Is this giveaway just an excuse to talk about this excellent t-shirt from Look Human? Maybe. Are we still gonna do it? Yes.
This giveaway is open worldwide (universe-wide now that I think of it), so go here to enter or just click the image below.
I would say good luck, but Neil wouldn’t like that. So how about “see if the chaotic universe spins in your favor.”
Hey YA Readers!
What’s Up in YA? is sponsored by In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Elliot is smart, just a tiny bit obnoxious (he is thirteen years old), and perhaps not the best person to cross into the Borderlands where there are elves, harpies, and — best of all as far as he’s concerned — mermaids. In Other Lands is an exhilarating a novel about surviving four years in the most unusual of schools, about friendship, falling in love, diplomacy, and finding your own place in the world — even if it means giving up your phone.
Happy Eclipse Day to those who are able to see this once-in-a-lifetime-but-maybe-twice-in-OUR-lifetime-because-it’ll-happen-again-in-2024 event. Your newsletter scribe is in southern Illinois at a massive party for the occasion.
Last week’s newsletter teased the topic of microtrends. What is a microtrend? Unlike a full-scale trend — think something like the rise in dystopia following The Hunger Games or the mermaid reads trend from years gone by — a microtrend is something that’s not a huge trend but a series of common threads that run among a number of books in any given time. They’re almost like weird coincidences, odd little moments of “huh” that arise when you see book descriptions or read a number of books in a row that all feature a specific thing within them.
Microtrends are fun to look at and think about, particularly because it’s impossible to ever predict what they might be. It takes looking at tons and tons of books to see the commonalities because the things they have in common aren’t necessarily the sorts of things you’d think would have a surge around them.
Let’s take a peek at some of the interesting microtrends that have and continue to emerge in YA lit over the last year. Since not all of the book descriptions highlight the microtrend, I left them off; you can click the links to see them.
Hurricane Katrina
This particular microtrend is interesting in part because it’s been a couple of years since the big anniversary of the storm, so seeing it appear more than once since stands out.
Between Two Skies by Joanne O’Sullivan
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown
Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Superstorm Sandy
This one makes some more sense to me, as the giant superstorm is coming up on its fifth anniversary.
A Hundred Hours of Night by Anna Woltz
The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Drug Cartels in Mexico
There’s actually a pretty sizable trend relating to books set in Mexico or along the border this year, but this specific trend is worth noting. These are all books that explore some aspect of the dangerous drug cartels throughout various parts of the country.
Disappeared by Francisco X Stork (September 26)
Juan Pablo and The Butterflies by JJ Flowers
Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick
Compared to Thelma and Louise
Do you pay attention to the comps books get? I do, if only because I’m curious what the flavor of the season is when it comes to them. This year? We’re seeing quite a bit of Thelma and Louise read alikes. I’m not sure how much of a comp this is for teens; it feels like one meant more for adults and those who serve teen readers.
Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon
Looking for Group by Rory Harrison
Alien Contact
I teased this in a “3 on a YA theme” post earlier this summer. Aliens have always been around in YA lit, but it seems we’re seeing an influx of alien-human encounter titles this year.
Of Jenny and The Aliens by Ryan Gebhart (this cover makes knowing the title near impossible, doesn’t it?)
Landscape With Invisible Hand by MT Anderson (September 12)
What Goes Up by Kate Kennedy
Their Fathers Are Shop Owners
This was a commonality between two books I read nearly back-to-back and it’s one that I really love. Both of the girls in these stories have fathers who own stores. . . and those stores and their fathers happen to play good-sized roles in the story.
The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Fan Cons
There are a boatload of books about fandom, about fan fiction, about geekery, and more. They’ve been having a moment for a few years now. More recently, though, it’s been the fan convention as backdrop to stories about teen geeks and nerds.
Don’t Cosplay With My Heart by Cecil Castellucci (January 2)
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash
The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar, and Michelle Schusterman (March 27)
Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
If you want a few good reads for few dollars, you might be interested in these.
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson ($1.99) is a long-standing YA classic.
Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten ($1.99) will scratch your itch for a solid thriller.
Tell The Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan ($1.99) is about magic, romance, and revolution.
____________________
Thanks for hanging out this week. We’ll see you again next Monday.
–Kelly Jensen, @veronikellymars
Currently reading When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn.
