Hot Off The Press is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I share a selection of new books being published in the forthcoming month.
Another new month has begun, and you know what they say: New month, new books! And by ‘they’, I mean me, because it’s time for another edition of Hot Off The Press! With 14 new YA releases in today’s post, there’s no shortage of choices from a variety of different genres, and I sincerely hope you can discover at least one new title that’s right for you!
While Hot Off The Press will continued to be shared each month on Pop! Goes The Reader, these posts will now only include young adult novels. If you’re interested in a more complete list of 200+ new releases each month, including books for middle grade and adult audiences as well, this can now be found on Pop! Goes The Reader’s Patreon, along with a number of other exciting rewards, for a monthly pledge of $5! The Hot Off The Press posts take hours, if not days, to create, and I sincerely hope you can understand why I feel this change is necessary. Happy reading!
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Inkyard Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Abigail Johnson draws a searing and lyrical portrait of grief, forgiveness, and the kind of love that blooms in the aftermath.
Eight years ago, Ethan and Rebecca met, two troublemaking kids sharing secrets and first kisses in a tree house, until Ethan’s mom returned to take him away. Each and every visit, his only goodbye was a flower on Rebecca’s windowsill.
Four years ago, Ethan left for the last time to take care of his mother, who has struggled with addiction his whole life.
Two years ago, Rebecca was in a car accident that killed her father. She’s been learning to navigate life as a wheelchair user ever since.
Now, they discover if their hardships have torn them apart…or will bring them closer than ever.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Disney Hyperion
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Veronica Mars gets a fantastical twist in this novel about a girl with a transferrable consciousness, who uses her power for good, only to have it turned on her when someone uses her body to commit murder. Now she must solve the crime before the killer comes after her.
Caught red handed…for a crime she didn’t commit.
It’s an open secret at Harvey Davis High School that Tia Dante can solve all your problems (for a fee, of course). As one of the few blessed with the genetic gift of transferable consciousness, she can slip inside your mind and do your dirty work — humiliate your cheating boyfriend, bring a bully to his knees, tell your boss where to stick it — and then return your body with no one the wiser. No task is too awkward, and unlike the competition, she takes care of business without peeking at your goods. Her rules are simple: pay in full, don’t report her side hustle to the government, and let her gorge on all the foods that would otherwise send her and her weak stomach fleeing to the nearest bathroom.
Everything is going smoothly during a routine job, until Tia catches a breaking news broadcast: live video coverage of her (body) murdering the town prosecutor in cold blood. With the crime caught on camera and no concrete alibi, Tia is forced to ask her infuriatingly gorgeous ex to help clear her name and bring the criminal who hijacked her unconscious body to justice. But they quickly find the heat is on, in more ways than one, as their investigation unearths multiple scandals, massive corruption, and more than a few stray bullets.
With a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter, Melissa Landers weaves an unputdownable mystery that will have everyone talking.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Wednesday Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From beloved author Emily Thiede comes the highly-anticipated final book in The Last Finestra duology, the sequel to This Vicious Grace, the epic romance hailed as one of the best fantasies of the year!
When the gods make the rules, the players must choose: Sacrifice their love to save the world, or choose love and let it burn?
Six months after saving their island from destruction and almost losing Dante, Alessa is ready to live happily ever after with her former bodyguard. But Dante can’t rest, haunted by a conviction that the gods aren’t finished with them yet. And without his powers, the next kiss from Alessa could kill him.
Desperate for answers, Dante enlists Alessa and their friends to find the exiled ghiotte in hopes of restoring his powers and combining forces with them to create the only army powerful enough to save them all. But Alessa is hiding a deadly consequence of their last fight ― a growing darkness that’s consuming her mind ― and their destination holds more dangers than anyone bargained for. In the mysterious city of the banished, Dante will uncover secrets, lies, and ghosts from his past that force him to ask himself: Which side is he on?
When the gods reveal their final test, Dante and Alessa will be the world’s last defense. But if they are the keys to saving the world, will their love be the price of victory?
In This Cursed Light, Dante and Alessa face their most daunting challenge yet when the Gods demand they prove their worth by choosing the ultimate sacrifice to save humanity, once and for all.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Joy Revolution
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A fresh, fun contemporary rom-com from debut author Elle Gonzalez Rose, about an aspiring artist who agrees to fake date one of his family’s longtime enemies in the hopes of gathering intel good enough to take down their rivals once and for all.
Devin Baez is ready for a relaxing winter break at Lake Andreas. That is, until he runs into his obnoxious next-door neighbors the Seo-Cookes, undefeated champions of the lake’s annual Winter Games. In the hope of finally taking down these long-time rivals, the Baezes offer up their beloved cabin in a bet. Reckless? Definitely.
