Spring is almost here! Or is here based on the weather in your area (it’s definitely nice out where we are). Which means it’s the perfect reading weather! Because all weather is the perfect reading weather. And you probably have a lot of books left over from all that awesome holiday money. And you probably still need supervision going to the bookstore because you can never have too many books. But now that TBR pile is growing. And you can’t decide what to read next off of it. It’s time to revive the TBR Jar.
Step 1: Get a jar
Any size will do! For this tutorial, I’m using a small 4oz jar.
Step 2: Decorate It!
Or don’t It’s up to you. I’ve seen some really pretty ones with lace and mod podge, but I went simple with some washi tape.
I used a stencil to right “To Be Read” on the jar and then again on the washi tape. To make sure the washi tape stays on the glass, its best to cover it in a layer of mod podge (may I suggest EXTREME GLITTER GLITTER or GLOW IN THE DARK).
Step 3: Add the titles.
Go to the papercraft section of any store and you’re bound to find some card stock. I went to AC MOORE (before the mass closing) and purchased a small stack of business card sized card stock. Pretty colors, already cut to size, and easily foldable.
Step 4: Drop them in the jar!
Place them in the jar and make sure to give it a good shake! To add to it you can add extra fun rewards for you pull out. I added:
Buy a new book
Buy a bookish tee-shirt
Rearrange your shelves
Listen to an audio book
TBR jars are also a great way to tackle your favorite challenges because you can use them to add bookish goals instead of titles. Just have fun!
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We’re joined by Dallas Woodburn, author of the recently released THE BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
After her parentsā bitter divorce, family vacations to the Big Island in Hawaii ceased. But across the miles, eighteen-year-old Tegan Rossi remains connected to local Kai Kapule, her best friend from childhood. Now, Tegan finds herself alone and confused about how she got to the Big Island. With no wallet, no cell phone, purse, or plane ticket, Tegan struggles to piece together what happened. She must have come to surprise-visit Kai. Right?As the teens grow even closer, Tegan pushes aside her worries and gets swept away in the vacation of her dreams. But each morning, Tegan startles awake from nightmares that become more difficult to ignore. Something is eerily amiss. Why is there a strange gap in her memory? Why canāt she reach her parents or friends from home? And whatās with the mysterious hourglass tattoo over her heart?Kai promises to help Tegan figure out what is going on. But the answers they find only lead to more questions. As the week unfolds, Tegan will experience the magic of first love, the hope of second chances, and the bittersweet joy and grief of being human.
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Don’t worry if you can’t get enough of these book recs from Dallas Woodburns because she’ll be on the Booked All Night podcast on May 7th. Until then, enjoy her guest post and a GIVEAWAY of her upcoming title The Best Week That Never Happened.
Emerge by Tobie Easton
Actually, I would recommend this whole series, The Mer Chronicles, of which Emerge is the first book. This romantic page-turner reimagines the world of The Little Mermaid, but takes it in entirely new directions. Main character Lia is a mermaid who lives on land with her family amidst a small, secret community of Mer peopleāever since The Little Mermaid unleashed a curse, the Mer lost their immortality, and the ocean has been plagued with war. When Lia begins to fall for a human boy, everything she knows and loves is put to the test. If youāre into high-stakes, fantastical romance, you will fly through this book and promptly dive into the next two in the trilogy, SubmergeandImmerse.
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
When I was reading this book, I felt like I was having an affair. Loveboat, Taipei was all I could think about. I would grab it and flip it open any little chance I got throughout the day, eager to see what would happen next. I stayed up way too late reading, even though I knew I would have to get up early to take care of my baby daughter the next morning. This book centers around Ever Wong and her transformative summer experience in the Chien Tan educational summer program in Taipei. My favorite parts of the book were Everās path of self-discovery and her intensely satisfying romance with a fellow Loveboat student. (Not saying who, so I donāt give away the plot twists!) This was the perfect escapist read for these anxious days of quarantine: filled with romance, rebellion, and character-driven emotion.
10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac
It has been a couple years now since I first read this novel, but I still find myself thinking about itāwhich, to me, is a sure sign of a great book. The story centers around Maeve, a girl who struggles with severe anxiety and is sent to Vancouver to spend the summer with her dad and her stepfamily. The romance between Maeve and free spirit Salix is heartwarming and refreshingly realistic, and I love how Salix doesnāt try to āfixā Maeveās anxiety. Instead, both characters find new layers of freedom and joy both in and outside their budding romance. Side note: I adore the relationship between Maeve and her stepmother in this book! We could use more books depicting close teen/stepparent relationships.
Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen
Calling all Jane Austen fans! You must get your hands on Dangerous Alliance immediately! This Regency-era historical romance is the perfect novel to sink into as you relax with a delicious baked good and a mug of tea. Lady Victoria Aston is on a time crunch to find a husband in order to secure her familyās estate. In addition to the romantic twists and turns, there is also a murder mystery woven into the plot that kept me riveted. The writing style is warm and witty, and I loved the way Vickyās character develops through the course of the book. And as a writer myself, I was so impressed by the extensive research Cohen must have doneāthe world is so vividly portrayed with details and descriptions. I canāt wait for her next book!
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
I am a huge Sarah Dessen fanāher books were a true comfort to me during high school, and I have continued reading and loving her work ever since! It is difficult for me to pick just one Sarah Dessen book to include on a list like this, but I am going with The Truth About Forever because it is definitely one of my favorites, and the theme of letting go of perfection is really resonating with me these days. (You should see the disastrous state of my house; my 16-month-old daughterās favorite game is to pull items down off shelves and dressers and scatter everything onto the floor.) While I love this bookās slow-building romance between Macy and Wes, perhaps even more satisfying is the way that Macy comes to terms with her grief, moves past her perfectionism, and takes control of her own future.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon is another one of my favorite authors. I especially adore her nuanced, complex, multifaceted characters, and the way her love stories have high stakes. In The Sun is Also a Star we meet Natasha, a science-loving girl whose family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica, and Daniel, who has always been āthe good sonā and āthe good student,ā pushing aside his own dreams to please his parents. When Natasha and Danielās paths collide on a crowded street in New York City, we get to experience their quickly unfolding romance over the course of a single day through their alternating perspectives. I first listened to this novel as an audiobook, and I loved it so much that I bought a print copy when I finished listening so I could read it through again on the page. And every time I read this book, even though I now know how it ends, I cry the best kind of happy tears when I get to the final page.
When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
This is one of the most beautifully unique books I have ever read. I have a hard time capturing in words how this book made me feel and how much I adore it. McLemore writes with gorgeous ethereal prose about Miel and Sam, best friends who everyone else considers odd but who find solace and redemption in each other. If you are a fan of magical realism, emotionally resonant stories, and characters who are radiantly filled with light and lifeāyou will fall in love with this book. It might even change your life.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
I recently re-read this book after watching the movie on Netflix, and oh my heart. Violet and Finch have to be two of my all-time favorite characters, and their romance is so deeply felt. Reading this book is like falling in love for the first timeā¦ and getting your heart broken for the first time, but in a way that makes you hopeful about falling in love again. This is an intense, poignant novel about how the people we love simultaneously change us while also allows us to be our deepest, most authentic selves. And while I was captivated by the film version of this storyāand highly recommend watching it on NetflixāI have to say that the book is even better.
The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry
This book drew me in with its stunning cover, and the evocative storytelling and lush prose had me hooked from the first page. Epic love story? Check. Mystery and suspense? Check. An ending that will knock your socks off? Check. As soon as I finished reading The Love That Split the World, I immediately wanted to turn back to page one and read the whole book all over again! I also have a fond spot in my heart for this book because I was reading it when I got the lightning-bolt idea for my novel The Best Week That Never Happened. I like to think that something about this story opened the floodgates for my own creativity!
The Loverās Dictionary by David Levithan
I love all of David Levithanās booksāin fact, I almost put Boy Meets Boy on this list instead, but I ultimately went with The Loverās Dictionary because it is so incredibly unique and thoughtfully done. I am a sucker for creative structure, which is perhaps why I was so blown away by this book. The narrator (who remains nameless, increasing the feeling that this is a book about anyone and everyone) has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Instead of a typical narrative structure, we get short entries organized alphabetically about the events, details and occurrencesāboth large and smallāthat come with being in love and being a couple. This is a book that could easily be read in one sitting, or doled out slowly over many days. I first read it years ago, before I met the man who would become my husband; rereading it recently, the entries only struck me as more true and beautiful and moving.
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SƔenz
This is a book that gets under your skin and becomes part of you. It tells the story of two teenagers, Aristotle āAriā Mendoza and Dante Quintana and takes place in Texas during the 1980s. The short, poetic chapters follow Ari and Dante over the course of two years as their tentative friendship evolves from a random meeting at the swimming pool into a powerful bond that will change them both forever. My favorite thing about this book is the lyrical proseāit is a quietly strong story that gently builds and builds into a force of nature. The ending initially took me by surprise, but after reflecting on it for a while, it seems like the only ending this book could have had. This is a stunning, heartrending narrative about the family we create for ourselves and how love can astonish us in the best possible way.
