unRequired Reading Blog

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey.
Through a series of dangerous and violent misadventures, teenage loser Alfred Kropp rescues King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur from the forces of evil.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trent Lee Stewart.
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

There's a variety of books for you to choose from, and they can all be found in our Young Adult Fiction collection. I hope you find some of them to your liking!

Anything But Ordinary, by Valerie Hobbs.
Bernie and Winifred have been in love since they were
fourteen, but when Winifred goes away to college in California and
Bernie stays in New Jersey things change for the two of them, and each must try to forge an identity separate from the other.

Here are some other fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal
books that you might like (some have a bit of romance in them).

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world. If you like this one, it is part of a series - #2 is Rebel Angels and #3 is The Sweet Far Thing.

Here are some books you might like. All of them have some romance in them, and they are all books I've enjoyed.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.
The summer following her father's death, Macy plans to work at the
library and wait for her brainy boyfriend to return from camp, but
instead she goes to work at a catering business where she makes new
friends and finally faces her grief.

Here are three very different titles I hope you might enjoy; one historical fiction, one from the guy's point of view and the other from the girl's point of view as she deals with her mother's death. While some of the characters may seem young, I chose these titles because the plots are strong and the characters are well developed. Hope something here strikes your fancy!

Here are some other books that you may enjoy:

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice, book 1) by Joseph Delaney.

Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an
apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties."

Here are a few titles of YA Fiction books that have to do
with music, and some have suspense, too.

Midnight Hour Encores by Bruce Brooks.
A sixteen-year-old cellist and musical prodigy travels cross-country
with her father, a product of the 1960s, to meet her mother, who
abandoned her as a baby.

Here are a few titles from the YA Fiction collection that
also deal with child abuse and its impact on the victims.

The Beggars' Ride by Theresa Nelson.
Twelve-year-old Clare flees an unhappy home life and tries to survive on he streets of Atlantic City with a small gang of homeless kids, each of whom as his own secret reason for distrusting society.

In the future, it really helps us find the best books for you if you
provide your age and the reason why you like a certain book. That way
we can customize our response just for you. Here are some other books
that I hope you will like:

The Kingdom Keepers (Disney After Dark) by Ridley Pearson.

Hawksong is also part of a series called Kiesha'ra by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The other
books are:

Falcondance

Snakecharm

Wolfcry

Wyvernhail

Here are some other titles you might enjoy:

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.