STACKED

books

On The Radar: January 2018 YA New Releases To Know

|

 

 

“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

This month’s selection showcases a variety of continuing series, new titles by long-time favorites, and a handful of YA books which have seen some good buzz. There are also not one, but two, superhero novelizations.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for them being on your radar are mine and mine alone. Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series.

 

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu (1/2)

Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Marie Lu, powerhouse YA author, writes a Batman novel. That’s enough reason.

 

 

*The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (1/2)

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the first in a new series by Holly Black, who has been a YA staple for a long time. This book has seen a ton of great reader reviews so far, and I suspect this is going to be a popular faerie world YA series.

 

 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (1/30)

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

 

Why it should be on your radar: If you haven’t seen publicity for this debut, stand alone fairy tale yet, you will. This is Flatiron Books’s huge title, and for good reason — it’s a book that so many readers will devour. Let me say this again: stand alone fairy tale. Not to mention the cover is gorgeous, the author is fairly well known for her work at the Barnes & Noble teen blog, and the writing is magical.

 

 

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi (1/23)

In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future.

In the wake of destruction, he’s threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq’s
family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.

But while this is one family’s story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss.

Destiny narrates this heartbreaking story of the consequences of war, showing the Syrian conflict as part of a long chain of struggles spanning through time.

An award-winning author and journalist–and a refugee herself–Atia Abawi captures the hope that spurs people forward against all odds and the love that makes that hope grow.

 

Why it should be on your radar: I know very little about this book beyond the fact it sounds like one we need to see on shelves. It’s timely and written by a refugee who likely has some insights into the story that the average writer may not.

 

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (1/16)

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Beyond being an #ownvoices story about a Muslim girl and being one of Soho Teen’s big titles of the fall, I read this debut many years ago in an earlier draft and knew it had something special. This one has had a lot of positive reviews, as well.

 

Meet Cute (1/2)

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors.

Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants.

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

 

Why it should be on your radar: There’s not a single editor attached to this anthology, but this collection out from HMH Teen should appeal to readers who love romance. It’s a variety of great voices, with a super appealing cover, and it’s been getting a lot of buzz.

 

Runaways: An Original Novel by Christopher Golden (1/2)

“The Pride, back in L.A.? Their parents, alive? Karolina had never realized hope and fear could feel so much alike.”

Written by New York Times best-selling author Christopher Golden, Runaways: An Original Novel is a fresh take on the Marvel fan favorite. Including the first issue of the revived Runaways comic series written by Rainbow Rowell and with art by Kris Anka, it’s easy for fans of the comics, fans of the new Hulu TV show, and first-time readers to all enjoy this new take on an old classic.

Turns out murderous Super Villains don’t make for good parents. The Runaways had no choice. They had to kill them. Well, more or less. Now Nico, Karolina, Gert, Chase, and Molly are on the run again, hiding out and trying to regain a sense of normalcy. But kids with super powers don’t get to be normal.

The city is overrun with criminals, each faction bent on murdering them for one reason or another. It’s only when the Runaways uncover the truth behind their parents’ past that they realize the evil isn’t just in L.A.

It’s everywhere.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Runaways will be big in 2018, and this novelization of the teen comics will kick it all off.

 

 

Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry (1/30)

When Drix was convicted of a crime–one he didn’t commit–he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor’s newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor’s daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn’t may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle’s parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix’s messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can’t imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves–Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence–and each other to finally get what they deserve.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A new romance from Katie McGarry is a no-brainer when it comes to developing a good collection. She’s popular, especially among readers who like strongly-written romances.

 

 

*Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (1/9)

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

 

Why it should be on your radar: The second book in Shusterman’s award-winning “Scythe” series.

 

 

*Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (1/16)

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This book kicks off a brand new series by Maureen Johnson and while it’s not the same as her last series (which played around with the tale of Jack the Ripper), this one has a number of similar hallmarks and should appeal to mystery readers.

