Tag: YA diversity

10 YA Books That Promote LGBTQ, Diversity & Compassion | Top Ten Tuesday

10 YA Books That Promote LGBTQ, Diversity & Compassion | Top Ten Tuesday

I’m taking a few liberties with this week’s #TopTenTuesday topic, which is books we’re looking forward to for the back half of 2016. In the wake of what happened in Orlando on Sunday, and the scary and sometimes completely incomprehensible violence around us, I thought I’d use this week’s #TTT to highlight some recent and upcoming books that promote inclusivity, diversity, and compassion, especially for the LGBTQ community. For me, the book community is a place where everyone is welcome and tolerated, whether you’re a geek or a nerd, a white person, a person of color, an introvert or an extrovert, […]

Sea Monsters and Pirates, Oh My! Author Interview: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

January 22, 2016 / 2 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Exclusive Content, Interview
Sea Monsters and Pirates, Oh My! Author Interview: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Hi guys, today I’m pleased to welcome Emily Skrutskie, author of The Abyss Surrounds Us, to the blog to discuss her debut novel! Guys, I think a lot of you are really going to like this one – it’s got pirates, a kick-arse heroine who’s Chinese (yay, diversity!), and sea monsters – all in a sci-fi setting. Fun, right? Read on to find out more about the novel & Emily!  Please welcome Emily Skrutskie, author of The Abyss Surrounds Us! Tiff at Mostly YA Lit: Hi Emily! Thanks for stopping by! First of all, can you describe The Abyss Surrounds Us […]

Review | Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler

December 7, 2015 / 1 Comment / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Diversity, Review
Review | Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler

Review: I’ve been following Dahlia on Twitter for about two years now, and she is fiercely passionate about young adult literature, diversity, feminism, and many of the things I care about, so I adore her feed. Just Visiting, though, is the first of her books that I’ve gotten to – but I’m so grateful that this was my first one, because the themes of Just Visiting are ones I care deeply about: teen girl friendship, trying to figure out your life’s work, trying to break out of bad circumstances, standing up for yourself, and yeah, okay, REALLY GOOD romance. There […]

Waiting on Wednesday: The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne

Waiting on Wednesday: The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne

I first read Jenn Marie Thorne’s excellent debut, The Wrong Side of Right, in August, and it’s one of the best YA books I’ve read that deals with politics (I haven’t reviewed it yet – will get to it, promise!). Jenn’s writing is quietly impactful and insightful – I feel like The Wrong Side of Right is one of those books that flew under the radar a bit and shouldn’t have. So I’m really excited to see a companion, of sorts, set in the same world as Jenn’s first novel, and dealing with some of the same media pressures, but […]

“Just A Girl” Review: None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

April 17, 2015 / 5 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review, Uncategorized
“Just A Girl” Review: None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

None of the Above Author: I.W. Gregorio (website | twitter) Publisher: Balzer + Bray Source/Format: ARC provided by Harper Collins Canada (thank you!) Publication date: April 7, 2015 My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.  Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | B&N | IndieBound | iTunes | Google Books | The Book Depository | Audible A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be […]

Review: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

April 7, 2015 / 3 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review
Review: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Author: Becky Albertalli (website | twitter) Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper Collins) Source/Format: eARC provided by publisher on Edelweiss (thank you!) Expected publication: April 7th 2015  My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.  Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | B&N | IndieBound | iTunes | Google Books | The Book Depository | Audible Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he […]

Waiting on Wednesday: 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Waiting on Wednesday: 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

5 to 1 Author: Holly Bodger  Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Expected publication: May 12th 2015  In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife. Sudasa, though, doesn’t want to be a wife, and Kiran, a boy forced to compete in […]

Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

October 24, 2014 / 1 Comment / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review, Uncategorized
Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Lies We Tell Ourselves Author: Robin Talley (website | twitter) Publisher: Harlequin Teen Source/Format: Rachel from Hello, Chelly gave me this ARC that she picked up at BEA14! (thanks, Rachel!) Publication date: September 30th 2014 My rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy it:  Indigo.ca | Indiebound | B&N | The Book Depository | Amazon  In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is […]

Waiting on Wednesday: Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Waiting on Wednesday: Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that book bloggers are eagerly anticipating. Under A Painted Sky Author: Stacey Lee Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (Penguin Canada) Expected publication: March 17, 2015 A powerful story of friendship and sacrifice, for fans of Code Name Verity Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With […]

Waiting on Wednesday: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Waiting on Wednesday: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids Author: Sarah Ockler (website | twitter) Publisher: Simon Pulse Expected publication: June 2015 Sometimes, there are no words… The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak. Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to […]