Christina Reads YA

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

Publishing:
Rights Report:

• The Magic Misfits - Neil Patrick Harris (an illustrated debut middle-grade series. Little, Brown; Publication is slated for spring 2017).
• Even the Darkest Stars - Heather Fawcett (debut; a YA fantasy duology; Set in a fictional kingdom reminiscent of Nepal, this is the story of an aspiring teen climber who is enlisted by a legendary explorer to help him climb the kingdom’s deadliest mountain – only to discover that his true mission may threaten her whole world. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray).
• Out of Order - Lynda Mullaly Hunt (A contemporary YA) & Hungry for Home - Lynda Mullaly Hunt (a historical middle-grade novel in verse) will share Hunt’s previous books’ emphasis on everyday kids facing difficult situations with resilience. (The new books are set to release in 2018 and 2019; Penguin's Nancy Paulsen Books).
• Finding Obeno - Keely Hutton (YA debut based on the life of Richard Ricky Anywar, who, abducted at 13 and forced to fight as a soldier for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, managed to escape and is now a humanitarian helping to rehabilitate former child soldiers in Uganda. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• One for Sorrow - Mary Downing Hahn (Hahn's 33rd novel, her latest ghost story, is set during the 1918 flu pandemic. In the story, a girl who is disliked at school dies of the flu and returns to haunt Annie, one of the girls who taunted her. The book will publish in spring 2017; Clarion).
• The Unicorn Hunt - Kamilla Benko (MG debut series in which two sisters are thrust from the present day into a world ruled by magic and embroiled in discord. Publication in the U.S. and U.K. is scheduled for fall 2017; Bloomsbury).

Nothing from last week has actually been posted to GR, so I’m just going to skip those old titles.

Awards: You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015 until Teen Week in October. (Unrelated to YA: the Man Booker Prize winner). The 2015 Moonbeam Children's results (independent pubs), the Guardian Children’s (text) Literature shortlist, ALAN YA picks for September 2015. The National Book Award finalists were announced (my prediction: Bone Gap).

Authors: The Masked Truth - Kelley Armstrong, Illuminae - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, The Rose Society - Marie Lu,Faceless - Alyssa Sheinmel, The Way I Used to Be - Amber Smith, The Loose Ends List - Carrie Firestone, It’s a Wonderful Death - Sarah J. Schmitt, Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

Excerpts: Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin, Hotel Ruby - Suzanne Young, Forget Tomorrow - Pintip Dunn, Genius - Leopoldo Gout

Sexism in the Nobel Prize in Literature: by the numbers. And systematic sexism in YA → “We know why it is that men like John Green write Love Stories and women like Sarah Dessen write Romances...” more here.

Meg Wolitzer, Jandy Nelson, and Ally Condie will be going on tour together this November. Maybe you live near one of their stops?

If you are an independent bookseller employee or know one, consider filling out this form to nominate him/her for James Patterson’s holiday bonus of $250k by November 1st.

David Levithan and Nina LaCour are writing a new book together, “You Know Me Well.” “You Know Me Well, told in alternating points of view, is the story of two unlikely confidants. Classmates Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for a year, but have never spoken. One night, far from home, their paths cross, and soon, they realize they know each other better than anyone else. They’ll guide each other through their first loves and heartbreaks, which, by the way, don’t involve each other: Mark is in love with his best friend Ryan, while Kate has been in love with a girl from afar, and may have ruined her chance to meet her.” (Add to Goodreads here).

Another article on Neil Patrick Harris & his new MG series.

Rainbow Rowell plays an epic game of Would You Rather with the Buzzfeed staff.

If you were curious about Stephenie Meyer’s announcement last week re: Life and Death, check out this interview. It has some spoilers on why she chose to change certain scenes as well. Also, apparently the reason why she didn’t release Midnight Sun => GREY. Oh, E.L. James.

In a similar vein, Flavorwire is wondering whether genderbending the characters actually proves Twilight isn’t sexist.

Book Riot had a great series on diversity and here’s a round-up of their links.

I’m not sure who started the hashtag for #Stories for All, but it’s inspired some authors to share some personal things: Suzanna Herman, Maya Van Wagenen, Shannon Hale.

We need diverse writer landmarks.

This is an older discussion between Jacqueline Woodson and Renee Watson, but a lot of comments are still really relevant. (“I knew Jacqueline wouldn’t want to ignore the backdrop of our conversation. Her stories are filled with characters who don’t fit into neat, predictable boxes about what it means to be a girl, or Black, or gay, or white, or a teen. There is no shying away from difficult, painful topics. Light and dark are always present, side by side. Her books mirror reality…”)

!!! It’s not enough to have illustrated Harry Potter books. We’ve got ANIMATED illustrations for the ebooks (+ some commentary from J.K. Rowling!) → but only for Apple iBooks. OMG WHUT STOP TEMPTING ME TO BUY MORE AND MORE COPIES OF HARRY POTTER. (Also, can we make animated illustrations in e-books a thing? SO COOL).

Meg Rosoff, author of This Is How I Live Now, said some awful stuff and best recapped by other people. Here’s an open letter to her about her comments (probably to be read after the other article I linked to). Original comments here.

Maggie Stiefvater and John Green raced each other for charity. Here’s MTV’s recap of the event & here’s Maggie’s.

Teen book festivals are a win for all who attend.

Bookstores are taking YA author events to the next level.

A brief summary of author and industry events.

Jennifer Armentrout is currently running a contest for aspiring writers: send a story up to 1,500 words and you have a chance at attending the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention.

Disney is launching a new imprint called Freeform focusing on YA and crossover fiction and matching the newly renamed ABC Family (aka Freeform).

Graphic novels’ sales are on the rise, especially in kidlit.

Cover Reveals:

Discussions/Other Bloggers Posts:

Have you read these popular October releasing books yet?

YA themed etsy shops. There’s actually a surprising number of clothing, jewelry, and other art sites for YA.

Looking for some wicked scary reads this October? Here are Penguin Teen’s recommendations. (And here are Barnes & Noble’s recommendations).

How about some YA sports romances? There were actually a lot more recently published than I thought there’d be…

Always pretty cool to see how some readers are impacted by books: how The Golden Compass changed her life.

This girl took some quotes with Dumbledore’s advice and actually followed it for a week.

YAs set during senior year: I second the Anna & the French Kiss recommendation! :)

9 fantasy reads & books to anticipate for this spring & books to read for Hispanic Heritage Month.

When reading, do you ever note if an author is referring to another book within its contents? (Me: yes and no. But super cool to see these sometimes hidden sometimes right out there literary references).

National Coming Out Day was October 11th / already passed, but you should still check out these books and this list asap.

If you’re planning a dinner party, some YA books could give you ideas… (I love how this was organized for the food/drink/entertainment!)

Have you ever been kept awake at night by these book nerd fears?

If you’re looking to read more diverse YA SFF, here are 10 recent new releases. And more recs headed your way: if you are looking to read more deaf media or books with bisexual teen girls or SFF books from diverse authors, those links are good primers.

Whaa-- a Harry Potter themed cafe has opened in the Philippines. Can we make a replica in the states?

Have you ever committed one of these book crimes?

What do you think would happen if book lovers ruled the world?

Did you know all these facts about Barnes & Noble?

Movies & TV Shows:

Check out the Shadowhunters TV show via the second trailer (here was the first promo video). If you’re interested in how they made the TV show, you’ll get to find out on December 6 with a behind the scenes look.

The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole has been optioned for a television show by Warner Brothers.

Gemma Chan, Carmen Ejojo, and Jon Voight have joined the cast of the Fantastic Beasts adaptation.

In case you were wondering about the Shatter Me TV Show.

R.L. Stine’s Fear Street adaptation is coming up next.

CBS is making Miss Maple younger, young enough for a tv show. (This sort of reminds me of the Nancy Drew show, with an older Nancy).

Old news: they’re considering Nat Wolff for the lead role in the Death Note adaptation. But, if you were on twitter when this was announced, there was a lot of uproar about the whitewashing, so I’m hoping that this won’t happen. (Related to that discussion: the acting roles in The Martian).

Not YA, but oh well: check out the trailer for Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.

Giveaways:

ARCs & Hardcovers, INT, ends 11/01.

Adventures in Children's Publishing giveaways: Win THAT TIME I JOINED THE CIRCUS by J.J. Howard. Enter by 10/29/15.; Win BLOOD AND SALT by Kim Liggett. Enter by 10/20/15;Win one of SEVEN packs of FIVE popular or recent YA titles, plus swag to help reward readers, for underfunded classrooms, schools, or libraries. Know a school or library who needs books? Nominate them! This month's donations from Martina Boone, Maggie Stiefvater,Danielle Paige, Laurie Halse Anderson and Maria Dahvana Headley. Ends 11/1/15.

Giveaways listed at Saturday Situation by Lori of Pure Imagination and Candace of Candace's Book Blog.

Don't forget to enter YABC's giveaways for the month.

Sci-fi and Fantasy Friday {SF/F Reviews and Giveaways}.

You have until January 1st to complete your Storyboard Sprites board and win a book up to $15.

If you have a giveaway, you should let me know.

Other:

New Releases: First & Then by Emma Wills, Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl, The Rose Society (Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu, Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch, The Immortal Heights (Elemental Trilogy #3) by Sherry Thomas, Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix, The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong, Truly Madly Famously (Famous in Love #2) by Rebecca Searle, Happily After (The Selection Companion) by Kiera Cass, Trust Me, I'm Trouble by Mary Elizabeth Summer, Darkthaw (Winterkill #2) by Kate A. Boorman, The Beast of Cretacea by Todd Strasser, The Emperor of Any Place by Tom Wynne-Jones, Dark Tide (Waterfire Saga #3) by Jennifer Donnelly, Weird Girl and What's His Name by Meagan Brothers,Martians by Blythe Woolston, No True Echo by Gareth P. Jones, The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow, Blue Voyage by Diana Renn, A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond, Juba! by Walter Dean Myers.

Recent Recommended Reads: You can check out what I’ve been reading lately in my September book talk & recap.

Which articles did you like best? Did I miss any news? Did you host a cover reveal or discussion that I should have posted about? A giveaway? Leave the links, and I'll either edit this post or post about 'em next week.

Giveaway of One by Sarah Crossan, Mirrored by Alex Flinn, Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti, The Wild Ones by C. alexander London, and This Raging Light by Estelle Laure.

Follow the link to get to the original Rafflecopter form!

It's been a really long time since I did one of these recaps! So much has happened here on the blog and I've read a bunch of different things since my August book talk too (though even in that I didn't really link back to different blog posts? Oops?). So here we go - let me know what you've read, reviewed, etc. this past month as well. Mine could probably be summarized with: "Christina is terrible at TBR lists."

So, first up, from the blog: I got my bookish rounds back on a weekly basis! Woohoo! You can check out edition 87 (this week), edition 86, edition 85, edition 84, and edition 83. (There are more blog posts, but this is only from between now and my August book talk). The only change is that so far this month, I've just been too tired to include book blogger discussions. I hope to do this in the future, but since it's the last thing that I do on those posts, it's the one I most often skip when exhaustion takes over.

This month, I also read and reviewed Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Serpentine by Cindy Pon, and The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow. I read but did not reviewQueen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (my thoughts are too complicated for a blog post or booktube video - we can have a discussion on this but expect it to be long),Faces of Love: Hafez and the Poets of Shiraz translated by Dick Davis (aka a book of Persian poetry; I enjoyed it but have been told that no translation can ever match the original. Also looking forward to comparing it to another book of poetry on Hafez since Dick Davis takes a literal interpretation to most of Hafez's poetry while others view him as a very famous, mystical Sufi poet), The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows (which I will review in the future), The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (heyhey this was on my list of 2015 debuts I wanted to read, so that counts, right?), Humans of New York (I only recently discovered the blog & was curious to see what the book would be like; was slightly disappointed the captions weren't there as often but perhaps they'll be more featured in the upcoming Humans of New York: Stories?), Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier, Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters #2) by Juliet Marillier, and Child of the Prophecy (Sevenwaters #3) by Juliet Marillier.

Because I loved Daughter of The Forest so much, I created a list of recommendationsof adult fiction that seemed suited for YA readers.

If you're interested, I'm also giving away Zeroes, This Raging Light, One, Mirrored, and the Wild Ones - some as ARCs, some as hardcovers.

What I just read & absolutely loved was Six Myths of our time by Marina Warner.

I had a feeling that I was going to love it when in the introduction, Marina Warner quotes Roland Barthes: Myth transforms history into nature.

Particularly relevant to all the YA I read was Warner's third essay, "Little Angels, Little Monsters: Keeping Childhood Innocent." So many of the most popular YA - Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The 5th Wave, Twilight, Divergent - end with or prominently feature the idea of the child as a stand-in symbol for hope, for the innocence of the future generations and the betterment therein of society. Time and time again I wondered how we got to a place where we placed such undue pressure and responsibility on a child and the child as a symbol. This essay gets into that and more. (Actually, I want to email my old kidlit professor and ask her whether she's read this essay or heard Marina Warner as she gave these lectures on the BBC. "Little Angels, Little Monsters" felt so, so relevant to everything that we had discussed; Warner even mentioned Bettelheim, who analyzed fairy tales with a Freudian lens. (Because of Bettelheim, every time I see Cinderella's slipper now, I think of the supposed representation of her sexuality i.e. her vagina.)).

Some reviews suggest that this book is dated. Maybe some of the cultural references are dated (the things that are referred to in the present are obviously no longer so), but the points that Warner makes on she-monsters (and motherhood/femininity, the role of women), modern masculinity, the concept of national identity, fairy tale beasts and cannibalism (and colonialism) still feel rather relevant to me. In fact, her last essay, "Home: Our Famous Island Race," is directly applicable to the Refugee crisis today. I appreciated the feminist lens and the broad-ranging approach Warner took to deconstructing these myths, and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

(I also am looking forward to reading some of the work she mentions here. Salman Rushdie's Imaginary Homelands? Derek Walcott's work? Yes, please!)

Next week, I know that I'll be reading a lot though. I'll be doing menial work at my job, and so I'll be able to listen to some audiobooks. Right now queued up are:Carrie by Stephen King, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss,Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, and the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. 

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

Publishing:
Rights Report + another:

• With Malice - Eileen Cook (a YA psychological suspense novel that opens with 18-year-old Jill in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches on her face, and a blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. Publication is slated for summer 2016; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
• Flamer - Mike Curato (a YA graphic novel about a 14-year-old boy who is bullied at Boy Scout camp, with near-fatal consequences; Publication is scheduled for winter 2018. Henry Holt).
• Graceland Avenue - Lindsay Currie (MG debut; When 12-year-old Tessa's father takes a new job in Chicago, she is forced to leave Florida and her best friend to start seventh grade at a new school. When Tessa discovers her new home is haunted, she must employ the help of some new friends to unravel how Chicago's history plays into the ghost's past. Publication is set for fall 2017; S&S/Aladdin).
• Armstrong & Charlie - Steven B. Frank (a 1970s-era dual-voiced desegregation tale about a boy grieving the loss of his older brother, and the unexpected friend who rides in on a long, yellow bus. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
• My Perfect Me - J.M.M. Nuanez (MG debut; After their mother's suicide, Jack and her little brother Birdie had to move in with their uncle Patrick who's never been very welcoming, and now that Birdie insists on wearing girls' clothing, Jack is afraid it may cost them the only home they've ever really known. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Penguin's Kathy Dawson Books).
• The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart - Stephanie Burgis (featuring an impetuous young dragon who is transformed into an equally impetuous 12-year-old girl by means of enchanted hot chocolate. Publication will start in spring 2017; Bloomsbury).
• Pocket Geniuses - Megan E. Bryant (new chapter 4 book series in which a fourth grader accidentally brings to life a set of Heroes of History action figures. All four books will pub in 2017, with the first two released simultaneously in April 2017. Scholastic).
• The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes - Wade Albert White and its sequel, The Adventurer's Guide to Dragons (and Why They Keep Biting Me) - Wade Albert White (set in a world where fantasy meets science fiction, a subversive narrator lurks behind every page, and intrepid heroine Anne must triumph over time, destiny, and heretofore unknown levels of bureaucracy to uncover the truth of her quest. Publication will start in fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• The Freemason's Daughter - Shelley Sackier (follows the perilous smuggling exploits of 16-year-old Jenna and the six Scottish men who have raised her as they fight to restore James Stuart to the British monarchy in 1715. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017, HarperCollins).
• In This Adventure Ends - Emma Mills (a teenage girl decides to track down her new friends' late mother's last painting, but finds the quest more complicated than she anticipated – especially when love gets in the way. Publication is slated for winter 2017; Henry Holt).
• Until Our Blood Runs Clean - Mary Taranta (YA debut; Set in a world where magic is poisoned and using it can be torturous – or dangerously addictive – Faris is tricked into a plot to overthrow a tyrannical king and must find her own power to survive. Publication is planned for summer 2017; S&S's Margaret K. McElderry Books).
• Kat Greene Comes Clean - Melissa Roske (MG debut; The novel is told from the perspective of Kat, a 12-year-old navigating friendships, the school play, and first crushes as she notices her mother's OCD escalate when her mom joins a competitive-cleaning TV game show. Publication is set for 2017; Charlesbridge).
• If The Shoe Fits - Mari Mancusi (in which 12-year-old Hailey and her friends form a babysitting group called Pirates and Princesses, Inc. to try and earn enough money to see their hometown hero-turned YouTube sensation Collin Reed perform at Comicpalooza. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; S&S/Aladdin).

From Last Week:

• The BAT Chronicles - Elana K. Arnold (MG series; In the spirit of Clementine and Ramona, the books follow Bixby Alexander Tam – nicknamed BAT – a third-grader on the autism spectrum, and his funny, unexpected, authentic experiences at home and at school. The first book, A Boy Called BAT, is set to publish in 2017; HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press).
• Park, Place - Danielle Svetcov (debut MG; The book, set in San Francisco, is about the unexpected friendship between two kids from very different places – Cal, the ham-fisted, 12-year-old martyr from the plush mansion he shares with his restaurateur mother, and struggling, straightforward Jeanne Ann from the van parked across the street, where she lives with her own mother, a wayward short-order cook – and how they end up saving themselves in the course of saving each other. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Dial).
• Braced - Alyson Gerber (MG debut in which 12-year-old Rachel learns her scoliosis has worsened and she has to wear a back brace, but the experience teaches her that she is made of stronger stuff than even her brace. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books).

Awards/Lists: The 25 Best Books of October, according to iBooks & Amazon’s best October books. The Kirkus Prize Finalists were announced. You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015 until Teen Week in October.

