Book Recommendations from Teens for Teens

My regular customers know they can always come to me for book recommendations. I turned the tables on them this week and asked some sophomores what they've read recently. I was impressed by the titles they mentioned, and am pleased to share their choices with you now.

Jason was assigned the novel Huis Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre for French class. He is surprised by how much he is enjoying it. He and some of his other classmates are reading Candide in French as well.

Angela is reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire because she is going to see the stage musical soon and wanted to read the book first. Her friend proceeded to tell her more about the musical. I joined in. The conversation soon became more about the film adaptations of books - the good, the tolerable, and the horrible - but that's another article.

Gina gushed about Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. She declared it "so romantic" and likes it better than Sense & Sensibility.

According to Alexia, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera is "the greatest psychological journey you'll ever take." Later, she recommended The Samaria Trilogy by Sharon Shinn to me and told me all about the first book, Archangel.

I also asked Siena, a junior, what she's enjoyed lately. She is an avid reader whose favorite authors include Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Peters, and Garth Nix. She praised a verse novel called Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put Archangel on hold . . .