Monday, December 31, 2018

The LitJoy 2019 Reading Challenge {FREE Printable}


My reading this year did not go as planned! I wanted to read 48 books and I only managed to read 26. I think that I set my goal a little lofty, especially with a two-year-old who I had to potty train twice (and 5 other kids – I know, I’m crazy) and lots of author events and finishing another book. So this year, I thought I would scale back on the number of books I’m planning on reading, and read differently, having more quality than quantity. That being said, I have put together this reading challenge for LitJoy Crate with a list of books – 16, to be exact – that will help book lovers everywhere branch out, while still staying true to their favorites.
This FREE printable should keep you plenty busy as you fill it out and read throughout the year. LitJoy would love to hear from you all year long, so don’t forget to tag #litjoyreadingchallenge to let us see what you’re reading. If you want to fill it out now and take a picture of your goals, we’d love to see what books you’ve come up with!

The LitJoy Crate 2019 Reading Challenge {Right click the .jpg above and save -OR- use this PDF. Then print and enjoy!}
I’m excited to get started on my list. I know a few of these I will conquer with some of my book club books, but the rest might take a bit of work to find! I hope you have fun completing the challenge.
Books=Love
XoXo,
Robin
About the Author: Robin M. King is the author of three young adult novels (Remembrandt Series), devourer of books, and lover of brownie batter and cheesy superhero shows.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Catwoman vs. Wonder Woman

If you haven’t guessed it yet, I LOVE superheroes. So far I’ve celebrated Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. But we’ve been waiting for nearly a year for one of our favorite authors, Sarah J. Maas, to bring us CATWOMAN! This new book is in the in the DC Icons series, a group of stand-alone young adult novels written by megastar authors. These books are a collection of coming-of-age stories centered around Wonder Woman, Batman, Catwoman and Superman.

Our Author heroes: Matt de la Peña, Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, & Sarah J. Maas

In their latest LitJoy Live, Debra and Alix take on questions from YOU about Catwoman and Wonder Woman. And, yes, they do love to dress up. On a regular basis. Enjoy!


Catwoman: Soul Stealer by Sarah J. Maas is the third book in the young adult series DC Icons series (just barely released!). If you’ve ever read anything by Sarah J. Maas, you know that only something fantastic can come from this book. Sarah’s Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses have been #1 bestsellers. This Catwoman book is sizzling with action and suspense as it tells a coming-of-age story of Selina Kyle who will steal readers’ hearts as she plans the heist of a century. Sarah J. Maas helped curate this crate, so if you want to make sure you get a LitJoy Exclusive signed book and all the goodies that come with our boxes, you can get this crate here. Or, better yet, subscribe to our YA box and you can get this crate and one each month (for however many months you want it – or forever because once you get one, you’ll always want to keep ’em coming).
The last book in the series is one that I can’t wait for because of my unhealthy obsession with the television series Smallville and every Superman movie ever made. I may even be wearing an “S” on my chest as I write this . . . The newest Superman installment is going to be written by the great Matt de la Peña. To tell you how cool this author is, his last book, Last Stop on Market Street, earned him the Newbery Award, one of the greatest awards an author can receive!
Let us know what you love about Catwoman and Wonder Woman. We’d also love to hear your feedback about this crate. Just email us at hello@litjoycrate.com! And don’t forget to check out our shop for some of the items we included with our Wonder Woman and Batman crates!
Books=Love
XoXo,
Robin
About the Author: Robin M. King is one of our LitJoy curators and readers as well as the author of three young adult novels (Remembrandt Series), devourer of books, and lover of brownie batter.

Friday, December 7, 2018

Author Stalker: Mary Watson, Author of The Wren Hunt


Meeting authors is so much fun. Author Mary Watson is no exception! She took over the LitJoy Crate Instagram account and I couldn’t be more pleased to see some of the inspiration for the setting of her book, The Wren Hunt (I love Ireland!) and to hear her amazing accent. 
Mary Watson grew up in Cape Town where she worked as an art museum custodian, library assistant, actress in children’s musicals, front-of-house duty manager, and university lecturer. She earned her doctorate in film studies and has always been obsessed with stories.
Mary wrote her first book (with illustrations) when she was five. When she was sixteen, she had a vivid dream about a girl and her father who walked in a magic garden, hiding an awful secret. This grew into a collection of connected short stories, Moss (Kwela, 2004) which she wrote under the mentorship of André Brink at the University of Cape Town. She was awarded the Caine Prize in 2006. Her second book, The Cutting Room (Penguin South Africa, 2013), is about ghosts and crime. 

