3 New Books About Magnetic Women

The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes, once a princess of the Egbado Clan, wants revenge against the British Crown. Stolen from her homeland and turned into royal property, she vows to destroy those responsible, starting with her own godmother, Queen Victoria. To bring down the monarchy, Sally must navigate court politics, manipulate the Queen’s inner circle, and align with a dangerous London crime lord. She even exploits the affections of Prince Albert, using him as a pawn in her deadly game. But when Queen Victoria forces her into marriage, Sally faces an impossible choice. With her freedom slipping away and her heart on the line, she must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice for vengeance.

An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison

History professor Sidney Taylor is stuck shuffling papers in DC after an inconvenient discovery stalls her career. When an anonymous invitation offers a million-dollar reward to find a missing artifact in Robbinsville, North Carolina, she can’t resist — especially with a chance to visit her grandmother. Following centuries-old clues, Sidney embarks on a thrilling treasure hunt, but soon realizes she’s entangled in a dangerous conspiracy. As secret societies, ancient bloodlines, and witches come into play, she uncovers a truth that shakes her to the core. What she finds isn’t just an artifact — it’s a revelation that threatens the very foundation of America itself.

Kinda Koreanby Joan Sung

In this powerful coming-of-age memoir, Joan Sung reflects on her Korean American identity while learning to forgive her Tiger Mom. Raised in a home shaped by intergenerational trauma, Sung bravely breaks the silence that haunts her family. With honesty and courage, she shares her journey of growing up with a mother who struggled to understand American society. As she navigates the challenges of being both Korean and American, Sung exposes the microaggressions, fetishization, and racism she faced. She connects her personal experiences with the broader issues affecting Asian American communities, exploring how the COVID pandemic brought long-standing violence and discrimination to the forefront.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Junie, a sixteen-year-old enslaved on Bellereine Plantation, has lived her life tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet, and grieving the death of her sister, Minnie. When guests arrive from New Orleans, bringing changes to Violet’s life, Junie’s world is turned upside down. In an act of desperation, Junie awakens Minnie’s ghost, and her sister remains tethered to the living world unless Junie can release her. With the help of Caleb, the coachman, Junie discovers hidden secrets about Bellereine. As the Civil War looms, she faces a life-altering choice about love, freedom, and the sacrifices she must make in the fight for her future.

Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall (July 1, 2025)

After a decade with the LAPD, Sonny Rush moves to quiet Haven, California, to care for her mother and join her godfather’s PI business. Her first case finding a missing goldendoodle with a Versace collar seems harmless enough. But Figgy’s disappearance quickly leads to an unexpected reunion with her wealthy ex and a much darker mystery. When a teenage boy’s body is found on a popular trail, Sonny realizes Haven is not as idyllic as it seems. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets more twisted than anything she encountered in LA. A cryptic warning from a local makes one thing clear. In Haven, nothing is what it seems and finding the truth might cost Sonny everything.

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

Two teenagers connected through family secrets and ancient magic unite in Ibi Zoboi’s new novel. Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant, a fireball witch who must feed off the lives of others every new moon. She hoped their old traditions would be left behind when they emigrated from the islands, but her mother keeps her bound to her magical past. Brooklyn isn’t a place for witches, with its bright lights and locked doors. Seventeen-year-old Genevieve, struggling with a worsening skin condition, longs for answers about her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to care for her family’s twins, a hidden connection to Marisol is revealed. As the girls uncover secrets, they realize that their magic, hidden beneath their skin, may prove more destructive than they imagined.

Cover Story by Celia Laskey (March 25, 2025)

Ali is a Hollywood publicist responsible for keeping gay celebrities in the closet, which is ironic since she is a lesbian herself. When she is assigned rising star Cara Bisset, whose breakout role is in a straight romantic blockbuster, managing Cara’s image becomes her toughest job yet. Cara is bold and unwilling to hide who she is, leading to a series of close calls. Ali is sent on a global press tour to keep her in line but instead finds herself drawn to Cara’s confidence. Still grieving the loss of her partner, Ali begins questioning the closeting system she has upheld. As Cara’s fame grows, they must decide whether to play it safe or risk everything for love.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (April 22, 2025)

Margaret Ryan has the perfect life by 1960s standards—three children, a husband, and a home in a suburban neighborhood. But when she meets Charlotte Gustafson, the newest neighbor, Margaret is pulled into a life-changing journey. She starts a book club, inviting Charlotte and two other women, Bitsy and Viv, to read The Feminine Mystique. As the women bond over the book, they begin to realize that the American dream they were sold doesn’t fulfill their deeper desires. Together, they form a strong sisterhood and unknowingly set off a feminist revolution.

Portrait of a Feminist by Marianna Marlowe

In Portrait of a Feminist, Peruvian American feminist Marianna Marlowe shares her journey from childhood in California, Peru, and Ecuador to adulthood as an academic, wife, and mother. Through braided memories, she explores the development of her feminist identity and the influence of patriarchy in her life. Marlowe examines the challenges of growing up in a family shaped by cultural and religious differences, confronting issues like misogyny, unequal marriages, and class structures. With insightful writing, she reflects on how feminism has shaped her and raises critical questions about its future evolution and relevance in today’s world.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Marguerite’s life of privilege is shattered when she is orphaned, and her guardian squanders her inheritance. Forced to accompany him on an expedition to New France, their journey takes a tragic turn. Marguerite is accused of betrayal, brutally punished, and abandoned on a remote island. Stripped of her former life and surrounded by harsh elements, she must rely on her inner strength and a newfound faith to survive. As the island is blanketed in ice, Marguerite’s fight for survival becomes a testament to resilience and defiance. Isola is a captivating historical epic inspired by the real-life struggles of a sixteenth-century heroine, Marguerite de La Rocque.

