Kendall Young Library: New Adult Fiction

New Adult Fiction Books

1/14/2026

The following books are new to the shelves at Kendall Young Library. To reserve an item, click on the image or title to be taken to the library's catalog. (Detailed instructions at the end of the newsletter.)

Mendell Station
by Janice Whang

Named a Best Book of July 2025 by The Los Angeles Times and Alta JournalA surprising and evocative debut. -Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of PORTAIT OF A THIEFA tender debut that follows a woman who, after her best friend's death, loses her faith and quits her job to join the postal service, quickly becoming an 'essential worker' as the city shuts down.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
by Sangu Mandanna

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her great-aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power. Enter Luke Larsen, a handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell's secrets--

If It Makes You Happy
by Julie Olivia

Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 autumn in Vermont in this cozy, slow-burn romance. My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn't notice them, I swear. I, on the other hand, don't-at all-have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn't think taking over my mom's dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff. Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need-always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard. Friends? I can make friends. That's safe. Except I'm leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I've been working towards. So ask me why I'm thinking about kissing my hot neighbor-- Provided by publisher.

The Weekend Crashers
by Jamie Brenner

A knitting retreat gets knotty in this humorous and poignant novel about love, second chances, and the unyielding bonds between mothers and daughters.Maggie Hodges and her daughter Piper are looking forward to a restful knitting retreat in the picturesque village of New Hope, Pennsylvania. But instead, they are surprised to find themselves sharing their charming riverside inn with a rowdy bushcraft bachelor party. Undaunted by the clash of interests and personalities, Maggie suggests a lighthearted competition--a battle of crafts--that sparks a rivalry between the two groups, and perhaps something more. But as the weekend unfolds, old mistakes and buried resentments begin to surface, threatening to destroy Maggie and Piper's cherished connection.In knitting, one can easily fix mistakes by picking apart each stitch and starting anew. But life's tangles aren't so easily mended. With tensions rising and the retreat coming to a close, Maggie must act quickly before she loses everything she holds dear. Can she repair what's been broken before everything unravels?

Everybody Wants to Rule the World
by Ace Atkins

It's 1985, what will soon become known as 'The Year of the Spy,' and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom's new boyfriend is a Russian agent. 'Gary' isn't in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He's just a kid into BMX and MTV. But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies--a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession

Robert B. Parker's Showdown
by Mike Lupica

Spenser may have uncovered an explosive secret that threatens the career of a controversial figure, in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker's beloved series. Vic Hale isn't anyone's idea of a father figure. He is one of the biggest - and loudest -- podcasters in the nation and got there by spewing overheated rhetoric that's reviled by some but loved by even more. His particular brand of entertainment is so successful, he's about to sign the biggest contract in the history of online broadcasting. Vic's riding high...until he gets a visit from Spenser, who specializes in bringing guys like Hale back down to Earth. Spenser is there on behalf of Daniel Lopez, a young man who believes Hale may be his father. It's a potentially explosive revelation for a man in the podcaster's position and it might even be enough to blow up his massive new deal. That could explain the bodies that start popping up - bodies connected in one way or another with the mystery surrounding Daniel's birth. There are a lot of questions remaining, and Spenser's going to have to find the answers before someone shuts Hale or Daniel up for good.

Otherwise Engaged
by Susan Mallery

When Shannon gets engaged, her mom Cindy is the first person she wants to tell--and the last. Cindy's engaged, too, and has hinted at a double wedding. Victoria has never been enough for her mother Ava, so she stopped trying. Chance brings the four women together, where a shocking secret comes out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby--then changed her mind at the last second. The loss rocked Ava's world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria--

Twice
by Mitch Albom

What if you got to do everything in your life -twice? The heart of Mitch Albom's newest novel is a love story that dares to explore how our unchecked desires might mean losing what we've had all along-- Provided by publisher.

The Mad Wife
by Meagan Church

In the 1950s, nothing is valued more than conformity, and Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the ideal housewife. But after the birth of her daughter, Lulu's carefully constructed life begins to teeter. Exhausted by expectations and haunted by tragic memories, Lulu looks to her new neighbor, Bitsy. Bitsy, always the model of a perfect housewife, is not quite what she seems and Lulu knows something dark lurks beneath Bitsy's constant smile. Increasingly fixated on Bitsy and her perfectly crafted life, Lulu's mental state begins to fracture, and memories she had suppressed long ago begin to rise to the surface. Soon, Lulu is forced to confront the possibility that she might be headed down a path much darker than she could ever foresee. Set against the backdrop of a post-war era defined by tradition and constrained femininity, The Mad Wife weaves together a coming-of-age search for identity with a psychological drama so poignant, you won't be able to put it down--

