A new year set in motion means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Some people get promoted, some people have kids, and in some very special cases, people pick up new hobbies. For you, my friend, 2022 will be the year you finally get into reading. Sure, this year may not be off to the best start (R.I.P. Betty White) but at least there are a lot of young-adult book releases to look forward to.

   For all the romance lovers out there, do not fret! “Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions” by Navdeep Singh Dhillon is here to save you. Planning to be released on Feb. 8, the book’s plot is all in the name. After losing his brother, Sunny G decides to make a series of rash decisions in order to fill up his brother’s old notebook, whether it be losing his turban, cutting his hair or going to prom all alone. However, his rash decisions are matched by someone who is even more rash; Mindii Vang, who steals his notebook. Suddenly, his chase after Mindii turns his prom night into something so much more special. 

   What is even more special, is that the book focuses on a Sikh South Asian, something that has been rare in the book industry for quite a while. The diversity and inclusivity in the new book releases this year are truly refreshing. 

   Speaking of D-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y, “Queen of the Tiles” by Hanna Alkaf spells it out. Set to release on April 19, the mystery follows a hijabi main character Najwa. After losing her best friend, Trina, at a— and this is serious, do not laugh— Scrabble competition, Najwa finally returns hoping that participating in the competition will help her move on. Out of nowhere, Trina’s inactive Instagram account starts posting cryptic messages and hints. Once, Trina was the Scrabble Queen at these competitions and perhaps her death was not an accident. Perhaps it was Scrabble-related. Perhaps it had to do with the competition. Najwa must figure out who is behind these cryptic messages.

   Boo! Are you scared? I bet that scared you, just like how Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren will. This Feb. 1 release focuses on a group of teenage YouTubers called the Ghost Gang. In need of more followers, they decide to film after dark in the LA Hotel, infamous for death. Everything seems normal until the gang finds an odd message from the dead. Suddenly their night turns into something dreadfully scary. 

   Besides these three titles (which all coincidentally focus on someone dying), there are a lot of books coming out this year, such as “The Bone Spindle” by Leslie Vedder, “Bitter” by Akwaeke Emezi, “A Night to Die For” by Lisa Schroeder and many, many more. And hey! You may find one that does not revolve around someone’s death.