Books That Blew Me Away💥

Consider this one massive #BookLove post, y’all. Books have and continue to change me, get me through some of my toughest time, and allow me to explore the world from home, so I just want to take some time to shout out some of my favorites. In no particular order…

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

This book, which is a feminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is just so beautiful in so many ways. The forest is a character all on its own, and it’s tragic and horrifying and incredible. We see Agnieszka grow from a timid young woman into a confident person with her own identity and goals entirely separate from any man’s in a more powerful way than possibly any other book I’ve ever read. The romance is steamy and satisfying. And the way Agnieszka learns how to use her magic in her own way, thank you very much, rather than how everyone else told her she was supposed to do it spoke to my soul. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It’s dark, yes. Extremely dark, really, but powerful in all the best ways.

Dread Nation by Justine Ireland

I talked about this book in my Newsletter Video 1: Reliving My Loves From Teenage-dom on YouTube. Firstly, it might be one of the best examples of first person present POV I’ve ever read. This POV is hotly contested—some people, Philip Pullman^ included, absolutely hate this perspective. And, to be fair, it can be extremely hard to read and/or distracting. During Dread Nation, however, I completely forgot that was our POV. You just felt like you were right there, listening to Jane tell her story. It’s also got such a cool premise—the dead rise up during the civil war. There’s lots of girl power of all different kinds, and the book takes a good hard look at racism, sexism, and more. It’s a fantastic adventure and I just can’t recommend it enough.

^During this year’s SCBWI Summer Spectacular conference, he referred to this perspective as the “scourge” of the YA/children’s book world.

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

Science and dragons and Victorian era goodness, oh my! These books feed my nerdery in the best way! Picture this: it’s a Victorian era-esque world. Scientific discovery is everything. And there are friggin’ dragons IRL ohmigoodness yaaaaaaaas! The books are framed as the memoirs of one Lady Isabella Trent. She is tough and smart and stubborn and pragmatic and I relate to her on a spiritual level.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

I see Chalice as kind of a superhero book. This young woman inherits powers she has no idea how to use and is expected to help people with them. If you’ve never read her, Robin McKinley is a beautiful writer. And this story is sweet and soft and gentle, but full of heart and determination. And there’s honey! So much lovely honey! And a quiet romance. It’s just a completely wonderful, easy read, and you’re rooting for the MC to find her way and her place the entire time.

The Making of Gabriel Davenport by Beverley Lee

I’ve talked about this book before… a lot. I’m sorry I keep banging on about it, but this book showed me I can read horror and enjoy it. Gasp! 😳 And lemme tell y’all, there’s no better time than right now, the spookiest of seasons to jump in. The atmosphere is creepy and chilling and on point. There’s a varied range of characters, all of whom have their own bright and distinct personalities and agendas. And yet there’s the heart in there too. Family is a huge piece of this book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Magyk by Angie Sage

Controversial opinion: The Septimus Heap series, of which Magyk is the first one, is better than the Harry Potter series 🤭. Sorry not sorry, y’all, but Magyk and all the rest of the books in the series are full of whimsy and delight. And there’s no barrier to use magic. You don’t have to be born special; anyone can buy charms and use them. The characters are all colorful, and the world is incredible. And, as it’s middle grade, they’re pretty easy reads, but they’ve got some darkness too. A perfect balance I’d say.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

During one of her Facebook Lives, Gail Carriger described this as a hug in a book. And gosh is that an apt description! I love this book so much it hurts! This book is sweet and warm and I want to adopt all the children. On more than one occasion, I was doing that weird, shrieky, cry-”awww” sound while reading. There’s a soft magic system in the book, which gives a subtle taste of fantasy, but there’s enough of our world in this too to make it #relateable. You want a happy book that will warm your heart, this is it.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

And speaking of my most favorite author, Gail Carriger’s books are all amazing, but Soulless is where I met her world. Set in an alternate history London where vampires and werewolves are members of the peerage, these books are hilarious and sweet and imaginative. And there’s so much food! These books are why I love pesto now. And they’ll take you all over the world, from London to Italy, Egypt, and more if you read more of her Parasolverse series. I just adore them all, and if you want to laugh, this is the series to read.

