Books by Jake Maia Arlow

How to Excavate a Heart

by Jake Maia Arlow

Stonewall Honor author Jake Maia Arlow delivers a sapphic Jewish twist on the classic Christmas rom-com in a read perfect for fans of Kelly Quindlen and Casey McQuiston.
It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally. With her mom’s Subaru.
Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break.
It could be going better.
But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side—along with the breakup.
Then they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve. As things start to feel more serious, though, Shani’s hurt over her ex-girlfriend’s rejection comes rushing back. Is she ready to try a committed relationship again, or is she okay with this just being a passing winter fling?

Leaving the Station

by Jake Maia Arlow

Nina LaCour meets Alyson Derrick in this cross-country journey of identity, love, and friendships as Zoe tries to figure out her life, one train stop at a time.

Zoe's life has gone off the rails.

When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start fresh, to figure out what being a lesbian meant to her, to experiment with clothes and presentation away from home for the first time.

Instead, she lost touch with her freshman orientation friend group, skipped classes, and failed completely at being the studious premed student her parents wanted her to be.

But the biggest derailment of all? Her newly minted ex-boyfriend--and the fact that she had a boyfriend to begin with. When she met Alden, he made her feel wanted, he made her feel free. He made her feel . . . like she could be like him, which was exciting and confusing all at once.

So, Zoe decides a second fresh start is in order: She's going to take a cross-country train from New York to Seattle for fall break. There, no one will know who she is, and she can outrun her mistakes.

Or so she thinks until she meets Oakley, who's the opposite of Zoe in so many ways: effortlessly cool and hot, smart, self-assured. But as Zoe and Oakley make their way across the country, Zoe realizes that Oakley's life has also gone off the rails--and that they might just be able to help each other along before that train finally leaves the station.

Study Break 11 College Tales from Orientation to Graduation

by Joelle Wellington, Jake Maia Arlow, Michael Waters, Camryn Garrett, Laila Sabreen, Christina Li, Racquel Marie, Ananya Devarajan, Arushi Avachat, Boon Carmen, Oyin

A great back-to-school gift, this collection of stories explores college life, love, and identity—perfect for fans of She Gets the Girl and The CW's All American(Homecoming)!

Catalyst Awards Winner for Best YA Fiction!

Welcome to UMB, where...

-Aarti attends orientation armed with a detailed four-year plan...that might not go as expected
-Fray is looking for a Jewish community on campus that they can actually feel comfortable in
-Deepika meets her cute neighbor while recovering from heartbreak over fall break
-Quinn learns to embrace their interest in makeup after meeting a new crush
-Salomé struggles with anxiety while trying to make new friends
-Arisha worries about friends, finals, and disappointing her family as the fall semester comes to an end
-Rani doesn't know how to break the news at her family's New Year's party that she's considering a career change
-Trina suddenly loses her friend group and has to find a new one
-Ruby realizes she may have a crush on her RA...who's a girl
-Sophie goes on a spring break road trip to help rescue her roommate's stuffed panda
-Emma and Valerie realize they might actually have feelings for each other...but they're about to graduate

Told over the course of one academic year, this collection features students from different cultures, genders, and interests learning more about who they are and who they want to be as they explore the ways university life can be stressful and confusing and exciting and fulfilling!

Contributors include Jake Maia Arlow, Arushi Avachat, Boon Carmen, Ananya Devarajan, Camryn Garrett, Christina Li, Racquel Marie, Oyin, Laila Sabreen, Michael Waters, and Joelle Wellington.