Hey YA Readers!
It’s June! June is one of my favorite months of the year, and it’s one where I notice I’m able to read a little more than usual (longer days, more energy, more time outside, etc.). We’ll see if that holds true this year. All I know is I have a big TBR I want to get through and fast.
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I am obsessed with these rainbow pressed flower bookmarks. 50% of proceeds from these beautiful pride-themed bookmarks will be donated to TRANSFORM CINCY – an organization in Cincinnati, OH that provides full free wardrobes to trans and non-binary youth with everything they need head to toe. $5 and up.
New Releases
Note: since I had completely forgotten that Monday’s US holiday meant no newsletter, my typical pattern of how I share new releases is a little off kilter. Here you’ll find two hardcover new releases and then below, two paperback. We’ve had a slow news week, so a mega roundup of YA news will hit next Thursday. Sound peachy?
Here’s the full roundup of hardcover YA releases this week and full roundup of paperback YA releases this week.
Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilsen
Miliani, Inez, Natalie, and Jasmine are best friends who love their town of Providence, Rhode Island. To them, it is all things magic. But when Jasmine is killed by a drunk driver, the friends are shattered. In an effort to work through their grief, they decide to resurrect Jasmine’s spirit using their combined magic. The problem is it does not go anything as they’d planned. If you love friendship stories and stories about magic (with a little Filipine magic), this debut will be up your alley.
Private Label by Kelly Yang
Serene and Lian are two very different teens: Serene is popular, with a hot boyfriend, and she’s the daughter of a famous fashion designer. Lian is a newcomer and his parents push him to take advantage of every studying opportunity possible to ensure he gets top test scores and gets into the best school possible.
So when tragedy strikes Serene’s life and she meets Lian in a very unexpected way, the two of them form a bond that will push both of them to become who they are truly meant to be. This is a tougher read, but it’s one that has a rewarding payoff–content note here for cancer, but this is where I add that no one will die and the very end of the book is feel good.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
New YA Paperbacks
Blackout by Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nicola Yoon, Nic Stone
This rockstar author list should be enough to indicate how fabulous this interwoven short story collection is. But if you need more: what happens when New York City experiences a major power outage? Follow several teens who are in various areas across the city and get to know their stories–and how their stories all collide on this one unusual day.
Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews
A gender-twisted remake of Daphne and Apollo, Andrews’s debut — first in a duology — Daphne, who has been training her mind and body to that of a warrior, has her life completely changed when she’s forced to find the nine items stolen from Mount Olympus. If she’s unsuccessful, not only will the power of the gods dissipate, but so will that of mortals . . . and more importantly to Daphne, her brother’s life may come to an end.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
As always, thanks for hanging out! We’ll see you on Saturday for your new month of awesome book deals. Until then, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.