Author: Kelly Jensen

Hey YA readers!

Before diving into the latest YA book news and new releases — of which both are slimmer this week than usual — a request! Or maybe it’s more of an opportunity.

Hannah and I will be doing an all-request episode of Hey YA on November 25, wherein you can ask for a book recommendation for a gift idea (or yourself!) and we’ll do our best to give you one during the show. All you have to do is drop your request in this form by Monday, November 16. Easy peasy!

YA Book News

• The trailer for Mismatched, based off When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon, looks amazing.
• Check out the latest YA book for Reese’s Book Club.
• The adaptation of Trickster, which had been limited to Canadian release, will hit the CW in January. It’s based on a series by a First Nations writer.
• Everyone’s favorite Jason Reynolds will host the National Book Awards.
• Christine Herman’s The Devouring Gray might see an adaptation.
• I don’t typically include publishing insider news here, but this will be of interest to many readers. Joan He, author of Descendent of the Crane, is one of many authors who haven’t been paid by the publisher. She shares the entire legal battle and where/how to preorder her next book (which isn’t from the same publisher).

New YA Books

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White (series)

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

The City of the Uncommon Thief by Lynne Bertrand

Crown of Oblivion by Julie Eshbaugh (paperback, series)

Divided Fire by Jennifer San Filippo

Don’t Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch (series, paperback)

The Ever Cruel Kingdom by Rin Chupeco (series)

Harlem Stomp by Laban Carrick Hill

Heartstopper: Volume 2 by Alice Oseman (paperback, series)

Here The Whole Time by Vitor Martins and translated by Larissa Helena

How To Pack for the End of the World by Michelle Falkoff

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie (paperback)

Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

Love and Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

Mariam Sharma Hits The Road by Sheba Karim (paperback)

Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett

Otherlife by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller (series)

Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault (series)

Rent-A-Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

Sasha Masha by Agnes Borinsky

The Sky Weaver by Kristen Ciccarelli (series, paperback)

Stormrise by Jillian Boehme (paperback)

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle (paperback)

This Week at Book Riot

• Tirzah offers 10 YA books for your November TBR.
• Dig into some of the best epistolary YA novels.
• Summer Scares is back for 2021, and if you aren’t using it to get to know your YA horror a little more, you should!
• Parents sue a North Carolina charter school for its use of The Poet X in classrooms.
• Though this list isn’t exclusively YA, there are some outstanding YA books on here about online harassment.
• Want to read even more award-winning YA books? You’ll want to get to know these book awards!

Grab this too-true initial necklace for yourself or your other favorite bookworm. $14.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday for some great ebook deals.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Lovers!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found a lot of comfort and solace in reading comics this year. Maybe because I’m drawn in by gorgeous art or a storyline that proves to move swiftly (or both!), I’ve been unable to get enough comic reading in.

Since this month I’m highlighting YA nonfiction, why not take a gander at some great nonfiction comics for YA readers?

What makes nonfiction comics so compelling is that they offer a way into so many lives. The art enhances the stories, making them immersive, urgent, and timely, no matter when or where they’re set.

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Thanks again for hanging out, and I hope you’re hanging in there. We’ll see you later this week for even more YA book talk.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s catch up on the latest in YA book news and take a peek at the short list of new books out on shelves this week.

YA Book News

• This is a handy guide for teachers and librarians about how to do better teaching Native and Indigenous stories and history.
• E. Lockhart is helping bring a new hero to the scene for DC Comics. This looks like my jam!
• Trans inclusive fantasy reads for fans of Harry Potter.
• The adaptation of Concrete Cowboy was picked up by Netflix.
• Casting news for Apple’s adaptation of The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.
• Sharon Flake’s classic The Skin I’m In was adapted into a play you can watch from home later in November. The tickets are limited.
• I’m so excited to see these fat girls on YA book covers for 2021.
• And finally, some casting news for season two of Love, Victor.

New YA Books This Week

As always, some of the publication dates may have shifted because this is the year 2020. Thanks to those of you who’ve sent updates when appropriate because I can’t keep up with ’em all, despite how I try. Note that you may need to toggle to paperback to see that edition when you click the below links.

