Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Hi All,

I'm looking for some light YA to read. Now that I'm out of grad school, I really want some light reading, funny or romantic or fantasy or fun or thoughtful, but light.

I really don't want anything dark, it scares and distrubs me. I get enough scare and distrubment from real life.

In my diatribe about all the darkness in YA lately, I heard rumors that there is light YA out there. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

I've already read: Meg Cabot, Tamara Pierce, Patricia Wrede, Shannon Hale, Kiersten White, Amanda Hocking. Anyone else?

Thanks!

Yay! Oh boy, do I have suggestions.

Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld. I love LOVE this series.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. It's about Angels, but it's not dark and has a really sweet love story.
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. It has a medley of paranormal creatures but it's really funny.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Beastly by Alex Flinn. It's a modern take on Beauty and the Beast, and through the Beast's POV.
Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Paper Towns by John Green. Really anything by John Green.
The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
Wings series by Aprilynne Pike
Five Flavors of Dumb by John Anthony

These are in my TBR pile:

Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Being Jamie Baker by Kelley Oram
The Girl Who Became a Beatle by Greg Taylor

And this is more MG than YA, but it is pretty much my favorite book ever:
Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

I'm sure Sommer could recommend a bunch more.

First I'm going to second recommend some of Cookie's ideas, because they were fabulous!

Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld. I love LOVE this series.
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (And the companion novel The Piper's Son, though it is heavier themed, but NOT dark.)
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (and the sequel, Fury of the Phoenix)
Bloom, Perfect You, and Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott (They are all awesome)
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
The Duff by Kody Keplinger (it does have non graphic sex in it)
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaquelyn Moriarty
And
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (this isn't EXACTLY light, but it's not dark either. It is the light, romantic side of a tragic event that happened before the book. It is my favorite book and the one I recommend to everyone who thinks YA is not for them.)

Great suggestions by Sommer and Cookie! Here are a few more:

Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Ash by Malinda Lo (this is a lesbian retelling of Cinderella)

Also, I totally forgot about Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman. Holy cannoli they are good.

I saw "YA recommendations" and hopped right in to campaign for my favorites . . . until I saw the "no darkness" part. So horror probably isn't what you're looking for.

Wow!!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store! Much more than I'd hoped for. I honestly didn't think there were that many light YA authors I hadn't read - boy was I wrong. Thanks so much, guys!

Falls Apart - eeeeek. Thanks, but no horror. Horror scares me the bejezus out of me. No idea why. :p

Mira wrote:Wow!!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store! Much more than I'd hoped for. I honestly didn't think there were that many light YA authors I hadn't read - boy was I wrong. Thanks so much, guys!

Falls Apart - eeeeek. Thanks, but no horror. Horror scares me the bejezus out of me. No idea why. :p

Mira- Have you tried any of the book recs yet?

Sommer Leigh wrote:

Mira wrote:Wow!!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store! Much more than I'd hoped for. I honestly didn't think there were that many light YA authors I hadn't read - boy was I wrong. Thanks so much, guys!

Falls Apart - eeeeek. Thanks, but no horror. Horror scares me the bejezus out of me. No idea why. :p

Mira- Have you tried any of the book recs yet?

Yes! I'm slowly working my way through them. I started with Cookies's recommendations. I read Unearthly (loved it!, already pre-ordered the sequel) and Howl's Moving Castle (Loved it, too!) I'm going to order some more soon - this is very fun!

Oh. My. Gosh. How did I miss this thread?? Now my already full-to-bursting TBR pile is about to expand even further...

(By the way, Mira, I'm the same way. I don't like scary and I only take dark in moderation - like the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews [not YA], it's got dark but it's also funny and light in turn. I'm okay with that. But scary, horror, very dark, depressing - no thank you!! That's why all of my novels so far have happy endings. )

Try Gordon Korman's older books. Actually, even his MG ones are pretty awesome. But his ones for teens . . . wow. The man can write comedy. I pretty much die laughing whenever I read his stuff.

Mira wrote:Yes! I'm slowly working my way through them. I started with Cookies's recommendations. I read Unearthly (loved it!, already pre-ordered the sequel) and Howl's Moving Castle (Loved it, too!) I'm going to order some more soon - this is very fun!

Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorites. I'm glad you liked them!