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Sponsored by Weinstein Books, publisher of Irena Brignull’s THE HAWKWEED PROPHECY and THE HAWKWEED LEGACY.
Poppy Hooper has only just discovered her position and her power as queen of the witches. She’s fled her dangerous world and the betrayal of her best friend, Ember Hawkweed, and flown to Africa. But Poppy never stops longing for her would-be lover, Leo, and when she feels his magic begin to spark, she will do anything to be reunited with him.
As the girls come of age and Poppy’s powers grow stronger, her mother sets into motion a plan that puts Poppy and Ember, the boy they love, and the world as they know it at risk.
Happy Tuesday, book lovers! The hits just keep on coming. I have a few fantastic new titles to tell you about today, and as always, you can also hear about several more great books on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, including The Mountain, Home Fire, and You Play the Girl.
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin.
The shattering conclusion to the acclaimed fantasy trilogy that began with THE FIFTH SEASON, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016.
“Jemisin deliberately refuses to provide easy answers: they’re simply not available, in this world or ours. Painful and powerful.” —Kirkus
“Vivid characters, a tautly constructed plot, and outstanding worldbuilding meld into an impressive and timely story of abused, grieving survivors fighting to fix themselves and save the remnants of their shattered home.” —Publishers Weekly
How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas
A moving story about a tragedy in a family and the young boy who thinks he can heal them. Isidore is the youngest of six successful siblings. Living in their shadows, he hasn’t received a lot of credit for also being his own person with his own skills and interests. But when a tragedy happens, Isidore feels he has the unique skills to help his family get through it – that’s if he decides he wants to help. It’s a lovely story about a boy learning that the adults don’t always know what is best, either.
Backlist bump: Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni, Antony Shugaar (Translator)
A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Spanning over 70 years, this powerful debut novel follows a Creole woman and her children in New Orleans as they deal with love, addiction, racism, redemption, and the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. It’s a stark look at the legacy of racial disparity in the South, as Eleanor and her family seek to make a life for themselves.
Backlist bump: Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile
Ghost of the Innocent Man: A True Story of Trial and Redemption by Benjamin Rachlin
The true story of Willie J. Grimes, an innocent man sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 for a horrific crime, and the tireless efforts of the people who fought for over two decades to prove his innocence. It seems like there are a lot of these stories out in the world now, but it is always frightening and infuriating to hear about the prejudices and shortcomings of the justice system that allows them to happen.
Backlist bump: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Karma Khullar’s Mustache by Kristi Wientge
Wientge has taken the subject of body hair and turned it into a delightful Blume-esque tale about a young girl trying to figure out how to deal with the hairs that have grown on her lip just as she’s due to start middle school. Karma thinks her parents are too busy with their own problems, so she must deal with what she feels is going to be a horrifying experience all on her own. It’s a charming and funny story about friendship and family.
Backlist bump: The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Things That Happened Before the Earthquake by Chiara Barzini
A teen girl moves from Italy to Los Angeles just weeks after the 1992 riots, and must navigate the unfamiliar territory of a new culture in a new country while dealing with family problems, not to mention an earthquake. This is a smart, dark, coming-of-age novel about immigration and growing up. (I will say the opening paragraph was so WTF, I had to set it down for a while before I continued because yuck. *shudder*. )
Backlist bump: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books new and old (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!
Stay rad,
Liberty
We have a brand new, top of the line Kindle Voyage to give away, courtesy of our friends at Avon.
And according to people who review these sorts of things, the Kindle Voyage is the best dedicated ereader ever made.
Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below. Good luck!
Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE by Carrie Stuart Parks.
Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up, but as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details surface that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. What’s going on?
No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen is an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation more difficult. Questions pile up, answers come slow—and the clock is ticking for a missing girl.
As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a race for the truth.
We have 10 copies of Genius: The Con by Leopoldo Gout to give away to 10 Riot readers!
Here’s what it’s all about:
Three brilliant teens from around the world must work together to stop a vicious warlord, protect their families, and save the world in this fast-paced sequel to Genius: The Game.
