Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve struggled with mental health for most of my life, as have family members and friends I love. It’s extremely important to me that we normalize discussions of mental health so that we can find the best solutions. Anxiety and depression have been major themes in all of the young adult novels I’ve written; it’s my little way of furthering these conversations with the people who need them. I hope you’ll find these suggestions relatable, enjoyable, and question-inducing!


I wrote

Speech and Debacles

By Heather DiAngelis,

Book cover of Speech and Debacles

What is my book about?

When bisexual 17-year-old Taryn joins her school’s powerhouse Speech and Debate team, she discovers she’s good at acting. But when…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Heather DiAngelis Why did I love this book?

I adored Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay. This book follows Darius as he visits family in Iran, where he feels as out of place as he had back in America—he doesn't speak Farsi, he lacks proper social customs, and the people (family or otherwise) are resistant to understanding his mental health issues. His relief comes from Sohrab, a family friend who understands Darius in ways no one ever has.

What struck me about this book is that there’s no question about Darius’s depression—it’s always at the forefront. Likewise, Darius’s dad suffers from similar mental health issues. I was so moved by how Darius and his dad bonded over this disease they shared. What results is a beautifully told story that is both relatable and unique.

By Adib Khorram,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Darius the Great Is Not Okay as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's a Fractional Persian - half, his mum's side - and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he's sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn't exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they're spending their days together, playing soccer, eating…


Book cover of The Music of What Happens

Heather DiAngelis Why did I love this book?

Author Bill Konigsberg has always pulled me in with his entertaining, well-written, and deep stories. In The Music of What Happens, Max and Jordan bond over their effort to save a 1980s-era food truck to help Jordan’s family stay afloat. Jordan’s secret, though, is that his mom’s mental health is spiraling out of control, and he carries the burden of being the only person able to hold everything together—financially and emotionally. I fell hard for Max and Jordan’s chemistry as well as for Jordan’s struggle of helping his mother through her mental health struggles. 

By Bill Konigsberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Music of What Happens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

From the award-winning author of Openly Straight, a story about two teens falling in love over a summer that throws everything possible to keep them apart.

* "Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature." -- Booklist, starred reviewMax: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the…


Book cover of Deposing Nathan

Heather DiAngelis Why did I love this book?

Deposing Nathan was everything I'd dreamed it would be—deep, torturous, intense, and beautiful. Zack Smedley’s poignant and relevant storytelling hooked me from the first line to the unexpected twist and through the surprising ending. In this powerful story, Nate has been called to deliver a sworn statement against his ex-boyfriend Cam. What first seemed like a simple premise brought me back to my days of questioning sexuality, religion, family expectations, and familial commitment, and it unearthed memories of the struggles of finding myself as a teenager and navigating complex emotions. 

By Zack Smedley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Deposing Nathan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Nate never imagined that he would be attacked by his best friend, Cam.

Now, Nate is being called to deliver a sworn statement that will get Cam convicted. The problem is, the real story isn't that easy or convenient - just like Nate and Cam's friendship. Cam challenged Nate on every level from the day the boys met. He pushed him to break the rules, to dream, and to accept himself. But Nate - armed with a fierce moral code and conflicted by his own beliefs - started to push back. With each push, Nate and Cam moved closer to…


Book cover of I Kissed Alice

Heather DiAngelis Why did I love this book?

Anna Birch’s I Kissed Alice is an enemies-to-lovers story about two gifted artists, Rhodes and Iliana, at a school for the arts who despise each other in person but fall hard for each other’s online fanfiction personas. Rhodes’s depression and anxiety consume her in the race to win a prestigious scholarship and navigate a complicated dynamic with her alcoholic mother. I found Rhodes’s on-page therapy sessions incredibly refreshing and relatable, something I don’t see enough of in YA fiction. The characters in this story are unlikeable and flawed—extremely so—but for that reason, my heart clenched often at their actions, assumptions, and reactions. Bonus points for the beautiful fanfiction graphics illustrated by Victoria Ying.

By Anna Birch, Victoria Ying (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Kissed Alice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other. Hyper-gifted painter Rhodes has always excelled at the Alabama Fine Arts Academy despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense work ethic. But since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, and the competition between them grows fierce.
They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a webcomic. Their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire begin to fall in love, despite being worst enemies in…


Book cover of The Gravity of Us

Heather DiAngelis Why did I love this book?

The Gravity of Us, by Phil Stamper, is a treasure. Social media influencer Cal and reserved Leon fall for each other when their parents are selected for a NASA mission to Mars, and they’re quickly swept up in the media frenzy surrounding the mission. This book does many things well, including its exploration and open discussions of depression and anxiety within ourselves and within the people we love. 

By Phil Stamper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Gravity of Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book." - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda In this smart, heart-warming YA debut perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, two teens find love when their lives are uprooted for their parents' involvement in a NASA mission to Mars. Cal wants to be a journalist, and he's already well underway with almost half a million followers on his FlashFame app and an upcoming internship at Buzzfeed. But his plans are derailed when his pilot father is selected for a highly-publicized NASA mission…


Explore my book 😀

Speech and Debacles

By Heather DiAngelis,

Book cover of Speech and Debacles

What is my book about?

When bisexual 17-year-old Taryn joins her school’s powerhouse Speech and Debate team, she discovers she’s good at acting. But when painful, amped-up cramps invade her pelvis, performing on-demand and getting close to the guy catching her eye become increasingly less feasible. Riker aspires to break into the world of voice acting to perform video game voiceovers. Achieving his dream and getting over the hurdle of talking to the green-eyed new girl from Speech, though, prove impossible when a nagging inner voice constantly reminds him how worthless he is.

As Riker and Taryn float closer together, then farther apart, they both must work to find ways of coping—or they’ll miss out on each other as well as their performance goals.

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Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

By Elizabeth Randall, William Randall,

Book cover of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Elizabeth Randall Author Of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Baker Teacher Matriarch Adventurer

Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Tourists and local residents of St. Augustine will enjoy reading about the secret wonders of their ancient city that are right under their noses. Of course, that includes a few stray corpses and ghosts!

Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

By Elizabeth Randall, William Randall,

What is this book about?

It is no wonder the ancient city of St. Augustine is steeped in secrets.

St. Johns, the oldest continuously occupied county in America, celebrated its 450th birthday on September 4, 2015. More like a European enclave than an urban landscape, it is a place of cannon fire, street parties, historical reenactments, concerts, and more. From admiring replicas of fine art at Ripley’s Believe or Not, to hunting haunts in restaurants and museums, to eating ice cream from a recipe originated by World War II bombardiers, St. Augustine has it all from beaches, gourmet dining, festivals, and attractions.


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