Hi, Emma! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi there! Thank you for asking! I’m an anxious book-lover who grew up in the Midwest. I’m married to a non-anxious Swedish book lover who is my best friend and the beta reader for all of my stories. My hobbies include: drinking too much coffee, going for runs, gymnastics classes (I can backflip!), rewatching my favorite TV shows, and hanging out with my 7-pound Pomeranian .

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I can’t remember one moment of discovery. It was just always there. I first told my mom I wanted to be an author when I was six, and then I presented her with a book titled The Friends. We still have it. It consists entirely of stick figures with word bubbles where all the text is misspelled. There’s no plot. It’s really cute.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Probably one of The Berenstain Bears books. I had a collection of about 30 of them in my room. I was obsessed.
• The one that made you want to become an author:
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I’ve read it three times now and I consider it a perfect work of fiction.

Heart of Mischief is the second installment in your Soul of Shadow series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

“Beware the ancient danger squirrel”

For those who haven’t picked up Soul of Shadow, what can readers expect?

They can expect a reading experience that feels like watching a show that would have aired on The CW in the 2010s: high school drama mixed with sky-high paranormal stakes. Teens grappling with disappearances and magic, and parents who somehow have no clue what’s going on.

And for those who have, what’s to come in Heart of Mischief?

I loved writing this book. There’s a betrayal at the end of book one, which brought our main characters right back to being enemies at the start of the sequel. I got to dive right back into the I-want-him-even-though-I-shouldn’t vibe that made Soul of Shadow so fun. Expect second chance romance, angst-filled yearning, and a twist ending that will make you want to send me a string of angry Instagram DMs. Also: ancient danger squirrel.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I won’t say too much, but there’s a party sequence toward the end of the book that takes place on a school camping trip and it was a ball to write from start to finish. You’ll just have to read the book to see.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Always! I’ve written ten complete books now, and every one of them has come with its own unique challenges. For Heart of Mischief, I would say the biggest challenge was its status as a sequel. With sequels, there’s always pressure to live up to the first book—to do what you did well the first time, plus upping the stakes even more. When it’s the second in a trilogy, there’s the added fact that the sequel is a bridge between books one and three. Book one is the introduction, book two is the heightening, and book three is the grand finale. In that progression, book two can often get lost or feel like filler. I didn’t want that to happen here. I wanted Heart of Mischief to stand on its own as a fun story. To do that, I gave the book its own unique antagonist who doesn’t appear in books one or three.

Can you give a little tease of the final installment, Dreams of Ruin?

Yes! Let’s just say this: half of book three takes place in a different world entirely.

What’s next for you?

I announced recently that I’m self-publishing my debut spicy adult romantasy, titled Prince of the Sun. It will actually come out before book three of this trilogy. Prince releases August 4^th, and Dreams comes out November 17^th. The book is all wrapped up and going through edits, and I’m currently in the process of preparing everything for its publication: choosing a cover artist, designing the interior, commissioning character art, all of that. I’m having a blast!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

Holly Black has an illustrated story collection coming out in November that I’m absolutely dying to get my hands on. It’s called A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters (how great is that title?). Outside of fantasy, I’m really looking forward to reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson and Lena Dunham’s new memoir, Famesick.

Will you be picking up Heart of Mischief? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Emma Noyes, Author of ‘Heart of Mischief’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Soul of Shadow, which is out July 29th 2025.

Charlie Hudson is just trying to survive junior year, navigating the halls of school and the chaos of parties like a ghost. But her world is about to become seriously transformed―like world shifting altered―when a classmate mysteriously disappears into the forest, leaving only a pair of shoes and strange symbols carved into a tree.

Drawn to the disappearances by forces she can’t explain, she finds herself investigating the mysterious, alluring newcomer in town, Elias Everhart. With piercing eyes and sharp wit, he dances around her questions, only intriguing her further. Elias has a secret. More than one.

But what Charlie doesn’t know is that those secrets will lead her to a place she never imagined: a world hiding in plain sight, filled with enchantments, mythic beings, hidden dangers―and a first love fated to fall apart.

In Emma Noyes’s Soul of Shadow, truths and temptations lurk in the darkness, and for Charlie, the only thing more dangerous than facing her past, is the boy made of shadow with the power to change her future.

“We found them!” the boy with the shoes yelled. “We found Robbie’s sneakers hanging from a tree!”

The partygoers erupted. Whispering or loudly arguing about what the discovery of Robbie’s shoes meant to the investigation. Many thought he was dead. Others thought he’d been kidnapped. No matter the theory, everyone was excited by the prospect of new evidence.

On the other side of the fire, Mason leapt to his feet. He looked thrilled as he took off toward the freshmen.

