Hey YA Readers!
The weather here has been what could be described only as picture perfect fall — sunny, with crisp-but-not-cold air, with trees aflame in all of the autumnal hues. It’s made crawling beneath a blanket to read feel so dang right.
Let’s dive into this week’s paperback releases and YA book news so we can all get back to really indulging in fall reading (or mentally indulging, if it’s not a reality this second).
Bookish Goods
Bad Witch Book Club Sweatshirt
It’s sweatshirt and hoodie weather (well, almost — it’s still in the mid-60s and 70s here) and this Bad Witch Book Club sweatshirt is thematic now…and frankly all year long. Snag it in several color options, through size 5XL, for $34.
New Releases
Welcome to paperback releases out this week. This is but a sample of what’s hitting shelves; you can grab the full list of paperback books out this week over here!
Note that you may need to toggle to the paperback edition from the link.
Don’t Hate The Player by Alexis Nedd
This might be the only book I can think of that tackles esports, despite esports being a huge thing.
By day, Emilia Romero is a field hockey star and incredible student. By night, she’s the only female member of a successful esports team. She keeps that part of her life on the down-low, since it can be a rough place to be a girl. When a major esports competition comes to her town, she decides it’s time to prove herself, both to her team and to the broader community of players.
One problem: a member of a rival team recognizes her. And that rival, Jake, has had a crush on her for a long time. Can they forge a real relationship and keep Emilia’s secret life safe? Or will there be consequences for their feelings?
This is a fabulous read alike to Eric Smith’s Don’t Read The Comments (and lol at their title similarities, even!).
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan
Love the collision of romance, action, and magic? Then look no further.
Their world is on the brink of war, and Ahn — who is without a family or past — meets Altan — a lost heir — and the two of them see each other as an answer. Altan may be able to reclaim the throne while Ahn may be able to understand the power of the magical (and deadly) abilities.
There will, of course, be a price to pay in their quest for knowledge, for answers, and for power.
Tan’s stand alone fantasy has been pitched as Girls of Paper and Fire meets A Song of Wraiths and Ruin.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
- MT Anderson’s Feed is getting the adaptation treatment. If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend it — especially on audio.
- Here are this year’s Harvey Awards, including the best YA comic.
- We’re getting a biracial Lois Lane YA graphic novel next year (I’m really excited about this).
- For Aussie readers, you can catch a theatrical adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi in Melbourne in celebration of the books 30th (!!!) anniversary.
- If You Could See The Sun, which released this week, already has been optioned for adaptation.
As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll catch you on Saturday with some great book deals.
In the mean time, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, currently reading Woman, Eating by Claire Kodha (not YA, but would definitely appeal to fans of The Moth Diaries).