Welcome to another edition of Must Read Monday!

This feature is where I spotlight older, recent, or upcoming releases I am looking forward to. The lists will include all genres I like to read, everything from picture books to comics, children’s lit to adult fiction!

This week is all about upcoming young adult titles: Lisa Moore‘s Flannery and Don Calame‘s Dan Vs. Nature. Canadian author Lisa Moore is highly regarded for her award-winning short stories and novels, Alligator and Caught.  Her young adult debut, Flannery, just happened to pop up on my radar when I was perusing Goodreads and upcoming releases. After reading Flannery‘s book description, I immediately added the title to my to-read list and I am eagerly anticipating the novel. The description of Flannery sounds a bit like a darker Susan Juby-ish read, and goodness knows how much I savor excellent Canadian YA! The second book this week is the latest contemporary title from the awesomely hysterical author Don Calame. I have sung Calame’s praises before, and will continue to sing them: his Swim the Fly series is top-notch humorous contemporary YA: the stories are a bit zany, a bit raunchy and anchored with some heart and well-meaning characters.  So, needless to say, Dan Vs. Nature has been on my must-read list for a while now! With a whiff of Man of the House about it (I mean this in a genuinely affectionate way!) and a setting that’s ripe for some epic comedy, I think Dan Vs. Nature is going to be great.

Flannery by Lisa Moore
Expected publication: May 10, 2016 by Groundwood Books

Sixteen-year-old Flannery Malone has it bad. She’s been in love with Tyrone O’Rourke since the days she still believed in Santa Claus. But Tyrone has grown from a dorky kid into an outlaw graffiti artist, the rebel-with-a-cause of Flannery’s dreams, literally too cool for school.

Which is a problem, since he and Flannery are partners for the entrepreneurship class that she needs to graduate. And Tyrone’s vanishing act may have darker causes than she realizes.

Tyrone isn’t Flannery’s only problem. Her mother, Miranda, can’t pay the heating bills, let alone buy Flannery’s biology book. Her little brother, Felix, is careening out of control. And her best-friend-since-forever, Amber, has fallen for a guy who is making her forget all about the things she’s always cared most about — Flannery included — leading Amber down a dark and dangerous path of her own.

When Flannery decides to make a love potion for her entrepreneurship project, rumors that it actually works go viral, and she suddenly has a hot commodity on her hands. But a series of shattering events makes her realize that real-life love is far more potent — and potentially damaging — than any fairy-tale prescription.

Dan Vs. Nature by Don Calame
Expected publication: April 12, 2016 by Candlewick Press

Shy and scrawny Dan Weekes spends his time creating graphic novels inspired by his dream girl and looking out for his mom as she dates every man in the state of California. Then his mom drops a bomb: she and her latest beau, Hank, are engaged, and she’s sending her “two favorite men” on a survivalist camping trip to “bond.”

Determined to trick Hank into showing his true — flawed — colors on the trip, Dan and his nerdy germaphobe best friend, Charlie, prepare a series of increasingly gross and embarrassing pranks. But the boys hadn’t counted on a hot girl joining their trip or on getting separated from their wilderness guide—not to mention the humiliating injuries Dan suffers in the course of terrorizing his stepdad-to-be.

With a man-hungry bear on their trail, no supplies, and a lot of unpleasant itching going on, can Dan see his plan through now that his very survival depends on Hank?