Photo courtesy of Dom J via Pexels
By Honora Quinn ’27
Staff Writer
Midterms are on the horizon, which means spring break is just around the corner. Whether you’re looking for a quick trip into another world, to dwell a while amongst dragons, or even to explore a searing personal history, here are three recent book releases you might have missed to add to your spring break To-Be-Read list.
“The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar
In her debut solo novella and first release since the Hugo Award-winning “This Is How You Lose The Time War,” co-written with Max Gladstone, El-Mohtar retells “The Two Sisters,” a 17th century folk murder ballad. Along the way, El-Mohtar explores the bonds and dangers of magic and sisterhood through siblings Esther and Ysabel as they test whether even death can keep them apart.
“This Ends in Embers” by Kamilah Cole
Kamilah Cole returns to the world of her “Divine Traitors” duology for the final time in “This Ends in Embers.” In Cole’s fantastically-crafted, Jamaican-inspired world, we find another pair of sisters, Faron and Elara, who discover themselves on the opposite sides of a brewing war after the jaw-dropping conclusion of the first book, “So Let Them Burn.” Come for the dragons, stay for the drama and the magic and watch as the “lines between hero and villain are blurred.”.
“Bibliophobia” by Sarah Chihaya
In “Bibliophobia,” Chihaya explores the books that ruin us — that “annihilate, reveal and provoke” — by weaving her own tale of personal loss, ruin and resurrection. The memoir is both about Chihaya’s journey preceding and following her “nervous breakdown” and her relationship with literature such as “Anne of Green Gables,” “The Bluest Eye,” “The Last Samurai” and more, which all come together to craft a raw story of survival.
2025 is bound to be a great year for books, but between assignments, exams and extracurricular commitments, it can be hard to keep up with them all. So, this spring break, if you’re looking for your next read — whether in the mood for fantasy, memoir or a lyrical retelling — don't forget these stunning works that have been released thus far. Happy reading!
Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact-checking.