Amber’s 265 YA Reader’s Advisory Blog
This blog was created to showcase a variety of young adult literature and media. Books and other media can be searched by author, title, genre, and format through the Indexes tab.
Recent Posts
Welcome to my little library created for my Materials for Young Adults class at San Jose State University. This collection is mostly selected from recent publications (2020 or newer). Posts will include a short summary (wthout spoilers!) and a short reflection.

This Teenage Life (podcast)
Teens explore a variety of topics that are important to them.

Heartstopper (TV series) from Alice Oseman (Creator)
Charlie and Nick explore their feelings for each other in this coming-of-age young romance.

Shadow and Bone (TV series)
Alina Starkov discovers that she may be the saint her world has been waiting for after discovering she has a mgaical ability to summon light.

The Cruel Prince (book) by Holly Black
Young female sisters are thrust in the world of fairies and must navigate their new life with the fairy who killed their biological parents.

Navigating with You (book) by Jeremy Whitley, Cassio Ribeiro, and Nikki Foxrobot
Two teens navigate a new highschool and a new friendship over a shared love of manga.

The Library of the Dead (book) by T. L. Huchu
14-year-old Ropa talks to ghosts and must unravel a mystery in Edinburgh that involves disappearing children.

Lore Olympus (book) by Rachel Smythe
Persephone, Goddess of Spring emerges from the mortal world to live with other Gods and find herself in the first volume of seven in the series. (Volume Eight will be out in May of 2025).

Breathe and Count Back from Ten (book) by Natalia Sylvester
17-year-old Peruvian-American Veronica navigates her hip dysplasia disability, her parents’ expectations, and her own dreams in this sweet coming-of-age story.

Maame (audiobook) by Jessica George
A later bloomer in London grapples with her career, friendships, dating, and grief in this coming-of-age story.

Starter Villain (book) by John Scalzi
Smart spy cats, talking dolphins, and mega villains come together in this thriller.

How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone (book) by Alex Norris
A graphic nonfiction guide to love, feelings, and relationships.

To the Bone (book) by Alena Bruzas
A brutal story of survival and death in Colonial America.

Firekeeper’s Daughter (audiobook) by Angeline Boulley
A teen who is part Ojibwa searches for answers concerning the meth addiction that has rocked her tribe and community.

Moon Music by Coldplay (album)
Go on an uplifting and ethereal journey with Coldplay’s newest album.

Asphalt Legends Unite (iOS video game)
Race high performance cars through different tracks to gain access to higher performing cars.

Blek (iOS video game)
Create your own line of any shape to collect colored circles and avoid black ones.

Kingdom of Ash (audiobook) by Sarah J. Maas
The saga continues and ends in Book 7 (of 7) of the Throne of Glass series. Aelin Galathynius is on a mission to save her kingdom and the world.

NBA2k25 -Arcade version (iOS video game)
Play basketball in single player or multiplayer mode with accurate athlete portrayals and animations.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV series)
A young human witch struggles with accepting the Church of the NIght and keeping her family happy or living in the human world with her friends and boyfriend.

They Called Me a Lioness (audiobook) by Ahed Tamimi & Dena Takruri
A young Palestinian activist recounts her experiences protesting the Israeli occupatiion, including her own imprisonment as a minor.
Course Reflection
I’ve loved creating this series of modern media and literature that might appeal to young adults. Many of these titles pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. I hadn’t read a graphic novel prior to the semester starting, for example, and now I pick them up at the library all the time because I’ve found so many good ones! Hopefully as a future librarian, I get to do reader’s advisory for teens and young adults, and I want to be able to relate to readers who like books that are outside of my favorite romantasy genre, lol. I know I can’t possibly read or watch all of the titles out there, but starting with this collection from a group of diverse creators and authors is good start.
It seems, that at the heart of the matter, teens want a variety of literature and media that involves themes they are dealing with in life. This could be realistic fiction, or it could be fantasy that allows a brief respite of escapism, but still involves all the issues that teens deal with today. They enjoy humor, horror. fantasy, love, and adventure, not unlike many adults.
