Blue Willow Content's blog

Our wonderful and hardworking Teen Advisory Board is back with their last monthly YA recommendations of 2020. We are extremely grateful for their many hours of reading and reviewing. Take a look below to find your next read! There's a little of everything: Rom-com, drama, fantasy, suspense. One of the picks below, The Good Girls, has been selected as the official December pick in Blue Willow's YA First Editions Club subscription program. (A little reminder for you all: The holidays are right around the corner and the subscription makes a great gift.) Looking for some more? Scroll back through the other amazing recommendations on our blog. Happy reading! 

We don’t know about you, but we still haven’t adjusted back to standard time. Fortunately, it’s a proven fact that you don’t miss the sunshine if you have a good enough book to keep you company, like the ones in our highly varied mini-list below. In the mood for a little fantasy? No problem. What about some secrets and rock and roll? Look below to find that read! Wondering what life would be like without modern technology? Scroll on down. Looking for a little love? We got you. Whatever your style, find your next read to snuggle up with—you won’t even notice when it gets dark at 5:00 PM. 

This week, we've rounded up a bit of everything for our fellow book lovers. We have old-school mystery and contemporary romance; we include a great new book about a cook (by Houston's own literary superstar Bryan Washington!) as well as a great new cookbook. Throw in a fun new picture book that dabbles in math and music, and you've got a classic book soup. Serving suggestion: Curled up in your favorite chair, next to a fire, with a furry friend by your side. Happy reading, friends! 

We are extremely grateful for our dedicated and talented Teen Advisory Board this month and every month. After reading many books, the board has put together an excellent list of YA November releases sure to please any reader. Look for thrilling mysteries, captivating romances, and new twists on well-known tales below. One of their picks, These Violent Delights, has been selected by the board as the official November pick in Blue Willow's YA First Editions Club subscription program.  (A little hint for you all: subscriptions make great birthday and holiday gifts. ) Enjoy, friends! 

Was that a bit of autumn air we felt last week? It came just in time—we've taken a close look at our favorite new releases and pulled a few seasonally spooky reads for those of you who are looking for some extra thrill, mystery, and magic for your October. You can find them below, alongside a variety of other fantastic year-round options for those uneager for the unnerving. So no matter what you're looking for, you'll easily... fall... for a title or two below. Happy (haunting?) reading, friends! 

We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Bryan Washington, Houston literary superstar and author of Lot, returns with a new novel on October 27. It’s called Memorial, and it’s a touching and funny story about two young, gay Houston men: Mike, a Japanese American chef, and Benson, a Black day care teacher. Through their stories, Washington explores universal themes of family and what it means to be human—parent, child, lover, friend. The book is just sublime, and we couldn’t be happier for this Houston author. 

We’re extremely excited to host a special, virtual launch event for Bryan Washington and Memorial on October 26, and to offer signed, personalized copies to attendees. You can learn more about that event and register here. In the meantime, enjoy our Q&A with the author below. 

A note from Blue Willow Events Coordinator Cathy Berner on the enduring magic of "Uncle" Rick Riordan, whose final book in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles is out October 6.

Fifteen years ago, Valerie handed me a book called The Lightning Thief and asked me to read it. I had just started working at the shop on a very part time basis—my kids were in preschool and kindergarten. I can still remember the silver cover with a gorgon, a minotaur, and a three-headed dog. And I vividly remember how I felt when I read the first few pages—I knew I was holding something special. 

Our amazing (and busy) Teen Advisory Board reads and reviews a lot of books every month. This works out well for us, because they have truly great taste—from thrillers to rom-coms and everything in between, this group of voracious readers is helping to make our YA section one of the most exciting places in the shop. Here, take a look at some of the October releases they're most excited to share with you. One of the books, Foreshadow, has even been selected by the board as the second book in our YA First Editions Club subscription program. Subscribers reecive a new book every month, with a bookplate signed by the author, exclusive bookmark, invitation to a Zoom hangout with the author(s), and a note explaining why the Teen Advisory Board loved the book. Did we mention that subscriptions make a great birthday or holiday gift?  Happy reading! 

This week, we put together a list of must-reads for y'all. Some books are returns from beloved, well-known authors (Sophie Blackall! Jacqueline Woodson! Garth Nix! Graham Swift!), while others are by staff faves or soon-to-be-well-known (so hop on board first!) writers like KA Holt and Tracy Deonn. We made it easy: Just keep this list of books in your back pocket and add 'em all to your to-be-read list. Happy reading! (Good luck deciding which one to start with.)

September is the start of the big fall publishing season, and there are lots and lots of big, exciting books heading towards our shelves—including the ones in this post! Our best advice: Treat yourself to a nice, large stack to keep you entertained as it slowly starts to get darker earlier and we find ourselves spending even more time indoors. We've sifted through tons of titles to find some real gold—whatever your age or interests, your To-Be-Read pile is about to get a lot more exciting. Happy reading, friends, and may your next read always be ready!