So when annoyingly handsome Julian Seo-Cooke finds himself in need of a fake boyfriend, Devin sees an opportunity to get behind enemy lines and prove the family plays dirty.
As long as Devin and Julian’s families are at war, there’s only room for loathing between them. Which is a problem because, for Devin, this faux game of love is feeling very real.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Keylight Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
What would the world be like if Africa had never been colonized — and if the transatlantic slave trade had never happened?
The only daughter among five brothers, Essien was raised in a village where women are bred to tend to their husbands and bear children. One night, after she is led by akukoifo — mythical beings of Alkebulan folklore — to a fabled river, Essien emerges from the waters with superhuman abilities: hands that burn with the flames they contain, and the strength to overpower any of the men around her.
Unsure of what this newfound power means, Essien returns to an unfamiliar world a changed woman. And when militant rebels destroy her father’s fields, leaving him crippled for life, Essien is left with no choice but to defy the social conventions of her upbringing and become the first woman to enlist in Alkebulan’s formidable military. Without the presence of her family and friends, surrounded by fellow soldiers who want her dead and powerful forces that seek to manipulate Essien’s inner magic for evil, Essien must learn to control and harness her new powers, even as she fights her destiny to become her country’s long-awaited goddess. But not everything is as it seems. Will Essien step into her destiny as Goddess of Alkebulan, or will she make a decision that will alter the course of Alkebulan history forever?
Fueled by ancestral magic and the power of gods on earth, Descendants of Fire & Water is the thrilling first book in the powerful new Essien of Alkebulan series.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Emerge
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Discover a new world in this portal fantasy where magic is real, animals can talk, and humans are extinct in “one enchanting package.” – Kirkus recommended review
Lore Deoradán wants to be happy when she grows up. But navigating her parents’ mercurial moods, moving to a new town just two weeks before her high school graduation, and dealing with her beloved grandma’s declining health all make that dream seemingly impossible. Will her new job be the first step toward happiness, or will it be yet another disappointment?
When she falls down a well into a magical world with talking animals that haven’t seen a human for years, she must clear her name of the mayor’s murder. Although, how anyone believes she killed a Herculean-sized alligator is beyond her. Now, her survival is tied to a mouse with a chip on her shoulder. There’s also a cat who owns a pub where the animal patrons might be cannibals, a giant snake librarian who probably wants to eat her, and sentient lampposts who are never there when you need them.
Can Lore prove her innocence, help a newfound friend save the town from a dark and dangerous schemer, and find her way home?
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Sourcebooks Fire
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From the bestselling author of Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are and Good Girls Die First comes an entertaining new thriller filled with knife-edged tension, twists you won’t see coming, and contestants who will do anything to win – even something deadly.
When teen social media influencer Anton Frazer stages a live-streamed, citywide game of Tag where the prize is to become one of his live-in personal assistants, his fans go wild.
Outfitted with body cams, GPS trackers, and pressure sensors to keep tally of who’s disqualified, contestants are split into Chasers and Runners then let lose into the night-covered urban jungle to hunt each other down. While the whole world watches.
Four contestants, however, have alternative motives for joining the game, secret reasons to want to win despite the risk: money, obsession, fame…and revenge. One of them will stop at nothing to be the victor at the end of this adrenaline- and fear-fueled night.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The stunning conclusion to the instant New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful.
The Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld are at war. Now that the unsteady truce between them has been broken, lines must be drawn. In an effort to protect the weakened Winter Court, Bastien rallies powerful allies and friends in New Orleans to come to their aid.
Meanwhile, under protection alongside her injured mother in the Summer Court, Celine is uncertain of whom to trust. She cannot get word to Bastien, and does not understand why he has not returned. When she realizes war between the fey courts is imminent, she journeys with Ali in an effort to find the time traveling mirror and change their fate.
But when Celine’s rivals realize Bastien has rallied his allies in the mortal world, they decide to take the fight to him.
Publication Date December 5th 2023 by Sourcebooks Fire
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A brooding, atmospheric novel about the mysterious vanishing of a singer from a remote island, and the teenage runaway determined to uncover the truth.
When promising young singer Roxy Raines vanishes from the tiny resort of Sandown, the island locals refuse to speak about it to anyone they deem outsiders, instead proclaiming Roxy a teenage runaway.
Thirty years later, seventeen-year-old Mona Perry comes to the island resolute in her search for the real reason behind Roxy’s disappearance. Armed with a suitcase and a microphone, Mona only has one hot summer to get to the bottom of Roxy’s story and record it all for her podcast and fans.
