Pittacus Lore's Blog, page 2

Toe the Line Between Real and Heartbreakingly Fantastic in ‘The Light Between Worlds’

So many book nerds, when growing up, would wish and pretend that they could access all their favorite fantastical worlds.

Here at Epic Reads, we were fond of the big ones—Narnia and Hogwarts, obviously. Who hasn’t wished for their letter to arrive in the mail? But in the year’s since, we haven’t thought too much about it. Until The Light Between Worlds hit shelves, and it made us actually consider what traveling to these worlds would mean for us. In this gorgeously written, lyrical book, Ev and her siblings leave a war-torn England behind and find themselves in the Woodlands, a much more magical place. But The Light Between Worlds, reader, is not the story of their many mystical ventures.

Without giving too much away about this phenomenal read, let us break down everything you need to know about The Light Between Worlds!

 

Epic Reads Explains: The Light Between Worlds

Once you’ve lived within a legend, can you ever truly come back? For anyone who’s wished to visit their favorite realms, prepare to step back in time and toe the line between the real and fantastic in Laura E. Weymouth’s The Light Between Worlds. In 1944, falling bombs ravaged Evelyn’s home of London. It was all her family could do to hide in their backyard shelter, listening as the explosions drew near. But one wish brought the Hapwell children to a whole other world.

Ev, Philippa, and Jamie found themselves in the Woodlands.

Beautiful and enchanted, it was a world out of legend. And for the first time, Ev felt as if she finally belonged. Greeted by the Guardian of the Great Wood, she and her siblings set out on a new adventure—one that could save this world still so full of light. They fought, they celebrated, and they lived.

But this is not that story.

It’s been six years since Ev and her siblings were swept away to the Woodlands. Six years since they returned to the exact moment they left. Time in our world has worn on, and Ev’s siblings have readapted better than she. Because she can’t help but wonder if a promise made by the Guardian holds true—will a Woodlands heart always find its way home?

With the weight of both worlds bearing down on her, Ev can’t see another way out. And left to pick up the pieces—to follow the trail, to find where her sister’s desperation led her—Philippa must confront her own torn emotions for the life they left behind.

Discover the truth beneath the loss and longing, and explore the darker side of the stories you love in The Light Between Worlds.

 

About The Light Between Worlds

What happens when you return to the real world after being in a fantastical one like Narnia?

Six years ago, sisters Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell were swept away to a strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. But ever since they returned to their lives in post-WWII England, they have struggled to adjust.

Ev desperately wants to return to the Woodlands, and Philippa just wants to move on. When Ev goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.

Walking the line between where fantasy and reality meet, this lyrical and magical novel is, above all else, an exploration of loss and healing, and what it means to find where you belong.

Learn more about The Light Between Worlds!
Add The Light Between Worlds to your Goodreads shelf! 

The post Toe the Line Between Real and Heartbreakingly Fantastic in ‘The Light Between Worlds’ appeared first on Epic Reads.

The 14 Best Book Covers That Deserve to be Framed

You know how it goes: You pick up a book at the store, and you’re not even sure if you want to read it. We mean, of course you do, but it’s also too gorgeous to risk creasing or bending or tearing! There are some books that you just want to hang on your wall in a protective cover.

And this is a shout out to the beauty of those books!

There is something special about each and every book cover and all the time and effort it takes to create them. From dreamy covers to minimalist covers to covers with flowers, people, places across the world or beyond our world—book covers help transport us into the story before we read the first line. Designers are some of our bookish heroes. And these are just some of the best book covers lately that we think would look stunning in a frame!

 

The 14 Best Book Covers

THAT DESERVE TO BE FRAMED

 

1. A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

Epic, haunting book premise aside, this cover looks like something we would legitimately buy as a poster. The vibrant violet backdrop, the aesthetic clouds, and you can’t ignore the moon shining below the title. Plus, the book actually shimmers!

Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.

Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave…

Add A Room Away From the Wolves to your Goodreads shelf

 

2. Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Simple, minimalist, but totally makes you wonder. This book cover is both trendy and haunting, and can inspire the best of braids on your worst day.

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

Learn more about Broken Things
Add Broken Things to your Goodreads shelf

 

3. Damsel by Elana K Arnold

With blown glass in the shapes of birds and flowers, hearts and dragons, the light seems to come from within. You can read more about how this cover was designed in this design interview here while swooning over it—and its story.

