#melissa see

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Asexual YA Romance

Forward March by Skye Quinlan (f/f) Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (m/f) You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie (f/f) Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee (m/f) Planning Perfect by Haley Neil (f/f) Bonus: Coming later this year, Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See (m/f) and Wren Martin Ruins it All by Amanda DeWitt (m/m)

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#Ace Lit #Ace Romance #Ace-Spec #Asexual #Claire Kann #Contemporary Romance #Forward March #Haley Neil #Kathryn Ormsbee #Let&039;s Talk About Love #Love Letters for Joy #Melissa See #Planning Perfect #Racquel Marie #Skye Quinlan #Tash Hearts Tolstoy #Wren Martin Ruins it All #YA #You Don&039;t Have a Shot #Young Adult

[ireadyabooks]

Read with Pride Love Stories Perfect for Valentine’s Day! 💟🌈

Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time of year to grab a romantic read and fantasize about your own Valentine. At I read YA, we believe everyone deserves to see themselves represented in all aspects of life so we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite queer romances for you to add to your shelf during this season of love! We hope you fall in love with these sweet reads just as much as we have!

Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton & Aśka 

Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?

Start reading Stars in Their Eyes now! 

Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See

Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She’s determined to be Caldwell Prep’s first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel.

But it’s senior year and everyone seems to be obsessed with pairing up. One of her best friends may be developing feelings for her and the other uses Caldwell’s anonymous love-letter writer to snag the girl of her dreams. Joy starts to wonder if she has missed out on a quintessential high school experience. She is asexual, but that’s no reason she can’t experience first love, right?

She writes to Caldwell Cupid to help her sort out these new feelings and, over time, finds herself falling for the mysterious voice behind the letters. But falling in love might mean risking what she wants most, especially when the letter-writer turns out to be the last person she would ever expect.

Start reading Love Letter for Joy now! 

Heartstopper  Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork.

Nick and Charlie are in love. They’ve finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house. He wants to take their relationship to the next level... but can he find the confidence he needs? And with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

Start reading Heartstopper Volume 5 now!

What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan

Mehar hasn’t been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. While her father still doesn’t make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother’s assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she’s ever met! Meanwhile, Mehar’s dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. Mehar’s starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved.But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .

Start reading What a Desi Girl Wants now!

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Frith has problems. His crush is dating someone else, his sisters have glitter-bombed his prosthesis (again), and he's a seer-of-spirits in York, the most haunted city in England, and all his friends are ghosts.

To make matters worse, it seems that famous spirits are mysteriously vanishing from York's haunted streets and alleys. Charlie is determined to stay out of it, but Sam, the irritating new seer in town, expects him to track down who -- or what -- is responsible and uncover the dark purpose behind these disappearances.

But when one of Charlie's ghostly friends vanishes, he has no choice but to face the shadows -- and his growing feelings for Sam. The boys must be willing to risk it all to save York’s spirits, because this adversary will stop at nothing to complete their devastating plan. Afterlives are at stake, and Charlie is running out of time . . . 

Start reading Sixteen Souls now!

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver

Just days before spring break, Neil Kearney is set to fly across the country with his childhood friend (and current friend-with-benefits) Josh, to attend his brother's wedding—until Josh tells Neil that he's in love with him and Neil doesn't return the sentiment.

With Josh still attending the wedding, Neil needs to find a new date to bring along. And, almost against his will, roommate Wyatt is drafted.

At first, Wyatt (correctly) thinks Neil is acting like a jerk. But when they get to LA, Wyatt sees a little more of where it's coming from. Slowly, Neil and Wyatt begin to understand one another . . . and maybe, just maybe, fall in love for the first time . . .

Start reading The Feeling of Falling in Love now!

#ireadya #yabooks #Stars in Their Eyes #Jessica Walton #Aśka #Love Letters for Joy #Melissa See #Heartstopper #Alice Oseman #What a Desi Girl Wants #Sabina Khan #Sixteen Souls #Rosie Talbot #The Feeling of Falling in Love #Okay Cupid #Mason Deaver

[displayheartcode]

do you know how wonderful it is to now read books that feature your disability? for years, i've had such few examples of cerebral palsy in fiction. but look! an ambulatory high schooler navigating her senior year, a girl searching for a summer romance after a major surgery, a musician dealing with unwanted internet fame! i have representation!

#rachel in real life #this is one of the reasons why i'm so passionate about YA books #where you see yourself #the secret summer promise #you me and our heartstrings #claire forrest #keah brown #melissa see #melissa has another book that's coming out this summer called love letters for joy

[thelonelyrainbowguy]

BOOK REVIEW

I really wanted to like You, Me, and Our Heartstrings. It had so much potential. Disabled characters! Music schools! Romance! But it just fell so flat. It was a 2-dimensional story where important things were never given the correct amount of weight or time. The story felt like it had come to a natural close before the halfway point of the book.

