Ten Books and Series I Adore That You Need To Read Now

In between all the blogging, all the designing, the coding, the teaching, the learning and the sleepless nights spent getting my head around business, the one thing I've never quite fallen out of love is reading and books. Sure, I might have dropped my 'book blogger' label, and I may have only recently started rereading due to anxiety and other mental health conditions, but I have been an avid reader for quite a few years now, it's what brought me to this point in my blogging life, and it doesn't look likely to change any time soon. As you can imagine, I've read an awful lot of books in that time, and within those, an awful lot of good books too, which means that sadly, there's always a few books and series I just don't chat about all that often, and that's a shame.

Because of this startling fact, I thought I'd turn back time and get involved in what used to be one of my favourite features as a start up blogger, the feature that helped me create friendships, connections and develop favourite blogs in return. I'll be linking up with Top Ten Tuesday from yesterday, and I'll be sharing 10 books/series that I simply don't talk enough about that you need to make time to read, as soon as you possibly can. Drop everything and check them out.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

You know what, I might talk about Landy and this series quite a lot, but it's never enough, not even nearly enough. We're talking a real-dead talking skeleton detective, lots of paranormals like zombies and vampires that shed their skin, and witches that will turn you inside out, and characters that transform into spiders, and badass independent women that cause havoc, and cool shady characters that travel underground and leap around, and hilarious banter, and lots of death and evil and necromancers, and most of all, messages of friendships and family and saving those we care about most no matter what that means. It's a BIG series, and it's a commitment, but oh man, the rewards are vast. Ask Cait, she'll confirm my story.

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Aha, the first standalone, and stand on it's own two feet it does. Sure, it's of the squishy, soft, marshmallow variety of contemporary, but it's super shippable, super fun, super sad and super. The characters, the development, the secrets, the banter, THE BANTER people, it's totally banter-fluff and I love it so so much. I read 172 books the year I read The Distance; it was one of 10 favourites. Seriously, so good.

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Once again, another standalone, but only because I haven't gotten to Mortal Gods of Godly yet. Still, Blake's writing is just enthralling, and encasing, and so easy to absorb and her twist on the mythology is totally A*, we're talking twisted characters, bad motives, some sweet romance, nobody to trust, such imagination when it comes to deaths and battles and look, it wasn't perfect, I didn't blow my top, but still, it was a simply GREAT book, and it excited me. A lot.

Half Bad and Half Wild by Sally Green

This series deserves a lot more talk than it gets. Let's see: she's a debut author, there's witches, both good and bad, with magical skill and powers, there's a possible (although highly likely) LGBT romance, (although it's been a triangle so far..) there's transforming into animals, there's eating people, there's torture and pain and heartbreak and many deaths, and there's a very relatable anti-hero in the middle of it all. I know I know, it sounds out-of-this-world awesome, and I forgive you for having not read it sooner.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Going back to the mythology route, I have to say, this series is not without it's faults. There is a lot of, let's say delaying the inevitable, because for pete's sake, they should have just gotten together asap, you know? Still, the rest of this series, AWESOME. I kid you not, amazing skills, amazing powers, every character follows traits of the greek mythological people, not gods (which is awesome okay, makes a change!) and there's intense underworld travels, and Hades is SO nice, and lots of traitors and genuinely out-of-this-world intense scenes and friendships and relationships and FAMILY, family is so big in this series, father-daughters, motherly mothers, OH AND HECTOR. *cries*

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I rarely talk about this series, and if I'm honest, I really don't know why. IT'S SO GOOD. There's spaceships, and special powers and skills, and lots of traitors, and cruel rulers, and hunting, and armies, and so many feelings throughout the entire series, it's just so hard to think of each little step individually. It's a total case of two different worlds colliding and the complete carnage that comes with it, with everyone wanting to survive and live together, and OH, the ships. Also Roar. I need not saying anything more, just that someone should go and see that he doesn't need another hug.

Flesh and Blood by Simon Cheshire

I don't do scary books, or horror books, or books that dare to affect what little sleep I already get at night. I am a first-class wimp and a half, and yet I requested, read and LOVED Flesh and Blood, although it certainly freaked me out and had me on edge for days. days.. Still, it's a really awesome, creepy book with lots of pain and murder and secret snooping around and completely deranged neighbours and experiments and a really nosey, really unlucky protagonist, with a really horrifying open ending. I don't mean to put you off, it's a really really good book, and I love it oh so much, so please, but on your big girl panties and read it.

Angelbound by Christina Bauer & Alpha Girl by Aileen Erin

Yes, this could be seen as cheating, but oh well. Sure, the angels and demons and hell and underworld tropes have been used millions of times, as has the werewolves and witches angle, BUT, and that's a big but, these series do it oh so well, and I love them so. Even the weaker books in the series I love to pieces.

In Angelbound, were talking fierce warrior ladies with awesome fighting tails and handsome demon-killing princes, and fallen angels and battles that decide whether you go to heaven and hell. Oh, and did I mention dragons? THERE ARE DRAGONS. Only in the last two books, but still, awesome dragons.

Alpha Girl is all about the wolves and vampires and evil power stealing witches and loads of hot werewolf guys, and I mean, I know that sounds like a lot of romance in comparison to the other series, and it is, but the friendships, and the family aspects, and the whole pack power thing is *sings awesome* Please, check out these series?

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

Have you ever loved a series so much it physically hurts to say goodbye to everyone in it? This is that series, and holy shomolly, this might not be a 'superhero' series, but it's damn well epic, and that's enough reason to check it out. Yes, we've got the whole demon-thing going again, BUT, it's totally different, and there's super skills, and you train as demon killers, but you are half of one, and there's parallel worlds underneath our world and nobody is who they say they are and you can't trust anyone, and there's some super heartbreaking moments, and his note, in the end, HE OWED HER ONE SOUL. *cries a river* I know, there's a lot of crying going on, I just have a lot of love for these books, okay?

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Such a tough call with this recommendation, but okay, let's get to business. It probably isn't all that scary in terms of horror, and in comparison to Flesh and Blood, there's a lot more romance (although that's odd?) and let's scary moments, BUT, the first is certainly better than the second. Like, I LOVED the murder and scenes and gruesome deaths and pain and all the characters and the history and the bits that made me go WOAH, but the romance was, meh. Also, the second book doesn't need reading. Sure, I liked it, and I love what Blake does, but Girl of Nightmares was, not needed, and didn't provide anything new for the first novel. BAH, I still love Anna, so read it, okay?

There are an awful lot more books I love that I would highly recommend, but the thing with recommendations is that there are always more to come, so if you want to be sure you don't miss out on any awesome books I love, and or want to stay up to date on what I'm reading, you can check me out on Goodreads by either following or sending a friend request. You can also check out more of my photography on Instagram. I'll definitely be doing another edition of this in the future, but for now, it's farewell.

If you could reccommend me a fantasy, dystopia, sci-fi and contemporary novel, what would they be, and why?