THE PLATED PRISONER SERIES

 By: Raven Kennedy

Location: FIC KEN

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Triggers: Due to triggers in this book it will be issued to seniors only

The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

Please Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and rape. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

School for Good and Evil

 By: Soman Chainani

Location: FIC CHA

Genre: Fantasy

The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…

SERIES REVIEW BY ELLIE ON GODREADS

These books have been so formative to me as a reader, writer, and person for so many years, and it’s surreal to realize that the series ends in just a month and a few days. I’ve grown up hand in hand with these characters— I’ve navigated new school hallways with my paperback carefully tucked in my bag, made my first internet friends in forums on the author’s website, and traveled to my first book conventions in New York City and Charleston because of these stories. Over the years, I’ve recognized so many facets of myself in Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros, and I’ve found my own insecurities and conflicts mirrored in their relationships with one another. I’ve taken solace in their beauty and imperfections, appreciating the validation that their duality brought to me during those scary and magical moments that define growing up.

Now, as I graduate high school and prepare to begin college in the fall, it only makes sense that my childhood friends also graduate school and prepare to face the woods ahead of them, but that doesn’t make this release date all feel any less strange. I’m going to miss these kids. <3

✨June 3rd, 2020✨

I finished the book at 1:30 am last night, and oh my god, I sobbed! I genuinely could not have dreamed of a better conclusion to this series, and I feel so grateful to have gotten such a good ending to a story that matters this much to me. The book was beautiful, bittersweet, satisfying, and so, so rewarding.

It’s been a heavy and challenging year for everyone -- I mean, I was supposed to have my graduation ceremony last night. I've been struggling to get myself moving forward again in the absence of normal rituals, but I think this book is what I needed to finally feel ready for whatever comes next. Closing the back cover of One True King felt an awful lot like closing this chapter of my life -- like some sense of closure.

I really owe so much to this story.

Woman on Fire

 By: Lisa Barr

Location: FIC BAR

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

I love this line in the book...

“Shoes tell the whole story—who you are, what you can afford, if you are an impostor or the real deal.”

After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual--and very secret--assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier: legendary Expressionist artist Ernst Engel's most famous work, Woman on Fire. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, and has enlisted Dan's help to find it. But Jules doesn't have much time; the famous designer is dying.

Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family's millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules. Yet the passionate and determined Jules has unexpected resources of her own, including Adam Baum, Ellis's grandson. A recovering addict and brilliant artist in his own right, Adam was once in Margaux's clutches. He knows how ruthless she is, and he'll do anything to help Jules locate the painting before Margaux gets to it first.

"Lisa Barr’s talent as a masterful storyteller was evident throughout Woman on Fire. Her research was impeccable. She was able to cast a pointed finger at the dark period of history when evil and greed dominated the art world under the Nazis. They stole, sold and destroyed “banned” art for their own pleasure and profits. I have read other books about stolen art by the Nazis but Woman on Fire touched me deeply. Woman on Fire was an unforgettable story. It was about family, love, secrets, bravery, deception, corruption, greed, courage, dedication, heroism, murder and courage. I loved the characters, at least most of them, and I still find myself thinking about them. It was beautifully written and Lisa Barr made me feel as if I was standing in front of much of the art she depicted in the book. It was that vividly described. Woman on Fire was so intense at times I felt myself holding my breathe. I shed a tear or two but also found myself smiling during parts of the book as well. I really enjoyed Woman on Fire and highly recommend it." Marilyn from Goodreads.com

Among The Beasts and Briars

 By: Ashley Poston

Location: FOC POS

Genre:  Fantasy, Romance

Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!

“Briars, brambles, bones, and blossom, I smell a girl who can’t be forgotten.”

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy tale-inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard.

Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden.

Cerys knows this all too well: When she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse--the magic--in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions a small and irritating fox from the royal garden and the magic in her veins. It's up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home.

But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it's going to take everything she has just to survive. 

The Secrets Act

 By: Alison Weatherby

Location: FIC WEA

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Pearl and Ellen work at top-secret codebreaking HQ, Bletchley Park.