The diversity seemed to exist as "look how much diversity I can stuff in here, look how many tidbits I know about these specific cultures, give me a good grade in Googling please" and not "this is a community that is naturally diverse and I want to represent their cultures knowledgeably and respectfully."

The main character's disability (cerebral palsy) was rarely referenced. Once in a while there was mention of a muscle spasm or the adaptations to her violin that allowed her to play, but the disability seemed more like an accessory and a reason to get righteously angry over ableism at convenient times in order to move the plot forward or create tension, rather than an actual condition that affected her life and the way she saw and moved through the world. And the reasons behind why certain things made her angry (rightfully so) weren't explained, which just made her seem whiny.

I was just so disappointed. I was looking forward to the book well before it came out. It's great seeing disabled characters represented as desirable, but that's about the only positive here, and is it really a positive if the disability is used as a plot accessory rather than a part of a complete human being?

✴️✴️*️⃣*️⃣*️⃣

#you me and our heartstrings #melissa see #books #bookblr #reading

[undervmountain]

#currently reading #you me and our heartstrings #melissa see

[haveyoureadthismgyabook]

#books #ya #realistic fiction #you me and our heartstrings #melissa see #poll

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Notes: Love Letters for Joy

Happy Pride Month! If you follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you know that we've fallen into June wholeheartedly. Bookseller Nancy designed some awesome Pride t-shirts for us, and we have displays featuring amazing books by queer authors and starring queer characters for all ages. I made it my unintentional mission to read several of the amazing new releases for teen and young adult readers (they were on my list of books I wanted to read, I just so happened to read several in a row, and they're all I've read this month). I've been delighted by all of them. Sometimes I just need to immerse myself in feel-good books that overflow with humor, love, and friendship; these books have an abundance of those necessary ingredients. Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See in particular felt timely—what with graduation season upon us—and was just one such of those perfect, light-hearted reads.

Joy is doing great. She excels at school, is surrounded by loving family and friends, doesn't let her cerebral palsy hold her back, and was just accepted into one of the most prestigious nursing programs in the country. She’s this close to beating out Nathaniel—her years-long academic rival—for the top spot at Caldwell Preparatory Academy; only a few months left of intense studying and she’ll be her school’s first disabled valedictorian. But when everyone around her starts pairing up with the help of Caldwell Cupid and their love letter writing service, she starts to wonder if she may be missing out on an important high school experience. She might be asexual, but that doesn’t mean she can’t find first love, too. When she starts writing to Caldwell Cupid—curious about their formula for romance—she is surprised to feel a connection. At the same time, competitive Nathaniel is becoming more relatable and enjoyable to be around as they spend time together planning the Science Society's elementary school science night. Sparks fly as graduation and the end of their (friendly?) competition draw ever nearer, and first love might not be as far away as she thinks.

With a wonderfully diverse and representative cast of characters, Love Letters for Joy is a look into the struggles of kids (and in my experience, adults) everywhere: where do I fit, what do I want from life, and who are my people? It talks about the importance of acceptance and finding and being a good support system. Most of all, it talks about finding and staying true to yourself. To top it all off, it also has an abundance of Caldwell Cupid's favorite tropes: the meet cute, rivals to lovers, forced proximity, mistaken or withheld identity. If you want a charming, easy read that delves into some serious topics, this is for you. The cherry on top? Scholastic sent us book plates signed by Melissa as part of their "Read with Pride" campaign, so all of our copies are signed!

— Becca

#island books #becca oman #love letters for joy #melissa see #scholastic #queer books #read with pride #pride month #booknotes

[alwynthetiredreader]

2032 RELEASES I'M MOST EXCITED FOR!

Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa

Fifteen Hundred Miles is just one of my favorite books ever so I cannot wait for this, especially considering there's a nonbinary LI!! Bless Jonny.

ALSO HAVE YOU SEEN THAT COVER????

Travelers Along The Way by Aminah Mae Safi

Tell Me How You Really Fell is also one of my favorites and so far, it looked like Aminah Mae Safi had only written contemporaries?? so this looks like a fun change, it's a fantasy robin hood remix, very fun!

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

again,,, another writer who wrote one of my favorites, and actually I'm obsessed with Iron Widow, there's a movie in the works that I'm just so hyped for and Xiran is coming to ComicCon in Portugal in December and i got tickets for it, I'm just AAAAAAAAA

but either way, the sequel looks fantastic, that cover? *chefs kiss* AND XIRAN SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THE SEQUEL HAS MATH LESBIANS!!

Breakup From Hell by Ann Dávila Cardinal

that cover was very quick to catch my eye tbh and then i found out the author and MC are latine so i was sold, but also that's one hell of a premise! HS girl tired of everything meets guy who seems to have this strange influence on her and then she finds out he's sorta like the devil?! so now she needs to break up with him sjfbsadkhbdg it sounds amazing

Love Letters From Joy by Melissa See

from a disabled author, with ace rep like come on... look at the female MC with her little ace flag tote bag, again was sold very quickly

AND IT'S ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS?!?!

