Book Recommendations 1.0

Hello and welcome to the simulation!

The last couple of posts were somewhat heavy topics, so I’m happy to change up the pace with some fun book recommendations for you! I have curated this list after days and days of toiling to pick the ones I deemed suitable for your precious eyes. Then again...you might hate them, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

Let’s go into it with an open mind. I’ll provide descriptions of the general vibe (without spoilers, of course) so you can determine whether it’s the book for you.

I’m keeping this list pretty general with one book per genre, so hopefully there’s something for everyone on this list. I lean towards fantasy and sci-fi but enjoy reading other genres too.

One disclaimer, if you’re concerned with the categorization of these books: a lot of books span a few categories. For example; we may classify a book as both fantasy and sci-fi depending on the content. I categorized these as best as I could to give you a list of books I really enjoyed. The descriptions should help you better understand what each book is about. (Translation, if you yell at me about why a book isn’t classified as “dystopian” versus “sci-fi”, when they border on both, then I will simply close my eyes and go “lalalalala” until you go away.)

Now let’s get into it!

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Fantasy - The Final Empire (Mistborn Book#1) by Brandon Sanderson

This book is a full on epic fantasy adventure. It starts off revealing a world in which the “Lord Ruler” is the unquestioned authority who is basically invincible. A select group of those from the fringe parts of society come together to create a plan to overthrow their oppressors. If you want to read more on the general plot, then click the image of the cover page, it will take you to Goodreads where you can read more about it (same for all the other books on this list).

What I love about this book is not just the enormity of the plot but how every detail adds up, even the most minute. Brandon Sanderson creates such an in-depth world with vivid characters, you become ensnared in the heart, politics, and community of it all.

The magic system. Oh, the magic system of these books! As a writer, I admire so much how Sanderson came up with such a unique and powerful magic system. There are people called “allomancers” that are genetically predisposed to “burn” metals by ingesting them, which allow them to enhance their physical and mental capabilities. There’s sixteen metals that allomancers can use, and each one causes a different effect. I’m very fascinated by interesting magic systems and this is one of the best ones I’ve read.

There’s mystery, tragedy, horror, and love packaged in this book, and in the rest of the trilogy. It’s one of the best epic fantasies I have ever read. If you want to go on a journey to exciting lands and read about epic battles, this is the book for you.

Romance - Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

We are switching lanes here, straight into romance. To my family, if they’re reading this - I didn’t read this book, promise. I don’t read steamy books at all…please keep scrolling.

To everyone else, WHAT’S UP LETS TURN UP THE HEAT IN THIS MUTHA.

Sherrilyn Kenyon was one of the first romance authors I knew of, and her Dark-Hunter series was my first step into the world of paranormal romance. I have never actually read any romance or erotica that was not paranormal. Huh. I’ll leave that thought for my therapist later.

This book is a prequel to the Dark-Hunter series, which is a series of books that contain a romantic (and action/thriller/fantasy) story for one couple per book. Each book in the series also builds on the overarching world as we go through the stories. The Dark-Hunter series heavily involves Greek mythology (which I am a sucker for).

In this book, Julian of Macedon has been trapped in a curse for over two thousand years because of his brother. Grace is a sex therapist who gets more than she bargained for when a birthday spell cast as a joke ends up summoning the ancient Greek general (Julian) to her house. The rest of the story involves a lot of crazy, funny, and romantic moments.

One thing to note, this book was published in 2002. So there may be some outdated references, though I found it oddly touching, heartwarming, and quite funny. There is sex on the page; however, if you’re familiar with the romance genre, it will most likely be a bit less than what we’re seeing nowadays.

Classic - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

This is a classic novel, it is also a dystopian science fiction work that was published in 1932. For those of you who have read or heard of 1984 by George Orwell, you may like this book too. I enjoyed Brave New World over 1984 and also thought that in some ways it was more accurate to our world today (depends on what country you’re talking about, I suppose).

Where 1984 is a story about an authoritarian society controlled by fear, Brave New World is about an authoritarian society controlled by constant pleasure and over stimulation.

There are no actual relationships or intimacy between people anymore. Intimacy is commodified as a product (as is anything pleasurable in this society). Bernard Marx is a psychologist that lives in the World State city of London and tries to navigate his relationships and insecurities while growing continually disappointed in the way things are being run in their society.

Warning that there will be some things in this book that are offensive and uncomfortable to read, such as the description and storyline of the “savages”. There are both great insights and terribly outdated ideas in older books, so please be wary when reading them.

Hopefully, while you remain critical of the content, you find this classic to as thought provoking and interesting as I did!

Young Adult/Middle Grade - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I’m going to attempt to contain myself over this book and how much I love it. I become a bit of an emotional panda about it.

This is a story about a little boy named Bod who grows up in a graveyard. He’s raised by the ghosts of those who were buried there and has a mysterious guardian who roams freely between the graveyard and the outside world.

This is a really heartwarming story with fun and exciting moments to keep you wondering what will happen to Bod. We’re thrown on a journey going from danger, to mystery, to love, to poignancy. Some themes I got from this story were about moving on and what it means to keep living.

