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What's Up in YA

Fairy tales Retold, A Real-Life Historical Criminal, and More YA Book Talk: November 21, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s dive into all things new books this week, highlighting both the new releases hitting shelves in hardcover and a host of YA nonfiction books that came out throughout the month. These would make some delicious reads for those of you with a long weekend — or a random Thursday off — this week.

Bookish Goods

gray sweatshirt with the word "bookish" in white text.

Bookish Sweatshirt by iprintasty

This is a really straightforward sweatshirt, but its simplicity is its beauty. Grab a “bookish” crewneck in several colors for the perfect winter reading uniform piece — I’m a big fan of the navy one. ~$40, up to size 5XL.

New Releases

Let’s look at two hardcover books hitting shelves this week. You can find the rest of this week’s new releases in the fall roundup of new hardcovers.

at midnight book cover

At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler

Adler’s third anthology features yet another star-studded contributorship. This time, 15 different writers offer up twists on beloved fairy tales ranging from Rumpelstiltskin to Puss in Boots to The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and more. Among the contributors are Malinda Lo, Alex London, Stacey Lee, and Tracy Deonn.

other side of the tracks book cover

Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse

Bayside and Hamilton are racially-divided towns, and no one crosses the tracks. When Zach, who is white, moves to Bayside and pursues his dreams of music by visiting the historic jazz music shop in Hamilton, he meets Capri. Capri, who dreams of Broadway, lives in Hamilton and knows that even if she and Zach are connecting in a powerful way, their relationship could raise eyebrows.

When a white Bayside cop kills the star of the Hamilton football team — who happens to be best friends with Capri’s older brother — everything will be put to the test.

Pass this along to readers who love The Hate U Give and All American Boys.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

November in Nonfiction

How about a look at a handful of new YA nonfiction that hit shelves this month? It’s a nice collection of original titles, as well as titles adapted from adult books for teen audiences. Whether you like history, biography/memoir, or adventure, there’s something here — a nice way to celebrate nonfiction November.

Two books that also hit shelves this month but aren’t included below are the young reader edition of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Monique Gray Smith, as both were highlighted in the October 24 edition of the newsletter.

Black internet effect book cover

Black Internet Effect by Shavone Charles

The number of people of color who are leaders in the tech field — let alone the number of women of color specifically who fall into this category — continues to remain abysmally small. Charles’s book is about her rise through companies like Google and Twitter and how she landed herself on Forbes’s list of 30 under 30. Not only does she share her story, but she highlights how other young women of color can, and should, continue to demand space in these powerhouse STEM fields.

dreaming in code book cover

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily Arnold McCully (new in paperback)

Perfect for the younger YA readers and those middle grade readers itching for YA books is this biography of Ada Byron Lovelace. Raised by her mother in isolation from her father, the poet Lord Byron, Ada grew up being tutored by some of the brightest people in England. When she was 17, Ada met Charles Babbage, and together, the two of them developed several ideas and concepts that still impact computer programming today.

Pass this along to readers who want STEM books featuring rad women leaders…and frankly, it never gets old thinking about how Lovelace is the daughter of Lord Byron.

hanged book cover

Hanged!: Mary Surratt & the Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln by Sarah Miller

Miller writes some of the most compelling YA nonfiction with a criminal beat to it, and this one sounds like no exception. Mary Surratt has the distinction of being the first woman hanged in the United States. Her supposed crime? Being the individual behind the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln, his vice president, the secretary of state, and General Grant. Surratt is a complex woman from an equally complex background, and this book offers both that insight and the question of whether she was guilty as charged or in the wrong place at the wrong time.

(I cannot recommend Miller’s take on the Lizzie Borden murders enough, either, so pop The Borden Murders on your TBR, too, if true historical crime is your jam.)

the other side book cover

The Other Side by Juan Pablo Villalobos (new in paperback)

How much do you know of the stories of migrant teens who leave their homes in Central America for a new life in the United States? This book offers their voices and perspectives. Weaving together the stories of 11 Central American teens, it follows their paths from the decision to flee, the challenges they experienced, and the fears and hopes they have in America. An honest look at the refugee crisis and how it directly impacts young people.

Thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Thursday for some paperback talk, some YA news, and more.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, currently catching up on her podcast listening.