Dallas Woodburn
Dallas Woodburn is the author of the YA novel The Best Week That Never Happened and the linked short story collection Woman, Running Late, in a Dress. A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing and a current San Francisco Writers Grotto Fellow, her work has been honored with the Cypress & Pine Short Fiction Award, the international Glass Woman Prize, second place in the American Fiction Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also the host of the popular book-lovers podcast Overflowing Bookshelves and founder of the organization Write On! Books that empowers youth through reading and writing endeavors. Dallas lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her amazing husband and adorable daughter.
May brings flowers and we can go outside and…wait, what? We STILL have to stay inside? Well, crap. Okay… let me rethink this. May is a time to stay safe, healthy, and explore the world in these amazing books! (And no…I will not be giving a First Impression of Hunger Games Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.) *EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, he is.*Coming at you with TEN books publishing in May that everyone should be checking out.
Last Girls – Demetra Brodsky
Demetra Brodsky’s Last Girls is a twisting, suspenseful YA thriller about sisterhood, survival, and family secrets set in the world of doomsday prepping.
No one knows how the world will end.
On a secret compound in the Washington wilderness, Honey Juniper and her sisters are training to hunt, homestead, and protect their own.
Prepare for every situation.
But when danger strikes from within, putting her sisters at risk, training becomes real life, and only one thing is certain:
Nowhere is safe.
Last Girls, Demetra Brosky May 5, 2020
Now, where better to start than a book about doomsday prepping? This book may not only be informational, but it will certainly be entertaining. Personally, I’m interested in the dynamic between the sisters. I mean, when one sister’s name is Honey Juniper you just know that this book is going to have some characters you want to either fight or love.
The cover instantly caught my eye, obviously. Just look at it! Plus, with a tagline like, “this is the way their world ends” I don’t know how anyone couldn’t be interested in this book. Plus, the depictions of the sisters on the cover have been dying to know, on a scale from me to Ronda Rousey, how badass these sisters are. I’m willing to bet that the scale will be further referenced as the Juniper Sisters scale because they look like they could take a grizzly bear, a pack of wolves, and anything else that challenges them on…and win.
Also,…it’s Last Girls. Can we just take that in for a second on what that means this book will tackle? It’s not Lost Girls or Last Girls (in this area). It is LAST! GIRLS! These sisters are going to probably fight for their lives, freedom, and happiness. A story like this is exactly what all of us need right now.
This is Demetra Brosky’s second book, but I’m sure one book of experience doesn’t prepare you for these unprecedented times. I know I will be picking this awesome looking read as soon as I can and hope our loyal readers and listeners will too. I can’t wait to read this and discuss it with anybody else that picks it up.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea – Maggie Tokuda-Hall
A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.
Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: donāt trust, donāt stick out, and donāt feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesnāt expect to be taken under Evelynās wing, and Evelyn doesnāt expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.
Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, Maggie Tokuda-Hall May 5, 2020
Alright, am I a bit biased towards this book because I play a Ranger in Dungeons & Dragons with a Pirate background? Like, does that make me more likely to pick up, read, and love a book about pirates? Yes, to both those questions. And is this REALLY a first impression when I was watching a YALLWEST webinar that featured Maggie Tokuda-Hall that talked about “Suckage” that really resonated with me? No.
That being said, look at that cover. Scroll back up and check it out. Read that back cover again. How absolutely AWESOME does this book sound? I can’t wait! Colonialism? Heck yeah, burn it down. Pirates? Heck yes, get that booty! And before you even have to ask…yes, this book talks about two pirates becoming closer than expected because of some fun LGBT romance! What more do you need? This is one of those books that makes you self conscious about your own D&D character. I’m willing to bet that. I’ll bet a copy of this book on that.
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.
When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wantsāas long as she isnāt herself. Because Muslim girls arenāt lesbians. Nishat doesnāt want to hide who she is, but she also doesnāt want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.
FlĆ”via is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both FlĆ”via and Nishat choose to do henna, even though FlĆ”via is appropriating Nishatās culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangledābut Nishat canāt quite get rid of her crush on FlĆ”via, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.
The Henna Wars, Adiba Jaigirdar May 12, 2020
*Sorry, I’m supposed to be writing a First Impression of this book, but instead I ordered it and am now standing next to my mailbox waiting for it to arrive.*
Alright, I have to try to encapsulate my first impression here. Okay, as if this book doesn’t scream everything that everyone needs on their bookshelf… As if this cover alone doesn’t melt your heart… As if the fact that Adiba Jaigirbar is a debut author with a book that screams everything YOU want… As if, THERE’S A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST TO LISTEN TO WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THIS BOOK TO ARRIVE!
For real though, this book sounds wonderful. If this book list was a ranking from most excited to least excited, it would be impossible to finish. That being said, this book would easily take the number one spot. I don’t know how a book can sound so perfect in three paragraphs. I ordered it. I hope I can interview Adiba Jaigirbar. I hope I can meet Adiba Jaigibar. I hope I can become a uber fanboy of Adiba Jaigibar. Don’t be surprised if this shows up on my end of the year “Best Books List” and wins every single award in the Young Adult Literary world. Don’t be late to the party. Order it now.