I will announce this from the rooftops: I completely adore Neil Gaiman with all my heart and am making my way through his entire bibliography! He has an uncanny ability to write the most emotional and meaningful children’s books I’ve ever read. I think that anyone of any age could read this book and get something out of it.

Side note: If you like comicbooks, there’s also a graphic novel version of this book that’s really cool too! It comes as two volumes and the artwork is gorgeous.

Children’s - Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Oh, that’s awkward. We’re still on Gaiman. I honestly didn’t realize that until we got to this category. I mean, is it any surprise after I just announced my bit from the rooftops there?

Quick summary: A father explains to his children how a milk-run became a time traveling intergalactic adventure.

So I read this book sitting on the deck. The sky was clear blue, and the sun was too warm. I sat with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk (because I was five years old that afternoon, but a thrilled five-year-old nonetheless). I narrated the entire book in one sitting aloud, to myself in the backyard. You may wonder if I was just mumbling the words while snacking, but no. I am all or nothing. I committed to throwing a distinct voice for EVERY character.

This is the free show you get if you're my neighbour. Shout out to them for not calling the police.

Anyway, this is a cute, witty, and funny little book to read to your little ones. Or to yourself. Get some cookies, sit somewhere warm, and get to it.

Dystopian - Scythe (Arc of a Scythe Book #1) by Neal Shusterman

We can classify this book within fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian fiction - either way, it’s a hell of a ride.

Set in the future; in a world where there is no want for food and disease has been eradicated. Scientists have conquered death itself. The world is managed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and death is managed separately by a professional body of “scythes”. Scythes have the power to take life away, permanently, in order to keep the population under control. Citra and Rowan are potential apprentices to become scythes. However, they discover there is a lot more to the scythedom than meets the eye.

I really love this story, it’ll definitely be a re-read for me at some point. This was one of those “edge of your seat” thriller type stories, particularly when we got to book 2 and 3. Every book amped up the tension and stakes to the point where I became completely invested and desperate to know what would happen at the end.

This is the type of story that I could see become a movie adaption, I really hope a production company picks it up in the future!

Mystery - Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Hah! This hits the holiday season and the genre. *Applauds myself* Oh thank you, thank you, I try…

Agatha Christie is the queen of mystery, so of course she must be the first mystery recommendation I make. Though I have other favourite Agatha Christie books, like “And Then There Were None”, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas was a fun December read.

Simon Lee, a wealthy old man, invites his adult children over for dinner during the holidays with their spouses for a family reunion. A death occurs and our beloved Poirot must find out who the perpetrator is, ideally before they distribute the estate. There are a lot of twists and turns in this one to throw you off...

Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t have the mind of an investigator, I can rarely see these endings coming. So unless you’re a mystery solving pro, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the end! I really respect those that write mystery. In any form, it takes hard work to craft something that has to be both convincing, complicated, but fun enough that it’s not convoluted. That’s a tough balance to keep. Agatha Christie’s stories have an outstanding balance of wit and mystery.

Horror - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

I had several Stephen King books in mind but decided on recommending this one. If you watched the movie and got completely terrified, then the book should do the same, if not more. If you, like me, have never seen the movie but have heard of it, this book is creepy as hell.

Religious horror holds a special scary place in my heart, perhaps because religion is typically where many of us retreat to for peace and finding purpose. When it’s turned on its head (much like poor possessed Regan), it becomes hopeless and terrifying.

This story is about two priests trying to save a little girl once she becomes possessed by an evil demon.

I can’t even explain how creepy this book is. Even when I knew a lot of things from hearing about the movie, it still created this atmosphere of dread. I always worried: what is she going to do next? What will happen to them? I stared at the ceiling and looked around corners with this tight feeling in my chest.

So, if you want to get a chill up your spine, this is my suggestion!

Science Fiction - The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

This is another book on this list I can barely contain myself about. Nothing I write will really do it justice, you just really, REALLY should read it.

This can fall into fantasy, dystopia, and science fiction categories as well, but regardless, an amazing story.

There are three points of view being narrated throughout this story. What caught my attention right away is that the initial perspective is from the second person point of view. That’s right. I don’t think I had ever read a book in that format other than the “Give Yourself Goosebumps” books when I was a kid (which were fantastic btw). Note: second person POV is when it’s narrated by writing something like: “You woke up in the middle of the night, sweating. You reached over to the empty side and crumpled the bed sheet in your hand.”

To see this viewpoint in an adult novel was very interesting, since most writers steer away from it as it’s quite difficult to get right. Well, be it difficult or not, N. K. Jemisin didn’t win those Hugo awards for nothing.

Aside from the interesting writing style, the story itself is extremely special. This was a unique type of science fiction fantasy story than what I was typically used to. In some ways, it read like literary fiction to me. Jemisin brings a special style and a tragic, beautiful story with a lot of deeper meanings that I will have to visit again to find them all.

The supercontinent of the Stillness is where most of society lives. Every few centuries the world undergoes a cataclysmic climate event, which they call a “Fifth Season”. There are people known as “orogenes” who can control energy, particularly of the earth and heat; they can both cause and stop earthquakes, and can accidentally kill people who are within a certain radius while they’re using their abilities. Society is divided up into “comms” and “castes” and the relationships, exploitation, and politics between these groups is fascinating. The book not only provides amazing world building but provides a great commentary on our current society as well.

