Good Book Suggestions

[Jamerzz]

Hey Everyone.

I'm new and was just wondering if anyone had any good book suggestions on this site about romance or teenagers or something along those lines.. Thanks if you can help

[subterranean]

Romeo and Juliet ?

Welcome, by the way :wave:

[Scheherazade]

Hi Jamerzz,

There has been a discussion on teen books here (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12921), which you might find useful. I will move this thread to the General Literature section, where it will get more appropriate response.

Some other books you might find interesting:

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and 3/4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060533994/103-5086984-4353431?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance) by Sue Townsend

I Capture the Castle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312201656/103-5086984-4353431?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance) by Dodie Smith

Welcome to the Forum!

[Pensive]

Sometimes, the romance novels are not much suitable for very young teenagers. It depends on your age. If you are 13-15 then you might not like heavy love-stories like Romeo and Juliet.

If you are above and mature, you can truely enjoy the stories as you can sense their true meaning. As I believe that every story is not suitable for even a teenager. A 13 years old will find trouble in reading Romeo and Juliet and certain questions will arrive in his/her mind.

Sorry, got far from the topic.... I will like to recommend a few good books that you might enjoy.

A tree grows in Brooklyn

Jane Eyre

Sisterhood of the traveling pants

[papayahed]

How about the SE Hinton books: The Outsiders, Tex, Rumble Fish...

[EAP]

Hey Jamerzz. :)

There are loads of excellent teenage romances out there.

Here are a few suggestions you might find interesting.

Where The Heart Is - Billie Letts (A story of teenage pregnancy and its aftermath, betrayel by loved ones and finding help in altogether unexpected quarters)

Red Shift - Alan Garner (three different stories from three different eras of history. [Roman Britian, The Civil War, Contemporary England (circa. 1968), linked together by a common geographical epicentre - the cheshire countryside] Written almost entirely in clipped, sardonic dialogue, the book focuses on several universal themes that elude the vagaries of time, the most important being love. It is one of the most moving books I have read, the contemporary part (Tom and Jan) in particular is unrivalled in its portrayal of flawed teenagers struggling against the obstacles put forth by the society, the self-doubt assailing them from all quarters (including their own hearts and minds) as they struggle to make the most of their feelings for each other)

She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb (a coming of age story which shows that learning doesn't end with the passing of teenage - very angsty though, could be quite a heavy going at places)

All The Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy (It's marketed as a western. It is a western, there's no doubt about it but better stories you will be hard pressed to find. Set in Mexico and Southern Texas, the main character runs away from home at the age of sixteen, and being a lover of horses and a competant rancher, sets on southwards with a friend to earn his livelihood in the green grasslands of the Mexican foothills. Lots of adventures, a pretty good love story, brilliant if slightly heavy handed prose [McCarthy is fond of using atypical narrative techniques which do not always work as intended] and a must read of any lovers of westerns/high-adventures)

My Darling, My Hamburger and The Pigman - Paul Zindel (considered teenage literature classics, these books have aged pretty well, and a few themes are relevent even today)

A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks (short, sweet romantic tearjerker - Sparks' best work IMHO)

My Antonia - Willa Cather

Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen

Forever - Judy Bloom (Bloom's most famous work and a recognised teenage classic. I didn't like it as much as many of Bloom's more childish works but It has a pretty large fan base and the love story is interesting for the themes it portrays. Has a slightly dated feel to it, however)

Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings - Megan McCafferty (The best contemporary teenage series I have read by a LARGE margin - recommended before everything else )

Circle Of Friends - Maeve Binchy

Daughter Of The Forest - Juliet Marillier (Book One Of The Sevenwater Trilogy, it's semi-fantastical/semi historical fiction set in a celtic irish backdrop with a profound romantic story and interesting interpretations of several irish folk myths)

In general anything by [B]Melvin Burgess (Junk, Bloodtide), Alan Garner (Red Shift, Owl Service) and Katherine Patterson is worth getting your hands on.

If you run a search on google (any combination of keywords like young adult, romance, fiction, lists, recommendation will do), you'll find many lists organised by different libraries, including bodies like ALA and the British Smarties Award.

[Kiwi Shelf]

Hm, well I don't know if you helped the original poster, EAP, but a couple of those books are going on my to read list. :)

[Nightshade]

How I live now-- By Meg Rosoff is supposed to be amazingly good
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

The meg cabot ones are very popular and alo not half bad
although the princess diaries is amazingly annoyining :D

[mono]

EAP had some wonderful suggestions, yet I must add a few books that immediately came to my mind while reading your request of books involving teenagers, such as The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger and Lord Of The Flies by William Golding. As for romance, it depends on your definition of romance: lust-filled romance practically associated with pornographic fiction, or the classical romance. If the latter, I can help (:D), recommending anything by D.H. Lawrence, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (very humorous romance), and any romantic play by William Shakespeare.

[Sandrine]

I'm not sure exactly what you're going for (classics or fun reading?) but what about the Georgia Series by Louise Rennison? The heroine is scattered and self-centered but completely sweet and funny. I'm addicted to them. It's sort of Bridget Jones for the 14-year-old set. :cool:

Her books:
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas
Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel
Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

Some of them got some bad press due to their questionable titles, but it's all for nothing. The books are completely innocent and I think they're perfectly acceptable for the age group to which it's marketed.

Hope that might have helped! :wave:

[emily-the-brit]

All of Sophie Kinsella's books are brilliant. The Shopaholic series are hysterical and the book I'm currently reading (Can You Keep A Secret?) is also really good.

[SoOlY]

Some one like you is a very good book about romance and the troubles of teenage lives . Its a great book that really connects to people who have or have been in a bad situation or have had a friend in a bad situation.

[I like Blink182]

A while back I read the Perks of Being a Wallflower. I loved it, it was an awesome book. It's about this teenage boy named Charlie, and he is (starting i think) in highschool. His best friend died and he found out at the beginning of school. Then he had no friends, but eventually made friends with some seniors. Its about a teen going through hard times and the troubles of highschool basically. He deals with drugs, previous childhood problems, family problems, the confusions of love and stuff like that