Pearl is the youngest. A messenger at sixteen, she’s untidy, lively, bright, and half in love with the wrong boy, Richard. Her circle of friends overlaps with his – the dashing young men on their motorcycles who courier the secrets that Bletchley deciphers.

Ellen is a codebreaker. Reserved, analytical and beautiful. She never expected to get close to a girl like Pearl – or fall for a chap like Dennis.

But when tragedy strikes, their logical world is upended, with both friends caught in a spy plot that rocks the very heart of the war effort. Who can they turn to now? Who can they trust? And above all, can they unmask the traitor in their midst before it’s too late? 

"This is a neatly-woven and well-written story, with intertwined layers of teenage friendship, love, war, and mystery. One of the main characters displays well-portrayed neuro-divergent traits, and gentle themes of LGBT are also included. Both these themes are written naturally, sympathetically, and without drama. A must-read for mystery lovers (including cosy mystery fans), history lovers, particularly those interested in the roles of women in wartime, especially in their roles at Bletchley, but also a very engaging and easy read for pretty much anyone. " Jinny

Cold

 By: Mariko Tamaki

Location: FIC TAM

Genre: Mystery, LGBGT

A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. A YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died—and a girl who wants to know why.

Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at Albright Academy seem to know, or want to say, anything about him?

Todd Mayer is dead. Now a ghost, hovering over his body, recently discovered in a snow covered park, naked and frozen. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people linked to the events leading to his death, Todd replays the choice that led him to his end.

Georgia didn't know Todd. But ever since she heard about his death, she can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe because they’re both outcasts at their school, or because they’re both queer. Maybe because the story of Todd people keep telling feels like a lot of fake stories Georgia has heard people tell. Plus Georgia has a feeling she’s seen Todd somewhere before, somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be.

I think what makes this story great is that it's glaringly, wonderfully, simple. The mystery of what happened to Todd isn't a big convoluted mess but something that could happen to any teenager. There's no big villain reveal, just messy teenagers navigating being teenagers and that made the story feel real, and helped me connect with it emotionally- Liv

SOLO- What running across mountains taught me about life

 By: Jenny Tough

Location: NF 920 TOU

Genre: Outdoors, self belief, adventure

Jonnie- this is one for you!

Jenny Tough is an endurance athlete who's best known for running and cycling in some of world's most challenging events - achieving accolades that are an inspiration to outdoor adventurers everywhere. But SOLO tells the story of a much more personal project: Jenny's quest to come to terms with feelings and emotions that were holding her back. Like runners at any level, she knew already that running made her feel better, and like so many of us, she knew that completing goals independently was empowering, too. So she set herself an audacious objective: to run - solo, unsupported, on her own - across mountain ranges on six continents, starting with one of the most remote locations on Earth in Kyrgystan. 

SOLO chronicles Jenny's journey every step of the way across the Tien Shaw (Asia), the High Atlas (Africa), the Cordillera Oriental (South America), the Southern Alps (Oceania), the Canadian Rockies (North America) and the Transylvanian Alps (Europe), as she learns lessons in self-esteem, resilience, bravery and so much more. 

What Jenny's story tells us most of all is that setting out to do things solo - whether the ambitious or the everyday - can be invigorating, encouraging and joyful. And her call to action to find strength, confidence and self-belief in everything we do will inspire and motivate.

All American Boys

 By: Jason Reynolds

Location: FIC REY

Genre: Social Justice, Race, Contemporary

Books save lives. And they change hearts and minds. This will be one of those books- Beth

I am not the same person that I was when I started this book. Thank you Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, for reminding me why I read and the propensity with which books can change us, make us alter our lenses we use to view the world and our privilege, and touch our souls- Joce

I just wanted him to stop beating me. I just wanted to live.

After a violent act that leaves their community and, ultimately, the country divided, Rashad and Quinn - one Black, one White - face the truth that racism and prejudice are all around us. And there's a future at stake, a future where no one will have deal with police brutality. They just have to risk everything they've ever known to speak out.

With evocative black and white illustrations from Akhran Girmay.

