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Farecoal posted:Yessssssssssss, have you ever read the House of the Scorpion? Its easily one of my favorite books, I must have read it at least 10 or so times as a kid. House of the Scorpion is such a good book! It was the first Nancy Farmer book I read, and I've been an avid follower ever since. Has anyone read any of her books set in Africa other than The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm? I see them around and keep wondering if they are worthwhile.
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Jul 9, 2012 00:52
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Panda So Panda posted:I lost track of Eion Colfer's Artemis Fowl books after middle school. Is it worth going back to? I say yes, since the last book in the series is coming out on the 10th of this month. I actually started reading the books when I was already well into my 20's so I think they should still be engaging to an adult audience. I managed to find The Last Guardian out early at my local Wal-Mart and I just finished reading it about an hour ago. I've got a teensy bit of a problem with the ending but that could just be me being me. But I'd still recommend picking the series up again.
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Jul 9, 2012 10:59
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An atypical (for me) recommendation would be Sarah Dessen's Along For the Ride. I say "atypical" because while I find I enjoy the concept of "slice of life" fiction, I am not usually prone to reading them and sticking with it all the way through. I prefer things with supernatural themes, but I felt this deviation was well worth it. I don't know if Dessen is quite so insightful in her other various books, but the protagonist's dilemma in this particular novel really spoke to me and struck me as genuine for the age.
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Jul 12, 2012 02:50
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Panda So Panda posted:An atypical (for me) recommendation would be Sarah Dessen's Along For the Ride. I say "atypical" because while I find I enjoy the concept of "slice of life" fiction, I am not usually prone to reading them and sticking with it all the way through. I prefer things with supernatural themes, but I felt this deviation was well worth it. I don't know if Dessen is quite so insightful in her other various books, but the protagonist's dilemma in this particular novel really spoke to me and struck me as genuine for the age. I love a good slice of life work so I'll have to put this in my queue. Thanks for the rec.
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Jul 15, 2012 04:22
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Lintwhite posted:I say yes, since the last book in the series is coming out on the 10th of this month. I actually started reading the books when I was already well into my 20's so I think they should still be engaging to an adult audience. I managed to find The Last Guardian out early at my local Wal-Mart and I just finished reading it about an hour ago. I've got a teensy bit of a problem with the ending but that could just be me being me. But I'd still recommend picking the series up again. Having started and finished the book last night, I agree about the ending. I don't actively dislike it, I just think it probably could have been done better. Still, as a complete series it's really good fun and I'd recommend it.
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Jul 16, 2012 10:58
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I also really liked the Spiderwick Chronicles, though those are more MG than YA. They're really creative & fantasy-ish. I remember reading them in middle school in like a week since I enjoyed them so much. They are about three misfit siblings who move into an old Victorian manor where the prior owner was a researcher of faeries.
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Jul 16, 2012 22:20
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Fatkraken posted:Goons love Terry Pratchett. Goons love YA. Anime_Otaku fucked around with this message at 16:18 on Jul 19, 2012 |
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Jul 19, 2012 11:40
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I was surprised to learn that Terry Prachett's 'Nation is actually considered YA. The story didn't seem to hold the reader's hands like most YA books and there was very little in the way of action or 'shock' scenes.
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Jul 19, 2012 18:42
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Can you guys recommend some books for someone who's only read Hunger Games, basically? My dad stopped reading after I was born, so he hadn't read a book for over twenty years until recently. He borrowed my copy of Hunger Games and tore through it, so I bought him the rest of the trilogy and he's on the third one now  He's really enjoying the series, so I wanted to find some other stuff he'd like, but it's hard because there's nothing else to go on. He was also interested in Game of Thrones when the series came out, but he put the book down after 50 pages or so. I'm thinking that YA might be more his speed for the moment, which is why I'm asking here. Graceling sounds sort of similar to Hunger Games, do you think it would appeal?
