Podcast: Hey YA

Kelly and Erica highlight the best of September's new YA books, including some feminist nonfiction, thrilling mysteries, goth-y fun, and more.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18!

Show Notes:

Self-Silencing Is Making Women Sick

Twilight Will Be Back in Theaters This October

The Story of My Anger by Jasminne Mendez

YA Novels in Verse for 2025

Truth Is by Hanna V. Sawyerr

Arm in Arm: The Grimke Sisters' Fight for Abolition and Women' s Rights by Angelica Shirley Carpenter

Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America by Deborah Heiligman

You’ve Goth My Heart by L.C. Rosen

By Invitation Only by Alexandra Brown Chang

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis

Through Our Teeth by Pamela N. Harris

Who’s All Going (To Die)? by Lisa Springer

If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry

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Erica highlights some new YA genre-bending thrillers and Kelly talks with YA author Candace Fleming about her latest book, Death in the Jungle, as well as cults and YA nonfiction.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18!

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Show Notes:

The Devil's in the Dancers by Catherine Yu

Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

Empty Heaven by Freddie Kölsch

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming

The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming

"What Makes for Good YA Nonfiction" from School Library Journal

Wake the Wild Creatures by Nova Ren Suma

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

Cultish by Amanda Montell

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Underground by Haruki Murakami

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson
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Kelly and Erica discuss the latest media they've been consuming and the YA books coming out in August that they're most excited about.

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Book Riot is hiring a digital content specialist! If you love books and know the ins and outs of social media strategy, and especially social video, consider joining the team. Find details and apply by August 22, 2025, at riotnewmedia.com/careers.

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Books Discussed:

Tin House Workshop

Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith

A Beautiful and Terrible Murder by Claire M. Andrews

Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai

The L.O.V.E. Club by Lio Min

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History by Ann Bausum

The Next Generation United Daughters of the Confederacy: Book Censorship News, April 28, 2023

Tall Water by SJ Sindu, Dion MBD

Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Nicole Goux

What Hunger by Catherine Dang

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku
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Erica talks queer YA graphic novels you should read and Kelly speaks with author and activist Frederick Joseph.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! TBR delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. You can get your recommendations via email, or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18!

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Books Discussed:

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

Daybreak Volume One by Moosopp

The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren, Ajani Oloye (Translator)

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Brooms By Jasmine Walls, Teo Duvall (Illustrator)

This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph

The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph

Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

Hey YA interview with Lamar Giles

Dwyane Wade

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

24 Seconds From Now . . . by Jason Reynolds

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Nic Stone

Gayle Forman

Ibi Zoboi
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Danika joins Kelly this week to talk about exciting new YA books that hit shelves in June and July, as well as to talk the best YA books of 2025 so far.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! TBR delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. You can get your recommendations via email, or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18!

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News:

Best YA books of 2025 So Far

Trailer for Mason Deaver’s I Wish You All The Best has dropped

We Were Liars released to Prime, The Summer I Turned Pretty Season Three is releasing its first two episodes on Prime July 16, and the animated take on Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan is dropping on Netflix July 10.

Marissa Meyer’s “The Lunar Chronicles” is being adapted for animation in fall 2028.

Books Discussed:

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming

Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju

Love Points to You by Alice Lin

"The Complicated World of YA Books for Younger Teens"

"Do Teens Get Pushed Out of YA Books When It’s Called A Genre?"

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

Hear Us Out by Nancy Garden

The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden

Wednesday

The Haunting of Hill HouseCall Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole and Ashley Woodfolk

Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by CB Lee

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Dan in Green Gables by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre

Ana of California by Andi Teran

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Hit Me with Your Best Charm by Lillie Vale

The Tournament by Rebecca Barrow

This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

Not So Shoujo Love Story, Volume 1 by Curryuku
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Kelly talks with YA author L.M. Elliott about historical fiction, Watergate, and contemporary politics for teens.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! TBR delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. You can get your recommendations via email, or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18!

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed:

Truth, Lies, and The Questions In Between by L.M. Elliott

Walls by L.M. Elliott

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The West Wing

Hamilton

Suspect Red by L.M. Elliott

Truth, Lies, and The Questions In Between Playlist

L.M. Elliott's blog

Mrs. America

Countdown by Deborah Wiles (series)

This Promise of Change by Debbie Levy

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

(Don't) Call Me Crazy edited by Kelly JEnsen

A Dangerous Idea by Debbie Levy

Bluebird by Sharon Cameron

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina

The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson
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We're revisiting a fantastic interview from earlier this year! Kelly talks with YA author and children’s literature champion Jason Reynolds about his career, writing the inner lives of teen boys, his favorite middle grade and YA books, and more.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

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News:

Jason Reynolds wins a MacArther Genius Grant

Books Discussed:

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Judy Blume Forever documentary

Forever . . . by Judy Blume

George M. Johnson

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

Eugene Yelchin

"Coca Cola Classic 'Polar Bears' TV commercial 1993"

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

The Fire Next Time: A Letter to My Nephew by James Baldwin

Erin Entrada Kelly

A.S. King

Randy Ribay

King and the Dragonfly by Kacen Callender

Love That Dog and Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr.

