Re-Readable Books

I am not a re-reader. I very rarely read books more than once. However, there are some books that deserve to be re-read. This is a list of books that I have either read more than once or that I want to read again.

Harry Potter: Obviously Harry Potter si on the list. I have re-read Harry Potter, some of the books more than once.

The Book Thief: I haven't actually re-read the Book Thief, but as it's one of my favourite books of all time, I am planning on reading it again at some point.

The Raven Cycle: I have read this series twice. It's my favourite series ever and I love it to pieces.

The Hunger Games: I have not read the Hunger Games more than once. I read the books a really long time ago, and I want to read them again.

Seraphina: I have not re-read Seraphina, but I want to read it again.

Throne of Glass:I love the Throne of Glass series. I haven't re-read it, because I actually read it very recently, but I will probably read it again in a few years.

Eon: I love the Eon duology. I haven't re-read it, but I plan to at some point.

Clockwork Angel: I have not read the Infernal Devices series more than once, and I feel like it would enjoy it even more than I did the first time I read it.

Paper Towns: Paper Towns is my favourite John Green novel. I haven't read it more than once, but I plan to read it again at some point.

Book Series that I do not Plan on Finishing

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: I have read the first three books. I enjoyed them, but I got kind of bored.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto: I read about half of the first book. I have no desire to finish the series ever.

The Selection by Kiera Cass: I read the first two books before the third was out. I did not hate them, but I did not like them. I have no desire to read the third book, or the rest in the series.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale: I actually liked the first two books, but I read them so long ago.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: I read this book when I was about ten years old. I don't know if I liked it, because I was ten, and I wasn't a very good judge of books at that age. It's possible that I might read this book again and read the other books in the series, but I doubt it.

The Giver by Lois Lowry: I really liked this book, but I don't think I'll ever read the other books in the series.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery: I didn't really like the first book, I have no desire to read the others. I do like the movies, though.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull: I read the first two books in the series. I wasn't that interested.

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen: I actually liked the first two books in this series, but I read them too long ago and I don't feel like reading the last one.

Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch: I did not like the first book much. I do not want to read the rest of the series.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: This book was okay. It's just not my favourite genre.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: I found the first book extremely boring.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young: I liked the first two books, but I read them a long time ago and I don't remember what happened.

Which Young Adult Fantasy or Science Fiction Book Should you Read Next? (Based on Myers Briggs)

What young adult fantasy or science fiction book should you read next? Well, that depends on your Myers Briggs type. For each Myers Briggs type, I have chosen two young adult (and a few children's) books that I think that particular type would enjoy. I tried to make it so that each type has one popular book and one less well-known book.

NOTE: This chart isn't very accurate. You might hate the books suggested for your type, or you might love them. There are no guaranties.

ENFP: Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Mister Monday by Garth Nix
INFP: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling and Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
ENFJ: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
INFJ: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
ENTJ: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
INTJ: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy and the Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
ENTP: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
INTP: The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
ESFP: Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
ISFP: Legend by Marie Lu and City of Ember by Jeane Duprau
ESTP: Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and  Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
ISTP: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

ESFJ: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and Sabriel by Garth Nix
ISFJ: Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
ESTJ: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and The Young Elites by Marie Lu
ISTJ: Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Eon by Alison Goodman

Favourite Diverse Books

This list is in order of favourite to least favourite and will be updated regularly.

1. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (gay character)
2. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (several LGBT characters and POC characters))
3. Eon by Alison Goodman (Trans chaarcter, disabled character, POC characters)
4. The Young Elites by Marie Lu (LGBT characters)
5. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare (LGBT POC main character)
6. Fire by Kristin Cashore (POC main character)
7. The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson (POC main character)
8. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (LGBT characters)
9. Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White (POC main character)
10. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (POC characters)
11. The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (POC characters, gay character)
12. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (LGBT character, POC characters)
13. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Gay character)
14. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (POC main character)

Shadowhunter Chronicles Lists

Favourite Books:

1. Clockwork Princess
2. Clockwork Prince
3. City of Glass 
4. City of Heavenly Fire
5. City of Lost Souls
6. Clockwork Angel
7. City of Fallen Angels
8. City of Ashes
9. City of Bones

Top 5 Species:

1. Warlocks
2. Shadowhunters
3. Werewolves
4. Vampires
5. Faeries

Top 10 Characters:

1. William Heorndale
2. Jem Carstairs
3. Tessa Gray
4. Magnus Bane
5. Simon Lewis
6. Charlotte Branwell
7. Maia Roberts
8. Isabelle Lightwood
9. Alec Lightwood
10. Sophie Collins

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Tessa/Will
2. Magnus/Alec
3. Tessa/Jem
4. Gabriel/Cecily
5. Charlotte/Henry

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Will/Jem
2. Clary/Simon
3. Isabelle/Clary
4. Will/Charlotte
5. Isabelle/Alec

April 2015 Updates

Here's what I've been reading and watching in April:

• I've been watching Torchwood, and I finished the first three seasons. I only have one left. Why are all the best characters dying?
• I am watching Elementary and the third season is almost over. I'm praying that Moriarty will come back.
• I watched The Giver (finally) and it was better than I thought it would be. Honestly, I was expecting it to be terrible, so that really doesn't say much. It was changed a lot from the book.
• I randomly watched Pitch Perfect because I kept seeing gifs from it on tumblr.
• I watched If I Stay and I actually liked it better than the book. It was a really good movie, and it made me cry (which the book did not do).
• I read the final book in the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson, and it was good. Overall, I thought it was a satisfactory conclusion to a great epic fantasy trilogy.
• I read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. I liked it, but I actually liked it less than The Darkest Part of the Forest. I thought the romance in this book was kind of creepy.
• I read the first two books in the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Evolution of Mara Dyer. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed them both.
• I read Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun and the characters were amazing, and even though it's a standalone, I would love a sequel.
• I read The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I liked it, but not as much as I was expecting to. Overall, I thought it was just okay.
• I read City of Savages by Lee Kelly. I liked it more than I expected too. I really liked the characters and the world was really interesting. I would definitely read anymore books that Lee Kelly publishes.
• I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for my English class. I was surprised to find that I really liked it. I don't usually like classics.

