An Anonymous Librarian sent me the following query, and asked for your help:
I work in a high school library—my alma mater’s, no less—and my responsibilities include selecting and purchasing books (when we have a budget). While most of our fiction purchases are either YA or supportive of the curriculum, we definitely have an audience for grown up romance novels. Kids who devour Cabot or Brashares are entitled to explore more mature options. Our collection still includes a few Mary Stewarts, some Victoria Holt, some Danielle Steel, and, of course, DuMaurier, but when it comes to current romance authors, I am at a loss. Some of the library ladies still read romances, but personal taste alone is not an adequate criteria for choosing books for a library collection.
So here’s my question for you and your readers: Can you suggest a couple of newer romance authors and/or titles that would be appealing for teens and appropriate for a high school library? It isn’t helpful just to suggest an author like Nora Roberts who is incredibly prolific; a few titles or series’ would be more useful.
I really need some titles that would interest teens specifically, but not scandalize their mothers. Please think back to your own teen years and consider which of your current favorites would have appealed to you then. Ideally, I would also need to be able to back up choices with reviews. Any feedback on this would be much appreciated.
There are so many kickass YA romances on the market today, especially those by Jennifer Echols (Major Crush and Going Too Far)and Barb Ferrer’s Adios for My Old Life. I have a major weakness for YA romance in general, and I love that so much of it is smart and kickass.
Candy and I also both reviewed Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist – which, since it was made into a film, could also be part of your DVD collection, and I also found Elizabeth Scott’s Stealing Heaven compulsively readable – though not a romance by the traditional sense.
What do you suggest would make a good YA romance selection at a library? Bringeth your suggestions, pleasth!
Robin McKinley – (The newest, Chalice, is great but I am a long time “Blue Sword” fan.)
Tanith Lee (some of the time)
Andre Norton (again – some of the time) – and the people who co-author her books.
Charlotte MacLeod/Alisa Craig
Anne McCaffrey – and the people who co-author her books.
The books above are usually not focused on the Romance, but also there is not much that will raise a parent’s eyebrows.
The Thorn Birds (read that when I was in junior high)
For another big, sweeping romantic story (also read in junior high or high school) North and South by John Jakes.
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Any of Anna McPartlin’s books.
Hot Tamara by Mary Castillo
P.S. Thank you, Sarah, for mentioning Adiós. It also gives me such a case of the Warm Fuzzies. 🙂
Oh, hell, I’ll suggest my own CASA DRACULA series because I have many teen readers and libraries and school libraries often stock my books. Teens have plagiarized my copy for their MySpace descriptions. My series is not romance, but romantic comedy.
One teen reviewer for a midwest library wrote: “OMFG this one was- is too amazing and indescribable to make words. I am totally and completely in love with Marta Acosta! I love love love her writing, characters, plot, ect.”
As you know, “OMFG” is the highest rating possible.
Let’s see: for paranormal YA romance, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series;
PN Elrod’s Vampire Files paranormal mysteries aren’t YA, but the sensuality is minimal in keeping with the 1930’s time period, so I don’t foresee much parental objection to the books;
For sheer lunacy, anything by PG Wodehouse or Donald Westlake, especially the latter’s Dortmunder series;
R.A. McAvoy wrote some excellent fantasy with a strong romantic element back in the 1980’s (no idea if any of the books are still in print);
And fourth (or is it fifth?) Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels/Barbara Mertz.
Bewitching by Jill Barnett. It was my first!
i highly recommend the liaden novels by sharon lee and steve miller.
Let me second everyone who mentioned Sharon Shinn, P.C. Cast, and Robin McKinley. Shinn and McKinley write books that are not romances, but romantic, and to a teenager, that is a big plus. Heck, it’s still a big plus to me.
Let me also recommend Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle series, starting with the book A Great and Terrible Beauty. Not really a romance, but certainly a female-empowering YA. Jude Devereaux’s probably tame enough, and I remember enjoying her books in high school. Lynn Kurland writes clean romances, but a lot of her books are very repetitive, and there are way to many character reoccurances. Of her titles, I would recommend A Dance Through Time, Stardust of Yesterday, This is All I Ask, The More I See You, and From This Moment On. Those are probably the only books of hers that can truly stand alone.