 

 

*Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner (1/9)

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying’s advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study… as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don’t loot everything first. Mia and Jules’ different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race’s secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have written a successful series together before, and Kaufman’s series with Jay Kristoff (“Illuminae”) continues to be popular. This new science fiction series — complete with aliens — should appeal to readers who liked either or both series.

 

 

 

*Zenith by Sasha Alsberg, Lindsay Cummings (1/16)

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she’s just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder‘s all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi’s past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their shipor just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

 

Why it should be on your radar: So this first book in a new series doesn’t have particularly great reviews, but it’s one readers might know about, as it was self-published and became a best seller prior to being picked up and traditionally published. This would be the last book on the list for “must haves,” but I include it because it’s possible teen readers will know and be looking for it.

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly’s Top 17 of 2017

|

Contrary to previous years, a lot of the books I read this year were adult titles. Perhaps I just need a break from YA, but it seemed like a lot of the YA titles I read this year didn’t match the quality of previous years. I only gave five titles five stars on Goodreads, and only two of them were YA.

I read a lot this year. As of this writing on the 25th, I’ve read 112 books, and this number will likely go up a few by the end of the year. Like last year, I did most of my reading on audio: 65 on audio versus 47 in print. Most of those print titles were ebooks, which is a pretty significant change for me. I find I don’t miss the physical book as much as I thought I would.

While I did think the field for YA was weaker this year than in past years, my top 17 overall were true standouts. Here’s a brief rundown, in no particular order. Links lead to my own reviews; if I didn’t write one, they lead to Goodreads.

Middle Grade

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

This was just a really well-written, heartstring-tugging middle grade novel that reminded me a lot of the books I read when I was around ten years old. It’s definitely deserving of its Newbery honor.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

This is a beautiful book. I love the idea of a short bio modified to read like a fairy tale/bedtime story, and the art is GORGEOUS with many different styles represented. The 100 women chosen are from all over the world, from many different time periods, of many different races, and run the gamut of anything and everything a woman can be (which is anything!). We got four copies donated to the library and I would just like to thank that soul because I never would have known about this book otherwise.

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill

This is a sort of retelling of Rapunzel, but this time it’s a headstrong black princess, Amira, who rescues a white princess, Sadie, in the tower. They then go on a series of fun, small adventures, culminating in a bigger adventure where they confront the person who put Sadie in the tower in the first place. And yes, they fall in love, and there’s a sweet lesbian wedding in the epilogue, where the two girls are now adults and have accomplished much in their lives – and have come back to each other to live happily ever after.

Young Adult

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I loved how this was a story within a story within a story – one set in the near future and the others set at two different points in the past. And it was so well-executed and all of the characters were interesting. I’m still thinking about this book, months after reading it. This was the first really great YA novel I read this year.

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen

I mean, obviously. Not just because Kelly is amazing, but because her work is amazing, and the pieces she chose for this anthology are amazing. I especially liked Kody Keplinger’s pieces about not wanting kids.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Bardugo’s novel is action-packed, funny (Diana learning about odd human customs never gets old), and quite deep. Alia is biracial, Greek on her dad’s side and Black American on her mom’s side, and this provides a real-life example of the metaphor that Diana represents: a fish out of water feeling in your own family and your own culture, of straddling two places and not really belonging in either. Romances are hesitantly formed, friendships are tested, and there’s a shocker of a twist near the end – but one that sharp-eyed readers who trust themselves will have seen coming. Bardugo is a fine writer and she was a perfect choice to tell this story.

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski

This book ticks so many of my boxes: non-astronauts being sent into space, imaginative futuristic tech, the possibility of alien contact, and a plot full of twists and secrets. It’s so much fun and I wish I could read it all over again, not knowing what was going to happen.

Adult

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

This was my first foray into my goal of reading a ton of classic books this year. I read a total of four (not as many as I intended, but not too shabby), and this was definitely the best. I listened to the audio version that Angelou narrated; she is the perfect reader for her own story.

Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West

Lindy West narrates her own memoir, and she is pretty great at it. This is just a really solid book about growing up, fighting back, and asserting your place as a woman and as a fat person in a world that would generally prefer you be “as small, quiet, and compliant as possible.”

