With nearly a thousand novels under my belt (or time-worn Kindle, more accurately), I was itching to make my own mark in the world of literature as I entered my teenage years. Having all but one of the books I read be, puzzlingly, written by those definitively into their adulthood only strengthened that desire. Over 850 pages of my own story, drawing from all that Iād read and heard, finally satisfied it three years later ā and placed me in a position to share with other readers my age, one teen to another, those tales that most influenced and inspired me.
This novel is the first of a 5-book series that served as the primary inspiration for my own, and I canāt recommend it highly enough. If the idea of reading about fairy tales that arenāt quite like the ones you heard when younger sounds intriguing, then this book will serve as an excellent introduction.
Whatās more, The Wishing Spell has excellent artwork and a very detailed map, something rather rare in all but the most traditional of fantasy books. Having these to consult while reading truly made the story come alive!
Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change...Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Connor leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.
Most novels, fantasy or otherwise, use portals to travel between worldsābut why stop there? Story Thieves certainly doesnāt! It takes the whole concept of fictional worlds and brings it one step furtherācharacters can physically step in and out of books, and even influence their contents.
Sounds interesting? I certainly found it to be, and read through each novel in this series within days of its release, not to mention several times later throughout the years. Should you be looking for a bit of fresh air in your library, this is certainly one choice worth considering.
A hilarious, action-packed series launches with a story-within-a-story, from the bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy.
Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series. Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real worldās homework and chores.
But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happenāhis classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library. It turns out Bethanyās half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.
Bethany canāt let anyone else learn her secret,ā¦
Two women separated by time learn what happens when they embrace their inner magic in this inspiring environmental fiction novel.
Although Sara's college degree provided her an out, she always knew sheād return home to the small logging community that is like family to her. But when she learns theā¦
An epic in every sense of the word, itās taken me a few months to get through this behemoth of a novel. Originally Chinese and serialized on the web (though with an English translation), it didnāt immediately jump out to me as an item for this list.
But Coiling Dragon deserves a spot here, being very well received from both its English and Chinese audiences. Its author takes familiar elements of Western mythology, such as schools of darkness and light or the four basic elements, and places them against the backdrop of an Eastern-inspired world. Within, one youthās heart-warming journey to immortality is vividly describedāin such an enthralling manner that I canāt put the book down despite reading it in my non-native Chinese.
In a small town of Wushan, life was hard. His father lived in the past. Linley never knew his mother, but he thought of her often. To become the warrior that could restore the glory of the clan, he must qualify for the Ernst Institute. They donāt take just anyone. Linley must study to gain entry.
Who will teach him?
When he discovered the ring, everything changed. He sensed a great power but wasnāt sure where it would lead. Does heā¦
This is one of the ātwisted fairy taleā-esque books that Iāve read most recently, and I honestly didnāt think Iād be seeing anything new. Add the fact that it was published before I was born, and I was seriously doubting whether this was worth using a precious spot in my alas never-large-enough library withdrawal limit on.
But, Inkheartproved me wrong from the start with its concept of a character being able to literally read books to life. When seeing those read to life start to make demands, the novel made for a hilarious way to idle away a few summer daysāthough it also left me with more than a couple of thoughts about my own naivety and the dangers of unchecked power.
The first book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising.
'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones
Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinary secret - a storytelling secret that will change their lives for ever.
The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.
On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band, they rob the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive pegasus. Thanks to Maraniās mysterious invulnerability,ā¦
Better than the original, I daresay. This fan-fic explores an alternate world where Harry Potter, a household name amongst people of my generation, is not his classic self but rather a young genius who applies science to his wizarding powers whenever possible.
What I especially appreciate about this novel is how thoughtfully its plot was developedāwhile perhaps a stretch for me to call it explicitly cerebral, it certainly borders on the genre. This worldās Harry faces his challenges in such a methodical way (sometimes overly so!) that I was actively making guesses or getting surprised on an almost chapterly basis.
Upon receiving a mysterious letter, run-of-the-mill Emmanuel is thrust into a complicated battle encompassing all three worlds of Earth, Destroyia, and Fantasia. The latter two are fairy-tale worlds, filled with the classic fictional characters whose lives Emmanuel has loved to escape into. However, they come with a twistādespite the beauty fairy tales suggest, its villains, Destroyians, had the upper hand, dominating all in their once-united land of Destasia, and even going so far as to enslave their kind-hearted counterparts.
After decades of oppression, the Fantasians' only option was to flee to a whole new world.But united under one fearsome leader of suspicious origins, the Destroyians are once more coming for them, despite their powerful magical barrierā¦ and donāt plan on stopping there.
Funny Folk Tales for Children
by
Allison Galbraith,
These are the funniest folktales in the world. You will be amazed at the intelligent animals and LOL at the ridiculous scrapes the humans get themselves into in these short stories. Discover why dogs are our best friends, learn how to change a cow into a zombie, and meet aā¦
Return to Hope Creek is a second-chance rural romance set in Australia.
Stella Simpson's career and engagement are over. She returns to the rural community of Hope Creek to heal, unaware her high school and college sweetheart, Mitchell Scott, has also moved back to town to do some healing ofā¦