Let's Talk About Female Characters

I am female. I also like fiction. This post is all about female fictional characters, and stuff that relates to female characters. Please note that I am not in anyway an expert on this topic. These are just the random opinions of a sixteen year old girl.

The Problems:

The vast majority of fiction published today has a larger number of male characters than female characters. This might not seem like that much of a problem to some people, but here's the thing: When female characters are almost always portrayed as being overall less important than male characters, real female people might see themselves as less important too.

"Strong" Female Characters:

"Wait," you might be saying. "I don't actually think that fiction is very sexist, nowadays. Maybe it's true that the vast majority of fiction has a larger number of male than female characters, but that's not what really matters. What matters is how those female characters are presented. And I don't know about you, but recently I've been seeing more and more strong female characters in fiction." You are right. The number of female characters does not matter as much as how they are presented. But I have a question. What do you mean by "strong female character"?

As far as I can tell, the main characteristics that most people think make a strong female character are:

• Can punch people
• Not girly
• Not over-emotional
• Not annoying

Here is the problem: That is not what a "strong female character" means. (Of course people would hear "strong female character" and think that this character must be stereotypically masculine. Of course.) Here is what makes a strong female character:

• Complex
• Dynamic
• Interesting

A strong female character could punch people and be unemotional. But a strong character could also cry a lot and wear frilly dresses. Here are some examples of strong female characters (in my opinion):

Let me ask you one more question before we move on to the next section: Have you ever in your life used the term "strong male character"? Most likely, the answer is no. That's not because all male characters are already strong characters. It's because people see male characters as characters and female characters as female characters.

Perceptions of Female Characters:

A thing that I've noticed is that people (both male and female) tend to hate female characters more than male characters. I have read many negative book reviews in which the reviewer says "the main character was annoying". This is a common complaint, and a valid one. But I have noticed that this complaint almost only arises when the main character is female. (Of course there are exceptions). Is this because female characters in fiction are generally portrayed as being annoying, or is this because people generally tend to see female characters as being annoying regardless of how they are presented?

I'll give a very specific example: Almost all fans of Harry Potter hate the character Dolores Umbridge, who is female. I am one of those people. Umbridge is one of my least favourite characters ever. However, those same Umbridge haters love this other character Snape, who is male. If you actually think about it, Snape and Umbridge aren't very different. They are both teachers who abuse their power. Many people would say that this is an unfair comparison, as Umbridge was always portrayed negatively in the books whereas Snape was supposedly "redeemed" at the end of the series. I agree. It's not a perfect example, but can you see how it's kind of odd that the same people who hate Umbridge completely adore Snape?

Another thing that I have noticed is that the desirable aspects in a female character have changed over the years. It used to be that female characters had to be stereotypically feminine. Now, it's a bit different. Of course I can't generalize about everyone, but most people today seem to only approve of stereotypically masculine female characters, or "strong female characters". These people hate female characters who are feminine or physically weak. In my opinion, this isn't much of an improvement from before.

I'll use another example from Harry Potter. Two characters in the series who everyone seems to hate are Lavender Brown and Fleur Delcour. These two characters are stereotypically feminine. I feel like people treat these characters unfairly, especially Fleur Delcour.

The Bechdel Test:

Okay, I'm going to talk about the Bechdel test. If you haven't heard of it, I would suggest searching on Google. I don't feel like explaining what it is. Anyway, I don't really like the Bechdel test. Or, more accurately, I don't like the way that people use it.

I've seen people who act as if a movie or TV show is sexist if it doesn't pass the test and not sexist if it does. I do not think that this is the way to use the test. First of all, there are many movies and TV shows that do not pass the Bechdel test, and yet they have "strong" female characters. Second (and more importantly), movies or tv shows that do pass the Bechdel test can be sexist.

I understand that the Bechdel test is not meant to be used as a tool to decide whether or not a movie or TV show is sexist, but people sure do seem to use it that way.

Female Characters and Diversity:

I want to see more strong female characters in fiction. And by that, I mean I want to see more well-developed and complex female characters in fiction. I want to see more female characters with questionable motives. I want to see more female characters with anxiety. I want to see more female characters who know that they're awesome. I want to see more female characters who are resourceful. I want to see more female characters of colour. I want to see more disabled female characters. I want to see more queer female characters. I want to see more female characters who are respected by their fandoms. I want to see more female characters.

Final Note:

Does any of this really matter? It's only fiction, after all.

Yes. Yes, it does matter, and here is why. Fiction is powerful. Fiction tells people what to think and who to be. I have heard many people on the internet talking about how much fiction has affected their lives. Fiction has also had a huge effect on my life. It has made me think differently about the world and it has given me new perspectives. Overall, fiction has had a positive impact on my life. But not everyone is that lucky. Fiction can send the wrong message.

Don't tell me that it's just a book or just a movie. If there are problems in today's fiction, we will see the same problems in society. What we read in books and what we see in movies has an affect on us, and there is no point denying it. That is why I believe that it is very important for fiction to send positive messages.

Three Favourite Love Triangles

It seems to be common law that love triangles must always be hated. Here's the thing: I don't get why people hate them so much. Sure, there are some that are really annoying, but it bothers me that so many people think that it's somehow improbable or annoying for someone to love two people at the same time. So, here are my five favourite love triangles from TV shows and books. Warning: This post contains spoilers.

