I think the biggest reason why at the age of 27 I still read more YA than adult fiction is simply because I don't hear what's new and buzz-worthy in adult fiction the way I hear about what's coming out in YA. I also, still find a lot of characters in YA books relatable. I did really enjoy One Day by David Nicholls and the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness.
Jill Stock I agree! That's why I really want to call attention to more adult books because I'm discovering so many great ones and I'm still exploring a whole category of books that I didn't have as much exposure to! I'll always read YA too though, it'll always be relatable 😊
You just arent a part of the right circles then. I see most of the books that are coming out in these genres thanks to reddit/twitter/goodreads. Just have to follow the right people.
I completely agree with the problem of not hearing about new releases in the adult sci-fi/fantasy genre. I honestly never read much YA, even when I was in middle and high school for a variety of reasons (with a few exceptions, such as everything Tamora Pierce has ever written), but new YA titles seem to have much better marketing than similar adult genres. I really like book-related UA-cam channels, and have a few I follow regularly, but it seems like all of them focus primarily on YA. I don't have anything against YA, and I think it's great that there seems to be so much more available than when I was younger, but it can be really hard to find new adult fiction recommendations sometimes.
I don't umderstand why people would be afraid to read "adult" books. A book is a book, if you like the synopsis then read it. I've been reading adult books since I was 14 or 13. Why get stuck in one genre?
BookBuyingByBudget But it's exactly the same as for YA books :) You read the synopsis, you like it, you give it a chance. You can never be sure if you'll like the book or not.
But I think a lot of people online have fallen into a rut, where they only read books that they see around. And the fact of the matter is that a large amount of popular bloggers and BookTubers focus either totally or mostly on YA books, so people just don't venture into the adult genre. The first step, to me, should be following people who read a wider variety of books, and that'll really help their confidence in adult books.
Imli The way people pick up books has certainly changed. I remember wandering around a library for hours looking for an interesting book, which I don't do anymore. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I watch booktube to find new books and I agree watching people with greater variety in their reading does help.
Honestly I think it's because of the labels and because of the labels what might be expected in the book. At least it was that way for me. I don't think I have ever read an Adult book however it is mostly because I just read from my school library and they are just filled with Y.A. When you hear "adult" you would probably think it's far more complex than a Y.A. novel or it might have higher vocabulary than what you might be used to or it deals with adult topics or themes and even the tone or setting of the book or characters might be intimidating simply because you think "this is a book for adults so therefore it is harder to read." Y.A. books are obviously targeted towards teens and a younger adult audience so the stories are told in a way where younger audiences can understand and comprehend easily what it going on. At least that is what I always thought. However now I feel less intimidated by the genre, most likely because I am older, and now have a list of what I would like to read whenever I have spare money to buy a few books.
Books Mentioned in this video; 1. Vicious by V. E. Schwab 2. The Darker shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab 3. The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson 4. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 5. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 7. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
You have this aura that literally makes me want to read every single book in this video. Damn I am now so excited for summer. Literally going to order these books now!
And after you've read those here are some non transitional fantasies: The Kingkiller Chronicles series by Patrick Rothfuss The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson Anything Neil Gaimon is good all the time The Dark Tower series by Stephen King Game of Thrones by GRRM The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Dr. Rollinstein. yes me too. I started reading withclassics and adult books and to be honest I never even knew there was a difference because I had never looked at books as if to be determined by age. (does it make sense?) i mean i get why it is called YA and Adult books but I don't really care whether a book is YA or Adult as long as it is good.
If books are bordering the line, such as most things by V.E. Schwab, it wont really be noticed that easily. But you put something like Twilight up against Game of Thrones, and itll hit you a lot harder.
JAsmine Ong I agree and that's exactly why I made the video! I know a lot of people have felt this way about it and are therefore tentative about reading adult, but I think they're both equally fantastic!
I agree. I guess I can relate more to the "fear" (if I need to call it that) that comes from facing really big classics like The Count of Monte Cristo or something.
I really appreciate this video as someone who can't stomach YA anymore now that I'm not a teen. I feel like the majority of popular bookish UA-cam channels focus on YA novels, even if the UA-camr is an adult, which is just so bizarre to me.
Sarah Hensley I'm an adult (22) I prefer ya books because I feel like they have more imagination and are a little lighter than adult novels. Easy fun reading. Especially series which I breeze through. My life is heavy enough, I prefer my books a bit lighter.
I completely agree. I am brand new to booktube channels and I am so surprised that almost everything is about YA books. I hate YA lol, I cant imagine reading those books ever in my life let alone now (25 y/o, btw)
I have been BINGE watching your channel. You have the most informative, eloquent and constructive reviews/recommendations. I have you to thank for my ever-growing TBR list haha
I love watching your videos. You have such a sweet and gentle voice, plus you have a great happy disposition. I tend to get a little annoyed with some channels who can't stop yelling or make really bad jokes and so their videos are waaay too long and unnecessary. Sorry I don't mean to be negative. But I wanted to let you know
i love when you do recommendation videos like this because you give such a variety opposed to other booktubers that repetitively recommend that same books, so THANK YOU :D
The Night Circus is one of my favourite books; how did not know it was an adult novel? I've been intimidated by adult novels so stayed clear of them but i'm going to change that so thanks for making this video!!
its often considered new adult, which is the sort of transitional books like she mentioned. you'll find them in fiction in book shops rather than teen or young adult.
