Sponsored by Chicago Review Press.
Women of Power is a timely, inclusive, international, modern biography series that profiles 15 diverse, modern women who are changing the world in their field while empowering others to follow their dreams.
Hey YA Readers!
Groundhog Day approaches, and if you’ve been here for more than a year, you know this is my favorite holiday. Besides being kitschy and low stakes, I live where the movie was filmed and my town goes all out. But even beyond being literally enmeshed in all things Groundhog Day, it’s also the midpoint marker of winter. Whether or not the oversized squirrel sees a shadow or not, we know winter is half-way over.
In previous celebrations of the hog, I’ve done YA books that feature time loops. But since there haven’t been many in the past year to add to the previous roundups, I’m taking a new spin on it this year.
Welcome to repeating book titles.
Welcome to repeating book titles.
Welcome to repeating book titles.
Let’s take a look at some YA books that relive their titles over and over.
Make sure to get your own Read Harder Book Journal from Book Riot to track your reading for the year!
Again Again by E. Lockhart
What if you made other choices? What if your life was playing out in a different way in another reality? That’s the story of Adelaide, who, after a family catastrophe, finds herself confronting long-held secrets, love, and so much more. It’s a philosophical and surprising story.
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Maddy has SCID — a disease that makes her allergic to everything. She never leaves her house, and her schedule is very regimented, very white, very protected by her mother and attending nurse. But when Olly and his family move in next door, suddenly Maddy takes a shine to him, even though she knows she can never meet him. Doing so might make her sick. Besides, she can’t go outside anyway, so why should she begin a relationship with someone? It won’t go anywhere.
But then she decides she likes him too much not to try to meet him. With the assistance of her nurse, Olly visits. And then…so much more happens between them.
There’s been some fair criticism of this book to be aware of if you aren’t, but with that in mind, it’s an enjoyable read.
Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi
In putting this list together, I realized how little I include manga or manhwa in the newsletter and part of it is my limited knowledge of either (I used to buy it for the teen collections when I worked in libraries, but that was now a decade ago). I do remember this one, though.
This series follows Gon, a country boy who is eager to become a Hunter — a rare distinction that requires a license and rigorous examination and preparation. What is a Hunter? They can track down treasures, monsters, and other people. Volume one brings us the start of Gon’s adventure.
Never Never by Brianna Schrum
If you love a take on Peter Pan, look no further. This story follows not Peter, but Captain James Hook and what led him to become the one person dedicated to hating — and working to destroy — Peter.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Will Grayson meets Will Grayson on a street corner in Chicago. Though they share the same name, their lives could not be any different. But because fate brought them to the same place at the same time, their fates are intertwined in unexpected ways.
It’s been years since I read this one, but I remember it being unexpected (in a good way!).
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
I won’t be bundling up this year to see the groundhog in action, but I will be watching him on the livestream from the comforts of my warm house a few blocks from where he’ll make his proclamation. I’ll likely be there with a book, too.
Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again (again) on Thursday.
Until then, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram.