Loneliness, as many of us have learned in the past year of the pandemic, can be jarring. T.S. Eliot describes hell as simply oneself, and Stephen King takes it a step further to say that “hell is only a poor synonym” to alone. But loneliness can also be a hopeful concept. In House Fires, Connor Franta’s poetry, photography, and essay collection—loneliness, both good and bad, resonates through the mediums.
“My mind has never been this open,” said the 29-year old author, in an interview for The Tempest. In a book that centers around relationships and adulthood, Connor Franta closely analyzes his own reflection and view of the world. Franta is no newbie to writing, but his third book, House Fires, casts a new light on the solitary existence of being a “trailblazer.”
Even with nearly 5 million followers on YouTube and 4 million on Instagram, Franta’s numbers still don’t reflect the entirety of his influence on the social media landscape. In the 2010s, he was at the forefront of the YouTuber phenomenon, as well as a founding member of one of the first content creator houses (a recognition that stirred controversy earlier in the year with Jake Paul’s attempt to claim the title). But Franta is also well known as an LGBTQ+ advocate on social media, with one of the most viewed “coming out” videos on the YouTube platform.
Still, years later, Franta continues to grapple with his evolving view of sexuality and relationships. “Even the ‘me’ that existed 5 years ago would be shocked to see the ‘me’ that exists today […] I feel like a bird finally released from a cage and left to soar throughout perpetually blue skies. My orientation and identity are only the beginning of that unlocked gate,” Franta said.
But that exploration isn’t an easy one, as House Fires shows. Franta writes openly about anxiety, depression, and heartbreak in both his essays and poetry. The photographs in his collection are of suburbia, landscape, and everyday items—many of them with a grainy quality, like a polaroid or the sun getting caught in the lenses. Notably, they are broadly void of people. The few figures that appear in the collection are often in the distance or out of focus. If anything, their limited presence seems to make them isolated on their own.
Halfway through reading House Fires, I turned to my computer and searched for Franta’s YouTube channel and Internet content. What fascinated me was how similar his voice and cadence as an author sounded to the one that he had online, with easy camaraderie and self-deprecation. But in light of House Fires, that same style and “relatability” came across as shockingly lonely on screen as well. While I had grown up in the 2010s and was familiar with the concept of YouTubers, I never really considered the experience of being a vlogger itself: sitting alone in a room, speaking to nothing but a camera—an experience that I imagine is not so different from being a writer.
“I see solitude as a way to force rejuvenation and revolution within myself to be a better version of myself for the people around me,” Franta said. And among those people around him, Franta notes that he is not truly alone.
In House Fires, Franta reveals a discussion among social media influencers and Internet celebrities about their own struggles behind the glossy image on cameras and phone screens. House Fires is a series that deals a lot with isolation—vacillating between seeing solitary life as an opportunity to redefine oneself or as an extremely lonely experience.
“There’s peace and growth found in both places,” Franta said.
Reading House Fires, I was conflicted over what to take away from the book and its wavering experience of isolation and adulthood. Although his struggles with depression and anxiety are understandable to many readers, Franta’s perspective, entrenched in the privileges of social media and Internet celebrity power, is so individualized to his own experience. Furthermore, his relatable and self-deprecating style of conversation that works so well on camera, translates to a sometimes awkward, self-consciousness in his writing.
Instead, it was his essay about seeking a role model that struck me. “The older you get, the more isolated you can become,” Franta writes in House Fires, as he acknowledges approaching 30 years old. He bemoans the lack of a role model in what he calls “Gay Adulthood.” It reminded me how teenagers and young adults often look to pop culture and social media for examples or pathways of a life that they can pursue, and how strange it must have been to be on the other side of building that path and creating that model for others.
Franta admits that his role as an LGBTQ+ advocate and openly gay YouTuber has put him into the same position of a role model that he wishes he had for himself.
“It wasn’t something I ever sought out or dreamt of being, but there’s an undeniable responsibility that comes with any elevated position,” Franta responded when I asked if he saw himself as a role model for others. “All queer young people deserve to see hope and possibility reflected on every screen. If I happen to be that, well, I consider it an honor.”
Ultimately, House Fires is an attempt to blaze a path forward. Having paved the path for many of today’s social media influencers and YouTubers, Franta is still pushing forward, filling the roles that he seeks to find in others. Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” I imagine Franta is trying to do something like that for his life.
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I’m a sucker for book clubs. I’ve always loved to discuss books and literature with fellow readers. But having graduated college, I no longer have classmates who are obligated to talk and participate in classroom discussions, and most of my reading friends have scattered across the country. So, of course, it is a priority for me as I’m preparing to move to New York this year. Yes, that’s right. Your girl found herself a book club before she found herself an apartment.
In fairness, this book club is made of girls who are all moving to New York, so you know we have great literary taste, and we come bearing so many book recommendations. So here are some you might consider adding to your own book club:
[Image description: Cover of “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry]
The first time I saw this book, I picked it up, read the back cover, and put it back down. It was intriguing, but I wasn’t sure yet. It wasn’t until later that week, when the rest of my book club was raving over it, that I realized I made a mistake. Back to the bookstore, I went.
Emily Henry, the author of Beach Read, brings back funny and witty banter in People We Meet on Vacation. Two former friends, Poppy and Alex, reunite in Palm Springs for a trip that pushes them to re-examine their friendship. Yes, there are tropes galore: “opposites attract,” “best friends to lovers,” “there is only one bed,” and “slow burn” romance. But a trope done well? *chef’s kiss* So if you’re a fan of Love, Rosie (because who doesn’t love Sam Claflin in the movie? And what is it with characters named Alex in romance books?) then you’ll probably enjoy People We Meet on Vacation. It’s a breath of relaxation and one of the easiest, fastest reads I’ve had this year.
[Image description: Cover of “The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green]
If you remember John Green for The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and Turtles All The Way Down, you might also think of his work as 2010 Tumblr-core. His work is not entirely without its faults, but the backlash around his books is due to some misinterpretation and a lot of over-romanticization in film and TV adaptations. But I’ve always enjoyed his and Hank Green’s YouTube channel and books because they never talked down to their young audiences.
So I was very excited to pick up The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on A Human Centered Planet, John Green’s first nonfiction book. I’ve not yet finished it but so far, it’s exactly what I’ve hoped for: essays of thoughtfulness, exploration, and introspection. If we trust in the idea that Lady Bird suggests, that attention is a type of love, then The Anthropocene Reviewed is a love story through and through.
[Image description: Cover of “Dune” by Frank Herbert.]
You know that I love Dune. In fact, I’ve written about Dune and I’ll probably find a reason to write about it some more. But it’s been easier to convince my book club to pick up this sci-fi classic with the upcoming film adaptation in October. It also helps that Timothee Chalamet is playing the main character of Paul Atreides, so we’re all going to watch it, obviously. But we also know the dangerous truth of adaptations: The book is more often better than the movie.
What J.R.R. Tolkien’s TheLord of the Rings is for fantasy, Frank Herbert’s Dune is for science fiction. Paul Atreides’ family is betrayed after moving to a dangerous desert planet, and he undergoes the burden of being the imperfect “Kwisatz Haderach,” a messianic chosen one – albeit one with ambiguous morals and seriously questionable decisions. The worldbuilding of Dune is fascinating and cinematic, with deeply resonant themes of environmentalism, politics, and humanity.
[Image description: Cover of “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.]
I’ll admit it, book clubs are partly an excuse for me to keep buying more books and catching up with all the ones I had to put down and say “I already have books at home.” While Delia Owens’ novel came out in 2018, I’ve only recently been able to catch up with this courtroom mystery book and, in the past year of social distancing and loneliness, Where the Crawdads Sing is surprisingly appropriate.
I’ve heard a few different thoughts on this book, so I was interested to get into it. Kya, a recluse in the wilderness who survives in the face of abandonment, is accused of murder when the popular boy, Chase Andrews, is found murdered. Where the Crawdads Singdelves into relationships and connections, including their absence or destructive nature. Although I sometimes struggled to enjoy the characters, I will always appreciate a good nature writer and Delia Owens is exactly that, through and through, with vibrant and stunning scenes of the North Carolina marches. The courtroom scenes are also well written, but the twist ending also came as a surprise, one that split opinions and led to good conversation – and isn’t that every book club’s favorite thing?
Lori Gottlieb, a therapist herself, writes this nonfiction novel examining her own mental health and interweaving the stories of her clients. She undergoes a devastating relationship breakup and begins seeing a therapist herself as she reflects on her life and grief. She connects the process of storytelling with therapy and medical care, and it’s a fascinating look into the healthcare process.
[Image description: Cover of “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett]
I am not joking when I say that I have seen this book in the window of every bookstore display this past year. I’ve always been cautious about bookstore displays. I imagine that most books are put on the main displays for their covers rather than their content. But it turns out The Vanishing Halfdoesn’t just have a beautiful book cover and it has earned its spot in bookstore windows for good reason.
The Vanishing Half (we reviewed it here) is the story of two Black sisters, Desiree and Stella, who are “white-passing” and eventually leave their hometown. As a historical fiction piece, it explores complex familial ties between romantic relationships, cousins, sisters, and descendants. It covers race, LGBTQIA+ issues, class, motherhood, and identity. Brit Bennett tackles so many topics in a single book, that it can feel overwhelming – but in a way that feels intentional and well crafted.
[Image description: Cover of “The Second Season” by Emily Adrian.]
Wow, Emily-s are getting a lot of attention on this booklist, aren’t they? But it’s worth it. The Second Season is about Ruth Devon, a sports broadcaster balancing motherhood and a career. It grapples with relationships, family, and personal ambition, giving an honest look at the challenge women at the top of their game face. In fact, you don’t even have to believe me. You can find out from my fellow Tempest editor Natalia who wrote a review on The Second Season.
I could talk forever about how much I love books and how wonderful it is to have people to talk about these books with. So if you’re also interested in finding yourself a book club, The Second Season happens to be the August book of the month for The Tempest’s own book club!
You can read the first chapter of The Second Season here, courtesy of The Tempest. Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
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I know we’re all waiting for Halloween and fall to arrive. But we still got time to enjoy the summer! What better way to enjoy the weather than by sitting outside (with sunscreen!) with a good book? Personally, I’ve been spending a lot of my time during this pandemic outside in my backyard reading.
I’m excited to have compiled a list that I think will blow you out of the water – literally if you’ve been around a pool or any body of water. These are all new books coming out in August that absolutely need to be on your radar.
[Image description: the cover of The Second Season by Emily Adrian. There is a woman wearing sunglasses and an ear mic. on the cover.] via Ratuken KoboDo you want romance? A headstrong, passionate woman? You may not have either of these in your life, but this book has it all.
Ruth Devon’s basketball career was put to a halt when she got into an accident during college. Now? She has the opportunity to become the world’s first woman NBA sportscaster…. after he husband retires from the job. Let the drama ensue!
You can read the first chapter here, courtesy of The Tempest. Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores
[ Image description: the cover of Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn. A picture of three best friends graces the cover.] via AmazonAmandla’s mother’s life is a mystery to her. She tells her stories of her father in glowing light, but Amandla has never met him. Her mother also struggles to accept reality: she has visions and tells her daughter that she should style her hair a certain way to bring her father back.
Amandla has never gotten answers about her past. So she sets out to find them. What could go wrong?
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[Image description: the cover of The Perfect Place to Die by Byrce Moore. A woman’s skeleton is gracing the cover.] via GoodreadsWould you do anything for your siblings? 1890s Chicago is extremely dangerous – Zuretta’s sister disappears during the World Fair. And Zuretta concludes her sibling is taken by a well-known serial killer. She takes a job at a hotel called The Castle hoping to learn more… but she might never escape. Do you think she misses her sister asking her to make Tik Tok videos?
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[ Image description: the cover of Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martinez. there is a man in a black suit and a woman in a large, flowy purple dress at a movie premiere on the cover.] via GoodreadsWhat’s the biggest lie you’ve told? Have you ever lied about having a boyfriend? Well, if you have not, Natalie has beaten you to it. Natalie is living her dream as a famous Brazilian pop star, but her PR team believes she needs to step up her game after her very messy and public breakup that has the presses talking. So, they propose that she finds a fake boyfriend. They hire a handsome man named William, but what happens when she starts falling for him? I don’t know about you, but my love life is pretty dry right now so I am going to live vicariously through these characters.
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[ Image description: the cover of How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliliand. A young woman who is colored grey with a pink shirt . The background is also pink and there are cherry blossom trees.] via GoodreadsImagine your sister goes viral on social media… and you have never. Moon Fuentez feels like she is the ugly, inferior sister who is destined to be in her sister’s shadow. She takes a job as a “merch girl” on a tour bus full of influencers. She has the hottest and most insufferable bunkmate… and she ends up falling in love with him.
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[Image description: The cover of Brown Boy Nowhere by Sheeryl Lim. A boy is wearing a yellow shirt and jean shorts and is on an orange skateboard in the picture.] via GoodreadsA sixteen-year-old Filipino boy named Angelo Rivera feels like life is a black hole of nothingness. ( Hah… I can’t relate at all. Just kidding.) He’s been forced to move from his home in San Diego to a boring small town in the middle of nowhere. He’s reduced to the weird Asian kid in his new school and he feels hindered until he meets Kristin….an ex-cheerleader and graffiti artist. He becomes the leader of a group of misfits. It’s the real ARMY. ( stan Twitter can you can hear me?!)
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[Image description: the cover of The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang. A woman wearing sunglasses is gracing the cover.]via AmazonAnna Sun experiences the power of social media when a video of her playing the violin goes viral. It is a huge career milestone. But she is unable to recreate the moment. And then her long-time boyfriend tells her he wants an open relationship and… she agrees. She has a series of one-night stands. Her professional and personal life really delves into it.
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[ Image description: All’s Well by Mona Awad. A woman who is dressed like she’s from Shakespearean times is lying on the floor with arrows in her. She also has red hair.]Miranda Fitch’s life does not go according to plan. An accident ends her acting career and leaves her with chronic back pain. AND her marriage is failing. She finds a job as a college theatre director, only for her semblance of security to be threatened. The college kids are determined to put on Macbethinstead of Shakespeare’s All Well That Ends Well. Then, she meets three strange benefactors that know too much about her past. Definitely sounds like a Shakespearean tragedy.
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[Image description: the cover of The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon. A couple is staring lovingly at each other.] via GoodreadsCan you imagine the way your phone would blow up if you were dating a celebrity? You would have to put evil eye emojis on every post. Anywho, Taylor Powell is dating a former NFL player… kind of. Jamar Dixon wants Taylor, a personal trainer, to work with him. However, he wants her to keep this a secret. When someone makes the assumption they are a couple, Taylor and Jamar go along with it. But do they go hoopy for each other?
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[ Image description: the cover of A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert. A blue dragon graces the outside of the book] via AmazonBeing a princess sounds so tough. No, really. Princess Jiara’s sister, Scilla was assassinated. Her ghost is doomed to haunt the country until she is avenged. As all of this is happening, Princess Jiara’s sister’s betrothed arrives and asks that the 17-year-old take her sister’s place as his bride. The alliance between the country is dependent upon their marriage. It is extremely stressful for Princess Jiara, who is dyslexic. She fears, on top of everything else, that she will be unable to learn a foreign language. She discovers that her sister’s killer is in this foreign country she is asked to go to. So she takes the risk;
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I need to grab my tea and read these books! If you want to join the tea party, check out The Tempest Book Club to know what our August’s pick is (and take part in many awesome giveaways and live events with authors!). If you’re more of a lone reader and want even more book suggestions, check out our list of exciting 2021 releases.
