This blog is Najwa’s personal writing, recommendations, analysis, trope discussions, opinions, stories, reviews on books, music, TV shows and movies.

Friday, 3 February 2023

4 Book Recommendations to add to your TBR!!

 "A reader lives a thousand lives before he die... 
The man who never reads lives only one" - George R.R. Martin

Minor Spoilers may be found but nothing revealing:
4 book recommendations that you should definitely check out, in no particular order:

1. Inheritance Games Trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:
(#1 Inheritance Games, #2 Hawthorne Legacy, #3 The Final Gambit)

This is a massive MUST READ!! It is a mystery that is meticulous, exciting and well written out. The books can be understood as a standalone, with each book having its own core mystery although the series itself interconnects. It is written beautifully. When each book ended, the ending made sense but when the next book came along, that also made sense too. It was such a good series that it is definitely worth the read!! A love triangle is also found in this book between heiress, Avery, older brother, Grayson and younger brother, Jameson. I am firmly Team Grayson, although Team Jameson wasn't too bad... Inheritance Games is a well written and interconnecting mystery series that you need to read!

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard:
(#1 Red Queen, #2 Glass Sword, #3 Kings Cage, #4 War Storm. #5 Broken Throne is a collection of short stories but is necessary to understand the conclusion)

This is among the first ever YA series I read and still remains among my favourites. I can not repeat this enough but for those who like to read the ending before the beginning (no shame, I am included in that group of people), I would advise against it. There is a heartbreaking twist in it that I assure you, you will NOT see coming and it is better to experience the full shock of it. Another love triangle can be found here between Mare, Cal and Maven. Red Queen is a fantasy-dystopian series that really pushes the boundaries of the imagination. Incredibly invested in it and well worth the read!

This is a world divided by blood—red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
(#1 Shatter Me, #1.5 Destroy Me, #2 Unravel Me, #2.5 Fracture Me, #3 Ignite Me, #4 Restore Me, #4.5 Shadow Me, #5 Defy Me, #5.5 Reveal Me, #6 Imagine Me, #6.5 Believe Me. #1.5, #2.5, #4.5 #5.5, #6.5 are all shorter novels, NOT written in Juliette's POV and are significantly shorter than the novels. Although I believe they are necessary, you do not need to read them to follow the story)

You really think I wouldn't put this series in? I must admit, this is not my favourite. I did not love this series as most people suggest. I will say that the relationships found in this book are unlike any found in the real world. Another love triangle (this is a mere coincidence, believe it or not, I don't entirely like love triangles) is found between Juliette, Warner and Adam. It is another fantasy-dystopian series and it is perfect for those who enjoy long series, with many books in the Shatter Me-world. 

I have a curse
I have a gift
I am a monster
I'm more than human
My touch is lethal
My touch is power
I am their weapon
I will fight back
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war—and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

4. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
(#1 The Selection, #2 The Elite, #3 The One. #4 The Heir and #4 The Crown follow the story of America's daughter)

The Selection Series is a dystopian-romance series focused around America (the main character, not the country). Perfect for those in a reading slump as it is easy to read! A love triangle is also found (again, a coincidence) between America, Maxon and Aspen. The love triangle takes a larger part of the book as the series is romance-focused, unlike the others, which is fantasy-focused. The romance is a plot whereas in the other series, they are more of a sub-plot. Worth the read and if you enjoy it, it is worth reading Eadlyn's story (America's daughter) as she follows a similar path to her mothers. 

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.

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