Author: Kelly Jensen

Hey YA readers: Time to get personal!

Sponsored by Me and Me by Alice Kuipers from KCP Loft.

Lark’s on a dream date with Alec. Blue skies, clear water, a canoe on the lake. Everything is perfect … until they hear screams. Annabelle, a little girl Lark used to babysit, is struggling in the reeds. When Lark and Alec dive to help her, Alec hits his head on a rock. Now Annabelle and Alec are both in trouble, and Lark can only save one of them. Suddenly, Lark’s world is torn in two, leaving her to cope with the consequences of two choices. She lives two lives, two selves. But which is the right life?

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My YA anthology, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health releases tomorrow, October 2, from Algonquin Young Readers. I’ve written extensively about YA books that take on mental illness, and you can read some of the posts linked at the bottom of the newsletter, along with some other great resources.

Today, I wanted to offer up some of the things I do when I struggle with my depression and anxiety when it comes to reading and talking about books. It’s my hope this not only feels useful for anyone who struggles with mental illness, but also that it’s useful both for those who have rough mental health stretches (even without an illness) and those who work with teens who themselves may be dealing with them. The more tools in the pocket, the better equipped we all are.

Part of why reading can become so daunting when one’s mental health is challenging is that it requires use of executive functioning, which can shut down. Executive functioning is in charge of mental processes and skills, and it can become utterly exhausting or frustrating even thinking about picking up a book from one’s shelf. YA author Molly Backes goes into the further, in this excellent talk about the impossible task on Twitter.

As always with mental health, your mileage may vary. These are things that have worked for me.

1. Read something entire out of the norm.

   Changing up formats can be a big game-changer when it comes to reading. The same can be said about changing up genres or age categories. Since I lean toward YA reading, sometimes while dealing with severe anxiety or depression, all I want to do is read a bunch of magazines or peruse graphic novels for the art. I let myself do this. I’ve found that reading romance has been a big winner for me lately on this front; the fact I know going in that the book will end in a Happily Ever After is predictable and satisfying.

2. Revisit an old favorite book.

   One of the biggest challenges I face with reading when I’m not feeling my best is that I don’t want to be surprised by something that could trigger strong emotional response. Picking up a book I’ve read and loved before solves this: I know going in what’ll happen and I can more passively enjoy the ride. It might sound odd, but my rereading tends toward horror/creepy. I find them to be comforting, since those worlds are so different from the one I’m in.

3. Schedule reading time like a date (and/or make it a date).

   Dealing with mental health sometimes means wandering through a day without a plan. It’s not that I don’t want to accomplish things or that I don’t need to meet deadlines. I do. But, depression wants me to stay in bed or worry about it later or not at all because it doesn’t really matter and no one really cares (and anxiety then throws in the fun of “you need to get the thing due in a month done today or else you’re a failure”). This can mean that things like reading — which is both pleasure for me, as well as related to the work I do — can fall to the wayside. By scheduling time to read in my day and following through, I’m able to ensure I get some words in my mind that aren’t my own. I’ve made this a routine when I’m functioning well and managing my illnesses, and I’m able to continue those routines when I’m not doing so hot. I make listening to audiobooks a part of my getting ready in the morning routine, and I’ve found that, even when I’m struggling to get anything done, the silence while brushing my hair and teeth encourages me to hit play on my audiobook and get those words in.

4. Clean the shelves and/or library holds and checkouts.

   Nothing feels better than a clean slate, especially when everything else is hard. I might have been excited about all of those library books I checked out, but there’s also something satisfying in returning them all, clearing my fines, and having a fresh start. Another tool I use is cleaning my personal collection: sometimes it means donating books I know I’ll never read and other times, it’s a matter of reorganizing the shelves that have gotten out of hand. Each of these tasks has a satisfying visual outcome. There’s a completion and a freshness and newness.

5. Listen.

   Audiobooks are a lifesaver when I’m having bad mental health spells. I mentioned above the power of routine, but even more than that, audiobooks can be consumed while I am doing literally nothing. I can lay in bed and listen. I can listen while going for a walk. I can listen while working (or attempting to work). When I’m unable to concentrate on a story, though, I also find myself turning to podcasts. Book podcasts abound, and sometimes listening to other people talk books is everything I need and didn’t realize.

6. Focus on helping other people find a good book by writing about recent favorites or talking with others about books that remind you of them.

   Whether or not you’re a librarian, a teacher, or a blogger who regularly writes book lists, this trick can be valuable. There are a couple of benefits: first, it’s satisfying to make something like a book list and be able to share it and second, it’s an opportunity to reach out to people in a way that’s not threatening and allows you to pass along your passion to them when everything feels impossible. If focusing on other people doesn’t sound appealing, there is value in writing personal book lists, too. Top five books from childhood or ten books with great book covers or seven books you read but absolutely loathed can make for valuable (and low-stakes) self-reflection. You may not do anything with these lists, and that’s okay. It might even be part of the point.

7. Allow myself to simply not read.

   Sometimes, it’s okay to just be. There is no shame in not reading, especially when it ends up impinging upon your mental wellness.

____________________

Some further reading on mental health/illness in the world of YA:

• YA books about social anxiety.
• Books about mental health to get the conversation rolling.
• Powerful and authentic YA books about depression.
• Reading, depression, and me (it is amazing to me to read this many years later and look at how I’ve cultivated an arsenal of tools to better navigate the rough times).
• 7 poetry slam videos about mental illness.
• Eric Smith and I talked about some excellent mental health related YA on this episode of Hey YA.

____________________

Thanks for hanging out. If you’re up for it, consider picking up a copy of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy. And in any case, we’ll be back in your inbox on Thursday with a roundup of recent YA book news and more!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram.

Hey YA fans: Let’s catch up with book talk!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Vesuvian Books.

Beau Devereaux is the only child of a powerful family. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch. He is also a psychopath. A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s twin sister, Leslie. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize. As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear someone must stop Beau Devereaux. And that someone will pay with their life.

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Grab your favorite beverage and settle in for some great reading about reading. You’ll want your TBR handy, too, since chances are, you’ll be adding to it.

