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  The Causes of the U.S. Civil War
  

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  Best Fiction for Young Adults 2024
  

  Looking for nationally recognized teen books? Each year, YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team presents recommended fiction titles published for young adults ages 12 to 18. These were the titles chosen in December 2023.

Reviews

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  Music is history by Questlove.

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

  This is an absolutely amazing book IF you are a big music nerd (which I am). Despite knowing really a whole heck of a lot about the genres and eras of music discussed in this book, I still did not know who many of the musicians mentioned were.

  I super enjoyed the personal and historical contexts Questlove placed familiar songs / artists / albums in, and likewise enjoyed learning about some new (old) music to check out.

  All of that being said, I'd like to reiterate that to get the most out of this book, you really need to have at least a strong interest in, if not a strong knowledge of, hip hop, classic rock, funk, R&B, jazz, soul, etc. It is not uncommon for the author to be discussing a particular sample in a hip hop song and then spend a paragraph talking about how the rhythm guitar player on that osng also played on a different song from earlier in the book, and oh yeah his dad was so and so who was in a band with his dad in the fifties, and so on.

  It is a fascinating web that bounces from pop culture meta narrative, to personal stories about growing up in West Philly. A+ 10/10 book for the right person.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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  Black sun by Roanhorse, Rebecca

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

  This is a good book! In prose and structure it reminded me of a cross between Game of Thrones, but it is less complex than that (not necessarily a bad thing). If you're looking for a compelling fantasy novel in a non European setting this book is enjoyable, intriguing, not too diffictult to read. I enjoyed the second book as well and am looking forward to the thrid.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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  Miles, the autobiography by Davis, Miles.

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

  This book is a must read for jazz fans and fans of incendiary celebrity autobiographies.

  Be warned though, this book contains graphic descriptions of violence, drug use, sexual content, abuse, and like 20% of the words on every page are swears.

  I read it in college, like 15 years ago, and I'm kinda afraid to revisit it, because it is heavy, and pretty messed up.

  It is probably the best musician auto biography that I have read though, and that is a genre that I truly love.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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  Children of time by Tchaikovsky, Adrian,

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

  This review contains spoilers! Click to reveal...

  The concept of this book was fascinting and well executed, but I did not findi it emotionally compelling enough to give it five stars,

  I found it kinda hard to empathize with most if not all of the characters. I think this is largely due to the structure of the book, in which you experience the life of a different spider in each spider chapter (due to the length of their lives). It is compelling to experience the evolution of spider society in this way, but the drama rarely felt personal.

  I also struggled with the human characters just being generally unlikeable. I dont really like military sci fi and the human side fo this felt a bit too close to that for me.

  This may be a personal problem! I have heard many friends praise this book (one gave it to me) and seen tons of people recommend it online. If you have a particular interest in ecological, biological, or military sci fi, maybe even a bit of horror, Children of Time may land better for you. I still enjoyed it a lot but some sections were kind of a slog.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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  The amazing adventures of Kavalier & Clay : a… by Chabon, Michael.

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

  This is one of my favorite books. I have read it a few times over the last fifteen years or so and always get something different out of it. 

  In fact, I have since read a few other Michael Chabon novels and deeply loved each of them. His brand of slightly magical realism keeps you on your toes and his compelling characters keep you in your feels.

  There is also often very biting, clear, and insightful social / political commentary.

  This is a must read for anyone interested in magical realism, comics, and historical fiction in general but especially the 20s - 60s in the west.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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  The long way to a small, angry planet by Chambers, Becky

  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

  Wow! I loved this book!

  Largely composed ot chracter driven vignettes that take place on a starship taking a long journey to creat a new hyperspace tunnel, this book had an excellent balance of drama, humor, romance, world building, and sci fi concepts and tropes.

  It reminded me of a cross between Cowboy Bebop Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, and a Miyazaki film. I really loved most of the characters, and largely empathised with those that I didn't love.

  This book also did a great job of hinting at and giving us some inof about the larger world the author is creating, while staying very focued on the excellent characters. I laughed, I cried, I started reading this on a trip with friends and felt mildly annoyed that I needed to hang out with them instead of reading.

  Great book! Looking forward to continuing the series.

  Reviewed by Kyle P on Oct 4, 2024

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