We’re nearing the end of the year and the holiday season where some of us have the time to really relax and read some new books. Here is what is coming out in the month of November. Which book are you going to read during the Thanksgiving break?
November 4th Releases
Mushishi Collector’s Edition 1 by Yuki Urushibara with Andres Oliver (Translator)
Kodansha USA Publishing
Though invisible to most, tiny creatures known as mushi lurk beneath the surface of everyday reality. They exert a strange and occasionally terrifying influence on people’s lives, and only experts known as mushishi carry the knowledge of how to deal with them. A mushishi named Ginko wanders the Japanese countryside, following rumors of various unusual occurences: a young man who dreams the future; a child with horns growing from his forehead; a boy with the power to write creatures into being; and more…
Upon its release in the 2000s, Mushishi earned global acclaim for its poetic episodic storytelling and delicate, beautiful artwork, winning the Japan Media Arts Prize, selection as a Best Manga by the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs, and recommendation as a top read for teens by the American Library Association. The series inspired two TV anime adaptations in 2005 and 2014 and a live-action film directed by the legendary Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of AKIRA. Unfortunately, after being out of print for 15 years, English copies of Mushishi became as elusive as the strange creatures that populate its pages—until now.
Kodansha’s new edition of Mushishi features an all-new translation and lettering, and beautiful color pages and cover illustrations never seen in the U.S. before.
It Lurks in the Night by Sarah Dass
Disney Hyperion
All Maya Woods wants is to reunite her three best friends, Pearl, Erica, and Lystra, for one last epic boat trip to the islands around their Caribbean home before they all graduate from high school. But the girls are forced to make an emergency landing on Annatto—an island avoided by locals and tourists alike because of the rumors of monsters and shadows that lurk in its depths—and their yearly tradition descends into darkness as Erica turns up dead and the girls are forced to leave her body behind.
Their tight-knit community is sent into a spiral of grief and suspicion, and Maya and her friends are at a loss to understand what happened: was it simply an accident or is there truth to the rumors about Annatto?
And while the community rejoices when Erica mysteriously returns alive and well a week later, Maya can’t seem to let go of her questions. What did they see that night? And who—or what—has Erica returned as? As old arguments and new betrayals rise to the surface, Maya and her friends can feel the shadows closing in on them. Something is lurking in the night, and they must be ready to face it.
Drawing from the darkest corners of Caribbean mythology, acclaimed author Sarah Dass delivers a supernatural thriller blends cultural nuance with monsters that go bump in the night, giving long-time Rick Riordan Presents fans the kind of story that will root into their hearts and awaken never their deepest fears.
Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur Deo
Disney Hyperion
As long as Simran has known Rajan, her immigrant community has warned her away. She knows what they call him, especially since he got out of juvie: an addict. A gangster. A killer.
But Simran can’t believe Rajan is beyond hope. She’s seen his thoughtfulness firsthand: He’s the only one who’s noticed the pressure she’s under to be perfect—and how close she is to breaking.
So when Rajan’s old gang tries to force him back in, Simran makes a desperate bargain: She’ll become their bookkeeper to clear his debts and keep him out of prison.
But Rajan won’t leave her side while she works, and their forbidden attraction is becoming harder to ignore. Worse, there’s a gang war brewing—and neither of them is likely to get through it unscathed . . . if they get through it at all.
Coldwire by Chloe Gong
Hodderscape
The future is loading…
To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”
But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy.
Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.
Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…
Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.
Where There’s Room For Us by Hayley Kiyoko
Wednesday Books
In WHERE THERE’S ROOM FOR US, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hayley Kiyoko brings us a young adult novel set in a reimagined 1880s Victorian England where everyone is free to love whoever they choose.
When her brother unexpectedly inherits an English estate, the outspoken and infamously daring poet, Ivy, swaps her lively New York life for the prim and proper world of high society, and quickly faces the challenges of its revered traditions–especially once she meets the most sought-after socialite of the courting season: Freya Tallon.
