Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 40

Booklist: Allergy/Sensitivity to Light

The human body is a strange thing sometimes. In this booklist, I feature books that highlight two related conditions: an allergy to sunlight, and sensitivity to light in general. If I hadn’t come across these books, I doubt I’d even know that this was something that could happen to the body: the idea of the need for light – and sunlight in particular – is so ingrained in us that it’s an odd thing to consider that some people’s bodies reject it. But these conditions are very real and very serious for the people affected. These stories shed light – pun intended – on what it’s like for people to live with such a sensitivity or allergy.

Three books have been or will be published within a year of each other that focus on light or sunlight sensitivity issues: two YA published this year, one middle grade forthcoming in January. I wouldn’t say these three books are enough to constitute a trend, but conditions like these are unusual enough that when a book features one as the central plot point, it grabs my attention. Going back several years, I could only find a few others that touched on this same topic. Have you read any of these? Are there any I’ve missed?

 

The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley (2014)

Diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare medical condition which makes him lethally sensitive to light, Tyler is a thirteen-year-old who desperately wants just one thing: to be normal. His mother Eve also wants just one thing: to protect her son. As Tyler begins roaming their cul-de-sac at night, cloaked in the safety of the darkness, he peers into the lives of the other families on the street-looking in on the things they most want hidden. Then, the young daughter of a neighbor suddenly vanishes, and Tyler may be the only one who can make sense of her disappearance…but what will happen when everyone’s secrets are exposed to the light?

[Note from Kimberly: This is a book for adults that features a teenager as one of its main characters.]

 

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen (2018)

What would you do if the sun became your enemy?

That’s exactly what happens to Viola Li after she returns from a trip abroad and develops a sudden and extreme case of photosensitivity — an inexplicable allergy to sunlight. Thanks to her crisis-manager parents, she doesn’t just have to wear layers of clothes and a hat the size of a spaceship. She has to stay away from all hint of light. Say goodbye to windows and running outdoors. Even her phone becomes a threat when its screen burns her.

Viola is determined to maintain a normal life, particularly after she meets Josh. He’s a funny, talented Thor look-alike who carries his own mysterious grief. But the intensity of their romance makes her take more and more risks, and when a rebellion against her parents backfires dangerously, she must find her way to a life — and love — as deep and lovely as her dreams.

[Note from Kimberly: The synopsis doesn’t mention it, but Viola’s condition is called solar urticaria with polymorphous light eruption.]

 

Midnight Sun by Trish Cook (2018)

Seventeen-year-old Katie Price has a rare disease that makes exposure to even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. Confined to her house during the day, her company is limited to her widowed father and her best (okay, only) friend. It isn’t until after nightfall that Katie’s world opens up, when she takes her guitar to the local train station and plays for the people coming and going.

Charlie Reed is a former all-star athlete at a crossroads in his life – and the boy Katie has secretly admired from afar for years. When he happens upon her playing guitar one night, fate intervenes and the two embark on a star-crossed romance. As they challenge each other to chase their dreams and fall for each other under the summer night sky, Katie and Charlie form a bond strong enough to change them – and everyone around them – forever.

[Note from Kimberly: Katie has Xeroderma Pigmentosum.]

 

A Cool Moonlight by Angela Johnson (2003)

Born with a rare and dangerous allergy to sunlight, Lila’s spent her life hidden from the daylight-staying covered up and indoors until dark, only venturing outside after the sun has set and the moon’s cool light shines. Almost every night, she is visited by two young girls who wear tutus over their jeans and costume fairy wings, and the three of them dance and tell wonderful stories. But while Lila adores her family and her new friends, still she longs to feel the sun’s touch. Lila’s mysterious friends have promised to help her . . . but how?

[Note from Kimberly: Lila has Xeroderma Pigmentosum.]

 

The Ice Garden by Guy Jones (January 2019)

Jess is allergic to the sun. She lives in a world of shadows and hospitals, peeking at the other children in the playground from behind curtains. Her only friend is a boy in a coma, to whom she tells stories. One night she sneaks out to explore the empty playground she’s longed to visit, where she discovers a beautiful impossibility: a magical garden wrought of ice. But Jess isn’t alone in this fragile, in-between place…

 

 

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney (2010)

Fifteen-year-old Finbar Frame seriously missed out in the gene-pool stakes, since his twin brother Luke got the good looks, athletic ability and pigmentation. Finbar is tall, skinny, pale and pretty much allergic to the sun – and sadly, teenage girls don’t appreciate Finbar’s sensitive skin or his sensitive soul. But when a move to a new school converges with a cultural trend romanticising vampires, Finbar seizes the opportunity. He’ll become a vampire! Or at least fake it … to get a date.

 

What We Saw at Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard (2013)

Allie Kim suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum: a fatal allergy to sunlight that confines her and her two best friends, Rob and Juliet, to the night. When freewheeling Juliet takes up Parkour—the stunt-sport of scaling and leaping off tall buildings—Allie and Rob have no choice but to join her, if only to protect her. Though potentially deadly, Parkour after dark makes Allie feel truly alive, and for the first time equal to the “daytimers.”