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Jul 25, 2012 00:49
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It's not exactly YA, but I think the Dresden Files are a pretty easy but entertaining read.
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Jul 25, 2012 01:00
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The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth is very similar to The Hunger Games, although only 2 books have been released so far.
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Jul 25, 2012 04:45
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The Maze Runner series listed in the OP might be really appealing to him -- That drat Satyr posted:
It's got the same "young teens fighting for survival in a world that's an alternate reality from our own" theme, and the writing is much much better. I've only read the first book in the series, though (waiting for the next one to come through ILL).
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Jul 25, 2012 13:00
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elbow posted:The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth is very similar to The Hunger Games, although only 2 books have been released so far. I hated those books. I couldn't stand the "tough as nails" attitude in the first one and I wasn't crazy about the depressed main character in the second one. Plus, the world building was a total mess.
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Jul 26, 2012 21:36
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Finally got 'round to picking up Meg Rosoff's latest, "There is No Dog". I'm a couple of chapters in, but so far it seems just as good as everything else she's ever written (which is to say, utterly fantastic)
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Jul 26, 2012 23:04
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 The Curious Incident Of The dog In The Night Time by Mark Haddon I read this book when i was about twelve, and I didn't really like it, but I reread it recently and it's surprisingly emotional. The main character has Aspergers Syndrome, and he loves dogs. The neighbour's dog dies, and so he takes some tips from his favourite books, Sherlock Holmes, and decides to investigate. But it's not really a detective story - it's about how he deals with his problems (and how he doesn't) and it's really really moving. It's told from the first-person perspective and, while I cannot vouch for the authenticity, it seems like the author knows his stuff. He definitely acts autistic. Not in a comedic way mind - if you're looking for a funny book, this ain't it. I'd definitely recommend it though.
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Jul 26, 2012 23:21
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DapperDinosaur posted:I hated those books. I couldn't stand the "tough as nails" attitude in the first one and I wasn't crazy about the depressed main character in the second one. Plus, the world building was a total mess. I'm not the biggest fan either, precisely because it's so similar to The Hunger Games that it seems like a cheap rip-off. But a lot of people who enjoyed THG are into this, so.
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Jul 27, 2012 04:52
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elbow posted:I'm not the biggest fan either, precisely because it's so similar to The Hunger Games that it seems like a cheap rip-off. But a lot of people who enjoyed THG are into this, so. I think that's a huge problem with reading in general. It seems like when a lot of people ask for recommendations they want virtual photocopies.
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Jul 27, 2012 13:30
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Paragon8 posted:I think that's a huge problem with reading in general. It seems like when a lot of people ask for recommendations they want virtual photocopies. Yeah, I know what you mean. I work in a bookstore and like to think I'm fairly well-read but I've noticed that when people are asking me about recommendations they want the same book with different characters. I don't honestly think these authors are actually attempting to copy the previous big hit, I think the authors had similar ideas and publishing houses picked up on the hype of THG or whatever and so punch out as many copy-cats as they can so they can make money on the phenomenon. The whole trilogy book set of a dystopian future with a (usually tough) girl protagonist has been done to loving death at this point. There are some good stories out there, but the market has gotten pretty obnoxiously flooded. For a slight change of pace I have actually finished So Yesterday at this point and have to say that I love the novel. It's appropriately shallow seeming considering it's about fashion, but I think that Westerfeld does at least touch on some deeper themes concerning the tribal nature of fashion and consumerism. You could argue that he should have gone deeper, but that would have gotten a bit too serious for the over all tone of the story. All in all, I found it a delightful and fun read, though not his most serious work by far. My sister recently recommended The Maze Runner to me and called it Lord of the Flies meets Sleeping Beauty. Honestly that made me curious enough that I really want to check it out. Also I read through Howl's Moving Castle and I realize that it's technically children's fiction, but I found the story incredibly engaging and fairly adult in some places. The characters are nicely flawed and the author doesn't bother to try and pretty it up. It's got a generally fairy-tale set-up that actually pokes fun at many of the typical fairy-tale tropes. It belongs on the shelf of fantasy lovers who liked the Enchanted Forest series.
