In this episode we discuss Maggie Harcourt's Theatrical, a YA contemporary about family, first love and the thrills of working behind the scenes at a theatre. Chris compares it to the theatre and ballet books she used to read when she was growing up, while Mary wishes that books like Theatrical had been around when she was a teenager.

Buy a copy at https://www.facebook.com/marysbookshelf/

This episode is about Ace of Spade by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Pitched as a cross between Get Out and Gossip Girl, it's a suspenseful thriller following the lives of two black students in an elite US school who are being targetted by the mysterious  Ace of Spades. We talk about how Faridah came to write the book, and try not to give away the ending in our discussion of gender, race and which is our favourite character. 

To listen to the Barnes and Noble interview with Faridah go to: https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble/videos/154693986729257/

Any books discussed can be ordered from: https://www.facebook.com/marysbookshelf/ 

Tamsin Winter's Girl (In Real Life) is a gripping teen school story about the pitfalls of growing up online, which works for adults as well as children. The Bookshelf Sisters discuss the dangers of family vlogging, early access to social media, and how the Internet has changed our lives. We also feature contemporary sci-fi thriller More of Me by Kathryn Evans, which Chris thinks is even better than Beauty Sleep (discussed in Episode 2). But could it be the weirdest book Mary has ever read?  

In this episode's discussion of After the Fire by Will Hill, the Bookshelf Sisters Mary & Chris talk about cults, Waco and radicalization. 

After the Fire won the YA Book Prize in 2018 and we take a quick look at this year's shortlist: https://www.thebookseller.com/shortlist-ya-book-prize-2021. (22.03)

We also had our first letter - from author Darren Simpson no less - answering  some of our questions about Scavengers from Episode 3. (25.53)

There are two books for our next discussions:  Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Episode 7) and Girl (In Real Life) by Tamsin Winter (Episode 6). Both books are available from Mary's Bookshelf: https://www.facebook.com/marysbookshelf/

Geraldine McCaughrean's The Supreme Lie has it all - fake news, fake politicians, puzzles and dogs! Geraldine uses a flood in a made-up country to explore whether lies are ever justified. We discuss whether the book is about environmental catastrophes or  political corruption, and what makes it such an amusing and likable book, despite the dark subject matter. We also discuss another book about lies, Frances Hardinge's The Lie Tree, and Geraldine McCaughrean's tale of survival Where the World Ends

Buy both of Geraldine's books from Mary's Bookshelf: https://www.facebook.com/marysbookshelf/

This episode we attempt to discuss Darren Simpson's "icky, poignant, compelling" Scavengers without giving away too much of the plot. This book is not YA, so how old is Landfill, the hero, meant to be? Also does gender balance matter, or is the more important question how the different genders are represented? And why are the books that inspired Darren Simpson so bleak?  

Visit Mary's Bookshelf: https://www.facebook.com/marysbookshelf/

In this episode we ponder the definition of Young Adult fiction before discussing the near future YA thriller Beauty Sleep by Kathryn Evans (Usborne 2019), winner of the Portsmouth Book Award 2020 and the CrimeFest Award 2020. 

We discuss The Extinction Trials by S M Wilson, a YA book from Usborne, described as "The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park". Topics include who is the book aimed at, how much world-building does this kind of adventure need and reasons why writers might choose to publish under initials.