‘Strange Creatures’ review: Phoebe North’s love letter to storytelling and childhood

Phoebe North’s young adult novel Strange Creatures is a dark and enchanting love letter to magic, storytelling, and childhood.

‘Thirty Talks Weird Love’ review: Alessandra Narváez Varela coming-of-age tale is incisive and punchy

Written in verse, Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela is a coming-of-age story with a science fiction edge.  This punchy and incisive tale follows 13-year-old Anamaría, who is growing up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Anamaría is full of…

‘Jay’s Gay Agenda’ interview: Jason June talks queer joy and sex positivity in his YA debut

Jay’s Gay Agenda bursts with queer joy, which also happens to be author Jason June’s agenda for his debut YA novel. He wants to let queer readers know­—or remind them—that they too are “deserving of being the star of their…

‘Pumpkin’ review: Julie Murphy recaptures ‘Dumplin’’ magic

Julie Murphy recaptures the magic of ‘Dumplin” in ‘Pumpkin,’ a sweet, filling story about self-love, empowerment, and letting out your inner queen.

‘Tokyo Ever After’ review: Emiko Jean’s royal tale delivers a relevant message about belonging

Emiko Jean’s latest YA offering feels like the older teenage sister of The Princess Diaries. Replace the kingdom of Genovia with modern day Japan, and add an attractive, grumpy bodyguard, and you have Tokyo Ever After.  At first glance, it…

‘Luck of the Titanic’ review: Stacey Lee’s new novel offers a twist to a classic story

YA veteran Stacey Lee gives us another diverse historical twist in her newest novel, Luck of the Titanic, which imagines the notorious and glamorous ship through the eyes of a young Chinese woman.  Valora Luck has been separated from her…

May 2021 New Book Releases: Timely novels and endearing rom-coms

Happy May! It’s the month of growth and change, but also in the US, it’s “National Mental Health Awareness Month” and “National Get Caught Reading Month.” The two pair perfectly together. Books have been proven to improve mental health and…