Hey YA Readers!
We are entering the period of the year where nothing and everything are happening at the exact same time. We’re trying to wrap up everything in 2022 while also thinking ahead to 2023 while also trying to stay present right in this moment. It’s a lot to ask while also being in a state of (excited or dreaded) anticipation.
That said, here’s a reminder that if you’re into reading challenges, the Read Harder 2023 Challenge tasks have just dropped. You can check ’em out and get prepared for a year of expanding your reading horizons.
Bookish Goods
Go Away, I’m Reading Magnetic Bookmark by CarleyDesignsCo
Why make it any more complex than that? I think this chair and its accompanying pile of books looks extremely cozy. $6.
New Releases
It’s a little bit of a switch up this week, as there is only one new hardcover YA release out, according to my records. So this week’s hardcover release list is only one book!
A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
A diverse heist story set aboard the ill-fated Titanic? That’s right. Our thief Josefa is not out for money, though: it’s a book encrusted in gems worth millions of dollars. Josefa recruits three other girls to help take the book. As much as securing the prize would ensure them all success down the road, their infighting, mistakes, and romantic side quests might put them in danger…and, as we know, that ship is also going down.
In lieu of being able to offer up more new hardcover releases this week, here are some other YA titles that are also aboard or about the tragedy of the Titanic which would be great read alikes for Jaigirdar’s new book:
- Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
- The Watch That Ends the Night by Alan Wolf
- Fateful by Claudia Gray
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
I love debut novels. There’s something really special about cracking open the first book an author has published and discovering someone who is bound to become a new favorite.
As exciting as reading debuts is, keeping track of them or knowing where to find them can be tough. Debut authors typically don’t have huge advances or marketing/publicity budgets afforded to them and more, because they often do not have an established audience, their work is just harder to find.
Over the last decade+, I’ve utilized a few resources to help keep track of these new books by new authors. I wanted to share two excellent ones for 2023 so you, too, can “meet” some new books and build up that TBR. Note that in some cases, these groups have overlap, as they can really help bolster the author’s presence and support during that publication year.
The “Class 2k##” groups have been so beneficial for me as a reader and book lover. You can learn here about several upcoming books in middle grade and YA categories. Their website has a very handy guide to all of the social media accounts of the authors as well, alongside book publication dates, covers, and more.
Want to go a little broader than middle grade and YA books but still know about those debuts? Dig in here, as this group features everything from picture books to adult reads. They’ve got a nice list you can filter through as well to find exactly the kind of book you might be looking for.
As always, thanks for hanging out. I’ll see you on Thursday with your teeny list of YA paperback releases and your YA book news.
Until then, happy reading!
— Kelly Jensen, aka @veronikellymars on the certainly ill-fated RMS Twitter.