• 45 YA titles hitting paperback this fall.
• Your ultimate guide to YA book-to-movie adaptations.
• So you adored To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and need another great YA rom com to read? Take the quiz and find your perfect next title.
• Then laugh your way through these To All The Boys tweets.
• And then add these books to your TBR if you cannot get enough of books like Han’s.
• Want a moody, atmospheric mystery? Try one set in Vermont.
• If you’re not following these YA authors on Instagram, maybe you should.
• Curious about Nova Ren Suma’s books but don’t know where to begin? Here’s a reading pathway!
• Like your YA in audiobook form? Here are some 2018 YA audiobooks you won’t want to miss.
• Youth and YA books that take on bullying.
• It’s been (a little over) a year since the time a YA author paid her way onto the New York Times Bestseller list. Here’s a recap of the scandal and where we are a year later.
• Are these books on your September YA to-read list?
• YA novels which compassionately tackle grief.
• On relating to Darius The Great Is Not Okay.
• YA books about social anxiety.
• Stock up on your Baby-Sitters Club merch.
• When Judy Blume talked about a new adaptation of her books, many were thrilled. But many also said it would be her first. It’s…not!
• Excellent quotes from The Hate U Give.
• Celebrating Alanna the Lioness on the book’s 35th anniversary.
• How many of these YA books that have faced challenges from potential censors have you read?
• Dig into some dark fairytales for YA readers.
• 21 more YA books for your fall TBR.
• An interview with YA author Katherine Webber on her latest book, Only Love Can Break Your Heart.

Blast From The Past

It’s weird to be writing a newsletter a week in advance of being out of the office for a week, so it felt appropriate to round up some older YA posts from Book Riot (…right?). Here’s what we’ve been talking about in Septembers past.

• 40 of your favorite YA fantasy books.
• Pair up some great YA books with great teas.
• The glaring lack of female reproductive issues in YA literature and why we need more teens struggling with endometriosis and PCOS.
• Interracial couples in the YA world.
• 100 must-read historical YA books.
• Can you match the tag lines of these popular YA books with the book? Try your hand!
• Geek out with these geeky YA books.
• Why we need new music in YA.
• Not the first and not the last time gender in YA has been talked about.

 

Cheap Reads

These prices are current as of Wednesday, September 26. 🤞🏻

American Street by Ibi Zoboi, a wonderful read about immigrants, is $2.

Veronica Roth’s Carve the Mark is $2.

Grab Heidi Heilig’s The Girl From Everywhere for $2.

If you’d like to pick up a Benjamin Alire Saenz title, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is $3.

Anna Godbersen’s deliciously juicy The Luxe is $1.

Want a f/f romance read? Sara Farizan’s Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel is $2.

Sports fans, pick up Carl Deuker’s Gutless for $3.

Have you read The Book Thief? If you haven’t and want to, grab it for $3.

Want a historical mystery to fall into? You’ll want to try William Ritter’s Jackaby, which you can snag for $2.

Tiffany Schmidt’s A Date With Darcy — an adorable, nerdtastic read — is $3.

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

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

Hey YA readers: Time to get personal!

Sponsored by Me and Me by Alice Kuipers from KCP Loft.

Lark’s on a dream date with Alec. Blue skies, clear water, a canoe on the lake. Everything is perfect … until they hear screams. Annabelle, a little girl Lark used to babysit, is struggling in the reeds. When Lark and Alec dive to help her, Alec hits his head on a rock. Now Annabelle and Alec are both in trouble, and Lark can only save one of them. Suddenly, Lark’s world is torn in two, leaving her to cope with the consequences of two choices. She lives two lives, two selves. But which is the right life?

---

My YA anthology, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health releases tomorrow, October 2, from Algonquin Young Readers. I’ve written extensively about YA books that take on mental illness, and you can read some of the posts linked at the bottom of the newsletter, along with some other great resources.

Today, I wanted to offer up some of the things I do when I struggle with my depression and anxiety when it comes to reading and talking about books. It’s my hope this not only feels useful for anyone who struggles with mental illness, but also that it’s useful both for those who have rough mental health stretches (even without an illness) and those who work with teens who themselves may be dealing with them. The more tools in the pocket, the better equipped we all are.

Part of why reading can become so daunting when one’s mental health is challenging is that it requires use of executive functioning, which can shut down. Executive functioning is in charge of mental processes and skills, and it can become utterly exhausting or frustrating even thinking about picking up a book from one’s shelf. YA author Molly Backes goes into the further, in this excellent talk about the impossible task on Twitter.

As always with mental health, your mileage may vary. These are things that have worked for me.

1. Read something entire out of the norm.

   Changing up formats can be a big game-changer when it comes to reading. The same can be said about changing up genres or age categories. Since I lean toward YA reading, sometimes while dealing with severe anxiety or depression, all I want to do is read a bunch of magazines or peruse graphic novels for the art. I let myself do this. I’ve found that reading romance has been a big winner for me lately on this front; the fact I know going in that the book will end in a Happily Ever After is predictable and satisfying.

2. Revisit an old favorite book.

   One of the biggest challenges I face with reading when I’m not feeling my best is that I don’t want to be surprised by something that could trigger strong emotional response. Picking up a book I’ve read and loved before solves this: I know going in what’ll happen and I can more passively enjoy the ride. It might sound odd, but my rereading tends toward horror/creepy. I find them to be comforting, since those worlds are so different from the one I’m in.

3. Schedule reading time like a date (and/or make it a date).

   Dealing with mental health sometimes means wandering through a day without a plan. It’s not that I don’t want to accomplish things or that I don’t need to meet deadlines. I do. But, depression wants me to stay in bed or worry about it later or not at all because it doesn’t really matter and no one really cares (and anxiety then throws in the fun of “you need to get the thing due in a month done today or else you’re a failure”). This can mean that things like reading — which is both pleasure for me, as well as related to the work I do — can fall to the wayside. By scheduling time to read in my day and following through, I’m able to ensure I get some words in my mind that aren’t my own. I’ve made this a routine when I’m functioning well and managing my illnesses, and I’m able to continue those routines when I’m not doing so hot. I make listening to audiobooks a part of my getting ready in the morning routine, and I’ve found that, even when I’m struggling to get anything done, the silence while brushing my hair and teeth encourages me to hit play on my audiobook and get those words in.

