Top 10 Book Recommendations

I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I used to sit for hours on end and just read. It’s a really great way to sit back and relax after maybe a stressful day. It allows you to go on adventures without leaving your room and it is a great way to meet other people with the same interests. One of my reading preferences are series. I generally prefer a series over a stand alone book, but if it sounds interesting chances are I will give it a try. My favorite genre is YA, but the subgenres can range. Fantasy is probably what I read the most followed by Dystopian, Science Fiction, Mystery, and occasionally Historical Fantasy and Historical Fiction. 

So here are my Top 10 Book Recommendations:

10.) The Smoke Thieves(Series)

The Smoke Thieves is the first book in the trilogy. It is a Fantasy Fiction book first published in April, 2018. It follows five teenagers from very different backgrounds: A Princess who is expected to not have a voice, a soldier who is forced to turn against those he vowed to serve, the servant who vows revenge for his people, the thief with no clue who he actually is, and the 13-year-old demon hunter desperate to prove herself. When these five lives suddenly entwine how will they react? And more importantly, can they stop the war that’s edging closer and closer by the hour? I really enjoyed this book. It has magic and is set in the Medieval times with kingdoms and Kings and Queens. It also has representation and a hint of supernatural elements, since Demons are a big part of the story. The other two books in the series are titled The Demon World and The Burning Kingdom, which were published in August 2019 and 2020.

9.) Daughter of Deep Silence

Daughter of Deep Silence is a fiction book published in 2015. It follows Frances Mace, who was a passenger onboard the boat Persephone. There she met a girl named Libby and became friends with her. It was also where her life was turned upside down. Frances was one of the three surviving people to escape the wreckage of the Persephone. The other two were the reason everyone else didn’t make it. Frances teams up with Libby’s father, where they hatch a plan to get revenge. Frances disguises herself as Libby, buying their time to extract revenge. When Libby’s father dies, Frances decides it’s time. Senator Wells and his son always claimed that it was an accident, that they were attacked. Frances was the only one left who knew they were lying. And now it was time to show the world what they had done. I liked this book because it had a lot of mystery to it. I also liked how the revenge part played out and the storyline was cool.

8.)  They Both Die At The End

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that if you get attached to characters easily, this is not the book for you. You cannot convince yourself that the title is lying to you(definitely not speaking from experience). They Both Die At The End is a YA Novel published on September 5, 2017. It follows two boys, Mateo and Rufus, on their last day on Earth. In this alternate universe, a program called Death-Cast exists, and its purpose is to let people know their End day. If you get a call, that day is your End day. On Sept. 5, both Rufus and Mateo get a phone call. They start the day as strangers but both make the decision to download an app called Last Friend, made specifically for End day people looking for a friend to spend their last day with. The two team up with one specific goal in mind: to really live their last day. It’s filled with diversity and adventure and it’s a truly great book.

7.) Fangirl

Fangirl goes hand in hand with Carry On (number five on the list). Fangirl is a YA fiction book published on Sept. 10, 2013. It follows a fangirl named Cath, who attends college for the first time. She is a fan of a book series called the Simon Snow series, which is kind of like our Harry Potter series. It is very popular and well known; a huge series with movie adaptations. Before college Cath was really close with her twin sister, Wren, and they shared their love of the series. Now Wren has fallen out of love with the series and wants to ‘separate’ herself from her twin and figure things out on her own. Cath is a shy, introverted girl who now has to deal with a new roommate(Wren was supposed to be hers), while navigating college life and worrying about her dad, who has never really been on his own. To me, Cath is personally a totally relatable character and I really enjoyed the book. 

6.) One of Us Is Lying (Series)

One of Us Is Lying is the first book in the series and was published on May 29, 2017. It is a mystery YA novel, about four teenagers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon all walk into detention one Monday afternoon. Only four come out. Simon ran the schools gossip app and had planned to release their secrets, which makes Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper the prime suspects in his murder. They have to figure out who actually killed Simon before one of them spends the rest of their life behind bars. I loved this book because of the mystery, the suspense, and the plot twists. It was really interesting and I really enjoyed the characters. The second book, One of Us Is Next, was just published January 2020. There is also going to be a tv show streaming exclusively on Peacock. Not many details have been released yet, but it is suspected that the release date is going to be sometime this year.

