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Teen Gamers, Upcoming SFF, and More YA Book Talk and News: January 11, 2024

Hey, YA Readers,

I write you from early in the week before we know whether we’ll be getting a foot of snow or just a dusting. I know many of y’all are getting your first significant weather for the winter, and, well, as far as I am concerned—actual pile of snow or not—it’s the perfect time to hunker down with a book.

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Let’s dive into this week’s paperback releases and YA book news.

Bookish Goods

tote bag with vintage style font that says "reading is activism."

Reading Is Activism Tote Bag by angiepea

Use this tote bag to carry your latest library or bookstore finds—we know it speaks the truth. The vintage font and color scheme are A+. $25.

New Releases

Two very different books to share today in the realm of new young adult paperbacks. There is an interesting theme to both of the titles, though: gaming!

You can grab the full list of new YA paperback releases for winter 2024 here.

dungeons and drama book cover

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

This paperback original is one for fans of rom-coms and nerdery.

Riley loves musicals, and her goal is to become a director on Broadway. She knows getting a role in the school’s spring musical is crucial. But when Riley doesn’t get permission before borrowing her mom’s car, she’s grounded. She’ll be forced to work at her dad’s game shop as a punishment.

Riley doesn’t have time for this, of course. She’s got the musical. So she’ll convince one of the other employees to cover her shifts in exchange for flirting with him. This will help him get the attention of his crush…maybe.

Maybe because it may be that Riley starts to catch some real feelings for Nathan, thanks to some intense games of Dungeons & Dragons.

while you were dreaming book cover

While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai

Sonia Patil hopes she’ll be able to catch the attention of her crush at the local comic-con. But in a weird twist of fate, Sonia ends up saving her crush after he faints into a canal. No one knows it was her, though, since she was dressed up, and now, everyone wants to know who the masked heroine was.

Problem? Sonia’s sister is undocumented, and her mother was deported; they’ve been trying to stay under the radar. So, as people work to uncover the do-gooder, Sonia worries that all of the positive attention might lead to some very negative consequences for her, for her family, and for her future with her crush.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday with a roundup of excellent YA book deals.

Until then, stay safe if you’re getting winter weather, and, of course, happy reading!

–Kelly Jensen, currently listening to Swipe Up for More! by Stephanie McNeal