New Books

Everything is Poison / Joy McCullough

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Everything Is Poison
By: Joy McCullough
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 304
Published: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Dates Read: February 9, 2025 - February 12, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Death, abortion, blood and gore, physical and sexual assault, domestic violence

As soon as Carmela turned sixteen, she was finally allowed into the workroom of her mother’s apothecary in the 17th-century Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome, where her mother and two women make some of the most effective remedies for the community. But the workroom of La Tofana is no simple place and for every flowery suave and tonic, there’s another potion where the main ingredient is dried blood or something else unpleasant. And then there’s Aqua Tofana – the apothecary’s remedy of last resort and a secret Carmela never bargained for.

So, I knew of Joy McCullough from a middle grade book of hers I read years ago, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, so this was my first Young Adult book of hers. I picked it up both because of her and as well as a women run 17-century apothecary sounded amazing!

Carmela, though she was sixteen, still had a lot of growing up to do within these pages. I know sixteen was a decent age during the 17-century, but sometimes Carmela’s attitude towards patrons of the apothecary kind of annoyed me. She was there to help people, regardless of their life standing. I was glad to see her growth with her empathy by the end of the book, especially when it came to Violetta because I felt she was holding a childhood grudge that needed to be let go.

Overall, I loved learning about a time period in history where women were undermined badasses who helped each other right under men’s noses.

Stoked For This: February 2025

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Alright, alright, I know I’m late again! This time, it really was NOT my fault, I tried to get this done last night and my oldest cat, Mushi, was not having it. She was smacking at my iPad’s screen, which kept reacting to her little kitty paws – and every time I tried to type anything, she’d start smacking my hands! I don’t know what she had against me finishing it this, but she was on one!

This month there’s seventeen titles I’m stoked to be released, two of which I’ve already read and reviewed 🙂 There’s quite a few novel in verse titles as well as some silly ones (three novels deal with aliens in someway form or another).

Are you excited for any of these titles??

February 4, 2025

A sci-fi where two men protect a special little girl at all cost – written by one of my favorite authors of all time.

The Bones Beneath My Skin

By: TJ Klune

*This was my first book of 2025 and I absolutely loved it!! Read my review here 🙂

An anthology about the “The Event” – the night the runaway alien posing as Hollywood star, Max Spencer’s rescue turns into an unintentional invasion. 

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology

Edited By: Rosiee Thor and Vania Stoyanova

A historical fiction meets mystery in both multi-POV and multi-timeline (1940s & 1980s Germany and 2020 New York) YA filled with rebellion and sacrifices.

Under the Same Stars

By: Libba Bray

In this newly Japanese translated novel, a restaurant’s resident cat will transport you back in time to reunite with a departed loved one. Cue the tears and the tissues.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen

By: Yuta Takahashi

An action-packed, unflinching examination of the impacts of transphobia adventure intertwined with elements of Jewish mythology. 

A World Worth Saving

By: Kyle Lukoff

A memoir about the love of reading and writing and the relationship between the books that shaped us – aka a book I’m probably going to see myself in within so many pages.

Bibliophobia

By: Sarah Chihaya

February 11, 2025

A novel in verse about a young girl finding her way back after a life changing accident.

It’s All or Nothing, Vale

By: Andrea Beatriz Arango

A novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore with inherited magic and the price we pay for the life we desire.

(S)Kin

By: Ibi Zoboi

Gothic horror novella with sapphic monster romance – only 160 pages!!

But Not Too Bold

By: Hache Pueyo

A companion novel to the ah-mazing novel in verse, Alone, where we’re following kids from their homes into the evacuation camp.

Away

By: Megan E. Freeman

*This was my second book of 2025, you can read my steller review here.

A novel with neurodivergent characters, quirky friendships that explores identity, belonging, and the wonder of being different.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien

By: Alice Franklin

February 18, 2025

A book for nature lovers to meditate on the impact trees have on our lives.

Treenotes: A Year in the Company of Trees

By: Nalini Nadkarni

This book needs no other introduction other than it’s title: I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

By: Kimberly Lemming

A historical novel that follows a homeless teenage girl as she struggles to survive during the Great Depression.

A Tiny Piece of Blue

By: Charlotte Whitney

A young adult debut novel about a young woman’s journey to heal from the trauma of trying “to be fixed”.

I Am the Cage

By: Allison Sweet Grant

With elements from The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, this historical fantasy is about one young woman’s love for the sea.

Upon a Starlit Tide

By: Kell Woods

February 25, 2025

A lake monster bands together with a human after the witch is thrown into her lake by her village.

Greenteeth

By: Molly O’Neill

Away / Megan E. Freeman

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Away
By: Megan E. Freeman
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 480
Published: February 11, 2025
Publisher: Aladdin
Dates Read: January 19, 2025 - January 20, 2025
Format: ARC / Paperback

Told in multiple POVS with a mixture of novel in verse, movie script, production diary, letters, and newspaper articles, this companion novel to Alone, Away follows a group of kids who were placed in the same evacuation camp after the imminent yet unnamed danger that forced them out of their home. When the group of kids has an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist, they begin to dig into the reasoning as to why their world was turned upside down.