Excerpts: Poet Anderson Of Nightmares - Suzanne Young & Tom DeLonge, Truly Madly Famously - Rebecca Serle,Fathomless - Anne Pillsworth, An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes - Randy Ribay, Traffick - Ellen Hopkins, Winter - Marissa Meyer

Authors: Darkness Brutal - Rachel A. Marks, In the Shadow of the Dragon King - J. Keller Ford, This Monstrous Thing - Mackenzi Lee, Fear My Mortality - Everly Frost, Walk on Earth a Stranger - Rae Carson, A Madness So Discreet - Mindy McGinnis, These Shallow Graves - Jennifer Donnelly

An interesting venture from Malindo Lo & some other authors: serialized book publishing in the way of HBO.

Jennifer Weiner has signed on for her first deal for MG books: "The middle-grade series, called The Littlest Bigfoot...The Littlest Bigfoot follows a shy and awkward girl named Alice Palmer, who feels out of place in her upper-crust family. After rescuing Millie from the lake near her boarding school, Alice has finally made a friend. But, as Aladdin explained, what Alice doesn't realize is that silver-haired Millie is part of a long-forgotten clan; Millie is a Bigfoot. As it happens, though, Millie only feels at peace among people or, as they're known to her clan, "No-Furs," while Alice can only find solace in her friendship with Millie. Together, the publisher elaborated, the two go on a journey to "find a place where they both fit... but they don't know is that an evil is lurking... and it could mean the end of all they hold dear.""

One page a day in the journal of a high school artist and two years later, Kayla Cagan has a book deal with Chronicle: "The Pieces of Piper Perish, a diary of a Texas high school senior who dreams of living in New York City with her best friend and fellow artist, Kit, an Etsy entrepreneur. Both girls apply to a Manhattan art school. Piper is admitted, but without the necessary financial aid; Kit is not even accepted. What now?"

Woah, in its first week, Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s #3) was nearly the #1 bestseller in the country, selling over 39,000 units.

Sexism in awards for SFF novels: cold, hard data.

Netherlands readers! It looks like there’s an expansion of YALLFEST coming your way: YALFestNL.

Have you been participating in the 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt?

Every week, I am in awe of the articles WNDB links to and curates as well. This week: 7 Jewish Authors Get Personal about Anti-Semitism. The roundtable discussion is a must read.

It Will Take a Village to Raise Diversity in the Children’s Book Industry ← has especially good tips for what EVERYONE (authors, readers, publishers, schools, etc.) can do to help! (plus another article: how to make a difference in 8 practical steps).

And as always, here is another summary for why we need diverse books, especially in light of the disheartening CCBC results from last week.

If you are a librarian, perhaps you ought to consider what Angie Manfredi did: “One of my presentations was about the We Need Diverse Books Campaign - helping recommend titles for librarians to add to their libraries. But I also wanted to take this presentation to the next level and discuss what I feel is a fundamental duty for librarians and educators: demanding more from the literature we put on our shelves and asking hard questions about it….” even if it means that half the room walks out on your presentation.

Junot Diaz emphasizes the importance of reading work from authors of other backgrounds.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, WNDB hosted a twitter chat last week & here is the Storify if you are interested!

Another touching personal story: Dahlia Adler shares how writing one of her books led her to question her identity andbecome her own audience.

More personal stories!! aka #YAOpenMic: 10 YA authors sharing all sorts of personal stories.

Check out the illustration of Snape in Jim Kay’s illustrated version of HP #1. Man, I want the book so badly, but I already ordered the new box set for unknown reasons and now it just seems wasteful to get a THIRD copy… but so, so PRETTY ALL THE ILLUSTRATIONS. (though I have to say - with all the diverse books links above… we’ve seen a lot of “racebent” Harry Potter characters. It’s been explicitly pointed out how the characters aren’t really *described* enough to rule other races out. So why didn’t they try something new? Draw Hermione as black?)

You’ve probably already heard the news by now, but Stephenie Meyer released a genderbent version of Twilight yesterday called, Life and Death. As Meyer explains on Good Morning America, this was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Twilight. The story with Bella as “Beau” the human boy and Edward as “Edythe” the vampire girl is likely to be the only one she will release. You can see the cover in the round-ups below.

And since we’re on special editions, look at the Collector’s Edition for Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

Check out how kids responded when Pharrell asked them why they love reading. He, Penguin, and First Book are teaming up for the #ReadHAPPYInitiative.

I love that J.K. Rowling, with over 5 million fans, still manages to surprise people by answering questions about HP theories.

Did you know that these books were banned? Hahaha, Angels and Demons was banned in Lebanon? Somehow not surprised. Either a relative told me or I read somewhere that Harry Potter had been banned there before… unless I’m mistaken? But also funny that the Bible has been banned? ESP since Christians in the U.S. are often the ones banning so many books here.

David Handler has also signed up for personalized books with Sourcebooks.

Check out pictures from the Texas Teen Book Festival and the 2015 Tween Reads Festival. Also here’s a brief summary of last week’s author & industry news (not including SIBA, mentioned here).

If you’re going to New York Comic Con, a.) you’re lucky and b.) you can meet Epic Reads here.

If you want a laugh from Libba Bray...

Also, if you didn’t already know, Maggie Stiefvater and John Green will be racing each other for charity.

Cover Reveals:

 

#‎Heart‬ (Hashtag, #6) - Cambria Hebert, NA

Beautiful Broken Things - Sara Barnard, UK

This Is Not a Werewolf Story - Sandra Evans

As Brave As You - Jason Reynolds

Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts - Esta Spalding

Stormwalker - Mike Revell

The First Last Day - Dorian Cirrone

Some Kind of Happiness - Claire Legrand

Soar - Tracy Edward Wymer

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story - Nora Raleigh Baskin

The Wild Robot - Peter Brown

The Best Worst Thing - Kathleen Lane

Teen Frankenstein - Chandler Baker, redesign

Without Annette - Jane B. Mason

The Loneliness of Distant Beings - Kate Ling

Cherry - Lindsey Rosin

Three Truths and a Lie - Brent Hartinger

Autofocus - Lauren Gibaldi

Towers Falling - Jewell Parker Rhodes

Burn Baby Burn - Meg Medina

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined - Stephenie Meyer

Swing Sideways - Nanci Turner Steveson

Starflight - Melissa Landers, redesign

The Epidemic - Suzanne Young

Nil on Fire - Lynne Matson

Gemini - Sonya Mukherjee

Road Trip Summer - Lauren Barnholdt (Bind-up of Two-way Street; Right of Way)

Savage - Thomas E. Sniegoski

The Language of Stars - Louise Hawes

The Haters - Jesse Andrews

Poisoned Blade (Court of Fives, #2) - Kate Elliott

Cure for the Common Universe - Christian McKay Heidicker

Marked - Jenny Martin

False Hearts - Laura Lam, UK

False Hearts - Laura Lam, US

The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn,#2) - Renee Ahdieh

Roses and Rot - Kat Howard (redesign)

Time Stoppers - Carrie Jones

Queen of Hearts - Colleen Oakes

A Criminal Magic - Lee Kelly

Waiting for Augusta - Jessica Lawson

There is a serious lack of interracial couples on YA books. See the full post at Stacked Books.

Discussion/Other Book Blogger Posts:

What are the 43 books the Buzzfeed community can’t stop talking about? And yeah -- there are some YA titles on the list!

Quite a few YA books on Bookriot’s round-up of the Best Books They Read in September.

And here are 20 more YA books to anticipate for October.

YA with amazing adults - another amazing infographic from Epic Reads!

Have you ever had to hold a Booktervention? I have, with my brother. It was not pretty lol.

Book-Loving Pyros: CANDLES made for us!

One day, you should check out these bookstores.

Do you think that villains are better than heroes?

Really interesting discussion → what would the YA Canon look like? (“Because YA is such a young category and a distinction that is in and of itself up for grabs (what does “YA” really mean anyway?), there’s not a clear canon of essential reads. There are, of course, bestsellers and books that made a huge impact, but you can’t point to something and call it YA Canon in the same way you can point to books like The Scarlet Letter or Ethan Frome or Moby Dick or The Red Badge of Courage and say those are part of the Western Canon.”) -- although maybe you can debate those books? I also object in part because “YA Canon” seems to imply it’s all one genre, when “Western Canon” is at least a specific geographical region. The Outsiders would probably make the list.

Have you joined a YA virtual book club yet? You should!

8 YAs That Get Subcultures Right -- and you probably guessed it, but Rainbow Rowell is there twice. P.S.: Quotes from the 80s.

Fairy tale lovers! 7 Awesome YAs Based on Lesser Known Fairy Tales.

It could be argued that the Bechdel Test doesn’t always cover what you want, but if you do follow its guidelines for book recommendations, check out these 6 YA romances that slay the Bechdel Test.

In light of the genderbent Twilight novel… well, what would these six classic books look like if they were genderbent too? (Me: I’m interested in The Handmaid’s Tale. Love that book, and I’d be interested in seeing where an author took a genderbent version…)

15 Diverse Magical Fantasy Novels per Bustle’s recommendations - and some YA are indeed there!

Savorism in YA: “Advocate for young readers by treating them like readers. Respect their ability to empower themselves. Young readers don’t need saviors. They need books. “ This was a really interesting piece to read, and got me thinking again about “The Hidden Adult” in children’s literature (adults are the ones writing about teens. Are they actually writing about the experiences of current teens or a nostalgic version of what they think teens should be? etc. etc.).

According to Bustle, these are 18 October YA novels that you can enjoy with pumpkin spice latte.

Reading for pleasure may not always be as easy as it sounds.

Movies & TV Shows:

Patrick Ness is writing a YA spin off of Doctor Who, ‘Class,’ for the BBC.

The final poster for Mockingjay, Part 2 was released. And the final THG: Mockingjay Part 2 trailer was released.

Joey King & Charlie Plummer will be starring in Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of Stargirl.

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

Publishing:
Rights Report and another:

• Triangles: The Points of Love - edited by Natalie C. Parker (which explores the myriad tragic, frustrating, humorous possibilities of the teen love triangle, and features 15 new stories from Renee Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Alaya Dawn Johnson,E.K. Johnston, Tessa Gratton, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Cajiuat Posadas, Veronica Roth, Maggie Stiefvater,Sabaa Tahir,Brenna Yovanoff, and Parker herself. Publication is scheduled for 2017; HarperCollins).
• The Diabolic - S.J. Kincaid (a stand-alone YA action-adventure thriller set in space. The book tells the story of a genetically created teenager named Nemesis, called a Diabolic, thought to be a soulless killing machine. Nemesis was created to protect an heiress, but when the Emperor summons this heiress to his court to serve as a hostage and pawn, Nemesis is sent in her stead and discovers she may be more human than she thought. The book will be released in fall 2016; Simon & Schuster).
• We Were Never Here - Krystal Sutherland (debut; In the book, high school senior Henry Page finds himself falling for Grace Town, the new girl at school, despite her dirty clothes and weird vibe. Though Grace has secrets that keep Henry at arm's length, like why she visits a graveyard every day, Henry is determined to win her over. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Putnam).
• Grendel's Guide to Love and War - A.E. Kaplan (in which teen misfit Tom Grendel seeks to take down the obnoxious jock-next-door, while falling for his enemy's sister and discovering secrets about his own family in the process. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Knopf).
• Elementals - Amie Kaufman (a middle grade fantasy-adventure trilogy. The series features an ancient, ongoing battle between two clans of humans who can shapeshift – ice wolves and scorch dragons – and follows two siblings who combine the powers of the enemy clans. The first book, as yet untitled, pubs in winter 2018, and the next two books will follow annually thereafter. HarperCollins).
• The BAT Chronicles - Elana K. Arnold (MG series; In the spirit of Clementine and Ramona, the books follow Bixby Alexander Tam – nicknamed BAT – a third-grader on the autism spectrum, and his funny, unexpected, authentic experiences at home and at school. The first book, A Boy Called BAT, is set to publish in 2017; HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press).
• The Pants Project - Cat Clarke (MG debut; The story chronicles a transgender boy's fight to change his school's outdated dress code, gaining a new best friend in the process. Publication is set for early 2017; Sourcebooks Fire).
• Park, Place - Danielle Svetcov (debut MG; The book, set in San Francisco, is about the unexpected friendship between two kids from very different places – Cal, the ham-fisted, 12-year-old martyr from the plush mansion he shares with his restaurateur mother, and struggling, straightforward Jeanne Ann from the van parked across the street, where she lives with her own mother, a wayward short-order cook – and how they end up saving themselves in the course of saving each other. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Dial).
• Butterfly Wishes - Jennifer Castle (chapter book series about two sisters, their friends, and winged magic. The first two books will be released in fall 2017; Bloomsbury).
• The Lords of Glass Town - Catherynne M. Valente (MG novel follows Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne Brontë as they discover a portal into Glass Town, a Narnia-like fantasy world of their own creation. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Simon & Schuster).
• Braced - Alyson Gerber (MG debut in which 12-year-old Rachel learns her scoliosis has worsened and she has to wear a back brace, but the experience teaches her that she is made of stronger stuff than even her brace. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books).
• If Found Return to Astropop - Lucas Hargis (debut in which, unaware of one another's gender or appearance, two gender fluid teens become mutually smitten by reading each other's journals. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; HMH).
• Dead Man's Curve - Alex Van Tol (YA horror novella; The book tells the story of 18-year-old Booker, who accidentally runs over a mysterious figure on a wilderness highway. Publication is set for fall 2016; Leap Books' Shine imprint).

From last week:

• The Packer Inheritance - Varian Johnson (MG; In the story, two 12-year-olds search their small Southern town for the hidden will of an eccentric millionaire who disappeared years before. Publication is slated for 2017; Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books).
• The Creepy Casefiles of Margo Maloo - Drew Weing (graphic novel; The book tells the story of a boy named Charles who moves to a new city and learns that it's infested with monsters. The first volume will be published in 2016; First Second).
• Marvin and the Moths - Jonathan Follett, illus by Matthew Holm (MG; the book is a send-up of middle school, suburbia, and giant mutant moths. This is the first collaboration for Holm and Follett, who have been friends since middle school. Publication is scheduled for 2016; Scholastic).

From Publisher’s Lunch:

• Kirsty Moseley's FIGHTING TO BE FREE and WORTH FIGHTING FOR, to Forever (New Adult novels)

And from another deal:

• Juan Felipe Herrera, the current (and first-ever Latino) U.S. Poet Laureate, has signed a four-book deal with Candlewick Press….includes Jabberwalking, a middle-grade book that charts Herrera’s writing process and the act of walking.

Excerpts: The Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard, The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan, The House - Christina Lauren

Authors: Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (and another here and another & one with Rae Carson here), Zeroes - Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti, My Senior Year of Awesome - Jennifer DiGiovanni, Mr. Puffball, Stunt Cat to the Stars - Constance Lombardo, The Star Touched Queen - Roshani Chokshi, Julie Murphy & Aaron Hartzler, What We Saw - Aaron Hartzler, This May Sound Crazy - Abigail Breslin, A Step Toward Falling - Cammie McGovern, The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani, Blood and Salt - Kim Liggett

Awards: You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015 until Teen Week in October. The first ever Walter award will be given out next March.

Book Trailers: The Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head - Lauren Oliver & H.C. Chester, Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer & Oliver Jeffers

A brief summary of author and industry events.

Reading While White: “Do I have the right to write about ___?”, a question frequently asked by white writers and diversity in novels. Loved reading the post + the comments section has a great discussion as well.

And for your reference, a list of articles on racism in YA.

A really sad thing is looking at the CCBC’s compiled results of 2015 so far in terms of books about PoC characters or written by PoC. Apparently the results are not that much different from 2014.

This week is Banned Books Week. Here are 10 Frequently Challenged YA books (and the top 10 books challenged in the U.S. this year), and five very true tales of book censorship. Books for teenagers should reflect real life, which includes sex and swearing, although we might want to stop calling them young adult books. Regardless, we should always question why a book has been banned. Also, parents, please stop trying to ban books. And, hey, we can also admire these quotes on censorship(and these as well), and celebrate banned books week.

Jacqueline Woodson hopes for more dialogue and less shouting when it comes to banned books.

The book that had been getting a lot of attention as New Zealand’s first banned kidlit book in a couple of decades was now acquired for publication in the U.S.

Authors discussed what made their school visits great - some really great stories in there.

Are publishers responding to teachers’ and librarians’ needs?

Photos from the Brooklyn Book Festival.

It was once predicted that ebook sales would continue to increase while those of print books declined. Not so, my friends. The case is potentially more complicated.

A manifesto for children’s literature: Books “for children” or “for teenagers” are books for all who are ready to listen to them. They are for all who recognize that art cannot be confined within such narrow labels. <<<< YASSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Dear United States and other countries, these figures on illiteracy are very disappointing.

Cover Reveals:

 

Relic - Gretchen McNeil

Booked - Kwame Alexander

Althea & Oliver - Cristina Moracho, pb redesign

Momotaro: Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - Margaret Dilloway, illus by Choong Yung

The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin - Elinor Teele

The Voyage to Magical North - Claire Fayers

Beetle Boy - M.G. Leonard

Julius Zebra: Rumble With The Romans - Gary Northfield

Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den - Aimee Carter, redesign

Seven Black Diamonds - Melissa Marr

Faerie - Eisha Marjara

Wandering Wild - Jessica Taylor, redesign(?)

Doreen - Ilana Manaster

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

Razorhurst - Justine Larbalestier, pb redesign

Lucky Few - Kathryn Ormsbee

Steeplejack - A.J. Hartley

Love Blind - C. Desir & Jolene Perry

Hollywood Witch Hunter - Valerie Tejeda, redesign

Masquerade - Laura Lam

Pantomime - Laura Lam, new publisher redesign

Shadowplay - Laura Lam, new publisher redesign

The Sleeping Prince - Melinda Salisbury

The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson

The Jock and the Fat Chick - Nicole Winters

Blue - Lisa Glass*

*I think this one might be old. My bad.

One Life - A.J. Pine, NA

The Year of Falling in Love - Jessica Sorensen, NA

Wicked Reunion - Michelle Valentine, NA

Bad Wicked Twisted - Ilsa Madden-Mills, NA

Get in Trouble: Stories - Kelly Link, pb redesign

Hex - Thomas Olde Heuvelt, UK

Click Here to Start - Denis Markell

Dirty Deeds - Megan Erickson, NA

The Play - Karina Halle, NA

The Trick to Landing - Jenny Kaczorowski

The Turn of the Tide - Rosanne Parry

The Journey Home (Wilder Boys#2) - Brandon Wallace

The Circle of Lies (Hunters of Chaos #2) - Crystal Velasquez

Tomorrow's Lies - S. R. Grey, NA

The Road That Leads to Us - Micalea Smeltzer, NA

Never Tear Us Apart - Monica Murphy, NA

True Born (True Born Trilogy, #1) - L.E. Sterling

Flying - Carrie Jones

Discussion/Other Blogger Posts:

According to Buzzfeed, these are the best YA books of all time. I wonder what the qualifications were? It seemed like there were more recently published books than older books, which is unusual for a list like that. → just found out that it’s based off Goodreads ratings. No wonder. No one rates old books anymore.

Are these some of your favorite last lines in books?