On a random summer night, the trio catches a glimpse of what appears to be murder. Allie alone takes it upon herself to investigate, and the truth comes at an unthinkable price. Navigating the shadowy world of specialized XP care, extreme sports, and forbidden love, Allie ultimately uncovers a secret that upends everything she believes about the people she trusts the most.

September 2018 Debut YA Novels

It’s time again to round up a new batch of debut novels — this time for September!

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts that came out in September from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title,  and I’ve left off publication dates because they’re all available now. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

 

500 Words or Less by Juleah del Rosario

Nic Chen refuses to spend her senior year branded as the girl who cheated on her charismatic and lovable boyfriend. To redefine her reputation among her Ivy League–obsessed classmates, Nic begins writing their college admissions essays.

But the more essays Nic writes for other people, the less sure she becomes of herself, the kind of person she is, and whether her moral compass even points north anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

Afterimage by Naomi Hughes

A horrific explosion levels part of the city and Camryn Kingfisher is the sole survivor.

Amidst controversy, conspiracy theories, and threats from government officials, Camryn longs for the truth. But the only person who she can turn to is a transparent boy in a lab coat named Quint. Unsure whether he’s a hallucination or a ghost, Camryn has no choice but to trust him as they become embroiled in a plot that is bigger than either of them realize.

In a race where the fabric of time and space is at stake, they must figure out who caused the explosion before the culprit comes back to finish Camryn―and her city―off for good.

 

 

 

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

 

 

 

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo

Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing.

Best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy all have similar talents, but to them, their abilities often feel like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent or make it any easier to confide in Lux and Mercy about what’s going on at home. And Rome isn’t the only one. Lux has been hiding bigger, more dangerous secrets.

As Rome struggles to keep her friendships close, she discovers the truth about life in Cottonwood Hollow—that friends are stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.

 

 

Hole in the Middle by Kendra Fortmeyer

Morgan Stone was born with a hole in her middle: a perfectly smooth, sealed, fist-sized chunk of nothing near her belly button. After seventeen years of hiding behind lumpy sweaters and a smart mouth, she’s fed up with keeping her secret. On the dance floor one night, she decides to bare all.

At first she feels liberated . . . until a few online photos snowball into a media frenzy. Now Morgan is desperate to return to her own strange version of normal—when only her doctors, her divorced parents, and her best friend, Caro, knew the truth. But tragically Morgan’s newfound openness and Internet celebrity seem to push those closest to her further and further away.

Then a new doctor appears with a boy who may be both Morgan’s cure and her destiny. What happens when you meet the person who is—literally—your perfect match? Is being whole really all it’s cracked up to be?

 

*Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

Dexter meets This Savage Song in this dark fantasy about a girl who sells magical body parts on the black market — until she’s betrayed.

Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far.

But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again.

Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back.

 

*Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she’s already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady’s maid and scheming her way out of the servants’ chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she’s done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny… to rule.

 

*Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal

Naya, the daughter of a sea merchant captain, nervously undertakes her first solo trading mission in the necromancer-friendly country bordering her homeland of Talmir. Unfortunately, she never even makes it to the meeting. She’s struck down in the streets of Ceramor. Murdered.

But death is not the end for Naya. She awakens to realize she’s become an abomination–a wraith, a ghostly creature bound by runes to the bones of her former corpse. She’s been resurrected in order to become a spy for her country. Reluctantly, she assumes the face and persona of a servant girl named Blue.

She never intended to become embroiled in political plots, kidnapping, and murder. Or to fall in love with the young man and former necromancer she is destined to betray.

 

 

Unstoppable Moses by Tyler James Smith

Moses and his cousin Charlie were best friends, wisecracking pranksters, unstoppable forces of teenage energy—until the night they became accidental arsonists and set in motion a chain of events that left Moses alone, guilt-stricken, and most likely trapped in his dead-end town.

Then Moses gets a lucky break: the chance to volunteer as a camp counselor for week and prove that the incident at the bowling alley should be expunged from his record. And since a criminal record and enrollment at Duke are mutually exclusive, he’s determined to get through his community service and get on with his life. But tragedy seems to follow him wherever he goes, and this time, it might just stop him in his tracks.

 

 

 

What The Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

 

 

Witchborn by Nicholas Bowling

Alyce’s mother has just been burnt at the stake for practicing witchcraft. With only a thin set of instructions and a witch’s mommet for guidance, Alyce must face the world that she’s been sealed off from — a world of fear and superstition. With a witch hunter fast on her trail, she’ll need the help of an innkeeper and a boy looking to discover the truth behind his own mother’s past.

