The Book Worm - YA Girly Books

These are gossipy, girly young adult books... AKA guilty pleasures :) Come on, you know you love them. This is a list of the ones I've read. Tell me about the ones I've not yet discovered. Note: not all of these are fun and light.

By Author: A B C D F G H J K L M N P Q R S T W V Y Z

Anderson, Laurie Halse - I think everyone's heard of Speak at one point but I didn't think it was that great. Both of these books are about girls who have their lives turned upside down and change for the better in the end.
- Catalyst ***
- Speak **

Anton, Shari - Follow the lives of three sisters when they become separated at the beginning of Midnight Magic amid war and turmoil. Midnight Magic follows Gwendolyn de Leon, Twilight Magic follows Emma, and Sunset Magic will follow Nicole. The girls are each given a gift... a legacy, sight, and speech that are somehow linked to King Arthur. Time period: 1145, England.

Magic series:

- Midnight Magic ***

- Twilight Magic **

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Beale, Fleur - Kirby's mother leaves her with her very religious uncle and his family. First they change her name to Esther, then they enforce their strict rules on her. Kirby can't help but feel that the community is slowly brainwashing her. And then she discovers some shocking news...
- I Am Not Esther ***

Brashares, Ann - Fun, girly stories for the teenage soul :) These books revolve around four girls who find a pair of pants that can fit their very different body types. As they go away for the summer, they write to each other and send the pants between them. They are coming-of-age stories. Has been made into a movie. Recommended.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants:
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ****
- The Second Summer of the Sisterhood ****
- Girls in Pants: the Third Summer of the Sisterhood ****

- Forever in Blue: the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ****

Bray, Libba - Set in Victorian England, Gemma moves to London from India when her mother dies. Soon after she settles at Spence Academy, she is visited by a messenger of a brotherhood. As she and her friends find a diary and dig deeper into the magical world they discover, Gemma learns some shocking news about her mother. There's supposed to be another book to complete the trilogy. Highly recommended.
- A Great and Terrible Beauty *****
- Rebel Angels *****

Brian, Kate - Kate Brian is a very good author. Her books are realistic fiction. They are sweet, funny books and I really like them, so read every single one. The Private novels are about Reed, a girl who gets into a private boarding school on a scholarship. Every book in the series ends with a cliffhanger but I can handle it :) Recommended.
- Lucky T *****

- Sweet 16 *****

- The Princess and the Pauper ****

- Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys ****

- The V Club ****

Private series:

- Private: a novel ****

- Invitation Only ****

- Untouchable ***

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Cabot, Meg - I haven't read all The Princess Diaries but they are funny. Follow Princess Mia, through all the royal ups and downs. I must say, I liked the movie better. In Avalon High, Ellie moves to a new school where some people may be reincarnations of King Arthur's court. In Victoria and the Rogue and Nicola and the Viscount, the main characters pursue the perfect marriage in 1810. The plots are remarkably similar but sweet.

- The Princess Diaries & sequels ***
- How to be Popular ***

- Avalon High ****

- Victoria and the Rogue ***

- Nicola and the Viscount **

Carr, Philippa - Takes place in England a long time ago. Pricilla is in trouble. She's the 15 year old daughter of an influential man and she's pregnant. The father of her child is dead. An evil man knows her secret and will use it against her. This book is a test of faith and how far people will go for their loved ones. It is classified as "romantic suspence."
- The Love Child ***

Carter, Ally - Surprisingly, I liked this. Follow the girls of Gallagher Academy, a spy school, as they face the normal challenges of teen life... with a double identity. I think it's going to be a series.
- I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You ***

Cohen, Barbara and Bahija Lovejoy - Based on a folktale that originated in the Middle East. Buran's family is poor, so poor that her sisters cannot afford to marry. So, Buran goes off on her own disguised as a boy using nothing but her brains to start a business to help her family.