As they begin to investigate, they start to discover there’s more of a cover-up operation going on than there is an actual immediate threat. Can the group get to the root of the conspiracy and tell the adults in a way they’ll be believed before it’s too late?

I absolutely adored Alone when I read it back in 2023, so I immediately tried to get my hands on Away as soon as I could. This novel is not a full novel in verse but jumps around between different styles depending on which character it’s focusing on at the moment – though Grandin and Ashantae’s are in verse, Teddy’s is written in movie script or production diary, and Harmony writes letters to her Aunt and essays in new reports.

I think this fast paced story would be fun for middle school readers, especially those who like to prove kids can be just as absorbent, if not more, than adults. The charge to question what is really going on begins with the kids and they’re the ones who shine the light on it in order for the adults to finally see what’s happening.

Are some of the scenarios in this unrealistic? Yes, but it didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying it as I’m sure many others will.

You don’t have to have read Alone in order to understand what is happening in this novel as it is a companion novel and not a sequel.

*Thank you Aladdin and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Bones Beneath My Skin / TJ Klune

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The Bone Beneath My Skin
By: TJ Klune
Genre: Science Fiction
Number of Pages: 416
Published: February 4, 2025 (1st Published October 26, 2018)
Publisher: Tor Books
Dates Read: January 4, 2025 - January 16, 2025
Format: Paperback / ARC

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he lost his journalist job in Washington DC. The only thing he has left is his dad’s old truck, and the family’s empty summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon. So he decides to go there to be alone – except, the cabin isn’t empty. A big gruff of a man named Alex is there. And with him is a young girl, who’s not really young, but oh is she extraordinary. She calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

It becomes clear to Nate that he has two choices. One is to wallow in the memories of his past and drown. Two is the fight for a future he never thought possible. Because it wasn’t by chance Nate met this duo in his cabin, he doesn’t really believe is fate or destiny either – but they’re special, and Nate will do what it takes to keep them free.

Oh I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! As always, I was not disappointed by anything TJ Klune writes; there’s found family, gayness, witty humor, and this time, bacon (all the bacon), conspiracy theories, and running from bad men!

I don’t know how Klune is able to write such realistic, multilayered characters that always end up stealing pieces of my heart and never letting it go, but he does so every single time. The little found family of Nate, Alex, and Art will live on forever in my head by the phrase, “How would Art experience this?” when going through life.

This book is more science fiction over Klune’s usual (recent) releases of fantasy, and there is a small spice scene, but I wouldn’t classify this as a sole romance. There’s more focus on the found family portion as well as Nate coming to terms with his past.

Overall, this is a wonderful, thrilling, fast pace, page turner filled with a blend of the supernatural and of the human experience that is a must-read for all.

*Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Week Late, Stoked For This: January 2025

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I know I’m a week (and a day) late in this, and there will be loads of books already out – but that means there’s loads more books already out (Trying to be a bit more positive this year)! I tried to get this done yesterday, but stuff happened and I couldn’t get back to this.

I’m also going to try something new with my formatting of this series. Let me know what you think! Do you like the new way? Prefer the old way? Have no comments or concerns?

January 7, 2025

Amber arrives home one spring afternoon on her bike. As soon as her mother sees her, she screams. Why? Because Amber’s been dead seven years – hit by a car on the very bike she pulled up to the house in.

After Life

By: Gayle Forman

Bletchley Park. London. 1923. Dragons soar through the skies, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried, she’s going to study the dragon language and make sure her little sister doesn’t have to grow up in Third Class. But by midnight, civil war has started. Viv is recruited for a codebreaker job to save her family – but the more she learns, the harder it is for her to distinguish what what war she’s actually fighting.

A Language of Dragons

By: S.F. Williamson

A dystopian, water covered world where a family tries to save the history of humans while creating a settlement on top of New York City’s National History Museum.

All the Water in the World

By: Eiren Caffall

A sapphic YA debut novel that follows two girls has they fall in love, fighting for survival in an abandoned bookstore.

The Last Bookstore on Earth

By: Lily Braun-Arnold

January 14, 2025

Written in prose and verse, this YA novel following sixteen-year-old Carmela as she’s finally able to help in her mother’s apothecary in the Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome. But the workroom is no simple place, for every simple ingredient, there is else even less pleasant, and Carmela begins to find out the secrets she never bargained for.

Everything Is Poison

By: Joy McCullough

What would you do if you found a magical bookstore that transports you back through time to be face-to-face with your teenage self?

The In-Between Bookstore

By: Edward Underhill

A multi-level, page turning murder novel about pyramid schemes.

Death in the Downline

By: Maria Abrams

January 21, 2025

Ex-Chicago detective Carrie Starr is now at the reservation where her father grew up: they need a new tribal marshal to help with the women who have disappeared from the rez. Now, local college student is missing and Starr begins drown in memories of her own daughter’s murder. As she works on the cases, Starr can’t shake the feeling of a fearsome spirit watching her, one of a woman with antlers of a deer.