1. Korra, Mako and Asami from Legend of Korra (SPOILERS FOR LEGEND OF KORRA)

This love triangle is an actual triangle, instead of a V-shape, like most love triangles. In the first two seasons, Mako liked both Korra and Asami and both Korra and Asami liked him. At this point, it seemed like any normal love triangle. Asami and Mako were dating. Korra was jealous. Korra kissed Mako. Asami and Mako broke up and Mako and Korra started dating. Asami was jealous. Eventually, though, Mako and Korra broke up too. Then, in the fourth season of the show, Korra and Asami got together!!!! (Sorry, it's just my favourite thing ever.)

Why I like this love triangle: It's an actual triangle instead of a V, and two girls who were originally jealous of each other end up getting together.

Who I Ship: Korra and Asami

2. Tessa, Will and Jem from the Infernal Devices (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE INFERNAL DEVICES)

This is another love triangle that is (arguably) an actual triangle instead of a V-shape. Tessa loves both Will and Jem, and both of them love her. You could also argue that Will and Jem love each other too, but their relationship is canonically platonic. Anyway, Will and Tessa end up getting married. Jem is out of the picture for a while because of complicated stuff. Tessa is immortal, so Will eventually dies leaving her behind. Then, a while later, Tessa gets married to Jem (he was immortal too, for a while).

Why I like this love triangle: Tessa loves both Will and Jem equally, and she, Will and Jem all accept that.

Who I Ship: Both Tessa/Will and Tessa/Jem

3. Raven, Clarke and Finn from the 100 (SPOILERS FOR THE 100)

You might be thinking "Why does she like this love triangle?" Raven and Finn were dating, Finn cheats on Raven with Clarke. Clarke doesn't know that Raven exists, when she finds out, she's upset. When Raven finds out, she is also upset and she breaks up with Finn.

Why I like this love triangle: Despite Finn being a jerk, Raven and Clarke become really good friends.

Who I Ship: Clarke/Raven (Is this cheating?)

Ten Favourite Fictional Friendships

Everyone talks about romantic relationships in fiction, but in my opinion, platonic relationships are just as important. Here are ten of my favourite fictional friendships in no particular order. Some of these friendships consist of more than two people. In the group friendships on this list there may be people within the group who like each other romantically.

1. Clarke and Raven from The 100

"I'd pick you first."  "Of course you would. I'm awesome."
Clarke Griffin and Raven Reyes are from the TV show The 100. In the beginning, Clarke and Raven's relationship was a bit of a rivalry since Finn, Raven's boy friend, was interested in Clarke, but the two girls soon got over their differences. Now, Raven is one of the only people Clarke can trust, and Clarke is one of the only people Raven can count on.

2. Clara and The Doctor from Doctor Who

"Run. Run you clever boy, and remember me."
In Doctor Who, Clara Oswald is the Doctor's newest companion, but she doesn't think of herself as the Doctor's assistant, she thinks of herself as his equal. Clara and the Doctor go on adventures together, and while their relationship has been rough at times, the two always stick together.

3. Blue, Gansey, Ronan and Adam from The Raven Cycle

"But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other.”
Blue Sargent, Richard Gansey, Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish from The Raven Cycle book series have one of the strangest and most interesting friendships I have ever read about. The four each have a very unique relationship with each other person in the group. They often argue, but at the end of the day, they are the only people in the world who really understand each other.

4. Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami from Legend of Korra

"The new team avatar."
In the TV show Legend of Korra, Korra and her friends Mako, Bolin and Asami work together to save the world on countless occasions. These four would do anything for each other. The group is sometimes pulled apart by political conflicts or love triangles, but they always find their way back to each other.

5. Joan and Sherlock from Elementary

"I consider you to be exceptional, so I make an exceptional effort to accommodate you."
The thing that I love about the TV show Elementary is the relationship between the two main characters, Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. Joan starts out as Sherlock's sober companion, but she later joins him in detective work. At first the two don't get along, but they soon find that they have more in common than they thought, and that the differences that they do have are what make their friendship strong.

6. Clarke and Anya from The 100

"There is no 'we'."
Clarke Griffin and Anya from the TV show The 100 start their relationship as enemies. Over the course of their interactions, they eventually become allies and they form a bond of mutual respect.

7. Harry, Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter

"Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?"
Obviously the golden trio has to be somewhere on this list. Harry, Ron and Hermione are really the ultimate friends. I don't think I need to go on about them. You all now how epic they are.

8. Tessa, Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices

“They say you cannot love two people equally at once,” she said. “And perhaps for others that is so. But you and Will—you are not like two ordinary people, two people who might have been jealous of each other, or who would have imagined my love for one of them diminished by my love of the other. You merged your souls when you were both children. I could not have loved Will so much if I had not loved you as well. And I could not love you as I do if I had not loved Will as I did.”
Yes. I know this is a love triangle. But if that's all you saw in their relationship, I think you are very wrong. The point of their relationship is that they are all equally in love with each other. They all care so much for one another and they would do anything to protect each other.

9. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Suki from The Last Airbender

"Team Avatar is back. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Fan and sword!"
Team Avatar from Avatar:The Last Airbender is probably my favourite group of friends ever. It's true that they argue a lot, and one of their members was originally their enemy, but they really are the best of friends. They worked together to save the world and make it better, and then they worked together to keep it that way.

10. Donna and the Doctor from Doctor Who

"I was going to be with you forever."
Donna Noble is the only main companion in new Doctor Who who is never remotely interested in The Doctor romantically. Instead, the two are the very best of friends, and the travel through space and time together.