- Seven Daughters and Seven Sons **

Cohn, Rachel - Read Pop Princess. Two Steps Forward is the sequel to The Steps. Follow this: Annabel's mother (Angelina) and father (Jack) split and now Angelina, who still lives with her own mother, which means Annabel also lives with her grandmother in NYC, is dating Annabel's classmate (Wheaties)'s father Harvey. Her father moved to Austrailia and married Penny who was divorced from Patrick who has a son named Ben who likes Annabel when she visits Jack to meet Lucy, Angus and Penny in Austrailia. Isn't it confusing to have so many step-somethings?

- Pop Princess ****

- The Steps **

- Two Steps Forward ***

Cooney, Caroline B. - This book takes place before and during the Trojan War. For her own survival, Anaxandra poses as a princess when raiders burn her island home and lives in the palace of a king in Greece with his wife Helen. When Helen runs off with Paris, she enslaves Anaxandra and brings her to Troy. There, she must survive until she can reach safey. Recommended. The Janie books are about a girl searching for her identity.
- Goddess of Yesterday ***

Janie series:

- The Face on the Milk Carton ****

- Whatever Happened to Janie? ****

- The Voice on the Radio ***

- What Janie Found ***

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De la Cruz, Melissa - The Au Pairs is about three girls hired to be au pairs in the glitzy Hamptons during the summer. If only summer could be this fun where I live... :) The other two books get interesting as they go along. I wonder if there will be a sequel to Blue Bloods.
the Au Pairs:
- The Au Pairs ****
- The Au Pairs: Skinny-Dipping ****
- The Au Pairs: Sun-Kissed ***

- Blue Bloods ****
- Fresh Off the Boat **

Dean, Zoey - Comparable to the Gossip Girl series. Takes place in LA, land of the rich, famous, and plastic surgery altered. Anna was born and bred in prim and proper New York City so moving to the West Coast is culture shock. Lots drama and jealousy :)
The A-list:
- The A-list: a novel ***
- Girls on film ***
- Blonde Ambition ***
- Tall Cool One ***
- Back in Black ****
- Some Like It Hot ****
- American Beauty ***

- Heart of Glass ***

Dent, Grace - These girly books are fun to read. Follow three friends as they just wanna have fun. The books take place in England so there's some slang and such to get used to.
LBD series:
- LBD: It's a Girl Thing **
- LBD: Live and Fabulous ***
- LBD: Friends Forever ***

Dines, Carol - I liked the time period and the characters. Plus, it's based on real events. Angelica is a girl with a beautiful voice that attracts people from all over, including rich suitors and nobles to the delight of her plotting mother. However, the Pope has outlawed public singing by women so the only place for Angelica to escape her plotting mother and still be able to sing is the court of Queen Christina. But what if that place is not safe either? Very highly recommended.
- The Queen's Soprano *****

Dokey, Cameron - Jo O'Connor and her father have moved around the country all her life. When she has finally settled at yet another new school, she is uprooted again when she learns that her father must testify against a major criminal. Her family must enter the witness protection program but when she accidentally leaks it, something interesting happens.

- How Not to Spend Your Senior Year ****

Du Maurier, Daphne - This is a classic. It is about the new mistress of Manderley estate. Life is going well for her and Maxim de Winter, her husband, but the presence of Maxim's perfect first wife Rebecca haunts their life. When the secrets of the past start to spill, it seems that there was more to Rebecca than she let on...
- Rebecca ***

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Flinn, Alex - Diva is the sequel to Breathing Underwater but it doesn't matter which order you read them in. Diva: Caitlin has talent. She can sing but, she also has her fair share of problems including a mother who dresses younger than she does and a father who left years ago. To get away from her old school (and to avoid her ex), she auditions for a performing arts school in Miami. However, convincing her mom to let her go when she is accepted is only half the battle. Recommended.

