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Non-YA Book Recs

It’s a rare occasion for me to read more fiction geared towards adults, but sometimes I do, so here are those recommendations. 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover: This book was good because it did such a good job of portraying how it is to be in a toxic/abusive relationship. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it immensely because it was hard to read, but I think it’s a book that most people should read at some point (or at least find a book similar to it). I personally think it’s an accurate portrayal of what it’s like to fall in love and crash so hard in the end and it felt like I was right there with her. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover: I 100% always have mixed feelings about Colleen Hoover. I’m not a big fan of the New Adult genre she writes for but I’ll admit this was a good book just for the plot. This book had me guessing till the very end about what the truth was, so yeah, I don’t like Colleen Hoover, but I would recommend this book any day just because of the story. 

The Night Circus** by Erin Morgenstern: I’ll be honest here. This book can be confusing AF. Like when I was reading it, I was kinda like what the fuck is happening but then in the end, I was like, “yo, that was cool.” There is *so much* detailed description in here and it really does rely on context clues to gauge what’s happening, but regardless it’s a beautiful book (literally, the book design is A1) but definitely more high level than my other recommendations because it’s actually not YA. It’s one of those books I recommend when I wanna sound pretentious and well-read. 

The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang: I’ll admit that I haven’t actually read this yet but I KNOW it’s good. It’s just a big commitment with the length and the heartache that I know will come because this is not a happy story. It’s about war and politics and scheming and betrayal and it’s really dark. I need to read it, but I keep putting it off because I know it’ll take an emotional toll. This is not for the faint of heart, and it’s on this list cause it does have some fantastical elements like magic and dragons. 

Battle Royale** by Koushun Takumi: Basically the original Hunger Games and so much better. It’s ruthless and wild and terrifying. If you don’t want to read the book (it is very long), watch the movie. Unless you can’t handle gore. But this book was a rollercoaster and it somehow made me grow attached to characters in such a short period of time before they were inevitably killed off (not a spoiler cause it’s literally a death match). 

Little Women** by Louisa May Alcott: Jo x Laurie forever. But beyond that, this book hold such a special place in my heart and I’ll forever cherish it. 

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui: If you’re a child of refugees (esp. Vietnamese refugees), this is a must read. It speaks volumes and is so beautifully done as a graphic novel. It gave me a much deeper understanding of what my parents went through to give me this life. 

Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy by Kevin Kwan: Something about reading about the lavish lifestyles of these characters is so entertaining. Just good old dramatic fluff except with an all Asian cast. If you watched the movie, you might as well read the books now. 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman: It’s basically the same as the movie tbh. But still hilarious. 

To Read:

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Dublin Murder Squad Series by Tana French

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YA Girls Doing Cool Things

There’s no good word that really encapsulates the books on this list, but these are some of my actual favorites. Basically if it’s Ally Carter-esque, it’s on this list. Spies, thieves, girls saving the world. We love it. (There might be some repeats from other lists here but again girls run the world).

Ally Carter

Gallagher Girls** (6 Books): This is probably my ALL TIME favorite book series and I’m not ashamed of it. It just gets better and better with each book and I’ve reread the series at least four times now (except for the first book, I don’t care about that one). This is that Tik Tok where it’s like “if you watch this, you are a beautiful person and I want to marry you.” Ally Carter pioneered the teenage girl spy genre and no series has ever held a candle to this. I would die for Cammie and Zach. If Netflix or Disney+ doesn’t make this into a TV Show or movie series, they’re really losing out. 

Heist Society** (3 Books): Not to be outdone, Heist Society is neck and neck with Gallagher Girls. It’s a series of European heist adventures and the ensemble cast is SO GOOD. It’s basically a YA Ocean’s 11 that’s not so male-centered. I would also die for Kat and Hale, and my heart combusted when Ally Carter wrote a GG x Heist crossover novella. Anyways, we love a genius girl thief and a billionaire heir working with a ragtag group of teen geniuses to pull off impossible heists. 

Embassy Row (3 Books): This series had SO MUCH potential. It didn’t quite live up to expectations as the follow up to GG and Heist, but you know I still read all three books. The characters just weren’t as likable and I just felt it could have been better, but it’s still an enjoyable read. 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer Duology**: I saw this recommended on BookTube and picked it up on a whim and I’m so glad I did. This was good af and I didn’t even care that there was minimal romance. The story was juicy and that plot twist at the end of the first one got me good. With a blurb like “Scandal meets Veronica Mars,” it set some high expectations and did not disappoint. Pick this up if you like Gallagher Girls/Ally Carter in general because it literally has the same vibes. 