But as her journey continues, another war rages: a hidden war of the supernatural, of the living and the dead. Good and evil are blurred, and nobody’s motives can be trusted. And Alyce finds herself thrown unwillingly into the conflict. Struggling to understand her own powers, she is quickly drawn into a web of secret, lies, and dark magic that could change the fate of the world she is just coming to know.

What I’m Reading Now

Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

This is a heist novel about humans who can shapeshift into dragons (wyverns), so it’s basically everything I ever wanted in a book. Durst borrows from and builds upon traditional dragon lore by giving her wyvern characters hoards: their goal is to accumulate treasure, and they steal from other wyverns to do so. Stealing isn’t punished; only getting caught is. Sky, determined to prove herself as she approaches adulthood, embarks upon a daring and ambitious heist alongside an interesting crew of sidekicks with their own motivations for helping out.

I’m not yet finished with this one, but it takes an interesting and unexpected turn about halfway through, deepening the dragon lore and expanding the story in scope. Durst’s books are hit or miss for me. I really love some of her work (Vessel), but have found others pretty mediocre. This is shaping up to be one that really resonates with me. It’s a lot of fun and I’m excited to share it with other readers when it publishes in December.

 

Gilded Cage by Vic James

This was originally published on Wattpad and is geared for the adult market, though two of its main characters are teenagers. There’s strong crossover into YA readership here, and it’s got a great hook: in modern England, common people (those without magic) must spend ten years of their lives serving the aristocratic Equals (those with magic). But this is not your everyday servitude that you might think of from Downton Abbey. These ten years are officially referred to as “Slave Days,” and once the ten year term begins, the slaves are the property of the state, no longer considered people. The Hadleys – mom, dad, brother Luke, sister Abi, and youngest sister Daisy – apply for a term at the Kyneston estate in order to complete their years of required service together, but at the last moment, Luke is reassigned to Millmoor, a slave town in Manchester that is widely regarded as the worst place to complete your slave days. From there, the story follows the separated family as Luke learns to live within Millmoor and the other Hadleys get caught up in the machinations of the wealthy Kynestons.

I’m reading this one on audio, and the narrator does a fantastic job with the accents: Manchester for the Hadleys and the stereotypical upper-crust for the Equals. Even though I’m not very far in, I I have a good feel for the world James has created and my heart has already broken once for Luke. I’m curious to see how the premise holds up and where James takes it, since it has so many possibilities.

 

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

In the near future, the United States has been nearly overrun by Shreve’s Disease, which is carried by ticks that burrow into the skin. Once bitten by a tick, you have thirty seconds to burn it off with a device called a Stamp. After those thirty seconds, they’ve laid their eggs inside your body, and you have about a 50% chance that they will be carriers of the disease, which is fatal. The country has coped by creating something called the Salt Line, which cuts off the majority of the landmass, leaving it to the ticks, while the rest of the country is divided into strictly-regulated zones that are tick-free. Wealthy daredevils who live in the Atlantic Zone will sometimes pay vast sums of money to go on special excursions past the Salt Line, and Jones’ book follows a group of these people. Each person in the group has their own motivations for taking such a risky journey, which takes a very fast turn into even greater danger soon after they cross the Salt Line. This book is a combination dystopia, survival story, and crime novel, and it mostly melds all three together well.

Ever since I read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, I’ve been on the hunt for a great literary sci-fi novel that matches it. While The Salt Line doesn’t quite measure up, it comes close. Jones is a master of the ensemble novel format. She gives multiple characters their own third-person points of view, engendering sympathy on the part of the reader even for those characters who are hard to like or commit detestable acts. She’s interested in the themes of parenthood or the lack thereof (motherhood most strongly, but fatherhood as well), as most of the characters’ motivations involve their children or their desire to not have children, as well as surrogate parent-child bonds. As someone who isn’t particularly interested in having children myself, I liked the focus Jones placed on one character’s decision to not have kids. This character’s reasons go beyond the stereotypical and dig into themes of sacrifice and how a person claims ownership of her life. It’s rare to find a book that treats lack of motherhood as an equally fulfilling avenue for its female characters.

 

 

Awesome Foreign Edition Covers of YA Books

A couple of weeks ago, a package arrived at my door. Inside were two beautiful foreign editions of Here We Are: Feminism for The Real World. I knew the Korean edition was happening and had seen both interiors and the cover of the book, but holding the foreign edition was something different entirely. The trim size is really appealing — it’s a little smaller than trade paperback but not as small as mass market. It made me think about how fun it is to see books we might be familiar with in the US and Canada and how they look in different countries around the world.

 

Find below a round-up of foreign editions of familiar YA titles. I’ve noted which is the US edition and where those other editions are published. It’s always interesting to see where and how the changes are made. Sometimes, it’s really obvious (Here We Are, for example, has an entirely different cover but it’s still perfectly fitting!) and in other cases, the changes are so minimal that it’s simply a matter of language translation.

Have any favorite foreign editions of YA books? Tell me about ’em in the comments — and tell me which of these books have foreign editions that really appeal to you.

 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

 

 

We’re likely familiar with the left-hand image, as it’s the hardcover US edition. But check out how different it is from the Czech edition (center) and the Hungarian edition (right). I feel pretty confident I’ve seen that same stock image on the Hungarian edition in a US book or two.

 

 

From left to right, there’s the Finnish edition (I love that model’s face!), the Indonesian edition (which uses illustration), and the Japanese edition. That one looks very similar to the US cover, though the use of red on the Japanese titling is a nice touch.

 

 

These three lined up in an interesting way, as all feature a profile as the cover image. The left is from the UK, the center is the Serbian edition, and the right is from Sweden.

 

 

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

 

 

I’ve skipped including the movie edition for this title, though it also makes an interesting comparison. The original hardcover edition for the US market is on the left. On the right, the Polish edition. I like the way the pink is sprinkled throughout.

 

 

The Serbian edition goes in an entirely different direction, and it doesn’t include a model on the cover at all. The Vietnamese cover returns to a model, and like above, adds a little more pink to its look.

 

 

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

 

 

This is a fun one. I didn’t actually expect the foreign editions to look so different, but they do — even while holding onto the same color palate. The left cover is the one for the US, followed by the Portuguese edition, then the Georgian edition.

 

 

Though it’s not too different from the US edition, the German one adds a little more waviness to the water. The right is the Japanese edition and I kind of love it.

 

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

 

 

Starting from the left, we have the US edition of One of Us Is Lying, followed by the UK edition. Both use that telling red font for the title. But then we get to Romania, and suddenly we go from a fairly white cover background to one that’s a shade of orange. I like the way that the silhouettes mimic what’s going on with the US cover.

 

 

From left to right, we go from Dutch to German and Indonesian. I kind of love how different the Indonesian cover is. That was true of the Thomas Indonesian edition, too.

 

In Italy, their teenage boys have a lot of adult-style face hair, I guess. The center cover is Swedish, and the cover on the right — which takes a twist on the UK cover — is Thai.

 

 

On the left, we head to Serbia. On the right, Slovenia. I love the girl’s eyebrows in the bottom right-hand corner.

 

 

 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Look how pretty all of the covers for The Hazel Wood are! From left to right, we have the US edition, the Italian edition (nice incorporation of the book), and the Dutch edition.

 

I love a green cover, so the Serbian edition on this one — complete with the creepy tree and imagery surrounding it — really works for me. I also included a special, exclusive edition of the book, which was made especially for OwlCrate subscribers.

 

 

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

 

 

Fair warning: all of the covers for Strange The Dreamer are downright dreamy. The left is the US edition, followed by the UK cover and the Italian cover. They all have variations on the theme we’ll continue to see.

 

We then visit the Turkish edition, with its perfect blend of creepy elements. On the right is the Polish edition.

 

On the left, the Hungarian edition, and on the right, Norwegian.

 

 

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

 

The covers for Dumplin‘ across the world are as awesome as the US cover on the left. Center, we have the Bulgarian edition and on the right, we have the Swedish edition. The little town makes that cover so cute.

 

 

More cute covers for this book in their Croatian, Czech, and Serbian editions. I love the use of pink on each of these.

 

 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

 

Long Way Down in its UK edition (middle) isn’t too dissimilar from its US edition on the left. But the Bulgarian edition on the right is almost more haunting than both of them combined. The slow open of an elevator is powerful and so perfectly apt for the book.

 

 

The cover for the Indonesian edition of Long Way Down plays on the elevator buttons and still incorporates the slight use of yellow as in the US edition. I’ve also included the Dutch cover on the right as a means of showing a total title change for this one. Same idea of image, but the new name stands out.

 

 

 

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

The best puzzle books you can play.

 

An open letter to high school journalists & why you need to keep speaking the truth.

 

YA books about school shootings.

 

6 easy tips for how to support a book or favorite author.

 

A case for mass market paperbacks for YA books to return.

 

Big book bags for hauling all your reading loot.

A List Of YA Books With A List Title

Sometimes you’re making a book list or doing some research about books and stumble upon a commonality among titles. In the case of a recent discovery: the word “list” in YA book titles. These aren’t books that have all necessarily come out at the same time, so it’s not a trend. Rather, it’s something that’s neat to see in a giant list, interesting to think about, and, for librarians or teachers, might make a pretty cool book display.

Here’s a look at YA books that feature “List” in the title. I’ve stuck to one book per series, even though some of these books have multiple titles within a series that use the word. I’ve included books where “List” isn’t a standalone word, but something that is compound. It’s interesting to see that dimension play out.

