Have A YA Valentine!

A List of Our Top Reads for Valentine’s Day

by REBECCA & TESSA, February 14, 2012

Mike Mullin, author of Ashfall, recently posted an excellent piece on how YA books in which characters have sex (even if it’s offstage) are called “dirty” while those with violent content are not. In honor of Valentine’s Day, then, we at Crunchings & Munchings bring you our top reads for Valentine’s Day, divided into two categories: the Purely Romantic, and the Awesomely Dirty—”dirty,” as Mullin puts it, ” in the sense of rich, fecund, and fertile.”

The Purely Romantic

Kristin Cashore’s Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1), 2008

Tessa says: There’s something about being an even match in fighting skills with your companion that makes me swoon. Although… I think there is sex in this book.  But it’s not described.

Brian Farrey’s With Or Without You, 2011

Rebecca says: The sweet, mature relationship is a great balance to the way sex becomes a weapon in the rest of the plot. You can check out a full review here.

E. Lockhart’s Ruby Oliver books: The Boyfriend List (2005), The Boy Book (2006), The Treasure Map of Boys (2009), and Real Live Boyfriends (2010)

Tessa says: In this series it was almost physically painful to me that the 2 romantic leads get together and be happy. To me, that spells romance.

Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, 2011

Tessa says: I don’t even like horses, but these are the bloodthirsty kind. With an element of danger and mutual respect for one’s home and work, Stiefvater brings an intensity to Puck and Sean’s friendship that turns into more. Check out the full review here.

Sara Zarr’s Sweethearts, 2008

Rebecca says: Not much is more romantic than being forced to tell the truth about your feelings . . . and your past, especially to someone who liked you before you hid them.

The Awesomely Dirty

V. C. Andrews’ The Dollanganger Series: Flowers In the Attic (1979), Petals on the Wind (1980), If There Be Thorns (1981), Seeds of Yesterday (1984), and Garden of Shadows (1987)

Rebecca says: Come on, you know you love it—strange 1970s-Victorian prose, incest, creepy mom/dad role playing. What more could you want on Valentine’s Day? Oh, of course: ballet. Well, it’s got that, too.

Holly Black’s Valiant (The Modern Faerie Tales #2), 2005

Rebecca says: Not that there’s much sex here, but you can just tell that the characters are sexual beings. You know, underground. And there’s actual sword-fighting.

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, 2006

Tessa says: The quivering, stomach-destroying, ultimately exciting experience of doing “stuff” for the first time–it’s in here.

Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story, 2006

Tessa says: Vizzini manages the heretofore impossible task of making (one definition of) getting to 3rd base seem sweet. Check out the full review here.

Bart Yates’ Leave Myself Behind, 2003

Rebecca says: One of my favorites—perfect blend of first-love, romance, drama, and a realistic amount of sex. Full review here!

So, there you have it! Curl up with one of these and when you wake up tomorrow it will all be over. And then come back here, where Tessa reviews our first ever nonfiction book—Dirty Little Secrets, which deals with precisely the issues of “dirtyness” that we’ve undertaken here.

We leave you with one final Lurlene McDaniel-tastic YA Valentine:

Tell us what you’re reading on Valentine’s Day!

Posted by Rebecca on February 14, 2012

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