“Wait.” Lou turned to Abigail and Charlie. “They found his shoes? And nothing else?”

“Did you get a closer look at the tree?” Mason yelled from across the fire. “Search it for other clues?”

Charlie kept herself from rolling her eyes. Always eager for trouble, her older brother.

“No,” said the freshman. “We just grabbed the shoes and dipped.”

“It’s about a hundred feet in,” said one of the other freshmen. “The old ash beside that one big cluster of rocks.”

“Great.” Mason snatched the shoes out of the lead freshman’s hands.

“Hey!” the freshman said, trying to grab for them.

Mason held them just out of the freshman’s reach, waving them in the air. “Looks like it’s time for a little field trip, kids.”

A cheer rose from the crowd. Then the students of Silver Shores High took off, Mason in the lead, and stormed over the beach, toward the tree line. They surged into the forest as one.

“Excellent.” Lou rubbed her hands together. “Some excitement at last.”

Charlie stood, her chest fluttering unexpectedly at the prospect of following them into the woods. What was that feeling? Fear? She wasn’t sure. It was an unfamiliar sensation, like something long dormant was awakening within her. As a reflex, she reached around herself and touched her back pocket, checking to make sure her lucky deck of cards was still in place.

“No way.” Abigail crossed her arms over her chest, staying firmly seated on the driftwood. “Nuh-uh. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I refuse to be arrested at sixteen.”

“You’re already drinking alcohol at an underage party,” Lou pointed out.

Abigail’s eyes widened. “Christ,” she said. “You’re right. I shouldn’t even be here. I should never have let you convince me to come. I-”

Lou reached down and yanked Abigail to her feet. She pushed her friend toward the tree line. “Shut up and run.”

The girls hurried after the rest of the party. Lou took Charlie’s and Abigail’s arms, linking them with hers and skipping forward as if they were off on a picnic, not to investigate a potential crime scene.

“This is messed up,” Abigail whispered loudly. “We’re caravanning to see if we can find Robbie Carpenter’s body.”

Charlie had to agree. It was messed up. In all likelihood, Robbie’s mother was curled up on the sofa at home, sobbing, while a bunch of kids made investigating a potential piece of evidence into a party game. No doubt Robbie’s father, the local sheriff, would want to lock someone up for what was happening right now. And yet Charlie couldn’t bring herself to turn around. To tell herself to stop. Her feet propelled her into the woods as surely as if attached to a motor.

She glanced to the side. Through the trees, she saw a few other kids running forward, bare feet getting caught in roots and sand and dirt. Their path was lit by an unusually bright moon. It filtered through the oaks and pines whose branches tangled high above, lush and deep green and swollen with summer.

Her eyes had just begun to turn forward again when she saw it.

It was only a flash. An outline set against the moonlit trees, as brief and blurred as the blink of an eye. A deer, or large dog, or maybe even a panther, standing stock-still, partially concealed by the brush, watching them sprinting through the woods. Dark silhouette. Glimmering eyes.

Charlie twisted her body, trying to get a better look. For a brief moment, its eyes seemed to lock with hers. As if it were staring at her, too.

Then she tripped over a thick root.

‘Je-sus!” Lou’s arm slipped out of Charlie’s elbow as Charlie flew forward, the wind knocking from her chest as she hit the forest floor.

“Charlie!” Abigail whirled around and ran to her friend’s side. “Are you all right?”

Charlie blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision of the stars that danced so eagerly about its periphery. She groaned and rolled over onto her back, pressing a hand to her chest. It throbbed where it had collided with the ground. “Yeah.” She blinked several more times. “Yeah, I’m fine. Jesus, that hurt.”

“Good.” Lou bent over and wrapped a hand around Charlie’s forearm, hauling her up to her feet. “Because it sounds like they found the tree, and I’m not missing this unless you’re dying.”

“Nice of you to show some empathy,” Abigail said as she tripped along behind them.

Charlie didn’t dwell on her best friend’s typical lack of concern. Her thoughts were too consumed by what she had seen hiding in the woods. What was that thing? An oversized animal? A wildcat that had strayed too near civilization? It would be a bizarre sighting if so. Wildcats normally ran as far from humans as they could. Not only had it not run, whatever it was had stared right at Charlie, as if it were the one challenging her.

“Over here!” Lou tugged her friends toward a clearing.

The stars faded from Charlie’s vision, allowing her to see exactly where they were headed. She recognized it immediately: the old ash tree where she, Lou, and Sophie played when they were little girls. A place they had brought dolls and journals, built houses from sticks, dressed as pirates or zombies. It was a place of boundless imagination, back when Charlie had still dared to dream.