The Giver by Lois Lowery

This is, hands down, the most transformative book of my childhood. The Giver addresses the problems of choice and knowledge and ignorance and security. In a way it’s an easy read because it’s meant for children, but it’s also really, really not. Gabe has to bear things no child should ever have to. It’s painful and heart wrenching, but, I think, such an important book too. And they don’t get easier as the series progresses. The third book in the series had me crumpled on my sofa and sobbing at the end. But I still can’t stress the importance of these books enough.

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

Who wants a Pride and Prejudice retelling with dragons? ME! Don’t get me wrong, the original Pride and Prejudice is my jam! But, as you may have noticed, this girl cannot resist dragons. And I’ll admit, I was ready to be disappointed when I went into this. 1) I’m really picky about retellings and 2) as I said before, Pride 👏 and 👏 Prejudice 👏 is 👏 my 👏 jam! But I am happy to say I adored this book. It took the idea of strong female lead to the place I love best—not a one dimensional interpretation of this idea!

Slight side tangent here. I cannot stand it when people think strong female characters are just… strong. Like, physically strong. No. Strong female characters are those who fight for what’s important to them in the way that speaks to them for their own reasons. A strong female lead can be a stay-at-home mom who lovingly but firmly tells her bougie suburbanite friends about the importance of intersectionality and makes sure to make plans to vote in every election because she knows using her voice is an important part of democracy.

Back to the book, our Elizabeth character is so freakin’ strong. She’s incredible and smart and brave. And she doesn’t want to fight baddies! No, she would rather heal those who do prefer to fight the baddies and I love her! I also feel this book really honors the original story. Also, the dragons are hella cool and can talk! What more do you need? And on that note…

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Look, the book is an absolute gold standard classic. It holds up even today. And it’s sweet and gentle and hilarious—seriously, Jane Austen is the queen of the sly burn—but also addresses issues of sexism (none of the five daughters can inherit their current house and land simply because they are female), embarrassing family (we’ve got those family members), entitlement (Darcy until he has his arc, ‘nuff said), and more. It’s just amazing.

Bonus: if you want a good movie adaptation, I recommend the 1995 version with Kiera Knightly. It’s the best one I’ve ever seen and I adore it.

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Yup, Robin McKinley gets two books here because she is a legend. Deerskin is a retelling of the fairytale Donkeyskin and, honestly, y’all this book is dark and hard and beautiful and powerful. I’ll be honest, this is one of those books that moves pretty slow for a while. It really builds up the characters and the background, but it’s a beautiful telling, so enjoy the ride. Robin McKinley’s writing is so rich. It’s hard not to feel like you’re right there. Lissla is a quiet protagonist, and she goes through hell. And then through a different kind of hell to overcome what she’s experienced. The ending, though, is what got me the most. I won’t give anything away here. Suffice to say, as much as I love a perfectly happy ending, sometimes it’s nice when a book says, “I know, sometimes things don’t work out well. Sometimes you just have to make the best of things. I know this, and I see you.”

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding

Steampunk and swashbuckling, smugglers and airships, gritty scenery, diverse characters. It’s all in Chris Wooding’s Ketty Jay series! This book was what inspired me to write Out of the Shadows, so it has a special place in my heart. It’s such a fun adventure in an incredibly imagined world. Honestly, if you want action and adventure, this is your ticket.

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

This is actually the second book in the series, but they’re kind of episodic, so you could technically skip the first one if you wanted. I don’t actually think you should. The first one, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, is also great, but I just connected to The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy on such a deeper level. I adore Felicity Montague and all her snark and determination. And she’s asexual! Holla to all my ace friends! These books are hilarious and full of hijinks and heart and silly situations. They’re historical fiction if that suits your fancy too.

So that’s it. That’s my list of star books. See any in here you also love? Or want to recommend one that you think would fit in with this pack? Let me know in the comments below 👇. Enjoy! And thanks for reading.

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