Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban

 

“After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.

But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with….before anyone else winds up in body bags.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an interesting mystery that takes place on a cruise ship.When the first body is discovered, fingers begin pointing at Jade. Desperate to clear her name, Jade joins forces with Felix to help clear her name as the bodies of those involved begin to pile up. Who is the murderer on this cruise ship of terror? And why?

Visit Diana Urban’s website.

The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 6 by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first five books in the series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“With the Mortal Instruments in his possession, Valentine means to unleash havoc on Shadowhunter and Downworlder alike. Despite this, for many in the Clave, fighting alongside werewolves, faeries, warlocks, and vampires would be as terrible as submitting to Valentine. Clary must convince them that working together–aided by her new rune-creation ability–is their only hope for a future!” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the sixth volume in this graphic novel series retelling that concludes the storyline of City of Glass. The final page does offer a teaser for a seventh volume that readers can hope will start with City of Fallen Angels. Release date is not yet known.

Visit Cassandra Clare’s website.

Visit Cassandra Jean’s website.

The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 5 by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first four books in the series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“On a mission to save her mom, Clary prepares to leave for Idris, the homeland of the Shadowhunters. Sure, Jace is adamantly against the idea and Magnus refuses to help, but Clary now has powers of her own. What awaits her on the other side of the portal, though, might not be exactly what she’s expecting…” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the fifth volume in this graphic novel series retelling that begins with the storyline of City of Glass. Great news, there is a sixth volume.

Visit Cassandra Clare’s website.

Visit Cassandra Jean’s website.

 

Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo, ill. by Dani Pendergast (A Shadow and Bone graphic novel, Grishaverse book 0)

 

“Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves…” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a graphic novel adaption of the short story The Demon in the Wood, that tells a short story about The Darkling as a young man.

Visit Leigh Bardugo’s website.
Visit the Grishaverse.

Saint by Adrienne Young (Fable book 0.5)

 

SPOILER ALERT! Not really. This is a standalone novel about Fable’s infamous father, Saint. Fans of the series, Enjoy!

“As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales.

Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for―Saint.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great story about how Fable’s parents met. Fans of the series will enjoy diving back into the world and discovering Saint’s background and how it influenced the man he would become. Readers learn how Saint and Isolde met and began their trading empire. A great wrap up to this series that will leave you wanting to go  back and reread the earlier books.

Visit Adrienne Young’s website.

Cursed by Marissa Meyer (Gilded book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Gilded, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Be still now, and I will tell you a tale.

Adalheid Castle is in chaos.

Following a shocking turn of events, Serilda finds herself ensnared in a deadly game of make-believe with the Erlking, who is determined to propel her deeper into the castle’s lies. Meanwhile, Serilda is determined to work with Gild to help him solve the mystery of his forgotten name and past.

But soon it becomes clear that the Erlking doesn’t only want to use Serilda to bring back his one true love. He also seeks vengeance against the seven gods who have long trapped the Dark Ones behind the veil. If the Erlking succeeds, it could change the mortal realm forever.

Can Serilda find a way to use her storytelling gifts for good—once and for all? And can Serilda and Gild break the spells that tether their spirits to the castle before the Endless Moon finds them truly cursed?” - taken from Goodreads.

A quick recap of where our story left off. Be warned for potential spoilers! Serilda is pregnant with Gild’s child but she is the only one who knows the truth. The Erlking has married her as part of his great plan and will be passing off her child as his own. As the moon phases countdown to Serilda’s due date, can she and Gild stop the Erlking, keep their child safe and discover Gild’s true name all while breaking their curses?

A long but satisfying ending to this duology.

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website.

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

 

“Virginia, 1943: World War II is raging in Europe and on the Pacific front when Kit Sutherland is recruited to help the war effort as a codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a former girls’ college now serving as the site of a secret US Signals Intelligence facility in Virginia. But Kit is soon involved in another kind of fight: Government girls are being brutally murdered in Washington DC, and when Kit stumbles onto a bloody homicide scene, she is drawn into the hunt for the killer.

 

To find the man responsible for the gruesome murders and bring him to justice, Kit joins forces with other female codebreakers at Arlington Hall—gossip queen Dottie Crockford, sharp-tongued intelligence maven Moya Kershaw, and cleverly resourceful Violet DuLac from the segregated codebreaking unit. But as the girls begin to work together and develop friendships—and romance—that they never expected, two things begin to come clear: the murderer they’re hunting is closing in on them…and Kit is hiding a dangerous secret.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great historical mystery that takes place during World War II. Kathleen Hopper was the companion to the sickly Katherine Sutherland. Upon her death, she left her identity to Kathleen so that she could have a better life. On the day she is leaving Arlington Hall for parts unknown, the War Department takes over to use the facilities as one of its code breaking units. As Kathleen is walking out wearing Katherine's clothes, she is asked if she would like a job since it is assumed she was an Arlington Hall girl. Soon Kathleen becomes Kit Sutherland.

Several months later, Kit and her new friends stumble upon a serial killer targeting young women like themselves. Can Kit help discover who the murderer is before the truth about her identity is uncovered? 

Visit Ellie Marney’s website.

Throwback by Maurene Goo

“Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back.

To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with?

Sam's blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands?” - taken from Goodreads.

Samantha and her mother have a contentious relationship. Things between the two of them go from bad to worse when her grandmother has a heart attack. After a failed attempt by her mother to get Sam's mind off of her grandmother, words explode between them with Sam saying she hates her mother and her mother abandoning her at the mall. Securing a ride through an app called Throwback, Sam arrives at school. She is not prepared to arrive 30 years in the past when her mother was in high school. With no foreseeable way for her to return to the present, Sam must figure out a way to solve whatever problem of her mother’s in order to go back to her time. 

Have you ever wondered what your mother was like at your age? If so, this is the book for you.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (The Anatomy Duology book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Anatomy, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Hazel Sinnett is alone and half convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.

When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamour and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake for her. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.” - taken from Goodreads.

With her family and Jack gone, Hazel is working as a female surgeon at her family's castle in Edinburgh. She has made a quiet life for herself until she saves the life of a young woman that causes her to end up in prison. Resigned to her fate, Hazel is shocked when she is released to become the personal physician of the ailing Princess Charlotte. Quickly immersed in society, Hazel soon learns her fair share of secrets and schemes surrounding the royal family. Will Hazel be able to survive the politics of the day and whatever happened to her beloved Jack? 

Visit Dana Schwartz’s website.

A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey

 

“Saine Sinclair knows a little something about what makes a story worth telling.

Your childhood best friend refuses to kiss you during a pre-adolescent game of spin the bottle? Terrible, zero stars, would not replay that scene again. The same ex-friend becomes your new best friend's ex? Strangely compelling, unexpected twist, worth a hate-watch. That same guy--why is he always around?--turns out to be your last shot at getting into the documentary filmmaking program of your dreams?

Saine hates to admit it, but she'd watch that movie.

There's something about Holden that makes her feel like she's the one in front of the camera--like he can see every uncomfortable truth she's buried below the surface. Saine knows how her story's supposed to go. So why does every moment with Holden seem intent on changing the ending?” - taken from Goodreads.

Saine dreams of going to Temple University and becoming a documentary filmmaker. When the subject of her film bails on her, Saine is left scrambling to find a replacement. Her savior turns out to be her former best friend, Holden. The two come to a mutual agreement to help one another with their respective projects. But when Saine decides to change the storyline of her film to one Holden will not agree with, can her resurrected friendship with Holden survive when he discovers the angle Saine takes with her film?

Visit Kelsey Rodkey’s website.