Just finished Vicious (per your recommendation) and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you! Love your videos! Especially being an adult trying to broaden her reading beyond nonfiction and self help books this video was super helpful!
These are great picks! When I started reading adult books I was so overwhelmed with the dozens and dozens of shelves of them compared to the two YA aisles at my bookstore. We definitely need more booktubers talking about adult books, as I think the fear comes from not knowing what is popular or what is 'good'!
im currently reading the night circus and as you said,you can smell the food,you can see everything so vividly and it's so gorgeous,really really like it :)
I took an extended (almost two year) break from BookTube...And I come back to find your channel! I've been binge watching your videos I love them! I also love this video topic. Some people don't know how to transition, and don't really hear much about Adult Literature on BookTube... So I guess videos like these are a fantastic way to do that!
All of these are great suggestions. Many of these also happen to be books that I really want to read! Personally, I am not intimidated by adult books. I love the complexity that can occur in them. However, I like to read a mix of YA as well. Awesome video as always, Hannah!
Nice idea. I've never had this issue as YA wasn't really a thing when I was actually a teen so I had no choice but to read the few books that would have been considered YA, younger ages, or adult. My tastes have changed a lot. Hope more people will be inspired to branch out with this video. Most of these are on my list already but still excited to get to them.
yess I agree about what you said about the mistborn trilogy! It was my first adult fantasy book as well and I ate those books up without difficulty. ever since then adult fantasy has been one of my favourite genres, I just love the political intrigue a lot.
I own just about all the books you listed, and I have read a few of them already. This video has helped moved a few of the others closer to the top of my TBR list. Oh and nothing compares to The Night Circus! It always makes me to happy to hear that someone else loves that book as much as I do.
I can understand being apprehensive about Jane Austen, or Tolkien, or Shakespeare, but the majority of adult books aren't written like that. I actually used to exclusively read adult books as a pre-teen, and now as an adult I read a lot of YA. Just chose within the genre you already enjoy for your first few adult books.
I have to disagree, since Austen and Shakespeare are both studied in high school. Perhaps, my bewilderment is due to the YA "genre" booming, once I already in college? Or it could be due to the fact, that I attended an all-girls private school? I view the YA genre as a money-maker for publishers, and a crutch for teenage and twenty-something readers. In my early twenties, I exclusively read the classics. All the YA fantasy, other than Harry Potter, was boring me to tears. Now, I mostly read historical fiction and physiological thrillers. I am also interested in reading some more adult contemporary and fantasy. My classmates and I read Tolkien at age 13, when the LotR films came out. To be honest, The Hobbit is actually classified as children's literature. Similar, to the Narnia Chronicles, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. However, since there was not much YA, my classmates and I were reading adult fiction throughout high school. We would debate if The Da Vinci code was overrated, and that Angels and Demons was the better novel. There was no stigma against reading more mature books, back in the day. If anything it was celebrated, since it meant you were above grade reading level.
These all sound wonderful, thank you so much for putting this list together. All the Light We Cannot See is incredibly beautiful and such a masterpiece of a book and something I think most readers will enjoy. And I love that you always recommend The Night Circus because I always get excited to read it!💜
The Night Circus is my favorite book too!! I think my favorite parts of the book are the 2nd person sections. I also like how e v e r y o n e is connected in the book. We see how they're affected by the Circus and how Celia and Marco's emotions, experiences and actions affect not only themselves, but those affiliated with the Circus in regards to its creation, the performers, and the patrons. Every character's actions either directly or indirectly affect the other characters and I l o v e it. Ahhhh, I need to read it again.
I agree with what you said about All the Light We cannot see. I loved that book, and how the perspectives are from the main characters are as they grow up, but still deals with adult themes. This book does that well.
I just picked up The Final Empire (after feeling daunted by the size, because I'm a non-native English reader) and at first it was a bit confusing, but now I'm loving it. (I'm alternating between reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook and that's wonderful.)
I'm reading Uprooted. Sadly, books for adults just don't receive as much buzz. A shame! All of these books are fairly popular, but are great transitional reads into the adult book world. I'm 41 (eek 42 soon!) and love YA -- the world building, characters, plots, especially in fantasy. I read MG books, too! I've been reading adult books since I was 14. If YA readers like fantasy they could try books such as Signal to Noise (perfect for Stranger Things fans), The Queen of Blood, The Name of the Wind (both are good picks for HP fans), Traitor's Blade, Wake of Vultures, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - all of these books feature younger characters. Mystery novels are a great transition too -- like the Flavia de Luce series. It's for adults but has an 11 yo protagonist. Or if you want mystery with fantasy try The Invisible Library series (if you like the Shades of Magic series) or A Thursday Next novels (book 1 - The Eyre Affair).
I've read the Darker Shades of Magic trilogy, and I completely agree with you, Hannah - what a great author to start with that will help you bridge the gap between YA and adult fiction!
My all-time favorite adult book is "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson! When I read it, I was instantly transported in the story, experiencing a deja vu that I swear made me feel like I had lived the life/lives within the book. I don't know how else to describe it but that's the best way I can put it into words. I read it twice, taking it out of the local library then finally bought my own copy because I love it sooo much!
