Camyrn Garrett’s debut novel is one hell of a feat. Heartfelt, informative, musical, and memorable, FULL DISCLOSURE sticks with the reader long after the last page. I read an advanced copy way back in March this year, and I practically counted down the days until it arrived on our shelves. In FULL DISCLOSURE, Simone is expertly navigating her new high school when the unthinkable happens - someone threatens to tell the whole school that she is HIV+.
I’ve been waiting for Kim Liggett’s YA dystopian, THE GRACE YEAR, ever since I was lucky enough to read a very early copy from the publisher! Like so many of us these days, I think a lot about the state of society - about what happens when women’s voices are subjugated and about what happens when they are not. These thoughts come easily to mind, especially with Margaret Atwood’s just-released Handmaid’s Tale sequel, THE TESTAMENTS.
We are so thrilled to announce our latest book club, Not YA Mama’s Book Club! NYMBC is intended for adults over the age of 18 who are fans of (or interested in) the Young Adult genre! The book club will be led by our Kids and Teens Specialist, Laura G. Our first meeting will be in January of 2020, so stay tuned for dates and book choices! For more news, follow our YA Instagram Account, @brazosbookstoreteen !
If you’ve ever hung out around the store, there’s a big chance you’ve heard me talk about Mackenzi Lee. I am completely in love with her books, particularly THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE and its companion novel, THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY. When I learned that Lee had started writing a novel about my favorite trickster in the Marvel canon, I could not wait to get my hands on it. Lee has a very busy rest of 2019, so I’m honored that she was able to give me a few minutes of her time to chat with me about LOKI, fanfiction, and dogs!
I’ve been a fan of K.A. Holt (who also writes as Kari Anne Holt ) for a number of years now. She’s a brilliant poet, a creative mind, and a huge genre fan (anyone who loves those thirteen episodes of Joss Whedon’s Firefly as much as I do earns my undying loyalty!). She's also a fierce advocate for numerous causes and one of the fiercest, bravest writers I know!
LAURA G: The trope of girl-dressed-as-boy has historical precedence from Shakespeare to Tolkien. Usually the crossdressing heroine makes her choice after suffocating under the pressures of being a woman: marriage, etiquette, etc. The same is certainly true of Maia who dreams of becoming a tailor yet is held back by her gender. Why did you choose to incorporate this into your story? Why do you think it’s a theme we return to time and again?
I first came across Crown of Feathers back in October and let me tell you, it has been so difficult to wait for it to hit shelves! I read the book in one day, completely engrossed in the world building and characters. I am so thrilled I was able to interview the author, Nicki Pau Preto, about her gorgeous story of sisterhood, deception, and betrayal.
Kate Gavino is a writer and illustrator from Houston. She is the creator of the website, Last Night’s Reading, which was compiled into a published collection by Penguin Books in 2015. She was recently named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s 30 Under 30. Now, she is working in Paris. Kate and I got together to discuss her forthcoming graphic novel, SANPAKU, which comes out on August 21st.
Keaton: In your two previous novels, THE BLOOD OF HEAVEN and SECESSIA, you immersed us in the dark, convoluted history of the Gulf Coast. But those works hewed closely to the human story of the region--its wars and unruly frontier, the stain of slavery. In THE NEW INHERITORS, you expand your perspective way beyond and put the natural history of the Gulf front and center to the point that it at times even supersedes the human narrative. How did you come to approach such an expansion of time and scope?