Mask of the Deer Woman

By: Laurie L. Dove

Stoked for This: October 2024

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This month we have a whopping EIGHTEEN titles I’m stoked for being released! October is starting off strong with seven of the eighteen. Surprisingly (or not so surprising tbh), there aren’t any horror on this list – a mystery/thriller at the very end of the month, but that’s as close as it gets. Horror’s just not my type – cozy and tearjerkers are more it haha.

Hopefully this lists helps someone find their next read – if it does, let me know! I won’t get to all of these any time soon and I’d love to hear what you think of them :).

Release Date: October 1, 2024

The Magic You Make

By: Jason June

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is the sequel to The Spells We Cast that’s a queer magical romance with a grumpy/sunshine soulmate trope.

I listened to the first one as an audiobook and was absolutely hooked with every minute.

Give me all the magical academic settings with evil forces the teenagers have to tackle.

The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents

By: Nicki Pau Preto

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m not kidding when I say to give me all the magical school…

This one’s a middle grade read with Vin, who is sent to her last magical school before it’s the end of the line.

So, a school, filled with magical delinquents?! Tell me you’re not interested!

Queer Mythology: Epic Legends from Around the World

By: Guido A. Sanchez

Why am I stoked for this release?

I know there’s always been LGBTQIA+ people throughout the world and throughout history, but as we know, history loves to be hetro-white-male-washed.

I know there are a lot of cultures out there that don’t shun the Queer community, so I’m excited to read about them. I’m also stoked to read about the myths where the queerness was erased overtime.

The Glass Girl

By: Kathleen Glasgow

Why am I stoked for this release?

I know most people probably know Kathleen Glasgow from Girl in Pieces, but I actually know her from How to Make Friends with the Dark – where I was left raw and open after relating to parental death in your teen years.

This one is about fifteen-year-old Bella who has a lot of stressors and turns to alcohol to help cope, which lands her in the hospital and rehab.

Though I don’t know if I’ll relate as personally to this novel (I barely drink), I’m sure I’ll be left with all kinds of feelings at the end of reading this.

Make My Wish Come True

By: Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick

Why am I stoked for this release?

A sapphic Netflix-esque cosy romance you say? Oh wait – it’s ex-best friends who are now fake dating for the press?!

I’m so ready.

I probably won’t read this one this month, but I have an ARC of it and I’m excited to curl up with it when it gets colder outside.

Jasmine Is Haunted

By: Mark Oshiro

Why am I stoked for this release?

Again, another author most people will know from another book over the one I associate them with, but still, I really enjoyed Each of Us a Desert when I read it back in 2020 and The Insiders, which I read in 2021 🙂

This is another middle grade read that is said to use spooky ghosts as a way to explore grief and processing trauma. Yea, I know, I really like the heavy stuff don’t I? I do though, cause it’s all stuff I wish I had as a kid growing up and I love reading it now to know what amazingness the younger generation has access to.

The Crescent Moon Tearoom

By: Stacy Sivinski

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a cosy fantasy about witch sisters who live in a magical house. The Quigley triplets are close, until an event begins to pull them in different directions.

I like sister novels. I’m the middle of three sisters and we’re all pretty close (so close my younger sister and I would physically fight each other when we were younger and now I don’t go very long without some form of communication).

This is one of those novels I look at and think I would really enjoy during a crisp afternoon at a cafe with a pumpkin spice latte.

Release Date: October 8, 2024

Twenty-four Seconds from Now…

By: Jason Reynolds

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m stoked for this release so that others can read it as I received an ARC of it and read it a few weeks ago.

You can find the review here ◡̈

It’s a beautifully written novel about two black teenagers, in a healthy relationship, told through the boy’s POV as they get ready to have sex for the first time. There’s amazing, positive talks the boy has with both of his parents and his older sister, and even poor advice from his friends (as usual).

As we’ve just finished Banned Books Week, I’m a little concerned at how quickly this one will be challenged/banned (I joked it will probably take only Twenty-four seconds…)

The Nightmare Before Kissman

By: Sara Raasch

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’ve been highlighting this title since we got an ARC of it in the mail at work.

This is being marketed as Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas where the Prince of Christmas falls for the Prince of Halloween even though he’s set to marry his best friend, the Easter Princess.

Like, this is going to be CUTE! It’s super high up on my TBR list, and I’m hoping to actually get to it here before Halloween, but we’ll see. I’m not sure if it’s set in any particular season, but I’ll come back and update this so readers have the right vibes!

The Bletchley Riddle

By: Ruth Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

Why am I stoked for this release?

There are a handful of authors I will read anything and everything they work on if I can get my hands on a copy. Ruta Sepetys is one of them. All of her Historical Fiction YA novels have always taught me something new about the time period their set in (and sometimes the time period themselves as I never knew the events surrounding that novel were even a thing!).

This novel is a collab is a middle grade historical fiction about two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers (also something I didn’t know!).

I just get excited for Sepetys’ reads because I’ll always end up down a rabbit hole of research afterwards.

