The Poet Empress

The Poet Empress
by Shen Tao
Bramble, 2026. 388 pages. Fantasy

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of Azalea House—where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center at the side of a violent prince. To survive, Wei must become a poet and compose the most powerful spell of all.

Set in a magical land similar to historic China, this book has a lot to recommend it. I loved how this story slowly revealed itself in layers. Wei discovers somewhat early on that things at court need to be upended, and the best way to do so is with a magical killing poem that can only be written with love. It's an almost impossible task when Wei doesn't know how to navigate life at court, she isn't allowed to read or write, and she has good reason to hate the person she needs to kill. Seeing how Wei navigates these problems kept me engrossed. It's a compelling story of political intrigue and the sacrifices Wei must make in order to do what's best for her country. This book contains some dark themes and scenes, so this book isn't for everyone, but for me this wove a careful line between the dark themes and the story of hope and courage at the center of it.

If you like The Poet Empress you might also like:

The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
Harper Voyager, 2018. 530 pages. Fantasy

Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

She Who Became the Sun
by Shelley Parker-Chan
Tor, 2021. 414 pages. Fantasy

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. When the Zhu family's eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family's clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

MB

Paper Ghosts

Paper Ghosts

By Sarah Addison Allen

St. Martin's Press, 2026. 266 pages 

Mystery 

Every family has its secrets . . .The Wester women live inside theirs. 

For decades, the women of Wester House have unsettled and fascinated their small, timeless North Carolina town. Their home is full of whispers, old griefs, and uncanny knowing. But when Willamena Wester reaches out to the granddaughter she once pushed away, long-buried truths begin to stir. 

1976: Restless young Willamena falls for a stranded musician who brings freedom and the promise of another life to her carefully controlled world. Their brief, incandescent love story promises to escape the pull of the Wester legacy until Willamena makes a fateful choice that changes her life forever. 

Present day: Returning home is the last thing Bailey Wester wants. Yet as she reconnects with Willamena, the grandmother she feared, Bailey begins to understand the love, heartbreak, and impossible choices that shaped the women in her family and realizes the past may not have been trying to haunt them after all. A luminous novel filled with Sarah Addison Allen’s stunning prose and signature blend of romance, Southern charm, and wonder, Paper Ghosts reminds us that in order to have the future we really want, sometimes we need to live with the past, and not let go of it. 

Sarah Addison Allen is one of those authors whose books I will pick up simply because her name is on the cover. Her stories have a way of making ordinary places feel a little enchanted, and Paper Ghosts is filled with that same atmospheric quality. There is a sense of mystery woven throughout the story, along with complicated characters, family secrets, and the feeling that the past is never quite as far away as we think it is. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, layered family stories, and a touch of the unexpected, Paper Ghosts may be exactly the kind of book that pulls you in.

If you like Paper Ghosts, you might also like:

The Moonlight Healers

By Elizabeth Becker

Graydon House, 2025. 336 pages 

Fantasy 

For generations, the Winston women have possessed an unspoken magical gift: they can heal with the touch of a hand. It’s a tradition they’ve always had to practice in secret, in the moonlight hours, when the fireflies dance and the whippoorwill birds sing.  

But not every healer has rightfully passed on this knowledge to her descendants, and for young Louise Winston, the discovery of her abilities comes in less-than-ideal circumstances—she brings her best friend back from death following an accident, the day after he professed his long-held feelings for her, five days before she’s supposed to move away. 

Desperate for answers, and to avoid this new reality between them, Louise escapes to her grandmother’s lush Appalachian orchard. There, she uncovers her family’s hidden history in a tattered journal, stemming back to her brave great-grandmother who illicitly healed Allied soldiers in war-torn France. But just as Louise begins to embrace her unique legacy, she learns that it can also come with a mysterious cost. And with a life hanging in the balance, she’ll be forced to make the most impossible of choices…

The Enchanted Hacienda 

By J.C. Cervantes 

Park Row, 2023. 368 pages 

Fiction 

When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada. 

The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined. 

With unforeseen twists, romance, and a heavy sprinkle of magic, The Enchanted Hacienda is a captivating coming-of-age debut exploring identity, unconditional family love, and uncovering the magic within us all.

That Last Carolina Summer

By Karen White

Park Row, 2025. 352 pages

Fiction

As a child, Phoebe Manigault developed the gift of premonition after she was struck by lightning in the creek near her Charleston home. Plagued throughout her life by mysterious dreams, and always living in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Addie, Phoebe eventually moves to the West Coast, as far from her family as possible. Now, years later, she is summoned back to South Carolina, to help Addie care for their ailing mother. 

