In Jeanette Winterson’s classic work of lesbian literature, the main character’s abusive, homophobic mother hands her an orange instead of providing any comfort — and only ever oranges. To her mother, oranges are the only fruit. But as Jeanette grows up, she realizes that there are a lot more possibilities than just the narrow life her mother has raised her in: there are many more fruits in the world. This was published less than ten years after the Anita Bryant events, and while Jeanette Winterson was writing in England and not the U.S., I don’t think it’s a coincidence that oranges stand in for the repressive and religious life that the fictional Jeanette’s mother espoused.
These YA books range from contemporary to romance to fantasy and even a vampire story. Some of them take their revenge and the threat of the ex seriously, while others are treated more as a zany plot point or background to the real action. They all came out within the last five years, with one publishing later this year.
Amazon Prime Days are coming up next week, and today they have some Prime Early Deals that include big discounts on print books. Below, we’ve selected some of the most exciting sales that are all 50% off or more for Prime members, but check out the website for many, many more titles on sale, including children’s books, Halloween books, cookbooks, romance novels, business books, and critically acclaimed literature.
October picture book releases include wonderful debuts by AR Cribbins and Jocelyn Chung that tugged at my heart, as well as new stories by beloved authors and illustrators like Juana Medina and Daniel Nayeri. Two early chapter book new releases delighted me and my six-year-old. In middle grade new releases, books explore folklore, comedy, and sci-fi. Several books across age groups examine sibling life, and even more had me cackling.
