When I’m unsure of what to write about, these prompts are always a savior! Bonus when it’s actually a Tuesday. Also, Single-Word Titles was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I was like, there’s a lot of those in YA! Which didn’t want to immediately come to the top of my head (as per usual). Nevertheless, I did it! I stuck to young adult because that’s what I read, and I tried to include books I would just generally recommend to read because they’re lovely.
In all honesty, double word titles might have been a lot easier. Just looking at my bookshelf makes me realize how many of those there are. Maybe a topic for another post in the future because a lot of my favorites seem to be double word titles.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme that was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is currently run by The Artsy Reader Girl. If you haven’t checked out their posts yet, you definitely should! There are a lot of great topics there if you’re looking for something new to write about.
Single-Word Titles
1. Burn by Patrick Ness
So this one hasn’t technically come out yet, but I think it’s going to be my first read of May because I have an ARC! Set in 1957, Sarah’s father hires a dragon to help out on their farm. Little did they know the chaos that would ensure because the dragon is focused on his prophecy–a prophecy that just happens to include Sarah. Seriously, it sounds amazing! I can’t wait to read it.
2. Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Nora Walker is a part of a long line of witches who have watched over the woods by the lake. It’s where they find lost things. But for the first time ever, Nora finds a lost boy hidden in the woods. A lost boy who has a dark secret. A very slow-burn kind of book that feels like a dark fairy tale. Twists and turns and a wolf-like companion will have you hooked until the very end.
3. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
In a future where humans live forever, population control has to happen somehow. Enter the scythes: humans given the job of acting like death, following a strict code, of course. When Citra and Rowan are chosen for training, they both desperately don’t want the job. As they train, the dark side of the job of the scythes is quickly revealed–and not everyone is on the same page. Definitely one of the best dystopian series I’ve read it a while!
4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I honestly could fill up the list with the titles from both this series and the previous series. But that kind of feels like it would be cheating. Kady Grant just broke up with her boyfriend as they both start traveling to a new mining colony. But someone doesn’t want them to make it there. With a deadly plague and the enemy firing at them, they might just have to band together if they want to make it there alive.
5. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
This is the story of what happens after the Cinderella fairy tale–specifically, what happens to her stepsisters. Isabelle is now missing her toes thanks to their mother’s brilliant plan. When she discovers the fairy god mother, she might just have the chance to alter her destiny forever. This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting and surprisingly full of excellent girl power moments. Recommended for all fairy tale lovers!
6. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
All Kiko wants is to get into her dream art school, Prism. When her plans don’t pan out and her abusive uncle moves back in with her family, she decides to go look at schools on the east coast with one of her childhood friends. At its core, this is a story about finding yourself and learning to have the confidence to follow your own dreams. An emotional read, as expected from Akemi Dawn Bowman.
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The first book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder is a cyborg who lives in New Beijing. She’s the best mechanic in the city, which brings Prince Kai’s attention. But when her adoptive sister gets the plague, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her for testing, which gets Cinder attention for other, more dangerous reasons. Another great series to binge while you’re stuck at home!
8. Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
After the revolution, everyone has the ability to train to be a dragon master, no matter your class. Annie and Lee are at the top of their dragon training class; Lee is the son of aristocrats that were murdered by the revolution, Annie’s family was murdered by dragons. When part of the old government surfaces, it might be up to them to save their new way of life. This is a fantastic audiobook, actually, that really pulls you right into the action.
9. Spinning by Tillie Walden
It’s no secret that I adore Tillie Walden’s books, and this one is no different. This graphic novel memoir details Walden’s upbringing as a figure skater, and her struggles with figuring out her sexual identity. The images in the graphic novel bring the story to life, detailing the drama and the work that goes into figure skating. While you’re at it, be sure to check out her other books!
10. Dreadnought by April Daniels
When suddenly getting the famed superhero’s, Dreadnought, powers, Danny is suddenly given what she’s always wanted: a girl’s body. Not out to anyone in her life, she now has to figure out how to tell her parents and friends, all the while dealing with the fact that she also has superpowers. Action packed with excellent representation that’s severely lacking in the superhero world, you’ll love Danny and her heart of gold.