Top Ten Tuesday | Books In Verse

Ari (she/her) @ Books. Libraries. Also, cats.TBRBooks in Verse, Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Jewish rep, Kidlit, Middle Grade, Queer, Top Ten Tuesday, YA, Young Adult29 Comments

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where book bloggers are invited to share their top ten lists centered on a certain theme.

This week’s theme was a freebie, so I of course had to share some books in verse for National Poetry Month! I love books in verse because they’re quick reads and usually feature strong voices. As a teen services librarian, I recommend books in verse a lot to readers looking for shorter books, or who are trying to get into reading.

If you’ve never read a book in verse, I highly recommend giving one a try! This list features 5 books in verse I love, and 5 on my TBR.

1. Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela: I listened to this YA novel on audio after seeing another librarian rave about it on Instagram, and I’m so glad I did! This one totally deserves more hype.

2. Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz, illustrated by Fahmida Azim: This middle grade novel about a Rohingya refuge named Samira living in Bangladesh, making new friends, and learning to surf was so heartwarming!

3. Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne: This YA contemporary is a mix of verse & prose and follows a teen girl who has recently moved in the wake of an abusive relationship. It was such a lovely story of healing, sisterhood, and identity!

4. A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow: I adored this poetic novel about two trans boys falling in love and discovering a personal connection with two revolutionary war soldiers rumored to be trans men in love. Such a cool concept, and a moving story!

5. Me (Moth) by Amber McBride: This book about grief totally made me ugly cry, and I’ve been recommending it a ton at my library!

6. Iveliz Explains it All by Andrea Beatriz Arango: I’m really looking forward to this middle grade novel starring a Latina girl dealing with mental health struggles–this is a topic we need to see talked about more in kid lit. Out on 9/13!

7. The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero: As a biracial Jewish reader, I was so excited to hear about this novel starring a biracial Jewish Latina girl! I just downloaded an eARC from NetGalley and can’t wait to start it. Out on 5/10!

8. Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk: I’ve loved Ashley’s books in the past and am really excited for this queer love story told in verse. Out on 4/5 (tomorrow!).

9. In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo: Recently, while browsing NetGalley, I stumbled upon this MG novel in verse about a Taiwanese immigrant and I hit ‘request’ SO FAST. I can’t wait to start it! Out on 6/14.

10. Rain Rising by Courtne Comrie: I saw a friend post about this middle grade novel in verse on Instagram recently, and that stunning cover immediately pulled me in! Out on 9/27.

Are you a fan of books in verse? What are some of your favorites?