#debating darcy

It’s March 25th and we know what that means...BRIDGERTON SEASON 2 IS OUT!  We know if you clicked here, that you’re just as obsessed with all things Regency Era as we are.  Keep reading to get the tea on author Sayantani DasGupta’s inspiration for her upcoming release: Debating Darcy! 

Dear Reader,

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice’s Lizzie and Darcy are among the most iconic examples of enemies-to-lovers couples. In Austen’s original 1813 novel, the pair bicker, fight, and debate their way into falling in love – so it made perfect sense to me to set my modern reimagining in the ultra-competitive world of high school speech and debate tournaments.

 I am a huge Austen-head. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice umpteen times and seen every possible stage, TV and movie adaptation. Maybe my love of Jane Austen comes from my being a daughter of Indian immigrants. There are certainly a lot of similarities between the way that Austen characters obsess over eligible matches and the central role of marriage in many Desi communities. Yet, although Leela and Darcy – the protagonists of this novel – are both South Asian Americans, that’s not my central impulse for writing this story.

 This is a novel that celebrates the power of finding your community and speaking your truth, even when it’s scary. It’s a novel about knowing we are all worthy of taking up space in the world. In between the wit and banter, the complex debate topics and funny musical theater references, this is ultimately a story about justice and honor, friendship and love.  

So, dear reader, whether you have, like me, read and watched versions of Pride and Prejudice a zillion times, or really never heard of it until now, I hope you find power, laughter, courage and joy in these pages.

Words matter. Art matters. Debating the issues that affect our lives matters. Your voice matters. YOU matter. And love – in all its beautiful romantic and nonromantic derivations – matters most of all.

 ♥ Sayantani

April TBR Pile

As the weather warms and the trees bloom in my area, I've been looking forward to reading outdoors on a park bench or pulling up a chair to my open window. A lot of exciting YA books by BIPOC authors came out in April (especially April 5th!) so I have a lot of reading to catch up on. Here's what's at the top of my April TBR pile:

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win. A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide.

But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters — including Firoze Darcy — and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up. While the world’s leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus, a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet.

This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot’s enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.

Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk

Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of a tumultuous history unspooling like thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire.

They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous. Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren’t so easily tamed.

It starts with a fire. How will it end?

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and so are so many upcoming books that celebrate love of all kinds! Check out these books that you should pre-order and save the date for 🥰

From the marvelous author of Heartstopper comes an exceptional YA novel about discovering that it’s okay if you don’t have sexual or romantic feelings for anyone … since there are plenty of other ways to find love and connection. Pre-order and start reading! 

For the first time, Gemma has everything she’s ever wanted: friends, big family dinners, and Griff—a boy who she can be herself around. But how can she embrace her new dream life when everything is built on a lie? Pre-order and start reading!

It’s a hot summer, and life’s going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. Just like every year, Jackson’s Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city – but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them. As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret – a secret he thought he’d locked away for good. Pre-order and start reading! 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win.

A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters -- including Firoze Darcy -- and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.

GRAB YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound 

Bookshop.org

Books-a-Million

Target

Walmart

Kobo

Google Play

Apple Books

In this Pride & Prejudice retelling, Leela is ALWAYS #1 in speech and debate competitions. But when she meets Firoze Darcy, more than just her winning streak is at stake...her heart is, too. 

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY!

IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million | Bookshop.org | Target | Walmart 

Kobo | Google Play | Apple Books

START READING!