- Breathing Underwater ***

- Diva ****

Franklin, Emily - This is about Love Bukowski, daughter of a prep school principal. Things get messy when she has a crush on her best friend's boyfriend... among other things. In the next book, her best friend is ignoring her, her ex is MIA in Switzerland (of all places... Switzerland?), and a foreign exchange student is shaking things up. The third book in the series will be called Love from London.
The Principles of Love:
- The Principles of Love ***

- Piece, Love, & Happiness ***

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Golden, Arthur - This is a really good book that has been made into a movie. It follows the life of Chiyo, later renamed Sayuri, as she is taken from her family and learns to become a geisha and the changes in life after World War II when Japan was defeated. Very highly recommended.
- Memoirs of a Geisha *****

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Harrison, Lisi - Good books in a shallow, girly sort of way. The Pretty Committee is a group of the most popular girls in 7th grade (even if they act like high schoolers, the books are still good) and Claire has the good fortune to live with one of them so she will do anything to be their friend. The rest of the books are about the drama of being a girl :)
The Clique:
- The Clique: a novel ***
- Best Friends for Never ***
- Revenge of the Wannabes ****
- Invasion of the Boy Snatchers ****
- The Pretty Committee Strikes Back ***
- Dial L for Loser ***

- It's Not Easy Being Mean ***

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Johnson, Maureen - Good realistic fiction. The Key to the Golden Firebird is about three sisters after their father's death and no matter how messed up their lives are, they will have each other. 13 Little Blue Envelopes is about Ginny, whose aunt has died. As a last wish, her aunt wanted her to travel across Europe according to directions in 13 little blue envelopes...
- The Key to the Golden Firebird ****
- 13 Little Blue Envelopes ***

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Kantor, Melissa - With a best friend who is one of the Top 10 It Girls of New York City, college applications, and no love life, senior year for Jan isn't looking too well. Especially when her friend gets mad at her. What can she about her boring existance?
- Confessions of a Not It Girl **

Karasyov, Carrie and Jill Kargman - Sweet sixteen story. Backstabbing and b****chy. It was still fun to read. First the girls are friends, then they hate each other and try to outdo each other for their little (read: very big) Sweet Sixteen parties. I just love how clueless Laura is about a certain someone.
- Bittersweet Sixteen ***

Kidd, Sue Monk - Lily and Rosaleen, her surrogate mother, run away to Tiburon, South Carolina and live with three sisters who keep bees and sell honey. Lily stays there in peaceful existance while her tempermental father is still searching for her. While she is there, she learns more about her real mother who died when she was four. This is a really good book. Plus, it makes you want honey :) Highly recommended.
- The Secret Life of Bees *****

Killian, Beth - After, total humiliation, Eva Cordes graduates early and moves from MA to LA. Her aunt is the top talent agent for teens and lucky for Eva, she's going to make her a star. Eva has different ideas. She wants to find her mother who left her years agao. With her new roommates, credit card debt, and a mother who won't admit she exists, she has her work cut out.
the 310 series:
- the 310: Life as a Poser ****
- the 310: Everything She Wants ****

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Lackey, Mercedes - Set in the world of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, this new series form Mercedes Lackey centers around a force called the Tradition. As the books' heroines try to control their own destiny, the Tradition fights them and tries to force them down a path most suited to it. Recommended.

- The Fairy Godmother *****

- One Good Knight ****

- Fortune's Fool ****

Larbalestier, Justine - I thought these books were very good "modern fantasy" as I call it. They take place in Austrailia and New York City. Magic or Madness: Her whole life, Reason Casino has traveled around Austrialia with her mother. When her mother becomes insane, she goes to live with her grandmother Esmerelda, whom she distrusts. She learns that her mother's side of the family has magic but using it is tricky; either use the magic and die young, or don't use the magic and become insane. She is reluctant to learn and finds herself in trouble and very alone, stranded in New York City. Very highly recommended.
Magic or Madness trilogy:
- Magic or Madness *****
- Magic Lessons *****

Lee, Tanith - These books are in a kinda modern-ish, magical-ish, different universe. They are the journals of Claidi, a maid in the House, possibly royalty. Wolf Tower: Claidi escapes from the House and travels with a handsome stranger only to find that she must escape yet again... Wolf Star & Wolf Queen: On the day of her wedding, Claidi is kidnapped and brought to a fortress, when she finally goes, she only to finds more mysteries. Wolf Wing: Just who was Ustareth? What did she want? Claidi and Argul search for answers. Highly recommended.
The Claidi Journals:
- Wolf Tower ***
- Wolf Star ****
- Wolf Queen ***
- Wolf Wing ****

