Sponsored by The Harbinger Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, published by Inkyard Press
Half-angel Trinity and her bonded gargoyle protector, Zayne, have been working with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming . . . but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather. Don’t miss Rage and Ruin, book two in the fantastical Harbinger trilogy from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Hey YA Readers!
A lot of really great stuff to share this week with you. It’s not necessarily all easy reading, but important, timely, and vital. (And yes, some fun news, too).
YA Book News
- By now you’ve likely seen the Kimberly Jones viral video. Did you know she’s a YA author? Here’s a piece in Time about how she and Gilly Segal, a white woman, wrote a book together about race.
- Nic Stone and Kimberly Johnson have a frank conversation about YA literature, police brutality, and Black storytelling over on EW. If you don’t have Kimberly’s book on your TBR — it comes out at the end of July — here’s a reminder to get it on there.
- How many of this year’s most popular YA books on Goodreads have you read so far?
- I’m obsessed with the idea of a Baby-Sitters Club alignment chart. I’d call myself a Dawn sun, Mallory moon, and Kristy rising, or some variation therein.
- This year’s Canadian White Pine Award nominees have been announced. What’s great about non-American awards is getting to add books you’ve never heard about to your TBR.
- Here’s what YA authors would recommend reading this summer.
- Love, Victor, has a new release date (spoiler: you can watch it as of today!).
- Gabrielle Union optioned All Boys Aren’t Blue for adaptation. This memoir was outstanding and I’m eager to see it as this develops!
- By all reports, the adaptation of Artemis Fowl is….not great.
- Where are all of the Black boys on the covers on YA science fiction and fantasy?
This Week’s New YA Books
Publication dates, as has been the refrain for months, may have shifted, but this should be pretty up-to-date. A * means I’ve read and recommend the book!
*Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson (paperback)
The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell
Dogchild by Kevin Brooks
Fake Plastic Girl by Zara Lisbon (paperback, series)
Fake Plastic World by Zara Lisbon (series)
The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell (paperback)
I’ll Be The One by Lyla Lee
The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae
The Missing Season by Gillian French (paperback)
Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar by Catherine Reef (I’m eager to read this — there are so few biographies of women through history in YA!).
Soaring Earth by Margarita Engle (paperback)
You Say It First by Kate Cotugno
YA on Book Riot
- Queer YA books by Black authors.
- 5 great queer YA books about friendship.
- You need to check out the cover for Tirzah Price’s Pride and Premeditation. Tirzah is a contributing editor for Book Riot and runs our rad YA Instagram account.
- 9 of the best queer YA comics.
- If you haven’t already seen this, know that The Hate U Give is streaming for free right now. Watch it for the first time or the fiftieth time.
Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Monday!
— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.