A powerful social commentary, relevant and deeply moving. This book has the power to open eyes, to invoke empathy, to initiate essential conversations, to aid with understanding, to encourage change. Rich with authenticity and narrative voice, All American Boys is a must read.

Bluebird

 By: Sharon Cameron

Location: FIC CAM

Genre: Historical Fiction, Holocaust

WOW. One of the best YA books I’ve read this year. Impeccably researched, well plotted, and INTENSE. I was fascinated!! Sharon

A historical novel, set in postwar New York City.

In 1946, Eva leaves behind the rubble of Berlin for the streets of New York City, stepping from the fiery aftermath of one war into another, far colder one, where power is more important than principles, and lies are more plentiful than the truth. Eva holds the key to a deadly secret: Project Bluebird -- a horrific experiment of the concentration camps, capable of tipping the balance of world power. Both the Americans and the Soviets want Bluebird, and it is something that neither should ever be allowed to possess.

But Eva hasn't come to America for secrets or power. She hasn't even come for a new life. She has come to America for one thing: justice. And the Nazi that has escaped its net.

I would highly recommend this gloriously twisty and thrilling novel featuring a very feisty heroine to anyone interested in the Holocaust and its aftermath

The Overnight Guest

 By: Heather Gudenkauf

Location: FIC GUD

Genre: Thriller , Mystery

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

She thought she was alone…

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

"And talk about atmosphere! It’s cold where I live now, but I read this inside and with heat, and still shivered from the descriptions of the cold and brutal snow setting. I recommend reading this one whilst wrapped in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate. "   Review by Michael

The Fourth Closet

 By: Scott Cawthorn 

Location: GRA HAS

Genre: Five Nights at Freddys

From the creator of the horror video game sensation Five Nights at Freddy's comes this pulse-pounding graphic novel adaptation of the bestselling trilogy's thrilling conclusion!

What really happened to Charlie? It's the question that John can't seem to shake, along with the nightmares of Charlie's seeming death and miraculous reappearance. John just wants to forget the whole terrifying saga of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, but the past isn't so easily buried.Meanwhile, there's a new animatronic pizzeria opening in Hurricane, along with a new rash of kidnappings that feel all too familiar. Bound together by their childhood loss, John reluctantly teams up with Jessica, Marla, and Carlton to solve the case and find the missing children. Along the way, they'll unravel the twisted mystery of what really happened to Charlie, and the haunting legacy of her father's creations.

Told through delightfully scary artwork from artist Diana Camero, and with even more horror than ever before, fans won't want to miss this graphic novel adaptation straight from the mind of Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon. 

The Prince of The Skies

By: Antonio Iturbe

Location: FIC ITU

Genre: Historical Fiction

Writer. Romantic. Pilot. Hero.

All Antoine de Saint Exupery wants to do is be a pilot. But flying is a dangerous dream and one that sets him at odds with his aristocratic background and the woman he loves. Despite attempts to keep him grounded, Antoine is determined to venture forwards into the unknown. Together with his friends, Jean and Henri, he will pioneer new mail routes across the globe and help change the future of aviation. In the midst of his adventures, Antoine also begins to weave a children's story that is destined to touch the lives of millions of readers around the world. A story called The Little Prince . . . Fame and fortune may have finally found Antoine, but as the shadow of war begins to threaten Europe, he's left to wonder whether his greatest adventure is yet to come . . .

Translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites, The Prince of the Skies is a moving tale of love and friendship, war and heroism, and the power of the written word. 

Review by Gill

This spellbinding novel revolves around Antoine De Saint-Expéry, author of children’s classic The Little Prince, who was also a pioneer of aviation and helped to open up postal routes across Africa and South America. The scrapes he and his two colleagues get into are gripping – lots of crashes that mean they have to improvise repairs en route, walking through the Andes in winter, and accidentally flying low over a German airfield during wartime. The descriptions of flying are glorious, and I enjoyed learning technical details about the engines. The translator has done a great job because it never at any point reads like a translation.

