Category: Conversation

Nostalgic books that bring you back to your childhood

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

How good does the movie version of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret look? We are so glad they’re taking so much care making one of my childhood favorite books into a great movie! 

The Books Forward staff put together some of our other favorite books we loved growing up if you want to dive into more nostalgia.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

The first book to make me cry?! This story about a boy growing up in the Ozarks with his two hunting dogs moved me and scarred me as a little kid. Is this why I’m a dog person?

The Face On the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney: I remember not being able to put this down until I discovered the mystery behind who Janie Johnson really was. And I still can recaall exactly what the plotline is today, which I think is pretty impressive!

The Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Alice was around the same age as me, and taught me all kinds of things about crushes, friendships and growing up. I have vivid memories of rushing to the library after finishing one of the books to check the next one out.

— Ellen Whitfield, vice president

The Cheetah Girls by Deborah Gregory

What can I say, I was heavily influenced by the hit 2003 Disney film, and I’m glad I was. I got to live out the wild metropolitan life of a New York city high schooler from the comfort of my Louisiana bedroom. I literally wore cheetah print and tried to get my closest friends to form our own version of the group with 9-year-olds. I always looked forward to the glossary at the end of each book defining all the lingo. Also, I’m still not over them completely erasing Aqua’s twin sister in the film franchise, but that’s another story.

— Jenn Vance, marketing director

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

I loved reading Harriet the Spy (and the movie was great, too). I listened to the audiobook for the first time as an adult a couple years ago, and the story still holds up as one of my favorites!

Angelle Barbazon, lead publicist

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

If you could live forever, would you? This is definitely the book that made me fall in love with reading! I was enthralled by the story’s fantasy elements, the youthful star-crossed romance, and the vivid descriptions of nature. This one is bittersweet, thought-provoking, and so well-crafted that it connects with readers of all ages!

— Jackie Karneth, senior publicist

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

I grew up in the golden age of vampire media and boy was I lucky. The way that Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy had a literal chokehold on me. I could not look away. I absolutely inhaled these books. Edward Cullen WHOMST? For me it was always about vampire daddy Dimitri Belikov.

The Mediator series by Meg Cabot

Nothing serves middle school angst quite like the The Mediator series by Meg Cabot. MOVE OVER PRINCESS DIARIES, because the number one Meg series in this lil tween’s heart goes out to this ghost-hunting baddie!! I actually faked sick to stay home and read these books when I was in sixth grade so you can say I, like our main character here, was a bit of a rebel.

— Layne Mandros, publicist

Smile: A Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeir

I loved it because I could relate to fitting in a new middle school (after having moved around so much as a kid) and the struggles of growing up and becoming a teenager but in a fun and humorous way!

— Emily Kulkarni, intern

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Despereaux holds a lot of firsts for me: first book I enjoyed reading in class, first book I ever reread, and first book I ever sobbed to. This story follows Despereaux, a valiant mouse who sets out on a quest to save his beautiful Princess Pea. Kate DiCamillo writes a touching story about hope and destiny that has stuck with me year after year. 

— Rachel Lachney, intern

 

Guest post: A self-published author’s brush with Hollywood

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

As a self-published author, convincing people to buy your book is no easy feat. It’s hard to get noticed by anyone, let alone by an agent or a producer in Hollywood. But with a stroke of random luck, that’s exactly what happened to me.

I published Jay the Great (my modern retelling of The Great Gatsby) in January of 2021, to coincide with the original novel’s release into the public domain. Several other writers had the same idea as me, and it seemed my book was destined to be quickly forgotten. Over the next three months, I sold less than 10 copies and lost the will to do any sort of marketing.

Then one day, I woke up to an email from a New York agency asking me if the film and television rights for my book were still available. I thought I was being catfished or scammed at first, but the sender’s email address looked legitimate. I figured it couldn’t hurt to send a reply back, so I wrote and said that yes, for the moment, the screen rights were still available (as if there might be a bidding war soon).

After a few more emails back and forth, the agency said they were eager to pursue an on-screen adaptation on my behalf. I was flattered, though still confused about how they had even stumbled upon Jay the Great. It started to make more sense a month later, when I was told that a Warner Brothers production company had made an offer to buy the rights to my book. Evidently they had been scouring the internet for Gatsby source material and fell in love with my retelling of the classic novel.