I cannot thank you enough for this video. I know I'm late seeing this as it was made a couple years ago but I am so excited to look into all these. I am in my mid-twenties and will keep reading ya but also wanting to read some more adult books
I tried reading Night Circus before, but stopped after 50-60ish pages. The romance and the story goes pretty slowly and it didn't really interest me as much as I expected to, but I'll probably give it another shot because you make it sound so much more interesting and good :)
sghl12 I love the night circus! I felt the same as u but once I actually got into it I couldn't put it down unfortunately it is pretty slow and doesn't make much sense in the beginning but all the storylines come together in the end definitely give it another try! U won't be disappointed:)
Me too! I actually stopped way further than you because i was very bored. It felt like nothing was happening and the two main characters (Celia and Marco if i remember correctly) didn't seem to have a personality. Like, i couldn't be able to describe them because they didn't have any actual distinctive characteristic...It almost felt like it was trying to be too vague and mysterious but without actually concealing something, without going really anywhere, if you know what i mean. But as you say i might give it another chance because Hannah loved it and i usually trust her!
Bao-Trinh Did you end up reading it? It’s also my all time favorite book, even just thinking about it makes me happy. I wish every book gave me that feeling!
I'm so glad you love the Night Circus, it's my all time favourite book!I love how it really feels like you're in the circus. Please make more videos like these!!
Thank you so much for this video! I've read a few adult novels, but haven't really found any that I love as much as my favourite young adult books. I'll definitely have to try out some of the books you've mentioned!
So this video was the first time I heard about the Night Circus and I have been able to read. Roughly 235 pages in and wow. It is really good, I did not anticipate that I would enjoy it nearly as much as I have. Cannot wait to read more and finish it.
I've read most of these and I think they all work really well for getting into adult books. Especially with The Night Circus, it really made me more open to stories that take place over a long period of time from a lot of different POVs, because while it took me a bit to get into, I ended up really loving and appreciating all the storylines and characters and how they connected. And the Shades Of Magic series is also so good for this list because it involves some politics and a bit more world building and older characters than YA fantasy, but it's written in a way that makes it super easy to get into. I have both Station Eleven and The Final Empire on my shelf so hopefully I'll get to those soon!
First time viewer! I found your video through Raneem's blog. I really enjoyed your list. I've read most of these and agree these would make great transitional books. It would also be good to do a video on if you liked this YA book, you'll like this Adult book.
I hope Hannah and other booktubers read your comment because I would love to see videos on if you like this YA book you will like this adult book! Great idea!!
Although I've read a few adult books I appreciate this video! I never hear about adult books as often as YA so it gave me a good idea of what to pick up 💖 thanks!
When I was a teen I had no concept of teen or adult books. I'm not sure it was considered a different genre so I read whatever caught my interest. I read books that are probably now considered YA like the Dragonriders of Pern, and The Dark is Rising series, but also read The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Thorn Birds, Shogun and four or five of James Michener's books.
Honestly loved this video. I'm 20 and I've been reading YA for almost 10 years and for me it's just a matter of getting sucked into the YA circle of reading this book or series and then getting recommended more YA. I wanna read more "adult" books because I feel myself starting to identify less with some of the characters and themes but I just don't know where to start because I feel like nobody is talking about anything but YA.
i love the night circus so much, i read it years ago and i still remember feeling like i could taste the popcorn they sold at the circus! i gotta re-read it
I just finished reading Uprooted. I enjoyed it. The writing style was enjoyable for me. Every time I thought I had something in the plot figured out, it threw a curveball and shook it up, but to me it all made sense. The magic system was pretty convoluted and they didn't explain how it worked or where it came from. Part of it wanted to be "magic is a precise science" and the other part was "magic has no rules" and a third part was "magic is very tied to nature" and there wasn't a consistency in it. I enjoyed a lot ofbthe characters and it ignored some of the common ya tropes that it could have been plagued down with. I read basically the whole thing in a day. So thanks for the recommendation, Hannah. Even if this wasn't your cup of tea.
I went from Ranger's Apprentice to A Song of Ice and Fire, lol. But I was 23. I love the Mistborn trilogy and I agree that it's a pretty good transition series.
I read both adult and YA books growing up and like you said just naturally gravitated more and more towards adult books as I got older. I hate to hear that YA books get disregarded as "fluff" or 'not real books' (don't get that one) because there are some great YA books out there. I would love to read some more YA where the writing/themes aren't immature so any recommendations you have in that regard would be amazing. I think a video of the reverse, YA books for adult readers, would be kind of cool too!
Personally I don't have a problem with getting into adult books but this is a great list of recommendations for those who do. I wasn't surprised to see A Darker Shade of Magic as I'm reading it right now and I was just thinking how it could be considered both YA and adult.
slytherincanary Thank you! Yeah I felt similarly about ADSOM! But I think that it's one of those books that will open up the barrier between adult and YA a bit more so hopefully more books can take more liberties 😊
All The Light We Cannot See is just so wonderful! Uprooted and The Night Circus are definitely on my to-read pile! (the latter can be credited to your suggestion of it!) - Rose
My main concern isn’t if a book is complicated or confusing or long or whatever I just don’t want a huge amount of adult comment because that just isn’t what I want to read about so that’s why I tend to shy away from adult (although some of these I didn’t even realize were adult lol)
Love this video! I just bought A Darker Shade of Magic and while I've read loads of adult contemporaries, adult fantasy always intimidated me for some reason? Excited to get into it though.