A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier (series)

All I Want For Christmas by Wendy Loggia (paperback)

As I Descended by Robin Talley (paperback)

Beautiful Wild by Anna Godbersen

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer (paperback)

The Girl Who Wasn’t There by Penny Joelson (paperback)

Goblin King by Kara Barbieri (series)

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

Lost Roads by Jonathan Maberry (series)

Mind The Gap, Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (paperback)

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (series)

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson (paperback, series)

The Toll by Neal Shusterman (paperback, series)

White Stag by Kara Barbieri (series, paperback)

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw (paperback)

YA Book Talk at Book Riot

Over on Book Riot this week…

• Five excellent YA collector and special editions perfect for gifting.
• These middle grade book series would make for good YA crossover reading.
• Why are teenage girls so scary?
• We’re getting season two of The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix.
• Read your way into the work of Maureen Johnson.
• Add these 2021 YA books about witches to your TBR.

I really encourage you to click through and enlarge the image of this Sweet Valley High A-line dress. I didn’t know I needed to see it and my day is a little brighter for it. $49. If any of you buy this, you need to send me a photo so I can share it because it is amazing.

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Thanks for hanging out on this wild ride called 2020. See you on Monday with some more YA nonfiction talk.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

Welcome to November, a month for celebrating all things nonfiction. In the Monday newsletters this month, I’m going to highlight some of the best in YA nonfiction and today kicks off with the why of it.

Once again, Goodreads has put forth their annual Goodreads Choice Awards without a category for nonfiction for young readers. It’s something they do annually, and it always feels like such a slight for a giant category of powerful books that deserve their time in the spotlight. The following piece is adapted from a post I wrote about needing to highlight incredible nonfiction for young readers back in 2016, and it still stands true in 2020.

Note that something a little bit tricky about nonfiction for young readers is often the age range doesn’t align neatly with traditional middle grade and YA categorization. It’s not uncommon to see books for ages 10 and up, as opposed to more traditional 8-12 or 12 and up. This isn’t true for all nonfiction for young readers, but worth keeping in mind through the month and in your explorations of nonfiction.

Where’s The Love for Nonfiction for Young Readers?

Perusing the lists for this year’s Goodreads Choice nominees, categories aren’t entirely surprising. There’s YA fiction, YA science fiction and fantasy, poetry, debut novels (which cover both adult and young adult categories), romance, autobiography, and more. But missing from the lists?

Nonfiction for young readers.

Is it that no one is reading these books? Or is it that we’re not talking about them in such a way that makes them stand out as the kinds of books worth reading for pleasure? Is it because these books aren’t marketed toward adult readers in the same way that many YA books are?

As our canon of young readers literature grows and the books become better and better, it’s worth pausing to take a look at what it is we’re really talking about with YA lit. YA encompasses both fiction and nonfiction, genre and non-genre, and all of those aspects of YA help make it the rich, wide collection that it is.

A quick perusal of any bookstore’s YA section showcases at least a stack of nonfiction titles. If you haven’t paid attention lately, perhaps now is the time to pause — maybe you’d be surprised to know that the nonfiction arena of YA contains the most obvious and celebrated diversity so far. There are memoirs by young people of color, gripping adventure stories by people of all abilities and backgrounds, and collective works that introduce readers to a wide array of science, historical, and cultural topics that, though available in adult nonfiction, are written to and for young readers in thoughtful, encouraging, engaging, and exciting ways. These books do not dumb down any topics but instead engage young readers in ways that appeal specifically to them.

Just this year alone, nonfiction in YA has tackled topics like anti-racism, Black voting rights, being an immigrant from Korea, Charles Lindbergh, a visual history of protest, Gloria Steinem, queer consciousness, and so much more. These are highly appealing titles for young readers . . . as well as those of us who enjoy good books, period.

One thing I didn’t anticipate as I began writing more about nonfiction was the response I’d get from parents, teachers, librarians, and others who work with younger readers. They’ve thanked me — these are the kinds of books their kids love, but they’re also the kinds of books that are hard to find and hard to make sense of because they don’t get the same kind of attention in the book world as fiction does.

So let me issue a challenge to readers of middle grade and YA: pick up a nonfiction title or two. Enjoy the way those books are packaged and thoughtfully constructed. Examine how creative the narrative threads are or the ways the author selected their focus on a topic. Challenge yourself to find bias in those titles and whether or not the argument is well defended throughout the story. Pick up an interesting fact or two that you can carry with you always — for me, that would be Nellie Bly’s pet monkey (she picked that up in her round-the-world trip) and how that pet monkey destroyed her dishes upon her return home from her biography Ten Days a Madwoman.

