Parra Pods parralibrary

A library technician by day and considered a master of dark, atmospheric fantasy in her writing, Alicia Jasinska is the author of the enchanting dark fairy tale, The Dark Tide.Join Alicia as she discusses her new novel The Midnight Girls – her standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other.
In partnership with Sydney Writer's Festival 2022.

What makes a book a classic? The fact that it is beloved? That it has stood the test of time? That it is of a quality that makes it stand out? Like fairytales and folk tales before them, children’s classics are usually a mix of all of these things.
Join Nisa and Antonia as they talk about some established and modern classics for children: 
 
 
Chronicles of Narnia: the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. (Originally published) Geoffrey Bles, 1950.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. (Originally published) Reynal & Hitchcock, 1943
Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume. (Originally published) Bradbury Press, 1970
Hitler’s daughter by Jackie French. HarperCollins Publishers, 1999

Spanning the last years of primary and all the way up to early adulthood, young adult fiction has an appeal that knows few bounds. Back by popular demand, this is the third in our series of YA book chats. Join Nisa and Antonia as they discuss the following titles:
 
Listen Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Penguin Books, 2021
 
Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. Allen & Unwin, 2018
 
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. Walker Books, 2021
 
The Selection by Kiera Cass. Harper Collins, 2012
 

Thrillers and crime fiction are genres of writing that fascinate the reader through the depiction of danger, of darkness, of suspense and anxiety that surrounds the criminal or crime-related events described in the story.
 
Join Nisa and Bryony as they discuss some books that fall neatly and not-so-neatly within the overlapping boundaries of these genres:
 
The Herd by Andrea Bartz, Ballantine Books, 2020
 
Keeper by Jessica More, Penguin, 2020
 
Your House Will Pay by Step Cha, Faber & Faber, 2019
 
The Animals of Lockwood Manor, Mantle, 2020

Fantasy Fiction
Sitting under the umbrella of ‘speculative’ fiction, Fantasy Fiction pulls the reader into a universe made up of complex relationships, of magical beings, of fascinating creatures and of supernatural elements that are often based on or influenced by existing myths and mythology.
Join Nisa and Rachel as they discussed two novels and two novellas in the genre:
 
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart. Orbit, 2020
The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood. Tor, 2020
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Tor, 2020
Order of the Pure Moon Reflected by Water by Zen Cho. Tor, 2020

YA books can be about love, loss, transitions, first experiences, school, future aspirations… anything experienced by young people. What makes YA literature unique is that the perspective is a teenage one. Back with more YA in 2021, join Nisa and Antonia for the first set of books they’d like to highlight:
 
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Walker Books, 2019
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Electric Monkey, 2019
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. Hot Key Books, 2020
Welcome to the New World: Waking Up in Trump’s America by Jake Halpern and (illustrated by) Michael Sloan. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.
 
Craving some more YA chat? Checkout our other YA podcast here!