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- 30 Best Young Adult Books That Are Our All Time Favorite
30 Best Young Adult Books That Are Our All Time Favorite
Whether you’re a young adult or an adult who is well past their coming-of-age years, everyone enjoys a good YA read. These books often leave us feeling optimistic, nostalgic, and hankering for more. We’ve compiled a list of our top 30 favourite Young Adult books that will make Gen-Z readers put down their screens, and enjoy life the old fashioned way!
How to Be a Writer by Ruskin Bond
How to be a Writer is peppered with nuggets of practical advice for every person who is aspiring to write and be published, all told in Ruskin Bond’s characteristic understated, tongue-in-cheek, humorous style. So, what is it that a person requires the most to become a writer? A love of books, of language, of life, an observant eye and a good memory along with enthusiasm, optimism and persistence.
The Story of My Life by Mohandas Gandhi
Gandhiji’s autobiography and his Satyagraha in South Africa, as published in English, run into almost 1000 pages. A request was received for a smaller version for use in schools. This book has been specially prepared to meet the need. Matters which are not likely to be of much interest to school children have been omitted, and the language has been simplified where possible.
India in Space by HarperCollins Publishers India
India’s sky-rocketing Space story! As we rocket into space on the back of several successful missions, this book examines India’s glorious space trajectory starting from its first venture, the Aryabhata, to its most recent mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-2. Presented through crisp stories and timelines accompanied by pictures from ISRO and other space agencies, this brilliantly designed, information-rich book will give you a complete update on India’s unique place in the world of space exploration.
Many years ago, the Lord of All Magic, fed up with the intrusion of humans into the lives of magical beings, withdrew to a continent in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that he hid, by magical means, from the sight of all humans outside. As the two tales from the hidden continent show, life with magical creatures can never be dull.
The Places That I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne
It looked like love. It felt like love. But this isn’t a love story… this is the perfect book to help young women get out of toxic relationships.
The Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
Overwhelmed by all that’s happening around her, Asha escapes to her rooftop hideaway every day, where she pours her heart out into her diary, her secret keeper. And it is here that she encounters Jay, her reclusive neighbour, who makes her heart beat faster…
All of Me by Venita Coelho
A beautiful novel for young adults that tackles sensitive subjects with great ease. Castor is discovered locked away in a basement. He has been there for five years, but he hasn’t been alone. The Family has kept him company. These are his multiple personalities that have emerged out of the dark…
13 Little Blue Envelopes (Epic Reads Edition) by Maureen Johnson
Don’t miss this Epic Reads paperback, featuring a brand-new look and an exclusive Q&A with Maureen Johnson—available for a limited time only. With a stunning new design, this Epic Reads edition of bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s utterly romantic tale is the perfect addition to any YA bookshelf!
Being a young woman can be confusing, but Body Talk is here to offer some clarity. Packed with advice on everything from how to use a condom to cyber dating to sexual harassment, this book is an essential guide for any young woman interested in understanding her feelings, her body and her life.
The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
The Black Coast is the first fantasy novel from critically acclaimed Games Workshop/Warhammer 40k author Mike Brooks. Look out for the sequel: The Splinter King.
You don’t need a garden to go green. This book of green ideas shows you how to garden almost anywhere … a windowsill, the balcony of your flat, the terrace, the steps outside your home. You can grow plants in boots, coconut shells, tyres, broken pots and old tubs; make feeders for the birds visiting your neighbourhood; create a mini garden in the fish bowl and much more!
The Girls Behind The Gunfire by Trisha Ray
An action-packed story about an ordinary-girl-turned-reluctant-assassin, The Girls Behind the Gunfire is a book you do not want to miss.
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
The gorgeous, thought-provoking first YA novel from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern. Hugely accessible, emotionally resonant and with a character who will seize the hearts of anyone who meets her, this is the ideal book for anyone who has ever felt the pressure to be perfect.
How to Stop Your Grownup From Making Bad Decisions by Judy Balan
As sweet as it is funny, this book is witty and thought-provoking. Beautifully designed and illustrated by Priyanka Shyam, it tells the story of a modern-day fairy tale: a single mother and her two wonderful, hilariously angst-ridden daughters. It’s The Princess Diaries for a new generation. Except, you know, without a princess. Or a diary.
