Task #16: The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series

[Book Riot]

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 16th Read Harder task.

[D.L.]

I saw the movie The Clique & now want to read the book.

[Kelli]

I have never read His Dark Materials trilogy, this gives me a perfect chance to start!

[Teresa]

The Case of Jack the Nipper or Redwall.

[Michelle]

Here's my chance to read The Raven Boys. Or Golden Compass.

[Cassandra]

I think I am going to use The Darkest Minds

[Theresa]

I've heard good things about Six of Crows, so I'll go with that.

[Jessica]

Time to try Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

[Bonnie G.]

Considering Fangirl and Anna and the French Kiss but I am totally open to suggestions.

[Allie]

Ya'll, I never read Twilight. THIS IS MY CHANCE!

[Candace]

This task made me draw a blank, but so far Stargirl stands out a bit. I'm just not a huge fan of YA.

[Carolina]

YA is my preferred genre so reading a new series is tough. I'm going to read Shadow and Bone or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo as I haven't read any of hers yet.

[Lila]

I'm looking at either City of Bones (Cassandra Clare) or The lightning thief (Rick Riordan)

[Satrina]

Bonnie wrote: "Considering Fangirl and Anna and the French Kiss but I am totally open to suggestions."
I loved Fangirl but that's not part of a series so I'd go with Anna and the French Kiss.

[Kate]

I'm a children's librarian so this is easy for me - I read at least five "first in series" middle-grade books each year! Most people think fantasy/science fiction when they think YA or middle grade series, but here are a few suggestions if that's not your jam.

For sports/realistic fiction: Ghost by Jason Reynolds. A quick read that's the first in a four-part series - like everything Reynolds writes, it's spare but beautiful.

For mystery: Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens. Your classic English thirties/forties murder mystery novel, but with a pair of girls at boarding school as the protagonists. The narrator is an international student from China trying to navigate her perception of English boarding-school life with its reality, which adds something different to what might seem at first pass like a hackneyed mash-up of Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie.

For romance: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. One of my greatest frustrations with a lot of YA is that the "teenagers" in the books often behave much more like they're in their early to mid twenties. But that's not the case with protagonist Lara Jean, who is so imperfectly, wonderfully fifteen years old.

For historical fiction: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. Immersive, beautiful, and the other two books in the trilogy are also well worth your time.

ETA: And thinking about Jenny Han, I just have to include Burn for Burn, co-written with Siobhan Vivian, for those who like a good thriller! I could not put this trilogy down.

[Annie]

holy cow, I'm finally going to read Akata Witch!

[Melissa]

Kate wrote: "I'm a children's librarian so this is easy for me - I read at least five "first in series" middle-grade books each year! Most people think fantasy/science fiction when they think YA or middle grade..."
Oh yes! Burn for Burn was soooooooooooooo good. Also love those LaraJean books!
I always end up having to bake cookies when I read them though. I made all the chocolate chip cookies after the 3rd one...

[Bonnie G.]

Ooh, I didn't know Akata Witch was YA! My IRL book club is reading it this year so change in plans. I am in!

[Candace]

Annie wrote: "holy cow, I'm finally going to read Akata Witch!"

Oooh! This sounds much better than my other pick. I may read this for this task

[Megan]

Melissa wrote: "Oh yes! Burn for Burn was soooooooooooooo good. Also love those LaraJean books!
I always end up having to bake cookies when I read them though. I made all the chocolate chip cookies after the 3rd one..."

Haha, I had to put the second book down to make snickerdoodles! (Though mine were a complete disaster.)

I highly recommend this series.

[Elizabeth]

Cinder, maybe The Golden Compass, maybe A Wrinkle in Time.

[Rachel]

I've got Six of Crows from the library but haven't started it yet, and all my friends who've read it love it, so why not?

[Kdmorton]

Annie wrote: "holy cow, I'm finally going to read Akata Witch!"

Now I am too! Thanks for the suggestion.

[Riah]

I'm thinking about Love in the Time of Global Warming, Starglass or Ashfall. Has anyone read any of them?

[Dee]

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions!


Kate wrote: "I'm a children's librarian so this is easy for me - I read at least five "first in series" middle-grade books each year! Most people think fantasy/science fiction when they think YA or middle grade..."

