We’re starting to feel that autumn chill in the air—and so is our TBR pile. Get excited for the start of a new school year with these must-read books that are set on a campus.
Catalina: A Novel by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
A year in the life of the unforgettable Catalina Ituralde, a wickedly wry and heartbreakingly vulnerable student at an elite college, forced to navigate an opaque past, an uncertain future, tragedies on two continents, and the tantalizing possibilities of love and freedom.
“Diabolically charming and magnetic . . . I enjoyed the hell out of this little exploding geyser of a book.”—Ira Glass
“Smart, charming, funny, ambitious . . . By so enthrallingly and perceptively giving unprecedented individual voice to a defining issue of our time, Catalina seems destined to be a contemporary American classic.”—Francisco Goldman, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Monkey Boy
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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Come and Get It: A Novel by Kiley Reid
*A LibraryReads Pick*
From the celebrated New York Times bestselling author of Such a Fun Age comes a fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students.
“Reading a Kiley Reid novel is like watching a docuseries designed exactly for you. She captures those exceedingly awkward and real human interactions with such precision and specificity that you’re fully invested by the first page. Come and Get It is genius. It’s perfect.”—Liz Moore, author of Long Bright River
“You’re in the presence of a master plotter who’s engineering a spectacular intersection of class, racism, academic politics and journalistic ethics. Reid spots all the grains of irritation and deceit that get caught in the machinery of social life until the whole contraption suddenly lurches to a calamitous halt. Come and get it, indeed!”—The Washington Post
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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It’s a Privilege Just to Be Here: A Novel by Emma Sasaki
This debut novel pulls at the threads in the (cashmere) sweater of academia in a witty take-down of racial inequality at prep schools, perfect for fans of Such a Fun Age and Little Fires Everywhere.
“Bravo to Emma Sasaki for her sharp (and often stinging) tackling of inequality at prep schools, where overt racism by the very people trying to portray a diverse environment are exposed. An absorbing read that will have you wondering, am I as evolved as I think I am?”—Lyn Liao Butler, Amazon bestselling author of Someone Else’s Life
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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Society of Lies: A Novel by Lauren Ling Brown
When a young woman is found dead on her college campus, her sister doesn’t believe it was an accident—and her search for answers leads her closer to home than she ever would have imagined in this thrilling debut novel from an exciting new talent.
“A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn’t put this twisty tale down.”—Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat
“With this powerhouse debut, Lauren Ling Brown has established herself as a remarkable talent to watch.”—Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
Available October 1st in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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The English Experience: A Novel by Julie Schumacher
Beleaguered Professor Jason Fitger chaperones Payne University’s annual “Experience: Abroad” to London and beyond, with eleven undergrads in tow. The hilarious and heartfelt conclusion to the Dear Committee Members trilogy.
“Wise and hilarious and heartbreaking.”—Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls
“The perfect back-to-school novel for cynics . . . Entertaining and bittersweet.”—The Washington Post
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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The Faculty Lounge: A Novel by Jennifer Matthieu
*A LibraryReads Pick*
By the acclaimed author of Moxie, a funny, bighearted adult debut that is at once an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school.
“This is a hell of a way to start the school year, announces a teacher in the opening pages of Jennifer Mathieu’s delightful novel, a celebration of teachers who remain heroically human in nearly impossible times. Likewise, The Faculty Lounge is a hell of a way to announce a major new voice in adult fiction. I loved it.”—Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants and The Guncle
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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An Academy for Liars: A Novel by Alexis Henderson
*A LibraryReads Pick*
A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.
“An utterly enchanting dark academia stunner infused with Henderson’s signature style– it’s lush, atmospheric, imaginative, and impossible to put down.”—Rachel Harrison, USA Today bestselling author of Black Sheep
“Alexis Henderson turns her incredible eye for the upsetting to academia, and delivers a campus novel saturated with violence, desire, and power. It’s a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
Available September 17th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Blood Over Bright Haven: A Novel by M. L. Wang
The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.
“M. L. Wang continues to deliver the goods. Blood Over Bright Haven is a storytelling masterclass. Deep themes run through this energetic tale of dark academia, and feats of imagination abound.”—Mark Lawrence, author of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
Available October 29th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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It’s Elementary: A Novel by Elise Bryant
A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids’ schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.
“It’s Elementary is the coziest of cozy mysteries. With the intrigue and drama of Big Little Lies and the warmth and humor of Abbott Elementary, Elise Bryant’s first foray into the genre is a delight. A perfect next read for anyone looking for a charming cast, clever writing, and a hint of romance alongside their whodunit.”—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Funny Story
“A delightful mash-up of P.T.A. wars, adorable children, a hot school psychologist and the eminently winning Mavis Miller . . . In Bryant’s fiction, just as in the real world, the smallest conflicts can cause the most damage.”—New York Times
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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But How Are You Really?: A Novel by Ella Dawson
A burned-out bisexual confronts old demons, her estranged chosen family, and the ex she maybe shouldn’t have walked away from when she attends her five-year college reunion.
“Where to read it: On your alma mater’s freshly mowed lawn . . . A quintessentially millennial take on the return-to-campus novel, told with equal parts sensitivity and self-deprecation.”—Elle, “The Best New Books to Read This Summer”
“It felt so good to return to college with the protagonist, Charlotte, for her five-year reunion and watch her confront all the ghosts I wouldn’t dare to approach. I needed a Reece Kruger at twenty, and I need one even more now. Willing to pay shipping costs if required.”—Betches
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Return to Campus Classics:
The Secret History: A Novel by Donna Tartt
A contemporary literary classic and “an accomplished psychological thriller . . . absolutely chilling” (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.
“A beautifully written story, well-told, funny, sad, scary, and impossible to leave alone until I finished. . . . What a debut!”—John Grisham
“Tartt’s voice is unlike that of any of her contemporaries. Her beautiful language, intricate plotting, fascinating characters, and intellectual energy make her debut by far the most interesting work yet from her generation.”—The Boston Globe
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Prep: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld
A modern classic of adolescent angst and ambition set in the world of prep school, from the author of Romantic Comedy and Eligible—“a tart and complex tale of social class, race, and gender politics” (The Boston Globe).
“Do you remember what high school felt like? Curtis Sittenfeld does, and she captures the experience brilliantly . . . Angst is everywhere between the pages, but so too is wit, wisdom, and empathy.”—Marie Claire
“Prep conveys the inner world of an entirely typical teenage girl with remarkable warmth. . . . One of the most tender and accurate portraits of adolescence in recent memory.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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