What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

Windcutter said:

I finished BEAUTIFUL L1ES. It was a pretty cool book, though I must say I wasn't that fond of long, long flashbacks. But that's just me. I tolerate lots of flashback scenes only when there is a twisty plot that means revealing the past changes our perception of the present. There is a twisty plot indeed in BL, but the flashbacks are character driven. Yet, the whole book has a "mindscrew" quality to it which I totally adore.

Now I'm choosing between RENEGADE and GRETA AND THE GOBL1N KING.

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I'm really intrigued by BEAUTIFUL L1ES (why do people do the letters/numbers thing?). I feel like it could be either really interesting or really soapy and crappy (cough LY1NG GAME cough)

The_Ink_Goddess said:

I'm really intrigued by BEAUTIFUL L1ES (why do people do the letters/numbers thing?).

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I was going to ask that same question b/c I was looking up the book and I actually thought it was L1ES . . . but unless I got the wrong one, it isn't.

The_Ink_Goddess said:

I'm really intrigued by BEAUTIFUL L1ES (why do people do the letters/numbers thing?). I feel like it could be either really interesting or really soapy and crappy (cough LY1NG GAME cough)

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So that your review doesn't come up on the author's google alerts, at which point the author runs crying to her agent and they tweet each other about what a bitch you are while inciting their army of fans to spit hate at you.

Netz said:

Currently reading 'Code Name Verity' (up to about pg 50).

Be honest (but no spoilers!) - am I likely to be reduced to tears at some point (or points)? I read during my lunch break at work and I'd rather not look like a snivelling idiot in front of a load of people, lol. (I'm just trying to think of a book I've cried at, to give you some basis for comparison, but my mind's gone blank. I'll say it's fairly likely I will cry if that's the author's intention for the reader though, lol.)

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I'm so behind the curve.
I just finished this book. It was an odd style for me to get used to but I fell madly in love with it! I don't think I cried, but I was misty-eyed.

Proving just how behind I am, I just started reading Bitterblue. It took me forever to get my hands on it. (I've already read Graceling and Fire).

I'll have to peruse this thread some more and write down some titles of a few "must reads."

The_Ink_Goddess said:

I'm really intrigued by BEAUTIFUL L1ES (why do people do the letters/numbers thing?). I feel like it could be either really interesting or really soapy and crappy (cough LY1NG GAME cough)

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I haven't read LY1NG GAME though I planned to. Is it really that soapy?

The numbers thing prevents the authors from googling us some people only do it when they are going to say the book is crappy, others do it all the time, some never. I guess it rubbed off on me.

As for BL, it is a bit... not soapy, but sort of bleak and detailed at the same time. I also seem to remember--am I right?--that you prefer realistic fiction, so there's a little spoiler regarding that
spoiler in white the ending includes some paranormal elements, this is not one of those thrillers where everything can be explained away by pure logic /end of spoiler in white

The_Ink_Goddess said:

I'm really intrigued by BEAUTIFUL L1ES (why do people do the letters/numbers thing?). I feel like it could be either really interesting or really soapy and crappy (cough LY1NG GAME cough)

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I think it started as people trying to make passwords more secure by adding a number instead of a letter.

*Goes to look it up.

Apparently I am wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet#History

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally. I loved her first book, so I'm really excited to read this one.

I'm currently reading The Declaration by Gemma Malley. Can't really say whether I like it yet or not, I'm not really that far in yet, but so far I'm a little skeptical.

Recently I finished Cinder (Marissa Meyer), Delirium and Pandemonium (Lauren Oliver) Unwind and Unwholly (Neal Shusterman) and I loooooved these books. I love YA sci-fi, really.

I finished up THE LAST GUARDIAN. I cried a little at the end because now I'm out of Artemis Fowl forever. And out of long-running series that I'm following, for that matter.

After that I dove into THE TREACHERY OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Ruth Frances Long, which was...a bit off-putting. The writing was technically really good, but I didn't feel anything while reading. So I didn't dislike it, but I didn't particularly like it, either.

Next up is THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH FAIRYLAND AND LED THE REVELS THERE by Catherynne M Valente, which I'm super-excited for because I absolutely adored the first book.

Just finished LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden. I met her at a YA event near here, and she was really sweet. Gotta support my local authors. The book was a little meh, though... I loved the first half, when it's all about grieving. It was pretty powerful. But when the LI arrived and it started to become more of a thriller... it lost a lot of believability. But it was still a good read.

I started THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian last night. I'm only fifty pages in, but I'm pretty impressed by how distinct each of the main characters is. And there are eight of them!

Right now I'm just over halfway through Ally Condie's conclusion to the Matched series, Reached. It's fantastic, and I wish I had time to finish it because it has me squirming!

Just finished DANGEROUS BOY by Mandy Hubbard. Good, quick read. I read it in a day. If you like something a kind of creepy with a little suspense and realistic characters I'd say read this one.

becausebooks said:

Right now I'm just over halfway through Ally Condie's conclusion to the Matched series, Reached. It's fantastic, and I wish I had time to finish it because it has me squirming!

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I'm interested to hear what you think! I've been debating reading it, but just can't make up my mind after the way the last one ended. I like Cassia and Ky and I'm afraid the third book will mess that up.

profen4 said:

\
Read it, and really enjoyed it! I'll be curious about what you think when you're done. I think it's one of those MG/YA crossover novels. Would really appeal to the 10-14 year-old audience I think.

