Author: Tirzah Price

What's Up in YA

Your YA Book News and New YA Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 16, 2021

News

Holly Black is writing an adult novel!

The trailer for Netflix’s adaptation of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street has dropped!

Robin from Stranger Things is getting a prequel podcast and a YA novel.

New Books

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Broken Web by Lori M. Lee

The Cruelest Mercy by Natalie Mae

Indestructible Object by Mary McCoy

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha and Sarena Nanua

Smoke by Darcy Woods

The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds

Tell Me When You Feel Something by Vicki Grant

You’re So Dead by Ash Parsons

New in Paperback

Again, Again by E. Lockhart

All These Monsters by Amy Tintera

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban

Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala

Graythorne by Crystal Smith

The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones

You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider

On Book Riot

Great new dark academia YA books to TBR

Hannah and I talked about some of the best recent YA adaptations you can stream now!

5 new YA books that share DNA with the classics!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Thanks to Sourcebooks for making today’s newsletter possible!

The Kids Are All Right

Kidlit Deals for June 16, 2021

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 16, 2021

A Queer Classic and Two New Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 14, 2021

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

This book is notable because it’s one of the first YA novels in which two girls fall in love, and it doesn’t end in tragedy or heartbreak (although I feel duty-bound to warn you there is a lot of heartbreak and maybe even a bit of tragedy, depending on your definition). Originally published in 1982, it’s set in New York City and it’s about Liza, a teenage girl who meets Annie while at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They become fast friends, and then realize that there’s something more to their friendship, and they fall in love. They know that this secret could be dangerous, but they’re lucky and grateful when they realize that they’re not the only lesbians they know. However, when their secret gets out, they have to decide if their love is worth the risk.

Not only was the subject of this book groundbreaking, but the publication in and of itself became attention-worthy as it was at the center of a literal book banning case and was often challenged. However, it has never gone out of print and has received many awards and commendations throughout its nearly 40 years in print.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Although Annie on My Mind isn’t historical fiction (it was contemporary when it came out), I think what will make Last Night at the Telegraph Club appeal to Annie on My Mind fans living today is that it’s historical and it features two girls living in a big city (this time San Francisco) who become friends and then something more over the course of the book. Like Liza and Annie, Lily and Kath don’t necessarily have the words to explain what they’re feeling, but they’re able to pick up on subtle hints about lesbian and queer culture in the city around them, and they find their way into a wider queer community even as they discover their feelings for each other. In this book, Lily and Kath are prevented from being together by society, but also by larger political concerns, as Lily is Chinese-American and her community is being watched for any signs of Communism and so-called “deviant” behaviours. This book has heartbreak, but like Annie on My Mind, it is ultimately a book with a happy ending.

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

For a wholly contemporary book that captures the excitement of meeting someone who might be more than just a friend, I highly recommend this novel about Joanna, who is an out and proud teen until her dad gets a new job working in a small town and remarries. He asks Joanna to tone down the gay for the sake of sitting in, and even though she’s conflicted, Joanna agrees. But just then she meets Mary Carlson at school and quickly becomes infatuated. She’s supposed to pretend to be straight, though, and besides, Joanna is positive that straight laced Mary Carlson couldn’t possibly be queer…right? I thought this was a fresh and fun lesbian romance and coming of age story, with believable conflict and tension and lots of great discussions about being queer and being a person of faith.

That’s it for me! I hope you’re reading something great this Pride month–feel free to find me on Twitter or Instagram and tell me all about it!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Thanks to Tor Teen for making today’s newsletter possible!

Today In Books

The Pulitzer Prize Winners Are Here: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 13, 2021

Sponsored by Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller with Fierce Reads

Announcing The 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winners

The 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced via a YouTube livestream on Friday. Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman won the prize for fiction, and The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne took the prize for nonfiction. The committee also honored Darnella Frazier, the teen who filmed the murder of George Floyd last summer.

Phillipa Soo Talks Recording Her First Audiobook, Romance Novel The Stand-In

The Hamilton star who brought Eliza Schuyler Hamilton to life is now lending her vocal talents to audiobooks! Phillipa Soo voices The Stand-In, a new romance novel about a Chinese Canadian woman who is mistaken for a famous actress, then hired by that actress to be her stand-in at events…but things get complicated when sparks fly between her and the co-star of her new boss’s latest production. It’ll release as an Audible Original on July 15.

First Look: Noah Hawley’s Next Novel Anthem Is An Epic About Today’s America

Noah Hawley has quite the range as a writer–he’s the creator of the TV series Fargo, and he’s the author of the thriller Before the Fall. Now, he’s got a new book coming out in January called Anthem, which is about a man who breaks out of a facility in order to join a group of misfits that wants to save one of their own, set in an opioid ravaged U.S. Check out the cover and an excerpt.