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What's Up in YA

Bisexual Retellings, Rivals-to-Romance, and More YA Book Talk and News: November 17, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

I’m gearing up — quite literally — for a long weekend in northern Wisconsin. One of my yoga teachers hosts a biannual retreat, and I’ve been needing to get away for a couple of days and focus entirely on me and my well-being. I’m super looking forward to what will be some cold hiking in one of my favorite places in the country, a massage, yoga and meditation, journaling, and plenty of time around a fire with some books and hot chocolate in the evening. Is there anything cozier?

Let’s dive into some more of this week’s new YA books and this week’s YA book news.

Bookish Goods

orange plaid book sleeve

Orange Plaid Book Sleeve by CPickeringCo

Looking for a new book sleeve to protect your ereader or current read? If I weren’t already into the cover I have for my ereader, I’d definitely be tempted by this orange plaid option. $13.50 and up, depending on size.

New Releases

I’m changing it up a little bit this week. Usually on Thursdays, I highlight two new paperback releases. This week, and likely in future weeks through the end of the year, we’ll see fewer and fewer books hitting selves, but more, we’ll see fewer paperbacks among them. Wrestling up two to talk about that aren’t titles within a series is challenging this week, so I’m sharing one paperback and one hardcover (that wasn’t shared on Monday).

Briar Girls cover

Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells — in paperback

Lena was cursed by a witch before she was born, leading her to a secret: she can kill with the touch of her skin. But when she and her father are forced from their lives of isolation, they end up in a village near the Silence, a forest that reportedly lures people in who are never again seen.

But when Miranda stumbles out of the Silence and meets Lena, she tells her about Gather, a city within the forest with magic. Miranda is on a search for someone who can wake the sleeping princess of Gather, who she believes holds the secret to liberating Gather from their tyrant leader. Miranda offers Lena a chance to break free from her own curse, so long as she helps find someone to wake the princess.

Lena’s on it…but the more she discovers about Gather and Miranda, the more she sees she’s been lied to about her own past. Dive into a fantastical bisexual retelling of The Sleeping Beauty.

the lies we tell book cover

The Lies We Tell by Katie Zhao

Social activism + enemies-to-lovers + thriller + college campus setting, this one is checking all of the boxes for so many readers.

Anna is moving into the dorms across town to attend Brookings University; she’s still close to her parents’ home and their struggling bakery. She’s determined to not only do well in school but to investigate a crime that happened on campus and claimed the life of her former babysitter.

When Anna encounters middle school rival Chris, whose family opened a bakery near the one her parents run, she’s wary. But a vandal who hit his family’s bakery left a racist tag and it matches something in Anna’s other investigation.

After a threat against Anna, she realizes that her connections with Chris might be what helps her get to the bottom of the death of her former babysitter, the vandalism at Chris’s family’s bakery, and a series of other local racist events.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday with some great YA book deals.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, currently packing Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales….and yes, even as someone who doesn’t listen to Taylor Swift, the song is in my head.

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What's Up in YA

Native Horror, Black Prep Schools, and More YA Book Talk: November 14, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

Somehow, someway, we’re half way through November. This year has not flown by for me, but this month certainly is.

Let’s take a gander at some of the new books on shelves this week, as well as two Native YA titles for your TBR.

Bookish Goods

acrylic mushroom bookmark

Forest Mushroom Bookmark by BlackCatCommodity

Despite the fact it feels like winter is here in many parts (we’ve finally broken through the unseasonably warm weather here in the upper midwest), it is still fall. As someone who loves the mushroom aesthetic, it’s hard to resist this fun, autumnal acrylic bookmark.

New Releases

Let’s look at two hardcover books hitting shelves this week. You can find the rest of this week’s new releases in the fall roundup of new hardcovers.

briarcliff prep book cover

Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins

This is the second contemporary Black YA prep/boarding school book I can think of that published this year (the first being Seton Girls) and I am here for this! More, this one features a 14 year old lead.

Avielle LeBeau is just starting Briarcliff Prep, a historically Black Boarding School. She’s excited to fit in with kids who look like her and get her, and she’s eager to follow in her family’s legacy. But when Avielle discovers a secret about her sister’s boyfriend, she realizes she has to make a choice that could change everyone’s life: keep the secret or tell her sister and potentially ruin their sibling relationship.

the 9:09 project book cover

The 9:09 Project by Mark H. Parsons

For readers looking to fall into a thoughtful and evocative book about grief and healing, this is one to have on your radar.

