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13 Little Love Stories: An Anthology Inspired by Taylor Swift Songs
by Elise Bryant
If you could live inside one Taylor Swift song for a day, which would you pick? In this shimmering anthology, thirteen best-selling and acclaimed authors do just that, reimagining some of Taylor's most iconic songs as love stories. Whether you're in an era of fairy lights and folktales or diss tracks and dance floors, here's a playlist that features all the hits: The soaring high note of first love. The minor key of heartbreak. And the steady rhythm of true friendship and self-discovery. As clever and unforgettable as the songs that inspired them, these stories are sure to play on repeat in your head and your heart.
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All We Hunger For
by Anna Mercier
In Anespérer, where magic comes alive through artistic skill, Elara Rousseau knows she'll never be selected for the Objet d'Art. The high-stakes baking competition will elect a new Souverain to join the ruling council, and someone from the slums would never be considered. But when a brooding figure from her past sneaks her into the Objet, Elara has the chance to compete for a better future... as long as no one uncovers her traitorous secret. Nikolas Dupont will do whatever it takes to impress his powerful father, a Souverain who hasn't officially recognized his son--like handpick a contestant to win and become his father's political pawn. But Elara is more than he bargained for, and she ignites his own subdued passions. Against all odds, Elara excels and becomes a hero to the city's poor, all while Nik's faith in his father crumbles and the sparks between them burn brighter. As the competition heats up, Elara and Nik must choose: fight to win the competition and secure a future of safety for them both, or use the power of Elara's art to spark a revolution.
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Asad's Secret: A Novel of Gaza
by Najlaa Attaallah
Asad lives in Gaza, in a tiny house, on a narrow street pocked by half-destroyed buildings, in a camp that looks shabby to him and feels claustrophobic. He walks virtually the same route every day to his summer job at a printing press, passing the prison that holds his father, for reasons that have not been fully explained to him. As the oldest son, he feels the weight of responsibility for his seven brothers, his sisters, and his Ummi, who wants him to study hard and excel in school, as all mothers do. Moody and reserved Asad has few friends, and fewer distractions. Thank goodness for Um Fawzi, a feisty, cigarette-smoking old woman, who's the only one who seems willing to tell it like it is, sharply enough, and with a biting sense of humor that snaps him out of his fog sometimes. There's also Houriya, a lovely and smart girl, who brings him books to read and sometimes prompts him to think about a future that he can't truly imagine. There seems to be no escaping. But Asad has a secret, too, a mysterious black bag that holds something important that he keeps hidden from everyone. This rare novel by and about Palestinians showcases this boy whose life is never easy, even as it's filled with the longing, the bruised hopes, and the frustrations of any seventeen-year-old.
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Bad Queer
by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
Surya knows exactly who they are. Coming out as non-binary to their queer parents and best friend? A total non-event. Catching feelings for Blessing - the boy in drama club whose smile makes their heart race? That's trickier. As their final year of school unfolds and the two of them grow closer, Surya starts to question: Does Blessing really see them? Or just a version of them that doesn't exist? They'd ask their best friend for advice, but she's busy falling in love too. . .
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Between Sun and Shadow
by Laura Genn
When sixteen-year-old Kori, the princess of the Daylands, is kidnapped by seventeen-year-old Adria, the mutant queen of the Shadowlands, they develop an unexpected attraction and an advantageous partnership to avert a war between their nations.
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Black River
by Ruby Jean Cottle
All seventeen-year-old Dusty wants is to escape into books and the Adirondack wilderness that surrounds her small town. But in the dead of night, strange things have been happening in Black River. Animals are being ravaged by something unnatural. And Dusty wakes up one day with dirt on her feet, changed and starving. When new kid Will arrives, Dusty feels an attraction unlike anything she's felt before. She wants him . . . or she wants his blood. As Dusty realizes she's transforming into something she can't control, she reluctantly turns to the only person she somehow knows will understand: the annoyingly attractive Eli Blake. Together, Dusty and Eli must uncover the mystery of their town and their new, insatiable desires. Have they become vampires or some other kind of monster? Whatever they are, they're not the only ones.
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Blue Beach
by Karyn Parsons
In the summer of 1929, the dead body of a white debutante washes up on the shore of Santa Monica's only Black beach, leading to racist attacks against Blue Collins and her family.
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Breakout
by Dhonielle Clayton
For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest--five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten--this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group. It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies... including (another) one of their own. As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind--secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends--seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?
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Checking You Out
by Jennifer Chen
Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd, and proud of it. And when she realizes there is a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can't help but get a crush on someone she's never even met. Her friends make it their mission to find Lizzie's long lost book soulmate and convince her to leave notes for her crush. But what if the person Lizzie is looking for, isn't at all what she expects? Dylan Lin loves reading, secretly anyway. Ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he's hidden his love of fantasy novels, instead leaning into his jock persona. Now he's the tennis team captain, runs every day, and actively avoids reading. So, when he decides to start volunteering at a kitten nursery, and his super cute co-volunteer Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he says no. He never expects the look of complete and utter disappointment on Lizzie's face. Lizzie is certain her secret crush isn't Dylan. It can't be But when he accidentally makes an obscure reference to her favorite book during their volunteer shift, she's not so sure anymore. Can Lizzie forgive Dylan for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself?