The first adult fantasy book I picked up was the Shades of Magic trilogy!! I actually only finished it about a week ago and it and ACOL has actually become my favourite book of all time. I also recently picked up The Mistborn trilogy which I hope I also get on with
I liked the video! I think that ACOTAR is a good YA to adult book too. The shops (at least in England) have it put with YA but it's definitely for older YA readers. Also The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness is a good book that's between YA/adult. That's the series that I was reading at 17/18 and I still LOVE it today! The second book is more adult, I'd say but the first book is great for any older YA reader. I highly recommend both of these series :).
These are great recommendations. I am 100% with you on Darker Shade of Magic. I had no idea the context behind the two different ways Victoria Schwab labeled her books!!!! THANK YOU haha
I am so glad you mentioned the Mistborn trilogy!!!!! 😍 I just love that trilogy. I do recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for adult novels. It is a historical fiction novel with a hint of fantasy because the main characters are magicians but the fantasy it's not the point. It's kinda like a classical read but with the topic of magic throghout the book! 😊
I only read *The Night Circus* and *Vicious* and both of them are my favorites of all time, thanks for the recommendations Hannah, really appreciated ♡ :*
I definitely recommend The Gentleman by Forrest Leo to you if you're looking for more adult historical fiction, it's set in Victorian London and it's so funny and full of adventure!
You speak so intellectually, I love your channel. I just discovered you through Zoe :) All of these were already on my TBR but Vicious was my first Schwab novel and it was amazinggg, I'll have to try out her Shades of Magic series.
i like how articulate u are and detailed this vid was *new subbie* just brought Viscious from ur recommendation im already reading the darker shadows trilogy but waitimg for conjuring to be available on paperback lol
Three adult novels that I especially love are: Dark Matter, Station Eleven, and A Darker Shade of Magic All three are amazing and very different. DM is a sci fi thriller and a page turner that I read in almost one sitting. Station eleven is a beautiful book that weaves the lives of people together before, during, and after the apocalypse. And DSoM is an amazing fantasy with parallel Londons set during 1819.
I had no idea that the Mistborn Trilogy and A Darker Shade of Magic were adult series! I read A Darker Shade of Magic, and I liked it (not as much as a lot of people) but I think it's time to revisit it and finish the trilogy!
I think the biggest reason why at the age of 27 I still read more YA than adult fiction is simply because I don't hear what's new and buzz-worthy in adult fiction the way I hear about what's coming out in YA. I also, still find a lot of characters in YA books relatable. I did really enjoy One Day by David Nicholls and the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness.
Jill Stock I agree! That's why I really want to call attention to more adult books because I'm discovering so many great ones and I'm still exploring a whole category of books that I didn't have as much exposure to! I'll always read YA too though, it'll always be relatable 😊
You just arent a part of the right circles then. I see most of the books that are coming out in these genres thanks to reddit/twitter/goodreads. Just have to follow the right people.
I'm 30 and I am rather fond of YA.
Jennifer Cahill Me too!!
I completely agree with the problem of not hearing about new releases in the adult sci-fi/fantasy genre. I honestly never read much YA, even when I was in middle and high school for a variety of reasons (with a few exceptions, such as everything Tamora Pierce has ever written), but new YA titles seem to have much better marketing than similar adult genres. I really like book-related UA-cam channels, and have a few I follow regularly, but it seems like all of them focus primarily on YA. I don't have anything against YA, and I think it's great that there seems to be so much more available than when I was younger, but it can be really hard to find new adult fiction recommendations sometimes.
I don't umderstand why people would be afraid to read "adult" books. A book is a book, if you like the synopsis then read it. I've been reading adult books since I was 14 or 13. Why get stuck in one genre?
목소리 - Mogsori For me it's not that I'm afraid but that there are so many adult books and I don't know where to start and what's good or not.
BookBuyingByBudget But it's exactly the same as for YA books :) You read the synopsis, you like it, you give it a chance. You can never be sure if you'll like the book or not.
But I think a lot of people online have fallen into a rut, where they only read books that they see around. And the fact of the matter is that a large amount of popular bloggers and BookTubers focus either totally or mostly on YA books, so people just don't venture into the adult genre. The first step, to me, should be following people who read a wider variety of books, and that'll really help their confidence in adult books.
Imli The way people pick up books has certainly changed. I remember wandering around a library for hours looking for an interesting book, which I don't do anymore. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I watch booktube to find new books and I agree watching people with greater variety in their reading does help.
Honestly I think it's because of the labels and because of the labels what might be expected in the book. At least it was that way for me. I don't think I have ever read an Adult book however it is mostly because I just read from my school library and they are just filled with Y.A. When you hear "adult" you would probably think it's far more complex than a Y.A. novel or it might have higher vocabulary than what you might be used to or it deals with adult topics or themes and even the tone or setting of the book or characters might be intimidating simply because you think "this is a book for adults so therefore it is harder to read." Y.A. books are obviously targeted towards teens and a younger adult audience so the stories are told in a way where younger audiences can understand and comprehend easily what it going on. At least that is what I always thought. However now I feel less intimidated by the genre, most likely because I am older, and now have a list of what I would like to read whenever I have spare money to buy a few books.
