(I had to do sci-fi/dystopian because that is how little science fiction I read. I’m working on correcting that though so give me a break!)
1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A rebellion is rising on colonized Mars. I mean do I really need to say more? Oh, I do? Stop being lazy and go look it up!
2. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
This is considered a YA but I don’t care! It would go on my favorite YA novels of all time if that’s the case. This is set 15 years after the zombie apocalypse, with the main character living in a small, chained off town with his older brother. The town hires mercenaries to savage the land for things they need, but the mercenaries have been up to no good. The town tries to ignore it but the mercenaries begin turning on some of the town members. There is rumor that they are dragging children off to some place called, “Gameland.”
3. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
Also set after zombies take over the planet, 15 year old Temple wanders the United States alone. She comes across small pockets of humanity but you never know if they’ll be kind or dangerous. But Temple is dangerous too. She doesn’t survive on her own by being gentle. (There is NO punctuation in this book. It takes some getting used but then adds a unique flavor to it.)
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I really don’t need to describe this one do I?
5. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Character driven space opera. Never have I been more interested in relationships in space.
cupcakesandmachetes 
As you know, I’ve read 3 of the 5 on this list and enjoyed them. 🙂 Good list! I totally forgot about The Reapers are the Angels not having any punctuation until you mentioned it. It was quite jarring at first but like you said, a very good book.
Stop screwing around. Be a good friend and read the other two on the list. Jeez! 😛
LOL! Seriously! I clearly have to get it together! 😛
Rot and Ruin is a favourite of mine too. Totally underrated in my opinions.
Thank you! No one I know has read that series except for me lol. I still need to read the last book.
Oh it’s good! I’ve included it in so many lists etc. People don’t know what they’re missing 😉
They really don’t!
You got me. I had to add Small Angry Planet. I’d been looking at that for a while, but I love operas and I’m obsessed with space so yeah, there you go. The only other one I’ve read is Hunger Games, and that’s one of my favorite series of all time. I’m not huge on YA, but Hunger Games takes the much deserved cake.
I strike again! YA isn’t my genre anymore either but they have great hits sometimes. It’s rolling through all the trash to get to the good ones that is irritating with that genre.
Completely agree. It’s kine of like lightning in a bottle. Some of my favorite novels are YA, but I don’t like most YA. I had to give up on Magonia. I realized I just didn’t care anymore, and I was exactly 50% of the way through. My IRL BFF has been gushing about A Court of Thorns and Roses so I’m going to move on to that. Life’s too short and I have too many on my list to read books that don’t hold my interest.
I’m interested to see what you think of those books because they just do not sound good to me. Any of them by that author, yet people rave about them all.
I’ll definitely let you know! If I’m not hooked after fifty pages and hell if I lose interest by half the book (hi Magonia) I’m done. Way too many books to read and way too little time.
I have only read Hunger Games from this list. I need to read A long way to a small, angry planet soon. Everyone seems to be liking it.
The plot is slow but the characters are great!
The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet sounds so good, and I’ve had several bloggers recommend it to me now. I just bought it a couple days ago (it was on sale- yay) so I’m hoping to read this soon. Character driven space opera- can’t wait!
Can’t wait to see your review. It was definitely my favorite sci-fi that I’ve read this year so far.
HA! We are clearly in the same boat re: sci-fi, since I’m basically a newbie to the genre.
I just finished The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet the other day and I’m obsessed with it. OB-SESSED. All the aliens and tech were so cool — Sissix, Ohan, Dr. Chef…Lovey. *cries forever*
That one is great! The second book just came out and I need to get to that sooon!