Author: Kelly Jensen

Hey YA Fans: Let’s talk news!

There’s been a nice wave of YA news and updates in the last few weeks (and some confirmation of a rumor from the last roundup, too!).

• So the Marcus Flutie teaser Megan McCafferty dropped on Twitter was a hint about this: The Jessica Darling series is being adapted (and by another YA author to boot!). If you haven’t watched the adaptation of the middle grade novels on Netflix, you should — if the original series is even half as good, this is going to be a great adaptation.
• We’ll be seeing more Lauren Oliver content in conjunction with Amazon Prime. This is interesting, as it puts her packaging company with a connection to a distributor and suggests Prime is itching for more teen content.
• And ACE Entertainment is focusing on YA content, too.
• The Troop will be adapted, which is great news for horror lovers.
• Speaking of YA, adaptations, and connections to visual creation: the force behind the show The Bold Type has a YA book coming out next year . . . which she is also adapting for streaming.
• Not enough arms have flailed about this adaptation of Ghetto Cowboy. Holy moly.
• There’s a Marissa Meyer Renegades fan art contest, which would be especially fun to share with the young readers in your life who cannot get enough of the series. Ends August 26, so there’s plenty of time still.
• The last season of The 100 is here.
• For the older readers among us, there’s a new Harry Potter themed bar in Dallas.
• Holly Black writing a Maleficent novel is the best thing.
• We’re also getting an Unstoppable Wasp YA novel.
• Tiny Pretty Things is the YA book series I cannot wait to see on Netflix.
• LucasFilms’s first non-Star Wars and non-Indiana Jones project since becoming part of Disney is . . . Children of Blood and Bone!
• A little bit of a blast from the past here (in more ways than one!): Lindsey Leavitt’s Going Vintage is being adapted. This looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.
• I have it on high authority (which you’ll know about soon enough) that the Netflix adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club is going to be fantastic. And with these two stars as Kristy’s parents, I feel secure in that proclamation.
• Anna K, which comes out next year, is already being adapted. The book and adaptation look amazing (yes, it’s a riff on the classic Anna Karenina!).
• You know what’s awesome about all of the adaptation news here? How many are books by authors of color. Let’s add Elizabeth Acevedo and With The Fire On High to the list.
• I’ve seen very little talk about Tim Tingle’s next book being canceled because of harassment allegations.
• I’m surprised people were still watching 13 Reasons Why. The show is ending after season four.

 

 

This “I Heart Books” decal is perfect for back-to-school, whether or not you go back to school or simply read books about people in school. $1.75 and up, with tons of colors to choose from.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Monday where we take a peek at YA looks across the globe.

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

Hey YA Readers!

Anthologies in the world of YA are having a moment. Or, rather, they’re continuing to have moments — they’ve really been on the rise over the last five or so years after quite a few years of being quiet.

What makes anthologies special is the ability to sample the writing styles of so many different writers. Likewise, anthologies allow readers to dip in and out of a collection, without feeling the pressure to read cover-to-cover. As an editor of YA anthologies myself, I think about this a lot — I want readers to feel comfortable picking the book up and setting it down wherever feels right and that putting the book aside for weeks won’t impact the greater experience of the book. This is, after all, how so many teens need to read, given how many other things pull their attention.

Let’s take a peek at five anthologies hitting bookshelves this fall (and early next year) that should be on your radar.

Color Outside The Lines edited by Sangu Mandanna (November 12)

This anthology has such a blockbuster line up of writers. At the center is the idea of diversity in relationships, so the book features short stories about interracial romances, LGBTQ+ romances, and more. Authors include Eric Smith, Anna-Marie McLemore, LL McKinney, Adam Silvera, and more.

 

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler (September 10)

I’m 100% here for a collection of stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe classics. This particular collection does that, and it also offers up the original story alongside it for a really neat reading experience. Authors in this collection include Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Caleb Roehrig, and more. I haven’t listened to the audio of this one, but most of (maybe all of?) the authors recorded their own stories, so it might be one for audiophiles to check out that way!

