"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, January 16, 2012

Top Ten Books I Recommend to People Who Don't Usually Read YA Lit

Hosted by The Broke and Bookish
Here are ten Young Adult books that I often recommend to people who don't usually read them:

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak...Set during WWII in Germany. This book is clutch-the-book-to-chest good. I have yet to meet a person who hasn't liked it.

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie...considered to be semi-autobiographical, Alexie let's us in on the what life is like on the reservation and how difficult it is to leave. The book is both funny and poignant. Kids love it and so do all the adults I know who have read it.

3. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork...adults who work with kids can really appreciate this novel about a boy who has some form of autism and how difficult it is for him to cope in the "real world."  I also like Stork's other book, The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, but I think Marcelo has more crossover appeal.

4. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow...adults who have read this book about terrorism and technology have really appreciated the modern day threats they pose to our society.

5. Tamar by Mal Peet...also set during WWII with flash-forward scenes to today. This one is about the Dutch Resistance.

6. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly...part historical fiction, part murder mystery this book is very well written. My adult book group read this book a few years ago and the women really liked it a lot.

7. Looking for Alaska or Paper Towns by John Green...I know that John Green is not for everyone but for adults who want to understand a bit more about the teen psyche there is no better writer out there than Green.  I actually love all of his books, these two just happen to be my favorites.

8. Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins...most adults want to know what teens are reading and they are reading dystopian novels right now thanks for Collins and her Hunger Games series.  All the teachers at my school who have read at least the first book tell me how much they liked it.

9. Nothing by Janne Teller...there is something so disturbing about this book and it's message.  I think all adults should read it and then talk to kids about it.

10. Going Bovine by Libba Bray...I actually haven't recommended this book to many adults but I think that English teachers should read it since it is so many literary allusions in it and it crammed full of symbolism.  If I was a College professor, I'd make my students read it just so that I could talk about it over and over again.  Besides the fact, the book is flat out genius.


10 comments:

  1. Man - I keep meaning to read Diary...Parttime Indian, but keep forgetting to actually BUY it. Going to right now and put it in my amazon cart for when I get some bucks. :)

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  2. GOING BOVINE was one of my all time favorites. Great choices, Anne!

    Callie Kingston

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  3. There's a few of these I really need to read, Northern Light, Part-Time Indian, and Marcelo. Great list!
    My Top Ten Tuesday!

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  4. Great list! I haven't read all of them, but the ones I have, I completely agree with. I'd also add Harry Potter to that list too, though. Although, you may consider it middle grade.

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  5. #s 1, 2, and 8 are definite MUST READS! I'm intrigued that you included Going Bovine. I wasn't a huge fan, but it create some interesting discussions! Have you read Bray's Beauty Queens?

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  6. Hi, Anne -

    I have been trying to leave a comment on your blog for days, but every time I try to type in the comment box, it disappears. I finally tried instead to "reply" to another comment, and this seems to be working (for now) - and now I have copied it into a regular comment box - we will see... Not sure what the problem is!

    Anyway, I love your list, and it inspired me. In fact, I made my list after reading yours without bothering to look at the original post at The Broke and the Bookish and discovering we could choose any genre! Oh, well, YA was my first choice, too.
    Great list - I really need to read A Northern Light and something (anything) by John Green.

    I hope this comment problem gets sorted out soon - yours is the only blog I am having trouble with.

    Sue

    Great Books for Kids and Teens

    Book By Book

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  7. I'm definitely going to take some of your suggestions. I too love John Green. I've had Going Bovine on my shelf for some time, but your description made me more interested.

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  8. What a stellar list, Anne. But I would have expected nothing less! Nothing and Going Bovine are particular YA favorites of mine, and I'm just about finished with John Green's An Abundance of Katherines, which is my favorite of his so far (I read the two you mentioned above also). I'll be back to read your review of his latest too!

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  9. I have to admit I didn't much care for The Book Thief. I found it okay, but not great. Little Brother is an entirely different story - I loved that book.

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