Hey YA Readers!
This is the last time I’ll be writing you since Kelly’s back this week! *blows club horn*
I feel some type of way that November is tomorrow. #1: I wanted to engage in more spooky things, #2: how dare this year move this fast *sobs*. But here we are! One cool thing about November is it’s Indigenous Peoples’ Month, and I’ve got a couple great books that help us celebrate that.
I hope everyone eats all the candy and has fun tonight!
Bookish Goods
Sailor Moon, Luna & Artemis Peeker Sticker by ThingsByZenn
You don’t have to be a Sailor Moon fan to want a pair of adorable moon kitties to peek up at you every time you open your laptop! $3+
New Releases
Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win by Susan Azim Boyer
Jasmine Zumideh is in high school in 1979 California and just itching to leave for NYU where she’ll study to become a music journalist. She’s already applied and everything’s in order, except she kinda sorta lied about being Senior Class President-Elect. *ahem* She entered into the race for it, and it’s not like she’d ever lose to Gerald, who wants to enforce a dress code. But then Iran becomes a hot topic on the news because of an incident and now Jasmine is caught between her outspoken brother, who’s proud of their heritage, and the anti-Iranian sentiments that have started coming out.
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
The town of Hemlock Falls is out of the way, not on maps, and has no cell phone reception. It also has a forest full of monsters that come out at night, and an ancient order called the Luminaries who protect humanity from these monsters. And Winnie can’t wait to restore her family’s name by entering the deadly trials to become a Luminary. When she enlists the help of her ex-best friend Jay to help her train, she soon learns that he knows a little too much about the monstrous forest…
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Elatsoe lives in an alternate America where pistachio ice cream and homework are just as real as vampires and the fairies. She herself has an ability passed down from her sixth great grandmother where she can raise the ghosts of dead animals. When her cousin comes to her in a dream explaining that he’s dead and to bring his murderer to justice, her investigations lead her to a mysterious town that isn’t as pleasant as it seems. I loved how this one featured mythological creatures from different cultures.
This Place: 150 Years Retold by various authors
Through various art styles and different voices comes this graphic novel anthology that tells the stories of Indigenous people in the land now known as Canada. From serial killers to time travel and psychic battles, these untold stories give a good glimpse into Indigenous life.
And, in about damn time news, the Canadian House of Commons has voted to label residential schools as genocide. More work needs to be done (stateside as well), but it’s a step in the right direction.
Thanks for joining me today! If you want to say hi, find me on the Hey YA podcast with Tirzah, on Twitter @erica_eze_, or in the In Reading Color or In the Club newsletters.
Until next time,
Erica