Celebrate with us the next book from local author, Olivia Abtahi!

RSVP here!

ABOUT THE BOOK

On estranged twins Leila and Bianca's eighteenth birthday, Leila suddenly gains a djinn's superpowers, and the twins realize that their town can only survive the djinns' secret plans if they learn to work together as sisters. An action-packed YA fantasy!

Twins Bianca and Leila could not be more different from each other. Being both Argentinian and Iranian in a small town has always been hard, but with Leila shunning her heritage and Bianca embracing it, the two walk very different paths. They run in different circles of friends, and barely talk anymore. Leila's a homebody who loves to craft and plans on marrying her high school sweetheart. Bianca's more anti-establishment and plans to get out of Dodge as soon as humanly possible.

But on their eighteenth birthday, the neighbor's barn mysteriously burns down. When Leila encounters a monster--a djinn--arising from the fire, suddenly she gains strange powers and can no longer touch iron.

What do these djinn want with Leila--or other people in town, for that matter? Can the twins learn to rely on each other--and their cultures--to banish them? It'll take a sisterly reconciliation for the girls to find out and to save their hometown in this New Visions Award-winning fantasy adventure

ABOUT OLIVIA ABTAHI

Growing up in the DC area, Olivia devoured books and hid in empty classrooms during school to finish them. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, was published in 2021, receiving the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. Her sophomore novel, Azar on Fire, was published in August 2022 and a SLJ pick. Olivia's third novel, Twin Flames, is a New Visions Award winner publishing in August of 2024. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughters.

ABOUT OLIVIA CHADHA

Olivia Chadha writes science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and literary novels for MG, YA, and adult audiences. She has a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing and her research centers on the history of exile, India’s Partition, precarious borders and boundaries, global folklore and fairy tales, and the relationship between humans, machines and the environment. BALANCE OF FRAGILE THINGS is her debut adult literary novel. RISE OF THE RED HAND, her YA debut, was awarded the Colorado Book Award for Young Adult Literature. Book two of The Mechanists Series, FALL OF THE IRON GODS was released April 2024. She is a contributor to the YA folk horror anthology THE GATHERING DARK (Page Street), the desi anthology MAGIC HAS NO BORDERS (HarperTeen), and the STAR WARS anthology, Return of the Jedi: From A Certain Point of View. 

Register here.

Finding her voice takes on a whole new meaning when fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi sets out to win her local Battle of the Bands contest in this heartfelt and hilarious contemporary young adult novel.

Azar on Fire is the sophomore book by beloved author Olivia Abtahi (Perfectly Parvin), who will be speaking with local author Crystal Maldonado (Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, No Filter and Other Lies) at this FREE online event!

Tattered Cover is pleased to welcome Casey McQuiston to our Colfax location on May 6th at 7pm MT to celebrate their new book I Kissed Shara Wheeler!  They will be in conversation with Denver's very own Olivia Abtahi. A signing line will follow the conversation and audience Q&A!

This is a ticketed event. You will receive a copy of I Kissed Shara Wheeler in addition to a seat at the event. Masks are required.

Register here.

Register here: https://www.coteenlit.org

The Colorado Teen Literature Conference is an annual event held each spring in Denver, Colorado to promote and celebrate teen literature. I’ll be doing an author panel with other Colorado writers!

Writing Responsibly

Olivia Abtahi (The Word), Paloma Hernando (Einstein Literary), Tanusri Prasanna (DeFiore and Company), Mathangi Subramanian (moderator) Hear from experts in the field on using sensitivity readers, avoiding cultural appropriation, and writing for young audiences, all in the name of writing responsibly.

Register here.

Is there anything more exciting than reading an incredible debut novel? No! Because in the book world, we’re always excited to celebrate new voices, and these three YA authors are no exception. Join #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn and The Beautiful series, Renée Ahdieh and Penguin Young Readers on Monday, June 7 at 1PM CT/2PM ET for this free, hour-long discussion where debut authors will be introducing attendees to their first novels and participating in a panel discussion about YA, publishing for the first time, and how they’re excited to work with librarians to meet readers. We’ll hear from:

• Olivia Abtahi, author of Perfectly Parvin, a fun rom com about a young Iranian American teen navigating high school, homecoming, and the ramifications of a Muslim ban on her family in Iran.
• Ryan Douglass, author of The Taking of Jake Livingston, a horror novel in the vein of Get Out.
• Isaac Fitzsimons, author of The Passing Playbook, a novel about a transgender teen who has to decide between staying stealth or standing up for himself by revealing his identity to all.