Percy Jackson (and Kane Chronicles) Lists

Favourite Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus Books:

1. The House of Hades
2. The Mark of Athena
3. The Son of Neptune
4. The Last Olympian
5. The Battle of the Labyrinth
6. The Blood of Olympus
7. The Lost Hero
8. The Titan's Curse
9. The Sea of Monsters
10. The Lightning Thief

Top 10 Characters:

1. Annabeth Chase
2. Reyna
3. Piper McLean
4. Hazel Levesque
5. Sadie Kane
6. Frank Zhang
7. Nico DiAngelo
8. Leo Valdez
9. Thalia Grace
10. Rachel Elizabeth Dare

Top 5 Gods:

1. Hestia
2. Artemis
3. Athena
4. Posiedon
5. Hephaestus

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Percy/Annabeth
2. Hazel/Frank
3. Tyson/Ella
4. Piper/Annabeth
5. Piper/Jason

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Annabeth/Piper
2. Nico/Reyna
3. Annabeth/Reyna
4. Annabeth/Frank
5. Sadie/Carter

Harry Potter Lists

Favourite Harry Potter Books:

1. Half-Blood Prince
2. Order of the Phoenix
3. Deathly Hallows
4. Goblet of Fire
5. Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Chamber of Secrets
7. Philosopher's Stone

Favourite Harry Potter Movies:

1. Order of the Phoenix
2. Deathly Hallows 1
3. Deathly Hallows 2
4. Half-Blood Prince
5. Prisoner of Azkaban 
6. Chamber of Secrets
7. Philosopher's Stone
8. Goblet of Fire

Top 10 Characters:

1. Hermione Granger
2. Neville Longbottom
3. Remus Lupin
4. Albus Dumbledore
5. Nymphadora Tonks
6. Harry Potter
7. Molly Weasley
8. Luna Lovegood
9. Fred and George Weasley
10. Victor Krum

Top 5 Villains:

1. Dolores Umbridge
2. Narcissa Malfoy
3. Bellatrix Lestrange
4. Voldemort
5. Draco Malfoy

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Lupin/Tonks
2. Molly/Arthur
3. Ron/Hermione
4. Harry/Ginny
5. Bill/Fleur

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Harry/Hermione/Ron
2. Remus/Sirius
3. Harry/Luna
4. Luna/Ginny
5. Harry/Hagrid 

Top 5 Harry Potter Quotes:

1. "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
2. "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembered to turn on the light."
3. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
4. "It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."
5. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Books that Should be Made into Movies or TV Shows

I personally think that these stories would translate really well into movies or TV shows. There are tons of books that I love that I did not include on this list because I don't think their styles would translate well onto the screen.

The Lunar Chronicles: I think this series would make a good TV show instead of a series of movies due to the large number of characters and the length of the books. I think that the stories in these books would translate well to a TV show format.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus: Yes, I do know that there are two Percy Jackson movies, but everyone in the entire world agrees that they were terrible. You know what? I think that this series should be a TV Show. I think that the series is literally perfect for a TV show format. Each book has tons of mini adventures in it, each of which could be one episode. And each book could be a season. Please, universe. Make this happen.
 
The Kane Chronicles: I think that the Kane Chronicles would make a great TV Show for the same reasons that I think Percy Jackson would.

The Scorpio Races: I think this book would make a great movie.

Legend: There are so many dystopian trilogies out there that are being turned into movies (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner and The 5th Wave). Why not Legend? It's one of my favourite dystopian series.

The Infernal Devices: There is going to be a Mortal Instruments TV Show (dream come true), and I think there should also be an Infernal Devices TV Show.

The Darkest Minds: See Legend. This series is packed with action, and that often translates well to the screen.

Throne of Glass: I think this series would make great movies.

Books I Wasn't Fond of (And Why)

This is a list of books that I have read, and that I didn't really enjoy. I didn't hate any of these books, because I have a policy of never hating books, but I did dislike them. If you like any of the books on this list I can totally respect that. Everyone has different opinions on books and everyone's opinion is equally valid. However, I would not recommend any of these books to you if you have not read them.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong: This is the first book in an urban fantasy trilogy. I read the whole trilogy two years ago, but I almost didn't. I can't actually remember why I didn't like it, and you see, that's saying something. Usually books leave me with a picture of them, or they leave a few scenes stuck in my head. This book left... nothing. All I remember is that is was very boring.

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood: I have no idea why I read this book. It was probably during that phase I had when I was twelve where I would only read things about Shakespeare. Anyway, it was awful. Characters that had no personality, a plot that made literally no sense and way too much random unnecessary information. I do not recommend it.

The Selection by Kiera Cass: I honestly don't understand why people like this series so much. I have read the first two books. I considered reading the third, but then I realized that I already knew what was going to happen. I'm not saying this book series is predictable, but, it's very predictable. And that's not even why I don't like it. I honestly don't mind if a book is predictable, as long as there are things to like about it, such as, oh, I don't know, interesting characters or a fascinating writing style. The Selection has nothing to like. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't an awful book. In fact, I even kind of enjoyed reading it. It's such a quick read. But overall, there was nothing good about this book, and so I couldn't bring myself to like it.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: Some people love this series, and I can understand why. But I didn't. Honestly, dystopian is not my favourite genre. I don't hate dystopian, it's just that I won't read books simply because they are in that genre (unlike with epic fantasy). There has to be something else interesting about them, or they have to come highly recommended. The Maze Runner did sound interesting, and it did come highly recommended. I actually liked the first book. The plot was interesting and suspenseful. The characters were boring, but I can forgive that. If there had only been one book, I would have liked it. But, unfortunately, there were two other books in the series and a prequel. In my opinion, the books just got worse and worse. The plot dragged on and on and characters died way too often. I don't mind character deaths, but I do mind them when they happen every other page. They become kind of meaningless. I could never get to know any of the characters because they just kept dying off. I honestly can't understand why some people say this series is better than the Hunger Games, but we all have our own opinions.

