Holiday Reading List – YA Fiction


Welcome, welcome! I’m sure many of you have been eager to read my latest and greatest ‘Holiday Reads’ picks for the year, and once again I’m serving up some of the greatest choices for fiction, nonfiction, and young adult fiction – kicking off with today’s YA post. As Shailene Woodley proved with the smash hit (and Oscar-buzzworthy performance), The Fault In Our Stars, YA ain’t just for youths anymore. Many YA bestsellers will stay at the top of the charts for months, if not years, and fiercely rabid fan bases line up in droves to see their favourite titles adapted to the big screen. If you want to get ahead of the curve and read the latest and greatest in YA, then check out these fierce 15 titles – all of which offer up a little something different and enjoyable! Oh and did I mention there’s a twist to this year’s Holiday Reads post? Read on to find out what!

Black Ice Becca Fitzpatrick
Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick – $23.99

Perfect For: Anyone looking for a bone-chilling (in more than one way) thriller that’ll keep you up at night – and afraid to turn out the lights.
Reminded Me Of: R.L. Stine’s 1990s teen thrillers – with a modern, girl power-y twist.
What’s Up?: Becca Fitzpatrick is best known as the author of the Hush Hush saga – a four-part series of books that drew comparisons to Twilight for its paranormal romance between a fallen angel and a human girl. After having a world of fun in the fantasy realm, Fitzpatrick has totally switched gears and written a good ol’ fashioned thriller. The story follows a somewhat self-centered girl named Britt, who, still nursing a broken heart after her first love unceremoniously dumped her after leaving for college, has chosen to hike the Teton Ridge during her Spring Break, alongside her best friend Corbie. Things get off to a rocky start however, when Britt is informed the very ex she’s trying to forget – Corbie’s older brother Calvin – will actually be chaperoning the girls. While Britt is debating how to handle this turn of events, an even bigger roadblock gets in her way – in the name of a h-u-g-e snowstorm that strands Britt and Corbie, forcing them to take shelter in the only cabin they see with lights on. From there, the story ramps up the tension factor, as the two men that let them in take Britt and Corbie hostage. It turns out they’re on the lam and need to get off the mountain before the cops track them down. The threats for Britt are coming from all angles – from the mysterious nature of her two captors (including one that Britt wants to believe may not be as bad as he seems) to hoping someone (like Calvin) will figure out where she’s ended up to perhaps most chillingly of all, the treacherous weather conditions as Britt tries to make her way off the mountain, one frozen, painful step at a time.

salt and storm book coverSalt & Storm by Kendall Kulper – $20
Perfect For:
Anyone that loves classic, folklore-inspired tales and historical romances, all in one fell swoop.
Reminded Me Of: Similarly folksy novels, like Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child and Jess Richards’ Snake Ropes.
What’s Up?: Avery Roe comes from a long line of sea witches, those who protect Prince Island and its men when they’re at sea, whaling for profit. Yet Avery’s destiny to become the next Roe witch is ripped from her at the age of twelve, when her mother takes her away from her beloved Granma, with plans instead to breed a proper young lady, ripe for marrying. But Avery has been plotting her escape for years – and when a mysterious new boy arrives on the island with a talent for magic of his own, she might just manage to do it. The hitch? She’s working against a very dubious clock: Avery has prophesied her own murder, and it’s coming up quick. This book won me over with its beautiful historical setting and homage to classic ‘fisherman’s tales’. Even if you aren’t really into witchcraft and wizardry a la Harry Potter, the magic contained here has a more traditional, earthy vibe – similar to folk tales you probably grew up loving. As a bonus, the romance element is sure to hook anyone looking for their latest YA romance fix (I’m looking at you Twihards). Plus, I enjoyed that this was a standalone novel – books just seem to have so much more momentum when they’re going to be wrapped up at once.