Persuasion by Jane Austen

This is easily my favorite Jane Austen – the heroine is somewhat close to my own age, the letter at the end is some of the most romantic writing in any novel, and it’s genuinely funny. It’s not her most popular, but it’s the one I can see myself re-reading at some point down the road.

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare’s books are hit and miss for me, but generally she gets better with each book. This one is her funniest yet; I was snorting with laughter while listening to it as I got ready for work in the morning.

The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne

This was my pick for the book club I joined this year, and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed it. It’s literary science fiction, featuring two young women at two different points in the future. One is making a forbidden journey across an energy-harvesting road in the middle of the Arabian Sea, a road not meant for human travel, and the other is journeying across Saharan Africa toward Ethiopia, running from an act of violence she witnessed. Their journeys eventually coalesce. It’s fascinating and deep with lots to discuss.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

I also read this one for book club. Lahiri is a master of short fiction. My favorite story is the last one, but the best story is the first.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

J. K. Rowling is really great at writing mysteries, which should come as no surprise. She is a fantastic plotter, and the best mysteries require meticulous plotting. The next two are just as good. The fourth, Lethal White, should be published sometime in 2018.

Version Control by Dexter Palmer

I loved this literary SF novel about time travel, alternate futures, marriage, online dating, casually toxic relationships, and so much more. It’s intelligent and sometimes funny and will satisfy the reader looking for just the right mix of literary writing and SF weirdness.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

This gothic novella about a school of young people who have returned from other worlds and now have to readjust to living in our own world again is fascinating. None of the worlds the people visited would be appealing to those of us reading, but to the people in the story, they had become home. A murder mystery drives the plot, but it’s the various worlds and the characters that visited them that make this story so engrossing. This also wins my award for Best Title.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware is really, really good at writing thrilling mysteries. In her first novel, Ware has created a cast of interesting, dynamic characters, some of which you’ll like and some of which you won’t, and her plotting is top-notch, plus the atmosphere can’t be beat. It’s pure joy to see the way everything comes together – you won’t be able to quit turning the pages. This is a true marriage of mystery and thriller, just the way I like it.

 

 

 

 

 

2017: Favorite Reads, Reading Experiences, and Year-End Reflection

|

2017 Favorite Reads

As 2017 draws to a close with less than a week left, I feel strongly enough that my favorite reads of the year won’t change too much. I always wonder about the lists of favorites that many post early: are they going to miss something that they read later? Are books publishing at the end of the year getting cheated a bit?

Here’s what I’m calling my favorite reads of 2017. I’ve limited to books published this year, though I did read a number of great backlist titles as well. This is a mix of fiction and nonfiction, as well as young adult and adult titles. These are in alphabetical order, not in any ranking. It was interesting to look back and see what books really hit me at the beginning of the year that I’d sort of forgotten about by this point.

 

 

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

This story about a girl who loses her sister — the daughter who’d been the “good Mexican daughter” of the family — is a look at grief, at cultural pressures, and at how to juggle your familial obligations with the dreams you have which extend beyond the boundaries of your city. A fresh voice, with a powerfully drawn Chicago from an author who I cannot wait to read more from. Sanchez put out a poetry collection a couple of months before this book hit, and I am itching to dig into it.

 

 

I Believe In A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

My heart does this little fluttery thing every time I think about this book. Desi Lee lives with her single father, and she is awkward as all get out. But after one poor encounter with a boy too many, she turns to K-Dramas to help her create a list of ways to find love and keep it. This is a hilarious read, with tons of heart, and it’s a rom com that should appeal to both those who love romance, those who love humor, and those who find themselves falling in love with pop culture. This book has mega appeal to any reader who has a fandom and turns to it in times of need. Though K-Drama wasn’t a thing Desi started the story loving, it really becomes a passion for her. Goo includes a ton of recommended viewings in the back of the book, too.