Descriptions come from Goodreads. Know of any other YA titles with “List” in them? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

 

The A-List by Zoey Dean

Welcome to The A-List, a wickedly funny and risqué paperback original novel that takes readers behind the scenes of the intoxicating world of Hollywood glitterati. Seventeen-year-old Upper East Side blueblood Anna (“pronounced Aaaanah”) Percy is on her way to Beverly Hills, California, where she’ll live with her estranged dad for the rest of the school year while her mother travels to Europe with a friend. On the plane, Anna drinks too much champagne and gets hit on by record producer Rick Resnick. Luckily Princeton student Ben Birnbaum is there to save her and he invites Anna to famous actor Jackson Sharpe’s wedding, where Anna meets the cast of rich and famous characters who are soon to be her classmates at Beverly Hills High. The fast times of Beverly Hill’s most beautiful and glamorous people drive the page-turning action of this juicy new novel.

 

 

 

The Bad Decisions Playlist by Michael Rubens

A stranger rolls into town, and everything changes…

…especially for Austin Methune, when the stranger turns out to be his father, presumed dead, and his father turns out to be Shane Tucker, a bigtime musician—just the role Austin wants for himself.

Austin has a long history of getting himself into trouble, with the assistance of weed, inertia, and indifference. And he’s in deep trouble now—the deepest ever. He’s talented, though. Maybe his famous father will help him turn his life around and realize his musical dream.

But maybe Austin has inherited more than talent from Shane, who also does drugs, screws up, and drops out.

Austin is a tour guide to his own bad decisions and their consequences as he is dragged, kicking and screaming, toward adulthood.

 

Blacklist by Alyson Noel

Layla Harrison has finally found herself in the middle of a celebrity story worth reporting. Aster Amirpour’s name is in every tabloid—even if it isn’t the good kind of publicity she hoped for. Tommy Phillips is inches away from getting the girl of his dreams, which may be harder than scoring a VIP ticket to an Unrivaled nightclub.

But Layla, Aster and Tommy never imagined it would be because they’re entangled in the disappearance of Madison Brooks—a story that’s blinded the world like a starlet blinded by the flash of a paparazzi camera.

Now, Layla is receiving mysterious messages from an anonymous source, Aster’s looming murder trial is so huge even her parents’ lawyer can’t save her, Tommy is retracing his steps as the last person Madison saw alive, and Layla’s ex Mateo finds himself lured into the fold.

You can dig up dirt about celebrities that the tabloids miss if you search long enough. But when Layla, Aster, and Tommy team up with an unsuspecting insider to unearth the truth, they’ll find that some secrets are best kept in the grave.

 

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:

lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),

lost her best friend (Kim),

lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),

did something suspicious with a boy (#10),

did something advanced with a boy (#15),

had an argument with a boy (#14),

drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),

got caught by her mom (ag!),

had a panic attack (scary),

lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),

failed a math test (she’ll make it up),

hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),

became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)

and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!).

But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

 

The F-It List by Julie Halpern

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl’s battle with cancer.

Alex’s father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca slept with Alex’s boyfriend. So things aren’t great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.

But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again—Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf. Because if that’s all you can do to help your ailing friend—you do it.

 

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

 

 

 

Let Me List The Ways by Sarah White

Mackenzie Clark has been best friends with Nolan Walker for as long as she can remember. She’s shared everything with him, from adventures with their families and days lounging at the beach, to long talks about their friends and her journey with type 1 diabetes. The only thing she hasn’t shared is the fact that she is in love with him.

Now in their senior year of high school, Mackenzie and Nolan know that in a few short months everything will change as they head off to different colleges. Determined to make the most of the time they still have left, they come up with a list of things they want to do together before graduation. But as they make their way through everything from toilet papering the school bully’s house to having a backyard camp-out like the ones they had when they were kids, Mackenzie can’t help feeling that she’s left the most important thing off the list: telling Nolan how she feels. But when confessing her love could jeopardize the incredible relationship they already have, is honesty really the best policy?

 

 

The List by Siobhan Vivian

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction – and the price that’s paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, “pretty” and “ugly.” And it’s also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

 

 

 

A List of Cages by Robin Roe

When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kindhearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives…

 

 

The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone

It’s a summer for first love, last wishes, and letting go.

Maddie has big plans to spend the last months before college tying up high school “loose ends” alongside her best friends. Then her beloved grandmother drops two bombshells: (1) Gram is dying. (2) She’s taking her entire family on a round-the-world cruise of dreams come true—but at the end, Gram won’t be returning home.

With a promise to live in the now without regrets, Maddie boards the Wishwell determined to make every moment count. She finds new friends in her fellow Wishwellians, takes advantage of the trip’s many luxuries, gets even closer to her quirky family, and falls for painfully gorgeous Enzo. But despite the copious laughter, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and laughter.

 

Love, Life, and The List by Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

 

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Naomi loves Ely.

And she’s kinda in love with him.

Ely loves Naomi.

But he prefers to be in love with boys.

Naomi and Ely have been inseparable since childhood – partially because they’ve grown up across the hall from each other in the same Manhattan apartment building, and also because they’re best friends. Soul mates. Or are they? Just to be safe, they’ve created a NO KISS LIST – their list of people who are absolutely off-kissing-limits for both of them. The NO KISS LIST protects their friendship and ensures that nothing will rock the foundation of Naomi and Ely: the institution.