Divine Mortals

By: Amanda M. Helander

Why am I stoked for this release?

The only thing I really know about this book is it’s for fans of Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas – two authors who I technically haven’t read, but know I will love their books when I do finally get around to them. So, this one is being added to this list!

It’s supposed to have “spellbinding prose”, which I kind of in a need for some good prose.

Also being marketed as both “Fantasy” and then “Young Adult”, which makes me think it’ll be a New Adult genre and I’m always gathering those in hoards.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

By: Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (Translator)

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is the second book to the Kamogawa Food Detectives series. I read the first book in the series and that review can be found here. Ah – it was so cute! Amazing for any foodies who are also book worms.

Premise: This father/daughter duo not only serve their customers amazing meals, they serve them memories. Customers come in and describe a favorite lost dish of theirs and then the duo goes about finding and recreating it!

It’s adorable and I’m extremely excited to continue on with the series and see more food and memory connection.

Solis

By: Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m not sure if this is the second of a series or a follow up to the authors’ other title, Sanctuary, but it does have the same character of Vali – so, maybe? I haven’t read the other one…

This one is a dystopian YA novel set in 2033 where undocumented people are forced into labor camps and subjected to deadly experiments. Four narrators tell their story about starting a revolution.

It’s all crazy to me and the fact that this could very well happen with how some politicians are going…

Release Date: October 15, 2024

Libby Lost and Found

By: Stephanie Booth

Why am I stoked for this release?

This one is going to rock my world and I will probably cry, cause at first, I only saw the little blurb for this that said, “a book for people who don’t know who they are without the books they love”, and like, hello?! That’s me!

BUT THEN I READ FURTHER!

And mega-best-selling fantasy series author, Libby Weeks, who writes unto the name F.T. Goldhero, is late on her last manuscript because she gets diagnoses with early-onset Alzheimer’s!! Desperate, she reaches out to eleven-year-old superfan Peanut Bixton, who knows the books better than she does but harbors her own dark secrets.

WHAT?!

This book will wreck me. I just know it.

I can’t wait.

The Judgment of Yoyo Gold

By: Isaac Blum

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m a little familiar with this author’s debut work, The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, but not a lot.

This YA novel set in the Orthodox Jewish community is about Yoyo, who has always played the role of perfect Jewish daughter and respects the decision of the community. But when her best friend is cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time.

I don’t know a lot about the Orthodox Jewish community, some, but not a lot, and a bit of what I do know is from Orthodox Jewish Tiktokers (which is also a part of this novel!). So, I’m stoked to hopefully learn more about a community I’m not too familiar with.

Revisionaries: What We Can Learn from the Lost, Unfinished, and Just Plain Bad Work

By: Kristopher Jansma

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m going to be honest and admit I probably won’t read the entirety of this novel. I’ve got a few of my favorite authors’ sections I will read and that’ll probably be the most of it.

Mostly Kafka – cause he’s just weird and I fell in love with his writing in college.

Release Date: October 22, 2024

The Healing Season of Pottery

By: Yeon Somin, Clare Richards (Translator)

Why am I stoked for this release?

First off – I’m openly admitting the fact that the cat is what suckered me in and made me pick up the book first.

Secondly, it’s a cozy Korean bestseller that’s being marketing for fans of What You Are Looking for Is in the Library, which is one of my top recommended books.

This book is a testament to the joy of slowing down in a fast-paced world, a homage to the art of ceramics, and the power of friendship 🙂

Release Date: October 29, 2024

This Girl’s a Killer

By: Emma C. Wells

Why am I stoked for this release?

And last but not least, a thriller mystery about a woman, Cordelia, who loves exactly three things: her chosen family, her hairdresser, and killing bad men.

By day she’s a successful pharmaceutical rep with a pristine reputation and by night she’s culling South Louisiana of monster men who seem to evade justice.

Y’all know I love me a book with found family! But now it’s a serial killer who is trying to do good.

I’m so for it. Let’s go!

Stoked for This: September 2024

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1st Tuesday of the month almost snuck up on me again! – Almost!

Luckily I had the day off on Monday for Labor Day and gathered together most of titles and dates so get this set up and ready for today.

I’ve actually already read a handful of these titles and am stoked for them finally to be available for others to now read and enjoy so I can talk to them about it. TJ Klune, a book about Anne Frank, some though subject matter Middle Grade reads. Let’s take a look at what I’m stoked for in September!!

Release Date: September 3, 2024

The Book Swap

By: Tessa Bickers

Why am I stoked for this release?

A romance based around a little free library?

Sure, why not?

But I’m mostly stoked because it’s promising to be a love letter to books and reading and those are two of my favorite things so I don’t think I could not be stoked for this!

Blue Sisters

By: Coco Mellors

Why am I stoked for this release?

Three estranged sisters return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister’s death.

This is marketed as being about “grief, identity, and the complexities of family”.

My sisters and I are relatively close – I don’t think I go a few days without talking to them either individually or in our family or sister chat. So, I’m sure I’ll do the comparison about us a lot (though there’s only three of us all together).

Also – I love family dynamics. We’re all messy, but that’s life.