Do you agree that these are the best villains in YA fiction?

Diverse book recommendations for teens dealing with social issues.

If you like Once Upon a Time, here’s a list of potential YA recommendations to read.

Maybe the appeal to YA literature is the hope, the optimism. (Or check out the manifesto from the link in Publishing.)

Are you anticipating these October releasing YA books?

Realistic Contemporary YA Love Stories ⇒ Jellicoe Road yaaasss. (I also measure other couples against them. But also I have not read any of the other books on that list… sadface).

If you’re looking for more YA horror books to read, here’s a start.

If you’re looking for more YA fantasies with awesome magical systems, here’s another place to start.

You should spend every summer vacation rereading Harry Potter. Duh.

You need to own hardbacks, but you read paperbacks. You are not alone.

If I have time, I'll come back and put book blogger discussions here.

Movies & TV Shows:

Expect more movies to come: Hollywood isn’t buying the YA movie fatigue.

Matt Sobel will be directing the adaptation of The Scorpio Races.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child will be in two parts. See Pottermore for more details and announcements.

Kate Maberly will be directing the adaptation of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Maisie Williams is attached as an actress.

The Disney Channel has optioned Upside-down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins (which was released yesterday).

Adam Wilson will be playing Ragnor Fell in the Shadowhunters TV show.

Check out the international trailer for The Jungle Book adaptation.

Rob Marshall may be directing a new Mary Poppins movie.

Giveaways:

ARCs & Hardcovers, INT, ends 11/01.

Adventures in Children's Publishing giveaways: New Releases 9/28/15! Win THREE great new YA novels that release this week, plus read interviews and a round-up of all this week's new YA novels. Giveaway ends 10/4/15; Win one of FOUR packs of FIVE popular or recent YA titles, plus swag to help reward readers, for underfunded classrooms, schools, or libraries. Know a school or library who needs books? Nominate them! This month's donations from Martina Boone, Kami Garcia, Liza Wiemer, and Jessica Porter at Crossroads Reviews. Ends 10/1/15; Win THAT TIME I JOINED THE CIRCUS by J.J. Howard. Enter by 10/29/15.; Win a MASSIVE prize pack including books by Scott Westerfeld, Nikki Kelly, Lisa Gail Green, Kiera Cass and more. Enter by 10/7/15.; Win DAMAGE DONE by Amanda Panitch. Enter by 10/6/15.; Win BLOOD AND SALT by Kim Liggett. Enter by 10/20/15.; Win $50 American Express Gift Certificate, one of 5 beautiful Tiffany-style Key necklaces, Compulsion for Reading T-shirts, a What I'm Reading chalk mug, Fictionista Notepads, and much more in the PERSUASION pre-order celebration. Also TONS of free downloads, including stickers, bookmarks, magnets, door hangers, and wallpapers.

Giveaways listed at Saturday Situation by Lori of Pure Imagination and Candace of Candace's Book Blog.

Don't forget to enter YABC's giveaways for the month.

Sci-fi and Fantasy Friday {SF/F Reviews and Giveaways}.

If you have a giveaway, you should let me know.

Other:

New Releases: Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti, Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Lost Girl (Fear Street Relaunch #3) by R. L. Stine, Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4) by Gina Showalter, Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics, Madly by Amy Alward, Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher,Untwine by Edwidge Danticat, Very in Pieces by Megan Frazer Blakemore, Sanctuary by Jennifer McKissack, Becoming Darkness by Lindsay Brambles

Recent Recommended Reads: You can check out my recommendations for adult fiction for YA readers.

 

Which articles did you like best? Did I miss any news? Did you host a cover reveal or discussion that I should have posted about? A giveaway? Leave the links, and I'll either edit this post or post about 'em next week.

Today I'd like to discuss adult fiction novels that I would recommend to readers of young adult, particularly since some of them feature main characters who are "YA-age." I was inspired to create this list because I loved reading Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, and I'm always looking to branch out more into adult fiction. I don't always trust the recommendations I get in that regard, but I'd really like to read more beyond YA. So here's my list of recommendations, separated loosely by some categories!

First up on the list...

FANTASTICAL FICTION WITH FAIRY TALE ELEMENTS:

The three books that I'm recommending under this category are: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, and Sunshine by Robin McKinley.

First off, Daughter of the Forest is what inspired me to make this list. It is the book I'm most OMGFLAILING INNERFANGIRLING over. It's set in the 9th or 10th century Celtic Ireland, and it's a retelling of the lesser known Grimm fairy tale, The Six Swans, I believe. Mel at the Daily Prophecy recommended this to me AND NOW I'M RECOMMENDING IT TO ALL OF YOU. I loooooooove the combination of the fierce, silent Sorcha (main character) with her romantic interest, and I loved rooting for Sorcha through all her harrowing trials. There's a language barrier (in more than one way) and character histories providing extra tension... and even though this a fairy tale retelling, with recognizable tropes like the Evil Stepmother, the characters are all so, so fully fleshed. The side cast is wonderful and these characters! These characters! #fangirling. I loved this book so much that I moved onto the next two books (despite not being as interested in the synopses for those books). Yes to more Juliet Marillier books!

One thing I will say is that all three of the books I'm recommending here are a tad slow to start. That doesn't mean there aren't things happening, but that it might take a while for those main plot events to really unfold. I wonder if that has to do with the framework of the fairy tale and fairy tale retellings in general? ANYWAY, I recommend these books to YA Readers because of the journeys that all three heroines have to undergo and the fairy tale like elements - the way these books are written, I can see a lot of YA readers enjoying them as well.

I've talked about Uprooted at length before, and in fact you can read a review from me about that book, but essentially I can see quite a large overlap between the two fanbases, so if you've not read one, definitely change that ASAP.

The other book is Sunshine by Robin McKinley, which is a vampire fairy tale. It's about a girl who doesn't know the extent of her magical powers, but when she's kidnapped by vampires as human bait, she has to find out what precisely she can do and save herself from a perilous situation. It's actually quite a bit different from Uprooted and Daughter of the Forest, which are more inspired by Grimm fairy tales. Sunshine has a lot more world-building than either of those two, I think, but all three have a distinct atmosphere and would not be what they are without their fairy tale like elements.

If you like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, try out one of these books.

A COUPLE OF LITERARY RECOMMENDATIONS:

The two books that I'm recommending under this category are The Magicians by Lev Grossman and The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is like if you aged Harry Potter and took away the youthful idealism, the paragons of virtue and symbolism and inserted a more cynical main character and magic system derived from the amount of effort that students are willing to put in. It's pessimistic and darker than Harry Potter, but also pays its tribute to the series that captured so many fans. It has its own literary truths about life and I've had several people tell me that it's "more realistic" than Harry Potter (mostly, I think, because the magic system is based on effort and that is a reflection on a lot of things in our lives now instead of memorizing spells).

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is set in a New England college, and involves a group of students who are in the same class with an enigmatic professor and start some... bad habits. Very vague so that I don't spoil the book for you, particularly since it's a contemporary literary thriller. Like The Magicians, this book has a whole lot of atmosphere and a huge set of side characters.

I'd recommend these two books for YA readers because even though they're more literary, they also have distinct character arcs and a character lens that you can find in YA, if you're reading a particular type. Like Seraphina for The Magicians.  If you like The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, try out one of these two books.

MORE COLLEGE SHENANIGANS:

The Secret Society Girl series by Diana Peterfreund is set in a fictional Yale. The main character is in the first cohort of females invited to an all male secret society. What happens after initiation = college politics, girl power, a hint of romance and a whole lot of fun. If you like NA books but want more of the actual college aspect to be covered, definitely give this series a shot.

ZOMBIE BOOKS THAT AREN'T ZOMBIE BOOKS:

On this list we have:  Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion and Feed by Mira Grant.

Don't be like my college professor and write off Warm Bodies because you're like AH YOUNG PARANORMAL PROTAGONIST! THIS MUST BE LIKE TWILIGHT AND THEREFORE I SCORN IT.

o.O

Warm Bodies was one of the first adult books that I'd read and immediately thought it perfect for the YA crowd. I actually reviewed it ages ago (not a very good review...), but I'd still recommend it to the YA crowd not only for the character journey but for the metaphor inherent to the characters. It has a sort of youthful idealism about what makes us human that would actually appeal to people who read Twilight and wanted to see the boundary between human and monster more fully explored. In this sense, to me the book is less about the main character being a zombie in a post-apocalyptic world and more about the meaning of life.

There's also a movie adaptation of Warm Bodies. Can't tell you much about that, but I can recommend that you read the book.

I also actually wrote a mini review for Feed by Mira Grant because the audiobook was FANTASTIC. It's hard to describe the world, but we've got cures for things like cancer.... but nothing for zombies. Zombies are everywhere, and they're the number one problem for government officials. Their platforms are about the zombie threat. Bloggers have become extensive journalists. The book explores the zombie problem while tackling tough questions about journalism, politics, and freedom. I thought that it'd be appropriate for YA not just for YA bloggers and the inherent appeal to our hobby but also for the youthful energy of the main characters, the sense of wanting to DO SOMETHING to make the world better or help in any way. I felt that way a bunch as a teen, and I think that this book, in not really being a zombie book, addresses that.

If you like Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor not because it has angel and demon figures but because it goes deeper into what makes us human and the horrors of war, try out one of these books.

URBAN FANTASY WITH KICKASS HEROINES:

On this list are: Soulless by Gail Carriger, The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill.

I've actually reviewed both Soulless and the Fever series and fangirled about them both. The Parasol Protectorate series incorporates steampunk, Victorian high fantasy and manners with politics, murder mystery, and other paranormal creatures. Sass and wit abound. The Fever series is about a girl who travels to Ireland to investigate the mysterious death of her sister and finds out more about their upbringing and the powers she never knew she had. The Chicagoland Vampires series is about a graduate student who was turned into a vampire against her will and who then gets involved in vampire politics and investigates various mysterious situations, including murders.

I would recommend these to YA readers because they all feature strong women at their forefront navigating unfamiliar landscapes. This is often at the heart at many young adult books, and I can see teens and adults alike being very interested in and invested in the paths that these main characters take.

If you like Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas orGraceling by Kristin Cashore -- fantasy series with kickass heroines at the lead, who usually have some snarky comment and are often the heroines touted for being "strong female characters" -- try one of the above books.

WANT MORE WORLD-BUILDING:

And finally, the last book is The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon.

I've raved about this book so many times - my first book review and my extensive fangirl-y posttrying to get people to read the series. It feels like y'all should just already know that I'm recommending this one to you. It's set in a futuristic London where this otherwordly creature has subjugated humans who have the ability to deal with the aether in some way (aka the magic system of spirit combat). The books mix a lot of sci fi and fantasy elements and have only been getting better as we get further into the series. I can't wait to read book 3!

If you like Court of Fives by Kate Elliott or just want more world-building in your YA SFF series/books, check out The Bone Season.

So, those are my recommendations for adult fiction for all of my fellow wonderful YA reader fans.Do you agree with these recommendations and the Like/Try/Why aspect of this? Have you read any of these books? Let me know!

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

Publishing:
Rights Report 1, 2:

• The Packer Inheritance - Varian Johnson (MG; In the story, two 12-year-olds search their small Southern town for the hidden will of an eccentric millionaire who disappeared years before. Publication is slated for 2017; Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books).
• Dollar Will - Alison McGhee (a YA novel told in 100-word vignettes, of a boy in Los Angeles who leaves dollar-store items as anonymous gifts to neighborhood characters. A publication date has not yet been set; Caitlyn Dlouhy Books / S&S/Atheneum).
• Dreamfall - Amy Plum (the first book of a duology. In the books, a radical experiment to cure chronic insomnia goes wrong, and its seven teenage test subjects are plunged into a shared coma populated by one another's nightmares; those who die in the dream will also die in real life. The first book comes out in summer 2017, with the second book publishing in summer 2018. HarperTeen).
• Roseblood - A.G. Howard (YA retelling of the Phantom of the Opera set in a boarding school for music and art inside a French opera house. Publication is slated for January 2017; Abrams).
• Moxie - Jennifer Mathieu (which follows a girl who takes inspiration from her mother's stories of the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90's to start her own anonymous zine, sparking a modern-day feminist revolution at her small-town Texas high school. Publication of Moxie is scheduled for fall 2017. Roaring Brook).
• Someday Birds - Sally J. Pla (debut in which bird-loving Charlie, diagnosed with OCD and Asperger's, reluctantly travels cross-country with his siblings to see his dad, hospitalized after a brain injury. Charlie bargains with the universe that if he can spot along the way all the rare birds that the two had been hoping to see someday, then everything might just turn out okay. Publication is set for 2017. HarperCollins).
• The Creepy Casefiles of Margo Maloo - Drew Weing (graphic novel; The book tells the story of a boy named Charles who moves to a new city and learns that it's infested with monsters. The first volume will be published in 2016; First Second).
• Marvin and the Moths - Jonathan Follett, illus by Matthew Holm (MG; the book is a send-up of middle school, suburbia, and giant mutant moths. This is the first collaboration for Holm and Follett, who have been friends since middle school. Publication is scheduled for 2016; Scholastic).
• The Princess and the Page - Christina Farley (a middle-grade novel about a girl whose dark fairy tale comes to life after writing it with a magical Word Weaver pen. Publication is slated for 2017; Scholastic).

From last week:

• 17 Years - Ava Dellaira (a YA novel told in alternating perspectives about a mother and daughter, each at 17 years old, on the brink of adulthood, and struggling to imagine her future and to discover her place in the world. Publication is slated for 2018; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• My Shelf Life - Lilliam Rivera (a YA novel about a girl named Margot Sanchez who charged $600 on her father's credit card and is stuck spending the summer working off the debt at the South Bronx location of the family chain of grocery stores. Publication is set for spring 2017; Simon & Schuster).
• There were a lot more but none had GR links, so I’ve decided to give up on them.

Authors/Interviews: This Monstrous Thing - Mackenzi Lee, Ink and Ashes - Valynne Maetani, These Vicious Masks - Kelly Zekas and Tarun Shanker, The Weight of Feathers - Anna-Marie McLemore, Bookishly Ever After - Isabel Bandeira, Monstrous - Marcykate Connolly, The Body Institute - Carol Riggs, Nightfall - Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski, Carry On - Rainbow Rowell, Dumplin’ - Julie Murphy, Tonight the Streets Are Ours - Leila Sales, Pax - Sara Pennypacker

Book Trailers: Faceless - Alyssa Sheinmel, Cloud Country - Noah Klocek, A Madness So Discreet - Mindy McGinnis,Illuminae - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Awards: You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015 until Teen Week in October.

Excerpts: Young Man with Camera - Emil Sher, Beastly Bones - William Ritter, All American Boys - Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely, The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman, This Monstrous Thing - Mackenzi Lee, Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys, A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston, Evolution - Stephanie Diaz

Mira Jacob gave a speech about race to the publishing industry and no one listened (Here is the thing about how discrimination works: No one ever comes right out and says, “We don’t want you.” In the publishing world, they don’t say, “We just don’t want your story.” They say, “We’re not sure you’re relatable” and “You don’t want to exclude anyone with your work.” They say, “We’re not sure who your audience is.”).

Reading While White appears to be a new blog that’s getting quite a bit of recognition: “It is therefore essential to devote a space to examining Whiteness, lest we White people try to “escape” acknowledging our privilege by shifting into discussions about the identities along which we are marginalized.”

Richelle Mead has been posting excerpts from Adrian’s diary these past weeks. Here’s the latest.

Rita Williams-Garcia discusses writing diverse books with kids (RWG: “Our books should really reflect the diversity that is the world. Let’s tell not just one single story but a variety of stories from so many different perspectives. We need diverse stories for each and every reader so that that reader can feel that the world is an open book. And that they have only to reach out and grab their book.”).

Famous kidlit authors who actually disliked kids. Yeah, I learned about Shel Silverstein’s situation a couple of years ago but had no idea about Dr. Seuss! (Meanwhile check out the celebration of Dr. Seuss here).

Have you ever wondered what an author’s daily life is like? Here are 18 testimonials, esp in the YA realm.

It’s time for… the Library Card Selfie.

In the UK, less than a quarter of kids are frequent readers. They prefer, instead, to surf the internet or use Facebook.

People were in a bit of an uproar about the Nielsen Book Scan (Summit) results. Here are some of the main points from the summary article.

• Children’s book sales are up 12.6% in the U.S., 28% in Brazil, and 10% in China, with 11 of the 20 bestselling books in the U.S. being children’s titles. 
• Children’s share of print markets is averaging 34% across the board internationally, in Australia and New Zealand, it’s almost 50%
• Kids ages 5-8 ... account for 39% of dollars spent on children’s books, and for 38% of children’s book sales overall.
• ...today’s children under the age of nine are split demographically 50/50 between multicultural and white. → “If you create content that speaks to [specific] cultural segments,” the data shows that “it is resonating across all races and ethnicities.” Furthermore, Doc McStuffins, a female character, also has strong appeal for boys. → REAL DATA BEHIND CRY FOR DIVERSE BOOKS + “Diverse books don’t sell//aren’t universal” + “we need more boy protagonists/boys can’t relate” = horse ****.
• 80% of all the YA books that are selling are being bought by adults. 
• The panel seemed to suggest that the YA moniker can be limiting… one panelist suggested that publishers “change the name from YA to YAH - Young at Heart.” → for the people who were upset about this, I’d like to point out that the whole panel is a sample size of less than 10. If you take that panel’s advice, statistically you’re not making a very smart decision without polling more of your consumers.
• Many of these [adult] readers discover books by browsing bookstores, and having their eye caught by good design, by hearing of forthcoming movie adaptations, and through the Internet via GoodReads and Twitter. VS. how teens discover books → The teens said they are definitely influenced by movie releases when choosing to read books. They cited the Internet, particularly Amazon’s suggested books feature and Wattpad, as a place they find out about new books, and many stated that the recommendations of friends largely inspired their reading choices, as well as those from teachers and librarians.
• You can read all the tweets about the summit here.

Creepy! Scholastic had a campaign to “Unveil Voldemort” in Jim McKay’s new illustrated HP and check out the picture. ACK, as a kid that might have actually haunted my nightmares if I saw that.

Yay for a continuation of the I Can Readathon campaign! (HarperCollins’s I Can Read! books and PBS KIDS are collaborating on a national I Can Readathon campaign. Now in its second year, the campaign is designed to get kids learning every day through fun, engaging activities that encourage them to explore the world of books and develop a love of reading.)

Undecided about reading Dumplin by Julie Murphy? Check out these 9 quotes!

8 Women Who Changed Literature Forever - I’m surprised Stephenie Meyer isn’t on that list, though it’s not specific to YA. Still. For all that backlash, she def helped make YA.

What’s it like to be an author and an editor? Leila Sales’s take.

A brief summary of author and industry events.

We Need Diverse Books has postponed its diversity festival to the summer of 2017 or 2018. And on a similar note, indie booksellers have announced a diversity initiative.