So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane: This book is probably the worst book I have ever read. There are weird books, and then there are books that are just so weird that they make your head explode. And then there is this book. I don't even know how to describe it. The plot makes literally no sense. And the characters are made out of cardboard. Please do not read this book.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick: Apparently some people really like this book. I could not finish it, and that's really saying something. In that past three years, I have only not finished three books. I'm not sure what exactly put me off this book. I think it was the male main character. He was literally the most annoying thing ever. I don't even remember his name.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto: This book was, in one word, boring. I read about half of it. Nothing seemed to happen, and the characters were too perfect.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: This book was okay, but I found it boring. It's just about a guy surviving in the wilderness. I never would have read this book if it hadn't been a pick for a book club that I was in. This is really not my kind of book.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch: This book came out last year, and I was hearing such good things about it. I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I didn't. There are a few reasons why. First, there were several things in the book that didn't make sense. I'm not going to say anything specific, but the world just seemed really illogical. And, yes, I know it's fantasy. Second, the characters. Most of the characters had no personalities, and the ones that did made no sense. They would do things or say things and I couldn't understand why they were doing or saying those things. The final reason I didn't like this book was that IO found it quite boring and hard to get into. (I'm not listing this as one f the reasons I didn't like the book, but I guessed the plot twist from almost the beginning of the book.)

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: Some people really love this book. The thing is, it's just really not my thing. It was actually pretty good, but I just didn't like it.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: This is a science fiction book that I read a few years ago. I barely finished it. I don't actually remember what exactly it was that made this book unappealing. I just could not get into it. I was bored the entire time. I've considered the possibility that I was just not in the mood for this particular type of book when I read it, but I have not felt the urge to read the rest of the books in the series.

Magyk by Angie Sage: This is the first book in the Septimus Heap series. It's a children's fantasy series, and I actually read the whole thing. However, I didn't like it very much. It was written kind of weirdly and it was the most predictable thing I have ever read. I did actually enjoy reading parts of the book because some of the characters were quite amusing, but overall, I don't think this series was written very well.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: Some people love this series. Objectively speaking, I thought it was fairly good. But I just didn't enjoy reading it. The plot was interesting, but the characters were what made me dislike this series. It wasn't that they were under-developed exactly, it was that they were infuriating. I honestly hated all of the characters. I couldn't stand them. I read the entire Uglies series because I felt bad for disliking it. I've even considered reading some other books by this author. I just didn't really enjoy the Uglies trilogy.

Book Titles with the Same Words

This post is really random. I searched through my books on Goodreads and found books that all included the same word (or a form of the same word).These lists include books that I haven't read yet but that I plan to read.

Under the Never Sky
The Burning Sky

Fire
City of Heavenly Fire
Catching Fire
Heir of Fire
Throne of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Fyre

Throne of Glass
Throne of Fire

Crown of Midnight
The Crown of Embers

Clockwork Princess
Princess Academy

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The False Prince
Clockwork Prince
Prince of Shadows

Red Queen
The Queen of Air and Darkness
Queen of Shadows

The Demon King
The Iron King
The Runaway King
Falling Kingdoms
Bitter Kingdom
The Raven King
Return of the King
King Lear

Shadow and Bone
Shadow Scale
Silver Shadows
Shadow Kiss
Prince of Shadows
Queen of Shadows
The Serpents Shadow

Shadow and Bone
City of Bones
Daughter of Smoke and Bone

The Diamond of Darkhold
Gathering Darkness
Darke
The Darkest Part of the Forest
The Darkest Minds
The Queen of Air and Darkness

The Name of This Book is Secret
This Book is not Good for You
Book of a Thousand Days
The Book Thief
A Book of Spirits and Thieves

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Chain of Thorns
A Court of Thorns and Roses

Harry Potter and the Chanber of Secrets
The Name of the Book is Secret

Ender's Game
The Hunger Games

Bitterblue
Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Red Queen
Red Rising
Chasing Redbird
The Red Pyramid
Blood Red Road

The Raven Boys
To all the Boys I've Loved Before
The Golden Boy

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
The Girl at Midnight

Walk Two Moons
The Two Towers

I am Number Four
Four: A Divergent Collection

Five Little Pigs
The Fall of Five
The 5th Wave

The Rise of Nine
Red Rising
Ruin and Rising

City of Ashes
Ash
Snow Like Ashes
An Ember in the Ashes

The Crown of Embers
The City of Ember
An Ember in the Ashes

City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
City of Heavenly Fire
The City of Ember
City of Savages

Throne of Glass
City of Glass

City of Fallen Angels
The Fall of Five
Falling Kingdoms

Clockwork Angel
City of Fallen Angels

City of Lost Souls
The Lost Hero

The Iron Trial
The Scorch Trials

The Death Cure
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Death on the Nile
Speaker for the Dead
The Enemy of Death

Eona: The Last Dragoneye
Last Sacrifice
The Last Olympian
The Last Star

The Fault in Our Stars
Days of Blood and Starlight
Number the Stars
The Last Star

In the Afterlight
The Lightning Thief
Days of Blood and Starlight

Bloodlines
Blood Promise
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Days of Blood and Starlight
Blood Red Road
The Blood of Olympus

Book of a Thousand Days
Days of Blood and Starlight

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Palace of Stone

Golden Lily
Blue Lily, Lily Blue

The Titan's Curse
The Winner's Curse

The Sea of Monsters
The Perilous Sea
The Infinite Sea

The Lighting Thief
The Dream Thieves
The Book Thief
A Book of Spirits and Thieves

The Dream Thieves
Dreams of Gods and Monsters
A Midsummer Nights Dream

The Sea of Monsters
Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Favourite First Lines from Books

What makes a great first line in a book? My personal opinion is that the best first lines are the ones that immediately raise questions. If you don't understand what I mean, you most likely will in a minute. Here are some of my favourite first lines from books.

"First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try."
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love."
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

"Aliens are stupid."
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

"She'd never killed before tonight."
- Falling Kingdoms

"My mother thinks I'm dead."
- Legend

"Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day."
-Daughter of Smoke and Bone

"Look, I didn't want to be a demigod."
- The Lighting Thief

"I remember being born."
-Seraphina

"Just before the start of Summer Half, in April 1883, a very minor event took place at Eton college, the venerable and illustrious English public school for boys. A sixteen-year-old pupil names Archer Fairfax returned from a three-month absence, caused by a fractured femur, to resume his education. Almost every word in the preceding sentence is false. Archer Fairfax had not suffered a broken limb. He had never before set foot in Eton. His name was not Archer Fairfax. And he was not, in fact, even a he. This is the story of a girl who fooled a thousand boys, a boy who fooled an entire country, a partnership that would change the fate of realms and a power to challenge the greatest tyrant the world has ever known. Expect magic."
-The Burning Sky

(That last one was kind of cheating, as it was ten sentences instead of one. It's just that it's my favourite beginning of any book, so I had to include the whole thing.)

The Fantasy Book Post Part 2

Here is my first Fantasy Book Post. In it, I rambled for a while about fantasy and gave some book recommendations. In this post, I'll be giving some more recommendations. For each book recommendation, I have included a (very short) description of the book, a rating in five different categories (characters, plot, setting, writing and overall) and my opinion on which fantasy category it fits into (high, medium or low fantasy).

The Falling Kingdoms series (6 books, 3 books published) by Morgan Rhodes
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness (and three unpublished books)
Short Description: This series has been said to be like a young adult version of Game of Thrones. I don't know whether or not that's true, since I haven't read Game of Thrones, but I can tell you that literally everyone except the four main characters dies. Unlike many other epic fantasy series, this one has a fast-paced plot, so it's fairly easy to get into.

The Inheritance Cycle (4 books) by Christopher Paolini
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance
Short Description: This series is really long, and the plot is pretty slow, so if that bothers you, do not read this book. This is a dragon book, which means that it's about dragons (obviously). It's kind of similar to the Lord of the Rings. You know, lots of walking around a kingdom and epic battles.

The Graceling series (3 books) by Kristin Cashore
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Setting: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 7/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Graceling, Fire, Bitterblue
Short Description: This isn't really a series, it's just three novels that are in the same world. The books do connect to each other, however. I would suggest reading them in publishing order (Graceling, then Fire, then Bitterblue). You might find this series a little boring because the plot is pretty slow. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't suggest it to those who are new to fantasy.

The Elemental Trilogy (3 books, 2 books published) by Sherry Thomas
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: I have no idea
Books in Series: The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea and a third unpublished book
Short Description:I have no idea what this series is, but I like it. It is basically made up of magic and questions. I don't really know how to explain it. It's unlike anything else I've read. Is it historical fantasy? Parallel universe fantasy? I have no idea. It has romance and a pretty fast plot.

The Grisha Trilogy (3 books) by Leigh Bardugo
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 7/10
My Overall Rating: 7/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising
Short Description: This series is very plot focused. It's pretty fast paced and easy to get into. Magic is a big part of this series. I would recommend it to those who haven't read much high fantasy. It's a pretty good introduction to the genre.

The Seraphina series (1 book published and a sequel coming soon) by Rachel Hartman
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Seraphina, Shadow Scale
Short Description: Dragons. That's all there is to say. Seraphina is great, but I would not recommend it for people who don't read a lot of fantasy. This book is interesting and engaging, but I would only recommend it to those who are big fans of high fantasy or dragons.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy (3 books) by Laini Taylor
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight, Dreams of Gods & Monsters
Short Description: Angels and demons and parallel universes. I really enjoyed this series. Some people say that it's confusing, but I don't agree. The plot is a little slow at times, but it's pretty easy to get into. This series is kind of a bridge between low and high fantasy. I would recommend it for fans of either genre.

Eon series (2 books) by Alison Goodman
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: Eon, Eona
Short Description: A girl dresses as a boy and there are dragons. It was a little bit hard to get into the first few chapters, but after that I got hooked. Engaging plot and writing. I highly recommend it to fans of high fantasy.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Medium Fantasy
Short Description: This book is about racing water horses. I enjoyed it, but not as much as The Raven Cycle (a series by the same author). I found the book interesting, but I can see how other people might find it a bit boring.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Medium Fantasy
Short Description: This is a fairy book. I haven't read many books with fairies in them, but I really enjoyed this one. It's a fun, quick read and I suggest it for anyone is likes urban fantasy.

If You Like This Book, You Might Like That Book

I've seen a lot of people doing this around the internet, so I decided to try it out. (Most of these books will be in the fantasy genre because 90% of the books I read are fantasy).

If you like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you will probably like Legend by Marie Lu. Both are science fiction trilogies about teenagers who fight against a corrupt government.

If you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, then you might like Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix. They're both children's fantasy series and they're both really awesome and fast-paced.

If you like the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, then you might like the Eon Duology by Alison Goodman. They're both epic fantasy series about dragons and magic stuff.

If you like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, then you might like Sabriel by Garth Nix. They are both epic fantasy series that have awesome female leads (I refuse to use the term "badass female characters") and awesome magical stuff.

If you liked Graceling by Kristin Cashore then you might like the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes. Both are epic fantasy series with weird magic and interesting plots.

If you liked the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, then you might like the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. They are both fantasy (Lunar Chronicles is technically science fiction, but it reads like fantasy) and they are both strongly centered around romance.

If you liked Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, then you might like the Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore. Both books are science fiction bordering on fantasy. They both include a bunch of kids with different random super powers.

Series I Have Read (As of February 2015)

Series I Have Completed (not counting novellas or books that are set in the same world but in a different series):

1. The Darkest Powers by Kelly Armstrong (3 books)
2. The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo (3 books)
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (3 books)
4. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (6 books)
5. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (3 books)
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (3 books)
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (4 books)
8. The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau (4 books)
9. Legend by Marie Lu (3 books)
10. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (3 books)
11. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (6 books)
12. Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix (7 books)
13. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (4 books)
14. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (3 books)
15. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (5 books)
16. The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (5 books)
17. Divergent by Veronica Roth (3 books)
18. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling (7 books)
19. Septimus Heap by Angie Sage (7 books)
20. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (3 books)
21. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (4 books)
22. The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch (5 books) 
23. Eon by Alison Goodman (2 books)

Series in which I have read all the books that have come out so far (not counting novellas or books that are set in the same world but in a different series):

1. Magisterium by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black (1 book out so far)
2. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (2 books out so far)
3. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (1 book out so far)
4. The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore (5 books out so far)
5. The Young Elites by Marie Lu (1 book out so far)
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (3 books out so far)
7. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (5 books out so far)
8. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (3 books out so far)
9. The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix (4 books out so far)
10. Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch (1 book out so far)
11. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (3 books out so far)
12. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (3 books out so far)
13. The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas (2 books out so far)
14. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy (2 books so far)
15. To all the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (1 book so far) 
16. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Series I Have Started but Have not Finished (In all of these I have finished at least the first book):

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (5 books, I've read the first 3)
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (I've read 4 books and there are, like, 20 billion
3. The Selection by Kiera Cass (3 books out so far, I've read 2)
4. Young Wizards by Dianne Duanne (I've read 1 book and I have no clue how many there are)
5. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (5 books, I've read the first 2)
6. The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen (3 books, I've read 2)
7. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (2 books out so far, I've read 1)
8. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (3 books, I've read 1)
9. The Lord of the Rings (I've read LOTR and the Hobbit, but not anything else in this series)
10. Dustlands by Moira Young (3 books, I've read 2)
11.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (I've read 1 book and there are 5 total)
12. The Giver by Lois Lowry (I've read 1 and there are 4 total)
13. Ash by Malinda Lo (I've read 1 of 2 books)
14. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (I've read 1 of a million)
15. Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie (I've read 5 of a million)

BONUS: Books I have Read that are not in Series:

1. I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
4. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
5. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
6. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
8. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
9. Paper Towns by John Green
10. Looking for Alaska by John Green
11. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
12. And the There were None by Agatha Christie
13. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
14. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart\
15. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Fantasy Book Post Part 1

Fantasy is by far my favourite genre for books. More than half of the books I read are fantasy. This post is kind of like a guide to fantasy books either for someone who hasn't read much fantasy or for someone who wants to find some fantasy recommendations. Before I start, I should tell you a bit about fantasy and the different kinds of fantasy. First of all, here is my personal definition of a fantasy book:

A fantasy book is a book in which the events could not happen in our actual universe. Basically, if things in the book defy the laws of physics, biology or any other kind of science, it's fantasy. (Of course, there are some books that do not clearly fall into either the category of fantasy or the category of "not fantasy". Many science fiction books might go against scientific laws. As with all definitions, my definition is not always entirely accurate.)

Reading fantasy is an entirely different experience from reading any other genre. When reading fantasy, you have to ignore logic. Fantasy is not supposed to make sense. This is, in my opinion, the principle difference between fantasy and science fiction. A science fiction book is a prediction of the future. A science fiction book must make sense. Fantasy has no rules. It isn't supposed to make sense.

A lot of people find it odd that fantasy is my favourite genre. I am a very logical person. I do not like it when things in life do not make sense. But here's a secret. Fiction is not real. Many people who enjoy reading (or watching movies, or consuming any type of fiction) think of fiction as real. But this is not the point. of fiction. (There are actually many points to fiction. My personal favourites are: to entertain and to make a person reconsider their opinions on life, humanity and many other topics. Thinking of fiction as a reality is not one of the points of fiction, or at least, it isn't in my opinion.)

The reason that fantasy is my favourite genre is because, to me, it symbolizes freedom of thought. They thoughts in my head do not make sense, and they aren't supposed to. I can think whatever I want to. Fiction is a type of thought, in my opinion. Many times, thoughts make sense (or at least partial sense). Many books are like this too, such as contemporary, historical or science fiction books. But, sometimes, I don't want my thoughts to make sense. I want to have the freedom to do whatever the hell I want in my own mind. Fantasy books are like those thoughts that don't make sense. And they aren't supposed to make sense.

Some people do not like fantasy. If you are one of those people.... WHY? I mean, that's great. It's all personal preference. You can like whatever you want. But, seriously, how can you not like fantasy???

Fantasy can (in my opinion) be split into three categories.

