What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?, issue 2

Just finished Ready Player One and it was ahmaaaazzzzingggg!!! Can't wait for the movie now! A freakishly interesting blend of past and future.

Just finished SCYTHE by Neal Shusterman, which I really enjoyed although it didn't need the inevitable YA romance element (not least because it's completely unbelievable). I'll definitely be checking out THUNDERHEAD.

MM

A TAXONOMY OF LOVE by Rachael Allen.

I enjoyed ONE OF US IS LYING though I had a big gripe with a particular piece of misdirection!

I'm reading GOODBYE, PERFECT by Sara Barnard. So far, quite meh on it. It's one of those YA novels where the teens don't feel like teens.

Just finished The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw which was really good, although the romance felt rushed (I also feel like I need to read back through it to see if the twist holds up, because I'm not sure).
Currently reading The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi which is really great so far and has a well-developed world.

Mary Love said:

Just finished Ready Player One and it was ahmaaaazzzzingggg!!! Can't wait for the movie now! A freakishly interesting blend of past and future.

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I just picked it up and am about to start reading it Plus I want to read it before I take the kids to the movies to see it

Sage said:

Hardcopy: STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor and THE BEST KIND OF MAGIC by Crystal Cestari
Kindle: CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi
Audiobook: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE by Mackenzie Lee and (soon to be) READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

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Just bought Children of Blood and Bone on kindle too. Excited to read it from all the buzz it's had leading up to it and all.

I seem to be reading so much YA where the teen voices aren't convincing at the moment, and sound like people in their 20s. Seriously, I feel like some of the authors clearly want to be writing for adults. I've just finished what I was reading. Does anyone have any recommendations for YA where the teens actually act like teens and sound like teens? I'm biased towards UKYA but any US recommendations are welcome too.

I finished WHEN MY HEART JOINS THE THOUSAND by AW's own The Otter and it was amazing. One of two books that made me cry this year, and wow, did it ever. The ending is beautiful and brought me out of ugly-sobbing mode.

Now reading A GOOD IDEA, a small-town mystery/thriller released last year. It reads very much like an adult thriller in the Gone Girl mode, with a cynical, sophisticated narrator, but that's fine with me and I'm enjoying it. I love reading about weird and/or corrupt small towns!

I'm currently reading The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk and absolutely loving it!

Mary Love said:

Just finished Ready Player One and it was ahmaaaazzzzingggg!!! Can't wait for the movie now! A freakishly interesting blend of past and future.

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ME TOO! I alternated between the physical copy and Will Wheaton's narration audiobook, both super enjoyable. There are a lot of aspects I feel I could nitpick, storylines that could have been much expanded upon, but I devoured it, so that's a good book to me. Looks like they changed a lot for the movie, but the Cline co-wrote the screenplay and Spielberg is directing so I'm pretty excited.

Wil also read the Armada audiobook so that's next for me!

I finished Ready Player One in the week (then I read Terry Pratchett's 'Lords and Ladies' a witches story--love those). Ready Player One was awesome. I really 'got' into the world Cline had created and I liked the 'human' aspect of the story in a somewhat human-less world. I could see a few things coming, but the really cool thing is that I got EVERY 80's reference. LOL

RaggyCat said:

I seem to be reading so much YA where the teen voices aren't convincing at the moment, and sound like people in their 20s. Seriously, I feel like some of the authors clearly want to be writing for adults. I've just finished what I was reading. Does anyone have any recommendations for YA where the teens actually act like teens and sound like teens? I'm biased towards UKYA but any US recommendations are welcome too.

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I read the 'Skulduggery Pleasant' series and thought that had a really great female teen lead character.

Reading BURRO HILLS by Julia Lynn Rubin and LOVING IT!!!!!!! The characters, the voice, the setting and the story are just so spot on .

Ooh, Fuchsia, A GOOD IDEA sounds like fun!!! I'm stocking up on physical books for the moment, since my Kindle croaked and I haven't gotten around to replacing it . *Heads to Barnes and Noble website...

Magnus Chase.

Is it me, or are all the Percy Jackson spin offs not up to par?

Also, I really like the '39 Clues' series franchise. My sister always brings those home from school and I pretty much read all of her school books. So my YA reading stash is always full.

BonafideDreamer said:

Magnus Chase.

Is it me, or are all the Percy Jackson spin offs not up to par?

Also, I really like the '39 Clues' series franchise. My sister always brings those home from school and I pretty much read all of her school books. So my YA reading stash is always full.

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I think 39 Clues is considered MG?

I just finished SADIE by Courtney Summers.
I'm reading two e-book at the same time (one Kindle, one from the library) INVINCIBLE by Amy Reed and CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi.
I'm also listening to the audiobook of THE CRUEL PRINCE by Holly Black. Phew!

I'm currently reading ZENITH by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings. Picked it up because I loved the idea of a SF novel that's actually set in space (so much YA SF seems to revolve around takes on dystopias) and because it is pitched at fans of Star Wars so I thought it would have a bit of a space opera adventure vibe. I'm about a quarter of the way in and I'm finding it very disjointed - the shifting POVs (5 so far) keeps throwing me out and prevents me from empathising with the characters or their respective plights, the romance is making my eyes roll (partly because I just can't bear the whole arrogant male jerk romance interest thing) but also because for a book that's built on an idea of an all female spaceship crew, I think the side characters are under developed. It's not helping that the characters all seem to be more New Adult age than YA age (the 2 mains are in their early 20s while only a couple of the side characters are teenagers) and the world building is throwing too much at me for me to get to grips with it. I'll push on with it because I always finish my books but I'm disappointed not to be loving it as much as I thought I would.

MM

Sage said:

WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte

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*Makes dreamy eyez at Heathcliff...I mean Catherine*

I mean Heathcliff.

Princess & the Dressmaker is lovely, btw, Jen Wang's been a talent for some time and I'm glad she finally gets to write something of her own. Would bet money she'll get to do a Lumberjanes soon. (she already did)

Sage said:

Hardcopy: THE SWEETEST KIND OF FATE by Crystal Cestari
Kindle: CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber and WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte
Audiobook: READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
On hold: STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor and A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE by Mackenzie Lee

ETA: I also read THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, which was adorable. It's a graphic novel, so it's different from what I usually read these days, but it made me nostalgic for some of the cute LGBT manga I read when I was in college.

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STRANGE THE DREAMER is so amazing. I am dying for the sequel. I recently gave it to my mum as she was in a book slump and she finished it on the weekend. She said it was the best book she's read in a long time, and left with DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. It's never too late to convert them to YA.

I impulsively re-read I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson this week even though I have a million other books to read. Now I'm thinking I'll re-read the SKY IS EVERYWHERE. And can she please write another book? Please and thank you!

Sage said:

ETA: I also read THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER, which was adorable.

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Thanks, just put on hold! I really enjoyed her work on IN REAL LIFE and KOKO BE GOOD.