She moved to Galway, Ireland in 2008. After writing The Cutting Room, she wanted to write a fantasy. After her youngest child was born, she found reading YA books kept her awake during the long nights. She was lost in stories of brave girls. Of magic worlds and dystopias, zombies and vampires, queens and assassins while (almost) everyone around her slept. It was here that the first seeds of The Wren Hunt were planted.

To learn more about Mary and her books, check out her website or read The Wren Hunt which is included in LitJoy's Fortunes and Folklore crate. The book is signed! 

Friday, November 30, 2018

Author Stalker: Caryn Lix {Author of Sanctuary}


Photo credit: @thriftybibliophile
Have you met Caryn Lix yet? Her new book, Sanctuary, is a young adult science fiction. It's just what I needed to get my sci-fi fix. Kenzie, an elite guard on Sanctuary—Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth—is determined to prove herself as a guard. She’s willing to make any sacrifice but when a routine drill goes terribly wrong, Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting teen prisoners. When the commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—chooses to follow protocol, despite the grave danger her daughter is in, Kenzie is forced to question the unrelenting loyalty of guards to the Omnistellar. Meanwhile, something ancient and evil has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of and is about to become a threat to Kenzie’s escape plan. She just might have to team up with her captors to survive, all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows.
The author, Caryn Lix, has been writing since she was a teenager and delved deep into science fiction, fantasy, and the uncanny while working on her masters in English literature. Caryn writes novels for teens and anyone else who likes a bit of the bizarre to mess up their day. When not writing, Caryn spends her time obsessively consuming other people’s stories, plotting travel adventures, and exploring artistic endeavors. She lives with her husband and a horde of surly and entitled animals in southern Alberta.
LitJoy let Caryn take over their Instagram account recently and this is what happened (be prepared, people – she lives in Tokyo!):

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Caryn as much as I did! You can buy Caryn's book, Sanctuary, here. And MORE good news is that LitJoy Crate still has another science fiction book crate available that includes the book, Nyxia by Scott Reintgen.
Books=Love

Friday, August 17, 2018

Young Adult Books: The Remembrandt Series by Robin M. King

You're a seventeen year old with an eidetic memory (basically you recall events like a movie playing in your head with perfect detail). After a tragic accident, you move across the U.S. to the tiniest state of Rhode Island. But you can't run away from your memories. You can, however, run into an adorable boy who makes your heart race and helps you make new memories. Then your Russian teacher starts giving you puzzles to solve and you can't get enough of them. When your Russian trip turns out to be less a trip and more a covert mission, you discover that the basement of your school houses a secret spy organization - one that might give you answers to who you are.

How does that sound? Will you join The Company?



Since all three books in the Remembrandt series are finally out and the 3rd and last book in the series is currently being made into an audiobook by the fabulous Austenne Grey, I figured it was time to post the Remembrandt series covers side-by-side!

I love how well the three covers look next to each other, especially with the updated version of the first cover. I'm so grateful for our model, Marli, and the fabulous photographer, Summer Nicole, who made it all possible!

You can get copies of all the books on Amazon.com or DeseretBook.com. If you want it signed, just email me at Authorrobinking @ gmail.com and I'll make it happen for you. The audiobooks for Remembrandt and Van Gogh Gone are on Audible, but you can download directly from Amazon too. If you're a eBook reader, the publisher just let me know that Remembrandt is only $2.99 and that Van Gogh Gone and Memory of Monet are only $4.99 each! Let me know what you think and I'd love for you to leave a review online too!

Thanks to Hikari (aka Folded Pages Distillery) for this awesome photo of the Remembrandt series.





Friday, August 3, 2018

Book Review: The Windfall App by Teresa Richards + Giveaway!




I love me a good contemporary young adult romance. Throw in some mystery and music and you've got me hooked! I'm so excited I got to read this book by Teresa Richards.



So here's the low-down:

Title: The Windfall App
Author: Teresa Richards
Date: August 2018
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Summary: Marina Berghman is a classical piano prodigy, with parents who’ve had her life mapped out since she was in diapers. But their plan leaves no room for her secret love of alternative rock, or Sean, the edgy guitarist who recently moved to town. 