Until Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend. And a fateful piece of chewing gum in the wrong place at the wrong time changes everything.

Soon a rift of universal proportions threatens to destroy their friendship, and it remains to be seen whether Naomi and Ely can find their way toward new soul-mate prospects…and back to one another.

 

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad-turned-spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty! When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

 

 

 

 

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

“I know this is going to sound strange, but would you mind being my girlfriend for the next five minutes?” 

Nick frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart. Norah is questioning all of her assumptions about the world. They have nothing in common except for their taste in music, until a chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming a first date that could change both their lives.

Co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, co-author of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON with John Green (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS), NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story that reminds you how you can never be sure where the night will take you…

 

 

Perry’s Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber

When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well . . . Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue.

 

 

 

 

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

Here’s what Sam knows: There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, Sam’s best friend, Hayden, was dead. All he left Sam was a playlist of songs—and a note, saying that he took his own life. But what Sam doesn’t know is: Why?

To figure out what happened, Sam has to rely on the playlist and his own memory. But the more he listens, the more he realizes that his memory isn’t as reliable as he thought. Especially when someone claiming to be Hayden starts sending him cryptic messages, and a series of violent attacks begins on the bullies who made Hayden’s life hell.

Sam knows he has to face up to what happened the night. But it’s only by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him—including an eccentric, unpredictable girl who’s got secrets, too—that Sam will finally be able to piece together his best friend’s story.

And maybe have a chance to change his own.

 

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.

2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.

3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.

4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.

5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

 

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland

Ever since Esther Solar’s grandfather met Death, her entire family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime—a fear that will eventually lead each and every one of them to their graves. Take Esther’s father, for instance: He’s an agoraphobe who hasn’t left the basement in six years. Then there’s her twin brother, Eugene, whose fear of the dark goes far beyond the things that go bump in the night. And her mother, Rosemary, is absolutely terrified of bad luck.

As for Esther, she’s managed to escape the curse…so far. She doesn’t yet have a great fear because she avoids pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces, crowds—anything that might trigger a phobia is off-limits and is meticulously recorded in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.

Esther thinks she has it all figured out, until she’s reunited with an old elementary school classmate—and first crush—Jonah Smallwood. The encounter leaves her stranded at a bus stop and swindled out of her phone, all her cash, a Fruit Roll-Up she’d been saving, and her list—not to mention her dignity. But the theft is also the beginning of an unexpected friendship between the two, one that sends the pair on a journey of self-discovery as they try to break the curse that’s consumed Esther’s family. Together they face their greatest fears, one debilitating phobia at a time, only to discover the one fear they hadn’t counted on: love.

 

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer has made millions of fans around the world with his much-loved character, Artemis Fowl, the star of his hugely best-selling series. Now, in a beautifully written novel that is already breaking records in his native Ireland, Colfer introduces readers to a lovable but troubled heroine, who has been given the opportunity for a special kind of redemption.

Meg Finn is in trouble-unearthly trouble. Cast out of her home by her stepfather after her mother’s death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after her latest stunt, finding a place to sleep is the least of her worries. Belch, her partner in crime, has gotten her involved in the attempted robbery of an elderly man, Lowrie McCall. And things go horribly wrong. After an accidental explosion, Meg’s spirit is flung into limbo, and a race begins between the demonic and the divine to win her soul. Irreverent, hilarious, and touchingly hopeful, The Wish List takes readers on a journey of second chances, where joy is found in the most unexpected places.

 

 

The Wrap Up List by Steven Arntson

In this modern-day suburban town, one percent of all fatalities come about in the most peculiar way. Deaths—eight-foot-tall, silver-gray creatures—send a letter (“Dear So-and-So, your days are numbered”) to whomever is chosen for a departure, telling them to wrap up their lives and do the things they always wanted to do before they have to “depart.” When sixteen-year-old Gabriela receives her notice, she is, of course devastated. Will she kiss her crush Sylvester before it’s too late?

Friendship, first love, and fantasy artfully mesh in this magically realistic world that ultimately celebrates life.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

45 YA books hitting shelves in paperback for your fall reading lists.

 

Where to begin reading the work of YA author Nova Ren Suma.

 

There’s also a new episode of Hey YA this week. Eric and I talk about anniversary and collector editions of YA books, YA titles we’d love to see get the Netflix treatment ala To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and wrap up the show highlighting September releases that you’ll want to be reading.

A Bookish Tour of San Francisco

I went to San Francisco (for the first time ever!) over Labor Day weekend and had a great time. It inspired me to explore some of the young adult books (and a few middle grade) set primarily in and around the city, particularly since I’ll now have an idea of what the setting actually looks, feels, sounds, and smells like. These books, often set in a distinct neighborhood or focusing on a specific landmark, take us on a tour of this vibrant, diverse, history-rich part of our country. While most of these books include activity in many parts of San Francisco, the categories I’ve divided them into help pinpoint important places within the story or where the majority of the story takes place. The included photos are ones I took while visiting.