4. Clean the shelves and/or library holds and checkouts.

   Nothing feels better than a clean slate, especially when everything else is hard. I might have been excited about all of those library books I checked out, but there’s also something satisfying in returning them all, clearing my fines, and having a fresh start. Another tool I use is cleaning my personal collection: sometimes it means donating books I know I’ll never read and other times, it’s a matter of reorganizing the shelves that have gotten out of hand. Each of these tasks has a satisfying visual outcome. There’s a completion and a freshness and newness.

5. Listen.

   Audiobooks are a lifesaver when I’m having bad mental health spells. I mentioned above the power of routine, but even more than that, audiobooks can be consumed while I am doing literally nothing. I can lay in bed and listen. I can listen while going for a walk. I can listen while working (or attempting to work). When I’m unable to concentrate on a story, though, I also find myself turning to podcasts. Book podcasts abound, and sometimes listening to other people talk books is everything I need and didn’t realize.

6. Focus on helping other people find a good book by writing about recent favorites or talking with others about books that remind you of them.

   Whether or not you’re a librarian, a teacher, or a blogger who regularly writes book lists, this trick can be valuable. There are a couple of benefits: first, it’s satisfying to make something like a book list and be able to share it and second, it’s an opportunity to reach out to people in a way that’s not threatening and allows you to pass along your passion to them when everything feels impossible. If focusing on other people doesn’t sound appealing, there is value in writing personal book lists, too. Top five books from childhood or ten books with great book covers or seven books you read but absolutely loathed can make for valuable (and low-stakes) self-reflection. You may not do anything with these lists, and that’s okay. It might even be part of the point.

7. Allow myself to simply not read.

   Sometimes, it’s okay to just be. There is no shame in not reading, especially when it ends up impinging upon your mental wellness.

____________________

Some further reading on mental health/illness in the world of YA:

• YA books about social anxiety.
• Books about mental health to get the conversation rolling.
• Powerful and authentic YA books about depression.
• Reading, depression, and me (it is amazing to me to read this many years later and look at how I’ve cultivated an arsenal of tools to better navigate the rough times).
• 7 poetry slam videos about mental illness.
• Eric Smith and I talked about some excellent mental health related YA on this episode of Hey YA.

____________________

Thanks for hanging out. If you’re up for it, consider picking up a copy of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy. And in any case, we’ll be back in your inbox on Thursday with a roundup of recent YA book news and more!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram.

Hey YA Readers! Let’s talk vignette-style books.

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Sponsored by Confessions of a Teenage Leper by Ashley Little.

Texas cheerleader Abby Furlogh is on top of the world until a diagnosis of Hansen’s Disease-also known as leprosy- throws a wrench into all of her plans. As Abby learns more about her disease she questions what she wants- and most of all who, she wants to be. With her history as an A+ Mean Girl, Abby is hard to like at first, but this contemporary YA novel pulls no punches as it examines not only the hierarchy of high school, but the reality of living with disease. Confessions of a Teenage Leper by Ashley Little is available now.

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I recently finished a new YA book and one of the things that struck me besides its theme was the way the story was told. I’m a big fan of alternate formats — I love epistolary novels, novels told in verse, novels told through diary entries, and books which offer up interesting visual elements alongside the text.

This particular book, included below*, was told in a series of vignettes. Vignette style, for those unfamiliar with the term, means that the book is told in short snapshots and precise moments. It sets a scene or impression in a very specific manner, then moves on to the next. The style is kind of like looking at a bunch of photographs that are all linked and logically fit together. The photography metaphor is, of course, because vignette writing is like a snapshot of a moment or a character.

It’s not always the case, but I do find that books told in this style move quickly. It’s likely you’ll start one and not even realize you’re nearly finished before you take a moment to look up.

Find below 5 YA novels told in vignettes. Descriptions are from Goodreads, though I have read all but two of these so far and can recommend them all highly.

YA Novels Told In Vignettes

Beneath The Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani and Viviana Mazza*

On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls. Some managed to escape. Many are still missing. A new pair of shoes, a university degree, a husband—these are the things that a girl dreams of in a Nigerian village. A girl who works hard in school and to help her family. A girl with a future as bright as live coals in the dark. And with a government scholarship right around the corner, everyone—her mother, her five brothers, her best friend, her teachers—can see that these dreams aren’t too far out of reach. Even if the voices on Papa’s radio tell more fearful news than tales to tell by moonlight.

But the girl’s dreams turn to nightmares when her village is attacked by Boko Haram, a terrorist group, in the middle of the night. Kidnapped, she is taken with other girls and women into the forest where she is forced to follow her captors’ radical beliefs and watch as her best friend slowly accepts everything she’s been told. Still, the girl defends her existence. As impossible as escape may seem, her life—her future—is hers to fight for.

Calling My Name by Liara Tamari

Liara Tamani’s debut novel deftly and beautifully explores the universal struggles of growing up, battling family expectations, discovering a sense of self, and finding a unique voice and purpose. Taja Brown lives with her parents and older brother and younger sister, in Houston, Texas. Taja has always known what the expectations of her conservative and tightly-knit African American family are—do well in school, go to church every Sunday, no intimacy before marriage. But Taja is trying to keep up with friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, first everythings. And she’s tired of cheering for her athletic younger sister and an older brother who has more freedom just because he’s a boy. Taja dreams of going to college and forging her own relationship with the world and with God, but when she falls in love for the first time, those dreams are suddenly in danger of evaporating.

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Have you ever had the feeling that you’ve lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you’ve never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens.

In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon – the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter’s moon, the blood moon – this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting.

A Step From Heaven by An Na

At age four, Young Ju moves with her parents from Korea to Southern California. She has always imagined America would be like heaven: easy, blissful, and full of riches. But when her family arrives, she finds it to be the opposite. With a stubborn language barrier and cultural dissimilarities, not only is it impossible to make friends, but even her family’s internal bonds are wavering. Her parents’ finances are strained, yet her father’s stomach is full of booze.

