Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Hi, I need some reading suggestions for YA, especially realistic, contemporary fiction. I'm going through John Green right now (thanks to Nathan), but I need a to read list. What are everyone's favorites? I've already read all of Laurie Halse Anderson and Garret Freymann-Weyr and Megan McCafferty are favorites. The Sarah Dessen anthology has been read, as well. Others?
Thanks, peeps.

My favorite genre! Here are my recommendations for you:

How To Say Goodbye In Robot - Natalie Standiford
(My fave book this year so far! I've read it three times in the last few months. I am obsessed with it.)

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You - Peter Cameron
(Another favorite. Great character study. Another one I've read multiple times. John Green fans will definitely like this one.)

Marcelo in the Real World
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors - both by Francisco X. Stork
(Good crossover titles -- i.e., my 64-year-old mother loves Stork's books just as much as I do)

King of the Screwups - K.L. Going
(Check out her other books as well, but this one's my favorite.)

We Were Here
Mexican Whiteboy - both by Matt de la Peña
(Quick reads with fairly spare prose, but very hard-hitting. I love his characters.)

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks - E. Lockhart
(Her best, I think, but if you like Megan McCafferty you will also like Lockhart's Ruby Oliver series.)

House of Dance - Beth Kephart
(Recommending this to you based on your liking Garret Freymann-Weyr.)

Sweethearts - Sara Zarr
(I love anything by Zarr, though!)

Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta
(I'd recommend any and all of Marchetta's books to you. She writes across genres -- two years ago she won the Printz Award for Jellicoe Road, which is a magic-realism-tinged mind-bender of a book. Her recent novel, Finnikin of the Rock, is fantasy. But her earlier books, like the one above, and also Looking for Alibrandi, are some of my favorite contemporary YA novels.)

My recent Kindle purchases:
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
The Secret Year - Jennifer Hubbard
(really looking forward to reading both of these!)

I will repeat a couple posted above because I want everyone in the world to read them. I just posted a review of How to Say Goodbye in Robot on my blog (link in my signature) and I think it is one of the best books I've read this year.

How To Say Goodbye In Robot - Natalie Standiford
Also Ditto for anything by Melina Marchetta, but particularly Saving Francesca and Jellicoe Road, both of which I really fell in love with this year. (Both were read in one sitting books)
Courtney Summers has two fantastic books. Some Girls Are and Cracked Up To Be.
Anything by Elizabeth Scott. I loved Bloom and Something, Maybe, but really I haven't read any of her books I didn't like.

Thanks Harper & Sommer. I'm excited for my summer reading!

Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Jen P wrote:Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Oh! Heck yes. I can't believe I forgot that one in my original list. My tissue box sure didn't forget about it.

I want to bump this post up because I'm also interested in contemp. YA suggestions. A lot of these sound great. Personally, I am looking for something that doesn't involve dead people or dying people... I'm looking for really normal YA stuff. Ya know?

I'm reading HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT and so far I love it!

Anything by SE Hinton is pretty timeless.

As is "Queen's Gambit" by Walter Tevis. It's about a girl chess champion, and depicts her life from about 8 until 19.

I recently read Hate List by Jennifer Brown, which was pretty good.