I was scrolling back through all of my old posts recently, and I came across one where I talk about popular YA books I haven’t read. So naturally, I thought it’d be fun to see whether I had read them now or if they were still sat on my TBR.
Here is the original post in question, I wrote it on the 11th of November 2017, when I was a tiny little blogger. I mean not really that tiny, but still… I’ve come a long way okay, like Steve in Stranger Things.
But to the point, let’s go about addressing this list of popular YA books I hadn’t read in 2017 and still may well not have read now…
The Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan
*hides behind chair* I still haven’t finished this one guys! I gave the reason of it reading a bit too young for me as to why I hadn’t continued with the series two years ago. And whilst I love reading middle grade, I think this series does just start too simple and basic for me and I can’t get into it. I wish I could, because I love Greek mythology, but I feel my time has passed with these ones. Oops. Also past me, I shouldn’t really have added this to a YA list as it’s middle grade, but hey, I’ve learnt a lot!
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Series (or the Lara Jean series, TALBILB etc), Jenny Han
I can proudly say not only have I read To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, but I have also read P.S. I Still Love You AND Always and Forever Lara Jean. I can confirm that I adored this trilogy and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them over the space of a week. I have since then also watched the film a few times and also enjoyed this. So it’s a win on the Lara Jean front! Just look at how many photos I’ve taken of it for my Instagram!
The Wrath and the Dawn, Renée Ahdieh
I actually unshelved this one recently, it was a tough choice. I’ve owned the book for years and years, but honestly, the story just wasn’t grabbing me and making me want to pick it up. I still own it, so maybe one day I’ll get to it, but I can honestly say it isn’t anywhere near the top of my TBR list at the moment.
The Northern Lights, Philip Pullman
Yes! I’ve actually read this book now, thank the book gods. Again not really a YA past Beth, but we’ll glide over that one. I read this book in July of 2019 and adored it. I can’t wait to carry on with the rest of the series and to watch the BBC TV adaption when that comes out. I’m kicking myself for taking so long to read this book and start off the series, to be honest.
The Grisha Trilogy, Leigh Bardugo
Nope. Sorry guys! Honestly, I feel like from what I’ve heard about this book it would only serve to annoy me. I know it has a lot of problems in and that puts me off of reading it, but also I just never really fancied picking it up in the first place. I also haven’t yet continued on with Six of Crows, I think I’d have to give that one a reread if I were to continue on with the series.
The Mortal Instruments series, Cassandra Clare
I will never finish this series and I see that now. I’m sorry to anyone who doesn’t want to hear this, but… I hate Jace. Can’t stand him. One of the worst characters ever written, so arrogant and vein and aggghhhh just typing about him makes me made. I know a lot of people love Jace, but I am not one of them and my hatred for him makes me not ever want to pick up these books again. I tried The Infernal Devices but I felt a little salty towards Will too if I’m honest and I didn’t really enjoy them too much. I don’t think the Shadowhunter world is for me, despite Lady Midnight being one of the books to get me into YA!
Any Morgan Matson book
I feel like this was more of a big deal two years ago when I wrote the original post because now I barely see her books around. I do actually own one now, but it has also been deshelved. I like contemporaries when I’m in the right mood for them, but I have so many that I would pick over hers at the moment that she’s not an author I’m thinking about reading any time soon.
So there’s my updated list… I didn’t do too badly? And one thing I’ve learnt is that path Beth was not good at knowing what was and wasn’t YA. What popular YA books have you not read yet?
I can safely say that I’ve not read most popular YA books. I did just pick up the first book in the Grisha Trilogy, aaaaaaand I’m kind of not sold on it. I don’t I’m only two chapters in though. I feel guilty, but I almost already want to DNF it.
I’ve honestly just not heard good things about that series sadly!
This is such a cool post!
There are so many books that I still haven’t read either lol
– Emma 🙂
Thanks so much, Emma, I hope you make your way towards them some day!
I’ve not read any Morgan Matson books either. I’m not much of a YA Contemporary reader anyway but when I am, I like shorter ones and hers are bricks!! Also, I haven’t heard much hype for her recently and I used to hear about her books everywhere in the book community a few years ago. I wonder if that says something.
The only other books on this list I haven’t read are the rest of Percy Jackson series (I read the first one a few years ago and never carried on with the series) and To All The Boys I Loved Before. I would probably like Percy Jackson or any of Rick Riordan’s books as I’m getting more into mythology but they’re not priority reads.
I’d agree with you there, if I’m reading a contemporary, I tend to pick up a smaller one.
Outside of the Percy Jackson books, which I didn’t care for, I haven’t read any of these books either. Call me crazy, but I find the more popular a YA book is, the less likely I am to read it. This is mainly because I find a lot of these books are over-hyped and in the end, are nowhere near as good as all those glowing reviews state – and yes we all have our own opinions, but if a book has too many glowing 5-star reviews I steer clear of it.
I’m exactly the same, I also don’t tend to enjoy the crazy popular ones as much as everyone else. Wish I did!
I haven’t read the Lara Jean series yet, but I really want to!! I’ve actually been thinking recently about all the classics on my shelves that I have yet to read. I’m more of a classic lit girl over YA, but I do want to get more into YA. My biggest problem is re-reading the same books over and over :’)
Ah see I’m not much of a rereader, unless it’s something like Harry Potter, I don’t tend to go back.
I love To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before! I’m so glad I ended up reading it. I only have the last book in the trilogy to read now!
It’s such a sweet and fun series!
Lovely post, Beth!! I actually haven’t read the Lara Jean books or the Mortal Instruments! I’ve been meaning to read the former, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet! I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of the Grishaverse trilogy, so I don’t blame you for choosing to abstain from those novels! I would definitely recommend maybe giving the Wrath and the Dawn a try some day! It’s amazing! <3
Thanks Kelly – that one has been on my TBR for quite a while now, I should probably make my way to it soon!
I haven’t read any of these except for up to COHF by Cassandra Clare 😂.
Well that doesn’t make me feel so bad!
I’ll be honest and say I have not read any of these series! I started to all the boys I loved before and although I loved the netflix film I just couldn’t get into book. I also started city of bones but I felt the same about that. It takes a lot for me to commit to a series especially anything that is longer than a trilogy. I tend to start a series without actually realising it if that makes sense, like I will pick up a book without knowing that it is the start of a series.
I wasn’t keen on Jace as an adult! I loved him when I first read it (I was actually the characters age when it was first published and I think that is part of my fondness of the original series) but when I reread the first few books this year I was like… hm, don’t think I’m all that into you anymore. (Jace, not the books. I’m still trash for the books.) And, also, I haven’t read much by Rick Riordan. I keep trying but I also keep finding books I’d rather read elsewhere or other mundane reasons for NOT reading anything else. You know what I mean? Hopefully I can change that this autumn or winter. Maybe that’ll give me a boost. They feel like the sort of books I’d like that time of year. If not, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be! (Dramatic sniffling.)
Also, don’t mind me, forever SWOONING over the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy and Jenny Han and ALL THE WARM AND FUZZIES FROM IT. I kind of miss the feeling I got the first time I read the books? I’m always chasing that feeling of fondness and warmth.
Glad I’m not the only one that feels this way about Jace! Also yesss to the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series, really enjoyed that one. It felt so lovely and wholesome!