 

 

 

 

Janesville by Amy Goldstein

Not enough people read this book, especially those who fell in love with Evicted by Matthew Desmond (which is also fabulous). Goldstein takes a hard look at Janesville, Wisconsin, and what happened to what was once a true middle class city that thrived around manufacturing and more specifically, a GM plant which paid great wages, when it shut down. I live close to Janesville, and I’ve worked in many of the Rock River cities nearby, which also suffered as a result of this. The book takes a peek inside the lives of a variety of families impacted by the GM closing, as well as the closing of the formerly thriving pen company Parker Pens. It’s a HARD read, but it’s a great one about the ripple effects of job loss. It’s imperfect, but there is so much to pull from here on a micro level that reflects a lot of the macro level economic changes in the last decade. There’s some really insightful stuff in here, too, about the former darling Paul Ryan and how his image has really been changed in the city that once reveled in what he could do for it. For readers who’ve ever been confused by Wisconsin politics, well, this one will help a lot.

I compare this one to Evicted a lot because Evicted takes place in Milwaukee, and it’s incredible to see what happens there vs. Janesville — the two cities are only about 70 miles apart.

 

 

 

 

The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

I laughed so hard reading this book, and every time I think about it, I find myself trying to stifle a laugh. This is a book about a boy in the summer between the end of high school and beginning of college. He takes a job as an assistant to an elderly woman on the shore of Lake Michigan and all of the….quirks she has. But as much as her quirks are a riot, the true riot is all of the mishaps he has while trying to keep her happy and doing his job for her. Then he meets the girl next door who has some kind of secret that he wants to get to the bottom of. The second (SPOILER) is that she has crones disease and it has made her life a living hell (END SPOILER) and he learns how to lean into the fact she’ll never be anybody but exactly who she is.

There’s a scene in this book that involves funerals (okay, a lot of those) but one in particular had me in hysterics on the train. I had to close to book so as not to get too many weird stares.

 

 

 

 

Like Water by Rebecca Podos

We’ve all read a ton of YA books about the kids who get out of their small towns as soon as they graduate. This is not that book. This is instead about the girl who sticks around to help out in the family restaurant, as well as to help her father who is succumbing to his illness. It’s a book about sexuality and the fluidity of language and definition when it comes to sexuality. This is a book that’s all about a powerful voice, some gorgeous writing, and a take on the sort of “after high school” story we rarely see. Super inclusive, as well as incredibly creative (the summer job that Vanny gets is one of my favorites in YA of all time).

 

 

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

This was my first read of 2017, and it remains one of the best YA books I’ve ever read. It’s a story about a solid and powerful sibling relationship — half siblings borne of a blended family — and what happens when one of those siblings struggles with bipolar disorder that the other one can’t fix. It’s also about relationships and romance, about sexuality and about living one’s life on one’s own terms. Colbert is an expert at weaving in a lot of plot lines and complexities among her characters and doing so without ever making the book feel over stuffed or unreal.

 

 

 

Malagash by Joey Comeau

This little book is one that I saw virtually no talk about, despite the fact it deserves so much more love and conversation. Sunday’s father is about to die of cancer, and she’s figured out a way to replicate his life in the virtual world through a virus. By creating this virus, her father’s words and voice will live in the hard drives of millions across the world. Of course, this book isn’t about the virus. It’s about the way we all mourn loss, especially the loss we know is coming and can’t do anything to resolve. It has a lot of dark humor woven through, but this tiny little book (all 182 pages) is an emotional powerhouse.

 

 

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

I picked this one up to listen to on a series of long drives and found myself unable to stop listening until I finished it. Bruder explores the new American lifestyle that came from the loss of retirement security in the great economic crash. The book followers a few individuals as they make lives for themselves in RVs and other moving vehicles, scraping together pennies in seasonal jobs that seek people just like them out. Back when my husband and I took our annual vacation this year, we went up to the Apostle Islands (a National Park in Wisconsin’s part of Lake Superior), and one of the couples we met while there had told us they lived in Arizona but had spent the summer as camp hosts in Wisconsin, and this was one of their destinations on their way back home. Bruder’s book is a look at lives like theirs.

