# Anyone else read YA (young adult) books?



## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Some of my favorite book series seem to be in the YA section lately. Maybe the authors are more daring, I dunno but I thought I'd share my faves!




























Holly Black's series (all on Kindle BTW and a bargain!) are about fairies. No not tinkerbelle. These are the fairies and elves of folklore. They steal babies, kill people and are cold and calculating. Black sets her series in modern times with believable teens. This series doesn't 'talk down' to the teens. Its dark and brooding. A must for fairy/elf fans.


































The Uglies series is a great Orwellian SciFi series. In the future when teens turn 15 they get free plastic surgery to make them pretty. Uglies are anyone under 15 who hasn't had the surgery yet. Once they get the surgery they don't have to work, unless they want to, and can party all the time. Sounds great right? Except of course there is a twist  Its a great series with an awesome empowering message that all teen girls should read in this Paris Hilton obsessed society.


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## Dori (Oct 28, 2008)

Dori is embarassed to ask what is YA. Kindleabra doesn't know either.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Dori said:


> Dori is embarassed to ask what is YA. Kindleabra doesn't know either.


YA = "Young Adult". A general category of books. Essentially teenager, give or take. It's not regular bestsellers and it's not children's chapter books. Something in between. Characters are usually teens. . . designed to appeal to teens. Does, in fact, frequently appeal to teen girls. Teen boys, if they read, read sci fi and fantasy in my experience.

Be not embarassed. . . . . .


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

Dori said:


> Dori is embarassed to ask what is YA. Kindleabra doesn't know either.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

Warning: Please ignore him. ^^^^


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> YA = "Young Adult". A general category of books. Essentially teenager, give or take. It's not regular bestsellers and it's not children's chapter books. Something in between. Characters are usually teens. . . designed to appeal to teens. Does, in fact, frequently appeal to teen girls. Teen boys, if they read, read sci fi and fantasy in my experience.
> 
> Be not embarassed. . . . . .


Actually a recent poll (ugh can't find the link now) said that more adults read the young adult books than teens do. While some are overly gushy and girly like The Gossip Girl series. Most are a little more mature than that. The most famous series is of course Twilight.

But my suggestions are also a great way to try the YA section. BTW if you are into scifi and urban fantasy alot of famous authors like Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker have published YA books.


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

I read all of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books.  In fact,  I bought the last two from the Book of the Month club, which means a lot of not YA readers were reading them (I would think).

Maybe it's that YA books are easy to read, and if you're not in the mood for, say, a Laurell K. Hamilton type novel, there's absolutely no chance you'll run into something like that.  Also, it's good to be able to look at their problems and think, "Well, at least I'll never have to be a junior in high school again."

I also read all of the Meg Cabot princess books.  But I have found that Meg Cabot's adult books and Meg Cabot's YA books are a lot alike.  Which is not a bad thing.

~robin


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## farmwife99 (Nov 22, 2008)

I can answer this in one word-----------------------

TWILIGHT


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

farmwife99 said:


> I can answer this in one word-----------------------
> 
> TWILIGHT


*sigh*


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## tc (Oct 29, 2008)

James Patterson has the Maximum Ride series, Angie Sage has the _Septimus Heap_ series, Ted Dekker's _Lost Books_ are a few of the YA books that I have read or am reading. These just jumped to mind. Oh yes, Brian Jaques' _Redwall_ however only one is for Kindle. I read quite a bit of YA but more adult.


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

chobitz said:


> The most famous series is of course Twilight.


and here I thought Harry Potter was more famous than Twilight.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

We own a fair amount of both YA and kiddie lit:

HP
Tiffany Aching
Chronicles of Prydain
Susan Cooper
John Christopher's _Tripod_ series
Roald Dahl
The Phantom Tollbooth
Watership Down
Barry/Pearson's _Peter Pan_ books
Lemony Snicket
Witchchild/Sorceress
Anne of Green Gables series
Narnia
Little House
Madelaine L'Engle
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

ScottBooks said:


> and here I thought Harry Potter was more famous than Twilight.


HP isn't a YA book. Its under juvenile fiction.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

ScottBooks said:


> and here I thought Harry Potter was more famous than Twilight.


Yesterday's news.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

chobitz said:


> HP isn't a YA book.


Exsqueeze me?


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

chobitz said:


> HP isn't a YA book. Its under juvenile fiction.


It's shelved in teen fiction at B&N and Borders. Maybe you should let them know?


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Exsqueeze me?


Nope its in the juvenile section. Young Adult is a different section.

I love HP.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

chobitz said:


> HP isn't a YA book. Its under juvenile fiction.


The books are written for youngsters the same age as Harry. The books become more sophisticated as Harry grows up. Given that he's seventeen when the series ends, I'd say the last few books definitely qualify as "YA" fiction.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

ScottBooks said:


> It's shelved in teen fiction at B&N and Borders. Maybe you should let them know?


Heh. *thumb up*


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

ScottBooks said:


> It's shelved in teen fiction at B&N and Borders. Maybe you should let them know?


Odd the bookstores I go to including my local B&N has it in the juvenile section along with the Narnia and Golden Compass series.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

chobitz said:


> Odd the bookstores I go to including my local B&N has it in the juvenile section along with the Narnia and Golden Compass series.


Oh. We also own the HDM series. And there is no way in HELL that those are kiddie books.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Oh. We also own the HDM series. And there is no way in HELL that those are kiddie books.


I know right? But I guess in book stores minds talking animals = kids books.


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

I was a manager for B&N from 2000 until 2005; it was classified as YA then. Maybe things have changed, I haven't looked at a YA section in any bookstore since.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

At our B&N, the HDM books are in the adult SF/Fantasy section. Where they belong.

Seriously, I wouldn't even want my hypothetical 15-year-old reading the HDM books unless he/she already had a fairly solid education in religion and philosophy. The concepts that


Spoiler



God is a big liar who didn't create squat but was merely the first angel to appear and lied to all the other angels about creating them and the Universe


 and that


Spoiler



God is now comatose and some guy is going to storm Heaven and overthrow Him to become the new God


 aren't really appropriate, in my opinion, for children who don't already have a decent religious/philosophical education.

Just my opinion.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

admitting to not being able to figure out what HDM is.. . . . ....

Ann

edit:  oh, wait, I just did. . . .I agree with you.


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> admitting to not being able to figure out what HDM is.. . . . ....
> 
> Ann


_His Dark Materials_ is the name of the trilogy from Phillip Pullman that consists of _The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass _.

Some people read it as a condemnation of religion; I read it as a condemnation of organized religions. (A subtle difference that probably would be lost on teens. Then again, I'm not sure teens would "get" any of the religious subtexts.)


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## Snapcat (Nov 3, 2008)

ScottBooks said:


> _His Dark Materials_ is the name of the trilogy from Phillip Pullman that consists of _The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass _.
> 
> Some people read it as a condemnation of religion; I read it as a condemnation of organized religions. (A subtle difference that probably would be lost on teens. Then again, I'm not sure teens would "get" any of the religious subtexts.)


His Dark Materials is one of my favorite series of books, and I agree with your interpretation of the message of the novels. Though as you say it is a subtle difference, I think it is an important enough difference that is entirely lost on those condemning the novels (and often those who haven't even read the novels are the ones speaking badly of them).

I love YA books, one of my favorite genres of novels. Though I pretty much always go for the fantasy YA novels.


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

I forgot that I've also read and like the Ridley Pearson Disney after Dark books, and I've been buying Nancy Drew books for one of the girls at church so I can read them again for myself first.
But it's all about getting kids to read, right?  Right?


~robin


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

In the last library I used to work, the earlier HP books and perhaps a copy of all of them were in Juv. Copies were also in YA. Pullman was in Juv. The Artemis Fowl are YA. Narnia is in Juv.

Now, I asked in the first library I worked why some of Piers Anthony's Xanth novels were in YA and his newer work in Adult. The answer I received was that his Library of Congress (LoC) classification was changed. I get the impression that libraries go by the LoC info in the book when entering into their system. They will reclassify or at least consider it if asked, but don't have the time or knowledge to go through their current collection to update. For that matter, they have to wait on the LoC to confirm an author died before they will update their catalog with that.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> I forgot that I've also read and like the Ridley Pearson Disney after Dark books, and I've been buying Nancy Drew books for one of the girls at church so I can read them again for myself first.
> But it's all about getting kids to read, right? Right?
> 
> ~robin


I used to have almost all of the Nancy Drew books and then my mom sold them all in a garage sale after I moved out!! I have always wanted to replace them, but probably never will. 

I still enjoy reading YA books.


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## cat616 (Nov 4, 2008)

Uhh Yaaa,

That is where a lot of good Fantasy is.  As an adult I have read;

Piers Anthony's Xanth series - I have not read after #27 - they started to read like he was writing them just to pay the bills,
Brian Jacque's Redwall series,
Christoper Paolini's Inheritance series,
J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (although I cannot bring myself to read the last one - not sure why) and
C. S. Lewis's Narnia series - I did not read these as a child but finally did after I found the set at a yard sale a few years back.

I have Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series in DTB but have misplaced the first one so have not read it yet.... It will surface eventually.
I want to read The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DeTerlizzi.
I have downloaded all of the Oz books by Frank L. Baum to read on Libi.


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## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

I was really disappointed in Spiderwick Chronicles....unless you are really invested in reading them, I say drop em.


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## cat616 (Nov 4, 2008)

Kimblee said:


> I was really disappointed in Spiderwick Chronicles....unless you are really invested in reading them, I say drop em.


I'll keep that in mind Kimblee.


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## katiekat1066 (Nov 19, 2008)

I just finally remembered the series that I thought some might like. I'm not sure if they're juvie or YA. I was first introduced to these at 10, I recently bought a new set of the books since mine were falling apart. The series is The Dark Is Rising, got me started on the Arthurian tales, folklore and what they're now calling Mythopoetic Fantasy. The first couple are already available for Kindle:


















Definitely a good read, if occasionally somewhat simplistic. The first one won a Newberry or something, IIRC.

Katiekat

**edited because I didn't like how I worded something


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## Marci (Nov 13, 2008)

katiekat1066 said:


> I just finally remembered the series that I thought some might like. I'm not sure if they're juvie or YA. I was first introduced to these at 10, I recently bought a new set of the books since mine were falling apart. The series is The Dark Is Rising, got me started on the Arthurian tales, folklore and what they're now calling Mythopoetic Fantasy. The first couple are already available for Kindle:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ooooooo, this is a fabulous series! I really loved reading this series when I was younger 

Marci


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## Anniehow (Oct 28, 2008)

This is a YA that was recomended to me my a 17 year old and It pretty good.


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## quiltingdiva257 (Dec 8, 2008)

I actually read a fair amount of YA, because DD is almost 13 and actually recommends books to me that she really likes.  I didn't think that I would be one of those crazy Twilight moms, but I loved the series (well, not the fourth book completely).  I also am a HUGE HP fan!

I'm sure that my DD will eventually have her own SD card for my Kindle with all her books on it, since we can't afford to purchase her one for herself just yet.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I read quite a bit here as well. My oldest is always pushing books at me to read.

One that I enjoyed that isn't mentioned here is the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix:

1st book 








2nd book 








3rd book


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

If you're a YA lit/fantasy fan, the first book in the Pendragon series is available for the Kindle for $1.99. Here's the info:

The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
(Kindle Edition - Jan 7, 2004) - Kindle Book
$1.99

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Merchant-of-Death/dp/B000FC0ROM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1228849696&sr=1-3

(I'll leave someone else to link the book cover, etc... hope this will do until then.)


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2008)

I'm only interjecting to say that The Grey King is the fourth book in the Cooper series, not the second.

And they're great.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> I'm only interjecting to say that The Grey King is the fourth book in the Cooper series, not the second.
> 
> And they're great.


I read them as a kid/early teen. I liked them up until the end - seemed a little anti-climatic to me, at least at the time. I still remember bits of the poem:

The dark shall come a-rising,
Six shall turn in back.
Three from the Circle,
Three from the track.

<Talks about the different mandalas, the only ones I remember are "Wood from the burning, and Stone out of song.">

Then the last verse ended with:
Power from the Greenwitch,
Lost beneath the sea.
All shall find the light at last,
Silver on the tree.


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## bosslady402 (Nov 6, 2008)

luvmy4brats said:


> I read quite a bit here as well. My oldest is always pushing books at me to read.
> 
> One that I enjoyed that isn't mentioned here is the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix:
> 
> ...


I loved those books - I think I stumbled on them by accident in the bookstore because I rarely ventured out of the scifi/fantasy shelves - couldn't understand why they were in YA instead of the regular fantasy section.


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

bosslady said:


> I loved those books - I think I stumbled on them by accident in the bookstore because I rarely ventured out of the scifi/fantasy shelves - couldn't understand why they were in YA instead of the regular fantasy section.


I liked those too but not sure if I actually read the 3rd book. I'll have to go back and check. Most of the time I start a series before they are completed and get side tracked and forget to go back.

TheresaM


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## bosslady402 (Nov 6, 2008)

bkworm8it said:


> Most of the time I start a series before they are completed and get side tracked and forget to go back.


that's one thing I really like about Amazon - once you buy one book from an author, they automatically notify you when the author has anything new out. Of course, I'm sure they are thinking more about their revenue stream than our book preferences (CLICK)!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

In an ideal world, good customer service should translate to higher revenue stream for the company, and I'm all right with that!

Betsy


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

bosslady said:


> I loved those books - I think I stumbled on them by accident in the bookstore because I rarely ventured out of the scifi/fantasy shelves - couldn't understand why they were in YA instead of the regular fantasy section.


I got the first one for my daughter, but decided to listen to it (Audible) to see if it was ok for her. She was 11 at the time. I wasn't sure about it, and even stopped 1/2 way though, but I kept thinking about it and decided to finished the book. Audible didn't have the next 2 in the series (they do now) so I had to go out and get the DTB. Any book that has a smart-a$$ cat as a major character rates high on my list. Additionally, Tim Curry is the narrator for the audio version and does a really good job. I think he's what brought me back to it when I stopped.

BTW, she loves this series too. There's actually a 4th book that's a collection of short stories but I haven't read it yet.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

_Secret Vampire_, one of the current amazon freebies, is a pretty good YA book. It's the first in L.J. Smith's Nightworld series. You may also know her from her more famous Vampire Diaries series, which is supposedly getting a fifth book next year, told from Damon's perspective.


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## jah (Oct 28, 2008)

cat616 said:


> Uhh Yaaa,
> 
> That is where a lot of good Fantasy is. As an adult I have read;
> 
> ...


I had a hard time starting the last book in the Harry Potter series. I was afraid I would not like the ending of the series. I finely did and I am glad I did.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

jah said:


> I had a hard time starting the last book in the Harry Potter series. I was afraid I would not like the ending of the series. I finely did and I am glad I did.


I felt that way about both HBP and DH. Didn't take me too long to read them after I got them, though. Maybe 10 minutes. Just took a deep breath, opened the book, and plunged in.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2008)

And, Gertie, I am sure like me you read them both straight through. With DH, it took me about 10-11 hrs. I finished the last chapter just as the sun was coming up. It was so appropriate.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> And, Gertie, I am sure like me you read them both straight through. With DH, it took me about 10-11 hrs. I finished the last chapter just as the sun was coming up. It was so appropriate.


Just about. HBP took me 8.5 hours. I don't remember how long it took me to read DH.

I think I was more daunted by HBP. I had been discussing it on-line for about a year before it was published. All kinds of theories from all kinds of people, and I had my own pet theories, too. By the time the book came out, we were all at a fever pitch and I was really afraid of being disappointed. In the end, I don't think any of my theories proved out, but I was completely happy with the book.

One person on the boards came up with the theory of the separable soul. Amazing that someone got it right isn't it.

A lot of people on the boards didn't like HBP because they felt it read too much like a fanfic ... one of the reasons I don't read fanfic. Why bother when you've got the real thing. Until I read DH, I thought HBP was the best book of the series.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Reading these discussions makes me wish so much all the HP books were available for the Kindle. I would love to re-read them all again, straight through, in order. I am forgetting so many of the little details.

L


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Reading these discussions makes me wish so much all the HP books were available for the Kindle. I would love to re-read them all again, straight through, in order. I am forgetting so many of the little details.
> 
> L


And I was just thinking that we are letting JKR intimidate us. Sure, she's one of the most powerful authors around, but just because she doesn't want her books digitized, doesn't mean Scholastic and Bloomsbury don't want the extra profits. I think we should start clicking like crazy.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Reading these discussions makes me wish so much all the HP books were available for the Kindle. I would love to re-read them all again, straight through, in order. I am forgetting so many of the little details.


I agree. . .every time a new one came out I read from the beginning again before I started the new one. My brother got married the day Phoenix came out. . .one of the cousins had a copy and there's a picture of a bunch of us all gathered around reading over her shoulder. . . .

If anyone has a good address for JK (or her publisher), I think we should all write learned and considered e-mail to her telling her why it would be a Good Thing for her to allow them for Kindle. I looked on her web site but couldn't find anything.

Ann


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Was searching for something else and found this one:








$3.99

It's 3 1/2 stars out of 5 and since it falls in our bargain book range, might be worth buying. Anybody read it? I think I'll request a sample!

Betsy


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

Here's a book I enjoyed. I didn't even know it was a YA book when I read it--it's a perfectly decent A book, I'd say. But it's so well written and so fun that it ought to appeal to a YA as well.











In mid-nineteenth century America, spirits knock and tables tip for Maggie and Kate Fox, two teenage sisters who convince people they can talk to the dead with their mysterious rapping noises. Before long, neighbors are begging Maggie and Katie for the chance to receive messages from dead relatives and older sister Leah realizes that their "prank" has real money-making potential.

Soon, the sisters hit the road to bamboozle newspaper editors, politicians, and the public at large and start a national craze for spirits and ghosts. Their fame grows-but could their powers actually be real? See the good and the bad that can happen when three sisters land in the limelight and come to their own conclusions about what's true, what's right and what's important.


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## Poi Girl (Dec 3, 2008)

Eragon books, HP, Spiderwick Chronicles, Xanthe series, Fablehaven is AWESOME!!!

I also have the entire library of Sweet Pickles books....I haven't read them since I was a kid.
My parents gave them to a friend when we moved from one base to another, I cried.
Last year my mom found them on ebay.  Not YA, more pre-school........