Soon I received a check for selling them the exclusive option rights. It wasn’t a life-changing amount of money by any stretch, but still a lot more than I had ever made selling my own books on Amazon. I got to meet with the producers over Zoom (if you are a fan of the show Supernatural, you’d be jealous) and talk to them about how the book came to be. They were upfront about wanting to hire professional screenwriters to work on the project, and honestly I was relieved to hear that, since I had never tried to write a TV pilot myself. All I asked was to be kept in the loop about how the project was progressing, and the producers were kind enough to do so.

For a full year, I couldn’t tell anyone about this exciting news. Warner Brothers seemed eager to get started on the project, but I learned quickly that things move slowly in Hollywood. The producers introduced me to the pair of writers they found to work on the pilot and I had the chance to review their outline for the first season of a Gatsby TV show. I gave them some notes and then went back to the waiting game.

By the summer of 2022, I was told that the writers were ready to make their pitch to some of the top streaming services in Hollywood — a list which included Netflix, Amazon, and HBO. I started checking my inbox compulsively, eager to hear how the meetings had gone. Then finally I got an update, but not the one I was hoping for.

The head of the production company wrote and said that the pitches went well, the studios loved the premise of my book, and yet none of them had made an offer to buy the show. Just like that, my option deal expired and the project was officially dead. Everyone involved was moving on.

Looking back on the whole experience, I obviously would have wished for a different outcome. Maybe it was just bad timing. Or maybe my streak of good luck was bound to run out. Either way, it was still encouraging to know that my writing had potential. Because as a self-published author, it’s rare to feel validation from something you wrote. And you never know when that feeling will come or go.

Benjamin Frost was born and raised in New England and graduated from Boston University with a degree in communications. Since then, he’s lived all across the globe, including a stint in Melbourne, Australia. He is the co-creator of bookdigits.com, a book review website, and has self-published several novels including JAY THE GREAT, a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby. His new book is NUMBER ONE IS GONE, a mystery set in the tennis world.

Books to read this April for Autism Acceptance month

Posted on | by Layne Mandros

It’s April, which means it’s Autism Acceptance Month! We’ve compiled a list of great reads featuring autistic characters and books by autistic authors. Please make sure to add a few of these to your TBR and celebrate the vibrant, creative and innovating autistic community all year long!

Romance

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Charlie likes to stand out. She’s a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought. Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie — no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favorite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself–even though she’s not entirely sure how… Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car–supposedly by accident. Yeah, right. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen–and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore… and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese

Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all–an undeniable need for revenge. Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash everyone’s hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all. To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder: What if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

Middle Grade

Dragon Pearl (a Thousand Worlds Novel Book 1) by Yoon Ha Lee

But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times. Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name. Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

Young Adult

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary autistic teen realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life. Sam Sylvester has long collected stories of half-lived lives — of kids who died before they turned nineteen. Sam was almost one of those kids. Now, as Sam’s own nineteenth birthday approaches, their recent near-death experience haunts them. They’re certain they don’t have much time left… But Sam’s life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, their next-door neighbor. Yet the past keeps roaring back — in Sam’s memories and in the form of a thirty-year-old suspicious death that took place in Sam’s new home. Sam can’t resist trying to find out more about the kid who died and who now seems to guide their investigation. When Sam starts receiving threatening notes, they know they’re on the path to uncovering a murderer. But are they digging through the past or digging their own future grave?

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him — the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation.

Social Queue by Kay Kerr

Zoe Kelly is starting a new phase of her life. High school was a mess of bullying and autistic masking that left her burnt out and shut down. Now, with an internship at an online media company—the first step on the road to her dream writing career—she is ready to reinvent herself. But she didn’t count on returning to her awkward and all-too-recent high-school experiences for her first writing assignment. When her piece, about her non-existent dating life, goes viral, eighteen-year-old Zoe is overwhelmed and more than a little surprised by the response. But, with a deadline and a list of romantic contenders from the past to reconnect with for her piece on dating, she is hoping one of her old sparks will turn into a new flame.

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

Five friends take a trip to a cabin. It’s supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways—a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they’ve been playing for the past three years. But they’re all dealing with their own demons, and they’re all hiding secrets. And as they start to play the murder mystery game that brought them together in the first place, the lines between the game and reality blend, with deadly consequences. Someone knows their secrets. Someone wants to make them pay. Soon, it’s a race against time before it’s game over—forever. Are you ready to play?