I didn't engage quite so fully with the colleagues' stories, but I adored the character of Antoine, a man who is ingenious when flying a plane and an idiot when it comes to love. He has immense courage, and he always wears his heart on his sleeve, no matter what he’s doing. As a biographical novel, it’s a triumph because it lets us get to know a multi-faceted human being against the wider picture of life as an aviator in the 1920s through to 1945. Highly recommended!

The Runaways Diary

 By: James Patterson and Emily Raymond

Location: GRA PAT

Genre: Graphic novel

While searching for her sister in an unfamiliar city, a young girl finds more than she bargained for in this gripping graphic novel
___________________

I'm running away. Not to a place - to a person.

Eleanor is happiest when she's left alone to dream up elaborate stories. Sam is outgoing, fun and popular. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been there for each other - until everything changes.

Now Sam is somewhere in Seattle, and Eleanor runs after her. Nothing is easy in the big, unforgiving city. As Eleanor faces setbacks, she also makes new friends and tells new stories.

Eleanor can rewrite her life in so many ways ... but can she make a happy ending her reality?

The Last Bear

 By: Hannah Gold

Location; FIC GOL

Genre: Animals, Adventure

In this instant literary classic about friendship, forging your own path, and doing what’s right, debut author Hannah Gold inspires fans of Pax and A Wolf Called Wander to make a difference in any way they can.

There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to a faraway Arctic outpost.

But one night, April catches a glimpse of something distinctly bear shaped loping across the horizon. A polar bear who shouldn’t be there—who is hungry, lonely and a long way from home.

Fusing environmental awareness with a touching story of kindness, The Last Bear will include full-page black-and-white illustrations as well as a note from the author with facts about the real Bear Island and the plight of the polar bears.

This story is a wonderful mix of the wonder of the natural world and a call to activism. April Wood is an 11 year old girl that has a deep relationship with nature. She feels drawn to the heart of the Earth, and can sense the secret things of wildlife. She will be spending the summer on an arctic island while her father works measuring the changing temperatures and collecting data. The island they will be going to is called Bear Island, only due to the decreasing size of ice caps, polar bears no longer inhabit the area. Or do they?

This was a delight to read. I enjoyed the themes that didn’t really seem probable and partially magical, because they helped to show compassion and kindness throughout the story. In addition to the much needed light shed on environmentalism and conservation, they was a lot of attention to loss and coping. This was done in a way that I felt could be easily understood by children. I loved that there was a call to do your part, no matter how small you are, or how small your action, you can make a difference. Small action leads to results faster than no action at all. 

The Lighthouse

By: Christopher Parker

Location: FIC PAR

Genre:  Mystery, Magical Realism

AWESOME COVER ART!!!!

Amy is struggling to put her life back together following the death of her mother. The loss has left her heartbroken, and she doesn’t know if her world will ever be whole again.

Meanwhile, in Seabrook, a small town famous for its haunted lighthouse, Ryan Porter lives a simple but busy life, maintaining the ranch which he shares with his father.

Separated by hundreds of miles, yet drawn to each other by forces they can’t understand, Amy and Ryan spend a magical day together and quickly forge a deep connection. But all is not what it seems in Seabrook, and when strange events start happening around town, they begin to question if their meeting really was an accident at all.

Trusting in themselves and in each other, they attempt to unravel the mystery of why fate has brought them together, and in doing so they embark on a journey of self-discovery, one that leads straight to the heart of Seabrook’s mysterious lighthouse where they uncover the most shocking secret of all… a secret that will change the course of their lives forever.

Review by Judy from Goodreads

I was enchanted by this story of grief, love and magical realism. It read somewhat like a fairy tale and I was totally under its spell. It was really a character driven book. When I picked it up I didn't expect the magical nature of the book. It started out with Amy trying to deal with the grief of losing her mother. She and her father, aa police detective, had never been close. This was even more pronounced after her mother's death. Her father was being sent out of town on police business - some business, but really a to get Amy to come with him so that they could spend some time together.

They travelled to Seabrook, only to spend one night, but circumstances changed. The morning after they arrived, Amy's father disappeared. Amy met Ryan who lived on a nearby ranch. After spending some time together, they end up trying the discover the secret of the mysterious lighthouse.

