Cold weather can really numb your sense of adventure. Don’t worry. You don’t have to layer up for these stories. Grab a warm beverage and your softest blanket and find somewhere to cozy up to these fast-paced tales of suspense, mystery, and self-discovery.
Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart
Jessa does everything right. She’s polite. She doesn’t start drama. She lives by the rules. Everything is perfect, and she likes it that way. Turns out being the “goody two-shoes” of the group isn’t an asset during a crisis. A storm means lights out for a sleepover Jessa is hosting, and her friends are quick to get angry and fight one another. They’re not the only ones turning to violence in the storm, a killer is after Jessa and her friends, and she’s going to have to break some rules if they are going to survive.
If you like: Contemporary, fiction, thriller, suspense
Toto by A.J. Hackwith
Have you ever wondered what Oz is like from Toto’s perspective?
Toto considers himself a good dog, but one things go off the rails in Oz, protecting himself and Dorothy brings out his snarky attitude, especially when Dorothy doesn’t seem to listen to any of his opinions or observations.
This twist on The Wizard of Oz provides another look at the dog-eat-dog world of Oz and how the smallest member of Dorothy’s party made his way home.
If you like: The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, fantasy, retellings, animals, humor
Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Arcadia “Dia” Gannon idolizes game designer Louisiana Veda and her company, Darkly. When she is selected for a competitive internship with Darkly, Dia is amazed to enter Louisiana Veda’s world with six other teens. Darkly isn’t what it seems. The fading empire is suffering in the wake of Veda’s mysterious death, and there are secrets around every corner. Finding out who’s on her team and why they’ve all been chosed will take Dia deep into Darkly’s mysteries.
If you like: Mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, video games
Shadowed by Carl Deuker
Nate is a soccer star because his family wants him to be, but his real love is basketball. When Lucas Cawley move in across the street, Lucas finds a new rival for one-on-one games. But finding his passion isn’t all Nate has to learn. His friendship with Lucas will teach him that earning his spot on the basketball team isn’t all there is to life.
If you like: Realism, contemporary, sports, basketball, family
Sixteen Minutes by K.J. Reilly
A new girl from the future could be the end to the perfect trio of friends. Nell knows who her people are. Her best friend Stevie and her boyfriend Cole are always there for her, but when Charlotte arrives from the future set on taking Cole with her, the friend group starts to fall apart. Cole is talking to Charlotte in secret, and when Nell and Stevie confront them, it turns out that more might be at stake than they thought. As the trio navigates love and loss, the future is simultaneously right and front of them and so far away.
If you like: Fantasy, sci-fi, time travel, mystery, romance
