Have you ever thought back to a book you have read and said to yourself "Man, I wish I could find another one like that"? I think it's why some of us gravitate towards reading a series, we know we have more of the things we like coming up in the next book. Since not every book we love is part of a series, and not everyone enjoys reading a series, I've put together a few pairs of books for you to consider. All of the following titles are ones we have here at Pleasant Hills, and I will add to list every so often to give you more options. Happy Reading!!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by JK Rowling and The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel #1) by Michael Scott
While Harry Potter introduced us to magic with an entirely new world within our own, The Alchemyst uses the historical characters of Nicholas Flammel and John Dee placed in 21st Century San Francisco to introduce us to magic. While both are lengthier series (Harry Potter clocks in with 7 books in the series, and Nicholas Flammel is told in 6 books) they are fairly quick and enjoyable, and make good choices for family reads, especially with middle grade children.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Maybe your mom read Little Women when to you when you were younger. Mom, maybe you've always been a fan of the Winona Ryder movie version but never got around to reading the book. Maybe you stumbled onto To All the Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix during quarantine and hadn't realized it was a book turned movie. Either way, both of these stories are classics in their own way. These would be great to options to start a Book and A Movie club with your friends, because reading (and movies) are more fun with friends!
Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer and Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
Two trilogies, two female protagonists whose lives are affected by animals of lore. With Twilight, our lead female was unaware of the existence of supernatural people and animals at the beginning of her story, the presence of the wolves in Shiver is known to Grace. Both stories grapple with the age-old question "Is love ever really enough?" and both trilogies offer a unique way of answering that question.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and Lovely War by Julie Berry
Both of these stories are set against the backdrop of a world war, but they tell decidedly different aspects of that experience. In Code Name Verity, we learn the story of a female spy captured by enemy forces who confronts what it means to be brave and also what it means to be a friend. The action takes place in occupied France during World War 2, while Lovely War is set in both World Wars. That story follows two separate couples, and with guest appearances by Aphrodite and other Greek Gods, attempts to unravel the connection between love and war. These stories are poignant, happy, sad, and heartbreaking.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Jeans that fit a whole group of friends, no matter what their shape or size? A boy whose relationships (if you can call them that) have all been with girls named Katherine, nineteen of them to be exact? That's what you get with these two hallmarks of YA literature. In The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, four friends are about to start their summer break, and discover that a particular pair of jeans fits each of them. They make a pact, and over the course of the first summer they spend apart from each other, each one grows and finds a little more of themselves. Part of finding yourself is figuring out why some experiences "fit" better than others, so try this story on for size. John Green is a master of the young adult story, and this one doesn't disappoint. Our main guy, Colin, has not exactly been lucky in love. He sets out on a road trip with the goal of finding the secret to unlock the mystery behind relationships. Humor, a little heartbreak, and growth make this a great story of gaining insight into yourself and those around you.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
There is a long history of women and girls being sent away if they are too difficult to deal with, and that is how A Great and Terrible Beauty begins. Gemma is being sent from the only home she's ever known, India, to boarding school in England after that tragic death of her mother. Gemma makes friends with the popular girls, but things aren't easy, and the supernatural undercurrents at play both help and endanger Gemma and her new friends. The first in a trilogy, this is a story worth digging into. A more modern tale, Beautiful Creatures also features a young lady with a power that is both empowering and complicated. Lena Duchannes' family is both powerful and cursed, and it is the curse that brings her to the small southern town of Gatlin. This one features more of a love story than AGATB, but both books showcase young women coming into their own despite less than ideal circumstances.
Take a picture of yourself reading any of these awesome stories and share your review with us!
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