Top Ten Tuesday - In which I shriek at you to read my (more than ten) favourite contemporary books!



I will never not recommend this trilogy. It's got a summer romance, best friends turned lovers, a love triangle done right and it's just so, so brilliant. I didn't leave my house for 3 days when I read this trilogy. AND I GUARANTEE YOU WON'T EITHER, IT'S BRILLIANT, REALLY.



I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Lola is such a unique character, Cricket is the love of my life and the romance made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. A reread is in order, methinks.

Funny story, I never liked Sarah Dessen's books...until I read this book. I read it a few 

years back so I can't remember much but I know I fell completely in love with it.


THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK MADE MY HEART EXPLODE FROM ADORABLENESS. And that ending?? SOMEONE HOLD ME.

SQUEEE! I read this book a few months ago and I loved it. The main character was adorably sweet and quirky and I love love love Ephraim. Also, it features the friends to lovers trope. And dinosaurs (not real ones, because contemporary, ya know) but it's so adorable and you need to read it now.


I didn't love Pushing the Limits so I was hesitant to read Dare You To but HOLY. COW. I gulped this book up in several settings, I was crying and laughing and an emotional wreck and I just loved it so, so much!

After reading Dare You To I thought I couldn't possibly love a book in the Pushing the Limits series as much as that one BUT I WAS WRONG. When I read Take Me On and I had NO WORDS, I was a flailing mango with the inability to English because MY HEART. The romance and the characters and the plot and the entire situation and *cries forever whilst clutching the book*

I remember how happy I felt after reading this book, as if anything was possible. I'm not sure why it had that effect on me but AH I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Motorcycle gangs and loyalty and heart-stopping moments, romance and danger – IT WAS PERFECT

I read this a few months ago and I LOVED it! I read it in two sittings and I was so incredibly invested in the story. I loved the main character, I loved the
romance and I loved Rosa and the plot and everything, everything, basically. (See what I did there? I'm subtly hilarious.)


I'll never forget the first time I picked up a Geek Girl book! It was for Bout of Books 2014 and I got the first two out from the library and I LOVED them. I laughed and laughed and laughed and I laughed so hard I woke my parents up at after midnight with my raucous honking. Good times.

THIS BOOK. I almost DNFed it because Evie's anxiety struggle was described in such vivid detail it was making me anxious. BUT I PERSEVERED and oh my gosh, it was brilliant. It had me laughing and crying, it was a book that actually represented mental illness honestly (excuse me while I applaud for eternity), there were feminism discussions and an epic girl friendship! YAS!

This book found me at a time when I really needed it. I was struggling with friendships and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find people like my friends in South Africa that would just get me. This book made me cry within in the first few pages because I could just relate to every single character SO MUCH. One of my all-time favourites!



THESE BOOKS. The tears, they were real. I remember staying up until 1 or 2 in the morning finishing If I Stay and I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach. It was so emotional and I loved it. I think I loved Where She Went even more though – SO MANY FEELINGS.


When I read The Sky is Everywhere when I was 13 I was convinced I had found my new favourite book. When I read I'll Give You the Sun at 16 I knew I had found what could possibly be my favourite book of all time. Jandy Nelson's writing is indescribable, she uses metaphors that are brilliantly abstract and the way she strings words together is absolutely astounding. I LOVE her books. 

I LOVE this book. I know there are many who think it's cliché and pretentious but I absolutely love it. I loved the characters, the romance and the writing and it's always a book that will mean a lot to me.



Those are my top 15 contemporaries! Have you read any of these? If you have: FANGIRL WITH ME PLEASE KTHX. Are there any on here that you haven't read? (You should go read them. Now. They're fantastic – trust me). What are your favourite contemporaries? And have you got any YA contemporary  recommendations?! I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF YOU DO.