Reading List: Books for Teen Boys
So in response to my last post, my parents write, “So our challenge to you is to create a list of 20 books that a 14-year-old boy would want to read. Heck, make it 10!”
Ten? You insult me, sir. Here’s 24 off the top of my head. Not necessarily the best books or my favorites (though many of them are), but simply my first stab at a list of books that I think have the most chance of being picked up and read by a typical 14-year-old boy.
(And for an in-depth discussion of the issue of boys and reading, check out Episode 2 of my Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.)
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Homeland by R. A. Salvatore
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The Green Futures of Tycho by William Sleator
Singularity by Williams Sleator
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A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Illusion by Paula Volsky
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A Malady of Magicks by Craig Shaw Gardner
A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
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Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
The Master of White Storm by Janny Wurts
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The Running Man by Stephen King
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
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The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
The White Mountains by John Christopher
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
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Feel free to suggest additions.
Questions or comments? Email me. You can also check out what's new on my blog or browse a complete list of my short stories. And be sure to listen to my Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast, featuring interviews with authors such as George R. R. Martin, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, Simon Pegg, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin. If you want to support my writing and podcasting, you can make a payment directly to me.
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September 19th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
wish i had read many of these. *bookmarks list*
your lucky to have such thoughtful parents. ;)
hey, what about the ladies!?!
September 19th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
geez, s/your/you’re/
September 19th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
How about THE STARS MY DESTINATION? Or THE WIZARD OF EARTHSEA? THE COLOUR OF MAGIC?
all very different books all. But still cool.
September 20th, 2010 at 2:41 am
[...] do editors want? Brent Weeks on Lazy Readers & Self-Indulgent Writers. David Barr Kirtley on Reading List: Books for Teen Boys. Michael May lists Top 5 Scary Comics Adaptations. Nick Kyme video-lists Cool gaming vids. [...]
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:45 pm
When I was 14, I couldn’t stop reading Lord of the Rings.
And Asimov’s Foundation blew me away.
Or what about Treasure Island?