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I thought it was really good! I think it's a MG/YA crossover too. Wonderful characters and perfectly plotted. To me, it was FEED meets ENDER'S GAME.

I'm now reading H0LL0W P1KE by James Dawson - a UKYA book that I've heard good things about, but never bought because I couldn't get past the really amateurish writing at the start. Actually, once you get into it the storyline makes you forget the iffy writing, because it's pretty good - all witchcraft and dead mean girls.

Stiger05 said:

I thought it was really good! I think it's a MG/YA crossover too. Wonderful characters and perfectly plotted. To me, it was FEED meets ENDER'S GAME.

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Hmm, I totally see the ENDER'S GAME comparison, but I haven't read FEED yet. I'll have to add that to the list. I think INSIGNIA is part of a trilogy (second book not yet published). I'm quite interested to see how it develops.

I'm interested to hear what you think! I've been debating reading it, but just can't make up my mind after the way the last one ended. I like Cassia and Ky and I'm afraid the third book will mess that up.

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Me too! I love Ky/Cassia, ever since book one. I love Xander, too, and I think this third book is doing a good job at getting me to look at Xander outside of the scope of "He loves Cassia, so I can only compare him to Ky." I'm really enjoying it, but I'll let you know the final verdict when it's finished!

I'm reading Eveything Beautiful by Simmone Howell and loving it. The snarky voice is just right (and suits the MC), and the Australian setting is great.

I read Seraphina over the weekend. LOVED IT.

Becca C. said:

I started THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian last night. I'm only fifty pages in, but I'm pretty impressed by how distinct each of the main characters is. And there are eight of them!

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Loved this book. All eight of the POVs are done really well. Quite a feat.


Currently reading Aussie Lia Hills' The Beginner's Guide to Living. It's a grief book (boy's mom dies). It reads literary, which I like, but I have yet to be drawn into the plot to the point where I *have* to finish it.

Currently reading A Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves. Twisted but I like it!

Finished BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY by Ruta Sepetys. I think it's an incredibly powerful book and it talks about something that's been largely forgotten by the west. However, I thought that the ending was too abrupt and it leapt straight into an epilogue, which felt like it was tacked on.

Am about to start THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, which I have no preconceptions about at all as I picked it up from a sale table to make up a 3 for 2. All I know is it's YA with a bit of a dystopian/kill-or-be-killed vibe.

MM

Momento Mori said:

Finished BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY by Ruta Sepetys. I think it's an incredibly powerful book and it talks about something that's been largely forgotten by the west. However, I thought that the ending was too abrupt and it leapt straight into an epilogue, which felt like it was tacked on.

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I felt exactly the same way about the ending. This book was so well written, and so harrowing – I tore through it because I was really desperate to find out what happened to the characters. But for me, the ending was hugely disappointing. The fact that the epilogue was from a stranger's POV made the story feel emotionally unresolved. I wanted at least a glimpse of how Lina felt after everything that had happened to her.

Momento Mori said:

Finished BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY by Ruta Sepetys. I think it's an incredibly powerful book and it talks about something that's been largely forgotten by the west. However, I thought that the ending was too abrupt and it leapt straight into an epilogue, which felt like it was tacked on.

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That's how I felt about the ending, too. But holy crap, was that book ever amazing. I was glued to the pages, even though I was ugly-crying every couple chapters.

Finally got around to reading DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. Really enjoyed it, although the prose lost my attention at points. It's really beautiful but also very flowery.

But, holy crap, girl can write. And plot. I likes the characters, even with the rather distant POV. The world felt so real. I think I'll be reading the second.

Windcutter said:

I haven't read LY1NG GAME though I planned to. Is it really that soapy?

The numbers thing prevents the authors from googling us some people only do it when they are going to say the book is crappy, others do it all the time, some never. I guess it rubbed off on me.

As for BL, it is a bit... not soapy, but sort of bleak and detailed at the same time. I also seem to remember--am I right?--that you prefer realistic fiction, so there's a little spoiler regarding that
spoiler in white the ending includes some paranormal elements, this is not one of those thrillers where everything can be explained away by pure logic /end of spoiler in white

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Ah, that makes sense. Sad state of affairs, though, when you can't even give an honest mini-review...

I do prefer realistic fiction, but I also like eerie mysterious books. Just I have a bit of brain-freeze when it comes to pure sci-fi or fantasy.

The letters/numbers thing is appropriate at this moment, though, because I thought THE LY1NG GAME was really bad. Full of ludicrous plot holes - felt like 30 minutes of TV time stretched over an entire book.

StoryG27 said:

I'm so behind the curve.
I just finished this book. It was an odd style for me to get used to but I fell madly in love with it! I don't think I cried, but I was misty-eyed.

Proving just how behind I am, I just started reading Bitterblue. It took me forever to get my hands on it. (I've already read Graceling and Fire).

I'll have to peruse this thread some more and write down some titles of a few "must reads."

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I cried, lol. I let a friend borrow it and she returned it on Sunday, and I got all teary-eyed just thinking about it again, lol.

This thread is baaaad! My TBR pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Becca C. said:

That's how I felt about the ending, too. But holy crap, was that book ever amazing. I was glued to the pages, even though I was ugly-crying every couple chapters.

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Oh, gosh, I just picked that book up from the library today. I'll know not to read that one in public then, lol!