by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse)
Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read (plus a bonus picture book!)!
Ashley Schumacher's Amelia Unabridged
Description from Publisher:
"Sparks fly between two teens as they grapple with grief, love, and the future in this unforgettable debut novel sure to entice fans of Jandy Nelson and Jennifer E. Smith.
"Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.
"In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.
"When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.
"Ashley Schumacher's devastating and beautiful debut, Amelia Unabridged, is about finding hope and strength within yourself, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love while you do it."
Why I want to read it: Jen had such amazing things to say about this one that I definitely want to read it! I also absolutely love Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun, one of my favorite YA books, so that comp to her work is enticing as well! Check out Jen's review of Amelia Unabridged here.
Alisha Rai's First Comes Like
Description from Publisher:
"The author of The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral returns with a story about finding love in all the wrong inboxes...
"Beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed has her eye on the prize: conquering the internet today, the entire makeup industry tomorrow, and finally, finally proving herself to her big opinionated family. She has little time for love, and even less time for the men in her private messages—until the day a certain international superstar slides into her DMs, and she falls hard and fast.
"There’s just one wrinkle: he has no idea who she is.
"The son of a powerful Bollywood family, soap opera star Dev Dixit is used to drama, but a strange woman who accuses him of wooing her online, well, that’s a new one. As much as he’d like to focus on his Hollywood fresh start, he can’t get Jia out of his head. Especially once he starts to suspect who might have used his famous name to catfish her…
"When paparazzi blast their private business into the public eye, Dev is happy to engage in some friendly fake dating to calm the gossips and to dazzle her family. But as the whole world swoons over their relationship, Jia can’t help but wonder: Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life?"
Why I want to read it: Both Jen and Sara have had great things to say about this one! In fact, this was Sara's recommendation in our Love is in the Air: Romance Recs for 2021 episode last week! Be sure to check out what Sara had to say in the episode—I think her recommendation will have you wanting to read it, too!
Sonya Lalli's Serena Singh Flips the Script
Description from Publisher:
"Serena Singh is tired of everyone telling her what she should want—and she is ready to prove to her mother, her sister, and the aunties in her community that a woman does not need domestic bliss to have a happy life.
"Things are going according to plan for Serena. She’s smart, confident, and just got a kick-ass new job at a top advertising firm in Washington, D.C. Even before her younger sister gets married in a big, traditional wedding, Serena knows her own dreams don’t include marriage or children. But with her mother constantly encouraging her to be more like her sister, Serena can’t understand why her parents refuse to recognize that she and her sister want completely different experiences out of life.
"A new friendship with her co-worker, Ainsley, comes as a breath of fresh air, challenging Serena’s long-held beliefs about the importance of self-reliance. She’s been so focused on career success that she’s let all of her hobbies and close friendships fall by the wayside. As Serena reconnects with her family and friends—including her ex-boyfriend—she learns letting people in can make her happier than standing all on her own."
Why I want to read it: A story focused on female friendship and what it's like to discover and cultivate it? Yes, please! I also love the way that it sounds like this will be about Serena finding her own path and purpose. This sounds like an amazing read!
Adib Khorram's Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story, illustrated by Zainab Faidhi - We all absolutely loved Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Is Not Okay, which was our January book club and buddy read pick, and I was thrilled to see this picture book celebrating Nowruz on the pub day list!
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Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
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