When Marina buys a lottery ticket on her eighteenth birthday via the new Windfall app, she expects it to be nothing more than a rite of passage. But she wins—the grand prize of five thousand dollars a day for life. Suddenly given the means to break free from a life she never felt in control of, she’s quick to cut her family ties and turn her back on everything she knows.
But her lottery win was no lucky break. Her prize comes with strings attached, and Marina soon finds herself at the center of someone else’s life or death game. When she discovers evidence linking her dad to the intrigue, she turns to Sean for help. But he’s harboring secrets of his own.
Now Marina must sort out who to trust and who’s pulling the strings, before her prize turns into a noose.


Maybe because I love music or maybe because I love her writing, Teresa's book was the perfect summer read for me. I think that teens will LOVE it and adults will want to read it in one sitting (which is basically what I did!).

You can get the ebook on Amazon right now and the print version should be available soon (I'll add a link once it's up). But don't forget to signup for this awesome giveaway:

Also, if you're looking for some other fast and fun young adult reads by Teresa Richards, check out my post on her other books, Emerald Bound and Topaz Reign.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Book Review: You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

I love books that make you think, cry, laugh, and stay with you long after you read them. This new middle-grade book from Erin Entrada Kelly will do all those things for you and more! Her book, Hello Universe, received the 2018 Newberry Medal (which is kind of a big deal) and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one receives awards too.
Book: You Go First
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Publisher: Harper Collins, imprint: Green Willow Books
Release Date: April 2018
Summary: Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.
Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways, as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. This engaging story about growing up and finding your place in the world by the Newbery Medal–winning author of Hello, Universe and the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.
LitJoy Review: Debra and I loved this book so much for our June Book Crate! We read tons of books (we generally weed through dozens middle grade books every month) and this was by far our top choice. The characters are diverse, believable and remind me of all of the middle graders I have had interactions with. I’m not going to lie. There were a few tear-jerker moments, especially when one of the characters has to hide to go eat lunch or overhears a friend making fun of her. This book is raw, real, and one that I think any kid should read who has ever dealt with the loss of a friend, a parent, divorce, and change. I loved both Charlotte and Ben so much and what they taught me.
If you would like this book (with a signed bookplate and a personalized letter from the author!), plus Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt AND all the cool items above, you can get LitJoy's Friends to the End crate in their shop. You can also get a subscription to their young adult crate which always includes a new release hardback book (signed! and NOW with exclusive LitJoy content IN the book) join in on the love and subscribe to their LitJoy Young Adult Crate.
Books=Love
XoXo,
Robin
About the Author: Robin M. King is the author of three young adult novels (Remembrandt Series), devourer of books, and lover of brownie batter