ill-give-you-the-sunI’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson – $19.99
Perfect For:
YA skeptics. This is a book that happens to have teenage protagonists – but the family drama at the heart of it has far-reaching appeal to parents, adults, twenty-somethings, and most of all, artists.
Reminded Me Of: A lot of people have compared Jandy Nelson’s style to John Green. I don’t disagree, although Nelson’s style is wholly her own – and very beautiful.
What’s Up?: Can we just talk about how pretty the cover is? But beyond that, this book is absolutely lovely and well worth the hype it’s racked up as THE YA book of the past year. The story flips back and forth between Jude and Noah, twins with seismic gaps in their personalities and interests, but a deep, almost paranormal emotional bond. Noah’s chapters take place when he’s 13 years old; falling in love with the boy next door and gearing up for applying to a prestigious art school in his beach town. Jude’s chapters take place three years later, when she’s 16, incredibly superstitious, burrowed in a shield of invisibility from boys, and wracked with guilt and sadness over a horrendous tragedy that tore her family apart – including a massive rift between her and Noah. As the book ping pongs between these two narrators and time periods, plenty of questions are raised about how the twins drifted so far apart and then slowly, surprisingly answered. Like I said above, this is an incredibly well-written, beautiful, poetic, dreamy book. Noah and Jude are magnificent characters, and what’s particularly impressive is the way seemingly throwaway scenes and moments on either end of the story actually all mean something for the big reveals as the book progresses. In terms of that John Green comparison, I don’t think it’s an unfair thing to call this 2014’s The Fault In Our Stars in terms of its broad appeal. Read it. You’ll love it.

infinite-seaThe Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – $21
Perfect For:
Moviegoers looking to stay on top of the next big thing.
Reminded Me Of: A YA version of Justin Cronin’s amazing The Passage series.
What’s Up?: I try not to feature tooooo many sequels here (although I have no problems introducing you to the start of a new series), but where The Fifth Wave is the buzzy book-to-movie adaptation people are talking about these days, I thought it was only fair to update you there are now TWO books in the series (and in fact, given the movie’s early 2016 release date, I anticipate the books may all be on the shelves by then). This breakneck-speed book picks up rather quickly from where it previously left our heroes; out of the thumb of the evil Vosch over at Camp Haven, but perhaps not for long. Hunkered down in a hotel at the precipice of winter, Cassie, Ben and the others must make even more impossible choices, especially as it appears their options may be as brutal as leave: die or stay: die. While the novel was decidedly slimmer than the first entry into The Fifth Wave, it was still an exhilarating, breathless ride that offers more questions than answers (even as the smartest amongst the group starts to put the pieces together, I’m still left going hmmmmm….). Seriously block off a day or two to devour this one; you won’t regret it.

The Winner's CurseThe Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski – $19.99
Perfect For: Anyone looking for a little ancient bloodlust mixed with a little regular lust too.
Reminded Me Of: My most relevant touchstone would be this year’s equally popular Red Rising.
What’s Up?: First up, let me establish that this – much hyped – book technically falls into the ‘fantasy’ category, even though it’s not much of a fantasy novel at all. There are no wizards, no unicorns, no magic, no elves, no dragons. Instead, the book is set in a nondescript, but seemingly ancient or medieval society, wherein a group called the Valorians have successfully conquered half the globe. Our heroine is Kestrel, the daughter of a fabled war General living in a conquered community called Harran, which once belonged to a noble, artistic society called the Harrani. Kestrel brings more to the table with her mind than her physical prowess when it comes to her society’s war-driven values, making her a bit of an odd – if revered – duck amongst her peers. Staring down the clock of choosing between enlisting or getting married, Kestrel makes an impulsive purchase at a slave auction, bringing home an intriguing Herrani boy named Arin. Tongues are already a-wagging by Kestrel’s actions at the auction, but even moreso when the twosome begin to develop a tentative, if fraught, friendship. Standing between these two would-be-more-than-friends is a decade-long period of indentured servitude, and impossible, conflicting commitments to their societies. In bringing Arin into her life, she may in fact, effectively be jeopardizing everything she holds most dearly. Altogether, this novel had a surprisingly sophisticated and mature feel to it – one that transcended the YA genre and made for an altogether entertaining ‘love and war’ story. Given that it was written by a literary professor, be prepared to be wrapped up in the intense emotional conflicts by the end – and thrown off course by the radical wrench thrown in for Kestrel and Arin by the final pages. This is one journey through the woods I’m very curious to see how the author is able to untangle for our protagonists.

earthandskyEarth and Sky by Megan Crewe – $18.99
Perfect For:
Dr. Who fans – or those looking to dive into a time traveling escapade that’s part historical, part futuristic. Sort of like an Outlander for teens.
Reminded Me Of: Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series – aka The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, etc.
What’s Up?: First up – this is a rare Canadian entry on this list. It’s not that Canadians aren’t great at writing YA fiction (in fact, author Crewe has a rather robust bibliography), it’s just that their titles tend to get overlooked in this highly competitive field. Anyway, this book kicks off a new trilogy for Crewe – one that spans the past, present and future in equal measure. Ever since she was a little girl, Skylar has been plagued by feelings of ‘wrongness’. Just as she fears something is seriously wrong with her, a mysterious, otherworldly boy name Win informs her that in fact, she’s just hyper-sensitive to the experiments scientists on his planet, Kemya, have been conducting on Earth since the dawn of mankind. Win and his fellow aliens have the ability to time travel, effectively weakening Earth’s ‘fabric’ (hence explaining our crazy environmental issues of late). But Win and a small band of outliers are committed to removing the ‘time field’ that allows this time travel to happen – but he needs Sky’s help to detect when changes are made and follow a trail of clues left behind by his revolution’s leader. With humanity as a whole hanging in the balance, you better believe the stakes are high as Win and Sky try to outrun the ‘Enforcers’ that are trying to stop the rebellion, through various historical periods of time.

A_Little_Something_Different_for_sitejpgA Little Something Different by Sandy Hall – $10.99
Perfect For:
Escaping into a swoonworthy romance for a quick, possibly single setting read.
Reminded Me Of: David Nicholl’s One Day
What’s Up?: The story of boy meets girl isn’t exactly new – but Sandy Hall’s unique take on young love certainly is. Set over the course of a college year, the book follows Gabe and Lea, two shy students that catch one another’s eye, but seemingly never at the same time. What’s unique here however, is the fact the story is never told from Gabe OR Lea’s perspective. Instead, it’s told from 14 other characters that can see how perfect these two are for one another (and how enamored they both secretly are) – yet are frustrated at the twosome’s inability to make anything happen. Those perspectives are from the up close & personal variety – Gabe’s brother, Lea’s roommate – all the way through to the way more impersonal – a bus driver, a Chinese food delivery guy, an antagonistic classmate – to the surprising – a bench, and a squirrel, both make humorous narrators. The result is a pretty fluffy, breezy read – but a super fun one too. Kudos to hall for creating distinctive voices for such disparate characters, and for still breathing life into the characters of Lea and Gabe. It’s a crazy writing exercise, but one that actually works out in this case.

Atlantia Ally CondieAtlantia by Ally Condie – $21
Perfect For:
Those intrigued by the legends of Atlantis.
Reminded Me Of: There are vague ties to fantasy-laden titles like Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor.
What’s Up?: After spending some time in the future with her breakout dystopian trilogy Matched, author Ally Condie is going back, way back, into the legend of Atlantis. The story marries mythology (sirens) with reality (Atlantia is essentially an underwater community created when the world’s air became toxic – whether that was in the past or future is undetermined) for a unique story rooted in spirituality and the importance of having a kind, generous heart. Our heroine is Rio, twin sister to Bay, daughter of a revered Minister named Oceana that recently died under suspicious circumstances, secret Siren with the power to manipulate people with her voice (if she ever used it), and most simply, a girl with a deep desire to head to the ‘Above’ and see what life is like outside of Atlantia. However, after her mother’s death, Rio is committed to stay by her sister’s side ‘Below’. After declining the opportunity to see Above once and for all, Rio soon realizes she’s made a terrible error and begins to plot to find a way out of the underwater crypt that Atlantia somewhat appears to be. Running against a clock that seems to point to an end date for Atlantia while being pursued by her mysterious siren aunt Maire, Rio must find a way to not only save herself, but everything and everyone she holds dearly. This was definitely an intriguing book and an about face for author Ally Condie after Matched. Anyone with an interest in Atlantis will probably enjoy this book, that posits pretty realistic reasons for the community to exist (as well as strong ones for why it may have eventually fallen apart).

Glory O'Briens History of the FutureGlory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King – $20
Perfect For: All those teenage feminist Nostradamus types (is that a type?)
Reminded Me Of: I’m scratching my head here…the closest I’ve got is the character of Alice from the Twilight series has a similar ‘gift’ to the one encountered here. And something about the voice reminded me a bit of Laini Taylor, only without the fantasy-laden poetry.
What’s Up?: Glory O’Brien is at the cusp of adulthood – her high school graduation is just days away. Although, unlike her peers, Glory is seeking to free herself from the ‘what’s next’ that most students embark on (namely, college). While mulling over what to do with her life – and the possibility of following in her suicidal mother’s footsteps for better or worse – things take a turn for the crazy when, along with her best frenemy Ellie, Glory drinks a bat (I won’t explain that – you have to read the book to get it). Shortly afterward, Ellie and Glory begin having visions of the past and the future in the form of transmissions from unassuming citizens in their sleepy town. Glory’s visions surround a terrifying war, one started because of some insane anti-feminist political moves. Terrified that she’s not seeing herself in these visions, Glory must decide whether to believe them – and how to act on them. This was a pretty fascinating book on multiple accounts. It’s a super realistic story despite the mystical bat and visions, and I think A.S. King did a phenomenal job of tying together this realism with a slice of fantasy. I honestly got weepy at the end, and although the book was a touch angsty throughout, I think you’ll come to love the character of Glory as much as I did!