At Your Service
Accommodations are offered based on user needs.
For transcription or other accessibility requests, please contact us at webinars@booklistonline.com
Personal Data Notification: Booklist, an American Library Association publication, uses Zoom webforms to fulfill your webinar registration requests. Your personal data is stored and used to fulfill your requests for services from Booklist.Booklist will occasionally convey news to you on behalf of ourselves or our sponsors based on this data. You can choose to block these messages by adjusting your communications preferences. We will not sell your e-mail to outside parties. If the webinar sponsors choose to communicate with you by e-mail, they are also obligated to provide you with an opportunity to opt-out from future e-mails. For more information, review ALA’s Privacy Policy at www.ala.org/privacypolicy.

Register here.

Please join NIAC's Colorado chapter on Thursday, May 27 at 7:30pm ET for a very special book talk with Colorado-based Iranian-American author and filmmaker Olivia Abtahi. Her new young adult fiction book, Perfectly Parvin (published by Penguin Random House), explores high school drama, Iranian-American culture, and the Muslim Ban through the experience of 14-year-old Parvin Mohammadi. Joining Olivia in discussion will be Dr. Neda Maghbouleh, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto and author of The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian-Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race. Denver-based attorney, teacher, author and NIAC Colorado member Shadi Kafi will host the interactive event, which will also feature a giveaway of three signed copies of The Limits of Whiteness.

Register here.

The two YA authors come together for a joint celebration of their new books, OFF THE RECORD and PERFECTLY PARVIN!

About Off the Record:

The behind-the-scenes access of Almost Famous meets the searing revelations of metoo in this story of a teen journalist who uncovers the scandal of the decade.

“Brave, necessary, and unflinchingly real, Off the Record is an instant classic.”—Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends

Ever since seventeen-year-old Josie Wright can remember, writing has been her identity, the thing that grounds her when everything else is a garbage fire. So when she wins a contest to write a celebrity profile for Deep Focus magazine, she’s equal parts excited and scared, but also ready. She’s got this.

Soon Josie is jetting off on a multi-city tour, rubbing elbows with sparkly celebrities, frenetic handlers, stone-faced producers, and eccentric stylists. She even finds herself catching feelings for the subject of her profile, dazzling young newcomer Marius Canet. Josie’s world is expanding so rapidly, she doesn’t know whether she’s flying or falling. But when a young actress lets her in on a terrible secret, the answer is clear: she’s in over her head.

One woman’s account leads to another and another. Josie wants to expose the man responsible, but she’s reluctant to speak up, unsure if this is her story to tell. What if she lets down the women who have entrusted her with their stories? What if this ends her writing career before it even begins? There are so many reasons not to go ahead, but if Josie doesn’t step up, who will?

From the author of Full Disclosure, this is a moving testament to the MeToo movement, and all the ways women stand up for each other.

Camryn Garrett grew up in New York and began her writing career at thirteen, when she was selected as a TIME for Kids reporter, interviewing celebrities like Warren Buffett and Kristen Bell. Since then, her writing has appeared on MTV and in the Huffington Post and Rookie magazine, and she was recently selected as one of Teen Vogue's "21 Under 21: Girls Who Are Changing the World." When she's not writing, she studies film at NYU, and she's a proud advocate for diverse stories and storytellers in any medium. Her first novel, Full Disclosure, received rave reviews from outlets such as EW, Glamour and SLJ, which said in its starred review, "Readers will fall in love." Off the Record is her second novel.

About Perfectly Parvin:

Fourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut.

Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped—only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she’s humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems. If Parvin can get Matty to ask her to Homecoming, she’s positive it will prove to herself and her ex that she’s girlfriend material after all. There’s just one problem: Matty is definitely too cool for bassoon-playing, frizzy-haired, Cheeto-eating Parvin. Since being herself hasn’t worked for her in the past (see aforementioned dumping), she decides to start acting like the women in her favorite rom-coms. Those women aren’t loud, they certainly don’t cackle when they laugh, and they smile much more than they talk.

But Parvin discovers that being a rom-com dream girl is much harder than it looks. Also hard? The parent-mandated Farsi lessons. A confusing friendship with a boy who’s definitely not supposed to like her. And hardest of all, the ramifications of the Muslim ban on her family in Iran. Suddenly, being herself has never been more important.

Olivia Abtahi’s debut is as hilarious as it is heartfelt—a delightful tale where, amid the turmoil of high school friendships and crushes, being yourself is always the perfect way to be.

Olivia Abtahi is a writer and filmmaker born in Washington, DC. When she isn’t drafting novels about awkward teens, you can find her working on documentaries about social justice and climate equity. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughter. According to Olivia’s senior year bassoon teacher, she was “the worst first-chair bassoonist in Northern Virginia.”

Register here.

Please join BookBar Denver in celebrating the launch of PERFECTLY PARVIN by Olivia Abtahi! Olivia will be in conversation with author Brenna Yovanoff. 