5.) Carry On (Simon Snow Series)

Carry On was first introduced into the world during Fangirl. The main character, Cath, would write fanfiction about them. Fans greatly enjoyed the characters and on Oct. 6, 2015, Carry On was published. It is a fantasy YA novel and is sort of based off of Harry Potter. It follows the story of Simon Snow, who is the ‘chosen one’, and features his roommate(and enemy) Baz, and his best friend, Penelope. His girlfriend Agatha also makes appearances throughout the book. Simon is in his last year at Watford School of Magicks, and has to try and defeat ‘The Humdrum’ which appears and drains places of their magic(a bad thing). It also involves mystery as Baz tries to find out what happened to his mother(she died when he was very young) and Simon tries to find out what(or who) exactly the Humdrum is. The book has a perfect balance of magic, mystery, vampires(yes, there’s vampires, guess who), and romance. Carry On has a sequel called Wayward Son, which was just recently published. The third and final book of the series is set to be released on July 6, 2021.

4.) City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments Series & Shadowhunter Chronicles)

City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series-also known as the Shadowhunter Chronicles-and was first published on March 27, 2007. It follows 16-year-old Clary Fray who was raised in the mundane world with her mother. On her 16 birthday, Clary’s life gets turned upside down when her mother gets kidnapped and she finds out that she, herself, is a Shadowhunter. Three other Shadowhunters-Jace Wayland and Isabelle and Alec Lightwood- along with her childhood friend Simon Lewis,  team up with Clary to find her mother and help defeat Valentine, an evil Shadowhunter who wants to take over the world. They also gain some help from the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. Shadowhunters is a Fantasy YA book filled with romance and plot twists, as well as supernatural elements. There are warlocks, vampires, werewolves, demons, faeries, as well as Nephilims, humans with angel blood, which is what Shadowhunters are. There are six books in the series, but also many spin-off series, so there is much of the Shadowhunter world to explore. There is also a tv show with three seasons available on Freeform and other streaming platforms.

3.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Series)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series I’ve loved since I was a child. I first discovered it when I was about 10 years old and am still a fan 5 years later. Percy Jackson is a classic fantasy series with five books, the first published on June 28, 2005. It follows twelve year old Percy Jackson(who ages as the series goes on), who is a demigod, a child of a human and a Greek God, Poseidon. He is raised in the mortal world by his mother. He is twelve when his mother is kidnapped and he is accused of stealing Zeus’(the leader of the world) lightning bolt. He has to go on a quest with his best friend Grover, who is a satyr(half-human, half goat), and a girl Annabeth, who is a daughter of Athena. I love this series for many reasons. It’s funny, it’s diverse, it has a wide variety of characters who have many depths to them. It revolves around Greek Mythology, so you get introduced to many of the ancient gods and goddesses, including monsters and old legends. It is where I learned most of my Greek Mythology knowledge, so it is educational as well as interesting. Although it is technically a children’s book, as you get more into the series, some elements are darker. While Percy Jackson and the Olympians originally only have five books, there are multiple spin off series, one following Percy and Annabeth as well as introducing new characters. The spin off series include characters from different mythologies as well, including Norse and Egyptian mythology.

2.) Harry Potter (Series)

Harry Potter is second in my Top 10, for multiple reasons. It is a classic book many, both adults and children, know. It has a huge fan base, ranging from adults who grew up with the series, to children just discovering it. Harry Potter is a 7 book YA Fiction series that follows the main character, Harry Potter, and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, through the journey to defeat a dark wizard, Voldemort. The book starts when Harry is 11 and goes to when he is 17(excluding the epilogue). Harry Potter is such a classic series for many reasons. It’s such a vivid and amazing series, filled with action, mystery, magic, courage, and teaches many different moral lessons, and provides good and complex characters. Even though you may not agree with J.K. Rowling, the fan base is very incredible and diverse, and there are many fanfics and cosplayers that allow you to enjoy the series long after you finish the books.

1.) House of Dragons (Series)

This book gets the top spot for so many reasons, I can’t explain how much I love this series(or book). House of Dragons is a YA book just recently published. The book features four children of noble families and one servant. It starts with the emperor of the Kingdom dying, which whisks these five children into a competition, the prize being two things: the throne and their life. It has perfect layers of dragons and magic and secrets both the competition and leaders are hiding. It also has a mystery plot to it, mixed with action and a wide variety of characters and their morals. So far there are two books in the series, House of Dragons and War of Dragons, which is set to be published in May of this year. It’s a perfect book if you love fantasy with a hint of medieval times. I 100% recommend it.