But what made this really a strong read for me was the look at Amazon’s practices with their warehouse employees. I feel like everyone “knows” how tough Amazon working conditions are, but I felt myself getting sick thinking about someone like my grandmother being forced to walk 20+ miles a day on concrete floors, get repetitive stress injuries, being told to pill up at the pain pill stations, and more, just so they could meet unreasonable daily quotas. It really changed how I use Amazon.

This was a book I recommend with Janesville when it comes to thinking about how much our economy and the middle class has changed.

 

 

 

 

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

I think Watson’s YA is some of the most underrated YA out there, and this book — another read with a short page count — packs in so much about race, class, and discrimination. But in addition to taking a sharp look at all of those meaty topics, this is a book that, at heart, is about a girl who loves art. Her passion shines through, and it was such a powerful reminder that, amid all of the awful and tough things a person experiences in their daily life, there can be something that drives them and keeps them afloat.

 

 

 

 

A Short History of The Girl Next Door by Jared Reck

I’m not a crier. But this book? I was crying for the entire second half of the (again!) short little read. This is a book about a boy who has grown up with a great female friend across the street and how he feels when suddenly, their freshman year of high school, she gets a boyfriend. He has to struggle with never taking a chance with her beyond their friendship.

But then THE THING happens and suddenly, this book becomes one about learning how to grow up, deal with your emotions for yourself, and learning that the world does not revolve around you and your pain is not worse than anyone else’s. There’s a great look at toxic masculinity that, while not called that, is so clear and obvious that it begs to be talked about. I read a book earlier this year that has been gracing the New York Times List over and over which tried to do this, but failed spectacularly. But Reck’s book? Gets it.

This is one that readers itching for younger YA protags will want to pop on their reading list. Also, it’s a feels book. You’re going to have them all. And you’ll need tissues, too.

But it’s worth it.

 

 

 

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

If I could choose to write with the sort of brevity and emotional impact as any writer, it’d be LaCour. This is a powerful book about grief, about friendship, and about love. It’s a slower read, but it’s absolutely beautiful. It oozes with loneliness while settling into your bones and making you feel like you yourself are not alone. A literary gem.

 

 

 

 

You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie

This book gave me a lot of the same kinds of feelings that LaCour’s did, but this one is a memoir about Alexie and his relationship to his mother. It’s vulnerable. Told through short vignettes, this explores relationships, family, life on the reservation, and the challenges Alexie had with his mother…while also offering compassion and insight into why and how she did what she did as a mother and what it was he was able to get from his relationship with her. Readers who love Alexie’s YA book will want to give this a read, in part because he talks about the book and the process for how it came to be. It’s not an easy nor a quick read, but the format and style make it one you can pick up and put down over the course of time you need to read it.

 

 

 

 

2017 Favorite Bookish Moments

I was so lucky to be able to do so many things relating to Here We Are‘s release this year, and I got to meet so many incredible readers and writers. Here’s an abbreviated reflection on some of my favorite moments relating to that, as well as some of my favorite/biggest reading moments:

  • I attended two literary festivals: the Tucson Book Festival (wherein I got to see this gorgeous city with the help of Hannah Gomez, who gave me a grand tour as a local) and the San Antonio Book Festival (wherein I spent the morning of my event wandering the River Walk alone, visiting the Alamo again, and then having my event in the most amazing cathedral talking about feminism with Jessica Luther and Siobhan Vivian).

 

  • I’d asked my publicist about doing an event at Book People — the bookstore which really was a buoy for me during my time in Austin — and it happened. Not only did it happen, but it was a standing room only event, and I’ll never forget seeing so many faces from my time at school down there. One of the folks who attended said it was likely the biggest assembly of UT iSchool students in one place that wasn’t a study session.

