#which is nice after we got away from the terrible decapitated head trend

[cielrouge]

2021 YA Reads By Authors of Color 

A Chorus Rises (A Song Below Water #2) by Bethany C. Morrow: Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw is an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she’s cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers. When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.

A Taste For Love by Jennifer Yen: In this Pride and Prejudice-inspired rom-com, both high school senior Liza Yang and her mother share a love and talent for baking but disagree on the subject of dating, especially when Mrs. Yang turns her annual baking contest into a matchmaking scheme, when Liza learns that all of the contestants are young Asian American men handpicked for her to date. 

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Pitched as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, in which a mysterious source spreads rumors about a prestigious private school's only two Black students, Chiamaka and Devon, who must fight for their reputations—and for their lives. 

All Kinds of Other by James Sie: In this tender, nuanced coming-of-age love story, two boys—one who is cis and one who is trans—have been guarding their hearts to protect themselves, until their feelings for each other give them a reason to stand up to their fears.

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake: A 15-year-old girl becomes the surviving victim-turned-suspect of a Midwestern murder spree. 

American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar: 18-year-old Rani, a budding photographer, grapples with first love, family boundaries, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship.

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi: A searing look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11, about a child of immigrants forging a blurry identity, falling in love, and finding hope—in the midst of a modern war. 

Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink: Set in the Tulsa neighborhood of Greenwood, once known as “Black Wall Street,” two teenagers, surrounded by idyllic beauty, passionate intellectualism, and black excellence, fall in love for the first time; amidst of one of the worst atrocities in U.S. history. 

Anna K Away (Anna K #2) by Jenny Lee: Anna K: Told from multiple viewpoints, Anna K spends a summer with her father and his family in South Korea, while in the United States, Lolly and Steven, Kimmie and Dustin, and Bea all face relationship issues.

Aristotle and Dante Dive in the Waters of the World (Aristotle and Dante #2) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: After falling in love, Ari and Dante must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence.

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis: For fans of Us and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comes a witchy story full of black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray: Two Black teenagers, talented Beastkeeper Koffi and warrior-in-training Ekon, must trek into a magical jungle to take down an ancient creature menacing the city of Lkossa, before they become the hunted. 

The Beautiful Struggle (Young Reader’s Edition) by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Adapted from the adult memoir, this father-son story explores how boys become men. 

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon: A collection of six interlinked stories of Black love, set on a single day during a summer heatwave and power outage in New York City. 

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury: Set in near-future Toronto in which, after failing to come into her powers, 16-year-old Black witch Voya Thomas must choose between losing her family's magic forever or murdering her first love. 

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley: Set in Victorian England, African tightrope walker Iris cannot die; but soon gets drafted in the fight-to-the-death tournament of freaks where she learns the terrible truth of who and what she really is. 

Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells: Cursed to kill all those she touches, Lena endures an isolated life on the run. But when an enigmatic stranger offers to help her break the curse in exchange for her aid in waking a princess hidden in an enchanted forest, Lena embarks on a quest to win her freedom. 

Broken Web (Shamanborn #2) by Lori M. Lee: With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha becomes caught between a war in the east and the Soulless in the west.

The Chariot at Dusk (Tiger at Midnight #3) by Swati Teerdhala: In the final book of this epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne: Picked on at home, criticized for talking trash while beating boys at basketball, and always seen as less, a girl struggles to step out of the shadows of her best friend. 

A Clash of Steel (A Treasure Island Remix) by C.B. Lee: Set in 1820s China, Xiah joins Anh and her motley crew in pursuit of the hidden treasure of the legendary Dragon Fleet. F/F main romance. 

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas: Set 17 years before the events in The Hate U Give, and set in Garden Heights, a searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood featuring Maverick Carter, Starr’s father. 

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris: A gripping, evocative novel about Black teen Alex Rufus, who has the power to see into the future, and whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death. 

Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan: Bangladeshi-Muslim teen Karina Ahmed navigates the difficulties of independence, family, and first love after being roped into a fake dating facade by her infamously aloof classmate, Ace Clyde. 

A Crown So Cursed (Nightmare Verse #3) by L.L. McKinney: Alice is ready to jump into battle when she learns that someone is building an army of Nightmares to attack the mortal world, before she learns of a personal connection to Wonderland.

Darling by K. Ancrum: A post-modern retelling of Peter Pan in modern-day Chicago, in which Wendy Darling follows Peter and his Lost Boys through the city's nightlife and underbelly, only to discover that Peter isn't what he seems and the Lost Boys are in trouble. 

The Endless Skies by Shannon Price: 17-year-old Rowan is about to become one of the famed Leonodai Warriors—the elite magical fighters who protect the floating city Heliana, until disaster strikes the city’s children. With time running out and humans on their tail, Rowan must risk everything to save her beloved city.

