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Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

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Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
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Everything We Never Had will bring you on an in-depth journey of generations you’ll never want to leave! These stories weave together in the most beautiful way, allowing you to jump between decades so naturally and feels, in a way, magical. This book offers the reader a look into the past with the true historical context, and a look into the future, as the reader is able to find themselves in one, or all, of the characters. Flip through these pages and allow yourself to become inspired by Francisco’s dreams. Surprise yourself with your understanding of Emil. Or find a personal memory in Enzo’s experience of the COVID pandemic. Read along to watch this exceptional set of characters find their way in the world, and with each other.

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay, (List Price: $18.99, Kokila, 9780593461419, August 2024)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

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Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy
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This is an excellent young adult fiction about six Muslim teenagers who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have to fight against discrimination to earn justice and decide whether to save themselves or expose their secrets for a chance to free them all. I love that this book highlights the major effects and unfairness of discrimination in our world, and the bravery it takes to fight back and uncover the truth.

Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy, (List Price: $12.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316564601, September 2025)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum

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The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum
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At a crossroads within a dying, haunted town, Hollis Brown agrees to help and house Walt, a strange boy he’s just met. This promise is far more literal than it seems, and Walt settles within Hollis’s bones, taking control of his life. With gritted teeth and righteous fury, Hollis has to figure out how to make peace with the spirit who lied to him and now lives within him. And all too quickly, their relationship blooms into something far more dangerous and cascading than a mere possession. This was an achingly romantic story that I had no choice but to devour all at once, at any and all costs. An instant favorite.

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum, (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063285835, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
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Away from the walls of the Empire is the port city of Yarrowdale, a quasi-Empire outpost responsible for processing the reagents behind powers like Din’s engraving. And here occurred a murder even more vexing than the last, where a Treasury official vanished without a trace. What Ana and Din begin to unfurl are the cascading consequences of a top-secret program, infighting to sustain a dying monarchy, and a murderer at the center of it all who can seemingly predict their every move. A Drop of Corruption probes at the tantalizing false promises of autocracy, the thankless job of justice, and the oft-stifled battle cry of a society worth fighting for. Even with all the dangers within every page, Bennett has crafted a world I’d love to live in, with characters as fascinating as the leviathans themselves.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, (List Price: $30, Del Rey, 9780593723821, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jordan April, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Tea Dragon Society by K.O’Neill

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The Tea Dragon Society by K.O'Neill
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This book is one of the most wholesome I’ve ever read. Reading it is like being wrapped in a blanket. Adorable art, whimsical writing, and a sweet story make for a cute & comforting read about friendship and finding your niche. I try to read this book AT LEAST once a year because of how heartwarming it is.

The Tea Dragon Society by K.O’Neill, (List Price: $9.99, Oni Press, 9781620107379, June 2020)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Among the Bros by Max Marshall

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Among the Bros by Max Marshall
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An amazing true crime story involving a group of people who seemingly felt they were untouchable, privileged fraternity brothers at a traditional Southern university. I live in a college town, and the stories of drug use among students were terrifying… if I had kids, I’d sit them down immediately and talk to them about this!

Among the Bros by Max Marshall, (List Price: $18.99, Harper Perennial, 9780063099548, February 2025)

Reviewed by Jamie Fiocco, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Parachutes by Kelly Yang

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Parachutes by Kelly Yang
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Kelly Yang’s spectacular YA debut follows the lives of Claire, a “parachute” – the teenage daughter of a wealthy Chinese family sent to the United States to attend high school – and Dani, daughter of a first-generation Filipino immigrant. Claire and Dani become reluctant roommates, setting the stage for a novel that has it all – compelling friendships, insights into wealth and power dynamics, complicated relationships with parents, and two #metoo moments that made me feel all the things and had me rooting for Dani and Claire. I didn’t want it to end. A fantastic older YA book.