The Widow’s Webby Susan Moore

When tech mogul Brad Jones is found drowned off the Marin coast, his death is ruled a suicide. But his wife, Dr. Anna Jones, a renowned cyber-psychologist, suspects foul play. Driven by grief and doubt, she begins to investigate Brad’s past, uncovering secrets that lead her into the world of Silicon Valley’s elite. As Anna digs deeper, she crosses paths with Scott and Kristy Lyle, powerful figures with high-level connections. The more Anna uncovers, the more she realizes Brad’s death is linked to a dark secret that powerful people will kill to protect. Caught between truth and danger, Anna must decide if she will risk everything to expose the deadly forces at play.

Shooting Stars Above by Patricia Leavy

Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist whose books inspire people to believe in hope, yet she struggles to find own happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent working in counterterrorism, scarred by years of violence and dedication to his job. When Tess and Jack meet, their connection is instant, but old wounds soon resurface. Jack struggles with the loss of a loved one, and Tess faces her painful childhood. As they struggle with their pasts, they must decide if unconditional love can heal their invisible scars and help them find light after years of darkness.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

I Who Have Never Known Menby Jacqueline Harpman

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga

In the future lives a drug dealer who specializes in things that erases his clients' memories. The company he works for knows that people are caught up in the throes of capitalism and leans on the expectation they'd liked to eventual forget the harsh world around them. As for the dealer, he moves aimlessly from country to country and engages in fruitless encounters with people he doesn't care about. Though he uses humor to as self-deflection, readers will be able to see the stark reality he lives in by the end of the books.

All Her Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

Gerald's mind is now attached to his PR firm's Slack channels which has somehow made him more productive than before. This comes at the time where employees are allowed to work remotely which makes some of his co-workers believe he's taking advantage of his job. For Gerald, this is alarming because he doesn't know how to get back to his body.

From a major PR disaster to the reality something's off in the office, Several People Are Typing explores a different side of hybrid and work-from-home life.

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Mae Holland's just been hired by the Circle and feels thrilled because it's one of the most prominent internet companies. It works to create a continuous link between users emails and the rest of their lives so they don't have to assume different identities on the world wide web.

Having access to this modern company makes Mae feel like she's made it so she willingly partakes in the perks her job offers. From company parties to cute clubs, what could go wrong?

Company by Max Barry

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

#FashionVictimby Amina Akhtar

The only way she'll be able to solve her problem is by pretending to be Sarah's friend and going in for the kill when the latter least expects it.

Happy For You by Claire Stanford

Deciding to place her academic focuses on the back burner, Evelyn lands a job at an internet company that's developing a happiness app. But it's clear she struggles to fit in with Silicon Valley's bros or the demographic social media praises the most.

Just when she's at her wits' end, an interesting situation pushes her to decide what being happy looks like for her.

Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby

When the staff of company crash land on an island amidst a well-deserved celebration, strange things begin to occur. It's not that the island is destitute because it's not. It's the perfect form of paradise and includes amenities that keep them satisfied.

However, chief emotional manager Kristen is having a hard time trying to stabilize her co-workers' emotions as they realize they're truly cut off from the world. Though she's usually great at her job, this remote island with it's glossy technology may prove to be deadlier than she and her co-workers imagined.

Has Gemma been an innie the whole time?

TikTok user @msauroraalice made the connection that Severance season 2 episode 9, "The After Hours," has the same title as a specific Twilight Zone episode in which a mannequin, well, forgets she's a mannequin. And now we're all wondering whether Severance is going to reveal a very similar plotline with Gemma.

"Could Gemma have been manufactured at Lumon and all of her experience with Mark is just a severed version of herself," @msauroraalice says, theorizing that "there is no Gemma."

"I bet this next episode, Gemma or Helly has a horrifying discovery about themselves just like the mannequin realizing she's not even alive," she continues.

Clearly, this Twilight Zone episode has a ton of similarities to Severance, with the split identities of it all. And as one Reddit user just made it even more heartbreaking by saying, "She could be an experiment from the very start which is why they went as far as to fake her death and recruit Mark to work for them. That would be heartbreaking. It would mean Mark and Gemma 's relationship was manufactured from the beginning."

"The After Hours" is sure to set us up for a crazy 'Severance' season 2 finale.

After everything Mark has been through, this would truly be a heartbreaking turn of events and I don't know if I could handle it! I'm not alone, either. TikTok users flooded the comments of the post (which has over 900K views).

"If Gemma was never a full person to begin with I'm gonna lose my mind," one user said, while another theorized, "I think Gemma is real but she actually died. Lumon had plans for her to begin with so they revived her body because they effectively own it and now she's stuck in purgatory testing."

But if this Severance theory breaks your heart as much as it breaks mine, there's a silver lining. "The next episode after 'The After Hours' from TWZ is called 'The Mighty Casey' and is about a robot who becomes more human I believe," a third TikTok user says.

But honestly, emotional devastation — and peeling back a character's insecurities, fears, and heartbreak to get to their core — make for really good TV because of how relatable those moments can be. So we'll just have to see what the Severance season 2 finale has in store.