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Devils We Know
by L. T. Thompson
Three queer teens must bring Death out of hiding to save one of their own in book two of this YA historical fantasy duology that's Our Flag Means Death meets The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy.
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The Fall of Iris Henley
by Jennifer Graham
Sixteen-year-old Iris Henley becomes the prime suspect in her boyfriend and ex-best friend's murders after an anonymous online post accuses her, forcing her to clear her name before it is too late.
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Fatally Yours
by Jessica Lacy
Life is good for Katie Rose Waters. Her family is filthy rich, and she has it all: a closet full of designer shoes in a mansion fit for a queen, Mother Dear's undivided attention and of course, the comforting knowledge that she can get away with murder any time she wants...literally. But Katie Rose's perfect world starts to crumble when her estranged sister Kit returns home to their small town with a new engagement ring and a fiance in tow. With Belldam, Texas's most extravagant wedding on the horizon Mother Dear goes into wedding planner mode, obsessing over wedding dresses, florists, and finding a cake. And Katie Rose? She's been demoted to an afterthought. Unless, of course, Mother Dear needs help with a decapitated body. It's simply devastating. Left to her own wicked devices, Katie Rose begins to suspect that her picture-perfect life might be as hollow as the corpses she leaves behind. What's a spoiled daughter to do without Mother Dear's guidance? But whatever, everything will be fine as long as the trio can stay calm. Unfortunately, there's nothing more stressful than a wedding...
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Fathom Fall
by Matteo L. Cerilli
The Maze Runner meets Fortnite in this action-packed young YA about a boy who finds out the monsters from his favorite video game are real.
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The Fiery Spiral
by Helen Brain
In a dystopian future Cape Town, Teenager Ebba Den Eeden is desperate to restore ecological and social harmony to an Earth torn apart by the warring Gods Theia and her brother Prospiroh.To end the divine conflict, Ebba must guard and return the necklace of four amulets to Theia. Forced to search the utopian planet of Celestia, which is populated by people who died on Earth, Ebba is guided by a magical map and Lucas Poladion- who died in Cape Town saving Ebba's life-, and their annoyance at one another laced with complications... and maybe something deeper. As Ebba crosses time and landscapes, the God Prospiroh stalks her and will do anything to get his hands on the necklace. The further Ebba journeys, the more difficult the choices she faces become. She searches for strength, guided by spiritual encounters with her female ancestors, all the while grappling with the burden of her hunt and the betrayal of Micah, her ex-boyfriend. The Fiery Spiral combines mysticism, magic, and time travel in a tale of impossible decisions and the great sacrifices that can come with destiny.
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Akane-Banashi, Vol. 16
by Yuki Suenaga
Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin'uchi exam--the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal--to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin'uchi. As youngsters, Issho and Shiguma are trapped in poverty, doing odd jobs, getting in fights, and behaving utterly unlike the professional rakugoka they will one day become. When the previous Shiguma, Kiroku Kashiwaya, charms them with his art, they join his rakugo school, and he influences them to work hard and better themselves. But one day, everything changes... In recounting this story to Akane, Urara reveals the secret behind the birth of the Arakawa School. Will it change Akane's perception on becoming Issho's apprentice?
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The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America
by David Levithan
The AIDS crisis in America is complex and composed of countless individual stories of grief, love, and advocacy. Its history shows the power of youth activism, how creativity and community can be vehicles for social change, and how bigotry and misinformation led to inequality in care. The early days of the AIDS crisis saw LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities making strides in the fight for equality. As many people in positions of power were slow to act or actively didn't pay attention until their own communities were affected, the fight for equality turned into a fight for their lives. Grassroots efforts filled in gaps where mainstream medicine and politics failed, and over time, a cultural shift of awareness emerged, which led to more research and more treatments. And while the disease has transitioned from a death sentence to one that people can live full lives with, there are still people dying of HIV/AIDS today because they can't access the care they need. The fight may have begun decades ago, but is not yet over. Award-winning author David Levithan and University of Cambridge PhD Gabriel Duckels detail a brief history of the epidemic, touching on key moments and figures, such as Ryan White, ACT UP, Larry Kramer and Anthony Fauci, Pedro Zamora from MTV's The Real World, and the Names Quilt. Threaded throughout are poems, essays, and other creative works, in addition to first-person interviews and narratives. The most important takeaway is that we must remember. We need to know what happened and why. Our voices are powerful, and they can make a difference.
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Autism: Your Questions Answered
by Romeo Vitelli
Research suggests that about 1% of the world's population is on the autism spectrum. Discover the answers to common questions about living with neurodiversity.
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The Carbon Cycle: Track the Path of Life's Essential Element
by Carla Mooney
In The Carbon Cycle: Track the Path of Life's Essential Element, young scientists explore how carbon moves through rocks, sediment, the ocean, the atmosphere--and through every living thing, including people. Hands-on activities and critical thinking exercises invite all kinds of learners to gain a deeper understanding of carbon and its role in keeping our climate healthy and habitable.
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Harford County Public Library
1221-A Brass Mill Rd Belcamp, Maryland 21017 410-273-5600
hcplonline.org
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