Parachutes by Kelly Yang, (List Price: $15.99, HarperCollins, 9780062941091, July 2021)

Reviewed by Elese Stutts, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Ancients by John Larison

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The Ancients by John Larison
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A detailed and unswerving fable about the impossible choices ahead of us—both as individual people and as a collective species. John Larison’s particular concern is the way that stories of the past can function either as cautionary tales, informing our commitment to a wiser trajectory, or, in the wrong hands, as convenient and exploitative mythology to waylay any doubts that our bright and bountiful future is somehow guaranteed. This book is a testament to the importance of stories that remind us to watch our footing while we climb, and always extend a hand behind us.

The Ancients by John Larison, (List Price: $30, Viking, 9780593831168, October 2024)

Reviewed by Charlie Monroe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello

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Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello
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In this brand new YA romance novel, city girl Tia Solanke is NOT looking forward to the holidays. She and her boyfriend, Mike, are on a break, and her mother’s solution is to take a Christmas getaway to the picturesque Saiyan Hedge Farms. Tia takes an instant dislike to the countryside and after the final straw, falling in horse manure and being chased by sheep, she decides to sneak back to London for Mike’s birthday. Quincy needs some help. His family will be the first Black family to ever host the Winter Ball (aka the biggest event of the year), and he is in need of a date after breaking up with his girlfriend. At first, Quincy and Tia don’t see eye to eye, but they soon realize that they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. Quincy needs a date to the ball, and Tia, a ride back to London just in time for Mike’s birthday. Soon, fake feelings turn real, and Tia and Quincy realize that maybe what they were looking for is right in front of them…

Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello, (List Price: $19.99, Soho Teen, 9781641296106, October 2024)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi

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Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi
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Ottolenghi was once my family’s favorite local cafe. I’ve collected the signed cookbooks for many years, and cooking from them reminds me of my London days. This latest book is a winner, and I’ll recommend it for cozy recipes that feature bold flavors and international influences that reflect the delicious London food scene.

Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, (List Price: $37.99, Ten Speed Press, 9780399581779, October 2024)

Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray

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When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray
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Somewhere, sometime, you may come across a rock. When you do, remember that it’s not just a rock. It holds memories. And like memories, rocks come in all shapes and sizes. Some happy, some blue, some too big to understand. So, if you see a cool rock, take it, I won’t tell.

When You Find the Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray, (List Price: $18.99, Chronicle Books, 9781797214580, September 2024)

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

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The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz
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I want to crawl inside this book, eat LOTS of bread, curl up with a dragon next to a cheerful fireplace, and take a long nap. Devin Elle Kurtz’s glowing illustrations and cozy, atmospheric storytelling make The Bakery Dragon an instant cold-weather classic.

The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz, (List Price: $18.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 9780593710968, October 2024)

Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray

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Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray
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Chris La Tray has written a memoir that is so very much more than his personal story. It’s the story of how, for generations, his Native family has been brutalized, ostracized, robbed, and dismissed. It teaches about Blood Quantum laws, migration patterns, genealogical searches, and Indigenous customs of the Metis people in Montana and the landless tribe of the Little Shell Chippewa Indians. It weaves through all of this vital information the stories of how his family has continued living and loving, seeking connection and community in a country that has tried to erase that they ever existed.

Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray, (List Price: $28, Milkweed Editions, 9781571313980, August 2024)

Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King
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A high school English teacher discovers a portal to the past – specifically to September 9, 1958 – and decides that he’s going to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But here’s the thing – the past is stubborn. It’s obdurate. It doesn’t want to be changed and will fight back any effort to rewrite history. In typical King fashion, 11/22/63 is a brilliant and affecting novel full of heart and terror in near-equal parts.

11/22/63 by Stephen King, (List Price: $23.99, Scribner, 9781451627299, July 2012)

Reviewed by Colin Sneed, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Sharks Don’t Sink by Jasmin Graham

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Sharks Don't Sink by Jasmin Graham
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Jasmin Graham’s story is one of hardship, struggle, triumph, and most importantly, power. Each chapter introduced a new notion. A new understanding. A new feeling. And after finishing this book, I was left with such hope that I couldn’t help but smile. The energy Graham brings to her field of shark science is something that traditional academia has been sorely lacking. And they will continue to miss out on this Rogue Scientist as she stands in defiance of the status quo.

Sharks Don’t Sink by Jasmin Graham, (List Price: $28, Pantheon, 9780593685259, July 2024)

Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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