A deep desire rushed through her: to run full speed at the tree and leap as high as she could.

But that would be impossible. The clearing was completely full. People clustered together around the trunk, squinting into the moonlight, which only partially illuminated the tree. It wasn’t enough light. One by one, they lit their phone flashlights and pointed them up at the tree. The combined effect was that of a single spotlight shining bright and revealing into the darkness.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Mason was the first to break the silence.

“Holy shit”

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Soul of Shadow’ by Emma Noyes appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As we approach the halfway mark of 2024, it’s time to start looking ahead to the phenomenal new books that will be hitting shelves over the rest of the year!

We’ve put together a small sample of anticipated releases that you should keep an eye out for with new books from the likes of Rainbow Rowell, Stephen Graham Jones, Casey McQuiston, Ransom Riggs, Jodi Picoult, Sally Rooney, Richard Osman, Sabaa Tahir, Courtney Gould, Darby Kane, and so many more, plus even some debuts you should definitely have on your radar!

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and keep an eye out for when we round up further upcoming releases for the YA, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Romance, Fiction, and Middle Grade genres.

Let us know in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them or if you have other recommendations!

JULY 2024

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Get ready for a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold!), set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Attachments comes Slow Dance—a bright, beaming power ballad of a novel about a love so true it refuses to be forgotten.

It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant

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A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids’ schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

The Haters by Robyn Harding

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The bestselling author of The Party and The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

The Blackbird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

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Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling All Souls series.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez

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Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith

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A teen girl’s attempt to make amends with her former friend group takes a sinister turn during a weekend getaway at an ancestral Irish estate in this atmospheric, literary horror from the author of Those We Drown.

The Night Ends With Fire by K. X. Song

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Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

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Offered a dream job in Hollywood with a famous director and his actress wife, an insecure woman becomes their personal assistant where their secrets and lies place her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

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From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist—perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix.

AUGUST 2024

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

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In #1 New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston’s latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—except they’re definitely not.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

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From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer

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White Lotus meets Kevin Wilson in this whip-smart social satire about a man who finds himself trapped on an island resort after the sun literally explodes, and suddenly must choose whether to save himself from the chaos, or help fellow guests make it off the island alive…

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer

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A tender, laugh-out-loud debut romance about a woman who ends up in over her head after a little white lie . . .

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

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When a young woman is found dead on her college campus, her sister doesn’t believe it was an accident—and her search for answers leads her closer to home than she ever would have imagined in this thrilling debut novel from an exciting new talent.

The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow

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A young woman chosen as the crown prince’s bride must travel to the royal palace to meet her new husband—but her world is shaken when she discovers the dark truth the royal family has been hiding for centuries—in this lush fantasy debut perfect for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and Violet Made of Thorns.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

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Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera

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A saucy, searingly original debut about two sisters raised in the shadow of El Salvador’s brutal dictator, El Gran Pendejo, and their flight from genocide, which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to cannery row, each followed by a chorus of furies, the ghosts of their murdered friends, who aren’t yet done telling their stories.

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

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Visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs weaves the familiar with the peculiar in a stunning loss, triumph, friendship and magic, reminding readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born—and that when you’re never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself. 

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

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From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

SEPTEMBER 2024

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

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A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

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For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude―a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

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A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore

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With a blend of humour, magic, and love, Rachel Moore crafts another stand-alone adventure rom-com full of double- and triple-crosses, hilarious shenanigans, and frustration-fuelled banter, where the best treasure is true love.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

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Combining the heart and humour of The Thursday Murder Club with a puzzling international mystery, welcome to the blockbusting new series from the biggest new fiction author of the decade, Richard Osman.

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

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A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel from the international bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

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The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

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A candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from Broadway to Hollywood with A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion

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A second chance at love is in the cards for two women working a stylish California wedding in this charming debut romance.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune

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Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

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Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

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The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy’s Girl.

OCTOBER 2024

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni

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Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has twenty-four hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life . . . or die trying.

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen

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In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth. They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

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Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

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Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

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The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

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Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.

Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

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As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews’ debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

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From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by S. K. Ali

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The first book in a gripping duology from acclaimed author S.K. Ali introduces a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war.

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

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A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

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From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood…

The Book of Witching by CJ Cooke

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A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

NOVEMBER 2024

The Author’s Guide To Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

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Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

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Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez’s stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

Games Untold By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series.

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens

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From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year, a hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch

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In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humour, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn’t commit.

The Estate by Sarah Jost

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For fans of The Cloisters and The Cartographers comes a gripping speculative suspense that follows one woman with the ability to enter the dimension of art, who finds herself trapped in a French estate as the pawn in a rich man’s game…

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea

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Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side.