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale.

As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.

Learn more about Damsel
Add Damsel to your Goodreads shelf

 

4. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Talk about dreamy cover! With beautiful colors that melt into the starry night sky… what could be better? It truly exudes the power of fate, fortune, and passion within.

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

Add The Star-Touched Queen to your Goodreads shelf

 

5. Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

This cover, if framed, would be best next to the hit Broadway show’s Playbill program! It’s really the only way to show just how big of fans we are, especially if the soundtrack is playing while we admire our new decor.

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore–even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He’s confident. He’s a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

Add Dear Evan Hansen to your Goodreads shelf

 

6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Not only is this glamoured up, vintage-inspired design absolutely gorgeous… it’s also packed with hidden icons, images, creatures, and meanings. All of the modern retro magic shines!

J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Add Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to your Goodreads shelf

 

7. Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Cloaked in black, gold, and red with nods to Paris and magic, there’s nothing to say but what a stunner this cover is!

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

Add Grim Lovelies to your Goodreads shelf

 

8. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Do we need to explain this one? The art style, the lone girl looking outward, the beauty of the world beyond. Plus, the motivational power of the title. This one’s a win on all accounts.

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…

Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

Add We Are Okay to your Goodreads shelf

 

9. The Hate U Give Collector’s Edition by Angie Thomas

What’s better than a framed cover? A wall gallery featuring a letter from author Angie Thomas, a map of Garden Heights, and fan art to surround it. Oh, wait, what’s that? All of this is included in the collector’s edition of this book? Perfect.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Learn more about The Hate U Give
Add The Hate U Give to your Goodreads shelf

 

10. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

We’re fans of all of Marissa Meyer’s work and Iko is our ride or die, but Cath’s story is packaged so beautifully that we just couldn’t pass it up! Besides, who wouldn’t want their room to have a little dose of Wonderland?

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Add Heartless to your Goodreads shelf

 

11. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

We feel like we find something new to love on this cover every time we look at it. But perhaps more importantly, framing this piece of actual art would remind us every day to live it as if it were our last.

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Learn more about They Both Die at the End
Add They Both Die at the End to your Goodreads shelf

 

12. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

It’s just so creepy and gorgeous and shimmering and seems like it would catch all of our dreams and nightmares. Ideally we’d hang this right above our book nook, so we’d know that Lazlo was always looking down on us.

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around–and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the form of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? And who is the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams?

In this sweeping and breathtaking novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

The answers await in Weep.

Add Strange the Dreamer to your Goodreads shelf

 

13. The Cerulean by Amy Ewing

It’s just so pretty. Like, so incredibly pretty. We want this cover blown up as large as we can make it, and we want it basking over a gorgeous marble and glittering room. It could actually be decor in a YA book. Ugh, we’re just in such serious cover love with this one.

Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn’t quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the City Above the Sky. She is curious about everything—especially the planet that her City is magically tethered to—and can’t stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she’d been taught to trust. In order to save her City, Sera must end her own life.

But something goes wrong, and Sera survives, ending up on the planet below in a country called Kaolin. Sera has heard tales about the dangerous humans who live here, and she quickly learns that these dangers were not just stories.

Meanwhile, back in the City, all is not what it seems, and the life of every Cerulean may be in danger if Sera is not able to find a way home.

Learn more about The Cerulean
Add The Cerulean to your Goodreads shelf

 

14. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

We have an entire post here behind the design of this cover, but we’re still not over our crush on this art. It matches the gorgeous flow of the words inside so perfectly and just gets us even more excited for With the Fire on High. Maybe we’ll just frame both?

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Learn more about The Poet X
Add The Poet X to your Goodreads shelf

The post The 14 Best Book Covers That Deserve to be Framed appeared first on Epic Reads.

The 14 Best Book Covers That Deserved to be Framed

You know how it goes: You pick up a book at the store, and you’re not even sure if you want to read it. We mean, of course you do, but it’s also too gorgeous to risk creasing or bending or tearing! There are some books that you just want to hang on your wall in a protective cover.

And this is a shout out to the beauty of those books!