Thursday, May 31, 2018

30 OF THE BEST COMPLETED YA BOOK SERIES


This is for those of you who have no patience like me.
You know what the worst feeling in the world is? Finishing a book and then finding out the next one in the series won’t be out until next year. Don’t get me wrong. I love all the release parties and the hype that comes with a new book’s launch, but I hate the wait!
Lucky for you, I’ve done away with the wait. I’ve scoured the interwebs, listened to the reading community, and asked everyone at LitJoy. This list has all best young adult books put out in recent years (most in the last decade) that are complete. They are finished! The last book is available! Though there is always a chance for an author to put out another book or novella in a series, as far as I can tell, the last book in each series will be the final one. That means no more waiting. If you finish book two, you can go right on to book three. YAY!
Obviously, we can’t include every series out there, but we included all of our favorites and added some of yours. Each of these books has four stars or higher on Goodreads for the first book and many of them are much higher, especially if you average all books in the series. Many of these are fantasy, some are suspense, some paranormal. We even have a few thrillers, dystopian, and sci-fi to keep you on your toes.
Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
GoodReads Rating: 4.43
Books in Series: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages
Quick Summary: In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more? In Brandon Sanderson’s intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage — Allomancy, a magic of the metals.
**Note: there are other books by Sanderson that take place 300 years later within this same world.**
Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
GoodReads Rating: 4.15
Books in Series: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter
Quick Summary: Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.
This is not the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.
**Fairest is a companion novel that follows the antagonist’s backstory and Stars Above is a collection of nine stories that follow characters in the Lunar Chronicles world.**
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
GoodReads Rating: 4.45
Books in Series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Quick Summary: A boy wizard begins training and must battle for his life with the Dark Lord who murdered his parents.
Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
GoodReads Rating: 4.34
Books in Series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess
Quick Summary: In 1878, Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…
Best YA Book Series
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
GoodReads Rating: 4.12
Books in Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire
Quick Summary: Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is on a quest through New York City and the magical worlds that lay within it. Like every good teenage adventure, she meets new friends, starts to fall in love, and battles evil demons straight from the bowels of hell.
The Selection by Kiera Cass
GoodReads Rating: 4.15
Books in Series: The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir, The Crown
Quick Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Ascendance by Jennifer Nielsen
GoodReads Rating: 4.23
Books in Series: The False Prince, The Runaway King, The Shadow Throne
Quick Summary: In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
GoodReads Rating: 4.23
Books in Series: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant
Quick Summary: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
GoodReads Rating: 4.34
Books in Series: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay
Quick Summary: The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.
The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale
GoodReads Rating: 4.18
Books in Series: Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, Forest Born
Quick Summary: Anidora-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s incredible stories, and learning the language of the birds. Little knowing how valuable her aunt’s strange knowledge would prove to be when she grew older. From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become a queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must understand her own incredible talents before she can overcome those who wish her harm.
The Beyonders by Brandon Mull
GoodReads Rating: 4.08
Books in Series: A World without Heroes, Seeds of Rebellion, Chasing the Prophecy
Quick Summary: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable–until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail. In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks
GoodReads Rating: 4.03
Books in Series: Of Poseidon, Of Triton, Of Neptune
Quick Summary: Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom.
Heist Society by Ally Carter
GoodReads Rating: 3.91
Books in Series: The Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals, Perfect Scoundrels
Quick Summary: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s history–and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
GoodReads Rating: 4.0
Books in Series: Under the Never Sky, Through the Ever Night, Into the Still Blue
Quick Summary: WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she’s never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s searching for someone too. He’s also wild – a savage – but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other’s best hope for finding answers.
GoodReads Rating: 4.24
Books in Series: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labrinth, The Last Olympian
Quick Summary: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
GoodReads Rating: 4.0
Books in Series: Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence, Finale
Quick Summary: Romance was not part of Nora Grey’s plan. She’s never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora’s not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can’t decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen – and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.
GoodReads Rating: 4.18
Books in Series: Angelfall, World After, End of Days
Quick Summary: It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
GoodReads Rating: 4.08
Books in Series: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, The Retribution of Mara Dyer
Quick Summary: Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.
Grisha Verse by Leigh Bardugo
GoodReads Rating: 4.05
Books in Series: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising
Quick Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers
GoodReads Rating: 3.91
Books in Series: Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph, Mortal Heart
Quick Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
GoodReads Rating: 4.13
Books in Series: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice
Quick Summary: Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them. After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger . . . and the Strigoi are always close by. Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever . . .
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
GoodReads Rating: 4.26
Books in Series: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, The Warden and the Wolf King
Quick Summary: Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
Legend by Marie Lu
GoodReads Rating: 4.18
Books in Series: Legend, Prodigy, Champion
Quick Summary: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Remembrandt by Robin M. King
GoodReads Rating: 4.0
Books in Series: Remembrandt, Van Gogh Gone, Memory of Monet
Quick Summary: Alexandra Stewart doesn’t just walk down memory lane, she lives on it. Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style. It’s great when she wants to ace a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over. . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past. Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes. When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret – one that will catapult her into a world of cryptic codes and covert missions. As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, Alex wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy. One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory. And some things are better left forgotten.
The Tiger Saga by Colleen Houck
GoodReads Rating: 4.07
Books in Series: Tiger’s Curse, Tiger’s Quest, Tiger’s Voyage, Tiger’s Destiny, Tiger’s Dream
Quick Summary: Passion. Fate. Loyalty. Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.
Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud
GoodReads Rating: 4.2
Books in Series: The Screaming Staircase, The Whispering Skull, The Hollow Boy, The Creeping Shadow, The Empty Grave
Quick Summary: When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . . For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions. Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive. Set in a city stalked by specters, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .
GoodReads Rating: 4.26
Books in Series: The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, The Sip of the Dead
Quick Summary: Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus’s birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus’s memory. But he doesn’t have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
GoodReads Rating: 4.06
Books in Series: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King
Quick Summary: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.” It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson
GoodReads Rating: 4.05
Books in Series: The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, The Beauty of Darkness
Quick Summary: The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance. Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson
GoodReads Rating: 4.15
Books in Series: Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity
Quick Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will. Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
What are your favorite series? Is the series complete or do you have to wait until next year? As I was putting together this list, I had to take off several favorite series that I thought were complete, only to check the author’s website and find out there were more! Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to read more, but I’m beginning to think I want to wait until a series is complete before I even start. That’s my favorite thing about shows on Netflix – they are perfect for the impatient ones! Is anyone else like me?

Xoxo,