The Life Impossible

By: Matt Haig

Why am I stoked for this release?

I really enjoyed The Midnight Library when that came out a few years ago, so of course I’m going to pick up to latest novel from Matt Haig.

This one is about a retired math teacher who is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend. When she goes down there, she begins to search for answers about her friend’s life.

If you read Haig’s other novel, than you know there’s gonna be more than meets the eye in the description. So, I’m stoked to find out what that is!

Tig

By: Heather Smith

Why am I stoked for this release?

I actually just read this on my Labor Day Monday (so expect the review later this week!)

This is about Tig and Peter, who are forced to move in with their Uncle Scott and his partner, Manny after living alone for months. There’s a tough transition, but also a goal of outrunning a wheel of cheese down a hill…

I may have shed a tear of two when reading this. It’ll pull on your heartstrings for sure.

Release Date: September 10, 2024

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

By: TJ Klune

Why am I stoked for this release?

First off – it’s TJ Klune and I loved anything and everything he writes. You can also bet I will talk about the newest release for the next twelve months (do you hear me still talking about In the Lives of Puppets??)

My boss is amazing and got me an ARC of this so I read it earlier, if you’d like to see my review, you can find it here ◡̈

Something in the Woods Loves You

By: Jarod K. Anderson

Why am I stoked for this release?

Maybe I’m being a little optimistic about wanting to read another nature/animal based nonfiction – but this memoir has gotten a lot of buzz around it that it’s made me curious.

I honestly probably won’t get around to it for quite a while, but it’s also supposed to talk about mental illness and depression, and not just nature and animals. Maybe this one I won’t have to read it chunks like I did with Immense World.

Whenever You’re Ready

By: Rachel Runya Katz

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’ve actually been talking this book up at work a lot because it’s a about two reconnected friends who must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this emotional sapphic romance.

I’m stoked for this because I really don’t read a lot of sapphic romances, but this one had been reviewed as being adorable and cute, so I’m ready for it.

Greta

By: J.S. Lemon

Why am I stoked for this release?

Okay so this one is Okay so this one is being said to be, “J. S. Lemon’s middle grade debut is an utterly transformative, fiercely original, and surprisingly funny story about consent, friendship, healing, and a beauty that transcends all else.”

It’s also said to be “Reminiscent of Kafka’s Metamorphosis”, which if you don’t know this about me, Kafka is one of the few old dead white guys that I actually enjoy reading, so anytime anyone compares things to him, I have to read it.

I’m sure there’s going to be some heartstrings pulled on this one though.

Release Date: September 17, 2024

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

By: Alice Hoffman

Why am I stoked for this release?

Since I was a kid, I was already really interested in WWII. First it was Pearl Harbor, then I was obsessed with finding out anything and everything about the Holocaust, which of course, lead me to Anne Frank.

I received an ARC of this book some time ago and you can find my review here.

It is an imagining as to what the days leading up to the Frank’s hiding could have been like for Anne, but it was done with intensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

How to Piss Off Men: 106 Things to Say to Shatter the Male Ego

By: Kyle Prue

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is just going to be a funny book that I will love to read after a stupid day at work.

Some days it’s just fun to upset men and their tiny egos.

Release Date: September 24, 2024

Playground

By: Richard Powers

Why am I stoked for this release?

So, I’m going to be honest and tell you I now have three book that Richard Powers has written, but have I have not read any of them yet. Would I enjoy them all? I have no doubt.

This one is supposed to have a cast of characters and about the ocean – one of the few places humans haven’t colonized.

There’s more to this, but I’m not doing a very good job at explaining it!

A Little Less Broke: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole

By: Marian Schembari

Why am I stoked for this release?

As an adult female who probably is most definitely on the autism spectrum, it makes me smile when I see or read about people’s experiences in getting the diagnosis later in life and the validation they then feel.

I’m just going to be happy for the author.

When the World Tips Over

By: Janey Nelson

Why am I stoked for this release?

Did I geek out just slightly when we got an ARC of this at work?

Yes.

Did my coworker make fun of me for it?

Yes.

Am I still stoked for the Fall family to experience a rainbow-haired girl who trips their world over?

Yes.

What We Sacrifice for Magic

By: Andrea Jo DeWerd

Why am I stoked for this release?

It’s a witchy coming-of-age novel about a young witch who just graduated from high school and is set to take over as the indomitable Madga from her grandmother.

But as she begins to ask why her path is so set in stone, she begins to find out family secrets as to how they keep magic in the family.

Just – give me witchy, fall vibe good books, okay?!

The Naming Song

By: Jedediah Berry

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a book about words and metaphors and how what we use to describe ourselves is what becomes of ourselves.

I feel like this may be a hit or miss for me. I love books about books, but honestly’ don’t know how I feel about books about language. I don’t know why I’m thinking of Babel and how I’m a little nervous to pick that book up or not because it’s so hit of miss with readers.