Go here to enter, or just click the cover image below”
Happy Monday, book lovers! (There has to be something good about Mondays, right?) Here’s your rundown of exciting book news! Have a fabulous week, kittens. Be excellent to each other. – xoxo, Liberty
Sponsored by IMPOSSIBLE VIEWS OF THE WORLD by Lucy Ives, published by Penguin Press
Stella Krakus, a curator at Manhattan’s renowned Central Museum of Art, is having the roughest week in approximately ever. Her soon-to-be ex-husband (the perfectly awful Whit Ghiscolmbe) is stalking her, a workplace romance with “a fascinating, hyper-rational narcissist” is in freefall, and a beloved colleague, Paul, has gone missing. Pulsing with neurotic humor and dagger-sharp prose, Impossible Views of the World is a dazzling debut novel about how to make it through your early thirties with your brain and heart intact.
Ava DuVernay is developing Octavia Butler’s sci-fi novel Dawn as a television series!
Anna Paquin to star in Tell It To the Bees, based on the novel by Fiona Shaw.
Exit West is going to be a movie!
Riz Ahmed in talks to play popular marvel character in Venom.
Cowboy Ninja Viking with Chris Pratt stakes out June 2019 date.
The cover for the new John Green book was revealed on Good Morning America! (Dutton Books for Young Readers, Oct. 10)
At Book Riot, I work on the New Books! email, the All the Books! podcast about new releases, and the Book Riot Insiders New Release Index. I am very fortunate to get to read a lot of upcoming titles, and I’m delighted to share a couple with you each week!
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill (Oni Press, October 31): *Chandler Bing voice* Could this book BE any cuter? I’m thinking, nope, it could not. It has tiny DRAGONS that grow leave on their horns which people then use to make TEA. The whole concept is so adorable I could die. The world of Greta and the dragon tea makers is about as delightful and inclusive as you can get. I loved this book with the heat of a thousand suns.
Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo (Knopf, August 22): Powerful debut set in Nigeria told from the perspectives of both a husband and wife about their marriage. Yejide and Akin have always wanted to have children, but after four years of trying, Akin takes a second wife. Furious and heartbroken, Yejide believes the only way to win Akin back is to get pregnant – but at what cost? This is THE debut of the year the was Homegoing was THE debut of last year.
I am not only a huge fan of Heather O’Neill’s books, but I am also in love with her Twitter account.
We have 10 copies of The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin to give away to 10 Riot readers!
Here’s what it’s all about:
The shattering conclusion to the acclaimed fantasy trilogy that began with THE FIFTH SEASON, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016.
“Jemisin deliberately refuses to provide easy answers: they’re simply not available, in this world or ours. Painful and powerful.” —Kirkus
“Vivid characters, a tautly constructed plot, and outstanding worldbuilding meld into an impressive and timely story of abused, grieving survivors fighting to fix themselves and save the remnants of their shattered home.” —Publishers Weekly
Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the cover image below:
Hello, friends!
It’s no surprise that authors and illustrators love creating books about characters who love books, so I thought I’d give a shout out to some of these stories that have come across my desk this year.
Sponsored by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, author of THE SECRET AGENT JACK AND MAX STALWART series.
For fans of the award-winning SECRET AGENT JACK STALWART comes a new chapter book series! Jack teams up with his older brother, Max, to solve international mysteries, using their special training as secret agents.
In THE BATTLE FOR THE EMERALD BUDDHA, Jack is temporarily retired from the Global Protection Force and on family vacation. However, Jack and Max are motivated to act when a band of thieves takes the Emerald Buddha from the Grand Palace in Bangkok. On their own, up against one of the smartest and wealthiest villains they’ve ever faced, can the brothers find Thailand’s treasure in time?
Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Eric Velasquez comes out September 12th (Candlewick), and it spoke to me in so many ways. First of all, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is just a few blocks away from my apartment in Harlem, and I’ve always wondered about the person the library was named after. Arturo Schomburg immigrated to New York from Puerto Rico in 1891 and taught Spanish lessons while learning English in night school. He could not pursue medicine or law because he had no educational records, and he eventually moved on to be a messenger and a law clerk. He pursued his love of books by collecting all books he could find about African history and the history of African-Americans, and in 1926 the Carnegie Corporation purchased his extensive collection and donated it to the New York Public Library. A fascinating portrait of an incredible man.
The Treasure Box by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, is a picture book that begins with an unnamed enemy bombing the library. Only one book remains, one that Peter and his father carry with them as they are ordered out of their homes and flee the city on foot. The story continues as we follow Peter and the book over the course of decades, and there is a lovely message about the resilience of books and ideas even in the face of war and destruction.