Have you checked out the dedicated online initiative Penguin has set up for Nightfall?

Banned Books Week is coming up! And meanwhile the author of New Zealand’s first banned book in 22 years has decided to speak out.

Cover Reveals:

Discussion/Other Blogger Posts:

Seven YA Books That Show the Lives of Teens Around the World - can we have more of these please? Also, would add to the list a book I recently discovered: Hate Is Such a Strong Word. Set in Australia with a Lebanese-Australian girl MC. The Lebanese diaspora is huge, so you’re unlikely to actually get a YA book set in Lebanon, methinks.

Favorite grandparents from kidlit - i actually can’t think of any book i’ve read recently with grandparent characters… hm.

Hey, reviewers! Disability in Kid Lit is looking for MORE reviewers.

For Bi Visibility Day: 15 YAs Celebrating Bisexuality. I really want to read Otherbound. Adaptation & Love were good ones - recommended here :).

5 YAs to Read while You’re Waiting for Scream Queens - huh, so out of the horror loop that I didn’t even know what Scream Queens was. But if you’re looking for YA horror recs…

15 Authors Share Their Most Prized Possessions - A SIGNED DWJ book? A SIGNED first edition of THE THIEF? Yeah, they’re right when they say you’re about to experience book envy…

Thrilling YA Stories Sparked by Ecological Disasters. Huh. I hadn’t heard of some of these // didn’t know that they were about ecological disasters. Also makes me think of “Water Wars.”

11 Contemporary Classics to Complement Your YA -- > the title is actually the other way around, but this is just the way I think of it ;).

Can’t Stop Reading. Aka: Christina’s Book Nerd problem when she’s trying to convince herself to actually make a bookish round post and/or be productive.

There will almost always be a Harry Potter article in these posts, haha. Some Harry Potter fans left notes in the margins for future readers, talking about the impact the books had on them (that’d be cool, IMO. Love getting to see how others have reacted). The 6 stages of whether or not to reread Harry Potter + 9 Reasons I’ll Read the Harry Potter Series to My Kids (this reminds me of my boss who said that one of her main worries was that her kids wouldn’t like the HP series as much as she did hahaha) + More information on the Potter family was released along with the new Pottermore design (aka Harry’s invisibility cloak origins).

Apparently a lot of children’s books this fall feature imaginary friends.

Do you think that it’s possible for TV to make for better readers?

Movies/TV Shows:

Remember how Tuck Everlasting was chosen to go to Broadway? Check out its veteran cast.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 trailer was released, and it is a SPOILER if you haven’t read the book.

The trailer for The Jungle Book was released.

Miss Peregrine’s has been moved back from March 4 to Christmas Day 2016.

News may be coming soon on The Scorpio Races adaptation.

The official trailer for the 5th Wave movie was released.

The Scorch Trials was released last weekend. Did you see the movie? Its weekend box office was around $30 million, which ensured a #1 spot and was about the same as The Maze Runner, though less than Divergent. And Wes Ball will be staying onto direct the last film.

Giveaways:

Adventures in Children's Publishing giveaways: Win one of FOUR packs of FIVE popular or recent YA titles, plus swag to help reward readers, for underfunded classrooms, schools, or libraries. Know a school or library who needs books? Nominate them! This month's donations from Martina Boone, Kami Garcia, Liza Wiemer, and Jessica Porter at Crossroads Reviews. Ends 10/1/15; Win $50 American Express Gift Certificate, one of 5 beautiful Tiffany-style Key necklaces, Compulsion for Reading T-shirts, a What I'm Reading chalk mug, Fictionista Notepads, and much more in the PERSUASION pre-order celebration. Also TONS of free downloads, including stickers, bookmarks, magnets, door hangers, and wallpapers.; Win DAMAGE DONE by Amanda Panitch. Enter by 10/8/15.

Giveaways listed at Saturday Situation by Lori of Pure Imagination and Candace of Candace's Book Blog.

Don't forget to enter YABC's giveaways for the month.

Sci-fi and Fantasy Friday {SF/F Reviews and Giveaways}.

If you have a giveaway, you should let me know.

Other:

Release Date: September 22, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

The Scorpion Rules - Erin Bow | Goodreads

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Prefectures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace — even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

This book was not what I was expecting. Multiple people have said that YA dystopia is dead; knowing that this book is considered dystopian made me curious. But I sort of don't want to consider this a YA dystopia. On one hand, my immediate thought with regard to YA dystopian novels is: fast-paced, action-packed works like Divergent, Legend, The Maze Runner, and The Hunger Games. The Scorpion Rules is probably closest to The Hunger Games for its premise alone, but even then I wouldn't compare the two because TSR is a lot slower and more focused on the literary implications of its premise (whereas THG can read like a video game sometimes). And when I try to think of other YA dystopian novels, I think of symbolic poetic types likeMatched. The Scorpion Rules is less about poetic literary truths and more about the hard details of a world war-torn over precious resources. On the other hand, this is undoubtedly a dystopian work, and I can't dismiss that for lack of appropriate comparisons. At its core a dystopian novel has some critique of today's society or some innately discussable idea. There is plenty to discuss in The Scorpion Rules: the way Talis rules the world, the metaphor that explains the book's title (put two scorpions in a jar, and one will sting the other, regardless of its own inevitable death), the way the Children of Peace react to various crises, the water wars and the effects of climate change (this is something I really loved getting to see because wars for my generation will undoubtedly be influenced or caused by the rippling effects of climate change). I have seen some people comment that environmental ruin is frequently mentioned in YA dystopian novels - maybe, but not in the way of The Scorpion Rules. Most YA dystopian novels just use environmental ruin or apocalypse as the backdrop (look, I like Divergent the book, but Divergent the movie - what was with that random sunken ship by the wall? And Hunger Games - we never know what led to the Districts forming, etc.). Meanwhile the Scorpion Rules juggles the politics and political intrigue of and the human role in such ruin. To me, it reads unlike anything else I've read.

Then there's also the fact that most YA dystopians are considered YA science fiction as well or sci fi dystopias (I never quite understood why). Divergent, Legend, The Hunger Games - if they do ever have a more science focused lens, it comes much later in the game whereas The Scorpion Rules starts off with the introduction of AIs. The role the AIs play and the way they mingle with humans, and even their history, was quite fascinating to me, and I particularly enjoyed the twists that Erin Bow was able to introduce because of her AIs. So, to recap: for me, The Scorpion Rules was different from other YAs of its type in how it treats its dystopian and science fiction elements.

I was also quite enchanted by the side characters like the Children of Peace. You know how in The Raven Cycle, you have the sense that Maggie Stiefvater really knows her characters and knows what kind of dynamic each character would have with a new character? That's the sort of vibe I get with the Scorpion Rules. Unlike the Raven Cycle, TSR may be plot-focused, but the author shows an incredible level of control with regard to how she has developed her side cast. Some characters may remain off to the side and seem more underdeveloped (plot, not character focused), but there's wonderful diversity and complexity all around: the relationship between Greta and her mom and how each of their interactions is coded with emotional turmoil, Greta's relationship with the Abbott, the romantic relationships. Talis. What happens with regard to Talis makes me very eager and curious to read book 2 of The Prisoners of Peace. The interesting thing, for me, is that though Talis is meant to act as the villain, he has an almost petulant voice and plenty of pent-up anger that, in a sympathetic light, makes him feel realistic and well, fascinating. I started to root for him and felt intrigued despite myself and then I remembered how his actions had caused the deaths of many people. Plus Greta's interactions with Talis were particularly interesting.

I adored the way Erin Bow handled the romance. The synopsis puts you in mind of the new boy romantic trope: "Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem." But this is not the case for The Scorpion Rules, for there is another romantic interest, and that romantic interest became fairly clear from the start (at least for me). And I loved how that romantic interest helped to ground Greta, remind her of her own strength while Elián, as the new boy, challenges Greta to think beyond the principles she's accepted her whole life (e.g. Talis's absolute power, etc.). Both were essential to Greta's character development, and both had wonderfully tension-fraught scenes, and both got to shine in their own right for what they meant and represented to Greta. Plus, I also really enjoyed the fact that Erin Bow didn't try to *label* what Greta had with Elián and her other romantic interest. That lent another level of complexity that I appreciated - I didn't want their interactions to be as simple as "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" because they weren't.

What disappoints me is the way that I've seen others mention Greta. Critique has said that she's dull, flat. I think that's mistaking having a bold, extroverted personality or fighter abilities (e.g. Rose from Vampire Academy) with strength. As much as I love the Rose types, just because a character's inner voice doesn't feature sarcastic humor or brash action doesn't mean they're dull or flat. In fact, this also reminded me of the general debate on what constitutes a "strong female character." Is a Katniss type with bow and arrow going to be better received than a leader whose only weapons are her words and the loyalty she's inspired in her fellow (sometimes helpless, well-educated) hostages? Greta is smart and knowledgeable, and when a plot twist unfolds, she's a character who thinks everything through, so you're with her on her journey, especially as she decides to take action (or forestall it). She's also had an emotionally stunted childhood. Sure, she gets to go home every once in a while, to "reaffirm" the bonds between her and her parents so that she's still an effective hostage, but most of her life is dictated by AI overlords/mentors and her Children of Peace friends, who can be taken from her at any moment and have been in the past, and the knowledge that she too can be killed any day. This results in social awkwardness, a need for logical routine, a love of labor and tending to the garden/animals, and Greta being at once practical and idealistic, hard and incredibly vulnerable. For all that she knows that she can die any day, she's a child, and duh, she's afraid. She has a really interesting character arc in this novel, and some of the emotional situations (e.g. flashback scenes with her mother, her relationship with Elián) immediately caught my attention and sympathy. I found her narrative to be quite compelling, and Greta a wonderful example of how a steadfast, clever, logical mind could be a weapon.

With an innately discussable premise, complex character relationships, and dynamic political intrigue and world-building scope, The Scorpion Rules is an impressive addition to the once teeming shelves of YA dystopia.

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

You should probably check out the bookish rounds post from last week. This one is a lot shorter, since it’s back to normal scheduling around here…

Publishing:
Rights Report:

• The Canny Town of Ingot - William Alexander (about a girl who moves with her mother, a librarian and Ghost Appeasement Specialist, to the curiously un-haunted town of Ingot, where she must learn what has happened to Ingot's ghosts and what will happen if they ever come back. The first book is scheduled for summer 2017; McElderry Books).
• 17 Years - Ava Dellaira (a YA novel told in alternating perspectives about a mother and daughter, each at 17 years old, on the brink of adulthood, and struggling to imagine her future and to discover her place in the world. Publication is slated for 2018; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• My Shelf Life - Lilliam Rivera (a YA novel about a girl named Margot Sanchez who charged $600 on her father's credit card and is stuck spending the summer working off the debt at the South Bronx location of the family chain of grocery stores. Publication is set for spring 2017; Simon & Schuster).
• Remember to Forget - Ashley Royer (debut; The novel tells the story of Levi, who, depressed after the death of his girlfriend, moves from Australia to his father's home in America. Publication is planned for spring 2016. HarperCollins/Blink).

From Publisher’s Lunch:

• David Levithan's two new standalone novels, one a sequel to Every Day, concluding the story of a character who changes bodies on a daily basis but is always in love with the same girl, and with Rachel Cohn THE TWELVE DAYS OF DASH & LILY, sequel to Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, and SAM & ILSA, a story that features brother-sister twins and a fateful end-of-the-year party, to Knopf Children's.

From last time:

• The Well - Jake Wyatt, illustrated by F. Choo (YA fantasy graphic novel; The book follows Lizzy, a girl who steals coins from the town wishing well and is then forced to grant the wishes attached to them. Publication is set for 2018; First Second).
• Shakshuka series - Galia Oz (bestselling in Israel. [The three books] will be published as one middle-grade volume titled Dog Trouble & Other Julie Stories featuring Julie's candid narration of the ups and downs of school and family life. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Crown).
• Struttin' with Some Barbecue - Patricia Hruby Powell (a middle-grade book in verse about jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Lil Hardin Armstrong... Ahead of her time and in a man's world, Lil Hardin Armstrong – Louis Armstrong's second wife – made a career in the early days of jazz. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Charlesbridge).
• Lucy and the Rocket Dog - Will Buckingham (a middle-grade story told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, an aspiring astrophysicist who has built a rocket ship in her backyard, and Laika, Lucy's beloved dog who wanders into the rocket ship and is subsequently shot into space. Publication is set for summer 2017; Knopf).
• Monsterville: A Lissa Black Production - Sarah Schauerte Reida (MG debut in which 12-year-old film-obsessed Lissa discovers a shape-shifting monster in her woods and decides to film the greatest horror movie of all time. Then her little sister is taken to the monster homeland of Down Below and she needs the monster's help to get her back. Publication is tentatively set for fall 2016; Sky Pony Press).
• Blues Bones - Rick Starkey (MG debut in which a 13-year-old boy uses voodoo to overcome stage fright and has to suffer the consequences of dabbling in dark magic. Publication is planned for spring 2016; Leap Books Seek)
• Howard Wallace, P.I. - Casey Lyall (debut; a lonely middle-school gumshoe reluctantly takes on the new girl in town as his assistant as they hunt down the stolen student council treasury and foil a would-be blackmailer. Publication of the first book is slated for fall 2016; Sterling).
• PhilanthroParties: A Party Planning Guide for the Social Activist - Lulu Cerone and Lucy Keating (The book will serve as a DIY guide for teens to partying with a purpose and incorporating philanthropy into their social lives. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Beyond Words and Simon Pulse).
• Higher, Steeper, Faster: The Daredevils Who Conquered the Skies - Lawrence Goldstone (MG narrative nonfiction debut about the men and women who pioneered modern aviation and popularized flying through their aerial feats in the first decade of powered flight. Publication is set for spring 2017; Little, Brown).
• Family Poems/Poemas familiares - Francisco X. Alarcón, to be illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (The bilingual collection of original poems, the sixth collaboration of the author and illustrator, celebrates the days of the week along with familiar family life experiences of Latino children in the U.S. Publication is set for fall 2016; Lee & Low Books).
• Naughty Claudine - Patrick Jennings (about a girl who does not doubt the existence of Santa, but is not comfortable with his spying and judging and breaking and entering, so she decides to act naughty to stop him from coming down the chimney. Suzanne Kaufman is slated to illustrate. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Random House).
• How to Survive Extinction - Paul Acampora (a middle-grade novel about 13-year-old Leo, his cousin, his sometimes forgetful grandmother, and a dog named Kermit, who hit the road together in search of dinosaurs. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Scholastic).
• Just Fly Away - Andrew McCarthy (YA debut; In the story, 15-year-old Lucy discovers that her father has a son from an affair, an eight-year-old named Thomas who lives in the same suburban New Jersey town, causing Lucy to question everything she thinks she knows about her family and her own life. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Algonquin Young Readers).
• The Sweetest Sound - Sherri Winston (about a shy but talented 10-year-old girl who needs to build up the courage to enter her church's singing competition – while grappling with the fact that music was one of the few things she and her estranged mother had in common – only to have the stakes raised when her anonymous recording leaks. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• Garbage Island - Fred Koehler (MG debut; In this animal fantasy, young inventor Archibald Shrew lives on a massive garbage patch adrift at sea, but dreams of leaving the island to discover things, especially news of his long-lost family. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2017, Boyds Mills).
• Will Nolan Eats Bugs - Rebecca Petruck (in which a class clown tries not to worry about how his parents fight all the time by being funnier than ever. But a “hilarious” presentation with insects as snacks leads to heckles, retaliation, and possible expulsion. Publication is set for fall 2016; Abrams/Amulet).
• Confessions from the Principal's Kid - Robin Mellom (a middle-grade novel about a girl whose insider status at school leaves her an outsider among her classmates. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Hmh)
• There Will Be Blood: The HelloFlo Guide to Puberty - Naama Bloom and Glynnis MacNicol (With the support of a panel of experts, the book will incorporate real-life stories along with facts and illustrations. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Dutton).
• How to Save an Elephant - Linda Oatman High (MG; In it, 12-year old Lily Pruitt and a circus elephant are drawn together by the shared loss of the same man – grandfather, best friend and keeper – and journey through a series of life changes to save not only themselves but each other. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust - Planaria Price and Helen West (nonfiction YA memoir; This eyewitness account tells the story of Barbara Reichman, West's mother, who took on a different identity and hid in plain sight to make it through the war. The book is planned for winter 2017; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• What a Beautiful Morning - Arthur A. Levine, to be illustrated by Katie Kath (in which Grandma's support helps a boy accept his grandfather's gradual memory loss, and to enjoy the moments they still have together. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Running Press Kids).
• Maud and Grandmaud - Sara O'Leary, to be illustrated by Kenard Pak (In the book, a girl visits her grandmother's house for a sleepover; they have breakfast for dinner, watch old films, and enjoy other simple pleasures made sweeter for doing them together. The book will be co-published with Tara Walker at Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books in summer 2018. Penguin Random House).
• Wolf in the Snow - Matthew Cordell (in which a girl, caught in a fierce blizzard, stumbles upon a lost wolf pup and must choose to find her own way home or return the pup to its pack. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Feiwel and Friends).
• Q & Ray: The Case of the Mola Lisa - Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan (Graphic novel series; In the book, two animal sleuths set out to solve cases using wits, disguises, and teamwork. Publication is planned for fall 2017… Lerner/Graphic Universe).
• Debut illustrated middle-grade series Marty Pants - Mark Parisi (Parisi is the creator of the long-running Off the Mark comic. The first book is slated for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• One Hundred Spaghetti Strings - Jen Nails (In the middle-grade novel, Steffy's mother has a severe brain trauma, and isn't able to care for Steffy and her moody older sister. When their long estranged father returns to live with them, Steffy hopes that the special recipes she loves to cook will bring her fractured family back together again. Publications is scheduled for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• City of Secret Rivers - Jacob Sager Weinstein (MG debut about an American girl transplanted to London who discovers a dark secret lurking beneath its streets, with terrifying repercussions. The book sold at auction in a three-book deal; the first volume will publish in summer 2017. Random House).
• A Friend Like You - Beth Ain (a middle-grade verse novel about a fourth grader and the small moments in her year that add up to big surprises. Publication is slated for 2017; Random House)

Unfortunately it seems that many books this week or from before aren’t up on Goodreads.

Authors: Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas, Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon, Dumplin - Julie Murphy, Fans of the Impossible Life - Kate Scelsa, Into the Dim - Janet B. Taylor, The Fix - Natasha Sinel

Awards/Lists: Lesyle Walton won the PEN USA Literary award for YA. The Longlist for the National Book Award for YA/Young people was released.

You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015 until Teen Week in October.

Book trailers: Ghostlight - Sonia Gensler, The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich, Ascenders: High School for the Recently Departed - C.L. Gaber.