TheWalledCityThe Walled City by Ryan Graudin – $20
Perfect For:
Anyone searching for a kickin’ action / adventure / gangster / love story set in a crime-laden Asian city
Reminded Me Of: Bits and pieces of a bunch of other things, including Maze Runner, Procession of the Dead and oddly, a video game called Jet Set Radio Future
What’s Up?: On the surface, the premise here might feel like a dystopian novel: tens of thousands of people crammed into a small, lawless parcel of land where a gang called The Brotherhood rules, women are forced into prostitution, and a knife is the closest thing you have to comfort. In reality, this Far East-set tale is inspired by a real place called Kowloon that existed just outside of Hong Kong. The barriers keeping people in the city are both real and imagined, particularly for our three protagonists. Dai has been laying low for the past two years, but his time’s about to run out as the novel opens – with just 18 days to complete a secret and highly dangerous mission. He crosses paths with Jin, a fleet-footed vagrant girl who disguises herself as a boy, with hopes of tracking down her sister who was sold from her family farm years ago. That sister is Mei Yee, who is the exclusive companion to a prominent figurehead, trapped in the city’s biggest brothel where a fate worse than murder awaits anyone who tries to escape. Together, the three of them must combine forces to save one another’s lives and hopefully, escape this cursed city once and for all. The novel’s high-flying pace will have you turning the pages, and with the rotating perspectives and exotic setting, this one actually works really well for both boys and girls (similar to The Fifth Wave).

Famous In Love
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle – $20
Perfect For: All those teenage fame gamers, looking to get swept up in a dreamy romance.
Reminded Me Of: The love triangle being the star attraction, other hotly contested debates like Twilight and The Hunger Games spring to mind in an oddly meta way – but the ‘young Hollywood’ setting is quite unique.
What’s Up?: Step aside ballerinas and firemen. I read an article not that long ago that revealed kids today are most interested in being ‘famous’ when they grow up – and a book like Famous In Love feeds right into that desire (with a healthy dose of reality thrown in). Paige Townsen is plucked from obscurity to start in Locked, a Lost-inspired movie trilogy with Twilight-esque levels of fervor, alongside two of Hollywood’s hottest young actors – Rainer Devon and Jordan Wilder. Paige initially bonds with Rainer, the drop-dead dreamy son of a Hollywood producer that’s been famous forever and is a huge flirt, but when Rainer’s rival Jordan shows up on set, Paige finds herself oddly interested in the standoffish Jordan, in part because he finally makes her feel like a natural at acting on a shoot that has been, to put it lightly, trying. Soon Paige’s life – at least behind closed doors – begins to mirror the same triangle that makes the Locked series so popular. All the while, Paige is also struggling with the fact that her old life is just that – something of the past. It’s an interesting yet lighthearted and romance-heavy take on fame, and what it ‘takes’ for one to not only step into the spotlight, but stay there. While it’s not quite Valley of the Dolls levels of insightful, it’s still a fun and entertaining setting that gives starry-eyed teens something to think about the next time they want to be famous. Or they can just break out their Team Rainer and Team Jordan shirts.