As Phoebe’s return lures her back into deep-rooted tensions and conflicts, she is drawn to Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing years ago. Their connection brings comfort to Phoebe, while Celeste’s adult grandson Liam resurrects complicated emotions tied to Phoebe’s past. 

But the longer Phoebe spends in her childhood home, the more her recurring nightmares intensify—bringing her closer to the shocking truth that will irrevocably change everything. Unfolding against the lush backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry, That Last Carolina Summer is an unforgettable story about the unbreakable bonds of family and the gift of second chances.

That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic

That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic

By Keala Kendall

Random House, 2026. 337 pages. Young Adult Horror

A native Hawaiian teen travels to a luxury island resort in search of her missing twin and uncovers the dark side of paradise. For the world's wealthiest, Kōpa'a Island Resort is more than a destination. It's the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation. But to uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island's bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields--or risk being consumed by them.

I never thought I'd have the opportunity to read a Native Hawaiian horror - and this one sure delivers! Swapping the usual haunted mansion for an eerie hotel resort, Kendall deftly investigates the many ghosts of colonization and its psychological impact on Hawaiians today. Rich with atmosphere, complex characters and spooky encounters, That Which Feeds Us is a ghost story that's sure to linger with readers long after they've braved its pages. 

If you like That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic, you might also like:

Honeysuckle and Bone

By Trisha Tobias

Sweet July Books, 2025. 304 pages. Young Adult Horror

Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother's alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and powerful Hall family. Once there, Carina finds herself settling right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the family runs a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension between the Halls, but Carina is content flying under the radar and hanging out with her new friends--not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone, or something, is out to get her. Is it the Halls? The house itself? Or is her own past catching up with her? With Aaron's help, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she's forced out of Blackbeard House for good.

She is a Haunting

By Trang Thanh Tran

Bloomsbury, 2023. 341 pages. Young Adult Horror

Seventeen-year-old bisexual Jade Nguyrn is spending the summer in Vietnam at the French colonial house her estranged father is fixing up as a vacation rental, but unbeknownst to her family, the house and its ghosts have other plans.

Burn Down, Rise Up

By Vincent Tirado

Sourcebooks Fire, 2022. 338 pages. Young Adult Horror

When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode in its history in the process

KD

The Silent House of Sleep

The Silent House of Sleep

By Allan Gaw

The Mysterious Press, 2026. 277 pages. Mystery

No one who meets Dr. Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, and brilliant, the Scottish pathologist is the best that Scotland Yard's new detective chief inspector has seen. But Cuthbert is also a damaged man--a man who lives with secrets, and who still battles demons brought back from the trenches even ten years after the end of the Great War. When not one but two corpses are discovered in a London park in the winter of 1929, Cuthbert must use every tool at his disposal, including cutting-edge forensics of the period, to solve the mystery of their deaths. In the end, the horrifying truth is more shocking than even he could have imagined.

This is one of the most compelling mysteries I've read in a long time. Jack Cuthbert is such a sympathetic and interesting character, and the flashbacks to his time at university, and in the trenches during World War One flow seamlessly with the story taking place in 1929. Warning: the murders are pretty grotesque, and maybe not for a weak stomach. If you can handle the gritty details, though, the story and characters make it worth the journey. I'm looking forward to the second book coming out next year.  

If you like The Silent House of Sleep, you might also like: 

A Test of Wills

By Charles Todd

New York: Harper. 305 pages. Mystery

In 1919 Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after fighting in the war, still suffering from shell shock. His next case, with a war-ravaged ex-soldier as the witness, could spell disaster for him.

No Graves as Yet

By Anne Perry

Ballantine Books. 363 pages. Fiction

On a sunny afternoon in late June 1914, Cambridge professor Joseph Reavley learns that his parents have died in an automobile crash. Joseph's brother, an officer in the Intelligence Service, reveals that their father had been en route to London with a mysterious secret document--allegedly possessing the power to disgrace England and destroy the civilized world. Now that explosive paper has vanished, and Joseph is left to wonder: How had it fallen into the hands of his father, a quiet countryman? But Joseph is soon burdened with a second tragedy: the shocking murder of his most gifted student, who was loved and admired by everyone. Or so it appeared. As England's seamless peace begins to crack, the distance between the murder of an Austrian archduke and the death of a brilliant student grows shorter every day.

