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.

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.

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).

Ghost Roast (book) by Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Emily Cannon (Illustrator)
A paranormal graphic novel with a touch of romance.

The Faint of Heart (book) by Kerilynn Wilson
A science fiction graphic novel set in a dystopian world where people have removed their hearts so they don't have to feel things.

Pumpkinheads (book) by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks
A funny graphic novel romance perfect for an afternoon on the couch with a cat and a warm cup of tea.

Homebody (book) by Theo Parish
A non-binary gender memoir that feels like home.
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.
