Hey, YA Readers!
We enjoyed the nice parts of spring in early and mid-March, so now that we’re officially in spring, it’s time to get real spring—rainy and overcast skies day in and day out. I’ll take it to cold and gray, though!
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Let’s dive into this week’s paperback releases and YA book news, shall we?
Bookish Goods
Bookish Laptop Bag by KitCronkStudio
I think I mentioned this not too long ago, but I try to pick items to share here that are not super pricey. But today’s is too good not to share because 1. it might be in some of your budgets and 2. it could be a wish list item and 3. it’s just cool. Look at this bookish laptop bag! I love the Carpe Librum, the dark academia coloring and flair, and that it’s a bigger backpack for hauling all of your bookish goods around. $103, which is honestly not bad for something handmade like this.
New Releases
Your quarterly guide to all things YA paperbacks will hit Book Riot soon, but know this week is a solid one full of new titles from which to choose. Below are two you’ll want to grab and toss in your tote or pocket for some between-the-rainy-moments outdoor reading.
That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams
Joan works as the person who makes and keeps up with the swords for Shakespeare’s acting company. As a member of the Orisha, she’s been given the gift of controlling metal. Her family, all Orisha, are also tasked with keeping an eye on London’s Fae population; usually, there’s nothing to worry about, but there has been more and more Fae activity recently, including some attacks. So when Joan hurts a powerful member of the Fae, she finds herself in the middle of a battle between the human world and the world of the Fae.
This is the first in a duology, and the sequel, Saint-Seducing Gold, hits shelves on April 23, Billy Shakespeare’s birthday.
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
Stevie and Nora loved one another and had a plan to make their love something they didn’t need to hide. It involved moving away from their conservative hometown and out to California after high school.
Stevie, though, has a terrible fall that leaves her unable to remember much of her life. This includes the plan to leave down and worse, how much she and Nora are in love. Stevie cannot remember anything about the last two years, and her life has become messy, inconsistent, not what she would have wanted before the fall.
As for Nora, she’s unsure how to handle no longer being remembered nor what happens as a result of Stevie no longer wanting the future they had planned.
Since there isn’t a big ole roundup to link to, here are a handful more YA paperbacks hitting shelves this week: A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, Spellbound by F.T. Lukens, Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu, Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti, and The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
It’s another quiet week in the world of YA. I’d like to note that a lot of YA news is happening, but unfortunately, it’s in the book banning sense. You can keep up to date on book banning news with my weekly Literary Activism newsletter.
- We’ve got a release date, a poster, and a trailer for the adaptation of Turtles All The Way Down.
- The Hugo Award finalists were named last week, and though the Lodestar Award for best young adult book is not a Hugo, it’s announced at the same time. Here’s the slate—note that it’s not all YA since YA doesn’t mean anything to folks sometimes.
- Over on The New York Times, Maya Van Wagenen talks about six YA books about teen chronic illness—note that it’s not all YA since YA doesn’t mean anything to folks sometimes (yes, I’m on repeat here).
- Eight YA books are up for the Barnes & Noble Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards for 2024. This slate IS all YA books.
Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday with a new slate of YA ebook deals.
Until then, happy reading!
–Kelly Jensen