Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 57

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

 

YA books from this year that double as earworms. Sorry not sorry.

 

Test your Baby-Sitters Club knowledge with this cover snippet quiz I put together. It’s not easy.

 

Elsewhere…

 

If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you might not know about my 33 by 33 project. I’m hoping to see 33 classrooms from Donors Choose funded by my 33rd birthday at the end of next month. I’m posting links straight there, as well as getting ready to bring back the regular “Fund ‘Em Friday” feature on Book Riot (which took a hiatus for summer). Heidi Stevens, a columnist for The Chicago Tribune, wrote a really fabulous piece about the project this week.

Graphic Novel Roundup

Snow White by Matt Phelan

Matt Phelan excels at the nearly-wordless graphic novel. His rendition of Snow White – updated to 1928 New York – surpasses the high bar he set with The Storm in the Barn and is my favorite book of his yet. Phelan’s artwork is well-suited to a stylized, noir-ish retelling of the classic story. He uses mostly black and white with a few splashes of red for effect, taking full advantage of shadows in alleyways. In Phelan’s version, Snow White’s evil stepmother is the Queen of the Follies, her father is the King of Wall Street, and her protectors are seven street urchins. The whole package is clever and lovely.

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing

Charles has just moved to Echo City, and he’s not thrilled about it. They’re living in an old hotel, which his parents are being paid to renovate. Naturally, it’s haunted – Charles soon learns there’s a monster in his closet. Luckily, there’s Margo Maloo, a girl (or something more?) whose job it is to mediate disagreements between Echo City’s monster inhabitants and its humans. She may like the monsters more than she likes the humans, but who can blame her? Charles is an aspiring journalist, so once he gets over his fear (or nearly so), he’s eager to find out as much as he can about Margo and her monster friends. This is a fun middle grade graphic novel with a bit of humor, a bit of adventure, and a bit of mystery – everything you could want in a book, basically.

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld and Alex Puvilland

I’ve actually never read any novels by Scott Westerfeld, and I’m not sure this graphic novel will convince me to change that. It’s got a good hook – a mysterious “spill” (chemical? otherwise?) occurred in the city a few years back, and now no one is allowed in the area. The spill killed everyone who was there at the time, and now the corpses occasionally move, among other horrifying things. Addison Merrick used to live in that part of town, and she sneaks back in regularly to take photos and sell them to collectors. It’s a cool idea, but the execution is disappointing. This first volume (over 200 pages) feels like all exposition – it abruptly ends before anything is resolved or even explored in much depth. Its timeline is occasionally difficult to follow as well. Perhaps it’s best read in tandem with the second volume, forthcoming July 2018. Puvilland’s artwork is good, and the story is intriguing and unique – it just didn’t quite live up to the high quality I had expected.

 

A Day In The Life of an Editor/Writer/Former Librarian

“So what do you do?” is a question I get asked a lot. And it’s immediately followed with either a “why,” a “how,” or a giant facial question mark. It seemed like a prime opportunity in the sizzling center of summer to put together a quick day-in-the-life.

First: my job title. Working full-time for Book Riot, my title is associate editor and community manager. The fancy title is a way of saying I do a lot of writing and editing of my work and others, I am responsible for some social media stuff, and I take care of behind-the-scenes tasks, including being available for contributors to bounce questions and ideas off.

Beyond the full-time job, though, I also edit for myself and write for myself. I’ve always got other writing and freelance obligations on my plate because I like having a wide array of writing and projects to bounce between. Having one focus doesn’t work for me, and, as it turns out, working entirely from home all day nearly every day, so I’ve taken a (very) part-time position at my yoga studio, too. It’s a way to stay involved in a business I love, as well as get to know more of the folks who come to yoga who I don’t get to see when I’m there for my own practice.

My work schedule on the Book Riot side makes me the special snowflake of the team. Unlike the rest of the editors and ad/ops folks, I don’t work a standard 8-4/9-5/10-6 workday. I split my days, working some hours in the morning and some in the evening. I also have Sundays and Mondays as my weekend, meaning that Tuesdays are essentially my Monday and that Saturdays, I’m at the helm for everything. Having done this now for a number of years, I’m not intimidated…except when things fall to pieces on a Saturday, which, while rare, does happen. I like to think I am pretty good, though, at the Emergency Backup Plan To Solve Problems.