I would also recommend Mercedes Lackey, especially her 500 Kingdoms and Wizards of London series. Both of these series have strong romantic elements. Her Heralds of Valdemar series is excellent for fantasy lovers (and also have romatic elements), but there are some homosexual romances as well that high school librarians might want to avoid. I’ll leave that up to them, since I’m not the one fielding calls from angry parents.
PS – The last high school I worked for had quite a few Anita Blake books in the stacks. I always wondered if the librarian had actually read them.
I am loving this thread! My to read pile is growing like a teenager!
I agree with Robin McKinley—a lot of libraries carry her Newbery titles and not the rest of her stuff, which may or may not be marketed as YA.
I recommend Kristan Higgins, for sure, for contemporary romance, and some Jennifer Crusie. I agree about Maria V. Snyder and Sharon Shinn, for fantasy with strong romantic elements. I think Julia Quinn’s stuff would work for high school girls, but each school library has different standards for sex, so preview carefully there. Same with Mary Jo Putney and Mary Balogh—they aren’t erotic by any means, but I know some high school mums who would be displeased by the sexual content, and ditto on Sookie Stackhouse.
I have to admit that if I were in Anonymous Librarian’s shoes, I’d be very careful on this issue. It’s been 23 years since a parent tried to get me fired because her son checked out a book from the school library for my class which contained the word “orgasm.” Times have changed, but there are still protective parents whom it may not be worth clashing with over adult romance titles.
And in actual YA titles, if by any chance you don’t have Melissa Marr, Libba Bray or PC & Kristin Cast already in your collection, my just-graduated daughter wants to know “why not?”—those authors got her through her senior year.
Don’t get Graceling – the cover says it is for a fairly young age group but the evil guy mutilates young children for sexual kicks. No thanks.
I would say get Robin Palmer’s Cindy Ella and new/upcoming release Geek Charming.
In my wishlist the YAs are Kaleb Nation’s Brian Hambric: Farfield curse, Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, and Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs.
I agree with Robin McKinley and Georgette Heyer.
I would like to add a new one that is just divine:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780786838189
I don’t have time to read the comments, so maybe I’m reinforcing somebody’s opinion, maybe these are new:
The Season by Sarah McLean was great and I adored it. It’s a YA Romance.
I adored the Protector of the Small Quartest (First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight) by Tamora Pierce. Although all her work is YA and good, it’s not quite Romance. More Fantasy with a lot of girl power. But it has a taste of Romance.
Ella Enchanted is a great YA Romance and still possibly my favorite book ever.
I loved Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters as a teen—-and still do!
The library in question probably already has them, but what about classics like the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Phantom of the Opera? They’re both romantic, and I loved them as a teen.
I second the recommendation of the Study books by Maria V. Snyder, which have been reissued in YA versions, and add two more romantic fantasy series: The Truth books and the Decoy Princess/Princess at Sea duology by Dawn Cook. She also happens to be Kim Harrison, but this series has less sex than the Rachel Morgan series; however, Harrison actually has a YA novel out now: Once Dead, Twice Shy.
Robin McKinley’s Sunshine (vampires done right w/ a side of romance)
Sharon Shinn’s The Shape-Changer’s Wife
Lois McMaster Bujold’s Sharing Knife Series
My high shool age daughter and her girl friends who are all very good at Math and Science love Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. They also like historical mysteris with romance such as, And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander, and What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris.
When I was a teenager, my friend and I went to the public library and looked for the steamiest romances we could find to check out, but I suppose a school library can’t get away with that (especially since they seem to have gotten steamier since I was 16).
I second Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson and Boy Next door by Meg Cabot. A Civil Campaign by Bujold would be good. I think a teen could easily relate to the dinner party from hell with friends and parents just getting in the way.
Also, the Emma manga series by Kaoru Mori. They are very sweet and the main characters are quite young, plus it’s in a teen-friendly format.
have36—have 36what? Chocolate chip cookies? Puppies? Men in regency garb with their shirts unbuttoned but tucked in?
