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Monday, May 19, 2014

Monday Discussion: I Read YA Week

Today marks the beginning of "I read YA" week. A week when people of all ages talk about the teen books they enjoy.  From the official tumblr:
Follow along May 19-23 for your daily dose of YA pride from some of our favorite authors and share your YA book recommendations using #IreadYA!
There is a topic of the day to encourage a week long discussion of YA recommendations.  Today is "You Recommend!"

So for today's Monday Discussion we are going to do just that, and share our favorite YA reads.

I'll go first.

One of my favorite YA books to suggest to adults and teens is Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. It really is the perfect suggestion. Why? Well, Mabery is a horror master and he really delivers the thrills and scares here.  This book has everything that is great about zombie novels, but since it is YA, it has a little less gore than some of the adult specific zombie books. So, it is the perfect zombie novel option for people who want to experience the zombie craze with a smaller amount of gore. However, it is still a solid enough apocalyptic zombie novel to be good without the gore.  This is a big feat.

It is the first book in a series.  But, it also reads as an excellent stand alone with a very moving ending.  So, it appeals to readers who like single titles AND those who like series.  I give this book out a lot, to a wide range of readers. Click here for my full review for more info about Rot and Ruin.

Also, last year I loved the YA Graphic novel Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang. It is an especially good adult cross-over option.  Click through for the full review.

Now it's your turn.

For I read YA week and the Monday Discussion...You Recommend!

Click here for past Monday Discussions.

3 comments:

John BPL RA said...

I recently read The Vampire Diaries after having been a fan of the television show for years. I was afraid it wouldn't be as good. Not only did it live up to the show, I actually liked it BETTER! The characters are a little diffrerent and the backstory of the vampires (set in the Italian Renaissance rather than the American Civil War) makes a lot more sense historically than it does on the show. I recommend it for any YA vampire fans.

Tara BPLteen said...


About a month ago, I grabbed Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell on a whim. I quickly realized it was a romance. I hate romance novels with the fire of a thousand suns. But this one? I couldn't put it down. The characters are immediately relatable and utterly lovable. The setting is 1980s Omaha. I loved all the references to new wave bands, movies, and comic books.
Ms Rowell did a very mean thing to her readers and started off the novel by revealing that Eleanor & Park are, at the end of the story, separated. I experienced their awkward first meeting, their heart-breakingly sweet first touch, and all the sweaty palms and belly flutterings and angst of their relationship - all while knowing that they would be parted. I laughed and cried - usually at the same time.

Katie M. said...

I just finished We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (#1 on the May Library Reads list), and it was fantastic. The unreliable narrator and the promise of a shocking twist kept me turning the pages, and when the twist did arrive, I felt like I had been hit over the head with a sack of bricks. I won't say much more about the plot, because a big part of the book's appeal is keeping the story a secret, but this is a GREAT read, for adults and teens alike!