As Young Ju’s once solid and reliable family starts tearing apart, her younger brother begins to gain more freedom and respect simply because of his gender. Young Ju begins to lose all hope in the dream she once held—the heaven she longs for. Even as she begins to finally fit in, a cataclysmic family event will change her idea of heaven forever. But it also helps her to recognize the strength she holds, and envision the future she desires, and deserves.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut in the mountains of Nepal. Her family is desperately poor, but her life is full of simple pleasures, like raising her black-and-white speckled goat, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid working for a wealthy woman in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi undertakes the long journey to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family’s debt – then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.

Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother’s words – “Simply to endure is to triumph” – and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision – will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

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

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

Psst: My book (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health hits shelves next week. If you love anthologies with essays, YA nonfiction, amazing YA writers, or books about mental health, consider preordering a copy? I’m going to talk about it + mental health and reading in next week’s newsletter, too. 

Hey YA Reads: I’ve got a great interview to share with you today!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by KENS by Raziel Reed.

Ladies, get ready to clutch those pearls. Ken Hilton rules Willows High with his carbon copies Ken Roberts and Ken Carson. All Kens are create from same mould; straight out of Satan’s doll factory, soul sold separately. A once-in-a-lifetime chance at becoming a Ken changes everything for shy,under-the-radar Tommy. But how far is he willing to go to become a Ken? Ken Hilton makes Regina George look like Mr Rogers. Unlike anything else in YA, KENS is a biting social commentary and savage take-down of consumer culture.Taking cues from cult classics like HEATHERS and MEAN GIRLS, award-winning author Raziel Reid pulls no punches and holds no bars. KENS is available on September 18th from Penguin Random House Canada.

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It’s not a secret that we’re big fans of Sara Farizan at Book Riot, and I’m thrilled to share this wonderful interview with her. Her next book, Here To Stay, hits shelves tomorrow, September 18, and it’s a book you’ll want to pick up from your bookstore or library ASAP.

Here To Stay is a book about a boy named Bijan who makes the key shot in a school basketball game and finds himself thrust in the spotlight. He’s always been a bit of a, uh, dork, and this attention puts him in a place he never expected.

But that attention isn’t all good. It’s not long before racism and Islamophobia begin to filter into the experience in more pronounced ways than they had been before. And Bijan has to figure out where he stands with his friends, with his school, and in the greater world.

The book is, despite taking on heavy and hard issues, really funny. Farizan nails Bijan’s voice, which is at turns totally nerdy and funny and delightful. He is as likable a character as you can imagine in every sense of the word — and it’s that likability that really drives home the bigger issues in the story.

Rather than going on about the book, time to turn it over to Sara to talk about it, about her inspirations, her favorite books, and more.

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KJ: Talk a bit about the inspiration behind the book.

SF: For a while I was a bit confused about what I would write next. People kept asking me “what are you working on?” and I really didn’t have an answer. I was thinking about what people would like to read about rather than why I got into writing in the first place. I have always written to make myself feel better. It’s selfish, and perhaps not always sensible, but I write about people and subjects that I care about and want others to care about.

In February of 2015, I was personally not in a great emotional place and then the news of the killings of three young people, Deah Barakat, his wife, Yusor, and his sister, Razan, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina broke. Their deaths made me feel the same way Matthew Shepard’s death in 1998 made me feel when I was a closeted teenager; angry, helpless, nauseous, disappointed in the times we were living in, afraid, and wanting to do something to make some sense of it. Though I didn’t know any of them, and we all had different backgrounds, there were parts of them I identified with.

Deah was a huge basketball fan and Steph Curry was his favorite player. Curry, who is not only an exceptional athlete but seems to be a wonderful person, put Deah’s name on his sneakers during a game to honor him.

I’ve always been a huge basketball fan and grew up watching The Celtics. I played and loved the sport until it was clear I wasn’t going to get any taller my sophomore year. So I wrote to feel better again and began to write about a young man who loves basketball and finally gets to play on the Varsity team only to be met by prejudice.

Your book tackles some seriously heavy issues — not just bullying, but Islamophobia. And yet, it’s also a really funny book. Talk a bit about the humor in this book and how it characterizes Bijan.

Humor is the easiest way to get someone to listen. I really believe that if you can make someone laugh, and not at the expense of someone else, it can have a deep impact. Bijan is a great kid who really just wants to be allowed to be a great kid and not have to teach others about larger issues. He has awkward moments and goofy moments, but he also stands up for himself and his friends.

In the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the detective Eddie played by Bob Hoskins asks Jessica Rabbit, who is a very sexy humanoid cartoon, what she sees in her husband Roger, who is a rabbit? She says, “He makes me laugh.” I think that’s always stayed with me when I saw that movie as a kid.

I use humor in my day-to-day life because sometimes, when things are just too heavy, you have to laugh a little. It’s one of the best gifts we have, to laugh and make others laugh.

 

This is your first published book featuring a male main character. What drew you to writing Bijan’s story and how did it differ from writing and thinking about your prior novels — if at all?

I wanted to write about a young man dealing with a lot of questions I had/have to deal with. I had a work colleague once say to me “No one’s going to bother you, you’re a woman,” in regards to another heightened period of paranoia regarding xenophobia and that always struck me as messed up for a number of reasons.

I don’t like the idea of children being treated as threats once they have a growth spurt, particularly young brown and black boys. It’s insidious and I don’t know when it stops, but I hope it does soon because we’re doing a great disservice to our young people when they recognize which lives have value in the news and in society and which lives are described as collateral damage. I will never know what it is to be a young man, but I hope Bijan’s voice and the voice of his guy friends ring true.

This novel took me a lot longer and I still have a lot to learn. A large part of it was because I knew this book would have an audience whereas my other two were written in graduate school and I didn’t think they’d be published. I felt really concerned about not getting everything right and if someone reads one of my books but doesn’t read another with a main character of a similar background, my story would be the only one they’d think as an absolute experience and that’s daunting. I’m hopeful that people know my stories are only one perspective and not the singular experience of other people that share the identities that my characters have.

