We have officially passed the halfway point of 2026. It’s always that time of year when I really start to take stock of what’s working and what’s not in my reading life. This gives me a chance to think about where and how I can make adjustments as the rest of the year begins. Fall is much busier for me than any other season, so being able to assess the past six months with an eye toward the next six months is incredibly helpful.
One big—and probably controversial—change I’ve decided to make in my reading life is to give up digital reading as much as possible. I know the value of e-books and e-reading, and I do not speak for anyone else nor underestimate anyone else’s experiences with digital reading. But I recently realized that I don’t like reading. I don’t connect with the story or the words as much, and after working on a screen for 10+ hours a day, the last thing I want to do for enjoyment is spend more time on the screen. I can’t absorb as much, and it makes me irritable about having to start it again. Going back to print only, even if it means waiting to read new books after they’re released (instead of advanced copies), has already had a noticeable impact on how I feel about reading. It’s a lot more entertaining, and I’m more engaged with the books I’m reading. Not having screens on before going to bed also helps with sleep – that’s the time I read the most. I’m more likely to throw an actual book in my bag or car than a screen, and it’s also much easier to enjoy a print in a hammock.
This one change has already changed my reading this year. I am I like books moreInstead of seeing them as just another thing on my to-do list.
If you haven’t sat down to think about your year in reading yet, now is the perfect time. Bonus: If you open up that TBR, you can even add some of this week’s new releases to it.
What’s in store this first release week of July? It turns out there’s a lot! Whether you’re looking for a mystery or thriller, want some really compelling contemporary storytelling, or are eager to pick up your first YA book from a beloved author in years, there’s something for you this week. Prepare for some ghosts, dark academia, and much more.
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New hardcover YA releases this week
Augusta Pine does not exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones
A failed hack causes a 15-year-old girl to make a life-changing decision: she’ll either go to jail or leave her old life behind, take on a new identity, and work for a secret government agency.
She takes the section option.
Now three years later, “Augusta” is an efficient ghost. He is a powerful weapon for this government agency, even though he has no home or identity or family or friends of his own. Now sent to work in Portland, “Augusta” decides to rent an apartment next door to her beloved grandmother to spy on the family – and realize she’s still part of it.
But “Augusta” soon finds herself under cyberterrorist attack and must team up with an unlikely ally to survive.
It combines the story with case file excerpts, making it a perfect book for mystery/thriller lovers and those who like the mixed-media format.
free girls By Kristen McCallum
Jasmine Cooper, 16, spent a year at the Guiding Hearts home for troubled girls. When she returns home the whole world has changed. His mother has remarried and is living in a big, luxurious house. Jas is also enrolled in an exciting new school. Her mother tells her that Jace can’t tell anyone where she spent the last 12 months, because she really needs a fresh start.
It seems that everything is going well. Jace has made new friends, has feelings for one of her new classmates, and has bonded with her stepsister.
So when a friend from the detention center reaches out to Jace to reconnect, she finds herself in a tough place. Can she really overcome her past to live a new life? Will his secrets remain secrets, or does he need to be as honest as possible with what has happened?
Hailey’s rules for recovering from romanticism by jessica lewis
Holly has had nothing but bad luck when it comes to romance. When given a chance to attend an educational camp, Holly gets the opportunity to better herself and reinvent herself. She’s poised for success that older Hailey never got the chance for. This new Hailey will not let herself get trapped in relationships. They have proven to be very dangerous.
Enter Julia. She is Hailey’s new roommate, and Hailey sees avoiding falling in love with her as a major test in her personal reinvention.
However, Hailey and Julie grow closer and Hailey’s will is tested. The thing is, it may be the old Hailey – the real, imperfect and failed Hailey – that Julie wants to know.
where do lost girls go By Cody Keplinger
It’s been years since Keplinger’s last YA novel, and what better welcome than an iconic tale!
Six girls are living with a boy named Sol in a cabin in the Kentucky mountains. None of the girls talk about why they were brought here or who they were before they came. They have accepted each other as sisters, and each has pledged allegiance to Sol.
Iris believes she owes Sol everything, but when a new girl arrives at the cabin – Rose – she and Iris become closer… and Iris begins to question her life in the woods with Sol and her sisters. Sol notices, and now, he’s going to test Iris’s loyalty. Although she’s willing to give it up, Iris is also faced with the reality of some secrets that threaten the structure and safety of the entire family.
Hardcover YA Series Releases This Week:
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New paperback YA releases this week
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curse of bad boyfriend by Farrah Heron
Here’s another book to add to the ever-growing list of YA titles that you can pick up together in hardcover or paperback, whatever your preferred flavor.
Men have cursed Noorani women for generations. That’s what keeps Meera safe – she grew up with a single mother and saw what happened to other women in her family. But within a week, Meera’s luck runs out. She is broken up with, arrested and sent to a small town in Canada, where she has to perform community service. Her mom and new stepdad will be seeing it the same way she does. This is a slap in the face to Meera, who has spent her entire life being nice.
Then she gets an idea: if she can ruin her mother’s ideal life, then maybe Meera can convince her to move back to the city. Meera is going on a date with one of her worst friends who is doing community service.
Too bad Meera starts to realize that maybe he’s not so bad after all…and not so bad for her either. (Maybe it’s not so bad!).
kill creatures by Rory Power
Luce, Edie, Jane and Nan set out in the boat last summer for one last swim in the river, but only Nan returned from the trip. From that day onwards Nan told everyone that her three best friends vanished into thin air. He doesn’t remember anything about what happened.
It’s been a year, and the town of Saltcedar is back on the river to commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of three teenagers.
So it’s a surprise to everyone in town when Luce emerges from the water, and it’s especially a shock to Nan, who kills Luce just before she starts killing Edie and Jane as well.
tournament By Rebecca Barrow
Gardner is a boarding school for children who cannot get into any other school. The school offers a unique survival skills curriculum, with a tournament open to only seven elite seniors annually. It is a competition that attracts the attention of the entire school.
This year, three senior citizens have been selected who have complicated relationships and pasts with each other. Max is hoping to keep his focus, even with Nora, who last year realized they were more than friends (which later changed their entire relationship). Nora hopes to eventually put herself at the center of the tournament instead of sitting on the sidelines for people like Max. Teddy, the third contestant, is a transfer student on her last chance, struggling with many personal demons.
Who will win? Can anyone win? It’s dark academia meets survival story.
Paperback YA series releasing this week:
More paperback YA releases this week:
Don’t miss our roundup of the best YA books of the century (so far) — and take the time to read the introduction to understand the scope of the project and why it’s possible your favorite book wasn’t included.
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