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Jul 28, 2012 04:12
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LevelC posted:For a slight change of pace I have actually finished So Yesterday at this point and have to say that I love the novel. It's appropriately shallow seeming considering it's about fashion, but I think that Westerfeld does at least touch on some deeper themes concerning the tribal nature of fashion and consumerism. You could argue that he should have gone deeper, but that would have gotten a bit too serious for the over all tone of the story. All in all, I found it a delightful and fun read, though not his most serious work by far. Well, and the little twists and mysteries kept me turning pages, and the characters were intriguing enough to keep me invested. (I couldn't really get invested in the characters in Leviathan and Behemoth for some reason.)
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Jul 28, 2012 23:01
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Paragon8 posted:I think that's a huge problem with reading in general. It seems like when a lot of people ask for recommendations they want virtual photocopies. This is absolutely true. Also, on the other side of the spectrum, there are so many people out there that love 'good' (I realize that's subjective) YA books, but then also read horrible tripe like Twilight and love that too, so they recommend both books to people and (at least in my own experience) you get a preconceived notion that one book must be like the other since the person loves them both so much. I actually run into this on GoodReads a lot because of how it categorizes recommendations... and let me tell you, just because you like Hunger Games does not mean that you might like 50 Shades of Grey.
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Jul 29, 2012 00:57
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Tartarus Sauce posted:(I couldn't really get invested in the characters in Leviathan and Behemoth for some reason.) Really? I found Deryn and Alek to be incredibly sympathetic and intriguing characters, but to each their own I suppose. I've already admitted that I'm something of a hopeless devotee at this point, though I like to think I'm not so far gone as a fan that I wouldn't just accept something he's written. Don't get me started on the people that like 50 Shades anything. I don't hate books on the basic principle that it's a freaking book. You can not care for the writing, but it's a book and it's a waste of time to hate it. I don't even hate Twilight, I just find it repetitive, generally poorly written, and stupidly predictable. I reserve the right to honestly hate the 50 Shades Trilogy. Outside of the fact that it continues to perpetuate the idea that people in the BDSM community must have been abused, I find the writing to be so bad it's genuinely offensive. It offends me that a publishing house has standards so poor that they let such horribly penned material leave their doors. I don't care that it sells, it's like an editor didn't even bother. I have even more hate for the people who try to claim that it's good or revolutionary writing. You like poorly written porn, admit it and move on and stop trying to elevate it. /rant Sorry for the derail, I just get the reality of how horrible people's taste is shoved in my face every time I go to work.
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Jul 29, 2012 04:20
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LevelC posted:Also I read through Howl's Moving Castle and I realize that it's technically children's fiction, but I found the story incredibly engaging and fairly adult in some places. The characters are nicely flawed and the author doesn't bother to try and pretty it up. It's got a generally fairy-tale set-up that actually pokes fun at many of the typical fairy-tale tropes. It belongs on the shelf of fantasy lovers who liked the Enchanted Forest series. I had trouble reading DWJ as a kid because I recall her being quite different, in both style and structure, than a lot of "normal" kid's books would be. Specifically, I remember her not spoonfeeding, which is obviously desirable for an adult but had 9-year-old me confused. Or is she more of a young teenage author, and I was too young? edit - I remember, now, it was specifically Hexwood that confused me, and reading that plot synopsis, it does sound pretty out-of-the-box. I do remember reading the sequel to Howl's Moving castle, which I forget the name of, and finding it to be a really great little adventure story. It starts out in some Middle Eastern world and only ties in with Howl at the end.
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Jul 29, 2012 09:12
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freebooter posted:I had trouble reading DWJ as a kid because I recall her being quite different, in both style and structure, than a lot of "normal" kid's books would be. Specifically, I remember her not spoonfeeding, which is obviously desirable for an adult but had 9-year-old me confused. Or is she more of a young teenage author, and I was too young? edit - I remember, now, it was specifically Hexwood that confused me, and reading that plot synopsis, it does sound pretty out-of-the-box.
