Read S’more: Princessreadsalot Presents!

We love s’mores- ooey, gooey, sugary goodness! And, Autumn is the time these delights usually show in stores. This fall we’ve paired delicious s’mores (the perfect autumn treat!) with books that we love. 

If you have followed the Princessreadsalot Presents recommendations, you’ll know we like to include a variety of books for teens. The list below is PG-13 (in the publishing world- YA). And, when you’re done reading, don’t forget to head over to https://nessaslair.com/ to drool over the recipes for our s’mores!

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe and a Donut S’more

In The Girls I’ve Been, Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when her mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris. Then, the morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. Nora is late because she stopped to get donuts. Which makes her nightmare go from awkward to deadly, because right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it. This was one of my favorite thrillers of 2021, so get your donut s’more ready because you’re going to need the sugar while you binge the book.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas and a Sugar Skull S’more

In Cemetery Boys, Yadriel’s traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender. He becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.  No spoilers, but I could not have predicted the ending. The rising action and climax takes place as Yadriel’s family prepares for Día de Muertos. So prep your sugar skulls (or buy the marshmallows like I did) while you enjoy this fantastic book. 

Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn and a Caramel Apple S’more

This sweet story starts at the end of a summer -spanning Fall and Winter- but it was too beautiful to not include. Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed. While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship with the church. As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart. I love this book so much, and I hardly saw any hype for it. So if this summary sounds good to you, get some apples, and go binge this fantastic book! 

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and a ChocoPie

Mooncakes is a perfect witch-y graphic novel for the Fall. Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery. You can make yourself a mooncake or a whoopie pie s’more, but we think that choco pies are a perfect fit for this sweet, graphic novel.

 Your Guide How To Not Get Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper and an Earl Grey S’more

Need something to make you laugh out loud? Do you love British detective shows? Your Guide How To Not Get Murdered in a Quaint English Village is the perfect read for you. As you read this book, you’ll think twice after reading this tongue-in-cheek illustrated guide to the countless murderous possibilities lurking behind these villages’ bucolic façades. In the England of murder mysteries and TV detectives, no destination is deadlier than a quaint country village, and you never know you’re in a murder village until it’s too late. No attraction or local character is safe–whether in the pub for a pint, or on the manicured grounds of the local estate for a shooting party, bodies can turn up anywhere! Danger lurks around every cobblestone corner. If you are foolish enough to make the trip, at least be prepared. This incredibly humorous book will convince you to never drink the tea offered to you in a quaint English village, and so you should definitely make your own Earl Grey S’more as someone else will surely try to poison you. 

Sushirainbow’s Bonus S’more Time

New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind and a Beignet S’more

Sushirainbow here! I had to add this book to this list because of the relationship between the male and female main characters and because of how real it was; there’s a magician family, and it takes place in New Orleans. Because of the setting and the first scene with the leading lady Beatrice tasting a beignet for the first time in a market, you should definitely eat this beignet s’more while reading this. Trigger warnings for violence, parental grief, drowning, scars both physically for the hero and mentally for the heroine, also more for older teens just fyi. 

Do you want to read s’more? Yes, so do we. Have a happy autumn and let us know if you love the books we recommend! 

And, if you plan to purchase any of the books above (or from other Princessreadsalot Posts), we’d love it if used this link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/sushirainbow?listId=159W2FFCL45UJ&ref=idea_share_inf . We get a commission at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support.