BIPL-YA

A teen space for curiousity, creativity, Bibliophiles, and Makers at Blue Island Public Library, Blue Island, IL

[cheshirelibrary]

This Summer’s Must-Read Non-Fiction

[via Bookish]

Summer is here, and regardless of what your travel plans are, you can travel through both space and time with this season’s exciting new nonfiction books. For readers interested in the heavens, Oliver Morton has a new book coming out about the moon. Readers who are fans of Queer Eye (and really, who isn’t?) can dive into Tan France’s new memoir. No matter what your reading tastes are, there’s a nonfiction book here for you.

OUT IN JUNE:

Naturally Tan by Tan France

Underland: a Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane

The Moon: a History for the Future by Oliver Morton 

My Parents; an Introduction by Aleksandar Hemon

OUT IN JULY:

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo 

Beneath the Tamarind Tree : A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram by Isha Sesay

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker 

OUT IN AUGUST:

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

And How Are You, Dr. Sacks? by Lawrence Weschler 

I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi

[cowboyhudsons]

[marchoftheblacksheep]

Some sweet little springtime Buns to bring you good springy vibes and shake the last of those winter blues. 🐰🌸

[duartesjude]

@sixofcrowsnet job: the sun summoner

“It’s true,” I said softly. “You are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.” I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But I am an apt pupil.”

[theartofanimation]

Gael Bertrand  -  http://gaelbertrand.tumblr.com  -  https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/synthezoide  -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaelbertrand  -  https://www.gaelbertrand.com

[nanowrimo]

20 Questions to Ask Yourself When Worldbuilding

One of the most important parts of writing is grounding your story in a believable setting––not just for fantasy, but any genre. Worldbuilding can help you figure out how your characters fit into the bigger picture, or learn what their motivations are. 

Sometimes, it can seem frustrating to spend a lot of time on building an elaborate world for your novel, only to have to cut most of that fascinating history and background in the final draft. But having that knowledge is important to create fully rounded out characters and plot. In fact, the iceberg theory of writing imagines that 80-90% of a story occurs below the surface!

How much do you know about the world of your novel? We’ve come up with 20 important questions to ask yourself when creating the background for your story:

Keep reading

[poetlcs]

lgbtq+ book recs

I have a post similar to this here, but this post is going to be my personal recommendations from books I’ve read. This isn’t all the lgbtq+ books I’ve read, just my favourite. ALL these books are ones in which the main character is lgbtq+

 queens of geek by jen wilde: this is such a perfect read for fandom peoples. It follows three friends from Melbourne, Australia who attend Supacon (basically comic con) in America. The main character Charlie is a bisexual Chinese/Australian girl. There is side rep for autism, latinx representation, there is an f/f relationship where the LI is a black woman. This is #ownvoices for the bisexual and autism rep.  trigger warnings for anxiety

when the moon was ours by anna marie mclemore: this is a magical realism book about a girl who can grow roses from her wrist and a boy who can paint moons and hang them in the sky. The main character Meil is latinx and the other main character Sam is a trans boy, and also Pakistani. There’s also a side lesbian character. This is ownvoices for the latinx rep, and the trans rep is heavily based off of the authors husband. trigger warnings for transphobia

the abyss surrounds us by emily skrutskie: LESBIAN PIRATES + SEA MONSTERS. This is sff with an f/f relationship and it’s so good. The main character is bi and also of Chinese descent, and her LI is a lesbian. There’s also a strong black woman as a side character, and it’s #ownvoices for the bisexual rep. 

we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson: it’s about a boy who gets abducted by aliens - the aliens have told him on a certain date that the world will end unless he presses a red button on their spaceship, but the mc isn’t sure the world is worth saving. m/m relationship, the mc is gay and also mentally ill and his love interest is pansexual and latinx. Trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault, suicide. #Ownvoices for the gay and mental illness rep. I also highly rec SDH other books, the five stages of andrew brawley and especially at the edge of the universe. 

simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by becky albertalli: this is about a boy called Simon who secretly messages a boy who anonymously goes by the name Blue at his school through email. When a classmate gets a hold of the emails, Simon gets blackmailed eventually leading to him meeting Blue. This isn’t OV but the rep is generally well liked, for example it’s Adam Silvera’s favourite book. trigger warnings for: forceful outing, alcohol use/getting drunk. There is a moving coming out in March of 2018!

