Hooray, It’s Time for New Books!

I hate to say it but…summer is practically over, my friends. This is a great YA book to kick off the fall and also give you some Stranger Things vibes. In 1987, Cori, Maz, and Sam were the closest of friends, spending much of their time at the arcade. But then Sam went missing. Now it’s five years later, and Cori and Maz are in high school. Sam’s disappearance has never been solved, and it has been hard on a lot of people. Then suddenly Sam shows up again—but he’s still twelve years old. Something supernatural is going on and it’s not finished with their small town yet. Can the group of friends, old and new, get to the bottom of the weirdness? This book is lots of fun and chock full of nostalgia! I was like, “I remember that! And that! And that…” (CW for racism, homophobia, violence, child harm, and animal harm.)

Backlist bump: If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

I am leaning heavily into fantasy reads the last couple of weeks, so I picked this up because I can’t resist a Goblin Emperor comp. And I was not disappointed! In this world of Arasht, the princes have the ability to taste metals with the touch of their fingers. Kadou is one such prince. After the shy prince is humiliated by the father of the queen’s child, he agrees to lead an important investigation to prove his loyalty. With the help of his handsome new bodyguard, Evemer, what starts as a look into a seeming break-in uncovers a vast conspiracy at the court—and some complicated feelings between Kadou and Evemer! This is a fabulous enemies-to-lovers high fantasy romance adventure! (Plus lots more adjectives but we’re short on space, lol.) (CW for anxiety and mental illness, violence, murder, and chemical use.)

Backlist bump: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark fans, take note! As I may have said, I am so excited about fall books and the upcoming Halloween reading season. So here’s a delightful new middle grade story collection! These are age-appropriate and still scary stories to delight readers of all ages. There’s ghosts, vampires, werewolves, beasts, hauntings, bugs, and more. Scary + funny + wonderfully illustrated = a new collection for a new generation. (Full disclosure: I used to babysit Scott Buoncristiano’s little brother when I was in high school. I haven’t seen him in over three decades, but I was unsurprised and happy to to learn he’s made a career out of his art.)

Backlist bump: Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker, illustrated by Junyi Wu

This week, I am reading House of Cotton by Monica Brashears and The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi, which is her first novel for adults! Outside of books, I have been rewatching Regular Show. And the song stuck in my head is “Am I Wrong” by Love Spit Love. I’m also into listening to music from the 1980s while I play WoW and I started a playlist. It now has over 900 songs and you can listen here! And here is your weekly cat picture: I don’t know how this can possibly be comfortable, but Farrokh loves to sleep like this.