So, I’m joining a weekly feature that is kind of like a Throwback Thursday! Last Year I Was Reading… was created by ReadingMaria!
Take your current read and compare it to what you reading this exact time last year. Which one do you like better? What is different about the books? Any special facts/things you want to make note of or bring attention to? Be sure to link it back to my blog so I can see them!
This Year I Am Reading…
The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
This series is actually so good & I don’t know why I have left it so long to read something else by Maureen Johnson. I’m glad I finally have! The Madness Underneath is book 2 in the Shades of London series and I’m really enjoying it! I love the mix of fantasy & mystery. It’s my two favourite genres so it’s amazing when they are combined & it is done well.
Last Year I Was Reading…
The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
It’s hard to judge this one when it’s a Screenplay script & not an actual novel. I did enjoy it. Especially reading it after I saw the movie because I could visualise everything & even hear some of the things being said in the actors voices. It’s also a stunning edition, so bonus points for that.
I’m going to have to go with The Madness Underneath. The Crimes of Grindelwald is amazing but it still isn’t a novel and it’s hard to say that the book on it’s own is better than The Madness Underneath. The movie/screen play in it’s entirety sure but the book as it is, no. If you are a fan of the movie I definitely recommend giving it a go though!
Let’s Chat!
What are you currently reading? Are you loving it?
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Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
So, today’s post was meant to be the End of Year Book Tag because I’ve never actually done it before but then I read the questions and it’s not exactly what I thought and most of the questions I simply don’t have answers to because that’s just not how I work. So instead I discovered the End of Year Book Survey which I believe was created by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner so I decided to give it a go instead as this is more what I thought The End of Year Book Tag would be. However, I am skipping the ‘My Blogging/Bookish Life’ section of the questions as I mainly want to talk about books and not my blog posts… Let’s jump in!
2020 Reading Stats
1. Number of Books you read?
As of today, 23rd Dec I am sitting on 150 books read. Hoping to finish at least 2 more before the end of the month.
2. Number of re-reads?
36 & you can see my post about rereads HERE if you are curious what books I reread.
3. Genre you read the most from?
Easily Fantasy with 68 of the books I read in the fantasy genre.
Best in Books
4. Best Book you read in 2020?
Really?! Just one? I haven’t even written my top 10 post yet! Having a quick look through my 2020 reading tracking I am going with The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson.
5. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I’m going to have to go with Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody. I did still enjoy it but it didn’t quite live up to the first two books in the series & I was left a little disappointed.
6. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?Â
There were two that came instantly to mind when I read this question & those are The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Goss & The Girl in Red by Christina Henry. Both of these I went into with no idea what they were about & also having not heard anyone else’s opinions and having no idea if these books were meant to be good or not. Then I discovered they were both really good!
I’m reading this question as series I’ve started but haven’t finished in 2020. So, I’m going to go with the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson & The Inheritance Games duology by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I am currently reading book 2 in the Shades of London series & really enjoying it, so I might even get it & book 3 finished by the end of the year! The Inheritance Games is a book I read fairly recently & is the first book in a new duology and I can’t wait for book 2!
I don’t really have an answer to this one. There are authors whose books I’ve read and loved this year but I’ve only read 1 book by them because that’s all that’s out and I don’t think reading 1 book is enough to say they are a new favourite. That’s more like someone who is now on my radar. All the other authors I ‘discovered’ in a previous year but just read more of their amazing books this year. So yeah, I don’t have an answer for this one.
12. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I’m choosing two books again but who cares! For this one I’m going for They Called Us Enemy by George Takei which is a non-fiction, which is not a genre I read basically at all. I’m also choosing Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp which is a YA Thriller I loved! I’m only really getting into Thriller’s this year, so at the time it was not a genre I read often.
13. Â Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
I know a lot of people discuss how ‘beautifully written’ or flowery books are written but that’s just not my thing. I want a book that is written with heaps of detail, that’s atmospheric & fast paced. So for me, what comes to mind is Fawkes by Nadine Brandes.
18. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?
25. Favourite book you read in 2020 from an author you’ve read previously?
I’m going with both Loveless & Nick and Charlie for this as they are both by the same author & both good! Alice Oseman never fails to impress. I have previously read & loved I Was Born for This, Radio Silence & Heartstopper in recent years!