There is something special about each and every book cover and all the time and effort it takes to create them. From dreamy covers to minimalist covers to covers with flowers, people, places across the world or beyond our world—book covers help transport us into the story before we read the first line. Designers are some of our bookish heroes. And these are just some of the best book covers lately that we think would look stunning in a frame!

 

The 14 Best Book Covers

THAT DESERVE TO BE FRAMED

 

1. A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

Epic, haunting book premise aside, this cover looks like something we would legitimately buy as a poster. The vibrant violet backdrop, the aesthetic clouds, and you can’t ignore the moon shining below the title. Plus, the book actually shimmers!

Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.

Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave…

Add A Room Away From the Wolves to your Goodreads shelf

 

2. Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Simple, minimalist, but totally makes you wonder. This book cover is both trendy and haunting, and can inspire the best of braids on your worst day.

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

Learn more about Broken Things
Add Broken Things to your Goodreads shelf

 

3. Damsel by Elana K Arnold

With blown glass in the shapes of birds and flowers, hearts and dragons, the light seems to come from within. You can read more about how this cover was designed in this design interview here while swooning over it—and its story.

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale.

As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.

Learn more about Damsel
Add Damsel to your Goodreads shelf

 

4. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Talk about dreamy cover! With beautiful colors that melt into the starry night sky… what could be better? It truly exudes the power of fate, fortune, and passion within.

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

Add The Star-Touched Queen to your Goodreads shelf

 

5. Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

This cover, if framed, would be best next to the hit Broadway show’s Playbill program! It’s really the only way to show just how big of fans we are, especially if the soundtrack is playing while we admire our new decor.

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore–even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He’s confident. He’s a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

Add Dear Evan Hansen to your Goodreads shelf

 

6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Not only is this glamoured up, vintage-inspired design absolutely gorgeous… it’s also packed with hidden icons, images, creatures, and meanings. All of the modern retro magic shines!

J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Add Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to your Goodreads shelf

 

7. Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Cloaked in black, gold, and red with nods to Paris and magic, there’s nothing to say but what a stunner this cover is!

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

Add Grim Lovelies to your Goodreads shelf

 

8. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Do we need to explain this one? The art style, the lone girl looking outward, the beauty of the world beyond. Plus, the motivational power of the title. This one’s a win on all accounts.

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…

Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

Add We Are Okay to your Goodreads shelf

 

9. The Hate U Give Collector’s Edition by Angie Thomas

What’s better than a framed cover? A wall gallery featuring a letter from author Angie Thomas, a map of Garden Heights, and fan art to surround it. Oh, wait, what’s that? All of this is included in the collector’s edition of this book? Perfect.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Learn more about The Hate U Give
Add The Hate U Give to your Goodreads shelf

 

10. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

We’re fans of all of Marissa Meyer’s work and Iko is our ride or die, but Cath’s story is packaged so beautifully that we just couldn’t pass it up! Besides, who wouldn’t want their room to have a little dose of Wonderland?

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Add Heartless to your Goodreads shelf

 

11. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

We feel like we find something new to love on this cover every time we look at it. But perhaps more importantly, framing this piece of actual art would remind us every day to live it as if it were our last.

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Learn more about They Both Die at the End
Add They Both Die at the End to your Goodreads shelf

 

12. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

It’s just so creepy and gorgeous and shimmering and seems like it would catch all of our dreams and nightmares. Ideally we’d hang this right above our book nook, so we’d know that Lazlo was always looking down on us.

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around–and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the form of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? And who is the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams?

In this sweeping and breathtaking novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

The answers await in Weep.

Add Strange the Dreamer to your Goodreads shelf

 

13. The Cerulean by Amy Ewing

It’s just so pretty. Like, so incredibly pretty. We want this cover blown up as large as we can make it, and we want it basking over a gorgeous marble and glittering room. It could actually be decor in a YA book. Ugh, we’re just in such serious cover love with this one.

Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn’t quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the City Above the Sky. She is curious about everything—especially the planet that her City is magically tethered to—and can’t stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she’d been taught to trust. In order to save her City, Sera must end her own life.

But something goes wrong, and Sera survives, ending up on the planet below in a country called Kaolin. Sera has heard tales about the dangerous humans who live here, and she quickly learns that these dangers were not just stories.

Meanwhile, back in the City, all is not what it seems, and the life of every Cerulean may be in danger if Sera is not able to find a way home.

