books-to-add-to-your-tbr

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Song of the Lioness

Author: Tamora Pierce

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 1983

Genres: fiction, fantasy

Blurb: Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. One day, they decide to switch places: Thom heads for the convent to learn magic, and Alanna pretends to be a boy, on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page...but the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Emperor and the Endless Palace

Author: Justinian Huang

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, fantasy, romance, LGBT+, historical fiction

Blurb: In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor, but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex, and intrigue. In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead. In present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they've met before. Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them. As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realise the power of their undying love...a power that transcends time itself, but one that might consume them both.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Fahrenheit 451

Author: Ray Bradbury

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 1953

Genres: fiction, classics, science fiction, dystopia

Blurb: Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities - the printed book - along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television family...but when he meets eccentric young neighbour Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

Author: Mason Deaver

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2025

Genres: fiction, romance, LGBT+, contemporary

Blurb: Eli Francis is stuck. Stuck in an assistant position at the online magazine Vent when he should be a writer. Stuck with a boss who dangles a promotion, but would rather he just fetch the coffee. Stuck working alongside the ex who has had no trouble moving up at work...or moving on. When Eli's roommates push him to date so he can get over his ex once and for all, they set him up with Peter Park: tall, handsome...and unbelievably awkward. The date is a complete disaster, and further proof to Eli that love isn't for him. When his boss overhears Eli recounting the catastrophic night, he suggests teaching Peter to be a better boyfriend through a series of simulated dates so he can write an article about it...but Eli has other ideas. He plays along, pretending to write the article while secretly interviewing Peter about growing up queer in the South and coming of age dating-wise in adulthood. Eli hopes writing this sort of piece will finally get him the promotion he deserves. In exchange, he will teach Peter how to be a better boyfriend...but the more time Eli spends with Peter, the closer they become, and the lines between what's real and what's fake begin to blur. Before long, Eli is forced to face his greatest fears to become the writer he wants to be and secure the love he's always needed.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Float

Author: Kate Marchant

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2022

Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary

Blurb: Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents' divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she'll spend her vacation with...and when Waverly's options are shot down, it's bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt. Coming from the tundra of the north, the beach culture isn't exactly Waverly's forte. The sun may just be her mortal enemy, and her vibe is decidedly not chill. To top it off, her ability to swim is nonexistent. Enter Blake, the (super hot) boy next door. Charming and sweet, he welcomes Waverly into his circle. For the first time in her life, Waverly has friends, a social life, and soon enough, feelings...for Blake. As the two grow closer, Waverly's fortunes begin to look up...but every summer must come to an end, and letting go is hardest when you've finally found where you belong.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Death of a Bookseller

Author: Alice Slater

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2023

Genres: fiction, thriller, mystery, contemporary, crime

Blurb: Roach would rather be listening to the latest episode of her favourite true crime podcast than assisting the boring and predictable customers at her local branch of the bookstore Spines, where she's worked her entire adult life. A serious true crime junkie, Roach looks down her nose at the pumpkin-spice-latte-drinking casual fans who only became interested in the genre once it got trendy...but when Laura, a pretty and charismatic children's bookseller, arrives to help rejuvenate the struggling bookstore branch, Roach recognises in her an unexpected kindred spirit. Despite their common interest in true crime, Laura keeps her distance from Roach, resisting the other woman's overtures of friendship. Undeterred, Roach learns everything she can about her new colleague, eventually uncovering Laura's traumatic family history. When Roach realises that she may have come across her very own true crime story, interest swiftly blooms into a dangerous obsession.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: I Wish You Would

Author: Eva Des Lauriers

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary

Blurb: It's Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year...but for Natalia and Ethan, it's the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom, when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn't care and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake. When the senior class carries out their tradition of writing private letters to themselves - what they wish they would do this year if they were braver - Natalia pours her heart out. So does Ethan. So does everyone in their entire class. But in Natalia's panicked attempt to retrieve her heartfelt confession, the wind scatters seven of the notes across the beach. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed, especially their own. Seven private confessions, seven time bombs loose for anyone to find, and one last chance before the sun rises for these two to fall in love.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Unraveling Magic and Shadowed Pasts

