best YA books that you've read

Hi, im sorta new and ive read a ton of books and im running out if you could tell me some great YA books, i would appreciate it. I like fantasy books and i like books that pull you in. thank you for all your help.

If you like fantasy, you should try reading Tamora Pierce and Philip Pullman.

Since you seem to like the Warriors series, you might also like The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.

i'm new too and i definetly understand about running out of books to read!

Have you read any books by Markus Zusak? I am the Messenger and The Book Thief are a few of my favorites. As for fantasy books Wings by Aprilynne Pike was a really good read.

I hope i've helped you!

Anything by Neil Gaiman and David Eddings

I've been reading this new work of young-adult fantasy that I think you would both absolutely adore. It's called Powerless, and it's about this girl who has to figure out a way to survive among all these people with super powers. I'm loving the characters and the feeling of discovery and excitement that accompanies everything. It's an ebook, but it's super cheap! You can find it on amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUOFI .

And then there's the website, which is really beautiful.
http://www.powerlessbooks.com/

For fantasy, I love Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series and Holly Black's Modern Faerie trilogy.

The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty is a not-quite-fantasy that I found fun and engaging.

I also second The Book Thief--one of the best novels I've read, YA or otherwise.

If you haven't already read The Hunger Games and it's sequels (the third book will be out in a few months) you should give them a go. They're great.

Some of my favourite YA authors are:
Scott Westerfeld
John Green
John Marsden
E Lockhart
Melina Marchetta
Catherine Murdock
Laurie Halse Anderson

They aren't fantasy writers (except maybe some of Scott Westerfeld's books and Finnikin on the Rock by Melina Marchetta) but they do write YA fiction that in my mind 'pull you in'.

Two of my favorites are Sisters Red and Shiver

Newer ones include The Hunger Games, Graceling and The Book Thief. Somewhat older ones include Hope was Here by Joan Bauer and King of Shadows by Susan Cooper.

Some of my favorite fantasy authors to recommend are:
Robin McKinley
Tamora Pierce
Patricia C. Wrede
Jessica Day George

You might also take a look at the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud -- I see that you have read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I recommend Stroud to people who have read and enjoyed those.

The Book Thief is one my nephew enjoyed a lot. Highly recommended.

Diana Wynne Jones! Yet another thread where I can recommend her! Howl's Moving Castle is a classic (and you may have seen the movie based on it) but you might also try The Dark Lord of Derkholm - that's a straight up slightly silly fantasy about an alternate universe and genetically engineered griffins.

I also think Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley are great suggestions. Tamora Pierce mostly writes about girls in sort of a pseudo-medieval time period (knights and magic). Robin McKinley is a little more diverse in her worlds, and a little more of an adult author, but she writes some amazing and beautiful stories.

#12 -- I knew I was forgetting a favorite author! Yes, I definitely second the recommendation for Diana Wynne Jones.

The Book Thief
Anything written by Shannon Hale
Historical fantasy by Elizabeth C. Bunce

I quite like Eragon but some people don't.

Fire and Graceling by Kristen Cashore. really good fantasy books

Some of my very favorites:
Graceling and Fire
The Hunger Games Series i LOVED
Matched was a good fluffy romance
Hush, Hush and Fallen which are two different series about angels
The Year of Secret Assignments also known as Finding Cassie Crazy was excellent
I loved theVampire Academy series as well
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes was amazing as well
hope this helps!

Some of my very favorites:
Graceling and Fire
The Hunger Games Series i LOVED
Matched was a good fluffy romance
Hush, Hush and Fallen which are two different series about angels
The Year of Secret Assignments also known as Finding Cassie Crazy was excellent
I loved theVampire Academy series as well
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes was amazing as well
hope this helps!

I just recently read Forgive My Fins. I love mermaids and this was a really fun and playful book to read!

I see you've read Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, but she has lots of other great books too. Ever is very good, and you can't go past Ella Enchanted for laugh out loud fun. Alex Flinn's Beastly is also great in the fairytales retold line.

Also, Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn Chronicles are great for some more 'grown-up' fantasy.

