Here are 65 books that The Portal fans have personally recommended if you like
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I chose these books for you to enjoy because they are 5 of my favorites for different reasons. You see, deep down, I am an unapologetic Bible-reading sci-fi, fantasy, and old-school monster movie-loving nerd. Books like these have helped shape my love for fiction and great storytelling as they teleported me to Narnia or Mordor. Soaring the spaceways as The Galadorian Spacekinight or the veil between flesh and spirit being revealed in This Present Darkness. These books and many like them helped shape my writing style, and I want you to share in the enjoyment of reliving them over and over again like me!
This book was a game changer when it first came out in the Christian fiction genre. The supernatural elements of Angels and demons in Christian fiction novels were not as prevalent in the '80s and '90s. Especially the inner workings of how the battle between good and evil works and strategizes on a personal level for the souls of men in the invisible supernatural spiritual realm.
The battle is real and has eternal consequences, and this book definitely shines the light on that in this exciting supernatural thriller. It is a must for Christian and secular lovers of the supernatural genre.
A powerful audio abridgement of this top-selling novel about a prayerful pastor and a skeptical reporter who find themselves fighting a plot to subjugate the human race.
My love of realms and fantastic imagination comes from growing up in the backwoods of Alabama. The woods inspired me and beckoned me to dance and build and imagine among the trees. I created characters and worlds and could be a witch, a fairy, a troll, or a girl lost in time. I owe my love of creating characters to the woods that built me and one day I will go back and thank them for the beautiful life they gave me.
Trylle is the story of a girl caught between realms. She discovers the mystery of her birthright and her mother's hatred of her. She is forced into an unknown future clinging to a traumatic childhood and faces dangers at every turn.
This book fed my soul and took me along with Wendy into realms unknown. Wendys inner dialouge and determination reminded me of myself and I related to her in magical ways.
Enter the magical world of the Trylle with the full e-book collection: Switched, Torn, and Ascend from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.
SWITCHED
When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers she is a changeling who was switched at birth. Now she is about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that's both beautiful and frightening. Nothing is as it seems
TORN
Wendy knew her life would never be the same. Now she learns there is more…
My love of realms and fantastic imagination comes from growing up in the backwoods of Alabama. The woods inspired me and beckoned me to dance and build and imagine among the trees. I created characters and worlds and could be a witch, a fairy, a troll, or a girl lost in time. I owe my love of creating characters to the woods that built me and one day I will go back and thank them for the beautiful life they gave me.
Most fantasy books take so long to tell the story. This series starts quickly and enchants the entire time! A hero who defends a blind priest against all manner of evil and danger. This is a story you will fall in love with and will not be able to put down! Without revealing too much... Not all heroes wear capes
A blind priest. A book that can't be seen. Can a young hero protect one long enough to save the other?
Tormjere has never left his home valley, peaceful in its isolation from both monsters and men. His first journey into the outside world meets with disaster, thrusting him into the realities of a kingdom on the brink of war.
To save the life of a friend, he pledges himself to a path for which he is ill-prepared: guiding a blind priest on a quest to retrieve a sacred relic that only he can find.
My love of realms and fantastic imagination comes from growing up in the backwoods of Alabama. The woods inspired me and beckoned me to dance and build and imagine among the trees. I created characters and worlds and could be a witch, a fairy, a troll, or a girl lost in time. I owe my love of creating characters to the woods that built me and one day I will go back and thank them for the beautiful life they gave me.
This book is a great stand-alone but thankfully is a series. It is a story about moving away and learning to integrate but also a young girl discovering strange things in the woods and finding herself immersed in a mystery you will not believe. I read this to my boys but I found myself more intrigued every chapter
New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix, the master of cliffhangers, delivers a pulse-pounding mystery perfect for fans of Jacqueline West and Kat Yeh, full of secrets, surprises, and the power of family.
One minute they’re there: laughing and having fun at the house next door. The next minute, the teens are gone. Like magic. Marin can’t believe her eyes. Who are they? Can anyone else see them? What makes them so happy?
