Oct 21

Oct 21 Books Publishing This Week

The morning in late October feels like a page turning—quietly, deliberately, the soft shift between what was and what’s coming next. The world outside your window is calm, washed in that silvery kind of light that only autumn mornings seem to hold. The air is cool enough to make you draw your blanket a little tighter around your shoulders, but the promise of the day feels warm and full, like an ember glowing steadily.

You move slowly, savoring the start of the day. The kettle hums in the background, the faintest curl of steam rising as you prepare your morning tea or coffee. The scent of it fills the room—earthy, comforting, familiar. You carry your mug to your favorite chair by the window, where the trees outside are at their most beautiful—half bare, half aflame in deep shades of copper and crimson. A few leaves drift past on the breeze, fluttering down like slow confetti.

Beside you waits the book you’ve been meaning to start. It’s been sitting on your table all week, patiently, as the month rushed on around you. There’s always something special about beginning a new book on a morning like this—something about the stillness that makes the words feel richer, more alive. You settle into your chair, legs tucked beneath you, the blanket a cocoon of warmth, and pull the book into your lap.

You run your fingers along the edge of the pages before opening it. The first few sentences greet you quietly, the story unfurling in that deliberate, steady way that invites you to take your time. Outside, a gust of wind shakes the branches, and you pause for a moment to watch a swirl of leaves spin across the yard before returning to the page.

There’s a rhythm to mornings like this. The soft sip of your drink, the faint sound of leaves skittering along the pavement, the gentle scratch of paper as you turn each page. The story pulls you in slowly, its pace matching the hush of the world outside. You let yourself sink into it completely, aware of how good it feels to be both grounded in this space and drifting somewhere else entirely through the words on the page.

Every so often, you lift your eyes to the window. The light has shifted—brighter now, more golden—and you can see your breath fog faintly against the glass when you lean closer. The world feels suspended in this moment: the chill in the air, the scent of your drink, the weight of the book in your hands. You take another sip, another breath, another page.

There’s something about late October that makes you want to linger in the small things—to stretch out these quiet, fleeting moments before winter truly arrives. The book feels like a bridge between seasons, between who you were in the warmth of summer and who you’re becoming in the stillness of autumn. You read on, losing track of time as the story deepens and the morning unfolds around you.

When you finally close the book for the first time—just a few chapters in—you rest it on your lap and glance outside again. The sun has climbed higher now, the light stronger, but the air still holds its crisp edge. You feel content, grounded, quietly full. The day will go on, and there will be things to do, but for now, you’ve had this: a soft October morning, a hot drink, a world of words just beginning to open.

It’s the perfect way to begin both a story and a day—unhurried, thoughtful, and filled with the kind of beauty that only late October can bring.

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Books Publishing October 19 - 25

Stage of Fools by Sean Pauzauskie

A haunting and evocative literary novel that explores the fragility of identity, the weight of legacy, and the redemptive possibilities of love and memory. Set at the intersection of high-stakes ambition and deeply personal reckonings, the story unfolds from the unlikely vantage point of Steven Levinson—a powerful San Francisco business magnate rendered silent by a near-fatal accident, and now trapped in a coma in intensive care.

As his body lies inert, Steven’s consciousness drifts through memories, regrets, and long-buried secrets. The recent estrangement from his daughters weighs heavily—their love seems to have turned to resentment, and he fears that their once-iron bond has corroded beyond repair. A new experimental treatment, ultrasonic thalamic stimulation, offers a glimmer of hope for awakening.

As the novel weaves between past and present, consciousness and unconsciousness, a larger picture emerges—of lives knotted by ambition, trauma, and the longing for connection. Through Levinson's search for meaning, the story charts the universal struggle to reconcile the past with the possibility of a better future. Echoing Shakespeare’s King Lear, Stage of Fools offers a modern meditation on power, forgiveness, and vulnerability.

Leave This Off the Books by Arden Joy

After a bitter divorce from her abusive ex, Simon, Naomi Hoffman promises herself she’s finished with love and resolved to keep her past where it belongs. But her resolve is tested when she meets Will Quinn, the charming producer of one of the country's top news programs.

Allowing herself to love again is daunting, and it becomes even more complicated when she struggles to keep Simon a secret while he relentlessly tries to re-enter her life. As if managing a budding romance with Will weren’t challenging enough, Naomi finds herself caught in the crossfire between his boss, Freya, and her best friend, Abby—high school nemeses whose rivalry reignites the moment they cross paths again. Their constant bickering leaves Naomi wondering if the ladies doth protest too much and there’s something more going on between them.