Learn more about The Cerulean
Add The Cerulean to your Goodreads shelf

 

14. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

We have an entire post here behind the design of this cover, but we’re still not over our crush on this art. It matches the gorgeous flow of the words inside so perfectly and just gets us even more excited for With the Fire on High. Maybe we’ll just frame both?

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Learn more about The Poet X
Add The Poet X to your Goodreads shelf

The post The 14 Best Book Covers That Deserved to be Framed appeared first on Epic Reads.

Would You Survive Your Own Fairy Tale Adventure?

Once upon a time there was a reader. And that reader is you. Yes, you. That’s right, you’re about to embark on your own fairy tale adventure. Surprise! Happy reading!

We’re in a total out-of-the-box fairy tale mindset because of Damsel, Elana K. Arnold’s stunning, twisted, dark, and stereotype-shattering new fairy tale.

In Damsel, a girl named Ama wakes up in the lair of a dragon, in the midst of being rescued by a handsome prince. It’s obviously custom for her to return home with him, and it seems as though she’s dreaming, like she’s living in a fairy tale. But she soon realizes that this fairy tale… isn’t a happy one. Or even what it seems. This book had us hooked from the very start and would not let us go, so we started thinking… what would life be like if we were in a fairy tale? Would it be happily-ever-after? Or would we want to get out of there ASAP?

Take the quiz below to tell your own fairy tale and find out if you’d survive the adventure!

 

Would You Survive a Fairy Tale Adventure?

 

About Damsel

A dark, twisted, unforgettable new fairy tale…

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale.

As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.

Learn more about Damsel!

The post Would You Survive Your Own Fairy Tale Adventure? appeared first on Epic Reads.

Here’s Your Bookish Horoscope for November!

Well, book nerds. The year is winding down, but the stars aren’t giving you any respite, are they?

Be prepared for November to be a month of activity, celebration, and maybe a little bit of uncertainty. From celebrating Book Lovers Day to voting in your first election, cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving to standing in line for Black Friday, this month is sure to be busy. But in the best of ways, we hope?

And while you’re going from party A to party B, make sure you leave time for a book or two, alright? It just so happens we have a suggestion for you…

 

Epic Reads November Horoscopes

 

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Keywords: Reflection, rejuvenation, relaxation

October was all about self-improvement, and don’t you feel better for it, Scorpio? Hold onto that positive energy as you charge into November. Because you might be feeling a bit… grumpier than normal. When you feel the storm clouds descending upon your head, bury your nose in a happy book until the threat passes. And when you feel like YET ANOTHER year has gone by — and a tumultuous one at that — with little to show for it, remind yourself that you are like a phoenix risen from the ashes. A little dusty, but stronger and braver than you were last year. So go forth and celebrate — your birthday, Guy Fawkes Day, Thanksgiving — and reflect on what a ~crazy~ year it has been. And relax. The universe has your back.

Book pick: This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender

Reason: A fun book for when you’re feeling down. Nate doesn’t believe in happy endings. Playing it safe to spare a broken heart is his favorite strategy. But his best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again Florence is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. But when he does, will he have what it takes to find a happy ending?

 

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Keywords: Commitment, bravery, optimism

In October you focused inward and found joy in small achievements. In November, you’ll be focused on building a stable foundation as your birthday — AND a new year — approaches. That could mean reflecting on all the changes you’ve gone through this past year, plotting out the novel that’s been brewing like a pour-over coffee in the back of your mind, or recommitting to that meditation app you started in January and only used twice. This time of reflection will make you feel like the world is at your fingertips. That you’re ready to take some risks, to make new friends, to embrace your new year with an open heart. And, of course, with a book in hand.

