Figuring what to read is a problem every book lover struggles with at some point.
After reading a book that broke your heart or made you swoon or even had you pull a Silver Linings Playbook and hurl it out a window, inevitably you wonder, "Now what?"
As a veteran YA book blogger, I struggle with this problem all the time and have developed a pretty reliable system of choosing what to read next.
3 Ways to Figure Out What Young Adult Books to Read Next
3. Make other people choose for you.
Have you narrowed down your choices to two or three books? Send out a tweet or Instagram and ask your friends to vote on what you should read next!
Although priority should be given to other YA readers' opinions. (Sorry, grandma, you've been overruled, but you get extra points for being on Instagram).
Or just ask what someone's last favorite read was. To get you started, my last favorites books were On the Fence by Kasie West, a contemporary YA romance, and The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas, a fantastic sequel to The Burning Sky.
2. Check the "best of" lists.
I usually browse Amazon Editor's YA Best Books of the Month picks and Goodreads' Popular This Week page .
They're not always helpful, especially if you're the type who always disagrees with the masses. But it's an easy and quick way to see what's popular and buzzworthy.
A few popular, recently published YA books that I can personally say were tremendous are: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne.
1. Chose something outside your comfort zone.
If you really can't decide what to read next, pick something you've been meaning to read forever but never found the time for. Sort your to-be-read list by "date added" and see what dusty books need your attention.
Or, pick a book in a genre you don't typically read. It's very refreshing and can give you a new appreciation for other types of work.
For example, this year I finally got around to reading the fantasy classic Finnikin of the Rock and the hilarious The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and was rewarded with excellent writing and engaging stories.
Bonus Option: Use Uppercase
Uppercase is a young adult book subscription box that sends hand-picked books to subscribers every month. And -- full disclosure -- it was started and founded by myself!
I realize how time consuming and difficult it is to find the best YA books out there, so I started Uppercase to help other book fanatics. Having talked about and read hundreds of teen books over the years, I recommend only the best, new reads.
Every Uppercase box book is vetted and approved, which saves you the effort of finding a new read and worry about whether or not it's any good. I'd love for you to check it out!
What methods do you use to pick your latest YA read?