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea

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Jamison Shea’s sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the “relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific” (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.

The Empty Place by Olivia A Cole

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A powerful and imaginative story about a girl fighting to find her way back home from a mind-bending land of the lost.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

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From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

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New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin

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A new standalone legal thriller from the international bestselling author of GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

DECEMBER 2024

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane

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Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another twisty domestic thriller about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding… because that was supposed to be her job. 

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

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Zetian must balance dangerous politics with a new quest for vengeance in the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Iron Widow, a blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

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Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Alter Ego by Alex Segura

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Alex Segura, LA Times Book Prize–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?>

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

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Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

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It’s the gig of a lifetime for this ghostwriter, except there’s a the client, a closeted A-list actor finally ready to come out in his memoir, is an actual ghost.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn

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A brilliant queer dystopian novel from the author of Yours for the Taking, following a cast of characters on the margins of a strange and exclusive new society.

The Close-up by Pip Drysdale

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A struggling author discovers the dark side of fame when a stalker begins reenacting violent events from her thriller in this electrifying and twisty new novel.

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

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A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

The Party by Natasha Preston

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Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston’s latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party’s over…

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen

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A young woman channels the magic of the lush, fantastical plants that adorn her crumbling estate in The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt, a darkly enchanting novel for fans of The Magician’s Daughter and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. ​

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If I say the words coming-of-age story, what do you think of? Probably one of the classics, right? Catcher in the Rye, Little Women, To Kill a Mockingbird… As a kid, I thought that only books focused on children and teenagers could be classified as stories of growing up, because, once you reach the ripe ol’ age of twenty, you’re already a full-fledged adult. You’re mature. You’ve been in love once or twice. You know how to pay taxes.

Ha.

Now, at 28 years old, I know how wrong I was. A person can “come of age” at any age. Growing up isn’t about living for a certain number of days; it’s about figuring out who you are and what you want to do with the life you’ve been given. My upcoming novel, GUY’S GIRL, focuses on exactly those themes. And in anticipation of its release, I’m sharing my list of all-time favorite coming-of-age books. I hope you enjoy.

NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney

To me, the best books are the ones that articulate emotions you didn’t even know you had until you saw them laid out for you on the page. In NORMAL PEOPLE, Sally Rooney does that with bone-dry, deceptively simple prose, the result of which is a coming-of-age story that made me cry for twelve hours straight while reading it—not because it was tragic, but because reading it felt like holding up a mirror to some of the most difficult parts of myself, then being hugged and told that everything is going to be okay. It’s one of my favorite books ever, and I will never stop recommending it.

TALKING AT NIGHT by Claire Daverley

Written in a similar style to NORMAL PEOPLE (no quotation marks, shifting perspectives, told over a long stretch of time), TALKING AT NIGHT is another gorgeous, lyrically-written love story that begins at high school age and continues long after. Will and Rosie couldn’t be more different, but they are drawn together in an almost fated way, often drifting apart but always coming back together. Over the years, we watch them explore themselves and each other, weathering loss, illness, and much more before they get their happily ever after.

SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid

Based on this list so far, can you tell I love a good love story? Of course, coming-of-age is about far more than just romance. It’s also about wrestling with questions of identity, race, roots, privilege. One of my favorite novels that explores all these themes and more is SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid. The story follows Emira Tucker, a young, black college graduate who works part-time babysitting for an affluent white family. An incident where Emira is accused of kidnapping the white child she babysits sets off a fast-paced book that I absolutely couldn’t put down.

THE IMMORTALISTS by Chloe Benjamin

I remember so clearly the day that my old roommate handed me this book. Chloe Benjamin’s captivating novel follows four siblings who, early on in life, learn the dates of their eventual death. THE IMMORTALISTS takes a very unique spin on the coming-of-age trope, as we follow not one but four different stories: Las Vegas magician Klara; artistic Simon who moves to San Francisco just before the start of the AIDs epidemic; serious military physician Daniel; and Varya, whose section was one of the most accurate depictions of living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that I’ve ever seen. Together, these stories do an incredible job of showing how those who start in the same place can still grow into vastly different lives.

THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

I would be remiss without mentioning the novel that blew up BookTok. Madeline Miller’s stunning work of mythology/historical fiction/romance-guaranteed-to-make-you-ugly-cry (I don’t even know how to categorize it) is the doomed story of Achilles (of the heel) and his best friend, Patroclus. Though it’s set against a sweeping backdrop of war, gods, and monsters, THE SONG OF ACHILLES is, at its heart, a queer love story about two young men who find solace in each other inside a tumultuous world.

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