the summer of us — Blog • NOVL

Cold Months, Hot Reads

The sun is setting earlier, the temperature is dropping, and I need a summery literary infusion to help me through the dark and chilly season. Luckily these romantic books are the perfect antidote to the cold outside. Cuddle up under your coziest blanket with some hot cocoa and read of warmer days to come.

listicleAndie DivelbissDecember 13, 2021rule of summer, joanna philbin, midnight sun, trish cook, the loose ends list, carrie firestone, cecilia vinesse, the summer of us, twenty boy summer, sarah ockler, camp, nandini bajpai, sister of the bollywood bride, our way back to always, nina moreno, l. c. rosenComment

London Calling: YA for Anglophiles

Whether you’re looking for an adorable travel romance, a thrilling mystery, or a London-inspired dystopia, this list has the book for you, fellow Anglophile readers. Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy these bloody good reads.

listicleAndie DivelbissOctober 26, 2021london shah, light the abyss, stalking jack the ripper, kerri maniscalco, jonathan stroud, the bartimaeus trilogy, etiquette & espionage, gail carriger, a cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow, laura taylor namey, assassin's guide, virginia boecker, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, noughts and crosses, malorie blackmanComment

Senior Year Anxiety Reads

Senior year tends to be overwhelmingly stressful in normal times. Whether you are off to college in the fall or have other plans in store, these seven books recs are here to connect, entertain, and inspire during this uniquely challenging time in your life.

listicleLBYRMay 29, 2020most likely, sarah watson, dear universe, florence gonsalves, hello goodbye and everything in between, jennifer e smith, the revolution handbook, alice skinner, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, fierce, aly raismanComment

Choose a bunch of books, and we'll guess your star sign

Oh yes, we’re back with another astrology post. This time, we put ourselves to the test by guessing your star sign based on books you choose. Do you read books similar to your sign? Let’s find out!

quizEmily ZhuJuly 29, 2019cloudwish, fiona wood, amelia westlake, erin gough, we contain multitudes, sarah henstra, every exquisite thing, matthew quick, the plain janes, cecil castellucci, jim rugg, dear evan hansen, val emmich, steven levenson, benj pasek, justin paul, the loose ends list, carrie firestone, love and first sight, josh sundquist, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, finding yvonne, brandy colbert, grace and fury, tracy banghart, read rule, rule, ellen goodlett, little & lion, little and lion, assassin's guide, virginia boecker, throw like a girl, sarah henning, we rule the night, claire eliza bartlett, astonishing color of after, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, the unlikelies, teeth in the mist, dawn kurtagich, the diviners, libba bray, six impossible things, the statistical probability of love at first sight, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, tyler johnson was here, jay coles, trinkets, kiwi smith, ash, malinda lo, a match made in mehendi, nandini bajpai, defy the stars, claudia gray, the bone houses, you must not miss, katrina leno, darkest part of the forest, holly black, the revolution of birdie randolph, when the stars lead to you, ronni davis, the cruel prince, internment, read internment, samira ahmed Comment

11 Kisses in YA, definitively ranked

As an unapologetic lover of YA, I’ve read through my fair share of kissing scenes. Some of them make my heart swoon to the point where even I can feel the fireworks. Other times, I have to take a small break from reading because the second-hand embarrassment and awkwardness is too much.

listicleEmily ZhuJuly 6, 2019astonishing color of after, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, amelia westlake, erin gough, twilight, stephenie meyer, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, the statistical probability of love at first sight, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, the cruel prince, holly black, folk of the airComment

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

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

Random Lines from Random Books We Randomly Pulled Off the Shelf…Randomly

In the name of quality content, we have decided that we will bring this game to you! Bill, Natali, and I all gathered in the LBYR library and carried out our mission, bringing you the best of the random book randomness that the book randoms can random. Randomly.

7 Books that Will Make You Feel Like You’re Falling in Love for the First Time

Sometimes I like to put off a “couldn’t care less about love” vibe, but truthfully I’m a sap at heart. I’ll fall for anything: hate to love, best friends to lovers, forbidden love, meet-cutes of all kinds. Romance is compelling because it speaks to our deepest desires and our innate drive to connect with other people. And, you know…smooching. If you’re into that.

listicleGuest AuthorFebruary 14, 2019brandy colbert, the revolution of birdie randolph, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, hello goodbye and everything in between, ashley herring blakeComment