Here’s how the donuts get made on a typical day.

 

5 am: I wake up. For real. My husband works over an hour away and he’s started his days closer to 7 am recently, so when he gets up, so do I. I could stay in bed, but I do like getting up and started on my own business before most everyone else.

6:15 am: By now, I’m usually showered, dressed, and with tea in hand. I start my Book Riot days by reading through the posts that went up the previous day — I’m always a day behind on reading content because of my schedule — and then start scheduling pushes for those posts on Tumblr and on Pinterest. When I wrap up the social media coverage on both of those, I tinker with our Goodreads page. I can’t possibly keep up with the comments over there in our forums, but I peruse them to make sure there aren’t fires to put out. I also like to add some book recommendations (generally pulled from either our New Books! Newsletter or from our Riot Recommendation posts of the best books we read in the previous month).

8 am: I am also in charge of indicating some information about sponsored posts, so a small part of my every day work is going into the program we use and making sure everything is labeled appropriately. It’s not a task that takes a long time, but it gets tedious sometimes.

8:15 am: Check and delete the email. Almost all of our office communication is through Slack, so 95% of my inbox is pitches for books and/or updates from Goodreads. I don’t need to keep much, if any, of it.

8:30 am: My time for miscellaneous housekeeping. This might be responding to emails or reaching out for interviews or researching YA news for the newsletter. This is a time when I like to update any information I have about contributors or reach out to them with reminders for what they’re writing this week that’s part of an ongoing series. I’ll use any time in here to dig through general book world news for my weekend Critical Linking post on Sundays.

9:30 am: Writing. I write the YA newsletter, a weekly column, and other miscellaneous pieces. They’re all in various stages of done throughout the week, so I pick up where I am and do a bit of work. Depending on what day of the week it is, I may write for a couple of hours on all of these or I may do more research for future pieces.

On a “typical” day, I tend to stop working between 10:30 and 11 am. There are days it’s earlier, as well as days it’s later — we have staff calls every week which happen either at 12:30 pm or 2 my time, so on those days, I just work on through. It gets me a ton of quiet time for getting a lot done.

But we’re calling this a “typical” day, so let’s play it that way!

11 am: I’ve already put in half a day of work, and by now, I’m ready to work on my own projects. This might mean answering emails or editing pieces for (Don’t) Call Me Crazy. It might involve working on household projects or chores, and it might also mean working on homework for any of the online classes I’ve been taking. I use this time, too, to journal or to go out and take photographs and let myself have some creative freedom. It’s this time when I generally eat lunch in front of my screen and work on other freelance work. By this point in my day, I feel like I’ve been so productive that I’m able to ramp it up and get piles of work done in what feels like a relatively short amount of time.

1:30 pm: Usually by now, unless I’m out of the house, I relocate from my office to the living room. This is quiet time that I permit myself to use as I wish. I could work more if I want, but I can also read and feel no guilt for spending a few hours doing that. It took me years and years to permit myself time to just be and by also permitting myself choice during this time frame, I know that if there is work I have to do for a deadline or there’s something someone else wants of me (i.e., an answer to an email), I can do it here. If I choose. I don’t expect people who work normal hours to bend to me during their non-work hours, and allowing myself the same parameters within my odd schedule has been so good for my mental wellness.

4:30 pm: Three hours of me time in the afternoon is generally enough time to find the energy to get myself to yoga. My yoga classes are 90 minutes long, so by the time I get there and home, I’m nice and sweaty.  Around 4:30 is when I also log back on to everything for work — Twitter, Facebook, and Disqus for website comments — and log on to Slack to see what I may have missed. Having this half hour of prep time before leaving lets me know what to prepare for when I get back home. It also is a great motivator for working hard on the mat, if necessary, to get the anxiety and stress out.

7:15 pm: I’m home and making dinner at this point. Depending on the day and what I need to get done, I may use this time to do more social media work and/or writing for Book Riot. But this is also the time I’m 100% available to contributors, which sometimes, can be what I do most of the night. Reading posts, brainstorming, doing research — I love that stuff. It’s nice and makes it easy to also monitor and respond to what needs addressing on our social accounts. At night when you see snark going down? Usually that would be me. My husband is home by this point, and I often am less sitting at my computer for work and more up-and-down with cooking, some cleaning, and a lot of playing with various animals.

