It has come to my attention that not everyone has read these books. I don't care what you normally read. Whether it's science fiction, fantasy, romance, non-fiction, or whatever, these are books that you seriously need to read... right now. No excuses. Open up a new browser window, place it right beside this one, and get ready to add things to your hold list. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Got it all set up? If you're on a PC, you can dock both windows on opposite sides of your screen. It's all neat and you can see both windows perfectly. Handy, right? Anyway...

OK. So. I read YA. Whether or not you also read YA, you do now. Ready? Here we go.

Ready Player One
This one was sold to me as "If you love '80s video games, you'll love this book." What the person should have said was: "If you have a pulse, you will love this book." Seriously. EVERYONE loves this story. It's basically a morbidly humorous romp through '80s pop-culture set in the future. I would say it's a great example of a stand-alone title, but author Ernest Cline is rumored to be working on a sequel. If you listen closely, you can hear angels singing.

I am the Messenger
You've all read or at least heard of The Book Thief, also by Markus Zuzak. It's an exquisite book. So is this one. Although, it is one of those books that you might have to finish before you realize just how awesome it is. I loved this book so much, I Instagrammed it. While it's definitely a YA book, it might be a little more adult due to the violence peppered throughout Ed's unique, life-changing story.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
You kow how #WeNeedDiverseBooks, right? Well, here's one! It won a serious amount of awards and honors: Stonewall, Printz,  Pura Belpre, and more. Whether you're a GLBT Mexican-American teenager or not, Aristotle and Dante's beautiful coming-of-age story will touch your heart and warm your soul. You might feel the need to snuggle with this one. I know I did.

All the Truth That's In Me
The cover is terrible. I am aware. Whatever you think this book is about, it's not about that. Do yourself a favor and ignore what's on the front. Just open it and start reading. Judith's story will captivate you. You're welcome. 

Graceling
You know how there are no new stories? Everything fantasy has already been done? Well this hasn't. I have never been more enthralled by, and engulfed in, a fully realized brand-new universe as I have in Kristin Cashore's Graceling. And this is her first book! I mean, what IS that? I have not met one person who's disliked this book. Want to know what's even better? It's a trilogy. Bam. *mic drop* 

So basically, you have at least one full week of reading here. Possibly more. Get on it.  Report back in the comments.

Have you already read one of these? All of these? Did you love them? I'd like to know. Hate them? You're probably lying. Then, tell me what you would put on your Need to Read list. Maybe I haven't read your favorite YA book. I would be thrilled to add a plethora of titles to my TBR list. 

Want to see these books all in one place? Check out the corresponding booklist on bibliocommons.