Celebrating Pride in 2021!
June is Pride Month and one way I celebrate each year, is by reading books written by and for LGBTQ+ folks (like myself!). Here are five teen books I've read and loved, and three I can't wait to check out! Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love, painful irony that it is. He desperately wants to know why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. He is proud of his identity, but fears that he's one marginalization too many-- Black, queer, and transgender. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages--…
Get Into This AAPI Heritage Month Booklist!
JessicaSince 1992, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of the AAPI communities to the United States. With the unacceptable rise in anti-Asian violence both here and abroad, it is especially vital for us to bring well-deserved attention to these amazing books written by AAPI writers of the past and present. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner: Zauner, a biracial Korean American musician otherwise known as Japanese Breakfast, shares her moving and witty story of growing up Asian in Eugene, OR…
YA Verse Novels for National Poetry Month
Happy National Poetry Month! If you also like poetry, or novels-in-verse, check out any, or all of these five books! APPLE: SKIN TO THE CORE BY ERIC GANSWORTH: "The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the outside, white on the inside." Eric Gansworth is telling his story in Apple (Skin to the Core). The story of his family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young…
Three Memoirs & Biographies to Read for Women's History Month
JessicaMarch is a very special month, especially for me. We celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8th, and Women’s History Month for all thirty-one days. Additionally, my kind and loving mother was born in March. As a staunch queer and intersectional feminist librarian, and former women and gender studies major in college, I am forever passionate about centering ALL women’s stories and experiences. If you, too, are itching to read about the fascinating lives of three incredible women of…
Young Women's Stories of Past and Present
Yesterday, March 8th was International Women's Day and March itself is Women's History Month. While a Women & Gender Studies major in college, I learned all about how women's lives and experiences have NOT been front and center in literature, the news, history, media, etc. for far too long. Especially Women of Color (WoC) and queer and trans women. Therefore, I present to you five of my favorite novels about young women and their quest to better understand themselves and the world around them in the past and present. Displacement by Kiku…
Cozy Up with These Wintry Tales
JessicaIt's early February and we finally got hit with our first snowstorm. It's the perfect time to wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, sip a hot drink and crack open a book that will transport you to magical land, or scenic wintry destinations. Here are five picks to get you started! Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, the junior ice hockey team of Beartown is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys, and…
2021 New Year's Resolutions: Yay or Nay?
I'm so grateful 2020 is FINALLY over and I'm sure many of you are too. At the end of each year I set a minimum of five resolutions or goals for the next year. This year, I hope to: Get my driver's license Read fifty books Move into a new apartment Bake at least once a month, and... Try watercolor painting, again. Setting goals can be fun. They can help motivate you, keep you focused and feel a sense of accomplishment. They can also be torturous! In Mia Garcia's novel, The Resolutions, four high school seniors and best friends assign each other dares, instead of resolutions on…
Wintertime Teen Reads
There's nothing like curling up with a good book when it's cold and snowy outside. If you enjoy stories set during the winter, be sure to check out any, or all of these! Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: In a story told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmastime in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find. Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson: In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples…
A Few Thoughts on Gratitude
We are all going through a really rough time right now. Life is overwhelming and scary. Many of us won't get to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones. Many of us have been directly affected by COVID-19. Many of us miss spending time with our friends and family, traveling, eating at a restaurant or cafe, and feeling safer. Nevertheless, we can still feel and express gratitude, or be thankful for what we DO have. I am grateful to have discovered and read these five books this year. They gave me hope and made me laugh, a lot. Want to check them out? Click on the…
Enemies-to-Lovers: Swoon Over these Romance Novels
JessicaReading romance novels has helped bring me joy during this pandemic. I especially seek out those that fall under the popular trope, enemies-to-lovers. The six titles listed below are witty, fun, and sexy—and will hopefully give you a good laugh, too! Enjoy and stay safe! The Right Swipe: A Novel by Alisha Rai Rhiannon Hunter was ghosted by Samson Lima after letting herself fall for his charms after one amazing date. When he resurfaces, aligned with her biggest business rival and asking for a secomd chance, Rhiannon has to decide if her walls stay up, or if she should risk merging hearts!…
Graphic Novels to Read During Black History Month
JessicaAs you all know, February is Black History Month. Black History Month was proposed by Black professors and the Black United Students group at Kent State University in 1969, and was first celebrated a year later from January 2nd to February 28th. Not until 1976, was it finally celebrated nationwide. One way to celebrate and honor Black history is by reading graphic novels. As many of us librarians and library workers know, graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular. Graphic novels can also be a helpful tool for struggling readers of all ages, and can improve one’s visual literacy…
As the World Churns: Ice Cream Heaven at Home
JessicaJuly is a month of unbearable stickiness. The stifling heat and humidity brings one inescapable form, but there is also another with more delicious character resulting from July also being National Ice Cream Month. Like most people, I prefer the stickiness that comes at the end of a delicious cup or cone. Though I am sadly lactose intolerant, it does not stop me from stealing a spoonful from my friends every now and again. Brooklyn has many excellent options for a heat-beating scoop and Brooklyn Public Library has even more options for escaping the heat…
Quick Reads for Pride
JessicaMemoirs to Read During Pride Month (And All Year Round!)!
JessicaPride Month is here and there is much to celebrate and honor—LGBTQIA+history, politics, theater and film, culture, music, art, and especially literature. This blog post highlights four recently published memoirs by LGBTQIA+writers. Take the time to read their beautiful and inspiring stories. Amateur: A True Story about What Makes a Man by Thomas Page McBee: McBee’s beautifully written and deeply personal memoir captures his experiences training to fight a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden, all while struggling to define what it means to be a man both in and outside the…