26. Best book you read in 2020 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?
I’m going with Skyward by Brandon Sanderson and it’s not because of a specific persons recommendation but because everyone and their dog has been recommending this book!
27. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?
Again, not my thing.
28. Best 2020 debut you read?
It was actually difficult to find a debut I read that I can actually recommend! I didn’t read many debuts this year apparently. But I’m going with The Silence of Bones by June Hur which is her debut & I really enjoyed it! I can’t wait for her next release The Forest of Stolen Girl which is coming out in 2021.
29. Best world-building/most vivid setting you read this year?
I kinda already answered this one with question 17 but Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is very atmospheric & has a very vivid setting.
30. Book that put a smile on your face/ was the most FUN to read?
This is actually a reread but I love it every time & that is the audiobook for Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling. The audiobook features bonus content and it’s narrated by Bonnie Wright & it’s just amazing.
31. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2020?
I don’t think there is any new books I’ve read this year that made me cry but there is a reread that fits & that is Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.
32. Hidden gem of the year?
Nocturna by Maya Motayne as I really didn’t expect this one to be as amazing as it was and not many people have been talking about it!
35. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
I’m going with Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare because this book was going so well & they they reveal the motive and it was like what, are you freaking kidding me?……… Still enjoyed it overall but the motive makes no sense.
Looking Ahead
36. One book you didn’t get to in 2020 but will be your number 1 priority in 2021?
This Vicious Cure by Emily Suvada! This has been on so many TBRs this year but when I sat down to read it earlier in the month i realised I don’t remember enough about book 2 in the series to follow what’s going on. So I want to do a reread of the first two books before reading this one! I’m hoping to do it very soon!
37. Book you are most anticipating in 2021 (non-debut)
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Welcome to another top 8! Today’s post isn’t about specific genres/age ranges but instead I am talking about unusual formats. These are books that aren’t just a standard novel. They have other interesting features within like letters, pictures & more! These things make for a really interesting reading experience. So, let’s jump in!
Firstly, I am mainly only recommending the original trilogy as latest 2 novels that are out in the new part of the series are good but not as good as the original trilogy. It would have made things a lot easier if the author made the new ones a companion series rather than a direct continuation. But oh well. So if you don’t know the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children books feature unique images throughout. Similar to those on the covers. These images are old & creepy & are legit (not photoshopped). Most are optical illusions or miss prints of some kind but all of them are very hard to explain exactly how they came to be. Ransom Riggs collected these images mostly from other peoples collections. You can check out THIS article on HuffPost by Ransom Riggs himself if you would like some more info! These creepy images are what inspired Ransom Riggs writing. Which I think is very interesting and makes for a unique reading experience. Also the story is really unique and interesting, so that’s also a bonus.
Yall knew this series would be on this list! The format of The Illuminae Files is just so unique. It is a full on dossier of files and includes everything from drawings, emails, interviews, maps & more. It is amazingly done & I love every moment of it. I especially love the audiobook as it is full cast narration and it’s basically a full on production of its own. I feel like you need to both read & listen to this one if you enjoy it as the experiences are completely different even though it’s the same story.
The Themis Files is an adult Sci-Fi that is written entirely in interviews/conversations. This on its own is an interesting read but it also has a hint of mystery because the majority of the time you have no idea who the interviewer/person the characters are talking to is. You spend the whole first book trying to figure it out. Which adds to the weirdness of the book! These books are intense but absolutely amazing! I cried multiple times just in the first book. It hooks you in very quickly and you can’t help rooting for these characters. Just amazingly written & also the audiobook is amazingly done too. Another one with full cast narration.
This one is a bit lower on the interesting format level as it’s only things scattered throughout but this one features little info pages I guess you could call them. These info pages can be about certain characters or species or places in this world. Which I find fascinating. It’s like when you are reading and come to a place you aren’t familiar with & you think ‘I’m going to go research that’ but realise you can’t because it’s fictional. Well this book gives you that! I think it’s a really awesome addition and just gives you a little more info/background on this world.
Firstly, this series is amazing but also I love the format of this one. Not only is this a standard novel but it also has conversations between that characters throughout. This book is written as if a certain character is writing the story after the events happen. So these conversations are as if the other characters are reading along while she writes and occasionally throwing their two cents in. I loved it! It gave you more insight into who these characters are & their personalities.
