Eeman Rehman, Sharlyn Comparet and Samanta Choo share what are on their shelves with a list full of reviews, recommendations and 'to be reads'.
Fantasy/YA
Four Dead Queens - Astrid Scholte
Rating: 5/5
“Sometimes we fail because we’re not meant to succeed.”
Review: I loved the overlap between fantasy, murder mystery and romance combined together into a dystopian world. The mind games were intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 5/5
“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.”
Review: This duology is my top recommendation of all time. It's quite fast paced and the depth and development of the characters is absolutely amazing.
Trigger Warning: Mature themes. The book is quite dark, it's definitely not suitable for all readers
Shadow of the Fox trilogy - Julie Kagawa
Rating: 5/5
“Magic itself cannot be evil. It is how you use your powers that determines the intent.”
Review: The Shadow of the Fox is an amazing blend of Japanese mythology and fantasy with well developed characters and a gripping plot. The last book of the trilogy was released just earlier this year.
Shades of Magic - V.E Schwab
Rating: 5/5
“I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
Review: V.E Schwab is an amazing writer. All her books are absolutely fantastic but for me, Shades of Magic takes the medal due to its amazing word building and complex characters. The whole parallel universe idea is done artistically and creates a wonderful setting to the series.
Also make sure to check out:
Throne of Glass series (8 books) - Sarah J. Maas - 4/5
A Court of Thorns and Roses series - Sarah J. Maas - 4/5
The Last Namsara - Kristen Ciccarelli - 5/5
Sky in the Deep - Adrienne Young - 5/5
Akarne - Lynette Noni - 5/5
Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband - John Flanagan 5/5
Folk of the Air - Holly Black 5/5
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi - 5/5
Renegades - Marissa Meyer - 5/5
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder - 4/5
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir - 5/5
Science Fiction and Dystopian
Arc of a Scythe - Neal Shusterman (Trilogy)
Rating 5/5
“Hope in the shadow of fear is the world's most powerful motivator.”
Review: Set in a world where death has been conquered, Scythes are chosen to curb the growing population. The story follows the apprenticeship of two teenagers chosen to be scythes. The moral questions the series raises are deep and forced me to really, really think about what was being said.
The Three Body Problem - Liu Cixin
Rating 4/5
“No, emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is a type of existence. You must use this existential emptiness to fill yourself.”
Review: The book is set in China during the Cultural Revolution, where the main character unintentionally sets out to solve a problem of orbital mechanics. Despite my lacking knowledge of physics or the cultural revolution’s context, I slowly managed to pick up the different characters and greatly enjoy its mind-boggling concepts.
Also make sure to check out:
Matched trilogy - Ally Condie
H.I.V.E. series (8 books) - Mark Walden
Hunger Games (kinda cliche but) - Suzanne Collins - 4/5
Romance
ME BEFORE YOU- Jojo Moyes (can be read as a standalone or series)
Live boldly and have no regrets – “Just live.”
Review: A heartfelt story involving the unique relationship of two people from completely different backgrounds. ‘Me Before You’ follows the journey of Louisa Clark who takes a badly needed job of working for Will Traynor, a former banker who is wheelchair bound after an unfortunate accident. Unlike other cliche romance storylines, ‘Me Before You’ explores real issues we encounter in our day to day lives and in the end, teaches us many important life lessons.
Also make sure to check out:
The Book Ninja - Ali Berg - 4/5
The Selection series - Kiera Cass - 4/5
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series (3 books) - Jenny Han
Five Feet Apart 4/5
They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera - 4/5
Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell - 5/5
A Curse so Dark and Lonely - Brigid Kemmerer - 4/5
Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell - 4/5
Classics
Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas - 4/5
Animal Farm- George Orwell
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Historical Fiction
A Waltz for Matilda series (9 books) - Jackie French - 5/5
Hitler’s Daughter- Jackie French 4/5
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak - 4/5
The Birdman’s Wife - Melissa Ashley - 4/5
They came on Viking ships - Jackie French - 5/5
Biography/Memoir
I Am Malala
Chinese Cinderella - Adeline Yen Mah - 5/5
Falling Leaves (full autobiography)
Spin offs are Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society and Chinese Cinderella and the Mystery of the Song Dynasty Painting
Mao’s Last Dancer- Li Cunxin - 5/5
The Happiest Refugee- Anh Do
A Hope More Powerful than the Sea- Doaa al Zamel
Breaking Night- Liz Murray
Becoming- Michelle Obama
When Breath Becomes Air- 5/5
Crime fiction/Mystery
Murder on the Orient Express (or any other Agatha Christie)
One of us is Lying
Psychology *trigger warning*
The Girls at 17 Swann Street
The Fault in Our Stars? (also a romance)
The Girl on the Train
Fiction
The Messenger - Markus Zusak (a hint of mystery)
Dear Evan Hansen
A Man Called Ove - Frederick Backman
To Be Read
Serpent & Dove - Shelby Mahurin
We Hunt the Flame - Hafza Faisal
The Empire of Gold - S.A. Chakraborty
King of Ashes - Raymond E.Feist
Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman
Nevernight - Jay Kristoff
To Kill A Kingdom - Alexandra Christo
Bring Me their Hearts - Sarah Wolf
The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue - V.E Schwab