Every Body Shines (16 Stories About Living Fabulously Fat) edited by Cassandra Newbould: An intersectional, feminist YA anthology from some of today's most exciting voices across a span of genres, all celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance through short stories.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney: The story of an overly enthusiastic list maker and Black teen Quinn, who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. 

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado: Teenage girl Charlie Vega follows her writing dreams, resists her mom's weight-loss schemes, and even falls for the cute boy from art class—until she realizes that he may be after her bestie. 

Feather and Flame (The Queen’s Council #2) by Livia Blackburne: When one of Mulan’s own militia members comes under suspicion as a traitor, she has no idea whom she can trust. But the Queen’s Council helps Mulan uncover her true destiny. With renewed strength and the wisdom of those that came before her, Mulan will own her power, save her country, and prove once again that, crown or helmet, she was always meant to lead. 

Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa: Texas high school senior Julián Luna accidentally comes out to the world on social media and must now juggle the joy of first love and the fear of his socially conservative father finding out before he's ready. 

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria: A contemporary fantasy about two sisters, Dani and Eden Rivera, who were raised to be fierce dragon slayers but end up on opposite sides of the impending war when one sister forms an unlikely, magical bond with a dragon. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Daunis Fontaine, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother, but after witnessing a shocking murder, becomes reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths in her community. 

For All Time by Shanna Miles: Tamar and Fayard, two Black teens, are fated to repeat their love story across hundreds of lifetimes, from 14th-century Mali to the future, as they struggle to break the cycle.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur: a historical mystery set in 1400s Joseon Korea, focused on a pair of estranged sisters who reluctantly reunite after their detective father vanishes.

From Little Tokyo, with Love by Sarah Kuhn: An intensely personal yet hilarious novel of Rika Rakuyama, a biracial Japanese American girl, whose search for a storybook ending takes her to unexpected places in her beloved LA neighborhood and own guarded heart.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta: Eris Shindanai and Sona Steelcrest, two girls on opposite sides of a war fought with Windups, giant mechanizes weapons, discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other. 

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna: Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of 16-year-old Deka, who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. 

Girls of Fate and Fury (Girls of Paper and Fire #3) by Natasha Ngan: The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren, was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever. 

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond: set in alt-history, 1960s America where WWI & WII were fought with giant mechs, biracial Chinese American teen Jo Linden is Team USA’s most unlikely pick in the annual Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits mecha pilots against each other.

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar: Ishu agrees to fake-date Hani, only if Hani will help her become more popular so that she can be elected head girl. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. 

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant: Creative writing student and Black teen Tessa Johnson runs up against a bad case of writer's block, and decides to find a real-life romance to inspire her fiction.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo: A mesmerizing novel in verse about family, identity, and finding yourself in unexpected places. 

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland: Mexican American teen, Moon Fuentez discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country. 

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao: Nancy Luo, Krystal Choi, Akil Patel, and Alexander Lin, juniors at Manhattan's elite Sinclair Prep, are forced to confront their secrets after Jamie Ruan, once their closest friend, is found dead, and they become the prime suspects of her death, thanks to "The Proctor," someone anonymously incriminating them via the school's social media app.

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield: While visiting her father who lives in Jamaica, 18-year-old Tilla faces a storm of dark secrets that threaten to unravel her own life, while an actual storm, Hurricane Gustav, threatens the lives of those she loves.

Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young: Alice Choy, the daughter of an American diplomat is recruited into a K-pop group after her family moves to Seoul, only to find her path to stardom threatened by an influential gossip blogger. 

If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmine Kaur: Told in prose, poetry, and illustration, this heartrending story weaves Kiran’s and Sahaara’s timelines together, showing a teenage Kiran and, later, her high school–aged daughter, Sahaara.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich: Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, both in America's biggest boy band, fall for each other while on their first sold-out European tour, and are forced to keep their relationship a secret by their record label, but slowly realize those in charge have no intention of letting them announce their relationship to the world—ever. 

Illusionary (Hollow Crown #2) by Zoraida Córdova: Reeling from betrayal, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she reluctantly joins forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy.

Indivisible by Daniel Aleman: New York City high school student Mateo Garcia dreams of becoming a Broadway star, but his life is transformed after his parents are deported to Mexico, and now must care for himself and his younger sister Sophie.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman: Japanese American teen Nami Miyamoto finds herself in a limitless world where the human consciousness goes after death, where she battles an AI entity posing as a queen that has hacked its way into the afterlife.

Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2) by Adam Silvera: Emil and Brighton Rey defied the odds. When Brighton drank the Reaper’s Blood, he believed it would make him invincible, but instead the potion is killing him. In Emil’s race to find an antidote that will not only save his brother but also rid him of his own unwanted phoenix powers, he will have to dig deep into his past lives. 

