VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.
Review: With a kick butt heroine, original vampire mythology and a super hot mentor, this is not your average vampire story.
I highly recommend VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead to fans of fantasy, particularly vampires. Bonus points for romance.
SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White
Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
So much for normal.
Review: Holy bleep, it was awesome!
I highly recommend SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White to everyone who enjoys any paranormal/fantasy.
THE BOOK OF LUKE by Jenny O'Connell
Emily Abbott has always been considered the Girl Most Likely to Be Nice — but lately being nice hasn't done her any good. Her parents have decided to move the family from Chicago back to their hometown of Boston in the middle of Emily's senior year. Only Emily's first real boyfriend, Sean, is in Chicago, and so is her shot at class valedictorian and early admission to the Ivy League. What's a nice girl to do?
Then Sean dumps Emily on moving day and her father announces he's staying behind in Chicago "to tie up loose ends," and Emily decides that what a nice girl needs to do is to stop being nice.
She reconnects with her best friends in Boston, Josie and Lucy, only to discover that they too have been on the receiving end of some glaring Guy Don'ts. So when the girls have to come up with something to put in the senior class time capsule, they know exactly what to do. They'll create a not-so-nice reference guide for future generations of guys — an instruction book that teaches them the right way to treat girls.
But when her friends draft Emily to test out their tips on Luke Preston — the hottest, most popular guy in school, who just broke up with Josie by email — Emily soon finds that Luke is the trickiest of test subjects . . . and that even a nice girl like Emily has a few things to learn about love.
Review: Quick, run read with interesting insight into how boys and girls approach dating.
I recommend THE BOOK OF LUKE by Jenny O'Connell to fans of contemporary, romance, or just plain fun reads.
THE RETURN OF THE KING by J.R.R. Tolkien
Having vanquished Sauron's troops and killed the Lord of the Dark Riders, heroic hobbit Frodo Baggins and his band of soldiers now face another, bloodier battle outside Mordor's Black Gate. The concluding volume of Tolkien's masterful trilogy.
Review: An epic end to an epic series.
I highly recommend THE RETURN OF THE KING by J.R.R. Tolkien to any fantasy fan. How have you not read this?
FORBIDDEN by Tabitha Suzuma
She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.
Review: Wow. Just wow. One of the most incredible books I've ever read.
I highly recommend FORBIDDEN by Tabitha Suzuma to all mature readers who can handle the subject material.
*Summaries provided by GoodReads.
Thanks for the recommendations. I've added Vampire Academy (book 1) and Supernaturally to be "to read" list.
ReplyDeleteI took a look at Forbidden, but got put off by the characters using words like "sidewalk" and acting like it was strange that the roads were narrow, when they're supposed to be English (and a lot of our roads ARE narrow - it doesn't indicate a poor area). It just makes me think the author hasn't done enough research, so I'm concerned about what else might spoil my enjoyment of the story.
I'm glad you liked the recommendations. I can understand your hesitation with Forbidden, because you'd want the setting to be reflected accurately. However, the author is actually from the UK, so I don't think there will be many hang-ups for you while reading this.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm an American who has never been to England, so my reading experience was different. I wouldn't know whether or not she reflected the setting accurately and whether or not she draws attention to things you don't think she should.