BookNotes// vol. 12
March YA books, book related links, & 1 whole year of The Young Adult Library!
February marked two exciting milestones: my birthday (age will not be mentioned, but as an only child I demand birthday attention still!) and 1 year of The Young Adult Library! While I was not posting consistently until this past fall, I did take the plunge in February of 2024 to start this Substack & am excited to see what year 2 entails! Thank you for reading & for subscribing!
We also got a lot of our book orders in & let me tell you, there is nothing more exciting than opening boxes of brand new books! I have refrained from grabbing them all but am looking forward to checking them out myself to read (in the name of work, of course).
What have you been reading this month?
Book Buzz
March 4
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights by Ashley Hope Pérez. A “… dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read”.
One Step Forward by Marcie Flinchum Atkins. “ … a compelling debut YA historical fiction novel in verse about Matilda Young--the youngest American suffragist imprisoned for picketing the White House to demand women's right to vote.”
Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris. “ Riley quietly left church a year ago when she realized there was no place for a bi girl in her congregation. But … in order to avoid suspicion she has to spend spring break at church camp…. What could possibly go wrong? Aside from falling for the pastor's daughter . . .”.
March 18
Hangry Hearts by Jennifer Chen. “ Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.”
In the Company of Killers by Elora Cook. “ Gossip Girl meets The Sopranos in this fast-paced drama about a teenage mafia heiress who would do anything to avenge her family, even join forces with her handsome enemy.”
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. “ As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes”. The fifth book in The Hunger Games series.
From the Librarian’s Desk
Truth, Lies, & the Questions in Between by L.M. Elliott is a good YA historical fiction novel, set during the Watergate era. I really enjoyed this book, in particular that each chapter starts out with newspaper clippings & summaries of what was happening at the time. It weaves in Watergate, Vietnam, feminism, & much more (too much at times; this is my only complaint, in that it tried to hit on every big issue of the time period).
I received an arc of The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. I adored this boarding school novel & recommend putting it on your summer reading list. I would say it’s written for adults, even though it takes place at a high school. Thank you to NetGalley & Little, Brown and Company for providing a copy of this book for review.
I put down The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA for a bit, in order to knock out some YA books, but have picked it back up. It’s fascinating & a very readable non-fiction book. Highly recommend.
Beyond the Pages
The new “edgier” book clubs from younger influencers & celebs are focusing on more literary novels versus what’s going to make the best seller list. This Air Mail article is really interesting; it’s behind a paywall but the first article is free.
I have been a follower of Victoria of the Substack Well So Yeah since her blogging days. I just love her writing. She is starting to write picture books & wrote more about her journey, which is partially behind a paywall. But the part that isn’t is still really fascinating, with an overview of some basics of the picture book industry.
This essay on Book Trib on the “Racial History of the Fairy Tale…” examines the whiteness of fairy tales & how recent remakes have altered this. Snow White in particular is looked at, with multiple literary retellings mentioned.
This post contains affiliate links to the book(s). Thank you for supporting The Young Adult Library & independent bookstores, through Bookshop.org.
I have SAY A LITTLE PRAYER up next on Libro :)