 

  • After my annual review for Book Riot, we’d talked about dreams/goals/what I’d like to do. We did not once talk about beginning a YA podcast, but a month later, the idea was floated to me, and then when I floated to Eric Smith that I’d love him as a cohost, it was born. This is such a fun little biweekly podcast, and it’s fun to talk enthusiastically about books and reading with someone who is as enthusiastic as Eric is.

 

  • For my 33rd birthday, I set a goal of funding 33 classrooms through Donors Choose. This was in mid-August. By my birthday at the end of September, one of my editors at Algonquin asked if she could take part and up the number of funded classrooms to match her birthday age (her birth date was a few days after mine). We funded over 56 classrooms in a little over a month. It was incredible and reminded me how, when a community can come together, big changes can happen.

 

  • I did a bookstore event in Vermont, driving there by myself from Providence, Rhode Island. It was my first time renting a car alone, and it was my first time driving through the northeast. It was my first time in Vermont. When I got to the bookstore, I was surprised to see not one, not two, but THREE of my friends from various parts of my life. Unbelievable love.

 

  • And that day? It only got better when I then drove from Vermont to the Hudson Valley for an event at Oblong Books, where another friend had surprised me by showing up. Book people are the best people.

 

  • I sold my second anthology (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, about mental health, and spent almost all year putting it together. It’s in copyedits now for a fall publication date.

 

  • I rediscovered my love of nonfiction books on audio. I finally got an audible subscription — a perk of being a podcast host for my job — and I’ve listened to a lot of great nonfiction while doing various household tasks. I’m considering installing one of those bluetooth shower speakers when we move into our new home early next year (we’re moving from Wisconsin to Illinois, which isn’t bookish news, though I guess saying we’ll be 4 blocks from an amazing local indie and under a mile to the local library IS bookish).

 

  • I made the difficult, but necessary, decision to step down from my role as a panelist on this year’s first round YA Cybils committee. It wasn’t giving me what I needed in terms of discussion or critical evaluation, so I did what was best for me and left. No hard feelings with the Cybils or anyone involved; it was 100% for and about me and my needs.

 

  • I read all of Harry Potter for the first time. I revisited all of the Ramona Quimby books. I read through all of Stephen King’s It. I’ve started thinking a bit about what it is I’d like to make my reading project for 2018, and I’m thinking about the LM Montgomery books I never read (I tried reading the Emily series at one point, but I wasn’t ready to commit).

 

  • This here little blog celebrated 9 years. I continue to love what Kimberly and I are able to do every week and continue to appreciate those of you who are new readers, long time readers, or who happened to stumble upon us.

 

  • Attending and speaking at NCTE/ALAN was one of my favorite experiences, as was moderating a panel at ALA on feminism, inclusivity, and the need for all of us to do better — where I got to have five excellent women of color talking about their work, about their stories, and learn so much that, I hope, makes me not just a better person, but also a more thoughtful and critical reader.

 

  • I created the #RiotGrams challenge for Book Riot and ran this Instagram bookish photo challenge in February, June, and October (which, incidentally, will be when it hits again this coming year if you want to take part). It was so fun to build such a fun bookish community on Instagram and build my TBR simultaneously.

 

  • I kept up with Litsy (you can follow me there @kelly) and with Goodreads, as well as kept a massive reading spreadsheet for myself. My longest read this year was It by Stephen King. And with a good estimation, my total page count landed somewhere in the 145,000 range, with roughly 135 books read total.

 

  • One fun thing I did this year: I tracked my library holds on Instagram. I’m going to do this again in the new year, perhaps with a special tag so I can round them up periodically for sharing.

 

 

Thanks for this year, 2017. I’m eager to see where 2018’s reading leaves me. I know for now, in this last week, I’m ready to pick up a few “for me only” reads, tackle some of the excellent gift books I’ve received, and relaxing.

 

 

A Few Cybils Reads – Part IV

|

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

This might be the first ever media tie-in novel I’ve ever read, and it’s a really good one. It features teenage Diana and her first adventure off of Themyscira and in the human world. It’s set in the present day, so I’m not sure how it actually aligns with the movie (it doesn’t seem like it does at all?) and whether this is actually canonical or if it’s just licensed fan fiction. Regardless, it’s a great story.

