It’s Young Adult month for the 2020 Diversify Your Reading Challenge and I’m so eager to dive into some recent Young Adult releases, in addition to our group read: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. While browsing through my Goodreads account to get some recommendations for Young Adult books, I found myself feeling nostalgic over the series that I used to read. So nostalgic, in fact, that I’m tempted to re-read all of them. But first, I’m going to share these all with you.
You’ll almost definitely be able to identify what type of teenager I was based on my reading style. I like to think I’ve grown into an equally as feminine, but less bossy and more grounded woman…it’s very possible I’d read these now and roll my eyes at my selection. However, I have a feeling that, deep down, I’d still love every single one of these.
Here’s a list of the Young Adults series that I absolutely loved as a teenager – hopefully you find one to indulge in this month!
Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter
If you’ve ever fantasized about being a spy, this is the series for you! I absolutely loved these books and so desperately wanted to attend Gallagher Academy. There are some great characters, boys that will make you swoon, and drama for the teenagers and adults alike. I recently read a new Ally Carter standalone, Not If I Save You First, and can confirm that I still love her writing and can still sit down and read one of her books in one sitting.
Here’s a snippet from my review of Not If I Save You First, which applies to the Gallagher Girls novels as well:
Ally Carter’s books always feature badass female characters that are the perfect mix of feminine and adventurous, incredibly ballsy, and just generally awesome.
Get started with the Gallagher Girls series:
The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
I loved the Gossip Girl series & show (and very much wanted to be Blair Waldorf), but in terms of the books, I loved The It Girl series even more. The series follows Jenny Humphrey as she leaves Constance Billard and goes to boarding school at Waverly Academy. There is a ton of drama as Jenny not only tries to fit in, but takes in one step further in an attempt to become the “It Girl”. These books are totally addicting and I have no doubt you’ll be craving more when you finish the final one.
Get started with The It Girl series:
Airhead by Meg Cabot
A brainiac in a supermodel’s body – the Airhead series is Freaky Friday, America’s Next Top Model, and The Princess Diaries all in one. And it’s so fun! There are only three books in the series, so it’s a great way to jump back into YA without having to take on 15 books.
Get started with the Airhead series or buy the full boxed set:
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I also LOVED All-American Girl by Meg Cabot, an easy to read two-book series about a teenager trying her hardest to not fall in love with the First Son of the United States.
Secrets of my Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita
I feel like many of my teenage summers consisted of me laying out on our rooftop, flipping between Us Weekly and a book from the Secrets of my Hollywood Life series. While I daydreamed of being best friends with Selena Gomez and dating Nick Jonas, I loved this behind the scenes look at the life of a teenage star in Hollywood.
Get started with the Secrets of my Hollywood Life series:
The Secrets of Boys by Hailey Abbott
I remember feeling so grown up when I read these books as a teenager. They all work as standalones, but there are a couple in the ‘series’ that are all similar. If you’re looking for a fun, YA summer series, these Hailey Abbott books are sure to hit the spot. At the age of trying to meet boys at the beach, there is nothing I enjoyed more than these fun teenage stories. These are for the slightly older crowd (maybe 14+?), but that only means they’ll probably be just as enjoyable for adults. In fact, I might just have to re-read these this summer!
Get started with Hailey Abbott’s books:
The Book of Luke by Jenny O’Connell
I literally just discovered that there is a second ‘Luke’ book, therefore qualifying The Book of Luke for this post and, oh my gosh, I feel like a teenager again. I read The Book of Luke at least once a year in high school and loved it so much. It’s like John Tucker Must Die but in book form and I felt like I related to it SO MUCH. So, now I’m going to order both books and read them and I’ll probably get super nostalgic.
Anyway, The Book of Luke is part of the MTV Books collection and I obviously highly recommend it. Again, it’s probably for high school age and up.
Get started with The Book of Luke:
At the top of this post, I shared a picture of my new bookshelves. We moved into our new house in February and these are the built ins in the living room. It’s only a temporary solution until I build the library of my dreams, but here’s a peek at the other side, too. You probably recognize these from the background of my Instagram photos!
Let me know what books you loved as a teenager in the comments below!
