New Books in Young Adult Literature

New Books Network

Interviews with authors of new YA literature. This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠ Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetwork

  1. 3d ago

    The Age of Fury with John Stephens (Random House, 2026)

    John Stephen's The Age of Fury (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2026) takes place in Gilded Age New York, a fierce seventeen year-old Irish girl joins forces with a notorious gangster to hunt down her sister's killer. Told from both perspectives, their search for justice pulls them from the city’s darkest corners to glittering ballrooms, where a secret can mean death, and love comes at a perilous price. Two unlikely allies must venture into dangerous places--perhaps into each other's arms--to solve a brutal crime.  Caitlin Mary, my darling twin. I came on the instant of getting your letter. Leaving home in Ireland, crossing the ocean and still arriving too late. Because you're gone. Murdered and left in a dark alley! But I will avenge you, my love. I swear it. Even if I must make a deal with the devil. Or, in this case, the most blood-soaked gangster in New York.  William There is blood on my hands I cannot wash away. But if finding this girl's killer proves that I am more than the dark thing inside me, more than a monster, then I will. Only I did not forsee Caitlin. Now I have to make a choice. About who I am, who I will be, and who I love.  A producer, director, and writer for shows like Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and Gotham turns his attention to the underbelly of Gilded Age New York in this riveting suspense novel that blends tension and humanity--and deftly showcases a heart-stirring exploration of truth, identity, and love. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Oct 4

    The Stitches Between Us with Taylor D Lott (Hawes & Jenkins, 2025)

    Taylor D. Lott's The Stitches Between Us (Hawes & Jenkins, 2025) tells the story of Theo, a quiet, imaginative boy growing up in a home where sensitivity is punished and creativity is met with cruelty. He learns early to retreat inward, expressing what he cannot say through fabric, sketches, and observation. In a world that leaves little room for softness, Theo finds refuge in Danielle-unguarded, curious, and gently defiant. She recognizes his talent without trying to reshape him, and their connection becomes a fragile lifeline. Something fractures that lifeline. What once grounded Theo is slipping away, leaving him unmoored and overwhelmed. As the pressure inside his home mounts and the one place he felt seen becomes unreachable, Theo is pushed toward a breaking point. A final confrontation with his father sends him fleeing into the night, abandoning his family without explanation. Years later, Theo's older brother Noah built a successful career as a respected journalist, known for reporting on war zones, global crises, and international diplomacy. When he is assigned to cover a high-profile fashion show in Paris, he enters a world he doesn't understand-and one that feels disturbingly familiar. Recognition comes quietly. There is no announcement. No reunion. Only an unspoken awareness beneath the bright lights of Paris and the shadows of the past. As Noah navigates the spectacle surrounding the show, he must decide what kind of witness he wants to be: whether to turn private survival into public spectacle, or to protect a truth someone fought desperately to keep buried. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Sep 8

    Stef Ferrari, "Pining for You" (Simon & Schuster, 2026)

    In Pining for You (Simon & Schuster, 2026) the classic Hallmark holiday movie gets turned upside down when a teen leaves her small-town Christmas tree farm in pursuit of the city girl who swept her off her feet in this cheeky and cozy rom-com by Food Network competitor Stef Ferrari. Bennie Bosley has Christmas spirit on lock. Her borderline magical ability to give the perfect gift, encyclopedic knowledge of holiday movies, and skill as a baker working at a literal Christmas tree farm mean she’s the authority on all things merry. So, when Bennie sees sparkles after bumping into the most stunning girl she’s ever seen in her small Connecticut town, her friends are all shocked that Bennie doesn’t seem to realize what this is: real holiday magic at work…and the perfect opportunity for her much-needed first kiss. There’s just one problem: her mystery girl, Eve, lives in Brooklyn and Bennie never got her number or her last name. But showing up unexpectedly to make a big romantic gesture is a classic holiday trope for a reason, right? And her friends aren’t about to miss the fireworks. But what was supposed to be a quick Christmas adventure turns into a scramble across Brooklyn when the biggest snowstorm of the decade hits. Will Bennie and crew be able to track Eve down for a merrily ever after and still make it back for their last Cooper Farm Christmas Eve party, or is their holiday movie moment destined for the cutting room floor? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Sep 1

    Erin A. Craig, "Our Strange Duet: Inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera" (Delacorte Press, 2026)

    Our Strange Duet: Inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (Delacorte Press, 2026) is a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, spotlighting Christine Daaé as she rises to fame while torn between love, ambition, and the haunting secrets of the opera house from #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig. This gorgeous hardcover edition of Our Strange Duet features stunning sprayed edges, custom character endpapers, a foil-stamped case, and a ribbon! She was never just the voice he shaped . . . A rising soprano with a gift she is only just learning to embrace, Christine Daaé has moved through the glittering world of the Opera Populaire longing to find her purpose. Instead, she finds herself caught between two men who refuse to let her slip quietly into the chorus. One is Raoul, her childhood friend turned devoted admirer, offering her a future filled with warmth, safety, and a love that feels like sunlight. The other is a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Opera House: The Phantom. His brilliance, obsession, and dangerous devotion to nurturing Christine’s talents ignites a dark and complicated passion in her heart. As Christine’s star ascends, so does the tension between Raoul and the Phantom. She must decide who she is when the curtain falls—and what she’s willing to risk for the life she wants. Set against the sweeping, romantic world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, Our Strange Duet allows Christine Daaé to take center stage to tell her own story: fierce, emotional, and unforgettable. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Sep 1

    Emily Charlotte, "Catching Feelings" (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2026)

    Emily Charlotte's second Varsity Novel book Catching Feelings (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2026) follows Sabrina and her first rule for a drama-free senior year? Don’t fall for the mysterious new football transfer. When Sabrina and Tyler meet by accident outside (okay, inside) the football locker rooms, it’s not a big deal. After a rocky summer, Sabrina is focused on leading the Spirit Committee to its best year ever, while Tyler is eager to leave behind the mess from his old school with a second chance playing football as a transfer. Neither is looking for romance. But as the team’s newest (and most eligible) varsity athlete, Tyler is suddenly the center of attention. And Sabrina is busy dodging Ryan, her longtime flirtationship who is determined to take her to the homecoming dance. Ryan is exactly the kind of chaos Sabrina doesn’t need, so she asks Tyler to go as friends instead. Eager to fend off other unwanted advances, Tyler is happy to accept. Of course, this was before Sabrina realized Tyler is Ryan’s cousin. But as long as they’re just friends, everything should be fine. Tyler is less willing to ignore the connection he feels toward Sabrina, but he’s also desperate to keep his past buried. When the chemistry between them becomes impossible to deny, can their carefully laid plans survive the fallout, or will secrets and social pressure threaten everything they’ve built? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

About

Interviews with authors of new YA literature. This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠ Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetwork