alex bertie — Blog • NOVL

Keeping YA Real: Memoirs

Memoirs provide valuable insight into the actual lived experiences of other people. So, if you're also looking to expand your reading (and your mind), check out these YA memoirs!

listicleBill GraceSeptember 8, 2021we are not broken, george m. johnson, passport, sophia glock, fierce, aly raisman, trans mission, alex bertie, we should hang out sometime, josh sundquist, we are displaced, malala yousafzaiComment

Books that cover some hard-hitting but necessary topics

Often the books that stick with us are the ones that make us think. The ones that don’t take us outside of our world, but instead hold a mirror to our lives to make us re-think on our outlook on society.

listicleSavannah KennellyMarch 5, 2020stamped, jason reynolds, ibram x. kendi, internment, samira ahmed, we are displaced, malala yousafzai, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, trans mission, alex bertie, little & lion, brandy colbert, they went left, monica hesseComment

8 Pride Reads for June and Beyond

Happy June, and happy Pride month! To all of our friends and readers on the LGBTQIA spectrum and beyond, we’re so happy you’re here. I hope you take a few moments to celebrate and breathe—being yourself shouldn’t be a radical act, but it is. The world has a long way to go, but I have faith in your (and our) fight. So no matter where you are on your journey, remember that there will always be people in the world who support you. You always deserve a seat at the table. And you always deserve to be seen in the books you read.

listicleGuest AuthorJune 4, 2019trans mission, alex bertie, jack of hearts, l. c. rosen, little & lion, little and lion, brandy colbert, amelia westlake, erin gough, we contain multitudes, sarah henstra, ash, malinda lo, the summer of us, cecilia vinesseComment

6 Books that Inspire Activism

Raising your voice is hard, but the simple act of one person speaking out is activism. And sometimes, one voice breaking the silence makes all the difference. If you don’t necessarily know where to begin your activist journey, take my advice: read to resist.

listicleBill GraceMay 16, 2019internment, read internment, samira ahmed, we are displaced, malala yousafzai, trans mission, alex bertieComment

8 OwnVoices Authors and Books to Read Right Now

We are undergoing a revolution right now. I’m finally seeing more covers with characters that look like me—like on Maureen Goo’s books—and reading stories with characters that love like I do—three cheers to that ace representation in Let’s Talk About Love! Minorities in the YA book community have been searching and waiting for books that truly reflect how we move through the world. And now we’re finally getting the stories we want and need.

Guest AuthorMarch 29, 2019internment, samira ahmed, astonishing color of after, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, jack of hearts, l. c. rosen, tyler johnson was here, jay coles, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, trans mission, alex bertie, when the stars lead to you, ronni davis, the revolution of birdie randolph, brandy colbertComment

5 Nonfiction Books to Keep It Real

We talk about fiction a lot here on NOVL, because fiction is fun and can be an escape from the real world. But, there’s nothing like a good non-fiction book to really ground yourself and learn more about a topic or a person. Here are five of our favorite non-fiction titles!

listicleSavannah KennellyJanuary 9, 2019we are displaced, malala yousafzai, fierce, aly raisman, how to write good, ryan higa, we should hang out sometime, josh sundquist, trans mission, alex bertie, my quest to a beardComment