Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Heart Check

Heart Check

by Emily Charlotte

What they say: Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon could have been friends. They trade shifts at the same diner, share classes at school, and are driven by their greatest passions: hockey for Dawson and jewelry-making for Harper. But some things aren't meant to be. Dawson thinks Harper is stuck-up, too good for anything resembling school spirit. Harper thinks Dawson is a self-centered jock, a perfect fit for a hockey team that seems to absorb all the budget away from the arts departments.

When his beloved hockey coach gets fired for misallocation of funds, Dawson is terrified that all his plans for impressing scouts are vanishing before his eyes. A rumor goes around that Harper was the one who got him fired, and suddenly she’s public enemy number one.

But even with their mutual dislike at an all-time high, Harper and Dawson can’t escape splitting shifts forever. Can forced proximity help them find some common ground, or will long-held grudges finally succeed in bringing them both down?

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - King of the Neuro Verse

King of the Neuro Verse

by Idris Goodwin

What they say: For the third summer in a row, Pernell is back in the classroom, facing the same struggles that have always made school seem more like a battlefield than a place of learning. This summer is different, he’s battling to become the Cypher King, leader of the lunchroom’s impromptu rap circles. Here, the rhythm flows and the words fly, creating a space where the wittiest and most rhythmically inclined reign supreme. Here, Pernell’s ADHD gives him an edge.

But life outside the cypher isn’t as forgiving. Pernell’s English teacher has it out for him. His parents are pressuring him to see a doctor for his lack of focus. And Electra, his friend-slash-crush and the only one who truly gets him, is too busy chasing her dream internship to give him the time of day.

If Pernell doesn’t pull himself together, he won’t just lose the title of Cypher King—he’ll lose his chance to graduate high school. In a world where the systems are turned against kids like him, Pernell needs to find a way to succeed with his ADHD, rather than in spite of it.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Secret Astronomers

The Secret Astronomers

by Jessica Walker

What they say: When a recent transfer student starts keeping her diary in the oldest textbook at the Green Bank High School library, the last thing she expects is to receive a response. Thus begins a sweeping tale of unlikely friendship and long-buried secrets between two secret pen pals at a rural West Virginia high school.

Copernicus is adrift and searching for answers after the sudden death of her mother, and leaving her cosmopolitan life in San Francisco behind. Kepler is a small-town girl with straight A's and big plans to be the first person in her family to go to college, despite her family's modest means. The two girls are so different from one another but united in their goal to solve a mystery that has riddled Green Bank for decades.

Meticulously hand-drawn by debut author Jessica Walker across the pages of an actual ancient astrophsyics textbook, The Secret Astronomers is a story of friendship, family, crop circles, secret crushes, giant telescopes, life in Appalachia, and two girls discovering new ways to connect across any divide that separates them.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Treasure of Ocean Parkway

The Treasure of Ocean Parkway - The Queen of Ocean Parkway #2

by Sarvenaz Tash

What they say: Twelve-year-old globetrotter Thea Lim-Lambert is spending a rare summer at home in Brooklyn, when she discovers a secret room in the back of her closet. There, among her grandfather Errol’s old diaries and peculiar carvings, is a clue Errol left to a massive hidden treasure. But to find it, she’ll need the help of two experienced sleuths—lucky for her, two of the best live in her building!

Roya and Amin’s mystery podcast has earned them a stellar reputation, but they never could have guessed that their latest case would send them on a wild scavenger hunt in their own building. Clue by clue, they search the building from roof to cellar (thanks to Roya’s mom’s master key). But just when a solution seems near, they realize an essential piece is missing—locked away where none of them can reach it. And unless Thea finds the courage to stand up to her family, the treasure of Ocean Parkway may be lost forever. . .

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Swan's Daughter

The Swan's Daughter

by Roshani Chokshi

What they say: Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. After poorly wording a wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand in marriage of the kingdom's heir. Thus, Arris expects that the day of his marriage will be the one of his murdering. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love.

When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for the throne, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. But Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him . . . or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza. As a veritas swan, Demelza's song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one's life but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Crowntide

Crowntide - Lightlark #4 

by Alex Aster

What they say: Some worlds deserve to be destroyed . . .

Isla Crown has charted a new destiny and leapt into the unknown, determined to defeat her insidious ancestor, Lark, no matter the cost. But Skyshade is nothing like she anticipated, and she’ll have to use all of her skills just to survive, let alone end Lark for good.

Meanwhile, Grim and Oro would sooner set fire to their own kingdoms than leave Isla stranded on a path toward certain death. But getting her back will involve forging an alliance—if they can find a way to forgive their long history of betrayals.

The key to Isla’s return—and the fate of the realms—lies close to her heart. But in the face of her most powerful enemy yet, will Isla be able to reconcile her past in order to carve a future of her own making?

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - There's Always Next Year

There's Always Next Year

by Leah Johnson and George M. Johnson

What they say: Andy was supposed to shed her too-serious student journalist persona and reinvent herself on New Year's Eve. Instead, she puked on her crush, dropped her phone in a fish tank, and managed to get her car stolen. Now, she only has the first day of the year to stop the gentrification that’s threatening her family’s business right her wrongs from the night before, and figure out why she feels so drawn to the electric new-girl-next-door. . How can Andy find her voice when everything’s being turned upside down?

Dominique is an influencer on the verge of securing a major brand deal that will ensure his future and family legacy. But when he runs into his former best friend, unresolved feelings emerge -- and in a small town, there's nowhere to hide. Not from his cousin, Andy, who has always seen him for his true self, not from his busybody manager, Kim, whose favorite color is money green, and certainly not from himself. When all the world’s a stage, can Dominique rise to superstardom without leaving the ones he loves behind?

There’s Always Next Year is a dual POV, double love story about what it means to nearly blow your life up, and race to put it back together before your time runs out. And if they fail? Well, there’s always next year.

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New Year, New Reads, New Challenges

Happy 2026!!

My bookish aim this year is to keep better track of the books I read and to read across different genres.

2026 Reading Challenge

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