Top Ten Tuesday (4): If You Like Veronica Roth
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they have a new topic for bloggers to make a Top Ten list out of. I’m a huge fan of lists, so this meme is right up my alley!
This week’s Top Ten list is Top Ten Books For People Who Like X Author (pick an author and give recommendations). Of course dystopian books are really huge right now. For a while the big series was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and now it seems like everyone and their dog has read Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. And who could blame them–they’re great books! But I thought I’d share some other books that I’ve enjoyed that I think you’ll like if you loved Divergent and Insurgent.
So here they are (in no particular order), my Top Ten Books for People Who Like Veronica Roth: (Note that these aren’t all necessarily dystopian novels, but I think they all have something in common with Roth’s works, and maybe they can keep you from going crazy from now until Divergent #3 comes out next year.)
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
I read this series late last year and absolutely ate it up as quickly as possible. I didn’t love the ending, but to each his own. But I completely LOVED the rest of the books! The series is full of action and adventure and twists and turns and lots of bombshells. The prequel, The Kill Order, comes out in August and I can’t wait! I’ll most likely be rereading the series beforehand so that I can refresh my memory and also so that I can write reviews for this blog.Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
This is one of my favorite series of all time. It’s not quite up there with The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, but it’s not too far behind! If you like your dystopians to be a bit more on the futuristic, science fiction side, this is a series for you! The first book is a bit slow at first, but once the story got going, I was hooked. Uglies and Extras are my favorites, and I also really enjoyed the manga adaptation, Uglies: Shay’s Story (my review here). I need to reread the original series someday so that I can post reviews for them.The Giver by Lois Lowry
I didn’t read this book until last year, which surprised me because I think most people are required to read it in school. I guess I wasn’t required to read it, but I’m glad I finally got around to it. It’s definitely one of the precursors to the dystopian novels we have today, and I think most YA science fiction or dystopian authors probably cite this book as having an influence on their writing.Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
I have yet to read the second book in this series, but I really need to do that soon! This is one of those books where you really don’t know what’s going on but you have 50 different guesses, and then the author drops a bombshell at the end and you still aren’t quite sure what it means but you love it anyway. At least, that’s how I felt reading Inside Out. I really need to reread this again and review it and find a copy of Outside In to read and review as well!The Line by Teri Hall
This is another one I read last year and really enjoyed but haven’t been able to find the sequel. It has a different tone to it – much slower paced than what I usually read but I still really enjoyed it. Hopefully I’ll find Away soon and read them both and post reviews for both.Delirium by Lauren Oliver
I think most people have at least heard of Delirium if they know their way around a dystopian novel, but I personally hadn’t read it until a couple of months ago (my review here). I really enjoyed it, though, especially Oliver’s beautiful writing and clever take on today’s society, and I just started the sequel, Pandemonium.MaddAddam series by Margaret Atwood
These aren’t Young Adult books, and they’re a mix of post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but they’re really good books. I liked The Year of the Flood (book 2) more than Oryx and Crake (book 1), and I can’t wait for book 3 to come out (whenever that may be)! And yet another couple of books that I need to reread so that I can post reviews!Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
This is possibly one of the first dystopian books, ever. And even if I’m wrong about that, it’s got to be at least somewhat of a classic when it comes to dystopians, and definitely one that later authors have cited as influences over their own works. It’s also not YA, but it’s definitely worth picking up. And Aldous Huxley might have been the first person to come up with the idea of a dystopia–he called this book a “negative utopia.” I’m not sure if this is directly where the term “dystopia” came from, but it sounds pretty likely to me! Across the Universe series by Beth Revis
These are definitely science fiction, but maybe not dystopian. But regardless, I think that lovers of Veronica Roth’s books will enjoy this series because of all the action and adventure and suspense. Well, there is a bit of a bad governing body in this series, so it could be considered dystopian. And I’ve actually reviewed both books 1 and 2 for this series! (My review of Across the Universe here and my review of A Million Suns here.)Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
The sequel, Spark, comes out this month, and I can’t wait! This series is pretty similar to the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis, but really only in the way that they’re about ships in space on their way to a New Earth, in the hopes of continuing the human race. But Glow is full of action and crazy characters that are so complex and you never really know who to trust. I’ll definitely be rereading this soon and posting a review before reading Spark!Can you think of other books that should be read by those who love Veronica Roth’s books? Or did you participate in this meme? Let me know, or leave a link to your TTT in the comments, and I’ll stop by your blog!
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Jessie Marie
July 3, 2012 at 12:26 pmI love Veronica Roth and I have read a total of one off your list (Delirium). But I totally get the relation between them (other than the dystopian reference). I'm definitely going to check out Maria V. Snyder's series – ever since I read Poison Study earlier this year, she's easily moved to my auto-read list.
Great list here! I would probably add Under the Never Sky (and the rest of the unfinished series) by Veronica Rossi. And *maybe* The Chemical Garden series.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 2:49 pmYeah, I need to read Snyder's other series as well, but I really want to read Outside In before I do that!
