Why am I passionate about this?

When I was eight years old, I walked into a movie theater to see Spider-Man and walked out forever obsessed with superheroes. Specifically, I saw him kiss Mary-Jane with his mask on while hanging upside down and my tastes never changed in 20 years. Now, when not writing, I cosplay from my favorite comics, video games, and anime with my husband, who I met at a comic-con while dressed as Gwenpool (he was Symbiote Spider-Man—see, I told you my tastes never changed).


I wrote

Play With Fire

By Jessica Salina,

Book cover of Play With Fire

What is my book about?

If you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.

After escaping an abusive relationship with a self-proclaimed superhero, Amy feels…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of We Could Be Heroes

Jessica Salina Why did I love this book?

Since the protagonist has some amnesia, I loved piecing together the threads of Jamie’s identity in this book.

Jamie isn’t exactly a villain, per se, but I’d classify him as morally gray; after all, he uses his memory-erasing abilities to rob banks and commit crime. When he meets arch nemesis and do-gooder Zoe in a support group for those who lost their memory, they realize their pasts might be more entangled than they think.

We Could Be Heroes is fun, fast-paced, and features great characters in a speculative world that’s easy to immerse yourself in. I personally really enjoy stories with amnesiacs, since it allows us to learn more about the characters right alongside them and feel the emotional punches of reveals, and Chen’s work balances that with fun and lighthearted moments seemingly effortlessly.

By Mike Chen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Could Be Heroes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood

The super hero book you need to read right now!

"An enjoyable, exciting, and action-packed read… at its core, just fun.” –Associated Press

An extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be.

Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.

Zoe is also searching for…


Book cover of Renegades

Jessica Salina Why did I love this book?

This book came out on my birthday a few years ago and felt like a present specifically for me, and other superhero fans will feel the same.

This YA sci-fi trilogy features a world divided between those who either love or hate the Renegades, a group of superpowered humans.

If you enjoy the themes of “heroes aren’t always what they seem” present in superhero works like The Boys, then Renegades is a milder version of that, making it a great entry point for superhero fans and an action-packed, thought-provoking read about what is right or wrong.

By Marissa Meyer,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Renegades as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Secret identities. Extraordinary powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies-humans with extraordinary abilities-who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone . . . except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice-and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a…


Book cover of Vicious

Jessica Salina Why did I love this book?

This is one of my all-time favorite books.

A little bit dark academia, a little bit supervillain, it covers dual POVs with two friends in college developing superpowers after near-death experiences and grappling with the after-effects well into their adulthood.

Victor is a lovable anti-hero, and Eli’s flaws are so believable they gave me chills. 

By V. E. Schwab,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Vicious as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates-brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in one another. A shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death-experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. They become EOs, ExtraOrdinaries, leaving a body in their wake and turning on each other.

Ten years later Victor has escaped from prison and is determined to get his revenge on the man who put him there, aided by…


Book cover of How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying)

Jessica Salina Why did I love this book?

This coming-of-age YA/NA romance featuring college sophomore Astrid and her superhero boyfriend is a heartfelt read.

It features a woman learning to live with her PTSD while juggling being a superhero’s girlfriend.

As someone with PTSD, I found Astrid’s character especially relatable. This novel is full of heart and is also a great novel to dip your toes into if you’re new to the superhero genre, especially if you like dual timelines in your romances. 

By Cristina Fernandez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A romantic coming-of-age story about growing up, falling in love, and surviving life-all set in the world of superheroes-from debut author Cristina Fernandez, proving that you don't need a superpower to be the hero of your own origin story, perfect for fans of The Rest of Us Just Live Here and Renegades.

* Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2023 * CCBC Choices Best of 2023 *

Falling for a superhero is dangerous. You have to trust that they'll catch you.

Astrid isn't a superhero, not like the ones she sees on the news, but she has something…


Book cover of Mindwalker

Jessica Salina Why did I love this book?

If you’re a fan of Marvel’s Black Widow, then this book is a must-read.

This dystopian science fiction novel features a tough and snarky (yet lovable) protagonist and enemies-to-lovers romance in a cyberpunk setting. When the protagonist turns 18, she finds out the mind-control processor in her brain implanted by the corporation she’s worked for over the last decade will kill her by the time she turns 20.

Mindwalker is fast-paced, full of action, and great for those looking for a book on the cusp of YA and NA that blends action and romance to keep you on the edge of your seat. This sci-fi is friendly to genre beginners, making it a great read for everyone.

By Kate Dylan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mindwalker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

DO NOT SURRENDER CONTROL.

'Mindwalker is a cinematic gut punch of action and espionage. Sharp-edged, tense and thrilling, you'll be holding your breath until the last page' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

Eighteen-year-old Sil Sarrah is determined to die a legend. But with only twelve months left before the supercomputer grafted to her brain kills her, Sil's time is quickly running out.

In the ten years she's been rescuing field agents for the Syntex corporation - by commandeering their minds from afar and leading them to safety - Sil hasn't lost a single life. And she's not about…


Explore my book 😀

Play With Fire

By Jessica Salina,

Book cover of Play With Fire

What is my book about?

If you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.

After escaping an abusive relationship with a self-proclaimed superhero, Amy feels powerless. Brick Beast, an associate of the more famous vigilante Hematite, is far from the hero he wants their town to believe he is. But with his super strength, Amy isn’t in any position to get revenge. After years of experiments, Noah has abilities that could rival Hematite’s immortality. Tired of his town’s reliance on vigilantes, Noah wants to level the playing field. When he meets Amy and learns about her ex, he earns her trust through nights of passion and the promise of retribution. However, their partnership becomes complicated when Amy goes down a dark path, and Noah unintentionally develops romantic feelings for her.

Book cover of We Could Be Heroes
Book cover of Renegades
Book cover of Vicious

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Price of Vengeance

By Kurt D. Springs,

Book cover of Price of Vengeance

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author Teacher Cook Barista Guardian

Kurt's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Liam was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Taken in by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci.

As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then, Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents' deaths, had…

Price of Vengeance

By Kurt D. Springs,

What is this book about?

"From the cover to the opening pages, Price of Vengeance grabs the reader and takes them on a wild ride. Fasten your seat belts for this book." -S. J. Francis, author of Shattered Lies

What is the Price of Vengeance? One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Taken in by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci.

As an adult, Liam becomes a…


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