Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection―a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements―books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover the family secrets their parents kept hidden and a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric dark academia novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue―and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.

In Utero by Chris Gooch

In Utero is a coming-of-age graphic novel by Australian cartoonist Chris Gooch, blending sci-fi, horror, and monster-movie elements, often compared to Akira, Aliens, and Evangelion. It follows young Hailey at a holiday camp in a derelict mall where she befriends Jen, and they uncover terrifying, dormant creatures, forcing them to confront monstrous threats and their own growing friendship amidst a cataclysmic event. The book is praised for its stylish art, emotional depth, and exploration of themes like motherhood, friendship, and the mundane vs. the monstrous. 

LGBTQ Author

Beach or Island Setting