Which YA authors do bloggers prefer?

It is no secret that I have recently grown to love YA fiction books and so I started to wonder what sort of YA books other bloggers were reading. The YA genre came to light for me when I watched a few Netflix series which stemmed from YA stories. Now I am absolutely hooked on YA and can’t get enough of it. In fact, I even decided to write my latest novel in this brilliant genre.

My shelves are fast filling up with YA novels. These are not my shelves but you get the idea.

Putting my feelers out, I asked fellow bloggers for their thoughts on Young Adult books. I have discovered that these books certainly do not just appeal to teenagers and have a wide audience. In my opinion, this is due to their ability to relate to modern life, their clever use of dialogue and their quick pace.

The following are quotes by some of my favorite bloggers about YA authors that they adore:

Smelly Socks and Garden Peas was excited about Rick Riordan’s writing. She says…

“Rick Riordan’s books seem to appeal to a really broad age range, they stretch the literacy of 8 yr olds but satisfy the fantasies of teenagers. They also open the world of mythology (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian) to younger minds who would doubtless find Sophocles rather dry. My 10 yr old knows more about those ancient gods than I ever have, and loves learning more.”

The Grumpy Olive sisters were keen to recommend Maggie Stiefvater, a writer I had never heard of but am now wanting to know more about. They say…

“One of my favourite YA authors must be Maggie Stiefvater. She has the ability to transport you from a world of werewolves to dreamers and ancient kings that feel so real and tangible.

I love how she takes time for details and describing, mostly locations, without getting too boring or lengthy on pages. And without omitting great and interesting character building.”

NotSoModernGirl is a wonderful all-round blogger and she enjoys the works of Amy Ewing. Eleanor says…

“My favourite YA author is Amy Ewing. I don’t normally read book series, but when I read her first book (‘The Jewel’) I couldn’t wait to read more. I really recommend checking out her books for a bit of dystopian fiction with a modern twist. I also got the chance to interview her for my blog a few years ago, which was amazing!”

Headphones and Thoughts Blog was also keen on Rick Riordan but has a place in her heart for a more traditional text which impacted her greatly.

“When I was in high school, I was required to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I loved the book so much that I ended up reading all her novels. I own all of them. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite out of all her novels. Jane Austen is truly an amazing writer.”

Karalee at Tales of Belle wanted to share enthusiasm for another YA author that I have yet to check out. Ransom Riggs definitely sounds intriguing…

“My favorite young adult author is Ransom Riggs. He wrote the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, which has 6 books in the series as well as a collection of short stories. I absolutely love the series because it follows a group of children who have peculiar abilities and their fight against Wights who want to consume their souls, and there is also the added element of time loops and Riggs includes vintage found photographs in his books too.”

I was thrilled to read about these different YA authors and would like to thank these brilliant bloggers for collaborating with me in this article. I have definitely been persuaded to check out these recommendations.

My personal favourite YA author is Becky Albertalli although there are several others that I am becoming fond of. For a previous post I wrote about Becky, check out my Leah On The Offbeat review. For similar future posts, please consider following my blog.

TV Shows Worth Watching

Rain has taken over England right now and summer seems markedly dampened so I thought I would share some good TV shows that I am currently viewing. My interest in telly changes all of the time and I go through phases of trash TV and reality shows, but one thing I consistently like is a good drama. Lately, as I have researched the YA genre more, being a writer of that type of book, I have also discovered some fun YA series as well.

Do you need something fresh to watch? Here are my suggestions.

1) Physical

I haven’t been taking advantage of my Apple TV Plus membership and recently decided to check it out, only to discover some great new series emerging. One of them stars Rose Byrne, the incredibly funny and soulful actress who made everyone split their sides laughing in Bridesmaids. The picture looked a bit like the ‘Physical’ music video which Olivia Newton John got to number one with in the eighties. Rose was wearing a leotard whilst doing a frantic aerobic workout, similar to those I sometimes do, but without the colourful sweatbands.

Quirky, nostalgic and awkward.

Well, this series starts with a warning about it covering the sensitive issues of eating disorders and soon we discover why. With a cool eighties soundtrack and some references that take me right back to my childhood, Rose’s character takes us on her journey from bored housewife to assumed celebrity, whilst taking time to share her internal monologue which constantly judges both herself and her friends based on appearance. She indulges her food desires and then throws up, each time suggesting it will be her last ever binge.

The eating disorder is dealt with honestly and with no holes barred. Everything else about the programme is funky, humorous and intriguing. Although I am only half way through I am totally hooked. This series is enlightening, nostalgic and indeed sad. It is refreshing, however, to see such a difficult subject covered openly and with some balanced representation.

Never Have I Ever

Currently streaming series two on Netflix, I find this YA comedy very entertaining, not least because it is written and co-created by Mindy Kaling (whose autobiographies I am reading). It covers the life of a teenager whose family live in California but still stay close to their Indian roots.

Devi is growing up, conflicted by culture, social media, body image and ‘guys’. She has such funny encounters with her peers, enjoys competitions of the geeky kind and sees a therapist regarding the death of her father, who is seen often in flashback. What’s best of all is that her life is narrated by her dad’s favourite tennis player, John McEnroe. He actually has a way of making it even funnier and was originally approached by Mindy at an award ceremony, which he thought was itself a joke.

In season two she has to decide between two guys, one bright and rich, the other handsome and sporty. What a dilemma! I love that each episode is under half an hour and Mindy has a way of bringing up so many references to today’s society, in a comical, thought-provoking way.

Thanks for checking out my suggestions and I will add a few more next week, so perhaps consider following my blog for similar content, book reviews and more…

If you missed my previous TV recommendations click here