Excerpts: Every Exquisite Thing - Matthew Quick, Ice Like Fire - Sara Raasch, Consider - Kristy Acevedo, Sweet Madness - Trisha Lever & Lindsay Currie, The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan, Untamed - A.G. Howard, Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

The tenth anniversary edition of Twilight will include some bonus content. Here’s a look back at Twilight and its legacy.

From September 2014 - September 2015, here’s Booklist’s list of top 10 YA romances. Similar list -- here’s one focusing on top 10 YA sports books.

On Sept. 6th, Corinne Duyvis started the hashtag #OwnVoices: “the hashtag focuses on recommending titles about marginalized groups of people by authors in those groups.”

And in unsurprising news, most authors earn below the poverty line for their income.

The Bad Decisions Playlist - Michael Rubens

Darkest Dawn - Katlyn Duncan

A Million Times Goodnight - Kristina McBride

Threadworlds - Bryan Konietzko

Sugar Skulls - Lisa Mantchev & Glenn Dallas

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey, movie tie-in

P.S. I Like You - Kasie West

Demon Heart - Emma L. Adams, NA

Summerlost - Ally Condie

Once Was a Time - Leila Sales

My Sister Rosa - Justine Larbalestier, AUS

The Disappearance of Ember Crow: The Tribe, Book Two - Ambelin Kwaymullina

Half in Love with Death - Emily Ross

Dead Girl Running - Ann M. Noser, NA

This Song Is Not For You - Laura Nowlin

Consider - Kristy Acevedo

Every Exquisite Thing - Matthew Quick

26 Kisses - Anna Michels

A Game of Crows - Jacob Whitfield

The Transatlantic Conspiracy - G.D. Falksen

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse - Brian Farrey

Forbidden - Eve Bunting

Shadow Magic - Joshua Khan

Me & Miranda Mullaly - Jake Gerhardt

The Terrible Two Get Worse - Jory John, Mac Barnett, illus by Kevin Cornell

Either the Beginning or the End of the World - Terry Farish

Josh Baxter Levels Up - Gavin Brown

Some Kind of Courage - Dan Gemeinhart

Saving Wonder - Mary Knight

The Tiara on the Terrace - Kristen Kittscher

The Inn Between - Marina Cohen

Withering by Sea - Judith Rossell

The Adventures of Lettie Peppercorn - Sam Gayton, illus by Poly Bernatene

Fortune Falls - Jenny Goebel

Sara Lost and Found - Virginia Castleman

Maybe a Fox - Katwi Appelt, Alison McGhee

Secrets of Bearhaven - K.E. Rocha

Donny's Inferno - P.W. Catanese

Henry Cicada's Extraordinary Elktonium Escapade - David Teague

Secrets of Valhalla - Jasmine Richards

Ticket to India - N.H. Senzai

The Thickety: Well of Witches - J.A. White

A Week Without Tuesday - Angelica Banks

Blue in the Face - Gerry Swallow

The Door by the Staircase - Katherine Marsh, illus by Kelly Murphy

Red: the true story of Red Riding Hood - Liesl Shurtliff

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel - Firoozeh Dumas

Sweet Home Alaska - Carole Estby Dagg

OCDaniel - Wesley King

The Secrets of Solace - Jaleigh Johnson

Far from Fair - Elana K. Arnold

Just My Luck - Cammie McGovern

This Is the Story of You - Beth Kephart

Poison Is Not Polite - Robin Stevens

The Last Monster - Ginger Garrett

The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price - Jennifer Maschari

The Extincts - Veronica Cossanteli, illus by Roman Muradov

Pugs of the Frozen North - Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre

Mutt's Promise - Julie Salamon, illus by Jill Weber

The Luck Uglies: Rise of the Ragged Clover - Paul Durham

Mabel Jones and the Forbidden City - Will Mabbitt, illus by Ross Collins

What Elephants Know - Eric Dinerstein

The 8th Continent: We Built This City - Matt London

Belzhar - Meg Wolitzer, pb redesign

Discussions/Other Blogger Posts:

Have you read these popular September YA books?

The greatest female sci/fi authors of all time - I knew Le Guin would be on that list. Can’t wait to read more female SFF outside of YA!

Indianapolis has an interesting initiative with its Big Free Libraries.

Take a look at the most popular libraries in the U.S.

5 YA Books to Read after a Breakup, 5 Psychic Protagonists Whose Stories You Want to Read, 5 YA Pirate Tales to Bring Out Your Inner Swashbuckler - sometimes, looking at these B&N articles, I really want to know how they come up with these lists and recommendations. Because how is it that every time there’s at least one book I don’t recognize? Not having even seen its cover before?

Looking for some YA urban fantasy to kick the Cassandra Clare / shadowhunter craving? Here are three recently published ones that might help.

9 YA Novels That Every Woman Should Have on Her Reading List - it makes me sad that I’ve read like 3 of these novels only. But, hey, at least I’ve got some. What do you think?

32 Books Guaranteed to Give You Wanderlust & because it’s a community curated list, there are actually some YA novels!

17 New YA Books That Will Make Your Heart Happy - yaaas to A Thousand Nights and some of these other fall releases.

16 YA Books That Will Keep Your Attention to the Last Page - yasss to Poison Study and Grave Mercy and some of the others on this list.

The magic of Harry Potter will never be over - a HP themed bar is opening in Toronto, and Pottermore is expecting a radical relaunch.

Top 10 islands in children’s fiction - like with B&N, I actually haven’t heard of some of these titles.

Remember how these 24 YA books changed dramatically between hardcover & paperback?

If you’re ready for school, maybe you’re ready for a new book boyfriend.

Leila Sales discusses her favorite 10 YA contemporary books - love getting to see these from authors! And like with most B&N articles, some of these I hadn’t even heard of!

Movies/TV Shows:

Man, even though I posted a lot of movie/tv show news last time, I think I missed some things...

They’ve changed the title of the final Divergent movie from Allegiant to Ascendant. You can read Veronica Roth’s thoughts here. Here are the new posters. Also, they’ve released a teaser clip of Allegiant.

Zoey Deutch will be starring in the adaptation of Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall.

You can watch an exclusive clip from The Scorch Trials here.

You can watch the first and second trailers for Goosebumps.

The official trailer for the 5th Wave movie was released. You can also see the new poster (which is on the movie tie-in edition, as shown above.)

Throne of Glass was optioned for t.v.

Check out the new Hunger Games: Mockingjay poster/banner.

Olive Cooke has been cast in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ready Player One.

The Sky Is Everywhere was also optioned - but by Warner Bros, for a movie.

Paramount optioned Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, with the hopes of starting a new franchise.

The Animorphs is getting its own movie.

Barry Sonnenfeld will be directing A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Do you think that these are the best YA films of all time?

Giveaways:

I’ll be hosting a giveaway soon. Keep your eyes out for that!

Adventures in Children's Publishing giveaways: Celebrate Four MILLION page views with us by entering our MASSIVE giveaway! Giveaway ends 9/21/15; Win one of FOUR packs of FIVE popular or recent YA titles, plus swag to help reward readers, for underfunded classrooms, schools, or libraries. Know a school or library who needs books? Nominate them! This month's donations from Martina Boone, Kami Garcia, Liza Wiemer, and Jessica Porter at Crossroads Reviews. Ends 10/1/15;Win $50 American Express Gift Certificate, one of 5 beautiful Tiffany-style Key necklaces, Compulsion for Reading T-shirts, a What I'm Reading chalk mug, Fictionista Notepads, and much more in the PERSUASION pre-order celebration. Also TONS of free downloads, including stickers, bookmarks, magnets, door hangers, and wallpapers.; Win DAMAGE DONE by Amanda Panitch. Enter by 10/8/15.

Giveaways listed at Saturday Situation by Lori of Pure Imagination and Candace of Candace's Book Blog.

Don't forget to enter YABC's giveaways for the month.

Sci-fi and Fantasy Friday {SF/F Reviews and Giveaways}.

If you have a giveaway, you should let me know.

Other:

New Releases: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy, Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales, The Marvels by Brian Selznick, The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen by Katherine Howe, The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich, Mirrored by Alex Flinn, The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore, The Bamboo Sword by Margi Preus, Breakaway by Kat Spears, Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty, Queen of Always (Stolen Empire #3) by Sherry D. Ficklin, Imposter by Antony John, Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prunes, One by Sarah Crossan, Delicate by C. K. Kelly Martin

Recent Recommended Reads: You can read my review of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo :). And hopefully I’ll have a booktube video up soon as well!

Which articles did you like best? Did I miss any news? Did you host a cover reveal or discussion that I should have posted about? A giveaway? Leave the links, and I'll either edit this post or post about 'em next week.

Release Date: September 29, 2015
Source: BEA ARC
Published by: Henry Holt

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo | Goodreads

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

My first impression of Six of Crows was that it felt like a much different story from Shadow and Bone. Though they take place in the same world and feature similar elements (i.e. there are some gruesome scenes; the dark themes are still prevalent in SoC), Six of Crows, on the whole, is more character-oriented and driven. Its plot may feel more commercial (i.e. "Game of Thrones"/high fantasy meets "Ocean's Eleven" comparison) than the symbolic light/dark hero's journey of the Grisha trilogy, but it's certainly no less cinematic. Here's where Bardugo's writing shines - and I would prefer, actually, to see this adapted over the Grisha books.

In fact, Six of Crows seems a great improvement on the Grisha trilogy (though those books still remain my favorites). One critique I had seen of the Grisha trilogy, though I did not quite agree with it, had to do with the world-building - Six of Crows is a clear expansion on the world-building of the Grishaverse. These books may take place in the same world, but newcomers need not fear: there is enough detail on the magic to render the Grishaverse comprehensible and not so much that old fans will feel bogged down by details. The details of the world at large paint a vivid atmosphere; it's easy to feel like you're walking beside Kaz and his crew, and things come together in a wonderfully picturesque fashion. This made me wonder if the world was the heart of this novel: the details of Ketterdam and beyond feel well considered in minutiae. Furthermore, the expansion on the magical system established in the Grisha trilogy feels natural -- another detail to make this fantasy world feel real.

Some fantasy novels develop their worlds at the expense of character, plot, and pacing. Not so with Six of Crows - almost every one of the main characters has a PoV, clear backstory, and something they need to change in their lives - which often fuels the tension of this novel, differing and potentially conflicting motivations for their heist. Where other authors might hide the character motivations and make characters feel mysterious (unknowable) for the sake of suspense, Bardugo does not; and instead, plays her characters off one another, having us wait for those defining moments when characters are forced to reckon with each other. Although the main characters have POVs, the book is still plot-oriented mostly. In essence, it captures the same feel of old favorites like Harry Potter, plot-focused but with characters who clearly have their own stories. With all of this in mind, the pacing in the first half is slower to accommodate for us getting to know the characters, but speeds up during their jaunt to the Ice Palace.

If you were unsure or not much a fan of the Grisha books, giving Six of Crows a chance is a wise decision. SoC clearly shows Bardugo's growth as a write and with four starred reviews to boot, it's an exemplary case of YA commercial fantasy done well - and also likely to be well received among Grisha fans. If you liked the Grisha books, you will likely find Six of Crows a cinematically vivid page-turner bursting with sarcastic, witty yet ruthless characters, a motley assortment who will have to make the riskiest theft of their lives but may lose other things in the process. Definitely one of fall's most anticipated YA titles for good reason.

Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)

My last bookish rounds post was June 25th. Which means this is ridiculously long and has some information you might think is outdated, but I have been really behind and wanted to find out various things for myself.

Publishing:
Rights Reports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11:

