Red Rising by Pierce Brown is an exciting dystopian novel about a young man named Darrow who is a Red, the lowest caste of society that has colonized Mars. They work long, hard days to make the surface of the planet habitable for humanity, believing that their work and sacrifice will benefit future generations. But when Darrow’s wife discovers that the surface of the planet has been habitable for decades and that the Reds toil as cheap labor for the ruling class, her discovery leads to her execution…and Darrow becomes a revolutionary. Red Rising is the first in the Red Rising Saga, and it is an exciting dystopian series that has massive appeal for adult and YA readers alike. If you’re looking for more great reads after marathoning the series, then pick up any of the these sci-fi, dystopian, and fantasy books like Red Rising!
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If you’ve spent any time on BookTok lately, you might have seen Song of Achilles a lot. This backlist title by Madeline Miller has been making the rounds, and making readers feel all the feels while also giving them a new and interesting perspective on The Iliad. It is told from the perspective of Patroclus, who must follow Achilles to war and finds everything from his friendship to his courage tested in the events that follow. It’s a queer, atmospheric, and dramatic retelling that has certainly captured the hearts of readers around the world, and now you might be wondering–what should I read next? We’ve got 15 great recommendations of books like Song of Achilles for you! Continue Reading
You might have ben living under a rock if you haven’t heard of Shadow and Bone–either the trilogy of books by Leigh Bardugo, or their TV series adaptation on Netflix! Shadow and Bone was originally released as a trilogy of YA fantasy novels, and then author Bardugo expanded her fantasy world with two more duologies set in the same world–Six of Crows and King of Scars. The Netflix TV series cleverly combines the plots and characters of the first Shadow and Bone book with the characters and backstory of Six of Crows to make for a fantastic TV show, with a second season on the way! If you came to these stories by the TV show, we highly recommend that you pick up Leigh Bardugo’s books! If you’ve already read the books and are dying for season two of the show, then we recommend these books like Shadow and Bone to tide you over!
Romance heroes often get pegged as the strong and silent type, or brooding and overprotective, but we love a good cinnamon roll hero! Cinnamon rolls heroes are kind, supportive, and unfailingly sweet, with lots of layers. They’re almost too good for this world…kind of like the cinnamon rolls they’re named after. Some of these characters’ cinnamon roll qualities might be a bit deceiving or hidden at first, but they’re there, we promise! If you love heroes who are soft and squishy on the inside, then check out this list!
Long Bright River by Liz Moore has been a popular pick with readers since it first released in 2020, even landing on Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020 list! If your book club has decided to pick up this book, then we’ve got you covered with a Long Bright River book club questions, summary, and a reading guide to help your club have a great discussion!
Heading off to college can be a really exciting time full of firsts–first time on your own, first time in a new setting, first roommates, and for many, first loves and first time having sex. College romance books can be really tricky to find because they often fall in that nebulous age between adult and YA, and while New Adult was popular for a brief period, that age categories never really took off the way it should have. So this list is a nice mix of YA and adult books, all set in college, with some great romances that run the range from sweet to very sexy! Note: There is a notable lack of queer love stories set in college. Hopefully publishing will address this lack in the future.
Dear gentle readers, perhaps you’ve fallen for the Bridgerton siblings as of late, and are pining for more romance series or books like Bridgerton. Whether you’ve read the books or watched the Netflix adaptation, please know that there are plenty more books set in the Regency era that will inspire and delight Bridgerton fans. We’ve compiled a list of romance and YA books like Bridgerton that will keep you swooning until season two makes its debut on Netflix! 
We may only be halfway through 2021, but it’s been a year of incredible YA releases so far! If you’re looking for the best YA books of 2021 to add to your summer TBR, look no further than this list, broken down by genre. No matter what you love to read, you’ll find some of the best new books for teens right here!
Do you love a good tearjerker? There’s something so emotionally satisfying and cathartic about reading an emotional book that gets the tears going–and they don’t necessarily have to be sad books, either! The following are a nice mix of sad books for teens, sad romance books that make you cry, and heart-wrenching novels full of big emotions that will make you feel all the feels, and yes, probably give your tear ducts a workout!
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie was a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine book club pick, plus a New York Times Notable Pick, which means it’s gotten a lot of great buzz! If your book club is planning on picking it up anytime soon, we’ve got you covered with a book summary, themes, and His Only Wife book club questions to help your meeting run smoothly!