Hey, YA Readers!
We’re in spring break mode in my house this week, which of course, means it has been cold and snowy (after weeks of 50, 60, even 70-degree days, it was bound to happen!). But even with lingering snow on the ground, the daffodils are still poking up, and the bright yellow against the white makes them pop even more. I hope wherever you are, you’re finding those bits of spring/autumn that make your heart soar.
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Let’s get into all things YA paperbacks and YA book news for the week.
Bookish Goods
Bookish Bunnies Bookmark by CozyReadsShop
‘Tis the season of all things bunnies, so why not snag one of these cute bunny bookmarks? I’m obsessed with everything from the color to the bunnies themselves. $4.50+, depending on whether or not you want a tassel.
(Psst, this bookmark made me realize I could offer everyone a special picture treat at the bottom of the newsletter, too!)
New Releases
While this week’s new hardcover releases were not superabundant, especially compared to earlier weeks this month, the paperback options were.
Find two of this week’s great paperbacks highlighted below. You can peruse the full list over here. The spring edition of the paperback roundup will be published shortly, and as always, know you might need to toggle your view at the links below to access the paperback version of the title.
Into The Light by Mark Oshiro
Manny is wandering the western United States after being kicked out of a place where he’d been living. He and his sister Elena have been in the foster care system since they were young, so not having a settled place isn’t new territory for him. But what is new is being part of the Varela crew, consisting of adults and teens who are traveling up and down the highway. It’s as close as Manny has ever gotten to a family and he has found himself feeling some romantic feelings toward Carlos, one of the fellow passengers.
During pit stops, Manny cannot stop trying to see the TV and the infomercials about a camp he knows very well. A camp where he and his sister went. A camp from which he was expelled. And now, as he learns, a camp where a dead body has been found. Manny is convinced it’s Elena’s body and that she’s been killed for not following the orders of the camp leader. So now he’s bound and determined to get to Idyllwild and find out, once and for all, if Elena is alive or dead.
At heart, this is a mystery. Who is the girl who died at the camp? Is it Manny’s sister? But this is also a mystery about Manny. Who is he? How did he become who he is? What kind of world has he experienced that has made him shut himself off from both others…and himself? Why is he without a home or family?
Strike the Zither by Joan He
There’s a puppet empress on the throne while the realm is breaking into three separate factions, with three warlordesses itching to get their hands on power. It’s the Xin Dynasty, year 414.
Zephyr sees the battle as being pretty cut and dry. She herself was orphaned very young and became one of the smartest and savviest strategists in the land. As such, she’s served under Xin Ren, one of the warlordesses. Ren is loyal to the empress but Zephyr doesn’t necessarily see this as a bad thing…nor a good thing.
Now with their world being upended, Zephyr needs to infiltrate an enemy camp in order to save Ren’s followers. The problem is that Zephyr meets Crow, an enemy strategist who keeps her on her toes. Now the two of them are going head to head on who can be strongest, smartest, most cunning…so long as, well, feelings don’t get in the way.
This is the first in a duology, and the second book, Sound The Gong, will hit shelves on April 30.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
I think the news is also taking spring break this week since there’s not a whole lot to share.
- The Davenports was picked up by Prime for a television series. This will be so good.
- The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced their shortlists of best books of the year. Here’s the list of YA books.
- This is a little insider-y publishing stuff, but interesting nonetheless. Scholastic invested in an entertainment company called 9 Story recently, which means we’ll begin to see more adaptations of Scholastic titles. There are tons of younger children’s books that make for the perfect fit, but there will be YA titles among them, too.
- I don’t share much book ban stuff here since I have a whole newsletter for that (if you don’t get it, it’s Literary Activism!). But this piece on how prolific book banner Bruce Friedman is obsessed with targeting the comic Banned Book Club is a really good read. (Friedman has gotten my book banned in Clay County, and let’s just say he makes himself look as unhinged here as he is).
- What to read if you’re obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS. It kind of hangs heavy on Jenny Han—whose books are great!—but know you’ll see her series pop up a few times.
I promised a little treat at the end, so here it is. This is my rabbit Goldie with her favorite of the kitties. That cat has two brain cells fighting for third place, but he is very pretty.
Thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday with some book deals.
Until then, happy reading!
–Kelly Jensen, currently reading Snowglobe by Soyoung Park, translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort