Looking for a book to read? Voila!

Indie Kids

• A Thirty-Something Girl, by L.M. Stull (an excellent novel about real-life issues. Stull writes about how people are feeling so, so well.)
• A Walk in the Snark, by Rachel Thompson (essay collection, both hilarious and poignant. Good lesson in nonfiction)
• The Healer, by Sabrina Furminger (sci-fi mixed with romance, with two super strong main characters)
• Telesa, by Lani Wendt Young (difficult to describe, since it doesn’t fit in a particular category. But it’s great. Just go look it up.)
• Aurora Undefined, by Kate Hinderer (lovely YA. All about love and loss, but not in an angsty, overly emotional kind of way. Also her vocabulary is aces.)
• The Devil and Preston Black, by Jason Jack Miller (Mr. Miller is the coolest. And his writing is fantastic–vivid and evocative. This might be weird, but Preston Black is, to me anyway, a manic pixie dream man. If that makes any sense.)
• Insomniatic Dreams, by S.J.D. Howson (a young adult Youtuber who writes metered verse? You better believe it. Plath, Dickinson, Millay, and Poe come to mind as influences. Available only in print, though.)
• Super, by Mari Stroud (superheroes, sassy heroines, and–finally!–a romance subplot that doesn’t make me want to punch a wall. First book in a series of six [1-3 are available now!] We need more writers like Ms. Stroud. We just do.)

Genre-Defying

• Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins (Smart kids in Paris doing smart things. And kissing.)
• Violet Midnight, by Allie Burke (the first in a wonderful fantasy series. Ms. Burke is also an indie kid)
• Sloppy Firsts, by Megan McCafferty (dry, intelligent humor; the first in a five-book coming of age series)
• Paint it Black, by Janet Fitch (Very poetic prose. I met Ms. Fitch at the L.A. Times Book Fair. She’s a cool cat.)
• Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan (the sweetest story ever. Like, EVER.)
• Seating Arrangements, by Maggie Shipstead (despite the mixed reviews, I really liked this one. You think it’s all about a WASP-y wedding, and then suddenly it’s so much more.)

Oldies But Goodies

• The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett (Smoky and mysterious and dark and perfect.)
• Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier (THE Gothic novel. Also a fantastic Hitchcock film.)
• Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (not exactly old, but definitely a classic! If you write YA, Halse Anderson is a must-read.)
• The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse (so sophisticated and smooth. And very, very funny.)
• The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton (1870s upper-crust New York to see you through your Downton Abbey withdrawals.  You’re welcome.)
• The Giant’s House, by Elizabeth McCracken (Love! Librarians! Lyrical prose! Every page is quotable! You know you want it.)

LGBTQIA (exactly what it says on the tin)

• Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan (so nice we mentioned it twice!)
• The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith (a classic! Two women falling in love in the fifties, and then society rears its ugly head and bad times ensue. So poignant, and so unlike the rest of Highsmith’s novels. You can find my review of it here)
• The Realm of Possibility, by David Levithan (a novel in poems about intertwined characters at a high school. Beautifully written, incredibly romantic.)
• Keeping You A Secret, by Julie Ann Peters (another classic. The ending bothered me, but it’s still a novel worth your attention)
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth (Small-town girl dealing with intense feelings and a recent family tragedy. Danforth just wins at everything. Start reading with plenty of free time; you won’t be able to stop.)
• The Family Man, by Elinor Lipman (If Jane Austen and Truman Capote had a literary baby, it would be Elinor Lipman. Her entire backlist is must-read material. Start here for dry wit and an adorable romance subplot.)
• Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Gardener (a landmark! A teensy bit dated, but still relevant and very romantic.)

(Feel free to check back often; the list just keeps on growing. And if you’re a small press/self-published author/writer of books, do send me an e-mail: alejandra (at) alejandraaponte (dot) com. I’d be happy to check out your work and add you to the list!)