Paranormal - A Week of Recommendations

We're almost to the end of A Week of Recommendations! I hope you all have been enjoying this series so far! Towards the end of this week, I wanted to talk about some genres that I've loved a lot in the past and enjoyed reading, and share some recommendations with you all. Paranormals are a genre that I read a lot of and enjoyed in the past. I haven't been reading as many lately, but I definitely had some recommendations I wanted to share with you all.

no. 1 - Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle is a really entertaining book. This has some of the best character interactions and witty banter that I've read, and I really enjoyed reading about Harper and how she handles being thrown into a different world. She's funny, unique, and memorable, and I think her and David are some of the funniest characters I read in 2014.

no. 2 - Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

I think this is a series that's hard to classify, but it's a paranormal post-apocalyptic tale. This is a series with plot twists and turns set in a supernatural version of our world. Also this is a series that is longer (I think right now there's at least four books?) but each book is a quick read and draws you into the story quickly.

no. 3 - The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

This is a faerie series that I really loved reading several years ago. This was a great paranormal series to me because it combined the elements of the protagonist being from the ordinary world and suddenly being thrown into a magical and unpredictable situation. The world Julie Kagawa created has a lot of intrigue and mystery that comes with being set in a faerie world, and the series is one I remember reading and loving.

no. 4 - Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

This was a more recent read for me, and it had a lot of mythology meets modern day elements. I was definitely thinking of doing a review for this book and continuing on with the series, so let me know if you all would be interested in a full review for the book or a Series in Summation, which is one review with short reviews of each book in the series. Anyways, this is an enjoyable read that is a great start to a series!

no. 5 - Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

This is a book that's a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, but definitely a change in the story. It focuses on two sisters and how they hunt werewolves.

Here's another day of A Week of Recommendations! Let me know what your recommendations are, and I'll see you all next time!

From the paper world,
V

The First Half of 2014 Part V - Top Five Paranormal

For a genre that's traditionally been one of my favorites, I read some paranormal this year, but I've branched out into quite a few other genres as well. However, I wanted to share my picks of paranormals as well for the first half of 2014. As usual, if you have any paranormal favorites I would love to hear about them! 

no. 1 - Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

This was a book I had heard a lot about, namely everyone saying they loved the cover. For me, the cover's not a favorite, but the story within definitely is. Harper is absolutely wonderful- snarky and flawed but she develops into an even better character as the story progresses. And her witty banter with David? Absolutely priceless. While I wasn't a fan of Harper's past friends and circle, she really becomes someone unique in this story and I can't wait to see how her tale continues on. Also, Rachel Hawkins's writing style is fabulous, and I had to pick up Hex Hall because I loved how fast paced and engaging the writing is. 

no. 2 - Abandon by Meg Cabot

I loved how this story incorporated some elements of Greek mythology to it, yet was its own story, idea, and plot. The narration jumps between past and present, yet does so in a way that just gives the reader the full context of the events, and by the end I was ready to continue on with a series that has unique and witty characters and a fast paced plot.

no. 3 - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

To be completely and fully honest, City of Heavenly Fire is not my favorite book of The Mortal Instruments. However, despite my qualms with it, this is the finale of a series that I've enjoyed and treasured for years, and so I thought it appropriate to include it on my list. I think series finales are books with a lot of expectations on them, but COHF is definitely a fan favorite and a great conclusion to a hugely popular series.

no. 4 - Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Speaking of series finales, let's talk about Emerald Green. I love how the entire Precious Stone trilogy is comprised of a really unique take on time travel as well as fast paced books with lighthearted characters. Is there insta-love? Yes, but since whole books encompass a few days it doesn't feel as rushed and underdeveloped as some, and Gwen is definitely a flawed but likeable character. She had me laughing, cheering her on, and truly loving this ending to a unique and wonderful trilogy.

no. 5 - Gilded by Christina Farley

Gilded was a 2014 debut I was really excited about. I mean, that cover's amazing and I was super excited about reading a book set in Korea- I'd yet to read one in Seoul and my inner wanderlust and reader was curious. I picked Gilded up after reading a book I hadn't much enjoyed, yet I fell in love with the world, rich background, and story. Jae wasn't my favorite protagonist because of her recklessness, but overall I thought she became a better character and her story is definitely just getting started and is already fantastic. I can't wait for Silvern and more of Jae's tale in Korea!

From the paper world,

V