As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking itāand the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesnāt follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, sheāll have to write it herself.
By the Book, Amanda Sellet May 12, 2020
It takes half-a-second of looking at Amanda Sellet’s author page to know how fun of a rom-com this book is going to be. Likewise, the stare between the two assumed lovers from the cover sends chills of glee down my spine. Any book about a bookworm falling in love I am going to be a sucker for. Nothing strums my heartstrings quite like bookworms finding love.
Also, Amanda Sellet’s story seems to have a genuine care to it. I’m not sure if it’s the cover, the back copy, or her author page, but there seems to be a deep true love that inspired this story. I mean, anyone that makes the pun on the cover of “prose and con” has to have a heart worth loving and enjoying. That pun alone makes me smile and I am sure it is not the first smile of many this book provides.
The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly – Jamie Pacton
Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.
Working as a wenchāi.e. waitressāat a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.
Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brotherās place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight wonāt go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, theyāll prove that gender restrictions should stay medievalāif they donāt get fired first.
The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly, Jamie Pacton May 5, 2020
A little behind the curtains moment. I requested the Advance Reader Copy of this book because I immediately fell in love with Kit Sweetly from the cover and title alone. Then, after reading the back copy, I became hungry for this story in my life. This book’s first impression felt like discovering a book you’ve been waiting for years to discover. I mean, A contemporary story set in medieval times? How can you not want to read that story?
Kit Sweetly sounds like the Lisa Lionheart (from The Simpsons episode where Lisa wants a strong, female role-model doll instead of Malibu Stacey), or a contemporary Katniss Everdeen, or a medieval times (minus the magic) version of Hermoine Granger. It won’t surprise me if young people look up to Kit Sweetly as a role model. It won’t surprise me if Kit Sweetly becomes a subject of adoration on Tumblr by artists. It won’t surprise me if Kit Sweetly takes on a life of her own from the pages written here by Jamie Pacton. This book could be one of those books that you talk about in thirty years to young kids about how you remember when it came out and how YES! Kit Sweetly is still as awesome as they were in 2020.
Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy whoās going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as sheās counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.
Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, heās looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But itās hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.
Georgia is beginning to think thereās more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduationā¦which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.
Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?
Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding loveāand finding yourself.
Stay Gold, Tobly McSmith May 26, 2020
This book has everything? Yeah, everything. I can’t think of a book I’d rather read than this one except for other ones on this list, obviously. I’m glad this comes out towards the end of the month that way I can end May with a book that looks absolutely amazing. Especially considering this is a story written by someone who is proudly trans, it should be acknowledged that this story will undoubtedly resound with the truth. Sure, it is a love story at the end of the day, with one of my favorite allusions clearly being made, but this book seems absolutely genuine, heartfelt, and gorgeous.
This cover does exactly what it says to do. Likewise, this book makes me want to stay cool, strong, and myself. The cover is stunning. Those colors, right? And then the way Stay Gold is popping on the cover will undoubtedly catch eyes. I can only assume that this book will keep readers hooked because if the entire book is as well written as the back cover, then it will undoubtedly connect with any reader. It is also important to mention that this book is connected to https://www.staygoldfund.org/ which is worth checking out and donating to via purchasing this book. I cannot be more excited for this book to come out and end May on a much deserved high note.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Miss Fisher’s Murder Mystery in this rollicking romp of truth, lies, and troubled pasts.
New Year’s Eve, 1929.
Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers’ diamond earrings can’t outshine the real star of the night: the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club’s star performer and his fans are legion–if mostly underground.
When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she’s just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club’s balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he’s innocent, but local detectives aren’t so easily convinced.
As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie’s attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who’s offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks.
The Boy in the Red Dress, Kristin Lambert May 12, 2020
I think this book has one of those titles that makes you stop. Right? Am I wrong? Then you find out it’s set in 1929? Yes, that’s 91 years ago, alright. Then you find out it’s a murder mystery style story? How can you possibly say no to that, right? This book seems like such a wonderfully amazingly unique story. Plus, yet again, how can you not love that tagline, right? “He’s not a killer. She’s the only one who can prove it.” How is that book not one that you pick up? That cover, look at Millie’s smirk! LOOK AT IT! Millie is the type of character you hope Kristin Lambert will write a million novels so you can binge read them all the time.
It’s hard to write a murder mystery, it’s hard to write a historical fiction piece, and it can be hard to write a story involving LGBTQIA+ characters more involved in those two types of stories intended for young adult readers. I cannot wait to see how Kristin Lambert is able to combine all three of those narratives into one story that looks so fantastically promising. Likewise, I cannot wait to see the way this book effects and changes the expectations and acceptance of interesting, intersecting, and intelligent stories. I will not be surprised if Kristin Lambert becomes a very important name in the young adult literary canon.