Freya’s life has always been mapped out for her: marry a wealthy lord, produce heirs, and protect the family’s noble status. But when she unexpectedly takes her sister’s place on a date with Ivy, everything changes. For the first time, she feels the kind of spark she’s always dreamed of.
As Ivy and Freya’s connection deepens, both are caught between desire and duty. How much are they willing to risk to be true to themselves―and to each other?
Inspired by Hayley Kiyoko’s own experiences and classic favorites like Little Women and Pride and Prejudice, Where There’s Room for Us is a romance set in a world where society’s expectations are everything―but love is so much more.
We’re Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco
Sourcebooks Fire
Wispy Falls is safe. The town motto is even “You’ll be safe here!” But you aren’t safe in the woods that surround the town. In the woods there are monsters. People go missing in the woods. And sometimes the monsters don’t stay in the woods…maybe you aren’t that safe in Wispy Falls.
A seventeen-year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what’s wrong in his town. A few years ago, his little brother went missing in the woods and no one, not even his parents, seemed to care enough to try and find him.
But for the first time, an actual body has been found in the woods, and Storymancer is using the opportunity to uncover the rotten core at the heart of Wispy Falls. To investigate the monsters that lurk in the shadows, and the people in town who might just want the monsters there after all.
Beautiful Brutal Bodies (Gorgeous Gruesome Faces #2) by Linda Cheng
Roaring Brook Press
Tian is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life.
Liya is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious.
When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian’s musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human.
In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend — and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity — before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.
Deadly Ever After by Brittany Johnson
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers
Amala has spent her whole life trying to be the perfect princess: delicate, quiet, obedient. But when she’s murdered on the night of her wedding, her story is cut short before it begins.
Kha’dasia has been told her whole life that she is too rough, too loud, too much. She’s no ordinary princess but a ruthless warrior on a quest to fulfill her late brother’s dying wish. Except she dies before reaching her destination.
When both girls wake up in a cursed forest, the gods offer them a second chance at life—if they can find true love’s kiss. But there’s a catch, the gods warn. While the right kiss will save you, the wrong kiss will kill you.
On their journey, the princesses must overcome challenges that force them to face the truth of their lives…and their deaths. And as Amala and Kha’dasia grow closer, they can’t help but wonder if true love has been standing right in front of them all along.
Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.
When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.
Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.
Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay.
As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.
Eternal Ruin by (Immortal Dark Trilogy #2) Tigest Girma
Little, Brown for Young Readers
Like all ruinous things, he came from the abyss.
Kidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse, lied, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires, the Nefrasi, into Uxlay.
Trapped with a violently unstable vampire, and reeling from her sister’s return, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi, Samson Sagad–and betraying Susenyos.
A dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has lost: control. Even as the dark pages consume her, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy—least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender.
As devastating secrets resurface from the past, Kidan and her sister, June, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.
The Writing Room by Marcia Argueta Mickelson
Carolrhoda Lab
Immediately after high school graduation, eighteen-year-old Maya is kicked out of her wealthy dad’s NYC home; he prides himself on forcing his kids to “make their own way in the world.” Maya’s mom lives in Guatemala, so Maya crashes with friends while working and trying to land freelance writing gigs.
Maya struggles to find her footing until she gets access to a “writing room,” a shared workspace where she can focus—and get to know the intriguing neighbor, Jake, who’s often there.
When she discovers her dad is bankrolling a virulently anti-immigrant candidate for governor, Maya―the daughter of an immigrant―realizes she can’t continue quietly accepting his choices. She’ll have to take a stand, using the voice she’s found in the writing room.
November 11th Releases
You Had Me at Hello World by Rona Wang
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Sixteen-year-old Charise “Char” Tang is desperate to ditch her dead-end small town. So when she’s invited to a highly selective hackathon at MIT, she seizes the opportunity to jet across the country, spend the summer building an app, and maybe even snag the top prize—a golden ticket to a new life.
When she arrives, she teams up with Khoi Astor, coding wunderkind and creator of last year’s biggest mobile game. Khoi, who has soft eyes and a gentle smile. Khoi, who can make anyone laugh. Khoi, who is easy to fall for…and already dating her camp roommate. If only Char could reprogram her heart to forget about him.