• The Wonderling - Mira Bartok (MG fantasy; film rights were already sold in a preempt. In the story, a shy, one-eared fox-like foundling escapes from the Orphanage for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures and searches for his destiny. Candlewick; Publication is slated for fall 2017).
• A new middle-grade narrative nonfiction series called Science Comics, including Coral Reefs - Maris Wicks;Dinosaurs - M.K. Reed and Joe Flood; Volcanos - Jon Chad; Flying Machines - Alison Wilgus and Molly Brooks; and Bats - Falynn Koch. The first two books, Coral Reefs and Dinosaurs, are scheduled for publication in spring 2016; First Second.
• The Secret Keepers - Trenton Lee Stewart (MG; the author's first novel since the Mysterious Benedict Society series. In the story, a boy discovers a peculiar, magical watch, propelling him on an adventure to protect his city and the ones he loves from a dangerous man who will stop at nothing to get the watch back. It's set for publication in fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• Definitions of Indefinable Things - Whitney Taylor (YA debut; The novel follows three teens in a small town whose lives intersect in ways they never expected, teaching them that there are no one-size-fits-all definitions of depression, friendship, and love. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
• Gnomeageddon - K.A. Holt (MG about a boy who discovers that his favorite book series is not nearly as fictional as he'd imagined – and the heroes and villains don't entirely follow the script, either. Publication is set for fall 2017; S&S's McElderry Books).
• House - Megan Atwood (YA debut; the tale of five teenagers, each with a dark secret, who become trapped in Boulder House, a local attraction that's home to a malevolent entity set upon their destruction. Publication is slated for summer 2017; SoHo Press).
• The Girl from Beyond - Andrew DeYoung (YA debut; The novel tells the story of Matthew, a teen sent in search of a replacement for Earth to the planet Gle'ah, where he falls in love with the leader of a primitive tribe there. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; with the second book in 2017. Boyds Mills Press).
• The Well - Jake Wyatt, illustrated by F. Choo (YA fantasy graphic novel; The book follows Lizzy, a girl who steals coins from the town wishing well and is then forced to grant the wishes attached to them. Publication is set for 2018; First Second).
• The Prince and the Dressmaker - Jen Wang (a graphic novel that tells the story of a cross-dressing teen prince, the seamstress who creates his clothes, and their struggle with their feelings for each other and the prevailing societal norms. Publication is planned for 2017; First Second).
• Shakshuka series - Galia Oz (bestselling in Israel. [The three books] will be published as one middle-grade volume titled Dog Trouble & Other Julie Stories featuring Julie's candid narration of the ups and downs of school and family life. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Crown).
• Struttin' with Some Barbecue - Patricia Hruby Powell (a middle-grade book in verse about jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Lil Hardin Armstrong... Ahead of her time and in a man's world, Lil Hardin Armstrong – Louis Armstrong's second wife – made a career in the early days of jazz. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Charlesbridge).
• Lucy and the Rocket Dog - Will Buckingham (a middle-grade story told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, an aspiring astrophysicist who has built a rocket ship in her backyard, and Laika, Lucy's beloved dog who wanders into the rocket ship and is subsequently shot into space. Publication is set for summer 2017; Knopf).
• Nutcracked - Susan Adrian (about a girl cast as the lead in the Nutcracker ballet, who is transported to a magical world every time she dances with an antique Nutcracker. Publication is set for fall 2017; Random House).
• The Judas Society - Matthew Landis (YA debut in which a teen attending his no-good father's funeral discovers that he is the last descendant of America's most notorious traitor, and gets drawn into a feud between the heroes and villains of the Revolutionary War that stretches back centuries. Publication is tentatively scheduled for spring 2017; Sky Pony).
• Falling Girls and Missing Boys - Corey Ann Haydu (a contemporary YA tinged with what might be magic. It follows a group of friends who have grown up in the shadow of tragedy in a strange Brooklyn neighborhood, where residents live in fear of young women falling in love. Publication is slated for 2017; Dutton).
• Seven Days of You - Cecilia Vinesse (debut in which 17-year-old expat Sophia’s last days in Tokyo overlap with Jamie’s first days back, and what Sophia thought would be a week of saying good-bye to friends turns into a week of falling in love. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• Bidder's Choice - Kat Helgeson (The story follows two teens entangled in a cutthroat school tradition: a prom date auction. Publication is set for summer 2017; Simon & Schuster).
• Escape from Aleppo - N.H. Senzai (in which 13-year-old Nadia and her family flee Aleppo, Syria, for Turkey in the wake of the Arab Spring. Publication is planned for fall 2017; S&S's Paula Wiseman Books).
• Three Pennies - Melanie Crowder (MG which weaves together a spirited foster child, the harried social worker who takes her case, an avian Confucius scholar, and a dash of magic – all set atop the uneasy tectonic plates of the San Andreas Fault. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; S&S/Atheneum).
• My Life as an Ice-Cream Sandwich - Ibi Zoboi (MG debut; the story of Ebony Grace, her sci-fi-fueled imagination, and her search for a place she can be herself, set against the backdrop of the hip-hop explosion in 1980s Harlem. Publication for the first book is tentatively slated for fall 2017. Dutton).
• Monsterville: A Lissa Black Production - Sarah Schauerte Reida (MG debut in which 12-year-old film-obsessed Lissa discovers a shape-shifting monster in her woods and decides to film the greatest horror movie of all time. Then her little sister is taken to the monster homeland of Down Below and she needs the monster's help to get her back. Publication is tentatively set for fall 2016; Sky Pony Press).
• Blues Bones - Rick Starkey (MG debut in which a 13-year-old boy uses voodoo to overcome stage fright and has to suffer the consequences of dabbling in dark magic. Publication is planned for spring 2016; Leap Books Seek)
• The Haunted Stepsister - Medeia Sharif (MG horror in which two stepsisters are plagued by a demon after using a haunted bathroom at school and are now having their darkest secrets revealed. Publication is set for spring 2016; Leap Books Seek).
• Good Rosie - a collaboration between Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss (about what it means to be both a dog and a friend. The format and pub date will be revealed by the publisher at a later date. Candlewick).
• The Haters - Jesse Andrews (due out in April 2016, is a road-trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every expectation, become a band. Abrams).
• Drawing Fire - Cherie Priest (The book, scheduled for fall 2017, follows a girl who discovers a valuable, ancient comic book in the supposedly haunted house her mother is fixing up. Panels from the comic book will be featured within the book. Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books).
• Howard Wallace, P.I. - Casey Lyall (debut; a lonely middle-school gumshoe reluctantly takes on the new girl in town as his assistant as they hunt down the stolen student council treasury and foil a would-be blackmailer. Publication of the first book is slated for fall 2016; Sterling).
• The Evaporation of Sofi Snow - Mary Weber (In the futuristic SF duology, Native American Sofi Snow's mission to rescue her brother from the ice planet now orbiting Earth turns into a deadly game of hunter and prey. Publication is set for 2017; HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson).
• Destined for Mars - Katie Slivensky (debut about a 13-year-old robotics whiz who is thrilled to be chosen for an exclusive Mars training mission, only to find herself embroiled in a situation far more dire and deadly than she could have imagined. The first title will publish in summer 2017; Harpercollins).
• The Infinity Year of Avalon James - Dana Middleton (debut about Avalon and her best friend, in the year they turn 10 and search for the particular magic that a 10th year brings, while juggling spelling bees, secrets, and more. Publication is planned for fall 2016, Feiwel and Friends).
• Wandmaker - Ed Masessa (a middle-grade novel based on the 2006 crafting title The Wandmaker's Guidebook, as well as a sequel, in which a boy must balance the demands of his magical education with the responsibilities of big brotherhood, undertaking a quest to correct his mistake when a spell goes wrong. It's scheduled for summer 2016; Scholastic Press).
• PhilanthroParties: A Party Planning Guide for the Social Activist - Lulu Cerone and Lucy Keating (The book will serve as a DIY guide for teens to partying with a purpose and incorporating philanthropy into their social lives. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Beyond Words and Simon Pulse).
• Higher, Steeper, Faster: The Daredevils Who Conquered the Skies - Lawrence Goldstone (MG narrative nonfiction debut about the men and women who pioneered modern aviation and popularized flying through their aerial feats in the first decade of powered flight. Publication is set for spring 2017; Little, Brown).
• Family Poems/Poemas familiares - Franscisco X. Alarcón, to be illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (The bilingual collection of original poems, the sixth collaboration of the author and illustrator, celebrates the days of the week along with familiar family life experiences of Latino children in the U.S. Publication is set for fall 2016; Lee & Low Books).
• The Year I Learned Everything - Roxane Gay (YA debut; The novel tells the story of Serena, a 17-year-old haunted by a secret and dogged by a bad reputation who, over the course of four seasons, learns about courage, redemption, and true love. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Balzer + Bray).
• Miss Daisy's Job - Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (Pitched as The One and Only Ivan meets Racing in the Rain, this middle-grade novel is told from the point of view of a rescued pit-bull mix training to be a service dog for an injured veteran. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Katherine Tegen imprint).
• The Haunted House Project - Tricia Clasen (MG debut about a girl who pretends to be her mother's ghost – spraying perfume, changing TV channels, and moving pictures – in order to bring her crumbling family back to reality. Publication is set for fall 2016; Sky Pony).
• Hold My Hand - Michael Barakiva (a standalone companion to One Man Guy, about two teenage boys who have the perfect romantic relationship – until one cheats on the other. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• Naughty Claudine - Patrick Jennings (about a girl who does not doubt the existence of Santa, but is not comfortable with his spying and judging and breaking and entering, so she decides to act naughty to stop him from coming down the chimney. Suzanne Kaufman is slated to illustrate. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Random House).
• How to Survive Extinction - Paul Acampora (a middle-grade novel about 13-year-old Leo, his cousin, his sometimes forgetful grandmother, and a dog named Kermit, who hit the road together in search of dinosaurs. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Scholastic).
• Just Fly Away - Andrew McCarthy (YA debut; In the story, 15-year-old Lucy discovers that her father has a son from an affair, an eight-year-old named Thomas who lives in the same suburban New Jersey town, causing Lucy to question everything she thinks she knows about her family and her own life. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Algonquin Young Readers).
• The Sweetest Sound - Sherri Winston (about a shy but talented 10-year-old girl who needs to build up the courage to enter her church's singing competition – while grappling with the fact that music was one of the few things she and her estranged mother had in common – only to have the stakes raised when her anonymous recording leaks. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• Garbage Island - Fred Koehler (MG debut; In this animal fantasy, young inventor Archibald Shrew lives on a massive garbage patch adrift at sea, but dreams of leaving the island to discover things, especially news of his long-lost family. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2017, Boyds Mills).
• Will Nolan Eats Bugs - Rebecca Petruck (in which a class clown tries not to worry about how his parents fight all the time by being funnier than ever. But a “hilarious” presentation with insects as snacks leads to heckles, retaliation, and possible expulsion. Publication is set for fall 2016; Abrams/Amulet).
• Confessions from the Principal's Kid - Robin Mellom (a middle-grade novel about a girl whose insider status at school leaves her an outsider among her classmates. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Hmh)
• There Will Be Blood: The HelloFlo Guide to Puberty - Naama Bloom and Glynnis MacNicol (With the support of a panel of experts, the book will incorporate real-life stories along with facts and illustrations. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Dutton).
• Anchor & Sophia trilogy - Tommy Wallach (The series follows two brothers on opposite sides of a holy war in a society that has eschewed all technology. Publication for the first book is set for spring 2017; Simon & Schuster).
• Hearts Made of Black - Stephanie Garber (YA debut; The first in a YA fantasy series follows two sisters bound by love and a father they fear, who escape their tiny, secluded island for the performance of Caraval, where the audience plays along in a deadly game of determining what's real and what's fantasy. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Flatiron Books).
• The Art of Starving - Sam Miller (it's a novel about a gay, bullied, small-town boy with an eating disorder who believes that starving himself awakens a latent ability to read minds, predict behavior, and control the fabric of time and space. Publication is planned for spring 2017; HarperCollins).
• The Secret Lives of Rockstars - Suzanne Lazear (The books follow 18-year-old Bitsy who, with the help of the members of her cirque noir punk band, must find a way to stop a war between the Fae and the Witches, putting innocent lives in danger. The first volume is slated to publish in summer 2016; Leap Books' Shine imprint).
• It's a Mystery, Pig Face! - Wendy McLeod MacKnight (debut; a middle-grade novel in which an 11-year-old girl finds a bag of money in a baseball dugout and enlists the help of her best friend and annoying little brother to discover who lost – or maybe, stole – it, in a town brimming with suspects. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Sky Pony Press).
• How to Save an Elephant - Linda Oatman High (MG; In it, 12-year old Lily Pruitt and a circus elephant are drawn together by the shared loss of the same man – grandfather, best friend and keeper – and journey through a series of life changes to save not only themselves but each other. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• First YA fantasy series - Cora Carmack (featuring a world shaped by violent, magical storms and ruled by those who can control them. The first volume, Roar, follows a teenage girl who is the sole heir to her family's kingdom, but has yet to show any trace of storm magic; she dons a disguise and runs away with a group of storm chasers to face a tempest, steal a piece of its soul, and return home with enough magic to control her own future. The first book is planned for winter 2017; Tor).
• Lost Stars - Lisa Selin Davis (Based on the author's Modern Love column in the New York Times, the story centers on a teenage girl grappling with her sister's death and her own place in the universe over the course of a fateful summer. Publication is set for fall 2016; HMH).
• I See London, I See France - Sarah Mlynowski (in which 19-year-old Sydney decides at the last minute to have the summer she's longed for: traveling through Europe with her best friend. But while they dodge (and chase) boys, drama, and their own personal demons, Sydney falls head over heels for a guy she can't have. The first book is scheduled for publication in summer 2017; HarperTeen).
• Wing Jones - Katherine Webber (in which the title character is a biracial teen growing up in 1990s Atlanta, and is reeling from her older brother's drunk-driving accident. When she discovers running, her speed might contain the answers she and her family need. Delacorte, with simultaneous U.S. and U.K. publication set for winter 2017.)
• By Your Side - Kasie West (about a girl who is accidentally locked in a library with the boy nobody knows but everyone talks about, and must find a way to escape. Publication is slated for winter 2017; HarperTeen).
• Claiming My Place: Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Holocaust - Planaria Price and Helen West (nonfiction YA memoir; This eyewitness account tells the story of Barbara Reichman, West's mother, who took on a different identity and hid in plain sight to make it through the war. The book is planned for winter 2017; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
• What a Beautiful Morning - Arthur A. Levine, to be illustrated by Katie Kath (in which Grandma's support helps a boy accept his grandfather's gradual memory loss, and to enjoy the moments they still have together. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Running Press Kids).
• Maud and Grandmaud - Sara O'Leary, to be illustrated by Kenard Pak (In the book, a girl visits her grandmother's house for a sleepover; they have breakfast for dinner, watch old films, and enjoy other simple pleasures made sweeter for doing them together. The book will be co-published with Tara Walker at Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books in summer 2018. Penguin Random House).
• Wolf in the Snow - Matthew Cordell (in which a girl, caught in a fierce blizzard, stumbles upon a lost wolf pup and must choose to find her own way home or return the pup to its pack. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Feiwel and Friends).
• Riverkeep - Martin Stewart (YA debut; The novel follows Wulliam, a boy who must care for his father after he is possessed by a dark spirit. When Wulliam hears that a cure for his father's illness lurks in the belly of a great sea-dwelling beast, he embarks on an epic journey down the river that his family has so long protected but never explored. Publication is scheduled for spring 2016; Viking).
• The Radius of Us - Marie Marquardt (is a contemporary romance story between a boy fleeing gang violence in El Salvador and a girl coming to grips with a harrowing assault, revealing the power of love to transcend. Publication for Radius is slated for fall 2017; St. Martin's Griffin).
• A Song to Take the World Apart - Zan Romanoff (a contemporary YA novel with notes of magical realism. 16-year-old Lorelei has a voice that can change hearts and minds – sometimes unintentionally – and she must learn to gain control of her power before it devastates the people she loves. Publication is set for fall 2016; Knopf).
• I Am Calliope June - Elliah Terry (MG verse novel. It tells of a girl struggling to keep her Tourette's a secret as she starts a new school, and trying to persuade her mother not to move them yet again – especially when she becomes friends with the boy next door. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Feiwel and Friends).
• A Few Red Drops - Claire Hartfield (YA nonfiction; The book tells the story of the Chicago Race Riots of 1919 and how the building tensions and conflicting interests exploded in bloodshed that sent shock waves across the nation. It's slated for 2017 publication; Clarion).
• Q & Ray: The Case of the Mola Lisa - Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan (Graphic novel series; In the book, two animal sleuths set out to solve cases using wits, disguises, and teamwork. Publication is planned for fall 2017… Lerner/Graphic Universe).
• Threadworlds - Bryan Konietzko (a graphic novel series from Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator... Threadworlds, a science fiction epic focusing on the themes of girls and science, has its first volume scheduled for 2017. First Second).
• Geniuses - Michael DiMartino (Set in a Renaissance-like fantasy world,Geniuses explores the concept of "art as magic," where an artist's creative genius is actually a living creature, a real-life muse that inspires and protects him or her. The first book, The Creature and the Creator, will be published in fall 2016. Roaring Brook).
• Debut - Marzia Bisognin (YT sensation Bisognin has more than 5.4 million subscribers on her channel, CutiePieMarzia, and millions more on social media. Her paranormal YA novel, Dream House, follows a young houseguest who experiences the sinister and surreal after her hosts disappear. Atria; the book will be published by Keywords Press in 2016.)
• A Kingdom of Horses - Zillah Bethell (debut set in a world where horses are thought to be extinct. The story follows a girl who finds a map that hints there is life outside of her repressive city; she escapes the city walls to find the horses she's always dreamed of. Publication is planned for winter 2017; Feiwel and Friends).
• Four Weeks, Five People - Jennifer Yu (debut about five psychologically troubled teenagers and the four weeks they spend at a wilderness therapy program, where they confront and transform each other. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Harlequin Teen).
• 4 Wizards - Noelle Stevenson and Todd Casey, illustrated by Stevenson (The series follows four oddball wizards who discover that the only place they truly fit in is with each other, and together they must stop a sinister force from invading their world. Publication is set for 2017; HarperCollins).
• Transference - Bethany Wiggins (a fantasy YA trilogy about the transformation of a sheltered princess who chooses death by dragon instead of a forced marriage to a rival horse lord, and ends up vanquishing the fire-breather, absorbing his power and incurring the wrath of his fellow dragons. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Crown).
• Rising Three - Jennifer Rush (a contemporary fantasy series about a teenage witch searching for her kidnapped best friend in a dark, dangerous world of black magic, warring families, and deadly motorcycle gangs. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Little, Brown).
• Debut illustrated middle-grade series Marty Pants - Mark Parisi (Parisi is the creator of the long-running Off the Mark comic. The first book is slated for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• Prince in Disguise - Stephanie Kate Strohm (a romantic comedy in which a Mississippi teen finds herself in front of the cameras as her beauty-queen big sister prepares for a reality-TV wedding to a Scottish aristocrat. Publication is set for fall 2017; Disney-Hyperion).
• Time Traveling with a Hamster - Ross Welford (debut; a middle-grade novel about a 12-year-old boy who travels back to 1984 to prevent a go-kart accident and save his father's life, all without losing his pet hamster. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Random House/Schwartz & Wade),
• One Hundred Spaghetti Strings - Jen Nails (In the middle-grade novel, Steffy's mother has a severe brain trauma, and isn't able to care for Steffy and her moody older sister. When their long estranged father returns to live with them, Steffy hopes that the special recipes she loves to cook will bring her fractured family back together again. Publications is scheduled for winter 2017; HarperCollins).
• Avalanche - Denise Jaden (When Ellis and Dylan's resort world and all of their hopes crash around them, they must depend on each other to survive. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Leap Books).
• I Love My Hair - Andrea Pippins (a coloring book for young adults and new adults, which features delicate pen-and-ink illustrations, mesmerizing patterns, and intricate details, and celebrates strong, confident women with a passion for style, design, and fashion. Publication is planned for November 2015. Random House/Schwartz & Wade).
• Mirror in the Sky - Aditi Khorana (YA debut Mirror follows 16-year-old Tara Krishnan in the wake of a discovery of an alternate earth that transforms her life, particularly her junior year at her Greenwich, Conn., private school. Publication for the first book is set for summer 2016; Razorbill).
• Darkness of Stars trilogy - Andrew Lane (a reimagining of the characters from the originalRobinson Crusoe as they are thrust into a world of espionage, intrigue, and peril at the dawn of the spy age. The first book in the series,Crusoe, is slated for spring 2016 publication. Adaptive Books).
• City of Secret Rivers - Jacob Sager Weinstein (MG debut about an American girl transplanted to London who discovers a dark secret lurking beneath its streets, with terrifying repercussions. The book sold at auction in a three-book deal; the first volume will publish in summer 2017. Random House).
• Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein - Jennifer Roy (MG based on Ali Fadhil's real-life story. Set in the spice-filled markets and curtain-drawn homes of 1991 Iraq and told through the eyes of 12-year-old Ali, a boy preoccupied by real-life dictators and video game villains, this book offers a glimpse into the everyday realities of growing up under the shadow of Saddam Hussein's regime. It's scheduled for spring 2017; HMH).
• The World's Greatest Adventure Machine - Frank L. Cole (featuring four kids with unique abilities who are called upon to test the world's biggest and best roller coaster ride, only to find out that their mission is not what they thought it was. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Delacorte).
• A Friend Like You - Beth Ain (a middle-grade verse novel about a fourth grader and the small moments in her year that add up to big surprises. Publication is slated for 2017; Random House)
• Brave New Girl - Rachel Vincent (about a 16-year-old girl who secretly longs to be an individual in a world where standing out from the crowd could result in disaster. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Delacorte).
• Devil and the Bluebird - Jennifer Mason-Black (debut in which a teenage girl meets a devil at her town crossroads and exchanges her voice for a pair of magical boots and six months to save her runaway sister's soul. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Abrams/Amulet).

• Ursula Vernon's ILLUMINATIONS, in which a young artist trying to improve the fortunes of her family inadvertently releases a creature that uses magic to bring drawings to life, with disastrous consequences, to Kate Harrison at Dial, for publication in Fall 2017, by Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary (World).
• Daughter of the Pirate King - Tricia Levenseller, the first in a high seas adventure pubbed by Feiwel and Friends (read more about the deal HERE; add the book on Goodreads here).

Authors: Lair of Dreams - Libba Bray, The Boy Most Likely To - Huntley Fitzpatrick, The Boy in the Black Suit - Jason Reynolds, Assassin’s Heart - Sarah Ahiers, The Night We Said Yes - Lauren Gibaldi, Mothman’s Curse - Christine Hayes, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly - Stephanie Oakes, Future Shock - Elizabeth Briggs, Valiant - Sarah McGuire, Last Year’s Mistake - Gina Ciocca, Half a War - Joe Abercrombie, The Fixer - Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon (andanother and another), Serpentine - Cindy Pon, A History of Glitter and Blood - Hannah Moskowitz, The Accident Season - Moira Fowley-Doyle, Sophomores and Other Oxymorons - David Lubar, Never Always Sometimes - Adi Alsaid, Slasher Girls and Monster Boys - April Genevieve Tucholke, Legacy of Kings - Eleanor Herman, Damage Done - Amanda Panitch (andanother), Not After Everything - Michelle Levy, Firsts - Laurie Flynn, Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton, You and Me and Him - Kris Dinnison, Assassin’s Heart - Sarah Ahiers, The Night We Said Yes - Lauren Gibaldi, Mothman’s Curse - Christine Hayes, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly - Stephanie Oakes, The Dead Horse - Dawn Kurtagich, Dig Too Deep - Amy Allgeyer,The Next Together - Lauren James, THe Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society - Janet Johnson, Where Futures End - Parker Peevyhouse, The Love THat Split the World - Emily Henry, Truest - Jackie Lea Sommers, THe Distance from A to Z - Natalie Blitt, Waiting for Callback - Perdita and Honor Cargill, The Creeping - Alexandra Sirowy, The Year We Fell Apart - Emily Martin, This Is Where It Ends - Marieke Nijkamp, From Where I Watch You - Shannon Grogan (and another), The Mystery of Hollow Places - Rebecca Podos, Summer of Supernovas - Darcy Woods, Lock & Mori - Heather Petty, The Crown’s Game - Evelyn Skye, Burn Girl - Mandy Mikulencak, Dreamology - Lucy Keating, Last in a Long Line of Rebels - Lisa Tyre, Don’t Get Caught - Kurt Dinan, True Letters from a Fictional Life - Kenneth Logan, Voyage to Magical North - Claire Fayers, The Eye of Midnight - Andrew Brumbach, The One THing - Marci Curtis, The Art of Not Breathing - Sarah Alexander, The Fix - Natasha Sinel, This Monstrous Thing - Mackenzi Lee (and another), The Weight of Feathers - Anna-Marie McLemore, What We Saw - Aaron Hartzler, The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness, Infinite In-Between - Carolyn Mackler, George - Alex Gino (and another), The Wild Ones - C. Alexander London, The Scorpion Rules - Erin Bow, Slasher Girls and Monster Boys - April Genevieve Tucholke, Hilo - Jude Winick, Vengeance Road - Erin Bowman, Harriet the Invincible - Ursula Vernon,Firefly Hollow - Alison McGhee, Bug in a Vacuum - Melanie Watt, A School of Brides - Patrice Kindl, Symphony for the City of the Dead - M.T. Anderson, Dory and the Real True Friend - Abby Hanlon

Excerpts: The Rose Society - Marie Lu, Blood and Salt - Kim Liggett, Bleeding Earth - Kaitlin Ward, Tell Me Three Things - Julie Buxbaum, Torn - Avery Hastings, A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston, Confessions of a Queen B - Crista McHugh,Perdita - Faith Gardner, Earth Flight - Janet Edwards, Dreamers Often Lie - Jacqueline West, Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas,Serpentine - Cindy Pon (another one aka chpt 1 and chpt 2), Smoked - Mari Mancusi, A Week of Mondays - Jessica Brody, A Whole New World - Liz Braswell, The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman, Trail of the Dead - Joseph Bruhac, Another Day - David Levithan, Sweet Temptation - Wendy Higgins, Traveler - Arwen Elys, Walk on Earth a Stranger - Rae Carson, Circle of Jinn - Lori Goldstein, The Dark Days Club - Alison Goodman, The Heartless City - Andrea Berthot, Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo, Walk the Edge - Katie McGarry, Wink Poppy Midnight - April Genevieve Tucholke, Winter - Marissa Meyer, Dark Tide - Jennifer Donnelly, Never Always Sometimes - Adi Alsaid, Court of Fives - Kate Elliott, The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich, Every Last Breath - Jennifer Armentrout, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between - Jennifer Smith, I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai, Ice Like Fire - Sara Raasch, Not After Everything - Michelle Levy, Sampler of a bunch of different books (e.g. Carry On - Rainbow Rowell, The Streets Are Ours Tonight - Leila Sales, etc.), Hollywood Witch Hunter - Valerie Tejeda, The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness, Tell the Wind and Fire - Sarah Rees Brennan, The Girl and the Machine - Beth Revis, Dumplin’ - Julie Murphy, About a Girl - Sarah McCarry, the Appearance of Annie van Sinderen - Katherine Howe,The Art of Not Breathing - Sarah Alexander, Banished - Kimberly Little, Bookishly Ever After - Isabel Bandeira, Calamity - Brandon Sanderson, Hunter - Mercedes Lackey, The Nightmare Charade - Mindee Arnett, Song of Summer - Laura Lee Anderson, Zeroes - Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti, Pretending to Be Erica - Michelle Painchaud, The Shadow Queen - C.J. Redwine

Awards/Lists: The Indie’s Next Autumn list was announced. So was New York Times’ Editors Choice. WNDB announced the winner for its short story collection. Booklist announced its top 10 LGBTQ for youth. iBooks 25 Best books of September. The View recommended Libba Bray’s Lair of Dreams. A.S. King won the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future. PopCrush announced its Best YA Books of 2015 So Far. Bustle said these 25 YA books were the best in September. The Rosie Rowell award winner was announced. So were the PW flying starts: Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli,David Arnold, and I.W. Gregorio.

