This week’s guest post comes to us from Gwenda Bond, author of Blackwood and the forthcoming The Woken Gods (Strange Chemistry, September).

Gwenda Bond is the author of the YA novels Blackwood (out now), The Woken Gods (Sept. 2013), and Girl on a Wire (summer 2014). Blackwood is currently in development as a TV series by MTV and Lionsgate. She is also a contributing writer for Publishers Weekly and regularly reviews for Locus Magazine. Her nonfiction work has appeared in the Washington Post, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among others, and she has an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and their menagerie. You can find her online at her website (www.GwendaBond.com) or on twitter (@gwenda).




The danger of being a serial book recommender (I am a book pusher, but hey, there are far worse things to be) is that when faced with the amazing posts that have already appeared in this series and the vast sea of my go-to recommendations, I froze up. You have no idea how many iterations of this I’ve started, how many different types of ways I’ve considered focusing this list. Because: I want to recommend all the great YA I love and think most anyone dipping an eyeball into the waters of YA reading would love as well.

But in the interest of space and time (and Kelly’s patient waiting for me to Finish This Up), I finally decided on a list of some of my favorites, most lesser known but some iconic, that I feel push at the boundaries of the kind of story the authors are telling or of people’s assumptions about what YA is or should be. Still, there are so many books I had to leave out, ghost novels in the shadows I’d love to recommend to you some other time. (In fact, I keep a running semi- up-to-date list of reading recommendations here.) Anyway, all of these are books I have continued recommending long after I first encountered them, a surefire sign that they belonged on this list.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart. Here we have a feminist boarding school novel that is relevant, political, and fun. I would have become obsessed with this book as a teenager (shocking to no one, I’m sure, that I was quite the prankster), and was obsessed with it in an entirely different way as an adult. This is a novel that doesn’t take the easy way out, and subverts the narrative we expect at the beginning in such a pleasing way.

The Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox. The two books that comprise the Dreamhunter Duet–Dreamhunter and Dreamquake–are Knox’s masterpieces to date, set in an Edwardian-era fantasyland inspired by New Zealand. There is a geographic anomaly known as “the Place”that only dreamhunters can enter, societal intrigue, and a girl with a sand golem. Also, one of my favorite friendships between girls. Majestic, sweeping, and imbued with rich oddity.

The Catalogue of the Universe by Margaret Mahy. Let’s go back in time a little to one of my favorite romances, period. This is the story of an unlikely pair of lovers, who start the book as friends–the beautiful and witty Angela May and the brilliant but nerdy Tycho Potter. A strange and satisfying book about the immensity of the universe and finding a place in it anyway.

Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon. Another of my favorite romances, and one I’m mentioning because it’s criminally underknown. Did you love Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park? Do you love John Green’s work? Because I do, and Auseon is who I’d recommend if your answers are also yes. Freak Magnet follows Charlie Wyatt, aka the Freak (a Superman-obsessed stargazer), and Gloria Aboud, aka the Freak Magnet (a writer, she records the many who approach her in her notebook), as their relationship gets complicated. I cared about these characters so much and was surprised by them in ways that have lingered.

Valiant by Holly Black. I could recommend any of Holly Black’s books, because I love them all. You should definitely read her recent Curse Workers series, too. But I’m putting this one on because it’s one of my favorite reinventions of an old story. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast centers on main character Val’s journey as she flees an old life that’s falling apart and ends up in service to a troll named Ravus. The novel produces constantly raised stakes and memorable characters that result in a fresh and immersive faery tale.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. This is one of those books that sometimes gets mentioned in “but is it really YA?”contexts, but I believe it is and that it’s also essential reading. I urge you if you haven’t read it yet and are about to: read nothing else about it. All you need to know is that a boy named Octavian lives in the strange world of the College of Lucidity, a household of men known by numbers instead of names, in which he is the subject of an experiment. Baroque, emotionally gripping, and thematically dense.

Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, edited by Leonard Marcus. You didn’t see this one coming, now did you? So, it’s more about children’s literature than YA, but I believe that Leonard Marcus (a giant of a scholar) is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to understand this part of the literary world. And there’s no more enjoyable place to begin than with famous editor Ursula Nordstrom’s correspondence to authors and illustrators you probably remember well from your own childhood, no matter what age you are. She’s the Dorothy Parker of children’s literature, and if that doesn’t make you pick this up, well, then, I’m shaking my head, because no one can help you.

