Hello again, YA readers!
‘Tis I, Erica, back on the YA ones and twos.
I’ve got some absolute bangers to talk to you about today. One of them (Huda F Cares?) is even a finalist for this year’s National Book Awards.
Before we get to them, just wanted to say that since autumn is here, many of us will be gravitating towards the Cozy. And, whatever cozy means for you, be it romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or whatever, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.
Bookish Goods
Kindle Bookish Sticker Pack or Individual Sticker by RusmiahsCreations
I love the soft, pastel color scheme of these stickers, which you can get individually at $3 each, or in a pack for $12.50.
New Releases
Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy
I remember discussing the prequel to this book, Huda F Are You?, during a Hey YA episode months ago, and I also remember saying how much I’d love a sequel. Well, here we are! Seriously, the first book was so funny I read it in one sitting. Huda F Cares? looks like it follows the same formula as the first book: it’s a graphic novel with a charming art style that follows Huda as she figures things out. In this one, Huda and her sisters are shocked that their parents are actually taking them on a vacation. And to Disney World, no less! But the road trip from Michigan to Florida is a mess — Huda’s sisters are Annoying, and Huda isn’t sure how she feels about public praying because of all the attention her family is getting for it.
The Prince & the Coyote by David Bowles, illustrated by Amanda Mijangos
This one is so unique! In terms of setting, form, and subject matter, it serves. In 1418, in Pre-Columbian Mexico, 15-year-old crown prince Acolmiztli is a poet and singer with philosophical leanings who has many ideas that will help his people. But the kingdom isn’t exactly at peace, and his father ends up dead, with his mother and siblings in exile. He himself escapes to the wilderness, where he meets a coyote that helps him (and leads to him taking on the new name Nezahualcoyotl, or “fasting coyote”). Neza falls in love with a commoner girl and bides his time, hoping that the new alliances he made will lead him back to his family and to saving his kingdom. One thing that absolutely gagged me about this book is that it includes translated poems written by Nezahualcoyotl himself. How dope is that?
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I thought of this topic mainly because Songs of Irie is out today and it made me think of how I’ve always loved reading historical fiction as a way to learn about historical events. I can credit historical fiction for a good chunk of my understanding around certain historical topics, even. Furthermore, I’ve found fiction, and YA fiction in particular, to be such a great medium to parse out feelings surrounding complicated issues. So, today’s recs are two historical fiction novels that cover civil unrest in two different countries.
Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield
In ’70s Jamaica, even with chaos filling the streets, two girls find their way to each other. But as the country’s classes become more and more divided, so do they. Irie comes from a rougher, more violent Kingston, while Jilly lives a plush life behind gates in a wealthy area. Though the two bond through a love of Reggae and time spent together in Irie’s father’s record shop, Irie feels she has no choice but to speak out against the wrong that surrounds her; wrong which Jilly can escape from at any time.
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
It’s Malaysia in 1969 and Melati Ahmad is typical in many ways — she loves music (especially The Beatles) and going to the movies. But she also has OCD that causes her to believe she has a horrible djinn living inside her whose power is only increasing. When the racial tensions between the Chinese and the Malays of Kuala Lumpur bursts into violence, Melati gets separated from her mother. There’s a 24-hour curfew, no lines of communication, and no way for her to find her mother, unless she can summon the courage to overcome her fear and prejudices to get help from a Chinese kid named Vincent.
Thanks for hanging out!
Kelly’s back after this newsletter send, but it’s been fun! If you’d like to say “hi,” you can find me on the Hey YA podcast, the In Reading Color newsletter, and the In the Club newsletter.
Until next time!
— Erica