Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’d Give to Non-Readers
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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This one is probably the hardest TTT I’ve done yet! Eek! It’s so much easier to recommend books to someone who I know might enjoy them. Suggesting books to someone who hesitates to even pick up anything is CRAZY PRESSURE! Hopefully these books will help change their minds. I kind of tried to brake it down into genres, too, to hopefully have something that might appeal to everyone! (With one MONSTER exception of a book/series that I would push on ALL THE PEOPLE.)
Historical Romance
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation #1), by Lauren Willig. Guys, this series is LEGIT. It’s got really great, funny, flirty historical fiction set in Jane Austen-era England, and flirty, funny, sweet contemporary romance, too. THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION is such a clever, engaging start to one of my very favorite series. Also, SPIES. And SEXYTIMES.
Contemporary YA
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins. *Sigh* This is one of the most perfect Contemporaries EVAR. The setting (Paris) is perfect, the boy (Etienne St. Clair) is perfectly imperfect and MADE OF SWOONS, the girl (Anna) is quirky and charming, and their slow-burning friendship-to-romance makes me BURST WITH LOVE.
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, by Morgan Matson. ROAD TRIP! I love road trips, and I think they are such great plot devices and metaphors. The road trip that Amy and Roger go on here is awesome not only because they go to out-of-the-way places and listen to great music along the way, but because we get to see them slowly become as super together as they are as individuals. Roger is forever one of my all-time YA book boyfriends. And Amy…well, her name is AMY. Automatic awesome. But she’s fab, too. LOVE!!
Urban Fantasy YA
The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1), by Julie Kagawa. I recommend this series to non-fairy readers all the time. The fairy world here is vibrant and fully imagined. But it’s really the characters who will suck you in and not let you go. Meghan is a great protagonist. She’s smart and sassy and brave. Her friend Puck is funny, mischievous, and instantly likable. And Ash. *SWOON* He’s broody and emo and tortured and HOT. This is such a great series.
Fantasy YA
Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy #1), by Kristin Cashore. Katsa! Po! GRACELING is fantastic. It’s one of the first YA books I ever read, and I loved it immediately. The story, the characters, the world-building–ALL THE BOMB. Katsa is easily one of the most amazing, modern, independent, kick-ass fantasy heroines around.
Dystopian YA
Legend (Legend #1), by Marie Lu. Guys, I know there have been lots of great and popular dystopians recently, but I think that LEGEND has to be my favorite to recommend to people because the story is fast-paced, the world is well-built and interesting, and the characters are sharp, have great depth and complexity, and THUMBS UP for GROWTH, y’all! June and Day are such engaging characters, and they make LEGEND awesome.
Middle Grade
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1), by Rick Riordan. HOLLA! Greek mythology! Percy Jackson is FUN. The books are zippy and funny with a great mythology about demi-gods and prophecies. (Prophecies!) Percy and his friends are likable, and they all go on crazy adventures together. Lots of appealing stuff.
The Penderwicks (The Penderwicks #1), by Jeanne Birdsall. So THE PENDERWICKS are my dark horse recommendation. I love them because they feel so retro, even though they aren’t meant to be: there’s no cell phones, no computers, no video games. Just a loving, quirky family of sisters getting into trouble and learning to live without their mother. These books are so sweet and endearing. *Sigh*
Paranormal YA
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1), by Richelle Mead. Funny story: I’m not even finished reading the first book in this series yet (although I’ll be finished with it shortly; as in, I’m finishing it after I’m done typing this post), and I’m already IN IT TO WIN IT. This series, from what I’ve read so far, makes vampires seem less ridiculous. There’s all kinds of other stuff going on and I LOVE IT.
AND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE…
Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling. All of the Harry Potter books. Always. I know people who don’t really read (related to at least 2) who are NERDS about Harry Potter. Plus, it’s amazing. AMAZING. Yay for the boy who LIVED!!
Harry Potter certainly was an amazing series.
Oh! How did I forget the Iron Fey!!! Love your list.
Anna and the French Kiss is the BEST YA contemporary I’ve ever read. I think it is perfect for teens who aren’t big readers. I will catch their interest and make them want more!
I’ve not heard of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, but it sounds absolutely fantastic! Definitely on my TBR list now. I love the rest of your list, too (YES to amy & roger and the percy jackson series!) Oddly, I’ve never read Anna and the French Kiss but absolutely LOVED Lola and the Boy Next Door – but I just purchased Anna and fully intend to fall in love with it sometime next week!
Great list, I think I added all the ones I hadn’t read yet onto my TBR list now haha.
Ashley
My Top Ten Tuesday
Amy & Roger is a perfect choice! So is Legend and Graceling! Fantastic list.
My Top Ten Tuesday
Harry Potter is a great pick for non readers! It will make readers out of anyone.
I really liked The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, it is such a fun series!
I like how you broke this list up, and I agree I felt pressure too! It’s much easier to recommend something when you can ask the right questions to find out ANYTHING they like and try to find that in a book. The Lightning Thief and Anna and the French Kiss are two I didn’t think of! Here is my Top Ten
Seriously, I was FLOORED when I saw you had listed the Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I mean, I thought I was the ONLY person who has read this book! Great minds must read alike! This is such a fab list too. Hopefully you’ll turn some readers onto reading with your suggestions! 🙂
Great choices, Harry Potter is now on everyone’s list! I’m following you on twitter now!
Harry Potter forever! <3 And I've actually been meaning to read your pick for the historical romance bit for a while, so hopefully that happens soon!
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com/2012/02/top-ten-tuesday-5.html
I look at everything on this list, and the way you say it, and I think to myself THIS.
THIS IS WHY I ADORE YOU.
All the quality fantasy. HP for all the people everywhere. I LOVE IT.
Man I need to read a lot of these books. HP is great, and so is the Lightning Thief. I’ve been wanting to read Anna.
Great list. Here’s mine: http://danicapage.blogspot.com/2012/02/teaser-tuesday-15-and-top-ten-books-id.html
I lovelovelove Harry Potter! 🙂 Also, I may have to pick up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation just because the title is so FUN!
My T10T Post
I can’t wait to read Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour!! Great list!
I love that you broke your books up into categories. And you have Graceling on your list — we can be friends now. 🙂
I loved the Percy Jackson series, and I think it’s got great appeal for all kinds/ages of people. The one hesitation I have with Willig’s books is the older, more formal language. Most of my non-reader friends prefer stories in contemporary settings, so language isn’t yet another obstacle. But yes, glorious sexytimes.
I literally love every single book on here that I have already read. HOLY crap do I love your taste in books and for the two I haven’t read — they are PRIORITIES now — meaning The Penderwicks and Legend which both totally have a residence in my house.