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon: Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. That’s before she finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X, who is everything that she isn’t. 

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa: With Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort Ash, plus allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical adventure not to be missed or forgotten.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: Blending Chinese history and mecha science, Wu Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. Features a poly F/M/M main romance. 

It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi: Before Amira and Faisal met--Kiran and Deen dated. But Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Kiran will stop at nothing to find out what happened, and Deen will do anything, even if it means sabotaging his brother's relationship, to keep her from reaching the truth. 

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan: A debut fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, in which peasant girl Anh, cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with exiled prince Altan, bent on taking back the dragon throne, and save the empire from a cult of dangerous priests. 

The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland: Korean American adoptee Jasmine Yap unwittingly finds herself at the center of a competition for her heart, orchestrated by her overbearing but loving family.

Journey to the Heart of the Abyss (Light in the Abyss #2) by London Shah: Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of Broadmoor, the illegal government prison—but his freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates his return, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel through unchartered waters for the truth behind her father's arrest.

The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker: set in 1890s Japan, half-British reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami Ren Scarborough flees London and enters the Japanese underworld under the service of Izanami, the goddess of death.

Kneel by Candice Buford:  For guys like Russell Boudreaux, football is the only way out of their small Louisiana town. As the team's varsity tight end, Rus has a singular goal: to get a scholarship and play on the national stage. When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Rus faces an impossible choice: speak up or live in fear. 

The Knockout by S.A. Patel: Kareena Thakar lands an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team. But Kareena has never felt quite Indian enough, and her training is only making it worse. Which is inconvenient, since she's starting to fall for Amit Patel, who just might be the world's most perfect Indian. 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo:  Set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare, when Chinese American Lily Hu realizes she has feelings for a girl, Kath, in her math class, it threatens Lily's oldest friendships and even her father's citizenship status and eventually, Lily must decide if owning her truth is worth everything she has ever known.

The Life I’m In by Sharon G. Flake: The powerful and long-anticipated companion to The Skin I'm In, presenting the unflinching story of Char, a young woman trapped in the underworld of human trafficking. 

Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins:  Latina teen pop star Natalie’s image takes a dive after a messy public breakup, until she's set up with a swoon-worthy fake boyfriend, British indie film star William, and discovers she's ready to reclaim her voice and her heart. 

Like Home by Louisa Onomé: A local act of vandalism tosses 16-year-old Chinelo headfirst into changing friendships, new romance, and a fight against outside forces determined to fix up the neighborhood she's loved all her life. 

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas:  When children start to go missing in the local woods, eighteen-year-old Wendy Darling must face her fears and a past she cannot remember to rescue them in this novel based on Peter Pan.

Love and Other Disasters by Misa Suguira: Glamorous, but heartbroken Willow enlists Nozomi Nagai to pose as her new girlfriend to make her ex jealous. But Nozomi has a master plan of her own: one to show Willow she’s better than a stand-in, and turn their fauxmance into something real.

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson: A love story about not only a romantic relationship but how a plus size girl and Black teen Nala Robertson finds herself and falls in love with who she really is.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee: twin British-Chinese acrobats, Valora and Jamie Luck, travel aboard the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage. Loosely inspired by the recently uncovered account of six Titanic survivors of Chinese descendants.

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky: 

The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim: Pakistani American Muslim teen Noreen takes a gap year in New Delhi and pursues a relationship with a local boy, Kabir, but a family scandal soon threatens their budding relationship.

The Marvelous by Claire Kann: Six teens locked together in a mansion, contend for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress. 

(Me) Moth by Amber McBride: Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted. Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots, and they embark on a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. 

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee:  Trans teen Noah Ramirez who must decide if he's dedicated to romantic formulas or open to unpredictable love after an internet troll-attack on his trans romance blog compels him and a fan to start fake-dating to salvage the blog's reputation

The Meet-Cute Project by Rhiannon Richardson: Rom-com hating Black teen Mia prefers watching romances to being involved in them, until she's challenged by her friends to create real-life meet cutes to find a date for her older sister's wedding. 

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore: Graciela Cristales meets Lock, a boy who was sexually assaulted at the same party as her, and they find their fates unexpectedly intertwined during a month of vanishing trees, enchanted pan dulce, and inherited magic. 

Misfit in Love (Saints and Misfits #2) by S.K. Ali: Janna Yusuf hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever.

Muted by Tami Charles: An exploration of the dark side of the music industry, the business of exploitation, and how a girl's dreams can be used against her—and what it takes to fight back. 

Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach: Chinese Vietnamese American teen Eliza Quan is snubbed as the next editor-in-chief of the school paper for a less qualified but more "likable" male peer, and she finds herself caught between leading a feminist reckoning and falling for the boy she's asking to step down. 

Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney & Robyn Smith: When Nubia’s best friend, Quisha, is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia will risk it all—her safety, her home, and her crush on that cute kid in English class—to become the hero society tells her she isn’t.

The Obsession by Jessie Sutanto: After freeing her mother from an abusive relationship, Delilah Wong refuses to play a part in Logan's delusional romance--but how can she convince him to let her go?

Of Princes and Promises (St.Rosetta’s Academy #2) by Sandhya Menon:  Sweet-but-clueless Rahul Chopra tries a mysterious pot of hair gel which transforms instantly into RC—debonair, handsome, and charming. But transformation comes with a price: But will Rahul give up everything, including the girl he loves, Caterina LaVelle, to remain RC? 

Off the Record by Camryn Garrett: Teen journalist and Black teen Josie Wright uncovers the scandal of the decade, while developing feelings for her subject of her profile, dazzling newcomer Marius Canet.

Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira: 18-year-old Carmen takes on a summer internship that has her reuniting with estranged family for an over-the-top quinceañera and reluctantly reconnecting to a long-lost ex-boyfriend. 

One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite: Although distraught, Happi is also unsettled by the way people have idealized the memory of her sister who was killed after attending a social justice rally. As a way to honor the memory, Happi and her other sister Genny go on a roadtrip using the original "Green Book"--but the trip reveals secrets neither sister knew about the dead Kezi.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He: In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth's last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted.

The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk: Alina Keeler, a former ballerina undergoes a life-changing injury which sends her back to high school and offers a chance at new friendships and romance, as well as an opportunity to confront the discrimination in the dance world she tried hard to ignore. 

Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2) by Chloe Gong: In 1927, Shanghai tethers on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and while secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat. 

Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno: Louisa “Lou” Patterson grew up across the street from Sam Alvarez. Torn between the future that her mother, sister, and younger self planned for her, Lou sets out to finish a childhood bucket list, and in a stroke of destiny or fate, Sam decides to tag along.

Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi: After being dumped at the beginning of freshman year, Iranian American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to Homecoming: Matty Fumero. 

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le: Two Vietnamese American teens, Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai, fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid the whirlwind caused by their respective families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring pho eateries.

Prepped by Bethany Mangle: Raised among doomsday preppers, Becca Aldaine's life has centered on planning for the worst, but when her escape plan is jeopardized, she turns to the boy she is expected to marry and hopes for the best.

A Psalm of Storm and Silence (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #2) by Roseanne A. Brown: As the fabric holding Sonande together begins to tear, Malik and Karina once again find themselves torn between their duties and their desires.

A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) by Amanda Joy: After learning the truth of her heritage, Eva is on the run with her sister Isa as her captive, but with the Queendom of Myre on the brink of revolution, Eva and Isa must make peace with each other to save their kingdom.

The Queen’s Secret by Melissa De La Cruz: When Cal and Lilac are forced to face dark forces apart, the strength of their love--and their kingdom--are put to the ultimate test. 

Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma: two Indian American teens at a performing arts academy, one trained in kathak and the other in Bollywood style, must face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.

Ravage the Dark (Scavenge the Stars #2) by Tara Sim: After escaping the city of Moray, Amaya and Cayo head to the port city of Baleine to find the mysterious Benefactor and put a stop to the counterfeit currency that is spreading Ash Fever throughout the kingdoms.

Reaper of Souls (Kingdom of Souls #2) by Rena Barron: After so many years yearning for the gift of magic, Arrah has the one thing she’s always wanted—at a terrible price. But the Demon King’s shadow looms closer than she thinks. And as Arrah struggles to unravel her connection to him, defeating him begins to seem more and more impossible. 

Redemptor (Raybearer #2) by Jordan Ifueko: For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer.

The Red Tigress (Blood Heir #2) by Amélie Wen Zhao: The second book in an epic fantasy series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to liberate her empire from a dark reign.

Renegade Flight (Rebelwing #2) by Andrea Tang: Pilot-in-training Viola Park, a probationary student at GAN Academy, enters a mech combat tournament that becomes a fight for the future of Peacekeepers everywhere.

The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison: Guillermo Lozano has never met a rule he didn’t break...Regan London followed the rules her whole life… When they meet, one golden rule is established: stay away. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. 

The Righteous (The Beautiful #3) by Renée Ahdieh: Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

Rise Up from the Embers (Set Fire to the Gods #2) by Sarah Raasch & Kristen Simmons: The conclusion of this exciting and fast-paced epic duology about two elemental gladiators, Ash and Madoc, whose powers could determine the fate of the world in an ancient war between immortals and humans. 

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson: As Black teens Olivia and Toni arrive at a music festival, things becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and they will find that they need each other, and music, more than ever. 

Rising Like a Storm (The Wrath of Ambar #2) by Tanaz Bhathena: Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces―and hold onto their growing romance―to save their kingdom from tyranny.

Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis: Teen actors—an understudy, Jerzie Jhames, and the leading man, Zeppelin Reid—headline with an international R & B superstar in a hip-hopera Broadway musical reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. 

Shadow City (The City of Diamond and Steel #2) by Francesa Flores: Aina Solís has fought her way to the top of criminal ranks in the city of Kosín by wresting control of an assassin empire owned by her old boss, Kohl. But Kohl will do anything to get his empire back.

Simone Breaks All the Rules by Debbie Rigaud: Haitian American Simone Thibodeaux and her fellow late-bloomer friends create a Senior Year Bucket List of all the things they haven't had a chance to do. But as the list takes on a life of its own, things get more complicated than Simone expected. 

Sister of the Bollywood Bride by Nandini Bajpai: Set in Boston, an Indian American teen plans her sister’s Bollywood-style Indian wedding, but a monster hurricane threatens it all.

The Sisters of Reckoning (The Good Luck Girls #2) by Charlotte Nicole Davis: The blockbuster sequel to an alternate Old West-set commercial fantasy adventure.

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua: an Indian-inspired fantasy where twins separated at birth—one now a princess, the other a street thief— must switch places in a bid to stop a catastrophic war that threatens to tear their kingdom apart. 

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim: The Wild Swans meets East Asian fantasy where an exiled princess, Shiori, must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic. 

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow: Four young Black sisters come of age during the American Civil War, set in the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island, a haven for the recently emancipated. As the March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together. 

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp: Mexican American teens Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong -- both within their families and their fiercely loyal Chicanx community -- in order to save the place they all call home.

Some Other Now by Sarah Everett: A luminous and heartbreaking contemporary novel following Black teen Jessi Rumfield, caught between two brothers as the three of them navigate family, loss, and love over the course of two summers.

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes: 

Squad by Maggie Hall-Tokuda & Lisa Sterle: A story about a clique of teen girls whose favorite pastime is to get dressed up, attend parties to target entitled, date-rapey bros, and then turn into werewolves to eat them.

Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu: After the fall of Mara, and with the fate of a broken world hanging in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to one another. 

Sugar Queen Towns by Malla Nunn: When Amandla finds a mysterious address in the bottom of her mother's handbag along with a large amount of cash, she decides it's finally time to get answers about her mother's life. 

Sway With Me by Syed M. Masood: Arsalan turns to Beenish, the step-daughter of a prominent matchmaker, to find him a future life partner. Beenish’s request in return? That Arsalan help her ruin her older sister’s wedding with a spectacular dance she’s been forbidden to perform.

Tahira in Bloom by Farah Heron: When South Asian Muslim teen and aspiring fashion designer Tahira Janmohammad’s coveted internship falls through, she's forced to spend the summer working at her aunt's sleepy boutique in a rural community where the biggest event is an annual garden competition, where she'll have to innovate to keep her plan on track, possibly with help from the plant nerd next door, Rowan Johnston. 

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass: Jake Livingston is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep. But then he meets Sawyer, a troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, Sawyer has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake.

The Theft of Sunlight (Dauntless Path #2) by Instiar Khanani: Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer - even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi: With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself...but at a price they may not be willing to pay. 

Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles: A bi Black boy, Gio, finds first love and faces the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine.

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron: In this contemporary fantasy inspired by The Secret Garden, Black teen Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants with a single touch. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family, when a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. 

Tobyn, the It Girl (Flyy Girls #4) by Ashley Woodfolk: Tobyn Wolfe knows she’s destined to be a rock star, but too bad her mom can’t see this. She wants Tobyn to go to college and become a serious musician, but can Tobyn prove to her mom that she knows what’s best? 

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean: After learning that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, Izumi Tanaka travels to Tokyo, where she discovers that Japanese imperial life--with designer clothes, court intrigue, paparazzi scandals, and a forbidden romance with her handsome but stoic bodyguard, Akio--is a tough fit for the outspoken and irreverent 18-year-old from northern California.

The [Un]popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez: Transmasculine teen Mark Adams defies his congressman father and runs in a three-way democratic brawl for class president. 

A War of Swallowed Stars (Celestial Trilogy #3) by Sangu Mandanna: War is destroying the galaxy, and Esmae has vanished without a trace. Alexi, the exiled prince, is asked to pay a heavy price for his mistakes. As the end of the world draws ever closer, Esmae and Alexi must decide how far they’ll go to win—and who they’ll sacrifice along the way.

