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Young adult literature gets a bad rap because of the immense, insane popularity of certain titles that book snobs around the globe (including myself, sometimes) deem less-than-worthy of a Serious Reader’s attention. Twilight, The Hunger Games, and even much-beloved, less-scoffed-at Harry Potter often earn adult fans a bit of classic side-eye when we’re spotted reading them. I’m no Twilight fan because from a feminist standpoint I find it extremely problematic, but I’m not going to bother judging you (any more) if that’s how you decide to get it on with literature....

The titles here include stand alone titles, series books (marked in a *), books from well-known YA authors, debut authors, and books that’ll be blockbuster books as well as quieter titles. Both fiction and nonfiction are represented. This collection of winter 2020 YA books isn’t comprehensive, but it’s pretty darn close. These titles were pulled from a variety of publisher catalogs, and publication dates could shift slightly from what’s been listed....

The domestic thriller has a particular focus on and association with women (perhaps that’s why the publishing industry seems to have saddled an entire sub-genre with such an eyeroll-inducing name). Many bestselling thriller authors are women. Many of the narrators of these novels are women, too. And many of the problems in these novels are those which concern women in particular: domestic violence and other forms of violence against women, including abduction and rape; husbands who aren’t who they claim to be; troublesome neighbours; gaslighting and emotional abuse; the demands of motherhood....

From Bram Stoker Awards Nominee, Monique Snyman. Something dark is waking up in Shadow Grove, and one teenager has the determination—and the family legacy—necessary to set things right. “With its boogeyman-like creature based in lesser-known folklore, the novel is unique, as well as creepy and unsettling. The Night Weaver introduces a world of myth, intrigue, and darkness with considerable technique.” ~Foreword Reviews; “… weaves together small-town horror with an intricate otherworldly fairytale to deliver a blend of horror and fantasy that captures the essence of young adult terror seasoned with the stuff of grown-up nightmares....

Without further ado, here are the YA graphic novels, memoirs, and comics releasing from January–March of 2020. We have a lot of memoirs and some superhero adaptations, plus some continuations of favorites. I am disappointed that this quarter’s releases aren’t a bit more diverse—here’s hoping that will improve as we move through 2020. The PLAIN Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Ruggs In this anniversary reissue of the popular graphic novel, Jane is miserable over her move from the city to suburbia....

Again, 421 only represents new fiction translations. The lack of translations in publishing is known colloquially as the “three percent problem,” as in only 3% of the books published each year are translations, and if we’re talking fiction and poetry, the number is more like 0.7%. As the number of books published in the United States rises each year, so does the number of translated books, but books in translation have not been able to reach beyond the 3% mark....

Mix this uncertainty with the thread of (diagnosed and undiagnosed) mental illness running through my family tree, and you have a recipe for disaster. The preteen and teen years are hard enough to decode without factoring in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that are finally being discussed as the legitimate medical problems they are. Below, I’ve gathered a list of adolescent depression books for parents. Our children need us to be advocates and allies, and while there isn’t one guidebook for parenting, there are titles to act as little lights, pushing us towards something that might help....

According to the Statista Research Department, the top resolutions include living healthier, self-improvement, achieving career and financial goals, improving relationships, traveling more, and breaking bad habits. But yours can be as simple or as complex as you like! Drinking more water, giving compliments to strangers, standing more, finding a hobby, it’s all on the table for the long and wild and wonderful year ahead. Whichever type of resolution-maker you are, there are books a plenty to help you along the way....

Night Film by Marisha Pessl Horror, mystery, and thriller: these describe Night Film so perfectly. But you will never know what lies in the depth of this story if you don’t take a look. 24-year-old Ashley Cordova is found dead and her death is ruled a suicide. Veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath says otherwise and suspects that there is more to this story. McGrath is drawn to the Cordova legacy, especially Ashley’s father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror film director Stanislaus Cordova....