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

Queer latine pirates was all I needed tbh. And again, gorgeous cover!

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao

I had the pleasure of helping this author do a cover reveal with a book trailer and everything, I'm patiently waiting for this one. It's like a Singaporean The Devil Wears Prada and I'm all for it

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

Of course there's another latine book on the list, this one a gothic horror based on the folklore of La Llorona!

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Armenian sapphics... set in Armenia!! With an MC learning to embrace all of her identities, it sounds amazing and beautiful cover as well.

Always The Almost by Edward Underhill

TRANS REP!!! TRANS REP ALERT!!!

It's faking dating, one of them is a pianist and the other a cartoonist, omfg i already know I'll love this one so much

The Wrong King of Weird by James Ramos

Again, cover caught my eye instantly and it's by a nonbinary author!!!

Set in high school, it also looks like it's gonna be dealing with racism one way or the other. The art style on the cover is gorgeous and the characters look very interesting, I'm excited to meet them

The Dark Place by Britney S. Lewis

I absolutely adored The Undead Truth of Us and I was waiting for this announcement for a couple of months, and obviously, that cover doesn't disappoint. I don't even need to know what this one is about, i'll buy anything Britney writes

#alwyn talks #2023 book releases #book releases #books #diverse books #xiran jay zhao #britney s lewis #jonny garza villa #james ramos #edward underhill #gabe cole novoa #melissa see #taleen voskuni #kyla zhao #aminah mae safi #ann dávila cardinal #Alejandra by V. Castro

[publishedtoday]

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings - Melissa See 

Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Julliard audition. But when they're chosen to play a duet for the concert, they worry that their differences will sink their chances. Noah, a cello prodigy from a long line of musicians, wants to stick to tradition. Daisy, a fiercely independent disabled violinist, is used to fighting for what she wants and likes to take risks. But the two surprise each other when they play. They fall perfectly in tune. After their performance goes viral, the rest of the country falls for them just as surely as they're falling for each other. But viral fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No one seems to care about their talent or their music at all. People have rewritten their love story into one where Daisy is an inspiration for overcoming her cerebral palsy and Noah is a saint for seeing past it. Daisy is tired of her disability being the only thing people see about her, and all of the attention sends Noah’s anxiety disorder into high speed. They can see their dream coming closer than it’s ever been before. But is the cost suddenly too high?

tw: ableism, r-slur

#you me and our heartstrings #melissa see #scholastic #physical disability #cerebral palsy #august 2 2022 #debut #debut author

[eldritch-thrumming]

scream 7 fires their highly successful female lead who revitalized their franchise & made them millions of dollars all because of her pro palestinian stance but not a single word from netflix on their side characters in an ensemble cast who are literally saying shit like “zionism is sexy” and advocating for absolutely no ceasefire under any circumstances. this is a hell world.

#i’m talking abt melissa barrera noah schnapp and brett gelman respectively #hollywood is such a fucking joke i hope it collapses #i get it’s different studios and companies but for fucks sake really #will be interesting to see what jenna ortega has to say abt this i have no idea if she’s even attached to scream 7 tbh #also something so sinister abt an industry that would drop a new hunger games installment rn

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: You, Me, and Our Heartstrings

Author: Melissa See

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2022

Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, disability, mental health

Blurb: Daisy and Noah have the same plan: use the holiday concert to land a Juilliard audition...but when they’re chosen to play a duet for the concert, they worry that their differences will sink their chances. Noah, a cello prodigy from a long line of musicians, wants to stick to tradition. Daisy, a fiercely independent disabled violinist, is used to fighting for what she wants and likes to take risks. The two surprise each other when they play; they fall perfectly in tune. After their performance goes viral, the rest of the country falls for them just as surely as they’re falling for each other...but viral fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No one seems to care about their talent or their music at all; people have rewritten their love story into one where Daisy is an inspiration for overcoming her cerebral palsy and Noah is a saint for seeing past it. Daisy is tired of her disability being the only thing people see about her, and all of the attention sends Noah’s anxiety disorder into high speed. They can see their dream coming closer than it’s ever been before...but is the cost suddenly too high?