Then share those books. Share them with other readers, young or not-so-young, and then keep exploring. For those who write about books, create more book lists or discussions that include nonfiction. Spread the word about these books as much as you do fiction; in many cases, they’re as gripping narratively as the latest suspense title. While we have to work harder now to find these books, that work is rewarding because of the treasures that exist in nonfiction.

The selection of nonfiction for young readers is a deep pool that keeps getting better and better.

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Keep your eyes here throughout the month for excellent YA nonfiction recommendations and themed lists to help you wade even further into this exciting category of books.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you Thursday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

Here’s your biweekly curated list of the best YA ebook deals you can snag. There’s something here for every type of reader. All deals are current as of Friday, October 30, and note that because a lot of deals expire at the end of a month, you’ll want to grab these sooner, rather than later.

Get your seasonal reading fix with Pumpkinheads, a graphic novel by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks, for $3.

The Naturals by Jennnifer Lynn Barnes, a teen crime thriller, is on sale for $1. Good news: if you love it, there are more books to this series to enjoy.

Daniel Kraus’s Bent Heavens is one of my favorite 2020 reads. It’s science fiction horror featuring an alien story that asks very human questions. $3.

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon, which is on my TBR, is a perfect dark read for the season and on sale for $2.

If you need a good rom com, I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest will do you well. Featuring a ballerina and a road trip! $3.

Marie Lu’s recent standalone fantasy The Kingdom of Back is $3.

One of my favorite graphic memoirs in recent memory is Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl, which is on sale for $2.

Want a ghostly graphic novel? Vera Brosgol’s Anya’s Ghost is $3.

Itching for some new takes on classic Edgar Allan Poe stories? His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler and featuring some of the best writers of YA today is currently $3.

Black girl magic is the theme of the anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell. Grab it for $3.50.

A pair of witchy reads you’ll want to snag: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is $3 and These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling is $3. Both are the first books in a series.

Grab Malinda Lo’s Huntress while it’s on sale for $2.

While you’re digging into the Malinda Lo backlist, do not miss out on her science fiction duology Adaptation and Inheritance. Each one is a whole $1.

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So! Many! Good! Deals! Treat yourself and load up your ereader for the long nights and, if applicable, the cooler weather.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Fans!

I hope you’re able to be reading something excellent right now. I’ll admit, my reading has been slow all year long, and that’s especially been the case the last few weeks.

Let’s take a look at the latest in YA book news and new YA books for this week. Note that it’s a little quieter than normal on both fronts.

YA Book News

• This is going to be neat to see: Victoria Aveyard and Soman Chainani are combining their two YA book series into a graphic novel.
• I don’t know if the Summer of ’85 film is only in the UK or there’s access to it elsewhere, but because it’s based on a very early gay YA novel, I wanted to include a link to a review of it for those who want to seek it out.
• Quibi apparently had the rights to Alex Morel’s Survive, a YA novel about plane crash survivors. It’s unclear what’ll happen to the adaptation now. (Nice use of “up in the air” there, Kirkus).
• The adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone is going to Lucasfilm, which is the first non-franchise film for the company.
• Some additional adaptation news for VE Schwab: her short story from the anthology Vampires Never Get Old is getting a series treatment.
• Jennifer Donnelly’s Poisoned was optioned for potential adaptation.

New YA Books

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (series)

Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell

Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden

Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson (paperback, series)

Songs From The Deep by Kelly Powell (paperback)

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price (paperback)

The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney

Warriors of Wing and Flame by Sara B. Larson (series)

This Week at Book Riot

• If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll want to read these YA books.
• A reader shares her thoughts on Edward and Midnight Sun.
• Take a quiz and discover which YA romance you should cozy up with this season.
• New graphic novels hitting shelves this fall for children and teens.
• I absolutely loved this look at how The Baby-Sitters Club novels were turned into graphic novels.
• Why Tiffany D. Jackson’s “stressed” writing style matters so much.
• Last, but not least, add some YA graphic memoirs to your TBR.

Love magical stories? Then you might need this sweet magic enamel pin. $8.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday with your YA ebook deals.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

There really hasn’t been a standout YA book this year. Which isn’t to say there aren’t stacks and stacks of awesome YA reads, but rather, because this has been such an unusual year (understatement), many books have just not seen the same kind of attention they would have in less weird years.

For debut authors, it’s been especially bizarre. To launch your first book in a world full of chaos means even more unknowns than usual.

But dang, there have been some outstanding debut YA novels this year. Let’s take a look at six that you shouldn’t sleep on — grab ’em if you haven’t yet gotten the chance!

