Beyoncé Reads: Renaissance

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows-- with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale have listened to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London-- along with a remorseless and inescapable plague. James believes he has found love in the mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes, dark and incredible powers are revealed-- as well as the true cruel price of being a hero.

Bright by Jessica Jung

Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl in this knockout series from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend, fashion icon, and founder of the international luxury brand, Blanc & Eclare. Couture gowns, press parties, international travel. Rachel Kim is at the top of her game. Girls Forever is now the number-one K-pop group in the world , and her fame skyrockets after her viral airport styling attracts the attention of fashion's biggest names. Her life's a swirl of technicolor glamour and adoring fans. Rachel can't imagine shining any brighter. The only thing that's missing is love--but Rachel's determined to follow the rules. In her world, falling in love can cost you everything. Enter Alex. When Rachel literally falls head over designer heels into his lap on a crowded metro, she's tempted to give up her anti-love vows. Alex is more than just heart-stopping dimples and adorably quirky banter. He believes in Rachel's future--both in music and in fashion. But the higher you rise, the farther you have to fall. And when a shocking act of betrayal shatters her world, Rachel must finally listen to her heart.

The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott

Emily and her mom were always lucky. But Emily's mom's luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right for Emily since. Now, the summer before her senior year, things are getting worse. Not only has Emily wrecked things with her boyfriend Matt, who her mom adored, but her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mom's belongings away. Soon, she'll have no connections left to Mom but her lucky quarter. And with her best friend away for the summer and her other friends taking her ex's side, the only person she has to talk to about it is Blake, the swoony new girl she barely knows. But that's when Emily finds the list--her mom's senior year summer bucket list--buried in a box in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the pair set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears before everything changes. As they go further down the list, Emily finally begins to feel close to her mom again, but her bond with Blake starts to deepen, too, into something she wasn't expecting. Suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best.

There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

Told in two voices, disappointed-in-love Ashish Patel and self-proclaimed fat athlete Sweetie Nair begin to find their true selves while dating under contract.

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

Paheli was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars she gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Paheli collects girls like herself, and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered. But Taraana, the boy who gave them the stars, is on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. And if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones.

Kween by Vichet Chum

Soma Kear's verses have gone viral. Trouble is, she didn't exactly think her slam poetry video through. All she knew was that her rhymes were urgent. On fire. An expression of where she was, and that place...was a hot mess. Following her Ba's deportation back to Cambodia, everything's changed. Her Ma is away trying to help Ba adjust to his new life, and her older sister has taken charge with a new authoritarian tone. Meanwhile, Soma's trending video pushes her to ask if it's time to level up. With her school's spoken word contest looming, Soma must decide: Is she brave enough to put herself out there To publicly reveal her fears of Ba not returning To admit that things may never be the same With every line she spits, Soma searches for a way to make sense of the world around her. The answers are at the mic.

Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt

A timely story of two teenagers who discover the power of friendship, feminism, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter where you come from. A collaboration between two gifted authors writing from alternating perspectives, this compelling novel shines with authenticity, courage, and humor. Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane Maria destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply. Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister's shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she's in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she's even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it. Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and--ultimately--for themselves.

Friday I'm in Love by Camryn Garrett

It's too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if Mahalia had a coming-out party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, Black joy, and queer pride. " A perfect ode to romantic comedies, wrapped in a dazzling rainbow dress ." --Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl Mahalia Harris wants. She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend, Naomi. She wants the super-cute new girl Siobhan to like her back. She wants a break from worrying--about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it. Then inspiration strikes: It's too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a coming-out party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms. The idea lights a fire beneath her, and soon Mahalia is scrimping and saving, taking on extra hours at her afterschool job, trying on dresses, and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the coming out of her dreams. But it's not long before she's buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia's party be over before it's even begun?