 

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose Flanagan lives with his family on Alcatraz Island – home to a high security prison and the famous gangster Al Capone. But living next door to Al Capone is the least of Moose’s problems. He has a new school to get used to and new friends to make, and his mother is so busy looking after his sister that she has no time to listen to his concerns. When Moose and his new friends come up with plans to make money out of the convicts things start to look up. Until his sister Natalie poses an even bigger problem to him than she usually does.

 

 

The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

[also Chinatown]

Jade Moon is a Fire Horse—the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, willful, and far too imaginative. But while her family despairs of marrying her off, she has a passionate heart and powerful dreams, and wants only to find a way to make them come true.

Then a young man named Sterling Promise comes to their village to offer Jade Moon and her father a chance to go to America. While Sterling Promise’s smooth manners couldn’t be more different from her own impulsive nature, Jade Moon falls in love with him on the long voyage. But America in 1923 doesn’t want to admit many Chinese, and when they are detained at Angel Island, the “Ellis Island of the West”, she discovers a betrayal that destroys all her dreams. To get into America, much less survive there, Jade Moon will have to use all her stubbornness and will to break a new path… one as brave and dangerous as only a Fire Horse girl can imagine.

 

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Marcus aka “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, his injured best friend Darryl does not come out. The city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: “M1k3y” will take down the DHS himself.

 

Belvedere Island
The Ruining by Anna Collomore

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens – especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.

All too soon cracks appear in Annie’s seemingly perfect world. She’s blamed for mistakes she doesn’t remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she’s always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie’s fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness or is something sinister at play?

 

The Castro
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed. That is, until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other—and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more. Told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour and David Levithan, You Know Me Well is a story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

 

 

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

 

Haight-Ashbury


Love and Haight by Susan Carlton


It’s 1971, and seventeen-year-old Chloe and her best friend MJ head to San Francisco to ring in the New Year. But Chloe has an ulterior motive—and a secret. She’s pregnant and has devised a plan not to be. In San Francisco’s flower-power heyday, it was (just about) legal to end her pregnancy.

But as soon as the girls cross the Golden Gate, the scheme starts to unravel amid the bellbottoms, love-beads, and bongs. Chloe’s secrets escalate until she betrays everyone she cares about. MJ, who has grave doubts about Chloe’s plan. Her groovy aunt Kiki, who’s offered the girls a place to crash. Her self-absorbed mother meditating back in Phoenix. And maybe, especially, the boy she wishes she’d waited for.

 

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 

Richmond District
Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

Frances has one job in life: to get into Berkeley and become a doctor so that her mother’s ambitions will be realized. And Frances doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with that, until the day she accidentally steps into a speech class and begins to discover a talent her mother wouldn’t approve of. Frances turns out to be a natural at debate and public speaking. But to win in competition, she needs to say things she really believes – and to hide what she’s doing from her mother.

Once Frances steps out beyond her narrowly prescribed life, she begins to question many things about the way she is raised. Why can’t she go to a dance with a boy who likes her? Why can’t Frances get a job, or have any money of her own? And most of all, why is her mother never happy with her? Frances knows she should be obedient, and that her mother has sacrificed everything so she can succeed. But when it’s time to take the biggest step of her life, will Frances have the courage to defy her mother?

First-time novelist Cara Chow creates an unforgettable story of a young woman finding her voice against a background of strong cultural tradition and a mother whose ambition for her shows two very different sides to maternal love.

 

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she’s spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Da Vinci’s footsteps, she’s ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital’s Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive, and possibly one of San Francisco’s most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is—and tries to uncover what he’s hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in her family’s closet tear them apart?

 

No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss

Abigail’s parents have made mistake after mistake, and now they’ve lost everything. She’s left to decide: Does she still believe in them? Or is it time to believe in herself? Fans of Sara Zarr, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell will connect with this moving debut.

Abigail doesn’t know how her dad found Brother John. Maybe it was the billboards. Or the radio. What she does know is that he never should have made that first donation. Or the next, or the next. Her parents shouldn’t have sold their house. Or packed Abigail and her twin brother, Aaron, into their old van to drive across the country to San Francisco, to be there with Brother John for the “end of the world.” Because of course the end didn’t come. And now they’re living in their van. And Aaron’s disappearing to who-knows-where every night. Their family is falling apart. All Abigail wants is to hold them together, to get them back to the place where things were right. But maybe it’s too big a task for one teenage girl. Bryan Bliss’s thoughtful, literary debut novel is about losing everything—and about what you will do for the people you love.

 

Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

 

Invisible Fault Lines by Kristen-Paige Madonia

“My father disappeared on a Tuesday that should’ve been like any Tuesday, but eventually became the Tuesday my father disappeared.”

