Check out our interview with Stef Ferrari, the author of "Pining for You."

What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?

Pining for You follows 17-year-old Bennie Bosley on the quest of a lifetime to find the girl of her dreams and have her first kiss. And while it is unquestionably Bennie’s story, the book features a big, chaotically loveable cast of her best friends. That reflects the original inspiration, which struck at Christmastime in 2020, when many of us were separated from our loved ones. This story was my own little portal to a world where I could spend time with them, and many of the characters are based on or composites of my own closest people.

As I got deeper into the story, other inspirations stepped forward. Since I was already inventing a little dream world to live in, I also wanted to experience what was never possible for me. When I was seventeen, I was still five years from coming out. I had some (okay, a lot of) crushes, but was terrified of rejection both romantically and societally. I wanted Bennie to be able to live out the full range of her emotions, and to see her love and be loved for the luminous young queer person that she is.

Interestingly, I was also at another life transition point. Friends were moving out of the city, getting married or having kids, and I was surprised to find myself struggling with challenges similar to the ones Bennie faces on the cusp of adulthood. Especially how traditions can make us feel warm and comforted, but can also, in some cases, prevent us from moving forward.

What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?

Oh, so much! For one thing, in the truest sense of the word, I am filled with pride when I read queer books. I’m proud of the author, who had the spirit to write it in a world that they knew would challenge them; of the parts of our society and culture that are on the right side of history and support this kind of art; and of this community.

Reading Rainbow is inspiring, illuminating, connecting, and galvanizing. But it’s also joyful.

Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?

Great storytelling in any medium has always been our most effective empathy machine—but to me, literature is uniquely suited to the task. Books ask for more of our time and engagement, and in return, provide us with necessary depth to inhabit lives and worlds we may never get to otherwise—all while being (hopefully!) entertained. There’s such a spectacular range of humanity; we need the pages of our stories to be filled with diverse perspectives so we can be immersed in that unique richness and specificity, while also discovering the ways we are the same.

Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.

Beyond big adventures, glittery romance, and queer joy, I wanted to touch on what so many people experience, especially during the holidays when it seems we’re meant to be relentlessly happy: how to hold onto hope and belief in the face of harsh realities.

Bennie is an eternal optimist, but even for her, hope is fragile—which she learns when facing changes within her friend group, as well as some tough realities at home related to mental health and addiction. I’ve spent much of my life navigating my own mental health challenges and I'm grateful to be seen and supported. But I wanted to explore—through Bennie and those who care for her most—the complexities of loving someone who might not always be easy to understand.

For Bennie, part of the challenge in coming to hold multiple truths on all fronts is learning to lean on the people in her life, and trust that she’s capable of navigating rougher waters, without sacrificing the brightest parts of herself.

What can fans expect from your book?

Adventure! Romance! Holiday movie references, hot cider, and cozy cafes! Delightful queer chaos and joy and friends fully prepared to do anything for one another. Grand gestures and big feelings about how to hold onto what makes make you you—all while learning to open up to the possibility of even more magic.

What's up next for you in the bookish world?

Pining for You publishes in September, so I see a full fourth quarter of related holiday revelry. Events, conversations, and even some trivia nights inspired by one of my favorite scenes in the book.

I’m also working on a few follow-up projects that I hope to share with the world soon, and in the meantime, my TBR is ever-growing, and I’m excited to support so many of my favorite authors and friends.