So You Wanna Read YA Lit? (4)

YA novels are the booming genre in today's world of literature. From #1 national bestsellers to feature films, teen reads are taking the world my storm. Everyone wants to write them. Everyone wants to read them.   

Many people want to jump in to the world of YA lit but don't know where to start. Should I just read Harry Potter and call myself an addict? If I read Twilight am I a cop out? Should I only read the paperbacks that haven't been checked out in years?    

Welcome to my new series: 

So You Wanna Read YA Lit?

Now, for the people reading this who already enjoy YA lit, you might be wondering "There's rules to this?" 

Absolutely not!

This is just a simple weekly blog series to introduce people to other YA titles, authors, and genres they otherwise wouldn't have thought to read. There's a world of lit beyond The Hunger Games and I aim to prove it!

Step #4 - "Old" Favourites

For the last week of this series I decided to feature my favourite YA novels. I was originally going to discuss classics and their importance to teens but then I realized more than half of the novels I'd chosen were technically adult novels. Oh well. Instead I'm going to broaden your horizons by sharing some of my all-time favourite YA novels published prior to 2009. Books published in the last 2 years have received so much publicity that sometimes older novels are forgotten and under appreciated.


Check out 15 of my "old" favourite novels!

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Another Faust by Daniel Nayeri

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton

I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin

The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

So You Wanna Read YA Lit? (3)

YA novels are the booming genre in today's world of literature. From #1 national bestsellers to feature films, teen reads are taking the world my storm. Everyone wants to write them. Everyone wants to read them.   

Many people want to jump in to the world of YA lit but don't know where to start. Should I just read Harry Potter and call myself an addict? If I read Twilight am I a cop out? Should I only read the paperbacks that haven't been checked out in years?    

Welcome to my new series: 

So You Wanna Read YA Lit?

Now, for the people reading this who already enjoy YA lit, you might be wondering "There's rules to this?" 

Absolutely not!

This is just a simple weekly blog series to introduce people to other YA titles, authors, and genres they otherwise wouldn't have thought to read. There's a world of lit beyond The Hunger Games and I aim to prove it!

Step #3 - Series

I mentioned in Week 1 that series are an awesome way to start reading YA lit. They draw readers in with their memorable settings, unique characters, and plots that go on-and-on for several novels. Cliffhangers at the end of the final chapter encourage you to read on for the next book and always leave you wanting more. 

Here's 15 highly-recommended YA series:

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

House of Night by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Immortals by Tamora Pierce

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy by Kristin Cashore

Gemma Doyle by Libba Bray

Dream Catcher by Lisa McMann

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Chanters of Tremaris by Kate Constable

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Ashbury/Brookfield by Jaclyn Moriarty

So You Wanna Read YA Lit? (2)

YA novels are the booming genre in today's world of literature. From #1 national bestsellers to feature films, teen reads are taking the world my storm. Everyone wants to write them. Everyone wants to read them. 

Many people want to jump in to the world of YA lit but don't know where to start. Should I just read Harry Potter and call myself an addict? If I read Twilight am I a cop out? Should I only read the paperbacks that haven't been checked out in years?

Welcome to my new series: 

So You Wanna Read YA Lit?

Now, for the people reading this who already enjoy YA lit, you might be wondering "There's rules to this?" 

Absolutely not!

This is just a simple weekly blog series to introduce people to other YA titles, authors, and genres they otherwise wouldn't have thought to read. There's a world of lit beyond The Hunger Games and I aim to prove it!

Step #2 - Books Made Into Movies

An easy way to be invested in reading a novel is knowing you can go watch the movie version afterwards. Not only is it a great way to find new books to read but you can read the book with friends and then see the movie together. The more, the merrier! Many people have turned to the books after seeing Harry Potter, Twilight, or Eragon but it's just as fun to read the book first.

Here's 15 of my favourite YA "Books-Made-Into-Movies":

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Beastly by Alex Flinn

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Angus, Thongs & Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

So You Wanna Read YA Lit?

YA novels are the booming genre in today's world of literature. From #1 national bestsellers to feature films, teen reads are taking the world my storm. Everyone wants to write them. Everyone wants to read them. 

Many people want to jump in to the world of YA lit but don't know where to start. Should I just read Harry Potter and call myself an addict? If I read Twilight am I a cop out? Should I only read the paperbacks that haven't been checked out in years?

Welcome to my new series: 

So You Wanna Read YA Lit?

Now, for the people reading this who already enjoy YA lit, you might be wondering "There's rules to this?" 

Absolutely not!

This is just a simple weekly blog series to introduce people to other YA titles, authors, and genres they otherwise wouldn't have thought to read. There's a world of lit beyond The Hunger Games and I aim to prove it!

Step #1 - Popular contemporary stand-alones

For people new to the YA genre, not knowing whether or not you'll like it, it's always easiest to start with things you're familiar with. Start off by choosing a book you've heard other people recommend or seen on the shelves before. Try something contemporary, something set in the 2000s so you might recognize some of the lingo or plot scenarios. For Step 1, I also advise to avoid series. While they're a great way to get you hooked on characters, they can be especially long and tedious for people who don't read very often.

To get you started I've selected 15 of my favourite popular contemporary stand-alone novels.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Happy Reading! Check back next Thursday for the next installment.