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe by benjamin alire saenz: literally my favourite book, about a boy called Aristotle who becomes best friends with another boy called Dante. m/m relationship, both gay and mexican and the rep is all #ownvoices. trigger warnings for homophobia, physical assault

radio silence by alice oseman: a girl called Frances randomly meets Aled, the creator of her favourite podcast, and becomes best friends with him. Frances is bisexual and biracial (Ethiopian/White) and there’s a discussed f/f relationship, as well as an m/m relationship. Aled is demisexual, and his love interest Dan is South Korean and gay. The demisexual rep is #ownvoices. 

history is all you left me by adam silvera: a boy named Griffin must deal with the death of his ex boyfriend, and while doing so befriends Theo’s new boyfriend Jackson. Griffin is gay and has OCD while Theo is bisexual. The gay and OCD representation is #ownvoices. This book is so sad so be warned. trigger warnings for drowning, OCD and anxiety, some biphobia is not called out as well. I also highly recommend they both die at the end by adam silvera

dreadnought by April Daniels: sff where a trans girl named Danny see’s a powerful superhero die, and ends up absorbing his powers as well as having her body transformed into her ideal body. Side rep for a black lesbian girl. This is #ownvoices for the trans rep, but beware there is some pretty harsh transphobia (called out but fyi), as well as a real TERFy character. tw: transphobia, parental abuse

the long way to a small, angry planet by becky chambers: this is science fiction that follows a group of people who are travelling across space. the mc is a lesbian, and there’s an f/f relationship. this world is absolutely amazing I love it. 

[blue-island-ya]

The signs as YA books.

Aries: This Savage Song

Taurus: Eleanor & Park

Gemini: Warcross

Cancer: The Raven Cycle

Leo: Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda

Virgo: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Libra: The Lunar Chronicles

Scorpio: Six of Crows

Sagittarius: Rebel of the Sands

Capricorn: I'll Give You the Sun

Aquarius: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Pisces: Carry On

[elliesinfinitebooks-deactivated]

TITLE: Sky in the Deep

AUTHOR: Adrienne Young

RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2018

RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

SYNOPSIS: Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

MY REVIEW: I didn’t know what to think going into this novel, the synopsis sounded super interesting, but it wasn’t until I was a few chapters in that I knew I was going to LOVE this book.. It’s high action, and I love that there’s family, friendships, subtle romance, and none of the topics are too strong, and you get the perfect feel of emotions when reading this novel. Eylen, the main character and also POV of the novel, you connect with her from the get go, (not in that vikings sort of way) but you connect with her drive, and motivation. It’s a wonderful story of perseverance, and determination! It’s definitely a winner for me and I extremely recommend it, if you’re looking for a badass feminine protagonist, and a packed with action novel! This will be perfect for you!

Love, Ellie

[craving-freedom]

Title: LIFEL1K3 Author: Jay Kristoff Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia Released: May 29th, 2018 Rating: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ .5

Synopsis: On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap. Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it. But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past. Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

Whoa… I Honestly Don’t even know where to start with this book. I finished it around 3:30 in the morning because I couldn’t put it down! So while I’m still getting my thoughts in order, i’ll start at the beginning. This lovely sci fi dystopia starts off with a heart wrenching beginning. Straight from the get go your heart starts pumping and you’re INVESTED. I won’t spoil the start, cause it’s pretty impressive and I NEED ya’ll to experience it.

