What We’re Reading (and Loving)
Don’t know what to read next? Looking for YA book recommendations? Welcome to the Book Chat with the Young Adult Team. Every month, the YA Team each recommends a favorite book from our YA collection. We cover fiction, non-fiction, manga, comics, and graphic novels, so there is something for everyone! There is also a mixture of new releases and old favorites, so keep an eye on our posts for books to add to your TBR.
GENEVIEVRE RECOMMENDS STEAM BY SHAENON K. GARRITY AND ILLUSTRATED BY EMILY HOLDEN
Graphic novel Steam follows Ruby, who is a technological super-genius grown in the lab of a nearby university. When Ruby escapes the lab, the university sends professional help to track her down and recapture her. Think Stranger Things Eleven vibes without the telekinesis. Ruby hides in plain sight as a coffee shop barista, but due to her genetic programming, she’s driven to fix the problems of those around her. Since all her coffee shop friends and regulars are unlucky in love, Ruby decides to put her super-science/problem-solving skills to use by helping her matchmake to make those around her happy.
But is Ruby the threat the university makes her out to be? Or is she more than what she was created to do? Has she finally found where she belongs? And if so, can her newfound friends help save her from those bent on trying to lock her away?
Including a sweet sapphic romance and warm cozy vibes, the main heart of the story is its quirky humor, charming characters, and its themes of identity and belonging. The story is also brought to life with the illustrations by VCU grad Emily Holden, whose soft-toned color palette helps emphasize the cozy vibe even when stakes are high.
NICOLE RECOMMENDS BLOOM BY KEVIN PANETTA AND ILLUSTRATED BY SAVANNA GANUCHEAU
Made with equal parts young love, blushing romance, and self-discovery, Bloom is a cozy YA graphic novel that will quickly rise to the top of your reading list – and your grocery list, thanks to all the delicious depictions of the baked goods Ari’s family sells in their bakery. While growing up, Ari found endless joy in working in his parent’s shop, but now he’ll do anything to escape, chasing dreams of joining a band and making it big. When he tries to hire his replacement, a charming and genuine young baker named Hector, Ari gradually comes to realize that you don’t need to live a famous life to be happy.
Bloom does a wonderful job normalizing its LGBTQ+ relationships by telling stories of flawed, complex characters in a way that everyone can relate to. Slice-of-life glimpses like these, without the heavy trauma or prejudice that often coincides with queer representation, shows us that these relationships are just as valid and “normal” as any other. The blue color tones give this graphic novel a soothing appearance, amping up the cozy vibes. Character expressions are drawn with an adept hand, expertly depicting their charming emotions – especially the blushing. Bloom is a wonderful story for a cozy evening, with precious characters and delicious foods that bring the pages to life in the warmest ways.
KAYLEIGH RECOMMENDS ALL THE FIGHTING PARTS BY HANNAH V. SAWYERR
Amina got all her fighting parts from her mother—an activist and respected doctor in Sierra Leone who passed away when she was young. In contrast, her father is quiet and distant, and after the passing of his wife has become a strict churchgoer in the congregation that Amina’s mother loved so much.
But when Randall Johnson, the beloved and well-respected pastor of their church as well as the uncle of Amina’s boyfriend, sexually assaults Amina one night, Amina feels herself becoming increasingly more silent. She’s losing the fighting parts of herself as she stumbles through life in the aftermath, her grades plummeting and her relationships becoming increasingly strained.
When her case makes its way to the legal system, Amina must pull back out those fighting parts to tell her story to try to get Pastor Johnson to face justice. As she navigates her tenuous relationship with her father, her caring but disconnected best friend, and her boyfriend who she doesn’t want to admit what happened to, she finds new pieces of herself to add to the old—the fighting and the loving, the quiet and the loud, the vulnerable and the self-confident. Amina finds new pieces of herself to make up her proud, whole self, and stands true to who she is even while faced with people and a system that are trying to pull her apart.
All the Fighting Parts is a beautiful and emotional novel in verse about a teen surviving sexual assault and the incredibly difficult social, emotional, and legal realities that follow. Sawyerr captures the many duplicities of survivorship—the anger, the shame and guilt, the desire to move on and forget, and the blame that survivors too often turn inward. The helplessness Amina feels as she speaks out about a beloved community leader is a feeling that many survivors grapple with, and the story of Amina’s co-accuser’s different choices when faced with public pressure show the different ways survivors can try to find peace. Amina is an imperfect character who finds her own messy way towards healing and justice, and Sawyerr’s nuanced, empathetic, and realistic depiction of Amina’s experience of sexual assault makes an absolutely stunning novel that will resonate with many and help many others understand better the difficult complexities of not only surviving the event of sexual assault, but living the life that comes after.
