Five Books Everyone Should Read: Author Sarina Bowen

Posted April 5, 2015 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

Five Books Everyone Should Read is a new feature we’re running in 2015. We’ve asked some of our favorite authors, readers and bloggers to share five books that touched them or have stayed with them throughout the years.

5 Books Project

Rowena: Please welcome an author that is near and dear to both Holly and my hearts for introducing us to Bridger McCaulley and Adam Hartley – SARINA BOWEN! It’s Sarina’s turn to share the books that she thinks everyone should read.

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For my five, I decided to go with the YA edition! There’s been so much fabulous writing in YA these past few years, I have a few special favorites to share.

  1. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson cropped up on so many “best of” lists for 2014 that it’s not even funny. And now I understand why! The writing is just to die for. Ms. Nelson has put so much of the human condition onto every page that you can almost feel the book’s heart beating while you hold it in your hands. And this book is about everything. Twins. Life and death. Art. Love. Sexual orientation. Ghosts. Addiction. Attraction. Guilt. Does that sound heavy? You won’t even mind. Because you’ll be too busy cheering for the twins as they battle their way through their teen years.

  1. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. This gem won a bunch of awards in Australia but is little known here. That should change! This is a great romance about two artists of different stripes. It’s also a delicious mystery. A few passages are told in verse. Normally I would cross the street to avoid gimmicky prose, but Ms. Crowley is just too skillful to fail. I love this book.

  1. Every Day by David Levithan. This book has a premise so far-fetched that had I had the idea myself, I would have immediately discarded it as preposterous. The main character is dropped by a mysterious force into a new teenaged body each day of his/her life, and lives only one day as that person. Crazy, right? It’s crazy good. It’s a real page-turner with lots to say about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.

  1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I love this book to death. I knew nothing of fan fiction when I read it, so that was a fun peek into a different world. And that’s only for starters. This is a vivid freshman year story about a gorgeously conflicted girl on the brink of adulthood, and I laughed all the way through. And because Ms. Rowell is a genius, there are 1,001 witty references to popular culture, too.

  1. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. This is really a crazily constructed novel, narrated by a sort of Greek chorus of dead men. I didn’t know that it was possible to create a book that had me crying on every other page, but the uber-talented Mr. Levithan accomplishes that. And, weirdly, this isn’t really a sad book. It’s quite beautiful and uplifting. I don’t know how he does it. But I do know you should read it.

Sarina Bowen’s upcoming release, THE SHAMELESS HOUR comes out MAY 1ST, be sure to check it out!

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second-guess herself.

Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright nasty fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be extinguished.

sarina bowenAbout the Author: Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty contemporary romance from Vermont’s Green Mountains. (Her ancestors began logging and farming Vermont during the 18th century. These were rugged, outdoor types without benefit of a laptop or a good latte. It boggles the mind.)

Sarina enjoys skiing, skating and good food. She lives in Windsor County, Vermont, with her family, eight chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.


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2 responses to “Five Books Everyone Should Read: Author Sarina Bowen

  1. Helen

    Sarina Bowen and I have the exact same taste in YA. Fun! I’ve read 3 of the 5 that she suggested and I agree with her completely. They are all fantastic. I love Sarina Bowen’s books and now I know that she loves the books that I like to read when I read YA.

    Thanks for sharing! Happy Easter!

  2. I read and adored Fangirl so great choice with that one. I’ve read one Jandy Nelson book and really enjoyed it so I’ll be reading I’ll Give You the Sun soon. Great list, Sarina! Thanks so much for participating.

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