Shelf-involved Podcast

We're talking some of our favorite stories of heartbreak in YA. Almost all YA books have that moment, that chapter near the end of the book where the main character has no friends, no love, real dark night of the soul stuff, but in this episode, we're looking specifically at stories that deal with the aftermath and consequences of real, lasting heartbreak. These books are sad, and we're only a little bit sorry about it. 

This week we’re talking about the American dream, the idea that America is the place where your dreams of success and prosperity will come true if only you work hard enough. We think this idea is only true/accessible for select few Americans, and we look at a few YA books that dismantle this idea.

We're here with a list of some seriously excellent fantasy novels from a diverse group of YA authors. We think there's so much to be gained from fantasy stories that are a departure from the traditions of the genre (we're looking at you, old white men from England), and these are some of our favorites. 

This week we are talking about inclusive romances, just in time for the end of inside season! It’s cold! Stay inside and read these books that we promise will warm your heart. In this episode, we’re looking specifically at books featuring protagonists and love interests that have traditionally been excluded from the romance genre. Of course, they are also books that we love a lot.

We’re back with another book club episode discussing one of our favorite books of 2020. Sia Martinez is a gorgeously written, genre-bending work of genius. The pitch for this book might seem like there's too much going on, but we promise that Gilliland is a master, who expertly weaves in different genres and plot lines and delivers a complex and unforgettable story. 

What do we love almost as much as teens who murder? It's teens who get framed for murder! We think this element is the ultimate high-stakes plot point in a YA mystery, and you know how we feel about YA mysteries.

This week we’re talking about one of the classic tropes in YA: teens choose a college! We’re looking at some books that approach this trope from new angles and talking about why we like to see this in books so much.

This week we’re catching up with Twilight! Neither of us have read this book and we have…thoughts. We were prepared to like this book. We love romance! We love paranormal! We are decidedly not highbrow. But while we don’t want to make fun of this book (we actually really liked some of the writing, and we think people who make fun of YA for being frivolous or fluffy are lame!), we had real issues with the romantic relationship and how it was portrayed. TLDR; Kenzie thinks Edward should be in jail.

We're back and ready to talk about all the books coming out this year that we are anxiously awaiting and some trends we see coming down the YA pipeline. 

We’re excited to talk about our top ten books of the year. We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: bad year for the world, great year for books. We hope you get some good reading recommendations from this list.

This week we’re talking about one of our favorite things: seasonal reading! And we’re here with another round of reads perfect to lose yourself in during Indoor Season. We thought it was time to revisit this because we have some great books to add to this list.

This week we’re discussing Punching the Air by Yusef Salaam and Ibi Zoboi. This incredible novel in verse tells the story of a wrongfully incarcerated teen and his experience in the juvenile criminal justice system.

This week we're talking about dark fantasy in YA! We're discussing why we're so drawn to this genre and how we've seen YA fantasy evolve in recent years. And as always, we talk about a lot of books. 

This week we’re talking about a classic story trope — victories, triumph, winning the big game, etc. This trope has seen many variations over the years, and no surprises, the most recent way that YA has turned it on its head and given us the happily-ever-afters we deserve makes us very happy.

This week we're talking about Jewish representation in YA and why we think this growing subgenre is so important. We love reading about teens from other cultural and religious backgrounds, and the books on this list are excellent. 

This week we are reading Walter Dean Meyer’s iconic novel Monster, which tells the story of a teenage boy wrongfully incarcerated. This book came out almost 20 years ago, but it remains incredibly relevant and powerful. We loved this one. 

We’re talking about YA books that deal with voting and feature politically active teens! This has been a trend in YA for the past few years, and we’ve really enjoyed these books for a few reasons.

This week we're talking about YA books that deal with class dynamics and the important aspects of representation surrounding this. We're seeing this so much more in YA and we have a lot of thoughts on this one. 

This week we’re talking about immigrant stories in YA and how important these stories are for understanding other cultures and the realities that so many immigrants face. This list is not exhaustive, but these are some of our favorite books we’ve read about immigrant experiences in YA.

This week we’re talking about drag culture in YA. This is a growing trend in YA, and we think it’s such an interesting vehicle to explore identity, confidence, and unique corners of the queer community.