Today’s guest post for our “So you want to read YA?” series comes from author Daisy Whitney!

Daisy Whitney reports on television, media and advertising for a range of news outlets. She graduated from Brown University and lives in San Francisco, California, with her fabulous husband, fantastic kids, and adorable dogs. Daisy believes in karma and that nearly every outfit is improved with a splash of color. She is the author of The Mockingbirds novels, and is also the author of Starry Nights, coming in Fall 2013. Daisy invites you to follow her online at DaisyWhitney.com.

The big blockbuster teen series have lured millions of new readers to young adult literature, but if you’re new to the genre, it can be daunting to know what to read beyond The Hunger Games, Beautiful Creatures and, of course, Twilight.

Especially because young adult literature is all that and a whole lot more. 

Many of my mom friends — gasp, they’re not teens! — have read these series and are eager for more young adult books, so have turned to me for recommendations. 

My “gateway drug” to the bounties of teen lit for anyone who has devoured the big series is Gayle Forman’s If I Stay.

Fine, fine. Everyone loves that book, and everyone recommends it. That’s because it’s amazing and crosses over from teens to adults. Its sequel, Where She Went is as heart-wrenchingly beautiful and hopeful as the first story.

Beyond that, several other titles that I lean on to lure new readers to YA include Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Dana Reinhardt’s The Things a Brother Knows, E Lockhart’s Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks, Trish Doller’s Something Like Normal, Melissa Walker’s Unbreak My Heart, Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and The French Kiss, Holly Black’s Curse Workers trilogy, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Amy Plum’s Die For Me, Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy, Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood, Chris Lynch’s Inexcusable, Cynthia Omolulu’s Dirty Little Secrets, Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere and anything by Courtney Summers.

But I wouldn’t recommend all these books to every reader. 

For starters, a book like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the sort of coming-of-age with humor-and-pathos story that you can put in anyone’s hands. 

Daughter of Smoke & Bone is an exquisite novel and a masterfully wrought tale of love and war, and everyone I have recommended that book to from my mother-in-law to friends to my age to teens has adored it.

For smart girls, and the boys who love them, I like to recommend E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Witty, clever and anthemic, I haven’t met a reader of this book who doesn’t count it as tops on their list of best books.

Then there is Holly Black’s Curse Workers trio. It is quite sophisticated and is usually a hit with readers who enjoy mysteries, plot twists, and heist-style stories. If your new YA reader is an Ocean’s Eleven fan — give them Curse Workers!

For readers who want an intense, literary story, that’s when I’d hand them a Dana Reinhardt book, Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy or Chris Lynch’s Inexcusable, which packs such a punch, but is also a gorgeously written story and a wonderful example of an unreliable narrator. 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake combines mystery, a touch of romance, and a whole lot of suspense, along with gore and ghosts. Make sure the reader likes blood and guts with their stories, but if they do give them this book. On a side note, I’m a complete scaredy-cat, but I devoured this novel and its sequel.

I would easily talk up Courtney Summers to any teen. Her novels are all hard-hitting, and they are all amazing. I am continually awed by her mastery of subtlety and intensity at once. Another edgy novel — and this one works for 12 and up readers — is Cynthia Omolulu’s Dirty Little Secrets, a fast-paced story about a girl whose mother is a hoarder. For a bit of hard-won truth and romance in the same place, turn to Trish Doller’s Something Like Normal. 

Now, if you haven’t read a Stephanie Perkins romance, you are missing out because she is the Princess of YA romance. Her novels are deep, rich and achingly romantic. Likewise, give Melissa Walker’s books to Stephanie Perkins’ fans, and for readers who want a bit of the supernatural, add in Amy Plum’s Die For Me. I simply adored that book. Last but not least, I don’t know a single girl or woman who hasn’t fallen in love with Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere.

This week’s guest post comes to us from soon-to-be-published author Bryan Bliss.

Bryan Bliss is a young adult author. HarperCollins will publish his first novel, MEET ME HERE, next year. He lives in Oregon with a wife, children, and student loan payments. You can find him on Twitter @brainbliss and at www.boysdontread.com.

I came home from a weekend away to find my wife reading Twilight. Actually, it was the third book in the series. The other two were thoughtlessly stacked on the end table. She didn’t even say hello to me. 

This is how young adult literature entered my life.