Let us know which books you pick and what you’re reading this month by tagging @TheTempestBooks on Instagram so we can feature you!
Feature Image of 23 LGBTQ+ books releasing this Pride Month
Pride Month is celebrated every year in June to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. During this month, a lot of attention is given to LGBTQIA+ culture and it serves as a much-needed reminder that even though representation has come a long way in recent years, it requires a commitment to pursuing and uplifting queer voices. We think this is a great opportunity to put a spotlight on creators, authors, and stories that reflect the diverse range of experiences in the queer community.
In honor of Pride, here are 23 books releasing this month that you should add to your reading lists! The books on this list portray LGBTQIA+ characters from a variety of experiences and across a variety of genres, so you are sure to find something exciting to read this month!
The cover of Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídê
In an ultimate combination of Get Out meets Gossip Girl, Ace of Spades is the perfect queer book you have to read this summer.
Devon and Chiamaka are the senior class prefects in the prestigious Niveus Private Academy. They are smart, focused, and all set to enter the Ivys with their perfect academic and extra-curricular records. But everything changes, when an anonymous entity called the Aces starts revealing all of their secrets.
Will the Aces sabotage the girls’ future, or will the girls ruin the Aces’ plans? Read this thrilling suspense to find out. Xoxo.
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Two estranged sisters, Jamie and Siri get together to fix their broken family life. Despite having polar opposite personalities, they decide to switch places and confront their parents for separating them.
While navigating each other’s contrasting lifestyles was already complex, life gets more complicated when love gets into the picture. Siri develops a crush on Jamie’s best friend Dawn while Jamie ends up falling in love with a random stranger in New York.
In their quest of uniting their broken family, will the sisters be able to reignite love between their parents or will their personal lives get in between?
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The Cover of The Darkness Outside by Eliot Schrefer
What happens when two sworn enemies are put together in the same spaceship?
This isn’t your typical YA haters turned lover’s story. Ambrose wakes up in the spaceship with absolutely no memory at all. All he knows is that the voice on board belongs to his mother and there is a brooding guy that won’t talk to him.
With their survival at stake, Ambrose and Kodiak need to find a way to reconcile and work together against an unknown force in space.
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While we have plenty of stories describing the pain of losing a loved one, not many talk about the unilinear path of recovery that follows.
After losing his brother in a hit-and-run case, Liam is forced to deal with life alone. His life completely falls apart as he struggles to find the will to go on with life. People tell him that life goes on and he needs to cope with the grief. However, he does not know how to do it. He does not know if he can.
From survivor’s guilt to finding the reason to move on, in an honest and transparent way, this book recounts the struggle we face after losing someone we love.
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The Cover of The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag
After the success of The Witch Boy Trilogy, Molly Ostertag is back with a story of Morgan.
Morgan is your typical 15-year-old. She lives with her mom and brother in a tight-knit community where everyone is basically your extended family. But you know the thing with families, they have secrets. And Morgan’s biggest secret was wanting to leave this perfect island because they wouldn’t accept who she really was.
All she knew was that once she left the island, she’d be done be secrets. But what happens when she falls in love with someone that has the craziest secret amongst them all?
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Revisit your teenage days with Jay’s Gay Agenda. All the way from wish lists and first date butterflies to complexities of first love and heartbreak, read this incredible LGTBQIA+ edition of finding love while balancing life.
By the way, we’re interviewing author Jason June on Instagram live, stay tuned for the announcement on our Bookstagram!
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The Love Songof Ivy K. Harlowe follows the life of a high school graduate named Andie who is madly in love with her best friend Ivy.
Ivy, who is unabashedly sexual and sleeps with someone new every night and when she’s on the dance floor, she’s the one no one can tear their eyes from. To Andie, everyone loves Ivy but nobody can form a deep connection with her like Andie. That is until Dot comes along and Ivy finds herself looking for a relationship.
This book grapples with Queer romance, blurred lines between friendship and love and the complexities of female friendships. It also portrays chronic illness and disability representation in an authentic and earnest light.
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The cover of Never Kiss Your Roommate by Philline Harms
Never Kiss Your Roommate is a dual-point-of-view novel set in an English boarding school. The book follows Evelyn and Seth as they join a new private institution (Seven Hills) in England after experiencing tough times in their personal lives. Together, they struggle to fit in at their new school.
Evelyn’s roommate Noelle is unfriendly and bitter, who managed to send away her last roommate in tears. However, Evelyn instead of being intimidated by this mysterious roommate, is attracted to her. Never Kiss Your Roommate is a story full of queer friendship and queer romance. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers trope, this one should be on your must-reads!
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The cover of The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons
Another high school read, The Passing Playbook follows a 15-year-old Spencer Harris, a black trans teen. After experiencing bullying at his old school, he is ready to start afresh at the most liberal school in Ohio (Oakley).
Everything seems to be going well for Spencer at the new school. New friends who are very accepting, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy’s soccer team and even becoming a little something more than friends with one of his teammates. The only problem? No one at Oakley knows that he is trans. At Least not until his coach discovers the ‘F’ on Spencer’s birth certificate. Things go awry when Spencer is benched due to a discriminatory law.
The Passing Playbook is a story about friendship, soccer, finding and standing up for one’s true self.
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This story takes the reader on a thrill ride with Riverdale-like aesthetics. Trixie lives a troubled life at home and she can’t wait to escape for a weekend getaway with her best friend Lux. On their dream trip, they stop by at a college bar where their fun time quickly turns violent. The event turns them from normal high school girls into wanted fugitives.
They soon realize that they can only rely on each other, and the love that they find for each other is the only thing that will make them stronger in the face of adversity.
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The cover of The Un Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez
The Un Popular Vote tells the tale of a transgender teen (Mark) who has to be stealthy because his dad is a congressman who wants to keep his son’s transition a secret. However, when Mark finds a manipulative candidate with a dangerous agenda running for the student body president, he decides to step out of the low profile that he had promised his father and insert himself as a political challenger.
Mark’s story arc is not about figuring himself out or dealing with internalized transphobia, it’s about keeping the promise of staying stealth to his Father.
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The cover of All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue
An easy-to-grasp fantasy novel that grapples with elements of tarot reading, witches, occult behavior and mysterious kidnapping. It follows Maeve, a high school student in Ireland who one day during detention discovers a pack of Tarot cards. What starts as a harmless bit of tarot reading ends up with a missing girl and sinister cult of radicals who take their political beliefs to a dark level.
The book speaks of sexuality and gender in an informative way without scolding or guilt-tripping the readers.
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Fire With Fire is a fantasy novel about two sisters, Dani and Eden who are trained in dragon slaying. They are the complete opposites of each other. For Dani, dragon-slaying takes a back seat to normal school life, while Eden has worked her whole life to be recognized as a dragon slayer. Things take a turn when Dani befriends a dragon (Nox) and creates a magical bond.
With Dani being lost to the dragons, Eden reaches out to a set of mysterious sorcerers for help to save her sister. Now fighting against each other to save one another, they fail to see the bigger enemy lurking over their shoulders.
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The Cover of Girls at the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson
Perfect for the fans of Rachel Hartmen and Rae Carson, Girls at the Edge of the World is an incredibly romantic fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic flood. While Natasha is hell-bent on ensuring that everyone gets a safe passage into the new world, Ella is simply driven by her thirst for revenge against the Kosyrovian Royal Court.
With a common goal, these girls team up to challenge the system. They’ve calculated every single variable to ensure this much-needed success. But when love sneaks up on them and gives them a new purpose in life, will they end up giving up on their initial agendas?
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Six lucky teens are invited to spend an unforgettable weekend at the mansion of heiress and social media mogul Jewel Van Hanen. After vanishing for a year, Jewel announces she has chosen lucky users of her app “Golden Rule” access into her private life, and for a chance to win a life-changing cash prize. Only things don’t appear quite as they seem. The guests find themselves thrown into an elaborate estate-wide game, with every riddle and challenge tailored to each individual player’s strengths and weaknesses.
This exhilarating premise is like a social media-era version of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and the novel also contains sapphic character and representation. It follows three players— Luna: Jewel’s biggest fan, Nicole: the darling of Golden Rule, and Stella: a brilliant outsider, as they navigate the insane puzzle set up by the reclusive heiress.
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Dani’s best friend is Sarah, who happens to be a ghost who has been dead for 20 years. Living with an abusive father and not fitting in at school, Sarah is the one thing that gets Dani through it all — and he thinks that they might be even be more than friends. But there’s one thing Dani can’t tell her. He knows that Sarah hates men, having been murdered by one, so he Is afraid to tell her that he is trans.
One day, Sarah and Dani come across another ghost in the woods, suffering with the memory of her own brutal murder. The duo decide to help ghosts like this spirit find peace and give them a sanctuary to return to. But when an old friend reenters Dani’s life, and helps him find a sense of belonging, he begins to wonder if being a part of the living world means he needs to let go of his ghosts.
This novel deals with a lot of heavy themes, such as trauma, abuse and struggling with one’s gender identity.
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Bi The Way is a thorough look into understanding and embracing your bisexuality. This essential guide contains accounts from bisexual advocates, practical guidance on topics such as dating, sex, coming out, biphobia, bi erasure, activism, and gender identity. The book is an honest and powerful manifesto that aims to shed light on a community that is often overlooked and has experienced a history of erasure.
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In Gearbreakers, we meet Eris and Sona, two girls on opposite sides of a terrible war in a cyberpunk world, who discover that they are fighting for a common purpose.
In the country of Godolia, a tyrannical power is spreading, aided by giant mechanized inventions called Windups. Eris is one of the rebels, a Gearbreaker who specializes in taking down these weapons of destruction. When a mission goes horribly wrong, she is thrown into a Godolia prison, where she meets Sona. Sona is a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot, and at first Eris thinks she is the enemy, until Sona reveals she is a secret double agent, infiltrating the program to destroy it from within. The girls team up, with the odds stacked against them as they plot to destroy the overloads’ reign for good, and find themselves inadvertently growing closer, as allies, and maybe even something more.
A book that is a sapphic sci-fi adventure and uses the enemies to lovers trope? It can’t get any better than that.
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From the author of Cinderella Is Dead comes a darkly evocative fairytale about Briseis, a girl who can grow plants with a single touch.
Bri has never known her biological family and has no idea where her gift comes from. When an aunt she’s never met dies and leaves her an old estate in rural New York, she and her adoptive parents leave their city life behind. Bri hopes that being surrounded by nature will help her gain control over her gifts, but the new home is eerier than she could have imagined. Her aunt has left her in charge of a secret apothecary and a garden filled with deadly botanicals that can only be entered by someone who shares Bri’s unique bloodline.
Then strangers begin to drop by unexpectedly, asking Bri for special elixirs, which she learns she has a talent for creating. She meets Marie, an unusual young woman she is inexplicably drawn to, but Bri begins to suspect there is something Marie is not telling her, about the dark secrets of her sudden inheritance. Before she can do anything, a nefarious group arrives and demands Bri make them a rare elixir, one that grants immortality. Facing a centuries-old curse and deadly poisonous plants, Bri must take control of her gift to protect herself and her loved ones.
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Lee has her life worked out. She loves her job as a sound tech at the local coffee shop, and she cohosts a popular podcast called ‘Artists in Love’ with her boyfriend.
Then her boyfriend breaks up with her on air right free graduation. To make matters worse, the timing of her parents split and losing her job coincides with the breakup, and Lee’s perfect life is thrown out the window. Trying to make ends meet, Lee decides to start a new podcast with her new friends Max and Risa, called “indestructible objects” where they pose the question of whether love truly exists at all. As she starts to explore the love stories in the city of Memphis, Lee begins to wonder if maybe love is more than what she expected.
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A queer coming-of-age story dealing with themes of grief, love, and coming out, and perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Emily had always considered herself lucky, that is, until she lost her mother to cancer three years ago. Now, about to go off to university, things are worse than ever as Emily packs away her mom’s things and her dad prepares to sell the house she grew up in. No one is talking to Emily due to an incident at school, except for one person: Blake.
Emily comes across a bucket list her mother had made in her senior year of high school, buried in the back of her closet. With the hope of fixing her life and feeling close to her mother, she decides to complete the bucket list with Blake’s help. Emily soon realizes there is another thing she has to check off for herself: accepting a secret part of herself she never got to share with the person who knew her the best.
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The cover of Love and Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura
Love and Other Natural Disasters is a rom-com set in San Francisco which tells the story of Nozomi, a queer Japanese-American teenager who struggles to recognize love outside of her picture-perfect ideals. On her first evening in San Francisco, she stumbles on the most gorgeous girl ever (Willow). Willow however, doesn’t seem all that interested in Nozomi.
To Nozomi’s surprise, she finds Willow working at the same place as hers. Willow and Nozomi start a fake relationship to make Willow’s ex-girlfriend (Arden) jealous. They get into the relationship with different motives but will they come out of it together? If you want to read more, we published a full-fledged review of the book!
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A collection of prose and poetry compiled by Bruce Owens Grimm, Miguel M. Morales, and Tiff Joshua TJ Ferentini explores the intersection of fat and queer identities, showcasing new, emerging and established queer and trans writers from around the world. This book challenges negative and damaging stereotypes of queer and fat bodies and gives the readers a way to reclaim their bodies and narrative while providing stories of support, inspiration and empowerment.
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We have no doubt you’ve found something on this list that you’re absolutely dying to read! Which ones are you going to get? Share your pictures with us and tag @thetempestbooks to be featured!
April 2021 has been really stressful. Derek Chauvin‘s trial. The death of Daunte Wright. The Indianapolis shooting. Death of Ma’Khai Bryant. Political Crisis in Chad. The second wave of Coronavirus in India. With all of these happening within days of each other, we are just about done with this month. Our mental health, level of energy, and motivation have taken a serious toll. So I say, let’s grab a few books – many to celebrate AAPI Month – and let’s find refuge there!
Actually, before we start… do you want to listen to these instead? Put your earphones on and let those mellifluous voices transport you to other worlds? Get 2 audiobooks for the price of one when you sign up for Libro.fm, the first audiobook service that supports local bookstores! I will tell you more about this offer at the bottom, enjoy the recommendations now!
1. May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor
May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor
Lukas Rivers, the ultimate football star and head of the Homecoming community, wants to stay away from the drama after his long-term girlfriend comes out as a transgender man.
While Lukas may want a calm year, Jeremy Harkiss isn’t the kind to stay quiet. He is fierce, unapologetic, and absolutely will not bow down to the outdated school administration. So instead, he makes some noise by openly challenges the ex-boyfriend for his title of Homecoming King. The message is clear: Jeremy Harkiss is here, and he is here to stay. But Lukas isn’t the kind to concede easily either.
This isn’t your typical enemy turned lover after stolen glances story. It is a rollercoaster of emotions that authentically represents the realities of transphobia, homophobia, and bullying. Amidst darkness and uncertainty, it is the story of Lukas and Jeremy’s journey to choose love in an uncaring society.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
2. Misfit in Love by S.K. Ali
Misfit in Love by S.K. Ali
FINALLY! After her emotions being all over the place in Saints and Misfits, Janna Yusuf is ready. She is so ready for a new, uncomplicated chapter of her life. She’s done with high school; her brother Muhammad is getting married and she’s happily in love with Nuah. Life’s good!