Books Mentioned in this video;
1. Vicious by V. E. Schwab
2. The Darker shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
3. The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
4. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
5. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
7. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
👍👍
Wow you literally made me want to read every Single One of These Books :D
Lilli Rose yuuuuppppp haha
Lilli Rose I hope you read and enjoy them all 💕💕💕
You have this aura that literally makes me want to read every single book in this video. Damn I am now so excited for summer. Literally going to order these books now!
Her voice is so soothing wow
And after you've read those here are some non transitional fantasies:
The Kingkiller Chronicles series by Patrick Rothfuss
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson
Anything Neil Gaimon is good all the time
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
Game of Thrones by GRRM
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
YESSSSS!! So glad to see the Night Angel Trilogy included in this list. So underappreciated D': it's one of my absolute favorite series
Yesssss!!! Night Angel trilogy is my favourite and I actually prefer it over TSOIAF in terms of brutality and plot twists.
I dont really understand the fear in reading Adult books. I've been reading them since i was 13, so it really isnt a difficult thing to do.
Agreed. I never even knew to dinstinguish between YA and Adult so I just read what sounded fun and interesting.
Dr. Rollinstein. yes me too. I started reading withclassics and adult books and to be honest I never even knew there was a difference because I had never looked at books as if to be determined by age. (does it make sense?) i mean i get why it is called YA and Adult books but I don't really care whether a book is YA or Adult as long as it is good.
If books are bordering the line, such as most things by V.E. Schwab, it wont really be noticed that easily. But you put something like Twilight up against Game of Thrones, and itll hit you a lot harder.
JAsmine Ong I agree and that's exactly why I made the video! I know a lot of people have felt this way about it and are therefore tentative about reading adult, but I think they're both equally fantastic!
I agree. I guess I can relate more to the "fear" (if I need to call it that) that comes from facing really big classics like The Count of Monte Cristo or something.
I really appreciate this video as someone who can't stomach YA anymore now that I'm not a teen. I feel like the majority of popular bookish UA-cam channels focus on YA novels, even if the UA-camr is an adult, which is just so bizarre to me.
Sarah Hensley I'm an adult (22) I prefer ya books because I feel like they have more imagination and are a little lighter than adult novels. Easy fun reading. Especially series which I breeze through. My life is heavy enough, I prefer my books a bit lighter.
I completely agree. I am brand new to booktube channels and I am so surprised that almost everything is about YA books. I hate YA lol, I cant imagine reading those books ever in my life let alone now (25 y/o, btw)
I have been BINGE watching your channel. You have the most informative, eloquent and constructive reviews/recommendations. I have you to thank for my ever-growing TBR list haha
I love watching your videos. You have such a sweet and gentle voice, plus you have a great happy disposition. I tend to get a little annoyed with some channels who can't stop yelling or make really bad jokes and so their videos are waaay too long and unnecessary. Sorry I don't mean to be negative. But I wanted to let you know
14ManuelaSL Thank you, I really appreciate that 💕💕💕
All the light we cannot see really made me read more adult books! also I can recommend this to anyone because it's such a good book
i love when you do recommendation videos like this because you give such a variety opposed to other booktubers that repetitively recommend that same books, so THANK YOU :D
The Night Circus is one of my favourite books; how did not know it was an adult novel? I've been intimidated by adult novels so stayed clear of them but i'm going to change that so thanks for making this video!!
Alice Haynes I'm so, so glad! I really hope you enjoy all the ones you read 😊💕
its often considered new adult, which is the sort of transitional books like she mentioned. you'll find them in fiction in book shops rather than teen or young adult.
Just finished Vicious (per your recommendation) and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you! Love your videos! Especially being an adult trying to broaden her reading beyond nonfiction and self help books this video was super helpful!
Nice list! I think i would also recommend Neil Gaiman!
Veronica Lloyd I've only ever read Ocean at the End of the Lane but I loved that one!
A Clockwork Reader yes! Omg its sooo good. I read it in Bali and I couldn't put it down! (Our villa had books)
great video and I'd love to see what your favorite Classics are
colorful world I'm definitely planning that video!
These are great picks! When I started reading adult books I was so overwhelmed with the dozens and dozens of shelves of them compared to the two YA aisles at my bookstore. We definitely need more booktubers talking about adult books, as I think the fear comes from not knowing what is popular or what is 'good'!
Exactly
Mistborn
I CANNOT stop staring at the Uprooted cover every time it pops up somewhere. It's just so beautiful *.*
14ManuelaSL Honestly that's why I can't get rid of it 😂😂
I love your descriptions of those books! You're so calm and I feel super relaxed when watching this video. :)
im currently reading the night circus and as you said,you can smell the food,you can see everything so vividly and it's so gorgeous,really really like it :)
probably the first time I've read every single book on a recommendations video :D but I do agree, all of these fit the list perfectly!
A World Hopper Yayyyy 💖💖💖
apparently "adult" books does not refer to erotica... i thought i was going to be getting a completely different set of recommendations here.
Hahah
Just imagine Hannah reading erotica LOL
Same 😂
I took an extended (almost two year) break from BookTube...And I come back to find your channel! I've been binge watching your videos I love them!