The Naturals Series: This is basically marketed as YA Criminal Minds so you know I gotta read it. I haven’t yet, but I will because it also has one my favorite tropes: a doomed side romance. Anyways, if it’s similar to The Fixer, I know I’m going to enjoy this series. It’s right up my alley, and I’m ready to go along for the ride as they crack some cold cases as teenagers. 

Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious Trilogy** by Maureen Johnson: So this is written with alternating timelines: the past when the murder occurred and the present where Stevie Bell, the protagonist is trying to unravel the mystery of what happened so many years ago. Along the way there’s more murder and a tiny bit of romance but this is a great cold case mystery that happens concurrently with a crime in the present. Also, boarding school. We love that trope. I just saw there will be a fourth standalone novel in this series next year so I’m hyped. 

Shades of London Series by Maureen Johnson: Again, something about hunting Jack the Ripper really intrigues me. Except this time, it’s with ghosts and ghost hunters. I’m still anxiously awaiting the fourth book but I think MJ got distracted with Truly Devious so I’m not too mad but damn. Anyways, read if you like mystery, danger, ghosts, people that can see ghosts, and murder. There’s also a splash of love. (also one thing I really appreciate Maureen Johnson doing well is that she can so easily switch up the love interest but you’re just so on board with it).

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Young Adult Fantasy/Dystopia

This is probably the most successful genre of YA fiction. If there’s a dark-haired, brooding asshole male love interest, you know everyone’s gonna be all over it. There won’t be any Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, or Cassandra Clare on here but maybe one day I’ll commit myself to their books (but it likely won’t happen anytime soon).

**Personal Favorites

Penryn & the End of Days Trilogy** by Susan Ee: This is my all time favorite Dystopian Fantasy trilogy ever. It is so underrated and I literally love it so much. Like if there’s one series on this list I want everyone to read it’s this one. Post apocalyptic world where angels descended to demolish the world and the main character makes a deal with a wingless fallen angel to go on a journey to save her sister and get back his wings. The yearning is A1 in this, and also Penryn is Asian and can kick ass. 

The Blood of Stars Series** by Elizabeth Lim: Project Runway meets Mulan was the tagline and that convinced me so fast. It’s one of the more promising new series and it does a good job building a fictional Asian country. The author used to write Sailor Moon fanfic and that’s how I knew this was my type of book. 

To Kill a Kingdom** by Alexandra Christo: Probably one of the best fantasy standalone books I’ve read (because almost all fantasy books are series). She’s a siren. He’s a siren killer. That’s a recipe for disaster and also one of the best enemies to lovers stories. It’s basically a better and more elevated Little Mermaid. 

The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang: I’ll admit that I haven’t actually read this yet but I KNOW it’s good. It’s just a big commitment with the length and the heartache that I know will come because this is not a happy story. It’s about war and politics and scheming and betrayal and it’s really dark. I need to read it, but I keep putting it off because I know it’ll take an emotional toll. This is not for the faint of heart, and it’s on this list cause it does have some fantastical elements like magic and dragons. 

The Folk of the Air Trilogy** by Holly Black: Okay everyone that reads YA Fantasy has probably read this, so I won’t say too much. It’s one of the best enemies to lovers series I’ve read and it’s fascinating to read about an anti-heroine on the quest for power taking advantage of a useless prince. Both characters are hella compelling and I love how no one is truly good in this series because everyone has their own agenda. 

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales with badass diverse characters taking the stage with amazing world building. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out. 

Flame in the Mist Duology by Renee Ahdieh: Set in feudal Japan with Japanese mythology, samurai, crossdressing female warriors, secrets, lies AND just the right amount of sexiness. The sexual tension was to die for and for something that could be done so tackily, it really did portray the Japanese elements in a tasteful way that made sense to the story and weren’t just used for plot devices.

Warcross Duology by Marie Lu: Okay the male lead is hella morally gray and you definitely feel conflicted about him (without saying too much) but damn he’s hot. People complained about that big old plot twist but to be honest, I wasn’t that mad. Anyways the whole world basically plays this one AR video game and the female lead is a genius hacker that’s hired to find the glitch in the code of the game by competing in the big tournament. Super cool premise and diverse representation. 

Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard: Regardless of what other people say, I really did enjoy this series. I liked Cal and Maven but Maven’s hella fucked up and Cal may be a little bratty but I was team Cal all the way. Maven is a fascinating character though. Mare’s pretty cool, too. Anyways, I would pick this over the Hunger Games (partly because Mockingjay was the biggest let down ever) if you like dystopia. People might think it’s overrated but I love flawed characters that gotta choose between love and power and obsession and peace. 

Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber: This one’s pretty decent if you’re looking for a carnival/circusy-y/magic themed fantasy book. It wasn’t a waste of time and while a lot of the characters did get annoying, I got so intrigued by the Prince of Hearts (Jacks) that I had to finish it. Jacks deserved so much better, and he could have had the greatest arc but the author butchered it. Definitely a what could have been series. There are better books on this list but I just wanted to shoutout Jacks. 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin: There’s A LOT of controversy around this book because of 1) the explicit sex scene that’s basically smut and 2) the characterizations and world building. I’m okay with the sex but I did agree that the dialogue was kinda ridiculous and there were a lot of problematic viewpoints. ANYWAYS, that won’t stop me from reading the second book probably. It’s not good but also I wanna know what happens. There are better books on this list.

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Mystery/Dark Academia

Dark Academia and Mystery novels have some of my favorite novels, and they are novels that centre on an academic setting. The term Dark Academia, is an unofficial name for the genre, as they, at least in literature, are called campus novels or academic novels. I’m also including mystery-centric novels here as well. Some of these are modern and some of these are period based, but the connecting factor is that there’s usually something they’re trying to solve or unravel. 

Some may also have fantastical elements in them (ex. ghosts) but I personally think they make more sense on this list than a YA Fantasy list. Some of these are YA and some aren’t. I’m just gonna put it all together. 

**Personal Favorites

Stalking Jack the Ripper Series** (4.5 Books) by Kerri Maniscalco: This is one of my new favorites series because it is great in both the mystery department and the romance department. I’ll be honest, the two leads (Wadsworth and Cresswell) are great at deducing things and picking up clues, but they’re not the *greatest* at actually solving the mysteries until the solution is literally right in front of them. I’ll forgive them though because we love a good relationship and men that support their badass girlfriends. Also mysteries about serial killers are especially exciting because they are always on the clock. 

Truly Devious Trilogy** by Maureen Johnson: So this is written with alternating timelines: the past when the murder occurred and the present where Stevie Bell, the protagonist is trying to unravel the mystery of what happened so many years ago. Along the way there’s more murder and a tiny bit of romance but this is a great cold case mystery that happens concurrently with a crime in the present. Also, boarding school. We love that trope. I just saw there will be a fourth standalone novel in this series next year so I’m hyped. 

The Night Circus** by Erin Morgenstern: I’ll be honest here. This book can be confusing AF. Like when I was reading it, I was kinda like what the fuck is happening but then in the end, I was like, “yo, that was cool.” There is *so much* detailed description in here and it really does rely on context clues to gauge what’s happening, but regardless it’s a beautiful book (literally, the book design is A1) but definitely more high level than my other recommendations because it’s actually not YA. It’s one of those books I recommend when I wanna sound pretentious and well-read. 

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig: Not gonna lie, this one was a little spooky. It’s a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and it’s definitely more inspired by Grimm than it is by Barbie. If it was a horror movie, I’d be scared watching it, but I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved how dark it was and I kinda felt myself going crazy with the protagonist. It’s part horror, part mystery, part ghost story, part love story, and I’m all for it. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover: I 100% always have mixed feelings about Colleen Hoover. I’m not a big fan of the New Adult genre she writes for but I’ll admit this was a good book just for the plot. This book had me guessing till the very end about what the truth was, so yeah, I don’t like Colleen Hoover, but I would recommend this book any day just because of the story. 

Shades of London Series by Maureen Johnson: Again, something about hunting Jack the Ripper really intrigues me. Except this time, it’s with ghosts and ghost hunters. I’m still anxiously awaiting the fourth book but I think MJ got distracted with Truly Devious so I’m not too mad but damn. Anyways, read if you like mystery, danger, ghosts, people that can see ghosts, and murder. There’s also a splash of love. (also one thing I really appreciate Maureen Johnson doing well is that she can so easily switch up the love interest but you’re just so on board with it). 

Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon: OKAY, I’ll admit that retellings of classics are not always great but as someone who CANNOT read classics, I’m okay burning in literary hell for enjoying some of them. Anyways it’s basically Oliver Twist except gender bent because she’s forced to live as a boy to survive. Quick and simple read with a satisfying love story and I have nothing to compare it to the original, so pure enjoyment. I just love period pieces. 

To Read List: 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Dublin Murder Squad Series by Tana French

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Shades of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab

A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

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Sarah Dessen Novels

Sarah Dessen Novels are simple, light, and easy to read coming-of-age love stories. She has so many that she deserves a whole separate post. You won’t find diversity and her books are kind of all the same with repressed older teenage girl meeting a wacky group of people and a *boy* that changes her life BUT they are SO readable and the characters are relatable so pick these up if you just want a light read that makes you feel happy inside. I also own basically all of them because I love to reread my favorites every year.

Also if you read enough of them, you’ll find characters making cameos in other books. TLDR: formulaic but in the best way because it just makes you feel good.

**personal favorites

Along for the Ride**: This is arguably my favorite Sarah Dessen book (either this or The Truth About Forever). A part of me really related to Auden, the anti-social, academically-driven heroine plagued with insomnia and how she felt watching her parents’ marriage fall apart. Also her budding relationship with Eli, fellow insomniac that shows her the part of his beach town that doesn’t sleep, makes me feel all happy inside. I think I reread this one the most because there’s so many memorable scenes in it that I just wish happened to me but alas.  

The Truth About Forever**: Most people say this is her best book and I generally agree. It made me want to get a job at a catering company just to experience a fun-loving, chaotic crew like Macy did. It takes place a little bit after her father passed away during a summer where she’s supposed to be focused on SATs, volunteering at a library and not stressing her mom out, so watching her break out of her shell and also fall in love with Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, just makes for a good story. (Also boys named Wes >>>)

Just Listen**: (t/w: rape/sexual assault) I think if I reread this one, I’d probably shed a couple tears. This book hits a little different because it’s constantly asking the question, "how are you,” and you find yourself answering with just "fine", or "I’m ok” just like Annabel, the main character. It reinforces the power of truth and the importance of using your voice, and I really do recommend it. 

This Lullaby: This one sets itself apart from the rest because the main character, Remy, is basically a complete bitch. She radiates bad bitch energy and speaks to the cynic in all of us. She doesn’t believe in everlasting love so she’s always breaking up with her boyfriends after a certain period of time, but it really is just a lot of fun to read about Dexter who really starts to get under her skin. 

Lock and Key: Okay, this is also one of the more popular books that typically hit people’s top five Sarah Dessen books but I’m trying to remember what exactly happened during this book without reading the reviews LOL. Standard damaged girl that gets thrown into a rich kid school (drastically different from her previous school) and meets the literal boy next door that has a terrible father. I’m just putting it on here because people tend to like it, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite.

The Rest of the Story: The Rest of the Story is her most recent novel and I think it comes closest to being like her pre-2010 works. It’s standard going away for the summer and finding yourself again but I really like the way this one tackled family estrangement and addiction without being a total downer. It kept the tension up because you just wanted Saylor (the main character) to remember the memories she was forgetting and going on that journey with her and working to understand where everyone’s coming from does result in a really good book. 

Okay so after Along for the Ride (2009), I didn’t find myself that attached to any of her books outside of the Rest of the Story. What Happened to Goodbye, Once and For All, Saint Anything, the Moon and More were all pretty lukewarm for me. I did read them and for the most part enjoyed them but I wouldn’t recommend any of them over the ones I listed above. 

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Young Adult Contemporary Recommendations

What is it? YA Contemporary novels are what is often described as “Realistic Fiction.” Except for young adults—that is, teens. These feature a world, that for all intents and purposes, is our own and usually takes place in the present, but occasionally jumps back a decade or two (but not much more than that.)

This list is best if you just want those feel good, mindless reads that just leave you feeling good inside. There’s not gonna be any literary masterpieces here but I read purely for enjoyment. I would consider most of these books I liked to read on the toilet, to put it simply, and honestly I’ll probably just have a whole library in the bathroom of my future house. 