Tired of living in limbo, Callie finally decides to investigate her father’s disappearance for herself. Maybe there was an accident at the construction site that he oversaw? Maybe he doesn’t remember who he is and is lost wandering somewhere? But after seeing a familiar face in a photo from the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, she wonders if the answer is something else entirely.

 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, why not? Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

 

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects – the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

 

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain. That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it’s over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano — on her own terms. But when you’re used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl’s struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It’s about finding joy again, even when things don’t go according to plan. Because life isn’t a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

 

Fresh Off the Boat by Melissa de la Cruz

Dear Peaches, America is perfect! Okay, so Vicenza isn’t being totally honest with Peaches, her best friend back in Manila. But what fun is it being the new girl at snooty Grosvernor High? Or rooting through the Salvation Army for unholey cashmere sweaters? Or having culture-shocked, embarrassingly clueless parents? Maybe being Claude Caligari’s ignored geometry partner is sort of fun, but Vicenza would rather be his girlfriend … or at least his date to the annual fancy-schmancy Soire e d’Hiver. Instead, she’s stuck going with scrawny family friend Freddie in an outlet-purchased, coupon-reduced dress that is nothing short of disaster!

But Vicenza won’t be friendless, fashionless, or “fresh off the boat” for long — it’s only a matter of time before she sees what’s right before her eyes, and her luck begins to change.

 

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Danny has been an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family’s blessing to pursue the career he’s always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny’s lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their friend group to its core, Danny can’t stop asking himself if Harry is truly in love with his girlfriend, Regina Chan.

When Danny digs deeper into his parents’ past, he uncovers a secret that disturbs the foundations of his family history and the carefully constructed facade his parents have maintained begins to crumble. With everything he loves in danger of being stripped away, Danny must face the ghosts of the past in order to build a future that belongs to him.

 

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

 

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.

When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education.

Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, One Crazy Summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls in search of the mother who abandoned them-an unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-Garcia.

 

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F. C. Yee

Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.

But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.

Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance

This Week at Book Riot

 

I mentioned last week how much I’ve been writing over on Book Riot. Here’s more proof!

A calendar of bookish holidays for celebrating all year long.

 

A giant collection of cat bookends for your bookshelves.

 

YA books about social anxiety.

 

 

Preorder (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY & Snag a Sweet Enamel Pin (And More!)

As you know by now, I have a new book coming out on October 2, only a little over one month from now. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health is an anthology filled with essays, lists, comics, and art about the topic of mental health — whether or not you yourself or someone you know experience mental illness, the book will appeal since it digs into not only the illness aspect of mental health, but also the wellness side of the equation. The book is geared for teen readers, but it should also have great appeal for adult readers.

One of the most important things you can do for an author is preorder their book. I know I’ve been lucky to hear from many who’ve already preordered their copies of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, but I wanted to extend my thank you not only to them (thank you!) but also to those of you who will place an order between now and publication date.

And I’d like to thank you for it in a couple of ways.

 

Preorder Thank You #1:

If you preorder a copy of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, send your receipt or proof of purchase to me at kelly@stackedbooks.org. I will send you one of the custom enamel pins I had made. They’re 1-inch, with a pink brain and banner covering the brain stating “Mental Health Matters.”

Personal orders or orders that you’ve placed as a librarian for your collection, so long as you have a receipt or proof of purchase, are game. Preorders placed before this post are fair game, as are any orders prior to October 2, subject to availability of pins.*

It really is that easy. Limit one per person, but know if you’ve ordered more than one copy of the book, I am forever grateful.

 

Haven’t yet ordered a copy of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and are debating where to order it? There’s something especially set up for you, too.

 

Preorder Thank You #2:

Order (Don’t) Call Me Crazy through my local independent bookstore, Read Between the Lynes, and you’ll not only be receiving a sweet enamel pin, but I’ll walk down to the bookstore and sign a copy for you.

In addition to those things, I’ll select one winner at random who orders through Lynes to win a $25 gift card to the independent bookstore of your choice. This is my way to thank you for supporting my local bookstore, as well as my book.

Here’s the link to order through Lynes. I will keep track of each of you, ensure you get your pin, then randomly select a winner on or around October 3 (I’m at a school visit all day for publication day, so you get a bonus day!).

 

 

Important Notes:

Here’s the not-so-fine print about the preorder campaign!

My quantity of enamel pins is limited, so this is first-come, first-serve. Giveaway will run until October 1, midnight Eastern time, if supplies last.

 

Submit your mailing address with your proof of purchase. US residents only. Sorry friends abroad — know I appreciate you, too, but my wallet hurts shipping across borders.

 

I’ll mail out pins once a week, and I’ll respond to each email with acknowledgement of receipt and let you know when your thank you has been mailed.

 

That’s all!

 

One More Thing!

I know not everyone can afford to buy a book or support me in that way. What would thrill me just as much is knowing that you’ve requested the book be added to your local library, that you’ve recommended the book in your own networks, and/or that you are able to attend one of my upcoming events.