But as Mona gets drawn deeper into the strange, isolated community, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems ― least of all Mona’s own past and the disappearance of someone close to her.
Publication Date December 12th 2023 by Wednesday Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Julie Abe’s Our Cursed Love is a magical 50 First Dates meets Love and Gelato set in Tokyo, Japan ― about destiny, the impact of the choices we make, and the magic of true love.
Six days to remember.
Love or lose him forever.Remy Kobata has always wished she was destined to be with her best friend, Cam Yasuda. All the way from being neighbors from birth to mixing up magical prank potions together to their “just friends” homecoming date during their senior year in high school, nothing’s a secret between Remy and Cam ― except for how much she is in love with him.
Remy is trying to work up the courage to confess her feelings during their winter break trip to Japan, when she gets selected for a mystical tea leaves reading and it reveals that they’re not meant to be together. After they stumble upon a secret magical apothecary in the back alleys of Tokyo, Remy and Cam are offered an ancient soulmate elixir, created before all love potions were banned by the magical government. They each have their reasons for wanting to take it, but what could go wrong with finding your soulmate a little earlier?
Except, after they drink up, their senior year trip flips into the worst vacation ever: Cam has forgotten who Remy is. If she can’t help Cam remember her by midnight New Year’s Eve, they’ll both be cursed to forget each other. To unravel their past and rewrite the future, Remy and Cam must travel through Tokyo to rediscover Cam’s memories and make new ones ― and maybe even fall in love all over again.
Publication Date December 12th 2023 by Quill Tree Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
This multilayered YA rom-com about follows Kalvin, a guy navigating his parents’ impending separation, racial dynamics in his mostly white high school, and a side hustle as a relationship therapist who also sells candy to his patients in need…one of whom is his crush.
Sophomore Kalvin Shmelton has finally perfected his underground candy-selling hustle at school. He keeps his prices reasonable, his inventory fresh, and himself out of the drama. But when a heartbroken Sterling Glistern — Kal’s longtime crush — barges into the storage closet where he keeps his candy supply, a new source of income unexpectedly presents itself: relationship therapist. He only meant to help Sterling realize she’s dating a jerk — and maybe win her over — but news spreads fast that Kalvin’s not just the master of sweets…but hearts, too! And as the son of two famous therapists, he leans into this newfound reputation and the money that comes with it.
The truth, however, is that Kalvin’s parents’ “perfect” marriage is crumbling. He was supposed to woo the girl of his dreams, fix his parents’ relationship, and lend a listening ear to a school full of heartbroken teens. But a jealous boyfriend, a vengeful competitor, and Kalvin’s own growing ego threaten those plans, forcing Kal to rethink all he thought he knew about friendship, family, and love.
Publication Date December 12th 2023 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In this fast-paced thriller, eighteen-year-old Calli finds herself alone after the loss of her father — until a bruised and broken girl shows up on her property, forcing her to face the present, rethink her future, and unearth the skeletons of her own past.
Life has never been easy in the small desert town of Harmony, but even on the day Calli Christopher buries her father, she knows she is surrounded by people who care about her. But after the funeral, when everyone has finally gone home, Calli discovers a girl on her property. A girl who’s dirty and bruised and unable to speak. And petrified.
Calli keeps the girl secret — well, almost secret. She calls her Ash and begins to nurture her back to health. But word spreads in a small town, and soon a detective comes around asking questions about a missing girl from another town. But these only raise more questions – about Ash and about the people Calli knows well. Still, she must ask: is Ash in danger…or is she the danger?
Publication Date December 26th 2023 by Wednesday Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.
Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.
Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
Publication Date December 26th 2023 by Balzer + Bray
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The thrilling finale to the #1 Sunday Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling Nocturna trilogy — a sweeping and epic Dominican-inspired fantasy about a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince who must save their kingdom in the final battle between good and evil magic. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Sabaa Tahir, and Roseanne A. Brown.
In the aftermath of Sombra’s return, the balance between light and dark magic has been destroyed and chaos has broken out in Castallan and around the world. Sombra’s shadows have taken over to create monstrous versions of everyone Finn and Alfie love, and with war between Castallan and Englass looming, the prince and the thief must band together one last time — to save their entire world.
To stop the magical imbalance, they must find the stone relics of Sombra’s body before the god can unite the pieces and regain his full strengthonce more.
But the laws of magic no longer apply, and with their own magic — and even the laws of time itself — drastically changing at every turn, Finn and Alfie are left on their own to stop Sombra and fulfill their prophecy before it is too late and the darkness reigns.
Will they restore balance to their world or will its light be gone forever?