Her whirlwind romance with Will goes from private to prime time when he proposes on live TV, turning their love story into a reality show sensation. But just as Naomi’s dream wedding approaches, the past she thought she’d left behind comes crashing through the door—literally. A journalist barges into the ceremony, accusing her of an affair with Simon, leaving Naomi abandoned at the altar and humiliated in front of millions.

With her once-perfect moment shattered into a tabloid frenzy, Naomi must help Freya and Abby untangle their feelings while confronting her own. Can she reclaim her narrative and create her own happily ever after, or will the final act of her love story end in heartbreak?

In this modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, love, lies, and reality TV prove that all the world truly is a stage.

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur

More by Alexandria Bellefleur

A down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might be the devil she knows, from nationally bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.

Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell.

In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon.

Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. She’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.

Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another.

As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.

Play You For It by Samantha Salvidar

When Jordan D’Amato becomes the first woman named head coach of a top-level men’s college basketball team, journalist Caroline Beck is determined to get the story. After years of scraping her way into the world of sports reporting, Beck knows that snagging the first one-on-one interview with the elusive head coach could be her big break. But Jordan is wary of the media and the attention her historic new appointment attracts, especially as her boss makes it clear that it’s a temporary assignment—and if she doesn’t lead the team to victory, it won’t become permanent.

Beck’s persistence, however, charms Jordan, and she agrees to sit down for an interview. The two women have undeniable chemistry—but journalists definitely can’t fall for sources, and Jordan certainly can’t fully trust the ambitious reporter who has every reason to use her team secrets for the next big scoop. Though they both know it will ruin their reputations and likely also cost them their jobs if anyone finds out they are romantically involved, they can’t seem to stay away from each other.

With the national tournament in sight and both of their careers on the line, they must decide whether to take the shot on their budding love story—or walk away from the risky game they’ve been playing for good.

A Christmas Witness by Charles Todd

An Ian Rutledge Christmas Novella

Author Interview with Charles Todd

Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.

Dear Asil:

We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you: five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun!

Sincerely,
Your Concerned Friends

Santa's 18-Wheel Chrome-and-Steel Sleigh by J. Brandon Boron and illustrated by Shaun Ivie

With the reindeer sick and Christmas on the line, how on Earth will Santa get all of those toys to those good girls and boys?

Don’t worry—With 18 wheels, a little help from his friends, and a lot of milk and cookies, Santa has a plan!

Climb aboard and join Saint Nick and his pals as they make the most important delivery of the year!

The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury

While searching for her family's missing Christmas ring, a military widow sparks a friendship with a handsome antiques dealer, who just might have the love and the lost heirloom she's been longing for.

Vanessa Mayfield's great-grandfather discovered a beautiful gold and ruby ring buried in the dirt at Normandy on D-Day. It gave him hope when all hope seemed lost and came to be known as The Christmas Ring as it was passed down through the generations of their family.

Years ago, though, Vanessa lost the ring shortly after becoming a military widow herself and has scoured antique stores ever since, hoping someone found it. After dropping her daughter Sadie off for college, the "Christmas in July" sale sign she sees passing through Marietta seems the perfect distraction before returning to her now-empty house. She doesn't find the ring, but she does find something completely unexpected: the co-owner of the store, Ben Miller, makes her smile in a way she hasn't since losing her husband.

Their friendship blossoms throughout the fall, and as Christmas nears, it's clear that something more is developing. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ben's father, Howard, has purchased a box of antiques that happens to include Vanessa's missing heirloom Christmas ring. A ring secretly worth five figures and filled with a lifetime of Vanessa's memories. Ben's father has no idea the importance of the heirloom--he just knows it is by far the most valuable piece he will have ever sold--and he's making plans to sell it so he can finally travel the world. It is his Christmas diamond in the rough.

As Vanessa works to pull off her annual Columbus Cares Christmas Military Dance, she's eager for Sadie to return home from college. But she hasn't told Sadie about Ben. Every time she tries, something stops them. But with Ben in town to help with final preparations for the dance, she can no longer put it off.

When Ben learns the truth about his father's newfound treasure, he fears it will become a wedge that drives them completely apart. Can he convince his father to stop the sale of Vanessa's precious heirloom? Or this Christmas, will love become the actual diamond in the rough?

I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons

Told from the dueling perspectives of Cleopatra and Caesar’s mistress Servilia, I Am Cleopatra is a powerful, addictively readable reimagining of the alluring queen’s life. A modern retelling that goes beyond previous caricatures, I Am Cleopatra is a fascinating portrait of the flesh-and blood-woman behind the great legend. Natasha Solomons’ spellbinding story of female power and fragility, love and loss, fierce friendship and terrible betrayal introduces at last the real Cleopatra in all her glory and vulnerability.

