Book picks similar to
The Phantom Diaries by Kailin Gow


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Phantom


Susan Kay - 1990
    This incredible portrait of Erik--the Phantom--recreates his entire life, from his survival as a child in a carnival freak show to his creative genius behind the Paris Opera House--and its labyrinthine world below--to his discovery of love.

The Notorious Pagan Jones


Nina Berry - 2015
    Pagan was behind the wheel and driving drunk. Nine months later, she’s stuck in the Lighthouse Reformatory for Wayward Girls and tortured by her guilt—not to mention the sadistic Miss Edwards, who takes special delight in humiliating the once-great Pagan Jones. But all of that is about to change. Pagan’s old agent shows up with a mysterious studio executive, Devin Black, and an offer. Pagan will be released from juvenile detention if she accepts a juicy role in a comedy directed by award-winning director Bennie Wexler. The shoot starts in West Berlin in just three days. If Pagan’s going to do it, she has to decide fast—and she has to agree to a court-appointed “guardian,” the handsome yet infuriating Devin, who’s too young, too smooth, too sophisticated to be some studio flack. The offer’s too good to be true, Berlin’s in turmoil and Devin Black knows way too much about her—there’s definitely something fishy going on. But if anyone can take on a divided city, a scheming guardian and the criticism of a world that once adored her, it’s the notorious Pagan Jones. What could go wrong?

I'll Be Seeing You


Lurlene McDaniel - 1996
    Seventeen-year-old Kyle was blinded when a chemistry experiment exploded. His doctors don't know whether he'll get his vision back, and he's deeply depressed. Carley understands how miserable it is to be in the hospital. At sixteen, she's had plenty of experience. But Carley is keeping a secret from Kyle. She knows boys like girls who are pretty--and she's not. Scarred by a facial deformity, she has always used her sense of humor to cope. But now that she's become so close to Kyle, she's worried that if his bandages are removed and he sees her, it will be the end of their relationship. Carley wants what's best for Kyle. But what will that mean for her?

Second Star


Alyssa B. Sheinmel - 2014
    Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

Dangerously Bound


Eden Bradley - 2014
    After ten years of studying and working as a pastry chef in San Francisco and all over Europe—and feeding her submissive side at BDSM clubs—Allie is home, and she has something to prove to the man who once fueled her desires. She’s not a child anymore.  But with two in the kitchen…   When security specialist Mick Reid hears that Allie is back in town, he knows he won’t be able to stay away for long. Ever since he discovered his darker side, Mick has tried to protect Allie from the aggressive beast within him—but that power and wildness is exactly what she wants.  Can they take the heat?   Allie has made the first move, but now it’s up to Mick. The game has begun, and playing has never been so rough.

First Light


Michele Paige Holmes - 2016
    When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection. While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.

Hard Knox


Nicole Williams - 2014
    The name inspires resent in every male at Sinclair University, want in every female, and contempt in Charlie Chase.Charlie can be summed up in three words: independent, independent, and independent. To Charlie, Knox epitomizes everything that’s wrong with college males: prolific one-night stands, drunken senseless fights, and a body that hints at prioritizing gym time over study time.As an up-and-coming writer for Sinclair University’s newspaper, Charlie’s tasked with getting to the bottom of who’s been dropping little white pills into girls’ drinks at parties. In an ocean of All-American boys sporting polo shirts and innocent smiles, Knox is the obvious suspect. As evidence piles up against the bad boy of Sinclair, Charlie becomes more and more certain it isn’t Knox. But when her drink is dosed at a party and she wakes up on Knox’s couch the next morning, Charlie’s left with more questions than answers when it comes to Knox Jagger.How can Charlie ever hope to uncover the truth behind a guy so closed off he’s become . . .Hard Knox.

A Mid-Semester Night's Dream


Margaret Meacham - 2004
    When Gretta, a fairy-godmother-in-training, offers her magic services to Morgan Yates, how can Morgan refuse? Gretta promises that she can put together a love charm guaranteed to make Morgan's crush, Ben, fall madly in love with her. But soon Morgan, her friends, family, and even teachers are falling under spells that have hilarious results.

Prince of Shadows


Rachel Caine - 2014
    The boys are born to fight and die for honor and—if they survive—marry for influence and money, not love. The girls are assets, to be spent wisely. Their wishes are of no import. Their fates are written on the day they are born.Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this. He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives inside him. At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona—and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet. In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona…… And will rewrite all their fates, forever.

