Somehow it’s already December, which means you’re in a hurry to finish your annual reading goals. But before you put the finishing touches on your checklist of those 2016 novels, December’s best books will add a few more to your tally.
because the last month of the year is not (usually!) a great month for new book releases; after all, we all have holiday parties and gift shopping and family or travel anxiety to take up all of your time and brainpower – December really does allow some smaller editors to really shine, which is super exciting. Independent and smaller publishers are showing us some amazing stories about a summer camp for at-risk teens, a group of teens using high-octane sports for social activism (which has already caught the attention of John Legend by the way), a family Australian woman going through a tragedy and a teenager with suicidal ideation who finds reasons to live.
You are reading: Books coming out in december 2016
Don’t get me wrong though. There are some big names releasing novels this month: Ahem, Morgan Rhodes is back with book five in the insanely popular Falling Kingdoms series.
so, instead of getting upset about the snow starting to fall and not being able to leave the house without accumulating a bunch of layers, scarves, mittens and your pom-pom hat, grab a stack of these novels, a cup of hot cocoa and sit under your coziest blanket to read.
1. the odds of loving grover cleveland by rebekah crane (December 1; skyscape)
Now that the title has our attention, I have even better news: No, this book is not a history lesson on a president. much more wonderful, it centers on teenager zander osborne, who meets a boy named grover cleveland at a camp for at-risk youth. together, the two and other children dealing with bipolar disorder, anorexia, pathological lying, schizophrenia, and other obstacles use their group therapy sessions to break down and rebuild. And as Zander approaches Grover, he wonders if happiness is really a possibility for her after all.
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2. teach me to forget by erica m. chapman (December 2; merit press)
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a teenager determined to commit suicide may find a reason to live after all in eric m. Chapman’s thoughtful, harsh, and darkly funny novel. Ellery Stevens survived an accident that killed her younger sister, and both Ellery and her parents still blame her for the death. Ellery has since decided to kill himself, but one attempt changes things: when a gun malfunctions, he returns it to Walmart, and a teen who works there as a security guard finds out what he was using it for and wants to help. Before she can fully comprehend what is happening, Ella begins to fall for the boy, Colton, which disrupts all of her plans.
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3. air by ryan gattis (December 6; adapted books)
john legend has already signed on to produce the film adaptation of air, and it’s not hard to see why he was so inspired. The story follows 17-year-old Grey, who joins other teens in participating in high-octane sports as a form of protest and social activism in downtown Baltimore. so yeah, it’s not hard to see why he feels so culturally in the now. Ryan Gattis creates this thought-provoking meditation on the lines between criminal behavior and activism or protest, and what happens when they start to blur.
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4. spindle by e.k. johnson (December 6; disney-hyperion)
Last year’s captivating Thousand Nights was just the beginning for e.k. reimagining of the johnson fairy tale legend. spindle, as fans of disney princesses will have already figured out, will take the same origin story but transform it into a new version of sleeping beauty. As we’ve come to expect from the acclaimed writer, feminist “princesses” take center stage in the story, but a note: read the first book before diving in, as understanding the original plot will help.
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5. clancy of the undertow by christopher currie (December 13; text published)
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This Australian import has already made waves abroad and is now wowing the states: Christopher Currie’s handwriting has already been compared to John Green’s, if that’s any indication. In the novel, Clancy lives in a small, poor, dead-end town in Australia, and she is already an outsider when the entire town turns against her family. Over the course of a week, the story shows how her father was in a car accident that killed two teens in the community, her neighbor’s furious reaction, and how she deals with tragedy and ostracism with sharp humor and raw of her she feels realistic, opting for an honest portrayal instead of the overlooked version of teenage life, friendship, family, and love.
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6. crystal storm by morgan rhodes (December 13; razorbill)
Morgan Rhodes is back with the fifth installment in her beloved Falling Kingdoms series, just in time for you to get comfortable with her in the winter weather. the high fantasy series has enchanted, oh, billions of voracious readers, and they will not be disappointed with this next book. there’s the magic, action and (duh) romance you’ve come to expect from the series, and really, I don’t have to sell you this because you’re probably already looking forward to it, aren’t you? ?
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7. the secret of a note from the heart by stacey lee (December 27; books by katherine tegen)
stacey lee has been very busy this year with her second novel in 2016, after outpacing the moon. The Secret of a Heart Note is the semi-magical love story you need this holiday season, even if she’s a little younger than standard fare. mim is a potions master, but not like hogwarts style. she can mix elixirs and aromas that make people fall in love, but not love potion. style 9. Things go awry when Mim accidentally gives one of her elixirs to the wrong woman, and learns a serious lesson about what it really means to fall in love.
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8. ever the hunted by erin summerill (December 27; hmh books for young readers)
Britta Flannery’s father is a legendary and outspoken bounty hunter, and she’s doing her best to follow in his footsteps with her own bow and arrow, Katniss-style. But then her whole life changes when he is killed and the King’s Guard catches her poaching in the Ever Woods. You see, the kingdom has never really supported Britta because her mother was from a rival land. Still, they offer her a deal: her life in exchange for her going after her father’s killer. There’s just one problem: the suspected killer is Britta’s best friend and secret love, Cohen Mackay. Now, she falls into a world of conspiracies and danger as she tries to clear Cohen’s name and find the real killer in this totally romantic adventure story.
click here to buy.
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