9:30 pm: I love to use the last bit of time while I’m doing social coverage and community management to brainstorm what needs to happen the next day, to take notes for what to share in calls, to peruse Edelweiss for things I should have on my radar. It’s a nice cooling down, and it’s a nice prep for the next day. I like to know if I’m going to go into a day where I do a single day’s work…or a day when I need to make sure I cram in 3 days’ worth of work.

10 pm: This woman is in bed. No joke. Because the next day will be coming soon enough.

 

This Week at Book Riot

 

This week over on Book Riot…

 

A round-up of YA books about soccer.

 

Elsewhere around the web, two really nice pieces that include Here We Are…

 

11 anthologies all YA lovers need to add to their TBR.

 

42 diverse must-have YA titles for every library.

 

Giveaway: LITTLE & LION by Brandy Colbert and WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH YOU by Stephanie Kuehn

 

How about a giveaway? It’s been a minute since I’ve given away books here because I love them, so in honor of that and in honor of two excellent reads, it’s time.

Up for grabs are a pair of books to one winner. The books are Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert and When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn. Both were released this month.

This giveaway will run through Friday, August 25. Winner must be a US resident. To enter, just fill out the painless form below.

 

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Most Anticipated Fall Reads

What’s on your reading list for fall? I’m eagerly anticipating a couple of sequels (one more than a decade in the works) plus a couple of new books from favorite authors.

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

Release Date: September 19

Synopsis: Jane has lived an ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia—an adjunct professor and deep sea photographer. Jane counted on Magnolia to make the world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on one of her expeditions.

Now, with no direction, a year out of high school, and obsessed with making umbrellas that look like her own dreams (but mostly just mourning her aunt), she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family’s island mansion called Tu Reviens.

Jane remembers her aunt telling her: “If anyone ever invites to you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you’ll go.” With nothing but a trunkful of umbrella parts to her name, Jane ventures out to the Thrash estate. Then her story takes a turn, or rather, five turns. What Jane doesn’t know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price. (Goodreads)

Why I’m anticipating it: Cashore is a talented writer, and she writes feminist, sex-positive, imaginative fantasy for teens. She’s not super prolific: her most recent book, Bitterblue, was published in 2012. A new release from her is noteworthy. Early reviews call this book ambitious, genre-bending, and challenging, all things I can appreciate.

The Book of Dust Volume 1: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

Release Date: October 19

Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them, a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua… (Goodreads)

Why I’m anticipating it: In my very first post for Stacked, I wrote about how His Dark Materials was and is the most important series of books I’ve ever read. Pullman has been working on this companion book (now a companion series) for well over a decade, and I’ve been anticipating it just as long. The fact that it’s actually completely written now, with a synopsis and a publication date and a cover, is almost beyond belief.

The Empress by S. J. Kincaid

Release Date: October 31

Synopsis: It’s a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don’t have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone and not just the elite.

But having power isn’t the same thing as keeping it, and change isn’t always welcome. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress.

Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot protect him by being the killing machine she once was. She will have to prove the humanity that she’s found inside herself to the whole Empire—or she and Tyrus may lose more than just the throne. But if proving her humanity means that she and Tyrus must do inhuman things, is the fight worth the cost of winning it? (Goodreads)

Why I’m anticipating it: The Diabolic was my favorite book of 2016. It was intended as a standalone and it works well as one, but I am eager to see where Nemesis’ story takes her next. Kincaid has a winning combination of setting, plot, and character in this series – it’s rare that I read science fiction with such imaginative world-building executed so well.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 7

Synopsis: The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both. (Goodreads)

Why I’m anticipating it: The Lunar Chronicles is one of the best YA science fiction series written in the past decade. While I enjoyed Meyer’s follow-up, Heartless, it wasn’t nearly as good. Renegades is her return to science fiction, which I think suits her better. I’m curious to see how Meyer fares with a story not based upon a fairy tale or other classic tale, and of course, I always love a good superhero book.

A YA Reading List For Viewers of TO THE BONE

 

There’s been a bit of controversy surrounding the new film on Netflix To The Bone. The film, starring Lily Collins, is about a 20-year-old who dropped out of college because of the eating disorder controlling her life. Collins reluctantly enters an inpatient facility, and the story centers around the kids in the treatment facility and the work it takes to find a sense of recovery from an eating disorder.