This one isn’t necessarily a format per se, it’s more the art style chosen. This one is a non-fiction set during WWII & the author decided to represent each of the different groups/races by different animals. Which I loved! It made it unique but it also made it very easy to figure out who everyone was. I’ve read 1 other war based graphic novel and I did at times have trouble figuring out whether the people in the image were ‘bad guys’ or not. This made it a lot easier to follow & more reader friendly.
You could argue that this isn’t necessarily a format thing exactly as this is simply how screen plays are written. Which totally understand, but how many screen plays in the YA genre are actually published books you can read?? So I think it’s interesting. I loved that I am able to picture the movies perfectly when reading the screen play & can even hear the actors saying certain lines. I just think it makes for a fun reading experience & I really enjoy it.
I am yet to read book 2 in order to recommend it so we are just talking about Dear Martin but I assume this format continues into Dear Justyce. In Dear Martin at the start of (i think only some) chapters the MC is writing a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. Hence the name of the book. I found this fascinating as it allows you to dive into the main characters thoughts & frame of mind as he is spilling this to Martin Luther King Jr. on paper. Added such an interesting aspect.
Let’s Chat!
What’s your favourite book that’s written a little bit different or has something unique in it?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Today I am going to talk about my 21 most anticipated releases of 2021! Let’s jump in!
January 2021
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Lore is set to release 5th January 2021 & is a YA fantasy retelling of Greek Mythology. I love The Darkest Minds so much so I can’t wait to get to Lore!
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Across the Green Grass Fields is the last book in the Wayward Children series and is set to release January 12th 2021! I love this series so much, so I’m keen to see what’s next but I’m also sad that this will be the last book in this series. I feel like this series could go on forever and I would read every one!
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Concrete Rose is a prequel to The Hate U Give and is set to release January 12th. I can’t wait for this as I loved Maverick in The Hate U Give & Concrete Rose follow Maverick! I am so freaking keen!!!
A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer
A Vow so Bold and Deadly is the last book in the A Curse so Dark and Lonely and will release Jan 26th. I loved A Curse so Dark and Lonely & A Heart so Fierce and Broken so I am very keen for this one!
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Dragoon & Kit Seaton
Another from Alexandra Bracken but this time a Graphic Novel. Brightly Woven is a graphic novel adaptation by Leigh Dragoon, of a YA novel Bracken released backed in 2010! Brightly Woven is set to release Feb 2nd. While I haven’t read the book I am still keen to check out this graphic novel and the are done by Kit Seaton looks so good!
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Next I have The Gilded Ones which is a YA fantasy set to release Feb 19th! I have heard amazing things about this book and the cover is stunning!
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is the 4th book in an Adult Sci-Fi Companion series called Wayfarers. This one is set to release Feb 16th. I have loved the last 3 books in this companion series so I am so keen to get to this one. This series is so diverse, wholesome & the world is very detailed! Amazingly written.
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon
FINALLY!! This is the 4th book in The Bone Season series & is finally releasing Feb 16th! I am SO FREAKING KEEN!
Blood Heir was absolutely amazing, so I am so keen for the sequel, Red Tigress which is set to release March 2nd.
Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall
Our Last Echoes is a YA Thriller that is set to release March 16th. While I still haven’t read anything by Kate Alice Marshall I am hoping to get to Rules for Vanishing & I Am Still Alive soon as I’m on a huge thriller kick! So I’m also super keen for this one.
Namesake by Adrienne Young
Namesake is the sequel to Fable which was book 1 in a YA fantasy series and Namesake is set to release in March 16th. I absolutely loved Fable so I’m highly anticipating Namesake!
April 2021
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
New Lynette Noni?! HELL YEAH! I love The Medoran Chronicles & Whisper by Lynette Noni so I can’t wait for her newest book which is set to release Apr 13th.
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
I recently read The Silence of Bones and it was really good so I’m keen for this authors newest release which is coming out April 20th! Like The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls is also a YA historical mystery and it sounds so freaking good!
Dustborn by Erin Bowman
Dustborn is a standalone YA Sci-Fi book set to release April 20th. I read Contagion by Erin Bowman and absolutely loved it so I’m very curious to see what the author releases next!
May 2021
Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller
Another Tricia Levenseller? I’m keen! I have read 4 of Tricia Levensellers books & have rated all of them 4 or 5 stars, so I am definitely going to pick up her newest one which sounds amazing! Blade of Secrets is set to release May 4th.