XOXO by Axie Oh: Korean American cello prodigy Jenny Go has her sights set on attending a prestigious conservatory, but finds all her careful plans upended when she spends part of her junior year at an elite music academy in Seoul, where she falls into a whirlwind secret romance with the lead singer of K-pop's biggest boy band, Jaewoo Bae. 

We Light Up the Sky by Lilliam Rivera: Latinx teens Pedro, Luna, and Rafa find themselves thrown together when an extraterrestrial visitor lands in their city and takes the form of Luna's cousin Tasha. As the Visitor causes destruction wherever it goes, they struggle to survive and warn others of what's coming. 

When Night Breaks (Kingdom of Hearts #2) by Janella Angeles: The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny. 

When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey: When they were 15, Willa, Luz, and Britton had a friendship that was everything. And when they were 18, Willa ruined it all. As Willa tries to find a way back to Luz and Britton, she must confront the why of her previous friendship betrayal. 

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris: A timely, gripping teen novel about a boy who must take up the search for his sister when she goes missing from a neighborhood where black girls’ disappearances are too often overlooked. 

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass: Based on Persuasion and set in the author's native Trinidad and Tobago, Reyna feels stuck running her family's seaside hotel, before the boy who was her (scorned) first love, Aiden Chandra, returns from America after two years, now as an international music star. 

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: Black teen Marigold and her blended family move into a newly renovated, picture-perfect home in a dilapidated Midwestern city, and are haunted by what she thinks are ghosts, but might be far worse. 

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad: A a multi-perspective feminist narrative about a fierce band of magic-wielding girls—the Wild Ones—who have collectively survived unspeakable things, and together are determined to save other girls from the cruelties and tragedies they've had to endure in their own past lives. 

Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora edited by Saraciea Fennell: A collection of essays and poems subverting different myths and stereotypes about the Latinx community. 

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle: Black teen Rue, from a poor neighborhood who, after learning she is half-human, half-goddess, must embrace both sides of her heritage to unlock her magic and destroy the racist gods poisoning her neighborhood with violence, drugs, and crime. 

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Thomas: In this Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut, two witches from enemy castes—one seeking power, and one seeking revenge—will stop at nothing to overthrow the witch queen, even if it means forming an alliance with each other and unleashing chaos on their island nation. 

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood: An Ethiopian-inspired Jane Eyre retelling in which an unlicensed debtera, or exorcist, Andromeda, is hired to rid a castle of its dangerous curses, only to fall in love with Magnus Rochester, a boy whose life hangs in the balance. 

Yesterday Is History by Kosoko Jackson: Black teen Andre Cobb undergoes a liver transplant and as a side effect winds up slipping through time from present-day Boston to 1969 NYC on the eve of the Stonewall riots, delivering a story that is part romance, part gay history, and part time-travel drama, exploring how far we have and haven’t come.

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi: Struggling with emotional problems and an eating disorder, Jayne, a Korean American college student living in New York City, is estranged from her accomplished older sister June, until June gets cancer.

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao: Julie Clarke, heartbroken after her boyfriend Sam Obayashi’s death, calls his voicemail—but he picks up, and in a miraculous turn of events, they're given a second chance at goodbye. 

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin: A buttoned-up overachiever works overtime to keep her inner nerd at bay—only to fail spectacularly. 

#authors of color #booklr #book recs #book recommendations #EYY LOOK IT'S MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!! #[it's been 84 years meme] #but we are finally getting an ari and dante sequel!!! :'))) #but in all seriousness #it's pretty cool to see cover trends year after year #illustrated covers still appear to the majority by far #which is nice after we got away from the terrible decapitated head trend #photography covers are getting better though #and there's a fair amount of iconic covers #which allows for a nice variety #also i cannot believe this is the year we're getting 3 mecha YA sci-fi books! #3!!! #they're all excellent btw (gearbreakers iron widow and the great destroyers)

