#lexfya

It's been a long time since we played with chalk!

We couldn’t choose just one book from this great series!

1. Queen of (K)nots - Math Nathanson

FYAON - A song shoutout for Queen Levana from Prince Kai! She tries to take everyone in with her mind control, and if she succeeds in being queen of Lunar AND Earth, she will take down everyone and everything in her path.

2. He’s a Tramp - Peggy Lee

FYAON - Thorne’s theme song (before he meets Cress). He’s a loveable cad!

3. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

FYAON - What’s a playlist without some ‘80s hits? This song is in honor of Wolf, at war with himself against his evil training to be the good guy Scarlet knows he can be.

4. The Whole of the Moon - Mandy Moore

FYAON - Cress lives almost her entire life in a tiny little spaceship, watching others live out what she can only imagine doing. She has a lot of daydreams, and this song has that whimsical element that I associate with her.

5. A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay

FYAON - Cress asks if Wolf is in love with Scarlet and he says she is his Alpha, which Cress likens to the Alpha constellation, as in she is the brightest star in his sky. Wolf replies, “Exactly like that.” and we all awww’d.

6. Speak Now - Taylor Swift

FYAON - I am not ashamed to admit I love me some Taylor Swift, and I could totally picture Cinder, Cress, Iko, and the fellas running around trying to stop Queen Levana and Prince Kai’s wedding from happening with this playing overhead. Yes, it’s a serious matter, but has anyone ever done SO much to sneak into a wedding? And you know Queen Levana yelled at a bridesmaid at some point during the day.

7. I’m Just a Girl - No Doubt

LEXFYA - Cress is just a girl… living in captivity. But SHE’S HAD IT UP TO HERE. Cress is ready to break out and rebel against what has been expected of her all her life. And she’ll do it to the tune of No Doubt.

8. Mr. Roboto - Styx

LEXFYA - Cinder's customers probably always jokingly say "Domo Arigato" to her after a repair well done, so of course the song would be stuck in her head all the time. The more she thinks about it, though, the more it fits her life to a T.

9. The Future Soon - Jonathan Coulton

LEXFYA - Cinder just loves the lines "Well it's gonna be the future soon and I won't always be this way, when the things that make me weak and strange get engineered away."

10. Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

Prim & Proper(ly Poisoned) Punch Inspired by therealladyhawkins​‘ Rebel Belle

1.5 oz mixed berry juice (such as Simply)

1.5 oz pomegranate juice

1.5 oz gin

0.5 oz Aperol

Elderflower soda (such as Bottle Green) or seltzer water

Raspberries

Orange slices

Combine juices, gin, and Aperol with ice and shake.

Pour into punch glass and top with elderflower soda (preferably) or seltzer.

Garnish with a few raspberries and an orange slice. Add mind-control potion only if you want to ruin a cotillion.

MOCKTAIL:

1.5 oz mixed berry juice

1.5 oz pomegranate juice

1 or 2 dashes of bitters (non-alcoholic if desired)

Elderflower soda (preferred) or seltzer

“Read YA” by LexFYA!

I stay up too late Cramming fluff into my brain That's what critics say, mmhmm That's what critics say, mmhmm

Should be embarrassed by my taste Just nostalgia on this page That's what critics say, mmhmm About adults reading YA, mmhmm But I keep turning Pages like they're burning It's like I got this daring Voice in my mind Saying, "It's more than just alright"

'Cause the writers gonna write, write, write, write, write And the haters gonna spite, spite, spite, spite, spite Baby, I'm just gonna read, read, read, read, read Read YA, Read YA 'Cause the critics gonna scold, scold, scold, scold, scold They say that I'm too old, old, old, old, old Baby, I'm just gonna read, read, read, read, read Read YA, Read YA

I'm at the library In a section marked as "Teen" Don't care if I'm seen, mmhmm I don't care if I'm seen, mmhmm. I look throughout the stacks, Sarah Dessen, Holly Black, And I know I won't go back, mmhmm. I'm never going back, mmhmm.

Pam saw Me and Earl and the Dying Girl without the rest of us! (To be fair, she asked but none of us could go...)

And Elizabeth with Becky Albertalli!