It’s A Whole Spiel edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman (September 17)

There is a real lack of Jewish characters in YA, so this collection is such a wonderful place to hear stories from a wide range of Jewish characters and Jewish writers. The anthology boasts a wide range of genres and tones, with everything from sweet rom coms to explorations of coming to terms with what it means to be Jewish. Authors include David Levithan, Nova Ren Suma, Adi Alsaid, and more.

A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell (March 2020)

Long-time newsletter subscribers may remember when Patrice wrote a fabulous piece for us last year, and I know I’ve been waiting (im)patiently for her first book to arrive. What better introduction than this anthology out early next year that explores black girl magic. Black girls and gender nonconforming teens are central characters in this speculative fiction collection. Authors include stars like Dhonielle Clayton, Elizabeth Acevedo, Ibi Zoboi, and more.

Take The Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance edited by Bethany C. Marrow (October 1)

This book cover is frame-worthy! A timely anthology of short stories about resistance. This would pair so well with so many of the nonfiction books about resistance we’ve seen over the last few years, and it features standout writers like Jason Reynolds, Samira Ahmed, Keah Brown, and more. Resistance is explored in all of its myriad shapes and forms, from protest parades to self-love.

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Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you later this week for some YA news (so many exciting pieces to share!).

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

Fire up your ereaders, YA fans! Here are some excellent ebook deals for your weekend reading needs.

Prices are current as of Friday, August 9.

Natasha Ngan’s Girls of Paper and Fire, a queer fantasy and first in a series, is $3.

• Would you like more queer YA fantasy? You’re in luck, as Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst is $2 (and first in a seies, too!).
• Grab Marissa Meyer’s Renegades for $3.
• Garth Nix’s Sabriel is a whopping $2.
• Rae Carson’s The Girl of Fire and Thorns, which kicks off a trilogy, has a beautiful new cover and is $2.
• If you haven’t read Deborah Heiligman’s award winning biography Vincent and Theo and love art history, snag it for $3.

If you want something Dexter-like, then Rebecca Schaeffer’s Not Even Bones — first in a series! — will do you well. $3.

• Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier, first in an epic fantasy series, is on sale for $3.
• Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction is an anthology of Japanese teen friendship stories and looks interesting! Grab it for $3.
• I can never get enough Groundhog Day inspired stories, so I’ll be picking up Pretty In Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Compton for $2.
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is $2.
• Psychological thriller fans will want Kara Thomas’s Little Monsters for $2. The Darkest Corners is also $2.
• Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns is $2.

Pick up Cory McCarthy’s Now A Major Motion Picture for $2.

• Laura Silverman’s Girl Out Of Water is $3.

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

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

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s catch up on recent YA book talk over on site.

• This year is on fire with queer YA. Here are 10 more titles starring queer girls to hit shelves this year.
• The best YA novels about DC Superheroes.
• 12 YA books about obsessive compulsive disorder.
• A powerful YA books about racism in the UK.
• Read your way into the work of YA giant David Levithan.
• 50 beautiful sentences from YA books.
• Queer self-help books for teens.
• Maybe you need some YA books about the book world.
• You’ll be adding each of these rad Harry Potter enamel pins to your totes and denim jackets.
• Read some YA books about family.
• Pick some board games, and we’ll recommend a YA book series for you to read.

And since there’s never enough YA talk, here’s a peek back at some of the YA book talk from August of years gone by:

• 10 books like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
• YA books about witches.
• 7 movies that are perfect for YA readers.
• YA books about social anxiety.
• Fandom according to YA lit.
• YA books for fans of Stranger Things.
• Why “The Queen’s Thief” series reignited my love for YA fantasy.
• I can’t believe the story of the fake NYT YA bestseller book, brought down by Twitter, happened two years ago.
• What to read if you love The Perks of Being A Wallflower (wow, this post is due for an update with more books by and about people of color!).
• Five YA and crossover adult novels about flight.
• From the way, way back and yet still always relevant: why we need more diversity in YA fantasy.

Not 100% YA related, but this bookish t-shirt is too good not to share here for fellow bookish folks.

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

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

Hey YA Readers! Let’s talk about the books that are being reissued this year.

