Okay, so COVID-19 has us all hanging at home. Maybe some of us are already tired of the view from our kitchen table, maybe we’re anxious, maybe we’re yearning for the outside world, maybe we’re even sick in bed, or maybe we’re struggling with all of the above. We’re certainly not alone in many of those respects. For these reasons, I absolutely love this list of Young Adult Books Set around the World which was recently compiled by the excellent staff at BookRiot. (If you are unfamiliar with BookRiot, you should know that they post absolutely top-notch booklists, recommendations, book-to-movie news, and more, for book lovers of all ages.) While we’re all stuck within the borders of our own homes, perhaps we can get out of our own heads and enjoy some armchair travel with our neighbors around the world.
Many of these books are available as free ebooks or audiobooks through Maine’s online Cloud Library collection, and I’ve highlighted those titles below. (Many are available right now without hold lists! A large number of new ebooks and audiobooks were added to the collection recently in response to the COVID-19 crisis.) You only need your library card to check one out. As always, take care and happy reading…. ~Laurel
Australia: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (ebook)
Australia: The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina (ebook)
Austria: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (audio)
Bangladesh: The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Kahn (audio and ebook)
Czech Republic: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (audio)
Kenya: City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson (audio and ebook)
Lithuania: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (audio and ebook)
Malawi: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (ebook)
Myanmar: Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins (ebook)
Nigeria: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (audio and ebook)
Philippines: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (audio and ebook)
Qatar: Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali (audio and ebook)
Russia: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye (ebook)
South Korea: Wicked Fox by Kat Cho (audio and ebook)