But plans and weddings never go well together. For no apparent reason, Janna’s dad is acting strange, the sweet and considerate Nuah is treating her differently and her mother MAY BE igniting things with an old flame?
Chaos. Chaos. Chaos. Just when Jenna thought things couldn’t get more complicated, her misfit heart is back to its old ways again. Besides her family drama, she now has to deal with her heart fluttering for two newcomers – the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth.
Yikes. Honestly girl, how do you plan on getting out of this mess?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
3. Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
Karina Ahmed is the ultimate good girl next door. Despite being far away from Bangladesh, she chooses to value her culture and traditions. This includes following her parent’s rule of focusing solely on her studies and NO DATING! At all. Ever. Well, you know Asian parents’ logic. She can date after marriage.
What happens when the school’s resident bad boy casually claims that Karina is his girlfriend. Tutoring him was already crossing a line, and now pretending to date him? With her parents away for a month, she agrees to this dating façade until they come back. But will she want to go back to normal? That’s the actual question. Any To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes?
Counting Down With You is also our pick of the month for our Book Club – come read it with us!
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
4. The Soulmate Equation by Christian Lauren
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
What would the world be like if we had a DNA-based matchmaking app? Take a minute. No, seriously, let that sink in. We are talking about guaranteed compatibility. That means no more wasting time on awkward first dates and weeks of adjusting period. Just instant connection and guaranteed chemistry. Forget signs, it’s time for the science behind finding your soulmate. (See what I did there?)
This is exactly what Jess Davis needed. She is a single mother and a statistical wizard with major trust issues. So, the only thing that could convince her to get back into the dating world was numbers. Because numbers don’t lie. Jess knows that. She knows she can trust them. But what happens when the app pairs her with Dr. River Pena, the stuck-up, stubborn, and annoyingly confident founder of the company? Maybe it’s just a glitch in the system? Or maybe it’s actually meant to be.
So, *channeling my inner nerd* in research terminology, the question would be: to what extent will the accuracy of the soulmate equation be effectuated in reality?
With a constant dose of charm, humor, and romance, this book will definitely satisfy all your nerdy vibes.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
5. Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur
Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur
In a modern-day Ross and Rachel story with a How I Met Your Mother crossover, Brendon does everything in his power to show Annie that romance is evergreen and it is here to stay.
Brendon is a hopeless romantic and Annie is his sister’s best friend. While Annie remembered Brendon as her friend’s dorky older brother, Brendon’s childhood crush was… you know who it was! So, when Brendon finds out that Annie has given up on love, he plans on sweeping her off the feet by taking cues from all his favorite rom coms.
Read this charming sequel to Written in the Stars to find out if the infamous blue French horn and 2-minute date make a cameo.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
6. Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
“But like how can you be bisexual, if you only date guys?” is the first question Humaira “Hani” Khan was asked after she finally came out to her friends. Of all things, having her identity questioned and invalidated was not something she expected from her friends. This made her uncomfortable and anxious. And in panic, she blurted that she was dating Ishita “Ishu” Dey. A girl that was completely different from her and her friend group.
In a classic set up of opposites attract, Hani and Ishu are forced to deal with pressure from a strictly patriarchal society while struggling to own up to their identity.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
7. Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Remember Wattpad days? Hours of reading, writing, and swooning over fanfictions. Remember falling in love with fictional characters and thinking that you knew everything there was to know about love.
With a popular blog called Meet Cute Diary, Noah Ramirez was THE romance expert that posted a collection of trans stories. Slight problem, people thought they were based on Noah’s real life, and, well, he did not correct them. This blog was Noah’s way of stepping out of the closet. And the success of the blog made him feel loved, supported, and accepted. No harm, no foul, right? But things take a drastic turn when a troll exposes Noah’s blog as fiction.
For Noah, the only plausible way to save the Diary was to convince everyone that the stories were true. Enter Drew and begin staged romance. Problem solved.
OH WELL. If only things would be that easy. Like all of us, Noah has to find the hard way that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on paper.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
8. Black Water Sisters by Zen Cho
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
A Zellennial queer heroine discovers her power in the urban mythical world of Malaysia of active spirits and meddling gods. Wow! Honestly, if that doesn’t make you want to read this book, I don’t know what will.
As a descendant of the mysterious deity called Black Water Sister, Jessamyn Teoh is pulled into the world of gods, ghosts, gangs, and tons of family secrets. From having to settle the score with a gang leader that has offended the gods to find a way to regain control of her body and destiny, Jess has a lot of issues to deal with. She is frustrated by the secrecy that surrounds her, tired of her grandmother’s spirit calling the shots, and unsure of what exactly she wants to do in life.
In a nutshell, a stressed Asian lesbian challenges god and establishes her own identity. Seriously, get this book right now!
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
9. Hush Little Baby by R.H. Herron
Hush Little Baby by R.H. Herron
Remember that lullaby, “Hush little baby don’t say a word, papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.” Now imagine this in a psychological thriller where a pregnant Jillian is seeing things she cannot explain.
Jillian Marsh’s life has been traumatic. She had to deal with different stages of struggles in her life. From a toxic upbringing in a religious zealot household to using alcohol as a coping mechanism. Gathering the courage to pull it together, starting a career, and finally finding love to having her partner cheating on her while she was expecting, Jillian has seen it all. She has survived it all. But what happens when unexplained things start happening in her house. And her only support system of friends can no longer be trusted.
Is Jillian imagining things or is she being manipulated? Should she stick to her instincts or should she work on her trust issues? With her career, personal life, and mental health at stake, Jillian’s entire life is once again hanging by a single thread. But this time, the only thing Jillian knows is that she will do anything to protect her baby. Anything.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
10. The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
If everything in your life was based on a lie? Would you risk it all, to tell the truth?
After a failed political career, Léo Martin returns to the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious context for the best and the brightest in the enchanting world of Montverre. Here he meets Claire Dryden. While he senses an odd connection with her, he’s sure that they have never met.
In a world where everyone has built their lives around lies and secrets, will Leo and Claire find the courage to tell their truth?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
11. Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
Some Girl Do by Jennifer Dugan
An unapologetic, proud, and openly queer elite track athlete Morgan instantly finds love in her new high school. In another classic case of oppositive attracts, Morgan is attracted to Ruby who competes in local beauty pageants and absolutely adores her 1970 Ford Torino.
While opposite personalities may attract, struggles in identities always complicate things. Morgan, after being kicked out of her Catholic school, wants a fresh start where she can be completely herself and date openly. But Ruby is not ready to come out. Especially with her overprotective mother constantly breathing down her neck.
With two girls on different pages of realities, will love be enough to conquer it all?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
12. Arsenic and Adobo by Mila P. Manansala
Arsenic and Adobo by Mila P. Manansal
Lila Macapagal’s life turns into a romcom tragedy when she returns home to deal with her horrible breakup. She’s asked to help out with Tita’s failing restaurant while a group of matchmaking aunties continue to scrutinize and set her up.
But with her twisted luck, instead of a happy ever after, Lila’s ex-boyfriend drops dead after a confrontation with her. With cops treating her as a primary suspect in the case and her shady landlord trying to kick her out of the place, Lila takes matters into her own hands. She decides to conduct her own investigation with an army of nosy aunty networks, her barista best friend, and her trusted Dachshund.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
13. The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
Leaving her big-city Chicago life, Sophie O’Neill decides to settle down with her family in a small Texan town. While it was quiet and dreamy, Sophie is instantly bored and restless with her country life.
But everything changes when she meets Margot Banks, a socialite part of the elite clique known as the Hunting Wives. With martinis, unconventional parties, and late-night target practice, life was so much more exciting and thrilling in the countryside for Sophie.
But what happens when the body of a teenage girl is found in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet? Will the elite clique stick together, or will they turn against one another? Dragged into the mystery of murder investigation, will Sophie continue to enjoy the thrills of her country life or will she crave for the peace and calm she once despised?
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14. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy and Alex are polar opposites. Poppy is outgoing, adventurous, and free-spirited. While Alex’s definition of fun is staying home and reading a book. And even though, they spend most of the year apart, they continue to be the best of friends. The secret behind this strong bond is an adventurous summer vacation every year!
With a cruel twist of fate, both of them are no longer on speaking terms. However, Poppy doesn’t want things to end so unresolved and all over the place. Simply parting ways is not an option. Therefore, to wrap it all up, she proposes to take one last vacation together and Alex surprisingly agrees.
In an attempt to fix it all, Poppy and Alex try to make the best of the situation. With nothing more to lose, will one of them finally address that one big truth they have been avoiding for years?
Seriously, what is it about vacations and their ability to just change the dynamics of seemingly everything around us?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
15. Tokyo Even After by Emiko Jean
Tokyo Even After by Emiko Jean
Izumi Tanaka has always struggled with her identity. Being a Japanese American, raised by a single mother in a small, white neighborhood in California is not easy. No matter how much she tries to fit in, she will never be “American” enough.
Who is her father? Is Japan the place she really belongs? Hence, to resolve this constant state of identity crisis she faced, Izumi – or Izzy travels to Japan to get some much-needed answers.
Izzy’s life turns upside down when she finds out that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. With the press watching her every move and conniving cousins constantly setting her up for failure, Izzy is left alone to venture through this world of traditions and customs in her unknown homeland.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
16. Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
Quinn keeps a list of everything. All the way from her bucket list to daily to-do tasks, everything is neatly compiled and categorized in her journal.
Writing things down is Quinn’s way of compartmentalizing things in life. And this is exactly how she chooses to deal with the fears too. By making a list and choosing NOT to deal with it. However, this is no longer an option when her journal goes missing and an anonymous post on Instagram blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears. In the quest of finding her journal and hiding her secrets, Quinn ends up finding the courage to accept her reality; honestly and unapologetically.
We even did a live event with author Joya Goffney, you can rewatch it here!
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
17. The Siren by Katherine St. John
The Siren by Katherine St. John
Megastar Cole Power assembles an iconic star cast to film The Siren on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Genesis. While the plot of the movie had already created quite a stir in Hollywood, that’s not the main attraction of the movie.
Three motivated women with their own set of agendas arrive on set. There is Stella, the ex-wife, with her first role as a lead actress after multiple episodes of public breakdowns. Then, there is Taylor, a fledgling producer, that is keen to regain her lost reputation after her scandalous last job. And as for Felicity, Stella’s new mysterious assistant, no one know what she really wants. All we know is that she’s up to something.
United against a common enemy, these women find themselves trapped on the island. But with everything at stake and backstabbing as the norm, the hurricane brewing offshore is the least of their concern.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
18. Reset by Sarina Dahlan
Reset by Sarina Dahlan
Can you love someone you do not remember?
In the after-effects of the Last War, societies are divided into the utopia of Four Cities. Inspired by the Buddhist philosophy, everything is planned, controlled, and monitored in this reality. Therefore, in a process called tabula rasa, citizens undergo a customary memory wipe every four years to prevent mankind from destroying each other yet again.
In this context, Aris is a scientist that whole-heartedly embraces this process of tabula rasa. However, her world turns upside down when she finds out about the secret organization called ‘Dreamers’. In a world where names, lives, and moments are systematically destroyed, Aris ends up finding love with the leader of the organization.
With only weeks left before the memory wipe, how will Aris hold onto the memories of her emerging romance. Set in dystopia, this book will make you question everything you know to be true about the existential meaning of love.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
19. A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams Garcia
A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia
Set in 1860 Louisana, the award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia holds the mirror up for the White Americans. In a way that merely states the realities of the plantation society, she asks people the simple question of: “What would your life be like without slavery?”
This is a book that is honest, real, and hence, heartbreaking at times. But it delicately showcases the reality of a community where racism has always been the norm. This book will continue to haunt you long after you have read its last page. Especially if you draw parallels to the society we live in today.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
20. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
If you are looking for another great fantasy trope with a large cast of characters, look no further.
With every character playing a part for a greater purpose, Aveyard brings together an incredible combination of personalities. A squire forced to choose between home and honor. An immortal avenging a broken promise. An assassin exiled and bloodthirsty. An ancient sorceress whose riddles hide an eerie foresight. A forger with a secret past. A bounty hunter with a score to settle. And a leader who is the last of an ancient lineage.
Together they stand against an invincible opponent that is determined to burn all kingdoms to ashes.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
21. Rosaline Palmer Takes The Cake by Alexis Hall
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
Rosaline Palmer is a baker. Therefore, she truly believes that if plans are made, risks are measured and instructions are followed, there cannot be an unfavorable outcome in life, just like baking.
Following this recipe of life, Rosaline is keen on giving her daughter, Amelie, everything she deserves and then some more. So, in terms of finding a good father figure, she knows beyond a doubt that Alain Pope is the right guy. He checks all the boxes by being suave, well-educated, and the perfect parent material. But what happens when it’s the shy electrician Harry Dobson that actually sweeps her off her feet.
Will Rosaline stick to the instruction manual or will she voluntarily choose the recipe for disaster?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
22. The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
Noreen and her mother travel back to New Delhi to process the grief of losing her aunt. After an exhausting year, Noreen sees things glass-half-full. So, excuse her, if she feels like nothing is going to happen in the world’s most polluted city.
Now, if there is one constant in the land of Bollywood, it’s the fact that romance is always in the air. From culture and architecture to songs and food, this is the place where people have grown up watching the cheesiest movies one can imagine and with hopes of having that guaranteed happily-ever-after in every story.
So, it’s no wonder that Noreen fell in love with Kabir when she was least expecting. But like every classic Bollywood movie, with romance comes drama. But what happens when Kabir and Noreen have to deal with the complicated questions in their relationship?
What does it mean to truly love someone? Should there be boundaries? Will love conquer all like every ending in the Bollywood movies or will reality set in?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
23. It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland
It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland
You know that optimistic feeling we grow up with. That feeling where everything in life seems permanent, like nothing, is going to change? It’s not about being naïve. Rather, it’s about holding onto the hope that things will not change.
Eva, Celeste, Gina, and Steph grew up together believing that nothing could come between their friendship. They knew that together they were unstoppable. Their queer pop band, Moonlight Overthrow, was the best testament of that example. However, things turned sour when the band broke up while Eva and Celeste start their starry-eyed romance. Suddenly sides were taken, solo careers were launched and radio silence was the new reality in their lives.
Against all odds, fate gives them another chance. In an attempt to fundraise for their town, they come together to perform for one last time. As they struggle to come to terms with the fact that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean growing apart, will this girl band choose friendship over everything else, once again?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores.
As promised, a note on the juicy audiobook offer:
Libro.fm is the first and only company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 150,000 audiobooks, including best sellers. You’ll get the same audiobooks at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name). But you’ll be part of a different story – one that supports community.
If you’re new to audiobooks, they’re the perfect way to get more books into your busy life. Listen during your commute, while doing chores, walking the dog, or just relaxing at home. All you need is a smartphone and the free Libro.fm app. If you already love audiobooks and don’t know what to listen to next, check out recommendations and curated lists from people who know audiobooks best: booksellers!
The Tempest special offer: get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership with code TheTempest. Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S.
What are you waiting for? I know I cannot wait to get my hands on these books! But then again, I am pretty sure I’ll finish them all by the time May ends.
Let us know which books you pick and what you’re reading this month by tagging @TheTempestBooks on Instagram so we can feature you!