Book pick: The Resolutions by Mia Garcia

Reason: The perfect book to read before your birthday! New Years are for fresh starts, but Jess just wants everything to go back to the way it was. Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable. But as a new year unfolds and new resolutions are tackled, their bonds will be tested — for nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

 

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Keywords: Wisdom, energy, determination

October was all about finding patience and not giving in to self-pressure. And wow, has that paid off in spades, Capricorn! Thanks to all that hard work, you’re set to take on November with an undeniably rare combination of enthusiasm AND wisdom. That means you know what you want, you know how to get it, and you’re letting NOTHING stand in your way. Whether that’s single-handedly cooking your family’s Thanksgiving dinner, organizing a

Introducing “Why Not YA?,” a New Book Club and Video Series

First off, do you know Belletrist? If not, omg, please take a moment and check them out right now! Co-founded by actress Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, Belletrist is a pretty amazing reading community that’s focused on celebrating and elevating great storytelling. Something that’s also pretty important to us here at Epic Reads, of course! We’ve been long time fans and so…

We are SO excited to announce that we are teaming up with Belletrist to bring you “WHY NOT YA?” a new book club that will feature a variety of YA books that focus on themes of female empowerment and are conversation starters. And the best part? VIDEOS EVERY MONTH.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We will be choosing a YA book to read at the start of every month with a “WHY NOT YA?” episode to release at the end of the month that will be a discussion with the author on the story they wrote and the themes each book carries.

Our first pick is for November and it is The Poet X  by Elizabeth Acevedo, an amazing and powerful novel in verse about a girl that finds her voice in a world that might not want to hear it. It’s a 2018 National Book Award finalist and we cannot wait for everyone to dive into this gorgeous badass story.

Make sure to follow “WHY NOT YA?” on Facebook to learn more and to watch the videos every month at facebook.com/whynotyabooks. There will be fun giveaways with every episode premiere and let’s be honest, we all love freebies!

 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

Remember, this is a book club so we need your enthusiasm and conversations to keep this going! Make sure to like, share, and comment to tell us your favorite passages in the book, questions for the authors and more!

Last but certainly not least, please do share your reading experience on social using the hashtag #whynotYA—we’ll be reading everything you all post and you never know, your pics might show up on @epicreads or @belletrist too

Introducing “Why Not YA?” a New Book Club and Video Series

First off, do you know Belletrist? If not, omg, please take a moment and check them out right now! Co-founded by actress Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, Belletrist is a pretty amazing reading community that’s focused on celebrating and elevating great storytelling. Something that’s also pretty important to us here at Epic Reads, of course! We’ve been long time fans and so…

We are SO excited to announce that we are teaming up with Belletrist to bring you “WHY NOT YA?” a new book club that will feature a variety of YA books that focus on themes of female empowerment and are conversation starters. And the best part? VIDEOS EVERY MONTH.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We will be choosing a YA book to read at the start of every month with a “WHY NOT YA?” episode to release at the end of the month that will be a discussion with the author on the story they wrote and the themes each book carries.

WHY NOT YA? | November Book | Belletrist x Epic Reads

WHY NOT YA? A Belletrist x Epic Reads book club and show

NOVEMBER BOOK: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a gorgeous novel in verse about finding your voice in a world that may not want to hear you we can’t wait for you to read it!

Posted by Why Not YA? on Wednesday, October 31, 2018

 

Our first pick is for November and it is The Poet X  by Elizabeth Acevedo, an amazing and powerful novel in verse about a girl that finds her voice in a world that might not want to hear it. It’s a 2018 National Book Award finalist and we cannot wait for everyone to dive into this gorgeous badass story.

Make sure to follow “WHY NOT YA?” on Facebook to learn more and to watch the videos every month at facebook.com/whynotyabooks. There will be fun giveaways with every episode premiere and let’s be honest, we all love freebies!

 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

Remember, this is a book club so we need your enthusiasm and conversations to keep this going! Make sure to like, share, and comment to tell us your favorite passages in the book, questions for the authors and more!

Last but certainly not least, please do share your reading experience on social using the hashtag #whynotYA—we’ll be reading everything you all post and you never know, your pics might show up on @epicreads or @belletrist too

10 Books to Fill That Stranger Things Hole in Your Life

If mornings are for coffee and contemplation, then fall is definitely for creepy books and Stranger Things. And, seriously, what are we supposed to do without our annual visit to Hawkins, Indiana?

Because somebody (

‘A Very Large Expanse of Sea’ Has a Stunning New Trailer and Gorgeous Phone Wallpapers

It feels surreal that A Very Large Expanse of Sea is finally, really, truly out in the world. We’ve been looking forward to this book since the day Tahereh announced it, and you guys, we fell hard. But we’re not the only ones—we love seeing all the love for it from y’all as well!