The Hawk is Dead by Peter James

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.

Roy Grace is back with his most difficult case yet in the gripping new instalment from number one bestselling author Peter James.

Red Star Hustle / Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal & Sam J. Miller

Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters—a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double

Red Star Hustle
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he’s framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he’s trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can’t stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.

Apprehension
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford

Howl's Moving Castle meets Little Thieves in this cozy fantasy about the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop and a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic.

Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world—a quest that risks almost-certain death—she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

The Gilded Butterfly Effect by Heather Colley

A darkly comic and unflinching feminist campus novel for the age of prescription pills, impossible beauty standards, and weaponized friendships. Fans of Mona Awad’s Bunny and Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation rejoice—your newest “weird girl” antiheroes are finally here.

When introverted loner Penny transfers to a midwest university in search of the all-American college experience, she finds herself under the intoxicating influence of Stella, a glamorous, damaged sorority girl with a razor-sharp wit and a bottle full of secrets. As their unlikely friendship deepens into obsession, both young women spiral into a hall of mirrors—haunted by frat-house cruelties, prescription drug dependencies, and the brutal expectations of modern femininity.

Narrated in alternating voices, The Gilded Butterfly Effect exposes the glossy absurdities and grim realities of contemporary campus life, exploring themes of body dysmorphia, mental health, sexual assault, and peer manipulation with both ferocity and humor. This acerbic, atmospheric debut asks: how much of ourselves do we lose when trying to belong?

Colley isn’t afraid to put campus life under a microscope, examining complex topics ranging from sexual assault to prescription drug abuse to body dysmorphia with an unwavering steady hand. The Gilded Butterfly Effect is a delightfully twisted (and timely) read that promises to deliver loveably imperfect female protagonists, humor, and a whole lot of dysfunction.

The Gilded Butterfly Effect is the debut novel by author Heather Colley, whose short fiction has writing won The Oxford Review of Books Short Fiction Prize, the Hopwood Award, and the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize Shortlist.

The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen

The gods want her dead...Hades will bury them.

You’d think I’d have learned by now:
Don’t mouth off to deities.
Don’t fall for the King of the Underworld.
And definitely don’t get dragged into a divine death match where I’m the cursed mortal prize.

But here I am―trapped in Tartarus, humanity’s worst pit stop, squaring off against monsters who make the gods look merciful. Titans, twisted by centuries of rage and ruin, are sealed behind seven ancient locks.

And guess what?

I'm the key.

To escape, I’ll have to survive every horrifying trial they throw at me.

To win, I might have to become something the gods never saw coming.

Oh, and Hades?

He's about to break every rule the gods ever wrote.

Because to save me...the god of death will burn the world.

But if I break free? So do the Titans.

And the world won’t just suffer―it'll beg for the end.

The Women of Artemis by Hannah Lynn

From an award-winning author comes an adventurous, bold story about history's most ferocious women: this is the rise of the Amazons.

When she first married at fourteen, Otrera imagined a relationship full of love. A partnership. Five years later, living in destitution with her abusive husband, she knows that no such thing exists with a man. It is simply a woman's lot in life to accept the treatment of her husband.

Until it's not.

Rallying the abused women around her, Otrera fights back, taking no prisoners. Because it's clear to her: when men are in power, freedom isn't granted. It's bought with blood. It's a price she is more than willing to pay, if it means building a new life with other women far from the reaches of their abusers.

But a community of women - an army of women - is bound to make enemies of gods and men alike.

This is the story of Otrera and the first Amazons.

The Captive and the First Blood Game by K.A. Linde

Everyone wants a piece of her.
He wants it all.

Reyna Carpenter trusted the wrong people…and paid the price.
Held captive in the heart of a vampire empire, her freedom stripped and blood claimed, Reyna survives the only way she knows how—hope. Hope that she’ll find a way to escape. Hope that she’ll be reunited with Beckham. Hope that when she gets out of here, love will be waiting on the other side.

Except escape isn’t salvation. It’s only the beginning.

Because the world outside has changed. Lines have been drawn. Allegiances have shifted. And Reyna? She’s no longer the girl who walked willingly into the dark.

But she’d do it all over again for Beckham.

Now she has to decide how far she’ll go to reclaim her freedom…and the vampire she’s fallen for. Because power runs through Reyna’s veins, power others will do anything to control—which means she’ll have to do more than just survive.

She’ll have to fight back.