What happens when you fall down the rabbit hole? The compulsive must-have follow-up to CLEAN and MEAT MARKET from bestselling author Juno Dawson
Alice lives in a world of stifling privilege and luxury – but none of it means anything when your own head plays tricks on your reality. When her troubled friend Bunny goes missing, Alice becomes obsessed with finding her. On the trail of her last movements, Alice discovers a mysterious invitation to ‘Wonderland’: the party to end all parties – three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome.
Will she find Bunny there? Or is this really a case of finding herself? Because Alice has secrets of her own, and ruthless socialite queen Paisley Hart is determined to uncover them, whatever it takes.
Alice is all alone, miles from home and without her essential medication. She can trust no-one, least of all herself, and now she has a new enemy who wants her head…
A searing exploration of mental health, gender and privilege, from the most addictive YA novelist in the UK today.
Wonderland, Juno Dawson
Wonderland is undoubtedly going to be another amazing story by the acclaimed Juno Dawson. The cover alone pulls you in, right? The neon-lit bunny does exactly what it means to do. It catches your eye and makes you want to know more about this story. Then give that back cover a glance? Yeah, it’s okay. I know. Look, we’re all in quarantine right now and this is another one that will undoubtedly let you feel like you are escaping not only your house but also this world!
I don’t know about you, but this book gives me a sort of Black Mirror vibe to it. I mean that in the most absolutely kind and interesting way. I won’t be surprised if this book finds itself on banned book lists and I won’t be surprised if this book is hard for American readers to get their hands on. BUT based on the author being Juno Dawson and the concept of the story as well, I have to believe that this book will be one constantly on the tip of your tongue to ready to answer the question, “Read any good books lately?”
The Fascinators – Andrew Eliopulos
A magic-infused YA novel about friendship, first love, and feeling out of place that will bewitch fans of Rainbow Rowell and Maggie Stiefvater.
Living in a small town where magic is frowned upon, Sam needs his friends James and Deliaāand their time together in their school’s magic clubāto see him through to graduation.
But as soon as senior year starts, little cracks in their group begin to show. Sam may or may not be in love with James. Delia is growing more frustrated with their amateur magic club. And James reveals that he got mixed up with some sketchy magickers over the summer, putting a target on all their backs.
With so many fault lines threatening to derail his hopes for the year, Sam is forced to face the fact that the very love of magic that brought his group together is now tearing them apartāand there are some problems that no amount of magic can fix.
The Fascinators, Andrew Eliopulos May 12, 2020
This book has some amazing things going for it, right? Let’s count them. Magic. Check! Friendship. Check! A beautiful cover. Check! An intriguing plot. Check! Apparently, being book one of a series? Wait…Yeah, that’s right! Sam, Delia, and James seem to be primed to be the new magical trio we all fall in love with. I know I am excited to see how their friendship will bend or break, mend or magically dissipate.
Andrew Eliopulos has something great right here. I don’t doubt that for a single second. The Fascinators will, like any great story featuring magic, make me wish I was playing Sam, Delia, or James in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign or video game. The closeness of the characters on the cover definitely show how close these friends will be in this book. There is undoubted love in their eyes. There is a longing to be together. This book undoubtedly has heart, soul, and magic.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins May 19, 2020
Yes, this book is on this list and I said it wouldn’t be. No, I am not going to talk about it. What I am going to say is there are nine books that came before this one on this list. Nine authors that deserve all the pomp and circumstance that this book has received. Instead, those authors, many of them, debut authors have been robbed of book tours and meeting future fans. The debut authors on this list have had to turn to social media and the awkwardness of asking people to give their book a chance during times of uncertainty. Even worse, those authors above now have to potentially compete on the market with something that is, honestly, unasked for.
Don’t forget, President Snow in The Hunger Games is a maniacal, power-hungry, wealthy, tyrant that puts his face on everything and uses misinformation to lie to his people. The best thing about President Snow is that he gets taken down by Katniss Everdeen. Now, who wants to hear, or read, some alleged sob-story about when Coriolanus was eighteen? He is a rich kid, a ridiculously rich kid, whose problem is that somebody he doesn’t care about will die. What? Why would anyone want to read that story? Coriolanus is the character with the absolute least reason to hear his backstory.
Sure, are we going to read it and review it for an episode? Probably. Take whatever we say about it and talk about that with your friends and then introduce them to any of the nine other books on this list. This book does not need you to clamor for it and order it immediately. It will get its proper recognition. The other nine books on this list deserve your attention and love. The same love and attention you gave The Hunger Games so many years ago. And yes, if this book is Suzanne Collins giving us 624 pages of a tyrannical billionaire getting emotionally destroyed maybe I’ll recommend it.
