You see, I get so many people that ask me for recommendations for such and such . . . science fiction books for their 12 year old niece, or contemporary YA romances for themselves, or the best of the best dystopias, etc. etc. And though I always try to give those recommendations (because frankly, there's nothing I love more than giving someone a looooong list of books), sometimes it may not be a genre that I'm all that versed in, or I know that there are some books out there that are probably amazing that I haven't read (yet) that the recommendee would really like. AND, afterall, one of my absolute favorite posts of all time was when we all banded together and made an amazing long list of awesome books for Katie, a middle grader looking for some awesome new things to read. That post still makes me very happy. All warm and fuzzy -like. I want to recapture that feeling...
So, that's where you come in. Occasionally, I'm going to put up a little note asking for your absolute best, most-loved, must-read books that hit a specific target: best books for reluctant readers, best books to read in the summer sunshine, your favorite book from when you were twelve... It's all fair game, and it's all going to get a spotlight shined its way.
And then I will take these recommendations and work them up into a snazzy little to-read listicle/shareable graphic, so that we can take these books that we lovelovelove and spread that love around.
But none of it can happen without YOU!
So when you see these little questionnaires pop up, please take a minute and weigh in! Add your opinion to the mix and see your name & thoughts on the list of recommendations!
To that end, let's kick it off with
Your Favorite (Happy) Contemporary NON-Romances
I know this is tricky, because frankly, it's hard to find a non-depressing book that doesn't have romance in it. So it's okay if a little romance sneaks in, if there's romancifullness as a sideplot, but for this recommendation list, I want to hear all about your favorite femships & bromances; the best family dynamics & buddy comedies & memorable non-romantic character interactions you've ever read. No kids dying of cancer or epic star-crossed love affairs here -- just plain old, cheerful, happy books that make you smile, that have barely a whiff of romance in their pages.
If you've got a favorite (or three) that spring to mind, books that you'd recommend for someone wanting something happy and friendly and fun, tell me all about 'em in the boxes below! Your recommendations & words may just end up on our very first Recommended By... graphic! (This will be completely dependent on the amount of recommendations I get, btw. I won't be intentionally leaving off anyone's recs unless I have to for space!)
Four simple questions, that's all it takes! And hopefully, we can build an amazing resource for varied recommendations!
This is awful, but I have no recommendations for this category. I love my romance, but this makes me realize that I need to broaden my habits a bit.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea for polling everyone. Hopefully, I'll do better with the next category. :)
I'll be honest, I kind of started with a difficult one! It's REALLY HARD to find non-romantic and non-depressing contemporary! It seems you have to have one or the other to get published...
DeleteYA, or adult?
ReplyDeleteAny!
DeleteI couldn't get the link system to work for me but my recommendation
ReplyDeleteStraw Into Gold by Gary D. Schmidt
Because of cider and oatmeal and the warm golden feeling of friendship and belonging.
This book is YA fantasy
Hmm, it should have allowed you just to fill it out right here on the page, no link required, but thanks! I'll add it to the list. =D
Delete