Reissues take a couple of different forms. There are the books that have either gone out of print and are being brought back to print or have remained in print but are getting a facelift. Then there are the reissues that are anniversary editions honoring a milestone for the book. Reissues typically — though as you’ll see, not always — have a new cover for a new generation.

All of these books have had reissues this year or will be seeing them in the very near future. What makes reissues so great is that they can hit the radars of readers who missed them the first time around, they can spark interest with young readers, and for libraries/schools especially, they’re nice replacements for those well-loved editions. Publishers are able to really bring titles back that fit into contemporary trends and interests, as well as reintroduce classic authors to readers who simply want more depth to their reading lives.

Note: links might not take you to the exact editions because not all are available for preorder yet.

145th Street: Short Stories by Walter Dean Myers (January 14, 2020)

The legendary YA author’s short story collection which takes place on a single block will be rereleased with a fantastic cover in honor of the book’s 20th anniversary.  This is going to be a book to hand to fans of Jason Reynolds, as it’ll be such a great pairing with his upcoming Look Both Ways.

 

Ash by Malinda Lo

In honor of the book’s 10th anniversary — which is hard for me to believe because I remember first reading this book when it hit shelves in 2009 — Ash was rereleased with some fun extras. The cover is nearly the same, as is the story within. If you haven’t yet read this lesbian Cinderella story, here’s your reminder.

 

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (November 12)

There have been a few iterations of this book over the course of its life, but this is a unique take. It’s a mini hardcover edition, coming in November. It’s 6.5 inches by 4.3 inches, which makes it about the size of a mass market paperback, but it’ll be hardcover. This is the retelling of the German folktale Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) set during World War II.

 

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (February 4, 2020)

If you’ve only read Sadie, then you’re in for a treat when the reissue of Summers’s debut novel hits shelves in February. This is a twisty, gritty book about secrets, friendship, and the ways a person can fall apart when she’s buried under the weight of belief she’s at fault for something terrible that happened. The reissued cover is a nice connection to the original while also being a bit more true to the story inside.

 

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

The reissued cover for LaCour’s debut novel — and Morris Award Winner — is so, so good, and it pairs perfectly with the paperback edition of We Are Okay. This is a story about a girl grieving the loss of her best friend, who struggled with mental illness and died by suicide. It’s beautiful, it’s tough, and it’s utterly moving. LaCour packs so much in every line.

 

I Don’t Want To Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz

Schutz wrote about her memoir in verse being rereleased for the newsletter earlier this year, but it’s worth including here because it’s such a fantastic example of a book hitting shelves at a time when the topic of mental health — and memoirs for teens — weren’t as much a part of the conversation as they are now. The new author’s note in this book is a big bonus.

 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This mega bestselling novel by Forman, made into a film, got an anniversary edition earlier this year. In addition to the cover being an homage to the original, there’s a bonus prequel to the story in this one. Readers who haven’t read the book should — it’s the story of a girl hanging between life and death after a car accident. Part real, part fantasy, completely full of Feelings.

 

Like Sisters On The Homefront by Rita Garcia Williams (December 30)

How fantastic is this cover? This book, which is a Coretta Scott King honor, originally came out in 1995 but it’s being reissued for today’s readers. It’s the story of 14-year-old Gayle and her son who are being sent to live with her uncle and his family after getting into some trouble. Gayle gets to know her family while there and it plays a huge role in how she sees her future.

 

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (January 7)

I’m so stoked to see this getting reissued with such a fresh cover treatment and bound into one giant edition. Castellucci and Rugg’s comic is about a team of activist artists who work to rouse their sleepy suburban town with guerrilla works of art. This was (maybe still is?) a cult classic for years and years when after it came out in 2007, so it’s nice seeing such a modern refresh since thematically, it absolutely still resonates. It’ll find a whole new batch of young readers, for sure.

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

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

Hey YA readers! Let’s talk YA news.

As has been mentioned before, summer tends to be a quiet time in the publishing world, and that translates to there being less news than usual. That’s why there haven’t been as many roundups. But today, you’re in for a nice, lengthy treat!