MGB

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls 

By Jessica Spotswood 

Henry Holt and Company, 2026. 388 pages. Young Adult Horror 

 The harrow home for wayward girls has long stood as a place of secrets. The estate has housed hundreds of young women hidden away during their pregnancies, their homesick cries echoing through the halls, providing a haunting score to Grace Harrow's childhood. Now, in the summer of 1947, the Home has been sold to a wealthy hotelier. Grace expects the new owner's daughters to be spoiled. Yet Rose, the eldest daughter--unaware of Mr. Harrow's abusive tendencies--is jealous of Grace's seemingly easy confidence. But as they're drawn into each other's lives, an unlikely friendship begins to form. Fortunately so, because not all of the wayward girls made it out ... One still lingers. Lurking in the shadows. Looking for vengeance. To expose the truth buried in the walls of the Harrow Home, Grace and Rose must unravel a legacy of silence and cruelty. But Grace's father will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden, and if the truth comes to light, it could destroy both their families. 

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls is a book packed full of rage, revenge, and broken hearts. I was delighted to find that I cared about (or was at least interested in) every character's story - no small feat as I am sure we have all experienced. This is one of those perfectly atmospheric gothic tales. I felt like I could smell the pool the characters gathered around and could feel the humid basement air. Do yourself a favor and dip your toe in the water of this spooky read, just don't look too closely at your reflection. 

 If you like The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls, you might also like: 

 

What Rough Beast 

By Mindy McGinnis 

Harper, 2026. 272 pages. Young Adult Horror 

 Ava learned the hard way that speaking up means being shut out. A social outcast, she finds comfort in her job at a wildlife rehabilitation center, surrounded by the injured, the damaged, and the lame. Best of all, the work distracts her from the night that changed her life--and the boy she holds responsible for it. Micah knows he's not a good guy. His past is littered with mistakes, accidents, and things he'd rather forget. But feeling guilty and accepting punishment are two different things. He doesn't know which is worse--the weight of what he's done & or the growing feeling that it's all about to be dragged into the light. Hailey will do whatever it takes to rise up from her life of abject poverty. The biggest weapon she has is her looks, and she'll use it to get what she wants--the richest boy in town. When Ava's claims threaten their relationship, Hailey knows she must silence her--maybe forever. When Ava unknowingly awakens an entity that has been biding its time underground, the three teens will be brought together on a night when something wants to be born and only a death will balance the scales. 

Holloway 

By Elana K. Arnold 

Clarion Books, 2026. 330 pages. Young Adult Horror 

 It is the late summer of 2021, and a girl named Nora is on the Paris Metro. Nora, whose mother loved her, even though Nora was broken. Nora, who couldn't help her mother when her mother needed her most. Nora, from whom the pandemic has taken nearly everything, save the object she clings to: a cylinder containing her mother's ashes. With no family left, no friends to speak of, and no way to turn back time, Nora has come to France to keep a promise she never got to make: to spread the ashes in a place her mother never got to see. But instead, Nora finds herself on the run through a forest in the night, taking refuge in a dark holloway. And when she wakes, and tries to make her way back to something she recognizes, she realizes that is impossible. Because it is no longer 2021. Questioning everything--including her own sanity--Nora sets out on a journey through a time and place completely foreign to her, and yet one that, much like the time and place she came from, is defined by death, loss, fear, and uncertainty. A journey in which she must find a way to honor her mother--and heal herself--in a world that feels irrevocably broken. 

Manor of Buried Secrets 

By Mason O’Connor 

Catalyst Press, 2026. 307 pages. Young Adult Horror 

 When sixteen-year-old Peter Brewer's unconventional great-aunt Patricia--one of the last heirs to the once-wealthy Woodwright family--passes away at the age of 105, Peter's family travels to Patricia's mansion for her funeral. Thrown into the hothouse of old feuds and eccentric characters, Peter finds himself drawn into the web of family secrets surrounding Patricia's inheritance. Rumors swirl of a hidden fortune, and Peter's curiosity grows with each obscure conversation he overhears. When Peter and his new friend Larissa find Patricia's cryptic love letters to a young man, written decades before, they set out to uncover the hidden truths about Patricia's legacy--and how her secrets may still haunt the Woodwright family. Falling for Larissa, Peter can't help wondering if he is doomed to torpedo this relationship because of his own foibles. As Peter is pulled deeper into Patricia's long-buried past, he starts to realize that others at the funeral might have their own hidden agendas ... and seeking to uncover the truth may put him and Larissa in danger of getting in their way.

