Choose a Lipstick, Get a Book Rec By Emilie Polster </p> <section> <h2> <h2><strong>Choose a Lipstick, Get a Book Rec</strong></h2> </h2> <p><p>Despite half my face being hidden behind a mask for the better part of the last year, I’ve still been known to rock a bold lip under said mask. And why? Because there’s something empowering about a good lipstick! Whether you’re a matte, sparkly, glossy, or just a light tinted balm type of person, swiping on a little color can give you a boost of confidence—even if it’s only for a virtual hangout. Pick the lip you’d rock today, and we’ll give you a book rec!</p> </p> </section> <section> <h2> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/somewherebetweenbitterandsweet">Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet</a></strong></h2> </h2> <p><p><em>I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter</em> meets <em>Emergency Contact</em> in this stunning story of first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she’s been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.<o:p></o:p></p> <p>This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.<o:p></o:p></p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/sisterofthebollywoodbride">Sister of the Bollywood Bride</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Mini’s big sister, Vinnie, is getting married. Their mom passed away seven years ago and between Dad’s new start-up and Vinnie’s medical residency, there’s no one but Mini to plan the wedding. Dad raised her to know more about computers, calculus, and cars than desi weddings but from the moment Mini held the jewelry Mom left them, she wanted her sister to have the wedding Mom would’ve planned.</p> <p>Now Mini has only two months to get it done and she’s not going to let anything distract her, not even the persistent, mysterious, and smoking-hot Vir Mirchandani. Flower garlands, decorations, music, even a white wedding horse — everything is in place.</p> <p>That is, until a monster hurricane heads for Boston that could ruin everything. Will Mini come through as sister of the bride and save the day?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/theinheritancegames">The Inheritance Games</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Don’t miss this <em>New York Times</em> bestselling “impossible to put down” (Buzzfeed) novel with deadly stakes, thrilling twists, and juicy secrets — perfect for fans of <em>One of Us is Lying</em> and <em>Knives Out</em>.</p> <p>Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.</p> <p>To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/daughterofsmokeandbone">Daughter of Smoke and Bone</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.<br />In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.</p> <p>And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.<br />Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.</p> <p>When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/mylastsummerwithcass">My Last Summer with Cass</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p><em>This One Summer </em>meets <em>The Edge of Seventeen</em> in this poignant coming-of-age YA graphic novel about two childhood friends at a crossroads in their lives and art from the author of <em>Mastering Manga</em>.</p> <p>Megan and Cass have been joined at the brush for as long as they can remember. For years, while spending summers together at a lakeside cabin, they created art together, from sand to scribbles . . . to anything available. Then Cass moved away to New York.</p> <p>When Megan finally convinces her parents to let her spend a week in the city, too, it seems like Cass has completely changed. She has tattoos, every artist in the city knows her. She even eats chicken feet now! At least one thing has stayed the same: They still make their best art together.</p> <p>But when one girl betrays the other’s trust on the eve of what is supposed to be their greatest artistic feat yet, can their friendship survive? Can their art?</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/cruelprince">How The King Of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Return to the captivating world of Elfhame with this illustrated addition to the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling Folk of Air trilogy that began with <em>The Cruel Prince</em>, from award-winning author Holly Black.</p> <p><em>Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.</em></p> <p><em></em>Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before <em>The Cruel Prince, </em>an adventure beyond <em>The Queen of Nothing,</em> and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.</p> <p>This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h3> <h2><strong><a href="https://www.thenovl.com/incendiary">Illusionary</a></strong></h2> </h3> <p><p>Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she’s reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They’re united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other.<strong></strong></p> <p>With the king’s forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She’ll have to control her magics–and her mind–to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.</p> <p>For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it’s her time to fight back.</p> </p> </section> <section> <h2> <h2><strong>Choose a Lipstick</strong></h2> </h2> </section> <p>