I also love this video topic. Some people don't know how to transition, and don't really hear much about Adult Literature on BookTube... So I guess videos like these are a fantastic way to do that!
All of these are great suggestions. Many of these also happen to be books that I really want to read! Personally, I am not intimidated by adult books. I love the complexity that can occur in them. However, I like to read a mix of YA as well. Awesome video as always, Hannah!
Nice idea. I've never had this issue as YA wasn't really a thing when I was actually a teen so I had no choice but to read the few books that would have been considered YA, younger ages, or adult. My tastes have changed a lot. Hope more people will be inspired to branch out with this video. Most of these are on my list already but still excited to get to them.
yess I agree about what you said about the mistborn trilogy! It was my first adult fantasy book as well and I ate those books up without difficulty. ever since then adult fantasy has been one of my favourite genres, I just love the political intrigue a lot.
I own just about all the books you listed, and I have read a few of them already. This video has helped moved a few of the others closer to the top of my TBR list. Oh and nothing compares to The Night Circus! It always makes me to happy to hear that someone else loves that book as much as I do.
I can understand being apprehensive about Jane Austen, or Tolkien, or Shakespeare, but the majority of adult books aren't written like that. I actually used to exclusively read adult books as a pre-teen, and now as an adult I read a lot of YA. Just chose within the genre you already enjoy for your first few adult books.
I have to disagree, since Austen and Shakespeare are both studied in high school. Perhaps, my bewilderment is due to the YA "genre" booming, once I already in college? Or it could be due to the fact, that I attended an all-girls private school? I view the YA genre as a money-maker for publishers, and a crutch for teenage and twenty-something readers. In my early twenties, I exclusively read the classics. All the YA fantasy, other than Harry Potter, was boring me to tears. Now, I mostly read historical fiction and physiological thrillers. I am also interested in reading some more adult contemporary and fantasy.
My classmates and I read Tolkien at age 13, when the LotR films came out. To be honest, The Hobbit is actually classified as children's literature. Similar, to the Narnia Chronicles, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. However, since there was not much YA, my classmates and I were reading adult fiction throughout high school. We would debate if The Da Vinci code was overrated, and that Angels and Demons was the better novel. There was no stigma against reading more mature books, back in the day. If anything it was celebrated, since it meant you were above grade reading level.
When the night circus came up I literally screamed! I love that book more than life ❤️❤️
I just discovered your channel, and I'm hooked. Thank you for existing , this is clearly one of your purposes on this planet!
All The Light We Cannot See is the most beautiful and heart wrenching book I’ve ever read. It’s my favorite
These all sound wonderful, thank you so much for putting this list together. All the Light We Cannot See is incredibly beautiful and such a masterpiece of a book and something I think most readers will enjoy. And I love that you always recommend The Night Circus because I always get excited to read it!💜
The Night Circus is my favorite book too!! I think my favorite parts of the book are the 2nd person sections. I also like how e v e r y o n e is connected in the book. We see how they're affected by the Circus and how Celia and Marco's emotions, experiences and actions affect not only themselves, but those affiliated with the Circus in regards to its creation, the performers, and the patrons. Every character's actions either directly or indirectly affect the other characters and I l o v e it. Ahhhh, I need to read it again.
I agree with what you said about All the Light We cannot see. I loved that book, and how the perspectives are from the main characters are as they grow up, but still deals with adult themes. This book does that well.
I just picked up The Final Empire (after feeling daunted by the size, because I'm a non-native English reader) and at first it was a bit confusing, but now I'm loving it. (I'm alternating between reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook and that's wonderful.)
Thanks for the recs!! I'm slowly tearing through the list and not regretting a single second spent reading these books so far :)
I'm reading Uprooted. Sadly, books for adults just don't receive as much buzz. A shame! All of these books are fairly popular, but are great transitional reads into the adult book world. I'm 41 (eek 42 soon!) and love YA -- the world building, characters, plots, especially in fantasy. I read MG books, too! I've been reading adult books since I was 14. If YA readers like fantasy they could try books such as Signal to Noise (perfect for Stranger Things fans), The Queen of Blood, The Name of the Wind (both are good picks for HP fans), Traitor's Blade, Wake of Vultures, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - all of these books feature younger characters. Mystery novels are a great transition too -- like the Flavia de Luce series. It's for adults but has an 11 yo protagonist. Or if you want mystery with fantasy try The Invisible Library series (if you like the Shades of Magic series) or A Thursday Next novels (book 1 - The Eyre Affair).
I've read the Darker Shades of Magic trilogy, and I completely agree with you, Hannah - what a great author to start with that will help you bridge the gap between YA and adult fiction!
I AM READING STATION ELEVEN AND I LOVE IT AND I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF IT WHEN I SAW YOUR BOOK TITLE!
The Novel Sanctuary AHHH YAY!!!! It's such a good one ❤❤❤
Your makeup is always on point. ALWAYS.
My all-time favorite adult book is "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson! When I read it, I was instantly transported in the story, experiencing a deja vu that I swear made me feel like I had lived the life/lives within the book. I don't know how else to describe it but that's the best way I can put it into words. I read it twice, taking it out of the local library then finally bought my own copy because I love it sooo much!