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Hey /r/Entrepreneur! Its Rich, maker of Failory, where I publish interviews with entrepreneurs. Today I published an interview with Michael Ojo, founder of WURA, the Netflix for Nollywood. TL;DRWURA: On-demand video platform for African and Nollywood moviesIdea: Came from living on his parent's couchDevelopment: Non-technical founder. He set up WordPress and hired a PHP programmerMarketing: Facebook Ads ($35,000), YouTube page, SEO, and a mailing listCause of failure: Big competitor (YouTube) and Cash Flow Learn why you should not try to run someone else’s race!Hi Mike! What's your background, and what are you currently working on?I’m Mike, 28 years old based in Atlanta GA. I was born and raised in Lagos Nigeria, moved to the US when I was 12 years old and I fell in love with the computer from an early age. I started simple coding in High school and that would later lead to my career now as a web developer/ internet entrepreneur.WURA started as a pet project, and for 2 years it really was that. My family and I loved to watch our native African/Nollywood movies and we generally had access to those movies on YouTube, except they were all over the place. You had to search and dig through the dirt to find a good quality movie. WURA was a way for me to curate a playlist of titles so to speak. It was an on-demand video platform we one came and built their own playlist of high-quality titles that were readily available. It wasn’t until I had some cash in the bank though that I started thinking about the project more like a business. My other businesses took off and I had the capital to turn it into a legitimate business. And that I did, hired a team of 10 with myself included. And we put together a nice platform to watch movies on your pc and mobile devices. For a monthly fee of $3.99, a user had access to hundreds of new titles (movies and TV shows) both in English and other local dialects.My main task was to oversee everything. I was the owner but I was also part of a team of 9 other incredible people. What motivated you to start WURA?When I started WURA in 2013, I was actually just recovering from a failed startup the year before. My background is in web development but I consider myself more as a project manager as I rarely get hands-on anymore with my projects. Between 2008 and 2012 I was in the flash gaming business and I ran a successful network of gaming websites, up until early 2012. Several events happened that year that shut down about 80% of my business. First was Google Panda update or Penguin, whichever it was, I lost my Search engine rankings and that alone completely decapitated my business. Also, by this time smartphones had already taken over the market so many gamers that would typically come on the site to play games now go to their mobile phones. And in my efforts to transition to mobile games and join the trend, I essentially lost about $21,000 to a sham game developer on Elance (be very careful when using freelancers for big projects).Long story short, by the time the year was over, I went from making $75k a year to barely making ends meet. I shut down the servers, sold my car, cleaned out my apartment, and moved back in with my parents. As an entrepreneur, your best insurance policy is mom and dad because when things go south (and they will at some point) you at least have a place to lay your head and try to recoup.And so, it was a few months after living on my parent 's couch that the idea of WURA came about. When you live on the couch, you tend to consume a lot of TV and online videos. At least that was the case for me. When I kept watching these movies on YouTube, that’s when the idea came to me. Also, it helped that I saw another person (IROKO TV) running with the same Idea. Later that year Iroko went on to raise $8 million. And I thought for sure there is a big opportunity here. How did you build it?Again, when I first started, it was more of a side project because of my current situation at the time. I had to work a fulltime consulting job. But while I could, I initially set up a WordPress website and I remember using the WordPress theme ‘detube’. I made a list of features I wanted to add to the site to make it more usable and easier for users to find titles or build their own playlist. I played around with it by myself for a few months, and then towards the end of the year (2013), I was able to find a buyer to liquidate what was left of my gaming business. I got about $49,000 from that sale, and with the additional income from my day job, I felt I had enough to get serious about WURA.So, I did, and the first person I hired was a PHP programmer/coder, and we started adding that list of features to the site. Then I began reaching out to Nollywood producers and movie makers to acquire titles for a licensing feeSome of the major obstacles I faced were dealing with the West African business ecosystem, also having to transact with people thousands of miles away came with its own challenges. Sometimes hard drives would get lost in shipment or sometimes I get the hard drives and it has the wrong content in it. And this wasn’t something you can just drive to the store and return. It would cost $100-$150 to ship hard drives back and forth. And internet connection there, is not strong enough to send very large files through the cloud. So, to reduce risks, I had producers send me hard drives first that contained several movies. Then from there, we chose 3-5 titles that we really wanted. Over time, that saved a lot of money and headacheAt the time I was building WURA, I also had a successful entertainment blog that brought in enough revenue for me to continue funding the project. I went on to hire a team of 9 people, designers, writers, editor etc. and my programmer was also brought in full time. Hired a mobile developer as well. So, I had a legitimate business. Had the people, invested thousands in acquiring new titles. All was left was launching and executing with the right marketing plan. Or so I thought. Which were your marketing strategies to grow your business?For marketing, we had a Facebook and YouTube page, did some SEO, built a mailing list through the site, and I reached out to several startup and entertainment blogs to get our name out there. We also offered promotions and free trial periods to get people in the door.We spent about $35,000 on Facebook alone, that helped get some signups both free and paid, also increased our mailing list. The blog outreach helped build some link juice for SEO for the most part. A mailing list was effective in converting free users to paid.Facebook was a terrible investment. For 2 reasons:Although we gained a lot of new users that signed up through Facebook (and we had a 1 click Facebook signup button on the site), we could not email those users our