I get asked for book recommendations All.The.Time. And I love it. I never get tired of talking books. But most people just don’t have (or more likely make) time to read much so often times I end up recommending the same books over and over. If you’re only going to read a few books here are the ones I would say to hit first.
Just do it my favorite books they will leave you changed for the better!
- Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow and the whole Shadow series – leadership, friendship, human goodness
- Divergent – critical thinking, figuring out who you are, challenging what you’ve always been told
- The Night Circus – imagination, celebrating the process,
- The Girl of Fire and Thorn Series – perseverance, unexpected strength, growing up
- The Graceling Series – being honest to yourself, working through your shortcomings
Stories of survivors, identity
- Airman – making the best out of what you have, hope
- Grave Mercy (and Dark Triumph forthcoming) – making a new life, questioning your world, being strong for yourself and others
- Throne of Glass – forgiving yourself for your past, making yourself better
They may be teeny-boopery but they are entertainment at it’s best!
- The Mortal Instrument and Infernal Devices books – true friendship, identity
- Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series – action, romance, growing up
And I’m just assuming you’ve already read Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. If not definitely those too!
Linking up to The Broke and the Bookish. Those of you visiting from B&B I’d love to invite you to link up your TTT posts and any other posts you want to share to my What We Wore, Read, and Made Link Party.
Cynthia Marcano says
lol…I haven’t read any of yours either. Luv your blog.
InkkReviews says
Great Picks, I have read Divergent! LOVE LOVE LOVE, and I have the Night Circus on my shelf but I haven’t read yet. I have heard of the others of course! I need to check those out asap! Thanks for checking out my TTT , im always such a big fan of your blog! soooo purty! love it! – Katie @ Inkk
justcaffeinated says
Great list! I <3 Night Circus. I never got around to the other books in the Ender series, glad to hear they’re just as good! =)
My (slightly modified) TTT
Cristal | Book Addict says
I have the Night Circus and Girl of Fire and Thorns, but haven’t read it yet. Thanks for checking out my blog!
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
They are both such beautiful books and the story and ideas are so great I hope you end up loving them
pagesunbound says
We do have a lot of the same books! Maybe I should check out A Girl of Fire and Thorns since we seem to have the same taste!
thelibrarianchick says
Nice picks! Girl of Fire and Thorns is on my to-read list.
Roxanne Gillies says
The Girl of Fire and Thorns was amazing and The Crown of Embers was even better! I can’t wait for the third book to come out. And I can’t wait for Dark Triumph to come out either, at first I was bummed it wasn’t through Ismae’s POV but now I’m just excited!
Thanks for sharing you recommendations! :)
Roxy @ Story Envy
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
I agree with you 100% and I actually got to read an early version of Dark Triumph and I can confidently say it’s just as great and you’ll love it just as much and don’t worry you still get a good dose of Ismae
tonile.helena says
This post is seriously amazing. It looks fabulous! Other than The Night Circus, I haven’t read any of these… but so many of them are in my TBR pile. Fantastic list!
Tonile @ My Cup and Chaucer.
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
THey really are the ones that I’m constantly telling people they need to read. I hope you get to them and love them as much as I did!
alexandrasscribblings says
Oooh, Marissa, I really, really like how you’ve picked out the themes in these books. I really enjoyed the Infernal Devices trilogy, though I was a tiny bit… underwhelmed… at how it all ended. But having said that, I don’t know how else Clare could have done it, really, without breaking the hearts of her fans left, right and centre, and I still did love it! :-)
I adored the visual richness of The Night Circus – it’s one of the few books that I’ve read that I’ve genuinely loved, even though I didn’t really connect with any of the major characters, I think.
Maria @ bookchilla says
Fantastic list, Marissa! I have Ender’s Game on my list, too. :)
Graceling and Divergent is highly commendable.
my TTT
literaryetc says
The Night Circus keeps calling my name every time I’m in a bookstore. I haven’t read the rest, but I’m hoping to read Cassandra Clare sometime by June.
Jessica @ Literary, etc
Divergent Gryffindor says
Go go go Vampire Academy and Divergent!! :)) I read the first two books of The Mortal Instruments, but I’m not really into it..
Top Ten Books I Would Recommend
Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Lori says
I really, really need to get to Ender’s Game soon! I just keep saying that… :)
My Top Ten
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
Yes you do! If I had to pick one book for people to read it would be Ender’s Game or Ender’s Shadow! (They cover the same time period but different POV)
gonepecanla says
I want to read Ender’s Game so much, hopefully before the movie comes out. and The Night Circus. I agree with TMI and TID, and Divergent. ~daphne
Smallgood says
My husband is a HUGE Ender’s Game fan. Our friend and I prefer Ender’s Shadow. Both are great, but I don’t really like any of his other sci-fi books. Enchantment by OSC is pretty good (fairytale, magic, romance, adventure).