• Netflix’s Trinkets, which is based on a YA book of the same name, is getting a second season.
• This tweet from Megan McCafferty sure makes it sound like we might see more Jessica Darling books, doesn’t it? She has a new book coming next year that sounds so good.
• You can rent Bella Swan’s home on AirBNB.
• Dig into this incredible preview of spring 2020 books for children and young adults. I added a pile to my TBR.
• I enjoyed this piece in the New York Times about royal-themed YA books on the bestseller list. One little thing that wasn’t mentioned that I have chewed on: while I know teens are reading these books, I suspect it’s adults who are doing the spending on them.
• Her Universe released a ton of amazing Harry Potter clothing and accessories and this is especially great news for those with bigger bodies because they have plus sizes.
• The new trailer for His Dark Materials dropped at Comic Con.
• The team behind Five Feet Apart is putting together another book that looks like it’ll hit some similar buttons in the feels arena.
• I did not realize Kristen Bell was the voice behind Gossip Girl.
• Speaking of Gossip Girl, it’s getting a reboot.
• Lauren Oliver’s Replica is getting an adaptation.
• Peep the cover and beginning of Marie Lu’s forthcoming book.
• Have you read any of the books that Paste Magazine (….and Book Rioter Eric Smith!) called the best YA of the year so far?
• I forgot there was a Sweet Valley High movie in the works. It’s apparently on its third writer.
• The UK created a new award for comedy in print, and this year’s winner for YA is one I read and loved and am sad hasn’t seen more attention in the US. So this is an endorsement for Laura Steven’s The Exact Opposite of Ok (ignore the US cover, as it makes the book look way more Serious than it is — it certainly tackles a big topic, but it is really, really funny).
• We’ll be seeing more comics coming for young readers!
• This is a little more insider-y publishing, but of interest to many: how queer Latinx writers Gabby Rivera, Adam Silvera, and Mark Oshiro navigate the book world.
• Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel is now available to watch on the big (or small) screen.

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

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

Hey YA readers! This is the year of the YA author memoir.

It’s been awesome seeing so many authors opening up in honest, vulnerable, and relatable ways with their teen audiences this year. I’ve written about biographies here earlier this year, but I haven’t dipped into the growth of the YA author memoir. Let’s take a peek at the three (!) YA author memoirs that have and will hit shelves this year.

Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson

This was a powerful, necessary memoir that’ll resonate deeply with readers of all kinds, whether or not they’re familiar with Hutchinson’s fiction. A memoir that delves into growing up with depression and being gay in a culture that doesn’t embrace or understand either, Hutchinson doesn’t shy away from talking about the challenges he experienced — and his own challenging attitude toward the world — growing up. What’s especially powerful is that this is about accepting things aren’t always going to be okay, but that it’s okay. Being brave isn’t a requirement of being a person, and even if things aren’t feeling good now, they do improve. This’ll be a reassuring and relatable read for so many.

Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes

Grimes is a long-time YA and middle grade author, and her memoir in verse will publish in October. I haven’t had a chance to read this one yet, but it’s gotten blurbs from the likes of Laurie Halse Anderson and Jason Reynolds, and it’s promised to be a compelling book about Grimes’s own challenging childhood and how she became the writer she is today.

 

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read this book at the end of last year and I’m still thinking about what a powerful, necessary memoir this is — and it’s one that’s been bedecked in numerous starred reviews and, I suspect, will see much-deserved awards come the end of 2019. This is Laurie’s story about being a survivor, about being a woman, about being an advocate who is passionate about young people, about intellectual freedom, and about being the best people we can all possibly be. It’s angry and it’s hopeful. It’s sad and it’s powerful. It’s real and raw. The verse is masterful.

Although it’s not a memoir, another book that features the voices of great YA sharing their own stories is an anthology. Amy Reed’s Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America. This gem of a book got a little lost last year, but it’s one worth picking up if you haven’t already — it’s personal and raw about growing up and all of the experiences these diverse authors experienced as young people in America.

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

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

Hey YA Readers: Let’s grab some sizzling ebook deals on this summer Saturday!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations.

TBR is Book Riot’s new subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Been dreaming of a “stitchfix for books?” Now it’s here! Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Sign up here.

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Go ahead. Splurge! Deals are active as of Friday morning. I made this a nice, big list with a little bit of everything.

