Hey YA Readers!
Enter here the usual grumblings you’ll see everywhere about the loss of light and clock changes. But, honestly? I like light in the morning, and in preparation this year, I strung lights in the living room to give it a cozy ambiance. We can fight it or embrace it, and I’m going to try to do just that (and we only have to live with less light for a few weeks before it begins to grow again).
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Let’s dive into what you’re really here for, though: books.
Bookish Goods
Gingerbread Bookstore by BlissfullyBookedCo
I don’t know about you, but book club with Santa at the local gingerbread bookstore sounds like a lot of fun. This sticker is one I figured worth highlighting in early November so you can enjoy it throughout the next couple of months. $4.
New Releases
It’s a big week for paperback releases…with a caveat. The only books that appear to be by authors of color are middle books in trilogies. You’ll see that reflected here, as I didn’t want to talk in detail about two second-in-series books, as that might spoil the firsts. But if you’re keeping your eyes on books by Rin Chutpeco or Sasha and Sarena Nanua, you can pick up the paperbacks this week of An Unreliable Magic and Daughters of the Dawn.
The full list of YA paperbacks is here, and as usual, you might need to toggle your view when you click the links to see the paperback edition.
Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Chess ruined Mallory’s life four years ago, and even if she’s done with the sport, the reality is her life itself has become the game. But even amid family stress, she agrees to one last charity tournament. Her opponent is Nolan, the current world champion and known for being a notorious bad boy.
So when Mallory destroys Nolan, it ends up not only causing waves in the chess world, but it begins to make her want to keep going. She could win money, grab some titles, maybe help her family with the bills in a way her current part-time job just doesn’t.
She begins to compete again, and she’s doing it in secret. But her skills are thrusting her into the spotlight, and Nolan, well, he’s hard to resist, too.
Pop this paperback original from a well-known romance writer right onto this list of YA books about teen gamers!
Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle
Nothing seems out of place that September day, but then, Shur sees a creature outside of her history class. It looks like a giant butterfly. Harmless, really.
But then emergency alerts ping on everyone’s phones, and it’s clear this butterfly–and its hoard of friends–are not what they seem. Shur, her brother, and two best friends get home just in time to avoid the creatures attacking. Now, the four are panicked, doing all they can to create a safe space.
It won’t stop with the butterfly creatures. There’s more to come, and for Shur, her companions, and the world more broadly, things are not looking good.
A survival story? Count me in!
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
YA Book News
- I’m launching with a brag here, which is that I wrote the cover story for this month’s issue of School Library Journal. November marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, and I wrote about how The Bard’s work has found such a fun, unique, enduring home in the world of YA literature.
- All of the books you can read for free on SimonTeen this month. You need to be a member to access the titles, but membership is free.
- YA authors reflect on the impact of The Hunger Games.
- Adam Cesare wrote a book for Audible, which you can listen to only over on that platform…but it sounds really great if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and cults.
As always, thanks for hanging out. We will see you on Saturday for some great YA book deals.
In the meantime, happy reading!
–Kelly Jensen, still slowly working through Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson (because reading is tough right now!)