Lists

The Best YA Books to Read Before Halloween

Halloween season is the best time of year to bring out your favorite mystery, thriller or horror books. Sitting under a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, tea or coffee and reading by candlelight on a chilly night is the perfect way to spend an October night. We have some recommendations for our readers, both old and new YA books, to make this month one full of fright. keep reading…if you’re brave enough.

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Lists

Kara Thomas’s YA Books Ranked

Kara Thomas is one of our favorite authors. She writes exciting, chilling and gripping YA mysteries/thrillers. We’ve ranked her one series and four standalone books below. We’ll continue to update this post when Thomas releases new books. If you want to learn more about Thomas, check out our interview with her from summer 2021.

1. The Prep School Confidential series

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The Prep School Confidential series is reminiscent of Gossip Girl but with murder. It’s easily our favorite from Thomas so far. Anne Dowling loves her privileged life in NYC— until she burns part of her school down and gets shipped off to a preppy boarding school in New England. Right after she arrives, her roommate is murdered and Anne finds herself pursuing the mystery.

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Interviews

Giveaway + Author Interview: Kara Thomas

We had the opportunity to interview Kara Thomas, the author of our July book club pick That Weekend. Thomas also wrote The Cheerleaders, Little Monsters, The Darkest Corners and the Prep School Confidential series.

Thomas has also let us a do a GIVEAWAY for a signed copy of That Weekend. To enter: comment on this blog post and provide a way for us to reach you. The giveaway will last one week. We’ll announce the winner on Twitter on Monday July 26th and give the contact information to Kara Thomas.

Kara Thomas

1. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I knew when I was in elementary school I wanted to be a writer. When I discovered Nancy Drew, I was so obsessed that I began writing my own terrible knock-off novels. I never quite outgrew the habit, because I still write mysteries.

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Lists

4th of July Book Tag

We found this tag on YA Page Turner and wanted to participate. Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments. Even though we’re two days late, Happy 4th of July!

1. Show three books you have already read, one red, one white and one blue:

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Red: Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. The cover of this book is gorgeous! We can’t wait to read the third book in this series, Gods & Monsters, out in July!

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Lists

YA Books Set in New England

So many of our favorite books are set in New England. The six states (Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire) are the perfect setting for a murder mystery or a contemporary romance. What are your favorite books set in New England? Let us know in the comments. 

1. Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

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Two Can Keep A Secret is a spooky YA mystery set in Vermont. When Ellery and Ezra move from LA to a small town in Vermont, unsolved murders seem to be the norm…some of which have to do with the amusement park they started working at. This mystery will give you major fall vibes and the full small town New England experience. 

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Lists

The ABCs of YA

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub inspired this post. We picked a favorite YA book for every letter of the alphabet. Look through your read shelf on Goodreads and write your own list. Let us know which of these book you’ve read! This is also the perfect list to build up your TBR if you’re currently staying indoors. Happy reading!

A: Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

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As one of our favorite YA contemporaries ever, Alex, Approximately will make you swoon the entire time. This book has romance, humor and complex family dynamics. Plus, who wouldn’t love Porter Roth?

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Lists

Underrated YA Books

Some of our favorite YA books don’t get enough mentions! We came up with a list of books that you may have never heard of but should definitely check out. Let us know in the comments if you have read any of these!

1. The Blood for Blood series by Catherine Doyle 

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The Blood for Blood series follows rival mafia families in Chicago. When five hot Italian brothers move into her neighborhood, Sophie Gracewell is pulled into a decades-old family feud between warring mafia families. Drawn to Nic Falcone and his brother Luca, Sophie comes to realize that their families are connected in more ways than one: her father was convicted of murdering their dad, and it may not be a simple case of self defense. As the boys’ dark secrets begin to unravel, Sophie must piece together her family’s hidden past before she finds herself in danger. 

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Lists

31 YA Books to Read Before Halloween

Do you love all the spookiness of October? So do we! To celebrate our six month anniversary of blogging, we compiled a list of young adult thrillers and mysteries to satisfy your book needs for the entire month. Leave a comment if you’ve read any of these and tell us your favorites. Happy Halloween!

1. The Secret Circle series by L.J Smith

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You can’t have Halloween without witches. The witches from the Secret Circle series live in the eerie town of New Salem, Massachusetts. Cassie Blake moves to  own and suddenly she’s thrown into a world of magic and danger. She always believed she was a normal teenager, until she meets the circle, a group of 11 other witches who need Cassie to complete their group.

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