The Night Circus is top 3 favorites of all time for me. The writing just blew me away.
hi your voice is so calming, subscribing for sure. Thank you for this video, I definitely needed it. 💛
I cannot thank you enough for this video. I know I'm late seeing this as it was made a couple years ago but I am so excited to look into all these. I am in my mid-twenties and will keep reading ya but also wanting to read some more adult books
Thank you so much for this I have def noticed a change of taste in books and find myself wanting to dive into adult fiction this is so so perfect!!!!
I tried reading Night Circus before, but stopped after 50-60ish pages. The romance and the story goes pretty slowly and it didn't really interest me as much as I expected to, but I'll probably give it another shot because you make it sound so much more interesting and good :)
sghl12 I love the night circus! I felt the same as u but once I actually got into it I couldn't put it down unfortunately it is pretty slow and doesn't make much sense in the beginning but all the storylines come together in the end definitely give it another try! U won't be disappointed:)
Lexie L. Thanks :) ill get into it soon and hopefully enjoy it !
Me too! I actually stopped way further than you because i was very bored. It felt like nothing was happening and the two main characters (Celia and Marco if i remember correctly) didn't seem to have a personality. Like, i couldn't be able to describe them because they didn't have any actual distinctive characteristic...It almost felt like it was trying to be too vague and mysterious but without actually concealing something, without going really anywhere, if you know what i mean. But as you say i might give it another chance because Hannah loved it and i usually trust her!
Bao-Trinh Did you end up reading it? It’s also my all time favorite book, even just thinking about it makes me happy. I wish every book gave me that feeling!
I read The Night Circus because of your recommendation. Really liked it - Loved the atmosphere.
Currently reading the night circus because of your recommendation! I am LOVING it, it is literal magic 💙🙏🏽
The Night Circus is AMAZING! I absolutely loved it
This video is my life saving atm. Im gonna read the night circus as soon as i can. Love your channel ❣️
I AM SO GLAD U RECOMMENDED ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
OH MY GOD HOW DID I NOT REALIZE THIS BEFORE?? Victor and Eli as in V.E. guys!!
I'm so glad you love the Night Circus, it's my all time favourite book!I love how it really feels like you're in the circus. Please make more videos like these!!
Thank you so much for this video! I've read a few adult novels, but haven't really found any that I love as much as my favourite young adult books. I'll definitely have to try out some of the books you've mentioned!
So this video was the first time I heard about the Night Circus and I have been able to read. Roughly 235 pages in and wow. It is really good, I did not anticipate that I would enjoy it nearly as much as I have. Cannot wait to read more and finish it.
The cover of Final Empire/Mistborn is sooooo pretty!!
I've read most of these and I think they all work really well for getting into adult books. Especially with The Night Circus, it really made me more open to stories that take place over a long period of time from a lot of different POVs, because while it took me a bit to get into, I ended up really loving and appreciating all the storylines and characters and how they connected.
And the Shades Of Magic series is also so good for this list because it involves some politics and a bit more world building and older characters than YA fantasy, but it's written in a way that makes it super easy to get into.
I have both Station Eleven and The Final Empire on my shelf so hopefully I'll get to those soon!
hufflebee Yes! I'm so glad you agree ❤❤
First time viewer! I found your video through Raneem's blog. I really enjoyed your list. I've read most of these and agree these would make great transitional books. It would also be good to do a video on if you liked this YA book, you'll like this Adult book.
I hope Hannah and other booktubers read your comment because I would love to see videos on if you like this YA book you will like this adult book! Great idea!!
Although I've read a few adult books I appreciate this video! I never hear about adult books as often as YA so it gave me a good idea of what to pick up 💖 thanks!
I have picked up a handful of books you've recommended. So excited to start on them !
Did not expect to see an exact reading of my favorites shelf
When I was a teen I had no concept of teen or adult books. I'm not sure it was considered a different genre so I read whatever caught my interest. I read books that are probably now considered YA like the Dragonriders of Pern, and The Dark is Rising series, but also read The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Thorn Birds, Shogun and four or five of James Michener's books.
Honestly loved this video. I'm 20 and I've been reading YA for almost 10 years and for me it's just a matter of getting sucked into the YA circle of reading this book or series and then getting recommended more YA. I wanna read more "adult" books because I feel myself starting to identify less with some of the characters and themes but I just don't know where to start because I feel like nobody is talking about anything but YA.
i love the night circus so much, i read it years ago and i still remember feeling like i could taste the popcorn they sold at the circus! i gotta re-read it
I just finished reading Uprooted. I enjoyed it. The writing style was enjoyable for me. Every time I thought I had something in the plot figured out, it threw a curveball and shook it up, but to me it all made sense. The magic system was pretty convoluted and they didn't explain how it worked or where it came from. Part of it wanted to be "magic is a precise science" and the other part was "magic has no rules" and a third part was "magic is very tied to nature" and there wasn't a consistency in it. I enjoyed a lot ofbthe characters and it ignored some of the common ya tropes that it could have been plagued down with. I read basically the whole thing in a day. So thanks for the recommendation, Hannah. Even if this wasn't your cup of tea.
Nowhere to Call Home is a great YA Historical Fiction btw!!!
I went from Ranger's Apprentice to A Song of Ice and Fire, lol. But I was 23. I love the Mistborn trilogy and I agree that it's a pretty good transition series.
