Young Writers Society

I enjoy fantasy novels directed towards young adults and kids. The Lost Years of Merlin was a gem that I found at a local library. The book is very well written and puts a very interesting spin on the legends about Merlin. This book is first book in the series of five, all of which I found to be excellent. Another book that I love is Howl's Moving Castle. I read that book when I was younger so I am not sure how it would fare with my current tastes but I have very fond memories of reading it and it is, undoubtedly, one of my favorites.

RoseyUnicorn: You have to read 1984! It is so good! Trust me, you won't regret it. Ooh, and Animal Farm, too. That one's amazing.

I love that is it diffucult for all of us to limit the choice to just one or two. I'm going to have to go through these replies with a notepad and add to my list of books I want to someday read.

For me, there are two that really stick out.
1) Der Steppenwolf- Herman Hesse. This is a book you need to read with a highlighter and a notebook. Yes, it was written circa 1929, but by gum if Herr Hesse wasn't looking right into your own soul when he wrote it, you're not human. It's one of those lovely existential novels ( think Sartre or Dostyevsky) that were so popular during the early 20th century. The beginning is a little slow as he lays out the philosophical theme, but it is well worth it. If you are a writer, artist or a steppenwolf in any other form, this is a manual!

2) I Am The Messanger- Markus Zusak. The Book Thief is a masterpiece, I think we can call agree on that. This book came at a time when I was utterly lost in my life. It gave me purpose and direction. I've only known about it for 4 years and I've had to replace the book 3 times because I carried it everywhere with me for a while. It's beautifully written. If Ed Kennedy doesn't break your heart, you should go get an EKG to make sure it's still working.


there are others such as the Attolia Series by Maegan Whalen Turner ( if Gen were real I'd totally marry him) and 9 stories by J.D. Salinger ( Great Day for Bananafish) those are some fallbacks. You know, the ones you constantly turn to when you need a friend, or something to read.

My favorite book(s) would have to be the Harry Potter series. As childish as it may seem, my love is not only for the story but the beautiul way J.K. Rowling writes. It's something that I've grown up with and to this day I still wish that the world of Harry Potter exisited. What I would give to be able to excape from our decaying societies and head towards a world where things are different. THat is something that any sane person would want. Weather it be into the world of Harry Potter or Twilight or Star Wars...everyone has that wonderfullly unique and fantastic fictional world where that wish they could remain soley to acclamate themseleves to a world different from their own. Facing different problems. With different ways of living. Its the heart's way of finding a way to shows it compassion for wanting. To desire something it knows it cannot have. So it compels you to revisit it by re reading the tales over and over until the ink on the pages is smearing and the binding is falling off. I feel this is the true definition of a favorite book.
-lexi♥

My one has to be The Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, It is so realistic, and so all over the place that it reads not as a story but as a series of narratives. It was the book that changed my life. Now I no longer read books that very narrow minded people at my school read. It was my first step to be different and unpopular. Long live fucked up narratives!

The best book I have ever read would have to be Evergreen, by Belva Plain, hands down.
It simply affected the way i saw a lot of things, and the way i thought. It gave me an insight into life, beyond what I already knew. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much, more so than an elder (or even an older version of me) would have. The book taught the 12 year-old me a hell of a lot.

I strongly reccomend it either way. It is most definitely not a children's book, therefore I have no doubt anyone would enjoy it.

However even thought it is the "Best Book I have ever read" , I have read it only once.
Partly, because I would not like to ruin my perspective. I quite like where it left me - emotionally wise.
And partly because it's not in very good condition and I am afraid that further fraying and spine bending shall be the end of that!

Hunger Games. (For shocking, heartbreaking, gutwrenching storytelling)
The Host. (For beautiful characters, a fantastic theme, wonderful plotline, and a true sense of family)
Uglies Series. (For the kids of questions it raises, the plots, and the hardhitting drama)
The Claidi Journals. (For the truly original storyline and crazy delicious plot twists)
Wuthering Heights. (For its rich language, interesting direction, and not so prettily packaged ending)
Dead Souls. (For Gogol's perfect imperfections, fantastically drawn characters and look at your soul kind of questions)
Farenheit 451. (Fantastic pacing, interesting setting, and Clarisse)
Looking for Alaska. (For fascinating characters, beautiful soul searching, and a rather unexpected twist)
Paper Towns. (For the depth and the wisdom that is John Green)
The Glass Castle. (Just read it, you'll get it)
Half Broke Horses. (For it's stunning portrayal of desert life, and gorgeous prose)
Pride and Prejudice. (The best, most well-rounded classic book out there. You can't go wrong with P&P)

1) between shades of grey - ruta sypetes
2) Embers - sandor marai
3) samira and Samir - ?
4) The tales of thr otori - lian hern
5) Uncle Tom's Cabin - ?

Thanks for making this thread!

I agree with Master_Yoda, Ender's Game was ....awesome!


But the best book I have ever read,well so far in my two years of actually reading, i would say.....
Gone by Michael Grant.

WHY.....
well who wouldn't want to read about kids trapped behind a wall,and have powers,and also dissapears to who know where at age 15! Also a phyco mainiac is with them...

Also his whole Gone series....well so far i have read Gone,Hunger,and Lies

My favourite book is And baby Makes Two by Dyan Sheldon, 200 pages, got through it is two days! I love it because the characters in it are so strong and I love how it doesn't go straight into the main plot. It takes it slowly and I really like that. Really good book and any girl (or even boy) between the age of 14 - 17, who likes to read teenage books should go for this!

Diary of a Bad Year, by J.M.Coetzee. It is simply beautiful and unpretentiously clever.

Always a hard question
But probably the catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger, brilliant. I don't know why I even like it so much when everyone I've recommended it to rejects it.
Also Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Album, if you havent read it read it, it will change your life.

“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do somehing else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.”
― Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

Out of the Black by Lee Doty. I got it as a free kindle book, but I would have bought it if I needed to. It's set in the not to far away future on the earth. The main characters are an overweight nurse, a short Chinese-Irish cop with a background in counseling, a part-time history TA and computer hacker, and another cop. Millions of people are taking a drug called Harmony, which drives them insane. The Chinese-Irish cop finds a crime scene with a lot of bodies and a mysterious sword. The overweight nurse is attacked by a dying man.
The plot in Out of the Black was incredibly complex, and there are many elements which at first seem unrelated that mesh by the end. But what really caught my attention in this book was the humor.

'So you think we're looking for ninja hit men?' Ping held desperately to his straight face-he thought it was still working.
'Ninja hit...' The tech broke off, exasperated. 'At this point I can't rule out psycotic cartoons, imaginary friends, or little green men. Am I not impressing you with this stuff?"
Yep, the straight face had held.

I really can't choose just one book to be my favorite, so here are my top 3:

Divergent- a dystopian sci-fi about factions based on different virtues (erudite, candor, dauntless).

City of Bones- a fantasy book set in modern-day New York. The characters include nephilim, vampires, werewolves, demons, and a fabulous warlock.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer- a book that is not as awkward as it sounds. It is about a college drop-out living a completely mundane life- until he finds out that he is in fact a necromancer and that another necromancer is out to get him. Characters include a ten-year-old harbinger of death, a Bigfoot named Hunky Gary, and a warrior lawn gnome named Twinkle the Destroyer.

Well, I've read many books, especially fantasy, but it all started when I read the very first harry potter book. That is my starting point. It changed my life in ways, I can't really describe. It got me into reading and writing, so, it'll always be my favourite...
Although, the last book that I thorughly enjoyed was the hunger games..loved every page...