Levine, Gail Carson - Ella Enchanted is an elaborated (and very good) version of Cinderella. Poor Ella must fight her evil stepmother's dominace over the household, escape from ogres, survive boarding school, and do what is best for Prince Char all while obeying every order she is told without choice. Good thing she has a fairy godmother... right? Highly recommended. By the way, they made a movie and absolutely ruined it. Fairest is set in the world of Ella Enchanted and it is about a girl named Aza in a retelling of Snow White.
- Ella Enchanted ****
- Fairest ****
- The Two Princesses of Bamarre ****

Lockwood, Cara - Miranda isn't a bad girl. I mean, all she did was crash her dad's car and max out Carmen's credit card. How is that bad enough to get her sent to Bard Academy, a boarding school for juvenile delinquents? Well it's too late. Now, Miranda's trapped at this creepy reform school located on some remote island and her dorm may or may not be haunted by some girl who died fifteen years ago. How much does this suck?

Bard Academy novels:

- Wuthering High ***

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Mackler, Carolyn - Starts off as a story of a fat girl trying to lose weight, then evolves as the whole world seems upside down when her brother unexpectedly returns from college. Everyone must learn to cope with what has happened.
- The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things ***

Mayer, Melody - At first I thought it sounded a lot like The Au Pairs, but it's definately different. These take place in LA. Lydia, Esme, and Kiley are nannies for rich people. They are each dealing with their own problems. The three become fast friends and help each other out.
The Nannies novels:
- The Nannies ***
- Friends With Benefits ***

- Have To Have It ****

McGraw, Eloise - It had a few cheesy lines but overall, it was great though I still have questions about what happens to the characters. Mara, a slave in Egypt, is bought by a man to serve Queen Hatshepsut as a spy. However, Mara decides that working as a double agent is better for her. She assists the rebels who want to restore the rightful ruler to throne. Things get messy when she makes one mistake too many. Highly recommended.
- Mara, Daughter of the Nile *****

McNeal, Laura and Tom - It's about the lives of people in one small town and the little things you wouldn't know about your neighbors...
- Zipped ***

Mechling, Lauren and Laura Moser - I think this is going to become a series. Mimi moves back to New York City after living in Texas. After betting her best friend Sam that she can become friends with the most popular girls in their grade, Mimi gets her chance to prove she can be one of them. After she and Sam have a fight, he uses this information against her.
- The Rise and Fall of a 10th-Grade Social Climber ****
- All Q, no A: More Tales of a 10th-Grade Social Climber ****

Meyer, L.A. - The full title is Bloody Jack: Being An Account Of The Curious Adventures Of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy but that's a bit long. After Mary's parents die, she is forced to live on the streets. She eventually finds her way onto a ship as "Jacky" and life continues on... as a boy. The other books chronicle her life after she is discovered and sent away... Highly recommended.
Bloody Jack adventures:
- Bloody Jack ***
- Curse of the Blue Tattoo ****
- Under the Jolly Roger ****

- In the Belly of the Bloodhound *****

Miller, Sarah - Very interesting... Who knew what went on inside guys' minds? A girl has suddenly found herself inside Gideon's mind. She sees what he sees, hears what he hears. Follow Gideon as his roommates make bets on when he will get laid and with whom. This was a funny book. Guess who the girl inside his mind is. Don't worry, they tell you eventually :)
- Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn ***

Myracle, Lauren - TTYL and TTFN are written like IM conversations. Rhymes With Witches was kinda creepy. It's about a girl who is suddenly given a chance to become popular... but, she finds out that popularity comes at a price.
- Rhymes With Witches ***
- TTYL **
- TTFN **

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Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds - Every third-grader has read Shiloh but for those who are older, here's a series for girls. There are so many, I won't list them. This series follows Alice through her years in middle school and high school and speaks bluntly about the questions that all teenage girls have.
- The Alice series ****

Noel, Alyson - Forced to move from her Connecticut prep school life to Laguna Beach, CA, Anne isn't very happy. While other teens would love to be in California, she just wishes she was back with her friends on the East Coast. She makes some new friends, but Ellie, the reigning queen of surf at her school positively hates her. Maybe this could have something to do with Chris, the hot guy who is teaching Anne to surf...