Marin is lonely in this new town of hers and eager to figure out more. Then she meets Charley, who reveals that he knows about them,…
I’ve been a history nerd all my life. Historical fiction chap books were my entrance to reading, and my copy of Little Womenfell apart from excessive re-reads. (It also taught me the word “abridged.” I was very upset to find out I hadn’t been given the full book!) I love how novels can pull you into a time on such a personal level. That immersion is part of what made me so interested in books set in lesser-known eras. I mean, I love a good Tudor court drama or WWII novel as much as the next reader. There is just something extra special about learning about a brand-new time.
Is this a children’s book? Yes. Yes, it is. Since ten-year-old me can still remember reading it, however, (particularly a paragraph about how special it was to be able to read and write in sixth-century China—which blew ten-year-old me’s mind) it’s still going on the list. Lady of Ch’iao Kuois also one of the Scholastic Royal Diaries series, which I devoured as a younger reader, and is fabulous as a whole. It includes both well-known (another Elizabeth I book? Yep) and more obscure historical figures, all written about in a way that allows children to connect to them. Highly recommended for both the young and young at heart!
Readers can embark on an extraordinary journey to Southern China in the 6th century A.D. where they will meet sixteen-year-old Ch'iao Kuo, a born leader called Red Bird, whose bravery and brilliance is unrivaled.
I’m a writer, illustrator, and champion of children’s books, with approximately 90 titles published over the last 25 years. I use this experience to guide parents to quality picture books via my blog, Stories Worth Sharing, which aims to help parents nurture and connect with their kids through stories. I can trace this passion back to my childhood. Snuggled in my father’s arms, we’d explore fantastic places together – like One Hundred Acre Wood, Busy Town, and Zuckerman’s barn. Picture books are foundational in developing young minds. These selected titles put your child in someone else’s shoes and teach them to empathise with others.
This beautiful book blows me away. It’s an exquisite example of a picture book, where
words and pictures work hand in hand to tell the story. Everyone loves David, the boy
with the flowers in his hair. He’s the life and soul of the class. Until one day, something happens. Now David – quiet and withdrawn – is losing his flowers, petal by petal…
The Boy With Flowers in His Hair speaks to me on a personal level – I’ve overcome
depression and recognise that feeling of losing your joie de vivre. Over the years, I’ve
also examined the ideas of what it means to be masculine. On both fronts, this book is
affirming. And it reminds me to be thankful for faithful friends.
A warm and powerful story that brings to life a pure and poignant friendship that children will never forget.
David is the boy with flowers in his hair. He's sweet and gentle, just like his petals. But when David's flowers begin to fall - a single petal at first, then every last blossom - his best friend never leaves his side. And through kindness and creativity, he even finds a way to give David his colour back... Beautifully illustrated, this story is about being there for someone when they're at their most vulnerable.
I’ve always loved fairytales. What little girl with a growing romantic heart doesn’t? By the time I was eight, I told people I was Cinderella because of all the work I did at home. An exaggeration, even for the oldest child, but still. My first prom dress, during a year I won’t mention, was reminiscent of Cinderella’s blue ballgown. As I became a writer myself, I noticed my stories held themes I learned from fairytales. Love, loyalty, courage, and a dose of magic. I simply add space or aliens to the mix.
Can you tell Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales to read in all its retellings? This one is set in our modern world. It takes a look at the ugly side of bullying in high school, a murder mystery, ghosts, money extortion, lots of people keeping secrets, and through all of this, two people have to learn to see into each other’s hearts.
A fresh twist on a classic story, Bellamy and the Brute proves true love really is blind.
When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she's reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hill―including the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin's eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illness―one that…
I am a writer and performer born and raised in New York City. In my previous life, I was an Emmy-nominated journalist and digital media producer, covering sexual and reproductive health. In addition to writing, I love musical improv, opera, Olympic weightlifting, and spending time with my wife and dog.