I’ve pulled descriptions from the publisher, since I, too, have slept on many of these. Which isn’t to say I don’t want to read them, but rather, my attention span for reading in 2020 hasn’t been the norm. Short notes in bold beneath titles are my own.

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So! Many! Great! Books! I hope you’ve found one or several new ones for your TBR.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

For a year that’s been twelve years long, it’s amazing we’re this close to the end of it, isn’t it?

Let’s dive into this week’s YA book news and new YA books. We have less on the news side and more on the new books side, which means you’ll be able to allocate a little more time for your next favorite read.

YA Book News

• A Black woman is now on board to direct the adaptation of Angie Thomas’s On The Come Up — Wanuri Kahiu is the same director who will be working on the adaptation of The Black Kids.
• This is publishing insider baseball, but for those who love that kinda news, there’s been a change to the Jimmy Patterson line of books for young readers.
• The new Gayle Forman book coming out next year is the fourth one I can think of from within the last year that’s set at an indie bookstore. The others are Aminah Mae Safi’s This Is All Your Fault, Jennifer Dugan’s Verona Comics (technically an indie comic shop), Recommended For You by Laura Silverman, and The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters. I highlighted these books in a June 2020 newsletter.
• I Know What You Did Last Summer is getting a TV series adaptation.
• Peep the cover and synopsis of the new Tahereh Mafi book.

New YA Books

Among The Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout (series)

The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout (series, paperback)

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Reading and Writing of YA edited by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (paperback)

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson (paperback)

My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi (series)

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth (paperback)

Warmaidens by Kelly Coon (series)

You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock

This Week at Book Riot

• I dug into why I related to Jessica Darling from the Sloppy Firsts book so deeply . . . and why her books, which will be getting a rerelease with updated language and covers in the spring, will still resonate with YA readers 20 years later.
• Sink your teeth into some excellent vampire YA.
• Fantasy YA about girls of the high seas.

How great are these YA book pencils? The set of seven comes out to $15.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Monday!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Pals!

Let’s look at some rad YA book art today. Specifically, this roundup of YA book art is all for purchase, but rather than needing to wait to receive it in the mail, you can immediately download and print them. This means you can often adjust the size, can print however you prefer, and you can frame with whatever you’ve got handy (or choose not to frame at all!).

Note: this roundup is primarily featuring books by white authors. This is because of the limitations on what the roundup is (printable book art) and not a reflection of either YA or fandom art and goods more broadly.

A gorgeous print honoring Queen of Nothing by Holly Black. $5.

 

“You belonged in the library as much as any book” is such a great quote. From Sorcery of Thorns. $6.

The quote alongside the carousel makes this print from Caraval kind of creepy, doesn’t it? $4.

I really love how minimalist this Lara Jean quote print is! $6.

 

Why not have the cover of Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On on your wall? $9.

Love Simon (Love, Simon)? You’ll love this quote from Becky Albertalli’s book. $4.

I’ve never read Throne of Glass, but this art is so gorgeous that I want it. $6.

A quote for the Darkling fans in the Grishaverse. $8.

 

Last, but not least, a gorgeous Strange The Dreamer quote print. $7.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Readers!

Grab your ereader and prepare to fill it with so much excellent YA to dive into now and through the season of early darkness.

I’m putting this newsletter together early, so know these deals may have expired by the time you open it up (fingers crossed that’s not the case!).

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus is a fabulous horror read about aliens…and humans. $3.

I’ve had Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon on my TBR for a while. For $2, it’s time for me to act!

Celebrate Latinx literature beyond Latinx Heritage Month with Sister Chicas by Lisa Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal, and Jane Alberdeston Coralin. $2

Kristina Forest’s I Wanna Be Where You Are is the perfect read for right now, and it’s on sale for $3.

Grab War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi for a whopping $3.  

A twist on the story of the Queen of Hearts sound like your jam? Heartless by Marissa Meyer is $3.

Want a fantasy read? The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is $3.

The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco is on sale for $2.

If you’ve got an itch for some vampire YA, The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh is $3.

Another vampire YA for you to sink your teeth into: Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. $2.

Perhaps you’re looking for something witchy, and if that’s the case, grab The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw. $2.

Kat Cho’s Wicked Fox is on sale for $4.

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake and Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol are perfect for those seeking good ghost stories. $3 each.

Last. but not least, you can take flight with Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy for $2.

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Here’s to finding your next favorite YA read!

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Monday.

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.