The best young-adult sci-fi/fantasy with a swoon-inducing love story

A.N. Willis Author Of The Corridor
By A.N. Willis

Who am I?

I fell in love with young adult romance from the first time I read Twilight. Teenagers feel a first-time love so deeply—especially when there are life-and-death fantastical dangers surrounding them! I couldn’t get enough of these sci-fi/fantasy love stories, so I started writing my own. These picks are for YA fans who enjoy a sprinkling of magic or an epic space battle thrown in with their heart-pounding romance.

I wrote...

The Corridor

By A.N. Willis,

Book cover of The Corridor

What is my book about?

Stel Alaster can travel between parallel universes. But she never expected to fall for an infuriating boy from a different version of Earth. As she tries to unravel the mysteries behind her power, the fate of every world—and the fate of her heart—hangs in the balance.

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The books I picked & why

Across the Universe

By Beth Revis,

Book cover of Across the Universe

Why did I love this book?

A love story for the ages, set inside of a giant spaceship! Amy wakes up from cryogenic sleep only to fall for a boy she was never supposed to meet… Add in great writing, a murder mystery, and the dark vacuum of space, and you’ve got every ingredient for a timeless young adult journey. Amy + Elder forever.

Across the Universe

By Beth Revis,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Across the Universe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amy has left the life she loves for a world 300 years away

Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she's due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy's lost on board and nothing makes sense - she's never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her. He wants to protect her; and more if she'll let him.

But who can she trust amidst the secrets and lies? A killer is out there - and Amy has nowhere to hide .…

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Carry On

By Rainbow Rowell,

Book cover of Carry On

Why did I love this book?

What if the Chosen One fell in love with his nemesis? I’d curl up with any Rainbow Rowell book, but the chemistry between Simon and Baz is second to none. Baz is the kind of bad boy you can’t help but swoon for. This book takes a fan fiction trope and turns it into an epic love story with so much heart.

Carry On

By Rainbow Rowell,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Carry On as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times best seller!
Booklist Editors’ Choice 2015 - Youth!
Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer!

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's…

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The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen

By Katherine Howe,

Book cover of The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen

Why did I love this book?

A girl from the past meets a boy from the present—cue the historical details and atmospheric settings. Not every love story ends with a happily ever after, yet sometimes the most impossible attractions are also the most compelling. This book left me captivated even after the last page.

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen

By Katherine Howe,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A haunting, contemporary love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Conversion--now in paperback!


It’s July in New York City, and aspiring filmmaker Wes Auckerman has just arrived to start his summer term at NYU. While shooting a séance at a psychic’s in the East Village, he meets a mysterious, intoxicatingly beautiful girl named Annie.

As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose-petal lips and her entrancing glow. There’s just something about her that he can’t put his finger on, something faraway and otherworldly that compels him to fall even…

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These Broken Stars

By Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner,

Book cover of These Broken Stars

Why did I love this book?

Lilac and Tarver barely escape a luxury spaceliner crash, only to end up trapped alone on an inhospitable planet. Tarver is one of those YA military heroes that makes the most jaded reader sigh with longing. He and Lilac clash immediately—fireworks!—and when they fall into each other’s arms (because of course they do), it’s so very satisfying.

These Broken Stars

By Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked These Broken Stars as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"One of the most intense, thrilling, and achingly beautiful stories I've ever read."--Marie Lu, New York Times best-selling author of the Legend trilogy

The first in the New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen are the only survivors. 

Lilac is the…

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Dyrwolf

By Kat Kinney,

Book cover of Dyrwolf

Why did I love this book?

Lea hunts werewolves to protect her village, and Henrik is…yep, you guessed it. But he’s also literally the boy from her dreams. The magnetic attraction between these two is unforgettable! My eyes were glued to the page through the last quarter, when war escalates and Lea finds allies—and new enemies—she never would’ve expected. 

Dyrwolf

By Kat Kinney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dyrwolf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lea Wylder has spent so long hunting werewolves that now one is stalking her in her sleep. In the unforgiving forests of the north, shape-shifting wolves have enslaved the sole human city for hundreds of miles, driving survivors up into the mountains. When Lea tracks a shifter and finds him caught in a trap, she’s convinced he’s the white wolf from her dreams. Not that it matters. He’s one of them. And they’re at war.

But as Lea pulls back the bowstring, Henrik shifts to human and begs her not to shoot. By name. But how could he possibly know…

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  • Coming soon!

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One Giant Leap

By Ben Gartner,

Book cover of One Giant Leap

Ben Gartner Author Of The Eye of Ra

New book alert!

Sponsored by Ben Gartner Author

Who am I?

I love to read a good action-adventure story. I’ve also written a few. And I know that no matter how high the stakes, if there’s no heart in the characters then there’s very little engagement to make it any more memorable than a temporary thrill. I love thrills, but the stories that stick with you after the excitement of the moment is over, those are the true gems. Besides the fun of reading that type of book, maybe you even learn something about yourself or the world and come out a wee bit wiser than when you went in. And isn’t that a fantastic use of our imaginative powers?!

Ben's book list on new action-packed middle grade with heart

Book cover of Frances and the Monster Book cover of Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls Book cover of The Unforgettable Logan Foster Book cover of Journey Beyond the Burrow Book cover of The Last Shadow Warrior

What is my book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

One Giant Leap

By Ben Gartner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Giant Leap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

Praise for…

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