Romance

If you don’t like dark fantasy, these will do nothing for you.

Well, that’s probably not true. They’ll frustrate and enrage you, most likely. This isn’t the hot, steamy, clutch-your-pearls, swoon sort of romance. There are definitely some less-than-healthy moments.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t normally read romance, so it takes something more than just two lusty characters to get my attention … and S. Jae-Jones certainly accomplishes that.

The romance here is mixed with compelling and mysterious backstory, lore, and lots of action. Which is just my sort of romance. Also, Der Erlkonig is swoonworthy, okay? There, I said it.

Read my review of Wintersong here.
Read my review of Shadowsong here.

Dystopian

Move aside, Giver, there’s a new dystopian series in town.

And this one has robots. Okay, AIs. Okay, one AI, but really, that’s all you need, because he’s snarky and fantastic.

*clears throat* *cue dramatic voice* In a world where humans have achieved immortality, Scythes exist to keep the balance between the living and the dead.

What it boils down to is humans suck, and that’s why we can’t have nice things. In the meantime, this series has some killer worldbuilding (which is scarily realistic, and maybe we should be concerned about that), some top-notch and relatable characters, and a great storyline with just enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning pages eagerly.

Read my review of Scythe here.
Read my review of Thunderhead here.

High Fantasy

I’m going to lump these two together, even though they’re not really related, because, one, they’re by the same author; two, they’re equally fantastic; three, neither of their promised sequels have come out yet and I’m still salty about that.

Brandon Sanderson is one of the big names in high fantasy, so this recommendation should probably come as no surprise. But guys, these books are everything! I promise.

What is most endearing about Sanderson’s works, to me, is his wide swath of enjoyable characters (even the ones you really want to hate) coupled with a complex plot that holds its secrets dear until the very end.

Some of my favorite characters are from Sanderson novels. I’m still convinced someone needs to make me a Nightblood. That’s all I can really say. Review for Warbreaker forthcoming, but I lost sleep over that book, and sleep is sacred, so that should speak volumes.

Dark Fantasy

If I talk about this, I’m inevitably going to end up fangirling, and I’m fairly certain none of us wants that.

Suffice it to say, if you’re a fan of dark fantasy, this is for you. All the characters are deliciously gray. But be warned: it is dark. So if you’re not into that, move along.

There’s backstabbing and betrayal and various forms of stabbiness and manipulation.

I mean, what else could you possibly want? And if you’ve already read this and need a little more fangirling (like moi) I highly recommend @IncorrectCruelP because their posts are hilarious.

Read my review of The Cruel Prince here.

Comedy

I feel weird putting this under comedy, even though it’s listed as that, because while you’re totally going to laugh … you’re also going to cry.

So you’ll have a proper range of emotions while reading this book, at least. It is funny, and I belly-laughed quite a few times. But for sure, I bawled. I think that’s the beauty of this book, the way it mixes the two.

Elsa is the seven-year-old we wish we could have been, and Granny is the grandmother we all hope to be one day.

The characters are just brilliant, and the way the story unfolds and comes together is magical. Fredrik Backman’s writing style is just unique in that way.

Read my review of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry here.

Nonfiction

Since I cheated on comedy, I’m going to cheat on this one and give a humor nonfiction book … because I can.

Besides, science proves that laughter is good for you. See? I’m trying to look out for your well-being. You’re welcome.

Justin Halpern’s father succeeds at passing on important life lessons while still being funny as hell.

I’m both disappointed and thankful that he isn’t my father. My parents aren’t nearly as entertaining, though, and that’s a shame. Full disclosure: I didn’t actually know there was a sequel! Which is exciting, and I’ve already ordered a copy, because I’m horribly predictable.

Literary

This book was just beautiful—stuffed full of Taiwanese culture and colors and all sorts of painful feels.

I learned a lot of things, and I loved diving into a different culture and getting comfortable there. I loved the use of colors in this. The way the story unfolds is just fabulous, and I can’t even.

Trigger warning for suicide.

This book hurt to read, but I’m so glad I did, because it’s an important read and resonated in so many ways with me.

Read my review of The Astonishing Color of After here.

Young Adult

I’m not normally one for a lot of shifting points of view in a story, but … I’ll make an exception with this one.

These are two of the few books I’ve found where the switching points of view worked really well with the story and added something that would have been lost otherwise, which I really enjoyed.

The worldbuilding and lore in this is everything, and there’s just something very Grimm’s fairy tale feeling in the storytelling.

I stumbled across one just by chance and immediately knew, once I’d finished, that I needed to read the other. The characters are charming, and it’s a world I find myself wanting to revisit.

Read my review of Grey Stone here.
Read my review of Grey Lore here.

Middle Grade

D.J. MacHale is basically my guilty pleasure.

I’ve loved him since I was obsessed with his Pendragon series when I was a kid, and I was a little too excited when I realized he was doing another middle grade series.

The Library series combines strong characters with mystery, danger, and even a bit of dark creepiness.

I mean, it’s meant for young kids, so everything’s still sort of measured, but even as an adult, it was an enjoyable read. Little mid-grade me would have loved the crap out of this series, for sure.