Rachel Caine’s book about magical libraries, Ink and Bone, is $2.

• The first in a fantasy series, The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty, is $3. This looks like an excellent readalike for fans of Mary E. Pearson’s fantasy books.
• Lisa Klein’s Ophelia — the inspiration for the film that’s garnered great reviews — is $2.
• The first book in Julia Kagawa’s “Iron Fey” series, The Iron King, is $4.
• Audrey Coulthurst’s queer fantasy Of Fire and Stars is $2.
• If you’re in the mood for romance, Simone Elkeles’s Perfect Chemistry is $2.
• Emery Lord’s fabulous When We Collided is $2.
• I keep meaning to pick this one up and haven’t yet, but I will! Katie Henry’s Heretics Anonymous is $2.

Grab the entire “Skinjacker” trilogy by Neal Shusterman, including Everlost, Everworld, and Everfound for $5.

• Want to start a dragon series? Sophie Jordan’s Firelight is $3.50.
• The Printz-honor book The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal is $3.
• If you listened to the latest Hey YA episode, you heard Eric and I talk about Vacations from Hell, an anthology edited by Libba Bray. You can snag it for $4.
• One of my favorite anthologies, A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood, is $2.
• Melina Marchetta’s fantastic Finnikin of the Rock — first in a trilogy — is $2.
• You won’t be sad grabbing Sara Farizan’s Here To Stay for $2.
• For your nonfiction reading interests, Walter Dean Myers’s The Greatest: Muhammad Ali is $4.

My anthology Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World is also $2.

• Cindy Pon’s Silver Phoenix is $3.
• Last, but not least, Adi Alsaid’s Always Never Sometimes is $3.

 

 

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

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

Hey YA Readers: Let’s go on a road trip!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations.

TBR is Book Riot’s new subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Been dreaming of a “stitchfix for books?” Now it’s here! Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Sign up here.

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Road trip novels are the best kinds of novels, though up until recently, they were very, very white. I’m so happy to see more inclusive road trips making their way into the YA world.

Let’s hit the road . . . and things that aren’t exactly the road . . . with these excellent YA reads. I’ve kept to titles out in the last year or so, as well as those you’ll want on your radar that’ll be coming soon.

American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott

If you haven’t already listened to the Hey YA episode where Eric and I brought Patrick on as a guest, you should — we go deep into the world of YA road trips and especially on why it is it’s rare to see road trips which feature characters of color.

When Teo’s brother Manny comes home from a tour of duty, he’s not who he was before. Not a bit. But it’s their sister Xochitl who decides it’s time to deal with both Manny’s challenges — and T’s own struggles — by taking them from their rental by SeaTac down to Hatch, New Mexico, where they’ll spend the summer helping Manny find treatment for his PTSD with their uncle who himself struggles post-service.

This book takes on the road, as well as mental health and economic challenges in such a realistic way. It’s especially heartening how much this family looks out for one another and loves on another. Bonus? It’ll make you crave hatch chilies.

A Heart In A Body In The World by Deb Caletti

This book is just beautiful, and seeing it pick up a Printz honor this year, I hope, helped propel it onto more people’s radars. This is a book about a girl named Annabelle who has been dealing with something traumatic, and, as a means of clearing her mind and coming to terms with the experience, she decides she’s going to run across country from her town outside Seattle to Washington, DC. Her grandfather follows along in an RV behind her, and all of the characters she meets along the way are so well rendered. It’s a tough read, but it’s also hopeful, and it’s one for every feminist.

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

This book has been sitting on my TBR for far too long, but I’m determined to read it before the summer ends.

Chloe’s mom forbids her from trying out for a spot in her dream dance conservatory so, rather than do nothing about it, Chloe devises a plan to travel 200 miles to get to an audition anyway. The hitch is that she has to share this trip with her annoying neighbor (under the threat he’ll tell Chloe’s mom if she doesn’t allow him to come with) and his dog.