As the competition heats up, so do things between Char and her teammate. But sabotage lurks around every corner, and she soon discovers that the glitzy tech world has a dark, dangerous underbelly.
A Matter of Murder A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery #2 by Tirzah Price
Storytide
The thrilling conclusion to the Lizzie & Darcy Mysteries duology, following Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series!
A Bingley family curse looms over Lizzie’s sister and Darcy’s best friend—but are the dark forces at work supernatural or human?
Lizzie Bennet’s beloved sister Jane has just married Darcy’s best friend, Bingley, and the Bennet family and Darcy are paying the newlyweds a visit at Bingley’s family home, Netherfield Park. It doesn’t take long for their country retreat to turn into an investigation, though, when a long-dead body is discovered stuffed up the parlor chimney.
The locals are convinced that Netherfield is cursed, but Lizzie and Darcy know better than to believe in such nonsense and are determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the mysterious man in the chimney. But as they dig deeper into the history of Netherfield Park, they find that danger is waiting for them around every corner. Soon enough, they’re forced to consider if the curse might have some merit to it, or if there’s something—or someone—far more sinister behind their near brushes with death. . . .
This duology closer is a daring and delightful conclusion to the chronicles of supersleuths Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy!
How We Play the Game by Alexis Nedd
Bloomsbury YA
Zora Lyon plays to dominate. And as a no-nonsense, strategic prodigy of Wizzard Gaming’s viral battle royale, she has all the skills she needs to do so. So when Wizzard offers their top players a chance to participate in a summer academy designed to launch them into the world of professional gaming, Zora knows she has what it takes to be the last player standing.
But Wizzard isn’t just looking for winners-they’re looking to create viral gaming superstars. Suddenly, Zora finds herself competing against famous eSports influencers who are only there to boost their follower count. That includes Ivan Hunt-her insufferably good-looking instant rival, whom she betrayed to earn her spot in the academy.
With their matches broadcast to Wizzard’s fanbase, Zora is almost immediately fancast as an ice queen and snubbed for her ruthless playing style. With her dreams of going pro in jeopardy, Zora will do just about anything to fix her image-even if that means pretending to date fan-favorite Ivan to earn back some popularity points. What can go wrong with a little white lie?
November 18th Releases
I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by Kylie Lee Baker
Feiwel & Friends
“Here’s one thing I know for certain: I’ll never see you again. And if I never see you again, then in fifty years, the world will end.” -Yejun
Yang Mina, descended from a Japanese dragon god, was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. But since moving to Seoul, everything is falling apart. Mina has discovered that the Descendants are corrupt, that her sister has been erased from existence, and that she can’t pass Calculus, which puts her mission to kiss the cutest boy in her year at risk.
With her very existence on the line, Mina decides to tread a dangerous path: team up with a handsome rogue agent named Yejun, who has a plan to free the Descendants from the corrupt influence, and (hopefully) restore Mina’s sister. Between class and their time travel dates, Mina can’t stop herself from falling for the mysterious Yejun. Yet, as Mina grows closer to Yejun, she also grows closer to discovering the truth, which may be the very thing that breaks her…
The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee
HarperCollins
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when there is a hot person, there is also someone with a crush on them.
Mia Yoon has a plan for everything. Get a full ride to her dream film school in Los Angeles, behind her mom’s back, and escape her middle-of-nowhere hometown—check. Produce her own dating show starring other people and their crushes—check. But everything goes off the rails when she has to enlist the help of her own secret crush, Noah Jang, a boy she’d rather hate.
Despite being a campus celebrity voted “most eligible student bachelor,” Noah can’t remember the last time he was in a relationship. And he’s perfectly content with that, thank you very much, especially since just the word feelings makes him uncomfortable. But he can’t stop staring at Mia, who keeps glaring at him in class. And when she asks him to be on her dating show—as one of the contestants—he can’t say no.
As Noah goes on more and more romantic dates on The Cuffing Game and Mia watches from behind the camera, something feels off. With the showrunner and contestant slowly falling for one another, can the show still go on?