Books are one of our favorite topics both at CMLE Headquarters and on our weekly podcast Linking Our Libraries. 

Since this has been so popular with our readers and listeners, we decided to talk about books even more, in additional formats! This includes a second podcast about books coming out later this fall, and also includes some regular book suggestions here on our site.

(Books below have links to Amazon; if you follow them and make a purchase Amazon will donate a small percentage of your sale to CMLE! We appreciate it!!)

I’ve been listening to the YA book Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older and have really been enjoying it. It’s an urban fantasy that takes place in Brooklyn and it’s easy to imagine yourself running around with the main character Sierra, listening to music, painting murals, and dodging zombies. Sierra is piecing together a mystery that involves her grandfather’s connection with the spirit world and a rising threat that is placing her family in danger.

From Goodreads:

“Cassandra Clare meets Caribbean legend in SHADOWSHAPER, an action-packed urban fantasy from a bold new talent. Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra’s near-comatose abuelo begins to say “Lo siento” over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep…. Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.”

If you are interested in YA urban fantasy, YALSA has this genre guide and Kirkus has this list of books with reviews.  Or explore some of the titles below:

• The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson
• The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
• Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep
• The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott
• Akata Witch by  Nnedi Okorafor