Literally one of my favorite books I have ever read! Represents the LGBTQ community, talks about racism, and the trials and errors of friends and lovers. Must read!
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar, (List Price: $12.99, Square Fish, 9781250842121, June 2024)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Savannah, Georgia
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This semi-autobiographical YA story follows a Nigerian teen and her family as they emigrate to the U.S. after the unexpected death of her father. Enore is a planner, and preps herself for American high school by watching classic teen movies. I loved all the references to some of my favorite films! I enjoyed tagging along on Enore’s journey, as she learns that the kids at her school are more than just their movie stereotypes, finds endearing first love, and learns to use her voice and stand up for the things she wants. There were a couple of cringy moments, but overall this is a heartfelt story, told with an authentic and relatable voice!
With Love, Miss Americanah by Jane Igharo, (List Price: $20.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250873378, June 2024)
Reviewed by Emma Tara, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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I’ve been reading this manga online for a while and am so happy it’s getting an English print! This is one of my all-time favorite shoujo mangas, with a pretty big cast of characters, but all of them are fun and endearing. Akane and Yamada are adorable, and I really appreciate how they get together early on (without rushing the feelings), with the story following their relationship (and their relationship with their friends) closely in a wholesome slice of life. This manga explores different types of relationships and portrays people realistically. The gamer aspect is relatable for the current generation and is fun to read about. I’ll be collecting all the volumes!
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Volume 1 by Mashiro, (List Price: $12.99, Inklore, 9781984862693, April 2024)
Reviewed by Kamilah Wong, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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I loved Once Upon A Broken Heart and was very excited to receive a review copy of The Ballad of Never After. Stephanie Garber has done an amazing job of bringing fairy tales to life along with the curses intertwined within them. Garber didn’t just bring one story to life but a story within a story, within another story. Fairy tales are not all gold and glitter, and you see this more so in The Ballad of Never After. You fall in love with all the characters, whether they are “good” or “bad.” I really hope there is a third book in this series, and I am impatiently waiting for it.
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber, (List Price: $13.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250268433, March 2024)
Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Summerville, North Carolina
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Can I just live in this book please? A perfect book boyfriend, lovely world-building, just the right amount of spice….what more can we ask for? There is a reason it’s the most beloved book in the fantasy realm.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, (List Price: $19, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635575583, June 2020)
Reviewed by Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads in , South Carolina
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It’s actually unfair how good this book is. Kuang seamlessly weaves together grief, trauma, and hope in a way that cracked me open. Grant and Helen are linked by a horrific tragedy, and eventually wind up in the same television writers’ room, both trying their hardest to escape from themselves. A love letter to competency porn, vulnerability, and tripping headfirst into something great with the last person you should be falling in love with. An incredibly moving, honest debut.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, (List Price: $18.99, Avon, 9780063310681, April 2024)
Reviewed by Gaby Iori, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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I loved this story about second (and third) chances and rekindled young love in a small southern town. Themes of alcohol addiction and commentary on American gun violence give Colton Gentry’s Third Act depth that would make this romance a fabulous book club selection. And I loved the restaurant setting!
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner, (List Price: $30, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538756652, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Colleen Hoover writes another fantastic story. I read this book in two days. I could not put it down. I couldn’t wait until the end to know what was going to happen. I highly recommend this book.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover, (List Price: $16.99, Atria Books, 9781501110344, 2015-11-10)
Reviewed by Amy McNabb, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee
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Laugh out-loud funny book just in time for wedding season. This book engages family, friends, the wedding industry, and a fast-paced plot perfect for the beach. I gave this to my future daughter-in-law, hoping she can find the fun in the planning. A must-read for any bride.
Wedding Issues by Elle Evans, (List Price: $17.99, Zibby Books, 9781958506745, April 2024)
Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina
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I LOVED this book. It begins as a loose retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, but you’re constantly faced with the differences between the tale as old as time and “A Court of Thorns and Roses”. Feyre is a strong, wild character. She’s willing to risk it all to save the people she loves. The ending had me on the edge of my seat!
A Court of Thorns and RosesA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, (List Price: $18, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635575569, June 2020)
Reviewed by Melissa Gray, The Blytheville Book Company in Blytheville, Arkansas
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Val believes that her family is cursed and they will always be unlucky in love. I loved the sweet and charming graphics and learning about the art of lion dancing. Val’s courage and determination to try and open her heart even if it may end in heartbreak is inspiring. I truly enjoyed this book!
Lunar New Year Love StoryLunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, (List Price: $25.99, First Second, 9781626728103, January 2024)
Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Adamo’s Not Like Other Girls pairs the emotional power of Speak with a mystery full of plot twists a la A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. This would be a great pick for teen book clubs.
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo, (List Price: $19.99, Bloomsbury YA, 9781547614004, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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This is a poignant about family and all the ways those closest to you can do the most harm. Jess knows her mother for who she is, a woman who deserted her family for a con artist recently met. One so infamous he is the subject of a popular podcast. Jess has first-hand experience with her Mother’s priorities and knows her daughters are low on the list. What Jess doesn’t know is that her sister Tegan, whom she has raised, is determined to find their Mother. So much so that she has been communicating with a podcast host who wants to tell the story. By the ways Tegan has been communicating as Jess, an adult. The pressure to keep Tegan safe and not destroy their relationship is a desperate struggle for a “surrogate Mother” who is really just a sister. An obnoxious and pushy podcast host is not a benefit to Jess, nor the host’s handsome and kind assistant. This is a sweet story of finding family through love.
The Other Side of DisappearingThe Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn, (List Price: $17.95, Kensington, 9781496737311, March 2024)
Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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A rom-com focusing on a young woman who makes a deal with a spirit over her heart, unless she can find true love, and her partner, who is shy and healing after a major loss. Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham use their prose and art to share a fun story, as well as education on Asian-American culture and history. A good romp of a read for those in love or trying to find it.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, (List Price: $17.99, First Second, 9781250908261, January 2024)
Reviewed by Hilton Airall, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
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Perfectly tailored for the reader lingering weirdly between Gen-Z and millennial in title, this book kicks butt and takes names. Deftly navigating (justified) teen angst with a humorous voice and unmatched compassion, Nerada has taken up residence on my list of authors to watch. A book that commits to the bit, Skater Boy destroys labels and points directly at systemic failings we’ve had a propensity to overlook. Nerada’s debut cheekily plays with how the intersections of those two issues create divisive and dismissive behavior. Wesley’s confinement to “punk” and “failure” parallel Tristan’s shining “poise” and “success” as the two boys fall into their predetermined roles, but Nerada’s characters compel the story forward, pushing against the oppressive, frustrating isolation of their respective archetypes and finding themselves wholly realized. Do yourself a favor, get to know the skater boy.
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada, (List Price: $18.99, Soho Teen, 9781641295345, February 2024)
Reviewed by Shae Jordan, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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