I’m a day late this week—thank this monster storm for knocking out my power and internet for that!—but now we’re even CLOSER to November! So let’s look at some of the books that are headed our way:
Not Now, Not Ever, by Lily Anderson
Kat and Meg Conquer the World, by Anna Priemaza
Two books that celebrate geekery, friendship, and the power of story! I loved Anderson’s The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You—a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing—so I’d have been excited about Not Now, Not Ever even if it wasn’t a retelling of The Importance of Being Earnest. The fact that it is—AND that it stars a girl who loves science fiction so much that she wants to study it in college—is just icing on the cake. Can’t wait!
Priemaza’s Kat and Meg Conquer the World deals heavily with fandom as well, but in this case, the fandom surrounding a MMORPG. It’s ALSO very much about female friendship—and Kirkus calls it “heart-warming,” which is something I know I could use right now—so I’m in, in, IN.
Alone, by Cyn Balog
Halloween is almost over, but my need for horror stories isn’t! It involves people snowed in at a creepy old hotel, a murder mystery party game, and a teenage protagonist who suspects that her imaginary friend isn’t so imaginary after all…Also! The protagonist’s mother is a horror-film scholar, so I’m hoping for references and nods to movies and tropes galore.
Here We Are Now, by Jasmine Warga
FAMILY DRAMA, HOORAY! A girl discovers that her long-held suspicions about her parentage—that her absent father is actually a hugely-famous American musician, rather than a “boy from back home” in Jordan as her mother had always claimed—are true. His abrupt entry into her life brings about a huge amount of soul-searching and a greater understanding of her own history—as well as her mother’s.
Whichwood, by Tahereh Mafi
The Speaker, by Traci Chee
Fantasy sequels! I loved Mafi’s Alice in Wonderland-esque Furthermore, so I’ve very much been looking forward to this one. And I’ve been meaning to get to Chee’s reading-as-literal-magic The Reader for ages, so the publication of its sequel seems like as good a time as any! Stars across the board, for the first books and the follow-ups!
I Never, by Laura Hopper
Always here for frank depictions of and discussions about sex and love. Judy Blume’s Forever will always have a piece of my heart, but this isn’t a Highlander thing—there can be more than one! The Kirkus reviewer said that this one “begs to be passed from friend to friend under cover of the cafeteria table,” which is pretty much the best recommendation there is.
The Closest I've Come, by Fred Aceves
Debut novel about growing up poor in Tampa—Kirkus not only praises it for a strong voice, but promises that it deals with economic class, power dynamics and structures, ethnicity, family, and friendship. Here for it! Starred review.
The Chaos of Standing Still, by Jessica Brody
Romance set in a snowed-in airport! That’s all I need to hear!
The Wild Book, by Juan Villoro, translated by Lawrence Schimel
Middle grade import from Mexico; Kirkus describes it as “comfort food for book lovers.”
Did I miss the book that you’re most breathlessly waiting for? Let me know!
In addition to running a library in rural Maine, Leila Roy blogs at Bookshelves of Doom and The Backlist, is currently serving on the Amelia Bloomer Project committee, is a contributor at Book Riot, hangs out on Twitter a lot—possibly too much—and watches a shocking amount of television. Her cat is a murderer.
