I’ve always been a geek at heart, fangirling over anything from anime to Star Wars. Growing up without the internet and before cell phones were glued to our palms, I spent many hours escaping into other worlds. It was these journeys that bolstered my imagination and inspired me to take readers by the hand—or eyeballs, rather—and help them escape into the stories that I write. While the YA books I’ve written are contemporary, my love for skipping out on reality was obviously the inspiration behind them, even if it’s only through role-playing games. I just hope my recommended books provide others with the same level of out-of-world enjoyment they gave me.
I can’t say enough good things about this trilogy! It’s so beautiful and imaginative. It’s probably one of my top faves of all time! You know when you’re just drifting from “okay” book to “okay” book and then you find that one? The one that sinks its claws into you and you can’t put it down for anything? The one that, after you’ve finished, leaves a hole in your life that your rebound book just won’t fill? This was that one for me.
The 10th anniversary edition of the first in Laini Taylor's breathtaking fantasy trilogy
'Remarkable and beautifully written . . . The opening volume of a truly original trilogy.' GUARDIAN
Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came.
In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a…
I devoured the books in this series, one after another. It’s like a YA paranormal soap opera on a post-Halloween sugar high—pure drama candy. If you have ever dreamed of discovering you have powers and can suddenly fight demons hidden in our mundane world, then raise your hand because this one is for you. You just raised your hand, didn’t you?
Discover this first installment of the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly).
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he…
I’ll admit, I read this one a long time ago, but I remember it dragging me along into the wee hours of the morning and sparking my imagination. It was this series that filled my daydream reserve long before I knew how to put those dreams down onto paper. Holly Black was definitely one of those authors who inspired me to write.
In the realm of very scary faeries, no one is safe.
Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces the sixteen-year-old back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.
Holly Black's enormously powerful voice weaves teen angst, riveting romance, and capriciously diabolical faerie folk into an enthralling, engaging, altogether original reading experience.
Okay, so you could argue that this is middle grade, but I’ll just argue back because I wanted to include it on my list. Besides, he grows older through the series (See? I told you I would argue). Love, love, love this book! The best part is that Artemis doesn’t just stumble upon a fairy by accident, which happens too often in these kinds of books. No. He kidnaps one! I’m such a huge fan of an “unlikeable” character, and Artemis is one I love to… er, unlike.
Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed and dangerous--and extremely high-tech--fairies. He kidnaps one of them, Holly Short, and holds her for ransom in an effort to restore his family's fortune. But he may have underestimated the fairies' powers. Is he about to trigger a cross-species war?
Disney's “Artemis Fowl” is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, with Josh Gad, and Judi Dench.
Rewind to the time before all the Twilight mania. I bought this book when it first came out (the cover screamed at me from the shelves). I was absorbed by this simple story about a normal girl who falls in love with a vampire and the dangers that come with that forbidden romance. I mean, who hasn’t been stuck in a boring rut, wishing a love-struck sparkly vampire would interrupt the humdrum? This is daydream gold. Ignore the Hollywood drama and the airbrushed photos of a sparkly Rob-Pat and enjoy it for what it is—a classic story of girl meets vampire.
When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town.
But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella.
Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him, although his hostility…
All her life, Katie has been chosen last for everything: the last picked on the playground, the last picked by her absent father, and definitely the last picked by boys—even her secret crush, Alex, friend-zoned her. This senior year, Katie is determined to come first. But then Alex asks her to help him find a date?!
Alex has been living life in the fast lane, but he's ready to slow down—with a girlfriend. The last person on earth he’d consider? The girl his brother developed serious feelings for before he died: Katie. The only way Alex is going to get over Katie is by falling for someone new. And who better to help him find his new crush than the girl he can’t stop thinking about? What can possibly go wrong?
ALBA - Hidden Secrets is a tale of blood, broken dreams, and buried secrets.
When I was in high school, several young teenage boys died in car accidents, with tragic outcomes for all involved, and I wanted to honour their memory without specifically identifying them.
This novel is about secrets and loss, and how lives could be very different if fate hadn’t intervened. Many people hold secrets close to their hearts, and agonise about whether to let others in to help share their load.
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca is consumed by grief after the sudden, tragic death of her boyfriend, Alastair. Her pain is exacerbated by the fact that their relationship was a secret, a love story hidden from the world. Now, as she mourns in silence, she feels trapped, torn between the anguish of losing him and the guilt of revealing their bond.
Calum, Alastair's brother, remains unaware of their relationship. As Rebecca grows closer to Calum, their friendship takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a mysterious suitcase in an abandoned ice house in the remote northern Scottish village of Cromarty. They also…
