Best known for his Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series, Colin Cotterill has written a mystery where not a drop of blood is spilled. Thai postman, Supot and his video-store-owning friend Ali buy a battered VHS tape for a song in a box of junk and then realize that it is the only copy of a film destined to become a classic of Thai cinema. Why, the two wonder, was it never released. Supot watches it so many times he memorizes it, which turns out to be a blessing in disguise when, weeks later, this only copy is stolen. Supot's search for Bankok 2010's beautiful heroine takes him into the heart of a mystery cult and a journey of self-discovery. A lark of a book for film and mystery lover's alike. Recommended by Kelly

Educational and realistic, this book is the definition of historical fiction. The history lessons before the characters stories added to the credibility and life of the story. Starting off a book with the knowledge that a child will die is a hard task, but the puzzle of the Windeby undertakes that task well. While the truth of this bog body may never be absolutely known, the stories told here are possible and that gives them a new life. The stories told in this book and the hundreds of stories never told throughout history feel tangible after reading The Windeby Puzzle. Recommended by Sameah

I will read anything and everything written by Talia HIbbert. Her adorable YA debut follows two Black teens—one a snarky fat-bodied TikTok conspiracy theorist, the other an aspiring sci-fi writer with OCD—along an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers arc during a competitive wilderness expedition. Celine and Bradley are equally ambitious; the only question is whether it’s to prove their worth to an absent parent, to the competition judges, to themselves, or to each other. The feel-good story is all about believing in yourself and being a true friend. Recommended by Mary

This dark and lyrical novel by theologian Tara Isabella Burton is told from the perspective of a naive, impressionable girl who, at the start of her junior year, transfers to the coastal boarding school featured in her favorite novel, which is reminiscent of A Separate Peace. She is captivated by the chapel choir—especially by its hypnotizing leader and soprano, Virginia—and she is overjoyed to fall into favor with the exclusive group. The singers, who also deify the novel and its alumnus author, are puppeteered by Virginia, whose obsession with gravity and piety leads her down a dangerous and surprising path. Exploring sexuality, integrity, and idolization, this is a novel about wanting to become something one has read about. Recommended by Mary