I have never read Twilight—this is neither a badge of honor or a loaded statement. I just didn’t pick it up and, now, can’t find a reason to work it into my already towering TBR pile. And in those early days, when young adult literature was new and exciting and every trip to the bookstore was a revelation, I was a slavering mess.

Because young adult literature changed my life.

Okay, maybe not my life. But my writing and reading were changed forever, and suddenly I was the creepy thirty-something guy in the bookstore gushing to shocked teenagers and suspicious moms about everything I was reading. Everything I thought they should read. And while I got my share of awkward looks, I like to think of myself as something of a young adult literature evangelist, standing on the street corner and barking out to anyone who will listen: These are the books you need to read.

These teenagers—their mothers—were not captive audiences. But you. Well, let’s just say I’m happy to be here.

The following four books are ones that I love dearly. So forgive the way I’ve creeped up next to you amongst the shelves. Excuse this goofy smile. Because these books. I really think they could change your life.

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

I don’t do scary. I’m still mentally broken over a childhood viewing of A Nightmare on Elm Street. So when I heard people describing this book as creepy, I was worried. First, because I’m a Nova Ren Suma fan (Imaginary Girls easily could’ve made this list). But I also like my sleep, my sanity. Like I said: conflicted. However, my desire to read more Nova books eventually won out and thank goodness for that. Let me just say it: I don’t know if I’ve read a more compelling young adult book in the past few years. This book was creepy, but the flawless writing and compelling story push it into a space few books achieve. Yes, I’m being vague, but only because I’d hate for you to not experience this book fresh. Let me simply say this: when you figure out what’s happening, it’s kind of like Boom. Mind, blown.

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

I grew up playing in bands that practiced in basements and barns, none of which were as serious as we wanted them to be. So I’m a bit of a sucker for music books. And while music plays a huge part in Brooklyn, Burning, it’s not what the book is about. If I had to boil it down to one word, I’d say this is a book about love. Love of music. Love of Brooklyn. Love that isn’t contained to pronouns or biological parts.

Like his first book, The Absolute Value of -1, this one will make think about young adult literature in a different way, and that alone makes it a must read.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

So, this book. I read it in a day and at the end, when I finally exhaled, it was like, I feel like I just died. But in a good way. There are a multitude of books that deal with suicide, but few do it with such care and attention to avoid the slip into sentimentality. You will feel Caitlin’s loss. The treat, however, is the beauty and poignancy with which it is written. Like the other books I’ve chosen, it’s just a damn good writer at work. Hold Still is a beautiful story of what it means to heal after tragedy—whether that’s the death of a friend, or the daily tragedies none of us can ever seem to escape.

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

So there’s a book about video games and futuristic war and it’s hilarious and all the boy characters are spot on? Well, sign me up. Now, I’m a contemporary realistic fiction sort of guy, and I don’t stray very often. However, sometimes a piece of speculative fiction finds its way into my hands. And when the gods are smiling, when one of those books keeps me up all night reading, I remember how amazing it is to be transported to a new world. I don’t want to go all Reading Rainbow on you, but this is that sort of read. I literally couldn’t stop turning the pages. And like all great books, Insignia is about more than video games and the future of warfare. It reminds us what it’s like to be young and have friends and finally realize that you can do wonderful and miraculous things.

This week’s edition of “So You Want to Read YA?” comes to us from author Malinda Lo.

Malinda Lo is the author of several young adult novels including most recently the sci-fi thriller Adaptation; the sequel, Inheritance, will be published Sept. 18, 2013. Her first novel, Ash, a retelling of Cinderella with a lesbian twist, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Northern California with her partner and their dog. She can be found online at Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and her website, www.malindalo.com.

“I love literary fiction full of beautiful sentences.”

“So many YA books are being turned into movies! Should I read any of the books first?”

“I read romance. Bring me romance!”

This is probably the question I get the most from readers, which is why I maintain a list of recommended reads featuring lesbian/bisexual/queer female leads on my website. But that list includes both YA and adult. For those who want a YA book, I suggest Emily M. Danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post. This book might have special meaning for adults because it’s set in 1990 and is about coming of age as a lesbian in that specific time period. It’s also multilayered and it brilliantly evokes the experience of living in Montana. And it makes you think: This is YA? Wow, YA.

I would hand them White Cat by Holly Black, with no explanations.