Back to School Staff Picks (8/26/26)

It’s back to school season, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with some academia-themed reads!

AMANDA’S PICK: HALLOWED BONES BY LUCY SMOKE

Death and ghosts haunt the corridors of this gothic academy, but the real danger lies in the shadows. Loosely inspired by the cult-favorite movie The Covenant, this dark “why choose” romance follows the first female witch born in four hundred years—and the four dangerous, brooding legacies she cannot resist. Perfect for readers craving morally gray characters, cursed bloodlines, and forbidden love, this seductive story features a powerful heroine destined to rule a secret society… if she can survive the night.

EMILY’S PICK: DREAMWEAVING BY O.O. SANGOYOMI

You may know O.O. Sangoyomi for her adult debut, MASQUERADE, but now she’s writing for a younger audience with her YA debut. Raised by a hidden coven of witches, Deja Freeman is forbidden from mentioning two things: 1) magic, and 2) her mother. But when she discovers that her mother’s death is linked to Tanglewood Prep—a prestigious New England boarding school—she enrolls, desperate for the truth. But as Deja investigates her mother’s death, she learns that the history of the school is darker than she could have ever imagined. This is a high-stakes, pulse-pounding supernatural thriller, with the dark academia setting of ACE OF SPADES and the intricate magic of LEGENDBORN. This duology opener is sure to draw readers in with its incredible cast of characters and rich worldbuilding.

MARGO’S PICK: BODIES OF MAGIC BY FREYA MARSKE

Medical drama or dark academia? Why not both! BODIES OF MAGIC is a dark academia fantasy set in a medical school, where five healer scholars with five secrets have only five days to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. It’s Grey’s Anatomy meets A DEADLY EDUCATION; burnt out medical students and fans of The Pitt will love this fantasy spin, and it’s also perfect for readers who love THE ATLAS SIX, BABEL, and THE INCANDESCENT. Plus, Freya is an actual doctor, so her personal experience and clinical knowledge make this book shine with authenticity!

HALLIE’S PICK: YOUR BELOVED REMAINS BY QUINN CONNOR

What is back-to-school season without some good dark academia? Set in the 1980s on the remote mountain campus of Basin College, YOUR BELOVED REMAINS follows Celia, a dutiful archivist obsessed with a scandalous deceased author. When the administration announces the college’s imminent closure, Celia decides to forge the writer’s infamous lost horror manuscript to save the only home she’s ever known. Teaming up with her professional rival, Joan, her last-ditch effort quickly spirals into an obsession of its own. This Southern Gothic sapphic horror blends dark academia with classic literary terror—perfect for fans of IF WE WERE VILLAINS and Edgar Allan Poe.