We just built your back-to-school bucket list…and paired it with a read that’ll inspire you to Check. Things. Off.

Say yes to something totally unexpected

Rules for Fake Girlfriends
By Raegan Revord
Wednesday Books, $20

Avery Blackwell always dreamed of attending Columbia, but now she’s crossing the pond to study at her mom’s alma mater in England. University abroad comes with all kinds of surprises—a decades-old scavenger hunt, a run-in with a jealous ex and the biggest curveball of all: a fake dating plot.

Clinch that dream friendship

A Theory of Dreaming
By Ava Reid
HarperCollins, $20

Thanks to her standout writing skills, Effy Sayre is making history as the first girl to enroll in a prestigious literature college. But success comes at a steep cost: The pressure is mounting, and the critics are growing louder. As her once-beloved fantasy world slips farther out of reach, she risks losing everything—including herself.

Enroll in a niche elective

Very Dangerous Things
By Lauren Muñoz
G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR, $20

The criminology class competition at J. Everett High has begun, and Dulce Castillo can’t wait to “solve” a murder. But things take a turn when someone is actually poisoned on school grounds. To crack the case, Dulce reluctantly teams up with her ex-best friend…who just so happens to be the prime suspect.

Befriend the new girl

Dream On
By Shannon Hale
Roaring Brook Press, $15

If Cassie could change one thing about her life, she’d choose, well, everything. She’s stuck sharing a room with her sibs, getting majorly overlooked by her busy parents and drifting away from her BFF Vali. Then, she gets the lucky break she’s been dreaming of. But will it really be enough to turn things around?

Approach that cutie in class

Two Weeks to Fall in Love
By Kat Featherly
Wattpad Books, $13

Ever heard of a serial two-week dater? That’s Noah Archer in a nutshell. So when Skyler Fox’s bestie ends up heartbroken, she makes it her mission to expose his date-then-dump routine. But as she gets closer, Noah starts to show a surprisingly sweet side—and soon, Skyler finds herself torn between revenge and the chance at something real.

Win a big debate/field hockey/student council elections

Immortal Consequences
By I.V. Marie
Delacorte Press, $22

Everyone wants to get into Blackwood Academy—the secretive school perched on the edge of the afterlife—but almost no one ever leaves. Only a select few earn the right to become Blackwood elites, crossing over to the shadowy Other Side. To make the cut, students must outwit, outlast and outplay every rival…or die trying.

Bond with your family

Tall Water
By SJ Sindu
HarperAlley, $19

Most girls dream of getting a car for their Sweet 16, but all Nimmi wants is to reunite with her long-lost mom. So when her journalist dad is sent to Sri Lanka on assignment, she begs to go with him. What she doesn’t expect? A deadly tsunami that turns everything upside down, leaving her to fight for survival—and uncover a strength she never knew she had.

Fight for a cause you believe in

Starstrike
By Yoon Ha Lee
Delacorte Press, $20

Hwa Young and her crew betrayed the Empire to save it. Mission accomplished—or so she thought. When her top technician and bestie, Geum, is captured and held behind enemy lines, Hwa vows to bring her home. But she soon realizes that the best friend who’s always had her back may now be turning against her.

Hey, girl! Just to let you know, this originally ran in our August/September 2025 Issue. Read our print mag for *free* today when you click HERE!

Check out more book content here:
📚 Our 8 fave summer TBRs (Towels + Beach Reads, that is) 
📚 BTS book recs for all the fall feels
📚 QUIZ! What’s your summer reading aesthetic?

Top and slider image: @emilysbooknook8