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## Susan Umpleby (Dec 20, 2008)

A newer YA fantasy that you all might like it "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore


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## Susan Umpleby (Dec 20, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> And I was just thinking that we are letting JKR intimidate us. Sure, she's one of the most powerful authors around, but just because she doesn't want her books digitized, doesn't mean Scholastic and Bloomsbury don't want the extra profits. I think we should start clicking like crazy.


I believe that Rowling has retained the electronic rights to her novels. We can click and email until we are blue in the face, but until she herself changes her mind, legal ebooks of her novels will not be available.


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I've got a number of Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators that I got during jr/sr high. I like them still. Also, Cynthia Wall has written some excellent books that include an amateur radio theme. I really enjoy those also.


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## Marci (Nov 13, 2008)

LDB said:


> I've got a number of _Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators_ that I got during jr/sr high. I like them still. Also, Cynthia Wall has written some excellent books that include an amateur radio theme. I really enjoy those also.


I remember those (italicized, above).

They became a favorite of mine!

Hard to find now,

Marci


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## Ann Herrick (Sep 24, 2010)

I usually alternate reading YA and adult, so I feel I get the best of both worlds.    While a lot has changed since I was a teen, one thing hasn't and that is emotions.


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

This thread belongs in the KB museum!


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

I LOVE reading young adult books!

Harry Potter is my all time favorite, but there are others:

Graceling (already mentioned here), the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, Holly Black's White Cat, Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why, Vampire Academy, Hex Hall, If I Stay, Shiver, The Darkest Power series... 

If you haven't read Graceling, wow. Definitely a great, great read.


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## jackblaine (May 22, 2011)

I'm getting lots of adults reading HELPER12.  I read YA, too, and enjoy it.  I just started (finally) The Hunger Games, and really enjoyed some others as well.


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## Ethan Cobb (Jun 7, 2011)

I love reading YA.  Probably read about 2 YA to every non-YA book, but that is also what I like to right.  The current YA I am reading now is Skulduggery Pleasant (on Book 4 of the series).  It is hilarious and has tons of action.


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

I like YA just as much as the books written for adults. Some of my favorite series are YA, like John Flangan's Ranger's Apprentice, EH Jones' Gatehouse, Jeffrey Poole's Bakkian Chronicles, Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, etc. About half of my favorite series are not YA, like The Wheel of Time, The Sword of Truth, The Half-Orcs, etc.

So I'm about half and half.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

About half my catalog is YA [that I read] and I write YA because there's more "latitude" as an author to write stories that are "out-of-the-box." Additionally, it seems there is more choice for unique reads in the YA genre.

Thanks for the recommendation for Holly Black's work(s); love the book cover art too!


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## EliRey (Sep 8, 2010)

I think a lot of adults like reading YA because it takes them back to that nuance of self-discovery, first kiss/love butterflies, granted these days YA seems to push the line a little further on most subjects, it's still takes you back. imho anyway.

A few I've recently read, loved and highly recommend. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, Between the Lines by Tammara Webber and I'm now reading the second in the Perfect Chemistry series, rules of attraction. 

Back in my day though, it was Judy Blume all the way. I still highly recommend ALL her books!


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

When my kids were younger I read every book they were reading and enjoyed all of them.  
I did listen to an audio version of a Nancy Drew book the other day.  Does that count?
deb


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

I love YA books. I just read Divergent by Veronica Roth, loved it! Another series I'd recommend it the Iron King series. And The Immortal Ones by SL Baum.


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## marielamba (Apr 21, 2011)

For me, reading YA isn't about nostaglia as much as it's about fresh and tightly written novels.  I love anything by Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, John Green.  Really smart and involving literature.

Marie


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## ak rain (Nov 15, 2008)

I am enjoying this series right now. I go back and forth from YA to Adult. 
sylvia


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## Alexandra Sokoloff (Sep 21, 2009)

Chobitz, I LOVE Holly Black! And Melissa Marr, and Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl, and the first_ Hunger Games._ And some of the edgy non-fantasy YA out there is terrific, like Chris Lynch's _Inexcusable_, that shows the emergence of a teenage rapist/serial killer from his own POV.

YA has some of the most ground-breaking, mind-bending books out there these days.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Ah, 'young adult!' Didnt know what YA was.

I liked Hunger Games alot and felt it was much better written/better story than other alternate history/post-apocalyptic fiction I've read. So much of it (for adults) seems to be written for 8th grade boys   , or at least that level and mindset.

I also bought 'Epitaph Road' for my Kindle, altho I havent read it yet. I just like the sound of the premise....I had looked at it in hard copy several times and didnt buy...but it seemed like a good read for Kindle, since it wouldnt be taking up physical space.


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## LunaraSeries (Jun 19, 2011)

Young adult books are great for sitting back and not thinking much.  I don't mean the story is dumbed down, but the author usually simplies the writing and be becomes much more enjoyable.


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## Eve Yohalem (Apr 1, 2011)

Good news for Harry Potter fans. JK Rowling announced she's releasing the ebooks through her own website, Pottermore, which will launch in October. The ebooks will include new material, too!


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

LunaraSeries said:


> Young adult books are great for sitting back and not thinking much. I don't mean the story is dumbed down, but the author usually simplies the writing and be becomes much more enjoyable.


In Hunger Games, characters, story, and alternate cultures were very well, and fairly deeply, developed.

IMO, much better on all fronts than, for example, The Disunited States of America (supposedly written for adults).

Edit: I have since learned (here on the forum) that Harry Turtledove did write The Disunited States of America for the YA audience....my bad. (And I found it wanting because of the level it was written to. I didnt find that with the Hunger Games at all.) But! My apologies to Turtledove!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Eve Yohalem said:


> Good news for Harry Potter fans. JK Rowling announced she's releasing the ebooks through her own website, Pottermore, which will launch in October. The ebooks will include new material, too!


I don't think so. . . about the new material. . . . .my understanding is that Pottermore -- www.pottermore.com -- will be an interactive site, kind of game-like. The site may well include new material -- character back stories and such. But the books will be exactly as they were released originally, just "e".


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## Eve Yohalem (Apr 1, 2011)

> I don't think so. . . about the new material. . . . .my understanding is that Pottermore -- www.pottermore.com -- will be an interactive site, kind of game-like. The site may well include new material -- character back stories and such. But the books will be exactly as they were released originally, just "e".


Oops - sorry about the confusion!


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## TiffanyLovering (Jul 1, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't think so. . . about the new material. . . . .my understanding is that Pottermore -- www.pottermore.com -- will be an interactive site, kind of game-like. The site may well include new material -- character back stories and such. But the books will be exactly as they were released originally, just "e".


She will be adding "a few crucial details" as she said in her announcement.


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## Jeff Rivera (Jun 22, 2011)

I enjoy YA books, there are tons of great stories out there that don't need sex or violence to make it a great read.


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## Tessa Apa (Apr 8, 2011)

When my kids love a book, they force me to read it too - so I've read lots. It's hard to tell the difference if its well written, just that the main characters are usually younger.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Jeff Rivera said:


> I enjoy YA books, there are tons of great stories out there that don't need sex or *violence* to make it a great read.


Have you _read _ The Hunger Games? lol


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## SSantore (Jun 28, 2011)

I love YA and I love older "chapter books". There's such a fine line between teens and tweens novels that who cares what they're labeled! I just like to read good stories. Many of the old Andre Norton books had older teens as main characters. I grew up reading them and the Narnia books.

Here are a few good books by authors that haven't been mentioned. Diane Duane's _So You Want to Be a Wizard_ series. They are like the Harry Potter books in that the two main characters grow from tweens to teens in the books. They are a little over $5 for the Kindle.

Emily Drake's The Magickers Chronicles. The four books are divided into two volumes. Both are $9 for the Kindle.

Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching Adventures (with the Wee Free Men) Not on Kindle at this time. Paperback.

Alison Croggon's Pellinor Books: The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing The first one is $1.99 on Kindle; the rest are $7.99

A fuffy, light read: MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi The Jennifer Scales books. Available on Kindle for $7 and $8 dollars.


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## Randy Kadish (Feb 24, 2010)

To me, the best YA books work on deeper - adult - levels. Think of _Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist,_. There's just something about seeing a story through the eyes of someone who's trying to understand the world and trying to come to terms with it.

Randy


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

I do! I probably read more MG (middle grade) and YA than adult books.

Some of my favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Shannon Hale, and Robin McKinley. Aside from just about everything from those authors, some YA that I've read recently and enjoyed (if a series, I put the first book instead of the one I just read):


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

lib2b said:


> Some of my favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Shannon Hale, and Robin McKinley.


An excellent list, I must say.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

lib2b said:


> I do! I probably read more MG (middle grade) and YA than adult books.
> 
> Some of my favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Shannon Hale, and Robin McKinley. Aside from just about everything from those authors, some YA that I've read recently and enjoyed (if a series, I put the first book instead of the one I just read):


All excellent authors. _The Blue Sword _ and _Howl's Moving Castle_ are some of my favorites!

To chime in on the "is HP YA or not" debate ... I would say the first 3 books of HP are probably more MG, but the last several are definitely YA. Also, HP is often credited with bringing about a YA golden age of sorts, and is frequently mentioned when people in the biz talk about YA, so ... I do believe it counts.

I generally prefer well-written young adults books to regular old adult books. I also write YA, so I definitely read a lot of it to stay current.


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## J.G. McKenney (Apr 16, 2011)

I agree with Randy (a few posts above me). I like YA that has some depth to it. I think the perspective of a younger character (and events that affect them) can be very interesting, and I get turned off when an author doesn't give readers--even younger readers--something to find below the surface, something to make them think.


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## Scott Reeves (May 27, 2011)

I'm 42 years old, and I read more YA nowadays than "normal" adult fiction. The YA books are shorter and move a lot faster, and seem to have more interesting premises than adult books. I mainly read fantasy and science fiction. Right now I'm enjoying the "Maze Runner" trilogy by James Dashner. The Margaret Peterson Haddix "Shadow Children" series is very good. I also love anything by William Sleator. I reread his "Singularity" and "The Green Futures of Tycho" every few years.

One thing I've noticed, and have been really irritated by, is that a lot of adult science fiction/fantasy books seem to be "following" me into the YA section. Adult books are being repackaged for teens, and that just annoys the crap out of me. Maybe the publishing companies are losing adult readers to the YA section.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Scott Reeves said:


> One thing I've noticed, and have been really irritated by, is that a lot of adult science fiction/fantasy books seem to be "following" me into the YA section. Adult books are being repackaged for teens, and that just annoys the crap out of me. Maybe the publishing companies are losing adult readers to the YA section.


I dont really understand this, I mean, I've been reading adult sci-fi since I was 14...4 decades ago. And it was very comprehensible. Reading it again as an adult may reveal different things, but they still offered great stories, technologies, social lessons, etc.


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## Writtled (Jul 19, 2011)

I <3 YA. The young adult section is always where I head first. Dark Song by Gail Giles is really good, and Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan was really interesting---both of those are contemporary YA, as in no magic, which I normally wouldn't like, but they are an exception.

Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver was really good on the paranormal YA side, and I liked the Delcroix Academy Book One by Inara Scott was different in a good way. Hope those are helpful!


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

I started reading YA fiction three years ago as research for a novel I was working on and I'm definitely hooked.

I'm a big fan of - Gary Paulsen, Judy Blume, Robert Newton Peck.

I love the way that a good YA book will cut right through anything unnecessary and get right to down to the meat of the story with a minimum of farting around. They kind of remind me of the wonderful old pulp-style yarns I still love to read - say, Kenneth Robeson, Don Pendleton, Leo Kessler and the like.


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## Scott Reeves (May 27, 2011)

9MMare said:


> I dont really understand this, I mean, I've been reading adult sci-fi since I was 14...4 decades ago. And it was very comprehensible. Reading it again as an adult may reveal different things, but they still offered great stories, technologies, social lessons, etc.


I didn't mean to say that young adults wouldn't be able to comprehend adult science fiction and fantasy. I just meant...why do adult SF/F titles need to be sold in two separate locations in bookstores, sometimes with two different covers? I've been reading adult science fiction since before I was in my teens too, and I never had a problem going to the proper section in the bookstore or the library to find what I was looking for. Now that I'm older, I'm fleeing the adult section, and it seems to be following me. What annoys me about it is that the publishers are repackaging the very same title they're selling elsewhere in the store and trying to pretend that it was written with young adults in mind, almost like the publishers are trying to somehow fool young adults into buying adult titles. I say just put out one version of a book, in the section where it belongs, and if a young adult wants it, let them wander over into the adult section, just like I, as an adult, am now wandering into the young adult section. Those adult SF/F titles are taking up valuable shelf space that should be given to books that legitimately belong in the YA section.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Just a reminder to everyone, there is No self-promotion outside of the Book Bazaar.