Afterworlds
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld – $23.99
Perfect For: Aspiring YA writers, amusingly enough.
Reminded Me Of: A little bit of the movie Stranger Than Fiction, where Will Ferrell’s Harold Crick is living out Emma Thompson’s droll novel about death.
What’s Up?: After topping the NY Times bestseller list with his Uglies series, YA author Scott Westerfeld gives us a sorta meta peek into the world of becoming that bestselling author with this unique, love letter of a book. Told in alternating chapters, we spend half the book with Darcy, a proverbial ‘girl with a dream’ – in this case, making it as a big time as a writer. Living in New York with few plans and even fewer friends, Darcy has a surprising book deal on her hands – as long as she can massage her NaNoWriMo manuscript into something sellable. The alternating chapters then, as you may expect, are from Darcy’s book, the titular Afterworlds, which is a YA sci fi / paranormal novel about a girl named Lizzie who is charged with guiding recently departed soul into, well, the afterlife. The real story here isn’t the main plotlines of either Darcy’s coming-of-authorship tale or Lizzie’s paranormal romance drama – it’s about how one impacts the other (or more specifically, how Darcy’s real life experiences inform what happens to Lizzie). To put it another way, if you read this as two separate books, you may not take tons and tons away from them. The magic comes from where the two of them link up and overlap and influence each other, to help you understand what it means to be an author and put your heart and soul out there for the feverish YA types to rip it to shreds…although again, it’s actually something of a love letter to writing, publishing, and getting lost in any kind of story.

Haze Paula WestonHaze by Paula Weston – $19.99
Perfect For: Anyone looking for a little bit of ‘high fantasy’ in their lives.
Reminded Me Of: Some other fabulous YA paranormal series, like Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush Hush series.
What’s Up?: This is the second book in this popular series by Paula Weston. Book 1, Shadows, introduced us to Gaby Winters, a twin who lost her brother Jude in a brutal car crash. Haunted by nightmares of hunting down demons, Gaby is perplexed when a new guy named Rafa comes to town, and reveals the truth – Gaby is a Rephaim, a wingless, half-angel that’s been tasked with fighting demons and has pretty incredible ‘traveling’ capabilities that can zip her around the world in an instant. In this second installment, Gaby is taking action on the big reveal in the first book – that her brother may actually still be alive. However, the road to rescuing him is more than a little dangerous. The cool thing about these series is twofold – meaning they offer something for everyone. On the one hand, I loved the vivid writing of the different locations Gaby and Rafa visit – to the point where I felt like I was reading some enticing travel writing. But I suspect the real selling point for lots of readers is Rafa – a super sexy romantic interest for Gaby that turns up the steam factor quite a bit higher than your average YA series. All in all these books just have a different vibe to them – one that may be accounted for the fact this series comes out of Australia, which is fast establishing itself as a hotbed for YA fiction. Read ’em for yourself – I guarantee the setting, sweeping emotions, or epic romance will easily wrap you up.

Belzhar
Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer – $19.99
Perfect For: Fans of Wolitzer’s adult novels looking to see how she takes on the YA world.
Reminded Me Of: Vaguely, at least in subject matter, Curtis Sittenfeld’s Belzhar.
What’s Up?: Meg Wolitzer is a bit of an interesting writer, in the sense that her bestselling novel The Interestings had a bit of a YA spin – it followed a group of prodigious youths into their adulthood, to see what becomes of the kids that hold so much promise. This time she’s firmly planted into the YA realm, with a character named Jam that’s attending a ‘therapeutic’ school’ after the death of her boyfriend Reeve. Inspired by Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar (try saying the book’s name out loud and you’ll hear it, if nothing else), Jam is opining the loss of Reeve when she signs up for a ‘Special Topics in English’ class at her school. It’s in this class that Jam begins to find some potential healing, as their personal experiences begin to manifest themselves  in strange, life-altering ways in Jam and her classmates’ lives – causing them to form a secret, cult-ish bond as they enter a semi-hypnotic world called Belzhar. There’s a big ol’ twist by the end of the story – one that’s admittedly a little polarizing – but honestly the entire book is pretty well-written, to the point where the ending works on two levels: gotcha and genius. It is chockful of angst – there are far fluffier, lighter reads on this list if that’s what you’re after – but Belzhar is an intelligent, interesting story worthy of any YA reader’s time.

Holiday Reads YA Fiction

So some exciting news for you all…my twist for this year’s Holiday Reads posts are I’m actually giving away every title I write about. That means for today’s post, I’m actually giving away 15 titles (I’m giving away both Shadows and Haze by Paula Weston), for a YA books prize package valued at over $290! Here’s how to enter for your chance to win:

1) Leave a comment on this post by December 15, 2014, telling me which of these titles you’re most interested in reading. You can pick as many as you like!

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 16, 2014 to select the winner(s), who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.

4) Bonus Entry: Follow the amazing publishers of these awesome books on Twitter, and send then send out as many as 15 Tweets (one per book) that tags each publisher and the author of the book (if they have a Twitter account), as well as links back to this post. Then post each of your Tweets into a separate comment below. As a handy cheat sheet, I’ve highlighted the publishers below, including what titles they released, and their Twitter handles.

Hachette Book Group – Famous In Love, Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future, Salt & Storm, The Walled City

Penguin – Atlantia, Belzhar, Earth & Sky, The Infinite Sea, I’ll Give You The Sun

Raincoast Books – The Winner’s Curse, A Little Something Different

Random House of Canada – Haze / Shadows

Simon & Schuster – Afterworlds, Black Ice

 

 

 

Comments
188 Responses to “Holiday Reading List – YA Fiction”
  1. kittypride says:

    I think all your choices sound like good reads. I especially would like to read I’ll Give You The Sun and Afterworlds.

  2. Margaret Palmer says:

    I am currently reading & enjoying Belzhar, so I guess that is the one that interested me the most. I am also hoping to read I’ll Give You The Sun as your review is one of many that recommended it. Thanks for the many suggestions.

  3. I vote for Haze. I’m a sucker for angel stories.

  4. KerriR says:

    A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall has grabbed me as being something a bit different

  5. Susan says:

    The two titles I would like to read first are: I’ll Give You the Sun and A Little Something Different. Thanks for another great giveaway!

  6. Dreena says:

    These books all sound great! My first pick is “The Infinite Sea” by Rick Yancey.
    Thanks.

  7. Sadie says:

    I’m interested in The Walled City as it seems like The Hunger Games kind of. Thanks for the reviews!

  8. Joan G. says:

    WOW – The Infinite Sea.reading for the whole winter – staring with

  9. Lucy says:

    I’m interested in Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King!

  10. There’s so many good ones but Belzhar’s the one I’m most looking forward to finally(eventually) reading.

  11. Denise B says:

    I would love to read Black Ice, The Walled City and Earth and Sky, !all great books though

  12. Lori says:

    I have heard so Munsch about Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick! I would really love to read it!

  13. Denise B says:

  14. Barbara says:

    I would love Salt & Storm! The sea and romance? Guaranteed swoons, and not from sea-sickness!

  15. Julia Wegiel says:

    Thank you for this awesome reading list!! I am SUPER excited to read “I’ll Give You The Sun”. It has been on my to-read list for awhile now, but I am a university student so I have not had time for “fun” reading! Based on your review, I think I am going to also read “A Little Something Different”. I cannot wait to finish exams so that I can read some of these books during the Christmas break!!!

  16. super interested in Belzhar, A Little Something Different & Black Ice!!

  17. Courtney says:

    Thank you for sharing these books! Now I have more to add to my tbr pile, gosh. I’m especially interested in The Walled City. Just from barely glancing at it, it kind of reminds me of Cinder a bit, but more action packed and kick-butt. I can’t wait to read these books!

  18. Annie says:

    They all sound interesting. I would start with Salt & Storm, I’ll Give You the Sun, and Earth & Sky.

  19. The two titles that jump right out at me are Salt & Sea and Black Ice, but they all look intriguing!

  20. Ri Tam says:

    I’m suer interested in I’ll Give you the Sun! I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about it and I’ve also been told that I *have* to read it

  21. I’m really looking forward to reading I’ll Give You The Sun – I absolutely adored The Sky is Everywhere, and I’ve heard so many excellent things about it.

  22. Bobby Karmakar says:

    Black Ice for sure! I’ve been hearing things about this title and the author was at a Chapters where I was down the street from (school)! The downside, I had not only class but a test or quiz during the same time so I couldn’t attend if I could. Looks like it’ll be now my Boxing Day item to get at Indigo 🙂

  23. I’m most excited for Black Ice, Afterworlds and I’ll Give You The Sun 🙂

  24. Cairine says:

    I am most interested in reading Black Ice, I love a good mystery.

  25. I would like to read I’ll give You the Sun!

  26. Audrey Skinner says:

    I am interested in reading Black Ice myself but all these books would be great to share with my nieces and nephews.

  27. Tara B says:

    Something a little bit different as well as Earth and Sky will be the first to be read!

  28. janicour says:

    The Walled City by Ryan Graudin and Atlantia by Ally Condie – These two really interest me.

  29. janicour says:

  30. janicour says:

  31. Kelly says:

    I’d like to read A Little Something Different. And Black Ice.

  32. janicour says:

  33. janicour says:

  34. Jasen H says:

    I’m interested in reading The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

  35. Joanne Thompson says:

    All the books look interesting – I think I’m most interested in reading Belzhar, Black Ice and A Little Something Different.

  36. aly3360 says:

    Hard decision, but i think Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld is at the top of my list out of these books. What a great list of books TBR 🙂

  37. cookie3 says:

    I think Black Ice & The Walled City are right up my alley.

  38. Evan says:

    Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King looks like a great one. Thank you.

  39. stellar says:

    They all sound very ineresting but my top picks would be:
    *Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper;
    *The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski;
    *Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle; and
    *Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

  40. Jennifer Weidmann says:

    Atlantia sounds like a great read.

  41. Juliette says:

    Salt & Storm tickles my fancy, I enjoy reading about magic

  42. Alison K says:

    Of these titles, I’m most interested in reading Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick & The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

  43. cheryl mclellan says:

    The Walled City looks like an awesome read!

  44. George Meek says:

    My wife would love these books as she reads 24/7

  45. Allison Jansen says:

    ‘A little something Different’ -I’m a sucker for a love story.

  46. Maurey says:

    I’d like to read Balck Ice and History of the Future

  47. KellyPC says:

    I’d love to read Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick!

  48. israel y says:

    Haze by Paula Weston

  49. SueSueper says:

    I am most interested in Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld and Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

  50. neednewspace says:

    Oooh! Now that’s a choice selection of great reading! I think I have just about every book on my TBR list! Top of the list is Becca Fitzpatrick’s Black Ice, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld and Meg Wolitzer’s Belzhar. But the rest are a very close second. I was fortunate to meet Megan Crewe this past September at the Toronto WOTS and snagged an ARC of Earth & Sky but the finished version is MUCH more prettier. Great giftaway! Thanks!

  51. Nicole B says:

    Black Ice and Afterworlds are on top of my list right now!!! But they all sound great!

  52. Pam says:

    my daughter is a voracious reader. Earth and sky looks interesting

  53. CLC says:

    I’ll Give you the Sun catches my eye. I like the title and the fact that it is family drama. Plus I love all things “twin”.

  54. mousecat says:

    I’d read every single one of these books! I think I’d start out with Atlantia by Ally Condie though. This is an awesome prize!!

  55. Tracy says:

    I live in a house of avid readers, I love YA and my teen -well she is a YA 😉 we would both enjoy them all, but Belzhar, The Walled City and Atlantia all seemed to be of high interest to me. I love dystopia, books about Asia and my teen loves anything about history. I read at least one book a week, and my teen reads more than I do!

  56. gbomberry says:

    What a great package of books, I have a round robin group that shares books and this would benefit all of us

  57. Bee says:

    I can’t choose just one because I want to read all of them! I have been collecting books since I was 5 and would love to win this for my teenage goddaughter so she can start a great YA book collection of her own! Thank you for the entry!

  58. dabrowne says:

    black ice would be my pick!

  59. Phoebe says:

    I really want to read The Infinite Sea!

  60. thomas rusinak says:

    i love to read!

  61. Kiersten says:

    black ice looks great!

  62. prim says:

    hmmm tough call – famous in love and belzhar are both interesting.

  63. Gracie Mc says:

    Earth & Sky is the one I would most like to read.

  64. Lisa Morrison says:

    I would like Haze.

  65. Mary Warner says:

    History of the Future

  66. Shelley N says:

    The book I would like to read first is Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

  67. Toks W says:

    I’d love to read Salt and Storm first!

  68. Samantha h says:

    The winners curse

  69. Susan T. says:

    The Walled City, Atlantia and Afterworlds are on the top of my TBR but these are all great choices!

  70. Susan T. says:

    A Little Something Different bonus entry: https://twitter.com/suekitty13/status/540710208532537344

  71. Karen says:

    Black Ice looks good, actually they all do!

  72. Natasha Graham says:

    I would love to read Sandy Hall’s “A Little Something Different”. I sounds like a really great modern romance.

  73. Erika E says:

    I’d like to read Atlantia by Ally Condie, sounds interesting!

  74. Grace says:

    I am definitely going to pick up Salt & Storm the next time I’m at the bookstore!

  75. intensev5 says:

    I would love to read: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

  76. Alina R. says:

    In true Canadian spirit, I’d like to read Earth & Sky.

  77. dorcontest says:

    My eyes have been on Black Ice and Shadows.
    dorcontest at gmail dot com

  78. aarone mawdsley says:

    i would like The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – $21

  79. katydidit21 says:

    I would love to read Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun.

  80. beach650 says:

    The Walled City sounds very interesting – especially if it’s inspired by a real place.

  81. beach650 says:

    bonus entry tweet for a little something different https://twitter.com/LisaEchoEcho/status/541353275639877632

  82. Jessica Lord says:

    I’d like to read a little something different

  83. I’m really interested in checking The Walled City!

  84. They all sound good. I would read Famous In Love first

  85. betsylulu1972 says:

    would love them for Christmas 🙂

  86. sschool2010 says:

    The book I want to read most is Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer though I like the sound of The Infinite Sea and I’ll Give you the Sun as well –> I adore YA lit! beautiful dot dreamer at gmail dot com

  87. maviswren says:

    I think that ‘A Little Something Different’ is right up my alley.

  88. aly3360 says:

    bonus entry

  89. Marlene says:

    Atlantia by Ally Condie – sounds interesting 🙂

  90. Erin W says:

    I really want to read A Little Something Different. I love YA books.

  91. jay n says:

    I am most interested in I’ll Give You the Sun

  92. teganmtaylor says:

    I’d love to read Salt and Storm

  93. edmontonjb says:

    I’m really interested in A Little Something Different

  94. brandon forsyth says:

    I’m most interested in I’ll give you the sun

  95. Caelin W says:

    Earth and Sky by Megan Crewe- love the Outlander series, so this should be good!

  96. Sunshine G says:

    I’d like to read A Little Something Different.

  97. andrea amy says:

    Most interested in the Infinite! Thanks for the chance.
    andrea_hockeygirl at hotmail dot com

  98. icecreamandpickles says:

    I’ll Give You The Sun! I bought it for my sis and want to read it myself. Great selection!

  99. I’ve been waiting for Jandy Nelson to publish a new book for years so I’d have to say I’m most eager to read I’ll Give You the Sun! Thanks for the giveaway 🙂

  100. Loretta Krauter says:

    A little something different would be the first one I would dive into!

  101. Megan Young says:

    I’ll Give You the Sun looks pretty good!

  102. Meaghan says:

    I would love to read all of these but Black Ice looks great!

  103. Meaghan says:

  104. Meaghan says:

  105. Meaghan says:

  106. Meaghan says:

  107. Meaghan says:

  108. Meaghan says:

  109. Meaghan says:

  110. Meaghan says:

  111. Meaghan says:

  112. Meaghan says:

  113. Meaghan says:

  114. Meaghan says:

  115. Meaghan says:

  116. Meaghan says:

  117. Meaghan says:

  118. julia g says:

    There are so many great books on this list. My choices are Salt & Storm and Earth & Sky

  119. julia g says:

    My Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future tweet: https://twitter.com/iagreesmedley/status/543669799893889024

  120. Jennifer Deol says:

    I really think that Haze would be a good read – loved the Laini Taylor’s, “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” collection.

  121. Steven Y says:

    The Infinite Sea and The Walled Sea look interesting

  122. Laura Farwell says:

    I’m interested in half the books! I want to read I’ll Give You the Sun, The Winner’s Curse, Earth and Sky, Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future, Afterworlds and Haze. I’m not sure about Belzhar, but I am very curious about the ending and I refuse to intentionally read spoilers so I might have to read that one too.

  123. Maegan Morin says:

    How do you choose just one? If I have to pick I would say, Black Ice! I really like Becca Fitzpatrick!

  124. A Little Something Different and I’ll Give You The Sun. 🙂

  125. Heather Arnould says:

    Scott Westerfield’s “Afterworlds”, but all these books sound amazing and YA is not just for young adults anymore.

  126. melissa dacruzz says:

    “I’ll Give You The Sun” has my full attention. I need to read this one very soon!

  127. Tanya C says:

    The Walled City but I would love to read them all. Love books and never have enough time to read!

  128. Aimee says:

    I’ll give you the sun

  129. jadestar31 says:

    I’d love to read Belzhar!

  130. Susan Stirling says:

    What a fabulous prize! I will read through them all dedicatedly, but will start with the Winner’s Curse as the winner’s curse with this prize will be choosing which one to read next.

  131. Monique MacDonald says:

    I like the title so I would choose… A Little Something Different

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  2. […] up. Also if you enjoyed any of the books I mentioned in this review (it also reminded me a bit of Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick), then give it a go as […]

  3. […] roll out into a planned trilogy. I also wrote about the first two books on my blog here and here. To recap, the series follows the viewpoints of a few different characters in the midst of some […]



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