Welcome to another Poisoned Rationality Special Edition!  Our guest today is Bethany Wiggins, author of Stung a post-apocalyptic tale of what happens when no one listens to me about how dangerous bees are.  Bethany is here today to discuss what (young adult) books she feels should survive the end of the world.  Welcome Bethany!


Summary: There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.


I was asked what I think the top seven books are that would survive the end of the world. I tweaked the subject a little bit! I have come up with the top seven young adult fiction books that would survive the end of the world (because otherwise these would all be really boring--most of them ancient--nonfiction books. And who wants to read about that?). I don't do that well with nonfiction anyway. That's probably why I wasn't a big fan of college and dropped out before I got an associate’s degree!

Anyway, enough of the mindless ramblings and on with the post!


The Lord of the Rings—does this one need an explanation? No, I thought not, too. But I’ll throw one in anyway. This book was written between the years 1937 and 1949. That means it is about SEVENTY YEARS OLD and is still wildly popular. If a book can do that, there’s no way it is ever going to disappear.


Twilight Series—Stop with the eye-rolling! I love Twilight (cough*Edward*cough). If the end of the world comes, do you know how many teenage girls are going to risk life and limb to make sure that these books survive? Yeah. A lot.


Harry Potter Series—If nothing else, this one will magically save itself. And if it doesn’t, enough kids have read and reread it that they will know it by heart and put it back onto paper.


Lord of the Flies—this one will be used as a survival guide.


Hunger Games trilogy—see above. Survival guide! And it’s totally awesome.


The Chronicles of Narnia—This one will survive because I’ll make sure to put in into an indestructible box before the world ends, just to ensure that—if my children survive—they will not go through life without reading these! I loved The Chronicles of Narnia as a kid.

As for the seventh book to survive the end of the world here’s something to think about and then you can come up with your own answer. How many authors that have passed away and been buried in top of the line coffins had copies of their books buried with them??? Think about it. Robert Jordan? Diana Wynne Jones? Ray Bradbury? A lot of books might survive the end of the world . . . but who will be brave enough to resurrect them?


Thank you Bethany!  As for me I think I'd also choose...hm this is a toughie actually.  Maybe Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (important to have a book where the girl saves herself right?) Or The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey (she goes through a lot and comes out stronger for it)?  Brain candy like Julia Quinn or Sarah MacLean's historical romances?

I don't know, what do you guys think?