CB

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity 

by Rachel Linden 

Berkley, 2026. 370 pages. Romance. 

Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime-a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true. Her vision is more delectable than she could've imagined-her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. When Henry arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible. But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly wants. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making? 

This is a sweet romance that answers the question: What if your dreams come true and it’s not what you expect it to be? With charming characters, a quaint setting, and a fun premise, this book does not disappoint. It’s a cozy and feel-good read and may or may not make you crave chocolate. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to live life with a little more whimsy and romance. 

If you like A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity, you might also like: 

The Library of Flowers 

by L.C. Chu 

SourceBooks, 2026. 416 pages. Romance. 

For centuries, the Hua women have held sway over the courts of emperors and billionaires with their magical perfumes able to stir hearts and ensure fortunes. And in every fifth generation, an eldest daughter is born with the rarest gift of all: the ability to summon true love. As a long-awaited fifth daughter, Lucy was supposed to be the miracle her exacting mother had been waiting for. But when her magic failed, Lucy fled Vancouver, her legacy, and the expectations that had nearly broken her. Now, years later, she runs a tiny perfume shop tucked away in Toronto's Kensington Market—crafting beautiful, perfectly ordinary scents and keeping her extraordinary past firmly behind her. That is, until a death in the family brings her home...and saddles her with an unwelcome inheritance: the centuries-old Hua family register, brimming with secrets, formulas, and forgotten truths. As Lucy unravels the stories of the women who came before her—including the mother whose complicated heart she never could understand—she must confront the tangled threads of love, power, and identity...and ask herself whether her magic was ever truly gone, or simply waiting for her to decide for herself what it means to be a daughter of the House of Hua. 

Darling Daffodils Farm 

by Brittanee Nicole 

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2026. 404 pages. Romance. 

When aspiring pastry chef, Tally Darling, returns home to her family's daffodil farm, the last thing she expects to find is a hot--half-naked--farmhand living in her childhood bedroom and running her late daddy's business. Jeesse Walker might be gorgeous but he's also infuriatingly grumpy. Walker has no time for Tally and the feeling is mutual. That is, until Tally hears him moan over one of her signature salted honey cupcakes. And then discovers how good it tastes when they kiss. As dewy April days turn into warm May evenings, Walker and Tally soon realize that there is a thin line between love and hate. But will their budding connection grow into something that lasts beyond one season? 

Old Flames and New Fortunes 

by Sarah Hogle 

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2024. 362 pages. Romance. 

Fibs and squabbles and spells . . . oh my! A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for floral witch Romina Tempest to use the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest love in their lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in others' happily ever afters. When the shop's potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps at the opportunity to discuss the business . . . even if it means she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation. But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor's soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex King: her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who broke her heart. What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a weeklong fake-dating scheme, as Romina quickly finds out she can't deny her connection with Alex. Caught between her livelihood and her heart, Romina must decide if taking a second chance on first love is worth the risk.

Take Me to Your Leader

Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
First Simon Six/Simon & Schuster, 2026. 226 pages. Nonfiction.

The culmination of a lifetime of fascination and speculation, Tyson applies the universal laws of physics to make the case for what aliens might look like, act like, how they might travel, what they might think. Should such an event occur, Tyson offers useful etiquette tips for your first close encounter.

First, a very crucial disclaimer: If you still can’t accept the 2006 reclassification of Pluto as a “dwarf planet” and haven’t forgiven Dr. Tyson for his role in “kicking Pluto out of the solar system”, then I regret to inform you that he is as gleefully unrepentant as ever. Even worse, he tries to justify his actions by means of the Pioneer 10/11 space probes. (The probes each had a golden plaque affixed to them depicting a mathematical “map” and a diagram of our Solar System, the idea being that any intelligent beings finding a probe would then be able to locate and contact Earth.) He theorizes:

“If evil Aliens seek to become our overlords, and they survey our region of the Galaxy, they would be completely confused by the eight planets and six huge moons they see in our actual solar system. The Aliens would surely pass us by, in search of the nine-planet star system portrayed on the plaque, leaving us undisturbed, making Pluto the savior of all mankind.”

Nice try, Dr. Tyson. #JusticeForPluto

Salty attitudes aside, this is a breezy, fun read. Die-hard sci-fi fans will enjoy Tyson’s examinations of just about every type of fictional extraterrestrial ever created. (He even takes credit for consulting with DC Comics on the now-canon explanation for baby Superman’s speedy arrival on Earth—he traveled through a wormhole!) He discusses the plausibility of ancient marvels, modern conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, and abduction accounts alike with a clinical eye. Dr. Tyson encourages readers to keep an open mind, but not to jump to conclusions. (Good advice, no matter the topic.) And maybe one day, if aliens do contact humankind, we’ll be wise enough to not commit an interstellar faux pas within the first five minutes.