Have you ever felt like a month would never end? I mean, no offense to March, but it was taking forever to end and your girl wanted the new month or books, hope, possibly a vaccine and April showers. It’s interesting that March 2020 and March 2021 will be the longest months I’ll ever know. I can’t help but wonder if all my March-s have been that way. On the upside, I had a lot of great reads waiting to be released and now that they are out, I’m ready for this month.
With every month comes a whole new pile of books to be added to one’s TBR and 23 years later and I still get excited. For April 2021 I’ve compiled some books I think are worth mentioning.
What do you get when you have an accidental murder, thousands of wedding guests, possibly cursed generations of family, and four meddling Asian aunties to the rescue? Well, you get a quirky novel that’s as fun as a rom-com and as nail-biting as a murder mystery.
Meddelin Chan totally did not mean to kill her blind date, but it happened and her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Things should be smooth sailing from there, but somehow the billionaire wedding Meddy and her family is catering body is shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working, at an island resort on the California coastline.
The icing to the wedding cake chaos? Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance. How will Meddy pull it all off?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
With Mia spending summer at an elite ballet program in Paris for six weeks. That means she has six weeks to earn an audition with one of the best ballet companies in the world. Hailing from America, however, Mia is about to learn there is so much more to Paris than just their ballet. When Louis, a French boy offering to be her personal tour guide the two of them discover the magic of Paris. This novel is a refreshing story of love and passion for not only our dreams but for the adventures we find ourselves on with people in our lives.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Zara Hossain and her family are just a group of people born in Pakistan that moved to Texas and have been patiently waiting for their citizenship for nine years. Zara cares about laying low to avoid the rampant Islamophobia and do her best not to jeopardize the families chances of staying. Unfortunately, her bully, Tyler Benson, takes things too far and is suspended. Rather than accept his punishment, him and his friends vandalize Zara’s house with racist graffiti, leading to a violent crime that puts Zara’s entire future at risk.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Scottie Zajac finds herself in a fender bender with none other than her nemesis–Irene Abraham. To make matters worse, their moms decide they should carpool until Irene’s car gets out of the shop. Their frustrations with each other continue to rise until one day Scottie bribes Irene to play along with a ruse that may help Scottie get back with her (toxic) ex and climb the social ladder of high school. Will their faux dating scheme work out like they think?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are totally not codependent. Carpooling is just environmentally conscious, consulting each other for each life choice is smart judgment, and pining for the same guy is just more fun than crushing on separate ones…right?
Matt Olsson is Kate’s absolute crush, but he’s also Anderson’s crush. Seems having the same crush as your best friend isn’t so fun after all.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
Penelope Prado is an aspiring pastry chef with the dream of having her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. Unfortunately, Pen has to choose between following the expectations of being a Mexican-American daughter or making her own path. Then Xander Amaro gets a job at Nacho’s and is excited for the chance to find home and normal. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself. The pair simultaneously discover where they belong and try to figure out first love as they try to save the place they call home.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Iris Hollow and her two older sisters cannot remember what exactly happened to them as children, but whatever happened left them each with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats. For all her teen years she’s been keeping a low profile and trying to escape the weirdness that follows her. However, Grey, her eldest sister goes missing and that weirdness gets even weirder: horned men seem to be lurking, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind. The closer Iris gets to find her sister and the truth, the closer she gets to learning that some secrets are better left untouched.
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Sally Thorn’s romances are addicting so it’s no surprise I’m at the edge of my seat for this one. For six years Ruthie Midona has been the receptionist at Providence Luxury Retirement Villa. For years she’s spent her life helping the Villa’s residents, watching over the property, and protecting endangered tortoises. She’d been working hard for so long, she’s forgotten to live life outside of work–until she meets Teddy Prescott.
Teddy Prescot is the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center and he’s spent his recent years partying, having fun, and never taking life too seriously. When Teddy needs a place to stay, his father decides to use it as a chance to groom him. Teddy is allowed to stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but he has to work to earn his keep. Teddy is confident he can handle changing light bulbs and trim hedges. But Ruthie has a plan to make him the assistant to her two most wealthiest and high maintenance residents, who have never had an assistant for longer than a week.
She isn’t expecting him to be up for the task, so when she learns his father plans to sell the retirement home, Ruthie can’t help wondering if Teddy’s charisma is all a lie.
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This novel is a queer retelling of the Russian folktale, “The Firebird”. The fates of the twin heirs are born with them. Izaveta is to be the future queen and Asya trained by her aunt to keep the magic of the realm in balance. Their lives are pushed into motion when the queen dies and Asya feels ancient magic in her bones. The two sisters must come together to find their mother’s killer and protect the throne.
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10. What’s Not to Love byEmily Wibberley andAustin Siegemund-Broka
What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have been competing classmates for all of high school. From the school paper to community service, the two of them have now set their sights on both valedictorian and Harvard. Alison couldn’t avoid Ethan if she tried as they also have the same classes and extracurricular activities.
As if that weren’t enough, their principal assigns them to plan a ten year reunion for past students with the promise of a glowing recommendation for Harvard. But creating the event is harder to make a competition and their rivalry starts to feel like friendship. Alison starts to realize that maybe more than winning she wants Ethan.
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Hana is a part time waitress at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood. When she’s not working there, she’s doing her best to land a job at the city radio station and pouring her soul into a podcast of her own. On the podcast she forms a glowing bond with one of her listeners, but then a new upscale halal restaurant is about to open and threaten the end of Three Sisters.
Her aunt and cousin come from India with a family secret and everything becomes even more complicated when a hate-motivated attack occurs in their neighborhood. As all this unfolds, Hana fights her interest in the young owner of the rival restaurant, Aydin, someone who she may know better than she realizes.
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Maggie Dolan went from being a high level executive to a stay-at-home mother for the last seventeen years. Now Gia is leaving for college and her husband is disconnected from her drastically. Maggie needs to rediscover herself but in doing so she must deal with her narcissistic mother, a brother who doesn’t like her and most damaging of all, the news that her father, her rock, has medical issues that may take him from her. With so much on her plate, she’s caught between living her life as she’s always done, or going down a new path of excitement and potential.
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Naomi and Ethan are both professionals in their respective ways. Naomi is a successful start-up sensation but can’t seem to get a job in higher education. Ethan has two honors, is LA’s hottest bachelor, and the rabbi of his own synagogue. However, his shul is low on funds and congregants. He has three month before the board closes his synagogue.
The solution? The pair work together and host a seminar series about Modern Intimacy. However, as they work together to solve their individual problems, a new one emerges as their attraction grows.
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Alice Holtzman’s life is on a downward trajectory as she deals with the loss of her husband, stuck in her no-good job, and having panic attacks. Her usual escape of caring for honeybees isn’t enough to keep her calm. Mid-panic she almost crashes into Jake, a troubled paraplegic teen. Rather than continue their separate ways, Alice is endeared by his genuine interest in the bees and invites him to her farm.
A friendship blooms between the pair as well as Harry, a young man struggling with social anxiety who applied to be a part-time helper at the bee farm. The three of them forge a new future for themselves as they join forces to stop the nefarious pesticide company that’s moved to town, threatening the local honeybee population and revealing serious corruption in the community. This novel is about friendship, compassion, and finding the courage to start over at any age.
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AJ is a Type A student. She lives with her mother, stepfather and younger half sisters. Della is a wandering soul who spends Florida in the summer with her dad and older siblings. Plot twist? Della is AJ; AJ is Della. Adelaide Beloise Jepsen does all she can to keep her school and summer lives very separate. But when her middle sister crashes her summer, Adelaide has no choice but to finally reconcile the two versions of her. In doing so maybe she can help her sister, mend an unexpected friendship with a boy that may be perfect for her, and learn that it’s okay to not be perfect all the time.
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Addie and her sister are beyond ready for their road trip to Scotland for their friend’s wedding. Unfortunately, before they can make it far, a car rear ends them and the driver is none other than Dylan, Addie’s ex. Dylan and his best friend are also going to the very same wedding and they’ve wrecked their car. Addie offers them a ride in her car and now a duo girls’ drive is now a tense drive with drama and a lot of luggage. A three hundred mile drive is long enough for Dylan and Addie to finally unravel and heal from their messy breakup.
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Maybell Parish is a romantic and dreamer. Living in the world of her own imagination far surpasses real life. So when Maybell’s great-aunt Violet leaves a supposedly charming house in the Smokies to her, she uses it as a chance for a fresh start.
When she gets there, the house is less than charming. It’s falling apart and she isn’t the sole inheritor. She has to share everything with Wesle Koehler, the grump groundskeeper, who may or may not also be gorgeous. As the two must compromise to fix up the house they slowly let their guards down and learn much more about each other.
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Vanessa lives her life by her own rules and refuses to waste a moment of her life with regrets, especially when she has no idea whether she has the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Her schedule is full of travel and sharing her adventures with her many YouTube followers.
Her plans change when her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter for the foreseeable future. Now Vanessa is housebound and totally unsure what she should do. Then there is Adrian Copeland, happy to offer his help. Adrian is the hot lawyer living next door and Vanessa has no idea why when they barely know each other. As they get closer, Vanessa realizes her careless spirit would never be compatible with a man in need of structure like Adrian, but maybe life’s too short to be scared to take a leap of faith for love.
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I think it is super important for us to support books by diverse authors, especially when they have a diverse story to share. Thus, Of Women and Salt is a great pick if you are interested in generational stories about mothers and daughters and the choices that bond them. Below is the original synopsis:
A daughter’s fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born
In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.
From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia’s Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals–personal and political, self-inflicted and those done by others–that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers, the legacy of the memories they carry, and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them, this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots.
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So many good books, I have no idea which I’ll read first! If you want some company while reading, check out The Tempest Book Club on Instagram to know what April’s pick is (and take part in many awesome giveaways and live events with authors!). If you’re more of a lone reader and want even more book suggestions, check out our list of exciting 2021 releases.
If you want to listen to these books instead, we recommend subscribing to Libro.fm, the first and only audiobook company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. We have an exclusive offer for The Tempest readers: if you subscribe with our code TheTempest, you’ll get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership! Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
Let us know which books you pick and what you’re reading this month by tagging @TheTempestBooks on Instagram so we can feature you!
There’s a new wave of books coming in this March and I couldn’t be more enthused. Some of my most anticipated releases of the year are on here. No way you’ve already heard of all of these, if you have, can we please be friends? I wanna be as cool as you because I spent some time learning about some of these.
Nevertheless, I’ve persisted and here are 26 books to keep an eye out for this month!
1. Act Your Age, Eve Brownby Talia Hibbert
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert Book Cover
Talia Hibbert is one of my favorite romance authors, no question. I already pre-ordered this dandy book in 2020. Yeah. 2020. So honestly I feel like you should just go and grab this baby no questions asked. Nevertheless, I’m a professional (sorta) so here’s what this book is about.
Eve Brown is what some (all) would call a hot mess. Everything in her life always goes left when she goes right and vice versa. So her solution? Stop trying. But after causing a minor kerfuffle at an expensive wedding, her parents decide it’s time she grows up and takes control of her life. Then there’s Jacob Wayne who is always in control. He is a B&B owner determined to take over the hospitality industry. So when a purple-haired disaster walks in to interview as a chef, he tells her hell no. Next thing he knows she’s accidentally hit him with her car. With his arm broken and his bed and breakfast already understaffed, Eve has infiltrated his work and his home to help. He should hate it but the more time they spend together, the less he can dismiss their electric chemistry.
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As someone who is drafting her own Muslim contemporary romance (shameless self-promo, stay tuned for more!) this book has me so freaking excited. If you are a part of The Tempest Book Club, it’s no secret how much I love romance novels so this book is one I’ve been eager for.
Reena Manji isn’t a fan of her career and being single, but she’s definitely not a fan of her nosey family. However, when she focuses in the kitchen on her sourdough starters, everything about her life fades away. Until her father has Nadim, one of his employees, move across the hall from her, in hopes they get married.
While she has no plans of indulging her parents, it doesn’t hurt that hot, British accented Nadim loves her bread creations. Maybe a friendship would be okay, that won’t lead to marriage. But then when Reena’s career falls apart, she asks Nadim to fake an engagement (one of my favorite tropes) with her so they can enter a couples video cooking contest to win the artisan bread course of her dreams. But there’s nothing like cooking to bond two souls and when things start heating up Reena is fine because everything is totally fine as long as she keeps her heart protected. She’s not actually marrying the man.
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The Gift of Self-Love by Mary Jelkovsky Book Cover
Everyone is home and stuck with their thoughts more than usual. Being alone with your thoughts can lead to a lot of self-discovery and healing. Something I think everyone can never get too much of is learning more about loving themselves. Mary Jelkovsky hosts The Mary’s Podcast and is the founder of Retreats by Mary. She shares her stories about conquering her insecurities (after years of an eating disorder and intense, self-sabotaging work as a bikini fitness model) and finally learning to love herself exactly as she is. Her Instagram is all about self-love and remembering that your body is made for you. To say I’m excited for this interactive self-help book for women is an understatement.
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4. I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre
I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre Book Cover
Mashup Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Jane Austen’s Emma with a queer contemporary novel and you’d get I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre.
Emma is a die-hard romantic. She loves all the loves stories and keeps dreaming of her own gay rom-com for a festival competition she and her friends are entering. Then there’s drama when Sophia comes into the picture. She’s boycotting relationships, boy BO (only one of many reasons she’s lesbian), and Emma’s nauseating romance ideas. Sophia wants to make a film with a message. Their movie is doomed until a plot twist happens behind the scenes and the two start to see each other in a different light. The two girls start off as rivals but after a twist of events, end up falling for one another—at least they think so.
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When Liam Murphy learns his inheritance is dependent on him being married, he knows the perfect person to solve his problem–Daisy Patel, his best friend’s little sister. She also happens to need a decoy fiancé to get her family off her back (can never get enough of this trope). As a software engineer, Daisy Patel is all about lists and logic, she doesn’t have time for love but with her family bearing down on this one thing, she doesn’t mind asking her childhood crush to fake being her fiancé. Of course, as with any romance, sparks fly as the two go on fake dates and try to make their relationship look real to everyone else… and maybe it’s not just looking real, but is real.
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If you like historical fiction, buckle up for this novel about three female codebreakers at Bletchley Park as they try to figure who is the enemy spy at the end of World War II. Osla is beauty and wealth with the Prince of Greece sending her flowers. However, she wants to be more than just a pretty face and uses her German to decode enemy secrets. Then there is Mab, a product of east-end London poverty just doing her job and looking for a socially advantageous husband. The pair are quick to bring in village spinster Beth whose shyness conceals a brilliant mind capable of deciphering any puzzle as a cryptanalyst.
Fast forward seven years and the three friends are now enemies reunited by a mysterious letter that also happens to contain the answers to all the questions that originally tore them apart. With it, a mysterious traitor lurks in the shadows of their past and the three of them must once again put their wits together to crack one last code.
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Fans of Sex Educationwill love this. Darcy Phillips can do a lot of things including give great relationship advice, despite the fact her love life is tremendously flailing since she’s in love with her best friend. And Brooke is definitely in love with someone else. But, knowing this, she uses locker 89 as her drop box for all the romantic woes her classmates have so she can answer them anonymously, and for a fee of course. Unfortunately, Brougham sees her collecting the letters and blackmails her into helping him win his ex-girlfriend back. Darcy isn’t impressed with being blackmailed but he’s paying her, and he’s just trying to win over a girl who’s already fallen for him once before. How hard could helping him be?