Early on in the film, as well as throughout, we learn that Collins’s character (Ellen/Eli) was an artist who shared her drawings on Tumblr. Her art was part of what could be called “thinspiration,” a trend that’s been huge since the early years of the internet, and her art led to another struggling teenager to choose suicide…and send her last note to Eli. This has a tremendous impact on Eli, as she feels responsible for that death. We also get to see first hand how a family’s dysfunction can impact someone who struggles with their mental health, as much as we get to see the ways an individual’s mental health can rock family relationships.

The film, written by and performed with real people who’ve struggled with eating disorders, begins with a viewer warning. It notes that there will be challenging situations and images depicted, and yet, the film does a great job of imparting the message that art can and does impact people — and sometimes that impact is something you simply cannot control.

A lesson that film creators are learning through the backlash comes right back to their own work. There is a responsibility in creating art, as much as there’s a responsibility in consuming it. It’s an almost perfect instance of life imitating art.

Some of the backlash for To The Bone is unwarranted, though. The film’s description, as well as the warning that displays immediately upon the beginning of it, are enough to tell viewers what to expect and whether or not they should proceed. This falls in line with some of the reviews I’ve read in recent years suggesting that books like Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson need trigger warnings, despite the fact the book’s description is very clear about what the content is. Were the description coy or unforthcoming about the content, that would be a different conversation. Were there a surprise instance of other disturbing topics — rape, abuse, other topics that are often talked about in trigger discussions — then further noting of that content or displeasure about the lack of warning would certainly be fair. But the film is clear in description, Netflix offers a warning, and from thereon, it’s the personal responsibility of consumers to choose whether or not to proceed.

And that, too, is part of the movie’s point.

I’d not recommend watching this if you’re easily bothered by frank images or discussion of eating disorders, of course. Though not perfect, it’s a gritty, powerful look at the way eating disorders are a mental illness that require treatment, thoughtful discussion, and more. It’s the kind of film that teens will gravitate toward because of the content, the name recognition, and the fact it makes for a solid view-alike to 13 Reasons Why: a realistic show that is relatable, as well as featuring characters who aren’t too far outside their own age range.

It’s one I’m really glad I watched as I work my way through edits of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, as so much of what the film depicted comes through in the essays the collection will have about personal struggles with disordered eating.

The messages and takeaways of this film are worth exploring in a book list for YA readers. The books below take on eating disorders, treatment and recovery, as well as touch upon social media and the consequences of using and consuming media. I’ve also included titles about dysfunctional families and the ways that mental illness can impact more than the person struggling with it. The same elements that make To The Bone appealing to young viewers will make these books appealing, too.

Descriptions come from Amazon unless otherwise noted.

 

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?

 

 

Believarexia by JJ Johnson

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer has to force her family to admit she needs help for her eating disorder. But when her parents sign her into the Samuel Tuke Center, she knows it’s a terrible mistake. The facility’s locked doors, cynical nurses, and punitive rules are a far cry from the peaceful, supportive environment she’d imagined.

In order to be discharged, Jennifer must make her way through the strict treatment program—as well as harrowing accusations, confusing half-truths, and startling insights. She is forced to examine her relationships, both inside and outside the hospital. She must relearn who to trust, and decide for herself what “healthy” really means.

Punctuated by dark humor, gritty realism, and profound moments of self-discovery, Believarexic is a stereotype-defying exploration of belief and human connection.

 

 

Clean by Amy Reed

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing.

Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves—and one another—if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.

 

 

 

The Girls Of No Return by Erin Saldin

Erin Saldin’s The Girls of No Return is a lacerating young adult debut about girls, knives, and redemption. The Alice Marshall School, set within a glorious 2-million acre wilderness area, is a place where teenage girls are sent to escape their histories and themselves. Lida Wallace has tried to negate herself in every way possible. At Alice Marshall, she meets Elsa Boone, Jules, and Gia Longchamps, whose glamour entrances the entire camp. As the girls prepare for a wilderness trek, Lida is both thrilled and terrified to be chosen as Gia’s friend. Everyone has their secrets – the “Things” they try to protect; and when those come out, the knives do as well.

 

 

 

 

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.

Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn’t plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

 

 

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Theo is better now.

She’s eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn’t talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn’t do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she’s been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

 

 

 

 

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

Madeline is sent away to Spring Meadows rehab for drinking and rage. At the weekly movie night in town, she meets Stewart, from another rehab nearby. They fall for each other despite the crazy time. Madeline gets out and starts to regain her feet. But when Stewart joins her, both still are severely troubled, and he is getting worse.

 

 

 

 

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys’ school that pretends it’s coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Then there’s Francesca’s mother, who always thinks she knows what’s best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

 

 

 

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones

It happens just like that, in the blink of an eye. An older sister has a mental breakdown and has to be hospitalized. A younger sister is left behind to cope with a family torn apart by grief and friends who turn their backs on her. But worst of all is the loss of her big sister, her confidante, her best friend, who has gone someplace no one can reach.

 

 

 

 

 

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

When she is caught in the backseat of a car with her older brother’s best friend—Deanna Lambert’s teenage life is changed forever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of “school slut,” she longs to escape a life defined by her past. With subtle grace, complicated wisdom and striking emotion, Story of a Girl reminds us of our human capacity for resilience, epiphany and redemption.

 

 

 

 

ThinAndBeautiful.com by Liane Shaw

Seventeen-year-old Maddy has always felt a hole in her life, but she has finally found a way to fill it with her quest to mold her body into her ideal, thinnest shape. When she comes across the world of -pro-ana- websites, where young people encourage each other in their mission to lose ever more weight, she realizes she is no longer alone. Finally, she has found a place where she is understood. Maddy quickly becomes addicted to the support and camaraderie she finds on thinandbeautiful.com. Now in a rehab facility where they are trying to -fix- a problem she doesn’t think she has, Maddy’s diary entries trace how she arrived at this point. Angry that she is barred from accessing her online friends, only the tragic consequences that come to one of her comrades in arms is enough to shock her into admitting that she does need help.

 

 

This Impossible Light by Lily Myers

Fifteen-year-old Ivy’s world is in flux. Her dad has moved out, her mother is withdrawn, her brother is off at college, and her best friend, Anna, has grown distant. Worst of all, Ivy’s body won’t stop expanding. She’s getting taller and curvier, with no end in sight. Even her beloved math class offers no clear solution to the imbalanced equation that has become Ivy’s life.

Everything feels off-kilter until a decision to change the way she eats gives her a boost in confidence and reminds Ivy that her life is her own. If she can just limit what she eats—the way her mother seems to—she can stop herself from growing, focus on the upcoming math competition, and reclaim control of her life. But when her disordered eating gives way to missed opportunities and a devastating health scare, Ivy realizes that she must weigh her mother’s issues against her own, and discover what it means to be a part of—and apart from—her family.

 

 

Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette’s desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

 

 

 

 

A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger

Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a mess. Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.

 

 

 

 

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Dead girl walking”, the boys say in the halls.

“Tell us your secret”, the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

 

 

 

Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price

Zoe knows she doesn’t belong in a hospital—so why is she in one?

 

Twin Birch isn’t just any hospital. It’s a strange mansion populated by unnerving staff and glassy-eyed patients. It’s a place for girls with serious problems; skinny, spindly girls who have a penchant for harming themselves.

Zoe isn’t like them. And she can’t figure out why she was sent here. Writing letters to her best friend Elise keep her sane, grounded in the memories of her past—but mired in them, too. Elise never writes back.

Zoe is lost without her, unsure of how to navigate tenuous new friendships and bizarre rules without Elise by her side. But as her letters intertwine with journal entries chronicling her mysterious life at Twin Birch, another narrative unfolds. The hidden story of a complicated friendship; of the choices we make, the truths we tell others, and the lies we tell ourselves. The story of a friendship that has the potential to both save—and damage beyond repair. And Zoe finds she must confront the truth about her past once and for all, before she can finally let go.

This Week at Book Riot

 

Over on Book Riot this week…

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about found manuscripts and posthumously published work and sort of wrestled with those ideas in this piece.

 

If you fall in the center of the “Loves Rabbits” and “Loves Books” Venn Diagram, I found some bookish things you might need in your life.