- Laguna Cove ****

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Pascal, Francine - Okay series so far, better than another book she wrote. Also read the Sweet Valley High books if you're interested in wasting time. Fearless FBI is about Gaia, a girl who was born without the fear gene. She enrolled to train as an FBI agent and I must say, she's getting some pretty intense action for a trainee. Since everyone is dying/taken out/no longer part of the story, what will the characters do now?
Fearless FBI:
- Kill Game ***
- Live Bait ***
- Agent Out **
- Naked Eye **

Peterfreund, Diana - Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into the ultra-exclusive secret society of the Rose & Grave. As one of the first female members to be tapped, she doesn't know what to expect. Strangely enough, neither do those that tapped her... half the fun is just the initiation!

Ivy League novels:

- Secret Society Girl ****

Porter, Tracey - Ballet is Delia's life. Under the strict training of her teacher, she is on her way to becoming great. But when striving for perfection and losing weight harms her, she is forced to step back and take a look at the really important things in her life.
- A Dance of Sisters ***

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Qualey, Marsha - It sorta has a plot but mostly it's just telling you stuff. After being the last person to see two people alive, what's-her-name feels guilty. Add to that the possibly being arrested and the stress of graduating early. There's your story.
- Just Like That **

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Rallison, Janette - Predictable but sweet. Cheerleader Samantha runs for class president after bombing the SAT's. She makes a bet with her best friend Logan that she can go two weeks without insulting anyone. So now she has hide her score from her parents, win the election, find a prom date, and not insult people? Could anything be harder? This was cute so go ahead and read it.
- All's Fair in Love, War, and High School ***

Ruby, Laura - Audrey is a good girl. She's ranked 4th in her class, skipped a grade, and is, mostly, responsible. When a *cough*naughty photograph of her is sent around the school, people stare at her in the hallways, whisper behind her back, and even her parents treat her differently. She must learn to deal with the humiliation while getting her life back on track. Recommended.

- Good Girls ****

Russon, Penni - Undine is a girl and it seems that a magical power which had been dormant is now awakened. In the second book, we find out who Max is.
- Undine **

- Breathe ***

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Scott, Kieran - A book on cheerleading! Funfunfun. Brunette cheerleader Annisa is new at her Florida high school where EVERY girl has blonde hair except Bethany. The two become friends but that friendship is challenged when Annisa makes the cheerleading squad. Now Annisa has to deal with her less-than-great math score and the rest of the cheerleaders hate her. What's a girl to do? Other than embarrass herself at a pep rally :)
- I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader ****
- Brunettes Strike Back ****

Shepard, Sara - In peaceful Rosewood, PA, high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna all have something to hide. Aside from their current little, um, escapades shall we say, they've all got some pretty big secrets. Then the girls start getting threatening messages from "A." Could "A" be Alison, their best friend who disappeared three years earlier? She knew everything about them. But if Alison isn't "A," who is?

Pretty Little Liars:

- Pretty Little Liars ****

Sittenfeld, Curtis - It was slow. And strange. I don't see why people think it's so good. Lee is a girl from a not-so-well-off family. The book follows her years at Ault, an exclusive boarding school, as a scholarship student. Not light or fluffy at all.
- Prep: a novel **

Snadowsky, Daria - "If only he came with instructions..." Dominique's best friend Amy has been trying to get her with a guy and finally, Wes, track star and an awesome guy, seems like the perfect match. Dom's relationship started during the end of senior year. Can it survive through college? Follow seventeen year old Dominique through the ups, downs, and exhilarations of her first relationship.

- Anatomy of a Boyfriend ***

Snyder, Maria V. - On the day of her execution for murder, Yelena gets a chance to live. She is offered a job as the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. She'll have all the perks of a palace servant... and the risk of dying as her predecessor did. So she cannot escape, Yelena is fed a poison and she will only live if she shows up for the antidote every day. As rebels plot to assissinate the Commander, Yelena's life is in danger... not to mention she is literally being haunted by her past. Good thing she has some helpful friends ;) Very highly recommended.
the Study series:
- Poison Study *****
- Magic Study *****

Sones, Sonya - Wishful thinking. Ha.
These are written
in verse
and make
no sense.

