Holiday Gift Guide: Historical Fiction

I'm doing something new this holiday season; I wanted to give book recommendations that would make good gifts! So I'm going to pick themes and list books that I think are the best of the best, making great gifts to the book lovers in your life! I will preface this by stating most of my recommendations will be YA, so keep that in mind! 

Books to Buy for the Historical Fiction Book Lover!

I've just gotten into historical fiction last year. I was never one for the past, but I read some really great books that mold fact with fiction in such interesting ways that I got hooked! Now I love the genre, and I like that it can have other elements in it as well, like magic. Very diverse periods and people down below that I hope you find something!

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper - Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing.

The Diviners by Libba Bray - And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly - Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other.

Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer - The story of Mary Tudor’s childhood is a classic fairy tale.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper - Stolen from her village, sold to the highest bidder, fifteen-year-old Amari has only one thing left of her own: hope.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - One girl's voice breaks the silence of history.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis - Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli - He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham. 

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Holiday Gift Guide: Science Fiction

I'm doing something new this holiday season; I wanted to give book recommendations that would make good gifts!  So I'm going to pick themes  and list books that I think are the best of the best, making great gifts to the book lovers in your life!  I will preface this by stating most of my recommendations will be YA, so keep that in mind!

Books to Buy for the Science Fiction Book Lover! 

Sci-Fi is my second favorite genre.  This has a lot to do with my dad, as he is a sci-fi nut!  He got me watching Star Trek really early, and from that point on I was done for.  My favorite book all through high school was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which is one of the preeminent sci-fi books (and an extra suggestion!) Below I've listed some of my favorites and some ones that I've heard great things about!

Feed by M.T. Anderson -Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: "M1k3y" will take down the DHS himself.

Mothership by Martin Lecht & Isla Neal - Teen pregnancy is never easy—especially not when extraterrestrials are involved.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis - A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Earthseed by Pamela Sargent - Can Zoheret and her companions overcome the biggest obstacle to the survival of the human race—themselves?

Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill - Durango is playing the cards he was dealt. And it’s not a good hand.

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad - Who knows what's really out there?

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan - What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Starship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James - Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

Losers in Space by John Barnes - It is the year 2129 . . . and fame is all that matters.

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Holiday Gift Guide: Fantasy

I'm doing something new this holiday season; I wanted to give book recommendations that would make good gifts!  So I'm going to pick themes  and list books that I think are the best of the best, making great gifts to the book lovers in your life!  I will preface this by stating most of my recommendations will be YA, so keep that in mind!

Books to Buy for the Fantasy Book Lover! 

Fantasy was my first love.  As a kid I read all the fantasy books I could get my hands on, and I especially loved fairy tales.  Now my tastes run a little bit more sophisticated, but a good fairy tale retelling is always guaranteed to suck me in.  Plus, now I get to read the darker versions of fantasy which I love.  So I picked some books that I think fit into all the great fantasy categories!

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce -Alanna's first adventure begins -- one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville - What is Un Lun Dun?

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton - Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev -All her world’s a stage.

Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst - Now The Wild wants its characters back.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin - Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - In which a witch bewitched the hatter's daughter - and then some....

The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen - In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing.

Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan - Welcome to the Faerie world, where nothing is ever what it seems and no one can be trusted.

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Holiday Gift Guide: Dystopia

I'm doing something new this holiday season; I wanted to give book recommendations that would make good gifts!  So I'm going to pick themes  and list books that I think are the best of the best, making great gifts to the book lovers in your life!  I will preface this by stating most of my recommendations will be YA, so keep that in mind!

Books to Buy for the Dystopia Book Lover! 

Dystopians are all over the YA sphere!  And why not?  You can set a dystopia anywhere with anything!  I love them for that quality and I think they are some of the best books on the market right now.  Below I've listed some of the ones that are popular already or are a little less well-known, but either way are must-reads for the dystopia lover!

Divergent by Veronica Roth - One choice can transform you.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting - Charlie is the key to something much bigger.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre - Welcome to the apocalypse.

XVI by Julia Karr - Every girl gets one.  An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien - Her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young - With her world shattered, Saba will fight to put it back together.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi -  In this world oil is scarce, but loyalty is scarcer.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty - Two sisters. Two journeys. One unexpected future.

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Holiday Gift Guide: GLBT

I'm doing something new this holiday season; I wanted to give book recommendations that would make good gifts!  So I'm going to pick themes  and list books that I think are the best of the best, making great gifts to the book lovers in your life!  I will preface this by stating most of my recommendations will be YA, so keep that in mind!

Books to Buy for the GLBT Book Lover! 

GLBT or LGBT books are gaining popularity within the young adult field, but they are still underrepresented   I think this is horrible, as there is a large portion of youth who identify on the queer spectrum.  I am a lover and advocate of these books, and I wanted to tkae the opportunity to share some of my favorites!

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger - One little thing changes, and suddenly everything is different.

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George -  They each have to decide what's more important: what you believe in, or the one you love?

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - Sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - Who is this other guy called Will Grayson...what’s the story with the guy walking around with my name?

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn - What happens when the pact of the "No Kiss List" is broken?

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey - While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz - In the wake of the post-9/11 sniper shootings, fragile love finds a stronghold.

Almost Perfect by Brain Katcher - You only hurt the ones you love.

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger -A novel of love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park.

Ash by Malinda Lo - She must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

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