newsletters because Facebook apparently hides users original email addresses and gives them a Facebook email instead; for example [email protected] and because of this, when we send out a newsletter, those to the Facebook domain would bounce back. FYI: about 70% of WURA total users were Facebook users. We later found this out but we had already spent thousands of dollars to get all those users.Facebook algorithm sucks! Every time Facebook changes its algorithm, those with public Facebook pages suffer. After spending all that money and getting all the thousands of followers to our Facebook page, we realized that those followers were almost useless because anytime we made a post, we were only reaching about 3% of our entire followers. Which were the causes of WURA failure?The main cause of failure for WURA was YouTube. Probably with some mistakes and carelessness on my part as well, but YouTube was the ultimate giant that rendered the business model unsustainable. Sadly, I didn’t realize this fact until much later on.Remember when I said that I thought there was a big opportunity once I found out IROKO TV raised $8 million? Apparently, hundreds of others thought the same, particularly the movie producers. So, the same guys we paid a fee to license their contents went behind our backs and flooded YouTube with the same titles and much more. This basically erased whatever monetary value the movie titles had.I considered WURA more of a service than just a movie or video site. But it is extremely hard to sell that service to anyone if their ultimate goal is to watch a movie and that movie is already available somewhere else for free. And not just somewhere else, but YouTube, which was and still is the most recognized name in online videos.That said I had some responsibility for the failure of WURA as well. For one, I focused way too much on the product itself, that I misjudged the market. And in focusing on the product, I made way too may alterations and customizations. I also licensed way too many more titles than I should have. My marketing strategy was backward. I should have had a marketing plan and execution in place before even launching the product. I’d assumed that guys like Iroko had already proven the concept that I just need to gain some of that market share. Wrong!When it was all said and done, I started to realize that the business may not hold due to the trend I was seeing on YouTube, literally every day I would see a new channel pop up showing the same titles that we carry. Although ours were in much greater quality and high definition, still didn’t matter.I naively stayed in the game and hoped for a different outcome or tried a different approach at may be changing the type of content we carried, but even if that were to be successful, I was already running out of cash by this point. Ultimately, I let everyone go and shut down once I ran out of my entire life savings.And for a while there I still left the site online and gained new users daily. I recently just completely shut down the site/server and many of the online social pages. It took about 2 years for me to get there; shut down completely. That’s the emotional attachment and pain many of us entrepreneurs deal with. But sometimes you just have to let go. Which were your biggest mistakes and challenges you had to overcome?I wouldn’t say there was a particular BIG mistake or mistakes. I think I had a lot of small things that added up and here I’ll list them.I went too fast and should have taken more time.Should have vetted producers and movie titles much better. Looking back, I spent 3-4 times more than I should have spent on licensing.I moved from New York to California. This was actually one of my biggest mistakes. I had a track record and a stable group of people and connection in NY that would have helped me grow even further. Moving to Los Angeles California, I knew no one and emotional that was bad. Also, California is not business friendly. I paid so much in fees and taxes that I swore to never go back there.I had no exit strategy. As someone who is extremely passionate about what they’re doing, this is the last advice I would give anyone. But having gone through my experience with WURA, I believe that if you’re going to build anything that will cost you north of $100,000, best to have an exit plan. And that could be knowing when to stop or stopping after you’ve invested X amount of dollars of your own money. Which were your expenses? Did you achieve some revenue? In the end, how much money did you lose?Expenses were mainly:Titles - $100,000 totalEmployees - $9,000/monthlyServer - $1200/monthlyEquipment/production - $20,000 totalMarketing - $40,000WURA made roughly $3,800 per month in revenue. I lost at least $250,000 in cash investment alone. If you had to start over, what would you do differently?There are a few things:I focused too much on the product and didn’t pay much attention to the market.My Marketing strategy should have come before product launch.Facebook was not the right platform to use as primary advertising.I had way too much money. Looking back, I wish I didn’t have as much money to spend because I would have been much more disciplined with my execution and not invest in useless things. I actually made a video discussing this here.Doing business with Nigerians can be a headache. And it’s not because of the people you’re doing business with, it’s the infrastructure there. Simple transactions to send and receive money can be a mile walk.I made some business decisions based on gut feeling rather than use facts and research. Those later came to bite me.Lastly, I would caution myself to take my time and not try and run someone else’s race. Looking back now maybe I was sucked into WURA because someone else seems to be doing well with the same concept. Perhaps it was their idea and product to launch, and not mine, to begin with. Which are your favorite entrepreneurial resources?There are many:Websites: Youtube – YouTube is the best go-to place to learn just about anything. I’ve learned more for my career on YouTube than I did 20 years going to schoolBooks: Traction - A startup guide to getting customers - I recommend this book to any entrepreneur or startup founder who is looking to launch a product. So many key nuggets that teach you the right steps to take about your marketing strategy.Tools: Google Analytics, WordPress, Google Webmaster Tool - These are the best 3 tools for any webmaster or business with an online presence. The best part is they are all free to use.Podcasts: The School of Greatness - This is a great podcast for entrepreneurs and anyone who is interested in self-growth and mental wellness. Where can we go to learn more?You can visit my blog, or check my YouTube channel! Original interview published in https://www.failory.com/interview/wura

#/r/entrepreneur #reddit