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
While I still haven’t read Descendant of the Crane by Joan He but I am curious about it. However, The Ones We’re Meant to Find sounds even more up my alley at the moment as I’m really into YA mystery’s, especially a Mystery Sci-Fi combo! This one is set to release May 4th.
June 2021
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
Is this my most highly anticipated along side The Mask Falling? Ahhh yep! I am SO freaking keen for book 4 in the Truly Devious series! This one is coming out June 15th.
August 2021
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
A YA Fantasy Horror with LGBT rep? I’m sold! This one sounds really fascinating & the cover is stunning! The Dead and the Dark is set to release August 3rd.
September 2021
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmemer
Why did I not know this was even a thing until going through 2021 release list to make sure I didn’t miss anything?! I love A Curse so Dark and Lonely and this is another YA fantasy & I’m keen. This one is set to release September 7th.
November 2021
All of us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
I am so freaking excited for this author combo! I have loved both the Ace of Shades series & Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody as well as book 1, The Devouring Gray but Christine Lynn Herman! So this is a dream. I am so curious to see what these two dark fantasy authors come up with! All of us Villains is set to release November 9th!
Let’s Chat!
What are you the most keen for in 2021?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
I don’t read adult too too often so I wanted to feature adult books on their own. These are books that I think are good for a YA reader! Let’s jump in.
Also known as The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an adult mystery & is about Evelyn Hardcastle being killed at her families gala party. We follow Aiden Bishop who relives the day of Evelyn’s death over and over but he is always too late to save her. He thinks the only way to save her and escape is to solve the crime but he has no idea who to trust. This book is AMAZING! It is such an interesting and unique concept. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed and it was edge of your seat thrilling at times. This is such an awesome book and I really need to give it a reread!
The Themis Files is a Sci-Fi that follows Rosie who, as a young girl, fell into a hole and woke up sitting on a giant metal hand buried in the earth. Seventeen years later it is still and unsolved mystery & Rosie is hired, as a physicist, to uncover the secrets. Another really unique concept. I also love the format in which this one is written. It is written as interviews between the characters who are researching it & this mysterious stranger. It’s both a mystery about the hand and also a mystery as to who this man is. It’s absolutely fascinating and I was invested in this after the first chapter! I even cried a couple times in this series. It is beautifully written!
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a Historical Fiction set in April 1942 and follows Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, who is taken to a concentration camp. We follow him whilst in the camp and as he is put to work tattooing the ID numbers on thousands of prisoners who entered the camps. This is such a beautiful story and it’s also based on the real experiences of Lale Sokolov who tattooed thousands of prisoners. I loved immersing myself in this story. It was both heartbreaking and powerful. It truly shows how much we can go through and still survive and love and live. It’ absolutely amazing.
The Wayfarers series is a sci-fi series & is actually companion novels. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet follows Rosemary Harper who joins the crew of the Wayfarer to escape her past and experience new corners of the the galaxy. She did not, however, predict the oddball crew she would be living with. As she gets to know the crew & starts to feel like a family isn’t the worst thing she could find out here, the crew is given the offer of a lifetime. Tunnelling wormholes through space. Risking her life wasn’t exactly part of Rosemary’s plan though. This series is just so wholesome to read. It is FILLED with diverse characters of all different species. This world is so well developed including so many new & unique species that get mentioned along the way! I love that these are companion novels but characters from other ones can sometimes pop up. I am so keen for the 4th book which is coming in 2021! This is just so amazingly written and I really need to give them a reread before book 4 comes out!
The Wicked + The Divine is a fantasy Graphic Novel series where every 19 years 12 gods are incarnate as humans. After 2 years they will all be dead. This series is actually 9 Volumes that are currently out & I’ve read 7 of them. Firstly the artwork in these are stunning & super colourful! I love getting to know these characters & see all the chaos that goes down. These ones are pretty vulgar/violent at times, so just be warned of that. Highly recommend.
The Flower Girls is an Adult Thriller and the synopsis for this is SUPER vague, & I don’t want to spoil anything, so here is the synopsis.
