Teen Vogue

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Book Recommendations:

Recommended by Teen Vogue

If this isn't bravery, we don't know what is. (from Amazon)

A confessional, uplifting memoir from beloved YouTube personality, Joey Graceffa. It’s not where you begin that matters. It's where you end up. Twenty-three-year-old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect hair). Yet, Joey wasn’t always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride, self-doubt to self-acceptance. To his fans, Joey is that best friend who always captures the brighter side of life but also isn’t afraid to get real. In the pages of his first book, he opens up about his years of struggling with family hardships and troubles at school, with cruel bullying and the sting of rejection. He tells of first loves and losses, embarrassing moments and surprising discoveries, loneliness, laughter, and life-changing forks in the road, showing us the incalculable value of finally finding and following your true passion in this world. Funny, warm-hearted, and inspiring, Joey Graceffa’s story is a welcome reminder that it’s not where you begin that matters, but where you end up.

Recommended by Teen Vogue

Clear your coffee table and turn off YouTube—Lisa Eldridge’s book is a must read. (from Amazon)

In the New York Times bestseller Face Paint, makeup artist Lisa Eldridge reveals the entire history of the art form, from Egyptian and Classical times through the Victorian age and golden era of Hollywood, and surveys the cutting-edge makeup science of today and tomorrow. “Makeup artist and Lancome global creative director Lisa Eldridge drops serious knowledge.” ―Marie Claire “Clear your coffee table and turn off YouTube—Lisa Eldridge’s book is a must read.” ―Teen Vogue Makeup, as we know it, has only been commercially available in the last 100 years, but applying decoration to the face and body may be one of the oldest global social practices. Face Paint explores the practical and idiosyncratic reasons behind makeup’s use, the actual materials employed over generations, and the glamorous icons that people emulate—from Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to Madonna and Amy Winehouse—and details how they achieved their effect. Each chapter reveals great industry stories and larger-than-life tales from many of the founders of modern beauty, including Helena Rubinstein, Charles Revson, Elizabeth Arden, and Estee Lauder: Red: Beauty’s Most Enduring ShadeWhite: The Politics and Power of PaleMedia and Motivation: Creating the DreamThe Beauty Pioneers: Visionaries and VaudevilleHistory in Your Handbag: Folk Remedies to Global BrandsAnd more! Along with all the style and celebrity trappings, this lushly illustrated volume also explores the role makeup has played in women’s history—and the intriguing allure and fascination makeup holds for us all. It is also a social history of women and the ways in which we can understand their lives through the prism and impact of makeup.

Recommended by Teen Vogue

Love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell. (from Amazon)

Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford! William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist "A remarkable gift of a novel."—Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle "I am so in love with this book."—Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still "Feels timelessly, effortlessly now."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever "The best kind of love story."—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met. Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli. Plus don't miss Yes No Maybe So, Becky Albertalli's and Aisha Saeed's heartwarming and hilarious new novel, coming in 2020!

Recommended by Teen Vogue

Speaks to a societal perspective. (from Amazon)

Culture journalist Justin Tinsley’s It Was All a Dream is “a deeply reported saga of the ephemeral, yet colorful, life of The Notorious B.I.G.” (USA Today). The Notorious B.I.G. was one of the most charismatic and talented artists of the 1990s. Born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Biggie lived an almost archetypal rap life: young trouble, drug dealing, guns, prison, a giant hit record, the wealth and international superstardom that came with it, then an early violent death. Biggie released his first record, Ready to Die, in 1994, when he was only 22. Less than three years later, he was killed just days before the planned release of his second record, Life After Death. A fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend, It Was All a Dream is based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie, including neighbors, friends, DJs, party promoters, and journalists. And it places Biggie’s life in context, both within the history of rap but also the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan-era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming, creative, and influential 1990s music industry. Justin Tinsley’s biography is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind.

Recommended by Teen Vogue

A powerhouse compendium of [Greta’s] greatest hits. (from Amazon)

An illustrated edition of the groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, Time's Person of the Year and the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation. Includes 61 color photographs from Greta's incredible journey. “Everything needs to change. And it has to start today.” In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day in order to protest the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a global movement, inspiring millions of students to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference brings us Greta in her own words alongside moving images from her game-changing protests. Collecting her speeches that have made history across the globe, from the United Nations to mass street protests, her book is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.