Stoked for This: August 2024

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

I’m going to be a bit honest and have been a bit discouraged in doing my Stoked for This this month. I know I’m not the most popular website, I’ve only had this for a little over 1.5 years, so I’m not expecting a lot. But even if I don’t get a lot of interactions with this, I still actually do enjoy looking over everything and seeing what’s coming out this month. Maybe one day someone will read one of these things and get excited for a release that is coming out they didn’t know about ◡̈

So, without further ado…

There’s some really awesome releases coming out this month! Including a few from author’s I’ve loved in the past, so therefore excited to get my hands on their most recent releases. Be excited – there’s also talking cats and Studio Ghibli is involved…

August 6, 2024

The Pairing

By: Casey McQuiston

Why am I stoked for this release?

Ever since Red, White & Royal Blue I’m been gathering up every Casey McQuiston novel that comes out, so obviously this is on my radar too.

A queer, “Let me show you just how over you I am by hooking up/dating these other people” trope. I don’t read a lot of cis romance (I say as I’ve actually read a few these last few months…) but queer romance I’m always down for.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

By: P. Djèlí Clark

Why am I stoked for this release?

I can’t remember how I ended up reading The Black God’s Drum a few years ago – I believe a coworker suggested it to me. Anyway, I really enjoyed that novella and I’m constantly putting it on recommendation lists I make at work. The world building that Clark made in that novel still blows me away now.

I haven’t read his other novels yet, but they’re on my TBR list, but I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about that – just that I need to read them.

This novel, though has the word cat in the title, says it doesn’t have cats in it, but yea know I’m still going to be interested in it! It also has assassins – which the story DOES have ◡̈

It Happened to Anna

By: Tehlor Kay Mejia

Why am I stoked for this release?

Tehlor Kay Mejia wrote my favorite sapphic YA duology that I read back during Covid lockdown (We Set the Dark on Fire).

This is a middle grade ghost story about a tween girl who’s literally being haunted by loneliness and anytime she tries to make a friend, the ghost scares them away (or causes an accident that kills them).

I’m not sure how this will go since it is aimed at Middle Grade – it could be not that scary, or terrifying (remember how crazy Goosebumps was?!). But it sounds like it could be interesting, so I’m into it!

Five-Star Stranger

By: Kat Tang

Why am I stoked for this release?

Following a narrator only referred to as Stranger, you navigate around New York City under the guise of the characters he plays. But when a nosy client threatens to upend his long-term roles as father to a young girl, Stranger begins to reckon with his attachment to his pretend daughter, her mother, and his own past.

The premise of this sounds familiar, and yet, I can’t pinpoint another actual title where this happens. Honestly, probably all the fake dating fanfics I read in high school & college…

Anywho – I’m picturing a cute little girl who’s probably got this guy wrapped around her finger and that’s adorable okay?

This isn’t being marketed as a romance, so I think it may focus more on the relationship the narrator has and not love stuff.

Guess we’ll see ◡̈

August 13, 2024

The Dollmakers

By: Lynn Buchanan

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m just going to start off with this little marketing quote, “The Dollmakers is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films and the works of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree…”

I would shout my love for TJ Klune and Travis Baldree from the rooftops if I could (I kind of do with the amount I shove their books into people’s hands). Also Studio Ghibli can do no wrong and the I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watch Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Totoro.

This is a stand-alone fantasy about a world centered around destructive monsters, magical dolls to fight this force, and the artisans trying to prove herself.

I’m ready for the world building in this and the story premise – I’ve been wanting a good fantasy!

Ash’s Cabin

By: Jen Wang

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is about a young boy and his dog going deep into the California wilderness to see if he could find his Grandpa Edwin’s secret cabin (if he ever built it).

I’m simply excited for this because I too would also like to disappear deep into the wilderness in search of an isolated cabin far from society.

August 20, 2024

The Volcano Daughters

By: Gina María Balibrera

Why am I stoked for this release?

This one is about two sisters raised in the shadow of El Salvador’s dictator, El Gran Pendejo (which I have no knowledge of).

That’s one of the reasons I really enjoy and advocate for historical fiction, a lot of it is based on real events and yes, I could read a history book about it, but I have a hard time with just being given facts. I’m slowly getting into more and more narrative nonfiction, but for now, let me enjoy reading historical fiction.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop

By: Mai Mochizuki

Why am I stoked for this release?

First off, there’s cat on the front of this book. It’s also translated Japanese’s literature – so I dare you to stop me from getting this.

This is a book about a cafe that is run by talking cat who will also consult their customers on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives veered off course.

My oldest cat turns 14 on the 10th this month – oh how I wish I could talk with her! I can’t wait to live vicariously through these characters.

Helga

By: Catherine Yu

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a YA retelling of Frankenstein.

Have I ever actually read Frankenstein?

No.

Am I still excited to read a YA retelling of it?

You betcha.

August 27, 2024

Buffalo Dreamer

By: Violet Duncan

Why am I stoked for this release?

Firstly, this cover is beautiful, which is what grabbed my attention when I saw it on the publisher’s preview at a virtual event.