 

Science Fiction 

Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes 

Sixteen years ago, a plague wiped out nearly all of humanity. The Company’s vaccine stopped the virus’s spread, but society was irrevocably changed. Those remaining live behind impenetrable city walls, taking daily doses of virus suppressant and relying on The Company for continued protection. They don’t realize that everything they’ve been told is a lie… Clover Donovan didn’t set out to start a revolution–quiet, autistic, and brilliant, she’s always followed the rules. But that was before they forced her into service for the Time Mariners. Before they condemned her brother to death, compelling him to flee the city to survive. Before she discovered terrifying secrets about The Company. Clover and the Freaks, her ragtag resistance group, are doing their best to spread the rebellion and stay under The Company’s radar. But when their hideout is discovered, they are forced, once again, to run. Only this time, The Company has special plans for Clover, plans that could risk her life and stop the uprising in its tracks…

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann

Autistic scientist Yasira Shien has developed a radical new energy drive that could change the future of humanity. But when she activates it, reality warps, destroying the space station and everyone aboard. The AI Gods who rule the galaxy declare her work heretical, and Yasira is abducted by their agents. Instead of simply executing her, they offer mercy — if she’ll help them hunt down a bigger target: her own mysterious, vanished mentor. With her homeworld’s fate in the balance, Yasira must choose who to trust: the gods and their ruthless post-human angels, or the rebel scientist whose unorthodox mathematics could turn her world inside out.

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis

January 29, 2035: That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit–the big one. Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter outside their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time. A last-minute meeting leads them to something better than a temporary shelter–a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth behind to colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But everyone on the ship has been chosen because of their usefulness. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister? When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?

Fiction

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.

 

Nonfiction 

Stim: An Autism Anthology edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

Around 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic, but rarely do autistic people have a voice. They are the ones on the daytime tv sofas, in parliament, or writing about their experiences with us. While these voices are important, the balance is tipped, and rarely do we get to use our own voices to talk about our experiences or to show how creative, smart and funny we are, how different from the stereotype most people have. This anthology represents an important step in reclaiming that power, of using our own voices. This book will bring together some of the best autistic writers, showcasing the immense talents of people who just happen to be on the spectrum. It won’t just feature essays about what it is to be autistic, but also stories, illustrations and art. So this isn’t just a book for autistic people or those who work or live with us; Stim will be an enjoyable, insightful collection for people around the world, who want to discover and champion unheard voices.

Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words edited by Maxfield Sparrow

Written by autistic trans people from around the world, this vital and intimate collection of personal essays reveals the struggles and joys of living at the intersection of neurodivergence and gender diversity. Weaving memories, poems and first-person narratives together, these stories showcase experiences of coming out, college and university life, accessing healthcare, physical transition, friendships and relationships, sexuality, pregnancy, parenting, and late life self-discovery, to reveal a rich and varied tapestry of life lived on the spectrums. With humour and personal insight, this anthology is essential reading for autistic trans people, and the professionals supporting them, as well as anyone interested in the nuances of autism and gender identity.

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Dr. Devon Price

For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless “masked” Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren’t seen as needy or “odd.”

In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. It’s time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask–and it’s time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.

But you don’t look autistic at all by Bianca Toeps (Author),  Fay Maccorquodale-Smith (Translator)

Autism — that’s being able to count matches really fast and knowing that 7 August 1984 was a Tuesday, right? Well, no. In this book, Bianca Toeps explains in great detail what life is like when you’re autistic. She does this by looking at what science says about autism (and why some theories can go straight in the bin), but also by telling her own story and interviewing other people with autism. Bianca talks in a refreshing and sometimes hilarious way about different situations autistic people encounter in daily life. She has some useful tips for non-autistic people too: what you should do if someone prefers not to look you in the eye, why it is sometimes better to communicate by email, and, most important of all, why it is not a compliment if you say: “But you don’t look autistic at all!”

