Samira Ahmed’s debut, Love, Hate & Other Filters, explored Islamophobia through the contemporary story of Indian American teen Maya Aziz, whose life changes after a terrorist attack whose perpetrator shares her last name. Her new book, Internment, takes place fifteen minutes into a dark near-future, where Muslim Americans are being incarcerated in internment camps following a political spiral into bigotry and intolerance. We talked to Ahmed about the new book, her path to YA author, and maintaining your belief in the power of resistance. 

Karen McManus’s debut thriller, One of Us Is Lying, was a runaway hit, spending months on the bestseller list and winning countless readers with its twisting storyline and addictive elevator pitch: Breakfast Club with murder. Now she’s back with a bestselling sophomore novel, Two Can Keep a Secret, a cold case mystery set in the tiny town of Echo Ridge. We talked to McManus about the new book, plotting a sprawling story, and how she finds time to write.

On today's podcast, Dhonielle Clayton drops into the studio to talk about her new novel The Everlasting Rose, the exciting sequel to her New York Times bestseller The Belles.  Joining her to talk about everything to do with the exciting world of Orleans is YA writer, editor, and B&N Teen regular contributor Sona Charipotra.

For the last four years, Sarah Enni has traveled the country interviewing YA authors about their histories, their craft, and their new releases, as the creator and host of the wonderful First Draft Podcast. Today, I get to talk to Enni about her own first novel, Tell Me Everything, a tale of art and anonymity, and good intentions and bad mistakes. We talked internet spaces, outsider art, the appeal of Jeff Goldblum, and why she writes.

In this episode we're featuring a crossover with our sibling podcast The B&N Podcast as we welcome debut novelist Gita Trelease, whose sparking new novel Enchantée has critics and readers buzzing alike. Trelease weaves a suitably enchanting adventure of 18th-century France that journeys from the gutters of Paris to the gilded halls of Versailles, on the eve of Revolution. Gifted with a magical talent, Trelease's heroine Camille transforms herself from hungry child of the streets to a glamorous aristocrat -- and that change is only the beginning in this gloriously original blend of history and fantasy. The author joins B&N's Miwa Messer to talk about how she built a glittering world — and kicked off what just might be a whole new series of wonders.

When Bett Devlin discovers that her Dad has a new long-distance boyfriend, that’s one thing.  But when he wants to send Bett off to a strange summer camp with his new boyfriend's daughter Avery? No thank you!  Bett fires off an irate email to a girl she definitely doesn’t want to be camp buddies with, in the hopes they can put a quick end to their Dads’ plans.  But fate has other ideas, and the result is the hilarious and moving story of foes-turned-friends that is To Night Owl from Dogfish.  Bestselling co-authors Meg Wolitzer and Holly Goldberg Sloan join us in the studio to talk about their own camp days, the bonus material and outtakes in the B&N Exclusive Edition, and how their novel started when Meg got an email — not from Holly, but from Bett.

Laura Sebastian’s Ash Princess is a book of elemental magic, fallen royals, and brutal betrayal, about a deposed princess living in exile in her murdered mother’s palace. When her country’s brutal conqueror pushes her too far, she starts laying the groundwork for rebellion, reclaiming her lost power. Sebastian’s trilogy continues this month with Lady Smoke, in which her conflicted heroine, Theo, has both her freedom and a hostage, but must raise an army to save her people. Sebastian is a New York Times bestseller, former Floridian, current New Yorker, and one-time child actor, and we talked to her about worldbuilding, writing fanfic, different kinds of heroines, and plotting Theo’s rise to rebellion.

Leigh Bardugo is the keeper of the Grishaverse, a sprawling fantasy landscape that includes the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, gorgeous fairy tale collection The Language of Thorns, and now King of Scars, the opening title of a duology about Nikolai, the charming, haunted Ravkan king. On the eve of its publication we talked to Bardugo about her path to publication, finding solace in books, what it means to write a zero draft, and the upcoming Netflix adaptation. 

Today we have a special treat for you, a YA Podcast extra featuring bestselling author Angie Thomas talking with YA podcast host Melissa Albert about her brand-new book On the Come Up.  Thomas dropped in to see us last year to talk about her blockbuster hit The Hate You Give, just before the movie adaptation was set to release, And while she was with us, Melissa asked Angie to talk a little bit about the book we couldn't wait to read, her new novel On the Come Up.  And now that it's here, we want to share what she told us about her brand new book about hip-hop, high school, and learning to find your own voice.  The first item on the menu — all the incredible extras Angie added to the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition.

Does anyone in high school really know themselves?  That’s one of the subjects explored — via laughter — by this week’s guest Ben Philippe, who dropped by our studio to talk about his wonderful debut novel The Field Guide to the North American Teenager.  It’s  the story of a sharp-tongued and cynical black French Canadian boy who is transplanted to a Texas high school —  with appropriately complicated, and often hilarious results.   It's one of Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers selections for Spring 2019, and the author was joined this week in the studio by Discover director Miwa Messer, sitting in for our regular host Melissa Albert.