Sign in with Facebook
Readers' Most Anticipated Young Adult Books for January
As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young adult fiction. Every month our team looks at the books being published and how they're resonating with early readers, as evidenced by Want to Read shelvings and initial reviews. We use this information to put together a roundup of soon-to-be favorites.
New in January: Holly Black returns with the latest in her Folk of the Air series. Priyanka Taslim presents a Bangladeshi teen rom-com in The Love Match. And Krystal Marquis takes readers to 1910 Chicago with The Davenports. Also on tap: missing persons, Chinese mythology, and Edwardian demons.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
New in January: Holly Black returns with the latest in her Folk of the Air series. Priyanka Taslim presents a Bangladeshi teen rom-com in The Love Match. And Krystal Marquis takes readers to 1910 Chicago with The Davenports. Also on tap: missing persons, Chinese mythology, and Edwardian demons.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments!
In this conclusion to The Last Hours series—part of Cassandra Clare’s sprawling Shadowhunters universe—troubled couple James and Cordelia are obliged to reunite one more time. It seems the entire city of London, circa 1903, has descended into chaos due to the sinister machinations of Belial, Prince of Hell. It happens. Marriage has its ups and downs. Clare’s innovative world of historical urban fantasy is the ultimate trip for fans of Edwardian weirdness.
Disciples of Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series will be happy to hear that the author is returning to the world of Elfhame with a new duology. Details are skimpy on the new initiative, but The Stolen Heir will apparently follow Jude’s brother Oak and the changeling queen Suren. Bonus trivia: The wildly prolific Black is said to live in a sprawling house with a hidden door to a secret library. That sounds right.
On the YA romance tip, this debut rom-com from New Jersey author Priyanka Taslim looks like fun. The book follows the adventures of Zahra Khan, a Bangladeshi American teen with an odd dilemma. Zahra, it seems, has one of those meddling mothers who's arranged a match for her with a stuffy—but rich!—guy. But Zahra doesn’t want to marry the stuffy rich guy, not when the new dishwasher at the tea shop is so cute. Moms, amirite?
New York City author Emma Lord (Tweet Cute) is back on shelves this January with a lovable new heroine: the highly organized college student Andie Rose, who recently transferred to Blue Ridge State university. Andie’s organizational skills are soon put to the test versus roommate issues, boyfriend trouble, and an interesting subplot concerning the campus pirate radio station. One is reminded of the famous Winston Churchill quote: “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
Debut author Ivelisse Housman offers a different kind of fairy tale with Unseelie, concerning twin sisters trying to make their way in the wild world of the fae. Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove just wants to understand her past and her unpredictable magic, but as an autistic changeling she finds it difficult to fit in with humans. Twin sister Isolde has more straightforward goals—she’s a professional rogue searching for a fabled treasure. Sisters are doing it for themselves.
Deeply rooted in ancient Chinese mythology and folklore, the new one from author Amélie Wen Zhao (the Blood Heir Trilogy) kicks off a new epic fantasy series—Song of the Last Kingdom. Lan is a young girl with magical powers. Zen is the boy who just saved her life. Together they set off into the misty mountains of the Last Kingdom to find the source of Lan’s magic and the key to overthrowing a corrupt regime.
Winner of this month’s unofficial Best Book Title award, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute follows the fortunes of two former BFFs on a survival course in the woods. Celine is an extremely online content creator with a thing for UFOs. Bradley is a star football player with some OCD issues. They used to be childhood friends, and now it’s all weirdsies. But camping trips have a notorious reputation for accelerating relationships.
Speaking of weirdsies, dedicated nerd Cameron Carson has a strange problem. His summer fling with the popular queen bee Karla Ortega has become complicated now that they’re back in school. Cameron is just not cool enough, it seems, for Karla’s crowd. When a third friend comes into orbit, events start to spin out of control. Bonus trivia: author James Ramos counts Jane Austen and Frank Herbert as their biggest literary influences, which is all kinds of awesome.
If you’re in the market for a suspenseful mystery-thriller, you may want to check out this new one from author Chelsea Ichaso (Little Creeping Things). When Polly St. James goes missing at the exclusive Torrey-Wells Academy, her best friend Maren is determined to solve the mystery. Alas for Maren, it will require infiltrating a very secret organization called the Gamemaster’s Society, and these people play for keeps.
Set in 1910, The Davenports centers on a close-knit African American family who has defeated some very long odds to earn wealth and status in the city of Chicago. Can the four very different Davenport daughters find lasting love? Author Krystal Marquis brings plenty of swoony romance to her historical fiction, which is inspired by the real-life story of automotive entrepreneur C.R. Patterson and his family.
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent articles.
Check out more recent articles.
Comments Showing 1-12 of 12 (12 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Rebecca
(new)
Dec 29, 2022 05:57PM
The Davenports sounds intriguing. I was interested in Unseelie because of the reference to the more sinister Faerie Court in Celtic mythology, but as it seems to have no ties to Celtic mythology and is misusing the names of the two Fae courts, I think I'll pass. Seelie isn't a last name. It is the Faerie Court that while mischievous isn't associated with evil. Though you really don't want to provoke either Court.
reply
|
flag
"They're watching you" sounds good. Can't wait to read it!
Rebecca wrote: "The Davenports sounds intriguing. I was interested in Unseelie because of the reference to the more sinister Faerie Court in Celtic mythology, but as it seems to have no ties to Celtic mythology an..."While you're absolutely entitled to your opinion, just want to point out the character's last name is actually Graygrove. They're using "Seelie" as a nickname for her first name, which is Iselia. Holly Black has also used these courts with little to no Celtic ties in her books. I'm pretty sure it's a nod to the mythology, not a direct retelling.
Rebecca wrote: "The Davenports sounds intriguing. I was interested in Unseelie because of the reference to the more sinister Faerie Court in Celtic mythology, but as it seems to have no ties to Celtic mythology an..."Most every book including faeries has Unseelie and Seelie Courts without using the mythology. It's a staple in faery lore. A lot of books also use the seasonal courts. When thinking of faeries most people think of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts. It's the same thing as nearly every book with faeries including Mab. She's a staple to faery lore.
The wrong kind of weird looks good and I can't wait for the Holly Black book, I loved the Folk of the air series!
I am dying to get my hands on Chain of Thorns and I'm reading Unseelie now and it's really good!
Whitney wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "The Davenports sounds intriguing. I was interested in Unseelie because of the reference to the more sinister Faerie Court in Celtic mythology, but as it seems to have no ties to Cel..."Thank you for letting me know that's not actually her last name. I missed that the first time I read the description. I've never really liked Holly Black's stuff either. I've been enjoying Ancient Magus' Bride which is dealing directly with the mythology. I guess I'm just a bit disappointed that most of the references to Celtic Mythology in YA are rarely actually dealing with the mythology itself. It feels so Disney and Americanized, less dark and more sanitized than the fairytales I may circle back to it if reviews look promising.
Talia wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "The Davenports sounds intriguing. I was interested in Unseelie because of the reference to the more sinister Faerie Court in Celtic mythology, but as it seems to have no ties to Cel..."I know. I just miss it actually being linked to the fairytales I grew up on instead of feeling so sanitized and devoid of its cultural origins. If you know of any books that are steeped in the Celtic lore itself rather than the more generic fairie world which is an amalgamation of various traditions, let me know which ones you'd recommend. I do love reading fantasy books and fairy tales.
They're watching you sounds interesting. Will mark as want to read!
Katie wrote: "The wrong kind of weird looks good and I can't wait for the Holly Black book, I loved the Folk of the air series!"ohh yes! me too.. I can't wait to read Holly Black book.
