This week was a bit of a hectic week for the CYL team; there was Inky and his shortlist announcement and there was Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF).
MWF was great fun for us all. We met some really great authors and had a lot of great panel conversations. Below is a recommended reading list from the panel ‘Read Any Good Books Lately’, with Adele Walsh, Lili Wilkinson and Melissa Traverso.
A Straight Line to my Heart by Bill Condon
A warm tale about Tiff and that in-between time of life where you’re no longer and teenager but not yet an adult. A fairly simple plot where the strength lies in it’s feelings and connections of family, friends and life.
Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
Vikki Wakefield has such a unique voice and writing style that her stories leave you slightly off kilter. Like you’ve missed a step and had to skip to catch up. Friday Brown finds herself in the seething underground of Australian slums; homeless, afraid and trapped by a curse.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
A very very laugh out loud funny story of Greg, his best friend Earl and Rachel (recently diagnosed with leukaemia). Greg is a jokester; funny, self-deprecating and honest. It would be easy to dismiss this book as just another ‘cancer’ book, but instead it takes on the role of showing the lighter side of a serious subject. There is no miracle save or life lesson. Sometimes death is just death.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Much like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is not just a ‘cancer’ book, John Green’s Fault in Our Stars takes a walk on the humorous side of death. There are tears of laughter and despair throughout Hazel and Augustus’ tale. It was a glimpse at the sweetest of every emotion, because there was always the thought that this might be the last.
Another cusp of life story featuring Ed and Lucy. The adventure they take over one night, the hardships and prejudices they must face, and the decisions they must make to keep their lives moving forward and their futures bright with possibility.
Other titles discussed as must reads-
Only Ever Always by Penni Russon
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
The List by Siobhan Vivian
The Deep: Here be Dragons by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer
TAGS: Book List, contemporary fiction, Events, graphic novels, John Green, Melbourne Writers Festival, top teen reads
