To Read or Not To Read

Elena Armas's follow up to The Spanish Love Deception is every bit as trope-y, romantic, and exciting as its predecessor. The American Roommate Experiment is full of heart and spice, with that satisfying happily ever after that Armas herself is the biggest fan of. Elena Armas is a Spanish writer, a self-confessed hopeless romantic, and proud book hoarder. After years of devouring HEAs and talking—okay, fine, yelling—nonstop about them, she has finally taken the leap and decided to create some of her own. She hopes these stories make your heart skip a beat or two, your palms a little sweaty, and your cheeks flush in that rosy pink that makes other people want to peek at the page you are reading. You can find Elena at  www.authorelenaarmas.com , and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and TikTok. You can find more of my reviews of Elena's work  here . Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well-paid job to focus on her secret career as ...

Shauna Robinson does it again! The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is one of my top reads of the year. With a head-over-heart conflict that got my heart racing, literary references and bookish themes that had me cheering, and characters with such big hearts that I couldn't help rooting for, dare I say that Robinson's sophomore novel is even better than her debut, and that I hope she continues to write and publish, because I'm going to need some more!  Shauna Robinson's love of books led her to try a career in publishing before deciding she'd rather write books instead. Originally from San Diego, she now lives in Virginia with her husband and their sleepy greyhound. Shauna is an introvert at heart—she spends most of her time reading, baking, and figuring out the politest way to avoid social interaction.  Must Love Books  is her debut novel. You can find more of my reviews of Shauna's work  here .  When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run her best friend...

Kiera Cass's newest novel, A Thousand Heartbeats,  is a standalone fantasy romance that will capture your attention as much as your heart. Told in the alternating points of view of main characters Princess Annika of Kadier and the solider Lennox of Dahrain, this story of fated love and ultimate sacrifice will enthrall all of Cass's fans. Kiera Cass is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of The Selection series and  The Siren, The Betrothed,  and  The Betrayed . She is a wife and mom and too many other things to list. If she could make a crown out of anything, it would be the unending tears of her readers. You can learn more about Kiera and her books at www.kieracass.com . You can find more of my reviews of Kiera's work  here .  Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn't her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon by forced into a...

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel Remarkably Bright Creatures is a charming and heartwarming novel, featuring a cast of characters including a grief-ridden woman, a group of small town women who love to gossip, a man trying to find his way in the world and, of course, a giant Pacific octopus.  Remarkably Bright Creatures  almost made me cry with the amount of heart and hope it has, in the face of life's darkness. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family. This is her first novel. You can find her online at shelbyvanpelt.com .  After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at th...

Stories within stories, layered across one another through time and space, are absolutely fascinating to me, and Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility is no exception. A quick read, and a thought provoking one, Mandel's latest novel will have you reflective and hopeful. Emily St. John Mandel's previous novels include The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven , which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, has been translated into thirty-two languages, and is the basis for the HBO Max series by the same name. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. You can find her online at emilymandel.com .  In this captivating tale of imagination and ambition, a seemingly disparate array of people come into contact with a time traveller who must resist the pull to change the past and the future. The cast includes a British exile on the west coast of Canada in the early 1900s; the author of a bestselling novel about a fictional pande...

We return to the Celestial Kingdom in Heart of the Sun Warrior , where even greater trials with even higher stakes are of the great archer Xingyin's concern. Not only is her family threatened, but that of the entire Immortal Realm, and it is up to her to save the kingdom—and for readers, that means we are waiting with bated breath to see how (not if) she'll pull it off.  Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France before settling in Hong King with her family. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, a compilation of fairy tales from around the world, and she spent much of her childhood lost in magical realms. When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills, lakes, and temples around her home. Find her online at  suelynntan.com . Find more of my reviews of her work here.  After winning her mother's freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thr...

Sue Lynn Tan's masterpiece Daughter of the Moon Goddess has it all: adventure, romance, and a strong female heroine so well-crafted, we feel as if we're her friend by the end of the novel. This first novel in the duology is part ethereal homage, part dark adventure, and makes me so anxiously excited for the sequel! Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France before settling in Hong King with her family. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, a compilation of fairy tales from around the world, and she spent much of her childhood lost in magical realms. When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills, lakes, and temples around her home. Find her online at suelynntan.com . Find more of my reviews of her work here.  Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled h...