I enjoyed The Night Circus as well. Great selections!
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
I liked enders game but the rest of the enders books didn’t do much for me but I”m totally obsessed with the shadow books. The are the only books I’ve read over and over and over.
booksinthemoonlight says
The only one I’ve read on your list is The Night Circus. I’ve heard really good things about the Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series. I might have to check them out sometime :). Yay for including Eoin Colfer in there! I haven’t finished The Artemis Fowl series so I should get around to that.
Great list Marissa! Thank you for stopping by my blog!
Savindi
Krista Davis says
So much WIN here! VA, Bloodlines, Divergent, Throne of Glass, Grave Mercy, Infernal Devices, Mortal Instruments – I’ve read and loved them all. And a few even made it to my own list (VA and Infernal Devices)!
Here’s my TTT: Top Ten Tuesday at Krista’s Dust Jacket
Nancy @ Tumbling Books says
I haven’t read most of these! I really want to read The Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Clockwork Angel. Hopefully I’ll get to them soon. :)
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
I hope you end up loving them as much as I do!
Brad Sells says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brad Sells says
Ooh, great post! Love all your selections. :D
-Brad @ BookYAReview
Michelle says
I really want to read Vampire Academy!! I don’t really read vampire books, I see it all the time on ppls lists… and The Night Circus too!! It looks a little sophisticated for me (Haha), but I want to give it a try.
Thanks for stopping by My TTT :)
Megan Monell says
Great picks!
I like how you organized the list and broke it down. =)
I need to read some of these, like Girl of Fire and Thorns and Ender’s Game!
Here’s my Top Ten Tuesdays Post
Megan @ Love, Literature, Art, and Reason
Jessica @ Books: A true story says
Great picks! And the graphic is adorbs :)
Mel@Thedailyprophecy says
Oh yeah, I love your picks and I agree with most of them. Grave Mercy, Throne of Glass, Girl of fire and thorns, Divergent <3 I’m not such a fan of Mortal Instruments, though, and I haven’t read VA yet – but I hope to change that soon.
TT- Mel@thedailyprophecy.
callusedfingers says
I’m in the middle of The Night Circus right now and I’m *loving* it!
quinnsbooknook says
I really need to pick up The Night Circus. I’ve heard great things about it, and have seen it around a lot today. Great list – thanks for sharing :)
LisaILJ says
There are some on your list that I KNOW I need to start reading (Mortal Instruments, Graceling), and others that I love as well (VA/Bloodlines, Grave Mercy). BTW, to reply to your comment on my TTT, Eleanor & Park is absolutely amazing. Definitely try to pick it up.
LisaILJ @ My I’ll Tumble for YA
Sandi says
I’m in the middle of “Grave Mercy” as we speak. I love, LOOOOOOVE, it when I find a book that I can’t put down and that I find myself thinking about when I’m doing something other than reading.
Kimberly @ Turning the Pages says
Yay for Graceling! I loved that book. The others are on my tbr list and I can’t wait to knock them off my list!
Great picks!
Thanks for stopping by my TTT post!
–Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
Go Flash Go - Read, Rinse, Repeat says
Great list! I’ve either read each of these books, or they’re on my TBR. And believe it or not – there ARE some people who have not read The Hunger Games – my cousin, for one. I’ve been trying to force her, but I’ve so far been unsuccessful. What’s wrong with these people??? :)
Thanks for visiting.
Stephanie (Go Flash Go) @ Read, Rinse, Repeat
Tabitha says
Bloodlines for sure! I love Adrian, but I don’t think it’s one I recommend as much – just because if they haven’t read VA it’s hard for me to explain why they should read it.
And I”M SO WITH YOU on Harry Potter and Hunger Games. I never remember to recommend them because I assume everyone knows them already.
My Top Ten
Aylee says
Okay, first of all: that is an amazing graphic! And second of all, I really need to read The Girl of Fire and Thorn Series – it sounds excellent!! I of course always recommend Divergent, Grave Mercy, Throne of Glass, TMI, and TFI, as well!!
Kassi Mortensen says
So I’ve read Divergent and The Night Circus, but I have yet to read any of the others! Thanks for the long list!
The Word Ship says
I haven’t read any of these books, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about all of them. Maybe I should end my book buying ban? :D Feel free to check out my TTT if you feel like it! :)
Debra Hawkins says
Whoop! I am feeling pretty good about this list. I have read every one but one! I little while ago I thought I was never going to catch up on all the amazing books I missed when I lived in a place with no books. :)