Thank you for understanding,

Geoffrey
Book Corner Moderator


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I love YA. I just got done reading Rippler, by Cidney Swanson. I really enjoyed it. I would totally recommend it. I also enjoyed Inevitable by Jason Letts, and Portal by Imogen Rose.

Great stuff!

Vicki


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## Ann Herrick (Sep 24, 2010)

I like Sarah Dessen, Jennifer Echols, Simone Elkeles, and other YA. I usually read a YA novel, then a couple of adult novels or non-fiction, then YA again, etc. Keeps me young--I hope!


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Ann Herrick said:


> I like Sarah Dessen, Jennifer Echols, Simone Elkeles, and other YA. I usually read a YA novel, then a couple of adult novels or non-fiction, then YA again, etc. Keeps me young--I hope!


I really like these authors too. They are YA but their books are so real and.... I don't know, more adult situations maybe? I guess things that they concentrate on real life situations that some teens no doubt have experienced or can relate too.
Lisa Schroeder is a great one too.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

SSantore said:


> I love YA and I love older "chapter books". There's such a fine line between teens and tweens novels that who cares what they're labeled! I just like to read good stories. Many of the old Andre Norton books had older teens as main characters. I grew up reading them and the Narnia books.
> 
> .


Andre Norton! I read one of this that I just loved...back in high school, but re-read it at least once after college. Daybreak 20 something? I dunno, it had some far-off future year in the title.

Boy, that author's name sure brings back good memories. I know have that paperback on a shelf somewhere.....


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## journeymama (May 30, 2011)

I love YA, and a lot of times with Fantasy it seems that it means "not sexy or violent enough to be adult." Which is great.

Robin McKinley wrote the Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown which are still some of my favorite books of all time, and I always had to creep into the YA section of the library to get them!


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Scott Reeves said:


> I didn't mean to say that young adults wouldn't be able to comprehend adult science fiction and fantasy. I just meant...why do adult SF/F titles need to be sold in two separate locations in bookstores, sometimes with two different covers? I've been reading adult science fiction since before I was in my teens too, and I never had a problem going to the proper section in the bookstore or the library to find what I was looking for. Now that I'm older, I'm fleeing the adult section, and it seems to be following me. What annoys me about it is that the publishers are repackaging the very same title they're selling elsewhere in the store and trying to pretend that it was written with young adults in mind, almost like the publishers are trying to somehow fool young adults into buying adult titles. I say just put out one version of a book, in the section where it belongs, and if a young adult wants it, let them wander over into the adult section, just like I, as an adult, am now wandering into the young adult section. Those adult SF/F titles are taking up valuable shelf space that should be given to books that legitimately belong in the YA section.


Ah. I dont think it's about pretending or fooling teens...it's about marketing, expanding their audience and appealing to them. It's about $$, like most things.


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## Selina Fenech (Jul 20, 2011)

I'm 29 now and almost exclusively read YA books. Love them! I tend to read the darker stuff, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare and work from similar authors.

I agree with Scott who said above-



> The YA books are shorter and move a lot faster, and seem to have more interesting premises than adult books.


I also think that even when YA books are dark, and some can be REALLY dark, there's always a sense of innocence to them. On the other hand, as soon as something is "adult" it's like they've been given free reign to be smutty or gory gratuitously. YA can also be smutty and gory, but I think they have to justify it more with the story, if that makes sense, it can't just be gratuitous or the audience (and the audience's parents) won't go for it. The darkest YA book I've read so far is Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. It's insanely good (and also insanely INSANE), and covers everything from sex to drug use to torture and suicide very graphically. But always relevant to the story and handled in such an interesting way it still seems to come across with this strong sense of innocence...

I also love following teenage protagonists and they way they see the world and grow into their characters, which I think is a key element in YA books. It never feels as though adult books characters grow as much.


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm not really sure my earlier mention of Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators or the Cynthia Wall books are truly YA and I'll add another maybe in the Danny Dunn series of books. I'm not sure it's exactly that category either but they are good books.


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## MEPurfield (Mar 3, 2011)

Love YA!!!

Not a fan of Holly Black's Tithe stuff but i thought White Glove was amazing and would like to read the others.

Other YA I love to read: Cecil Castelucci, Brian James, A.M. Jenkins, Laurie Halse Anderson, Alane Ferguson, Paul Jones, Graham Joyce, Roddy Doyle to name a few.


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## Raquel Lyon (Mar 3, 2012)

I read nothing but YA and I'm 45! My obsession began, about twelve years ago, when I received a magazine giveaway copy of Angus Thongs and Full frontal Snogging (a hilarious series). Since then I haven't looked back and, at the moment, Alison Noel's books are on my bedside table.


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

I think that YA is more a genre name than an age limit or recommendation. The characters are usually teens, but I think the reason the genre is so popular with adults as well as teens is that they tend to be mixed genre, free of heavy sex and violence, and have a good balance of action to character based scenes & ( in the upper YA category) there's always at least a touch of romance. You won't find anything that slows the story down either. I write YA because of all these things, but also there's something very fresh about that time in our lives when we were teenagers. We can all relate to that.


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## sealy (Jul 15, 2012)

Count me in. I _love _ Y.A. I'm currently reading The Hunger Games.


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## Sharebear (Sep 25, 2011)

I've read exclusively YA for about five years now, and I'm twenty four.
I don't think I'll ever go back to reading adult as I did in high school because for me, they're just too long. I like shorter reads with more action, also the stronger emotions of teens.
YA all the way!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

See, and I can't stand the angst that's so often present in "young adult" books.  Didn't like it even when I was in HS.  I also find the plot and language to be simpler than I prefer, in most cases.  

That said, I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books. . . . . though I felt those evolved and that there are several levels on which you can read each of them.  Which all makes sense as she matured as a writer at the same time her characters were maturing. . . . .


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## Aaron Scott (May 27, 2012)

I quite enjoyed the first Lemony Snicket book, which I read a few years ago, I thought it had a lot of charm and elegance.


