I’m going to start answering the questions offered as blog topics during the TWWF audiobook giveaway today! The question that came up the most had to do with book recommendations, so let’s talk about that first. 🙂

If you’d like to know some of my all-time favorite books and authors, check out my GoodReads bookshelves. I don’t rate books there, but I’ve listed my most-loved books in a variety of YA genres, as well as MG and adult fiction and non-fiction faves.

I talk in detail about some of my favorite less-known novels and authors in this early series of posts on my LiveJournal blog.

Some books I’ve read fairly recently and enjoyed?

I was on a bit of an adult crime thriller kick for a couple months, and particularly enjoyed Michael Connelly’s The Poet. It had all the suspense and surprises I appreciate in this genre, but also an attention to character development and thematic resonance that I don’t see as often. I enjoyed it so much I’m planning on reading the sequel, which if you pay much attention to my reading habits you’ll know I don’t do very often.

A couple of different readers recommended Randy Shilt’s And The Band Played On to me after hearing about The Way We Fall, because it’s the story of a real killer virus: AIDS. This is a period of history I wasn’t familiar with, but it begins in the year I was born. My first memories of anything to do with AIDS were the health lessons and attempts to dispel the myths that we started getting in elementary school in the late ’80s. It was heart-breaking to read about the struggle that led up to that point, that I was too young to be aware of at the time, and to think of all the people who might still be alive if selfish interests and prejudice hadn’t so deeply affected the early response to the disease. But it’s also an inspiring story of the people who kept working to save lives and educate the public even when everyone seemed to be against them.

I have been reading YA in the last few months too, of course, but nothing that’s left me really excited afterwards. Maybe I need some book recs too! What have you all been reading and enjoying lately?