If the Characters from Parks & Rec Read YA

Last month, my sister and I finished watching Parks & Rec (well, re-watching for me), and it’s just such a wholesome show. It was the perfect balance to watching Westworld, honestly. That balance has now switched to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which I can’t believe I haven’t watched before. It’s so funny! I have maybe added another sitcom to my re-watch rotation.

Anyway, in our last youth services meeting for work, the teen librarian was talking about writing book recommendation lists based on Animal Crossing characters. However, I don’t play Animal Crossing. But the idea sounded like an excellent blog post, so here we are! I might have to eventually do this for all my favorite shows. But we’ll start off with Parks & Rec, since it’s fresh in my mind!

Parks & Rec Reads YA

Leslie Knope: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Leslie Knope is all about surrounding herself with badass women and doesn’t hesitate to celebrate them. This means she’d be drawn to all those YA books that feature heroic women doing what they do best–which includes this book. About a group of women during WWII that fight fiercely. It’d be at the top of her list.

Ben Wyatt: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

 

Ben is such a huge Game of Thrones fan in the show and just an overall fantasy/sci-fi buff. I have to imagine that he’d fall for a large variety of the popular YA fantasy series, but this one gives me the most Game of Thrones feel. A lot of points of view, magic, epic battles. He’d be getting everyone to read it!

Ron Swanson: The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

A prolific fan of the classics, I don’t think Ron Swanson would sway too far from that. Admittedly, he mentions books on the show that don’t have much of a plot, which means this YA classic would be perfect for him. Though probably not the fact that there’s a teenage protagonist, since he didn’t seem to have much of a teenage-hood himself.

Tom Haverford: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Always looking for love and drama, Tom would devour this series. It’s all about the drama, based a little on the show The Bachelor. Plus, there’s lots of talk about fashion and appearance, which we all know that Tom loves. You know he’d get his best friend Donna to read it too so they could discuss Prince Maxon’s choices and who he should choose from the Selection.

 

 

 

Donna Meagle: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

During the show, Donna mentions that she’s a fan of Twilight. This is a series I think she’d definitely be into, too! While the series itself gets off to a bit of a slow start, there are lots of steamy moments in the second book that she’d be down with. Plus, all that drama with Rhysand! It might just be her new obsession.

April Ludgate: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

This book has the creepy factor that April loves. It’s about a group of girls left on an island where they contract a disease that causes deformity and death. Creepy images, an open ending, girls being sneaky and going behind each other’s backs. It would be just the book she’d get into and probably read over and over again.

Andy Dwyer: Alex Rider: The Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz

We never actually see Andy read any books on the show, so I think he’d be a graphic novel guy. Let’s be honest, he’d love the pictures. Alex Rider would appeal to his Burt Macklin side, with lots of spy action and adventure. Maybe he’d even get into the real novels, if April could convince him.

Ann Perkins: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Ann is the kind of person who would jump on the popular bandwagon, especially if it was a swoon worthy romance. Since she wasn’t really into the Harry Potter thing when Leslie tried to get her to read it, I think she’d be more of a fan of realistic fiction with romance and some drama. Plus, there’s the appeal of a Netflix adaptation to look forward to!

Chris Traeger: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Not only is this a book about running, which Chris would 100% relate to, but it’s also about overcoming adversity. Chris struggles with his mental health throughout the show, and inspirational books like these would definitely be in his wheelhouse. Anything to bring him out of those funks!

Jerry Gergich: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Jerry would be all about books that have happy endings and likely would not follow the latest trends in the publishing world. He’d be way behind the times. This would have been something his daughters probably read and loved so it became one of his favorites, too.