I second Tamora Peirce! I absolutely loved her Song of the Lioness series when I was about twelve. It definitely has a strong romance element, especially the sequels (the herioine is only about twelve herself in the first book).
I also love Robin McKinley and Gail Carson Levine. Rhys from “The Two Princesses of Bamarre” is one of my all-time favorite YA Romance heroes—and Levine does a fab job with her heroes in general, including Char from “Ella Enchanted.”
I work at Teen Ink Magazine, and we’ve been hearing way too much about Twilight lately…great to hear about some other YA titles!
Hmmm you’re kind of describing my transitional books. The books I read in late high school/early college. They’re relatively new and very interesting. Most are historical based but that’s what I’m interested.
The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins: It just started it’s going to be a trilogy and if you have anyone reading Ann Rinaldi’s books that take place during the American Revolution this is an excellent transitional book that will be more mature. The main character is very similair to the heroines in Rinaldi’s books who manage to take charge of their life during the middle of a war.
The Food of Love by Anthony Capella: It’s an italian version of Cerno De Burgerac. Very cute, I still remember this one. Instead of poetry though the main character makes really good food and is a chef in his friend’s restaurant.
The Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly: This is a really good trilogy so far and doesn’t have any seriously x rated love scenes. What makes this trilogy work is the detail and historical accuracy. With a wide spread cast of characters that intertwin in interesting ways.
The Dark Queen Series by Susan Carroll: I love this series and I’m really wondering what’s up with the Twilight Queen because it keeps getting pushed back, but it’s a great series that’s both romantic and high action at the same time.
A Vision of Light, In Pursuit of the Green, and The Water Devil by Judith Merkle Riley: Ok not going to lie in high school I read In Pursuit of the Green Lion at least five times without even knowing it was the middle of a trilogy. Margrete is probably one of my favorite characters I love that she’s this healer with a direct connection to God. Her conversations wiith him are very witty. From surviving the Black Plague to saving her crusader husband and her infant son this is one of my favorites. Just talking about it makes me want to read it!
Hope this help…a lot of these you might not find in the Romance section The Riley series was just to good not to recommend.
Simone Elkeles is a recent YA author who writes great romances. I also second the rec for Sharon Shinn—her books are really great.
To be honest, I read some really racy books when I was teen. 😀 I was in love with L. J. Smith’s books, though, which are paranormal teen romance.
There’s also Tanith Lee, who writes sci-fi books with a bit of romance in them. The Wolf Chronicles and Silver Metal Lover come to mind right away.
Julie James’ The Sexiest Man Alive is a great contemporary adult romance that doesn’t have any explicit sex scenes in it. That would be a good choice as well.
Lynn Kurland’s de Piaget/MacLeod books starting with Stardust of Yesterday. Mostly paranormal elements with ghosts and time travel, but there are a couple of straight historical and contemporaries in there, mainly in the short stories of the series, though.
Harlequin has launched a new teen line, called, oddly enough, HarlequinTEEN. While they only are promoting two books right now, it’s brand new, they do offer free ARCs, while supplies last. Just click on the book, then up at the top of the book detail page you can “request an ARC.” http://www.harlequinteen.com
I have to suggest several that I have read recently and loved. Michael Grant’s “Gone” series, PC Cast’s “House of Night”,James Patterson’s
“Maximum” series, and Melissa Marr’s “Wicked Lovely. Oh, and Lynne Ewing’s “Daughters of the Moon”
E. Lockhart’s books, especially the Ruby Oliver series (3 so far).
Beautiful Creatures by Garcia & Stohl comes out in the fall; a Twilight type romance told from the POV of the boy.
Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series is terrific.
Here’s a good list of boy POV romance: http://lu.com/ranews/jun2008/webber.cfm
Audrey Wait by Benway.
Louise Rennison’s books about Georgia Nicolson are very young Bridget Jones-ish.
Laini Taylor has a great short story collection coming out, Lips Touch, all supernatural romances.