Tweenache in the Time of Hashtags by Judy Balan
#Tweenache101: First, there’s PMS (it’s real and it’s painful and can someone please make it stop?). Second, there’s #TheBoy. Yes, that’s right. The BOY. And third, there’s a #NewDad in the picture. Actually, he’s an old dad, but if Nina’s never met him before, he totally counts as new, right? And worst of all, there’s the #NerdWars. There’s a new nerd in the classroom – and she might be even nerdier than Nina. This. Can’t. Be. Good.
The Secret Life of Debbie G. by Vibha Batra
The Secret Life of Debbie G. is the story of a sixteen-year-old who becomes an online sensation overnight. Except, it’s her online persona that hits big time. Equal parts poignant and fun, this is a bittersweet coming-of-age story.
Based on the actual five-month-long journey of renowned biker Candida Louis, Candid Tales: India on a Motorcycle rides off the beaten trail to discover eccentric and beautiful people (living and otherwise!), heart-warming cultures, and secret places in which she left her heart behind. In an age of fictitious super heroes, this book introduces the younger generation to a real live heroine of rare spirit and fearless heart, to inspire and electrify them to follow their dreams!
This is a novel that explores, not Gandhi the man or his life as a leader, but really the Gandhian way that must remain relevant to us. Especially today when the world is becoming increasingly steeped in violence and hate.
Bena’s Summer by Vibha Batra
Eight-year-old Bena is perhaps the happiest child you know until one summer that bubble bursts when Bena is witness to riots, death, destruction and abuse, in a setting that explains little, and expects children to forget it all. But Bena, defined by her grit and audacity, is different. This, then, is the story of Bena’s Summer…
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar
The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows!
Saira Zariwala is Afraid by Shabnam Minwalla
Shabnam Minwalla’s new young adult novel, Saira Zariwala is Afraid is part mystery, part horror. And more than that. It is also about being a teenager in Mumbai, and about friendship and romance and the ease with which people can hide behind their phones. It all starts when Saira gets a phone for her 14th birthday. The story then spirals along taking the reader on a dark and sinister ride — making for a truly unputdownable book.
Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel With A Paintbrush by Anita Vachharajani
An artist? A dreamer? A rebel? Who exactly was Amrita Sher-Gil ? She was a little bit of all these things, really.Join her on a journey through her life, a journey that takes her family through World Wars and political turmoil as they travel in pursuit of love, a home and a modern, artistic education for Amrita.
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.
Learned Men and Women by Sreelata Menon
Learned Men and Women of Ancient India is a collection of stories that give you a glimpse into the lives of the greatest rishis and rishikas from Indian history and their quest to unearth and reveal the mysteries and truth about mankind and the universe.
India at the Olympics (The India Series) edited by Seetha Natesh, illustrated by Ashish Verma
India at the Olympics, the second book in the India series is packed with images, illustrations, information and highlights, and celebrates 100 years of the participation of Indian athletes in the world’s biggest sporting event and also traces the remarkable history of the Olympics over this period. India in Space was the first book in the India series.
Return to the beloved world of Julie Murphy’s #1 New York Times bestselling Dumplin’—now a popular Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Aniston—in this fabulously joyful, final companion novel about drag, prom, and embracing your inner Queen.
What Maya Saw by Shabnam Minwalla
Almost from the moment Maya steps into St Paul’s College, she is afraid. Everywhere she goes, she encounters questions and secrets. Not to mention the Shadows – a bunch of drop-dead gorgeous students who she realizes will do anything to keep their youth and beauty. Even kill…
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
In this heart-warming debut graphic novel, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about young Priyanka Das, or Pri, and the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.
Uncool: Fights. Camera. Action! by Jane De Suza
Uncool is an incredible graphic novel that is centred around young DD and her high school life. The first book of the bitingly funny UNCOOL series – a rib-tickling tackling of teen issues!
Blood & Honey by Shelby Murin
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide. To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.
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