 

On a lighter note: HERE TO STAY is packed with references to other books and more specifically, a ton of contemporary and classic comics. Talk a bit about the choices you made in referencing those and also, what are some of your personal favorites?

Comics have always been a huge part of my life from when I was a kid to now. I was trying to curate a list of books that I loved and that I imagined a 17-year old kid would love, too. I was also trying to dispel the myth that there are ‘boy’ books and there are ‘girl’ books, which I think is ridiculous. I think kids gravitate to what they want to read and adults should kind of chill out about it. Bijan learns that when he talks with his love interest, Elle, and they have a lot of overlap regarding the graphic novels/comic series they like. Some of those books they mention are my favorites and I will read anything by Marjane Satrapi, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb, Paul Dini, Mariko Tamaki, Juan Diaz Canales, Terry Moore, G. Willow Wilson, Jeff Lemire, Michel Rabagliati, Alison Bechdel to name a few. I just read Bingo Love and really enjoyed that. These days I’m also reading Lady Killer, What to Do When I’m Gone: A Mother’s Wisdom to Her Daughter, Outcast, and re-visiting For Better of For Worse strips by Lynn Johnston.  I’m really in awe of people that get to work in comics and to me they are incredibly cool.

I used to work at a comics store in my twenties and now I often frequent comic shops, particularly when I feel restless or need to find comfort. In the acknowledgments for Here to Stay, I thank Steve who is the owner of a comic shop I frequent. I told him about it and he had no idea I was a writer. He said maybe he’d sell the book in the shop, but only if it was good and wasn’t preachy. That’s the kind of honesty you can’t buy! Especially when looking for back issues of Horror comics from the 60’s! I also don’t like the bad rap some comics get. Cathy is rad. Leave Cathy alone. She was just dealing with the patriarchy the best she could. In all seriousness, Cathy Guisewite is underrated and brilliant.

 

In your teen years, which books had a big influence on you?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, The Hotel New Hampshire and really any book by John Irving. Finding Annie on My Mind by the late, great Nancy Garden was a big deal. When I got a little older I found The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen. I used to read a LOT of plays especially by Neil Simon. And I read a lot of non-fiction back then and still do.

Who are some of the YA authors doing great things right now and books you’d recommend people pick up? Or maybe I could ask this question in a bit of a different way: you’re building your dream author basketball team. Who would you draft for this team?

Oh man! I don’t know that I deserve general manager status in that I feel like I’m still a rookie on JV, but I would love to be third string to these people: Jacqueline Woodson for team MVP and captain, Malinda Lo for point guard, Meg Medina for power forward, David Levithan as shooting guard and Emily M. Danforth as center. Chris Lynch would be my personal coach. Other players on the All-Star team include but are not limited to Adib Khorram, Sarvenaz Tash, Will Kostakis Maurene Goo, Meredith Goldstein, Aisha Saeed, Robin Talley, Jasmine Warga, Nova Ren Suma, Lamar Giles, Jessica Spotswood and Cori McCarthy. Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas would own a team. Laurie Halse Anderson would be one of the revered greats like Bill Russell or Paul Pierce.

 

If you could give your 12-year-old self any YA book, what would it be and why?

Just one? That’s tough. One book I’d highlight and think would have helped 12 year-old me is Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. I related to it very much and it would have helped me out a lot.

 

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Thank you so much, Sara!

& thank you, readers, for hanging out. We’ll see you again later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and Twitter

YA Fans: It’s time to catch up the haps.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd from HMHTeen.

From the bestselling author of The Madman’s Daughter trilogy comes Grim Lovelies, the first in a glittering new epic YA series where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price. Perfect for fans of Marissa Meyers, Holly Black, and Cassandra Clare. Called “a darkly enchanting saga…bound to attract fans of Leigh Bardugo” by Entertainment Weekly.

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There’s so much great YA book news to dig into this week and I can’t wait to share!

• The release date for the adaptation of The Hate U Give was moved up two weeks! And here are 5 things to know about the film.
• Laurie Halse Anderson’s upcoming YA memoir Shout has a cover, and it’s a great homage to Speak.
• This year’s long list for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature is INCREDIBLE.
• We’re getting a graphic novel adaptation of Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down. 
• Dolly Parton announces that Dumplin‘ is headed to Netflix. This is a really smart move on Netflix’s part.
• Renee Watson’s next book is beautiful from cover to theme and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
• The New York Times highlighted the ways that authors for young readers are becoming leading activists and voices for change.
• Another great YA piece at the New York Times focuses on using YA books in an era of #MeToo.
• There’s a Nancy Drew drama in the works for the CW.
• Follow up that news with a piece about the not-so-hidden racism in Nancy Drew.
• A little teaser of Raven Cycle adaptation news.
• Susan Dennard’s The Witchlands is in the works to become a live action TV series.
• Another gorgeous cover for the second book in Dhonielle Clayton’s The Belles series.
• 11 ways to know you’re a YA reader, according to Goodreads users.
• I’m not a Sweet Valley reader (Er, rather, never was as a young reader), but this piece should be fun reading for those who were: the weirdness of the “evil twin” books.
• Ned Vizzini’s Be More Chill is transferring to Broadway.
• Mrs. Doubtfire, which is based on a YA book, is being made into a musical.
• Kyoshi from Avatar is getting her own YA series.
• A tiny bit more news about the Amazon pilot being done for Lauren Oliver’s Panic.
• I’m madly in love with this Slytherin wedding.
• Remember that bad Wall Street Journal article about YA (no, not that one. The other one)? There’s a nice selection of letters to the editor refuting it, including one by yours truly.
• Lena Dunham pens a lengthy love letter to SE Hinton’s The Outsiders. 
• Let one of the masters of ghost stories in YA — Nova Ren Suma — recommend some other ghost stories to read this season.

https://twitter.com/jennyhan/status/1036670321628045312

 

Recent Book Mail

Lots of book mail in the last couple of weeks. You might want your TBR at the ready for this. Listed from top to bottom, left stack then right.