When a human girl named Alia washes up on the shores of Themyscira, Diana risks everything – including her right to live with her Amazon sisters on the island – to save her life. Alia is being hunted by powerful people who believe she is the Warbringer, a descendant of Helen of Troy who simply by existing has the ability to bring about a cataclysmic war. Diana and Alia team up with a few other human teenagers to elude Alia’s hunters, hoping to get Alia to a particular place in Greece that will nullify her warbringer ability.

The book is action-packed, funny (Diana learning about odd human customs never gets old), and quite deep. Alia is biracial, Greek on her dad’s side and Black American on her mom’s side, and this provides a real-life example of the metaphor that Diana represents: a fish out of water feeling in your own family and your own culture, of straddling two places and not really belonging in either. Romances are hesitantly formed, friendships are tested, and there’s a shocker of a twist near the end – but one that sharp-eyed readers who trust themselves will have seen coming. Bardugo is a fine writer and she was a perfect choice to tell this story.

 

The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics

This is Lukavics’ third novel, and it’s taught me that she can be relied upon to provide all the chills a good horror novel usually brings. The Cane family looks loving and tight-knit to the outside world, but in reality, their relationships are highly dysfunctional. The father is always away for work (he’s in the military), leaving the mother to take care of the five Cane sisters on her own. She’s depressive and spends days – or even weeks – at a time in bed, leaving the eldest daughter, Juliet, to take care of the other four. Resentment abounds. Things come to a head in an argument where the youngest daughter, Rose – beloved by all her sisters – falls down the stairs in a horrible accident and dies. Only in Lukavics’ world, death is not permanent, and when the girls’ mother finds a way to resurrect Rose, she comes back…different, with a hunger that can only be satisfied by human flesh.

There aren’t a lot of surprises in this novel, since what I wrote about above is all revealed on the jacket flap. This is essentially a zombie novel, but Lukavics makes it her own with the pitch-perfect depiction of the twisted relationship between the sisters (which only grows more twisted as the girls try to find a way to keep Rose alive the second time) and the no-holds-barred descriptions of murder and cannibalism. Lukavics does not shy away from the gruesome, and the penultimate chapter will shock even those readers who saw the events coming. The writing felt a bit weaker to me than in her previous two books; there were times when an awkward sentence drew me out of the story. But overall this is really solid horror for readers who like their scares explicit and messy.

 

Anatomy of a YA Anthology: Natalie C. Parker on THREE SIDES OF A HEART

|

 

“Anatomy of a YA Anthology” is back again today with another interview. Today, Natalie C. Parker talks about the inspirations behind Three Sides of a Heart, which hits shelves tomorrow, December 19. I’ve had a copy of this sitting at the top of my to-read for a while and after reading Natalie’s piece, I am itching even more to dive in.

 

Your Name

Natalie C. Parker

Your Anthology’s Name

Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles

Anthology Description

You may think you know the love triangle, but you’ve never seen love triangles like these.

These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don’t want to miss.

This collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, contains stories written by Renée Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagen, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, EK Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, and Brenna Yovanoff.

A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet.

What do all these stories have in common?

The love triangle.

How did you get your idea/what was the initial spark?

Keen irritation.

Once upon a time, I wasn’t the sort of person who had a strong opinion about the love triangle. In my experience some were effective and others weren’t, but that was the same with any trope. But one day I attended a panel during which the panelist were asked which trope in young adult fiction they wanted to see die in a fire. One panelist answer, “the love triangle” and I felt an unexpected rage in response.

As I listened to the discussion that followed, I realized that the ire toward the love triangle, specifically in young adult fiction, was centered around opinions of a single, well known love triangle. In other words, a single manifestation of a trope with a long and exciting history had fixed some readers so firmly against it that they’d written off all future iterations. I decided that the best way to engage with that conversation was by inviting others to explore the trope with me. An anthology seemed the best way to do that.


What steps did you take from idea to proposal?

