Kelly and Erica discuss a mega list of the best YA books of 2024, the romance bookstore boom of the last few years, and our current book club pick.

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A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.

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The best of the best YA books for 2024

From The New York Times: Romance Bookstores Are Booming

**Book Club Alert**: Make sure to pick up Double Love by Francine Pascal, the first book in the Sweet Valley High series, for our discussion of it on February 25.

Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz

The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley

Love on Paper by Danielle Parker

Dreamover by Dani Diaz

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold

A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl

Truth, Lies, and The Questions in Between by L. M. Elliott

The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker

No Rules Tonight by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada, Banned Book Club

Devour by Jazmine Joyner, illustrated by Anthony Pugh

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Kelly talks with YA author and children's literature champion Jason Reynolds about his career, writing the inner lives of teen boys, his favorite middle grade and YA books, and more.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.

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Jason Reynolds wins a MacArther Genius Grant

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Judy Blume Forever documentary

Forever . . . by Judy Blume

George M. Johnson

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

Eugene Yelchin

"Coca Cola Classic 'Polar Bears' TV commercial 1993"

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

The Fire Next Time: A Letter to My Nephew by James Baldwin

Erin Entrada Kelly

A.S. King

Randy Ribay

King and the Dragonfly by Kacen Callender

Love That Dog and Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr.

Jason's recommended reading order of his books if . . .

You're a teacher or librarian planning to teach the books:

If you're an adult wanting to read them for yourself:

For Teens 14+:

For Tweens:

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This week we're sharing a rerun of a favorite episode from last year in which Erica speaks with Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson about being a 16-year-old NYS and NYC Youth Poet Laureate Finalist and co-founder of a literary arts magazine, and Kelly talks with author Veronica Chambers about Ida In Love and Trouble, Black historical YA, and more.

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Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

Chen Chen 

Tony Hoagland

Danez Smith

A Tale for the time being by Ruth Ozeki 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

Ida, In Love and Trouble by Veronica Chambers

Veronica Chambers at The New York Times

Suffs on Broadway

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The Memphis Diaries by Ida B. Wells

Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula Giddings

Quinceanera Means Sweet Fifteen by Veronica Chambers

Amigas: Fifteen Candles by Veronica Chambers

Sabaa Tahir

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice by Veronica Chambers

Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Jennifer Harlan and Veronica Chambers

The New York Times writing contests for teens

Playlist for Ida in Love and Trouble

Follow Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson's art and literature magazine at Noor.org and on Instagram

Donate to Noor.org on Gofundme

Follow Veronica Chambers on Instagram.

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Erica gets into some new YA fantasy graphic novels, comics, and manga she's excited to read in the new year.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. To get recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. All Access subscribers get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. You can become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year to get unlimited access to all members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies of knowing you are supporting independent media. To join, visit bookriot.com/readharder.

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Ichi the Witch by Osamu Nishi, illustrated by Shiro Usazaki

The Fade by Aabria Iyengar, illustrated by Mari Costa

RuriDragon, Vol. 1 by Masaoki Shindō

West Hollywood Monster Squad by Sina Grace, illustrated by Bradley Clayton

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Kelly and Erica discuss their year in YA reading, looking back at their favorite books and themes that emerged.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

At Tailored Book Recommendations, we’ve recommended over 150,000 books to readers of every type. And we’ve got good news— TBR makes a novel gift for the book lover on your list! All your gift recipient has to do is fill out a survey about their reading likes and dislikes, and our expert bibliologists will use their bookish knowledge to round up three personalized recommendations for reads we think they’ll love. Whether they’re a mystery maven, a historical fiction fanatic, or a contemporary connoisseur, we’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift TBR! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started. You can even schedule the delivery of the welcome email, which means no more waiting on gifts to arrive last minute.

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Morris and Nonfiction Awards

Hey YA Episode with Paula Yoo

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

Cat + Gamer series by Wataru Nadatani, translated by Zack Davisson

Hirayasumi, Vol. 1 by Keigo Shinzō, translated by Jan Mitsuko Cash

Flying Witch by Chihiro Ishizuka, translated by Melissa Tanaka

Clever Creatures of the Night by Samantha Mabry

Flamboyants by George M. Johnson

Shift Happens: The History of Labor in the United States by J. Albert Mann

“The First American Union Understood The Necessity of Public Libraries and Education”

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Suffragist’s Guide to the Antarctic by Yi Shun Lai

Morgana and Oz by Miyuli

Moon Dogs #1 (One Shot) by Tananarive Due, illustrated by Kelsey Ramsay

The Fade #1 by Aabria Iyengar, illustrated by Mari Costa

After Life by Gayle Forman

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This week on Hey YA, Kelly talks about five upcoming 2025 YA anthologies you'll want on your TBR.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

At Tailored Book Recommendations, we’ve recommended over 150,000 books to readers of every type. And we’ve got good news— TBR makes a novel gift for the book lover on your list! All your gift recipient has to do is fill out a survey about their reading likes and dislikes, and our expert bibliologists will use their bookish knowledge to round up three personalized recommendations for reads we think they’ll love. Whether they’re a mystery maven, a historical fiction fanatic, or a contemporary connoisseur, we’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift TBR! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started. You can even schedule the delivery of the welcome email, which means no more waiting on gifts to arrive last minute.

