Spring/Summer Reading (3)

As the school year is drawing to a close (at least the Canadian university one), I have had some of my friends asking me for book recommendations for the spring/summer. As a result I thought I would offer up some recommendations here on the blog as well. Originally I was only going to have one post, but while compiling the list, I realized I have a lot more recommendations. So for the next 4 weeks, I will be having a recommendation post featuring a different genre of YA. Up this week is contemporary books.

(Links go to Goodreads page of the first book in the series/author's page)

Before I get to the actual books, I will say that one nice thing about contemporary books is that they are often standalones, so you can just pick one up and enjoy the story without having to read more than one book.

- Anna and the French Kiss/Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - The two books are the most adorable things ever written. While there is a certain amount of cheesiness involved in both these stories, it’s just the right amount. You’ll pick these books up and find yourself getting completely engrossed in them. And when you finish you’ll want to do nothing but just smile and hug the books to yourself. 

- Perfect Chemistry trilogy by Simone Elkeles - These books will introduce you to the Fuentes brothers and you will then want the Fuentes brothers to be real people. These books have everything I ask for in a YA contemporary book. Though they have some parts that may not be appropriate for younger readers of YA, they are still really good books that I highly recommend.

- Anything by Sarah Dessen - Sarah Dessen is a fantastic writer and all her books are standalone contemporaries. Every story is different and I have loved every single one of them. Though I admit I still have to read her most recent one, which is something I’m looking forward to doing this summer. And if you’re looking at where to start, I recommend The Truth About Forever, it’s my favorite one.

- Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - This story is absolutely adorable. It’s about football, but don’t let that discourage you. I could care less about football and I still absolutely loved this book. It was different from other contemporaries that I had read and that made it perfect. Be prepared to not be able to put this book down once you start reading.

- Shut Out by Kody Keplinger - Kody Keplinger writes fantastic books and I could have easily also included The DUFF on this list. Her books are captivating and are a little edgier than a lot of other contemporary books out there, but they can also be quite humorous, especially Shut Out. Also be on the lookout for her upcoming book A Midsummer’s Nightmare coming out in June.

- The Mockingbirds/The Rivals by Daisy Whitney - I absolutely loved these books that deal with very tough issues that need to be talked about more. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Daisy Whitney’s writing is totally addicting. If you’re looking for something a little different, I definitely recommend picking these two books up.

Others worth mentioning:

- Summer trilogy by Jenny Han

- Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

- Anything by Jennifer Echols

- Anything by John Green

- Purity by Jackson Pearce

Come back next week for some more recommendations, and if you're looking forward paranormal or dystopian recommendations be sure to check out my other posts.