Hello.
My 13 year old and I are starting our own little book club, where we will alternate book choices by month.
The trouble is, all the books I’ve read and generally read are… relatively not exactly teen friendly – The Road, Blood Meridian, Catch-22, Slaughterhouse-5 (those 2 might be ok?), Game of Thrones, other violent fantasy… basically violence, war, sex. Or heavily philosophical – Camus, Sartre, Mans Search For Meaning. Things a 13 year old might not really find very interesting.
I’m not entirely opposed to those topics being in a book we share, and would make for interesting discussion, and I don’t really want to pick YA books just because they’re 13.
I also struggle to find new books on my own and end up re-reading things which I’d prefer not to do with out little book club.
Totally open to anything that would be appropriate for a teen to read. No preferences on my end.
by inrediblymediocrerog
7 Comments
Harry Potter books. Chronicles of Narnia. The Golden Compass! Fantasy might be a good option!
Naomi noviks His Majesty’s Dragon
Naomi noviks His Majesty’s Dragon
What about YA books that are retellings/inspired by classics or folklore/mythology? So the content is age appropriate for her while still exploring more adult themes/topics for you?
I recently bought Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven which is a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray (haven’t read yet so can’t comment on how good it is). I’ve also heard people talk really highly about Legendborn by Tracy Deonn which is based on Arthurian legends.
Also Storygraph could be a useful resource for content warnings for things that you feel might not be appropriate for her at her age if you were wanting to try a book you’ve haven’t read before.
Also, check out YABA books! Young Adult Book Award books. There’s 20 each year I think.
Are they into Fantasy books? I started reading The Wheel of Time series at that age.
Jurassic Park
Holes
The Hobbit
All Systems Red (Murderbot #1)
House in the Cerulean Sea
Ella Minnow Pea
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia De Luce #1)
Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
The Marrow Thieves
Alex Award Winners (given to books that hold interest for both adults and youth): https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2023-alex-awards