Looking for something new to read this summer?  There are  a few that are out that you can purchase now, and a few coming out this August.

1. Unraveling Oliver.  Considered to be one of the IT books of 2017, “Unraveling Oliver” tries to explain why Oliver Ryan, a prominent Irish children’s book author, beat his wife into a coma.  Never having displayed violence before, Oliver’s friends try to explain what happened to him.  From his childhood all the way into his adult years, Oliver’s story is unraveled piece by piece.

At first, you will feel sorry for Oliver.  As the story completely unravels, you realize just how horrible of a human being he was.  He commanded the respect of others for decades.  One act brought him down.

[Due to be released August 22, 2017.]

2. The Leaf Reader.  This mystery will keep you guessing all the way until the end.  Marnie Wells is an outcast, because she’s one of the weird kids.  She starts reading tea leaves for the popular kids and winds up deep into the tale of what happened to Andrea Quinley, one of the girls that went missing.

Her best friend, Matt Cotrell, seeks Marnie out to see if she has the answers he’s looking for, sending them on a chase to find Andrea, who is presumed dead.  Instead, they uncover a much deeper secret that threatens both of their lives.  Andrea’s disappearance is linked to Marnie, just not in a way anyone could ever imagine.

This book will have you guessing all the way until the end.  The details are always unraveling.  Nothing is ever set in stone where you can guess who did what.  A must read for those who love thrillers.

[Book is out now.]

3. The Hearts We Sold. Imagine we live in a world where demons walk beside us and they are out in the open.  Everyone knows demons exist.  People trade parts of their bodies for wishes without ever asking what they do with the body parts.

Dee Moreno is in a tough spot when she discovers that her scholarship to a boarding school is drying up.  She has to come up with the money for the rest of school or find somewhere else to go.  She doesn’t want to return to her dysfunctional home.

When she sees a demon knitting outside of the hospital where she volunteers, she decides to take a chance.  She gives the demon her heart in exchange for money that will get her through a doctorate program (if that’s what she wants).  In return, she has to do the demon’s bidding over the course of 2 years.

What she doesn’t know is why the demon is sending her and a group of teens to do his bidding.  She has no idea what these demons are trying to do with their body parts.  What they discover is much scarier than the thought of demons walking the Earth.

[Due out August 8, 2017]

4. DragonWatch.  If you are looking for your next YA series, FableHaven is a great place to start.  FableHaven is a 5 book series that takes place at a sanctuary for mythical creatures.  DragonWatch picks up where FableHaven leaves off.

With the Demon King vanquished, the Dragon King rises.  He wants out of the sanctuary and into the world.  Our heroes Seth and Kendra head off to the dragon sanctuary to be the new caretakers.

The kids need to prove to everyone that they can do the job and keep the dragons at bay.  Their adventure takes them on an adventure to find a way to keep the castle safe.  If the dragons overtake the castle, they can escape into the world.  What the two discover is that they need each other to be strong, but they also must learn how to be fearless on their own.

Brandon Mull is one of my favorite young adult authors.  The FableHaven series (and now DragonWatch) is an incredible universe to escape to.  You will see the beauty in fairies and unicorns, but also the very ugly and scary in demons, trolls, and creatures that you don’t want to bump into.

For those looking for a series, this is one worth diving into.  You’ll fall in love with this world.

[All books in the series and DragonWatch are out now.]

5. A Dog’s Purpose.   For those who love animals (especially dogs), this is the book for you.  We follow one dog’s soul as he (or she) goes from one dog’s life to another.  Each life bears an important part in the dog’s future lives.

The story though is about Bailey and his boy, Ethan.  The two grow up together and have many grand adventures together, including getting lost in the woods.  But Bailey can’t live forever and eventually dies at an old age.  He is reborn again and again.

As a police dog, she learns how to search and find.  She sees her purpose is to help save lives.  In her next life, he uses that search and find technique to find his boy again.

This time his boy is an old man who is alone and has no purpose.  It is up to Bailey to help Ethan find his purpose.  All the while, he hopes that Ethan will realize that he is really Bailey.

A wonderful story as told by a dog.  This book will make you hug your fur babies (and monsters) a little closer.  It will make you love and appreciate them a little bit more.

[This book is currently out.]

[Disclosure: I received a free copy of books 1-4 above from publishers in exchange for a review.  This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.]