Earlier in the fall I asked my author and blogger friends to tell me the titles of some of their favorite books so I could pass them on in blog posts. My last two gift suggestion blog posts included books for children as well as a few that worked well for all ages. Today I’m focusing on good reads for the young adult group.

Sci fi/space opera author and blogger extraordinaire Alex J. Cavanaugh (more about Alex’s books in a future post) says he doesn’t usually read a lot of YA novels but really enjoyed Broken Branch Falls by Tara Tyler. Listed as good for middle grades and all ages, this book features an “average fifteen-year-old goblin.”

Madeline Mora-Summonte blogs at the Shellshank Redemption and also writes flash and short fiction. Madeline recommends Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse. Madeline says, “This novel takes place in Amsterdam in 1943 and offers a different perspective on the war. Loved the voice here, and the writing was excellent.”

Gary Raham, previously mentioned in the post for kids’ reads, also suggests War Bonds by Beverly Jones, “a beautiful YA book about a girl growing up in Colorado during WWII. It won the Colorado Authors’ League award in YA fiction this past year.

Teresa Funke, who also gave recommendations for kids’ books, offers these suggestions for teens. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

L. Diane Wolfe, author/blogger/publisher, suggests Under a Purple Moon by Beverly Stowe McClure.

From my own reading, I’d like to add Mosquitoland by David Arnold. This story has a lot of my favorite elements: a young female main character, a journey to reach a big goal, and several quirky characters and oddball adventures along the way.

We’ll move on to recommendations for your adult reading pleasure next.