A very imaginative debut novel. Ryan's story was heartbreaking and my heart went out to him. I liked all of the characters in the book, which is unusual - there is usually at least one rotten character in most books. 

Pride and Premeditation

 By: Tirzah price 

Location: FIC PRI

Genre: Mystery and retell

Its a murder mystery..... who kills who!!!!

-We are still given the famous opening line, with a twist,

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant idea, conceived and executed by a clever young woman, must be claimed by a man.”

One of BuzzFeed's best YA books of 2021!

Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries trilogy is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.

Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case--and her feelings for Darcy--become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.

Three of Jane Austen's classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that's perfect for fans of The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy.

“Do you purposefully misunderstand everything I say, Miss Bennet?”
“Do you purposefully overlook all inconvenient truths, Mr. Darcy?”

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

 By: Benjamin Stevenson

Location; FIC STE

Genre: Mystery

Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle meet Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club in this fiendishly clever blend of classic and modern murder mystery.

I was dreading the Cunningham family reunion even before the first murder.

Before the storm stranded us at the mountain resort, snow and bodies piling up.

The thing is, us Cunninghams don't really get along. We've only got one thing in common- we've all killed someone.

My brother.
My step-sister
My wife
My father
My mother
My sister-in-law
My uncle
My stepfather
My aunt
Me (less)

Great review by Mandy

So clever and fun!

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Benjamin Stevenson’s 2 previous books, Greenlights and Either Side of Midnight. I will tell anybody that will listen that they are must reads. Now I have a new book to add to that list.

How can you not be intrigued by a book called Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone. Seriously, How good is that title!! I just had to read it so when Penguin Australia asked if I was interested in an ARC, I could not reply to that email fast enough. As soon as it arrived I had to start it.

You won’t have read a book like this one before. Our reliable (yes he is reliable and will keep telling you that!!) narrator is reluctantly attending a family reunion in the snowy mountains. As always with family, there are tensions and bad blood. He is a writer, known for his books on how to write books. He follows Robert Knox’ 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction. These are listed on the first few pages and referred to often. When the weekend turns deadly, he uses everything he knows to solve the case.

This book is really smart. How Benjamin Stevenson wrote this baffles me. So many threads and clues. It was so very well done and I applaud him. It is written in a conversational style, as if our budding detective was talking just to us.

There is so much that I loved about this book and I look forward to talking to people once they have read it. It will be interesting to read it again knowing how it ends now and find all the clues that I missed the first time.

A fantastic read and one that highly recommend. 

Romeo AND/OR Juliet

 By:  Ryan North

Location: FIC NOR

Genre: Retellings, chose your own!

...this is super fun! on my first readthrough as juliet i ended as a spinster pirate, so A++ adventuring really.

“Romeo And/Or Juliet” was a hilarious, smart, and entertaining book I will definitely be re-reading. I read the book in about 30 different ways, some ending after only ten pages, some making it much farther through the book. This novel was completely unpredictable, and because of that I was never bored."

Romeo loves Juliet. Or Rosaline. And Juliet loves Romeo. Or Viola. Or Orlando. It's Shakespeare as you've never played him before.

In this choose-your-own-path version of Romeo and Juliet, you choose where the story goes every time you read! What if Romeo never met Juliet? What if Juliet got really buff instead of moping around the castle all day? What if they teamed up to take over Verona with robot suits? Whatever your adventure, you're guaranteed to find lots of romance, lots of epic fight scenes, and plenty of questionable decision-making by very emotional teens.

All of the endings—there are over a hundred—feature beautiful illustrations by some of the greatest artists working today, including New York Times bestsellers Kate Beaton, Noelle Stevenson, Randall Munroe, and Jon Klassen.

Packed with exciting choices, fun puzzles, secret surprises, terrible puns, and more than a billion possible storylines, Romeo and/or Juliet offers a new experience every time you read it. You can choose to play as Romeo or Juliet (obviously) but you can also play as both of them, or as Juliet's nurse, or, if you're good, you can even unlock a fourth playable character! That's right. We figured out how to have unlockable characters in books. 