A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it — at any cost.
Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds — each with their own magic — together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.
For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.
But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe…
Havenfall, Sara Holland March 3, 2020
This book really has everything I could have ever wanted: portal fantasy, queer characters, magic and mystery! A pretty cover! An author I’ve loved before!
And yet, I couldn’t get into it. At all.
There was something about the pacing, something about the characters that I just couldn’t get into. I loved Sara Holland’s Everless duology. That one pulled me in from the veryfirst line. But Havenfall just… didn’t.
I had to DNF it at like, chapter 2 because I just couldn’t see myself enjoying it going forward. I’m trying to not lose myself to forcing a way through a book if I’m not going to like it. It’s never an easy decision to put down a book. I want to love everything that comes across my path, especially books that tick off all the boxes.
And Havenfall, despite promising everything I could ever want, wasn’t for me.
Summer’s coming, the pandemic is still going, but we’ve got some pretty awesome books on their way!
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Our heroes are backā¦ kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxyās best hope for survival.
First, the bad news: an ancient evilāyou know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy dealāis about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. Theyāve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.
Like the clan of gremps whoād like to rearrange their favorite faces.
And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, whoāll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.
Then thereās Kalās long-lost sister, whoās not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.
When they learn the Hadfield has been found, itās time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri canāt learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.
Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legionās most unforgettable heroesāand maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.
Pub Date: May 2, 2020
The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shockedāand thrilled. After all, sheās grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the kingās attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.
But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.
Pub Date: May 5, 2020
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance – and Papi’s secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Papi’s death uncovers all the painful truths he kept hidden, and the love he divided across an ocean. And now, Camino and Yahaira are both left to grapple with what this new sister means to them, and what it will now take to keep their dreams alive.
In a dual narrative novel in verse that brims with both grief and love, award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
Pub Date: May 5, 2020
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse…
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, itās not just a story.
As the day of her twin brotherās wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if sheās willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isnāt afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.
Pub Date: May 12, 2020
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
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Jess is a gearhead with both eyebrows, Dan is a stunningly attractive Ace, and Maggie finds herself with newfound responsibilities on this episode of Booked All Night when we discuss Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touchā¦
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxyās biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot whoās totally not into him, in case you were wondering
And Tyās squad isnāt even his biggest problemāthatād be Aurora Jie-Lin OāMalley, the girl heās just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tylerās squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.
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So you’re still stuck at home. So are we. So is everyone. But the good news is that books exist and you have plenty of time to discover some authors
Cameron Lund
Cameron Lund is a young adult author, singer/songwriter, and cheese enthusiast.
Originally from the middle of the New Hampshire woods, she moved to the beach to study film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has stayed out west ever since. Her love of travel has taken her to more than 25 countries–thereās nothing she loves more than writing while on an adventure somewhere, preferably with a view of a waterfall.
Cameron’s debut novel,Ā The Best Laid Plans, will be released with Razorbill (Penguin/Randomhouse) on April 7th,Ā 2020.
JUNE HUR (āHurā as in āherā) was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. Most of her work is inspired by her journey through life as an individual, a dreamer, and a Christian, with all its confusions, doubts, absurdities and magnificence. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto, and currently works for the public library. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
Her debut novel The Silence of Bones (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 2020) is a murder mystery set in Joseon Dynasty Korea (early 1800s), and also a coming-of-age tale about a girl searching for home. It was recently selected the American Booksellers Association as one of the top debuts of Winter/Spring 2020.
After receiving a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, Margarita Montimore worked for over a decade in publishing and social media before deciding to focus on the writing dream full-time. She’s blogged for Marvel, Google, Quirk Books, and XOJane.com. When not writing, she freelances as a book coach and editor. Born in Soviet Ukraine and raised in Brooklyn, she currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and dog.
Margarita writes upmarket fiction that tends to be left of center and flirt with multiple genres. She loves all things dark, strange, and surreal, but is also optimisticāverging on quixoticāand a pop culture geek, so her work tends to incorporate all those elements to varying degrees.
In 2018, she self-publishedĀ Asleep from Day. Her proper debut, Oona Out of Order is forthcoming from Flatiron Books on February 25, 2020.
