Oh, summer, we are sad to see you go…

But not that sad because we are so SO excited for all the books fall is bringing! And if you didn’t know, that includes some of the biggest, highly-anticipated debuts. It all starts in September, and we’ve made you a cheat sheet for all the amazing debuts getting ready to hit shelves that you should start making room on your TBR list for ASAP.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon – September 10th 

Whether you’re a Twitter-user, bookstagrammer, or just linger on Facebook here and there, you probably know this debut has been EVERYWHERE. David Yoon’s Frankly in Love is getting ready to make a huge splash in September and is sure to hold a permanent place on our shelves and in our hearts.

About the book: High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda – October 15th

DRAGONS. REVOLUTION. MORALLY GRAY CHARACTRS.

Fireborne has all of it and we cannot WAIT. Rosaria Munda’s debut is a striking, complex fantasy that will suck you in and probably make you want a dragon more than anyone no longer in middle school should. But you know what? Dragons are awesome (and so is this book.)

About the book: Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons. Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.
Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.
But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.
With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.
From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera – September 17th

You may have heard of this one before, because it’s been out before! We are SO excited to be re-publishing Gabby Rivera’s gutsy, kickass debut Juliet Takes a Breath. This book is ready to reach new audiences and tell Juliet’s unforgettable story, and we can’t wait!

About the book: Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?
With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy – October 29th 

The ultimate sibling rivalry? Magick? A fight to the DEATH? Yes, please. Amanda Joy is ready to ROCK her debut, A River of Royal Blood!

About the book: An enthralling debut perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.
Sixteen-year-old Eva is a princess, born with the magick of marrow and blood–a dark and terrible magick that hasn’t been seen for generations in the vibrant but fractured country of Myre. Its last known practitioner was Queen Raina, who toppled the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands, including her own sister, eight generations ago, thus beginning the Rival Heir tradition. Living in Raina’s long and dark shadow, Eva must now face her older sister, Isa, in a battle to the death if she hopes to ascend to the Ivory Throne–because in the Queendom of Myre only the strongest, most ruthless rulers survive.
When Eva is attacked by an assassin just weeks before the battle with her sister, she discovers there is more to the attempt on her life than meets the eye–and it isn’t just her sister who wants to see her dead. As tensions escalate, Eva is forced to turn to a fey instructor of mythic proportions and a mysterious and handsome khimaer prince for help in growing her magick into something to fear. Because despite the love she still has for her sister, Eva will have to choose: Isa’s death or her own.
A River of Royal Blood is an enthralling debut set in a lush North African inspired fantasy world that subtly but powerfully challenges our notions of power, history, and identity.

Obviously by Akilah Hughes – September 24th

“A refreshingly funny and blisteringly unsentimental coming-of-age memoir.” –John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All The Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars

That’s right. JOHN GREEN loves this book too. Akilah Hughes is no stranger to the internet–she has a knack for hilarious viral YouTube videos and happens to be crazy talented. But now (lucky for all of us!) she’s taking her talent to the page! Her debut, Obviously, will have you on the FLOOR laughing (and rethinking everything the movies told you about living in NYC!)

About the book: In Akilah Hughes’s world, family–and life–are often complicated, but always funny. Through intimate and hilarious essays, Akilah takes readers along on her journey from the small Kentucky town where she was born–and eventually became a spelling bee champ and 15-year-old high school graduate–to New York City, where she took careful steps to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer and performer. Like Tiffany Haddish’s The Last Black Unicorn or Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? for the YA set, Akilah pens revealing and laugh-out-loud funny essays about her life, covering everything from her racist fifth grade teacher, her struggles with weight and acne, her failed attempts at joining the cheerleading team, how to literally get to New York (hint: for a girl on a budget, it may include multiple bus transfers) and exactly how to “make it” once you finally get there.

We Speak in Storms by Natalie Lund – September 3rd

This powerful and haunting debut novel about friendship, acceptance, and learning to let go as the balance between the living and the dead is upended, is one you’ll want to add to that TBR for sure. The ghostly atmosphere with a hint of magical realism will have you HOOKED.

About the book: It’s been more than 50 years since a tornado tore through a drive-in movie theater in tiny Mercer, Illinois, leaving dozens of teens — a whole generation of Mercerites — dead in its wake. So when another tornado touches down in the exact same spot on the anniversary of this small-town tragedy, the town is shaken. For Brenna Ortiz, Joshua Calloway, and Callie Keller, the apprehension is more than just a feeling. Though they seem to share nothing more than a struggle to belong, the teens’ paths continue to intersect, bringing them together when they least expect it, and perhaps, when they need it most. Both the living and the dead have secrets and unresolved problems, but they may be able to find peace and move forward–if only they work together.

A beautifully told, haunting yet hopeful novel about pushing past the pain, facing the world, and finding yourself.

Having trouble waiting until fall? Check out our fav summer paperbacks!