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Jul 29, 2012 10:55
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YAF fiend, here. I teach 8th grade English/ESL, and vet books for our school library. One of the best, most underrated authors in YAF these days is Laura Wiess. She writes for MTV Books, of all things. She's got four titles out: Such a Pretty Girl, Leftovers, How It Ends, and Ordinary Beauty. I keep all four books in my classroom library. Because I teach 13-14 year olds, I'm often in the awkward and sometimes painful position of witnessing the foundations for some really hosed up relationship issues. Wiess' books are the ones that I quietly hand to the girls (and sometimes, guys) when I see that stricken look on their faces. Such a Pretty Girl is about a girl whose pedo father was supposed to be in jail until she was 18, but was released three years early, and her mother enables him. Leftovers is told from 2nd person point of view (and pulls it off well, I think), the story of two best friends who are both neglected by their parents (one girl is from a very upper class family, the other from a low social class, and the author catches the different flavors of neglect very well), which opens them up to be victimized until they finally lash out. How It Ends is told from two points of view-- a teenaged girl who is in a verbally and emotionally abusive relationship and her sort of adopted grandmother figure. Ordinary Beauty, Wiess' most recent, is about a girl whose spoiled, drug-addicted mother had her at age 15 and then alternately neglected and abused her, and is now dying from liver failure. Wiess does a fabulous job of showing abuse as an intergenerational problem. With the exception of Leftovers, the novels all end in a way that's hopeful, but realistic. Leftovers ends with the literary equivalent of a punch to the gut. I think Wiess has a strong grasp of realistic relationship dynamics with teenagers, from familial to romantic to peer group. She never comes across as Lifetime movie-esque or ABC After School Special-ish. As an adult, it is so painful for me to witness kiddos that I care about hurting the hell out of each other, emotionally, or acting out due to all kinds of parental issues, and not really being able to do much about it. I appreciate having some well-written literature that addresses that sort of thing in a way that feels relevant. The reaction I've gotten from every student whose read any of these books has been, "That was amazing, are there any more?" And then they call their friends over to show them the covers. Another great title that I keep in my classroom library is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. I saw that one mentioned earlier in the thread. It has a good feminist tilt to it. My female students have remarked that the reactions characters (especially male peers/romantic interest) had to the protagonist outsmarting them felt very true. I'm currently thinking over what novels I want to use in the classroom this year. Sixth grade on my campus is talking about doing Wonder, which is a new title, by R.J. Palacio. I recommended it to the school librarian, who read it in one sitting and ordered thirty copies for our library that day. The protagonist is a boy with a severe facial deformity caused by a perfect storm of genetic anomalies. He's been home-schooled, but the book starts as he begins public school for the first time. It's brilliant. I predict this title will sweep the book awards this year. I typically teach Ender's Game because I could do that with my eyes shut, but I'm wanting to do more this year. I don't think I'll eliminate it, though, because the movie is being released in 2013 and the kids are pretty interested.
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Jul 30, 2012 17:16
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I've finished Kristin Cashore's Fire and now Bitterblue, and I think out of the trilogy I enjoyed Fire the most. Bitterblue had an interesting premise but especially during the last 1/3 of the book got extremely emotionally overwrought and ridiculous with the constant weeping and angst. Honestly, this is the kind of emotional tenor you find in hurt/comfort fanfiction, and I was really put off by it here. I still hope she writes another book in the series, though.  These were really gripping, and I like the world she's created.