You can vote now for YALSA’s top ten teen books of 2015.

Book Trailers: Blood and Salt - Kim Liggett, Survive the Night - Danielle Vega, Magnus Chase & the Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan… The Keeper - David Baldacci, Hotel Ruby - Suzanne Young, Storm of Lightning - Michael Vey, Hollywood Witch Hunter - Valerie Tejeda, This Monstrous Thing - Mackenzi Lee, Legacy of Kings - Eleanor Herman, The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich

Nothing from last post.

Kelly Jensen has sold an anthology of feminist themes essays to Algonquin, written by several YA authors (see the full list of contributors here).

David Levithan has four more books on the way -- a sequel to Every Day, two more books coauthored with Rachel Cohn, and one being kept a secret.

Harper Lee’s book sold more than 746k copies in its first week (and lol the lawyer suggests that HL might have written “a third book”). Print unit sales for the Percy Jackson books are over 22 million. Wonder has sold over 1.2 million copies, and the Day the Crayons Came Home, a picture book, has sold over 827k copies since its release. Both Paper Towns and the Descendantscontinue to sell well, long after the movie and book release. The first two books in the School for Good and Evil have soldover 216k copies. For kidlit, Paper Towns and Unbroken are among the bestselling books of 2015 so far. And here are somesales predictions and interviews with booksellers.

Robyn Schneider is doing well, she theorizes, in part because she’s capitalized on her youtube fanbase.

Yay, another controversial thing said by Jonathan Franzen. I’m also even less tempted to read Purity because of this: “I’m not a sexist. I am not somebody who goes around saying men are superior, or that male writers are superior. In fact, I really go out of my way to champion women’s work that I think is not getting enough attention. None of that is ever enough. Because a villain is needed. It’s like there’s no way to make myself not male….. Speaking about a character in his forthcoming novel, Purity – a fanatical feminist who, among other things, forces her husband to urinate sitting down on the toilet to atone for his maleness – Franzen predicted that she would enrage his critics; in fact, she already has.” Boohoo to you and your male privilege (there’s no way to make myself not male). I’d heard good things about his novels, but this is ridiculous.

An author queried under a male name. Here are the results. (See Franzen? “None of that is ever enough.” Well, looking at those kind of results, you would know why…)

Rose Lerner wrote a letter to the RWA protesting the nomination of For Such a Time, a Book of Esther retelling inspired romance about a Nazi and a Jewish woman, for an award. Several authors wrote excellent follow-ups to this, as shown in this one. RWA responded. Salon covered the issue as well (their subtitle is particularly astute: That a Christian publisher thought this novel was a good idea tells you quite a bit about Christian publishing… though of course there is much more to the issue than that).

Holly Black will be writing a new YA trilogy. With Little Brown -- “The first book in The Folk of Air Trilogy, The Cruel Prince, will be published in the winter of 2018, with two still-untitled books to follow... “This series will delve deeper into the strange, glittering, malicious courts of Faerie than I’ve gone before… While The Darkest Part of the Forest introduced readers to the faerie world, The Folk of Air Trilogy will bring that world a step closer...This new series...focuses on “a young human girl who witnesses her parents’ deaths and is forcibly taken to Faerieland with her two sisters—one faery, one human—where she will grow up and one day fight to gain power.”

Great news for kidlit! The New York Times bestseller list has been altered to separate out MG & YA hardcovers (aka debut authors, series starters, etc.) from MG & YA paperbacks (aka the books and authors who have been on the list for a very long time). Here’s to hoping that in the future, they will also separate MG & YA into separate series lists!

This book can apparently help your child fall asleep.

Sam Heughan from Outlander will reading The Fiery Trial (Shadowhunter books). o.O

A brief weekly summary of industry and author events: August 27th, August 20th, July 23rd, July 16th, July 9th, July 2nd,June 25th

ALA was a while ago, but you can still see photos.

We Need Diverse Books is changing its organizational structure.

Macmillan is using the release of Katherine Appelgate’s Crenshaw to get bookstores to host food drives (National Crenshaw Food Drive).

Likewise, Harlequin Teen has been getting creative for the social media campaign for Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman.

A lot of social media campaigns, like the one used for Daughter of Smoke and Bone, involve unlocking extra content.

Huh, I didn’t know much about Violent Ends - that it’s a novel with different perspectives/voices written by various authors and edited by Shaun Hutchinson about a school shooting.

Random House has queued its First in Line program (similar to Penguin’s First to Read).

How do you engage lifelong readers?

Not only has Side Effects May Vary hit the NYT list, but Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’ is striking a chord with readers.

The hybrid of pictures and prose in The Marvels seems to be working out well.

The same goes for The School of Good and Evil, which is reaching its end with the publication of book 3.

Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds wrote a YA novel to confront race issues (I know I’m really looking forward to All American Boys -- and I loved getting to read about how their collaboration first started).

Ransom Riggs is going an usual tour for Library of Souls - and on that tour, he’ll be offering sneak peeks at the film adaptation.

A Wonder app that sends you daily inspiration? Yes please.

There are a lot of anticipated fall titles, but here’s what PW chose to highlight for kidlit.

Sigh. A parent complained about Courtney Summers’s book and then proceeded to make sure that no one could read it.

The boy who had nothing but “junk mail” to read, according to his mailman, sure got a surprise.

Free book vending machines? Why can’t other airlines be as awesome as JetBlue?

A back to school guide and advice from teachers and librarians.

Did you see the new Fierce Reads site?

James Patterson gave money to a bunch of libraries.

Indie bookstores are using trust to increase sales.

Ecampus.com has secured an agreement with UW-Milwaukee, similar to what Amazon has with other colleges for textbooks.

How a picture book became an overnight sensation.

Patrick Ness started out a fundraiser for Syrian refugees that, with the help of mostly other YA authors, has raised over £200k. (JK over £500k)

Authors and booksellers are trying to get the US Dept of Justice to look into Amazon for antitrust violations. Meanwhile Apple’s appeal was denied in the ebook antitrust case.

Having Amazon around for 20 years has changed a lot about the publishing industry.

Looooooook, a new look at the illustrated HP books.

Guess how much it would’ve cost you to go to Hogwarts.

Scribd has gotten rid of some romance titles because…. people read them too much.

Story boards that address social justice.

Ahhh! So many GREAT WNDB links since I last posted for bookish rounds. Undoubtedly I have missed some things, but I hope that I’ve gotten some things that you will read with me -- first the WNDB summer list (or the holidays, now that summer is almost over) & an NBC Asian American Summer Book List & a diverse book list for kids under 5 …

If you’re EVER looking for resources: Teen Librarian’s Toolbox, a database of Korean American authors, where to find diverse books, building a diverse, anti-bias library for young people, diversity resources from SCWBI, this entire tumblr for writers andDahlia Adler’s resource page.

If you’re a blogger, you too can do better; we need diverse blogs.

Books by South Asian women often have similar covers for some awful reasons -- “To our surprise, we often noticed book covers being “recycled”—sometimes identical covers, or segments of one cover, would be used on another book altogether. Almost as if to suggest these very books are interchangeable, or of a series/type (which they usually are not.)”. With this experience in publishing, multicultural authors might consider self-publishing, “an empowering tool that allows writers to connect with audiences without being forced to "prove" why their experiences or their stories are valid.”

A call for diversity in comics, to end unpaid internships in publishing and build diversity. We need diverse books: we need tocombat racism through literature, YA fiction needs to embrace disability, we need diverse audiobooks - to hear diversity, we need queer escapist lit, we need diverse events, we need diverse libraries too. You can put LGBTQ books in kids hands. Asian pride in kid lit.

8 things a black kid learned growing up reading about white kids ← I read Huck Finn for school. “Classics” make me so skeptical, and if you’re a teacher creating your reading list, please take heed. Similarly -- read old classics and you realize justhow racist they can be. And here’s a librarian’s reflections on Loudness in the Library, a program getting kids to weigh in on racism and sexism.

Books help kids understand the fight for racial equality. After all, “how is a young person supposed to aspire to do well in life when they can't even be the hero of the stories that they read?". It’s hard to be what you can’t see.

There is no such thing as a race neutral character. More here.

Super cool - WNDB is launching a mentorship program! More details here.

Cover Reveals:

You can see the majority of cover reveals from these past two months in this other post.

Discussion/Other Blogger Posts:

If you read or watched Paper Towns, did you learn these life lessons?

How do you choose the right book to read?

Do you think that the Miss Peregrine’s adaptation will change the game for the YA film franchise?

It’s time for some epic quotes: Why We Need Diverse Books, Quotes to Get You over a Breakup, Quotes to Give You That Summer Feeling, Quotes That Will Make You Weak in the Knees, Classic YA Quotes, Quotes about NYC, Quotes from Retellings of Cinderella, Quotes about the Beach, Quotes about Retellings of Red Riding Hood, Quotes That Will Make You Cry

How about them #booknerdproblems: Needing Book Reading Arms, Being Overprotective of a Signed Book, Wishing You Worked at a Bookstore, Trying to Live in a Bookstore, Rearranging the Bookstore, Sharing a Book Boyfriend, When Books Come in Box Sets, Resisting a Book Sale, Book Shopping with a Non-Book Shopper

Imagining the Harry Potter characters as black is revolutionary.

Book recommendations based off… your astrological sign.

NPR posted its list of 100 swoon worthy romances, with 5 YA titles if you’re curious.

9 Books to Add to the Modern Brown Girl LIterary Canon - so great to see Jacqueline Woodson & Sara Farizan’s work featured!

Have you read these popular August books? Or these July releasing books? These were the most anticipated August YA booksand these September YA.

And here are 11 YA novels that are not just for kids.

Yay (not). Another article bashing young adult, confusing threesomes and love triangles.

Authors discuss their favorite book boyfriends. I do believe that there are some good love triangles. Do you agree with that andthese eleven LTs as being the best, according to some YA authors?

Good reads gone bad - Kathleen Hale doesn’t seem to like Goodreads much, but for me the interesting parts of the article have to do with the sexist undertones in publishing (and reviewing) as well as the face of reviewing and how that has changed.

The 14 Stages of reading Harry Potter for the first time. Also, we’ve been saying a character’s name wrong for years.

Baby names based off your favorite children’s classics! (maybe one of the ways to get your kids to read…? but here are someinnovative ways to teach children to read)

Captain Underpants “outs” a character as being gay, with little fanfare. And there’s no bombshell reaction like with Dumbledore.

4 children’s classics that are just magic. I actually haven’t read any of those...

What would you recommend reading after Alice in Wonderland?

Check out the infographic on summer reading by Goodreads.

And an infographic on the historical inspiration for Game of Thrones.

Paint your rooms to the color schemes inspired by YA book covers!

And is the usual when I haven’t made bookish rounds posts in a while... loads of recommendations & lists! → 5 Awesome YA Breakup Books, 8 Twisted Updates on Fairy-Tale Worlds, 5 YA Debuts to Take to the Beach, 6 Steamy Summer Romances, Ranked, 6 Retellings to Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, 5 YA Heroes Who Really Weren’t Cut Out for the Job, 5 YAs Featuring Student-Teacher Relationships, 9 YAs to Read Based on Your Favorite Cult Classic TV, 7 Funny YA Books on Dark Topics, Compelling YA Examinations of Faith, 9 of the Best YAs about Real Girls, 9 Must-Read YAs about Teens Finding Their Paths (Not Their Partner), 5 YA Novels That Channel the Breakfast Club, 20 of Our Most Anticipated September YA, 6 Books about Not Going Back to School (Yet), 6 YA Novels Paired with Their Perfect Album,Our Favorite YA Sociopaths, 7 of the Season’s Most Exciting New Fantasy Novels, 5 Pitch-Dark YAs, YAs about Family Curses, YAs about Haunted Houses, Five YAs to Help You Celebrate Vintage Vinyl Record Day, YAs to Keep You out of the Woods, 5 YAs in Which Poetry Is a Part of the Plot, 5 African Myth–Inspired Teen Books to Read Right Now, 11 YA Books That Demand to Be Binge-Read, YA Books about High School Outsiders, 7 Book Recommendations Based off Your Favorite Harry Potter Novel (THIS ARTICLE WAS MADE FOR ME), A Guide to Surviving High School in 10 YA Novels, 15 YA Books Everyone Should Read Before College, 7 Times YA Books Came to the Rescue in Pop Culture, 5 YA Aviatrix Novels, 12 YA Books That Belong Together, 16 YA Gateway Reads, 7 YAs Where Friendship Trumps Romance, 7 YA Book Tours We’d Love to See, 5 YAs for the Internet Famous, 9 of the Year’s Best Graphic Novels for YA Fans, 9 YAs to Read Based off Your Favorite Classic Movies, 6 Comic-Inspired YAs, 11 Can’t-Miss YAs from the First Half of 2015, 8 YA Fantasies with Eastern Flair, Five YAs for Fans of Political Intrigue, Witchin’ Reads

Those! are all from B&N Teen blog, which IS AWESOME at pointing out titles that you may not have heard about. The occasional article just reaffirms books that are getting a lot of pub already but most have lesser well known books among the others.

Release Date: September 8th, 2015
Published by: Month9Books

Serpentine - Cindy Pon | Goodreads

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

Y'ALL THIS WAS PUBLISHED today. That means it's time for you to go to a bookstore and buy your copy - or buy it online - and ask your libraries to get copies of this book. This book is really, really good.

Finishing this novel, my first thought was: Cindy Pon is a really talented author. Even in the middle of reading Serpentine, I knew that I would a.) want to return for the sequel and b.) want to read Pon's other novels. In looking up and adding those other novels to my TBR, I discovered that they are also set in the Kingdom of Xia. I love when authors expand on worlds that they have already established with spin-offs.

For the world within Serpentine, Cindy Pon gives plenty of details that create an atmosphere of a distinctly different time and culture and help settle you into her fascinating world. The lush atmosphere is reminiscent of older fantasy narratives. In these narratives, I have never had trouble picturing what the characters were doing - the details of their everyday lives had been mapped out. Pon does this well in Serpentine: you can imagine the food and clothing as well as Skybright as she routinely wakes to help Zhen Liu, her mistress but almost adopted sister. But don't let my praise fool you: though the lush atmosphere is wonderfully established with evocative details, the plot is not bogged down by those details; it's fast-paced and full of action. The plot and atmosphere enhance one another and showcase Pon's beautiful, sweeping writing style.

Atmosphere and culture? Check. World-building? Also check. I do not know much of Chinese folklore and mythology, but what Pon introduced in this novel made me WANT to know so much more. The underworld, Skybright's power, the monastery, and more. The way Pon incorporates these elements is also particularly fresh. This story is about a girl whose life is changed when she comes into an extraordinary power, yet there are no info dumps that I can recall about her power. Everything is smoothly settled into the plot and character development. Skybright is determined enough to take charge of her own destiny, and you as a reader are along for that ride without pause.

Skybright is perhaps what I enjoyed most from Serpentine: her voice is a particular treat to read. I must admit to a personal prejudice when it comes to YA: most of the main characters who are described or praised for being selfless, well, I'm not really sure they are. They seem to be selfless mostly when it comes to showy displays of self-sacrifice. However, Skybright is actually selfless on a day to day basis as a handmaid to her good friend and mistress, Zhen Liu. While many other characters might bemoan the circumstances surrounding their mysterious fate, Skybright learns how to control her power without faltering in her daily duties. Her quiet strength, determination and dedication add an interesting, fresh lens unseen in YA. Fighting otherworldly creatures is portrayed in a distinctive manner for her coming-of-age, as is the evolution of Skybright's friendship with Zhen Liu. If you enjoyed reading about the strong female friendship between Nehemia and Celaena in Throne of Glass, well, this isn't between an assassin and a princess, but Zhen Liu and Skybright are two fierce women in their own right, with an absolutely wonderful bond that is tried but true at its core. At the beginning, Pon discusses how she was inspired by the women in her life. This shows in Serpentine and its heart, the main female friendship and the strong character development for these ladies.

Side characters such as Zhen Liu and Kai Sen are developed alongside Skybright's narrative, with stories of their own. Skybright's romance with Kai Sen is intense and intimate; they discuss their lives on a deeper level, and their kisses are imbued with a charged edge because of that emotional connection. If you enjoyed the way the romance was handled in The Hero and The Crown, I believe that you will also enjoy the romance in Serpentine. I am also partly reminded of how the main character in that novel goes off to fight dragons and no one believes that she can until she brings back proof. For all the limitations of Skybright's power, she too is a force to be reckoned with, and others would do well not to underestimate her.

When I first read Serpentine, I wondered why Kristin Cashore was quoted on the cover - because she's the current face of YA high fantasy or because of a specific element? For all that I love Cashore's novels, hers can be considered slow to start.Serpentine is not only shorter than one of Cashore's novels, but it's also paced much quicker (though perhaps those two are not exclusive). But the more I considered the novels, the clearer it became. In Graceling, Cashore discusses the idea of what makes a monster, and Fire's power can be seen as an extended metaphor. Likewise, Skybright considers her transformative power in terms of self-identity, and it can serve as a very discussable metaphor for what the synopsis terms as "her growing otherness." Not only does Serpentine feature a wonderful main female friendship, sweet romance, lush setting, and significant growth for the main character, but it also has an innately discussable premise. This is the kind of book that I wish I could have read when I was growing up, and am glad that I got to read even now.