How to Be Autistic by Charlotte Amelia Poe

How To Be Autistic charts Charlotte Amelia Poe’s journey through schooldays and young adulthood, with chapters on food, fandom, depression, body piercing, comic conventions, and technology. Poe writes about her memoir: ‘The best way to describe it is to imagine a road trip. If a neurotypical person wants to get from A to B, then they will most often find their way unobstructed, without road works or diversions. For an autistic person, they will find that they are having to use back roads and cut across fields and explore places neurotypicals would never even imagine visiting’. How To Be Autistic challenges narratives of autism as something to be ‘fixed’, as Poe believes her autism is a fundamental aspect of her work. She writes: ‘I wanted to show the side of autism that I have lived through, the side you don’t find in books and on Facebook groups. My piece is a story about survival, fear and, finally, hope. It is an open letter to every autistic person who has suffered verbal, mental or physical abuse and come out snarling and alive. ‘If I can change just one person’s perceptions, if I can help one person with autism feel like they’re less alone, then this will all be worth it. So please, turn the page. Our worlds are about to collide.’

Supporting Transgender Autistic Youth and Adults: A Guide for Professionals and Families by Finn V. Gratton

Providing advice on how professionals working with autistic trans youth and adults can tailor their practice to best serve their clients and how parents can support their trans autistic children, this book increases awareness of the large overlap between trans identities and autism. By including chapters on gender diversity basics, neuroqueer trauma and how to support neuroqueer individuals, this book sets out strategies for creating more effective support that takes into account the unique experiences of trans people on the spectrum. Written by a therapist who identifies as neuroqueer, this book is the perfect companion for professionals who want to increase their knowledge of the experiences and needs of their trans autistic clients.

9 Books Guardians of the Galaxy characters would read

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Another Guardians movie means guaranteed fun with a side of chaos from your favorite spacefaring crew. We put together a list of books we think each character should read to celebrate the new Marvel movie!

Peter should read A Big Ship At the Edge of the Universe by Alex White 

Because it involves a crew of ragtag outcasts

A washed-up treasure hunter, a hotshot racer, and a deadly secret society. They’re all on a race against time to hunt down the greatest warship ever built. Some think the ship is lost forever, some think it’s been destroyed, and some think it’s only a legend, but one thing’s for certain: whoever finds it will hold the fate of the universe in their hands. And treasure that valuable can never stay hidden for long

Gamora should read A Pale Light In the Black by K.B. Wagers 

Because Max is also running away from her family and has to work with a team she didn’t choose

For the past year, their close loss in the annual Boarding Games has haunted Interceptor Team: Zuma’s Ghost. With this year’s competition looming, they’re looking forward to some payback–until an unexpected personnel change leaves them reeling. Their best swordsman has been transferred, and a new lieutenant has been assigned in his place. Maxine Carmichael is trying to carve a place in the world on her own—away from the pressure and influence of her powerful family. The last thing she wants is to cause trouble at her command on Jupiter Station. With her new team in turmoil, Max must overcome her self-doubt and win their trust if she’s going to succeed. Failing is not an option—and would only prove her parents right. But Max and the team must learn to work together quickly. A routine mission to retrieve a missing ship has suddenly turned dangerous, and now their lives are on the line. Someone is targeting members of Zuma’s Ghost, a mysterious opponent willing to kill to safeguard a secret that could shake society to its core . . . a secret that could lead to their deaths and kill thousands more unless Max and her new team stop them.

Drax should read Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie 

Because it’s about a character who is single-minded in her quest for revenge

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren—a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Rocket should read Dance With the Devil by Kit Rocha 

Because Dani is also a genetically modified soldier who will stop at nothing to take down the bad guys

Tobias Richter, the fearsome VP of Security of the TechCorps is dead. The puppetmaster is gone and the organization is scrambling to maintain control by ruthlessly limiting Atlanta’s access to resources, hoping to quell rebellion. Our band of mercenary librarians have decided that the time for revolution has come. Maya uses her wealth of secrets to weaken the TechCorps from within. Dani strikes from the shadows, picking off the chain of command one ambush at a time. And Nina is organizing their community—not just to survive, but to fight back. When Maya needs to make contact with a sympathetic insider, Dani and Rafe are the only ones with the skill-set and experience to infiltrate the highest levels of the TechCorps. They’ll go deep undercover in the decadent, luxury-soaked penthouses on the Hill. Bringing Dani face-to-face with the man who turned her into a killer. And forcing Rafe to decide how far he’ll go to protect both of his families—the one he was born to, and the one he made for himself.

Groot should read The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien 

Because trees get to be heroes on an epic quest

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Nebula should read The Ones We’re Meant To Find by Joan He 

Because it has a complicated sister relationship at the heart of the story

Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her. In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet?and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return. Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.

