Hey YA Readers!
I write to you today from my cozy corner at the cafe I love, sipping a surprise latte that’s got some delicious cinnamon notes. It’s rainy, about 68 degrees, and everything you could want when it comes to fall. Will it last? I have no idea. But I definitely feel like I am coming alive. I continue my reading spree with joy and am looking forward to finishing my current read later today.
Before we hit today’s roundup of paperback releases and news (so much interesting stuff!!): did you know that Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive? During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required! (My piece for this month centers on the increase of book prices over the last 5 years, and previously, I wrote about the publishing power of Barbie!).
Bookish Goods
Pink Halloween Bookshelf Sticker by TheHauntedHalo
If you’re a pastel Halloween lover, then this bookish sticker is for you (even if you’re not into the pastel aspect, fans of all things Halloween season will dig this). There are so many fun seasonal finds in this shop, but this sticker might end up in my cart. $3.
New Releases
It’s paperback time, and there are so many great ones hitting shelves this week. You can grab the whole list here. As always, you might need to toggle your view when you click the link to find the paperback edition.
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki
Anne is the following things: an ABBA lover, a performer and creator of disco-operas, queer, Japanese American, and now, plopped into small town Greenville where she is starting at a new school. She’s hoping that, despite the small town, people will see her for who she is and appreciate every element of her character.
That…does not happen. In fact, she’s booed by the soccer team for one of her performances. It’s not fun, but it does introduce her to her new best friend and a new crush, too.
It becomes complicated, though, as Anne ignores her new friend in pursuit of romance, only to realize she might have feelings for *both* of them.
This is a fun, queer take on Anne of Green Gables.
Monstrous by Jessica Lewis
This paperback original is being compared to both Supernatural and Lovecraft Country and sounds so good.
Latavia is living in small town Sanctum, Alabama, for the summer. Her aunt with whom she is living has a LOT of rules for her, including that she cannot go out after dark and cannot, under any circumstances, go into Red Wood. Latavia is not thrilled with the rules, but she’s found herself crushing on the cute girl at the local ice cream shop, so she’s got a way to keep herself occupied.
But the longer Latavia is in Sanctum, the more she begins to suspect there is something going on with the town. That there are secrets in the Red Wood that everyone is keeping from her. That those secrets might mean she’ll never, ever leave again.
YA Book News
- Here’s the long list for this year’s National Book Awards in Young People’s Literature. It looks fantastic and just grew my TBR!
- There’s a new award for LGBTQ+ children’s/YA books. Meet the Jacqueline Woodson award.
- All of the YA science fiction and fantasy hitting shelves this month.
- These viewer stats for the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime are impressive – and a reminder stories aimed at female audiences are money makers (hi Barbie!).
- David Levithan on the current rise of book bans. He’s no stranger to this experience.
- I love retro reviews of old YA books. Over on Tor, a look at a pair of 90s teen horror titles all about campus life.
- The power of self-discovery, as experienced by the author and filmmaker behind Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (which is out now!).
- The (long overdue) rise of Black Final Girls in YA horror.
- The influence of golden age detective fiction on today’s YA.
- This year’s winners and honorees of the Dragon Awards for fantasy are here in YA and middle grade.
- The iconic suspense of Lois Duncan.
Thanks, as always, for hanging out. We will see you on Saturday for some great deals.
Until then, happy reading!
–Kelly Jensen, currently reading Phoebe’s Diary by Phoebe Wahl.