Tuesday, September 29, 2015

TTT: Top 10 Books You Should Read if You Like ___________ (Bookseller Expertise Coming in Handy Here)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted and created by The Broke and the Bookish. To participate, click here.
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I thought I'd combine two of my jobs on paper: mixing drinks and recommending books, and set up this list like book cocktails. So each number has a combo of popular books/series/authors/franchises, and then the resulting "mix" is what you should read. Got it?

Top 10 Books You Should Read if You Like These Popular Books/Authors

1. If you like Percy Jackson and MARVEL/DC Superheroes:


The Jack Blank Adventures by Matt Myklusch


An orphan hero, check
Killer robots, check
Ninjas, flying cars, supervillains, check
There's even time travel.
This fun series straddles YA and MG and will appeal to both kids and their parents


2. If you liked Matched and Divergent:

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien


Reviewed it here
In a dystopian future, young midwife Gaia Stone must choose between her duty and rescuing her parents. And making that choice will cause her to question everything she knows. This is one dystopian novel that won't remind you of The Hunger Games. And the heroine is a midwife.


3. If you liked Twilight and anything by Jane Austen


The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy (and By These Ten Bones) by Clare B. Dunkle


For the record, THK trilogy is, in principle, nothing like Twilight. So if you're not a Twilight fan (I'm not either), don't write this one off. It has a similar story feel, and there is a lot of Jane Austen inspiration. In the first book, a charismatic (but ugly) goblin king chooses orphaned Kate to be his bride. As can be expected, Kate has a lot to say about this. In the sequels, there are lots of elves.* And By These Ten Bones is a Scottish werewolf romance/thriller.


4. If you like The Scorpio Races and Code Name Verity

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin


I just reviewed this on the blog, but I had to include it because it was so fresh and different (and I loved it). Basically, it's alternate history with motorcycle racing, a strong heroine, and a minor dash of fantasy.

5. If you like Naruto and Star Wars

The Young Samurai Series** by Chris Bradford

Okay, so it's samurai, not ninja (there are ninjas though). And there is zero magic, and no spaceships. But the basic story of a spunky boy--an outsider in a traditional, proud culture--who must become a warrior and navigate a hostile world, and deal with both friends and enemies . . . I basically just described Naruto and Star Wars.

6. If you like The Hunger Games and Les Miserables (the Musical***)

The Kestrel (Westmark #2) by Lloyd Alexander

This is actually the second book in the Westmark trilogy (and you should read them all). One of the best novels about war, the consequences, and how war affects kids. I suppose it is more comparable to Mockingjay - and it handles the same themes with more wisdom and heart.

7. If you like The Walking Dead and The Maze Runner

 Rot and Ruin (or the Joe Ledger series) by Jonathan Maberry 

Whether you are 15, 25, or older, I dare you not to root for Benny Imura and his friends in their fight to survive. Now, I'm not keen on zombies, but these books are about so much more. They are coming of age, friendship, heroism, Bushido, survival novels. And Tom Imura**** is in them. The Joe Ledger novels are pretty good too (action thrillers with a side of zombie).


8. If you like the Gemma Doyle trilogy and The Infernal Devices

The Iron Codex series by Caitlin Kittredge

Steampunk fantasy that is better than the cover would make it seem. Everyone in Aoife Grayson's family has gone mad on their 16th birthday (a fate she's trying to avoid, obviously). Monsters, machines, a touch of romance, eccentric characters, and more monsters= a recipe for fun.


9. If you like Artemis Fowl and Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

An eerie, wry book where ghosts are commonplace, and only young Psychic Investigators can deal with the epidemic of spirits. The characters are lovable, the ghosts are actually kind of creepy, and the book is a fast paced mystery/adventure. A great Halloween pick.


10. If you like Cruel Beauty and A Thousand Nights

Keturah and Lord Death by Marine Leavitt

A girl follows a stag into a forest, gets lost, and almost dies. But when Death shows up, he's a handsome and stern young lord, and Keturah isn't ready to die. Keturah strikes a bargain with Death, telling him a story to stall her end. If she can find her true love in twenty-four hours, she'll be free from Death, but things don't turn out exactly how she plans.

Footnotes:
*ELVES! They have a strong rivalry with the goblins.
**One of my favorite series - ever. If you are into Japanese history, then you should check them out.
***The musical condensed most of the themes, and some of the characters, and made it much more sellable.
****

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