If you liked Take Me to Your Leader, you might also like:

The Little Book of Aliens

by Adam Frank

Harper, 2023. 215 pages. Nonfiction.

Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether E.T. is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven't we found them? What happens if we do? We've long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestrials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. Here, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves.

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology

by Rosiee Thor, ed.

Page Street Publishing, 2025. 329 pages. YA Sci-Fi.

What starts as a simple rescue mission for a crew of teen aliens to recover one of their own soon becomes an interstellar encounter no one will forget. Captain Iona is organizing an impromptu retrieval for her brother, an undercover alien posing as a movie star. But her efforts go awry when a technical malfunction turns her heroic rescue into an unintentional invasion. With tales of disguised extraterrestrials stuck in theme parks, starship engineers hitchhiking to get home, and myth-inspired intergalactic sibling reunions, each story in this multi-author anthology explores the universal desire to be loved and understood, no matter where you come from. After all ... aliens are just like us.

Hole in the Sky

by Daniel H. Wilson

Doubleday, 2025. 267 pages. Sci-Fi.

On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA's headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: "First contact imminent."

-LAH

Glint

Glint (Plated Prisoner #2) 

By Raven Kennedy 

Independently published, 2021. 462 pages. Fantasy 

Auren has lived in King Midas’s golden castle for ten years (GILD), but now she’s being held prisoner by Fourth Kingdom’s army. As Midas’s favored, Auren is the main bargaining chip, but Commander Rip, known for his brutality on the battlefield and viciousness, wants her to realize that Midas isn’t as good and kind as she’s been led to believe in her gilded cage. In the game of kings and armies, Auren is the gilded pawn. The question is, an she out maneuver them? 

For fans of slow-burn romantasies, mythology retellings, and court intrigue, the Plated Prisoner series is one to try out. I was really frustrated with Auren in Gild because of her naïveté with Midas, but in Glint she’s starting to question the life she’s lived (essentially that of a manipulated and abused pet) and realize that she’s not a toy to be played with, or a tool to be used. She’s actually a powerful woman, with a voice, and she deserves far better than what Midas is giving her. Enter Commander Rip who is pushing her to question everything and train her abilities, and I’m so ready for the “villain gets the girl” trope. 

If you liked Glint, you might also like: 

The Book of Azrael

By Amber V. Nicole 

Kensington Publishing Corp, 2022. 598 pages. Fantasy 

A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life to save her sister, unknowingly binding herself to Kaden, a monster worse than any nightmare. Now she must retrieve a relic from the creatures hunting her. Once Samkiel, now Liam, the World Ender returns to a realm he swore off after the Gods War. As old enemies resurface, Dianna and Liam must unite to save their world—and every realm in between. 

The Serpent and the Wolf

By Rebecca Robinson 

Saga Press, 2024. 346 pages. Fantasy 

As a dark magic awakens within her, Vaasa Kozar struggles against the political machinations of her ruthless brother and finds her arranged marriage to the equally ruthless Reid of Mireh growing into something greater, threatening to play havoc with the competing agendas that swirl around it. 

ACS

The Compound

The Compound

by Aisling Rawle

Random House, 2025. 292 pages. Fiction

Lily, a disillusioned young woman, competes in a high-stakes reality show on a desert compound where personal bonds, hidden desperation, and escalating challenges blur the lines between game strategy and survival amidst a crumbling outside world. 

For all of my fellow reality TV lovers and haters, this one is for you! Particularly the Love Island variety. The book starts out innocuously enough, but once it picks up, it is hard to put down. Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful, character-driven fiction and reality TV social commentary. 

If you like The Compound you might also like:

The Book of Luke
by Lovell Holder
Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 394 pages. Fiction

Following the car accident that ended his football career and left his body scarred, 22-year-old Luke Griffin joins the cast of Endeavor, a new competition-based reality show that pits the tabloids' darlings against one another in tasks of endurance and problem solving. Soon a series of betrayals leads to irreversible tragedy, changing the course of his and his felllow contestants' lives forever. Ten years later, Luke is now a father of two and the stay-at-home husband to America's only openly gay senator. When his husband's serial cheating is exposed, Luke impulsively joins the cast of Endeavor's latest season in a desperate bid to earn some fast cash. 

