As much as we wish summer could last forever, it’s officially back-to-school season. And while we’ll miss beach days, ice cream runs and all the sweet spots of sunny szn, the beginning of a new school year is also full of its own excitement. Still struggling to move on? Treat these reads as your doorway to academia.

All Alone with You by Amelia Diane Coombs

We all love a good high school love story, and this adorable grumpy x sunshine romance serves all of the feel-good vibes you need to settle back into the school year. At its center is Eloise, an ice-cold loner whose only goal is to get through her senior year before her first year at USC. When she’s forced to join LifeCare, a volunteer agency that pairs lonely senior citizens with teen companions, to pad her resume, she expects the worst (both due to her anxiety and perpetual hatred for other people). But things take a strange turn when she bonds with Marianne, her senior match and former musician, and starts to catch feelings for her volunteer partner, the sunshiney Austin. As she grows closer to both, she must decide how much she’s willing to risk for friendship, music and love.

Disorder on the Court by Tamara Girardi

Back-to-school season doesn’t just mean classes and homework; it means sports. Whether you’re on a tight-knit team, play all seasons or just like cheering on your friends at their games, you’ll be a fan of this story about friendship, crushes and volleyball. Melanie, a sophomore at Iron Valley High, has one goal: to make the coveted varsity volleyball team. Her dreams come true when the team captain quits, and a spot opens up for her. But as she joins the ranks, she soon discovers the high expectations for everyone on the team…both on and off the court. As her social world opens up (with the help of her neighbor and long-time supporter, Harris), she finds herself caught in drama, manipulation and competition…all while dealing with growing feelings for the team captain’s designated crush.

In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time for an early-fall mystery. And while we love the teen-detective trope, this thrilling page-turner takes things in a whole new direction when the detective herself goes missing, and it is up to her best friend/sidekick to solve the case. Fenny is used to helping from the sidelines while her bestie Sarah solves mysteries around town, both exposing injustice and earning herself a reputation with the local police. Fenny’s world is turned upside down, though, when Sarah goes missing, leaving only a binder entitled In Case I Go Missing. With the help of her friend Sam, Fenny must finish what Sarah started, digging into their town’s dark past and discovering secrets about themselves in the process. As time runs out, Fenny learns all the dangers of being a teen detective.

Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Unexpected butterflies, first kisses and awkward crushes are all *so* on brand for the school year. Throw in a fake dating plot? You’ve got the workings of a classic back-to-school romance. This sweet and bubbly story follows Bethany, who, despite all her self-confidence, has never exactly done the whole dating thing. When her homecoming plan falls through and her lack of experience becomes apparent, she agrees to go with her best friend Saylor’s ex. Said-ex Jacob, on the other hand, is gaining brand new attention after a summer glow-up, but is much more comfortable hiding from the spotlight behind his camera. When Saylor dumps him, he and Bethany come up with a fake-couple plan to make up for their blunders in the world of romance and gain experience. Their plan goes off without a hitch, but as Bethany starts to be noticed by guys, she realizes her feelings for Jacob might not be so fake after all.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

To finish off the roundup, we of course need a twisty mystery with a high-stakes investigation, a family full of secrets and dark academia vibes all around. Luckily, we’ve got just the book for you. This story follows the five Button siblings, who, under billionaire father Leontes’s strict training (titled and patented the “Button Method” for never failing to turn a child into a prodigy), have had no choice but to excel. That is, all except for Romeo, nicknamed “the failure”. The siblings live in fear of disappointing their father’s impossibly high standards…until he is murdered at his Prodigy Ball. Suddenly, his annual celebration is a room full of possible suspects, all trapped in the mansion by the police for questioning. The siblings must contend with their own secrets while discovering their father’s dark dealings in the world of billionaires.

Check us out on Insta @glbestiebookclub for more recommendations!

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