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## MEPurfield (Mar 3, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> See, and I can't stand the angst that's so often present in "young adult" books. Didn't like it even when I was in HS. I also find the plot and language to be simpler than I prefer, in most cases.


Dont know what you're reading, but I find there is not enough angst in YA books. Yes, there are a lot that pretend to be angsty as portrayed on the WB, but for someone like me I find them dishonest.

If you are looking for writers who are more sophisticated, maybe Adam Rapp or Kathe Koja or Francesca Block? They experiment with form and character and are YA and angsty.


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## jeffaaronmiller (Jul 17, 2012)

I think the constraints of writing for a younger audience actually protect YA fiction from some of the literary excesses of "adult" fiction. By literary excesses, I mean things such as overwrought language and attempts at "deconstructing" plot to, yes, extreme levels of gore and sex, which I find tiresome. Instead, we get a more pared down focus on character and plot, which I appreciate. That is my opinion, anyway.


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## Lanesy (Jun 14, 2012)

Yes, being a young adult myself, this type of fiction fascinates me. Maybe I can relate to the writers more? Same wavelength etc?


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

I absolutely love YA, I think it's because writers are happy to tackle fresh, daring material! Also YA always has a protaganist who is at a really exciting time of their life. I can't get enough of it! Recommendations? 
Rosanne


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

Oh I love dystopian! 
Uglies has to be my no.2 dystopian after The Hunger Games. I wanted a hoverboard.
Recommendations:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Inside Out by Maria V Snyder


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## Low Kay Hwa (Jun 15, 2012)

Yes, although I'm not a young adult (is 28 considered young adult?).

The reason is simple: They're easy to read, interesting and most importantly, I do not need to think much after reading them =D


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

*raises hand*

I'd say YA makes up about 50% of my reading nowadays, maybe a smidgen more.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

If I already posted this, I apologize (I scanned through and didn't see it), but I also read YA books. I just discovered this one within the past month or so and thought I would recommend it:


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I had never thought I would enjoy YA until I read Hunger Games..  When I was done - I wanted to read more..  and found the Uglies series..  really enjoyed them.  Then I tried Twilight - but couldn't get into the "romantic young vampire" story.    Anyone know if the "Pretty Little Liars" series is worth reading?


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## Sharebear (Sep 25, 2011)

Rlyon said:


> I read nothing but YA and I'm 45! My obsession began, about twelve years ago, when I received a magazine giveaway copy of Angus Thongs and Full frontal Snogging (a hilarious series).


That is a fabulous series! I met her at B&N YEARS ago, she was fabulous to chat with.

Since a lot of you seem to be on the fantasy track, may I suggest Kate Bloomfeild's Fire Mage series? Beautiful covers and a YA look at epic fantasy. Can't wait for the last one to come out.


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## JDHallowell (Dec 31, 2012)

Good books are good books, regardless of the marketing classification. There are (at least) two C.S. Lewis quotes that apply here:

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”


and


“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

― C.S. Lewis


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## ljdevet (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish The Hunger Games. I guess it just wasn't 'my cup of tea'.
_Harry Potter_ aside (yes, I classify Harry Potter as YA just as much as juvenile), I have to say _The Lorien Legacies_ would be my favourite. Am eagerly awaiting the next installment 

YA, particularly YA fantasy, is definitely the genre I most enjoy reading. In saying that, I'm finding it more and more difficult to find the type of books I like, so am very happy to have stumbled upon this thread!


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## Mandykins (Sep 24, 2012)

bordercollielady said:


> Anyone know if the "Pretty Little Liars" series is worth reading?


Honestly, I wouldn't recommend them. The first few were decent but then they got really bad, Sara Shephard is dragging the series out and if I hadn't already invested so much time in them I would have given up. The series was supposed to end at book 8 (it even said so in her acknowledgements) but that ended up changing. She released book 12 in December (not a good read) and has another one coming out in June. My best advice is to skip this series.


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## Tshoe (Jan 31, 2013)

Yes, I do.   I feel a little silly browsing the young adult section at the library when I'm clearly an adult woman with three children tagging along.  But I do love the Hunger Games trilogy, and I admit a guilty pleasure is the Twilight series (do spare me the rants on how badly Stephanie Meyers writes - I'm well aware that she's not the best writer in the business - but I loved her storyline, and that's what keeps me reading them).   Divergent and Insurgent are another two of my favorites as well.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Tshoe said:


> Yes, I do.  I feel a little silly browsing the young adult section at the library when I'm clearly an adult woman with three children tagging along. But I do love the Hunger Games trilogy, and I admit a guilty pleasure is the Twilight series (do spare me the rants on how badly Stephanie Meyers writes - I'm well aware that she's not the best writer in the business - but I loved her storyline, and that's what keeps me reading them).  Divergent and Insurgent are another two of my favorites as well.


Don't feel silly! Apparently something like 50-60% of YA readers are actually adults, so you're in good company! Also, no ranting about Stephenie Meyer from me. She's got her flaws (don't we all?) but she's got her merits too. If you liked TWILIGHT, have you read THE HOST? It's actually my favorite of hers (I've read it 3 times!) and the movie version is coming out soon.


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

JDHallowell said:


> Good books are good books, regardless of the marketing classification.


Totally agree with this statement!


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

A question that stays within the topic to a degree.....

I agree that a large number of adults read YA but do you think it's because, on average, the YA genre has a lesser page count than actual adult fiction?

Not that there is anything wrong with that - people reading books is always a good thing no matter what the genre- but I bet a portion of the adults who read YA fiction do so because they are a quicker read, which makes for a more satisfying reading experoence

Arguably of course but I'd be interested in what a few of you have to say on this


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I thought I was a sometimes YA reader but the ones I read are from the 1920's - 1960's and apparently nothing like what's considered YA today.


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## IreneP (Jun 19, 2012)

JDHallowell said:


> "No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally - and often far more - worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."


Well said.

I just finished two YAs and loved them:




I still love Dr. Seuss, too!


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I have a hard time connecting with YA novels. Just not my thing, I guess. That being said, I did enjoy reading the Harry Potter books aloud with my son. Our special time.