YOU’LL NEVER FORGET THE FLOWER GIRLS The Flower Girls. Laurel and Primrose. One convicted of murder, the other given a new identity. Now, nineteen years later, another child has gone missing. And The Flower Girls are about to hit the headlines all over again…
I don’t think I really need to describe the Hercule Poirot series! We follow Hercule Poirot, an eccentric Belgian detective as he solves murders. There is 45 books in the Hercule Poirot series & I’ve read 40 of them! Absolutely amazing and mysterious! There is very rarely a time that I guess who did it before the reveal and I just love Hercule Poirot as a character!
Another Historical book set in WWII but this one is not just based on a true person. It is the true story in graphic novel form. MAUS follows Art Spiegelman as he describes what his grandfather, Vladek, and his wife endured during WWII as a Jewish family. This is harrowing, heartbreaking and just amazingly done. I also loved that Art used different animals to represent the different groups in the graphic novel. I Highly recommend reading this one but just know that it is a hard book to read.
Let’s Chat!
What Adult series/book do you recommend the most?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
So, I’m joining a weekly feature that is kind of like a Throwback Thursday! Last Year I Was Reading… was created by ReadingMaria!
Take your current read and compare it to what you reading this exact time last year. Which one do you like better? What is different about the books? Any special facts/things you want to make note of or bring attention to? Be sure to link it back to my blog so I can see them!
This Year I Am Reading…
None Shall Sleep is a very gripping thriller so far! I am very invested in it! I love the concept and I’m very keen to find out what is going to go down! I feel like we are still building up to something, as I’m only 121 pages in, and I can’t wait to find out what that is. I was hooked from the first chapter though!
Last Year I Was Reading…
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Serpent & Dove was surprisingly good. I was a bit nervous as it sounded romance heavy and while there was romance, and pretty unrealistic romance at that, it wasn’t overpowering of the story. I really enjoyed the world & the plot was engaging! Definitely recommend giving a go. I still need to get to book 2 in the series though.
I’m going to have to go with None Shall Sleep for this one! It’s so gripping and I’m just loving it so far! There isn’t anything in None Shall Sleep that I dislike, so compared to Serpent & Dove, which did have an aspect I didn’t love, None Shall Sleep comes out on top!
Let’s Chat!
What were you reading this time last year? Did you love it?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Title:Â The Game Author:Â Linsey Miller Genre:Â YA Mystery Publication Date:Â August 4th, 2020 Pages:Â 240 Publishers:Â Underlined Rating:
4 Stars
Goodreads Synopsis
A game turns deadly with a killer who picks his victims one by one, letter by letter.
Every year the senior class at Lincoln High plays assassin. Lia Prince has been planning her strategy for years and she’s psyched that not only does she finally get to play, she’s on a team with Devon Diaz. But this year, the game isn’t any fun–it’s real. Abby Ascher, Ben Barnard, and Cassidy Clarke have all turned up . . . dead. Can Lia stop the ABC killer before he reaches D?
The Game was a super short & easy to read book! It was gripping and kept me hooked the entire time. I loved the mystery & I wasn’t able to guess it at all until the reveal! Even though it was short, it packed a punch and was very mysterious & at times thrilling. There were a couple spots where you had no idea if they were going to make it out alive. There was even one part that gave me the creeps & I’m really glad I didn’t have to walk alone anywhere because I would have been looking over my shoulder & hearing shit the whole time.
Surprisingly one of my favourite parts was the actual game. They play this game called Assassin & they get put in teams & given a target and they have to shoot their target with a water gun. I found this really intriguing and I was super interested in the game even before the murder mystery part started happening. I would totally read a book just based off this game!
I also really enjoyed the characters. Even though this book is only 200 pages the characters were very fleshed out. We learnt a lot about a lot of characters & really got to know the 4 major characters. I did feel that the romance kinda wasn’t necessary. However, it also kinda played a part in the plot, I guess, so I kinda get it. I just didn’t really care for those parts. I’m here for the murdery stuff, not the romancy stuff.
The only downside it really had was the ending. While the reveal was unexpected it just happened so quickly. I guess it’s just because it’s a short story but I just wanted more from the big ending. It was probably the least thrilling/gripping of the whole book.
Overall I did really enjoy The Game but I think the ending could have been a bit better. I’m very keen to see if this author comes out with another book in the mystery/thriller category as before now she had only released fantasy books. While I love her fantasy, lately I am gravitating towards mystery/thriller/horror a bit more, so I would love to see more of those from Linsey Miller.
Let’s Chat!