Unnatural Disasters by Jeff Hirsch

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos and translated by Hildegarde Serle (This is the first YA book from publisher Europe Editions in translation).

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen (my own book!).

The Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins

The Disasters by M.K. England

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater (Out in paperback!)

You Owe Me A Murder by Eileen Cook

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Tales From The Inner City by Shaun Tan

Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner (technically a middle grade graphic novel, but Garnder’s a YA author and I think this one skirts that line)

The Art of Losing by Lizzy Mason

Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement by Nadya Okamoto

Blended by Sharon Draper

Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

Beneath The Citadel by Destiny Soria

We Say #NeverAgain by Parkland Student Journalists

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix (This is the second YA nonfiction title on Bonhoeffer in recent memory — the first was by Patricia McCormick a few years back.)

Cheap Reads

Grab ’em while they’re super affordable. Prices current as of Tuesday, September 11.

American Street by Ibi Zoboi is $2.

Savage by Nicole Conway — a dragon book! — is $2

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder is $2.

Lauren Oliver’s Vanishing Girls can be yours for $2.

Talon by Julie Kagawa is $2.

This is an oldie but a goodie: S.A. Bodeen’s The Compound is $3.

Sara Farizan’s wonderful Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel is $2.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma is $2.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee is $2.

Journey To Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray is $3.

 

 

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Thanks for hanging out and we’ll kick off next week with a fun author interview!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

 

Psst: we’re giving away a 6-month subscription to Owl Crate, Jr. You’ll want to enter this! 

Hey YA lovers: get ready to plan your fall bookish USA getaways!

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Nobody Real by Steven Camden, published by HarperCollins.

For years, Marcie has been hitching a ride on the train of her best friend Cara’s life. Now there’s only one more summer until they’re off to college as planned. But Marcie has a secret, and time is running out for her to decide what she really wants. Thor was also Marcie’s friend—before she cast him out—and time is running out for him too. But Thor is not real. And that’s a real problem. This is the story of a teenage girl and the return of her imaginary friend, and we guarantee you’ve never read anything like it.

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Earlier this year, I rounded up as many of the YA book festivals — and big book festivals with significant YA presences — that happened between January and June across the USA. Thanks to the generous help of many readers, I asked for some help compiling a similar list, but this time, for festivals falling in the second half of the year.

Find below a wide range of fabulous-sounding book festivals for YA book lovers. I’ve linked to the individual websites of each event so you can keep tabs on what’s happening where. This is especially helpful for the fests that have already occurred so you can plan for next year.

I’ve included only those book festivals which are open to the public and which are entirely YA-focused or have a heavy programming track with YA-centric events and speakers.

YA Book Festivals, July-December, Throughout the USA

You can note that there’s a dearth of events in July and August, as well as in December. September, October, and some parts of November are far more ideal book festival dates for a variety of reasons.

 

Bookmarks Festival: September 6-9, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

 

Brooklyn Book Festival: September 15, Brooklyn, New York

 

Pasadena Loves YA: September 15, Pasadena, California

 

Boston Teen Book Festival: September 22, Boston, Massachusetts

 

YA-hoo Fest: September 29, Chattanooga, Tennessee

 

Texas Teen Book Festival: October 6, Austin, Texas

 

Southern Festival of Books: October 12-14, Nashville, Tennessee

 

Sheboygan Teen Book Festival: October 12-14, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

 

YAS Book Con: October 19, Bowling Green, Kentucky

 

Anderson’s Young Adult Literature Conference, October 20, Naperville, Illinois (rumor has it you might be able to meet me at this one this year!)

 

Books By The Banks: October 20, Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Las Vegas Book Festival: October 20, Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Read Up, Greenville: October 20, Greenville, South Carolina

 

Pickerington Teen Book Festival: October 27, Pickerington, Ohio

 

Colorado Teen Book Con: November 2-3, Denver, Colorado

 

Epic Fest: November 2-3, Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Yall Fest: November 9-10, Charleston, South Carolina

 

Portland Book Festival: November 10, Portland, Oregon

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I’m pretty envious of those of you who get to attend any of these & I hope you get to nerd out, YA style, the entire time!

See you again later in the week, and thanks to everyone who helped me find some festivals I’d have otherwise missed!

–Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

 

Hey YA readers: This is an exciting newsletter and I can’t wait to share.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by A Room Away From The Wolves by Nova Ren Suma.

Nova Ren Suma, the New York Times #1 bestselling author of The Walls Around Us, returns with a mesmerizing gothic novel about the dark secrets teenager Bina discovers when she runs away to Catherine House in New York City. As nightmare and memory tangle, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come here and what it will cost for her to leave. A Room Away from the Wolves is a spellbinding ghost story about who deserves a second chance, how we lie to ourselves and those around us, and what lengths girls go to in order to save each other.

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Before the newsletter, a quick announcement: we want to hear about your reading habits! Hop over to our fall reading survey and share, share, share.

And now: a fun, fun piece from Kendare Blake.

Kendare Blake continues to grow as a YA author, racking up accolades, critical acclaim, and devoted readers. The next book in her “Three Dark Crowns” series hits shelves tomorrow, September 4, and it’s called Two Dark Reigns.

I asked Kendare to share some of her favorite books, movies, and video games; I was not sad to find myself adding so many new things to my “do, see, try” lists. While you wait for that next book, you can enjoy these things in the mean time . . . and immediately after you immerse yourself in Two Dark Reigns.

Without further ado, Kendare Blake!

 

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Are you a bookworm? Do you like to play video games? Do you also like to watch…things…on the moving picture talk box? You do? Me too! So I thought it would be fun to do a little round of Read, Watch, Play, where I pair delightful combinations of books, video games and movies/tv shows. Ready? Here we go!

If you like: Epic quests through dangerous territory + Norse mythology then you should:

Read: The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke. It’s a genderbent Beowulf retelling about a band of mercy-killing girls who decide to give up the mercy-killing and grab themselves some glory, by undertaking a quest to slay a fearsome monster. Come for the blood and axes, stay for the salt marsh witches and the girl-gang bravery.