Rainbow Rowell strikes again, and this time, it was by complete surprise. This bind-up of previously published short stories, along with several new ones, some of which feature characters we know and love, while others are completely new, is a phenomenal read. I couldn't put it down! At the end of each short story, I wished for more, and Scattered Showers makes me excited about what Rainbow Rowell will be doing next. Rainbow Rowell lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her family. She's also the author of Eleanor & Park , Fangirl, Attachments, Landline, Pumpkinheads, and the Simon Snow trilogy. You can visit her website at  www.rainbowrowell.com . You can find more of my reviews of her works  here . Rainbow Rowell has won fans all over the world by writing about love and life in a way that feels true. In her first collection, she gives us nine beautifully crafted love stories. Girl meets boy camping outside a movie theater. Best friends debate the merits of high school dances. A ...

Adam Silvera's smash hit They Both Die at the End is not as grim as the title makes it sound. A celebration of life that stares death in the face, Silvera's story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, reminding readers that they should live life as if each day is a lifetime. Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me , the Infinity Cycle, and—with Becky Albertalli— What If It's Us and Here's to Us. He worked in the publishing industry as a children's bookseller, community manager at a content development company, and book review of children's and young adult novels. He was born and raised in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason. Visit him online at www.adamsilvera.com .  On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus...

Graceling is an absolute gem of a book. As much about adventure and heroism as it is about identity and freedom, Kristin Cashore's debut novel has more than earned its spot on the TIME's 100 Best YA Books of All Time. Kristin Cashore is the author of many New York Times bestselling books, including Graceling, Fire, Bittberblue,  and Jane, Unlimited . She received a master's from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, and she has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, a legal assistant, and aa freelance writer. She currently lives in the Boston area. You can find her online at kristincashore.blogspot.com or on Twitter @kristincashore. You can find more of my reviews of TIME Top 100 YA Novels of All Time here .  Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be...

This anthology by six of the bestselling YA authors of our time is perfect for fans of New York based love stories, and those who love having all the romance tropes in one place. A celebration of Black love, this novel achieves its goal of representation, even though it does unfortunately fall short of a desired execution.  Dhonielle Clayton loves magic. She loves it more than anything ... even pizza or warm chocolate chip cookies. So she reads millions and millions of books to find some in the real world, because magic makes everything much more interesting. She grew up in Washington, DC, suburbs on the Maryland side and is a former secondary teacher and librarian. She is a New York Times bestselling author, the COO of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books, and owner of Cake Creative. The Marvellers was her middle grade debut. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @brownbookworm and online at dhonielleclayton.com . Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors...

This supernatural and deeply twisted debut novel by Ginny Myers Sain is, as the blurb says, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston and Karen McManus. Taking place in a small town with a large cast of well-realized characters, Dark and Shallow Lies will keep you guessing all the way until the end on what really happened that night six months ago.  Ginny Myers Sain lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has spent the past twenty years working closely with teens as a director and acting instructor in a program designed for high school students seriously intent on pursing a career in the professional theater. Having grown up in deeply rural America, she is interested in telling stories about resilient kids who come of age in remote settings. Dark and Shallow Lies is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @stageandpage and on Instagram @ginnymyerssain, or find her on her website at ginnymyerssain.com .  A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath t...

This absolutely hilarious and surprisingly thought provoking fall read by Sally Thorne should go on everyone's October TBR. In Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match , Thorne examines so many interestingly complex topics—but stays true to the hilarity of the concept, making for a wildly entertaining read. Sally Thorne is the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game . She spends her days climbing into fictional worlds of her own creation. She lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband in a house filled with vintage toys, too many cushions, a haunted dollhouse and the world's sweetest pug. You can find her online at sallythorneauthor.com , on Instagram @sallythorneauthor or on Twitter @Sally_Thorne. You can find more of my reviews of her works here .  For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the e...