Jason's recommended reading order of his books if . . .

You're a teacher or librarian planning to teach the books:

Long Way Down

Look Both Ways

Ghost

If you're an adult wanting to read them for yourself:

Boy in the Black Suit

The Track Series

As Brave As You

For Teens 14+:

Long Way Down

Ghost

All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely)

For Tweens:

Stuntboy, in the Meantime (with Raúl the Third)

Ghost

Look Both Ways

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It's a YA blast-from-the-past meets popular-still-for-a-reason this week. Kelly talks with E. Lockhart about the We Were Liars adaptation, and Erica talks with Rioter Danika Ellis about the 10th anniversary of Nimona.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Show Notes:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart

Hey YA Interview with Gayle Forman

We Were Liars on Prime Instagram

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Again, Again by E. Lockhart

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Nimona on Netflix

10 Years Later, We Need Nimona More Than Ever by Danika Ellis
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Erica goes over a nice mix of new YA books by AAPI authors, while Kelly has a great convo with Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, authors of the new rom-com On Again, Awkward Again.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Ready to level up your reading life? Become a Book Riot All Access member and explore our full library of members-only content, including must-reads, deep dives, and reading challenge recommendations. For a limited time, the first 50 new All Access annual members get a FREE copy of Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz courtesy of Tor Publishing! Join Book Riot All Access to level up your reading life and claim your free copy of Automatic Noodle.

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Books Discussed:

Eliza, from Scratch by Sophia Lee

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, illustrated by Tara Anand

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

The Summer I Remembered Everything by Catherine Con Morse

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly, Kwame Mbalia

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

The White Guy Dies First edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker

The Black Girl Survives in This One edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Shine by Candy Gourlay

Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender

Hello Universe and Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

Kaya Morgan's Crowning Achievement by Jill Tew

Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos by Tracey Baptiste

Kwame Mbalia's Freedom Fire imprint (more info)

You can follow both Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia on Bluesky.
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Erica shares a few new books to start the month off with. Then, we revisit a great past episode where Kelly and Erica discuss the first book of the super-popular 1980s/1990s series Sweet Valley High. We also find out who is more of a Jessica/Elizabeth.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Ready to level up your reading life? Become a Book Riot All Access member and explore our full library of members-only content, including must-reads, deep dives, and reading challenge recommendations. For a limited time, the first 50 new All Access annual members get a FREE copy of Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz courtesy of Tor Publishing! Join Book Riot All Access to level up your reading life and claim your free copy of Automatic Noodle.

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News:

Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books

LA Book Prize finalists announced

Books Discussed:

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams

The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire

Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala

Salvación by Sandra Proudman

Double Love (Sweet Valley High No. 1) by Francine Pascal

From the ghostwriter

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
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Erica gets into some cutesy/cozy YA books, and Kelly speaks to Huda Fahmy about her fictionalized memoir series.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations! The professional book nerds (aka bibliologists) at TBR have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Simply fill out a quick survey about what you want more of in your reading life, and your bibliologist will scour their bookish knowledge to find three reads they think you’ll love. Choose from receiving just the recommendations via email, or opt to have paperbacks or hardcovers delivered right to your door. Get started for only $18 at mytbr.co!

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Books Discussed
If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie
I Shall Never Fall in Love: A Graphic Novel by Hari Conner
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal
Off Menu: A Graphic Novel by Oliver Gerlach, illustrated by Kelsi Jo Silva
Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui
If You're Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi
Huda F Wants to Know by Huda Fahmy
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Kelly and Erica discuss their most anticipated YA books coming out in April.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations! The professional book nerds (aka bibliologists) at TBR have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Simply fill out a quick survey about what you want more of in your reading life, and your bibliologist will scour their bookish knowledge to find three reads they think you’ll love. Choose from receiving just the recommendations via email, or opt to have paperbacks or hardcovers delivered right to your door. Get started for only $18 at mytbr.co!

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News
LJ Smith Dies at 66
The Gossip Mill
Sunrise on the Reaping sees phenomenal early sales

Books Discussed
Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju
Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi
Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick
Sunlight Playing over a Mountain by Selina Li Bi
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
The House No One Sees by Adina King
Renegade Girls by Nora Neus and illustrated by Julie Robine
Get to know Nellie Bly
The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum
The Payback Girls by Alex Travis
The Summer I Ate the Rich  by Maika Moulite
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming
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Erica gets into some new YA graphic novels that she's excited about, and Kelly interviews YA author Ava Reid about her latest release, the art of homage, and being a life-long Hunger Games fan.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.