Mariam Sharma Hits The Road by Sheba Khan

Khan’s book, which came out last year, was the first I read that featured an entire cast of brown characters on a road trip. When a scandalous photo of her friend Ghaz hits a NYC billboard, Mariam realizes this summer will be unlike any other (and it certainly won’t be one where she relaxes after her first year of college!). Mariam and Umar decide that the best course of action to protect Ghaz from the fury of her parents is to hit the road. It’s a story about closure, about change, and about the realities of racism and sexuality, particularly for Pakistani and Muslim American teenagers.

Start Here by Trish Doller (August 13)

This one hits shelves soon and it’s a nice twist on the road trip story, being that it’s not actually set on the road.

Willa, Taylor, and Finley were inseparable friends, though Finley was the glue holding the trio together. When they were young, they made a promise to sail from their home in Ohio through the Great Loop and down to the Florida Keys to celebrate the end of high school. Unfortunately, Finley dies from leukemia before she gets to take the trip but leaves Willa and Taylor with a set of clues for their trip that will honor her memory, as well as allow the two of them to bond outside of their relationship to her.

Willa is a mixed-race girl and Taylor is bisexual, and their identities play a big role in the story as Willa confronts the realities of her race, as well as her economic challenges, while Taylor, who has access to much more than Willa, grapples with that as well as with who she feels she’s ready to share her sexuality with.

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

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

Hey YA Readers: Let’s catch up on YA book chat.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations.

TBR is Book Riot’s new subscription service offering Tailored Book Recommendations for readers of all stripes. Been dreaming of a “stitchfix for books?” Now it’s here! Tell TBR about your reading preferences and what you’re looking for, and sit back while your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you. TBR offers plans to receive hardcover books in the mail or recommendations by email, so there’s an option for every budget. Sign up here.

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We’ve done so much book talk over on Book Riot lately that it seems worth rounding it up over here for those of you who (like me!) are still catching up.

• Though this list isn’t exclusively YA, there are a lot of YA titles on it. Get to know some Latinx horror books.
• Here’s a list of 150+ YA books hitting shelves this summer.
• YA books about food (yummmm!).
• I know my windowsill needs some of these Harry Potter potters.
• Also, I need a bunch of these YA book necklaces.
• Enjoy this interview with YA author Sophie Cameron.
• I updated this book list recently and it’s worth a reshare. Here’s what to read if you love The Hate U Give.
• Which Marauder are you? Take the quiz and find out.
• Learning about Cuba through YA fiction.
• A guide for how NOT to get a teenager back into reading.
• You’ll want to go to summer camp with these YA books.
• YA nonfiction revenue increased in 2018, and I’m all for seeing this continue.
• These millennial pink YA book covers are so fun to look at.
• Here’s a roundup of upcoming YA comics.
• Did you get a chance to check out this incredible New York Times feature, where Asian American YA authors chose an old photo and wrote a story based on it?
• YA for that summer TBR. And here are some more summer YA reads!
• Have you seen the story about the cover for The Poet X being plagiarized?
• I taught high school English for a month, and this is what happened.
• A peek behind the curtain of Teen Titans: Raven.
• Great John Green quotes — and prints with those quotes.
• Dystopian never left, friends. YA dystopians forever.
• Who doesn’t need some magical girls in their YA?
• Your TBR deserves some YA books about queer history.
• One reader begs for you to read Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief (if you haven’t already).

For your ears…

Don’t miss out on the latest episodes of Hey YA, either. The full show has covered YA trends, how excited Eric and I are about the Hunger Games prequel, and I got to talk with YA superstar Sarah Dessen for an hour about the growth of YA and “strong” female characters. Then, join me in the Hey YA: Extra Credit series as I talk with author Tom Ryan about Norma Klein’s Breaking Up (it holds up really well!) and as I dig into Love Is One Of The Choices (this one, not so much!).

 

Just for laughs…

https://twitter.com/real_asherlock/status/1150282682217013248

[Tweet from @real_asherlock reads: harry potter if he was a vlogger 1. i killed my professor 2. HOW TO SURVIVE A BASILISK ATTACK (w/ tips) 3. my stalker tried to kill me 4. i saw my crush’s boyfriend die? 5. O.W.L.S vlog (gone wrong!) 6. girlfriend tag! (ft. ginny weasley) 7. I DIED + CAME BACK (not clickbait)]

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Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and we’ll see you next week!

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