KELLI RECOMMENDS PIZZA WITCH BY SARAH GRALEY AND STEF PURENINS
Roxy just wants to be the most legendary pizza witch. This was so adorable and silly I was laughing every other page. The art is beautiful, the story is silly, and George the cat is hilarious throughout. This was a nice comic to read on a rainy afternoon to add a little shine to the day.
RACHEL RECOMMENDS THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY BY HANNA ALKAF
In many ways, Melati is perfectly average for a sixteen-year-old Malay in 1969 Malaysia. She likes the Beatles, cool air mata kucing on a hot day, and sneaking into Paul Newman films with her best friend. In other ways, she’s not. Melati is grieving the loss of her father and grappling with her strained relationship with God. Most of all, Melati is tormented by a djinn that manifests as debilitating OCD. The djinn floods Melati’s mind with images of her mother’s death. The only way to keep her safe is for Melati to complete intricate counting rituals to the djinn’s satisfaction.
The evening of May 13th, long-brewing political unrest erupts between Malay and Chinese inhabitants of Kuala Lumpur. The bloody riots trigger a 24-hour curfew which strands Melati far from home. Melati finds shelter with Vincent, a Chinese college student, and his family. Both Vincent’s and Melati’s worlds have been turned upside down. When Melati decides to find her mother, Vincent agrees to help. He, however, can’t hear the cruel voice of Melati’s djinn. Melati couldn’t protect her mother; how can she possibly protect Vincent?
The Weight of Our Sky is a historical fiction novel set during the 13 May Incident in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Content warnings include: graphic violence and death, abuse of power, sexism, racism, ableism, victim blaming, mental illness, and anxiety/OCD triggers.
ADRIANE RECOMMENDS 16 FOREVER BY LANCE RUBIN
Carter can’t wait to turn 16, but when he comes downstairs on the morning of his 16th birthday, he finds out this is the sixth time he has turned 16, and no one seems to know why! As Carter starts putting pieces of his life together from his last few go rounds, one person seems to keep popping up, Maggie. As they start spending time together they start falling in love again, But what is going to happen come his birthday?
This was a fun time loop book. It has a different perspective on the time loop and how to break the loop. I loved the characters and the growing up that each of the characters does in the book.
LAUREN RECOMMENDS COLDWIRE BY CHLOE GONG
As soon as I read the description for this book, I was hooked! It has all the same feels as early 2010s dystopian, but updated for what we’re experiencing now. With the rising use of AI in our current world, it isn’t hard to imagine a future where AI is everywhere. However, with the overuse of AI came destruction. A new world was created where you could live “upcountry,” away from all the dangers of “downcountry.” Upcountry isn’t all it’s chalked up to be, and a cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua. Our main characters, Lia and Eirale, both have different missions to fulfill for their assigned jobs. While they seem to be so separate because of the worlds they live in, you will learn that they are two sides of a coin that could potentially ruin the world that they both have grown up in. Huge twists and turns in this book! I’m very excited to see where the sequels go in this very promising trilogy!
LILA RECOMMENDS IF ALL THE STARS GO DARK BY S.G. PRINCE
Keller Hartman is the most talented gunner the galaxy has seen in decades. It makes perfect sense that he’s recruited into the Legion’s most prestigious galactic unit the minute he graduates from the Academy. His hard work has finally come to fruition, and he’s more than ready to prove himself. However, it seems like his assigned pilot partner, Lament Bringer, has absolutely no intention of flying with Keller after losing his last copilot (and childhood best friend) under mysterious circumstances.
Despite what Lament may feel, he’s stuck with Keller as they and the rest of the Sixth Legion operate together to investigate a man who claims he has built an AI prediction device with accuracy never before realized by the galaxy. However, the Sixth soon discovers there’s more to this mysterious man than anyone thought. To save their galaxy as they know it, unconditional teamwork and trust will be paramount.
If you love Science Fiction, a slow-burning queer romance, and the chosen family trope, you will love this book! Keller is a great main character, and not just because I’m a sucker for characters who use humor to distract from their emotions. I laughed, I cried, and I deeply appreciated the seamless blend of ridiculous SciFi elements and exquisite storytelling. You will be sucked into the world-building and caught up in the conspiracy plot in no time.
Want More?
Want more book suggestions? Stay tuned for future recommendations from our team!
If you’re a young adult who likes to read, you can also submit book recommendations from our collection. Email genevievre.wood@rva.gov with a one paragraph review, explaining why you liked the book and why others should read it.