 

Books From My Childhood

A few weeks ago, my mom unearthed a box of old children’s books that once belonged to me, my older brother, and my younger sister. When I think of books from my childhood, I often go back to the books I read in late elementary and middle school (Harry Potter, Philip Pullman, Wizard of Oz). The books from this box, though, were mostly picture books and early chapter books: relics from much earlier that I hadn’t thought about in many years. But memories of them returned easily, and I realized just how much these very early books shaped my reading life.

Sarah’s Unicorn by Bruce and Katherine Coville is one of the first fantasy books I remember reading on my own. I read it over and over, and I’m pretty sure it’s why I was so enamored with the name Sarah for a while as a kid (that and the fact that it means “princess”). While my love for unicorns has faded somewhat, my love for fantasy and magic has not.

 

Big Sister and Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow is a classic that I didn’t realize was a classic until I became a librarian. I have a little sister myself, and when we were little, she was fairly blonde. The relationship depicted in the book mirrored ours in some ways. I remember reading this book out loud, recording it on a cassette tape.

 

My parents would often give us books as gifts. I love that they included notes so I could look back as an adult and know when they were given to me. This version of Thumbelina is gorgeous and helped make me a lover of fairy tales. This book was actually not in the box; I’ve had it in my possession uninterrupted. (I have enjoyed it for many years, as my mom hoped.)

 

I don’t think I had problems eating my peas when I was a kid, but maybe this book indicates otherwise. Also, Nellie is a major carnivore. That girl claims she would eat all of those animals on the front cover. They are not her friends, people.

 

This is another book I’ve had in my possession uninterrupted, but I thought I’d include it here because the note is so great. Trevor Romain is an Austin author, and my dad (if my memory isn’t faulty) got this book for me at a signing when I was around seven. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to write and didn’t want to be A Writer. I love that Trevor Romain wrote such a nice, personal note for a little girl who was just getting started herself.

 

I devoured the Amelia Bedelia books as a kid. They definitely helped foster my love of puns and wordplay.

 

I’ve always thought marginalia was interesting (both in my own books as well as complete strangers’). It looks like I was practicing writing an uppercase J in this book.

 

I remember reading Let’s Trade by Harriet Ziefert a lot as a kid, but I honestly don’t know why. It’s a completely message-driven book. The girl kind of looked like me; maybe that was it? Who knows. I just read everything I could get my hands on, probably.

 

This book, called New at the Zoo, was super fun! It was divided into two halves, and you could mix and match the upper and lower parts of the animals to create entirely new ones. And it’s a pop-up book! Endless hours of amusement.

 

This one actually belonged to my brother, but I had to include it because I’m sure I read it too – along with all of the other Choose Your Own Adventure books I could get my hands on. My 6th grade teacher was super cool and gave us an assignment to create our own Choose Your Own Adventure book as part of our language arts class. Mine was historical fiction about the Titanic. (Yes, the movie had just come out.) There were not many endings where you lived, just so you know.

On The Radar: August 2017 YA Books To Know

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

For August, I’ve pulled 11 titles worth picking up. They include buzzy titles, ones I’ve seen great reviews for, and a few others which could fall under the radar but deserve a little extra spotlight.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for putting on your radar are mine and mine alone! Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them.

 

 

The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes (8/22)

Molly Mavity is not a normal teenage girl. For one thing, her father is a convicted murderer, and his execution date is fast approaching. For another, Molly refuses to believe that her mother is dead, and she waits for the day when they’ll be reunited . . . despite all evidence that this will never happen.

Pepper Yusef is not your average teenage boy. A Kuwaiti immigrant with epilepsy, serious girl problems, and the most useless seizure dog in existence, he has to write a series of essays over the summer . . . or fail out of school.

And Ava Dreyman—the brave and beautiful East German resistance fighter whose murder at seventeen led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall—is unlike anyone you’ve met before.

When Molly gets a package leading her to Pepper, they’re tasked with solving a decades-old mystery: find out who killed Ava, back in 1989. Using Ava’s diary for clues, Molly and Pepper realize there’s more to her life—and death—than meets the eye. Someone is lying to them. And someone out there is guiding them along, desperate for answers.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Oakes’s first novel, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, was a finalist for the William C Morris Debut Novel Award.