The first time Rowan and the Huntress kissed, I half expected Rowan’s lips to stick to the Huntress’ face like a tongue on a light pole in winter.
Luckily, Rowan—the Belle in this Beauty and the Beast retelling—is a thawing influence, and the kiss progresses as kisses should. And thank goodness, as the Huntress desperately needs to be kissed. Isolated, cursed, and haunted by her own callousness, the lonely Huntress is separated from the world by her own past and a literal mile of frozen water.
But in the Huntress’ fortress of ice, love grows like the petals of a winter rose, and little kisses, like hope, spring eternal.
On a cold day deep in the heart of winter, Rowan’s father returns from an ill-fated hunting trip bearing a single, white rose. The rose is followed by the Huntress, a figure out of legend. Tall, cruel, and achingly beautiful, she brings Rowan back with her to a mountain fastness populated solely by the creatures of the hunt. Rowan, who once scorned the villagers for their superstitions, now finds herself at the heart of a curse with roots as deep as the mountains, ruled by an old magic that is as insidious as the touch of the winter rose. Torn…
I’ve been a lactation consultant and a breastfeeding counsellor for nearly 20 years, ever since my own two breastfeeding journeys. I never stop learning in this job. It’s a professional requirement but, luckily, also an addiction I enjoy. I fully identify as a lactation nerd. I’m the author of 4 books that span the world of breasts and a podcaster. As an ex-teacher, I’m passionate about education and communication. When I can support a parent to reach their goals and feed their child for as long as they want to, it’s a magic feeling and it never gets old. I feel honoured to be doing the work I do.
As a middle-class white lady from London, I have to work extra hard to make sure I hear the voices of mothers who are not like me. Listening to stories from different cultures and hearing about diverse experiences is important for my work. This book is filled with stories from mothers from Indian and South Asian backgrounds.
It doesn’t pretend that breastfeeding is all rose petals and butterflies. These mothers have gone through some tough challenges and have not always had the support they needed. I love that it’s a book about women being strong and why breastfeeding matters to them.
As natural as it may seem, breastfeeding rarely comes easy. It is a process that needs to be learned. It is a journey in which one can easily feel overwhelmed and ready to give up. It can also be a lonely journey, full of self-doubt and often accompanied by guilt. But with the right knowledge and support, it can be truly fulfilling.
'Drops of Nurture' is an anthology of 30 heart-warming breastfeeding stories - incredible stories of strength, commitment and resilience from some amazing mothers to let breastfeeding mothers know that they are not alone in this journey. That whatever…
As a child I was always fascinated by nature, especially the way the trees changed throughout the seasons. This may be what stimulated my love of growing and caring for bonsai trees and why I have written many books about the seasons myself. Now as an author, ex-primary school teacher, parent, and grandparent I am aware of the importance of encouraging other children to have this same interest and fascination in nature and the ever-changing seasons. I believe it fosters an awareness of how the world is far bigger than themselves and everything is interconnected. I hope these books will inspire young mind’s love and understanding of the natural world.
Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms is a delightful heart-warming tale full of what to expect when the seasons change to spring. You can’t help but smile at Fletcher the Fox who mistakenly thinks the falling blossom is surprising spring snow so warns the other animals that it is going to get cold and the birds should fly south, find shelter, or go back into hibernation.
This picture book is the ideal mix of a funny, entertaining story and glorious watercolour illustrations that demonstrate how nature is transformed by the changing seasons. I particularly like the double-page spread showing how the woods have been transformed by a blanket of pink and white petals. Great for use in the classroom or reading aloud at home with your child.
In this companion to Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, Fletcher the fox returns for another seasonal adventure. A perennial favorite for storytime sharing!
Fletcher enjoys the sunny weather and the warmth of spring. But when he stumbles across snowy flakes gently floating to the ground, he spreads the news of winter’s return to all his friends. But spring is full of wonderful surprises for Fletcher and his friends.
The Fletcher books are enjoyable picture books for sharing at home or in the classroom and are perfect for units on…