A Heart So Haunted by Hollie Nelson

In this evocative and stunning debut, secrets in the very bones of Harthwait House are disturbed when a new tenant moves in, for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones.

Be wary the beds and the space beneath,
the cracks in the floors and the furnace teeth.
Keep your eyes from the shadows and tongue so still.
Because once Harthwait grows dark, the monsters become real.

Landry is ready to clean house—not just Harthwait, but the traumatic memories and family entanglements that haunt her. Left reeling from her aunt’s sudden death, Landry knows she has to restore the old house and sell it for much needed cash. Preferably, before autumn arrives. But as renovations begin on Harthwait, she notices some peculiarities: motion sensors activate when no one is home, doors slam shut, and every night, at a quarter after midnight, the disembodied crying begins. Then, when she uncovers a hidden door during the renovations, she dares to open it.

Behind the door is a world of nightmares, some of which are hers, while others belong to a monster—who is trapped inside and desperate to get out. Both haunted by their pasts, Landry makes a deal with the monster, but as they develop feelings for each other, she realizes that the thing that looks like a beast may not be the most beastly thing after all.

This rich and spellbinding tale explores the idea of what we call home and who we call family.

Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker

Haunted by a curse that kills someone close to their family every thirteen years, two sisters must come together to break the spell and save that which they hold most dear.

This enchanting novel explores the fraught lines between family and the secrets they keep, perfect for fans of Ava Morgyn and Heather Webber.

Florence and Evie Caldwell have long disagreed on how to break their family’s curse, and tension has been high since their mother’s death thirteen years ago. Honeysuckle House, the family estate where every Caldwell has lived, now only houses one of the sisters. Evie has crafted it into an enchanted bed and breakfast while Florence runs a magical bookstore in town, refusing to even set foot inside Honeysuckle House.

But when the house starts behaving dangerously and catches fire, Florence and Evie must set aside their differences and dig into past generations of their family and the town’s history before the curse claims someone they love.

Witches of Honeysuckle House is an exploration of sisterhood, family, and the places we call home, perfect for readers who love the darker aspects of Weyward and the sister dynamics of The Crescent Moon Tearoom.

The Deadly Book Club by Lyn Liao Butler

Author Interview with Lyn Liao Butler

A virtual book club listens in horror when the screen freezes and one of their members is murdered in this twisty and delicious thriller from the author of Someone Else’s Life, perfect for fans of First Lie Wins and The Writing Retreat.

Five of the most prominent book influencers in the US make up an exclusive virtual book club that’s the envy of the online book world. Once a month, they get on a video call to sip cocktails, chat about social media campaigns and book events, and discuss their monthly book club pick.

Until one meeting, when all of their screens freeze, and they listen to gut wrenching screams as one of them is brutally attacked. It feels like an eternity before the video call drops—and thus begins the frantic texts and phone calls as they try to figure out who was murdered and why.

As the investigation unearths secrets each of them needs to keep buried, the jealousies, hidden resentments, and trouble in their personal lives begin to surface. The remaining four women are suspicious of each other, pointing fingers to take the heat off their own indiscretions. But if they want to figure out who killed their friend, they need to band together and put past hurts behind them. Or one of them will be next.

Long Way Down by Lisa Kusel

She thinks she’s marrying the perfect man. But nothing is as it seems.

Perfect for fans of Rachel Hawkins and Darby Kane, this suspense-packed novel entangles readers in family lies and shocking secrets that will leave you breathless.

Deni Rydell believes her life is finally about to change for the better just as soon as she marries Cal Cooper Jr., heir to a massive California mining fortune.

When Cal and his parents perish in a plane crash, Deni’s dreams are shattered. She’s hoping to find solace with Cal’s brother Grant, who only recently returned to the small town of Gold Hills after a year’s stay in rehab. Too bad Grant is caught up trying to please Erika, the mysterious woman he brought home with him.

Meanwhile, Gold Hills detective Robyn Torres is assigned to investigate a vicious murder which she assumes to be a drug robbery that turned deadly. The deeper she digs, though, the clearer it is that she couldn’t be further from the truth. Soon enough, Torres begins to uncover a series of disturbing family secrets and dark lies connected to the Cooper family that threaten to destroy everything Deni knew to be true.

Risk, Resilience, and Redemption: A Miraculous Holocaust Survival Story

Bluma Tishgarten and Felix Goldberg were torn from their families and communities and cast into Hell... Adolf Hitler was the devil that presided over Germany's descent into madness and led the Nazis in their murderous march across Europe and beyond from 1939 to 1945. Despite not knowing if their friends and neighbors and their families were still alive, the two young Polish Jews struggled through the grueling conditions of near-starvation and slave labor as well as torture and terror with only the faint glimmer of hope as their beacon leading them to survival.