Jamison’s mother died two years ago. He, his little sister, and his dad are all coping in their separate ways, but when Jamison comes close to completely forgetting the date of his mom’s birthday, he worries that he’s losing the memory of someone he holds dear.

This is his reason for picking up the Nikon camera his mother gave him as a gift, and he decides to take photos on the street at the same time every single night. The simple routine is anything but, and Jamison discovers an incredible world around him and it helps him keep the memory of his mother alive and reconnect more deeply with his dad and sister.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

In the first newsletter this month, Erica offered up two Native YA books in honor of Native and Indigenous Peoples’ Month. Let’s look at two more, as publishing (thanks in no small part to leaders like Cynthia Leitich Smith) is slowly catching up with the incredible storytelling by Native writers.

Both of these are newer releases, having hit shelves this year.

man made monsters book cover

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers (Cherokee)

This horror short story collection looks incredible, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Following a family from their ancestral lands in Georgia to World War I, the present, and the future, Rogers delivers a series of horror stories ripe with the classic horror creatures like vampires and zombies, as well as real life horrors like colonization and intimate partner violence. Interspersed are, of course, legends of Cherokee horror, and each story includes a beautiful illustration by Cherokee artist Jeff Edwards.

the summer of bitter and sweet book cover

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson (Métis)

Lou’s not preparing for the best summer ever. She’s going to be working at the family’s ice cream shop alongside her ex-boyfriend and King, her former best friend who disappeared for several years.

Things only get more complicated when Lou receives a letter from her biological father, who is in jail. He’s desperate to meet her but Lou would prefer he stay in prison for the rest of their lives.

But feelings are coming up around King and the ice cream business is struggling…and now Lou realizes she might need to face her father, even if it is the last thing she wants to do.

*Note: what we think of as “America” in reference to Native American Heritage Month is a colonizer distinction, thus why I’ve included a Canadian author on this list.

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Thursday for your paperback releases, as well as your YA book news.

In the meantime, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, currently reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

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What's Up in YA

Friendship Breakups, Adaptationpalooza, and More YA Book Talk and News: November 10, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

If you’re in an area where the clocks change, I hope you’re finding your groove in the new distribution of daylight. It’s been tougher for me than usual — but I have found a nice rhythm of crawling into bed when I’m done with my responsibilities for the day and reading for long stretches of time (which is, for me, a whole hour or so!). I’m trying to really lean into the seasons at this point in my life, and I think that this wintering season will bring so much good reading.

Let’s dive into this week’s paperback releases and YA book news.

Bookish Goods

image of a cozy book mug

Booklovers Ceramic Mug by AppleCrispCo

One of the things I’ve done to prepare for this season is stock up on my favorite teas and splurge on a new seasonal mug. Maybe you’d like to add a new mug to your collection, too, and if so, this one has all of the cozy reader vibes. $13.

(If you’re curious, the one I picked up isn’t bookish but it is pretty dang cute. Bonus is it is big and comes with a strainer!).

New Releases

Welcome to paperback releases out this week. This is but a sample of what’s hitting shelves; you can grab the full list of paperback books out this week over here!

Note that you may need to toggle to the paperback edition from the link.

muse book cover

Muse by Brittany Cavallaro

This one is pitched as American Royals meets The Winner’s Curse and is set in a reimagined American monarchy.

It’s 1893 and Claire’s father is a highly sought-after inventor, though he believes his magic comes through the touch of his daughter to whatever it is he is creating. This means she’s under his eye nearly all the time.

The province is preparing for war, and Claire is preparing to leave, despite her best friend begging her to stay and fight in the resistance. But her father’s invention doesn’t work as planned at the World’s Fair and Claire is taken captive by a young ruler who believes she has the magic to help him become more powerful as a leader.

Now Claire has a rare opportunity she never saw coming: does she help build a new world or does she burn everything down?

when we were them book cover

When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey

Willa, Luz, and Britton were the best of friends at 15, at 16, and at 17, through good times and bad. Then, Willa ruined it all at 18.

Now it’s the week of graduation and Willa cracks open a memory box from the times they spent together. She begins to wonder what could end what they had, then realizes that, without them, she has no idea who she herself is.

So often I see YA readers talk about the lack of friendship stories — and there are actually many of them, though they’re overshadowed by stories with a romantic arc — and this is a solid entry into the world of friendship (and friendship breakup) YA.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

Adaptation news continues to be the biggest news in the world of YA, and this week isn’t any different.