Author: Adina Chiles, Devon Thiele

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2025

Genres: fiction, fantasy, romance

Blurb: Mosa and Annora are the best of friends, their days filled with the quiet rhythms of sanctuary life. Nestled into the heart of Aurelia, Rosethorn is a sanctuary for gifted designers - individuals who can make magic dance within fabrics and colour hum with power. When the two are tasked with creating a pair of gloves for a wealthy client, Mosa makes an unthinkable mistake and accidentally dyes them a forbidden shade. The colour purple is meant for the fallen kingdom of Ombra - magic long unseen - and the creation sets off a series of events that neither Mosa nor Annora is prepared for. They agree to keep the gloves a secret, but when Annora goes missing, Mosa can't help but believe her capture is tied to the forbidden accessories. Desperate to find her friend, she hires the rugged huntsman Theron to guide her through the treacherous forests of Ombra...but Theron has secrets of his own. As the two navigate through the dark forest, they find themselves captured by the very thing she hoped to avoid. Annora, raised away from the political machinations of her father's court, wakes to a world she has tried to forget. Her father, the king of Aurelia, has forced her from her sanctuary life and back into royal duties...the first being an arranged marriage between her and Prince Brander, the heir to the dark kingdom of Ombra. Their match is no love story, discovered to be a ploy in a larger game designed to ignite a war between their kingdoms. Caught in her father's schemes, Annora makes a deal with Prince Brander in hopes of protecting Mosa and finding a way to untangle the threads of war.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: The Wicked Bargain

Author: Gabe Cole Novoa

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2023

Genres: fiction, fantasy, LGBT+, historical fiction, romance

Blurb: On Mar León de la Rosa's sixteenth birthday, El Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice...but their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now, El Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship. When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, El Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the Harvest Moon, or never see him again. The task is impossible - Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there's no way their magic is any match for El Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate (and the captain's son), and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption...or it could mean certain death.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Dreadful

Author: Caitlin Rozakis

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, fantasy, mystery

Blurb: It's bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard's workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and turn your skull into a goblet or something. It's a lot worse when you realise that Dread Lord Whomever is...you. Gav isn't really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed...but as he realises that nothing - from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess - is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. He'll have to answer the hardest question of all: who does he want to be?

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: If You'll Have Me

Author: Eunnie

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2023

Genres: fiction, romance, LGBT+, graphic novel, contemporary

Blurb: Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who's always ready to lend a helping hand. She's introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. Underneath all that cool mystery, she's actually quick to smile, and when she falls for someone, she falls hard. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship...but with their drastically different personalities, Momo's overprotective friend, and PG's past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG's romance is put to the test.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Furious

Author: Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, LGBT+

Blurb: After years racing go-karts and looking up to her mother, a celebrity Formula 1 racer, Jojo Emerson-Boyd should be starting her own racing career...but when she loses her mom in a tragic crash, Jojo's future comes to a screeching halt. Now her dad won't let her get a license, much less race. Instead, she's stuck working at her grandmother's mechanic shop in the sleepy, small town of Dell's Hollow...but Jojo's heart quickens when Motorcycle Girl Eliana Blum shows up at the shop. El grew up on the motocross circuit sidelines, watching her sister and idol Maxine compete. When El mysteriously loses all contact with Max, she's determined to find her, with her first clue leading straight to the mechanic shop, and to Jojo. United by fate, the two quickly bond over Mario Kart showdowns and the Fast & Furious films. As their friendship shifts into something more, they'll have to confront both their growing romance and the grief woven into their complicated families if they hope to chase down their dreams and make it across the finish line.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Project Nought

