Concrete Botany is a gritty, kick-in-the-guts look at the ecological disturbance humans have caused and the resilience of the plants living amongst it. Delivered in his raw and unapologetic yet botanically accurate tone, Joey Santore—the unforgettable host of Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t—offers an often unsettling view of human-caused ecological destruction and its impact on the natural ecosystems our very lives depend on. The choices of modern civilization have led to a f***ed-up planet, scraped bare and covered in concrete and invasive species. We’ve wiped out entire ecosystems, moved invasive plants to new continents where they don’t belong, and, in a few hundred years, we’ve managed to muck up the intricate balance of a planet that has been evolving for eons. The consequences of our actions are now at our doorstep, ready to strike a match. But not all is lost. In this groundbreaking examination of plants and their role in the Anthropocene (the age of human disturbance), we see light through the cracks in the concrete and learn that humanity’s course correction starts with an understanding of plant ecology. With this knowledge comes the realization that the lives of humans and plants are interconnected in ways humans cannot live without. Plants are the base of every terrestrial ecosystem on the planet, and their presence can heal the damage humanity has caused. Our willingness to restore native plant communities and the biodiversity they support (starting in our immediate surroundings) is an essential first step in the right direction. While returning every abandoned brownfield and old rail corridor into a native plant–filled, fully restored ecosystem may be out of reach for the average citizen, fostering the native ecology and biodiversity of our own backyards is not. Concrete Botany is ultimately about how the choices we make as individuals can help ensure humanity’s survival on a very disturbed and rapidly changing planet.

Cameron Morelli is hot sh*t. Worse, he knows it. With a godlike physique and a position as his varsity football team's star quarterback, there's nobody he can't charm. So one might imagine his mortification when he's rejected by Mason Gray, the team's snarky water boy. To make matters worse, this disgrace is followed by Cam's coach benching him until he can get his grades up. Luckily, a reliable tutor steps forward to help Cam reclaim his dignity - the boy who just humiliated him. For Mason, tutoring an airheaded jock is nothing but a distraction from a past he can't escape. What he doesn't expect is to find something worthwhile in their conversations-something softening in the ice between them. Nor does Cam expect that Mason's calm smile hides a harrowing story. As they slowly nudge through each other's steel gates, the dangerous realities beyond high school threaten their deepening bond. But really, it's about football.

Most people fear Death. But Samarra feels safest by his side. Grief is drowning Samarra’s mind. Her sister’s death was too sudden, too senseless. No one will even speak of the night she died, leaving Samarra silenced and alone. That is, until she comes face-to-face with Death himself. With piercing white eyes, a sharp grin, and a voice that sedates her fractured mind, Death is more comforting than anything she has ever known. He quiets her grief, whispers truths about her sister’s final moments, and tempts her with the vengeance she craves. But he vanishes as suddenly as he appeared. Alone in her chaotic life, Samarra is suffocating. Her mother is absent, her friendships are crumbling, and violent thugs are hunting her. She doesn’t know if Death was real or a hallucination of her unraveling mind. All she knows is that she needs to feel his peace again. And she’ll do whatever it takes to bring him back.

In a court of secrets, loyalty is currency—and love is the most dangerous gamble of all. In the sprawling realm of Great Yu, power has only recently been placed in the hands of women. Generals lead armies, ministers shape dynasties, and alliances are forged as easily in the bedchamber as on the battlefield. General Zhen Wenjun and Chief Minister Wei Tingxu appear to be the perfect couple—two brilliant women bound by marriage and ambition. But beneath the surface of silk and ceremony lies a deadly game of masks and motives. Trust is a weapon. Affection is a risk. And neither woman is exactly who she claims to be. As rival factions stir unrest and the imperial court teeters on the edge of transformation, Zhen and Wei must navigate the shifting sands of betrayal, duty, and desire. In a world where power is never given—only taken—can love survive when everything else is strategy? At the World’s Mercy is a masterful work of baihe historical fiction, weaving espionage, slow-burn romance, and political ambition into a tale as elegant as it is ruthless.

When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear. We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword. Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly mission: find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill. Pain is Ala’s inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree. Together they must fight against time and the wrath of the Chicago underworld. But Dymitr’s secrets—and his true motives—may be the thing that actually destroys them.

From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, feel-good queer romance about self-discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Felix Ever After, and Julie Murphy.As editor in chief of their school’s literary magazine, Mal Flowers expected senior year fall to be full of cozy sweaters, good coffee, and copyediting. They just want to stick to The Plan to graduate and get out of their small Midwestern town—a place where, as a broke, fat, queer person with ADHD, they’ve never really fit in. But when budget cuts result in the lit mag’s cancellation, Mal is suddenly scrambling to fill the hole in their college application. That is, until Emerson Pike—who also has ADHD but is loud, confident, and Mal’s complete opposite—suggests the staff go rogue and create a zine instead. Which would be cool, except that making and selling contraband isn’t exactly what Mal envisioned as the extracurricular activity on their college application. A zine would be unofficial, unapproved, and definitely not in The Plan. But a zine is also a good way to spend more time with Emerson, whose playful banter and bad jokes Mal can’t seem to get enough of. And maybe, with a group of new friends, the back of the charming coffee shop where Emerson works could be somewhere Mal does belong. Because breaking the rules with Emerson—and flirting with her over coffee—is fun. Maybe The Plan isn’t the only way to find happiness, but can Mal let go of something they’ve depended on for so long?