Skip them for
your own safety.
- One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies **
- What My Mother Doesn't Know **

Staples, Suzanne Fisher - After the weird circumstances of her birth, a talented dancer moves away from her family to study. Her amazing skill makes her classmates jealous so she keeps to herself and works on her dancing.
- Shiva's Fire **

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Tingle, Rebecca - Takes place in ninth-century Britain. Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred, is betrothed to Ethelred of Mercia. With the soldier Red as her guardian, she travels to Mercia only to be ambushed by the Danes. Much happens before that but I can't really say much without giving things away. Far Traveler: Years later, Aethelflaed's daughter Aelfwyn flees from her uncle King Edward after her mother's death. She disguises herself as a bard and gains some unlikely friends as she finds herself involved with the politics of the time. Recommended.
- The Edge on the Sword ****
- Far Traveler ****

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Weisberger, Lauren - This has been made into a great movie. After Andrea lands a job as the assistant to a famous magazine editor, it doesn't take long figure out that she's working for the psychob**** from hell. The perks are great but working for her is a nightmare. Can she handle the pressure? We'll see about that...
- The Devil Wears Prada ****

Whelan, Gloria - Kali's parents arrange a marriage for her to a boy they've never met. When the wedding day comes, Kali has no choice but to marry the boy. That is only the beginning of her problems. It does have a happy ending.
- Homeless bird ***

Wrede, Patricia C. and Caroline Stevermer - Set in Regency England, cousins Cecelia and Kate write letters to each other during the Season in Sorcery and Cecelia. Strangers, mysterious spells, and the strange chocolate pot make life interesting... to say the least.

- Sorcery and Cecelia ****

- The Grand Tour ****

- The Mislaid Magician ***

- Haters: a novel ****

Van Draanen, Wendelin - Eh. Not that great. Girl likes boy. Boy goes into denial. Chickens are cool. Eggs are not. Don't climb sycamore trees.
- Flipped **

Viswanathan, Kaavya - Amazing and hilarious. I love how the author portrays her parents. I get enough grief from mine, so this was fun to read. Opal's parents have planned for her to go to Harvard ever since she was born. When the day of her interview comes, she bombs it. The interviewer tells her to get involved with more things than academics. So, Opal's parents create a new plan: How Opal Will Get A Life. Soon, Opal finds herself with a social life and popularity... and the complications that go with it. Highly recommended.
- How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life *****

Von Ziegesar, Cecily - Gossip Girl series: Follows the girls of Constance Billard, an exclusive school in New York City. Gossip Girl is the all-seeing girl who knows the dirt about everyone... and posts it on the internet. No names, of course :) The It Girl novels: After her disgrace, Gossip Girl character Jenny moves to a boarding school away from the city. Too bad she can't get away from all the drama...
Gossip Girl series:
- Gossip Girl **
- You Know You Love Me **

- All I Want is Everything ***
- Because I'm Worth It ***

- I Like It Like That **

- Nobody Does it Better ****

The It Girl novels:
- The It Girl ***
- Notorious ****
- Reckless ***

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Yep, Laurence - These four books are centered around Robin and Amy, their families and friends, and their love of ballet.
- Ribbons ***
- The Cook's Family ***
- The Amah ***
- Angelfish ***

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Zarr, Sara - Having a reputation as the school slut does not make life easy for Deanna Lambert. Her father hates her. Everywhere she goes, the story is still being told even though it happened years ago. "See that girl? That's Deanna Lambert; she's a total nympho." Hoping to raise enough money to move out of her parent's house, she gets a job over the summer and has to work with Tommy. The Tommy. Tommy, with whom the whole story began.

- Story of a Girl **

Zeises, Lara M. - Freshman Lucy has her plate full. She's dating a hot popular older guy, helping her friend through a crisis, and sharing a bedroom with her older brother's girlfriend. Stress much?
- Contents Under Pressure ***