Here are some of my favorite fantasy and science fiction books:

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents and The Wee Free Men Both wonderful books. I highly recommend this author.
Ender's Game and the related books - There are a ton of sequels most people don't know about.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Bartimeaus is a wonderful character!
The Pendragon books - multiple worlds
Fablehaven - fantasy
So You Want to Be a Wizard and the other books in the series

Here are some authors who's books I highly recommend:

Margaret Peterson Haddix
Diana Wynne Jones
Scott Westerfield

i totally agree with all of >17 anniegrace720: suggestions

I have just gotten onto LibraryThing last week so sorry to be late in responding. My favorite YA books are anything by Ellen Hopkins or Laurie Halse Anderson. I also liked PLAYING WITH MATCHES by Brian Katcher-- even though you'll want to slug the main guy character. I hope this helps, and I am looking forward to pursuing other people's suggestions, as well.

Some not yet mentioned (as far as I'm noticing):

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I love Lyra (and Pan), and the scene between Lyra and Pan on the dock in The Amber Spyglass (details omitted to avoid SPOILER) is my favorite in all fantasy literature.

Philip Reeve's Here Lies Arthur, a very different take on the Arthurian romances, with Arthur as a brute and Merlin as a fraud. Told from the viewpoint of a young girl whose village is destroyed by Arthur's bandits, it's a study of how a society creates its foundational myths, and it also includes a couple of interesting transgender twists along the way.

For "Bartimaeus" fans, be sure to read The Ring of Solomon, a "prequel" to the trilogy and (or so it seems to me) the beginning of a new trilogy. I actually like this new story-line better, because of the character of the heroine Asmira.

There's Lois Lowery's "The Giver" trilogy, my own personal favorite of the three books being Gathering Blue for the character of the crippled girl Kira.

Of course, there's Katherine Paterson's A Bridge to Terabithia, though (with no disrespect to the book) this is one where I think the movie is even better. Also, check out Bread and Roses, Too, her historical novel of the 1912 Lawrence, MA, textile strike, with cameos by Wobbly leaders "Big Bill" Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (the "Rebel Girl" of Joe Hill's ballad).

Not just for its story but even more for its illustrations, Clive Barker's Abarat series (but when, oh when, is he going to finish it?).

Going back to my childhood, there's Marion Garthwaite's Holdup on Bootjack Hill, which I read when I was seven/eight years old in its five-part Jack and Jill Magazine serialization. I've just recently managed to buy on-line all five J&J issues, and the story's as charming as I remember it. I've also gotten Garthwaite's expanded novelization as well as a number of her other books, which I've started in on and hope to finish in the next month or two, possibly to develop a web project memorializing Garthwaite.

EDIT to replace non-working Touchstones with HTML a-tag links.

23: Finally, a fellow Laurie Halse Anderson fan! I love her style(s) and books. Sadly, she is a virtual unknown in my homeland. What's your favorite book by her, Tink0315?

I'd highly recommend the fantasy series beginning with Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. There's a trilogy featuring the heroine of that book, and then a shoot-off series. These were originally marketed as adult books, but are definitely crossover. The heroines are pretty young (late teens).

Anything by Ron Koertge. I don't know why he isn't more famous. His books are utterly brilliant. They deal with problems like AIDS and drug abuse through the eyes of young people. They do so with a wonderful sense of humor. The Arizona Kid is great. Most recently, I read Stoner & Spaz, which is just awesome. Koertge gets dialogue so right - I don't think there's anyone out there who does it as well as he does.

>27 hollyhox:: I loved The Arizona Kid! I rarely used to read books with a male protagonist, I think I only picked this one up because it featured horses, but it became one of my favourites.

Other YA books that have stood the test of time for me:
In summer light by Zibby Oneal
The solitary by Lynn Hall

I reread both of these at least once a year. I like that the protagonists are not obsessed with boys and romance but are looking to find out who they are and what they want from life on their own terms.

When it comes to Young Adult Literature, I perk up. I've worked in a high school library for over 30 years now and for the first time, I think their literature has really improved. "I Am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore is one of my favorites and I don't usually read science fiction. The "Hunger Games" series I thought was really good. Great characters in all of these books!!!

I try to set aside at least one hour a day for reading. I call it book review. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm always looking for new titles.

Keep on reading-------

If you liked The Hunger Games series and I Am Number Four, you might also like the Chaos Walking series and The Maze Runner. I haven't read the sequel to The Maze Runner yet.

Hey, I have a question: Is I Am Number Four as good as everybody says? I keep seeing that title pop up in blogs, but none of my friends have read it yet. Is it worth a try? Is it well written? Will I absolutely *need* to read the rest of the series after I read that one?

