In detox from Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, or Twilight?
Young Adult (YA) lit was my bread and butter growing up and I'm proud, and relieved, to have seen it jump into the mainstream. I don't have to shamefully hide behind the short YA library shelves anymore.
If you need some new books to feed on, I have a few suggestions. in my personal opinion, these books are better, and less addictive. They may even have served as inspiration to the authors of these recent books.
Diana Wynne Jones - British author who wrote several books filled with a sense of both magic and a sharp sense of humor.
- Charmed Life
- The Lives of Christopher Chant
- Howl's Moving Castle (yes, that one!)
Tamora Pierce - American author who wrote fantasy books that take place in a medieval type world with swords and magic. She's incredibly prolific, so if you like her you'll have lots to choose from. Her first series is called Song of the Lioness, made of four books about a young girl in her quest to become a female knight.
- Alanna: The First Adventure (Book 1)
Robin McKinley - American author who now lives in England; she tends to retell fairy tales that you can immerse yourself in, with full descriptions but strong characters and plots. Her retelling of Beauty and the Beast, written in 1978 when she was in her 20s, has remarkable similarities to Disney's animated movie.
- The Blue Sword
- Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
- The Hero and the Crown
Garth Nix - Australian author who writes about a bit darker fantasy stories. His most famous book series is the Abhorsen series. He also wrote an interesting post-apocalyptic novel called Shade's Children.
* I haven't actually read or watched Twilight, and I don't really read vampire/werewolf/love triangle books, so unfortunately can't offer much in that direction!
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit. If you can't fathom reading the doorstop sized Lord of the Rings, why not read The Hobbit instead? It's just one book and it'll be just in time for the movie anyhow?
Orson Scott Card - American author who wrote one of the classic sci-fi books. If you haven't read Ender's Game. Get it and read it now!
Frank Herbert - Dune. Same as above.
If you need some new books to feed on, I have a few suggestions. in my personal opinion, these books are better, and less addictive. They may even have served as inspiration to the authors of these recent books.
If you like Harry Potter, you might like:
Diana Wynne Jones - British author who wrote several books filled with a sense of both magic and a sharp sense of humor.
- Charmed Life
- The Lives of Christopher Chant
- Howl's Moving Castle (yes, that one!)
Tamora Pierce - American author who wrote fantasy books that take place in a medieval type world with swords and magic. She's incredibly prolific, so if you like her you'll have lots to choose from. Her first series is called Song of the Lioness, made of four books about a young girl in her quest to become a female knight.
- Alanna: The First Adventure (Book 1)
If you like the Hunger Games / *Twilight, you might like:
Robin McKinley - American author who now lives in England; she tends to retell fairy tales that you can immerse yourself in, with full descriptions but strong characters and plots. Her retelling of Beauty and the Beast, written in 1978 when she was in her 20s, has remarkable similarities to Disney's animated movie.
- The Blue Sword
- Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
- The Hero and the Crown
Garth Nix - Australian author who writes about a bit darker fantasy stories. His most famous book series is the Abhorsen series. He also wrote an interesting post-apocalyptic novel called Shade's Children.
* I haven't actually read or watched Twilight, and I don't really read vampire/werewolf/love triangle books, so unfortunately can't offer much in that direction!
These aren't exactly YA lit, but they're good reads:
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit. If you can't fathom reading the doorstop sized Lord of the Rings, why not read The Hobbit instead? It's just one book and it'll be just in time for the movie anyhow?
Orson Scott Card - American author who wrote one of the classic sci-fi books. If you haven't read Ender's Game. Get it and read it now!
Frank Herbert - Dune. Same as above.
