For the delightfully short month of February, I’ve got some romance and some thrillers. All of these books have a February release date, so if they’re not here physically yet, look for the eBook! I love not having to wait for shipping on digital items.
“Yesterday Is History” by Kosoko Jackson
When Andre receives a liver transplant, it does more than save his life. Six months after the procedure, he wakes up outside his house in the year 1969. After meeting a confident and attractive boy who lives in Andre’s future house, Andre slips back into the present. His donor’s family contacts him and explains the genetic gift of time traveling that he’s inherited. They task their son Blake with teaching Andre how to time travel, and Andre must make sense of his attraction to the boy in the past and the one in his present. Refreshingly, the book also explores the differences between Andre’s experiences in the past as a young Black man, and the experience of Blake’s affluent white family. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: February 2021”
For my first post of the year, I’ve got a nice mix of genres! We’ve got thrillers, we’ve got sci-fi, we’ve got love stories and we’ve got fantasy—not to mention some great diverse representation. I’d say 2021 is off to a pretty good start.
“The Girls I’ve Been” by Tess Sharpe
Let’s start with a queer thriller. Nora lives with her older sister and is attempting to have a normal life. Though after years of assisting her con artist mother by assuming various identities, it can be hard to figure out what normal looks like. Things seem to be going alright, other than the inevitable awkwardness when her ex-boyfriend walks in on her kissing her new girlfriend. But when the three of them become hostages in a bank robbery, Nora can feel her past and present colliding. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: January 2021”
Happy end of 2020 everyone! For my final post of the year, I thought I’d go back and look at some of the books I didn’t have a chance to write about earlier. Not everything about 2020 was terrible, and these books can prove it!
“The State of Us” by Shaun David Hutchinson
Perhaps it feels too soon for a presidential campaign book, but I assure you this charming LGBTQ+ love story is much more enjoyable than the real election was. Dre and Dean each have a parent running for president, Dre’s dad for the Democratic party, and Dean’s mom for the GOP. As the two boys keep running into each other on the campaign trail, they become closer and closer. While the star-crossed lovers trope is hardly new, this book refreshingly focuses on how to love someone even if you don’t share all their beliefs—whether that’s your partner or your parent. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: December 2020”
You know how I sometimes end up with themes for these? Well, this time I’m evenly split between supernatural and dark, and romantic comedies. Enjoy!
“Vampires Never Get Old: Tales With Fresh Bite” edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker
I know it’s not October anymore, but we can still enjoy a good vampire story—and this compilation gives us eleven! This vampire anthology highlights diversity among the undead. No male, white, cisgender, straight and able-bodied vampires here! Instead these #ownvoices authors explore all kinds of vampires while playing with and upending common vampire tropes. The editors follow each story with a brief discussion of vampire lore and thought-provoking questions. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: November 2020”
As I write this, I’m sipping a chai latte and savoring the sunshine and cool weather. When I go home, I will absolutely be curling up under a blanket with my book and my dog. If you need a good book to snuggle up with this fall, look no further!
“Daughters of Jubilation” by Kara Lee Corthron
Evvie is a black teenager growing up in the Jim Crow South, which would be difficult enough without having to learn to control her magic. All the women in her family, since before slavery, have magical powers they call the Jubilation. The magic is for protection, and in a world governed by racism and white supremacy, she needs its help just as much as her ancestors did. A coming-of-age historical fantasy, this timely book is a perfect example of literal Black Girl Magic. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: October 2020”
It’s officially fall! It’s not really at all that relevant to the books I’m going to tell you about, I just had to share my excitement. You know what else makes me happy? Five of the six books in this blog post are about people of color. What makes me really happy is that I didn’t even try to do that—it’s just representative of what’s being published right now!
“Each of Us a Desert” by Mark Oshiro
I have loved this author ever since they started reading my favorite books and blogging about it; their reactions and insights are delightful. This is Mark’s second novel, a post-apocalyptic Latinx fantasy. Xochitl is a cuentista, a storyteller, tasked with collecting all the stories her people tell her. Taking in their stories, she then magically releases them into the desert to satisfy the god Solís. Yet this is a lonely life, and Xochitl longs for more. As she journeys into the desert in an attempt to escape her role as cuentista, she encounters horrific nightmares made real and a chance at love. Reminiscent of Lowry’s “The Giver,” but with a queer romance and immersive desert setting, this promises to be a fascinating read. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: September 2020”
However we may feel about it, the end of summer approaches—but that doesn’t mean you have to give up reading for fun! If you need some ideas of books to squeeze in between assignments, I’ve got you covered.
“Six Angry Girls” by Adrienne Kisner
Let’s start with a senior year that isn’t going as planned. When Raina is dumped by her boyfriend of five years, she quits theater and questions all her college plans. Meanwhile, Millie is forced out of the mock trial club she helped create by the team that’s turned into an all-boys team. Seeking revenge, the two join forces and form an all-girls rival team. Full of knitting, friendship, and plenty of patriarchy smashing, prepare to feel empowered. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: August 2020”
Time for more books to add to your to-be-read list! We’ve got an exciting mix of new titles coming in. Don’t forget to check the New Book shelves in your library, and on OverDrive to see all the titles I didn’t have space to write about here!
“Salty, Bitter, Sweet” by Mayra Cuevas
Though my husband can’t stand them, I love watching cooking competition shows. I grew up watching Iron Chef and Top Chef with my dad, so when I saw this title I got pretty excited. Isabella is a teen chef who dreams of owning a restaurant someday. After her Abuela’s death and parents’ divorce, she ends up in France with her dad and his new pregnant wife. She struggles to fit in and balance her different cultures—Cuban, French and American. Instead of dealing with any of her emotions, Isabella throws herself into a prestigious and cutthroat cooking competition. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: July 2020”
I’m back to highlighting physical books! The library is partially reopened, and we’re still offering curbside pickup. So if you’re the kind of bibliophile that needs to hold a book and turn its pages, we’ve got you covered. If you’re like me and enjoy reading at night without having to turn a light on, no worries! I’ll still be ordering plenty of digital titles as well.
It’s June, so I wanted to focus on a few LGBTQIA books.
“Girl Crushed” by Katie Heaney
Quinn and Jamie have been friends forever, and as the only two openly out students at their school, it’s unsurprising that they start dating. But when Jamie dumps Quinn the summer before senior year, Quinn has to figure out how to keep their friendship alive while still moving on. Add the stress of soccer scholarships, college admissions, an unreliable and mostly absent father, and her favorite queer coffee shop facing bankruptcy, and you’ve got a realistically overwhelming senior year. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: June 2020”
The following are just a small selection of the plethora of delightful books we have available digitally. If there’s a book you’d really love to read that we don’t have on OverDrive or Hoopla, use this form to let me know! Sometimes I can even purchase digital copies of books that are out of print in physical format. For example, I recently picked up these wonderful 1980s horror books! Seriously, if you like horror they are worth a read—there’s a haunted house populated by Dungeons & Dragons style monsters. It’s awesome. With no further ado, here are my selections for the merry month of May.
“Girls Save the World in This One” by Ash Parsons
Speaking of horror, this one gives off some major “Shaun of the Dead” vibes. June and her friends are thrilled to attend ZombieCon, a celebration of their favorite zombie apocalypse show. When the cosplayers start to get a little too into it, the girls quickly realize this zombie apocalypse is for real. The title may give away the ending, but readers will enjoy this fast-paced action comedy that pokes fun at horror tropes. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: May 2020”