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## Tshoe (Jan 31, 2013)

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Don't feel silly! Apparently something like 50-60% of YA readers are actually adults, so you're in good company! Also, no ranting about Stephenie Meyer from me. She's got her flaws (don't we all?) but she's got her merits too. If you liked TWILIGHT, have you read THE HOST? It's actually my favorite of hers (I've read it 3 times!) and the movie version is coming out soon.


No, but thanks for the recommendation! I'm always looking for good new books to read, and will put The Host on my hold list at the library. Plugging away at the Game of Thrones series now, but will take a break before I dive into the fifth book of that series. Also, a great YA book that I just thought of that I loved - Rick Riordan's Lightning Thief and series!!! So tongue-in-cheek - I loved them. On the waiting list at the library now for Mark of Athena. Looking forward to reading that one.


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

Tshoe said:


> No, but thanks for the recommendation! I'm always looking for good new books to read, and will put The Host on my hold list at the library. Plugging away at the Game of Thrones series now, but will take a break before I dive into the fifth book of that series. Also, a great YA book that I just thought of that I loved - Rick Riordan's Lightning Thief and series!!! So tongue-in-cheek - I loved them. On the waiting list at the library now for Mark of Athena. Looking forward to reading that one.


Oh I'm reading the Game of Thrones series at the moment too, soo good but there's so many characters! I've got to admit that I found it very hard to get into The Lightning Thief, but I wonder if it's because I saw the film first.

This brings me onto replying to your point, FrankZubeck, I'm not sure that the length would have a massive factor in adults choosing to read YA books. If anything, when buying a book I like to feel that I'm getting my money's worth and if a novel is too short it would put me off. Also, the GOT series is so long, yet is huge with adults and teens alike. Saying that, I'm sure there are people out there who prefer a shorted book, just don't think the sucess of YA is down to that.


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## Tshoe (Jan 31, 2013)

RosanneRivers said:


> Oh I'm reading the Game of Thrones series at the moment too, soo good but there's so many characters! I've got to admit that I found it very hard to get into The Lightning Thief, but I wonder if it's because I saw the film first.
> 
> This brings me onto replying to your point, FrankZubeck, I'm not sure that the length would have a massive factor in adults choosing to read YA books. If anything, when buying a book I like to feel that I'm getting my money's worth and if a novel is too short it would put me off. Also, the GOT series is so long, yet is huge with adults and teens alike. Saying that, I'm sure there are people out there who prefer a shorted book, just don't think the sucess of YA is down to that.


It could be too that Lightning Thief just appealed to my sense of humor - I've got a feeling it wouldn't hit everyone's funny bone.  And I did read it before I saw the movie. The movie was galling. I hated it. I've come to expect that movies just will never be as good as the book, though some of them do a decent job anyway. This movie was not one that did a decent job. They completely ruined it. Took me a bit to wipe the horrid mess from my mind and go back to my pure enjoyment of the books. If they do any sequel movies, I won't be watching. Will continue to read and enjoy the books though.


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

I struggled a bit with Tithe, but I think it's because Holly Black was writing primarily for a female audience, same as Stephanie Meyer et al. I'm sure I'd enjoy the Spiderwick Chronicles though. I read The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi recently and that was really interesting in parts.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I like YA because teens still have a sense of hope and adventure about the world in general, unlike adults who invariably propel novels that are "downers" to the top of the best seller lists.

Favorites are Little Women, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and all of the Gail Carson Levine princess books as well as Neil Gaiman's Stardust.


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

Tshoe said:


> It could be too that Lightning Thief just appealed to my sense of humor - I've got a feeling it wouldn't hit everyone's funny bone.  And I did read it before I saw the movie. The movie was galling. I hated it. I've come to expect that movies just will never be as good as the book, though some of them do a decent job anyway. This movie was not one that did a decent job. They completely ruined it. Took me a bit to wipe the horrid mess from my mind and go back to my pure enjoyment of the books. If they do any sequel movies, I won't be watching. Will continue to read and enjoy the books though.


Yeah I wasn't too impressed with the film I've got to admit! Some films really do do books justice, I saw the Twilight film first, and had no idea what the story was before hand, and totally fell in love with the two main characters! Also, the last four Harry Potter films were very good I thought.


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## Tshoe (Jan 31, 2013)

RosanneRivers said:


> Yeah I wasn't too impressed with the film I've got to admit! Some films really do do books justice, I saw the Twilight film first, and had no idea what the story was before hand, and totally fell in love with the two main characters! Also, the last four Harry Potter films were very good I thought.


Yes, I especially liked the movie Deathly Hallows - both A and B. I thought they actually did the book pretty good justice. Of course, you'll never get it _completely right - but it wasn't too far off, and the parts that were off, I didn't feel detracted from the story. Always always, though, I will always like the book better...  My husband hates taking me to see movies based on books I've read... he gets irritated when I scream-whisper that THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS IN THE BOOK!!! _


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Tshoe said:


> Yes, I especially liked the movie Deathly Hallows - both A and B. I thought they actually did the book pretty good justice. Of course, you'll never get it _completely right - but it wasn't too far off, and the parts that were off, I didn't feel detracted from the story. Always always, though, I will always like the book better...  My husband hates taking me to see movies based on books I've read... he gets irritated when I scream-whisper that THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS IN THE BOOK!!!
> _


_

That's good to hear! I still haven't seen the last three HP movies. Not because I don't like them or anything, just because I had been waiting for the DVD set, but I'm still waiting for them to put out the collection of extended edition movies. After waiting over a year, though, I may have to give in and just buy the theater cuts._


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## RosanneRivers (Jan 21, 2013)

marianneg said:


> That's good to hear! I still haven't seen the last three HP movies. Not because I don't like them or anything, just because I had been waiting for the DVD set, but I'm still waiting for them to put out the collection of extended edition movies. After waiting over a year, though, I may have to give in and just buy the theater cuts.


Oh I'd love them to bring out an extended edition of the HP films. I thought Deathly Hallows was excellent, too. Especially with Snape's flashbacks, I always knew he loved Lily! Anyway, I'm digressing. The films will never be as good as the books if you read the books first, and sometimes they can put you off the books a bit if you watch the film first. I absolutely LOVE the Game Of Thrones TV series but am finding the books hard to read because I already know exactly what's going to happen, the series is practically identical to the book.

On the subject, has anyone seen Beautiful Creatures who has read the book? If so, what did you think?


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