Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is “Top Ten Books I’d Give To Readers Who Have Never Read X”.
So, of course I would go with YA Dystopian. It is kind of my “home genre” if you will. The place I feel most comfortable, and the genre that got me back into reading again. I love it, okay? And maybe, if someone hadn’t read any yet, these books would make them love it too!
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Because obviously. It’s the book that led me to love the genre, and really, YA in general. Also, people who’ve never heard of THG confuse me. Where are they hiding?
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Confession time: I am only halfway done with this book, and yes, it is the first time reading it, even though I was very much alive and of reading age in 1993, and owned a
huge collection of Lois Lowry books (
Anastasia Krupnik, anyone?). How
The Giver passed me by back in the day, I’ll still never know. But it is kind of the start of the trend, no? (And I don’t want to hear any guff about how it is probably technically Middle Grade. Shush.)
3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Really, everyone kind of needs a dystopian that is all about love.
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth. Because all your friends have read it, and you don’t know about
Allegiant yet, and you want to see that chick from
Secret Life and
TFiOS in another movie.
5. Ashfall by Mike Mullin. Because it could happen. You can feel how it can happen. That is one of the most terrifying parts about this one. It isn’t set in some far away future, it is more post-apocalyptic, and the thought is terrifying.
7. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. This one is a little different, delving into a bit more sci-fi, futuristic stuff.
9. Angelfall by Susan Ee. Aliens were fun, so now you want dystopian angels, you say? Done and done.
10. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Because it’s Patrick Ness, and because this series is amazing. Plus, I feel like it is the first book that got me to broaden my horizons a bit with the stuff I was reading. And you’ve done aliens and angels and such, so you might as well move along to Spackle and Spaceships
.
Congratulations, now you have read a whole bunch of YA dystopian featuring everything from humans to Manchee. And if you’re anything like me, life will never be the same!
Obviously, this is in no way a full list, just a little way to introduce a new reader to the genre bit by bit! Which books would you insist that a dystopian newbie read?
Somehow, I missed the Giver too! Which, I am trying to remedy.:)
I finished it last night after I wrote this post! It was a very quick read, but disturbing. It was good, but left me with a horribly uneasy feeling. (Which, I guess makes sense considering the topic!)
I haven’t read a dystopian in a while, of course Hunger Games was my first and I go through phases where it’s all I want to read, I just haven’t had one in a while. The last I read was Infinitude by Ruchi Banerjee and one I would recommend for newbies is Proxy by Alex London. Awesome list!
Ohh, I haven’t read those yet! Off to search Goodreads for them, I kind of love a dystopian 😉 Though I agree, I totally go through phases myself. Sometimes I need ALL the dystopians, and then I get kind of burned out.
I missed reading The Giver too. I should really try and read it. I’ve heard some amazing things about it. Great choices! 🙂
It was good! And it is such a short book, I finished it in about 2 hours or so. I am still sorting out my feelings on it for a review, but I think it is most definitely worth reading.
Look at all these books I still need to read! (In the distance, the huge TBR pile crashes down with enough force to make the earth tremble)
My TTT
Hahahha! I love that- so, SO true! I can’t even look at my TBR without having anxiety 😉
So many great reads! Your description of Ashfall makes me want to read it so bad, it sounds amazing!
Aw thanks! I loved Ashfall, such a unique series, I think you’d enjoy it!
Great list! And I love your reasons for each one. I nearly laughed out loud at your reasoning for Divergent! Which book would I recommend to a dystopian newbie? I’d hand them your list if they were a teen, and I’d hand them Pure by Julianna Baggott if they were an adult. My list is also all YA: http://bookishginger.blogspot.com/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday.html
Thank you! I loved Divergent too, silly Allegiant for messing things up 😉 Ohh Pure is on my TBR, I will have to grab a copy if it is a must-read!
I’ve got Moira Young picking up dust in my bookshelf. Seeing it in your recommendation just gave me the boost to crack them open SOONER than soon.
My TOP TEN
It’s funny because I almost gave up on the first book because of the dialect! But it got so, SO good, I was glad I didn’t! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I’ve never actually read THE GIVER! I do love YA dystopian, though. They are some of my absolute favorite reads. Fabulous list!
Thanks! I agree, I just have a weakness for them 😉
I love dystopian and this list is fantastic. I loved #1,3,4,6 & 7! I really want to read Ashfall! Number 8 & 10 are on my list for next week.
Monique @ Mo_Books
Thanks!! I just looked at the topic for next week, and I was honestly right there with you! Friends convinced me to read them both 🙂
Oo… these all looks good and the only one that I haven’t read or isn’t already on my list is Blood Red Road! Great list! 😀
Thanks!!
Hunger Games, Divergent, Angelfall, Under the Never Sky.. All amazing reads!! I STILL need to read The Host, but I’m nervous because I loved the movie a lot and I don’t want it to ruin the book. I also want to read The Giver and Ashfall. Great list! 🙂
-Holly
No no, if you loved the movie, you will extra-love the book! I really liked the movie- it was quite true to the book- but it simply couldn’t encompass all the feels of the book. Seriously, the book is amazing. But beware- it does start off a bit slow. But then you are like, up for 10 hours straight, because you can’t stop reading!
The Hunger Games is what got me into dystopian and young adult too. I haven’t heard of Ashfall before, I’m going to check it out next. I’d probably recommend Legend, after the Hunger Games of course.
Oh yes, Legend is a good one! There are really so many good ones, it was hard to choose! I think the Legend series got better with every book too.
I do really, really need to read Patrick Ness. I didn’t know that the Knife of Letting Go was dystopian? That makes it better! I do like dystopian, but I tend to stick to fantasy more.
Yep! A sci-fi-ish/fantasy-ish one, but definitely dystopian too. And yes, Patrick Ness is simply a genius!