Every month, I got a slow trickle of books from publishers and publicist, and November is no different.
This time, however, I got a few books that will be published in the new year (specifically within the first two months)!
Twelve-year-old Cindy has just dipped a toe into seventh-grade drama—with its complicated friendships, bullies, and cute boys—when she earns an internship as a cub reporter at a local newspaper in the early 1970s.
A (rare) young female reporter takes Cindy under her wing, and Cindy soon learns not only how to write a lede, but also how to respectfully question authority, how to assert herself in a world run by men, and—as the Watergate scandal unfolds—how brave reporting and writing can topple a corrupt world leader.
Searching for her own scoops, Cindy doesn’t always get it right, on paper or in real life. But whether she’s writing features about ghost hunters, falling off her bicycle and into her first crush, or navigating shifting friendships, Cindy grows wiser and more confident through every awkward and hilarious mistake.
Why would I want to read Cub? I love graphic novels, especially graphic memoirs that tells a story about the author’s past.
I’m excited to read a story exploring a young, budding journalist in the 1970s, and she grows both in school and in her aspirations.
Will other readers enjoy this? Young readers will totally enjoy this.
The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg
Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.
Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.
Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.
Why would I want to read The Will of the Wilds? This is a strange version of a fairytale that is very intriguing. Two characters—a human and a monster—becoming intertwined into each other. I’m generally weary when there’s romance involved, but I’m willing to see how this story approaches this all encompassing love these characters will have for each other by the end.
Will other readers enjoy this? Yeah! It’s quite strange.
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.
Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels—fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.
Why would I want to read The Gravity of Us? Two of my favorite things to read: space and a gay romance.
Will other readers enjoy this? Yes! Representationnnn.
I have to say that I’m loving this space mission/NASA trend that’s going on right now.
The Will and the Wilds sounds really weird, but also like something I would enjoy!