The subsequent books only get better; delving deeper into the greater story, which is both intimate and epic at the same time.

Memoir - The Autobiography of Malcolm X

I read this earlier in the year following a lot of the events that happened with Black Lives Matter. There’s a lot more to read and learn, so I’ll continue to recommend the books that really stood out to me.

This book was amazing. Malcolm X is a person who I only knew of by name for a long time. In school they never taught us much of anything about him other than he was “more radical” than Martin Luther King Jr.

While he was a controversial figure, this book really lets you into the depths of his life and what he experienced. It wasn’t even just the spectacle of it all, but that it really explained who he was and why he was the way he was. His story moved me and I grew to love him and empathize with this exceptional human being.

My reverence for him grew, even though I may not agree with every single thing he said or did, I respect him and felt that his heart was there for his community. He was an extraordinary man, and what I thought was the most inspiring was that no matter what, he always wanted to grow and find answers. He continued growing as a person while he fought to improve the situation for black people in America.

A strange obsession may occur if you sync with his story like I did, I highly recommend it. Also, be sure to watch Spike Lee’s dramatization of it with Denzel Washington playing Malcolm X.

Nonfiction - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

I found out about Brene Brown through watching her Ted Talks on youtube. She has two great ones about “The Power of Vulnerability” and “Listening to Shame”.

This book is a great read if you’ve ever been hard on yourself, and even so hard on yourself you sometimes wondered if you were ever worth much of anything.

She talks about wholehearted living, which means “engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness.” There’s a lot more I want to say on worthiness and being self critical but for now I’ll just say that this book has a lot of great advice on finding courage, compassion, and connection.

I’m not a huge fan of preachy self-help books that just talk about “love yourself this and that”. This book had an honesty and authenticity in it that resonated with me. Brown is funny and speaks realistically about how it takes work to grow, but she provides helpful insights on how to start the process.

One topic that stood out to me was the difference between guilt and shame:

Guilt = I did something bad.

Shame = I am bad.

She discusses how guilt is more helpful because it focuses on the behaviour and how to apologize, rectify it, and move on. Whereas shame focuses on who we are and can spiral into destructive behaviour if focused on for too long.

If you are a perfectionist like me, and sometimes struggle with how you value yourself, I would recommend this book.

Comicbook/Graphic Novel - Saga by Brian K. Vaughn (Writer) and Fiona Staples (Artist)

I keep saying everything on this list is “one of the best ____ stories I’ve ever read” and this category is no different.

Saga is amazing. It’s a space opera about two people from opposing sides of a conflict that fall in love and try to protect their new family during an all out space war.

The world building is creative, unique, totally inappropriate, and hilarious. The story has cosmically funny and WTF moments alike, keeping you entertained while telling a really emotional story about a family that’s just trying to make it in the war. Somehow it’s one of the most relatable family stories I’ve read in a while, despite it being a sci-fi set in space with different alien creatures. Also, the artwork is fantastic and adds so much vibrancy to the story. Fun fact for local readers, Fiona Staples is from Calgary, Alberta! She went to ACAD; how cool is that!?

Content warning, I definitely recommend this story for 18+; since it’s violent and sexuality explicit in some scenes. It’s spicy, my friends.

Manga/Manhwa - Demonslayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotoge

Most of my favourite manga’s remain the ones I read in childhood, or were the original content of the anime shows I watched when I was a kid.

Kimetsu no Yaiba was one of the recent stories I read where I had no nostalgic attachment to the content.

Young Tanjiro trains to become a demonslayer to save his sister after their family is viciously slaughtered by demons.

As with a lot of excellent Japanese tales, there’s a lot of light-hearted and funny moments and also soul crushing moments that might make you shed a tear. Maybe I cried, maybe I didn’t. Whatever!

The artwork is gorgeous and beautifully detailed, the action sequences are superbly drawn. It’s exciting with several cool characters and a storyline filled with heart. It’s also a manga that’s complete, so you don’t have to worry about waiting years and years for the next chapter until you forget what happened and have to re-read it again…

If you haven’t read manga before and enjoy action/adventure, this is really great!

Holidays - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The last recommendation has to be “A Christmas Carol”. Lots of you may have read it, but I’m sure that more of you have watched or encountered some adaptation of it at the least. For most of my life I pictured Scrooge as Michael Caine ordering around Kermit the Frog like an asshole. While the Muppets version was absolutely amazing, as were the other many adaptations, it still didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed reading the source material.

There’s a reason this story is so timeless and has been recreated countless times. The writing is beautiful and despite my strains with older English, it reads very smoothly.

Cozy up somewhere warm with a cup of hot chocolate, turn on the fireplace channel on your TV, and read this story.

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You have reached the end of this list, congrats! I hope you read some of these titles and enjoy them. Have you read any of these already? If so, what did you think?

I’d love to hear some of your book recommendations, if you have any! I always love discovering new books to read =)

That’s all folx!

Hope you’re staying safe, take care,

FP