  • The way this piece is written is pretty annoying and click-baity, but if you’ve watched or are curious about The Bastard Son & Devil Himself, know it’s based on a YA novel.
  • Roshani Chokshi’s A Crown of Wishes will be adapted into a live-action series from Disney.
  • The adaptation of I Wish You All The Best now has its lead. Want to know more about this adaptation and see some photos from the filming? You’re in luck!
  • A fascinating dive into the world of Anne of Green Gables adaptations, including several YA takes on the story (my personal favorite book inspired by the classic is the crossover title Ana of California).
  • An important read about Kit Connor — one of the stars of Heartstopperbeing forced to come out as bisexual. There has been a lot of powerful discourse in the YA world about people being forced out and/or being told they’re not truly the identity they say they are when forced to come out. It is especially brutal to see it happening to a teenager.
  • I love a deep dive into older YA titles, and this look at Baby-Sitter’s Nightmares is a fun one.

As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday with some YA book deals.

Until then, get cozy and happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, currently reading House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargrpur.

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What's Up in YA

A Walled City, An Atlanta Whiteout, Self-Care, and More YA Book Talk: November 7, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

I’m finally finding my way again with reading — life sometimes makes it less of a priority, and then all of a sudden, the time and space opens up to fully invest again. I’ve got a pile of YA to read through that’s been stacking up, so I’m hopeful to keep at it.

Let’s take a look at this week’s new hardcover releases, as well as talk about some self-care books for teens.

Bookish Goods

Image of an enamel pin featuring a brown cow reading in bed

Librocubicularist Pin by thecleverclove

It is a cow. Reading a book. In bed. LOOK AT THE BUNNY SLIPPERS, TOO. This enamel pin is way too dang cute. $12.

New Releases

Let’s look at two hardcover books hitting shelves this week. You can find the rest of this week’s new releases in the fall roundup of new hardcovers.

the q book cover

The Q by Amy Tintera

Maisie Rojas, 17, has spent her life inside the Q. The Q is a post-pandemic quarantine zone, where security walls seal off the perimeter. She is a lieutenant for one of the Q’s leading families.

Lennon Pierce is the son of a U.S. presidential candidate. Kidnapped by enemies of his father, he’s dropped into Q. While given a temporary antidote to the disease, if he’s not out within 48 hours, he’ll become infected and forced to remain within the city’s walls.

Maisie is responsible for getting Lennon out, and what begins is a compelling adventure full of danger and a clock counting down the time way too fast.

whiteout book cover

Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nic Stone

If you loved this star-studded author lineup’s Blackout, you’ll be wanting to grab this one ASAP.

12 teens are out to help a friend make a giant apology, but then, Atlanta is struck by a snowstorm. Will they be able to make it happen? This is a sweet winter romance told through several voices, perspectives, and, of course, packed with feelings.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

It is nonfiction November, so expect to see a few roundups here this month featuring all things YA nonfiction. This week, I was inspired by another new release hitting shelves.

Let’s take a look at a few books for teens that focus on self-care. You’ll note none of these are about what the media portrays as self-care: there aren’t bubble baths and manicures (those are fine, but they’re also consumerist, which is antithetical to many reasons why self-care matters).

luminary book cover

Luminary: A Magical Guide to Self-Care by Kate Scelsa

This book looks like so much fun and hits shelves this week. It’s a guide to mystical practices for self-care, offering ways to fulfill one’s heart and replenish one’s magic. It has advice and insight from several different practitioners touching on everything from tarot to astrology, energy work, and more. It’s a highly designed book packed with art and illustrations, making it super approachable and fun.

you are more than magic book cover

You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girls’ Guide to Finding Your Voice by Minda Harts

It is crucial to acknowledge who self-care can leave out, and it’s also important to acknowledge that self-care comes in so many different forms. This book, which is about helping Black and Brown teens find, hone, and use their voice, does a fantastic job of both empowering these teens and showing them the reasons why caring for themselves and their unique perspectives and experiences matters. Harts covers topics like building friendships and relationships, setting boundaries, being a self-advocate, negotiating, and more.

That’s all for me for today. As always, thanks so much for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Thursday.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, who is excited to get her hands on Whiteout this week.

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What's Up in YA

Rivals Who Fall for One Another, Found Family, and More YA Books and News: November 3, 2022

Happy November, YA Readers!

