Lately, I have been reading a lot of young adult books. They are sort of addictive in that it's hard to go back to normal books after reading a few of them.
What I like about young adult books:
--The language is simple and easy to read.
For example, these are the first two sentences of a regular adult book I recently tried to read: "An icy rush of air, a freezing slipstream on the newly exposed skin. She is, with no warning, outside the inside and the familiar wet, tropical world has suddenly evaporated."
Huh? I had to read that like three times in order to absorb it. I am way too tired for a book written like that.
--They are never boring. Yes, sometimes silly or annoying, but not boring. Because kids don't have the attention span for boring.
For example, I recently read an adult book that was spending about 10 pages going nowhere about this random drunk guy in a bar. If this were a young adult book, that scene would've ended nine pages earlier. Or left it out entirely.
--The ones that adults manage to remember from their childhood are usually pretty amazing. I mean, if something sticks with you for 20 years, it's got to be pretty good.
So does anyone have any recommendations for a really amazing young adult books? If you want to see what I have already read and enjoyed, you can look at my reading list.
Hurry, before I have to read something meant for people my own age!
Have you read Eleanor and Park? It's YA. You might enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteIf you liked the Giver, by Lois Lowry, you may also enjoy Gathering Blue, Messenger and Son (3 different books in that series). Additionally, other YA books that have a nice pace to them, Sabriel by Garth Nix, The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau and Starters by Lissa Price.
ReplyDeleteThe beyonders was pretty good, and fablehaven. The Belgariad as well... its not classified young adult but its a simple read anyway.
ReplyDeleteFablehaven for sure if you enjoyed harry potter
ReplyDeleteI did like Harry Potter, but in general, I really don't like fantasy books.
DeleteAh I must have missed that bit. I don't know then, but it may be worth a try if you can get it from the library or something. I just saw Harry Potter on your list and Fablehaven is the first thing that came to mind.
DeleteDavid Almond (Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, Heaven Eyes) which are all sort of fantastical realism? Fantasy but not? Try Kit's Wilderness first. Also, someone mentioned The Giver. If you like that one, then try The Cure, Sonia Levitin.
ReplyDeleteAny thing by Tamora Pierce. She writes fantasy, but her women are incredible. Also, anything by Garth Nix.
ReplyDeleteTry Things Change by Patrick Jones. Gritty, and great.
ReplyDeleteThe Narrowing Path series by David J Normoyle, it's a young adult dystopia. He has a short prequel (The Cruel Path) you can check out for free to see if you like it.
ReplyDeleteWhy are there so many young adult books about dystopian society?
DeleteBecause 1) The world seems pretty crappy right now to teens (and probably always has). 2) Teens seem to really like stories where there's a teen hero who takes on horrible adults in league with mostly other teens, and then imagines that their generation will do it better. Dystopias are structurally unjust, and to teens, their world seems fairly unjust. Because they're teens.
DeleteReady Player One. I graduated from high school in 1993 and this book is great for anyone who spend any time growing up in the 80s. I don't know if it is technically a YA book, but I've described it as a hunger games for boys.
ReplyDeleteI've been working my way through your reading lists, so thanks for compiling them. I love Inda and the rest of the series, by Sherwood Smith.
ReplyDeleteGive this one a try. Do a little homework on Wikipedia first. The whole time I was reading I was asking myself would I be able to do it, and then wondering how in the world they did it. Think about the environment they were in, and the diet.
ReplyDeleteSOUTH
THE STORY OF SHACKLETON'S
LAST EXPEDITION 1914-1917: BY
SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON
C.V.O. : WITH EIGHTY-EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS
A Day no pigs would die, by Robert Newton Peck. I read all my children's english reading with them and this was amazing. I even read The Shining and it was not amazing.. Oh the joys of motherhood.
ReplyDeleteI second the Inda series by Sherwood Smith. I suppose technically they might be fantasy, but it felt more like politics and adventure to me.
ReplyDeleteThe Thief, and the rest of that series, by Megan Whalen Turner. Excellent.
The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
The Ender and Bean series, by Orson Scott Card. I don't know if these count as young adult or not, but I read them in middle & high school and still as an adult. They're a mix of sci-fi, philosophy, history, and politics, I'd say.
Frindle, by Andrew Clements
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Again, don't know if it's young adult, but it's short, simple to read and a wonderful book.
Dragonfly by Frederic S Durbin
The Bunnicula series by James Howe.
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat. Not intended to be young adult but easy to read and hilarious.
And a few that are probably to fantasy-ish but are really good: His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper, lots of things by Diana Wynne Jones (I recommend Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books in particular)
I'm showing my age here, but the Superweasel books by Clifford B. Hicks were awesome! I recommend them highly!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I love young adult books. My brain just can't handle more than that. I loved Orson Scott Card's Ender series.
ReplyDeleteJustin Cronin - the passage, the twelve
ReplyDeleteVery Far Away From Anywhere Else by Ursula K Le Guin - short, but such a beautiful and lifelike book, I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we have such similar reading tastes! I'm sort of an obsessive reader with a weakness for addicting YA books. I totally agree with so many of your reading list ratings (esp Mockinjay. I get in a rage when I think about it).
ReplyDeleteHere are some books I really liked, that are perfect for when I want to read a book and feel happy.
Anything by Rainbow Rowell: Eleanor and Park, Landline, Attachments, Fangirl.
The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion
To all the Boys I've loved before, by Jenny Han
Neanderthal seeks Human, by Penny Reid
The newest novel by Liane Moriarty: Big Little Lies (I love her books)
The Selection series by Kiera Cass (I thought it was kind of dumb when I started it, but it got oddly addicting)
Slammed, by Colleen Hoover
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson (oldie but goodie)
The Princess Bride, William Goldman
Divergent, Veronica Roth (have you read this series yet? I liked it, but mixed feelings)
Nobody judge me.
-Kathy
It was a blustery day in the 100 Acre Woods...
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendations, everyone. You can check out my reading list to see which ones I end up reading and liking.
ReplyDeleteI love reading my kids' school books. These are some of my favorites:
ReplyDeleteCarry on Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
Little Britches, by Ralph Moody (first of a great series)
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons, by Barbara Cohen & Bahija Lovejoy
Frindle, by Andrew Clements
Moccasin Trail, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne
The Great Wheel, by Robert Lawson
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by Judith Kerr
Escape from Warsaw, by Ian Serraillier
Journey Through the Night, by Anne DeVries
Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Stopped Death, by Sharon Linnea
Navajo Code Talkers, by Nathan Aaseng
Dragon's Gate, by Laurence Yep
Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston
Moonshiner's Son, by Caroline Reeder
Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck
Winged Watchman, by Hilda van Stockum
The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong
Tisha, as told to Robert Specht
To Destroy You Is No Loss, by JoAn D. Criddle
Children of the River, by Linda Crew
Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank
The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt
The Wave, by Todd Strasser
Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok
First: I'm typing on my phone, so please forgive any typos or oddly phrased sentences due to this tiny window.
ReplyDeleteFound you today, starting an archive binge, thought I'd leave a recommendation.
Vivian Vande Velde is my favorite YA author. While my favorite book of hers is "Heir Apparent," I highly recommend "Curses, Inc" as the first book of hers to read. It's a collection of short stories. Her short stories are fantastic, because the end tends to completely change the entire story, so that the second reading is completely different from the first. "Curses, Inc." was the first book of hers I read, and from the moment I finished that first short story, I knew I loved her.