Hey YA

Latest Episodes:

New YA Books by AAPI Authors and an Interview With Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, Authors of ON AGAIN, AWKWARD AGAIN May 21, 2025

Show notes

Erica goes over a nice mix of new YA books by AAPI authors, while Kelly has a great convo with Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, authors of the new rom-com On Again, Awkward Again.

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Books Discussed:

Eliza, from Scratch by Sophia Lee

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, illustrated by Tara Anand

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

The Summer I Remembered Everything by Catherine Con Morse

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly, Kwame Mbalia

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

The White Guy Dies First edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker

The Black Girl Survives in This One edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Shine by Candy Gourlay

Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender

Hello Universe and Lalani o f the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

Kaya Morgan's Crowning Achievement by Jill Tew

Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos by Tracey Baptiste

Kwame Mbalia's Freedom Fire imprint (more info)

You can follow both Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia on Bluesky.

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A Few New Books and Revisiting a Great Past Episode May 07, 2025

Show notes

Erica shares a few new books to start the month off with. Then, we revisit a great past episode where Kelly and Erica discuss the first book of the super-popular 1980s/1990s series Sweet Valley High. We also find out who is more of a Jessica/Elizabeth.

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News:

Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books

LA Book Prize finalists announced

Books Discussed:

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams

The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire

Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala

Salvación by Sandra Proudman

Double Love (Sweet Valley High No. 1) by Francine Pascal

From the ghostwriter

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich

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An Interview With Huda Fahmy, Plus Cute YA Books to Read as It Gets Warmer Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Erica gets into some cutesy/cozy YA books, and Kelly speaks to Huda Fahmy about her fictionalized memoir series.

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Books Discussed

If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

I Shall Never Fall in Love: A Graphic Novel by Hari Conner

If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal

Off Menu: A Graphic Novel by Oliver Gerlach, illustrated by Kelsi Jo Silva

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui

If You're Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi

Huda F Wants to Know by Huda Fahmy

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The Threat of an Exorcism: April's Best YA New Releases Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Kelly and Erica discuss their most anticipated YA books coming out in April.

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News

LJ Smith Dies at 66

The Gossip Mill

Sunrise on the Reaping sees phenomenal early sales

Books Discussed

Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju

Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick

Sunlight Playing over a Mountain by Selina Li Bi

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

The House No One Sees by Adina King

Renegade Girls by Nora Neus and illustrated by Julie Robine

Get to know Nellie Bly

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum

The Payback Girls by Alex Travis

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

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"Nothing Is Original" An Interview with Ava Reid — Plus New YA Graphic Novels to Read This Year Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Erica gets into some new YA graphic novels that she's excited about, and Kelly interviews YA author Ava Reid about her latest release, the art of homage, and being a life-long Hunger Games fan.

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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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Article discussed

Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books

Books Discussed

Raised By Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn

Brielle and Bear: Volume 1 Salomey Doku

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries

Huda F Wants to Know? By Huda Fahmy

Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-Rousing by Nora Neus, illustrated by Julie Robine

Fable at the End of the World by Ava Reid

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Legend series by Marie Lu

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

The Fever King series by Victoria Lee

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

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That Cover Goes B-A-N-A-N-A-S: YA Books Out in March to TBR Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Kelly and Erica share their picks for the best YA books coming out in March and get into a little adaptation news and horror.

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News

Summer Scares 2025!

Forever...the adaptation will hit Netflix in May and it looks amazing

Books Discussed

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

Movie mentioned: Beasts of the Southern Wild

A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin

Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Say a Little Prayer by Jenna Voris

Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation by Cara Meredith

The House No One Sees by Adina King

Messy Roots: A Graphic Novel of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love) by Laura Gao

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle) by Tracy Deonn

Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins

Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, illustrated by Debbie Fong

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

Wake the Wild Creatures by Nova Ren Suma

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Book Club Discussion: Sweet Valley High #1, Double Love Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Kelly and Erica discuss the first book of the super-popular 1980s/1990s series Sweet Valley High. We also find out who is more of a Jessica/Elizabeth.

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!

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

News

Graphic novels are booming in popularity. It’s changing children’s relationship with books

LA Book Prize finalists announced

Books Discussed

Double Love (Sweet Valley High No. 1) by Francine Pascal

From the ghostwriter

On Again, Awkward Again by Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Nekokurage, translated by Julie Goniwich

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"Books Connect You to a Common Experience": An Interview with Gayle Forman Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

Kelly talks with New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman about her new book, about the afterlife, and about the growth and evolution of YA as a category.

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Books Discussed

After Life by Gayle Forman

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

Lamar Giles on Hey YA

When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

On a Wing and a Tear by Cynthia Leitich Smith

One Day by David Nicholls

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

We Need Diverse Books

Shoutouts to Lexapro and Zoloft

Gayle emailed the following additional recommendations from our segment on books about/related to the afterlife: The In Between by Hadley Vlahos, Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinthi, and Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal.

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Let’s Talk About Demons: February's Best YA Book Releases Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Kelly and Erica talk about the YA books out in February they're most excited about...and maybe a demon or two.

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News

Our Book Club Pick for our February 26th episode: Double Love by Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High #1)

Award-Winning YA Books from the ALA Youth Media Awards

Adult novels in verse

The Rainbow List

Malinda Lo's queer YA book counts

Books Discussed

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

Dropping Beats by Nathanael Lessore

The Forest King’s Daughter by Elly Blake

The Girl You Know by Elle Gonzalez Rose

The History of Everything by Victoria Evans

Hakutaku by Kouki Ishikawa

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

Nimona by ND Stevenson

Emily the Strange by Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, and Buzz Parker

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham

A Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

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Revenge All the Way Down: The Best YA Books Out in January Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

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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News

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.