Goldilox and the Three Weres: Show Me Your . . .YA Faves

The feature formerly known as "Which F-ing Book Should I Read" will now be called "Show Me Yours." We really love these posts and we hope that the shorter name will lead more readers to love them too.

I may have mentioned that I'm not normally a big YA reader. I can't take too much teen angst. I think I'm just too old to relate, so I feel alienated by it. And then I just feel old. After a few experiences like that I stopped really looking at YA, though I did read some from authors whose adult work I had already enjoyed like Richelle Mead and Gail Carriger.

But I've read some really great YA in 2015. Even some from new-to-me authors. I loved Rebel Mechanics by Shonna Swendson for example. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I just started out reading the wrong ones. So today I'm asking you to

Show Me Your Favorite Young Adult Reads

We'll even show you ours to get it started.

Here are some recs from Rose Red:

Like Gretl, I'm not much into YA. I've just not been able to get into it the last couple of years. That being said, I do have a few that I've adored over the years.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
This book was recommended to me by the Librarian over the YA section of my local library where I went to university. It is one of my absolute favorites. I even did a Read This F@!%ing Book post for the whole series. It's about a death row prisoner who gets a reprieve from death to become the poison taster for the guy in charge of the country. It's a delightful mix of political intrigue and magic with a little bit of romance. Magic, subterfuge, poisons, and dark plots... What's not to love, right? Just be prepared to binge read the whole series in a few days.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Do you love fairy tale retellings? Do you also love science fiction? Well, do I have the series for you! I read Cinder the same day it released back in 2012. My best friend who was able to read an ARC before it came out told me to pick it up when we were in the bookstore that Tuesday. All he said was, "It's Star Wars meets Cinderella. You have to read it! The main character is a CYBORG!" He had me at Cyborg Cinderella. I was a little worried to read this book. What if I didn't find it as awesome as he did? I can honestly say that this book held up to his glowing praise. It was awesome! Seriously, a Cyborg Cinderella, what can be better than that? This book was such a refreshing take on the classic fairy tale. The whole series is like that! It is one of my all-time favorite YA series.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
I have no words to describe how fan-freaking-tastic this book and series is! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I'm going to get a little fangirly on you for a second so bear with me.

Imagine finding the one book that seems like it was created just for you. This book has the ability to bring you happiness, sadness, and despair. It will make you want to leave your daily routine behind just to read one more chapter. It invades your thoughts before you sleep until you just get up to read. It's one of those book you want to share with everyone so they can experience the same joy and pain with you. One of the things I value most as a reader is being able to immerse myself in a story’s world. I’ve had several books over the years that I’ve fallen in love with, but I cannot remember ever falling in love with a world as quickly as I did with the one in the Mistborn series. It’s so rich and creative and nothing like I’ve ever read before. It’s simply genius!

In this world, a god-like emperor claimed the throne over one thousand years ago, and since then, the common people have been enslaved, bereft of joy, and willpower. It's not an easy world one to stomach because it’s a world with almost no hope left. But there are still people who have not given up. A group of thieves is planning on doing the impossible. They’re going to give hope back to the people and to do that they’re going to kill the Lord Ruler. And that's what this book is about and it is damn awesome! JUST GO READ IT!

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
Okay. I feel like I need to share a recently released YA book so let's go with one of my absolute favorites from this year. I was a little nervous going into this book because I'm not a big fan of contemporary books whether they're adult or YA. But I love Jenn Bennett's Roaring Twenties series so I decided to give her YA debut a shot. And the premise fascinated me, it's a romance between an aspiring anatomy artist and a notorious graffiti artist. From the very second that these two meet, I was hooked. I wanted more of them… more of their banter and more of them falling for each other. I loved them! Bex is probably among my most favorite characters I’ve read as of late. I appreciate her voice, her wit, her humor, her quirkiness, and her talent… I would want her as a best friend if she were real. And Jack! Life has dealt him a kind of terrible hand so he tries so hard to find happiness. So when Bex walks in to it, he wants to grab tight with both hands and never let her go. I absolutely adored the way he pursued her. If you're looking for a good contemporary YA that is realistically written and adorable, you need to check this book out! You won't be disappointed, I promise!