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Article discussed
Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books

Books Discussed
Raised By Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn
Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 Salomey Doku
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries
Huda F Wants to Know? By Huda Fahmy
Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing by Nora Neus, illustrated by Julie Robine
Fable at the End of the World by Ava Reid
Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi
Legend series by Marie Lu
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
The Fever King series by Victoria Lee
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir
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Kelly and Erica share their picks for the best YA books coming out in March and get into a little adaptation news and horror.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations! The professional book nerds (aka bibliologists) at TBR have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Simply fill out a quick survey about what you want more of in your reading life, and your bibliologist will scour their bookish knowledge to find three reads they think you’ll love. Choose from receiving just the recommendations via email, or opt to have paperbacks or hardcovers delivered right to your door. Get started for only $18 at mytbr.co!
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News
Summer Scares 2025!
Forever...the adaptation will hit Netflix in May and it looks amazing

Books Discussed
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Movie mentioned: Beasts of the Southern Wild
A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl
Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin
Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao
Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris
Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation by Cara Meredith
The House No One Sees by Adina King
Messy Roots: A Graphic Novel of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao
Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love) by Laura Gao
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle) by Tracy Deonn
Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, illustrated by Debbie Fong
Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton
Wake the Wild Creatures by Nova Ren Suma
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Kelly and Erica discuss the first book of the super-popular 1980s/1990s series Sweet Valley High. We also find out who is more of a Jessica/Elizabeth.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books
LA Book Prize finalists announced

Books Discussed
Double Love (Sweet Valley High No. 1) by Francine Pascal
From the ghostwriter
On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich
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Kelly talks with New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman about her new book, about the afterlife, and about the growth and evolution of YA as a category.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed
After Life by Gayle Forman
Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
Lamar Giles on Hey YA
When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
On a Wing and a Tear by Cynthia Leitich Smith
One Day by David Nicholls
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
We Need Diverse Books
Shoutouts to Lexapro and Zoloft

Gayle emailed the following additional recommendations from our segment on books about/related to the afterlife: The In Between by Hadley Vlahos, Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinthi, and Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal.
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Kelly and Erica talk about the YA books out in February they're most excited about...and maybe a demon or two.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News
Our Book Club Pick for our February 26th episode: Double Love by Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High #1)
Award-Winning YA Books from the ALA Youth Media Awards
Adult novels in verse
The Rainbow List
Malinda Lo's queer YA book counts

Books Discussed
Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi
Dropping Beats by Nathanael Lessore
The Forest King’s Daughter by Elly Blake
The Girl You Know by Elle Gonzalez Rose
The History of Everything by Victoria Evans
Hakutaku by Kouki Ishikawa
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Nimona by ND Stevenson
Emily the Strange by Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, and Buzz Parker
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham
A Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
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Kelly and Erica discuss a mega list of the best YA books of 2024, the romance bookstore boom of the last few years, and our current book club pick.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
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News
The best of the best YA books for 2024
From The New York Times: Romance Bookstores Are Booming
**Book Club Alert**: Make sure to pick up Double Love by Francine Pascal, the first book in the Sweet Valley High series, for our discussion of it on February 25.

Books Discussed
Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz
The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley
Love on Paper by Danielle Parker
Dreamover by Dani Diaz
Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl
Truth, Lies, and The Questions in Between by L. M. Elliott
The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker
No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada, Banned Book Club
Devour by Jazmine Joyner, illustrated by Anthony Pugh
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Kelly talks with YA author and children's literature champion Jason Reynolds about his career, writing the inner lives of teen boys, his favorite middle grade and YA books, and more.
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A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.
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News
Jason Reynolds wins a MacArther Genius Grant
Books Discussed
When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Judy Blume Forever documentary
Forever . . . by Judy Blume
George M. Johnson
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds
Eugene Yelchin
"Coca Cola Classic 'Polar Bears' TV commercial 1993"
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
The Fire Next Time: A Letter to My Nephew by James Baldwin
Erin Entrada Kelly
A.S. King
Randy Ribay
King and the Dragonfly by Kacen Callender
Love That Dog and Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr.
Jason's recommended reading order of his books if . . .
You're a teacher or librarian planning to teach the books:

Long Way Down

Look Both Ways

Ghost

If you're an adult wanting to read them for yourself:

Boy in the Black Suit

The Track Series

As Brave As You

For Teens 14+:

Long Way Down

Ghost

All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely)

For Tweens:

Stuntboy, in the Meantime (with Raúl the Third)

Ghost

Look Both Ways

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This week we're sharing a rerun of a favorite episode from last year in which Erica speaks with Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson about being a 16-year-old NYS and NYC Youth Poet Laureate Finalist and co-founder of a literary arts magazine, and Kelly talks with author Veronica Chambers about Ida In Love and Trouble, Black historical YA, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books, Media, and Writers Discussed
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
Chen Chen
Tony Hoagland
Danez Smith
A Tale for the time being by Ruth Ozeki
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Ida, In Love and Trouble by Veronica Chambers
Veronica Chambers at The New York Times
Suffs on Broadway
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Memphis Diaries by Ida B. Wells
Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula Giddings
Quinceanera Means Sweet Fifteen by Veronica Chambers
Amigas: Fifteen Candles by Veronica Chambers
Sabaa Tahir
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden
Babel by R. F. Kuang
Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice by Veronica Chambers
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Jennifer Harlan and Veronica Chambers
The New York Times writing contests for teens
Playlist for Ida in Love and Trouble
Follow Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson's art and literature magazine at Noor.org and on Instagram
Donate to Noor.org on Gofundme
Follow Veronica Chambers on Instagram.
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