#you me and our heartstrings #melissa see #standalone #2022 #fiction #romance #contemporary #disability #mental health

[damienns]

SUPERCORP IN EVERY EPISODE -> S04E11 Blood Memory

#supercorp #supercorpedit #supergirl #supergirledit #wlw #wlwedit #kara danvers #karadanversedit #lena luthor #lenaluthoredit #kara x lena #melissa benoist #melissabenoistedit #katie mcgrath #katiemcgrathedit #dctvedit #dcladies #dailytvwomen #** #has this been done?they looked so soft in this episode 🥰 i know the backdrops don't match i just want to see them looking soft together lol

[misandriste]

SUPERGIRL ✮ 2.18, "Ace Reporter"

#kara is sooo ridiculously devoted to lena #like there are platonic best friends and then there’s whatever the hell this is #people who do not see the romantic tension between them are blind. BLIND!!! #supercorp #supercorpedit #supergirl #supergirl tv #supergirledit #kara danvers #lena luthor #melissa benoist #katie mcgrath #tv #tvedit #tvgif #tvgifs #gifsbymisa #sc moments

[displayheartcode]

saw that ya fantasy rec post, and in your tags you mentioned ya contemporary and mental health... so ya contemporary recs please? 🥺

i got you!

here is a small sample of ya contemporary books that deal with mental health

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram: Darius has never felt like he has belonged in either world - American like his father or Persian like his mother. When a trip to visit his relatives has him confronting cultural stereotypes about mental health, he makes a friendship that will last a lifetime.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: Comic creator by night and an anxious student by day, Eliza keeps her lives separate until she learns that the new kid in school shares a similar passion for her comic.

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahere Mafi: It's 2003 and Shadi's life is in shambles. Her dad is in the hospital, her brother is dead, and her mother is barely holding it together. When an old face reappears, Shadi must decide if she wants to fight these battles alone.

You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See: A video showing a girl with cerebral palsy and a boy with anxiety playing music together goes viral. Now facing unrealistic pressure to perform, Daisy is afraid that their lives will fall apart.

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: Technically, it's horror/thriller, but this has one of my favorite (and accurate) portrayals of anxiety. Something is wrong with Marigold's new house. Forced to move with her family after an incident, she discovers that there is something rotten beneath the perfect neighborhood that could be linked to a disturbing history.

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz: School columnist Isabel considers breaking all of her rules when she meets a fellow disabled teen. But romance isn't always like what's shown in the movies, especially for disabled teens.

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant: An anxious writer, Tessa, reaches for her dreams by enrolling into a prestigious school. As her friends try to help her find inspiration for her writing, there might be a love story just out of reach.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard: Selectively mute, Steffi is alone in her last year of school, leaving her social anxiety to spike. Until the new kid arrives, and he needs a translator who knows BSL.

#darius the great is not okay #Adib Khorram #eliza and her monsters #francesca zappia #you me and our heartstrings #melissa see #white smoke #tiffany d jackson #sick kids in love #hannah moskowitz #an emotion of great delight #tahereh mafi #happily ever afters #elise bryant #a quiet kind of thunder #sara barnard #anyone else need recs?

[ratfish-blues]

Actually, this deserves its own post because the way Abbott Elementary handled Melissa's character in this episode is genuinely some of the best dyslexia representation I have ever seen on TV.

She's not a little kid who overcomes her disability as an adult. Her dyslexia doesn't give her superpowers (weirdly common trope). She isn't portrayed as stupid by the show or the other characters because of it. She's a competent adult who has developed coping mechanisms to deal with her disability and is still shown to struggle sometimes despite that! Oh my god is that refreshing!

Also, Melissa being competitive about the reading challenge and Barbra's comment about how good she is at engaging kids in reading is totally recontextualized by the reveal that she has a learning disability and especially the reveal that she was probably teased for her LD as a kid (which I'm also so happy that they brought up - I don't think most people realize how competitive elementary schools tend to make reading, and how shitty and ostracizing that can be for kids who struggle with it). Winning the book challenge is important to her because it's something she used to really struggle with. She's good at getting kids to read because she can relate to their challenges in a personal way. They directly tie her LD to her strengths as a teacher without it being fantastical or over-emphasized and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it!

The bit at the end where she says "you know how sometimes I have to read things a few times" to Janine, in the break room with no students present is also a great scene because it shows her LD in an adult, professional context. It's a conversation that I, and every dyslexic person I know, has had with their co-workers at some point. I just love that they make a point of normalizing her LD in an adult workplace setting that's separate from the classroom and away from the kids.

This season has done an awesome job talking about disability generally but the choice to give not just a student, but one of the teachers an LD was an absolutely perfect move. I really hope this gets brought up in later episodes and isn't just a one-off.

#abbott elementary #melissa schemmenti #dyslexia #disability representation #Quinta must have taken the time to higher and work with a sensitivity reader for this episode and bless her for it #I truly expect so little from dyslexia rep at this point #it was amazing to see it handled so well here

[weinzapfel]

Supercorp + not getting out of bed 🫣

#supercorp #supercorp fanart #supercorp edit #lena luthor #katie mcgrath #supergirl #kara danvers #melissa benoist #edit #supercorpedit #in shitty quality because those ate literally screenshot of very low quality videos but y'all see the vision right?