It’s hard to believe we are in the final few weeks of the year. Or maybe it isn’t hard to believe and you, like me, are kind of relieved to see this year come to an end.

Let’s take a look at this week’s best YA paperback releases, alongside all of the YA news you can use. I hope your new month is treating you as best it can.

Bookish Goods

new classics of YA tshirts

New “Classics” YA Tee by MissFairchildCreates

I love every single thing about this T-shirt. It’s up for pre-order now, so grab one. It features sketches of some of the best YA authors out there right now, including Nicola Yoon, Adam Silvera, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more. $35, size small – 4 XL.

New Releases

Welcome to paperback releases out this week. This is but a sample of what’s hitting shelves; you can grab the full list of paperback books out this week over here!

Note that you may need to toggle to the paperback edition from the link.

Because of the virtue of these being paperback releases, there are not any paperback books out this week (in my records!) that are by authors of color. Expect this to happen periodically through the end of the year as publishing winds down its fall season. It’s not necessarily a bad thing — sometimes books remaining in hardcover for a longer period of time is a good thing!

the midnight girls book cover

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska

This one is going to be short and sweet, y’all.

It’s a snow-covered kingdom.

Two rivals are secretly competing for the heart of the price.

Except…in the midst of their rivalry, they might be falling for one another.

the reckless kind book cover

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath

A queer historical YA book about teens who choose a life outside the norms of their small-town? Yes please!

In 1904, Asta is against marrying Nils, to whom she’s been betrothed. Her parents believe she should feel lucky to be married, as she is partially deaf, has an odd appearance, and is strange. Asta wants instead to run away with her friends who are more like her and live as a performer in the village theater.

When Nils lashes out against one of Asta’s friends, she decides things are officially over. She and her two friends move to a secluded cabin and are determined to make their off-grid life work…by winning the annual horse race put on by their village. None of them have experience, but that doesn’t matter. Their determination and drive are going to help them plan their lives out exactly as they wish.

They’ll just have to avoid death.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

Thanks, as always, for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday for some YA book deals.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.

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What's Up in YA

Monster Forests, Animal Ghosts, and More YA Book Talk: October 31, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

This is the last time I’ll be writing you since Kelly’s back this week! *blows club horn*

I feel some type of way that November is tomorrow. #1: I wanted to engage in more spooky things, #2: how dare this year move this fast *sobs*. But here we are! One cool thing about November is it’s Indigenous Peoples’ Month, and I’ve got a couple great books that help us celebrate that.

I hope everyone eats all the candy and has fun tonight!

Bookish Goods

Sailor Moon, Luna & Artemis Peeker Sticker

Sailor Moon, Luna & Artemis Peeker Sticker by ThingsByZenn

You don’t have to be a Sailor Moon fan to want a pair of adorable moon kitties to peek up at you every time you open your laptop! $3+

New Releases

cover of Jasmine Zumidah Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer

Jasmine Zumideh Needs A Win by Susan Azim Boyer

Jasmine Zumideh is in high school in 1979 California and just itching to leave for NYU where she’ll study to become a music journalist. She’s already applied and everything’s in order, except she kinda sorta lied about being Senior Class President-Elect. *ahem* She entered into the race for it, and it’s not like she’d ever lose to Gerald, who wants to enforce a dress code. But then Iran becomes a hot topic on the news because of an incident and now Jasmine is caught between her outspoken brother, who’s proud of their heritage, and the anti-Iranian sentiments that have started coming out.

The Luminaries cover

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

The town of Hemlock Falls is out of the way, not on maps, and has no cell phone reception. It also has a forest full of monsters that come out at night, and an ancient order called the Luminaries who protect humanity from these monsters. And Winnie can’t wait to restore her family’s name by entering the deadly trials to become a Luminary. When she enlists the help of her ex-best friend Jay to help her train, she soon learns that he knows a little too much about the monstrous forest…

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Elatsoe Book Cover

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Elatsoe lives in an alternate America where pistachio ice cream and homework are just as real as vampires and the fairies. She herself has an ability passed down from her sixth great grandmother where she can raise the ghosts of dead animals. When her cousin comes to her in a dream explaining that he’s dead and to bring his murderer to justice, her investigations lead her to a mysterious town that isn’t as pleasant as it seems. I loved how this one featured mythological creatures from different cultures.

