Thursday, January 4, 2018

B's Favorite Books of 2016

B's Favorite Books of 2016

While we're already chugging through 2018, I still haven't been able to share my favorite books of 2016 yet.  I'm always fashionably late to the point of a public stoning, and I'm very sorry for that. . . it's rather embarrassing. I really have no excuse.  But anyway, I'm still excited as ever to share with you some fabtastic reads!  (The following books are placed in the chronological order in which I read them because I couldn't rank their awesomeness against one another!)

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Official Summary:

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them: first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself. 

What's to love about it?

I've never been truly able to appreciate that many YA contemporary novels and have more than struggled with, actually it was more like painfully waded through, so many of them . . . one . . . by . . . painful . . . one.  (It's really what I imagine drowning in quicksand to feel like.)  And it was when I came to the conclusion that it was just becoming too hard to carry on and wanted to accept that the genre just wasn't for me that I read My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga.  My world had made a complete 180!  I found a contemporary I didn't want to hurl out of the window into a muddy puddle that was somehow simultaneously set on fire, but as soon as I rejoiced over this wondrous revelation, I fell into that same awful YA contemporary rut...until this book!  My second find that I didn't want to throw out the window into a burning puddle of doom!  That's all you really need to know.

(BUT, if you want to know more.......I found the personal growth in this novel to be FLAWLESS and emotionally impactful.  Plus, the various friendships and their developments, including how Ezra and Foster interacted with each other, made me melt into a big gooey puddle.  (Now I kind of want brothers (and not the religious kind), which presents me with a huge dilemma: How do I find some?)  I've honestly never read or seen Pride and Prejudice --unless you count Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies -- or watched Friday Night Lights, but I know I need an Ezra.  In fact, everyone deserves an Ezra. PRONTO.)





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Official Summary:

Listen -- Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn't.

Now he's alive.

Simple as that.

The in between part is still a bit fuzzy, but he can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado.  Five years later, it was reattached to some other guy's body, and well, here he is.  Despite all logic, he's still 16 and everything and everyone around him has changed.  That includes his bedroom, his parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend.  Or maybe she's not his girlfriend anymore?  That's a bit fuzzy too.

Looks like if the new Travis and the old Travis are ever going to find a way to exist together, then there are going to be a few more scars.

Oh well, you only live twice.

What's to love about it?

Noggin is phenomenal largely due to John Corey Whaley's writing style.  Right after I read this book and returned it to the library, I went out and bought myself my own copy to treasure (granted it was paperback and not hardback like the original copy I read because of . . . ya know . . . my uncontrollable need to spend all of my money on books.  Also, by treasure I mean set in a box in my basement to give to the grandchildren I plan to have in my life 50 plus years down the road.)  The story drives a knife through your heart multiple times and the sheer beauty and pain I found within its pages was something that I don't think I'll be forgetting any time soon.  I can't say that I was one hundred percent satisfied by the ending, but the writing was so darn good that this year I went and read JCW's other two books (Highly Illogical Behavior and Where Things Come Back).  His stories are unique, and strange and make you feel human.  I'm definitely planning to read any and all releases he makes in the future.  You can count on that!




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Official Summary:

Valerie Torrey took her son Alex and fled Los Angeles six years ago -- leaving both her role on a cult sci-fi TV show and her costar husband after a tragedy blew their small family apart.  Now Val must reunite nine-year-old Alex with his estranged father, so they set out on a road trip from New York, Val making appearances at comic book conventions along the way.

As they travel west, encountering superheroes, monsters, time travelers, and robots, Val and Alex are drawn into the orbit of the comic-con regulars, from a hapless twenty something illustrator to a lesbian comics writer to a group of cosplay women who provide a chorus of knowing commentary.  For Alex, this world is a magical place where fiction becomes reality, but as they get closer to their destination, he begins to realize that the story his mother is telling him about their journey might have a very different ending than he imagined.

A literary-meets-genre pleasure from an exciting new writer, A Hundred Thousand Worlds is as tribute to the fierce and complicated love between a mother and son -- and the way the stories we create come to shape us.  There just aren't articulate enough words in the English language to describe his books. 

What's to love about it?

I first thought that this book was just going to be about crazy shenanigans and the happenings at cons with panels, cosplayers, fandoms, and all of the nerdy feels.  In reality, this book touches on the profound, which I definitely was not emotionally prepared for at the time.  It's gracefully sculpted and leaves you speechless at the end.  It's about family, possibilities, and heartbreak.  Adult novels are not always enjoyable for me, but this one was a true and unexpected gem.  It just might be easier to understand what I mean if you read my review here because I could go on and on about this one.  I HIGHLY recommend this book.