Hello, there, girlfromshangrila! I love SPEAK, but CATALYST and WINTER GIRLS are really powerful, also. BTW, sorry to be so late in replying! What are your favorites?

Hey Tink! No problem: every day's a good day to talk about one's favorite authors. =)

I really like Laurie Halse Anderson's books. Speak was my first and I love Melinda's voice. Chains mesmerized me and left me wanting for more. Catalyst chilled me to the bone. But oh, Wintergirls... that book is not only interesting, fast-paced and full of well-rounded characters, but also one of the most beautifully written books out there IMO. Wintergirls is mindblowing. So, so beautiful. I love it.

I would also recommend Neil Gaiman, he draws you into his fantastic stories quite quickly.

I've just started reading, and I'm about halfway through, Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon, which won the 2011 Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe New Talent award. It seems quite charming so far, and it's an interesting concept (applied much more frequently to Jane Austen and the Brontes) of developing a mystery or some other type of story out of an author's fictionalized biography.

The language is fairly conventional, not at all Hurston's use of dialect, but this is after all an IR/pre-YA reading level. Enjoyable, though someone who's more a fan of Hurston might enjoy it more. (Not that I dislike Hurston, far from it, but my own personal love is Nella Larsen.)

For an older title I would say Cynthia Voigt's Jackaroo stands out in my memory.

For more recent titles I would mention:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Hero by Perry Moore
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy

I know I'd probably be in the minority here, but for sheer laugh-out-loud, pee-your-pants humor, I'd have to name Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson series. While it's obviously important to have books dealing with more serious issues that teens will face, I think that there's an important place for pure funny escapism, and I've not found any author who can do it so well as Rennison.

>36 SaraHope:: Jackaroo was a favourite of mine too!

I just read Plague by Michael Grant (fourth book in his Gone series) and I couldn't hardly put it down. If you can handle that it's a little morbid, the series is very original and captivating. It's about a town where all of the sudden one day everyone over the age of 15 completely disappears within a 20 mile radius and there's a huge domed barrier making them unable to leave. Might not sound too bad, but hundreds of kids with no one of authority and limited space and supplies can, and does, get nuts. Plus there's a lot of supernatural stuff going on that gives the books their edge! To give you a clue of what they're about the titles of the other books are Gone, Hunger, & Lies.

Also, if you liked the Heir series by Cinda Williams Chima you will probably love The Seven Realms series also by her. Supposed to be 4 in all, but so far only The Demon King and The Exiled Queen have been released. I really enjoyed them!

Some others I don't think were mentioned:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
Elsewhere
Marcelo in the Real World
Stargirl

@35 >>

Following up on my previous post, I've finished Zora and Me and posted a review. It was an enjoyable read, but I've got some serious concern about its conclusion, especially for use with young readers who might need some adult guidance regarding the history of racism.

Series wise:

*The Mortal Instruments Series: 1.) City of Bones 2.) City of Ash 3.) City of Glass 4.) City of Fallen Angels ---- and it's prequel 1.) Clock Work Angel

*House of Night Series by P.C. Cast

*Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
*Halo by alexandra adornetto

If you need more just ask. =)

@39: I second The Absolutely True Diary... Excellent book. It's now on my Top Shelf for easy reach. =)

So many great recs here already, but here's a few more of my faves:

The May Bird trilogy by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Nation by Terry Pratchett
The Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett (Wee Free Men)
The Foundling Trilogy by DM Cornish
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe
Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart
The Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott

And, at a bit younger level:
Blue Balliet's books
The Theodosia series by RL LaFevers
The Mysterious Benedict Society series by TL Stewart
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera
The Doll People by AM Martin
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Graceling and Fire
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire
Vampire Academy Series
Hex Hall
Fallen
Year of Secret Assignments
All really good books I've read recently

I have long past the stage in my life of being a YA, but I find much to like in this genre. I just finished The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and loved it. It is so layered in such a compact story. This book feels like a short story, with very tight writing, great characters and quick movement of scenes. READ this one. No zombies, vampires, magic, but real characters that have complex lives. The areas of darkness are handled in such a way that you are left feeling hopeful, not beaten up.
I read that some schools banned this book because of the frankness of sexual content. It was about a 14 year old boy and his life and thoughts. I think it is handled honestly.

>45 brnoze: I agree. Great book.

The Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes (Corretta Scott King Honor)
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois

Both read in the last few weeks, and excellent books.

Oh yeah, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton is really neat! Just got it from the MG program, and loved it. I'm working on my review as we speak.

>49 Jodibullock:: I smell spam. Or at least self-promotion.

Because of suggestions I need to add a few more books to my list. I LOVED A Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Add to that the Chaos Walking series by Ness. Oh since I'm typing another good one is Jellicoe Road. But if you only can read one.... A Fault in Our Stars is a book you don't want to miss. You won't be sorry!

A couple fairly recent:

Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer -- 2011 Coretta Scott King winner -- one of my all-time favorite books. And I also love the two covers, the original dust jacket for the hardcover and even more the paperback cover.

Also, for a 2011 Coretta Scott King honor, Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

I really like The Mighty Miss Malone (and again, a great cover for the look on Deza Malone's face) by Christopher Paul Curtis, although to a degree I find Deza just a little too adorable to be true.

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. It starts with Over Sea, Under Stone. There are 5 books in the series. Vivian Vande Velde does great stuff. My fav is Companions of the Night but I like almost anything by her.

I'd now add Wonder by R.J. Palacio, about a disfigured boy, and Divergent/Insurgent, the first 2/3 of a dystopian trilogy set in a future Chicago.

The Dark is Risng is a good series, and I liked her King of Shadows, too.

Some other titles you might like: Plain Kate, Skellig, The New Policeman, Princess Ben, Interstellar Pig, Spud and The Forgotten Door. Have you tried Eva Ibbotson and Edith Pattou?

I definitely cannot decide.

>55 donnao:: I just got Plain Kate. I'm glad you think it's a good one!

Some of my favorites include:

Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith
Freak Show by James St James
The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan
Uglies series by Scott Westerfield

Have you read Ready Player One?

Long time lurker jumping in to say that Ready Player One is a lot of fun. It is full of 80s pop culture so I hope you are up on it. It makes it a ton of fun for those of us (ahem) who were around at the time. In any case it's a great adventure taking place in a virtual world and real world at the same time.

I love all these authors! Some books I would recommend if you haven't read them already:

Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway
Fire by kristin Cashore
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Scorpio Races by Stiefvater
The Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz
and the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

These books are all reallly different from one another so everyone should find something they like!!! Thanks!

I *love* The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey. No idea how they're YA because they're quite gory, but they're just so much fun to read.

The First Part Last , Twenty Boy Summer , After , Rules of Attraction and The Blue Girl are my personal favorites. The last one I listed is an urban fantasy.

Here are just a few of my favorites:
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls by Mary Hahn Downing
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The mysterious Benedict society is really good!
so is wifey but its a little much-if you know what i mean

speak by laurie halse anderson

this isn't fantasy but the georgetown academy series definitely pulls you in.

>65 68papyrus: 68papyrus > I loved The Monstrumologist, too, and I love Gaiman. Looks like we have similar tastes. Out of your list, where would you suggest I go next?

I love anything YA and I'm in the same boat as you but my friend let me borrow her kindle edition of Eternal by Virginia Gamsky Hust and Sarah Maddox it was pretty good and I think it's YA. Other than that all I have for you is pretty usual Harry Potter etc.

I highly recommend The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is deserving of the 2013 medal and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it wins!

Here's the review of The Mighty Miss Malone that I wrote about a year ago. Oddly, though I normally prefer books with strong girls characters, I preferred Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy over The Mighty Miss Malone. My problem is that, while I adore Deza Malone, I tended to find her just a little bit too adorable.

72> I agree; a good book can be ruined with a weak/too adorable/ perfectly perfect in every way- heroine.

beautiful creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

If you haven't read Harry Potter read it
Some like Twilight though I haven't readit

Love the Harry Potter series. I've read it twice and watched the dvs several times. Twilight was very slow for me. I had a hard time getting through the first one and never read the others. Loved the first Hunger Games book but didn't really care for the others. Too much of a repeat, I guess.

I read YA books because I work in a high school library. I have found lots of them I really enjoyed and I love to tell students about them. I agree with a lot of the titles people are talking about. I am now reading "Beautiful Creatures".

>76 bookladychris:: I liked Beautiful creatures but thought the sequels were disappointing. Loved the Southern setting though.

Gracefully Grayson is an excellent new one about a 12 year old girl dealing with living in a boy's body. My review is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/182782#4915921