Yondu should read The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes 

Because it involves a crew made up of members that no one else wanted

It’s the edge of the universe. Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it. The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military. At the Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer–genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather’s genetic facility for “reasons.” She knows they’re humanity’s last chance.

Kraglin should read The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez 

Because it features lonely characters who find unexpected family connections

A ship captain, unfettered from time. A mute child, burdened with unimaginable power. A millennia-old woman, haunted by lifetimes of mistakes. In this captivating debut of connection across space and time, these outsiders will find in each other the things they lack: a place of love and belonging. A safe haven. A new beginning. But the past hungers for them, and when it catches up, it threatens to tear this makeshift family apart.

Mantis should read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 

Because it features a character who is an extraordinary empath

When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores.

 

Celebrate National Pet Day with these animal sidekicks

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

What’s better than an animal sidekick to add a little flair to your favorite book? While some of these “animals” might object to being celebrated on National Pet Day, we are just glad to have them around.

Mephi (starts out like a cross between a kitten and an otter) from The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands. Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

Pan (shape-shifting daemon) from The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steall — including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other…

Ghost (direwolf) from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. To the south, the king’s powers are failing: his most trusted advisor dead under mysterious circumstances and his enemies emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king’s new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself. 

DoomSlug (taynix – similar to a slug) from Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what’s left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa’s dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father’s–a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa’s chances of attending flight school at slim to none. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

Nailah (ryder – similar to a lion) from Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Nana (cat) from The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru’s longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe… With his crooked tail — a sign of good fortune — and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.

Six Thirty (dog) from Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with — of all things — her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Enzo (dog) from The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life’s ordeals. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny’s wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

Ganesha (baby elephant) from The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

On the day he retires, Inspector Ashwin Chopra inherits two unexpected mysteries. The first is the case of a drowned boy, whose suspicious death no one seems to want solved. And the second is a baby elephant. As his search for clues takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high rises to its sprawling slums and deep into its murky underworld, Chopra begins to suspect that there may be a great deal more to both his last case and his new ward than he thought. And he soon learns that when the going gets tough, a determined elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs…

Kamazotz (giant bat) from Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own. Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it–and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true. In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City — and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Books Forward BFFs April Influencer Newsletter

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

Check out the latest newsletter for our Books Forward Friends. This issue features highlights of our BFFs, fun titles available for review, and special opportunities for our friends.

Download the April 2023 newsletter here!

April Authors Forward interview with Matt Cost and Dr. BJ Magnani

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

April Authors Forward interview with Matt Cost and Dr. BJ Magnani, PhD, MD, FCAP

Welcome to our Authors Forward series, where our innovative and talented Books Forward authors interview other great, forward-thinking voices in the industry.

Matt Cost interviews Dr. BJ Magnani on her popular thriller series. Her novels, The Queen of All Poisons, The Power of Poison, and A Message in Poison, are extensions of the original, more scientific, short story collection, Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning.

“Hidden under a cloak of legitimacy, I have been pressed to deliver extraordinary service for my country. It has been a successful ruse. A premium blend of dark deception with just an aroma of truth.”-  Dr. Lily Robinson

 BJ Magnani’s fascination with toxicology led her to a career in pathology and laboratory medicine. She is currently Professor of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Emerita at Tufts University School of Medicine and writes the Dr. Lily Robinson series about a poison-savvy physician recruited by the U.S. government as an assassin.

Give us some background on Lily Robinson and the poison series. What are they about? 

Beginning in 2009, I wrote a series of short stories under the nom de plume Lily Robinson for the “Clinical Chemist”  section of the scientific journal Clinical Chemistry. The stories were designed to have entertainment and educational value, featuring a fictional character who used poisons to kill, challenging the reader to guess the poison. In the next issue of the journal, in Recollections, the toxin was revealed, and the reader was treated to a tutorial on the subject. This was Lily Robinson’s start; from there, I’ve continued her story in three novels. 

My books are inspired by events in the news that could create catastrophic problems for the world if set into motion—mass poisonings, threatening missile launches, and control of geopolitical resources. I find these scenarios much scarier than traditional horror stories because they are in the realm of global possibilities.

How has your career in medicine shaped your writing of the Lily Robinson series?