I've never actually listened to the synopsis of Vicious, but it sounds awesome!!
it's brilliant, you have to read it
Currently reading Station Eleven and I'm hooked.
I love the night circus as well!!! It's my favorite book ❤❤❤ I just found your channel and have been binge watching a lot of your videos 💜
love this video gave me some great ideas for my younger cousin who is getting into adult
I did not realize some of these books were new adult...excited to read them
I read both adult and YA books growing up and like you said just naturally gravitated more and more towards adult books as I got older. I hate to hear that YA books get disregarded as "fluff" or 'not real books' (don't get that one) because there are some great YA books out there. I would love to read some more YA where the writing/themes aren't immature so any recommendations you have in that regard would be amazing. I think a video of the reverse, YA books for adult readers, would be kind of cool too!
I need to read the ADSOM series because I've heard so many fantastic things about it! 😊 I've also really been meaning to pick up uprooted!
Personally I don't have a problem with getting into adult books but this is a great list of recommendations for those who do.
I wasn't surprised to see A Darker Shade of Magic as I'm reading it right now and I was just thinking how it could be considered both YA and adult.
slytherincanary Thank you!
Yeah I felt similarly about ADSOM! But I think that it's one of those books that will open up the barrier between adult and YA a bit more so hopefully more books can take more liberties 😊
I absolutely loved the Night ?Circus!
I read it based on your reccomendstion.. thank you!
All The Light We Cannot See is just so wonderful! Uprooted and The Night Circus are definitely on my to-read pile! (the latter can be credited to your suggestion of it!) - Rose
My main concern isn’t if a book is complicated or confusing or long or whatever I just don’t want a huge amount of adult comment because that just isn’t what I want to read about so that’s why I tend to shy away from adult (although some of these I didn’t even realize were adult lol)
Love this video! I just bought A Darker Shade of Magic and while I've read loads of adult contemporaries, adult fantasy always intimidated me for some reason? Excited to get into it though.
The first adult fantasy book I picked up was the Shades of Magic trilogy!! I actually only finished it about a week ago and it and ACOL has actually become my favourite book of all time. I also recently picked up The Mistborn trilogy which I hope I also get on with
wow. I read almost all of them (exept for 2) and didn't even know they were adult books. I'm definitely checking out more adult books. :)
I liked the video! I think that ACOTAR is a good YA to adult book too. The shops (at least in England) have it put with YA but it's definitely for older YA readers. Also The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness is a good book that's between YA/adult. That's the series that I was reading at 17/18 and I still LOVE it today! The second book is more adult, I'd say but the first book is great for any older YA reader. I highly recommend both of these series :).
These are great recommendations. I am 100% with you on Darker Shade of Magic. I had no idea the context behind the two different ways Victoria Schwab labeled her books!!!! THANK YOU haha
2020 and Station Eleven really having a chat right now 😳
That copy of Uprooted is so gorgeous!
The first adult novel read was The Name of the Wind because I didn't really know there was difference and it is now one of my favorite books.
Allison Harlin I still need to read that one!
I love Station Eleven! I’m reading it right now and so far it’s very interesting. I’m gonna read these books you recommended.
I am so glad you mentioned the Mistborn trilogy!!!!! 😍 I just love that trilogy. I do recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for adult novels. It is a historical fiction novel with a hint of fantasy because the main characters are magicians but the fantasy it's not the point. It's kinda like a classical read but with the topic of magic throghout the book! 😊
I only read *The Night Circus* and *Vicious* and both of them are my favorites of all time, thanks for the recommendations Hannah, really appreciated ♡ :*
I love v.e. Schwab's books so much but for some reason I didn't enjoy vicious nearly as much as I enjoyed the shades of magic trilogy
all the light we cannot see is probably one of the most life changing books ive ever read ????
I'm so happy you just posted this!! I was going through all your old videos because I just couldn't get enough of them. Now I have more to watch!
Kaat Lambrecht Ahhh thank you!! I'm so glad you're enjoying them 😊😊
I definitely recommend The Gentleman by Forrest Leo to you if you're looking for more adult historical fiction, it's set in Victorian London and it's so funny and full of adventure!
My favorite adult fantasy series is "Queen of the Tearling". I don't know if you've read it, but it's amazing!
You speak so intellectually, I love your channel. I just discovered you through Zoe :) All of these were already on my TBR but Vicious was my first Schwab novel and it was amazinggg, I'll have to try out her Shades of Magic series.
i like how articulate u are and detailed this vid was *new subbie* just brought Viscious from ur recommendation im already reading the darker shadows trilogy but waitimg for conjuring to be available on paperback lol
Three adult novels that I especially love are: Dark Matter, Station Eleven, and A Darker Shade of Magic
All three are amazing and very different. DM is a sci fi thriller and a page turner that I read in almost one sitting. Station eleven is a beautiful book that weaves the lives of people together before, during, and after the apocalypse. And DSoM is an amazing fantasy with parallel Londons set during 1819.
Well you mentioned two of my recommendations. Commented before I watched. Great taste by the way
I had no idea that the Mistborn Trilogy and A Darker Shade of Magic were adult series! I read A Darker Shade of Magic, and I liked it (not as much as a lot of people) but I think it's time to revisit it and finish the trilogy!