Fans pick 68 books like Blood Lines

I am, to put it lightly, obsessed with the way Octavia Butler revolutionizes the timescape and invites us to speculate about worlds that could be. In this and so many of her books, her vision of Afrofuturism is one that reminds us that our ancestral pasts and our imagined futures are always connected. 

I thought a lot about the future when I wrote my book, and I share Butler’s conviction that there is collective healing and liberation in revisiting and reimagining the past.

I also love that my neighborhood library in Pasadena is the one Octavia Butler used to frequent!

If I were ever to face a zombie apocalypse, I would want Mercy Thompson by my side. Mercy is a scrappy coyote shifter, and despite often being physically outmatched by the myriad supernatural creatures surrounding her, it is her intelligence, independence, and resourcefulness that truly sets her apart for me. I also just love that she is a mechanic, as Patty has taken that gender expectation and turned it on its head. 

I adore that when Mercy believes in something, she stands her ground, no matter the consequences. Her unwavering moral compass and fierce loyalty make her an awesome heroine. In a world filled with chaos, Mercy Thompson is the kind of fierce female companion every reader would be fortunate to have. And as I said, I totally call dibs on her for the apocalypse. 

This book encompasses the good, the bad, and the ugly—it is both powerfully real and beautifully raw!

We think with our minds, we feel with our hearts, but we exist within our souls. And this book pried every one of those open for me. It was so gritty and hard-hitting, so raw and uncut, so reminiscent of what it is like to look deep inside oneself, face both strengths and weaknesses, conquer fears and inner demons, acknowledge everything without pretense, then continue fighting to reach one’s potential.

Yes, this novel taps into all of this and more in an extremely well-written, brilliant tale about a kick-ass vampire huntress!  

Ms. Murphy takes her time with the world building, in a universe where the supernatural is not known but discovered, and it is a treat to discover this world through the eyes of the protagonist. It’s also a switch that in this story at least, there is not a romance element. I also appreciate that Native American culture and folklore were not exploited in order to make a better story. I enjoyed this was not your typical werewolf, vampire, witch read and brought in something new, or at least something not often written about.

Wolf Gone Wild is hands-down my favorite book in the author’s Stay a Spell Series. Set in New Orleans, this witch-werewolf love story delivers plenty of atmosphere and a feel-good ending. Evie is independent and powerful, and Mateo is your new Book Boyfriend. I love how this story flips the damsel-in-distress trope. Plus, Juliette Cross writes some of the hottest love scenes I’ve ever read. You’ll need a bourbon on ice to cool yourself off when reading this one.

When I look for books to read, my criteria are a compelling mystery, an action-packed fantasy, or a blend of both. Welcome to the both. I love this book's excellent mystery, action, and world-building balance! While the action was on par with what I expected of Sanderson, the primary and secondary characters take the story a step further with depth that made me connect with their personalities and the motivation for their actions.

They feel like real people, with their dialogue and interactions adding to the investigation’s progression, and if a writer can achieve that in a story, that sells it for me. This, along with the worldbuilding and rather fun mystery, always makes it a reread option for me.

Once you read the opening scene where a Tupperware party hilariously goes up in flames, you won't be able to stop reading. 

Author Denise Grover Swank is best known for her women's fiction, and her experience in crafting realistic characters and relationships shines in this book. This book is the whole package of fun and magic. 

Let It All Burn also helped inspire the elemental magic in my own book!

It was Spirit Legacy’s cover that drew me in, but it was the ghosts that kept me reading. I love the paranormal and I especially enjoy unique stories with strong characters. Holmes created both with this series. Her pairing of the protagonist, free-spirited Jess Ballard, with Tia, an ultra-organized and grounded roommate, makes for some hilarious situations. I love these two together. As the story progresses, intrigue builds, strange phenomena occur, and motives are questioned. Someone has deadly intentions, but who? No one’s beyond suspicion. Not even Jess’s friends or her family. Holmes kept me guessing right to the end. Thankfully, this is a series, so I have more books to enjoy.

When I first encountered Harry Dresden, a professional wizard solving a double homicide in Chicago, I was instantly hooked by its noir, fantasy, and traditional mystery with dollops of humor. This novel—the first in The Dresden File series—kept me engaged the entire time with a fast-moving plot and interesting characters.

I could see in my mind’s eye Chicago’s skyscrapers and their reflection in Lake Michigan as Harry dug deeper into the crimes and the supernatural world. This was my first urban fantasy read, and Butcher’s ability to blend a private investigator story with the supernatural ensured it was not my last.

In this book, we get to watch philologist Percival Endicott Whyborne solve a dark mystery from his past and battle an evil cult in the company of Griffin Flaherty, an ex-Pinkerton turned private detective, and it is delightful.

Widdershins, MA feels like a real place, but also somewhere plucked directly from the pages of H. P. Lovecraft. Whyborne and Griffin’s relationship is sweet and tender. Whyborne’s best friend, Christine Putnam, is a spitfire in the best possible way. The early twentieth century is rendered in loving detail. And there’s a ton of dark humor. What’s not to love?

This is book one in a series of eleven, so you’ll have plenty to sink your teeth into.