Watch: Vikings on the History Channel. The bloody trajectory of Ragnar Lothbrok and his family, from everyday, regular Viking to warring Viking royalty will have you raising your mugs of mead and singing…one of those songs you sing with mead.

Play: God of War. The new one, for PS4. It plunks Kratos right down in the midst of Norse Country and pits him against gods and beasts and maybe the World Serpent? It also gives him a son to teach the ways of the warrior and makes for some fun dual combat. I called this game “Teamwork with Man Friend.” Kratos would obviously be the Man Friend. So I guess that makes his kid…Teamwork?

 

If you like: learning the art of a master assassin and diving deep into the history of a place, then you should:

Read: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. It’s the story of Mia, orphaned but bent on bloody revenge, and her path to becoming one of the most badass killers her country has ever seen. Filled to the brim with fascinating footnotes on the history of the world, and also with smartass shadow animals.

Play: Assassins Creed. But not the one about the Revolutionary War. Or Black Flag.

Watch: Assassins Creed. Haha, I’m just kidding. No one should ever watch that.

 

If you like: Dragons, and folks caught up in a destiny far larger than themselves, + more dragons, then you should:

Read: The Last Namsara by Kristin Ciccarelli. Can the greatest dragon slayer somehow also be the greatest dragon whisperer? That would seem unfair, but trust me, it ends up making sense.

Watch: Dragonheart. Because who doesn’t want a dragon with the voice of Sean Connery. That dragon will eat you shaken, not stirred.

Play: Dragon Age: Inquisition. A sprawling RPG that let’s you take on the role of mage or rogue or warrior, that has a really good narrative. Come for the monster fighting, stay for the possibility of sleeping with an elf. They are wily bedmates, I hear.

 

If you like: Dreamlike fantasies with intensely beautiful worldbuilding + wow so many colors! Then you should:

Read: Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor. A half-god girl with blue skin and red hair hides away with her similarly colored brethren in the hopes that the humans below will not one day murder them. And a regularly shaded librarian with an uncanny knack for figuring things out embarks on a quest to a world he thought to be legend. Maybe to save it. Maybe not.

Watch: The Neverending Story. I know there are not that many colors in it, but it is mightily fantastic. Follow it up with like, Finding Nemo if you’re craving some blues and oranges.

Play: Final Fantasy X. I find it the prettiest installment in the franchise, and one of the best stories as well. The animations for summoning your fancy guardian force friends are not to be missed.

 

And finally, if you like pioneer stories with plucky heroines + the possibility of dying of dysentery, then you should:

Read: Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson. A girl who can sense the presence of gold tries to make it west for the gold rush, to escape her horrible uncle and to follow the only boy she cares about in the world. Come for the gold, stay for the wagon trains.

Watch: I don’t know, maybe old episodes of Little House on the Prairie? I recommend the one where Pa plays a fiddle. That probably doesn’t narrow it down much. Maybe the one where Laura kicks Nellie in the face.

Play: The Oregon Trail. Or, if you don’t have a floppy disk drive, then Horizon: Zero Dawn. It has a similarly plucky heroine who must mine the wilderness on her quest to find answers about why she is an outcast from her tribe. Come for the robot dinosaurs (ROBOT DINOSAURS!) stay for the engaging storyline.

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

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter and Instagram

Hey YA Fans: Let’s catch up on some YA news.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Seafire by Natalie C. Parker from Penguin Teen.

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric. But when Caledonia’s best friend barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric once and for all…or will he threaten everything the women have worked for?

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Get comfy, since there’s a lot of recent YA news. For August being a quiet time in the publishing world, it’s certainly not in the grander YA world (which is great for us as readers!):

• Edi Campbell has put together an incredible resource called “50 Years of Diversity in Young Adult Literature.” A must-read and reference tool about inclusivity and YA, beginning all the way back in the beginning of the category we call YA.
• Who wants to go in with me to buy Bella Swan’s house from the Twilight films? We can buy it and make it a sanctuary of YA lit, where no one is judged for what YA books they enjoy reading.
• Lana Condon talking about flipping the stereotype of the Asian American on its head in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is some great reading.
• If you coveted Lara Jean Covey’s look in To All The Boys, you can get it for yourself.
• Then see what Jenny Han had to say about seeing her book on screen.
• Been eagerly awaiting news on the film adaptation of Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray in the US? There’s a premiere date!
• Dylan Farrow is writing a couple of YA novels. They’re from a packager, so the ideas aren’t necessary hers, even if the writing itself is.
• It’s been maybe five or more years since I’ve thought about the book Hush, Hush, but apparently it is being adapted and has cast some leads.
• There’s been a number of pieces about The Princess Diaries lately, and I suspect it’s because of the popularity of To All The Boys. Here’s one on why Lilly Moscovitz is the worst and here’s one on why The Princess Diaries should be revived for streaming.
• Want some more love in your summer? Here are some short YA romances to try out.
• BBC’s adaptation of His Dark Materials has cast a lead.
• It’s one tiny line in a longer article, but it’s one of interest to YA fans: Ryan Graundin’s book The Walled City has been optioned for adaptation.
• There’s a prequel to the Aquaman movie coming about his teen years.
• An upcoming YA book that’s part Lord of the Flies and part Lost has been optioned for adaptation.
• The first photos for Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina look so good.
• Have you watched Down A Dark Hall yet? It’s out in theaters now (but hasn’t been near me!).
• 11 Canadian YA books to put on your TBR for fall.
• Speaking of non-American YA, here are this year’s YA books of note in Scotland.
• 16 facts about Christopher Pike’s books.
• Here are 15 YA adaptations in development (which means we might really see them) and 15 which are possibilities (which means we might really see them but also we really might not). Hollywood is fickle.
• This preview of what we’ll see on Disney’s streaming service leads to noting that Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl is being adapted, as is The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg.

Cheap Reads

Grab these great YA reads before August (finally) ends:

Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott is a moody debut fantasy adventure read and $2.

