ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:
It's that time of year again, when the sun starts setting around 4 in the afternoon in the Lower 48, and the only reasonable thing to do is stay inside with your balsam fir candle and read. So let us help you pick your next couch companion. Books We Love, NPR's list of best reads has lots of recommendations, including these young adult fiction favorites from our colleagues.
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KALYANI SAXENA, BYLINE: Hi. My name is Kalyani Saxena, and I'm an associate producer with Here And Now. I first picked up "Dragonfruit" because of the most simple reason, which is that I thought the cover was really, really gorgeous. And it just stood out to me. And the young adult fantasy space is really, really crowded. But "Dragonfruit's" world building is just gorgeous.
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SAXENA: It's a story inspired by Pacific Islander mythology. And it follows Hanalei, who has spent years in exile after her father stole a precious sea dragon egg from her island nation of Tamarind. Now she's back on the island, and she has the chance to right her father's wrong.
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SAXENA: Of course, first, she has to make amends with her estranged childhood friend, Sam. They have a really sweet romance, and this book just really explodes with color. It's vibrant and lush, and it's perfect for any reader looking for a sweet love story set in a verdant and unique fantasy world.
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ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE: Hello, I'm Elizabeth Blair, correspondent on NPR's culture desk. The book I'm recommending is Kate McKinnon's "The Millicent Quibb School Of Etiquette For Young Ladies Of Mad Science." This is a middle-grade mystery for anyone who loves to see misfits triumph.
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BLAIR: So Millicent Quibb is a mad scientist who mentors three girls - the Porch sisters. They're all STEM nerds. They love bats and slugs and rocks and building weird contraptions. Needless to say, the Porch sisters have been kicked out of etiquette school. McKinnon's descriptions of her characters are like her impressions. They're weird, hilarious, but also endearing. The mystery is how Quibb and the Porch sisters will save the town from this ginormous worm that has rocks for teeth. And one of the things I love about the book is that even though these four females have been ostracized by the towns people, when they go to save the town, they plan on saving everyone - even the ones that have been mean to them.
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HAFSA FATHIMA, BYLINE: Hey, I'm Hafsa Fathima. I'm an assistant producer at Pop Culture Happy Hour.
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FATHIMA: A book I really loved reading this year was "Annie Leblanc Is Not Dead Yet" by Molly Morris.
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FATHIMA: It focuses on our protagonist Wilson, who lives in a town with a secret. If you win a contest, you can resurrect the person of your choice from the dead. Wilson picks Annie, her late and former best friend. This shakes things up, especially with her other best friend, Ryan. She and Wilson have some unresolved romantic tension going on.
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FATHIMA: This book is funny, it's witty. It has a touch of magic realism, too.
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FATHIMA: It's also about how the friendships that define us never really go away. It's the perfect read when you're looking for something to warm your heart and maybe make you cry just a little bit.
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DHANIKA PINEDA, BYLINE: My name is Dhanika Pineda. I'm the inaugural Petra Mayer Fellow on The Culture Desk.
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PINEDA: This is a special recommendation to me because Petra, who sadly passed away in 2021, actually started Books We Love. So none of us really would be here without her. Thank you, Petra, for starting such a beautiful project.
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PINEDA: Speaking of beautiful work, I'm recommending "Heir" by Sabaa Tahir. It's a YA fantasy novel about a group of unlikely friends - barely even acquaintances at first, really - whose paths diverge in a world of magic and mystery. This book is a puzzle of perspectives, timelines, and plot twists that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Will you fall for the book's manipulation? Go find out.
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NADWORNY: Again, those recommendations were "Heir," "Annie Leblanc Is Not Dead Yet," "The Millicent Quibb School Of Etiquette For Young Ladies Of Mad Science," and "Dragonfruit." For the full list of this year's Books We Love, you can visit npr.org/bestbooks.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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