An Arrow to the Moon

 By: Emily X.R.Pan

Location: FIC PAN

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling

"Romeo & Juliet meets Chinese mythology (Houyi & Chang'e). This is my ode to the myths I breathed and swallowed and slept in all my childhood. This is my story for the Asian Americans like me, growing up in places they never quite belonged, and discovering their personal magic in that solitude. 🏹🌙"

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this lyrical and magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Colour of After.

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He's sick of being haunted by his family's past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his younger brother, a supernatural wind and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents' expectations are stifling. Then her life is turned upside down by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna uncover hidden secrets and navigate the feud between their families, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love . . . but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

An Arrow to the Moon, Emily X.R. Pan's brilliant and ethereal follow-up to The Astonishing Colour of After, is a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all. 

One, Two Three

 By: Laurie Frankel 

Location: FIC FRA

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age

From Laurie Frankel, the New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is, a Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Pick, comes One Two Three, a timely, topical novel about love and family that will make you laugh and cry...and laugh again.

In a town where nothing ever changes, suddenly everything does...

Everyone knows everyone in the tiny town of Bourne, but the Mitchell triplets are especially beloved. Mirabel is the smartest person anyone knows, and no one doubts it just because she can’t speak. Monday is the town’s purveyor of books now that the library’s closed—tell her the book you think you want, and she’ll pull the one you actually do from the microwave or her sock drawer. Mab’s job is hardest of all: get good grades, get into college, get out of Bourne.

For a few weeks seventeen years ago, Bourne was national news when its water turned green. The girls have come of age watching their mother’s endless fight for justice. But just when it seems life might go on the same forever, the first moving truck anyone’s seen in years pulls up and unloads new residents and old secrets. Soon, the Mitchell sisters are taking on a system stacked against them and uncovering mysteries buried longer than they’ve been alive. Because it's hard to let go of the past when the past won't let go of you.

Three unforgettable narrators join together here to tell a spellbinding story with wit, wonder, and deep affection. As she did in This Is How It Always Is, Laurie Frankel has written a laugh-out-loud-on-one-page-grab-a-tissue-the-next novel, as only she can, about how expanding our notions of normal makes the world a better place for everyone and how when days are darkest, it’s our daughters who will save us all.

From Regina

Reasons to read One Two Three, Laurie Frankel’s much-anticipated new novel following the success of her beloved This Is How It Always Is:

1. Mab. The first triplet born to Nora, named with one syllable, who at the age of sixteen loves with all her heart while carrying the burden and guilt of being the “normal” one.

2. Monday. The second triplet, two syllables, lover of books, defender of truth, physically capable but mentally and emotionally unique.

3. Mirabel. Third triplet, three syllables, insightful, empathetic, and eloquent but confined to a body that doesn’t work, only able to communicate through the tap of a finger or a robotic-sounding AAC device, and my favorite literary character of the last several years.

These three young women are the bright shining lights of this story about a small town dealing with the aftermath of Big Factory chemical pollution. Frankel has set them up to be the super heroes of her tale, the purveyors of justice. While I frequently winced when the action veered too close to Scooby-Doo “meddling kids” territory, I never stopped rooting for them to topple their Goliath.

Blood Sugar

 By: Sascha Rothchild

Location: FIC ROT

Genre: Thriller , Mystery

"It was a curious phrase. I could kill... One I had never used since I actually had killed before. I was a murderer, so for me it lost its hyperbolic quality...People were always exclaiming, "I could kill you right now"...or the classic joke, "If I tell you I'd have to kill you," and on and on and on. I heard something like that said at least once a week, and I nodded and smiled and understood, like a well-adjusted nonhomicidal person."

An utterly delicious debut thriller that tells the story of the most likable murderess you will ever meet, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll.

“I could just kill you right now!” It’s something we’ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.

Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though her vicious mother-in-law and a scandal-obsessed public believe differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent.

Alternating between Ruby’s memories of her past crimes and her present-day fight to clear her name, Blood Sugar is a twisty, clever debut with an unforgettable protagonist who you can’t help but root for—an addicting mixture of sour and sweet.