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Official Summary:

The city of Voortyashtan was once the domain of the goddess of death, war, and destruction, but now it's little more than a ruin.  General Turyin Mulaghesh is called out of retirement and sent to this hellish place to try to find a Saypuri secret agent who's gone missing in the middle of a mission, but the city of war offers threats: not only have the ghosts of her own past battles followed her here, but she soon finds herself wondering what happened to all the souls that were trapped in the afterlife when the Divinities vanished.  Do the dead sleep soundly in the land of death?  Or do they have plans of their own?

What's to love about it?

This is the second book in The Divine Cities series by Robert Jackson Bennett, and I've never loved a fantasy series more than I love this one.  Each one is full of complexity, mystery, magic, and emotion.  (So yeah,  characters you love are subject to die at any time.)  The history that RJB weaves for his stories and the immense amount of detail he puts into his gods and goddesses is not only enthralling but also mind-blowingly captivating.  Also, I never thought I could ever truly come to love Turyin Mulaghesh and was highly hesitant to read (essentially) solely about her for 400 plus pages since she was merely a side character in A City of Stairs, but I was wrong.  This book made me realize how truly amazing this woman is.  She is a soldier with battles of her own that no one else can see with scars that go beyond the mere surface, and I love her for her resilience and her wounds.  Yes, this book is a kick-butt fantasy novel, but it's a kick-butt fantasy novel with humanity at its core.




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Official Summary:

Artemis Fowl 12, rich genius guarded by his only friend Butler, wants back dad lost in Russia, and mum lost in daydreams.  For leprechaun gold, he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit.  But Commander Root has centaur Foaly's high tech, dwarf Mulch Diggums, time-stop bubble, fatal bio-bomb, and willingness to break rules.

What's to love about it?

Different people will argue as to whether the Artemis Fowl series is Middle Grade or Young Adult, but whichever one you care to categorize it under, it's sure to be one of the best fantasy adventures you'll ever read whether you're twelve or eighteen.  I've read it twice now and have allowed it to take me away to an Ireland that's home to a child millionaire (and also mastermind) by the name of Artemis, his steadfast bodyguard, and an elf who may be small, but packs a mighty punch. The story is comprised of almost everything you could ask for -- magic, mayhem, humor, and a smart-ass genius that you just can't get enough of.  Plus, the side characters are to die for.  (Go Butler and Commander Root!  I love those guys.)  Artemis is literally a genius, and he'll have you turning the pages more than furiously to find out what he's got up his sleeve next.  (You can bet it's mischievous. Mwahaha!!!)  Though, at the end of the day guys, I can't even begin to use words to describe how flipping fantastic it is.  Plus, some of the actors like Josh Gad have finally been cast for the Disney movie, and I'm becoming beyond excited for Artemis on the big screen!  (See, it is okay that I didn't finish this until now because I have movie news to gush about!)



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Official Summary:

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady.  She's much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dress, or dances.  So when her father sends her to London for a season, she's determined not to form any attachments.  Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research. 

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears.  He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies.  Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other.  Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana's traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

What's to love about it?

I'm not gonna lie.  I read this book right after watching Pride, Prejudice and Zombies (which is the second time I've mentioned it in this post -- which means you should definitely check it out!), and I absolutely loved that bloody movie, especially for the wee romantic tidbits in it.  It made me truly fall in love with Regency period pieces, as it was my first.  (So yeah, it took my Regency virginity.  We won't make a big deal out of it.)  I was desperate for anything that could give me that vibe again, and this book happily delivered.  The witty banter between Juliana and Spencer was beyond cute and terribly sweet, too.



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Official Summary:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the high school musical.  But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.  Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn't play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone's business.  Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he's been emailing, will be compromised.  

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon's junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated.  Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out -- without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

What's to love about it?

I'm usually highly hesitant to read hyped books, but I don't really have a reason why.  I still haven't read Harry Potter for crying out loud!


But I swear that I'll read it one day!  I've already read book one...seven years ago. But I will finish them in the next decade.  Pinky promise.  Back to the matter at hand.  Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was getting some of the greatest love ever at the time of its release and still is, and something just pushed me to read it, and then I couldn't get enough.  So many people say it's one of their favorite fluffy contemporaries, which to be fair, it is a fluffy contemporary, but that's true only to a degree in my opinion.  It's so much more than that and deserves more credit for its content.  It's got tons of heart in it, and gave me palpitations -- that might just be because I'm weak though -- and I could gush about this book all day, ever day.  I literally went out and bought a HARDCOVER copy of this book.  That's right. A. HARDCOVER.  It's just that kind of book.  Thus, you must read it.  Now.  No arguing with me. Plus, Love, Simon is coming out soon!  (Cue annoyingly high pitched squeal of unadulterated excitement that won't let up until the movie is released!) 



