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Find out moreMainly aimed at young adults, but high quality and readable for adults too, Young Adult Fiction navigates emotional stories and characters searching for who they are. This diverse genre can feature aspects from any other genre, from Family Dramas to Fantasy with a stop off at Horror and Historical Fiction along the way plus some relevant non-fiction titles too.
Thrilling and thought-provoking in equal measure, this is a novel about hope and survival. Set in an imaginatively (yet, quite possibly realistic) created Glasgow of the future (It’s 2099) and beautifully written in stark, yet simple and lyrical prose. Don’t think of the novel as science fiction or fantasy just because it’s set in the future for this is a book that should be read by all for given the current serious discussions on climate change and its consequences, it could well be very relevant to our whole future. We've picked this out from the crowd as the sequel - Zenith- to it is published later this month and for all those who've yet to read this one, we thought we should give you the chance to do so.
To hear a sample from this audiobook click here. Audiobook of the Year, Best Production and Best Children's 6 and Over 2003 Spoken Word Awards. The 40 Best Audio books comment: Christopher Boone is a fifteen-year-old mathematical genius. Ask him the square root of a multidigital fraction and he will give it to you, but ask him to do something simple like get on a bus and he can't. Christopher has a form of autism called Asperger Syndrome. He hates yellow; he won't leave the house till he has counted seven successive red cars through the window; he can't relate to other kids, and he really misses his mum. And then one morning he finds his dog dead in the garden and his entire world changes. Beautifully written and stunningly read, this is a story to wring the hardest heart. Read by: Ben TibberAbridgedAudio Length: 6 hours and 3 min.
Carnegie winner in 1996. When it was published in 1996 it created a Storm of Protest - especially from those who didn't bother to read it. The book, however, is credible, honest, realistic, moving and sympathetic - not to drug taking, but to some of the reasons for it and how the young fall into it and then, with luck and a bit of help, get themselves out of it. Junk not for the faint-hearted for it is utterly compelling and terrifying by turns – from bliss through to complete despair we see all manner of emotions that at times will make you feel utterly drained. It’s a real roller-coaster and yet it is completely honest and real to today’s world. Controversy has always gone where this book has gone for it’s hard-hitting approach to the subjects of drink, of drugs and of sex. Junk is an absolute must-read for any teenager and an essential eye-opener to any parent of a teenager. (14+)To find out more about this book CLICK HERE to visit the Carnegie Greenaway site
A great book and an immensely satisfying read for all those who have already discovered the 'Summers of the Sisterhood' titles and for those who haven't then Forever in Blue is as good a starting as any. You'll experience a rollercoaster of emotions from sadness and despair to happiness and elation.
A 2011 World Book Night selection. Looks at the real movers and shakers across history, myth and legend. Witty and thought-provoking, this is a tongue-in-cheek, no-holds-barred look at the real movers and shakers across history, myth and legend. If you have ever wondered how, exactly, Darwin came up with his theory of evolution, or what, precisely, Frau Freud thought about her husband, then this is the book for you. Our Editorial Guru, Sarah Broadhurst, has suggested others book and authors that would be perfect for you to read next or to pass on the recommendation - so your gift will keep on giving enjoyment. Her selection for this title is: Wendy Cope.
This was hailed as one of the most extraordinary debuts when it was first published in 2000. Set in the near future on the east coast of England that has been reclaimed by the sea it tells the story of a girl who, having been mistakenly left behind by her parents escaping from the flood, she heads off to find them but ends up in the hands of a mob of nasty men on a small island. This is essential reading for it paints a vivid picture of what life may well be like in the not too distant future if we don’t do something NOW about global warming. Rest assured though it’s not a rant about that but the author brilliantly interweaves our possible future into an utterly compelling story.
The stunning sequel to the amazing The Bone Season which I really recommend reading first. It starts exactly where the last book finished with the clairvoyant attempting to return to London from the penal colony of Steol I. So now a life of hiding, running, intrigue and power mongering awaits our brave narrator Paige as it seems the whole of London is after her. This is dystopian fiction with a real difference, an extremely rich world with real depth. Paige wants to overthrow the tyrannical rulers, of course, but that will be so much harder here than it often is for plucky heroines in this genre. There are so many layers to scion society, attacking the government won’t be enough. She needs to start a rebellion and probably a war. Complex, vivid and compelling, it really is the best of its kind and more so. ~ Sarah Broadhurst A must-read for me, beautifully fast-paced, and adventurous, The Mime Order is the second novel in the superb The Bone Season dystopian fantasy series, and continues immediately after the first finishes. Paige and the rest of the survivors find themselves heading back towards London, can Paige create order from the chaos? You really can’t just drop into the middle of this series, start at the beginning and experience the joy of discovery. As relationships develop we begin to see deeper into hearts, understand what makes people tick, what has made them who they are. Samantha Shannon has the most incredible imagination, this world is impressive, so fully realised and vividly clear. I felt as though I was side by side with Paige as danger threatens the very heart of everything she holds dear (in fact, to be honest, I wanted to be Paige!). Weaving, diving, and absolutely thrilling, The Mime Order continues a very special series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. ~ Liz Robinson
One of Sue Perkins' favourite books. T S Eliot called The Moonstone 'the first and greatest of English detective novels'. A fabulous yellow diamond becomes the dangerous inheritance of Rachel Verinder. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for many years to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. When the Moonstone disappears the case looks simple, but in mid-Victorian England no one is what they seem and nothing can be taken for granted. Witnesses, suspects, and detectives take up the story in turn. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientist, each speculate on the mystery as Collins weaves their narratives into a masterpiece of construction and suspense.
A great teenage classic since its first publication in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is now 60 years old. Holden Caulfield is the ultimate outsider; he is expelled from school, falls out with his friends and finally suffers a nervous breakdown. The book is a scathing attack on American society in the 1950’s seen through the eyes of one the most fascinating central characters ever created. Originally banned because of liberal use of profanity and powerful portrayal of teenage angst, The Catcher In The Rye has now been deemed essential reading for growing-up. Shortlisted for the 2009 Penguin Orange Readers' Group Book of the Year.
As ever, Melvin Burgess makes readers think. Sara signs up for a face transplant but is it her who wants it or, is she being pushed into doing it against her will be the scarred pop-star who wants her face? Glamour and fame are not always what they seem. 31 Jan 2008.
We know you are here, our brothers and sisters. We will, one day, emerge from the Dome to join you in peace. For now, we watch from afar, benevolently. Pressia Belze has lived outside of the Dome ever since the detonations. Struggling for survival she dreams of life inside the safety of the Dome with the 'Pure'. Partridge, himself a Pure, knows that life inside the Dome, under the strict control of the leaders' regime, isn't as perfect as others think. Bound by a history that neither can clearly remember, Pressia and Partridge are destined to forge a new world.
The years leading up to your 20s are such a vibrant and vivid time in your life. Adventure, friendships, self-discovery are all there in spades, but there’s frustration too, impatience and a strong desire to be understood. This section of fantastic books for young adult readers is filled with stories that reflect all of these feelings in settings that will give flight to your imagination. Be inspired by tales of self-discovery, run the rocky road of romance, battle big issues in mysterious worlds, beat the bleak future of dystopian regimes, or laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. There’s something here for all tastes and moods from half-god heroes to horseback holidays and literally everything in between.