YALSA’s popular paperbacks list, esp Sex Is http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/popularpaperback/annotations/08ppya.cfm#sex Romance http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/popularpaperback/annotations/2000popularpaperbacks.cfm#romance and Books that Don’t Make You Blush http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/popularpaperback/annotations/ppya06.cfm#blush
I am partial to my own YA books
Braced2Bite, Fangs4Freaks, Dating4Demons and Fendi Ferragamo and Fangs.
Then my June release, which is a contemporary “Giving Up the V” which got a great review from Publisher’s Weekly, who said, “this novel stands out for its thorough, no-holds-barred discussion of sex in its many forms-from the ugly to the beautiful”
http://www.serenarobar.com
I am partial to my own YA books
Braced2Bite, Fangs4Freaks, Dating4Demons and Fendi Ferragamo and Fangs.
Then my June release, which is a contemporary Giving Up the V which got a great review from Publisher’s Weekly, who said, “this novel stands out for its thorough, no-holds-barred discussion of sex in its many forms-from the ugly to the beautiful”.
Have to cheer for the Maria Snyder recs. Both the Poison series and the new Storm Glass series. LOVE her books and I think high school kiddos would, too.
LOVE Susan Carroll’s Dark Queen trilogy and second that rec.
If you don’t have it, The Tree of Red Stars by Tessa Bridal is a great adult for YA novel. The love-interest is completely secondary to the revolution going on in Uraguay.
Does the Bitchery think that Jennifer Blake’s Maitres des Armes series is too hot? B/c I think some readers would enjoy the atmosphere of Creole New Orleans.
What about Betina Krahn’s The Husband Test, The Wife Test, and The Marriage Test. That old bat of an Abbess was very crafty…
While I agree with the general enthusiasm for a lot of these books, the librarian should check/read them herself first, to discover if the school board has a tolerance for gore/violence and rape as well.
The Mercy Thompson series for example contains rape and murder/violence as well. There’s a lot of vampire violence in McKinley’s Sunshine.
The Emma manga is beautiful but has some very tasteful nude scenes of female characters (it was published in a mangazine for men = seinen manga).
Maria V. Snyder’s Study series has a lot of violence, rape (real and threatened) and murder, especially of female characters, although not all of it is “on screen” so to say.
In conclusion, read the recommendations first – except for the known ya authors, maybe.
The whole Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. Definitely some Kristan Higgins.
She said she already has a Cabot collection, but to double check, the Mediator series and the 1-800-WHERE-R-U series are still old favorites of mine that I’ll pull out, even though I’ve read them all a million times.
I had an 8th grade student last year that would read anything. She was reading Christina Dodd’s lost princess series that she picked up at the public library. She has also read the Vampire Academy and House of Night series which previous posters recommended. I generally don’t recommend to my students since they are middle school, but to my friends that are just getting into romance I recommend Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Christina Dodd, Judith McNaught’s Remember When, and Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau series for paranormal.
When I was 15 (I’m 21 now) I started reading Jennifer Crusie and feel in love with the romance genre. I also absolutely loved The Full Series by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes. Oh and the Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts. So those would be my recommendations.
Of course our school library only stocked a collection of awful Mills and Boon books with titles like Finn’s Twins, or a personal favourite of mine Raoul’s Revenge (which was read aloud to a captive audience each morning during roll call and is still remembered in horrific detail by many to this day).
An Abundance of Katherines is, hands down, the best YA romance I’ve ever read. I like that it’s taken from the guy’s point of view.
Oh, the author is John Green, btw.
Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci is awesome contemporary title. I know someone has already recommended Holly Black’s Valiant, but it is truly worth a second nod.
Definitely Kristan Higgins and Jenny Crusie – their backlists are quite small but for a specific suggestion – Higgins’ Too Good to Be True and Crusie’s Bet Me are faves.
Also, I’d recommend the in Death series by JD Robb/Nora Roberts.
Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels and the Carsington series (Miss Wonderful, Mr. Impossible etc) would be great.
The Gallagher series in Ireland by Nora Roberts. Or the Cheasapeake Bay quartet. All really good.
Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series are excellent and not too scandalous.
I’d also add Rachel Gibson to the contemporay list. The Trouble with Valentine’s Day, Daisy’s Back in Town, Lola Carlyle Reveals All are just a few of hers I’d recommend.
This is fun!
Robin McKinley’s BEAUTY is the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast in the Known Universe. I taught it to high school students for more than a decade and hooked them every time.
Tanith Lee’s SLIVER METAL LOVER is pure magic, but it’ll make you snot cry at the end.
Deborah Smith’s A GENTLE RAIN is a sweet, wonderful book.
I read THE FAR PAVILIONS by MM Kaye and SHOGUN by James Clavell when I was about 18 and they made me swoon. I mean in a good way…
‘Claiming the Courtesan’!
Um… joking.
I agree with the Mary Balogh recommendation – beautifully written, romantic and not too racey. My favourites are the Slightly series, especially ‘Dangerous’, ‘Married’, ‘Wicked’ and ‘Scandalous’. ‘Simply Unforgettable’ is good too.
I also agree with the Julia Quinn suggestions. The first four Bridgerton books are the best if you don’t want to order in all eight!
Robin McKinley’s ‘Sunshine’ = yay! Vampire fiction with NO HIGH SCHOOL!
I imagine teenagers would enjoy Marian Keyes as well. ‘The Last Chance Saloon’ isn’t bad.
If you like fantasy romance, Juliet Marillier’s Severwaters trilogy is gorgeous and very romantic – ‘Daughter of the Forest’, ‘Son of the Shadows’ and ‘Child of the Prophecy’. She has a few others – ‘Wildwood Dancing’ and ‘Cybele’s Secret’ written specifically for teenagers.
Another good one is’Sorcery and Cecilia’ by Wrede and Stevermer – a variation of the letter game set in Regency era England with magic. Sort of Georgette Heyer meets Suzanne Clarke. Two girls, two intriguing and infuriating men, two villains and a complicated plot linking them all.
So Many good recs in this thread! Again it’s hard to judge which ones are great romances which won’t get parental hackles up-
-Heyer is a classic and few people object to her,
-Sharon Shinn, Tamora Pierce, Bujold, Whelan Turner, are all great and hide themselves as fantasy.
-Judith Merkle Riley’s Margaret trilogy -mentioned upstream- is one of the great romances and looks historical and worthy.
Anything by Sherwood Smith is worth checking out.
As far as romance-romances go- the ones I can think of that haven’t been mentioned- Mary Balogh, Laura Kinsale.
But then when I was a teen I was running wild in the library, and grateful my parents just thought of me as A Reader without checking out most of what I was reading…a courtesy I’d extend to my kids.
I know I’m gonna get the beat down for this, but Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series (Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse/Breaking Dawn) have been favorites of almost all the HS girls I know, and her new book Host is great according to my neice.
I highly recommend all of Simone Elkeles books, “Perfect Chemistry” is her latest. She also has “How to ruin my summer vacation”, “How to ruin my teenage life”, and “Leaving Paradise”.
I have written “Ordinary Me” and my newest is a short story in the Anthology “Summer Lovin’”, so of course I recommend those too!
Thanks
June
YA fiction dates *extremely* rapidly, so I’m not going to recommend any of my favourites as a teen, and I’d be wary of adding any older authors (Holt, Michaels, etc) unless they’ve been recently re-published with attractive new covers like the Ibbotson titles mentioned upthread.
I disgaree with Keira—I just read Cashore’s Graceling and LOVED it. Unconventional heroine, yummy hero, and while it deals with some dark themes it’s not explicit. Plus the copy I saw says 14+ on the cover, which seems about right to me.
I work in a public library, not a school one, so our concerns about content are different & I’m going to assume that HS Librarian here knows her business. Still, I’d be extremely careful about what titles you add and make sure you can back up your choices with rave reviews, awards, etc whenever possible.
Along those lines, if you haven’t already checked out the Alex Awards for books “written for adults that have special appeal to young adults,” keep them in mind. While genre romance rarely makes the list, lots of the books have romantic elements.