**personal favorites

Sarah Dessen Novels** (simple, light, and easy to read coming-of-age love stories / I have a whole separate post dedicated to her)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before** Trilogy by Jenny Han: Fake dating is one of my all time favorite tropes in fanfiction/dramas and this is the YA book that does it the best because it takes inspiration from KDramas. The movies are good in bringing the story to life, but I really just feel like the books are better. I don’t really care for Jenny Han’s other books that much but TATB is just such a staple in YA contemporary. Also bonus points for Asian representation. (It was actually just supposed to be a duology but she spoiled us with a third book)

My Life Next Door** by Huntley Fitzpatrick: This that slow burn, friends to lovers, fuzzy feelings type of book. It’s got Sarah Dessen vibes and that’s always a plus in my book. I really liked how mature the characters were in this and like not frustrating (rare in teenage stories). It was funny, characters were developed beyond the main love story, and was just totally feel good. It’s YA contemporary at its best. It gets kinda dramatic towards the end similar to how a fluffy KDrama likes to throw in a random plot twist for dramatic tension at the end but that’s okay. I’m down for it.

Little Blue Envelopes Duology** by Maureen Johnson: Okay so you either like both books, like one book way more than the other, or dislike both. For me while I liked both, I enjoyed the second book (The Last Little Blue Envelope) WAY MORE. If you read it, y’all will probably figure out why but these are just fun travel around Europe books. It’s like a big old scavenger hunt across Europe and somehow that just makes it all better. I never reread the first book, but I’ve read the second book multiple times. 

Ruby Oliver Series (4 Books) by E. Lockhart: This is one of those series that gets better as the series goes on, so even if you’re not totally into The Boyfriend List, it’s pretty worth it to keep going if you’re looking for something funny and filled with A LOT of boys. Ruby is flawed, interesting, has anxiety and frequent panic attacks, was abandoned by all her friends and cheated on by her boyfriend and you can’t help but feel bad for her but also cringe internally at all her trials. The therapy sessions are hilarious, the footnotes are great, and overall just a good time. I did read this in high school though so my tastes might have changed but I just remember really liking these enough to buy the whole series (Also all the books are super short and easy to get through)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: Opposite of all the feel good, fun books on this list is We Were Liars. The plot twist is A1 and even though I didn’t personally connect with any of the characters, it was fascinating to read. It’s on the more serious side but is so well done and I find myself recommending this book to people when I don’t wanna share with them that I have the literary taste of a high schooler.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I read this in middle school and I think it partly inspired me to take French in high school. It was just such a sweet romance and you can’t really be mad at this book because it’s so wholesome and genuine. It’s just a book that makes you love love and also really makes you wanna go to boarding school in Paris. There’s two companion novels (Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After) but they don’t really hold a candle to the original. 

Save the Date by Morgan Matson: Okay if you ask me what I specifically remember from this book, I can’t tell you a damn thing. That might be because I read most of it sitting in a Barnes and Noble but I remember having a good time with it. I’m also biased because I love weddings and the chaos of them and this book just captures it. I heard her other book Since You’ve Been Gone is better, but I’ve just never gotten around to it. 

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale: I was that kid in school that spent a lot of time in the library scoping the shelves for good YA and I picked this one up at random and it pleasantly surprised me. The plot twist was hella juicy and it was basically a Makjang KDrama (overly dramatic plot points). Like this shit was wild and like I don’t even know if it was actually good or if my high school self just got sucked into the craziness of it all. I’m putting it on the list anyways.

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park: This is another contemporary that has a big plot twist reveal towards the end. It’s one of those books that makes you fall in love with love but it also doesn’t miss out on the angst. It incorporates emails, social media, and texting without being cringe and I just remember it being a good book.

Perfect You and Something Maybe** by Elizabeth Scott: I have no strong reasoning for recommending these books outside of that I really really liked them when I read them back in the day. They were on the short side so I was always rereading them. I think it’s a trend with my contemporary recs in that I randomly found them at the public library and devoured them. I ended up loving them enough to actually buy them. I think what made them stand out was that they were funny and simple and just the right amount of spice to keep you enticed. 

Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo: KPop Star meets a cute tabloid reporter (WHO IS ALSO ASIAN) and sparks fly. Objectively, this should not be good. Subjectively, I greatly enjoyed it. 

Kasie West Books: I don’t really know how she does it but this lady churns out books like a madman. Most of them are not great, and they’re really just a minor step above Wattpad but I figured I’d give her a shoutout just for the sheer number of mindless reads she puts out. If you gotta read her, the books I would suggest are On the Fence, The Distance Between Us, and P.S. I Like You.

To Read List:

Parachutes by Kelly Yang