Hey YA Readers!
One of the things I enjoy when I am out of the office is getting to read the newsletter when someone else writes it. Big thanks to both Danika and Erica for covering for me and giving me some new books for my TBR.
We’re deep into autumn proper here in the Midwest, y’all. It’s been so nice to go from 80s and 90s–it was 95 degrees last Monday!–to near freezing temperatures at night and 50s and 60s during the day. This is when I thrive and when I find myself reading books by the armload.
Speaking of fall and reading, whatever cozy means for you, be it romance, creepy reads, modern classics, or whatever, TBR can help you find the perfect books for your fall reading, with options curated to your specific reading tastes.
Bookish Goods
Autumn Reader Thermos by TalesandTomesStore
I am prefacing this by saying there are only a couple of these left as I write, but I could not NOT include it. An autumn reader-themed thermos? Talk about the perfect way to tote and sip your favorite fall bevvies while indulging in a good read. $26.
New Releases
‘Tis time to celebrate all things YA paperbacks. I’m highlighting a story of a historical teen vigilante and one of the most important nonfiction books you can read right now. You can grab the entire roundup of new paperbacks hitting shelves this week over here. As always, you might need to toggle your view once you click the link to see the paperback edition.
Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell
Adele did not grow up in the spotlight but rather behind it. Her mom worked in Paris dance halls, and her father owned a lavish manor. When she’s forced to move to London for boarding school, Adele isn’t sad–now is the time for her own adventure.
The men in London, though, are dangerous, and their attempts to seduce Adele and her new friends are not welcome. In a bid to protect herself and others, Adele teams up with a young con woman, and the two of them become vigilantes for justice across the city.
Not only does this sound like a fun historical thriller, but it’s got queer romance, too.
What The Fact? by Dr. Seema Yasmin
This book should be required reading for all, as it delves deep into where and how we identify information and decode mis-, dis-, and mal- information that pervades all of our lives.
Dr. Yasmin’s book is a guide to information, digital, and media literacy, and breaks down how to differentiate fact from fiction in what you read. The history of how newspapers shifted between being sensational to “objective”—if objectivity is even the goal—grounds the book, and Dr. Yasmin does a stellar job exploring how we become media savvy in a culture that makes it as challenging as possible to do just that.
Dr. Yasmin won’t tell you what to think or how to think. That line, which she delivers repeatedly, is what will cause many of the purveyors of fake and misleading news to absolutely hate this book.
But really and truly, she doesn’t.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
The fact of our current moment is this: there is very little news about YA books. This is for two reasons. First, there is news, but it’s about the books being banned. Second, YA book sales have slumped, and the category isn’t as sparkly as it once was (likely in part due to the first reason and likely in part due to the rising prices of these titles).
- This is a mega roundup of YA and adult graphic novels hitting shelves this fall.
- Badass YA author Leah Johnson has opened her bookstore.
- Here are the SFF YA books hitting shelves in October.
As always, thanks for hanging out. We’ll see you on Saturday with your YA ebook deals.
Until then, happy reading!
– Kelly Jensen