In the first book of The Selection Series, America Singer gets chosen to be in the selection. This is a nightmare for her. In the selection 35 girls have to compete to make Prince Maxon fall in love with one of them. America grew up in a poor family and going to a palace is going to be a big change for her. In this futuristic romance novel, America will have to follow her heart, even if she doesn’t like what her heart is telling her.
Blackout is an adorable love story, written by 6different popular YA authors, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon. All of these amazing authors came together to write 6 different love stories, all happening on the same day. One day in New York, the entire city experiences a blackout, casting New York into darkness in the middle of a heatwave.
Normal People follows the story of Connell and Marianne, who in high school were total opposites to the outside world, but secretly the same people. As they grow up, they simply can’t stay away from each other. Now for me, this is one of my favorite romance ‘tropes’. The ‘We hate that we love each other but can’t stay away from each other enough’. If you also like that, I 100% recommend this book.
A Raisin in the Sun is a 1959 play by Lorraine Hansberry that focuses on an embattled family in south Chicago as they attempt and discuss ways to improve their lives financially after an insurance payout following the death of the patriarch in the family. In this quick but compelling play, Hansberry thoughtfully focuses heavily on racism, housing discrimination, and assimilation.
Tangerine by Edward Bloor centers on Paul Fisher, an eighth-grader with impaired eyes who moves to Tangerine County, Florida, with his whole family. In the novel, Paul juggles making new friends, dealing with the constant harassment from his football-star brother, joining his middle school’s soccer team, and uncovering strange occurrences that keep happening in Tangerine. Overall the book is a gripping story with many twists and turns from beginning to end.
Axie Oh’s XOXO is an adorable contemporary romance novel. All Jenny wants is to be accepted into a prestigious music conservatory, but when she meets Jaewoo at her uncle’s karaoke bar in Los Angeles, her life will change drastically. Suddenly, Jenny finds herself moving to South Korea to take care of her sick grandmother. Unbeknownst to her, the boy she met in the karaoke bar is a famous K-pop idol.
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas is a contemporary young adult novel that focuses on LGBTQ+ issues. Finch is about to go to the debate National Championships in Washington D.C., but the debate topic is transgender rights. Finch is a trans man that dreams of becoming the first transgender member of Congress, but his financial and emotional turmoil may keep him from his dream of Washington D.C.
Two sisters go on a road trip with their parents to embark on a new journey. Memories come back to young Raina Telgemeier when her sister and she were close and happier than ever. When the memories of simpler times ever be real again? This book had a tight grab on my heart. Raina telling the story of her and her sisters’ relationship when they were younger has that personal touch to the graphic novel. This book is great for kids with siblings to understand that finding is not always the way out. This book is a 10 out of 10 in my book!!
18-year-old Madeline Whittier is a girl who is locked up in her house because of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), which means she cannot go anywhere or touch anything that has not been sanitized. Olly Bright is a 19-year-old who just moved into the house across from Madeline. Will they never get a chance to meet and explore the world together? I really enjoyed this book with its subtle twists and turns that I never expected. For people who are fans of unexpected relationships, this book is for them! This book kept me on edge about what was going to happen next.
Callie is a girl who loves theatre. A middle school play called ‘Moon over Mississippi’ was created. Callie wants to be in it, but she can't sing. She decides to work backstage to still be a part of the production. How can Callie be a help to the backstage when she knows nothing about stage props, and will her lack of knowledge prevent the show from going on? This book was hard to put down. The part that I love is that it's a graphic novel and you're able to see the pictures in real time. Callie’s story about friendships, relationships, and learning experiences is an experience for me.
