Gift ideas for teens can be a bit of a challenge. If your favorite teenager is a book lover, that makes it easy. But if your favorite teenager doesn't like to read and you wish she did... that's a challenge in itself. When I need to get myself out of an "I don't feel like reading" phase, I turn to something highly engaging and so engrossing that I can't help but pick up my Kindle instead of my iPhone. We've taken that same strategy and applied it to this list of gifts for teens.... who don't like to read. All of these page-turners were released this year!
Gifts for Teens: Books for Teens Who Don't Like To Read
The Heir (The Selection)
Kiera Cass
The Selection series has been described as The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games. The books are fast reads and highly approachable, even for people who aren't super literary. The Heir is the newest book in Kiera Cass' series, and follows the daughter of the protagonist of the first three books. She holds a 'Selection' as is tradition in Illya (a dystopian version of America) wherein she will find her future husband. If your favorite teen is a hopeless romantic, this book is a no-brainer.
Press Start to Play (A Vintage original)
Daniel H. Wilson, John Joseph Adams (Editors)
Press Start to Play is for the teenager whose favorite after school activity is building castles... in Minecraft. The compilation of short stories features tales from bestselling authors like Ernie Cline (Ready Player One) and Andy Weir (The Martian) as well as video game insiders. This book is a celebration of gaming in story form and explores what happens when scifi and video games intersect. If Fallout 4 is on your teenager's wish list, gift this book.
The Amazing Book Is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil
Dan Howell, Phil Lester
If your teenager would rather watch YouTube all day than watch TV, there's a good likelihood that a lot of their free time is spent watching Dan and Phil. Dan Howell and Phil Lester are two entertainers in London who rose to internet fame via their YouTube vlogs. While their respective channels are still wildly popular, the two have branched out to radio and, now, a book about their lives, awkwardness, and humor.
NEED
Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle Charbonneau's new book is for teens who are really into social media. If your favorite teenager checks Instagram immediately after waking up (to be far, that's not exactly unique to teenagers), this is a great book to gift. NEED follows a group of teens at a Wisconsin high school as they delve deep into a social network that will fulfill their every need. But the site is holding something sinister, and it's just waiting to be unleashed.
Zeroes
Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld's new book is for teens who love superheroes. But don't call these teens heroes - they have powers, sure, but they're more Zeroes than heroes. This book is full of adventure and action and reads like an awesome new superhero series on television - engaging, exciting, and exhilirating.
Looking for more gifts for book lovers? Check out our entire collection here.
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