It’s Tuesday! And that means it’s time to participate in the meme created by Broke and Bookish where bloggers share their top ten based on a given topic.
Today’s Topic is: Holiday Gift Guide freebie (ten books to buy the YA lover in your life, 10 books to buy for your dad, etc.)
I find lists like this really hard. I just want to give everyone all the books… but realise just how impractical (and dare I say silly) that would be.
My sister is my favourite person to push books onto. I buy her copies of all my favourites but due to her disdain for anything otherworldly, she doesn’t really like most of what I’ve given her. Signed copies of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy have gone unread and I think she thought I was offending her when I tried to get her to love the Throne of Glass series as much as I did.
So more recently I’ve been trying to only recommend (you say I’m pushing books onto her, I say I’m recommending them thoughtfully) books I think she’d actually read.
So my list for this week is:
Top Ten Books to buy your fantasy hating, supernatural fearing, all round paranormal avoiding friends. (AKA. top ten contemporary books you should give contemporary lovers).
1 and 2: All the Bright Places OR Holding Up the Universe (both by the wonderfully brilliant Jennifer Niven). These are both contemporary YA with all the feels. Think John Green but slightly less pretentious.
3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Or pretty much anything Rainbow Rowell has written. Fangirl is my favourite combining a freshman trying to survive college whilst indulging herself and her love of fanfiction.
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. All three standalone books in this world ( are perfect for fans of adorable romances with fun characters. Extra points because the settings are lovely and really influence the plot.
5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. This one makes my list because it’s a sweet story and it is told almost in real time. The entire story takes place over a day or so and it acknowledges the unlikeliness/impossibility of finding love in a short time frame but takes the idea and runs with it.
6. Anything by Sarah Dessen. Real issues discussed in books with realistic female leads.
7. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. Good girl with issues who falls for the bad boy with a soft side. Somewhat cliched but it is written well and just works.
8. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. It’s cute. It’s fun. And it now has a sequel for those who want more time in Dash and Lily’s world.
9. The Stage Dive series by Kylie Scott. This is more adult (by which I mean it’s extremely sexy and erotic) and is one of my favourite contemporary series. Rockstar romances with great characters and strong female leads.
10. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley. Set in a bookstore this books is about words, love and the relationship between them. In short – it’s just awesome. The fact that it’s Aussie YA just makes it all the more appealing. Read it – you won’t regret it!
Gift guides are fun. What book do you think I should add to my gift guide?