You write what you know. I’m a clinical chemist (pathologist) with an expertise in toxicology. I’ve always been fascinated with poisons and have used many as part of my work. When doctors write fiction, technical jargon is part of the prose, and descriptions of medical situations are based on authenticity. Dr. Lily Robinson’s medical cases are real, and although her assassinations are pure fiction, the toxins she uses are not. My knowledge of medicine gives Lily nuance. 

What can you tell us about your main character, Dr. Lily Robinson?

Driven by guilt over losing her daughter, Lily became entrapped in the government’s plan to use her knowledge of toxins and poisons to eliminate world terrorists. She rationalizes her dual existence with the mantra “the good of the many outweighs the good of the one.” How else could she justify defying the Hippocratic oath? 

I admire Lily’s fierce independence and brilliance, but I also understand that for her to survive emotionally with her choices, she hides behind her clinical cloak. It’s a barrier between her and her deepest emotions.

If The Queen of All Poisons were made into a movie, who would you want to play Lily Robinson? And other major characters?

I would ask Natalie Portman to portray the complex Dr. Robinson. Natalie Portman and I graduated from the same high school!

Lily’s lover, John Paul or JP, is a seasoned French operative who’s cool under pressure and the love of Lily’s life. Their chemistry is passionate, and the actor Vincent Cassel would reunite him with his costar, Portman, from Black Swan.

Lily’s enigmatic colleague Dr. John Chi Leigh (“chemistry runs in John Chi’s DNA, forming a double helix with a backbone of genius and base pairs of deception and cunning”) is the part for Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. 

Finally, Mads Mikkelsen would be cast as the arch-villain Grigory Markovic whose twisted mind challenges Lily at every turn.

Tell us about what you are working on right now. 

I’m working on the fourth book in the Dr. Lily Robinson series. As with all the novels, the action takes place worldwide, and in this story—Australia, Belgium, and South Africa. The plot features sea snakes, climate change, and cloaking devices. There’s also more about Lily’s relationship with her daughter’s father, and the enigmatic assassin Pixie Dust.

 

Tips for connecting with booksellers and librarians

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

If you value the booksellers and librarians in your community (and you should!) you’ve probably wondered how to earn their support. 

A meet and greet is an opportunity for you to make a positive personal connection with booksellers and librarians who have the ability to promote your book to customers and patrons long after you meet them.

After connecting personally with these industry “tastemakers,” they will often consider your book for events, official staff recommendations, and special displays (like a local author’s table). They may even nominate your book for awards in the future!

The first step for connecting with a bookseller or librarian is to call ahead. Be respectful of their time, and ask to arrange a brief 10-15 minute meeting.

You should bring:

  • a copy of your book
  • a printed copy of your press kit or one sheet (your ISBN should be displayed here for quick reference)
  • (optional) swag, bookmarks or treats to help you stand out

A meet and greet is all about creating a personal relationship with the bookseller or librarian. You can’t show up once and expect the world. As an author, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort, especially if you want their help in return!

A few tips for your meeting:

  • Emphasize that you just want to introduce yourself and not take up a lot of their time.
  • Thank the staff for all they do to support the literary community in your area.
  • Give them a copy of your book and press kit.
  • Share a quick summary of the book and explain why you wrote it (this is your elevator pitch!)
  • Mention that you hope they’ll consider ordering a few copies, or ask about the possibility of scheduling an event/stock signing.
  • If planning an event, be sure to mention what you expect to see in the way of attendance and/or book sales.
  • Be considerate and flexible. If you’d be open to a dual-author or panel event, let them know! Mention that you’re open to their ideas, and you want to collaborate with them to make sure their financial needs are being met.
  • Thank them for their time and for keeping your book in mind.
  • Show support and make a purchase while you’re there.
  • If they don’t decide to order copies on the spot, that’s okay. Continue supporting them by shopping locally and attending other author events. Show them you’re serious about mutual support in the industry.

If you want to reach booksellers and librarians outside of your local community, or if a meet and greet isn’t feasible, you can still make a good first impression. Here are a few strategies: 

  • Attend an event or take out an ad with your regional bookseller association. Not sure what that is? Check out my article here for more information!
  • Take out an ad in an industry publication that reaches booksellers and librarians directly, such as Library Journal/School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Foreword.
  • Create a postcard that highlights all of your essential book information and positive blurbs and mail it to the libraries you want to reach.
  • Make phone calls asking if you can send a copy of your book to the store/library and set up mailings for those that are interested.

