Boost Your Shelf Awareness with This Book News Roundup

Saddle up for the first installment of Book News Roundup, where we’ll be covering recent cover reveals, deals, and more!

Fiona Hansen –
Book Culture Book News New Release Recommendations
Blurry background with colorful bookshelf and fairy lights, in the foreground, the cover of Gifted & Talented, the Run For It red logo with black text, and the Starbright logo with a galaxy background and simple white text; two graphics float in the foreground of a megaphone and a newspaper

Here at Bookstr, bookish news and trends are our bread and butter. As your Friendly Resident Booknerd, I’ve been keeping a close eye on the going-ons of the bookish world. Now, I’m ready to report my roundup for the week, so read on for stunning cover reveals, exciting publishing news, and much more.

Cover Reveals Aplenty

Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake

The author of The Atlas Six and One for My Enemy is making her triumphant return to shelves on April 1, 2025, with Gifted & Talented. This contemporary dark adult fantasy from Tor follows three siblings after the death of their CEO-father, leaving them to grapple with the matter of the inheritance. Tensions and rivalries arise, complicated further by their uncanny magical abilities. Gifted & Talented looks to be perfect for victims of the gifted-kid-to-burntout-adult pipeline as well as fans of Blake’s singular ability to explore the dichotomy between dark and light, privilege and pain.

Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz

Puerto Rican author Luz’s debut comes in the form of Build a Girlfriend, a YA rom-com releasing with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on January 14, 2025. The women in Amelia Hernandez’s family are cursed to have unseemly ends to their relationships, but she’s determined to be different. She ventures on an “Ex Retrospective,” to study all her past relationships and set herself up as The Perfect Girlfriend. But when one of Amelia’s exes enters the picture, she may find herself getting more than she bargained for. Build a Girlfriend sounds like the perfect, relatable romance, and the delightfully fun cover is right on par with that!

Unlock the Dark by Sasa Hawk

Unlock the Dark is Hawk’s debut novel, a standalone romantasy coming from HarperCollins on February 25. Described as ideal for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Lexi Ryan, it tells the story of Elia, a conjurer who must save her brother from a god of death, and Trys, a gentle, bookish prince who might just be the key to doing so. The pair make a deal: Trys will offer his hand of marriage to Elia, freeing her family of their godly debts, if she helps him find a mythical scroll. And, as they get closer to success and each other, Elia must soon save Trys himself from the scroll’s dark consequences. Romantasy fans, get those preorders in, and don’t be afraid to judge this book by its cover because both are supremely shelf-worthy!

Epic Reads Winter Covers

Are you ready to eat? Because Epic Reads has just delivered a feast of cover reveals for books coming this winter. Dive into this list of cover eye candy and fill your TBR to the brim. Some highlights include A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson, a rich YA historical fantasy featuring a war between humans and dragons; and I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang, author of I Hope This Doesn’t Find You and If You Could See the Sun, following a girl whose wish to become her preppy, perfect cousin comes true.

The cover for "A Wizard of Earthsea: The Graphic Novel," which is half water and half pale sand, with a cloaked figure walking before an exaggerated shadow.
IMAGE VIA BOOKSHOP.ORG

You can also browse the beautiful covers for Where Shadows Bloom by author of Flowerheart Catherine Bakewell, an upcoming sapphic romantasy with a dazzling, gods-blessed court and shadow monsters: Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar, a contemporary fantasy set in a world inspired by Hindu and Buddhist folklore; and finally, the much-anticipated illustrated adaptation of a fantasy classic, A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin.

A News-Worthy Signed Edition

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Grady Hendrix, beloved author of horror favorites like My Best Friend’s Exorcism, is terrifying readers once more on January 14 with Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. This haunting tale begins when a group of young women living in a home for unmarried mothers comes upon a book of witchcraft. Are you brave enough to venture into this book’s pages? Unfortunately, I am most certainly not brave enough.

Imprints & Subscriptions!

(Horr)Orbit’s New Imprint

Orbit US has announced a new imprint focused only on horror! For the more daring readers among us, Run For It will launch Summer 2025 and feature Orbit’s current horror authors and a swath of new voices. Horror is a hot genre right now, with the likes of Grady Hendrix leading the charge, so this news was subject to much celebration from readers, writers, and publishers.

Sci-Fi for the Win!

Much-loved book box Illumicrate has announced the launch of a new sci-fi-focused subscription. Fans of this genre will get special editions delivered right to their doorstep starting February 2025. This quarterly subscription will feature new releases in the vein of The Fifth Season, Gideon the Ninth, and Iron Widow. Grab your wallets and brace for impact because the waitlist is now open!

Is there anything we missed in this week’s Book News Roundup? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or X! And, don’t forget to come back next week for more exciting reveals, deals, and more!

To browse some of my fantasy recommendations, click here.

To shop these books and more noteworthy novels, click here.

FEATURED IMAGE VIA BOOKSTR / FIONA HANSEN