This Place: 150 Years Retold cover

This Place: 150 Years Retold by various authors

Through various art styles and different voices comes this graphic novel anthology that tells the stories of Indigenous people in the land now known as Canada. From serial killers to time travel and psychic battles, these untold stories give a good glimpse into Indigenous life.

And, in about damn time news, the Canadian House of Commons has voted to label residential schools as genocide. More work needs to be done (stateside as well), but it’s a step in the right direction.

Thanks for joining me today! If you want to say hi, find me on the Hey YA podcast with Tirzah, on Twitter @erica_eze_, or in the In Reading Color or In the Club newsletters.

Until next time,

Erica

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What's Up in YA

Victorian Tightrope Dancers, Pirate Adventures, and More!

Hey YA Readers!

I’m Erica, another editor at Book Riot, and I’ll be filling in for Kelly while she’s on vacay. I don’t know about you, but I’m racing to finish all my spooky books before the end of October. I mean, I can and will read them anytime, but reading them during spooky season just hits different, you know?

Anywho, I’ve got a bookish goodie, new paperbacks out, and some YA news! Let’s go

Bookish Goods

bookworm tote bag

Bookworm tote bag by DesignGifts01

You can’t have too many totes! I will say that till the end of my days. This cute one is only $10

New Releases

Welcome to paperback releases out this week. This is but a sample of what’s hitting shelves; you can grab the full list of paperback books out this week over here!

Note that you may need to toggle to the paperback edition from the link.

Cover of The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

Iris is used to being regarded as strange. As an African tightrope dancer in Victorian England, she is always made to feel like a spectacle. If only people really knew how strange she was. Like how she can’t die, for instance. Knowing this oddity about herself and little else, she’s obsessed with learning about herself. That’s why when the dark and mysterious Adam Temple lets on that he knows something of who she is, she’s intrigued. But his help comes with a price, namely competing as his champion in a tournament where people with fantastical abilities compete to become the leader of the upcoming apocalypse.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by MacKenzie Lee

The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee

Here is the final book in the Montague Siblings trilogy. This time, we follow Adrian Motague, a political writer making a name for himself. But he has a secret: he has the same mental illness his mother struggled with for years. Once he finds a relic of hers — a broken spyglass — the past descends on him and he meets the older brother he never knew about. To find answers about his and his mother’s past, he’ll travel pirate courts, Amsterdam’s canals, and uncharted waters.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

Thanks for joining me today! I’ll say “hi” one more time for Monday’s newsletter, then it’s back to Kelly-Kels. If you want to holler at me, find me on the Hey YA podcast with Tirzah, on Twitter @erica_eze_, or in the In Reading Color or In the Club newsletters.

Until next time, happy reading!

Erica

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What's Up in YA

Sweeping Chinese Fantasy, Young Reader Editions, and More YA Book Talk: October 24, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

I lied about my time off. I’m actually here today, but Erica will be your all-things-YA guide the rest of the week. I am writing to you in the future from the past, bringing you a look at the latest in YA releases and a look at two upcoming Young Reader Adaptations of adult nonfiction titles you’ll want on your TBR.

Ready? Let’s dive on in.

Bookish Goods

late night readers club shirt

Late Night Readers Club Shirt by YANovelDesigns

Are you or someone you love a member of the late night readers club? Get a shirt to honor that commitment. $18 and up, up to size 4XL, and the ’80s/’90s vibes of this one cannot be beat.

New Releases

Let’s look at two hardcover books hitting shelves this week. You can find the rest of this week’s new releases in the fall roundup of new hardcovers.

strike the zither book cover

Strike The Zither by Joan He

The first in a new series that reimagines the Chinese classic story of the Three Kingdoms, we’re dropped into the year 414 during the Xin Dynasty. It is a time of chaos, with a puppet empress at the throne. The land has splintered into three different factions, and now, three warlordesses are itching to take control all for themselves.

Enter Zephyr.

Zephyr knows there’s no contest. She’s a strategist, a skill she’s developed after being orphaned and after studying under Xin Ren, a warlordess. Ren has loyalty to the empress only so much as it is strategic. When Zephyr infiltrates an enemy camp and meets an opposing strategist, she is taken aback. But in a world where everyone could be an enemy, is Zephyr setting herself and Ren up for disaster?

we are all we have book cover

We Are All We Have by Marina Budhos

It’s 2019 and Raina is ready for the best summer of her life. But everything changes in an instant when ICE knocks at the door of her family’s Brooklyn apartment and takes her single mother away.