Keep reading

[msrandomcreation-deactivated202]

“There'a billion different versions of you out there, in a trillion different universes. And I still can’t get over how lucky I am that, out of all those versions, you’re the one that’s mine.” . This series is perfection. Hilarious, heartbreaking, action packed, insanity. Though I am so incredibly sad that it’s over this was the perfect ending to the series. Laughing, crying, & tensed up I enjoyed every page of this book just as I did with the other two. If Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ever wanted to revisit the series I will be here waiting because I will read anything with these characters in it. Beautiful book inside & out & still a fantastically unique format this series really is amazing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[nprbooks]

Critic Caitlyn Paxson says there’s a lot to like in Melissa Albert’s new The Hazel Wood: 

This book is crafted with all the care that goes into spinning nettle shirts for your enchanted swan-brothers and all the agony and beauty of spitting up roses and diamonds. It looks head-on at trauma, and gives its compelling heroine the space to find her truth and begin the hard work of healing her wounds.

But, she adds, the book’s relentless darkness drains some of the magic from fairyland.

Check out her full review here.

– Petra

[cielrouge]

2018 YA Reads by Authors of Color

#PrettyBoy Must Die by Kimberly Reid - A CIA prodigy’s cover is blown when he accidentally becomes an internet sensation, inspired by the #Alexfromtarget story.

96 Words of Love by Rachel Roy & Ava Dash - James Patterson Presents a modern retelling of a classic Indian legend, 96 Words for Love is a touching coming-of-age story that reads like Eat, Pray, Love for teens.

500 Words or Less by Juleah del Rosario - To redefine her reputation senior year, Nic Chen begins writing their college admissions essays. But the more essays Nic writes for other people, the less sure she becomes of herself, and whether her moral compass even points north anymore.

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribar - A powerful novel about friendship, basketball, and one teen’s mission to create a better life for his family in the tradition of Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers.   

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena - When half-Hindu, half-Parsi school troublemaker Zarin Wadia dies in a car crash with a boy named Porus, no one in her South Asian community in Jeddah is surprised—what else would you expect from a girl like that?

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi -  After their home in Syria is bombed, Tareq and family seek refuge, first with extended family in Raqqa, a stronghold for the militant group, Daesh, and then abroad.

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir - Within the Empire, the threat of war looms, putting Laia, Helene, and Elias at risk. 

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman - 15 bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. 

All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor - Four privileged Long Island teens befriend their favorite YA author with disastrous results.

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell - A historical-fiction anthology shines the spotlight on queer teens, from as far back as the 1300s to the 21st century.

Keep reading

[iwillbestronger]

T W E N T Y G A Y T E E N

🌈 (APRIL - MAY) 🌈

(Part 1) (Part 3)

[readpenguin]

One year after graduation, Beatrice is returning to Wincroft–the seaside estate where they spent so many nights sharing secrets, crushes, plans to change the world–hoping she’ll get to the bottom of the dark questions gnawing at her about Jim’s death. But as the night plays out in a haze of stilted jokes and unfathomable silence, Beatrice senses she’s never going to know what really happened. Then a mysterious man knocks on the door. Blithely, he announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions. Now Beatrice has one last shot at answers … and at life. And so begins the Neverworld Wake.

[paperbackd]

SO MANY fantastic YA books are hitting the shelves next year! Here’s my top twenty YA releases of the first half of 2018:

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson ✤ The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis ✤ Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli ✤ White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig ✤ The Radical Element ✤ Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe ✤ Unearthed by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner ✤ Dread Nation by Justina Ireland ✤ From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon ✤ Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre ✤ Fresh Ink ✤ A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena ✤ Endless Water, Starless Sky by Rosamund Hodge ✤ Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ✤ Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie ✤ Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston ✤ Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ✤ Ship It by Britta Lundin ✤ Meet Cute ✤ Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

[demi-void]

Release date: Spring 2018

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.