Have you read The Game? What did you rate it?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Time for the next Top 8 post! Today I am talking about YA Fantasy Series and all of these are series I’ve either completed or am up to date with all the books currently released. Let’s jump on in!
Another one that might be pretty obvious if you have been around a little while. I love love love The Medoran Chronicles, the world, the friend group, the magic system, all of it! Amazingly written, action packed and set in a portal fantasy world with dragons and featuring the chosen one trope but done amazingly! The Medoran Chronicles follows Alex who goes through a door at her new school & finds herself in the middle of a forest. She soon discovers that she is in a completely different world & the only person with the ability to send her back is missing. In the meantime she enrols in Akarnae Academy, a boarding school for people with special abilities. Something sinister is approaching however and Alex might be the only one that can save the Medorans.
There is only 1 book book, as far as we know, yet to release for this series but I have read all 5 of the current releases! Every Heart a Doorway is set in Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children which is a safe place for children that have returned from magical realms (portal fantasies) to live & hopefully find their way back to the world in which they belong. However, tragedy strikes & it’s up to our main character, Nancy, & her schoolmates to reveal what’s happening. I love how unique and interesting each of the fantasy worlds we discover are! I love learning about the characters and discovering new worlds. These books are super short but pack a lot of info & you are never left underwhelmed or without info because of the length! Highly recommend.
While the new additions are good I personally preferred this as a trilogy and that’s why I’m only including the original trilogy in this list! Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children follows Jacob who journey’s to a mysterious island that his late grandfather supposedly grew up on in an orphanage. He discovers the orphanage abandoned and everyone gone. However, it might not be quite as it seems and the peculiar children his grandfather knew might just be alive, somehow. I loved this series so much! It was such a unique and interesting world. The concept was fascinated & I loved discovering everyone about this world & magic system.
The Bone Season is incredible! This one is a dystopian style fantasy where we follow Paige, a dreamwalker, who is employed by Jaxon Hall of the Seven Dials apart of the criminal underworld of Scion London. Paige’s job is to find information by breaking into their mind using her ability. Until one day when she is attacked & kidnapped. She wakes up in Oxford a secret city controlled by a powerful otherworldly race. The Bone Season is absolutely amazing and I’m so glad we are finally getting book 4! It’s been soo long waiting for it. Incredibly written, unique, action packed & gripping. Highly recommend!
This series is incredible!! The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter follows Mary who is left with little money after her parents deaths. She decides to investigate Edward Hyde, a former friend of her father & a murderer, because there is a reward being offered for information leading to his capture. In the process Mary discovers Hydes daughter who had been abandoned to be raised by nuns. With the help of Sherlock & Watson as well as 3 unique women who were all created because of terrifying experiments she continues her search. They discover a secret society of immoral scientists and it’s up to them to put a stop to it. This is such a unique concept. In a way it’s a bit of a retelling as a lot of the characters mentioned are based on fictional characters from books/stories such as Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, The Island of Doctor Moreau, Rappaccini’s Daughter, Strange Case & more. I loved this mash up and I loved that it had a strong focus on badass females taking back their lives! Definitely recommend and this one is not talked about enough!
A Curse so Dark and Lonely is an amazing portal fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling. We follow Harper who attempts to save a stranger on the street and ends up being dragged into a magical kingdom, Emberfall. We also follow Rhen, a prince, who is cursed to relive the Autumn of the year he was 18 over and over until someone falls in love with him & the curse breaks. However that’s not the only problem. Powerful forces are trying to destroy Emberfall. I love retellings and this one was done so well. A subtle retelling in a unique & interesting world. This one also has amazing disability rep which is rare in fantasy books! This one is definitely worth the read & book 3 isn’t too far away.
This is another very unique story. The Bone Charmer follows Saskia, who’s mother is a seer who does reading for the townsfolk & performs kennings which determines what apprenticeship each teen goes into. During Saskia’s kenning she is chosen as a bone charmer (like her mother) & given a match-making reading which pairs her with Bran. Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths yet still chose the one that she knew Saskia didn’t want. The argument results in a fracture in one of the bones used for the reading. This leads to Sakia’s future being split & her living out two of her possible paths. However, only one path can survive and her life is in danger in both paths. I love the concept of bone magic & I loved how well the alternate paths was written! You see Saskia grow in two seperate ways depending on her experiences and it was written so well that you could easily tell the difference between the two versions. It was amazing!
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