Ann and I are on vacation from the podcast. We’ll be back with a new episode on Wednesday. In the meantime, here’s the final guest post (for now!) from our friends and colleagues at Random Acts of Reading, a wonderful blog about kids’ books. If you haven’t checked out their blog, do it today!

I have the pleasure of wrapping up the week of Random Acts of Reading guest posts by gushing about a few of my favorite recently published or forthcoming young adult novels that I think easily cross over into the world of adult literature.  Thanks to Ann and Michael for giving us the opportunity to share some of our favorite books with all of you; we hope that if you haven’t ventured into ‘YA’ yet, perhaps we’ve convinced you to give it a try!

Christina Gonzalez’s debut novel The Red Umbrella is a touching and thought-provoking story that sheds light on a little known but important part of history called Operation Pedro Pan.  When their parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send their children to the United States to escape the escalating turmoil of 1961 communist Cuba, fourteen-year old Lucia and her younger brother Frankie are forced to navigate a strange and foreign country, depend on the kindness of complete strangers, and ultimately redefine their idea of what it means to be home.  Based on the real life experiences of over fourteen thousand Cuban children, Christina Gonzalez crafts a poignant and hopeful coming of age tale that will resonate with readers young, old, and in between.

Sticking with historical fiction, a genre that can often transcend age, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is another timeless story about two teenage girls who live centuries apart but are connected through love and loss, music, tragedy and redemption.  Jennifer Donnelly, award-winning author of both YA and adult fiction, has created a novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers with its complex characters, vivid settings–from present day New York to eighteenth century France–that come alive on the page, and the perfect blend of historical and contemporary fiction. (on sale October 12, 2010)

Switching gears a bit to dystopian thrillers.  If you’re one of the many grown ups who’ve gotten completely sucked into The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, you’re probably anxiety awaiting August 24th and the release of the third book, Mockingjay.  You’re also most likely plotting what you’ll read when it’s all over.  Enter The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner, a gripping story about a group of teenagers facing a life or death journey through a vast and terrifying dystopian world.  No matter your age, The Maze Runner’s fast-paced and suspenseful plot will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing to the very end.  Book 2, The Scorch Trials is available from Delacorte Books for Young Readers October 12, 2010.

For more information about Sarah and her fellow Random Acts of Reading bloggers, please visit the About Us page on their website.

Ann and I are on vacation from the podcast. We’ll be back with a new episode on August 18. In the meantime, here’s the second guest post from our friends and colleagues at Random Acts of Reading, a wonderful blog about kids’ books. If you haven’t checked out their blog, do it today!

My co-worker and fellow blogger Kate did a fantastic job in her post here this week of summing up the reasons adult readers are flocking to well-written young adult novels. Instead of simply echoing her ideas, I thought I would give my own personal reasons for reading “teen” books (aside from the obvious fact that it is part of my job!) and share a few of my recent favorites.

When I was growing up, the young adult category was just getting started. Sure, we had Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, but as a kid who always read way above my grade level, I was bored with the books marketed to my age group. My mom started sharing her adult novels with me when I was old enough to read them, but definitely too young to totally appreciate or understand them- Anne Tyler comes to mind as one such author who even at this stage in life I am still not sure I can fully relate to!

Pre-teens and teens today have so many wonderful books available to them in a wide variety of genres. And these books are often smart, funny, thought-provoking and challenging. When I pick up a YA book, I get to revisit my youth without having to relive the awkwardness, bad skin and social drama. The reading schedule I tend to loosely follow is one YA book for every two to three adult books- that way when I’ve burnt out on books about death, divorce, mortgages, child rearing and midlife crises, I can take a breather with a paranormal romance or a funny, cringe-worthy look into the mind of a teen boy.

Trying to choose just a few “crossover” YA titles to cover here was very difficult- there are so many that I have enjoyed and that have true appeal to readers of all ages. Some, like The Book Thief, have truly taken off with adult book clubs and need no further mention here. I decided to pick a few books that were published recently and are not as well known, but definitely worth a read.

Notes from the Blender by Brendan Halpin and Trish Cook (available October 26):
This book is thoughtful, crude and hilarious. It is told in alternating chapters by Declan, a Goth, heavy metal-loving, internet-porn surfing high school “loser” and Neilly, the beautiful, popular and talented teen queen he has a crush on. Neilly and Declan’s lives intersect when their parents rapidly fall in love, get pregnant, and move them in together. What elevates this above the standard teen novel is the depth that the authors give the teens as well as their parents. The relationship between Declan and his widowed father, in particular, is honest and touching. The authors are able to give great insight into the differences between the way teen boys and girls think and act- probably more insight than I needed! And the way that a mortified Declan deals with his fantasy girl becoming his stepsister is wholly believable.

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab:
Strangely enough, this novel is also told in alternating teen boy and girl voices and one of the narrators is also named Neily (the boy this time). Set at a wealthy private high school, Neily, an introspective loner, wants to solve the mystery behind his ex-girlfriend Carly’s recent murder. Her cousin Audrey, whose father has been convicted of the murder, comes to him for assistance proving her father’s innocence, and the two teens delve deep into the dark underside of their upper-class town and its residents. Secrets, lies, and startling twists kept me reading late into the night. Jarzab did such a wonderful job drawing her characters that I was really invested in them finding the murderer and dealing with their own grief and confusion. If you, like me, were a “Veronica Mars” fan, you will love this book.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp (paperback edition available this December):
This book didn’t connect as we hoped with teens, and one reason I think is that the book is a little too dark and unsettling for the age group- it felt much more like an adult novel to me all along. Nominated for the National Book Award, Tharp’s book is beautifully written, sad, and darkly humorous. Sutter Keely, the main character, is the life of the party, the boy who always lives in the moment and never lets the future concern him. He is also an alcoholic, drinking from sun up to sundown. When he meets the driven and innocent Aimee (after passing out on her lawn), he begins to realize the affect his lifestyle has on the people closest to him. Tharp makes Sutter a fresh and likeable character, even while showing his alcoholism in unflinching detail. This powerful book really stayed with me long after I finished it.

For more information about Erin and her fellow Random Acts of Reading bloggers, please visit the About Us page on their website.