrilling adventure full of hijinks, found family, and romance destined to change the lives of the inhabitants of the Greenwood Forest forever.
Why I’m Excited:
Although it’s not Arthurian legend, “a story about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she’s accidentally kidnapped” is close enough to pique my interest. –Mandy C.
Title: TBD
Author: Aiden Thomas
Publication Date: 2024
What We Know:
Pitched as “gay Titanic in space”.
Why I’m Excited:
You had me at “Gay Titanic in Space.” – Mandy C.
(Seconded by Mandy W.)
Which books are you most looking forward to for the remainder of 2024? Let us know in the comments!
So many good books!