I finished reading A VERY LARGE EXPANSE OF SEA by @TaherehMafi this morning and all I can say is WOW! It's a book that I know I will think about for a long time. I loved every bit of it! It comes out tomorrow & I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy if you can!

16 Books to Read Once You’ve Binged Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Hey witches—have you made your way through Chilling Adventures of Sabrina yet? Already sat down with your coven and all sorts of fall treats to watch the spellbinding and satanic fun you knew was about to unfold?

We don’t need Sabrina’s magic to know you have, because, duh, we did the same.

But what’s a book nerd to do when the credits start rolling on the season finale? Surely the wait for season two is going to be torturous… so that’s why we’re here to help! We rounded up a good handfull of books that’ll keep the gorgeously macabre spirit of the show alive. What are you waiting for? Take a break from reading all those second season theories, scroll down, and read these bewitching books instead!

 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

BOOKS TO READ AFTER BINGING

 

1. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Add The Last Magician to your Goodreads shelf!

 

2. Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest.

Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early.

Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.

Add Strange Grace to your Goodreads shelf!

 

3. What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

Add What the Woods Keep to your Goodreads shelf!

 

4. The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck

Welcome to a world where nightmarish creatures reign supreme.

Five hundred years ago, Jack made a deal with the devil. It’s difficult for him to remember much about his mortal days. So, he focuses on fulfilling his sentence as a Lantern—one of the watchmen who guard the portals to the Otherworld, a realm crawling with every nightmarish creature imaginable. Jack has spent centuries jumping from town to town, ensuring that nary a mortal—or not-so-mortal—soul slips past him. That is, until he meets beautiful Ember O’Dare.

Seventeen, stubborn, and a natural-born witch, Ember feels a strong pull to the Otherworld. Undeterred by Jack’s warnings, she crosses into the forbidden plane with the help of a mysterious and debonair vampire—and the chase through a dazzling, dangerous world is on. Jack must do everything in his power to get Ember back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.

Add The Lantern’s Ember to your Goodreads shelf!

 

5. The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls… unless she wants to be next…

Add The Merciless to your Goodreads shelf!

 

6. A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head… literally

Add A Blade So Black to your Goodreads shelf!

 

7. Wink Poppy Midnight by by April Genevieve Tucholke

Every story needs a hero.

Every story needs a villain.

Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?

Someone knows.

Someone is lying.

Add Wink Poppy Midnight to your Goodreads shelf!

 

8. House of Furies by Madeleine Roux

After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house. But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.

Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure whom to trust?

Learn more about House of Furies!
Add House of Furies to your Goodreads shelf!

 

9. The Graces by Laure Eve

Fenrin Grace is larger than life, almost mythical. He’s the school Pan, seducing girls without really meaning to. He’s biding his time until someone special comes along. Someone different, who will make him wonder how he got along all this time without her. Someone like me.

Fenrin’s twin, Thalia, is a willowy beauty with rippling, honey-colored hair. Wherever she goes, Thalia leaves behind a band of followers who want to emulate her. She casts spells over everyone she encounters, just like Fenrin—even if they both deny it.

Then there’s Summer. She’s the youngest Grace, and the only one who admits she’s really a witch. Summer is dark on the outside—with jet-black hair and kohl-rimmed eyes—and on the inside. It was inevitable that she’d find me, the new girl—a loner with secrets lurking under the surface.

I am River. I am not a Grace. But I’ll do anything to become one.

Add The Graces to your Goodreads shelf!

 

10. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Odessa is one of Karthia’s master necromancers, catering to the kingdom’s ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it’s Odessa’s job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised–the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa’s necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead–and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer’s magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

Add Reign of the Fallen to your Goodreads shelf!

 

11. The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Add The Diviners to your Goodreads shelf!

 

12. Everless by Sara Holland

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

Jules and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident a forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Caught in a tangle of violent secrets, Jules must find the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Learn more about Everless!
Add Everless to your Goodreads shelf!

 

13. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Add Vicious to your Goodreads shelf!

 

14. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Add The Night Circus to your Goodreads shelf!

 

15. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school… Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

Add The Cheerleaders to your Goodreads shelf!

 

16. Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

Learn more about Sawkill Girls!
Add Sawkill Girls to your Goodreads shelf!

The post 16 Books to Read Once You’ve Binged Chilling Adventures of Sabrina appeared first on Epic Reads.