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Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas Book Cover
Honestly, the synopsis leaves me a little speechless. I love a good Peter Pan and Wendy spinoff. In this version, Wendy and her brothers had been missing. She luckily returned, but no one is fully sure what happened to her siblings. When children go missing again, they turn to Wendy, which opens old wounds. As she tries to bury the past, a boy named Peter claims that if they don’t work together, all the children will meet the same fate as her brothers. With no other choice, Wendy must confront what is waiting for her in the woods.
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The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Book Cover
Ambrosia Wellington receives an invitation to her ten-year college reunion with an anonymous note saying, “We need to talk about what we did that night.” It becomes clear the past is not to be ignored and the secrets she thought she’d left there aren’t as buried as she’d thought. She can’t forget what she did, nor her partner in crime, Slone “Sully” Sullivan. Sully used to be her best friend but they haven’t spoken in years.
At the reunion, it becomes clear that a person wants more than just to expose the duo. They want revenge and to repay the damage they did. A damage that only now Amb is fully realizing. This thriller is all about the lengths girls can go to to get what they think they are owed and just how dangerous a turn their games can take. If you follow my articles or @thetempestbooks you’ll know I reach out more for fluffy happy stories, but I’ve seen the claws of college peers and I’m terribly curious to read this novel.
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She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard Book Cover
I know we shouldn’t judge books by their cover but can we take a moment to appreciate just how lush this cover is? On top of a fire (pun intended) cover, this YA thriller is part eclectic romance as two girls Veronica and Nico try to balance falling in love with the same delicate muse, Mick, and also: One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect… one stalker. The summer was supposed to be winding down but the two artists might not make it to the end of summer.
The synopsis is describing a queer YA thriller inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, do you really need me to say anything more?
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This historical fiction is set in 1906 San Francisco which has been leveled by quake and fire. Vera Johnson is the illegitimate daughter of a notorious proprietor of San Francisco’s most legendary bordello and ally to the city’s corrupt politicians, Rose. At fifteen, Vera is unsurprisingly resourceful having grown up straddling two worlds–tickets to the opera, surly henchmen, and the debt-ridden life of the family paid to raise her.
On the morning of the great earthquake, both her worlds collide, and Vera and her sister Pie are cast adrift. Rather than fall into despair, Vera lets go of what is expected of her and imagines a new kind of life.
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Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley Book Cover
If you liked Sorcery of Thorns and Girls of Paper and Fire, then this story will be lots of fun for you. It’s about a witch who meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic. The two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom. Tamsin, though the most powerful witch of her generation, is exiled and cursed to never love for committing the worst magical sin you can imagine. The only way to get love back is to steal it from others.
Then there is Wren, a woman made of magic, a source of magic despite her inability to use it. She should have gone to the Coven as soon as she knew, but she hid to stay and care for her ailing father. However, Wren’s father falls victim to a magical plague that ravages the queendom. So Wren bargains with Tamsin. If Tamsin helps her catch the dark witch that created the plague, Wren will give Tamsin her lover for her father. Despite this, love bargains are a fickle thing and the pair have a long journey ahead.
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Anna has been plagued by grief from the loss of her fiancé. Deciding she needs a change, she goes to sea on the sailboat the pair of them were supposed to use for a trip they had planned. However, the sea is no easy feat and she hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Keane is also coming to terms with the way his life has been unfolding with unprecedented plans. Together they learn it’s never too late to chart a new course. I think this story has so much potential as it’s about balancing your past with the uncertainty of your future, and about letting new people into your life, so I’m definitely curious to see (pun intended) how it goes.
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I think most of us, if not all, have seen a reality show, but what about a wedding reality show? In this witty novel, Luna Rossi and Alec Baxter clash on The Wedding Game, a “do-it-yourself” TV show looking for the Top DIY Wedding Expert. Luna Rossi is a crafting genius, her Etsy site is one of the hottest in the world. She doesn’t hesitate to convince her brother and his husband-to-be to compete. Meanwhile, Alec Baxter is a jaded divorce lawyer, but his recently engaged brother insists he participate. Now, as a team they must agree on color swatches and mood boards as they attempt to ignore their growing mutual attraction.
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The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick Book Cover
I normally give the synopsis of each book a ~twist~, but this contemporary novel is already worded so lovely that I can’t bring myself to change it.
Celia Fairchild, known as advice columnist ‘Dear Calpurnia’, has insight into everybody’s problems – except her own. Still bruised by the end of a marriage she thought was her last chance to create a family, Celia receives an unexpected answer to a “Dear Birthmother” letter. Celia throws herself into proving she’s a perfect adoptive mother material – with a stable home and income – only to lose her job. Her one option: sell the Charleston house left to her by her recently departed, estranged Aunt Calpurnia. Arriving in Charleston, Celia learns that Calpurnia had become a hoarder, the house is a wreck, and selling it will require a drastic, rapid makeover. The task of renovation seems overwhelming and risky. But with the help of new neighbors, old friends, and an unlikely sisterhood of strong, creative women who need her as much as she needs them, Celia knits together the truth about her estranged family — and about herself.
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Emily helps struggling college students as a psychologist at NYU. She even hopes to start a family with her amazing husband, Ezra. Until events of her present collide with her past. She used to be a young woman in love with music and a boy named Rob. The same Rob who she hears on the radio fifteen years later. His voice and his song about the one who got away have Emily wondering who she is meant to be and who she is meant to be with?
It’s always interesting to read books that have the main character considering all their different life paths. It makes one wonder, how do we ever know if the road we’re on is the right one?
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For Daya Wijesinghe, there’s a lot about life she can’t control, like her parents dying in an accident she survived. However, bruises, she can control and they have become her outlet. Bruises let the pain stay surface level and help Daya ignore the pain in her heart. It only makes sense that when Daya walks into a roller derby bout, she’s hooked. The rules are confusing, and the sport does require teamwork which isn’t her forte, but at the start of a game, she’s guaranteed to leave with bruises. The more Daya falls into the world of roller derby, the more she learns the game is not just about the simple pain she was hoping for. I don’t know much about derby, but this seems like an interesting novel about love, loss, and acceptance.
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Mary H.K. Choi has blessed her fans with a story about Jayne and June Baek. Jayne is broke and barely making it through fashion school. She’s surrounded by clout-chasing friends, her deadbeat boyfriend, and haunted by her own eating disorder. But, hey, that’s the cost of living in New York City, right? Then there’s June who is living her best life as a rich high-flying financier in her massive apartment. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer. Suddenly, these two sisters who have been estranged for years are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.
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Lilla Baxter-Willoughby doesn’t lie but she is careful with her words. She doesn’t voice how much she hates going back and forth between her parents’ houses and she doesn’t say anything about how apprehensive she is about going to the elite high school her parents seem adamant about. Lilla doesn’t tell her best friend, Vivi, that she got the camp councilor job Vivi had wanted. She also doesn’t tell the boy that’s always been in her life that she now finds his freckles adorable.
But now Vivi dares Lilla to start being completely honest as part of their “Summer of Brave”. But is she voices all her thoughts and feelings she might lose so much… but also, maybe, she’ll gain things she never thought of.
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Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin Book Cover
When Aubrey Cash is stood up by her summer crush, Webster Casey, at the homecoming dance, she learns it’s best not to rely on love. On top of that, her parents’ marriage is also crumbling and her best friend keeps finding “the one” in a new boy every day. Next thing she knows though, Webster Casey is her lab partner for the rest of senior year and interestingly enough, sparks start to fly between her and his cousin. Rather than try love again, she decides to hold fast on her commitment to stay single. But that proves hard as Aubrey has to navigate her interactions with her breaking family, crumbling relationship with her bestie, and her consistent feelings for Webster. Why did he stand her up? If there are five ways to fall out of love, maybe there are at least five ways to fall back in?
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I don’t want y’all to miss a thing so again I’m just giving you the original synopsis but wow. This novel is full of so much and I just hope everyone at least gives it a chance. There’s something amazing about stories that can talk about so much and put us in a fictional world that makes us reflect about the one we live in.
A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years.
On one side of the integration debate is Jade, Gee’s steely, ambitious mother. In the aftermath of a harrowing loss, she is determined to give her son the tools he’ll need to survive in America as a sensitive, anxious, young Black man. On the other side is Noelle’s headstrong mother, Lacey May, a white woman who refuses to see her half-Latina daughters as anything but white. She strives to protect them as she couldn’t protect herself from the influence of their charming but unreliable father, Robbie.
When Gee and Noelle join the school play meant to bridge the divide between new and old students, their paths collide, and their two seemingly disconnected families begin to form deeply knotted, messy ties that will shape the trajectory of their adult lives. And their mothers-each determined to see her child inherit a better life-will make choices that will haunt them for decades to come.
As love is built and lost, and the past never too far behind, What’s Mine and Yours is a vibrant tapestry that moves between the years, from the foothills of North Carolina, to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Paris. It explores the unique organism that is every family: what breaks them apart and how they come back together.
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I’m sure men are tired of the “women hate men” trope, but really I’m tired of them being tired. In this novel we have a female apothecary that helps other women who have been wronged by men. How? She secretly gives out poison to these women, but she has rules.
Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.
Nella used to be a respected healer, but times have changed. On a cold February evening in 1791, a twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning walks into Nella’s apothecary shop for her well-disguised poisons. The two of them form an unexpected friendship that places Nella’s work at risk and also potentially exposes many of the women whose names are written in her register.
Readers are also shown present-day London, where we meet aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell. She finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, while mourning her husband’s infidelity. Unable to stop herself, she keeps digging and finds a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she continues her search for more information, Caroline’s life intertwines with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a fascinating twist of fate, but not everyone will be lucky enough to survive.
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A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth Book Cover
There is never a bad time to start reading a Young Adult Fantasy. This tale is The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones as we follow four queer teens navigate the magical underworld of Toronto for a serial killer.
The Eight Courts of Folk have been living among humans in peace for centuries. Until Toronto becomes the location of a gruesome and ritualistic string of murders. This is where a half-fae outcast by her royal family, a Fury exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm, a fae prince determined to earn his place on the throne, and the prince’s moody guardian who carries a secret come into play. The four teens each hold a piece of the truth that will lead to the murder and must form a tenuous alliance in hopes of tracking down the killer. Their success will help end the brewing war between the Mortal and Immortal Realms. The only issue? Where do they even start?
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Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore Book Cover
This debut novel is about Carey Parker, full of hope to be a diva who brings down the house with their singing. However, despite their talents, homophobic classmates and their grandmother’s spiraling dementia make it much harder for Carey to use their voice to its full potential.
In comes Cris, a singer and guitarist who makes Carey feel heard for the first time ever and the high of new love gives Carey the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba for the school play. Unfortunately, this isn’t met with cheers and support from their peers. Instead, Carey’s bully and the school itself is determined to roadblock them. Carey, Cris, and their friends refuse to be silenced and unite their voices to finally be heard–once and for all.
This book seems like a novel that has it all: love, activism, and self-discovery. Sign me up!
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Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley book cover
I am a huge fan of more diverse books. This story is a YA thriller about a biracial Native teen trying to save her community from corruption. Daunis Fontaine is the product of a scandal and she’s never fit in her hometown nor the Ojibwe reservation. Life has been looking quite gloomy especially when her mother falls sick.
When Daunis sets her eyes on Jamie, a new recruit on her brother’s hockey team, she starts to notice inconsistencies that have her questioning what the star hockey player is hiding. Then Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, placing her at the center of an investigation as she agrees to go undercover. Not one to shy away from answers, she also decides to start an investigation of her own. Threats, secrets, and deaths keep piling up. Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how much she’s willing to risk to protect her community–even if it means exposing all its secrets.
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Isda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house. A magical retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, in which a young woman born with the ability to manipulate memories through song must fight against both the outside world that fears her and the inner darkness that tempts her in order to save the young man she loves.
In this version of the story, the Phantom is a teenage girl. The book is an exploration of gender and beauty that questions why we so often see unlikeable male protagonists whose stories are valued, while unlikable female characters are criticized. I can already tell I’m going to love this one, and all Broadway fans will too!
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
I can’t wait to read all of these amazing books, what about you? If you want some company while reading, check out The Tempest Book Club on Instagram to see what March’s pick will be (and take part in many awesome giveaways and live events with authors!). If you’re more of a lone reader and want even more book suggestions, check out our list of exciting 2021 releases.
If you want to listen to these books instead, we recommend subscribing to Libro.fm, the first and only audiobook company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. We have an exclusive offer for The Tempest readers: if you subscribe with our code TheTempest, you’ll get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership! Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
Let us know which books you pick and what you’re reading this month by tagging @TheTempestBooks on Instagram so we can feature you!
[Image Description: The cover of 'Not Quite Out', Louise Willingham's debut novel.] Via SRL Publishing.
Trigger Warning: the novel represents things that sometimes happen in the real world and contains scenes of self-harm, drug addiction, domestic abuse, and trauma.This review only makes some mentions of them.
Finding a good slow-burn romance novel isn’t too hard – it’s a pretty common trope that’s used in romance literature. Finding a slow-burn with a bisexual protagonist? That’s a little harder to find. If you’re looking for a great Valentine’s Day read, look no further.
The struggle for young bisexual people to find protagonists that they relate to is real, particularly when most romance novels tend to have straight people as the star. Though there has been a growing body of work with LGBTQ+ characters, these characters still tend to be gay and cis-gendered. The ‘B’ in ‘LGBTQ+’ is sorely lacking in terms of representation, both on and off-screen.
Not Quite Out seems like a standard romance novel, a slow-burn that takes place between two college students at Keele University (the author’s alma mater). William, a 19-year old English medical student, falls in love with Daniel, a 26-year-old Russian poli-sci student who works part-time at the university cafeteria.
The two interesting points are that William – the protagonist – is a bisexual man and that Daniel is on the road to recovery from addiction, self-harm, and an abusive relationship. William being bisexual was pretty fascinating to read; it wasn’t the usual dilemma of ‘I like this person, what now?’ but rather, ‘I like this person, and I haven’t come out to others yet.’ We see Will fretting not just about his crush but about his sexuality, and it adds an all-too-real layer to his problem, one that other members of the LGBTQ+ community have struggled with.
It’s refreshing to see complexities come into play, rather than the typical one-dimensional ‘boy loves girl, girl loves boy’ dynamic that we see all too often.
The friends-to-lovers trope was pretty well-played out – William and Daniel became fast friends. Though William falls in love with Daniel at first sight, he’s able to put his feelings aside and offers a helping hand when Daniel needs it the most and provides a safe space for Daniel to recover.
The other trope – there is only one bed available – also played heavily in this novel, and it soothed my fanfiction-loving heart to see a gradual build from William sleeping on the floor to then providing a sense of comfort and warmth when they eventually (gasp!) shared the same bed. The moment is honestly pretty tender, and though they sleep apart, they wake up tangled in each other, and my starved heart wept.
The age gap between Daniel and William is significant, I won’t lie about that. However, considering that they’re both full-fledged adults and that William is the one who comforts and soothes Daniel, there is no sense of predatory behavior or power dynamic or anything of the toxic sort. In fact, it’s one of the few healthier portrayals of a large age gap that I’ve seen recently in media – one where two adults are able to come together.
To be honest, I haven’t read many novels that talk about drug addiction or recovery. Daniel’s recovery from his addiction is visibly difficult, but we don’t really see the harsher realities that he has to face. Considering that this novel is told from William’s perspective, it’s understandable.