And most important, I got to meet Leah (one of the sister, co-owners of The Ripped Bodice) and have her give me a nice big stack of new-to-me romance authors she recommended. I told her I was primarily a fan of contemporary and historical romance and that I was especially interested in reading more diverse, PoC romance authors. Here are the ten books she recommended. The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham After telling her I loved Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare, Leah pulled this book first…which is probably why I started reading it first....

1. The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley There has been a great deal of discussion around fasting and low-carb, and I was sceptical about Mosley’s diet until my mum tried the plan. My mum had always struggled to keep her blood sugars level, but since she started following Mosley’s advice, she’s had far fewer episodes of both hypo- and hyperglycaemia. With a basis in the Mediterranean diet and a dollop of fermented foods, the meal plans are tasty and satisfying, as well as doing you good....

May’s children’s book releases include books by popular authors like The Fan Brothers and Mac Barnett, as well as books by debut authors. Many of my picture book picks combine a range of diversity with super fun stories — from a wheelchair user putting on a beach play to a child attending her first pride parade with her moms. I had a hard time narrowing down my middle grade picks and ended up with quite a few stellar new fantasy books, including debut middle grades by popular young adult authors Dhonielle Clayton and Xiran Jay Zhao....

Any list of books about the mind could naturally cover a range of subtopics. This one does so, but not nearly as broadly as it could. I think I have limited it naturally due to my own interests and so it breaks down into some categories I personally find more interesting than others. These are books about expanding your mind, books about understanding the mind, and books that will help you in training your mind to work better (depending on how you define ‘better’) for you....

Other big January children’s book releases include a new lyrical picture book by Joanna Ho (Eyes That Speak to the Stars) and the third book in the Akata Witch series, Akata Woman. This list is a little slim on middle grade releases as release dates are getting pushed back. However, there are still several great middle grade books releasing, and I imagine February and especially March will be middle grade heavy....

It’s weird to admit you’re a fan of heists. It’s sort of like admitting you’re a fan of stealing. Because let’s face it: unless you’re George Clooney pulling off an elaborate ploy to stop the love of your life, Julia Roberts, from marrying a monster, most heists are for pretty greedy purposes. And even still, Danny Ocean walked away with $150 million. Split 11 ways, that’s still…(tries to do math)…a lot....

If that’s not enough for you, check out our lists on post-apocalyptic books from previous years. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something that is eerily predicative of the world we live in today. In a world where human meat is now legal, Tender Is The Flesh provides a terrible and horrific insight into what happens when social norms go wrong and the consequences the desire for food can have. All in the most brilliant way that leaves you hooked, makes you lose your appetite, and makes it one of the best post-apocalyptic books 2020....

Book Riot Insiders: The Quarterly Group Read Epic-level Insiders vote on a book to read quarterly, fulfilling both a Read Harder 2021 prompt and the desire to talk about books with some of the best book people around. Come chat with us! We think it’s one of the best online book clubs to join! Go On Girl! Book Club Founded in 1991, Go On Girl! has been promoting books by the diverse authors of the Black diaspora for 30 years....

Note: I’ll be the first to admit that some quotes in these pieces may not match the books exactly…or are pulled from Peter Jackson’s version. As someone who grew up on both they are inextricably linked in my mind, so I’m still sharing some of the beautiful pieces I found. I want this in my dream boho meditation retreat immediately. From Eason Cassidy Designs, in multiple sizes on museum quality paper....

It is the state where the sunsets are more beautiful than anywhere else. It is a place where purple mountain majesties makes sense, The Art District on Santa Fe Drive is really good, and you can still find hippies in Nederland. Yet it is also where Sand Creek happened, where the Ludlow Strike took place and where a Japanese Internment camp looked up at the Colorado sky. It is a state where oil and gas and ranching have ridiculous amounts of power, and gentrification has pushed many out of its homes....

I remember teaching second grade and having literacy stations, or centers. The listening station was always a hit. There would be some children’s book or another on a cassette tape, accompanied by a copy of the book. My delighted children would don gigantic blue headphones, buddy up, press play on the massive cassette player, and read along. While those experiences were magical, we’ve come a long way since “books on tape” really meant on tape....