Hey YA Readers!
I’m back for the final time before Kelly returns and I’m in a witchy kinda fall mood and here to spread the vibes. I’ve got a Hocus Pocus sweatshirt, new releases, and some witchy YA reads to start off October right!
Bookish Goods
Hocus Pocus Sweatshirt/Tee by LureBoutiqueClothing
It’s the time of year when I rewatch Hocus Pocus. You already know I’ll be doing so in my new sweatshirt. $30+
New Releases
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
This takes place nearly 60 years after Lo’s award-winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club (and shows a little of what happened with the characters after the book finished). This one is still set in California, but this time we’re following Aria Tang West, who gets banished from Martha’s Vineyard to California by her parents. She’s made to stay with her artist grandmother, and is surprised that what she thought would be a boring summer is made anything but by her grandmother’s gardener Steph Nichols. Steph has her questioning her identity and introduces her to a whole new world full of new experiences and community.
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
This is the prequel to the mega popular They Both Die at the End. In it, we follow two new strangers who both sign up for Death-Cast. Even though there is still some doubt concerning whether this thing called “Death-Cast” can really predict when someone will die, Orion Pagan and Valentino Price both sign up, anyway. Orion has a heart condition and just wants to know when his final day will be, while Valentino became more cautious because of a near fatal accident his twin sister was in. The two of them meet in Times Square and immediately click, but then the first End Day calls go out and one of them is told they will die but the other isn’t. Neither of them knows what will really happen in the end, but they both know they want to spend whatever remaining time together.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I am a moody, seasonal reader who loves all things witchy, so naturally I am super excited to read all the new witchy books during October. I’ve highlighted a couple here for you to join in the fun!
Deep in Providence by Riss M. Nielson
Miliani, Inez, Jasmine, and Natalie are best friends living in Providence, Rhode Island who spend their time together practicing the Filipine brand of magic Miliani’s grandfather taught her. When Jasmine is killed by a drunk driver, their world is upended. They make a plan to resurrect her with magic, but they soon learn that to make this happen, they’ll have to sacrifice a lot. Long-held secrets are revealed and bonds fracture as the girls try to contend with the loss of their friend.
Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo
In this graphic novel, Abby’s best friend Noreen goes missing. The two girls are students at Younwity’s Institute of Magic where young witches learn to hone their craft. Because of Samhain festival preparations, no one gives too much attention to Abby when she presses the issue of Noreen’s disappearance, they assume, instead, that the Coven will find her. Something is telling Abby not to trust that, though, and her investigations soon lead her to finding out secrets and she gets directed to the woods that are off limits where another girl went missing years ago.
The color palette is rich and the overall vibe is dark academia + witches, which is just something that is perfect for fall.
Thanks for having out with me while Kelly was gone! If you’d like to come say hi, you can find me at @erica_eze_ on Twitter or talking all things YA on the Hey YA podcast with Tirzah Price.
Until next time!
-Erica