Patricia Wants to Cuddle
by Yumei Kitasei
Flatiron Books, 2025. 376 pages. Fiction

On this season of The Catch, a Bachelor-style show, contestants must compete for love...and their lives. 

RBL 

All Systems Red

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1)

by Martha Wells

Tom Doherty Associates, 2017. 152 pages. Sci-Fi.

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

I looooove a fun robot story. Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and The Positronic Man are on my personal “best books” list, I always sympathized more with C-3P0 than Luke Skywalker, a Lego model of Johnny 5 sits on my desk at this very moment, and Star Trek’s Mr. Data is my all-time favorite fictional character, hands down. That said, I don’t know how I completely overlooked Martha Wells’ hit series The Murderbot Diaries before now! But I finally took notice and am working to rectify my error. Book 1 is already a winner in my eyes. Murderbot, as the narrator, is a snarky delight. It has named itself for its potential to be an unstoppable killing machine now that it is free to make its own choices. It’s plain from the start, though, that Murderbot has much more in common with Data and Andrew Martin than with The Terminator, possessing an innate sense of right and wrong and a real “heart” buried beneath the circuits. (Its favorite pastime is binge-watching terrible TV shows, it's practically human already!) All Systems Red is a fast-paced origin story, introducing us to the Company-controlled future of humanity and setting Murderbot up for further adventures. I’m looking forward to seeing where my grumpy new robot friend goes next!

If you like All Systems Red, you might also like: 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers

Harper Voyager, 2016. 443 pages. Sci-Fi.

Rosemary Harper doesn't expect much when she joins the diverse crew of the aging starship Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers a bed, a chance to explore the galaxy, and some distance from her past. The crew is offered a job tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. It's a lucrative job, but a host of unexpected mishaps force the crew to depend on each other.

Automatic Noodle

by Annalee Newitz

Tor Publishing Group, 2025. 163 pages. Sci-Fi.

You don't have to eat food to know the way to a city's heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food--the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around--for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war. 

Moss’d in Space

by Rebecca Thorne

Bramble/Tor Publishing Group, 2026. 360 pages. Sci-Fi.

Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia's assessment, it was not "a meteoric sign of stupidity." Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now ... but it's Torian's ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex ... ah, captain ... said. Except Torian's first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of "stealing" the ship. It's entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.

-LAH

We Burned So Bright

We Burned So Bright

By T.J. Klune

Tor, 2026. 169 pages. Sci-Fi.

Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they've experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world. Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they've ever known will be gone. Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They're in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington state to take care of some unfinished business before it's all over. On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how--impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, and new friends. And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough. Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?

I want to preface this review by saying I am a very emotional person who cries very easily, so, perhaps, you will not have as strong of a reaction to this book as I did. With that said, I have to be honest with you: this book made me cry a concerning amount. For entirety of the last forty or so pages, I was absolutely weeping. I know that doesn't necessarily sound fun. I know that might not sound appealing. I know you're wondering to yourself: "Why would I want to read a book that makes me cry so hard I nearly pass out?" I know! Trust me, I get it! But, yet, here I am recommending this book to you, anyway, despite my near brush with unconsciousness from crying too hard, because I can promise you that this book is so worth it. Klune handles the heavy topics -death, fear, mental health, the end of the world, grief- so tenderly and with compassion. While the story never shies away from heartbreak, Klune also balances the heaviness with humor, hope, and love in all its forms. He highlights both the bad in humanity (war, greed, violence) and the good in humanity (kindness, art, music, laughter, empathy) and shows how life in general contains both great terribleness and great beauty. This book is short at only 169 pages, and I flew through it, but it wasn't necessarily an easy read. It was, however, an incredibly rewarding one. If you're looking for a book that will make you feel deeply and leave you reflecting on life -and on how you choose to spend your brief and precious time on Earth- We Burned So Bright is the book for you. 

If you like We Burned So Bright, you might also like: 

The Spear Cuts Through Water

by Simon Jimenez
Del Rey, 2022. 522 pages. Sci-Fi.

The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace. But that god cannot be contained forever. With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined. Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you. 

This Is How You Lose the Time War

by Amal El-Mohtar
Simon & Schuster, 2019. 198 pages. Sci-Fi.
 

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them.

The Measure

by Nikki Erlick
HarperCollins, 2022. 352 pages. Fiction.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live. From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise? As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they'll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge? The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn't have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

ND