Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a Sci-Fi and Fantasy author who loves all things young adult! I always listen to Taylor Swift when I write, because I love how her songs are full of nostalgia, romance, humanity, and a lust for adventureā€”just like my books. If you couldnā€™t make it to the Eraā€™s tour, no fear, check out some of these books below! 


I wrote

The Last She

By H.J. Nelson,

Book cover of The Last She

What is my book about?

As the only female to survive the devastating virus, Ara hasnā€™t seen another human in monthsā€•not since her father disappeared.ā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of She's with Me

H.J. Nelson Why did I love this book?

If your favorite song is ā€œI Knew You Were Troubleā€ try Sheā€™s With Me, by Jessica Consolo. Itā€™s got romance, bad boys, and a heroine with a past sheā€™s running from.

I loved the slow-burn romance, the comedy, and the fast paceā€”itā€™s the sort of book you could read in one sitting. It also has several wonderful spin-offs with said bad boys friends and brothers, because is there even a Taylor Swift without more handsome men out there to date?

By Jessica Cunsolo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked She's with Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Moving to a new town to escape her dark past, Amelia Collins is determined to keep her head down and finish her senior year.

But her plan is proving difficult when she runs into Aiden Parker - the school's hottest bad boy. Initially she can't imagine anyone worse than Aiden - his good looks can't possibly excuse his bad attitude. But soon she'll realise there's more to him than meets the eye.

Now, Amelia needs to find a way to survive senior year and not get distracted by Aiden - or his gorgeous best friend, and complete player, Mason.

Withā€¦


Book cover of Stravaganza City of Masks

H.J. Nelson Why did I love this book?

If your favorite song is ā€œWildest Dreamsā€ try City of Masks, by Mary Hoffman. This is an older book, but itā€™s one of my favs.

Itā€™s about a boy with cancer who every night dreams and wakes up in a fantastic version of Italy, where he isnā€™t sick from cancer. I love its lush and dangerous feel; something about the intrigue, masks, and romance get me every time.

I also loved the female characters in this bookā€”theyā€™re driven and complicated and so fun to read. It all feels like a wild, wonderful dream you wonā€™t want to come back from.

By Mary Hoffman,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Stravaganza City of Masks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Set in Talia, a parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, the narrative follows Lucien, who in our world is very ill. Given a marbled notebook to use as a diary, the notebook is the unexpected means that transports Lucien to this dangerous new world; a world that thrills to the delight of political intrigue and where a life can be snuffed out with a flash of a merlino blade. The city of Bellezza (Venice in our world) is astonishingly evoked, with a filmic eye to detail, from the sensuousness of silks and velvets, to the thrill and danger ofā€¦


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Book cover of Haven

Haven by Valerie Biel,

Taking only what they can quickly pack, 11-year-old Mardella and her mom secretly move away from their abusive home to start a fresh life in Haven, MN. But Mardellaā€™s sure she's to blameā€”if only she hadnā€™t dialed 911, her dad wouldnā€™t be in jail, her mom wouldn't have been fired,ā€¦

Book cover of Wildwood Dancing

H.J. Nelson Why did I love this book?

If your favorite song is ā€œLove Storyā€ try Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier.

There is something about Julier Marillierā€™s writing that feels ethereal and innocent and mysterious and romantic all in the same moment. Wildwood Dancing is my favorite of hers. Itā€™s a fairytale retelling of the dancing sisters that itā€™s based in Romania and includes some of the local culture and customs.

I love how the realistic, unique setting blends with the fairytale story, and it really sets it apart for me from other fairytale retellings.

By Juliet Marillier,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Wildwood Dancing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The wildwood holds many mysteries. Jena and her sisters share the biggest of all, a fantastic secret that enables them to escape the confines of their everyday life in rural Transylvania. They have kept it hidden for nine long years.

When their father falls ill and must leave their forest home over the winter, Jena and her older sister Tati are left in charge. All goes well until a tragic accident allows their overbearing cousin Cezar to take control. The appearance of a mysterious young man in a black coat divides sister from sister, and suddenly Jena finds herself fightingā€¦


Book cover of Of Cages and Crowns

H.J. Nelson Why did I love this book?

If your favorite song is ā€œLook What We Made You Doā€ try Of Cages and Crowns by Brianna Crump.

Think Hunger Games but with more romance, and very much the vibe of ā€œI got my but youā€™ll all get yours.ā€ Thereā€™s revenge, survival, romance, and revenge and a rebellion brewing in the background, but I was surprised at how much this book surprised me.

Every time I thought I knew what was coming next, some new secret or shocking twist surprised me.

By Brianna Joy Crump,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Of Cages and Crowns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

For goddess-touched girls, there is only one destiny: the Culling

From the moment Monroe Benson is born with a mark on her hand and the ability to summon fire from her fingertips, her life will never be her own. Sheā€™s goddess-touched, which means sheā€™s destined to participate in the Culling, an age-old competition to determine the next queen of Erydia. For most of her seventeen years, her family has managed to keep Monroeā€•and her powersā€•hidden. But now, as Queen Viera calls for the Culling to start, and war looms on the horizon, Monroe can no longer hide. She must faceā€¦


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Book cover of Mannigan: A Speck of Light

Mannigan by L. Ross Coulter,

Born from the ashes of the old world, the great cities of humanity's new hope are beacons of light. Yet freed from the depths of a cruel prison, Will Manning is left with nothing but rage. Seeking revenge against the tyrannical rule of the Vitruvian elite with the help ofā€¦

Book cover of I Hate You, Fuller James

H.J. Nelson Why did I love this book?

If your favorite song is ā€œYou Belong With Meā€ try I Hate You, Fuller James, by Kelley Anne Blount.

Itā€™s very much the story of a nerdy awkward girl pining after the handsome jock, and is full of sweet moments. I love the similarities between it and 10 Things I Hate About You and the nods to other 90ā€™s rom coms.

Iā€™m a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope, and it was fun to watch a young female character fall in love but also learn to stand up for herself.

Explore my book šŸ˜€

The Last She

By H.J. Nelson,

Book cover of The Last She

What is my book about?

As the only female to survive the devastating virus, Ara hasnā€™t seen another human in monthsā€•not since her father disappeared. The plague has swept away humanity, and Araā€™s world is desolate, haunted by the ghosts of her former life. Her mother. Her sister.

Kaden and his crew live by a code: stay alert, stay alive. When they catch Ara stealing from them, they're furiousā€•and confused. She's the first girl they've seen in three years. While Kaden knows taking her captive is wrong, he tells himself heā€™s doing it to protect her. But with Ara determined to follow through on her fatherā€™s missionā€•go back to the beginning. End the plagueā€•Kaden becomes mesmerized by Araā€™s will and beauty. He knows he'll do anything to help her, even if it tears their worlds apart.

Book cover of She's with Me
Book cover of Stravaganza City of Masks
Book cover of Wildwood Dancing

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