Goodreads released several YA book lists in celebration of YA week. Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction analyzed these lists and compared them to her own reading. This looked like a fun exercise (and I’m always hoping to find another good book to add to my ever-growing TBR), so I went through these lists as well.
Top 100 YA Books
- I’ve read: 44 // I confess that I was expecting this number to be smaller since I haven’t read as many YA books in recent years, but there were a lot of oldies but goodies on the list!
- I’m interested in reading: 10
- I have a passing interest in: 14
Random fact: I learned through this list that I accidentally marked 2 books as read instead of “want to read,” and I hadn’t marked 2 books from my childhood as read.
My Favorites
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery // this is one of the books that grows with you; I keep finding new delights and ways to relate with Anne.
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
- The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen // my 2 favorite Dessen novels made the list!
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce // one of the books that launched me into the fantasy genre
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
- The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer // loved this as a child!
Can you believe I haven’t read? (And yes, these books have been filed away into my mental TBR.)
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
- Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
- On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
- Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
- Sabriel by Garth Nix
- The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton // I’m doing a buddy read with a friend this summer to hold me accountable to finally reading this modern classic.
Most Popular New YA Voices
I’ve read…
2016: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
2018: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
2019: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
I’m interested in…
2019: Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
2018: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
2017: Caraval by Stephanie Garber
My Favorites New YA Voices // not on the list
- The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (2016)
- Sea Witch by Sarah Henning (2018)
Highest-Rated YA Books of 2019 (So Far)
I’ve read…
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
- Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
- The Wicked King by Holly Black
I’m interested in…
- Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau-Preto
- Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
- Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
My Highest-Rated YA Books of 2019 (So Far) // not all on the list
- The Wicked King by Holly Black
- Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (more of an MG but with YA appeal)
- Somewhere Only we Know by Maurene Goo
- The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
The Most Anticipated YA Books
I’m interested in…
- Frankly in Love by David Yoon
- The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
- The Toll by Neal Shusterman
- Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
More Fun Shenanigans
According to Goodread’s epic young adult title creator, my upcoming YA novel will be titled The Society of Wicked Burdens. I’m really curious now what wicked burdens the members of this society shares and why they started a society in the first place. What do you think this book will be about? Please enlighten me!
Goodreads asks: can you be too old for YA?
My answer is no. You can never be too old for YA.
Let’s Discuss
What books have you read from these lists? What are you anticipating? Do we share any in common?
Dani @ Perspective of a Writer says
I loved Dragon Pearl too! Kprean rep!! And Crown of Feathers and Aurora Rising (which made my running top 2019 reads list). I want to read Somewhere Only We Know and Sorcery of Thorns. The best thing about certain books being popular (like A Curse So Dark and Lonely) is the library gets it quickly so I’m already reading this now! ❤️ This looks like a lot of fun!! I love Nicole and her quirky discussions so much.
Crystal says
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these books, Dani! ❤️ Somewhere Only We Know is so much fun. It reminds me so much of K-dramas, except with a romance that’s more PG-13. The library wait times can stretch on forever!! The worst is when a bunch of requests come in at the same time, weeks later, and I don’t have time to finish all of them. Yes, I love Nicole’s discussions too! ✨
Jen says
I just recently got two Sarah Dessen novels and I can’t wait to dive into them! I hope I enjoy her stories as much as you! 🙂
Crystal says
I hope you enjoy your Dessen books! She’s a fantastic writer 🙂
theorangutanlibrarian says
Wow you’ve read a lot of these! I like all the favourites (that I’ve read)- Anne of Green Gables and giver are both great. Loved Six of crows, howl’s moving castle, alanna and cruel prince! Definitely recommend aristotle and dante, sabriel, demon king and illuminae!! oh and crown of feathers was very entertaining and I want to read sorcery of thorns too! I’m really anticipating starsight and queen of nothing as well. Awesome post!
Crystal says
Thanks so much for the recs. I’m looking forward to reading these books!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
Oooh, The Society for Wicked Burdens sounds very intriguing. All those poor souls who just need a friend (or a society of friends) to unload on. LOL!
Thanks for sharing how your reading compares to the Goodreads lists—I found this to be a fun exercise!
Crystal says
Haha…that has has potential for a story!
It was a lot of fun to make this list 🙂
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters says
I love Just Listen by Dessen! My fave by her is This Lullaby. I need to read Illuminae, Caraval, Aurora Rising, A Curse So Dark and Lonely. And I’m SUPER interested in Sorcery of Thorns!
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters
Crystal says
This Lullaby is another fantastic book 🙂
I heard there’s a library in Sorcery of Thorns. That and the fantasy setting were all I needed to add it to my TBR!