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(Wh)Y A(n) Anthology: On the Rise and Reach of YA Anthologies

YA Anthologies: Discovering and Using New Collections for Teen Readers (School Library Journal)

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health, Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World, and Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy edited by Kelly Jensen

All The Love Under the Vast Sky edited by Kip Wilson (January 14)

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights edited by Ashley Hope Perez (March 4)

Generation Queer: Stories of Youth Organizers, Artists, and Educators edited by Kimm Topping, with illustrations by Anshika Khullar (May 27)

Legendary Frybread Drive In edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (August 26)

Ancestor Approved edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology edited by Vania Stoyanova and Rosiee Thor (February 4)

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Kelly and Erica discuss some of the YA books out in December that they're the most excited for.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

At Tailored Book Recommendations, we’ve recommended over 150,000 books to readers of every type. And we’ve got good news— TBR makes a novel gift for the book lover on your list! All your gift recipient has to do is fill out a survey about their reading likes and dislikes, and our expert bibliologists will use their bookish knowledge to round up three personalized recommendations for reads we think they’ll love. Whether they’re a mystery maven, a historical fiction fanatic, or a contemporary connoisseur, we’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift TBR! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started. You can even schedule the delivery of the welcome email, which means no more waiting on gifts to arrive last minute.

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Kelly's mega list roundup of the best YA books of 2024

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum

Dust by Alison Stine

My Fairy God Somebody by Charlene Allen

Far From The Tree by Robin Benway 

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

Visitations by Corey Egbert

When The Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

Heavenly Tyrant and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao 

Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin 

The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis

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This week, Kelly talks with Maggie Tokuda-Hall about book banning, its impacts on teens, and what Authors Against Book Bans is doing in response.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Keep up to date with the world of books and reading with Today in Books, Book Riot's daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Our editors offer commentary, context, and the occasional clap-back to keep you informed and entertained. Visit bookriot.com/todayinbooks to subscribe for free, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media.

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Authors Against Book Bans

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Maggie's blog post about Scholastic requesting the removal of "racism" from Love in the Library

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT)

5 Calls app

Books Not Bans

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Vanessa and Erica talk about the perfect YA books to gift, plus some other little goodies for others, or—let's be real—yourself.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Keep up to date with the world of books and reading with Today in Books, Book Riot's daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Our editors offer commentary, context, and the occasional clap-back to keep you informed and entertained. Visit bookriot.com/todayinbooks to subscribe for free, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media.

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

The Agathas series by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

The Davenports and The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar

Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez

Anatomy duology by Dana Schwartz

The Unofficial Ghibli Park Cookbook by Andy Cheng

The Unofficial Studio Ghibli Cookbook by Jessica Ann Yun

This Poison Heart series by Kalynn Bayron

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Momo Cocoa

Korean skincare sites

Olive Young

Stylevana

Skin Cupid

Jolse

Misc. Self Care

ScentBird

A nice robe

Cute instant camera

e.l.f. Squeeze Me Lip Balm

Tree Hut scrub gift set

Fenty Onesie Hoodie

Act Up Sis

Also have puzzles that Oprah likes

Games

Mika and the Witch's Mountain

Reka

Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe

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Erica speaks to Susen Shi, the New York Public Library's Young Adult Staff Engagement and Support Manager, about the library's list of the 50 best YA books of the year.

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To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter!

Keep up to date with the world of books and reading with Today in Books, Book Riot's daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Our editors offer commentary, context, and the occasional clap-back to keep you informed and entertained. Visit bookriot.com/todayinbooks to subscribe for free, or become an All Access member starting at $6 per month or $60 per year and get unlimited access to members-only content in 20+ newsletters, community features, and the warm fuzzies knowing you are supporting independent media.

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Further clarification on hi-lo titles from Susen Shi: "they are defined as high-interest stories written at a lower reading level to engage readers and strengthen their love for literature. Our list does contain books that I consider hi-lo that would pique readers interest in an accessible way."

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park, translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort

Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire by Ferin Davis Anderson, Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Night Owls by A.R. Vishny

Secret Staircase series by Gigi Pandian

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series by Mia P. Manansala

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté

Best Books for Teens 2024

NYPL Teens Instagram

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