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Official Summary:

He's in love with the boy next door.

Gideon always has a plan.  His plans include running for class president, leading the yearbook committee, and having his choice of colleges.  They do not include falling head over heels for his best friend and next door neighbor, Kyle.  It's a distraction.  It's pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby.  And Gideon doesn't know that to do . . . 

Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life.  He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team.  Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can't quite figure out what he did wrong . . . 



What's to love about it?

I think a large part of the reason that I love this book is because of the timing when I read it.  Let me set up the scene:  A senior in Catholic high school is forced to participate in a KAIROS retreat two and a half hours away from home where the air smells solely of cow manure or else she will not receive her diploma.  The shock!  The injustice!


 


That was my exact situation.  I was subjected to sitting down in small groups and listening to people talk about terribly depressing situations (death, bullying, more death) and trying to make me cry, and was threatened that I wouldn't be able to graduate unless I came.  I was criticized by several people for being a quite introvert, and it was an entirely unpleasant nightmare, so I didn't enjoy a single bit of it.  Okay, that's a lie.  I enjoyed the bus ride back because I knew I would be free in 2.5 hours, the K-Pop songs my best friend let me listen to with her when no one was near (bringing electronic devices like cell phones and iPods was illegal but we did it anyway because we were unsuspected rebels!), and this book I brought with me.  It's the little things I had to focus on.  (There was a large cat on the loose in the area at the time, and the people at the retreat facility told us it had killed a cow the other day so it was supposedly not going to be hungry for several more days.  I was on edge people!  This is not an exaggeration of my experience.)  This book I kept at my side for two days of the retreat, reading it every spare second I had to keep myself sane.  I thought Been Here All Along was undeniably cute and just the thing to keep me from rampaging around like a mad woman in the face of utter injustice! (I'm proud to say that I made it through KAIROS and graduated in May.)  I felt bad for Ruby and the ending could have definitely been fleshed out further, but, at the end of the day, Kyle and Gideon were #goals.  Rock on you cute ass couple.  Rock on!



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Official Summary:

"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people.  I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here.  Not in a mean way.  In a curious way.  It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day . . . or wondering who did the heart breaking and wondering why."

Charlie is a freshman.  And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular.  Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.  Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory" the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.  But Charlie won't stay on the sideline forever.  Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective.  But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

What's to love about it?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower literally has a cult following, which is both admirable and frightening as all heck.  Thus, I needed to watch the movie.  As usual, I watched the movie before reading the book (oops!), but I didn't really like it except for Patrick.  Then I decided to watch it again a year later, and absolutely fell in love with the film.  Strange how time makes all the difference.  I ended up borrowing the book several months later and also connected with the original story, but in a completely different way than with the film.  I didn't connect with Patrick like in the movie, instead gravitating towards Charlie's sister.  Do I think this book is a little over-hyped?  Yes (says while cowering in fear), but it's still an important and addicting story.  However, I just wish Charlie refrained from drinking, smoking, and taking all those drugs.  That could have definitely been dialed down.  Just saying.  However, Charlie is so sweet, and I really want to 3-D print him.  Is that possible?  I'm going to go try.  




Topic of the Month: C's Favorite Books of 2017

Another year has passed which means a whole year's worth of reading has come to an end! To celebrate the new year, I thought I'd share some of my favorite books and series that I read in 2017. Enjoy!


1) The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

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GoodReads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.


2) Gilded Cage by Vic James


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GoodReads Summary:

In modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.

This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.

Have a quick ten years. . . . 


3) The Falconer Books 2 and 3 by Elizabeth May

The Vanishing Throne
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GoodReads Summary: 

Everything she loved is gone.

Trapped. Aileana Kameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the fae portal she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes in an alien world of mirrors, magic, and deception—a prisoner of the evil fae Lonnrach, who has a desperate and deadly plan for his new captive.

Tortured. Time after agonizing time Lonnrach steals Aileana’s memories, searching for knowledge to save his world. Just when she’s about to lose all hope, Aileana is rescued by an unexpected ally and returns home, only to confront a terrifying truth. The city of Edinburgh is now an unrecognizable wasteland. And Aileana knows the devastation is all her fault.

Transformed. The few human survivors are living in an underground colony, in an uneasy truce with a remnant of the fae. It is a fragile alliance, but an even greater danger awaits: the human and fae worlds may disappear forever. Only Aileana can save both worlds, but in order to do so she must awaken her latent Falconer powers. And the price of doing so might be her life… 


The Fallen Kingdom 
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GoodReads Summary:

She’s on borrowed time…and she has only one chance to set things right.

Find life.