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Jul 31, 2012 13:50
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Waffle Ho posted:Cassandra Clare is an ex-Harry Potter fanfic writer (who started the "Draco in leather pants" thing) best known for plagiarizing another YA novel in her fanfics, and later plagiarizing her own fanfics in her "original" writing. Most of the funny, witty parts of her fics were the result of her cribbing lines from Buffy or various British comedies. I had to report back that, in spite of very valid criticism regarding the Cassandra Clare books, I picked up City of Bones (Book 1 of The Mortal Instruments). My boyfriend's teenage sister has been encouraging me to get into it for some time, so I thought I would give it a try and see what the big deal is. I have to say, as Kaishai and a few others pointed out above, there are definitely parallels between her characters and her fanfic version of the HP characters. Some I noticed that were most obvious were, of course, Jace and Dracon. Also, Clary's mom and Lily Potter. I also think her werewolf character (not naming to avoid spoilering) and her fanfic Lupin share distinct resemblance. Other than that, though, I didn't notice anything too horribly glaring. I may or may not continue the series, since she apparently has two other series set in this universe. Her writing itself isn't anything too praiseworthy. I certainly wish I had her connections. teepee posted:And speaking of Cassie Clare, I'd steer clear of YA paranormal/UF in general unless you really know the subgenre. I've yet to read one that I actually liked. That's a sweeping generalization but really, all the clunkers/repeat offenders seem to be YA paranormals. (Which is not a chicken-egg situation. It's because of the egg named Twilight. Pre-Twilight you have some great ones, like Companions of the Night and Blood and Chocolate. Post, it's all downhill with Bella 2.0s and Edward-lites all over the place.) I definitely noticed the downhill trend post-Twilight, but I am somewhat pleased by the increased public interest in the supernatural in books. I really enjoy paranormal/UF, so I hope there are some decent new YA fiction of the subgenre out there.
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Aug 6, 2012 23:34
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I'm currently re-reading The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray Gemma Doyle is a 19th century young woman who is sent from India to a boarding school in London after the death of her mother. There she makes friends with Ann, Felicity, and Pippa. Gemma learns of her inhereted magical power that she and her friends use to travel to a magical realm that is tied to their school and Gemma's mother. Wiki Links: A Great And Terrible Beauty Rebel Angels The Sweet Far Thing Unfortunately I haven't talked to many people who read them and I'm not sure if The Book Barn ever had a thread on them. They are quite enjoyable and well written and I feel like Libba Bray has a good grasp on the time period and women's station in life at that time. P.S. If there was ever a thread on these books, I'd appreciate a link. I have archives if that's what it takes. 
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Aug 7, 2012 05:56
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Panda So Panda posted:I had to report back that, in spite of very valid criticism regarding the Cassandra Clare books, I picked up City of Bones (Book 1 of The Mortal Instruments). My boyfriend's teenage sister has been encouraging me to get into it for some time, so I thought I would give it a try and see what the big deal is. I have to say, as Kaishai and a few others pointed out above, there are definitely parallels between her characters and her fanfic version of the HP characters. Some I noticed that were most obvious were, of course, Jace and Dracon. Also, Clary's mom and Lily Potter. I also think her werewolf character (not naming to avoid spoilering) and her fanfic Lupin share distinct resemblance. Other than that, though, I didn't notice anything too horribly glaring. I may or may not continue the series, since she apparently has two other series set in this universe. I'm reading her Mortal Instruments series right now and it's not just her Harry Potter fanfiction it has similarities to. I feel like almost everything can be traced back to one of her fandoms. So much of it feels like it's taken directly from Buffy or Harry Potter. The most glaring thing for me, though, is that I've read bits of her fanfic and I've come across bits of it copied directly into her book. Also, Jace is the most unlikable character I've ever read. And every character talks the same way.
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Aug 7, 2012 22:00
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MissConduct posted:I'm currently re-reading The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray I've read them all, myself. I find Libba Bray to be a very talented and underrated writer. She's the kind of author who knows how to get into the minds of her characters and make them come to life.