Alone with her brother, Raina has to figure out what to do and how to survive. She thought their asylum case was settled, but now, desperate for answers, she, her brother, and new friend Carlos, will take a road trip to find them.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I love YA nonfiction, and if you’ve been here any amount of time, you know it’s a category of young adult literature I am conscious of regularly highlighting. It used to be that Young Reader Editions of adult books could…be a little underwhelming. They did not feel like their own unique thing so much as a condensed version of the adult book (and I remember as a librarian thinking that any teen who would want to read that book would just pick up the original).

Today, the world of young reader editions is so, so different. These books are incredible in their own right, and even for those of us who have maybe read the adult versions, the young reader editions offer new perspectives and insights making them worth picking up, too. These do not “dumb down” the original; they’re in conversation with them and make the topics relevant, timely, and valuable for today’s teens. As a bonus, the young reader editions make for great adult reading, particularly for those who might be intimidated by or do not have time for the original.

Here are two hitting shelves soon; you’ll want to make sure they are on your radar.

braiding sweetgrass young reader edition

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt (November 1)

If you’re interested at all in nature, the environment, climate, and science, this is a must-read. It braids together Indigenous wisdom and “classroom science,” to highlight what we can learn from the world around us.

I read the original a few years back and it completely changed the way I engage with and see the world. The new young reader edition takes what is in the original and offers even more wisdom, alongside illustrations, sidebars, and exercises for applying what lies within the pages into the bigger world.

caste young reader edition

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Adapted for Young Adults) by Isabel Wilkerson (November 22)

If ever there was a time to learn about race, racism, and the hidden (or not so hidden) systems of power at play in America, it is now. Wilkerson’s adaptation explores the hidden caste system in the country, exploring how those in power have exploited it for their own gain over and over.

But don’t be tricked into thinking this book is only heartbreaking and angering (and indeed, it is both). The book also offers ways forward and encourages ways to challenge and work toward destroying these systems.

As always, thanks for hanging out. Until next time, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, currently reading Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson.

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What's Up in YA

Gods Beneath The Sea and More New YA Books and YA Book News: October 20, 2022

Hey YA Readers!

I hope things are going well in your world. It’s been a slow reading week here, though I have been enjoying my current audiobook a LOT; it’s Meet Me By The Fountain, not YA, but about malls and mall culture, so it does tackle a lot of teen talk and discusses the mall as it has historically appeared in teen fiction.

Let’s take a look at this week’s paperback book releases and YA book news.

Bookish Goods

image of a sticky note pad with red mushrooms

Red Mushroom Sticky Notes

We’re going more book adjacent than straight bookish today, but what better way to take notes on your current read or save your place in your current read than an adorable sticky note?

These cute toadstool sticky notes are perfect for fans of all things fall and cottagecore. $5.

New Releases

Welcome to paperback releases out this week. This is but a sample of what’s hitting shelves; you can grab the full list of paperback books out this week over here!

Note that you may need to toggle to the paperback edition from the link.

This week, there are no paperback releases in my records by authors of color. This roundup is not representative of this week’s new releases in terms of diversity and representation.

deeplight book cover

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

It’s been a minute since I’ve read Hardinge, but she has been continuing to build a big, loyal fanbase in the U.S. (she’s had one in her native UK for a long time). This one is pitched as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea meets Frankenstein, and it follows in the years after all of the gods have destroyed themselves. Finding even a scrap of them can be worth a fortune, but few are brave enough to search the depths of the sea.

Fifteen year old Hark finds a still-beating heart of one of the gods and now needs to protect it with his life. This heart could be the way he saves his best friend. But when his best friend Jett touches the heart, he begins to transform. Now Hark has to decide whether to stay loyal to his friend, despite the weird changes he’s experiencing, or whether he needs to put an end to it.

the snow fell three graves deep book cover

The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf

This one is short and sweet: it’s a verse novelization of the Donner Party. I loved Wolf’s take on the Titanic in The Watch That Ends the Night, and this book does something similar in giving a multitude of voices and perspectives on a single historical event.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

YA Book News

Thanks for hanging out. I’ll be out on PTO next week — I’m taking my “holiday break” at the end of October, instead of during the actual holidays — but you’ll be in the capable hands of Erica.

Until then, happy reading!

— Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars on Twitter.