15 YA Authors Share Their Bookish Gift Lists

I would gift Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli, along with some Oreos, to my middle school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, which is called “True Equality.” Our 7th and 8th graders read lots of YA already (they’re growing out of MG), but I’m not convinced they know what’s out there for LGBTQIA+ teens. I’d love for them to see a version of themselves and/or their friends in a fun, wonderfully written love story.
–Cindy L. Rodriguez (When Reason Breaks)

Tough to pick! But I think my choice would be Sarah Ockler’s The Summer of Chasing Mermaids! I’m a sucker for a summer book, even in the winter—and this one is absolutely gorgeous!
–Jessi Kirby (Things We Know By Heart)

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.  It’s one of those books I think everyone can relate to. It’s nice to imagine being “the chosen one,” but more often than not, we’re all just regular people living regular lives.  But The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a reminder that just being a regular kid is pretty awesome too.
–Shaun David Hutchinson (The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley)

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. Sweet romance, strong friendship, and the power of women telling stories. This was my first Hale book, and still my favorite. She has a grace to her writing that makes it feel timeless. A perfect gift for anyone on my list!
–Kiersten White (And I Darken)

I would gift Amy Spalding’s Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) because everyone needs a good laugh during the corniness of the holiday season. A good laugh plus plenty of good makeouts. Also, everyone expects a wintry read during the holidays but most of you are living that horror, so why not escape to sunny L.A. and take a little breather from all that snow?
–Maurene Goo (Since You Asked)

I would gift All the Rage to any girl who has ever felt helpless or alone.
–Lindsay Smith (Dreamstrider)
All the Rage by Courtney Summers. Because it’s one of the most powerful novels I’ve ever read. A beautifully written drama that punched me in all the feels within three pages. All the Rage should be mandatory reading for every high school student…in fact, scratch that, it should be mandatory reading for every person over the age of 12 with a pulse. It’s quite simply brilliant, and above all important.
–Jay Kristoff (Illuminae)

I love a good mystery any time of year. Throw in a seriously genius homage to noir and a perfect Veronica Mars vibe, and you have Sarah Skilton’s High and Dry. It’s dark, twisted, funny, and intense. I call it the gift of the page-turner, which is exactly what you want to get you through the cold, dark months of winter.
–Sarvenaz Tash (Three Day Summer)

The Archived by Victoria Schwab. A kickbutt heroine meets a mysterious, guyliner-wearing boy in a world where souls are stored in books. I got sucked in last Christmas and devoured it in one day.
–Delilah Dawson (Hit)

I’d gift How to Save A Life, by Sara Zarr, because it deals with complex family dynamics gracefully and subtly. She also does an amazing job with alternating points of view, which is so hard to do well. Most importantly, this book has one of my favorite endings in YA ever. Perfect for evoking the holiday spirit without being overly sentimental.
–Cordelia Jensen (Skyscraping)

I would gift AdriAnne Strickland’s YA novel Wordless. It has beautiful writing, diverse characters, and fast-paced action that had me flipping through the pages. I absolutely loved it!
–Chelsea Pitcher (The Last Changeling)

I have two teenage cousins that read YA, and I’m always thinking of the next books to get them. I think if I had to choose this year, I’d go with Love and Other Theories, by Alexis Bass. It’s a story I really think they—and many other teenage girls—could relate to. It’s wonderfully written and so honest. I think it would make the perfect gift this year.
–Kody Keplinger (Lying Out Loud)

Oh, so tough to pick just one! But I’d go for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han, for three reasons. 1) It’s partly set during the holiday season so it’s festive! 2) The banter between Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky will make you laugh out loud. 3) I love rereading it!
–Caroline Tung Richmond (The Only Thing to Fear)

My wife and I met online in ’99 over an Eponine/Marius fanfic I’d written, so A Little In Love, by Susan Fletcher, seemed like a perfect gift this Christmas. But I’m impatient, so we wound up reading it together. It’s a lovely book that pays tribute to Hugo’s original while filling in many of the gaps it left in an iconic character’s story. A must-read for Les Mis fans. And yes, before you ask, it’s way better than my fanfiction.”
–Chase Night (Chicken)

Winter, by Marissa Meyer, because I have been obsessed with the Lunar Chronicles since book one. Marissa had me at cyborg Cinderella and never let me go. Her books turn fairy tales into the ultimate space odyssey. Marissa’s reinvention of classic tales really inspired me to take my first steps on my own Yellow Brick Road in Dorothy Must Die and now Stealing Snow. Reading the final chapter of Marissa’s story is both thrilling and bittersweet; I don’t want it to end.
–Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die)