A whole bunch of books releasing today to get us ready for our summer beach reads. Which of these is on your list? Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez MTV Books Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often ..read more

True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li Summary: College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. So she follows a predictable routine: Attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. She doesn’t leave any room in her life for outliers or anomalies. Then, Grace comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s prickly coworker, Grace is confident that her ..read more

Today we have author Janice Lynn Mather sharing with us all about her new novel “Where was Goodbye?” that publishes next Tuesday, April 30th. The novel is an exploration of grief and mental health after the death of a family member. K. Imani: This novel was truly touching as I felt so many emotions throughout Karmen’s story and her journey to understand her brother. What was your inspiration for Karmen’s story? Janice: Two truths: life is painful, and humans are amazing. The story began with the thought that we, as people, live through so much—including unexpected, agonizing, blinding l ..read more

Title: Where Was Goodbye? Author:  Janice Lynn Mather Genres:  Contemporary Pages: 304 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Review Copy: ARC by publisher Availability: Available April 30th Summary: Karmen is about to start her last year of high school, but it’s only been six weeks since her brother, Julian, died by suicide. How is she supposed to focus on school when huge questions loom: Why is Julian gone? How could she have missed seeing his pain? Could she have helped him? When a blowup at school gets Karmen sent home for a few weeks, life gets more things betwe ..read more

We’ve found quite a variety of books being released today. There is romance, fantasy, music, murder, and more in the pages of these books. What will you add to your TBR pile? Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle Atheneum Books for Young Readers In this stirring young adult romance from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens fight to protect wildlife and heal from their troubled pasts. Ana and her mother have been living out of their car ever since her militant father became one of the FBI’s most wanted. Leandro has struggled with debilitating anxiety si ..read more

Title: Icarus Author: K. Ancrum Genres: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQIA, Thriller Pages: 382 Publisher: HarperTeen Review Copy: Review copy provided by publisher Availability: Available now Summary: Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t ..read more

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier Clarion Books Publisher Summary: In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. But as with all things that offer hope when hope had gone, the tale came with a warning. Every wish demands a price. Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nom ..read more

We have five books on our radar this week, and there’s something for just about everyone here. Which ones are you adding to your TBR list? Against the Darkness (In Every Generation #3) by Kandare Blake Disney Hyperion This epic finale to the The Next Generation trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake ( Three Dark Crowns ) features the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil. For generations, the Slayer was supposed to be the chosen, the one girl in all the world with the power to stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness ..read more

April is National Poetry Month and I thought I’d highlight some amazing books. Novels in verse and YA poetry collections are becoming more popular as teens respond to the genre. I thought I’d share a few that I’ve read and loved. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down. But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, inst ..read more

It seems like this is a big week for releases and there are quite a few different genres to choose from too. The Misdirection of Fault Lines by Anna Garcia Peachtree Teen Three teen girls compete at an elite tennis tournament for a shot at their dreams—if only they knew what their dreams were. Alice doesn’t belong at the Bastille Invitational Tennis Tournament. She needed a sponsorship to attend. She only has a few wins on the junior circuit. And now, she has no coach. Tennis was a dream she shared with Ba. After his death, her family insisted she compete anyway. But does tennis even fit into ..read more