Who Is Reading What? by DL Larson

As a librarian I have a unique position to compare book stores top sellers to what folks check out at their local library.  Reading reviews on Amazon and local book shop favorites are usually pretty similar and most who don't want to purchase a book, head for the library to find the popoular books. 

The list below was gathered by a Texas Librarian who wanted to track what Young Adults were actually reading, not just what was being pushed at them.  If you haven't heard, YA is hot!  The stories are well written, riddled with real life issues, plus tons of page turning fantasy!  It's a great combo and has been drawing adults as well as Jr. High students to the YA stacks. 

The researcher queried far and wide to see what the youth of America was reading.  The study covered the months of July to December 2011.

The Top Ten:
- Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
- Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan
- Wolves of Mercy Falls, by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
- The Kane Chronicles, by Rick Riordan
- Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare
- House of Night, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney
- Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan

To that list I would add:
- Secrets of Immortal  Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott
- Maximum Ride, by James Patterson
- Septimus Heap, by Angie Sage
- Halo, by various authors
- City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
- The Ranger's Apprentice, by John Flanagan

If you are interested in writing YA, read something from the lists.  These are all series with the second and third, and fourth books as popular as the first book.  Or if you are simply looking for a good read this summer, pick one of these and I can guarantee you will be coming back for the sequel!

Try reading an author you aren't familiar with ~ it's a fun discovery to add him/her to your favorite authors list!

Til next time ~

DL Larson