Dany and I met because of Harry Potter, which is an obvious contender for this list. However, if you haven’t read Harry Potter by now, it’s probably because a. you don’t want to (totally legit), or b. aliens abducted you and you know you have to read it right now, before someone spoils you, so I’m going to not include it in this list. The books I feel like most people have read (aka, books that were made into movies), I won’t bring up here. This list is more about the series (I am a fan of series) that I loved deeply, but not everyone has read. Anyone can recommend The Hunger Games (and I do, it’s a great series!), but these are less well known, but wonderful books to read.
Tamora Pierce
This is just an author, I realize, but when you go and look at Tamora Pierce’s work, she really has two worlds that she plays in, and several series in each. When you think girl power, this is the world you want to go into. Start with Alana: The First Adventure. Girl against the patriarchy, woman with a sword, beating out the boys. It’s a little dated now, as it was written in the 80s, but Pierce continues to grow as a writer as the series continue. If you have a young child who is looking to get into fantasy, don’t give them Lord of the Rings, give them Tamora Pierce. I’m serious, these books were the cornerstone of my childhood, and of me becoming a writer.
Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane
Nine (soon to be ten) book series about Nita Callahan and Kit Rodriguez, wizards, fighting against the Lone Power, the entity that created death in the universe. The first book is almost middle grade in tone, but Diane Duane never pulls her punches (gut punches, ouch). Her concept of magic is absolutely fascinating and totally worth a look, even if you don’t get attached to the two main characters, who are both bookish, but totally badass. The series grows really well, and despite being young in the beginning, explores morally grey areas, the meaning of death, and how saving the world doesn’t have to be all about big battles, it can be as simple as saving one person. Diane Duane recently updated the series (it’s been published since the 80s, and they’re pretty technically savvy books, so some books had become quite dated, though I still enjoyed them) with the New Millennium versions, which is where I recommend you start.
Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
These books were recommended to me as “Alanna [Tamora Pierce], but if George had been the one to dress up and ended up with Jon”, which I think is actually quite accurate, and very amusing. For those of you who haven’t read Tamora Pierce (see the beginning of this list), Leviathan takes place as Franz Ferdinand is shot and killed and the powers of Europe are mobilizing for war. Here’s the thing though, it’s alternative history, so in this world, Darwin discovered genetic material and started to genetically manipulate animals to create new organisms. Meanwhile in Germany, technology took off. So the brewing World War I is between the Clanker nations and the Darwinist nations. The book focuses on Deryn, a young woman who wants to be in the air force, traveling on the living air balloons that the British Empire has created, and Aleks, the son of the dead duke (who didn’t exist in our world). The action is fast paced, Deryn hides as a boy on the ship, there’s tons of action and intrigue. And I really enjoyed the romance.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou collects teeth for Brimstone, things happen. I really can’t explain why I love this book so much, especially since it’s got so many tropes I hate. Somehow Laini Taylor managed to creep into my heart without me even realizing it. The series is emotional, evocative, and beautifully written. The tropes that I usually hate are so well played, so deeply rooted in real emotion, that it makes them sing, and tug at all the heart strings correctly. I can’t explain the tropes without spoiling this series, but let me tell you, this series is worth every penny to read.
Partials by Dan Wells
The first book in this series is good. It’s interesting and has great follow through. It sets up the world well. It is a standard dystopian novel. World destroyed the end of all things, etc. So you might wonder why I would recommend it. This series blew me away in the second book, and the third. The whole thing taken together is a thing that I still am considering and thinking about. It starts out with Kira Walker, a medic in the last human civilization after a deadly disease wiped out the population of the world, but where it goes from there… the questions raised and the writing are all excellent. It’s a great series to read.
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