They found each other. They found a life together and they found their way to America. This is their miraculous story of their trials and tribulations... of the risks they took, the resilience to persevere, and their ultimate redemption.

Hammered by Dave Schultz with Dan Robson - Forward by Bernie Parent

The original Broad Street Bully has secrets to reveal.

Before there was Bob Probert, Tie Domi, or Stu Grimson, there was Dave Schultz. The original enforcer changed the face of the NHL for decades to come, and helped bring the Philadelphia Flyers their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, by scaring opponents into submission. His name was known and feared around the league—and still is. Schultz still draws long lines for his autograph.

That’s a long way to have come for a kid who grew up on a farm with no indoor plumbing, a gentle kid who hated fighting. He calls himself a “chicken shit,” and admits he got his brother to fight for him until he was twenty.

But none of us leaves the past behind entirely. When the bright lights dimmed and the cheers went quiet, Schultz was left to grapple with the scale of all he’d lost. The money dwindled. Friendships faded. The lifeline of his marriage slipped from his hands. Finally, all that was left was the echo of fame, the booze, and the demons that shaped him into the fearsome fighter he became.

Still, not even haunted fighters like Schultz give up, and they never flinch—no matter how relentlessly life hammers away at them. Unafraid to look his demons in the eye, Schultz knew to keep swinging in the hope of some kind of victory. Maybe not the kind that brings thousands of cheering fans to their feet, but something deeper, braver, and more lasting.

Hammered takes readers to the places some of those demons come from, and reveals challenges no one has ever suspected Schultz has fought through. It does not shy away from his regrets. But it also conjures the epic victories that made his name a synonym for toughness and intimidation, and makes clear that while he was down, the big guy was never out.

Balancing Act by Paula Chase

A Sweet Valley High for a new generation, a dishy, dazzling YA drama set against the backdrop of an elite charter school where stars are made—or fade.

When Chyna gets a scholarship to the newest, most prestigious sports school in the city, it’s the best opportunity to do the gymnastics she loves. But between caring for her ailing mother and dealing with the elitist girls on her gymnastics team, she’s not sure she belongs.

Meanwhile, Jamaal is reeling from the death of his brother—who was also secretly Chyna’s boyfriend. Becoming star of the Power Panthers basketball team is his way to honor his brother’s memory and nothings going to stand in his way. Not even his health.

Filled with gossip, high-stakes sports drama, and tons of heart, BALANCING ACT is the first in a riveting new series about teens fighting for their dreams in a city where picking a side is no game.

The ABCs of California’s Native Bees by Krystle Hickman

Journey through the world of California native bees, one letter at a time.

National Geographic Explorer Krystle Hickman has spent a decade capturing exquisitely detailed photographs of native bees and making exciting discoveries about their behavior in the field. In her debut book of natural history, she offers an intimate look at the daily habits of rare and overlooked native bees in California: those cloaked in green or black or red, that live alone in the ground or sleep inside flowers, that invade nests and pillage resources like infinitesimal conquerors, or that, unlike more generalist honeybees, are devoted exclusively to the pollen of a single type of flower. A committed conservationist and community scientist who knows all too well how precarious the wellbeing of these insects is, Hickman shares her adventures in local native plant gardens and throughout the far reaches of California to bring the beauty of such diverse ecosystems into wondrous bee’s-eye view. Meant for all curious readers, this collection of bee stories—one for each letter of the alphabet, matching the first letter of a bee’s scientific name—will leave you both wowed and compelled to help save these fascinating beings and the lands they call home.

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer

Author Interview with Jean Meltzer

Evelyn Schwartz has the perfect Hanukkah planned: eight jam-packed days producing the live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. Who needs family when you’ve got long hours, impossible deadlines, and your dream job? That is, until an accident on set lands her in the medical bay with one of her chronic migraines, and she’s shocked to find her ex-husband, David Adler, filling in for the usual studio doctor.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, and his ex-wife is still the same workaholic who puts her career before everything else—especially her health. But when Evelyn begins hallucinating “ghosts” tied to her past heartbreaks, and every single one leads to David, he finds himself spending much more time with her than he anticipated. And denying the still-smoldering chemistry between them becomes impossible.

As Evelyn revisits her ghosts of Hanukkah past, she and David both begin to wonder if they can have a Hanukkah future. But with a high-stakes production ramping up the pressure on Evelyn, and troublesome spirits forcing them both to confront their most difficult shared memories, it might just take a Hanukkah miracle for these two exes to light the flame on their second-chance at love.

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