Rex Ogle began his editorial career at DC Comics, working on flagship titles likeĀ Justice League,Ā Teen Titans,Ā andĀ Superman/Batman. From there, he moved to Scholastic where he helmedĀ New York TimesĀ bestselling series like Star Wars: Jedi Academy and Study Hall of Justice, and later, Little Brown for Young Readers, where he developed titles such as the Classroom 13 series and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits. Rex Ogle has more than 100 published titles in the children’s space under various pen names, but is most proud of the ones he writes under his own name.Ā Free LunchĀ is the story of Rex Ogle’s first semester in sixth grade when he was on his school’s free lunch program. Grounded in the immediacy of physical hunger and the humiliation of having to announce it every day in the school lunch line, Rex’s is a compelling story of a more profound hunger–that of a child for his parents’ love and care.
Leah Johnson was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indianaāa tried and true, lifelong Hoosier (and as you can perhaps imagine, much of her work now features more cornfields and soybeans than any one human has business writing about). She began her writing career with a spiral notebook full of short stories in Mrs. Peacock’s fifth-grade class and could never quite bring herself to stop.
She went on to major in Journalism and African American Studies at Indiana University and while there; worked as a reporter covering race and class for an NPR affiliate, as an audio initiatives intern at the Wall Street Journal, and won a Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition Fellowship, which took her to Japan to study international reporting. Eventually, Leah shifted her storytelling vehicle to fiction (and the occasional personal essay) and pursued her MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College.
This summer, Leah will be a visiting writer at New England College and is currently a staff contributing editor at Catapult. When sheās not writing or ranting about pop culture and politics on Twitter, Leah teaches creative writing and composition to undergraduate students in and around New York City. Her YA novelsĀ You Should See Me in a Crown(June 2020) andĀ Rise to the SunĀ (2021) are forthcoming from Scholastic.
Jennifer Moffett has published short stories, poems, essays, travel articles, and reviews in various magazines and literary journals. Her debut YA novel, Those Who Prey, will be published by Atheneum, Simon & Schuster on November 10, 2020.
An Arkansas native, Jennifer spent her childhood playing in creeks and climbing trees while dreaming up outlandish stories and occasionally writing them down. After working in the childrenās television industry in New York City, she completed her masterās degree in Creative Writing at The University of Mississippi. She started publishing her work as a journalist and books editor, writing numerous book reviews and author profiles for regional publications.
Her fiction and poetry have appeared in the New Orleans Review, Hartskill Review, Revolution House, Sundress Publicationsā book Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women and Place, as well as in other publications. She is the recipient of The Gary Wilson Short Fiction Award for a story published in the literary journal descant, where she is an associate editor.
She teaches creative writing at a community college on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she enjoys kayaking, gardening, reading outdoors, and planning trips to new places (preferably with great local yarn shops and bookstores).
Chelsea Ichaso writes twisty thrillers for young adults, including LITTLE CREEPING THINGS (Sourcebooks Fire, 2020). A former high school English teacher, she currently resides in southern California with her husband and children. When sheās not reading or writing, Chelsea can be found on the soccer field.
She’s a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, where she studied communication and writing. She grew up among the redwoods of Northern California, and now lives in Charlotte with her books and the houseplants she hasn’t killed yet. If she is not writing or reading, you’re most likely to find her in a cafe, music venue, or the aisles of Trader Joe’s. Of Silver and Shadow is her debut novel.
Candice Marley Conner lives with her husband, two childrenāMermaid Girl and Dinosaur Boyāand two tiny-but-ferocious tiger-cats at the bottom of Alabama where the antebellum lady rests her feet in the Gulf of Mexico. Her debut picture book, Sassafras and Her Teeny Tiny Tail, releases with MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing in 2019.
A book nerd at a haunted indie bookstore and a Local Liaison for SCBWI, her work is found inĀ Babybug Magazine, collections such asPieces: Mardi Gras, A Mobile Writersā Guild Anthology,Ā Fireflies & Fairy Dust: A Fantasy Anthology,Ā Chicken Soup for the Soul, and online atĀ Mothers Always Write,Ā Mamalode, andĀ The Good Mother Project.
S.A. Patel was born in vibrant India and raised in the heart of Texas, surrounded by a lot of delicious food and plenty of diversity. She draws on personal experiences, cultural expectations, and southern flair to create worlds that center around strong Indian women. Once in MMA, sheās now all about puppies and rainbows and tortured love stories.
YALLWEST 2020 REBRANDED AS YALLSTAYHOME: OVER 70 BESTSELLING & AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS CREATE A VIRTUAL BOOK FESTIVAL
YOUR TOWN, YOUR STATE: YALLWEST returns for its sixth year with more than 70 authors presenting on April 25-26, 2020. The annual gathering typically draws over 20,000 readers to Santa Monica High School, but this yearās event will be entirely virtual. The biggest teen and middle grade book festival in the country is going worldwide (web). Rebranded as YALLSTAYHOME, this free event will feature a weekend of online panel discussions, giveaways, games and more. Special events will surround the festival, with promotions across social media platforms. Additionally, the festival is connecting participating authors with twenty underserved Los Angeles schools for virtual visits via Zoom and providing e-books to their students. Festival founders and #1 New York Times Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures) and Melissa de la Cruz (The Queenās Assassin) open the event at 10:00 AM (PDT) by discussing their decade-long collaboration culminating in their upcoming novel, Jo & Laurie. Starsight and Mistborn series author Brandon Sanderson will lead the afternoon keynote at 4:00 PM (PDT).
