![]() We're a full month into spring, and I can smell summer's surf and sun already. What's on your reading list! As a writer of YA, and someone who is more A than Y, I try to keep up with popular reads. If I want to write what young people want to read, I need to read what they like. Since I must also balance my life, and since I have so many books I want to read (adult fiction, biographies, books on writing), I am quite choosy on my YA. Fortunately, the other day, I happened upon a lively discussion of YA books to read with writers, editors and readers on #StoryDam (Tuesdays at 5PST) via @StoryDam. I now have a whole collection on my Goodreads YAtoRead list! Today, I'm sharing FIVE with you: 1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - a friendship forms amidst WWII (theme: friendship) Read if you liked "Flygirl" by Sherri Smith. 2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - a foster girl steals to survive in WWII London (theme: responsibility, kindness) Read if you liked "The Diary of Anne Frank". 3. Mickey Harte Was Here by Barbara Park - a sister must deal with her brother's early death (theme: death, choices) Read if you liked "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Piccoult. 4. Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark - a boy feels more like a girl struggles to be himself - and tell his girlfriend (theme: sexual identity) Read if you liked "Forever" by Judy Blume or "Openly Straight" by Bill Knoigsburg. 5, Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard - Alex tries to deal with his best friend's drowning (themes: death, friendship, guilt) Read if you liked "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles. Don't stop here...start reading! Share your reviews or other ideas for summer reads here or with me on Twitter.com/thisgirlclimbs.
2 Comments
5/21/2014 05:33:13 am
So true! We need to know our genres and what readers like. I'm drawn to literature, but it's too heavy for me to read all the time and I like to write at a faster pace. I was happy to discover the genre of commercial fiction that still has literary elements but a faster pace. So I read heavies like "The Road" and lighter romance novels. Or maybe that's my justification to read what I like to read. :-) Nice list of YA.
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Balance is key, Charli! I definitely read mostly adult literary fiction. However, I plan on reading those five books this summer. I think "The Book Thief" is one of those crossovers. I know many older readers who've enjoyed it. What are you reading this summer?
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