Secondly, this story is actually about “reclaiming the past” and is based on the author’s family history. Set in Alberta, Canada, Summer has begun having vivid dreams in which she’s running away from one of the residential schools. When she learns of the unmarked children’s graves found at the school her grandfather attended as a child, folks begin speaking out about their experiences.

The way history treated Native and Indigenous Peoples is absolutely repulsive and the more I find out about how it wasn’t happy-go-lucky like I was taught in school, the more outrage I feel. So, I try to read and learn about this history from Native and Indigenous authors.

This is aimed for Middle Grade readers, so I know it probably isn’t going to have anything massively intense with it, but I still want to read this stuff, so I know when to offer it.

Stoked for This: July 2024

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

I know. I know. I didn’t get around to June’s :/ I had a chunk of it done, but by the time I could actually put time into it, it was halfway over and I didn’t think anyone would want to know what I was stoked for in the past… I don’t know, maybe I should have still posted it? I know a lot of people don’t really read this – that this is more for myself. But I need to do better at remembering to actually get this done – cause here I am at 11 am Tuesday morning, trying to get this together 🙂 Still a work in progress I guess haha.

Anywho – this month is really going to hone in on female rage. What’s the rage level?? Read on to find out! ◡̈

July 2, 2024

49 Miles Alone

By: Natalie D. Richards

Why am I stoked for this release?

Two cousins go out on a hiking trip in the Utah desert to rekindle their relationship. While out, they run into a couple, Finn and Riley. They hear the couple argue in the middle of the night and Riley running off into the wildness with Finn chasing her. With their supplies dwindling, the girls try and find Riley before Finn does.

This is marked as YA, but I don’t know if it could technically be New Adult based on a few things (I’ll let you know when I read it!).

This just sounds like it could be an adventure – and of course, hiking in the desert in this heat right now wouldn’t be too hard to imagine!

Age 16

By: Rosena Fung

Why am I stoked for this release?

The first sentence of this novel is this: “A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about three generations of mothers and daughters passing down and rebelling against standards of gender, race, beauty, size, and worth…”

Like – how could you not be excited for that?!

As we know, I love me a good feminine rage book – and make it, what looks like, will be a beautifully drawn graphic novel too?? YES.

The Night Ends with Fire

By: K.X. Song

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is inspired by the legend of Mulan, so I have high hopes for this – especially since the last book that told me that, gave me a big let down and I was so bummed.

So, I may be holding this higher standards, but this one is getting good reviews!!

Another kind of feminine rage if you will – or rather, proving the fact that women can do most things men can do too..

July 9, 2024

The Confidence Games

By: Tess Amy

Why am I stoked for this release?

Okay, this one is a little outside my usual read for sure; a mystery thriller.

But, it’s two female con artists – who only swindle men, and only ones who deserve it – must pull off the ultimate heist! Reminds me of that all female Ocean’s 8.

The Spellshop

By: Sarah Beth Durst

Why am I stoked for this release?

THERE IS A MAGICAL SPIDER PLANT IN THIS! I have a freakin’ spider plant tattoo because I love them so much.

This is also said to be “like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic”.

God, that just sounds magical and maybe the perfect escape from this dang heat we’ve got going on!

July 23, 2024

Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect

By: Hilda Eunice Burgos

Illustrated By: Siara Faison

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is totally for the younger crowd – but I’m here for the cat.

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky

By: Josh Galarza

Why am I stoked for this release?

Though the title of this YA novel is funny – this one will be nothing of the sort. It’s going to deal with anxieties, eat disorders, parents with cancer, and a whole lot more.

It’s going to probably rip my heart out, but sometimes you just need a book to destroy you.

Slow Dance

By: Rainbow Rowell

Why am I stoked for this release?

The day I’m not excited for a Rainbow Rowell novel, I’ll probably be dead.

This is an adult romance where two best friends from high school, who everyone thought would end up together, find each other again after fourteen years without speaking to one another.

Also – I have a signed copy of an ARC of this thanks to my beautiful Readers Services Department I work with.

The Lost Souls of Benzaiten

By: Kelly Murashige

Why am I stoked for this release?

“A young outcast transforms into a robot vacuum”

Okay. Okay. I thought WTF when I first read that too – but my friend Lucy (we worked together is the RS Department) picked it up for me at PLA cause she thought I’d like it.

It’s about friend breakups and being human.

I’m sure I’ll have quite a few feels about this after reading it too.

Your Letter

By: Hyeon A. Cho

Why am I stoked for this release?

After transferring schools due to bullying, Sori’s new school seems like it may just be a repeat – until mysterious trail of letters leads her on a magical scavenger hunt.

So this is a Manhwa (Korean Manga; it’s set up like manga, but read left to right like English). I’ve actually only read one other Manhwa before, so I’m excited to read another one.

July 30, 2024

Pink Glass Houses

By: Asha Elias

Why am I stoked for this release?

Two reasons I’m stoked for this.

1. Elite Elementary School PTA Moms. My parents were huge PTA parents while my siblings and I were in elementary school. My mom was the treasurer and secretary and my dad did a lot of the physical work (he also made Fun Night activity stuff that, as far as I’m aware of, is still used today).