Don't let my comparisons fool you either: I have not read anything like Serpentine. I've added in comparisons with the hope that they will make you more likely to pick up this novel. Once you start Serpentine, you won't want to stop (I definitely finished it in one sitting...). In short, if you like young adult fantasy novels or coming-of-age fantasy novels, BUY THIS BOOK.

In three weeks I managed to read 11 books. I thought that my August TBR goals of 8-10 books in three weeks (afterbooktubeathon) were stretching it and then I beat my own goals!

Well, I’ve also been experiencing a lack of motivation with a lot of things, including blogging, and that has to do with August marking the one year anniversary of a close friend’s suicide. So, in periods of little motivation, sometimes I end up reading a lot without people knowing.

And today I’m here to discuss the 11 books I read and the several books that I want to read in September. Don’t forget to tell me what’s on your September TBR and what you’ve read in August.

AUGUST BOOK TALK: 

** The Fifth Wave – Rick Yancey || Goodreads

Hey, hey! You might be interested in reading this one soon too. The trailer was recently released for the movie adaptation (or at least a sneak peek trailer).

Anyway, everyone was raving about this book years ago, and I pre-ordered the book but then never got around to reading it (#StoryOfABookHoarder). I recently saw that the audiobook was available on Overdrive, so I decided to try it out, knock a book off the TBR (even if it wasn't the TBR I'd made for August). Y'all, if you're going to read this book, I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job of capturing Cassie's emotions and the atmosphere as she recounts the different waves of the Other's invasion. There's also a narrator for the male characters (the guy who narrated Linger by Maggie Stiefvater), and he's good, but for me Cassie's narrator totally stole the show and made the audiobook worthwhile.

I really liked where Yancey took the story. I have to admit: alien invasion stories are not my thing. Too often I feel icky; aliens vs. humans, and this Othering, makes me think about xenophobia, and anyway, Yancey avoided that. There are obviously some parts that I enjoyed less than others, but it was entertaining enough that it stayed with me, made me curious enough to check out the sequel. Also, I'll probably check out the movie on January 29?, 2016.

** The Infinite Sea – Rick Yancey || Goodreads

This one is a lot more action-packed than The Fifth Wave and the main point of view isn't actually Cassie's. it's another side character from book one, and I've got to say - I liked that character a lot, so I enjoyed the perspective shift. I liked this less than The Fifth Wave, but I am still curious about what Yancey has planned for The Last Star. There were definitely plot twists in The Infinite Sea with huuuuge repercussions for TLS.

** Alanna: The First Adventure – Tamora Pierce || Goodreads

My reaction is pretty similar to what it was in my August TBR post. Which is to say, I'm super impressed thinking about how this was Tamora Pierce's debut novel and how she hadn't had the legions of YA novels before her, and yet she set such a trend! A trend and a legacy that's easily traced in other YA fantasies. I really wish that I'd read this in high school. I enjoyed it now, but I know that I would've enjoyed it even more then (aka when I was less jaded and picky about books).

** Bone Gap – Laura Ruby || Goodreads

This book takes a while to get started, but I almost didn't care because of its fantastic characters. Laura Ruby really does a wonderful job developing the setting and making the people of Bone Gap feel unique to Bone Gap (but also familiar to us). (Side note: magical realism may become one of my favorite genres, especially as it is here, with a character-oriented plot and emphasis on characterization first.)
Most often the complaint about magical realism novels is that they're slow-paced. My reasoning is that readers might be entering with bad expectations if they think a MR novel is supposed to go fast. A friend once said that the good horror novel first establishes the daily reality of the characters for you before adding in the horror elements. That's what makes the horror and creepiness feel real - the sense of it seeping into your daily reality. I'd say the same of magical realism. A MR novel that's fast-paced might not have the time to set up the proper atmosphere and setting. You gotta get the contemporary element in, and then inject the magic slowly but surely....

Anyway. I really did love Bone Gap, and Finn is one of my favorite male protagonists. Loved the way it played with perception, beauty, being lost and getting found.

** The Accident Season – Moira Fowley-Doyle || Goodreads

Wow. What a remarkable debut novel.

We Were Liars is probably a fair comparison, but it also doesn't quite capture the beautiful atmospheric tension of this novel. WWL's prose was more focused on emphasizing Cady's brokenness, I think, whereas the prose in The Accident Season seems more akin to Nova Ren Suma's. Here's a better explanation: WWL is described as a modern day suspense novel, but The Accident Season is described as a sexy magically realistic YA. If you're a fan of Nova Ren Suma's or Maggie Stiefvater's writing, this could be right up your alley.

I'm definitely coming back for more from this author.

The Accident Season is much more plot-oriented than Bone Gap. My favorite element of Bone Gap was the characterization. My favorite part of The Accident Season was the writing style. Ohhhhhhh, wow, the climax was stretched on and Fowley-Doyle captured the atmosphere and setting and this dreamy, what-is-going-on feeling for all of it. I could picture the entire book as a movie. Same with Bone Gap. Which is why I thought that magical realism might become one of my favorite genres.

** Court of Fives – Kate Elliott || Goodreads

No wonder Kate Elliott was a World Fantasy Award Finalist. The world-building is SO extensive, and the plotting does well to highlight different aspects beyond the core "Fives" game concept.

"Court of Fives is inspired by Little Women, by epic fantasy which I’ve written for years, by my wanting to write a story that’s also a love letter to female athletes, by the history of Hawaii, and by my husband’s work at an archaeological site in Egypt dating from the Greco-Roman period, a period when first Macedonians/Greeks and after them the Romans ruled over the Egyptian population." 

-Kate Elliott in her Book Smugglers post, which is well worth reading if you have the time.

That's also a good summary of this book. A love letter to Little Women, female athletes, and epic fantasy set in a Greco-Roman inspired world rife with colonial class warfare. If you wanted more focus on the world-building in The Winner's Curse, Court of Fives is your novel (though in general, definitely expect an overlap of fanbases here).

(P.S. Bonus points for Jessamy. She's going on my favorite heroines list.)

** George – Alex Gino || Goodreads

I'm really glad this is being published. It's wonderful to think that discussions will start across the country because of George. I was trying to think of when someone had ever really discussed gender identity with me when I was growing up, and I couldn't think of a single time. In fact, the first time I had ever even heard of the concept of personal gender pronouns was my first day at college. I should've done better, and we can all do better, and this is a really important book.

Something I also really appreciated about this book were the cringe-worthy comments from different characters that might seem innocent except that we're in Melissa's PoV (i.e. things like "you'll turn into a fine young man"). A nice reminder of how important our word choice is. And how the casting of the play went! I remember the parents and the people in charge of my elementary school plays specifically making up *girl* characters (e.g. Janet, Jim's twin sister in Huckleberry Finn) or changing boy characters to have "girl" names (i.e. probably ending in a vowel; e.g. "Quincey" instead of "Quince" in A Midsummer Night's Dream) - what is the deal with girls playing boys or boys playing girls?

Anyway, it's a good starter point for discussing gender identity with your kids. Some moments reminded me of this NYT article. Read that against this novel, or read the novel on its own -- whatever you decide, you should have some discussion at hand. Plus, the way the novel is written makes it really easy to sympathize with Melissa (see above).

** Sunshine – Robin McKinley || Goodreads

I was at the Strand the other day and found this one in the YA section. Remembered how much I'd enjoyed The Hero and the Crown and decided to give this book a shot.

Haha, this book was originally published as adult UF and republished as YA. That made me think that YA is really just at the publisher's discretion. Because there were definitely explicit terms you don't normally see in a YA novel: labia, the feeling of a hard-on going soft in your body, etc. But explicit terms aside, there aren't many explicit scenes, so it also makes sense that the book got published as a YA novel.

Anyway, it's a vampire faery tale, and I have some unanswered questions, and I may or may not go hunting on the author's website. I'd definitely read more from her in the future. Definitely one of the master story-tellers...

And the romance novels that I read when I fall into that lack of motivation mode...

** Slave to Sensation – Nalini Singh || Goodreads

Sarah J. Maas mentioned this book when she came to my college to give a SFF world-building workshop (before the publication of Crown of Midnight - aka when such things were still possible without costing too much money). She highly recommended it despite the old cover.

And ever since then, I've seen it on so so so many different UF and romance readers' radars. It seems to be a really popular series, the Psy-Changeling series, so I decided to try it out for myself. I enjoyed it well enough. Maybe will try her other books in the future?

**Luck Be a Lady – Meredith Duran || Goodreads

Meredith Duran is my go-to historical romance author. Especially when I'm in a funk.

** When Beauty Tamed the Beast – Eloisa James || Goodreads

I think a popular Goodreads reviewer might have tipped me off to this, but I was in the mood for a Beauty and the Beast retelling... I liked this. Probably just as much as Slave to Sensation, both good, and maybe I'll try more from those authors in the future.

Currently Reading:

** Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke || Goodreads

I've only read the first story by Nova Ren Suma, but I enjoyed that so much! Her writing style seems particularly suited to short stories, and the magical realism elements fit well with an anthology comprised of horror and thriller stories.

September TBR:

All the books from my August TBR that I didn’t read including:

• Shadowshaper – Daniel Jose Older || Goodreads
• More Happy Than Not – Adam Silvera || Goodreads
• The Golden Specific – S.E. Grove || Goodreads
• The Wild Ones – C. Alexander London || Goodreads
• A Curious Tale of the In-Between – Lauren DeStefano || Goodreads

All of these books have actually been released by now, so if you're interested in them, you can grab a copy too. And hopefully I'll be able to read them soon, and catch up so I don't continue to fall behind on my TBR and push books back... back... back... Hah.

Also, books releasing in September and/or purchased:

** The Killing Moon – N.K. Jemisin || Goodreads

• I don't read enough adult fantasy, and I've heard such good things about Jemisin's work, so I'm really looking forward to diving into this book. (Though I think her other series won the Hugo and Nebula awards? Not this one? But still.). I also read a small excerpt about Jemisin's characterization skills on io9 and I loved them.

 

You might remember that I was participating a challenge aka BookTube-A-Thon whereupon I was supposed to read seven books in seven days. Did I succeed?

Maybe... maybe not o.O.

So, from my BookTube-A-Thon List:

1. Venetia by Georgette Heyer || Goodreads

Did I finish this? Well, I DNFed at 35%.

This is written in a style similar to how Jane Austen writes, but for me it didn't have the same social satire element. Similarly, the author was clearly poking fun at the other two romantic interests Venetia has - the same way Austen shows you that Mr. Collins in Pride & Prejudice is an absurd character - but in a romance novel, I want to know more about the main character's relationship. Not these misogynistic douches. And instead of the hate turned love of Pride and Prejudice, the main character falls into an easy friendship with the main romantic interest and... there's not much tension. I read a lot of Regency and historical romance novels. This shows me how much things have changed in the writing styles and general outlook. This book, everything has been pretty chaste and doesn't have the same tension of other Regency romances (published nowadays) since the styles are so different. So essentially this makes me think: this book is not for me. There's nothing bad about it, but my expectations have been changed based off what I've read. If I'm reading a Jane Austen like style, I want more of her work; if I'm reading a Regency romance, I want something more similar to what I've already read. The amount of literary references though is really impressive.

If you want a Jane Austen styled romance, Georgette Heyer is your author.

2. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews || Goodreads

Did I finish this? YES!

A funny, frank book about death (though if you get easily offended, perhaps this book's humor is not for you). Wasn't sure that a comedic book about death was possible, and for so long the MC tells you that the book is about nothing, but then there's the gut punch and realizations and oooh, I want to see this movie. Also, I usually dislike when the main characters break the "fourth wall" and essentially tell you that they're writing the book you're reading because it makes me too aware that I'm reading the book and gets me all analytical and bleh. But I actually really enjoyed how Jesse Andrews used that technique in this book.

The Fault in Our Stars is a pretty comparison title in terms of plot, but the voice in Me and Earl and The Dying Girl is very distinctive, and I would suggest you read an excerpt if you're uncertain.

3. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne || Goodreads

Did I finish this? YES!

I have conflicting thoughts about this.

First: cool concept. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't want to have enough money to travel around the world? And traveling around the world in 80 days or less! Talk about temporal tension in the story... I like the idea of a cool, reserved Englishman who puts this bet about being able to travel around the world in a limited time frame just for honor's sake. I like the writing style. And I like the epic adventure aspect of the book.

This is sort of a book I would fully like if I could dissociate it from its... context. All the racism (greedy Americans, pillaging Sioux, Indians who are in the middle of performing human sacrifice, etc.), the sexism (the only female character of note gets very few lines and is essentially the damsel in distress who'd been rescued by the cool, reserved Englishman and now felt "gratitude" (or more) to him), the colonial superiority (this review discusses that). If I could forget all that existed, maybe I'd have liked this more.

I would SO be down for a retelling, though, that wasn't racist/sexist/colonially superior.

4. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon || Goodreads

Did I finish this? YES!

Maddy and Olly are so cute together. This is a book written with heart and written in an easy to read style. A page-turner of adorable proportions; and I particularly loved how the illustrations and other formats (e.g. vignettes, the short reviews since Maddy has a book review tumblr) were incorporated. In the above video, I discussed / showed one of the illustrations of Maddy in outer space while Olly was on Earth. Everything, everything is going to be a big fall title. It already has 2,000+ ratings on Goodreads. What are you waiting for?

And...

5. The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove || Goodreads

6.  More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera || Goodreads

7.  Court of Fives by Kate Elliott || Goodreads or The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle || Goodreads

Did I finish these? Nope!

My excuse?

 

I was annotating a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas as a gift for a friend's birthday. That, I finished. So that was a reread + annotation. REALLY THAT SHOULD COUNT AS TWO BOOKS. Do you know how LONG it takes to annotate a book? But annotated books are so much fun to read! It's like your friend is right beside you as you're reading. It reminds me of when I was reading the seventh Harry Potter book with my friend in our hotel lobby, and she was about twenty pages behind me, and so whenever she made a noise, I was like did you get to X part yet? Oh, yeah, Fred's joke was so great.

ANYWAY, even if you don't count that as 2 books, it's still either 5/7 or 6/7 which is a GOOD RESULT. *pats self on the back*. As for those other books, okay, so they'll get pushed off onto my August TBR. Court of Fives and The Accident Season are actually being released in August, so it's my goal to review them before their release date! Hopefully. As for The Golden Specific, well, that one is OUT, my friends. If I have somehow interested you in the awesomeness that is The Glass Sentence and its sequel, you may purchase these at a bookstore of your choosing.

Currently Reading:

I am currently reading Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce with Nicole of the Quiet Concert!

When I was in high school, people recommended Tamora Pierce, specifically the Alanna quartet, to me, along with something by Amy Tan. I didn't follow either rec. Some years later, I read the first 20 pages in a used bookstore. I still didn't buy it (I thought it was MG, actually!) until I was in the Strand last year. Man, I wish I had followed this recommendation earlier. High school me would've eaten this up! Alanna's struggles to be taken seriously and treated as an equal in a male-dominated world, while she is training to be a knight and thus dressing as a boy -- totally my thing then. Also my thing now, though I'm more comfortable with myself now haha. I'm loving seeing how other YA fantasy authors have been inspired by Tamora Pierce and I'm looking forward to being enveloped in the Tamora Pierce fandom.

For August:

I have a couple more books to add to my August TBR. Namely, MG books that are being released this month and that you should be excited for too!

1. George by Alex Gino || Goodreads

2. The Wild Ones by C. Alexander London || Goodreads

3. A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano || Goodreads

A non-MG title that I purchased and that I'm hoping to read is Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older. Do I think that I'll be able to read ALL these books in August? Uh, well, probably not. But then they'll roll into September.... and so it goes.

What did you read last week? Did you participate in BookTube-A-Thon and how successful were you? What are you planing on reading this month? Have you read any of the above books? Let me know :).

Have you ever recommended a series without reading all the books in it? The story goes, one of my friends asked me for a recommendation for an older woman who had read Divergent but was not pleased with Allegiant. It sounded like she wanted something similar, but with a different sort of ending, and based off the blogger reviews and discussions that came of two falls ago, it seemed like the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu was more up her alley. I was right; she really enjoyed the series. But before knowing that I was right, I was really anxious. I hadn't actually read Champion myself and yet I'd recommended the series...?

When word of mouth fails, how do you find books? There's this perception, I think, among bloggers that when the marketing of a book dies down, we as fans will still remember the book and help push it onto newer readers, that we're a sort of last barrier before a book gets forgotten. And indeed we do try to push people to remember #QuietYA; Nick put together a catalog of #QuietYA recommendations from a bunch of bloggers (with recommendations from yours truly as well). But I can't help but wondering, sometimes, what happens to books when they are forgotten by bloggers.

What kind of scenarios lead to this? Well, here's an example. The above picture is a book haul from when I went to the Strand with a friend. I was doing my usual: gathering whichever books from the YA section interested me and then sitting down to read the first chapter or so, to see whether I liked the writing style, and whether that, in combination with the praise and synopsis, convinced me to buy the book. I ended up with these four books: The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh; The Returning by Christine Hinwood; Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox; and Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea.

By all rights, books like these shouldn't be forgotten -- The Crowfield Curse was a Carnegie Medal nominee; The Returning was a Printz honor book blurbed by Megan Whalen Turner and Melina Marchetta; Mortal Fire was published in 2013! only two years ago!; Mermaid in Chelsea Creek was blurbed by Daniel Handler. Award winners/nominees and books championed by big name authors, and yet I had, until that day, never heard of or seen any of these books. (In fact, the only reason I picked up these books was because I either hadn't heard of them or because the spine interested me (e.g. The Returning looked like The Scorpio Races, so I took it off its shelf, saw the blurbs, read the synopsis, read the first few chapters, etc.)). Which got me thinking, too: what about the books that were published before Goodreads was established? Now that we have Goodreads, it's a lot easier to keep track of new releases, in my opinion. In the days before Goodreads, it was probably easier for a book to fall into the cracks, readers less aware of a publisher's catalog (though none of these books were published before the inception of Goodreads).

I also started wondering... well whose responsibility is it to keep that book in the limelight? Well, responsibility perhaps isn't the right word - that's obviously the publisher's job, and the publisher has moved onto newer, fresher releases. But well, then, how do you keep books from being forgotten? If I went into a Barnes & Noble, I'm pretty sure that I would not have found these books. If I looked online on B&N or Amazon, maybe I would've... if I had known to search for these books in the first place. So then is it really the used bookstore that keeps these books from falling away from the public eye altogether?

Do you ever search for books that haven't been published in the past couple of years? How do you find out about less publicized books? Have you ever found less publicized books without the aid of another blogger?