Crossover Appeal #13
YA Books for Adult Lit Readers
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
Margo Lanagan’s fiction is a beautiful and strange experience and this collection is no different. The stories in Black Juice take place in a world and time that are not quite like our own and not quite like any you’ve ever encountered before. They are difficult to describe, but at the center of each story is a tragedy or horror and the characters who must overcome and endure it.
Why You’ll Love It
If you’re not reading Margo Lanagan, get yourself to a library or a bookstore and remedy that now, please. She’s one of the most original writers in fantasy or YA today and does something that, as I mentioned, really defies description. All you need to know is that her stories are as amazing as they heartbreaking. Of the two Margo Lanagan books I have read, Black Juice and Tender Morsels, I think Black Juice is the perfect place to start, since you can get acquainted with her style in short stories, rather than a full novel.
Adult Books for YA Lit Readers
Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
The Newford stories are some of Charles de Lint’s most famous novels and short stories and Dreams Underfoot is just one of the many Newford collections. These short stories blur the line between fantasy and reality, while introducing you to some of the Newford series’s most important characters, like Jilly and Geordie.
Why You’ll Love It
When I was in high school, I was obsessed with The Onion Girl, a novel featuring Jilly, and Dreams Underfoot. The urban fantasy that de Lint has created is one of my favorites to get lost in, because it is just so completely realized. With an impressive oeurve spanning nearly 30 years, you have a lot of choices if you want to start reading his books. All of de Lint’s novels are so connected, it might be best to start at the beginning, but for me, the stories in Dreams Underfoot are what hooked me on de Lint’s writing.