About the Book:

Fourteen-year-old Iranian-American Parvin Mohammadi sets out to win the ultimate date to homecoming in this heartfelt and outright hilarious debut. Parvin Mohammadi has just been dumped--only days after receiving official girlfriend status. Not only is she heartbroken, she's humiliated. Enter high school heartthrob Matty Fumero, who just might be the smoking-hot cure to all her boy problems. If Parvin can get Matty to ask her to Homecoming, she's positive it will prove to herself and her ex that she's girlfriend material after all. There's just one problem: Matty is definitely too cool for bassoon-playing, frizzy-haired, Cheeto-eating Parvin. Since being herself hasn't worked for her in the past (see aforementioned dumping), she decides to start acting like the women in her favorite rom-coms. Those women aren't loud, they certainly don't cackle when they laugh, and they smile much more than they talk. But Parvin discovers that being a rom-com dream girl is much harder than it looks. Also hard? The parent-mandated Farsi lessons. A confusing friendship with a boy who's definitely not supposed to like her. And hardest of all, the ramifications of the Muslim ban on her family in Iran. Suddenly, being herself has never been more important. Olivia Abtahi's debut is as hilarious as it is heartfelt--a delightful tale where, amid the turmoil of high school friendships and crushes, being yourself is always the perfect way to be.    

About the Author:

Olivia Abtahi is a writer and filmmaker born in Washington, DC. When she isn't drafting novels about awkward teens, you can find her working on documentaries about social justice and climate equity. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughter. According to Olivia's senior year bassoon teacher, she was the worst first-chair bassoonist in Northern Virginia.    

Brenna Yovanoff was raised in a barn, a tent, and a tepee, and was homeschooled until high school. She spent her formative years in Arkansas in a town heavily populated by snakes, where sometimes they would drop turkeys out of the sky. When she was five, she moved to Colorado, where it snows on a regular basis but never snows turkeys. She is the NYT bestselling author of The Replacement, The Space Between, Paper Valentine, Fiendish, and Places No One Knows. She currently lives in Denver.

YA Rom-Com Teens Love Romantic Comedies Too! Romance is in the air with a dash of the ridiculous we all experience when it comes to love. Who doesn’t love a love story? Featuring Olivia Abtahi, Penguin Random House; and S. K. Ali, Melissa Kanter, and Morgan Matson, Simon & Schuster

More info here: https://www.yallwest.com/yallwest-2021/selfcaresaturday

Register here.

You’re invited! Join us March 18-20 for the virtual Penguin Teen Book Fest for a bookish celebration filled with author chats, giveaways, games, and prizes. Join debut authors Olivia Abtahi, Ryan Douglass, Isaac Fitzsimons, and Navdeep Singh Dhillon for a preview chat about their exciting upcoming books!

Register here

Join us for our first Happy Hour reading of 2021 with a YA focus, as well as the official launch of Olivia Chadha's latest book, Rise of the Red Hand.

Olivia Chadha writes science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and literary novels for YA and adult audiences. She also holds a Ph.D. from Binghamton University’s creative writing program and a master's from the University of Colorado, Boulder's creative writing program. Much of her research centers on the history of exile, India’s Partition, precarious borders and boundaries, global folklore and fairy tales, and the relationship between humans and the environment. She is a first-generation American of Punjabi Sikh and Latvian/German descent. She began her writing career with a stint writing comic scripts for Michael Turner’s Fathom. Balance of Fragile Things is her debut adult literary novel, and Rise of the Red Hand (The Mechanists Series) is her YA debut. She lives in Colorado with her family and two very odd dogs.

Growing up in the DC area, Olivia Abtahi devoured books and hid in empty classrooms during school to finish them. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, will be published with Penguin Random House Putnam Books For Young Readers, with forthcoming novels from LEE & LOW Tu Books. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and daughter.

NEW VOICES: MIRRORS, WINDOWS AND SLIDING GLASS DOORS

• Saturday, December 5, 2020

• 12:00 PM 1:00 PM

Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors: Self-exploration Through Reading

Discover a new wave of Latinx talent! Meet debut authors Aaron Aceves (THIS IS WHY THEY HATE US), Olivia Abtahi (PERFECTLY PARVIN), Daniel Aleman (INDIVISIBLE), Emery Lee (MEET CUTE DIARY) and Alda P Dobbs (BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA). This group of 2021 and 2022 debut authors discusses how young readers can explore their own identities through the power of story. Using Rudine Sims Bishop’s powerful essay titled “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors” these authors explore how kidlit books can be a means of self-exploration, growth and affirmation. Panelists will be answering your questions live via chat.

Moderator: Aaron Aceves is the author of the young adult novel This Is Why They Hate Us.

The Colorado Teen Literature Conference is an annual event held each spring in Denver, Colorado to promote and celebrate teen literature.