Saturday closes as Angie Thomas, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbusters On the Come Up and The Hate U Give, host the annual YALLWEST SMACKDOWN variety show with Nic Stone (Dear Martin). Pseudonymous Bosch and Shane Pangburn host a Middle Grade Storyball on Sunday at 10:00 AM (PDT). The entire YALLSTAYHOME experience will end with a star-studded lineup of authors reading their earliest writing on Sunday, April 26th at 5:00 PM (PDT).
Additional YALLSTAYHOME attending authors include Cassandra Clare, Rainbow Rowell, Karen McManus, Maureen Johnson, Ransom Riggs, Victoria Aveyard, Marie Lu, Roshani Chokshi, Mariko Tamaki and many others (see next page for full line-up). Multiple bestselling authors will appear on the virtual stage for the festivalās Saturday opening and closing events.
During the tumultuous year of 1968, four teens are drawn together: Ronnie Bingham, who is grieving his brotherās death in Vietnam; Milo, Ronnieās bookish best friend; āRamrod,ā a star athlete who is secretly avoiding the draft; and Hana, the new girl, a half-Japanese badass rock-n-roller whose presence doesnāt sit well with their segregated high school.
The four outcasts find sanctuary in āThe Vinyl Underground,ā a record club where they spin music, joke, debate, and escape the stifling norms of their small southern town. But Ronnieās eighteenth birthday is looming. Together, they hatch a plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted. But when a horrific act of racial-charged violence rocks the gang to their core, they decide itās time for an epic act of rebellion.
The Vinyl Underground, Rob Rufus March 3rd, 2020
This story is one of four parts, or sides rather. The Vinyl Underground is broken into four sides like a traditional double LP. Side A introduces the four teens and the foundation of their club The Vinyl Underground, Side B is the club’s plan to get Ronnie out of the draft and the execution of it, Side C is the awful hate crime against one of them, and Side D is the completely outrageous, wholesomely awesome, fantastically incredible, and wonderfully badass act of rock-n-roll rebellion. Reading this book to completion was like discovering a concept album that changes the way you hear music.
Now, sure, I have been guilty of shoving favorite records at friends, or monopolizing the AUX cord to blast albums I insist everyone needs to listen to, and I like to think my playlists are utter perfection. That being said, reading this book to completion is one of those experiences that make you want to reread it. The use of repetition throughout the book of certain phrases reminds me a lot of concept albums that tell complex stories. Likewise, every chapter and section of this book has some of the most rockstar lines I’ve ever read in a book. Sure, do people really talk like that? No, but the effect created by Ronnie, Milo, Ramrod, and Hana having constant zingers of lines at each other, or even better when targeted at the world, makes them seem like the coolest kids you could ever hangout with.
I have to be honest, Side A and Side B do a real disservice to the build of the story. I think it is because the back novel makes it sounds like the “horrific act of racial-charged violence” sound like it’s the catalyst for the novel. Or that when Hana is first assaulted by the racist bullies, that it is the considered horrific. I’m in no way saying that when the racist bullies assault Hana that it isn’t “that bad” or, God forbid, okay. That being said, as a reader, because of how stories normally flow, it does fall right about at where a normal story’s catalyst happens; the call to action if you will. Because of the placement, it makes the novel feel almost like two books combined.
The Vinyl Underground is organized like a double LP. Meaning, an album that comes on two different records. Side A and Side B feel like one book. Side C and Side D feel like another. But it’s all one book. The story of these four’s senior year is unmistakably one unforgettable story. I especially believe that this novel would be excellent to use in a senior classroom when teaching about the Vietnam War. Since this book is set in 1968, it does an excellent job of capturing that time period and what it was like to be a young person then.
Unfortunately, too many of the issues being discussed and the incredibly hateful beliefs held by the antagonists of this story are still real today. The Vinyl Underground shows that these issues can be overcome and fought against. Young people deserve to know that their voices matter and the possible acts they can take to rebel against a government they do not approve of. Sure, being young can feel like you have no power and I am not necessarily saying “the completely outrageous, wholesomely awesome, fantastically incredible, and wonderfully badass act of rock-n-roll rebellion” is something that every kid should do. But, I do want it to be clear that acts of civil disobedience or protests can absolutely be effective when done by young people and young adults. This book shows more than just what life was like for teenagers in 1968; it shows how young people can change the world.
