Genre reading guide
Find new reads from your favourite genres with these librarian recommendations.
Contemporary and Realistic - Teens
Take a walk in another person's shoes. This is a list of teen contemporary reads that are bound to please, shock, wound and heal.
Booklists
Horror and Thriller - Rainbow Reads - Teens
Take a step into the dark with these stories of murder, mystery, and the supernatural.
Contemporary and Realistic - Teens
Take a walk in another person's shoes. This is a list of teen contemporary reads that are bound to please, shock, wound and heal.
Science Fiction - Teens
Space, politics, adventure and more - science fiction blends actual science with imagination to create possible futures and alternate worlds
Adventure - Teens
Want some thrills to get you through your week? Get your gritty survival situations, escapes against the odds, a high-speed chases here.
Horror - Teens
Seeking thrills and terror, a tingle down your spine, or some serious goosebumps? Roughly ordered from somewhat unsettling to gory. Beware.
Historical fiction - Teens
Historical fiction can transport us to worlds and experiences different from our own, and teach us valuable lessons about the world today.
Fantasy - Teens
Peruse some of our recommendations of what fantasy novels to read. This guide is roughly ordered by nice reads to gritty.
Mystery - Teens
Mystery is lurking everywhere from! Find books with amateur detectives searching for clues, and stories blending horror and drama.
Romance - Teens
Read messy love-triangle stories or sweeping historical epics; bittersweet romantic tragedies or hilarious meet-cute mishaps.
Dystopian - Teens
Travel into grim futures not-so-far-removed from the world as we know it.
Funny - Teens
This is disembodied heads reattached, time-travelling literary cops, and maybe a bowl of petunias along the way kind of booklist.
Suspense and Thrillers - Teens
Books that keep you on the edge of your seat, flinching at sudden noises and locking the doors.
New for Rangatahi
Return to reading: New adults
Looking for some reads for a slightly older age group? These lists have titles aimed at new adults (ages 18-24 years).
Return to reading: New adult
Return to Reading: Reading tips from librarians
We've pulled together some tips and tricks that should help guide your reading choices if it's been a while between reads.
Return to Reading: Adventure
For those returning to reading, this list features fast-paced tales of daring quests, unforgettable characters, and high-stakes challenges.
Return to Reading: Horror
Dive into a chilling collection of horror fiction crafted for rediscovering the thrill of reading.
Return to Reading: Mystery
Accessible yet captivating, these books offer a thrilling escape - perfect for those rediscovering the excitement of mystery novels.
Return to Reading: Reading tips from librarians
We've pulled together some tips and tricks that should help guide your reading choices if it's been a while between reads.
Return to Reading: Adventure
For those returning to reading, this list features fast-paced tales of daring quests, unforgettable characters, and high-stakes challenges.
Return to Reading: Horror
Dive into a chilling collection of horror fiction crafted for rediscovering the thrill of reading.
Return to Reading: Mystery
Accessible yet captivating, these books offer a thrilling escape - perfect for those rediscovering the excitement of mystery novels.
More Reading Ideas
If You Like reading guide
Want some new favourites? Discover titles for teens based on popular series and authors.
Donna's Best Movies and TV of 2025
A selection of movies and telly watched this year.
Request reading recommendations
Not sure what to try next? Try our reading guides, or tell us your preferences and we'll make a custom reading list just for you!
Printable lists
If you like... YA romance
Read messy love-triangle stories or sweeping historical epics, meet-cute mishaps and more. Printable author list [212KB PDF].
Ngā Pounamu Māori - Taiohi Collection
Fiction titles from our expanding Rangatahi Collection within the Ngā Pounamu Māori - Young Adults Collection. Printable list [330KB PDF]
If you like... Rainbow reads
Stories about relationships, family, romance, activism, and struggle with a range of LGBTQIA+ characters. Printable author list (302KB PDF)
If you like... YA Mystery fiction
Mystery is lurking everywhere from the school hallways to the shadows of the local woods. Printable author list (702 KB pdf).
If you like... YA Fantasy fiction
Encounter magic and myth, journey with legendary heroes, or protect the world from monsters or oppression. Printable author list (282KB pdf)
If you like... YA Dystopian fiction
Travel into grim futures not-so-far-removed from the world as we know it. Printable author list (306KB pdf).
If you like... YA contemporary and realistic reads
Stories firmly rooted in the issues that affect us today. Funny, heartbreaking, realistic, engrossing. Printable author list (275KB pdf).
If you like... YA Adventure & action fiction
Hardy men in the wilderness, bad guys in mean streets, tough heroines, and spies doing spy stuff. Printable author list (351KB PDF)