#yabooks

[marshmyers]

Celebrate PRIDE MONTH 🏳️‍🌈 with this curated selection of YA novels, comic books, manga and graphic novels from Laughing Boy Books!

SEE MY BOOK RECS HERE >>

[maureenjohnsonbooks]

A friendly hello in an unfriendly time

(The following was the content of my most recent newsletter, which you can get for yourself if you like.)

HELLO FRIENDS So. Um. What a time, huh? Things are not great. I really hope you are doing okay. I went a bit quiet on social media after the election (at least on IG--I am on Bluesky ALL THE TIME). It felt weird to be talking about my own books, so for a few months I didn't. But I was making them! I am currently well into the sixth STEVIE BELL MYSTERY, and I have finished (along with my friend Jay Cooper) a MYSTERY that is coming out in September! It is called You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder. The book is a dossier, a collection of documents and pictures. You are the detective and Scotland Yard has handed YOU the case file. You have to solve the mystery. When you think you have the answer, you open a SEALED ENVELOPE IN THE BACK WITH THE SOLUTION.

Here is a Proof of Life pic of us working on page proofs:

Working on this side by side on art and design to put together a GREAT MYSTERY has been amazing. It looks REALLY, REALLY GOOD. I cannot wait to show it to you.

MORE BOOK STUFF. I am thrilled beyond belief say that Death at Morning Househas been nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. As a mystery person, this is very meaningful to me. I don't know if I will get that little Poe head, but I'm just happy to be invited. Death at Morning House is a story about a few things that are relevant right now. It's about how our American past informs our American present, which is currently a tire fire. Our history isn't buried that deep. It's just that people don't want to acknowledge it, and they don't want you acknowledging it either. They will take every book out of the library rather than let history be told. A few things in the book that are ringing some bells right now. Two things I knew about while writing it and one I did not. 1. America's history with eugenics. Whoooo. We loved eugenics and Nazism (the literal kind) was WAY TOO POPULAR. We need to know this history--and this is the story book banners are trying to retell or erase. The backstory of the book involves a family, the Ralstons, who are regarded as the ideal American family. Look at them! They are rich! They wear matching outfits and live in a mansion! And they love eugenics! (Well, some of them do.) In creating the Ralstons, I kept things very close to historical reality. I actually had to tone things down for the book because the reality would have become so overwhelming that the story would tilt off balance. But we built a lot of things on the back of eugenics and racism and those things cannot stand.

2. Queer joy is important and needs to be front and center! Marlowe, the main character in Death at Morning House, is proudly and cheerfully queer and in love! She is romantic! And sure, her timing isn't always great, but love will prevail! Affirm queer lives. Protect trans kids. Never, ever, ever back down from this. 3. Canada is our friend. This one, I didn't see coming. I didn't think we were going to get into a TRADE WAR WITH CANADA because I don't drink bleach and hallucinate weird events. Ralston Island is on the imaginary line that squiggles through the St. Lawrence River that separates America and Canada. We are intertwined. WE LOVE CANADA. (Bonus fact: my grandfather was Canadian. He was born in British Columbia, in Nanaimo, and my aunt there made the best Nanaimo bars. If you have never had one, don't sleep on this. Try one now. Here are dairy and vegan versions. GO CANADA!) Whether you read my books or not--reading ANY books, supporting libraries, talking about books, sharing books--THAT IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT. Use your library. It really, really helps them to get footfall. Ask the librarian how they are doing. Aside from books (though books will help you through just about anything), I wanted to recommend a few silly and life-affirming things I enjoy. Just some stuff you can watch or listen to that are a guaranteed GOOD TIME. 1. I'm a recent and massive fan of Watcher TV, specifically Shane and Ryan (who used to do Buzzfeed Unsolved). They have a few shows out there, but I am going to recommend Puppet History, which is spectacular. You can get started maybe with this episode on the straw hat riot, but they are all funny. MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE SONGS. 2. I'm a long time fan of The Dollop history podcast, which is a comedy podcast that gets very, very real! But is also comedy? They get into the reality of American history and talk about a lot of the things I mentioned above. But they also have some absolute classics that are just VERY FUNNY. A quick playlist of pure absurdity: the Egg Nog Riot, the 1908 New York to Paris Car Race, and Action Park. 3. I can't speak highly enough of Anxious People, which you can watch on Netflix. A mysterious person runs into an open house apartment viewing and takes a group of people hostage--then vanishes? And no one saw a thing? This locked room mystery turns into something magical and will reaffirm your faith in other people. IT'S SO GOOD. 4. Two UK shows that own my heart (well, many do, but these will fix you): Ghosts and Ludwig. (Note: NOT the Ghosts on CBS. I am strict about this.) You can see Ghosts some US streaming services, but come closer...I will whisper something to you...*looks around*...you can get into BBC iPlayer by using a VPN and then entering some random UK post code and saying that you have a TV license. They won't come after you. You may have to try a few VPNs but one will work. Using this method, you can also watch Channel 4 online. GET YOURSELF SOME UK COMEDY. UK, WE NEED YOU. 5. If I only have three minutes to dispel the vapors I watch this. If I have five, I do a Murdle. If I have ten, I do this thing where you look at art for ten minutes. If I have fifteen I play Splendor Duel on board game arena. Whenever you are, whatever is going on, I hope you are okay. Remember, the answer has always been and will always be taking care of each other. None of this is easy. With love, I remain, Maureen Johnson, author

[doubledaybooks]

"What is grief, but love that’s lost its object?"

-Kelly Barnhill, When Women Were Dragons

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/695825/when-women-were-dragons-by-kelly-barnhill/

[the-unseelie]

the wicked king & the queen of nothing

characters belong to @hollyblack

[ireadyabooks]

The Hunger Games Illustrated Edition

The Hunger Games as you've never seen it before -- in a remarkable illustrated edition.

Even at the age of sixteen, Katniss Everdeen knows it takes hard work, keen observation, and inner fortitude to survive in the world. Her home, District 12, is under the merciless rule of the Capitol, continually forced to pay after losing a long-ago civil war in the nation of Panem.

One of the ways the Capitol keeps control is its annual Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death featuring two young tributes from each of Panem's twelve districts. This gruesome battle is meant to send home a chilling message: Rebellion will always be punished.

When Katniss finds herself within the Hunger Games arena, she knows the odds aren't in her favor. Any wrong move will end her life -- and even the right moves come with a cost. But if she can survive, there is a chance the districts may survive as well...

The Hunger Games has enthralled millions of readers in its examination of the price of war, human nature, and the powerful force of both love and resistance. Now it appears for the first time in a deluxe illustrated edition, with spellbinding art from internationally acclaimed artist Nico Delort.

GET YOUR COPY

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Bookshop.org

Google Play

[qbdatabase]

We're doing Horror in February for Black History Month featuring 10 black queer main characters who aren't victims or tropes, fighting back against the system, and the monsters that lurk within ...

10 Black Queer Horror Titles: We're doing Horror in February for Black History Month featuring 10 black queer main characters who aren't victims or tropes, fighting back against the system, and the monsters that lurk within ... ..... View the full summary and rep info on wordpress!

[minyboy]

Fine, let's start adding more Warrior cats, I'm sure nobody will complain how I draw them.

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (May 27th, 2025)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Releases:

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry

And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis

Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler

The Whisperwood Legacy by Jo Schulte

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

All-Nighter by Cecilia Vinesse

These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa

This Moth Saw Brightness by A.A. Vacharat

Titan of the Stars by E.K. Johnston

Costumes For Time Travelers by A.R. Capetta

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

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Happy reading!