What's Up in YA

Your Weekend Book Deals

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 11, 2021

SHADOW AND BONE Renewed for Season 2: Your YA News and New YA Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 9, 2021

Sponsored by The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world. Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Now Wyatt must make a choice between his heart and his freedom.

Hey YA friends! It’s a scorcher here in the Midwest, and I’m just doing my best to stay hydrated, stay cool, and chill in the shade with a great book. I have a ton of exciting news and new releases for you, so grab a cold drink (limoncello La Croix all the way!) and let’s dive in!

News

Praise Sankt Milo, Shadow and Bone has been renewed for season two!

Sabaa Tahir announced a new book…and it’s a contemporary YA! It’s already been optioned for screen, too!

And speaking of adaptations, Nicola and David Yoon have signed a first look deal with Anonymous Content for all books and ideas they curate! The Yoons also have their own imprint, Joy Revolution!

The Harry Potter Alliance has relaunched with a new name–Fandom Forward.

Charlie Jane Anders revealed the cover for the sequel to Victories Greater Than Death!

We Need Diverse Books is no longer using the term #ownvoices–here’s why.

Have you watched the adaptation of Panic by Lauren Oliver on Amazon Prime yet? If so, check out this deep dive into the adaptation and what might be in store for another season!

New Books

Continuum by Chella Man and Ashley Lukashevsky

Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews

Doughnuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

Girls at the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson

Heartbreakers and Fakers by Cameron Lund

Love and Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura

The Marvelous by Claire Kann

Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon

The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hart

Seasons of Chaos by Elle Cosimano

Skate for Your Life by Leo Baker and Ashley Lukashevsky

Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas

When You and I Collide by Kate Norris

New in Paperback

Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams

All The Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani

Chasing Starlight by Teri Bailey Black

Down With This Ship by Katie Kingman

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison

#MurderFunding by Gretchen McNeil

Of Kisses and Curses by Sandhya Menon

Redemption Prep by Samuel Miller

A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas

On Book Riot

Some Cruella de Vil reading for your TBR!

Fake dating, LGBTQ+ edition!

Hannah and I gushed about a ton of amazing YA screen adaptations!

Some great YA comics for your TBR.

Sibling relationships of color in YA are crucial!

That’s it for me this week! I hope you stay cool, and I’ll be back soon with more YA book deals this weekend!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Thanks to The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon for making today’s newsletter possible! Enter to win a hardcover copy!

The Kids Are All Right

Kidlit Deals for June 9, 2021

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 9, 2021

Sponsored by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Ash and Daniel are no strangers to feeling like outcasts. As someone who cycles through genders, it’s a struggle for Ash to feel in control of how people perceive them. Daniel’s been told he’s overly sensitive more times than he can count. As he and Ash join forces to save a rescue dog, things go from cute to complicated when they start catching feelings for each other—and Daniel thinks Ash is a girl. With so much on the line, they’ll have to decide to go against binaries and embrace the beauty of living in between or forever feel at war with themselves.

Hey kidlit pals! Are you keeping cool this week? It’s been hot and humid where I am, and I spend my time chasing the fan or the breeze. If you need to escape into some good books to distract you from the temperatures, I’ve got some great book deals for you–some summer-themed! Snag them while they’re hot as they won’t last long!

Get ready for a summer adventure with The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon! This hilarious and heartwarming book is just $3.

This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward is about a color that no one seems to like–and his plan to be included! Grab it for $1.

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott is about a kid who discovers his grandmother is a witch! It’s just $3.

Renée Watson is the queen of writing kids’ books about family, connection, and community, and her book Some Places More Than Others is $2.

New Kid by Jerry Craft, the Newbery Award winner, is just $3 for a short time!

The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessy is a great novel about a young transgender kid, and it’s $2.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat is still $1, so grab it if you missed it last week!

Peanut Goes for the Gold by Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness and Gillian Reid is a great picture book for just $2!

Spark and the League of Ursus by Robert Repino is only $1!

Need a fun book for a soon-to-be-kindergartener? Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson and Eda Caban is $1!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

Today In Books

Jeanette Winterson Burns Her Own Books: Today in Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 6, 2021

Sponsored by Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé with Fierce Reads

Why We Need Diverse Books Is No Longer Using the Term #OwnVoices

We Need Diverse Books, the grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to getting diverse books into the hands of readers and supporting diversity and positive change from within publishing, has announced that they will no longer use the term “#ownvoices” in reference to children’s literature or its creators. The organization states, “The hashtag was never intended to be used in a broader capacity, but it has since expanded in its use to become a “catch all” marketing term by the publishing industry. Using #OwnVoices in this capacity raises issues due to the vagueness of the term, which has then been used to place diverse creators in uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situations. It is important to use the language that authors want to celebrate about themselves and their characters.”

Here Are The Winners Of The 2020 Nebula Awards

The winners of the 2020 Nebula Awards were presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at a virtual ceremony this year. The winners and honorees include Network Effect by Martha Wells, Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, Nalo Hopkinson, Connie Willis, and more. See the full list.