The difficult truth about recovery and healing is that everyone displays their emotions differently. We witness that when William sees Daniel sleep – it’s the only time when his guard is down, and he suffers from nightmares. It reminded me of the fact that it’s difficult to know someone else’s full story, that we’ll never truly understand someone else’s trauma, and that being open and flexible is far more important than trying to understand every single point of trauma.
William and Daniel’s friendship moves quickly – Daniel accepts William as a friend almost immediately. It can be difficult for victims to build relationships with new people, but we do see William trying to project a sense of safety, and put his romantic feelings for Daniel aside to give him space. However, romantically, they do move quite slowly – they meet every Sunday, and it takes the length of the novel for them to finally admit their feelings for each other (slight spoilers, but who couldn’t see that coming?).
Instagram live with author Louise Willingham: February 9 at 1pm EST. Hosted by The Tempest on @TheTempestBooks.
William provides a physical sense of warmth and comfort for Daniel – from holding hands to hugs – which I absolutely loved. It’s not just about providing a warm hand to a friend in need, but about two men sharing soft moments and being comfortable with each other in those moments. They absolutely shatter the notion of toxic masculinity. And I want everyone reading the book to pay close attention to how William and Daniel were physically and emotionally comfortable with each other in a platonic sense before they took the romantic turn.
In terms of a romantic comedy, Not Quite Out is a refreshing take on an age-old trope that desperately needed LGBTQIA+ representation, particularly bisexual representation. It’s a unique point of view that not many discuss, and it’s exhilarating to see this in mainstream media, without cowering behind tropes of ‘friendship’. Bisexual people deserve to have romantic love too, without having their choices – or their sexuality – questioned.
I’m a harsh judge of romance novels, I don’t think I’ll ever find the perfect story, but I really enjoyed Not Quite Out. In terms of representation, ‘perfect’ needs to make way for ‘good’, and that’s the first step towards normalizing these stories. LGBTQIA+ people aren’t going anywhere, and it’s time that stories reflected that.
The Tempest has an exclusive offer with a 10% discount if you get the book herewith code Tempest10, and SRL Publishing will also plant one tree for every book sold. To support this endeavor, we have picked Not Quite Out as our book of the month for our Book Club in March, so what are you waiting for? Get it now so you can read along with us in March!
A note on the publisher that I wanted to bring up: SRL Publishing‘s commitment to the environment is real. Last year in the UK alone, over 77 million books were printed, not sold, and then destroyed. In an attempt to cut down on unnecessary waste, SRL Publishing does not print books in anticipation of sales. This has resulted in them saving 500,000 to 750,000 trees in 2019. To further their contributions, the publishing house will also print one tree for every book sold directly through their website, and we therefore encourage you to support them.
Alternatively, you can purchase this book on Bookshop where you will be supporting local bookstores. If that’s not available in your region, check Not Quite Out out onAmazon.
[Image description: a collage of 8 books coming out in February 2021 on a pink background] Via Amazon and The Tempest
I don’t know about you, but where I live, this month is all about Valentine (and Galentine)’s Day. Maybe I’ve just been single too long (no such thing), but I think the best date is a blanket and a good book. Books will never leave you… unlike some people.
Lucky for you and me, I compiled a list of February 2021 releases! Here are 21 books trying to woo you this month.
As a former foreign correspondent, radio journalist, and documentary maker, Gina Wilkinson’s debut is a fictional account told through the eyes of three very different women confronting the limits of friendship and forgiveness, and the strength of a mother’s love. Huda is a secretary at the Australian embassy and is scared of the secret police, mukhabarat, who watch and listen for any scrap of information that can be used against America and its allies. They are pressuring Huda to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife. Though Huda doesn’t want to, she fears they may force her son to part of the militia. She also doesn’t realize just how dangerous Ally’s secrets are. Additionally, Huda’s past friend Rania has gone from riches to rags and is fighting to keep a roof over her and her child’s head. Their hidden pasts unravel as their stories all intersect with one another. How much are they willing to sacrifice for their family in order to keep moving forward?
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Ten years ago Eline Davis’ mother disappeared after whistling at the Northern Lights right before Eli’s eyes. When the Northern Lights make an appearance for one night, Eline has no choice but to whistle at them. Crazy enough, her mother appears with snowy hair, frosty fingertips, and a hazy story of where she’s been all these years. In addition to Eli’s mother, so many strange things come too. Three shadowy princesses, narwhals in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in the yard. Feeling overwhelmed, Eline pushes her mother away. So Eli’s mother disappears again—but this time, she leaves behind a note: Find me where I left you.
This young adult novel seems to be the whimsy all our 2021 reading list needs.
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Color me curious by this paranormal horror novel. Ever since Eleanor was sent away to Saint Brigid’s boarding school she hasn’t spoken to her family. Her memories are a haze of odd hunting trips, her mother always soaking in a barrel of water, her grandfather’s fanged snout, and the way they all looked at her like she was the freak. When she finally goes back, they all seem ready for her since Grandma Persephone saw it in the cards. Unfortunately, Grandma Persephone can’t see all and a strange and sudden death leaves everyone reeling. Desperate to bring her family back together she calls upon Grandmere, her other grandmother. Things seem to pick up until Grandmere’s help turns into tyranny. The only way forward is for Eleanor to join forces with the ghost of Grandma Persephone, embrace her strange family, and most importantly herself.
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Harper’s latest thriller mystery is about Kieran Elliott. His past continues to haunt him, no matter how pleasant his life seems on the surface, so when his struggling parents reach out and ask him to come home, his past threatens to undo him. The seaside community is bubbling with secrets when a body is discovered on the beach. Kieran can’t help wonder if he’ll even find normal again.
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It’s February, the month of love apparently, so of course, we have a large number of teen romances to share. This is the first on the list but certainly not the last.
Ellie Nichols has decided to hide out in an entirely new country, as is a reasonable response for any teen after a public rejection by their crush. Her high school’s study abroad trip places her in England. Most students are there for the honors credit and padding on their college applications, Ellie is more concerned with her self-confidence and reputation. What could possibly help her better than a hot British boyfriend? Cue Will, gorgeous and charming, and of course British. Determined not to repeat history she makes a deal with Dev, an overachieving classmate that has never been Ellie’s friend but who seems to know how to help her hook in Will. In exchange, she’ll help him with his own crush. We get to follow Ellie on her whirlwind romance all around England as she puzzles together that maybe her perfect boyfriend isn’t so perfect for her.
My angsty teen Directioner soul is screaming for this book and I don’t care who knows it.
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In this young adult fiction, Jessi Rumfield is found tangled in drama with the Cohen boys. The ones who lived right next door and had a family she always dreamed of being a part of. When Mel Cohan, the mother Jessi always wished she had is in remission, the damage of the last year is done, Rowan Cohen has left home and Luke feels nothing but resentment. Luke is convinced she’s the one to blame for everything that has gone horribly wrong. However, after college, Luke comes back home and he asks Jessi to be his fake girlfriend for the duration of Mel’s final months. Unable to resist, Jessi finds herself drawn back into the Cohen world. Though everything else has changed, Jessi still wants to be a Cohen, even if it’s a summer of pretending.
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This one is part guidebook, part memoir as Tremaine invites readers to discover both yourself and meaningful relationships with those around you. Openness and vulnerability are the foundation for human growth and healthy relationships, and it all starts when we share our stuff, the nitty-gritty daily details about ourselves with others. Tremaine uses her childhood stories, her complicated friendships, and fluctuating faith to approach vulnerability with a sensitivity to the important things in life. With experience as a blogger and podcast host, her storytelling is nothing less than compelling in a way that will have you reflecting back on your own life and guide you to cultivate an authentic connection with others that only comes from sharing yourself. Forget romantic love, 2021 is about self-love and platonic bonding.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Ana has just moved from Argentina to New Jersey for Junior year of high school. Being a poet and lover of words isn’t an issue, but being in a place where she can barely understand what’s going on around her and finding the right words in a new language is. Ana just wants to go home. But then she befriends Altagracia whose ability to speak both English and Spanish helps her settle in an American high school. And of course, she meets Harrison, a cute American boy in her math class and Neo, the Greek boy in her ESL class. But, maybe all these people have her becoming too American and how does she deal with her feelings for Harrison and Neo changing? While the rules for English are confusing, they may be better than the lack of rules where love is involved.
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These intergenerational tales set in Florida weave womanhood, race, humanity, and the darkness lurking in all of us. the stories are about ordinary people finding themselves with their own extraordinary reckoning. From a woman recovering from a miscarriage, a friendship imbalanced by race, a teen resisting her family’s church, estrange siblings on a road trip, and more this writing is subversive, spiritual and seductive.
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If there were one word for Bao Nguyen to describe himself, it would be a rock. If Linh Mai had to she’d choose the word firecracker. Despite the fact that the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds due to owning competing phở restaurants, sparks fly between the two young loves. This romantic comedy is about how two Vietnamese-American teens must navigate their relationship and their feuding family restaurants.
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Determined to no longer be thatcloseted, shy kid who slips under the radar and is free to explore his sexuality without his parents’ disapproval, Marty arrives in London with nothing but his oboe. From the outside looking in, Marty’s life looks perfect as he successfully personifies a different persona than the one he had back home. But as time goes on, homesickness and anxiety begin to wear him down and his dreams are no closer than when she first arrived. If you enjoy books by Becky Albertalli then you will love this coming-of-age story about finding a home within the people you trust.
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How much would you give to reach your dreams? Desperate for her big break in music, Denver is ecstatic when she and her best friends gain the attention of the biggest R&B star in the world, Sean “Mercury” Ellis. He offers them so many perks, but the most important being hours in the recording studio. The girls are okay with the painful sacrifices and the lies if it means they have their chance to make it big…until they aren’t. Denver starts to realize the perks were more of a trap as she struggles to keep her voice. Inspired by true events, this book explores the dreams-turned-nightmares of the music industry.
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I have the first two books of this series on my hold shelf with the library and I’m ecstatic that the epic conclusion is entering the world. Caledonia Styx’s nemesis, Lir has seized control of warlord, Aric Athair’s. Caledonia is determined to win the fight for the Bullet Seas. Just as she might win, a surprise attack nips her plans in the bud. With no other option, she decides she must make a perilous alliance with a new enemy and risk her heart, her crew, and even her life to defeat Lir once and for all.
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I have been a huge fan of Safia Elhillo for years so I’m beyond excited for this fiction-in-verse novel. It is about realizing that the person you’re meant to be has been staring at you in the mirror waiting. Our protagonist, Nima, doesn’t feel like anyone, not her mother or peers, understands her. The only exception is her childhood friend Haitham until Haitham is no longer an option. Nima’s life is turned upside down when she learns more about the life she could have led if her parents had named her Yasmeen. Though Yasmeen doesn’t exist, Nima feels like that other name, that other girl, may just be more real than Nima realizes.
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Being a fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard enough without finding out the boy you like asked you out after asking your best friend. Charlie Vega is happy being smart, funny, creative and fat. Unfortunately, as she tries to live her life accepting her body, the world around her wants her to change: to be smaller, quieter, whiter. With her mother leaving weight loss shakes on her dresser, Charlie Vega is so happy to have Amelia as her best friend. It’s not a problem that Amelia is slim and popular, until Brian, the cute guy Charlie has struck up conversation turns out to have been interested in her best friend first. This fun and sensitive coming-of-age story is sure to be reliable as it delves into accepting our bodies, culture and parents.
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We love a good love story but even Shakespeare knew the story was only made better when someone might end up dead. Logan knows Delilah better than anybody. He uses social media and watches her through a hidden camera trained on her house. This might seem “stalkerish” to some, but Logan is sure it’s more deserving of the “romantic” label. He realizes there’s still so much to discover about her when he catches Delilah killing her abusive stepfather, maybe his sweet perfect Delilah isn’t so perfect. Delilah on the other hand finally feels free. Maybe she should feel guilty but she’s over men trying to control and now Logan won’t let her forget that he saw what she did. She’s not going to sit around and be a damsel in Logan’s twisted fantasy. If he won’t let her go, she’ll make him.
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This young adult is pitched to fans for Jane Austen andThe Great British Baking Show so you already know I have it on hold. Liza Yang is almost perfect. She never shies away from a challenge and is smart, kind, and pretty. Unfortunately, in the eyes of her mother, compared to her older sister Jeannie, Liza is stubborn and rebellious. The only thing the pair can bond over is their love of baking.
Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston’s popular Yin & Yang Bakery and with college just around the corner, Liza agrees to help out at the bakery’s annual junior competition to prove to her mom that she’s more than her rebellious tendencies. On the first day of the bake-off, her mother’s trick is revealed. All the other contestants are young Asian American men handpicked in mind for Liza to date. Worse enough, Liza actually finds herself attracted to one of the contents, James Wong, who is stoic and annoyingly hot. As Liza fields recipes, romance and her mother’s approval she realizes there’s no recipe for love.
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Nala Roberts is ready to spend her summer at the movies and local creamery, but when she finds herself at an open mic one day, she instantly falls in love with the MC, Tye Brown. The issue though? Tye is an activist so Nala tells a few tiny lies to impress him and seem like they have more in common than they actually do. These lies start to unravel as they hang out more and more, and Nala has to learn all the ways love can be hard and that self-love is the most revolutionary of them all.
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Juniper Jade’s parents have raised Juniper just outside the bounds of normal which had been fine until the worst-case scenario happens. Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. Juniper knows she is responsible and feels simultaneously helpless and furious at her parents, and herself. With the help of Nico, a boy who works at the library, she makes a game plan: it’s time to get vaccinated. When her parents refuse, she has no choice but to call upon a lawyer and prepare for battle. The only question is, is she ready to lose her family to gain autonomy? Will Jupiter get a shot at normal?
When I say I screamed reading this synopsis, I really screamed. I don’t think this novel could come out at a more apt time if it tried. This book, though fiction, can do a lot to open dialogue on a very real issue in today’s society.
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This memoir is about a proudly Fat queer Arab Muslim. Randa Jarrar is “viscerally elegant” and “intimately edgy” as she writes about her cross-country road trip exploring the story of a celebrated Egyptian belly dancer’s journey across the United States in the 1940s. On this journey, she reclaims her autonomy after surviving domestic assault as a child and wife. Jarrar single-handedly schools a rest-stop racist, destroys Confederate flags in the desert, and visits the Chicago neighborhood where her immigrant parents first lived while also discussing domestic violence, single motherhood, and sexuality. I mean is this really not already on your TBR?
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While I’m not a fan of books that switch from contemporary to historical settings, this book holds much promise. Josie De Clare’s life has been full of a lot of road bumps and she decides to move to an inherited secluded manor. It’s there that she finds two-hundred-year-old love letters written by an elusive novelist for someone named Josephine that seems to be a lot like her. Then the novel also goes back to 1820 where novelist Elias Roch loves a woman he can never be with. He’s cast out from society and he finds solace in writing love letters to Josephine, a quirky heroine of his imagination. Fiction and reality blur as Josie and Elias must are separated by two hundred years. Can they find love without ever really knowing one another? Honestly, this novel sounds like a classic waiting to be unleashed.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
I can’t wait to read all of them, what about you? If you want some company while reading, check out The Tempest Book Club on Instagram to see what February’s pick will be (and take part in many awesome giveaways and live events with authors!). If you’re more of a lone reader and want even more book suggestions, check out our list of exciting 2021 releases.
If you want to listen to these instead, we recommend subscribing to Libro.fm, the first and only audiobook company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. We have an exclusive offer for The Tempest readers: if you subscribe with our code TheTempest, you’ll get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership! Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
Let us know which books you pick and what you’re reading this month by tagging @TheTempestBooks on Instagram so we can feature you!
Goodbye 2020, hello 2021. This year is full of promise and new experiences. I’m not sure what you’ve added to your new year resolutions, but number one for me is read even more.
If you happen to like that idea, here’s a list of new books to jump on this month.
Actually, before we start… do you want to listen to these instead? Put your earphones on and let those mellifluous voices transport you to other worlds? Get 2 audiobooks for the price of one when you sign up for Libro.fm, the first audiobook service that supports local bookstores! I will tell you more about this offer at the bottom, enjoy the recommendations now!
1. Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler
Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler book cover Via GoodReads
When I’m in charge of these lists, I’m a little biased. I’m sorry but so far the Moose Springs Series only gets better with each book. Lana & Rick 4ever. So, of course, I’m eager for book three to be in my hands so I can read about River Lane and Easton Lockett. River is in town for a fresh start in her career by making a documentary about sweet ol’ Moose Springs. Cue Easton Lockett, the town’s gentle giant and mountain guide. He’s tasked with getting River and her crew up and down Mount Veil. Unfortunately, bad weather strikes and everyone’s at risk. Easton mostly at risk of falling deeply in love.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
2. Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder
Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder book cover via GoodReads
Do you want to go on an amazing magical adventure? This book is full of action: an heir must raise a powerful phantom while a High Savant (I don’t know what that is by I’m excited to find out), a race tries to steal children for the sea, and a swoon-worthy guide keeps many secrets. All the while Ash, a scribe, is tasked with observing and recording history in the making. I’m always on the hunt for a hypnotic young adult series so I’m eager to read this one.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
3. The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith
The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith book cover Via GoodReads
This book is the third of Smith’s Vine Witch Series. Though I’m not a huge fan of historical fantasy the first line of the book description has me very intrigued. It says, “Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment.” So the novel follows Sidra as she tries to prove her innocence.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
4. Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift book cover via GoodReads
This young adult fantasy is the first of a duology about Adraa and Jatin. They are royal heir to their respective magical kingdoms and are arranged to be married. The animosity between them is unrelenting until the criminal world of Belwar has them using secret identities to find the real enemy. The pair must near to trust each other to find their answers but only time will tell if being together is what strengthens or weakens them.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
5. The A to Z of Mindfulness by Anna Barnes
The A to Z of Mindfulness by Anna Barnes book cover Via GoodReads
While 2020 is over, I’m still “hungover” from the pandemic and this book screams self-care. Anna Barnes writes about how to live life mindfully and to find new ways to stay connected to the world around us. There are infinite ways to kindle your sense of wonder in the everyday and Barnes uses the alphabet to cover her favorite.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
6. The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk
The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk book cover via GoodReads
Beatrice Clayborn just wants to practice magic like the men are allowed, but instead her family has put everything they have into making her a great prize for the Bargaining season where men and women of means negotiate the best marriages. Her family is buried in debt so only her marriage can save them if she finds a wealthy enough suitor. Of course, things never go as planned and a Magus takes a grimoire she’s eying and only gives it to her if she gives her her first kiss to her adversary’s brother, Lavan. The more she gets involved with Lavan’s family the more complicated her future becomes.
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7. Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann
Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann book cover via GoodReads
This contemporary romance is about Phoebe who thinks love is for, well, losers. That is until she meets Emma at a local thrift shop. I think that’s really all you need to know? It sure was enough for me to add it to my TBR.
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8. Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez
Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez book cover via GooReads
I have yet to read Woven in Moonlight, but at least when this is out I can binge both at once. In the second book we follow Catalina Quiroga, a Condesa without a country. She’s been banished to Yanu Jungle and though her chances of survival are slim, she knows she’s destined to rule. This young adult fantasy is the South American Tomb Raider.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker book cover via GoodReads
Paige Parker is a professional organizer and everything in her life is perfectly… organized. Now she’s got a perfect vacation planned in honor of Singles Day. Unfortunately, her perfect vacation is set in a dormant bed & breakfast run by single father Lucas Croft.When Paige comes to town, their respective worlds collide. Even though this book isn’t out yet, I’ve read a snippet and the sassy voice of Paige and the gruff tone of Lucas are just the thing for any romance reader.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
10. The Heiress by Molly Greeley
The Heiress by Molly Greeley book cover via GoodReads
This novel is a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice. However,instead of looking at Elizabeth andDarcy, the focus is on Anne de Bourgh. Anne has been prescribed laudanum since birth, but when her father dies and she is left with a fortune, she decides to change her fate. She moves to London and stops taking her medicine to see what life can be like if she lets herself be brave.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
11. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins book cover via GoodReads
Jane has just arrived in Alabama and as an invisible dog walker, no one would notice if she nabbed jewelry or discarded tchotchkes. No one even thinks to ask her for her real name. Until recently widowed Eddie. His wife and her best friend drowned in a boating accident, and to Jane that’s an opportunity. He’s rich and handsome which means he could offer her protection she’s only ever dreamed of. As the pair fall for each other, Jane is haunted by Bea, his dead wife. How could a plain Jane ever compare to his rags to riches wife? Full of suspense and feminist sensibility, this forbidden romance will pique your interest.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
12. People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd
People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd book cover via GoodReads
@the_mamabare is an “Instamum” who doesn’t hold back. As cracks in her marriage begin to show, the more vulnerable she becomes and her family gets closer and closer to danger. This psychological suspense is full of questions about social media and the dark side of influencer culture.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
13. If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur
If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur book cover via GoodReads
This generational novel is told in prose, poetry, and illustration about Kiran and her daughter Sahaara. Kiran is a Punjabi Sikh woman is assaulted by her fiancé’s brother and becomes pregnant with Sahaara.Her fiancé and family don’t believe her so she leaves India to start anew in Canada.Eighteen years later, Sahaara is eager to help her mother who is facing deportation. Learning the truth about her birth, Sahaara wants her mother to speak out against her attacker who is now a political figure in Punjab. This novel is filled with bonds and traumas as both women learn how to use their voice.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
14. Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Lore by Alexandra Bracken book cover via GoodReads
Alexandra Bracken gave us The Darkest Minds and now she’ll be gracing us with Lore. This novel is about Lore Perseus who fled the brutal world of Agon. Instead of participating in the hunt for nine Greek gods forced to walk the earth as mortals by descendants of ancient bloodlines she pushed against the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. As the next hunt dawns, an old friend and goddess Athena seek her help. As someone who is really into Greek mythology plots, I’m definitely going to be giving this one a read.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
15. Wings of Ebony by J. Elle
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle book cover via GoodReads
A Black teen learns she has godly ancestry and she has to learn how to use the powers of her bloodline to save both her human and newfound world. Marketed as The Hunger Games meets Tomi Adeyemi and Angie Thomas, this book is sure to be fun to read as we go on an adventure with half-god and half-human Rue.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
16. I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza
I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza book cover via GoodReads
Poetry and prose, this collection is about struggle and finding the silver lining. There are a plethora of difficult themes discussed including sexism, bullying, and mental health. I think it’s a great way to ring in the new year as we consider how the world treats us versus how we should treat ourselves.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
17. You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar book cover via GoodReads
Racism is the cat that really came out of the bag in the last few years. (It’s always been out of the bag for some of us, but that’s neither here nor there.) Since race is something that we can never avoid and also something we can never experience for someone else, reading these two sisters’ absurd anecdotes about everyday experiences of racism is simply one way to practice anti-racism.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
18. You Have a Match by Emma Lord
You Have a Match by Emma Lord book cover via GoodReads
Taking a DNA test isn’t supposed to be anything more than a way to get Leo to notice Abby, until it is. Her report informs her she has a secret older sister, Savvy. A sister who is an Instagram star and a year and a half older than Abby. The solution? To meet her at summer camp and find out why Savvy was given up for adoption. As Abby’s crush for Leo gets bigger, she has to also learn about how to put all the awkward pieces of her family together because no matter how messy, they may also garner the greatest reward.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
19. One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite
One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite book cover via GoodReads
This novel is a fictional account not of teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith who is killed under mysterious circumstances after a social justice rally, but about her sister Happi who is left dealing with the scar of loss. Though it’s well intentioned Happi wonders why her sister is deemed “one of the good ones”, should it matter if Kenzi was good? Isn’t being human enough? This book looks like it will make me have 100 epiphanies and cry (in a good way) for hours. I’m thinking we all need to pick this one up ASAP.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
20. When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris book cover via GoodReads
Staying on a slightly similar theme with the book above, this novel is YA mystery thriller about a brown-skin, brown-eyed, black-braided girl who’s gone missing–and since she’s a Black girl, no one seems concerned. Even Jay Murphy thought his sister, Nicole, probably put herself in a situation with her drug dealer boyfriend that was no one’s fault but her own. But it’s been a while and Jay is wishing he were a better brother, so he’s going to do what the police can’t and bring her home.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
21. Roman + Jewel by Dana L. Davis
Roman + Jewel by Dana L. Davis book cover via GoodReads
Romeo and Juliet meets Hamilton? Yes please. Jerzie Jhames wants to land the lead on Broadway’s Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera with a diverse cast and modern plot twists. Unfortunately, her dreams are crushed when she is made the understudy to famous star Cinny.Tensions on set grow when a video of her and the male lead, Zeppelin Reid, goes viral. People debate who should actually play Jewel. With Cinny’s sights set on Zeppelin, Jerzie knew she shouldn’t have fallen for the lead. Star-crossed love is designed for doom. Will the play change Jerzie’s life for better or worse?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
22. The Awakening of Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz & Tiffany D. Jackson
The Awakening of Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz & Tiffany D. Jackson book cover via GoodReads
Malcom X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz works with author Tiffany D. Jackson to write a powerful account about Malcom X’s adolescent years in jail. This story shows us Malcom Little struggling with his past as he grapples with race, religion, and justice in the 1940s. As I mentioned earlier, reading about race is a simple but big way to open our perspectives and learn about things we cannot experience for ourselves. If you’re like me and get bored with dense non-fiction, this is a great option.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
23. The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks
The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks book cover via GoodReads
This YA Romance follows best friends Evie and Caleb. All 17 years of her life, Evie hasn’t been interested in dating since she’s been too busy with her rendezvous with both mathematics and anxiety. Until a mathematically gifted transfer student comes along. While that may seem like good news, Caleb is devastated because he figured that when Evie wanted to fall in love, it’d be with him. His logical solution is to use an online forum to woo Evie.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
24. Single and Forced to Mingle by Melissa Croce
Single and Forced to Mingle by Melissa Croce book cover via GoodReads
Melissa Croce writes a singles’ guidebook because, well, being single is a great lifestyle. She offers her sage advice with tons of humor. While this book wasn’t made with COVID-19 in mind, it’s a book I’m excited to pick up so I can stop simping about being single and just enjoy it for now.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
25. Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair
Hopeless Romantic by Marina Adair book cover via GoodReads
Marina Adair writes about Beckett Hayes and Levi Rhodes finding love. Beckett runs a personal concierge service and an unofficial special needs advocate by helping train emotional support companions. But she doesn’t get a lot of spare time for her passions and definitely not for love. Until a good-natured new man comes to town impossible to resist. Levi Rhodes had to postpone his sailing trip when his father died, and his sister got pregnant. After he helps his grieving mother and plays father-figure to his niece, he finally starts considering going back out to sea… until Beckett walks into his bar and dreams.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
We hope at least a few titles on this list caught your attention! Reading has been so cathartic for me this past year, I want everybody to start reading again like we used to. Because of this, I am incredibly happy to announce that in 2021 we are also starting our very own The Tempest Book Club!
If you’re more of a lone reader type and are looking for even more book suggestions, take a look at all the 2021 releases we’re most excited about.
As promised, a note on audiobooks: Libro.fm is the first and only company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore.The Tempest special offer: get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership with code TheTempest. Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
Image Description: A collage for the books that will be released in 2021.
As we start the new year, we’re all enveloped into a sense of great anticipation and curiosity of what 2021 will bring our way, especially after the collective trauma of 2020. However, amongst the unanswered questions and endless possibilities of the new year, there lies a promise of tons of great new books in 2021. Lucky for you, we have narrowed down the 15 most anticipated books.
Keep scrolling, you may even find your usher for the next year!
Image Description: Rory from Gilmore Girls is holding a book and saying, “Everything you want to read is right here.” [Via Giphy]Actually, before we start… do you want to listen to these instead? Put your earphones on and let those mellifluous voices transport you to other worlds? You can get 2 audiobooks for the price of one when you sign up for Libro.fm, the first audiobook service that supports local bookstores! I will tell you more about this offer at the bottom, enjoy the recommendations now!
Image Description: Book cover of The Push by Ashley Audrain. [Via Good reads]
“Mother. Daughter. Angel. Monster”. The first on this list is Ashley Audrain’s novel which explores the darkest nooks of motherhood. This psychological drama paints the journey of a mother’s internal struggles who questions her relationship with her newborn daughter. This book is a must-have on our list because we need more realistic representations of the various challenges motherhood brings and the repercussions of what happens when women are not believed.
‘The Push’ will be available on 5th of January. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local book stores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover of One of The Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. [Via Goodreads]2020 was arguably one of the most crucial years with respect to social justice and social upheaval. Especially with the Black Lives Matter movement that gained support around the world, this book is exactly what you need to learn about police brutality and the way society perceives activism. The story is centered around a teen social activist who is killed after attending a social justice rally in the war against police brutality. Her family is left recovering from the collective trauma they experienced and ponder over what being ‘one of the good ones‘ really means.
‘One of The Good Ones’ will be available on the 5th of January. Preorder this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local book stores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Emma Lord’s ‘You have a match’. [Via Goodreads]If you were a fan of Emma Lord’s “Tweet Cute” then you will absolutely love this! It’s the ultimate feel-good novel on family, friendship, romance, and, most importantly, sisterhood. The story follows the journey of two sisters who were separated at birth and reunite years later at summer camp (Are you also getting Parent Trapfeels?) Two complete opposites work together to put the missing pieces of the puzzle together and find out why their parents gave one of them up for adoption. Their parents however have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.
‘You Have a Match’ will be available on the 12th of January. Preorder this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image Description: A red book cover for Angie Thomas’ ‘Concrete Rose’ [Via Goodreads]Calling all The Hate U Give fans! This is another wonderful novel in Angie Thomas’ series which will take the readers to Garden Heights 17 years before the events in the first novel.
‘Concrete Rose’ will be available on the 26th of January. Preorder this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: The book cover for ‘The Girls I’ve Been’ by Tess Sharpe. [Via Goodreads]The Girls I’ve Been is about the daughter of a con woman, Nora. She is caught in a bank heist and is fearlessly determined to get herself, her girlfriend, and her ex/best friend out safely. This is also soon to be a Netflix film starring Millie Bobby Brown and Jason Bateman. Bookmark this novel before watching the actual film!
‘The girl’s I’ve Been’ will be available on the 26th of February. Get this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image Description: Book Cover for Do Better by Rachel Ricketts. [Via Goodreads]Rachel Ricketts’ Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy tackles anti-racism from a spiritual level. This novel is an essential guidebook on how to fight racial injustice and white supremacy. I’m really looking forward to this book so that I can practice spiritual activism and understand what it really means to be an ally from the perspective of a Black woman.