The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane is $4 and that title absolutely destroys me every time I see it because it’s so unique.

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris looks like a fun, end-of-summer read. $1.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma is still listed for $2 as of this writing, so snap it up if you haven’t already. This is for readers who love things creepy, eerie, and full of delicious writing.

Grab Lois Duncan’s Down A Dark Hall for $2 before you see the movie.

Recent Book Mail

Here’s what has hit my mailbox this week:

In Another Time by Caroline Leech

Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes

In Paris With You by Clementine Beauvais (This is a YA book in translation!)

Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

The Last Best Story by Maggie Lehrman

Let Me List The Ways by Sarah White

Bridge of Clay by Marcus Zusak

Sea Prayer by Khaled Housseini

The Lantern’s Ember by Colleen Houck

We Are Not Yet Equal by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden (YA nonfiction, especially great for budding social activists!)

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Sadie by Courtney Summers (If you like thrillers and true crime podcasts)

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (Out in paperback and an excellent Black Lives Matter novel).

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I wanted to wrap up this newsletter with a way to give back to young people in need. UCLA is welcoming 100 freshmen this year who are foster youth, and they need help getting those kids supplies for a successful first year in college. There is a video here worth watching and sharing — and if you’re so inclined, they have a list of things you can purchase to help them help these kids.

Thanks for hanging out, y’all. We’re taking Labor Day off, so the next newsletter will hit your box next Thursday, and it’s a really fun guest newsletter from a well-known, well-loved YA author.

Read some good books in the meantime.

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and Twitter

Hey YA Readers! Let’s talk about YA authors who moonlight in the adult category of books.

“What’s Up in YA?” is sponsored by Girl At The Grave by Teri Bailey Black from Tor Teen.

Valentine has spent years trying to outrun her mother’s legacy. But small towns have long memories, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a murderer.

Only one person believes Valentine is innocent—Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed all those years ago. Valentine vows to find the real killer, but when she finally uncovers the horrifying truth, she must choose to face her own dark secrets, even if it means losing Rowan in the end.

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I love thinking about how an author takes their writing talent from one target market to another. There are a number of YA authors over the last half decade or so who’ve published middle grade work, and there’ve been a number of YA authors who’ve published adult. Let’s take a look this week at some YA authors who’ve taken on adult work in their careers recently.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads.

Erika L. Sánchez

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was Sánchez’s debut YA novel last year and it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

But just a couple of months before that book published, her actual debut in publishing happened. Lessons on Expulsion is an adult poetry collection published by Graywolf Press.

“What is life but a cross / over rotten water?” Poet, novelist, and essayist Erika L. Sánchez’s powerful debut poetry collection explores what it means to live on both sides of the border—the border between countries, languages, despair and possibility, and the living and the dead. Sánchez tells her own story as the daughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants and as part of a family steeped in faith, work, grief, and expectations. The poems confront sex, shame, race, and an America roiling with xenophobia, violence, and laws of suspicion and suppression. With candor and urgency, and with the unblinking eyes of a journalist, Sánchez roves from the individual life into the lives of sex workers, narco-traffickers, factory laborers, artists, and lovers. What emerges is a powerful, multifaceted portrait of survival. Lessons on Expulsion is the first book by a vibrant, essential new writer now breaking into the national literary landscape.

 

Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson is such an excellent example of a writer who is talented enough to share her voice across all age categories. She’s dabbled in young adult books — you may know If You Come Softly or After Tupac and D Foster — as well as middle grade (brown girl dreaming), picture books, and adult.

Her latest adult novel, Another Brooklyn, hit shelves last year.

Running into a long-ago friend sets memories from the 1970s in motion for August, transporting her to a time and a place where friendship was everything—until it wasn’t. For August and her girls, sharing confidences as they ambled through neighborhood streets, Brooklyn was a place where they believed that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant—a part of a future that belonged to them.

But beneath the hopeful veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where grown men reached for innocent girls in dark hallways, where ghosts haunted the night, where mothers disappeared. A world where madness was just a sunset away and fathers found hope in religion.

 

Katie Williams

It was discovering one of my favorite YA mystery writers, Katie Williams, had a brand new adult novel out that sparked this idea for a newsletter. Williams has two YA novels out, The Space Between Trees and Absent.

Her debut adult novel, Tell The Machine Goodnight, hit shelves this summer and is a science fiction read with crossover appeal to teen readers who like their fiction more literary.

Pearl’s job is to make people happy. Every day, she provides customers with personalized recommendations for greater contentment. She’s good at her job, her office manager tells her, successful. But how does one measure an emotion?

Meanwhile, there’s Pearl’s teenage son, Rhett. A sensitive kid who has forged an unconventional path through adolescence, Rhett seems to find greater satisfaction in being unhappy. The very rejection of joy is his own kind of “pursuit of happiness.” As his mother, Pearl wants nothing more than to help Rhett—but is it for his sake or for hers? Certainly it would make Pearl happier. Regardless, her son is one person whose emotional life does not fall under the parameters of her job—not as happiness technician, and not as mother, either.

Told from an alternating cast of endearing characters from within Pearl and Rhett’s world, Tell the Machine Goodnightdelivers a smartly moving and entertaining story about relationships and the ways that they can most surprise and define us. Along the way, Katie Williams playfully illuminates our national obsession with positive psychology, our reliance on quick fixes and technology. What happens when these obsessions begin to overlap? With warmth, humor, and a clever touch, Williams taps into our collective unease about the modern world and allows us see it a little more clearly.

 

Veronica Roth

You know her from her mega-selling series Divergent and her more recent YA science fiction duology Carve the Mark. But Roth recently announced she’ll be publishing an adult novel next.

The book is titled The Chosen One and while it won’t be published until 2020, there’s a little information available about it. According to the press release announcing the deal it, “tells the story of five friends who saved the world when they were teenagers, but now, as celebrity adults, must face even greater demons — and reconsider what it means to be a hero by destiny or by choice.”

There’s a bit more about the book and her process over on Entertainment Weekly.

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Thanks for hanging out and we’ll play catch up with our YA news later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Instagram and Twitter