unabridgedpod
Oct 6, 20204 min
by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books)
All right, book lovers, this is one of those pub days that overwhelms me, so I'm feeling obligated to share some extras today. I have FIVE books pre-ordered today, FOUR that I've already read thanks to NetGalley, and THREE more than I can't resist mentioning. Here we go:
Jerry Craft's Class Act - My boys and I are SO excited about this follow up to the award-winning graphic novel New Kid.
Tana French's The Searcher - French is an auto-buy author for me. She excels at character-driven mystery novels that are super gritty and brilliantly plotted.
Stuart Gibbs's Spy School Revolution - My older son and I have read all of the books in this series together. (Well, he's read them all, and then he listens again as I read them aloud.)
Rick Riordan's The Tower of Nero - Riordan is another auto-buy author in my house. I haven't kept up with all of his series, but my sons definitely have!
Sherry Thomas's Murder on Cold Street - The Lady Sherlock series is my favorite Sherlock Holmes retelling, in which Sherlock Holmes is the pseudonym for a single woman in Victorian London. They are just fabulous.
Julie C. Dao's Broken Wish - This was a great, fairytale-inspired YA fantasy novel, and it's the first book in a series that will be continued by superstars Dhonielle Clayton, Julia Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney. Check out my review here.
Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze - This pair of writers are also on my auto-buy list, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read this Groundhog Day story early. Sara loved this one, too! Check out her review here.
Sarah Morgenthaler's Mistletoe and Mr. Right - This is the second book in Morgenthaler's rom com series set in Moose Springs, Alaska. I found her through a buddy read with @thechicklitbookclub and am excited to chat about book two.
V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - I'm anxious to devour Schwab's backlist after reading this phenomenal book. Check out my review here.
Description from Publisher:
"Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there's no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge.
"Tristan must return to Alke—and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby—in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. Anansi, now a 'web developer' in Tristan's phone, is close at hand to offer advice, and several new folk heroes will aid Tristan in his quest, but he will only succeed if he can figure out a way to sew broken souls back together."
Why I want to read it:
I absolutely adored book one in this series, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, and I'm eager to find out how Mbalia continues Tristan's story. Here's my review of book one.
Description from Publisher:
"Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s tender and honest middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kind hearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.
"Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.
"The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen?
"Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most.
"This relatable and empathetic story about two friends coming to understand each other will resonate with readers who loved Other Words for Home and Front Desk."
Why I want to read it:
The cover here caught my eye, and I'm always on the lookout for good, middle-grade reads to share with my kiddos. The comparison to Kelly Yang's Front Desk cemented this choice for me!
Description from Publisher:
"How about a book that makes you barge into your boss's office to read a page of poetry from? That you dream of? That every movie, song, book, moment that follows continues to evoke in some way?
"The term 'Apple' is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly 'red on the outside, white on the inside.'
"Eric Gansworth is telling his story in Apple (Skin to the Core). The story of his family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds.
"Eric shatters that slur and reclaims it in verse and prose and imagery that truly lives up to the word heartbreaking."
Why I want to read it:
Poetry isn't always what I reach for first, but this collection sounds brilliant, and I've read nothing but great reviews. I also am intrigued since this is listed for a YA audience.
#pubdayshoutouts #poetry #yalit #middlegrade #diversereads #worldlit #fantasy #mystery #graphicnovel
(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)
Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Loving what you see here? Please comment below (scroll ALL the way down to comment), share this post using the social media buttons below (scroll down for those as well!), and find us on social media to share your thoughts!
Want to support Unabridged?
Check out our Merch Store!
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.