Oh dang, it’s our first pro-tips post on the new site! It’s been a while, obviously, so in case you forgot, we collect tidbits from all corners of the internet and share them with y’all, just to make Friday in front of a computer a little more palatable. So let’s distract ourselves, shall we?

ICYMI on FYA

We shared our list of Fave Books of 2021 and asked y’all to vote on your top pick. Plus, we posted a round-up of the 2022 releases we’re most excited about. (New Emily Henry, COME TO ME NOW.)

In book reports:

  • I raved about Catch the Light, which will definitely fill that Sarah Dessen-shaped void in your life.
  • Brian reviewed The Bitterwine Oath, a story of a small town with big secrets.
  • Mandy C. promises that you don’t have to be a Reylo (or even Star Wars) fan to swoon over The Love Hypothesis.

Book Things

YALSA announced their shortlist for the 2022 William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which “honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.” I spy an FYA Book Club 2022 pick!

Goodreads released their Best Books of 2021 list, and I spy the same book club pick. So, I commend you on your Goodtaste, Goodreads.

Ten powerful works on the intersectionality of race and feminism from bell hooks, who passed away on December 15th. (And on a less serious note, I highly recommend the saved by the bell hooks IG account.)

Oh HEY HEY HEY:

Onscreen Things

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) are developing a CW series based on the Sweet Valley High books, and methinks this is the SVH adaption that might FINALLY ACTUALLY come to fruition? *wistfully thinks back to Diablo Cody* (Also, this news is a great excuse to revisit Erin’s Sweet Valley High reviews, which are PURE GOLD.)

How a new wave of Native stories (including one of my fave new shows, Reservation Dogs) took a “sledgehammer” to Hollywood’s closed doors.

Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe are making a movie together that sounds a lot like Romancing the Stone (but with Tatum as a “modern day Fabio”!), and YEP, I’m in. Especially after watching this trailer, because oh WHAT Brad Pitt?!

And here are two more bonkers trailers for ya: Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

How West Side Story’s Anybodys went from a tomboy to to a trans character (played by iris menas).

Avril Lavigne is turning “Sk8er Boi” into a movie, and while it pains me to type out that song name, I will obviously watch it.

A Gotham Knights TV series is in the works at The CW from three Batwoman writers, because we need more DC Comics in our lives cash grab.

Here’s the trailer for the HBO Beanie Babies documentary, which looks appropriately bonkers.

Selena, among other movies, has been added to the National Film Registry.

Sarah Watson, the creator of The Bold Type, is writing and producing a series, now headed to Disney Plus, about a group of students who film a shot-for-shot remake of The Goonies.

If you missed Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, you can watch it for free on Roku.

Social Media Things

Instagram is bringing back the chronological timeline, because they know where we want them to shove their algorithm.

This RIVETING tale is a good time to remind you that we do have I <3 Jorts merch in the FYA Store:

Truly, a Wonder Woman:

Cousin Greg and Tom are my Succession OTP, NO REGRETS:

Speaking of Succession, if you’re not subscribed to Hunter Harris‘ power rankings, you’re basically a boar on the floor.

I’m gonna need some Jólabókaflóðið merch in the FYA Store stat:

Fun Fact: Britney Spears underlines her YA, and we’re here for it:

BRB ordering Christmas culottes:

Or, like, maybe a 2023 problem:

Miscellaneous Things

It’s been out for a while, but I still can’t get over this review of The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, Ever. (Nor can I get the picture of the chef’s mouth dish out of my mind.)

Check out Vulture’s list of the Best Podcasts of 2021, which includes two of my faves, Maintenance Phase and Suspect, but only gives honorable mention (?!!) to the actual best podcast of the year, Welcome to Your Fantasy.

The founder of American Girl dolls has been buying up and renovating an entire town, which might just be fancy enough for Samantha.

This app takes a prompt and uses AI to create a painting, which can make for some totally rad alternate book covers. For example, here’s what happens when you input “Dream Thieves”:

Two abstract figures walking through a colorful, shrouded landscape

That’s it for this week. Feel free to share your thoughts on these or any links we may have missed in the comments below!

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Sarah lives in Austin, and believes there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure, which is part of why she started FYA in 2009. Growing up, she thought she was a Mary Anne, but she's finally starting to accept the fact that she's actually a Kristy.