The Bridesmaid
by Cate Quinn

When a celebrity bridesmaid is murdered weeks before an exclusive society wedding, forensic attorney Holly Stone is drafted as an unlikely undercover replacement. Working to unpick the secrets of the notoriously private Kensington family, glamour-averse Holly discovers a new worst enemy in bridezilla Adrianna. And beneath the veneer of sophistication, she realizes the Kensingtons have secrets worth killing for. As the wedding day gets closer, it seems clear that one of the five hand-picked bridesmaids has committed murder - and the destination wedding is a perfect place to strike again. From the acclaimed author of The Clinic, and for fans of The Unwedding comes a thriller tracing the path to an exclusive society wedding, with one bridesmaid murdered and the wedding party the main suspects, told through the eyes of an undercover, glamour-averse forensic attorney who just might be the next intended victim--

An Academic Affair
by Jodi McAlister

Two English professors enter a fake marriage in order to secure partner hire, but soon realize their feelings for each other aren't as fake as they'd once thought--

There Is No Antimemetics Division
by Qntm

They're all around us, hiding in plain sight. One could be in the room with you now, just to your left. You could be seeing it right now--but from this second to the next, you'll forget that you did. If you managed to jot down a note, the paper would look blank to you afterward. These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you--and you'll never even know anything changed. They can turn you into a living ghost--make it so you're standing next to your spouse, screaming in their ear, and they won't know you're there. They're predators equipped with the ultimate camouflage, living black holes for information, able to consume our very memories of their existence. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're invading. But how do you fight an enemy when you can never even know that you're at war? How do you contain something you can't record or remember? Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not your first day--

Conform
by Ariel Sullivan

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - THE MUST-READ FIRST NOVEL FROM JENNA BUSH HAGER'S NEW VENTURE, THOUSAND VOICES In the far future, one young woman finds herself torn between two loves--and two sides of a rebellion boiling under the surface--in the luminous (People) first novel of a sweeping dystopian romance series. The stunning hardcover of Conform features a custom-stamped case, beautiful endpapers, and foiled jacket. Compulsively readable and vividly written--it kept me awake long past my bedtime --Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Court of Thorns and Roses An irresistible romantic debut with a love triangle that will have you picking sides . . . then changing sides . . . then changing sides again.--Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent A lifelong outcast, twenty-seven-year-old Emeline spends her days alone, sorting ancient art for destruction. Centuries after a catastrophic war nearly decimated humanity, society is now ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum, who constantly monitor the population's health and mandate procreation contracts. But Emeline's bleak existence is shattered when, for the first time in decades, an Illum named Collin takes a Mate: Emeline. Baffled as to why she was chosen, Emeline is swept into the dangerous game of the Courting, where one wrong move can mean elimination. Soon, she discovers a rebellion rising in secret, and that her Mate may be keeping secrets of his own. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders. As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything--most of all whether she'll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
by Emily Krempholtz

Guy Shadowfade is dead and Violet Thistlethwaite doesn't know what to do with herself. Having spent her life as the dark sorcerer's right hand, the powerful witch is now at loose ends. But she does know one thing: she doesn't want to be evil anymore. For once, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison. The quaint town of Dragon's Rest, she decides, will be her second chance at life--a place where she can set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (and mildly homicidal) houseplant out of trouble, and quit dark magic after a lifetime of villainy. While Violet's vibrant bouquets and feats of plant magic soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, nothing she does seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse--

Fallen Star
by Lee Goldberg

A fifty-five-gallon drum washes up in the Malibu Lagoon stuffed with the corpse of Gene Dent, the key player in a bribery scandal that ensnared several local politicians. LASD detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone know the case--and all the likely suspects--well. Just as they begin their investigation, the sheriff publicly reveals evidence linking the crime to LA's mayor. But Eve and Duncan realize the bombshell allegation, true or not, arises from corruption within the sheriff's own office...because they helped cover it up years ago. If the sheriff goes down, so will they. Eve is agonizing over her moral dilemma when a helicopter crashes in the hillside below her Calabasas home. It's not a coincidence. Eve soon discovers among the twisted wreckage and dead passengers shocking connections to her own past...and they lead straight to a fight for her life.--Provided by publisher.

All items can be reserved through the Kendall Young Library catalog:

When viewing an item in the catalog, click "place hold" button.
Enter your library card number (14 digits on the back of your card) with no spaces.
Enter your PIN. If you don't know your PIN, try:
- Your 4-digit birth month and day (i.e. August 4 would be 0804), or
- The last 4 digits of your library card number.
- If neither of these options work, call the library at 832-9100.
You will get a call from the library when the item is available.

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Kendall Young Library
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515-832-9100
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