Underground Bookshelf

Thank you to every one of you who submitted their work to the December 2025 Writing Contest. I know this can be a busy time of year, and I appreciate that you took a little time share your writing with me and the Underground Bookshelf readership. The theme was WRITER'S CHOICE.

Go on, you've got this,

The series centering poverty and homelessness continues with books for young adult readers! There have been some cruel statements made in the American media and actions taken by the U.S. government that target unhoused individuals in recent months. In response to those words and actions, we're sharing resources for folks in need of food, shelter, or other supplies, ways young adult readers can support people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and books you can read that discuss these topics either in fictional or nonfictional contexts.

The series centering poverty and homelessness continues with books for young adult readers! There have been some cruel statements made in the American media and actions taken by the U.S. government that target unhoused individuals in recent months. In response to those words and actions, we're sharing resources for folks in need of food, shelter, or other supplies, ways young adult readers can support people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and books you can read that discuss these topics either in fictional or nonfictional contexts.

"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Four.

In a town called 'losie

I've been really lucky this year, between having the honor of being a first-time parent, spending time with family, working on my next book, starting up the free secondhand bookshelf, and continuing the mission of Underground Bookshelf.

Something isn’t right with Jade O’Reilly. She’s felt this way since that strange trip to an abandoned hospital where her Dad told her Mom had Stage-4 cancer. In the following days, and while drifting in and out of consciousness, Jade wonders if she hit her head, or if she’s slowly losing her mind. Desperate for answers she visits an urgent care clinic and two hospitals and is treated inhumanely as her crisis escalates. Her mismatched friends and a well-intentioned cousin try to help, yet frequent episodes of dissociation continue to pull Jade into a hellscape of her own. Will she find the answers she seeks? Will any of her friends wait it out with her? Or is Jade meant to navigate this desert alone?

I'm extending the deadline because I didn't get the announcement posted to the website as early as I usually do. Rather than closing contest submissions on December 14th, submissions will remain open until December 31st. Thanks for understanding!

"Mandai Pond" is a retelling of a Japanese legend about a demon and the magical rite that trapped it beneath the pond a thousand years ago. The photos shared alongside this story were taken by the author on a visit to Mandai Pond near Shitennoji Temple in Japan.

"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Three.

"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Two.