2. One of the mom’s is from Wichita, KS – which was where we use to go to “be in a bigger city” while we were in Salina. Totally use to make a shopping trip before school started with my Grandma down there.

That’s it haha. Mostly into for how ridiculous the rich can be.

Stoke for This : May 2024

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

Y’all I’m back! I officially submitted in my selections for the awards I was reading for yesterday and I am now able to tackle more of my TBR (and my backlog of galleys from NetGalley :D). So, be prepared to see more from me as I get back on track with my reviews!

May 7, 2024

The Skunks

By: Fiona Warnick

Why am I stoked for this release?

Reviews I’ve seen of this book have generally described it as being one that will sit with you well after you’ve read it. So, I’m curious to see if this will.

This novel is about Isabel who moves back home after college and just – tries to figure out her life from there. But being back home brings up old memories (including an old crush).

There are also supposedly POV changes, one of course, being a skunk, so let’s try it!

Telephone of the Tree

By: Alison McGhee

Why am I stoked for this release?

I originally heard about this book at a Publisher’s Digital Book Event. This is a book about loss and grief.

As someone who lost her dad when I was only twelve, there’s a lot of stuff I used to do as a preteen that were probably weird. I didn’t really have books like this growing up and I really cherish reading them, even now so I know what the younger generations have.

May 14, 2024

Thirsty

By: Jas Hammonds

Why am I stoked for this release?

Jas Hammond’s debut YA novel, We Deserve Monuments was my 2022 Book of the Year. I’ve been anxiously waiting for their next novel.

In this novel, Blake is doing everything she can to join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society – but to keep her confidence up, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle.

Hammonds layered her last novel masterfully and how she talked about the trauma was amazing as well. I’m really excite to see where this one goes.

It Waits in the Forest

By: Sarah Dass

Why am I stoked for this release?

Another story that will be diving into grief – but this one is not only for people, but for the lives we wish we had.

There’s also potentially something to do with botany magic?? I may be misreading or jumping to conclusion on it, but like – the cover! Give me plant magic so I can keep my plants alive and stop accidently killing them!!

With Just One Wing

By: Brenda Woods

Why am I stoked for this release?

After breaking his arm climbing a tree to get a closer look at the mockingbird nest, Coop is stuck at home during the summer. Later, when the fledglings fly away, Coop and his friend, Zandi, discover a baby bird with one wing is left behind. Coop adopts it

This book is a lot about adoption

The Last Rhee Witch

By: Jenna Lee-Yun

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a middle grade mystery/suspense novel mixed with Korean folklore and summer camp.

Again, I know it’s middle grade, but I’m still excited about these titles. These types of novels weren’t around when I was a kid – and if they were starting to come about, I pretty much spend a year reading middle grade before jumping into YA since my reading level was so high as a kid.

And, weirdness at summer camp? Count me in 🙂

May 21, 2024

To & Fro

By: Leah Hager Cohen

Why am I stoked for this release?

I saw this one in a publisher’s email and asked for the ARC of it, I’m hoping I can read it right before it comes out so I can talk it up.

To & Fro has two mirrored narratives with flipped over covers to read each story about girls searching for understanding.

There’s also a stolen kitten involved!

Shae

By: Mesha Maren

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a coming-of-age novel about sixteen-year-old Shae and her companion, Cam. Shortly after Shae becomes pregnant, Cam begins transition and declaring female pronouns.

After traumatic C-section and the birth of their daughter, Shae is given opioids and then becomes addicted.

This isn’t going to be a candy filled read, that for sure – but I’m already rooting for Shae and her fight that so many Americans are dealing with when it comes to the opioids epidemic.

The Light Eaters

By: Zoe Schlanger

Why am I stoked for this release?

And our nonfiction of the month goes to this popular science read about plants!

As I have mentioned above, I love plants and I have quite a few sprinkled throughout my home that I (try) to take care of. Usually I can do great with them for a few months and then something dramatic happens and they die. I do have a handful I’ve kept alive for along time – including a cactus named Max who I’ve had going on 8 years who I’ve propagated three times.

Plants are also amazing out in the wild and how they are able to care for themselves out there interest me so I’m interested in this read for sure!

May 28, 2024

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

By: Onyi Nwabineli

Why am I stoked for this release?

This novel is about Anuri’s life as she tries to break her young half sister out of the cycle of abuse from her influencer stepmother.

I know I keep mentioning about the differences between when I grew up and now – but like, I’m 11 years older than Youtube. Even though I loved filming my friends and family as a kid, those videos were just for us.

Nowadays, there’s so many “influencers” that film everything they do and post it online. I think of the Franke family and how crazy that actually ended up being…

Anywho, I’m curious to see how this one reads and how it goes showing the “bad side” of constantly being online.

A Galaxy of Whales

By: Heather Fawcett

Why am I stoked for this release?

I mostly wanted this book because it’s from the author of of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I still haven’t read that book, but it’s on my TBR and based on what I’ve heard of it, I know I will love it.

This book is a summer story that has trials and pleasures of friendships with two preteens trying to best each other in a photo contest.