‘Do better’ will be available on 2nd February. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. [Via Goodreads]Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds is set in Texas during the era of The Great Depression. It’s an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
The four winds will be available on the 9th of February. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for ‘How to avoid a climate disaster’ by Bill Gates. [Via Goodreads]Bill Gates’ book How To Avoid A Climate Disaster comes at a time where the human race is in a state of an ongoing global climate crisis, and therefore, is in its utmost need. In the year 2020 we experienced one of the most devastating climate disasters some of which were the 79 day long Australian wildfires, the Caribbean Earthquake and the wildfires in California. With such catastrophic events taking place within a span of one year, we require a thorough understanding of breakthroughs that can prevent a climate disaster altogether.
‘How to Avoid A Climate Disaster’ will be available on the 16th of February. Preorder this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. [Via Goodreads]Science Fiction. Artificial friend. Human Betrayal. Need I say more? I am incredibly excited to read this book which follows the story of an artificial friend, Klara. She stays at a store and remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when she learns that her circumstances may change forever, Klara wonders what it means to love.
‘Klara and The Sun’ will be available on March 2nd. Preorder this book on The Tempest Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Stephen King’s Later. [Via Goodreads]If you are a fan of Stephen King’s novels then Later will without doubt soon become your favorite book! The publisher has stated that, “Later is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King’s classic novel IT, Later is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.”
‘Later’ will be available on March 2nd. Get this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Nadia Hashimi’s ‘Sparks like Stars’. [Via Goodreads]Sitara Zamani migrated to America following the staged coup in her home of Afghanistan. It was during this tragic event that her entire family was assassinated. Forty years later, she meets a soldier who may have been responsible for her family’s death. Upon meeting him, she urgently returns to her home town, desperate for answers and closure.
‘Sparks like Stars’ will be available on the 2nd of March. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Mari Andrew’s, ‘Inner Sky’. [Via Goodreads]This book right is here is my absolute favorite on this list! 2021 comes with a bit of anticipation, but this book is the ultimate companion for the spectrum of emotions that one may feel next year. ‘A collection of essays and illustrations, divided into phases of the sky – twilight, golden hour, night, and dawn.’ In this insightful and warm book, Mari Andrew explores all the emotions that make up a life, offering insights about trauma and healing.
‘My Inner Sky’ will be available on March 2nd. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image Description: The book cover for ‘Accidentally Engaged’ by Farah Heron.A romantic comedy about a Muslim woman is undoubtedly one of the few things I am looking forward to next year. Reena Manji fakes an engagement to the boy next door in the hopes of winning couples cooking contest. The boy next door also happens to be the potential suitor her parents have found for her. A delightful satire on arranged marriages, love, and baked goods, Accidentally Engaged is for sure going to end up becoming one of my favorite romantic comedies.
‘Accidentally Engaged’ will be available on 2nd March. Preorder this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local book stores or on Amazon.
Image Description: Book cover for Aquarium by Yaara Shehori. [Via Goodreads]An incredible story following two sisters, both deaf and raised in cultlike seclusion by deaf parents, and the shattering consequences that unfold when that isolation comes to an end.
‘Aquarium’ will be available on March 2nd. Get this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Image description: Book cover for Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [Via Goodreads]If you are looking for a novel packed with drama, then this book is it. Nina Riva and her three famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer, but over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever. Before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
‘Malibu Rising’ will be released on May 25th. Get this book on The Tempest’s Bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Lucky for us we have all of these books ranging from thriller, romantic comedy, psychological drama, and social justice to look forward to in the coming year.
If you need me next year, I will be escaping to the world of books and magic and I hope to find you there too!
Rory from Gilmore Girls is sitting on a bench. She is reading Sylvia Plath and there are people behind her walking. [Via Giphy]As promised, a note on audiobooks: Libro.fm is the first and only company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 150,000 audiobooks, including best sellers. You’ll get the same audiobooks at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name). But you’ll be part of a different story – one that supports community.
If you’re new to audiobooks, they’re the perfect way to get more books into your busy life. Listen during your commute, while doing chores, walking the dog, or just relaxing at home. All you need is a smartphone and the free Libro.fm app. If you already love audiobooks and don’t know what to listen to next, check out recommendations and curated lists from people who know audiobooks best: booksellers!The Tempest special offer: get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership with code TheTempest. Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
What are you waiting for? Let us know what books you’ve picked up and join our virtual book club at our new reading-focused Instagram account @TheTempestBooks!
It’s the last month of 2020. Good riddance. I plan to spend it reading. The great thing about books though is we can transport ourselves to a world entirely different. Or if you love non-fiction, you can learn so much about the world from a new perspective. Snug at home with a stack of books is, in my humble opinion, the quintessential way to spend the holiday season.
As luck would have it, I have been blessed with the opportunity to share with you some of the most anticipated book releases for December 2020, so I hope to make it worth your while.
Actually, before we start… do you want to listen to these instead? Put your earphones on and let those mellifluous voices transport you to other worlds? Get 2 audiobooks for the price of one when you sign up for Libro.fm, the first audiobook service that supports local bookstores! I will tell you more about this offer at the bottom, enjoy the recommendations now!
[Image description: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir] Via GoodreadsThis had to go first because I’m obsessed with Sabaa Tahir and got to ~meet~ her despite our lockdown. This release is the much anticipated final book to her Ember In The Ashes series. Some people know the series, some people don’t so, I won’t spoil the previous books with the summary. However, this one starts a few months after the third book’s ending. If you like fantasy, overthrowing governments, and jinn then, start this series.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Adventure Stories for Daring Girls by Samantha Newman] Via GoodreadsThis book is a little different. It’s an illustrated hardback full of 15 classic tales for kids 8+. There’s Dorothy, Mulan, Athena, and so many more heroines who, in true Tempest fashion aren’t waiting for a boy to save them. Instead they are strong, charming, and bold females. I’m excited to get my hands on it since it looks like art and magic in the form of a book.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology] Via GoodreadsIn this fourth collection with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen amazing and diverse authors (including Samira Ahmed, Libba Bray, Tochi Onyebuchi and so many more) grace us with stories about princesses, misunderstood monsters, and vanishing memories. This is a great compilation of short young adult fantasy stories to dig into and escape reality.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Admission by Julie Buxbaum] Via GoodreadsAfter the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, I felt like everyone really got into the dark side of college, and just general scheming rich people try to get away within educational settings. I’m not sure if it’s the frequency illusion at play or if we all have just become a little more obsessed with the drama of it all. That being said, it’ll be fun to read a fictional contemporary young adult that will remind me of 2019 instead of 2020.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher] Via Goodreads
This thriller is about what happens after Juno moves in with the Crouch family. At first, she thinks they have a perfect life, but close proximity seems to prove otherwise. As is the case with most, if not all thrillers, Juno decides to get involved with whatever dark secrets the Crouches have.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother’s Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qaderi] Via Goodreads
Homeira Qaderi writes an exceptional memoir about her choices and the unimaginable struggle of being a mother in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Being pregnant at that time with regular suicide bombs and paranoid soldiers happening around her, Qaderi ended up journeying to the hospital on foot. However, giving birth to her child was just the beginning of all the dangers she’d face.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: A Spy in the Struggle by Aya de León] Via Goodreads
Yolanda Vance was a lawyer until she turns in her corrupt bosses to save her career. Now she’s working undercover for the FBI to watch over an African-American “extremist” activist group. Before she knows it, there’s a suspicious death, dark money trying to silence her efforts, and an unexpected romance. Yolanda will have to choose between a cause that gives her life meaning or the goals of her past self.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Take it Back by Kia Abdullah] Via Goodreads
Confession, this book is only new to the US. I was super interested when I read the description, and so even though it’s been out in other countries, I decided to share it with you all. Kia Abdullah’s novel is set up as a courtroom thriller. The victim is accusing four boys of an unthinkable act. The defendants have a seemingly solid alibi and come from hard-working immigrant backgrounds. In comes Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, ready to defend the victim in the most intense trial of the year despite the backlash she gets from strangers and her own community.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: War Widow Tara Moss] Via Goodreads
To make up for mentioning a book that will only be new in the US, I thought it’d only be fair to name a book that will be new internationally. Set in Sydney, Australia, The War Widow (Dead Man Switch in America) is a historic fiction mystery. After World War 2, Billie Walker reopens her late father’s private investigator agency. Tasked with finding a young German immigrant, she is led to the dangerous underworld for the high-class society of Sydney. People she questions start dying, and Billie quickly realizes that the war isn’t as over as she originally thought.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley ] Via GoodreadsThere’s something so fun about young adult novels that I can never really put my finger on. I’m not past my twenties, but still, the naivety is always either supremely refreshing or frustrating. I can’t wait to see which one this turns out to be. Melody McIntyre is clumsy with love, especially when they are during her school plays. Her solution? Swearing off of it for the production of Les Mis. Naturally, Odile Rose, a rising actor, auditions for the play. Odile is amazing, and now Melody has to make sure she doesn’t let love mess it all up again. Bonus: this book has plenty of LGBTQIA+ representation.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister] Via Goodreads
Virginia Reeves is given a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead a group of women in the Arctic to find the lost Franklin Expedition. Unfortunately, Virginia finds herself on trial when not all the women return. In this historical fiction mystery, you’ll ache to learn what really secrets were each woman hiding on that trip?
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Chanel Sisters by Judith Little] Via Goodreads
The stars of this historical fiction are orphansAntoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. After years of being molded by nuns, they finally break free from the expectations of womanhood and do what their hearts have longed. They soon find themselves surrounded by glitz and glamour; unfortunately, everything comes crumbling down when World War I begins. They must make choices harder than ever before and gain the courage to stand tall even when the world splits them apart.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole] Via Goodreads
Is a marriage of convenience trope your kryptonite? Alyssa Cole is an excellent romance author and has come to save our winter reading list with this contemporary romance. As a newly crowned king, Sanyu agrees to marry in the name of duty, and Shanti Mohapi finally gets to be a queen. Unfortunately, Shanti is seen as an outsider unbefitting of a throne, but Sanyu is surprised to see just how capable his bride is and can’t help falling in love. As the kingdom goes restless and Shanti is taken, it is Sanyu’s turn to prove he can lead his people… and catch a queen.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict] Via Goodreads
Some days we just want acozy Agatha Christie-vibe read. This December, we are to be graced with a fictional novel about Agatha Christie’s mysterious eleven-day disappearance. Her car is found at the edge of a pond with some tire tracks nearby, and no one knows where she’s gone. Before they can solve it, she appears, but with amnesia, her reappearance doesn’t do much to fill in the blanks of those eleven days. Though this is fictional, I’m sure it’s as close to an answer as we’ll ever get.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: The Book Of Moods: How I Turned my Worst Emotions into my Best Life by Lauren Martin] Via Goodreads
This new decade started with an unprecedented amount of bad news. I think we’d all benefit from a book to help us with our emotions. Lauren Martin was more than happy to write a book for us. With so much success from her blog, Martin makes a book about how to handle the self-doubt and triggers of everyday life as a woman. She uses her story to help readers understand their own. This book is proof you can give yourself the best life, despite those pesky negative moods.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams] Via Goodreads
Naya has been burned by her abusive ex-boyfriend, but as life continues to be unpredictable, she decides to tackle her checklist to help rebuild her confidence. One night, as she starts her to-do list, she meets a man more than happy to help her check each item off. As the list comes to an end, their relationship becomes more and more complicated. Thus leaving her to decide–should she protect her old life and career or make way for a Naya that’s happy to flirt with the unknown.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
[Image description: Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir] Via Goodreads
We all love a good superhero story, and thankfully Alexandra Monir writes this DC Icons series about the Black Canary. Dinah Lance is stuck in a world where women have been stripped of all their rights due to the patriarchal Court of Owls that have been dictating Gotham City. However, 17-year-oldDinah can’t forget the sound of a woman singing when she was a child. This takes her down a path of seeing just how powerful finding her voice is. Singing is forbidden but she’s determined to have her voice be heard. Maybe it’ll be powerful enough to bring down the Court of Owls. I can’t wait to read this fun and powerful young adult superhero story.
Get this book on The Tempest’s bookshop supporting local bookstores or on Amazon.
Even if you’re not a “book nerd” like myself, there are so many different books out there waiting for you. These releases vary from thriller to romance so hurry up and get to reading!
As promised, a note on audiobooks: Libro.fm is the first and only company that lets you purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. You can pick from more than 150,000 audiobooks, including best sellers. You’ll get the same audiobooks at the same price as the largest audiobook company out there (you know the name). But you’ll be part of a different story – one that supports community.
If you’re new to audiobooks, they’re the perfect way to get more books into your busy life. Listen during your commute, while doing chores, walking the dog, or just relaxing at home. All you need is a smartphone and the free Libro.fm app. If you already love audiobooks and don’t know what to listen to next, check out recommendations and curated lists from people who know audiobooks best: booksellers!The Tempest special offer: get 2 audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99) with your first month of membership with code TheTempest. Offer only valid for new members in Canada and the U.S. through this link.
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![[Image description: a collage of 8 books coming out in February 2021 on a pink background] Via Amazon and The Tempest](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/6A36E087-CEEF-4BEB-B2F0-A3551F2217F8.png)
![Image Description: Book cover of The Push by Ashley Audrain. [Via Good reads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/the-push.jpg)
![Image description: Book cover of One of The Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/one-of-the-good-ones.jpg)
![Image description: The book cover for 'The Girls I've Been' by Tess Sharpe. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/girls-ive-been-2.jpg)
![Image Description: Book Cover for Do Better by Rachel Ricketts. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/do-better-1.jpg)
![Image description: Book cover for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/4-winds.jpg)
![Image description: Book cover for Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/klara-and-the-sun.jpg)
![Accidentally Engaged by [Farah Heron]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51GU6iQhRKL.jpg)
![Image Description: Book cover for Aquarium by Yaara Shehori. [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/aquarium.jpg)
![Image description: Book cover for Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid [Via Goodreads]](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/malibu-rising.jpg)
![[Image description: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Sky-Beyond-the-Storm.jpg)
![[Image description: Adventure Stories for Daring Girls by Samantha Newman] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/adventure-243x300.jpg)
![[Image description: A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Universe-199x300.jpg)
![[Image description: Admission by Julie Buxbaum] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/admissions-198x300.jpg)
![[Image description: The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/wrong-family-201x300.jpg)
![[Image description: Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qaderi] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/52037427-199x300.jpg)
![[Image description: A Spy in the Struggle by Aya de León] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/54826485-202x300.jpg)
![[Image description: Take it Back by Kia Abdullah] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/43532531._SY475_-196x300.jpg)
![[Image description: War Widow Tara Moss] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/41lEfrvyUKL._SX335_BO1204203200_-203x300.jpg)
![[Image description: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley ] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/52036890-199x300.jpg)
![[Image description: The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/49181796-198x300.jpg)
![[Image description: Chanel Sisters by Judith Little] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/71-olxDsV6L-198x300.jpg)
![[Image description: How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/52696457-189x300.jpg)
![[Image description: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/54221749-200x300.jpg)
![[Image description: The Book Of Moods: How I Turned my Worst Emotions into my Best Life by Lauren Martin] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/53021563-212x300.jpg)
![[Image description: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/52057698-200x300.jpg)
![[Image description: Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir] Via Goodreads](https://thetempest.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/52239859._SY475_-200x300.jpg)