Hooray for Books! by Brian Won (HMH Books for Young Readers, 9/12/17) is a delightful picture book about Turtle who is on the search for his favorite book. Turtle questions all his friends about it’s whereabouts, and they each encourage him to try a different book and broaden his reading horizons. This story is sure to please young readers who share a love for books. I want to frame and hang up these adorable illustrations on my walls!
The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, illustrated by Church Groenink (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 10/3/17), is a picture book about a little girl extolling the love she has for her library. With repeating text, I am sure kids will be calling out phrases during read-alouds! I love the illustrations, which capture all the best parts of a library: cozy plush chairs, the date stamp, and, of course, wooden bookshelves packed with books!
The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is the sequel to the NYT bestselling book The Book Scavengers. This middle grade story begins when Emily and James suspect something fishy going on in San Francisco. A coded note is dropped by Mr. Quisling at a book event, and clues lead to a trail of encrypted messages in Mark Twain-penned books through the Book Scavenger game. Even more mysterious, each hidden book triggers an arsen fire. Can Emily and James figure out who is starting all the fires, and why before it causes too much damage?
The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, is about a shiny green bug named Eddie who lives in a fourth grade classroom with his fifty-three brothers and sisters. When his favorite aunt goes missing during a trip to the library, Eddie knows he has to look for her. When he gets there, he not only finds his aunt but also a concerning development in the library. Can Eddie help save the library? This cute book with delightful illustrations would be perfect for younger middle grade readers.
New Releases
All of these books release this Tuesday!
Bear Make Den by Jane Godwin and Michael Wagner (Candlewick)
“Bear is sitting on the floor of his empty new den when he suddenly notices it’s not quite done. It needs . . . chairs! And a table! But stretched out on his table after a carpentry job well done, Bear realizes his den is still not quite right. . . . Cozy furniture, nice lamps, delicious food, an enticing game — is there anything Bear’s den still needs as he stands alone and surveys his handiwork? Vibrantly colored illustrations make kids feel right at home in this fun-to-read ode to friendship.” (Description from Goodreads)
Philomena’s New Glasses by Brenna Maloney (Penguin Random House)
I loved this sweet book starring three guinea pig sisters! I mean come on, look at this cover! The photos are adorable, and the story is so sweet and honest and funny. The first page begins like this: “Philomena was the oldest, by three seconds. Audrey was the largest, by half a pound. And then there was Nora Jane.” When Philomena needs glasses, Audrey and Nora Jane get glasses too… whether they need them or not. And so it continues, until all three sisters acquire so many things they don’t need just because the others have it. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t love this book enough!
Dino-mite and Sharktastic (Downtown Bookworks)
These books are fun gifts for the naturalists in your life. Each book comes with a real dinosaur fossil and a shark tooth, which my kids thought was super cool. The books are packed with information and bright photos, sure to interest any kid interested in the extreme facts!
Karma Khullar’s Mustache by Kristi Wientge (Simon & Schuster)
This is a book I wish I had when I was in middle school. Karma Khullar is starting middle school, and she’s just not sure about anything anymore because seventeen hairs have sprouted on her upper lip. As if that wasn’t enough, her best friend has found another (blonder) best friend and the boys in her class are relentless in their teasing about her “mustache”. A wonderful coming of age story about growing up and finding your identity. (And how much do I love that cover!)
The Wild Ones: Great Escape by C. Alexander London (Penguin Random House)
“The wild animals of Ankle Snap Alley have been disappearing, and Kit knows exactly why: The People are animal-napping them and taking them to the zoo! Not only that, but they are at the very same zoo where Kit’s mother is being held captive. So Kit decides to round up the Moonlight Brigade and lead the charge to set the Wild Ones free. But this rescue mission might be his most difficult one yet. The Flealess and some of the zoo animals have teamed up against Kit–and the Rat King brings warnings of coming danger! Will Kit be able to set his friends and family free?” -Description from Goodreads
That’s it for this week! Right now I’m reading The Wonderlings by Mira Bartók (Candlewick, 9/26/17), Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford (HMH Books for Young Readers, 10/3/17), and The New Kid: The Carver Chronicles by Karen English (HMH Books for Young Readers, 12/5/17). What children’s books are you reading and enjoying this week? Find me on social media and let me know! I’m on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or send me an email at karina@bookriot.com. Have a great week!
Until next time,
Karina
Izzy, my TBR list inspector.
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