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Aug 8, 2012 22:25
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Violet_Sky posted:I've read them all, myself. I find Libba Bray to be a very talented and underrated writer. She's the kind of author who knows how to get into the minds of her characters and make them come to life. Have you guys read her book Beauty Queens? It's an over-the-top satire that goes at how the media controls how girls view themselves and I really enjoyed it. Libba just seems cool in general. I don't know if she's still blogging much, but when she was her posts were hilarious.
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Aug 9, 2012 03:50
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Hef Deezy posted:Have you guys read her book Beauty Queens? It's an over-the-top satire that goes at how the media controls how girls view themselves and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it's because I have a bit of trouble keeping in mind that this was written for a much younger audience, but I found Beauty Queens disappointing. It's so incredibly superficial that it completely negates the points she's trying to make about judging other people. The plot made up for that a little bit, but it could have been so much more.
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Aug 9, 2012 07:10
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elbow posted:Maybe it's because I have a bit of trouble keeping in mind that this was written for a much younger audience, but I found Beauty Queens disappointing. It's so incredibly superficial that it completely negates the points she's trying to make about judging other people. The plot made up for that a little bit, but it could have been so much more. I felt that the superficialness of it was purposeful. She specifically chose archetypical characters to highlight what she wanted to say while also being, in my opinion, super funny. To me it was written in the vein of something like Team America, going incredibly over the top to criticize what an earnest version of this book might be while also giving us a cast of unique, forward-thinking girls. Hef Deezy fucked around with this message at 10:36 on Aug 9, 2012 |
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Aug 9, 2012 10:18
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http://www.npr.org/2012/08/07/15779...mpaign=20120807 Here's the NPR list of favorite 100 Teen Novels/Series. It has some really strange choices; I never thought I'd see Vampire Academy and Betsy-Tacy on the same list.
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Aug 9, 2012 13:48
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Can anyone recommend some books that aren't too out there, but have small adventures in them that suck you back in?
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Aug 12, 2012 06:15
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noirstronaut posted:Can anyone recommend some books that aren't too out there, but have small adventures in them that suck you back in? Maybe it's just because it's late at night and I'm tired, but what does this even mean? I've read this five times, and I still have no idea what sort of recommendation you're looking for.
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Aug 12, 2012 07:56
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Ha, I've read a few fiction books that have plot lines that are totally unbelievable and hard to relate to. I'm looking for something like Murakami's 1Q84. Where the characters are all in seemingly intense situations, but it's not too insane to relate to and see yourself doing.
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Aug 12, 2012 08:11
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To be honest that's a lot of Young Adult books as a huge part of the genre is making the characters identifiable. It depends on your ability to accept the premise of the chosen book. If you can sort of accept magic in the real world then there's plenty, if you can accept a post apocalyptic scenario then there's a lot of books. If you're looking for something specifically happening in contemporary real world then your selection might be a bit more limited. Like is your approach more something like "This could actually happen to me in my life right now" or "if I was in this fantasy world situation I could totally handle these events"
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Aug 12, 2012 16:15
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Definitely "if I was in this fantasy world situation I could totally handle these events."
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Aug 12, 2012 16:34
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After having some great experiences recently with YA fiction (I came to the Hunger Games boat late, and I also just discovered John Green like 6 months ago), I was recommended two dystopian YA books that I just was so disappointed in. Both books seem to suffer from the same problem: an interesting concept/world that is just not followed through. Water Wars is set in an America without water; Article 5 in an America where the Church of America has taken over the government and makes it a crime to have children out of wedlock. Then, both books essentially turn into road trip adventures with a side of romance, with really improbable turn of events. So I guess this is mostly an unrecommendation post; I'd say don't bother with either of these books.
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Aug 12, 2012 22:22
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I agree about Article 5--it definitely needed way more fleshing out. To me, it read like it was set in Handmaid's Tale America, while the ideology was still evolving. For some reason, they never expanded the worldview to explain what religion had won out, how people worshiped, what the rest of the world was like--that sort of thing. Even with those flaws, I'd rate it much higher than the 2nd and 3rd Hunger Games books.
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Aug 13, 2012 01:15
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