Top 5 Favorite YA books...

As my bio says, I have a LOT of YA literature to catch up on (all literature, actually). So, I thought I'd reach out to you and ask you this. What are you top five favorite, all time, YA books? And what is it about them that you love? I'll start with mine, though I probably don't have as much to choose from as you guys, but your lists and reason will help me to further add to my list of must reads.

The Mortal Instrments by Cassandra Claire--I can't say enough about this series. I just loved it. The characters are all so different and yet so awesome. I loved them all (or hated them when warranted). The story, even though I was able to figure some things out early on, had some nice twists to it. I love twisting plots (when they aren't ridiculously complicated). And, I heart Jace :) The only thing I didn't love was Claire's tendency to give a LOT of description of places. There were several times I found myself skimming, but some people really like that stuff and her descriptions really did captured the feel of where they were, but I was so into the characters and what was happening between them that I wanted desperately to skip the description so I could get back to them and the plot of the story.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. If you haven't read it...YOU'RE INSANE!!! RUN TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY OR BOOK STORE AND GET IT. Yes...it's that good. Very different than anything I've ever read and I think Collins opened the door (heck, I think she may have unhinged the darn thing) for what writers of the YA genre can get away with. If that doesn't peak your interest, I don't know what will :-)

Some Girls Are by Coutney Summers. So this one was recommended by my good friend, Angie. Actually, recommended would be too soft a word. She threatened to send me her copy if I didn't go out and get it ASAP! Well, I could tell how much she loved this book, so I couldn't do that to her (make her give up her beloved copy) so I ran (okay, okay...I drove) to my local library, got a copy and couldn't put it down. The book is friggin' awesome! The way Summers makes you sympathize and actually root for a character that you hate and you know you should hate because she stands for the bitch of all bitches, blows my mind. Summers showed some genius characterization for the MC in that story. Wow. Just...wow.

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyers. Hi. My name is Melanie and I'm a Twilight fan. I feel like I have to say that because there are so many SM/Twilight haters out there that it makes me feel like I have a sickness if I admit I actually...like it (ducking flying tomatoes). Okay, so I have to give props to SM. I mean, I know there are a gazillion people who are ready to knock her down, but I greatly respect what she did with the Twilight series (minus some of the stalkerish and controlling behaviors of Edward), but the fact is, SM is the one who inspired me to want to write. People can tear her books apart all they want and like many books, it's not perfect, but as far as I'm concerned, it was a fantastic and easy read and evoked many emotions from me as I read through it. There. I said it. I'm not a Twilightaholic, but I am a Twilight fan.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowlings. Looooove them. Loved the whole series. Love the movies. Love the actors who play the characters and I love her writing. It was the first real series I ever read and the only reason I got into it was because at the time, my stepson who was 9, was really into them so I read it to him at night and was like, Oh my God. This story totally rocks. I also loved that the main character was a boy and that his best friends were a boy and a girl and each of their characters had something very different to offer. Something that someone could relate to on some level. Can't wait for the final two movies!!!!