Reaching librarians and booksellers can be a lot of work, but once you’ve opened the door to a new relationship, they will be far more likely to support you in your next book release! Building these personal connections early on in your career is a powerful investment for any author.

Remember that relationships are always a two-way street, so try not to ask too much of your new contacts, and support them as much as possible to ensure a healthy, lasting partnership!

Books with unreliable narrators that will keep you guessing on April Fools’ Day

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

There’s nothing like a twist at the end of the book to find out the person you’ve been listening to all along isn’t, shall we say, trustworthy. I love an unreliable narrator surprise, as long as it’s done well. Here are some of our favorites that will keep you guessing on April Fools’ Day! Needless to say, spoiler alert!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media — as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents — the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter — but is he really a killer?

Shutter Island  by Dennis Lehane

The year is 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, have come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Multiple murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this remote and barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. As a killer hurricane relentlessly bears down on them, a strange case takes on even darker, more sinister shades — with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, and lethal countermoves made in the cause of a covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed, because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems. But then neither is Teddy Daniels.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

After the sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a wounded zebra, an orangutan — and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi Patel, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with the tiger, Richard Parker, for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them “the truth.” After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional — but is it more true?

Atonement by Ian McEwan

On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives — together with her precocious literary gifts — brings about a crime that will change all their lives.

As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Mary B. Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted — and their unborn child — to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

On the outside, there’s Violet, an 18-year-old ballerina days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries: What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve — in this life or in another one?

The Dinner by Herman Koch

It’s a summer’s evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.

Each couple has a 15-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act — an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

The People In the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara

It is 1950 when Norton Perina, a young doctor, embarks on an expedition to a remote Micronesian island in search of a rumored lost tribe. There he encounters a strange group of forest dwellers who appear to have attained a form of immortality that preserves the body but not the mind. Perina uncovers their secret and returns with it to America, where he soon finds great success. But his discovery has come at a terrible cost, not only for the islanders, but for Perina himself.

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris

For generations, elite young men have attended St. Oswald’s School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric classics teacher who has been a revered fixture for more than 30 years. But this year, things are different. Suits, paperwork, and Information Technology rule the world, and Straitley is reluctantly contemplating retirement. He is joined in this, his 99th, term by five new faculty members, including one who–unknown to Straitley and everyone else — holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Ozzie’s ways and secrets, its comforts and conceits. Harboring dark ties to the school’s past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: Destroy St. Oswald’s. As the new term gets underway, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances–a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug–they soon escalate to the life threatening. With the school unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of St. Ozzie’s ruin. But the old man faces a formidable opponent — a master player with a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

In a Tokyo suburb a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife’s missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid 16-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous things he witnessed during Japan’s forgotten campaign in Manchuria.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

In the months following his father’s suicide, sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto can’t seem to find happiness again, despite the support of his girlfriend, Genevieve, and his overworked mom. Grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist won’t let him forget the pain. But when Aaron meets Thomas, a new kid in the neighborhood, something starts to shift inside him. Aaron can’t deny his unexpected feelings for Thomas despite the tensions their friendship has created with Genevieve and his tight-knit crew. Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound happiness, he considers taking drastic actions. The Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-altering procedure will straighten him out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The white tiger of this novel is Balram Halwai, a poor Indian villager whose great ambition leads him to the zenith of Indian business culture, the world of the Bangalore entrepreneur. On the occasion of the president of China’s impending trip to Bangalore, Balram writes a letter to him describing his transformation and his experience as driver and servant to a wealthy Indian family, which he thinks exemplifies the contradictions and complications of Indian society.

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself. When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: The party is not alone in the woods.

Jazz by Toni Morrison

In the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, middle-aged door-to-door salesman of Cleopatra beauty products, shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe’s wife, Violet, attacks the girl’s corpse. This passionate, profound story of love and obsession brings us back and forth in time, as a narrative is assembled from the emotions, hopes, fears, and deep realities of black urban life.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

 

March Authors Forward interview with Shetal Shah and Kavita Rajput

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

March Authors Forward interview with Shetal Shah and Kavita Rajput

Welcome to our Authors Forward series, where our innovative and talented Books Forward authors interview other great, forward-thinking voices in the industry.