[Mel]

Some of my options:
Timekeeper
The Reader
I'm with Cupid
Jackaby
The Assassin's Curse

[Mark]

Well, as I’ve just received the first book in Philip Pullman’s new Book of Dust trilogy, that’ll be my pick for this challenge.

[Sarah]

This is probably where my goal of finally starting The Lightning Thief will come in handy.

[Betty]

I would highly recommend Every Heart a Doorway- the Wayward Children series. It's not new to me, so I have to find something else.

[Rayne]

My choices for this one I think are:
Ink and Bone
Everland
Flawed

two of which I already own so I'd love to get them off my TBR.

[Gerri]

Apsalar wrote: "Time to try Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children."

This series is amazing!

[Gerri]

Betty wrote: "I would highly recommend Every Heart a Doorway- the Wayward Children series. It's not new to me, so I have to find something else."

That's on my To Read list so maybe that will be my choice!

[Maddy]

I'm going to read The Merciless but wanted to add some suggestions as well for some of my favorites:
The Golden Compass (if you haven't read these, do yourself a favor and read them!)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Red Rising
Throne of Glass (don't start if it will drive you crazy that the series isn't completed yet!)

Edited to remove A Darker Shade of Magic!

[Bonnie G.]

Terri wrote: "A Darker Shade of Magic and Red Rising aren’t YA titles."

Both are classified by Goodreads as YA

[Maddy]

Terri wrote: "I submit that Goodreads is wrong/stretching wrt A Darker Shade of Magic, as Victoria Schwab used a pen name, intending for it to be an adult book."

You're right on that one - my apologies. I just saw her statement about the way her name is shown as Victoria Schwab for adult and VE Schwab for YA. I still consider Red Rising YA, though, and wasn't able to find anything contradictory on the author's site/page.

[Laura]

GAH! I love so many of these suggestions but I've already read most of them SO I'm going to cheat a little and go with a series I've heard of (and own) but not yet touched, starting with Red Queen.


I highly--I REPEAT, HIGHLY-- recommend the Gideon Trilogy beginning with . It is so well written, it won't seem like you're reading YA.

[Catie]

I already have three (rather popular) books on my shelves that would suit this task, so I’ll most likely go with one of these:
Three Dark Crowns
Cinder
Adaptation

If you haven’t read these yet, I recommend Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older and Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (which have vaguely similar premises, but are quite different and both excellent reads).

[Shannon]

Was thinking of reading Legend by Marie Lu. Anyone read this one?

[Jenilee]

I really liked Laini Taylor's new one - Strange the Dreamer.

[Megan]

I highly recommend Flawed by Cecelia Ahern. Loved it.

[Megan]

I highly recommend

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

[Kris]

Terri wrote: "I’m sorry, I thought Red Rising was an adult book since that’s where it’s shelved in my local bookstore and library. But as it’s been nominated for children’s book awards, I don’t suppose it is." Don't worry Red Rising is marketed as one of those cross-over books both YA and Adult SF it's meant to appeal to both and those hoping to transfer into more mature themed SF usually recommend it.

[Yrinsyde]

Gerri wrote: "Apsalar wrote: "Time to try Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children."

This series is amazing!"

I haven't read it but I've heard of it. I suppose that doesn't count because I know of it?

[Steph]

Apsalar wrote: "Time to try Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children."
This is such a great Series!!!!

[Steph]

Going to do A Court Of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) By Sarah J Maas for this task.

[Ava]

Does two books count as a series? My daughter LOVES Raina Telgemeier and owns all of her books, so I thought I might read Smile for this challenge. It only has one follow up so far, Sisters, so I wasn’t sure if that counts as a series. My other thought was to borrow the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book from her after she finishes it, although I don’t know how enjoyable that would be for an adult. (She’s 8, so no true YA on her shelves yet.)

[Carolyn]

Would The Host count as YA? I'm not a big fan of this genre, but I've had this book on my to-read list for a while because the movie looked interesting.

[Stephanie]

Theresa wrote: "I've heard good things about Six of Crows, so I'll go with that."
So good!!!

[Stephanie]

Shannon wrote: "Was thinking of reading Legend by Marie Lu. Anyone read this one?" Yes! The whole series is great. She has a new one that just came out, Warcross. Good, too.

[Kat]

Finished my first book of the challenge on the first day of the year with Meet the Austins! :)

I read all of the Time books when I was younger, but somehow never got around to L'Engle's other books.