 

Backfield Boys by John Feinstein (8/29)

Sportswriting powerhouse John Feinstein’s young adult novel Backfield Boys follows best friends and football stars Jason Roddin and Tom Jefferson, a perfect, though unconventional, pair: Jason, the Jewish kid, is lightning fast and a natural wide-receiver, while African-American Tom has an amazing arm and a quarterback’s feel for the game. After summer football camp at an elite sports-focused boarding school, the boys are thrilled to enroll on scholarship for their freshman year–despite their mothers’ fears of injury and especially CTE.

On day one, they’re stunned when the coaches make Tom a receiver and Jason a quarterback, a complete contradiction to their skill sets and training. They soon suspect this is a racial issue. The boys speak out, risking both their scholarships and their chance to play. But when Jason gets a concussion in the first game of the season, he and Tom must decide how much they’re willing to lose in their quest to expose the ugly remnants of a racist past that still linger in contemporary jock culture.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Sports novel! Feinstein has been writing YA sports reads for a while, and this sounds like it’ll hit on a lot of intersecting interests: football, race, religion, and debilitating injury.

 

The Dire King by William Ritter (8/22)

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

 

Why it should be on your radar: The final book in the Jackaby series, which has both been exceptionally popular and a New York Times bestselling series.

 

Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens (8/22)

As the tomboy daughter of the town’s preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. She’d rather wear sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee.

But when Janie Lee confesses to Billie that she’s in love with Woods, Billie’s filled with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is also in love with Woods…and maybe with Janie Lee, too.

Always considered “one of the guys,” Billie doesn’t want anyone slapping a label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group dynamic. Except it’s not just about keeping the peace, it’s about understanding love on her terms—this thing that has always been defined as a boy and a girl falling in love and living happily ever after. For Billie—a box-defying dynamo—it’s not that simple.

Readers will be drawn to Billie as she comes to terms with the gray areas of love, gender, and friendship, in this John Hughes-esque exploration of sexual fluidity.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Great reviews for this title have been popping up, and books set in the south about gender, sexuality, and faith are rare.

 

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by FC Yee (8/8)

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo’s every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A stand-alone fantasy that sounds like a blast, featuring a main character of color. This one showed up at my door in a fancy box, suggesting there’s some money and push behind it, so likely, readers may see it popping up and start asking for it.

 

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert (8/8)

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn’t sure if she’ll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new…the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel’s disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself–or worse.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This one’s racked up three starred reviews so far, and Colbert’s first novel earned a great amount of critical acclaim. Having read this one, I can say it’s easily one of the best of 2017 YA so far. Friendship, sibling relationships, mental illness, and sexuality are some of the big themes throughout.

 

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller (8/29)

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This has been getting more and more buzz the closer it comes to pub date. It’s the first in a fantasy series from a debut author.

 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds (8/1)

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man.

But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself.

As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk.

It’s time for Miles to suit up.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A Spider-Man novelization featuring a brown main character by Jason Reynolds. Enough said! Chances are, you might want to buy more than one copy of this title for your collection.

 

Reunited by Colleen Houck (8/8)

After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset.

 

Why it should be on your radar: I will be honest: I know nothing about this series. But it has hit the New York Times list, and it’s been selling well. This is the final entry, so worth knowing about if it’s one that’s popular in your own collection.

 

When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn (8/1)

“This isn’t meant to be a confession. Not in any spiritual sense of the word. Yes, I’m in jail at the moment. I imagine I’ll be here for a long time, considering. But I’m not writing this down for absolution and I’m not seeking forgiveness, not even from myself. Because I’m not sorry for what I did to Rose. I’m just not. Not for any of it.”

Ben Gibson is many things, but he’s not sorry and he’s not a liar. He will tell you exactly about what happened on what started as a simple school camping trip in the mountains. About who lived and who died. About who killed and who had the best of intentions. But he’s going to tell you in his own time. Because after what happened on that mountain, time is the one thing he has plenty of.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Stephanie Kuehn is a Morris winner, as well as an author who continually puts out thought-provoking, intelligent thrillers for your mature YA readers — both in the sense of “older” teens, as well as in the sense of books for those teen readers who are “too cool” for YA.

 

Wonder Woman: War Bringer by Leigh Bardugo (8/29)

She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Wonder Woman novel! This is the first in a series, and with a name like Leigh Bardugo attached, I say what I said earlier about the Spider-Man novel: you need a copy, if not more than one, on your shelves.