This week's Top Ten Tuesday on The Broke and the Bookish is sort of a choose-your-own-adventure. I get to pick ten books I'd recommend to a particular person or type of person. Given that I've been reading a lot of Young Adult books this year, I figured it was a good place to start. Ao here goes, ten YA books I'd recommend to a newbie. Including a couple I haven't read yet but am looking forward to based on hearing a lot about them.
1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The book that started a bit of a YA obsession for me. It is beautiful, heartbreaking and hilarious. Oftwn simultaneously.
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Rowell writes YA books that are more complex and more full of true human moments than a fair number of the adult fiction I've read. Serious feels, people.
3. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I'm a huge fan of Criminal Minds, and the psychological thriller genre, so this book was totally up my alley. (Full review coming soon!)
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
I just started this - I'm about halfway through the first book - but I like it a lot so far. Much more than I expected to. Yes, I admit it, I judged it unfairly based on Hunger Games comparisons. That turned out to be totally invalid.
5. Agent 21: Codebreaker by Chris Ryan
I love spy stories, so this series is a great one for me. This book in particular is my favourite, though it's actually the third in the series. It took my favorite city (London) and added in a generous dash of espionage and suspense. Which was pretty much perfection.
6. The Shades of London Series by Maureen Johnson
And even more London! The first book in the series so far is my favorite. I love the premise, and Jack the Ripper is one of those most fascinating unsolved cases. I've read the first two books and just can't wait for the third!
7. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
Okay, so not my favorite of all time, but I stuck with it for the first 4 books and plan to finish the series when the sixth comes out. I enjoy the mythology Clare created, the premise of the books and a lot of the characters are really interesting. Though I have to admit that my favorite is Simon... only partly due to Robert Sheehan!
8. The Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
I love Maggie on Twitter. She's personable, smart and hilarious. I've started the first book but have yet to really get into the series. I'm kind of saving it!9. Something Strange and Deadly Series by Susan Dennard
People keep talking about this series on Twitter, so I finally gave in and bought the first book. I don't normally do historical fiction, but I just need to know what this is all about!!
10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
This was on a bunch of lists of books to read if you loved The Fault In Our Stars, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it.
And one bonus ANTI-recommendation: Whatever you do, do NOT judge the YA genre on Beautiful Creatures! That is all.