Birthday Recommends!

Hey everyone! It’s officially my birthday month! In two short weeks, I’ll be turning 25, so today I’m going to be sharing with you my 25 favorite books, and a little about why I love them so much! These will be in no particular order, so don’t think I’m ranking these in any way!

From Blood and Ash (series) by Jennifer L Armentrout

I discovered this series last year and fell madly in love with it. Jennifer L Armentrout never fails to make me fall head over heels for her books, but there’s something about FBAA that does that to me even more. I can’t wait for Crown of Gilded Bones next month!

A Court of Thorns and Roses (series) by Sarah J Maas

This series gave me so many good feelings, and really invigorated my reading. Before I read this series, I was reading maybe two or three books per month. However, once I read these, I couldn’t get enough of Sarah’s writing, so I quickly devoured the Throne of Glass novels. After that, I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading at least eight books a month. This series still holds a special place in my heart for that! Plus, it’s just an amazing series (especially book two!)

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns is one of those books that just gets me. I read this book way back in high school, and I found myself so closely tied to Margot’s character. I discovered so much about myself through this novel, and it really helped me cope with a lot of stuff. It’s a great book, and I will forever hold this as one of my favorite novels.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted is definitely the oldest one of my favorites (meaning, it’s the first of these that I discovered, not necessarily the first published). This book has stuck with me since I was about nine. It’s definitely one of my childhood classics, and I wouldn’t be the person, or reader, that I am today without Ella.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I fell in love with this book the first time I read it. And here we are, nearly two years since I read it the first time, I’m rereading for the I-honestly-can’t-remember-but-I-think-it’s-the-fifth time. And I still love it just as much as I did on that first read though. This one is going to stick with me for a good long while.

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Well….we went from a book that makes me smile, to a book that makes me sob. They Both Die At The End is one of the most heartbreaking books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s beautiful, and wonderful. I love the relationship of the two characters in this novel. They are so raw and real. If you read this book, make sure you have tissues handy!

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

I’m a plus sized girl. I don’t really get a lot of representation in YA literature. It’s very rare for me to find a book about a plus-sized girl, without that girl having an eating disorder, or being the brunt of a bad joke. Dumplin’ was not that novel. Dumplin’ was such a true story about the struggles of being big, and accepting yourself no matter what you look like. It is one of the most empowering books I’ve read in a long time!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This book is hands down the most powerful book I’ve read in the last five years. I’ve read this one three times now, and every time, it still affects me like the first time I read it. I cry. Every. Time. I read this book, and it makes me want to be a better ally to the POC around me – those who are my friends, and those who aren’t. This book is so powerful, it gives me chills!

Caraval (series)

Caraval was given to me by a dear friend of mine. I accepted it graciously, with the knowledge that she loved this book. However, I was worried it would be like the Night Circus, so I was dubious. Turns out, it was nothing like any book I had read before, and I absolutely ADORED this book and I loved it’s sequel even MORE! It swept me up into it’s world of magic and mayhem!

Percy Jackson (series)

I found this series on a table in Barnes and Noble right before the dreadful movie came out. I devoured the whole series in about a week, and little did I know, but this book series was going to change my life. A lot of people talk about Harry Potter as that pivotal series that got them into nerdy fandoms and reading – I was always into reading, but Percy Jackson was the awakening of my ultimate fangirl self. I have every book Rick Riordan has published. He has his own shelf on my bookcase. This series is easily the most nostalgic for me. It’s how I met so many friends, it’s how I joined a book community. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Uncle Rick and Percy.

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertali and Adam Silvera

This book gave me such feels. I fell hard for this delightfully adorable couple. Their struggles made me laugh, cry, rejoice, and cringe. It was full of so many theater references that my Theater-Major heart grew three sizes! It’s a delightful read!

Throne of Glass (series) by Sarah J. Maas

The Throne of Glass series is so wonderful. However, it definitely requires a ton of commitment since it’s so long! The story takes such a wild ride. The journey from the first book to the last has so many twists and turns. It’s so unique, and wonderful! I love this series with all my heart!