Deep in a forest, Aileana Kameron claws her way out of the earth. Back from the dead with no memory of who she is or what has happened to her, the Falconer now possesses even greater otherworldly powers and a ruthless instinct to kill—and the one piece of knowledge that can change everything.

Find Kiaran.

Two fae monarchs, Aithinne and Kadamach, stand on the brink of war, and according to an ancient curse, one must die at the hand of the other or all the worlds will perish. Once, Kadamach was known as Kiaran, and he was mentor, protector, and lover to Aileana. Now, under the grip of the curse, his better nature seems lost forever.

Find the book.

Aileana’s only hope lies in the legendary Book of Remembrance, a book of spells so powerful that it can break the fae curse and even turn back time. But the book has been lost for centuries, and many are looking for it, including its creator, the Morrigan—a faery of terrifying malevolence and cruelty.

Sacrifice everything.

To obtain the book and defeat the Morrigan, Aileana must form an unthinkable alliance, one that challenges every vow she has made to herself—even as the powers that brought her to life are slowly but surely killing her.


4) Jasper Dent Books 1 and 2 by Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers

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GoodReads Summary:

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?


Game 

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GoodReads Summary:

Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.

In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.


5) Monsters of Verity Books 1 and 2  by Victoria Schwab


This Savage Song

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GoodReads Summary:

There’s no such thing as safe.

Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be.

August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon.

Their city is divided.

Their city is crumbling.

Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.

But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?


Our Dark Duet

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GoodReads Summary:

THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.

KATE HARKER isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it.

AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

THE WAR HAS BEGUN.

THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.

Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons.

Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within? 


6) The Hush by Skye Melki-Wegner

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GoodReads Summary:

In a world where music is magic, the echoes can kill you.

Chester has been traveling from village to village, searching for his kidnapped father. One night while fiddling to earn a few coins, he accidentally connects to the Song—the music that fuels every aspect of the world. It’s illegal to interact with the Song—only a licensed Songshaper may bend music to his will—and when Chester is caught, he’s sentenced to death.

But just before the axe is about to fall, someone in the crowd—a member of the infamous Nightfall Gang—stages a daring rescue, whisking Chester into the Hush, a shadowy nightmare mirror-world where Music can be deadly and Echoes can kill.

Susanna, captain of the Nightfall Gang has been watching Chester. She needs his special talent to pull off an elaborate plan. And she’ll risk everything to succeed. Even Chester’s life.


7) The Dire King (Jackaby #4) by William Ritter

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GoodReads Summary:


The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether. 

8) Right to Silence (Paranormal Detectives #4) by Lily Luchesi

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GoodReads Summary:

The truth can be deadly.

In the first of this two-part novel, we learn the history of hunters Brighton Sands and Mark Evans in their two lifetimes, culminating in their final battle with the insane vampire they have been hunting for centuries.

In the second part, with Angelica Cross still on the run, multiple vampiric murders lead to the kidnapping of a famous vamp. Detective Danny Mancini must drag a mortal into the bowels of Hell in order to rescue her.

But why does Leander Price want her so badly, and what does she have to do with an ancient vampire prophecy? 


9) Never Again (Paranormal Detectives Spin-Off) by Lily Luchesi

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GoodReads Summary:

A standalone spin-off of the Paranormal Detectives Series, we discover the true horrors during Hitler's reign.

In World War Two, not all monsters were human.

Male siren Sean Wireman was ostracized from his small village in Israel in the sixteenth century, forced to wander the world until he settled in America in the 1920's. Since he doesn't age like a normal person, he was fit to fight in World War Two, to defend the heritage he spent his whole life running from.

Seventy years later, after he has lived a whole other life since Hitler was defeated, from attending law school to becoming a bona fide rock star, the monsters the Nazis released upon the Jews in concentration camps have returned, and he is the only one who can destroy them.

But can he save his people once again, or will this fight take a deadly toll?


10) Zero Repeat Forever (The Nahx Invasions #1) by Gabrielle Prendergast

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GoodReads Summary:

He has no voice, or name, only a rank, Eighth. He doesn’t know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.

Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall.

His job is to protect his Offside. Let her do the shooting.

Until a human kills her…

Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth. Isolated in the wilderness, Raven and her friends have only a fragment of instruction from the human resistance.

Shelter in place.

Which seems like good advice at first. Stay put. Await rescue. Raven doesn’t like feeling helpless but what choice does she have?

Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.

Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear. But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival depends on trusting each other…


11) Royal Bastards (Royal Bastards #1) by Andrew Shvarts

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GoodReads Summary:

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . . 


12) Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

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GoodReads Summary:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.


13) Invictus by Ryan Graudin

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GoodReads Summary:

Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.