Jeanette Winterson Burns Her Own Books In Protest At ‘Cosy Little Blurbs’

Author Jeanette Winterson took issue with some of the new blurbs that were printed on her new reissue editions of many of her older books, including The PowerBook, The Passion, and Written on the Body. She called them “cosy little domestic blurbs” and stated that they “turned me into wimmins fiction of the worst kind!” In a statement to the Guardian, she clarified that she did give many of her author copies away to charity, as she had no desire to keep these editions, but she needed a “symbolic burning.” Many readers were quick to raise eyebrows, and point out that blurbs and reissues are often a chance for publishers to try new marketing strategies and for the work to find new audiences. Furthermore, women’s fiction is a category that has grown in response to the misogyny in literary fiction circles, and is quite successful. But Winterson’s actions certainly have given her books a lot more attention.

What's Up in YA

Summer is Here and So Are Summer Reads!

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 4, 2021

Sponsored by Flatiron Books, publisher of Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean.

An irresistible story about an ordinary Japanese-American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan! Which means outspoken, irreverent Izumi Tanaka is literally a princess! In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan and finds herself caught between worlds—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will she crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?

Hey friends! I don’t know about you, but I am feeling the summer vibes already, even if the season hasn’t technically started yet! I’m enjoying the farmer’s market, flowers, and all of the time I can steal away to read in the hammock!

To celebrate this unofficial start to summer, I thought I’d share some of my favorite recent books set in summer, plus some that are on my summer TBR!

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

Nala is looking forward to a fun summer hanging out with her friends and cousin Imani, watching shows and movies and eating ice cream. When she heads to an open mic night with Imani, she meets Tye, and she falls hard. The only problem? Tye is really into community activism and organization, and Nala sort of lets him believe she’s far more into those things than she really is. As their summer love progresses and her relationship with Imani falters, Nala will have to learn that the most radical love is self-love.

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen

Codi and her two best friends Maritza and JaKory think their summer will be just like the last one (boring), so Maritza and JaKory come up with a plot to find love. Codi is less outgoing and not as certain about their plan, so she refuses to attend a party with them, only to have to come and bail them out later. But doing so connects Codi with Ricky, another queer teen, and they hit it off. Soon, Codi is fully absorbed into Ricky’s friend group and she has a new crush…but she hasn’t told her best friends about any of it. I loved that this book is about identity beyond coming out, and it portrays large friend groups so well.

With You All the Way by Cynthia Hand

Just days before her family leaves for a week-long trip to Hawaii, Ada finds out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Devastated, she’s dragged along on the family trip with her know-it-all older sister and eager younger sister, and a distracted mom. Worst of all? Their dad stays behind at the last minute. Ada knows this can’t be good for the family, but things go from bad to worse when she witnesses her mom having sex with another man. Suddenly Ada’s week in paradise is full of secrets and big questions about what the future holds.

Kings, Queens, and In Betweens by Tanya Boteju

Nima is a biracial teen lesbian who has had been struggling since her mom walked out on her and her dad. At the start of the summer, she and a friend head to their small town’s summer festival where Nima walks into a tent with a drag performance, and her life is changed. She connects with a queen named Deirdre, who takes Nima under her wing, and meets Winnow, a beautiful girl and drag king performer that makes her heart sing. As Nima enters into this exciting and complex world, she has to find the confidence to be herself, and face her own hurt.

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Lara has had a crush on Chase all throughout high school, and now her summer seems to be coming together perfectly when Chase finally notices her, too. But the only thing that is holding her back? The sudden reappearance of Jasmine, a fun and beautiful girl that she spent a perfect summer with, one that Lara hasn’t ever been able to banish from her mind. Chase could be Lara’s…but Jasmine is proving to be quite the distraction.

Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay

Becca and KJ are two estranged cousins who haven’t seen each other in ages, until they meet again at their grandfather’s funeral. Grandpa left them each an inheritance, but it comes with strings attached—they have to complete Grandpa’s bucket list, which entails them road tripping across the country. Together. They aren’t at all pleased about this development, but this summer of bucket lists and exploration gives way to a deeper understanding of each other and the feud that tore their family apart, and hopefully a way to mend that rift.

What are you reading this summer? I’d love to know! Hit me up on Twitter or Instagram!

Happy reading!
Tirzah

What's Up in YA

Ibi Zoboi is Writing a Black Panther YA Novel: Your YA News and New YA Books

Post author By Tirzah Price
Post date June 2, 2021

News

TikTok is named a big driver behind YA book sales.

The Books for Palestine relief auction is running now. Bid on items donated by the kidlit community to raise money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Ibi Zoboi is writing a Black Panther YA novel! It will star a young Okoye. It’s called Okoye to the People and it’s available for preorder.