Author: Chelsey Furedi

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2023

Genres: fiction, graphic novel, science fiction, LGBT+, romance, comics

Blurb: Ren Mittal's last memory in the year 1996 is getting on a bus to visit his mystery penpal, Georgia. When he wakes up in 2122, he thinks he might be hallucinating...he's not. Tech conglomerate Chronotech sponsors a time-travel programme to help students in 2122 learn what history was really like, from real-life subjects who've been transported into the future...and Ren is one of them. In 2122, Ren's life in the 1990s is practically ancient history - and he's not sure how to feel about that. On top of it all, he learns that his memory will be wiped of all things 2122 before he's sent back to the '90s. Adding to Ren's complicated feelings, he's forming a crush on his student guide, Mars. When he crosses paths with the absolute last person he expected to see in the future, he has a bigger problem on his hands: what if Chronotech isn't the benevolent organisation they claim to be, and he and his fellow subjects are in great danger?

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: South Downs Romances

Author: Emily Banting

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2022

Genres: fiction, romance, LGBT+, contemporary

Blurb: Sydney MacKenzie, personal assistant to the rich and famous, is looking forward to a well-earned break to go travelling in her beloved VW camper van, Gertie...that is, until Gertie cries off sick. When her boss calls in a favour - one that will pay Sydney handsomely and put Gertie back on the road - she can't refuse. Internationally-renowned actress Beatrice Russell - adored by her fans and despised by those that know her - is splashed across the tabloids, all thanks to her broken leg. She limps back to her palatial English country estate to convalesce for the summer, where she finds herself in need of yet another new assistant. Enter Sydney, who doesn't take kindly to the star's demands, attitude, or clicking fingers...much less her body's own attraction to the gorgeous diva. If not for that, and Gertie's worn-out engine, she would leave tomorrow (or so she tells herself). As the summer heats up, the ice queen begins to thaw, and Sydney glimpses the tormented woman beneath the celebrity bravado, drawing her ever closer to the enigmatic actress - sometimes too close. Can Sydney reach the real Beatrice and help heal her wounds before the summer ends and she returns to filming in the States, or is the celebrity broken beyond repair?

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Graveyard Shift

Author: M.L. Rio

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, horror, mystery, thriller, gothic

Blurb: Every night, in the college's ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story. One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn't there before; a fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom? Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realise he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks...and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road

Author: Kyle Buchanan

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2022

Genres: nonfiction, film, pop culture, history, biography

Blurb: It won six Oscars and has been hailed as the greatest action film ever, but it is a miracle Mad Max: Fury Road ever made it to the screen...or that anybody survived the production. The story of this modern classic spanned nearly two decades of wild obstacles as visionary director George Miller tried to mount one of the most difficult shoots in Hollywood history. Production stalled several times, stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron clashed repeatedly in the brutal Namib Desert, and Miller's crew engineered death-defying action scenes that were among the most dangerous ever committed to film. Even accomplished Hollywood figures are flummoxed by the accomplishment: as the director Steven Soderbergh has said, "I don't understand how they're not still shooting that film, and I don't understand how hundreds of people aren't dead." Kyle Buchanan takes readers through every step of that moviemaking experience in vivid detail, from Fury Road's unexpected origins through its outlandish casting process to the big-studio battles that nearly mutilated a masterpiece. But he takes the deepest dive in reporting the astonishing facts behind a shoot so unconventional that the film's fantasy world began to bleed into the real lives of its cast and crew. As they fought and endured in a wasteland of their own, the only way forward was to have faith in their director's mad vision...but how could Miller persevere when almost everything seemed to be stacked against him? Readers will be left with one undeniable conclusion: there has never been a movie so drenched in sweat, so forged by fire, and so epic in scope.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Epoca

Author: Kobe Bryant, Ivy Claire

Series or standalone: series

Publication year: 2019

Genres: fiction, fantasy, sports

Blurb: The lowly-born Rovi and crown princess Pretia uncover and battle terrible evil, and discover their inner strength along the way. The best child athletes are sent to the most elite sports academy in the land to hone their skills. When Rovi and Pretia arrive, each harbouring a secret about themselves, they begin to suspect that something evil is at play at the school. In the course of their first year, they must learn to master their grana in order to save the world from rising dark forces.