END OF THE YEAR WRAP UP

Here are just a few of our faves of the year (because it would be impossible to tell you ALL the titles we loved)! 

SHANNON’S 2017 FAVES:

 

“This year was filled with heroes who learned that it wasn’t the superpowers they had, but who they were underneath that mattered. The power in these books went beyond the ability to climb walls and talk to squirrels, it was about heart, standing up for what you believe in, and never backing down. This year was about taking that voice you had found and making a difference with it.” – Shannon, YA Specialist and Teen Press Corps Liaison

 

LOLA’S 2017 FAVES:

 

“My favorite books this year are full of surprises. They have elevated their respective genres to new heights. I also loved these because of their diversity. Finally we have broader representation. The worlds in these books are dark and gritty but there’s a glimmer of hope as long as the characters fight for what’s right. Also these books will take you around the world and even through space!” – Lola, YA Bookseller

 

WHAT WE’RE LOSING OUR MINDS WAITING FOR:

 

Sequels, revivals, and voices speaking out. 2018 is already shaping up to be a great year for YA! Such an amazing year, we’re gonna need a calendar just to track new release dates!

“Next year I’m excited to revisit old worlds in new ways. Classic stories told in new and interesting ways, sequels galore, and new series in familiar worlds! Also, I’m continuing my quest for diversifying my reading and exploring experiences outside my own!” – Lola

“2018 is filled with so much promise! From more diverse characters and authors topping the lists, to returning to some of my favorite worlds in new and exciting ways. I can’t wait to dive into 2018’s deep pool of new releases.” – Shannon

 

THE LAST NEW RELEASES OF 2017…

 

 

Before Now by Norah Olson – Fans of Ellen Hopkins and Jay Asher will fall in love with this this heartbreaking tale of doomed romance, expertly told in reverse order. Against all odds, Atty and Cole have escaped their lives in Minneapolis, leaving judgmental parents and unsavory circumstances behind. Their getaway was anything but clean, however, and both of them are haunted and hounded by the mistakes of their pasts. As their old lives begin to catch up with them, they make an unthinkable choice in order to stay together forever. Atty’s journal entries offer a telling and poignant look at the decisions that pushed them to the bitter end.

Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle – When Lily Michaels-Ryan ditches her ADHD meds and lands in detention with Abelard, she’s intrigued — he seems thirty seconds behind, while she feels thirty seconds ahead. It doesn’t hurt that he’s brilliant and beautiful. When Abelard posts a quote from The Letters of Abelard and Heloise online, their mutual affinity for ancient love letters connects them. The two fall for each other. Hard. But is it enough to bridge their differences in person? This hilarious, heartbreaking story of human connection between two neurodivergent teens creates characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West – Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances. Which is where the list comes in. Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe — just maybe — she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.