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geekerella is one of my more recent reads. I really enjoyed this delightful twist on Cinderella. Instead of a ball, we have a con. Instead of a dress, we have a cosplay. Instead of a pumpkin-carriage, we have a….vegan food truck? It was so wonderfully geeky that this book easily earns top marks for me!

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient is one of my current favorite novels. I absolutely ADORE the film Pretty Woman, and I loved that this was a twist on that movie. They reversed the gender, and added in some amazing representation. It was romantic. It was steamy. It was awkward. It was wonderful.

Six of Crows (series) by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows is one of my favorite series’ right now. I absolutely ADORE this duology. This is another book that I was gifted, and it was easily one of my favorite reads of 2018! I love the band of thieves that we are introduced to in these books. My heart will forever belong in the streets of Ketterdam with my Dregs.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I read this book incredibly often, I probably read it about once or twice a year. My reads of it usually coincided with finals weeks. I first read this book about two years ago, and I’ve read it about six times since. This one is one of those books that I turn to whenever I need to read something that I know I’ll enjoy. It takes me no time at all to finish this novel, and I’ve enjoyed it in many different formats – print, ebook, audiobook, hardcover, paperback….you name it, I’ve read it! I love the story line, and I SO relate to the characters!

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

My sister bought this book for me because she knew I just had to read it. And she was right. This book brought such a light to my life! Reading City of Girls was like watching poetry in motion. It sweeps you up, twirls you around, and doesn’t set you back down until the end.

Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I loved this novel. I think that it’s so poignant to today’s world. You can read this book at any time and see that our society could devolve into this at any point. That’s what makes it so scary. It seems like something that could never happen…but it could. It’s so deep and beautiful. The format is a little wonky, but I think it adds to the mystery of the novel.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae is so wonderful because it is so unique. The entire series is told through case files – emails, documents, transcriptions, chats, descriptions of surveillance feeds, pictures, etc. The book itself is beautiful to look at, but the audiobook is also spectacular. It is a full dramatization, and features a full cast, and sound effects. I read this book simultaneously listening to the audiobook, and it provides a full surround-sound picture of this amazing novel.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett

This is another series that has stuck with me since middle school. I loved these books as a kid, and I’ve recently been going back and rereading them. However, I have been listening to the audiobooks, and I can’t get over Tim Curry’s narration of these classics. It’s so perfectly wonderful. I highly recommend the series both in print, and in audio formats!

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

I was absolutely OBSESSED with this book my freshman year in high school. I remember telling all of my friends about how amazing it was. And then, the Disney movie came out and sucked all of my joy. However, I was able to go and meet Meg Cabot over the summer a few years ago, and it was truly a wonderful experience! I ended up rereading the book afterwards, and it really reminded me of why I loved it in the first place! Its so cute and adorable.

The Disasters by M.K. England

I really enjoyed The Disasters! I loved the rag-tag group of flight school drop-outs. It was fun and interesting! All of the characters were amazingly crafted! I also really enjoyed the diversity that this author provided us with in their cast. We had representation from the LGBTQ community, as well as characters who were ethnically diverse, religiously diverse, and a few that dealt with mental health issues as well. This book was such a breath of fresh air when it came to reading about such a wide range of people!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I’m usually not a fan of adult novels. I don’t usually find them as fun as their YA counterparts. That being said, I absolutely LOVED Landline! It was great! It showed a real life relationship, and how this couple was not sure if it would be able to be fixed or not. You get to see one character’s side of that relationship, and you see that even though it ends on a happy note, you know that it’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows from then on. For a contemporary novel with a lot of fantasy elements, it was surprisingly real and raw.

Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Language of Thorns was such a good book! It was a book of several little novellas, all fairy tales set in the Grisha-verse. The unique aspect of this was that as the stories would unfold, so would the illustrations. With every turn of the page, something new and exciting would pop onto the page. By the end of the story, the completed illustration showed one of the pivotal scenes. It’s truly a beautiful book!

The Diviners by Libba Bray (series)

I’m not usually a fan of spooky books, but the Diviners just got me in a way that most books don’t. It was spooky, but so full of life. I loved all of the characters, and I loved finding out their little secrets that were tucked away. The setting just made everything work! It was really great!

How many of these have you read? Are any of them your favorite novels?

Happy reading!
Stephanie

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