Immediately after that panel, I shared my frustrations with a few friends. And at the end of my doubtlessly eloquent tirade I proclaimed my intentions to build an anthology filled to the brim with love triangles. When my passions cooled and I looked around the room, I found every single person nodding their heads. They were already on board, so my initial steps were a little shorter than they might have been. Essentially, I polished my thoughts about the love triangle and invited a collection of authors to join me in defending, exploding, and exploring the trope.
So the project proposal ended up as something of a problem statement and a list of authors willing to tackle it.

Did you use an agent?

I did and boy, oh boy, am I glad. Before bringing my list of contributors on board, I reached out to my agent and asked if they’d be willing to represent an anthology. We discussed what that might look like both creatively and administratively and when we were on the same page, she took the proposal out to market.


As an editor, were you responsible for contracts between you and your writers? Did your publisher or agent handle the administrative/legal side of things?

While my contract is with the publisher, all of the contributor contracts are with me. So this was a huge learning curve and plenty of paperwork on my end, but my agent managed all contract negotiations. BLESS AGENTS.


How did the editing process work between you and your writers?

I worked in concert with my editors at HarperTeen and we decided on our approach at the very beginning of the process. We would read the stories as they came in then hop on a conference call and discuss our notes. When we were all on the same page, we drafted notes together and I gave them a final review before sending them to the author.
From there, the authors primarily communicated with me via email.


Money talk: how did you get paid for your work?

The publisher paid me via my agency, and I sent payment to each of my authors. Sounds simple, but if anyone reading this is planning an anthology proposal, you should know that you’ll also be responsible for creating tax documents at year’s end*. There’s a fair bit of administrative cost that goes into managing an anthology, so make sure you pay yourself an editor’s fee!

Where and how did you come to “direct” the anthology? Did you have an idea of how you wanted pieces to progress early on or did you wait until all pieces were available to you to begin constructing the collection?

I was fairly hands off in the initial stages. In my invitation to contributors, I told them that I was interested in love triangles all every sort and stories in all genres, and that’s precisely what I got. As the stories began to roll in, I found that we had a fairly even distribution of genres, representation, and triangle outcomes. But we had a few notable gaps and I asked three authors if they would be willing to tackle those gaps. Having that flexibility a little later in the process allowed us to create a more complete collection.

What was your favorite part of the anthology creation process?

By far, my favorite part was working with each of the authors on their stories. It was such a challenge moving between them, bending my mind toward the author’s vision. I loved every moment of exercising my creative and editorial muscles in new ways.

What was your least favorite part?

The paperwork! Part of being a published author is also learning how to run a small business, but this took everything to a whole new level.

What were some of the biggest lessons you as an editor learned in creating an anthology? One of the more magical aspects of an anthology is how it comes together. An editor can begin to arrange the pieces, but the shape of the puzzle won’t become clear for a long, long while. I found that even though I’d invited a kickass team of authors to contribute, I had no idea what the project would end up looking like — no idea whose story would sit where, which would be in conversation with which. It was like trying to see a Magic Eye picture while the pixels were still sorting themselves out.

I learned that there’s a balance between directing an anthology and letting authors do whatever they like. I ended up with the opportunity to cover a few gaps later in the construction process, but that was mostly luck and definitely not by design. If I were to do this again, I would be slightly more active in the early stages offering a broad set of possibilities and parameters. I would also ask for story pitches up front so I could get a sense of the shape of the finished product early on.

What were some of the biggest successes? We received a starred review from School Library Journal in which they said: “The depiction of various identities and romantic choices make this collection an inclusive, relevant one that is likely to foster acceptance among high school readers.” If I’d had a mission statement for this collection, that would have been it. Receiving this review was an incredible moment in my career. I’m proud of it and of the authors who made it happen.


If you aren’t already working on another anthology, would you do another one? Why/why not?

I would absolutely do another one. The process was invigorating and rewarding and I have a trove of ideas waiting.

 

 

*Note from Kelly: this is true if you pay your contributors over $600 each. Under $600, and you don’t need to create the documents.