Unlovable


Sherry Gammon - 2011
    The Dreser brothers have arrived with a scheme to increase drug sales in the area by whatever means possible. Seth Prescott is part of MET (Mobile Enforcement Teams) a branch of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). He's been assigned to work undercover at Port Fare High, and things aren't going very well, until senior Maggie Brown enters the equation. He's harbored a secret crush on her from day one, and now that she is in the center of the case, he's trying to stay clear and objective while walking the line between business and unrequited love.Maggie is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes, but is she an addict, or is there another reason for her appearance? She struggles with her feelings for Seth, fearing he is just another person who will eventually let her down, as everyone in her life has done thus far.Maggie has spent her life caring for her alcoholic mother. A task that has left her heavily burdened and alone. Before long, her mother's health takes a turn for the worst, sending Maggie's life into a tale-spin.While Seth works relentlessly to inject fear into the dealers and flush them out into the open, Maggie fights to stay alive as the hunt turns deadly.Seth and Maggie's romantic journey is one of humor, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

A Circus of Ink


Lauren Palphreyman - 2021
    That's why tattooed soldier Jay is sent by the gods to kill her.But when Elle is faced with the monster sent to deliver her Ending, she catches the glimmer of curiosity in his eyes—an emotion so unusual in his kind. Convinced having a ruthless killer on her side will help her avenge her father and destroy the gods, she makes the decision not to run. And it changes everything.Soon, the two enemies are forced to seek refuge at the Circus at the Edge of the World, where forbidden passions start to grow. But both are keeping dark secrets. Their deaths have been written by the Creators. And the foretold End is coming.When all are bound to the story created by the gods, can Elle and Jay rewrite the deadly fate intended for them and the world?COMING SPRING 2021

Broken


Mary E. Palmerin - 2013
    With her childhood full of unpleasant memories that she tries to tuck away and forget about, she succeeds at putting on a happy front and convincing those around her that she is happy. But she isn’t. Meet Lyla Elizabeth Harper, a teen whose journey is less than ideal. She experiences heartache, loss, bullying, but through it all she strives for hope. She counts down the days until she has the chance to start over in a new city, unaware of her past. A city far away from the recollections that have scarred her physically and mentally.In this first book of the Scars and Sorrow Saga, you will be faced with the ghastly and horrendous events that plague Lyla, starting on the day of her eighteenth birthday, a day that changed her forever. Lyla thought she was broken before, but she was wrong. Davis Moore, a 22-year-old handsome cop and also Rigdon’s gold boy, steals something from Lyla on that fateful night on Brownsmith Road.Others will challenge her will and strength, testing her and pushing her to the brink of giving up.Will Lyla be able to trudge through the deep rut that she is stuck in to move to Chicago to start her life over? Or will the evil events consume her and leave her grounded, unable to lead a life free of pain?**Graphic content, including underage drinking, drug use, non-consensual sex, and self-mutilation. Not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.**

The Vanishing Princess


Jenny Diski - 1995
    When she died of cancer in April 2016, after chronicling her illness in strikingly honest essays in the London Review of Books, readers, admirers, and critics around the world mourned the loss. In a cool and unflinching tone that came to define her singular voice, she explored the subjects of sex, power, domesticity, femininity, hysteria, and loneliness with humor and honesty, The stories in The Vanishing Princess showcase a rarely seen side of this beloved writer, channeling both the piercing social examination of her nonfiction and the vivid, dreamlike landscapes of her novels. In a Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale turned on its head, a miller’s daughter rises to power and wealth to rule over her kingdom and outwit the title villain. “Bathtime” tells the story of a woman’s life through her attempts to build the perfect bathtub, chasing an elusive moment of peace. In “Short Curcuit,” the author mines her own bouts in and out of mental institutions outside London to question whether those we think are mad are really the sanest among us. Longtime fans of Diski and those who have discovered her since her death will find much to treasure here, in her only short story collection, released in the US for the very first time. The Vanishing Princess is another vital stop on Jenny Diski’s journey for meaning and beauty in her prolific writing, one that feels as fresh and necessary as if it were brand-new.

Killing Time


Jane Davitt - 2014
    Now offered for free by the authors:Killing TimeMax and Kaelan, best friends and business partners for five years, are powerful casters with a tendency to get themselves into and out of all kinds of trouble. Pretty much the only thing they've been able to avoid is getting romantically involved – until now. Their sexual attraction hits them like a runaway fireball and they can't keep their hands off each other.While their sexual attraction burns out of control, they've attracted the attention of a dark caster named Jannes who's planning a spell so potent that it could end the world. To keep them off balance, he's targeting Max and Kaelan through those they love, and there's no one they love more than each other.With friends and family to protect and their only allies a group of casters who find it easier to fight than cooperate, the odds are stacked against them. So can Max and Kaelan keep it together and stop Jannes before he ends the world, or is the best they can do just killing time?

Just Like That


Marsha Qualey - 2005
    Liberated, maybe? Sad? Instead, there's only one thing she feels for certain: She's in for a pretty dull winter. Well, there is her job in the swimwear department. What better way to spend her time than watching strangers squeeze into bikinis?But then, in an instant, everything changes. Hanna finds herself the bearer of a major secret. She can't possibly tell her mother or her two best friends. She can't tell anyone. Even drawing and painting—always her therapy in the past—even these things aren't the recipe for the calm they once were. So when Hanna finds herself drawn to Will, the elusive boy she's noticed around town, the kind of boy who'd increase any girl's pulse, she doesn't hold back. Anything. What she learns about him will astonish her. But what she learns about herself—her friendships, her family, her life—will affect her far more.Acclaimed author Marsha Qualey explores, with honesty and wit, the heart of a young woman coming to grips with her life and the people in it—and getting used to the fact that everything can, and will, change. Just like that.