Kavita Rajput is an illustrator and surface designer based in New York City. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, she draws inspiration from her childhood and the rich folk art of India in her playful artwork. Her latest work as illustrator of the children’s book, Shakti Girls, reflects her vibrant and colorful style through inspiring portraits and floral motifs. Learn more about her journey and experience working on Shakti Girls!

How did you become an illustrator? 

I believe the idea first took shape around 2010-11 when I used to read picture books to my toddler every evening. One day on my way to work, I cooked up a simple rhyming text which stayed at the back of my mind for around 6-7 years. During that time I quit my finance job and had become a full-time watercolor artist. In 2018, I finally turned that rhyme into a children’s picture book filled with 16 full-color illustrations. I guess that was the point when I knew that I wanted to become an illustrator professionally. I didn’t know anyone within the publishing industry or even what skills were needed to become a children’s book illustrator, so I spent the next few years stumbling around, figuring out my path to illustration. I took graphic design courses and children’s illustration courses and started posting my illustrations on Instagram. That’s where my first author, and then Shetal, found me. I have now illustrated three picture books and I know that this is just the beginning. I can’t wait for all that’s coming. 

What type of illustrations do you enjoy working on? 

Very simply, I enjoy work that makes me feel warm and fuzzy which is why making children’s illustrations feels great. Sketching innocent faces that tug at my heart, using vibrant colors that remind me of home, and creating soothing patterns that feel like meditation make my art process an emotionally immersive one. I use my joy as a guide when I work and I hope that this joy shows through in my work and uplifts people who see it.

How would you describe your art style?

My art is driven by color, pattern, and joy. My work is a hybrid of traditional watercolor and digital art techniques and my style could possibly be described as decorative and lightly inspired by Indian folk and miniature art. 

Out of all the illustrations you have created, which are you most proud of and why? 

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure if I can pick one piece but the entire Shakti Girls collection is definitely what I am most proud of at the moment. It’s a very meaningful project for me, especially as an Indian immigrant woman raising young children in the US. 

What drew you to the Shakti Girls project? 

I had wanted to create portraits of inspiring Indian women for a while so when Shetal wrote to me about her book idea, it was like a wish come true. I love the Rebel Girls series and I love creating decorative portraits of women. This project gave me everything I wanted to do in addition to getting a talented and driven partner for a wonderful collaboration. I couldn’t say no!

What was your experience like illustrating for Shakti Girls? What was your process like?

It was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. I think Shetal and I connected instantly and I could see that we had a very similar vision for the book and we were excited about the same things. I loved that I was given the freedom to add my own vision to the illustrations and I believe we created something magical together. My illustration process started with detailed discussions with Shetal about what she was looking for and from there I went to the drawing board for the sketching phase — first for the book cover and title art and then for each portrait. Once the sketches were finalized, I moved to painting and digital finalizing. At every stage we reviewed the pieces, making changes where necessary till we were both satisfied with the finished illustrations. I really loved creating the illustrations of Shakti Girls and collaborating with Shetal was icing on the cake. It was very clear that giving this book our very best was a priority for both of us and we were ready to go through endless iterations to make it happen. 

What was the most challenging aspect of illustrating for Shakti Girls? 

The portraits! I have done a little bit of realistic portrait work in my early years as an artist but more recently my work is largely sketched from imagination using several reference images for inspiration. Trying to draw a likeness to someone always stresses me out a bit. To add to that, we wanted to make the portraits child-friendly — slightly less identical and more representational to the actual person and yet, not make them like caricatures or cartoons. The portraits were the main subject of this book—- they were what drew me to the project but they were also my biggest challenge. I wasn’t completely relaxed till all the sketches and finished pieces were liked and approved by Shetal and a few of my trusted peers. 

Is there a particular portrait in Shakti Girls that you are most proud of?

There are several favorites: Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Sania Mirza and Shakuntala Devi come to mind immediately. I don’t think I can pick one. Oh and I absolutely loved how the cover turned out. We devoted a couple of weeks to it and it’s something I am really proud of too. 

How do you want young readers to react to your illustrations in Shakti Girls? 

I want young readers to dream. This book is about women who made their dreams come true and it’s made by women who are pursuing theirs. I want young readers to dream big and chase those dreams and one day see their own faces in a book like this one. 

Where can people find your work?

They can find me at my website www.kavitarajput.com and on instagram @kavita_rajput.