I haven't read Under the Never Sky yet, but it's been sitting in my physical TBR pile for months! But my husband read it and he really enjoyed it! I thought about The Chemical Garden series because they're definitely dystopian but I think they're just so different from Divergent and Insurgent. But yeah, they'd make it if it was a bigger list!
fakesteph
July 3, 2012 at 1:31 pmI have so many of these on my kindle or on my shelf. I really need to get to them. I need to finish the Maze Runner series and the Uglies series. And Inside Out, Glow, The Giver, and Across the Universe are all ones I've been meaning to read. Love you list, A. :)
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 2:50 pmThanks! Yep, you need to finish The Maze Runner series and the Uglies series. Both very good!
Keertana
July 3, 2012 at 1:35 pmI love Veronica Roth and although I've only read three of the books from your list, I'll definitely be checking out the rest of them ASAP!(: Amazing list Andrea! :D
~Keertana
Ivy Book Bindings
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 2:53 pmThanks! I hope you enjoy the ones you check out from my list! ;) Thanks for stopping by!
Smash Attack!
July 3, 2012 at 2:20 pmSquee! So much awesome on this list, and a few I need to check out. ♥
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 2:57 pmAw, thanks! I hope you enjoy!
Melissa
July 3, 2012 at 5:36 pmOkay, I had NO IDEA that The Year of the Flood was part of a series. Guess it's a good thing I haven't read it, huh?
And I'm pretty sure I'm the last person on earth who hasn't read The Giver yet. This year. It's gonna happen. lol
Great list!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 3:05 pmWell, I'm glad I was able to help you out with that! I need to go back and read both Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood – they were both really good!
And I didn't read The Giver until last year so I think you're okay! ;) Thanks for stopping by!
Tanya Patrice
July 3, 2012 at 10:09 pmGreat picks. I love Veronica Roth and the few books I've read that are on your list – like The Giver, Delirium & Across the Universe. Going to check out the others.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 3:25 pmThanks! I'm off to check out your list! ;)
Lettie
July 3, 2012 at 11:26 pmGood author and great picks!
I'm behind on Dystopian books so Divergent is on my to read list!
As are Across the Universe and Delirium :)
I will be adding Glow- sounds awesome!
Have a lovely week!
My TTT- http://tinyurl.com/ce6286e
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 3:33 pmYou should definitely read Divergent and I highly recommend Glow as well (as well as all the others on my list!). Thanks so much for stopping by, and I'm off to check out your TTT!
lillylilac
July 4, 2012 at 12:41 amGood list. I loved the Uglies series as well and Extras was my favorite book as well.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 4, 2012 at 3:36 pmExtras was really cool, wasn't it? Thanks for stopping by!
pagesunbound
July 5, 2012 at 2:22 amI never liked Brave New World, but I do wonder if my opinion would be different at all if I reread it now. I currently prefer 1984.
I won Glow in a Goodreads giveaway, so I will read it eventually. But it was shipped to an address I'm not currently at so…it won't be right now.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 5, 2012 at 9:12 pmI like both Brave New World and 1984. I read BNW when I was a teenager, and didn't read 1984 until last year. I think I prefer BNW, but like you said, that might change if I was to reread it now.
I hope you enjoy Glow! I've had my friends read it and some of them really enjoyed it and others didn't. I personally LOVED it and can't wait for Spark!
Kate@Midnight Book Girl
July 6, 2012 at 12:25 amI have to read The Giver! I am so ashamed to admit that I've never read it, and now that I have the newest book in the series from BEA, I am heck bent on reading the first three.
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 8, 2012 at 4:48 pmI haven't read any of the sequels, but I should probably do that! And don't be too ashamed that you've never read The Giver – I didn't read it until last year! You're not alone! ;)
LHughes
July 13, 2012 at 10:46 pmGlow sounds great! And I've been meaning to read Maze Runner (and trilogy) for such a long time. It's one of those books that's been trapped in my to-read pile for too long. Along with Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Poor books!
I whipped through the first three books in the Uglies series last summer, and then I took a class on Newbery books and didn't finish extras. I'm glad you said you liked Extras as much as Uglies (which was also my favorite). I liked Pretties, but Specials got kind of weird… Still liked them. But weird…
Great list!
Lauren @ Hughes Reviews
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 14, 2012 at 10:09 pmI really loved Glow, but I loaned it to some of my friends and not all of them loved it as much as I did. But I absolutely loved it and can't wait for Spark! And I loved The Maze Runner and its sequels, so I can't wait for the prequel, The Kill Order. Delirium is really beautiful, too, I think you'd really enjoy it!
And yeah, I think Uglies and Extras were the best of the series, but I know lots of people don't like Extras. I think Pretties was my least favorite. I need to re-read them so I can review them on here!
Bittner
July 20, 2012 at 3:58 amI've never read Veronica Roth so I wouldn't be much help putting this list together. But I did like Delirium and I can see how a lot of those books would be similar. OOH OOH What about the book Legend? Tracy and I listened to it on the way to Austin, you would like that one. I think it would fit with this list. has anyone else mentioned it?
Hold on I'll check…
Score! It doesn't look like anyone else mentioned Legend in their comments! So that is my gift to you Andrea!
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase
July 21, 2012 at 8:20 pmI have Legend but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. So many books on my shelves that I need to read! But I'll try to get to it sometime soon!