Tuesday, 28th April

The Moon Blessed King by Lindsey Byrd

Paperback, Random House Canada

Elician is a Giver with the power to raise the dead, and though it’s forbidden for Givers to rule, he is crowned King of Soleb. Determined to end a generations-long war with the kingdom of Alelune, he is prepared to marry Cat, Alelune’s rightful heir. But Cat is a Reaper, able to kill with a touch, and feared by even his own people. His claim to the throne is a gamble at best, but before he can challenge his tyrannical brother, Gillage, the goddess of death releases a devastating plague across the continent.

To stop it, Elician and Cat must confront Death herself, leaving Elician’s rebellious sister, Fen, to do what she can to heal the sick in their absence. But when a coup threatens to upend her brother’s reign, Fen must decide exactly what she is willing to sacrifice to help her brother succeed. With two countries at stake, the death toll rising, and the struggle for Alelune’s throne hanging in the balance, it’s a race against time to appease the wrath of a god

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu

Hardback, Berkley US & HarperCollins Canada

Elizabeth Zhang is well aware of her place in the world. She’s in the tenth percentile for likability, the seventieth percentile for attractiveness, and the ninety-ninth percentile for academics. While she’s never been the most beautiful or the most liked, she knows she has the intelligence and ambition to achieve her greatest dream: Harvard Law School. But when Harvard rejects Elizabeth for not standing out enough—which she knows means she’s just another boring Asian female—her carefully constructed life falls apart. What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, a classmate at Columbia, got in. Elizabeth can’t figure out how this could have happened. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?

At first, she follows her because she’s just curious. What Laura orders for lunch. Where Laura shops. What Laura’s hobbies are. All of these things must contribute to her overall package, what makes her an acceptable person to Harvard. But still, Elizabeth just can’t see it. The only thing she sees is that Laura has taken her spot.

A spot that she knows she deserves after working so hard. A spot that she’ll simply have to take back.