• High Fantasy (Also called epic fantasy because it's epic): Set in a completely different universe from our own. No connection to our universe at all.
• Low Fantasy (Also called urban fantasy): Set entirely in our universe, except it is our universe with fantastical elements added. Disregarding scientific laws (which you have to do in order to read fantasy), the stories in low fantasy books could technically have happened in our world. What I mean to say is, there is nothing in the fantasy book that goes against something in our universe. If, in a fantasy book, France does not exist, then it is not a low fantasy book.
• Medium Fantasy: In between low and high fantasy. This is not a very well defined category. Sometimes a middle fantasy book is set in a universe that resembles our own, but has a few elements that are obviously different (I'll use the example of France not existing again). A middle fantasy book could also be set partially in our universe and partially in another.

The lines between these three definitions are, of course, very hazy.

What is that you say? You are tired of hearing me ramble about fantasy and my personal thoughts on it and you want to get on to the book recommendations? Fine. Here you go. I have created a list of some of the fantasy books/series that I enjoyed. For each book recommendation, I have included a (very short) description of the book, a rating in five different categories (characters, plot, setting, writing and overall) and my opinion on which fantasy category it fits into (high, medium or low fantasy).

Harry Potter series (7 books) by J. K. Rowling
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Setting: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
My Overall Rating: 10/10
Type of Fantasy: Low Fantasy
Books in Series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher'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 Hallows
Short Description: You have obviously read this series, but I have to include it on this list anyway. In case you have not read it (seriously, what are you doing with your life?), it's about a boy named Harry Potter who find out he's a wizard and goes to a school where he learns magic.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (5 books) by Rick Riordan
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing: 7/10
My Overall Rating: 7/10
Type of Fantasy: Low/Medium Fantasy
Books in Series:The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian
Short Description: Percy Jackson is a children's series, but even if you are no longer a child you can still enjoy it. Basically, it's all about Greek mythology, only it's set in the modern world. It's about a boy named Percy Jackson who finds out he's a Demigod and the adventures he has with his friends. Read if you like funny books with lots of action or are interested in Greek mythology.

The Heroes of Olympus series (5 books) by Rick Riordan)
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Low/Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, The Blood of Olympus
Short Description: This series is a sequel series to Percy Jackson. I suggest that you read Percy Jackson before starting this series. Heroes of Olympus includes more Greek mythology as well as more demigod main characters and crazy adventures.

The Kane Chronicles (3 books) by Rick Riordan
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Low/Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, The Serpent's Shadow
Short Description: This series is fairly similar to the Percy Jackson series, except it's all about Egyptian mythology in the modern world instead of Greek mythology. It's about a brother and sister named Sadie and Carter Kane who have lots of adventures and stuff. A lot of people don't like it as much as the Percy Jackson series, but I personally liked it more.

The Raven Cycle (4 books) by Maggie Stiefvater
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing:10/10
My Overall Rating: 10/10
Type of Fantasy: Low Fantasy
Books in Series: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily Lily Blue (and one untitled, unpublished book coming out this year)
Short Description: In this book series, a group of five teens search for a Welsh king who is apparently asleep underneath the ground. This is one of my favourite series of all time, but it's kind of series that is not for everyone. You may love it or you may hate it. This series is really weird and a bit confusing at times. I love that sort of thing, but if you don't, this series probably isn't for you.

Throne of Glass series (6 books, 3 books published and a prequel) by Sarah J. Maas
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 10/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 9/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: The Assassin's Blade (prequel), Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire (and three untitled, unpublished books)
Short Description: Celaena Sardothien is an assassin who is fighting in a competition to win her freedom and become the king's champion. They first book in the series isn't that great, but the second two are much better (especially the third). If you like badass female characters and engaging plots, this series is for you.

The Old Kingdom series (4 books published, probably more soon) by Garth Nix
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy (Though you could technically argue that it's Middle Fantasy)
Books in Series: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel (prequel)
Short Description: This series is all about necromancers and magic and stuff. The books can be pretty long and a little slow, but I really enjoyed it. By the way, I strongly suggest that you read Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen before Clariel.

Keys to the Kingdom series (7 books) by Garth Nix
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, Lady Friday, Superior Saturday, Lord Sunday
Short Description: This series is weird. Really weird. It's pretty much impossible to describe. It is technically a children's series, but I love it anyway. Do not read if you can't handle weirdness.

The Young Elites series (3 books, 1 book published) by Marie Lu
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: High Fantasy
Books in Series: The Young Elites, The Rose Society (not out yet), a third untitled unpublished book
Short Description: The Young Elites is about a girl who survived a plague. The plague has given her scars and also magical power. There are lots of other kids who survived the plague who have magical powers too. Read if you like evil main characters.

The Mortal Instruments series (6 books) by Cassandra Clare
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
My Overall Rating: 8/10
Type of Fantasy: Low/Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire
Short Description: The Mortal Instruments is about a race of people called Shadowhunters who fight demons and an evil shadowhunter who wants to take over the world. Read if you like romance. I'm personally not a big fan of romance, but I still enjoyed this series.

The Infernal Devices series (3 books) by Cassandra Clare
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Setting: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
My Overall Rating: 9/10
Type of Fantasy: Low/Medium Fantasy
Books in Series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess
Short Description: This series is a prequel series to The Mortal Instruments. It's set in London a long time ago, so it's historical fantasy. You can read this series either before or after the Mortal Instruments. If you started reading the Mortal Instruments and didn't like it, give this series a try. Pretty much everyone agrees that it's way better.

The Magisterium series (5 books, 1 book published) by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Setting: 7/10
Writing: 7/10
My Overall Rating: 7/10
Type of Fantasy: Low Fantasy
Books in Series: The Iron Trial (and four more books that haven't been published yet)
Short Description: This is a children's series, but older people (like me) can like it too. There's only one book out so far, but I really enjoyed that one book. The series is similar to Harry Potter, kind of, so if you liked that I suggest you read this.

Book Characters (Top 5 Lists)

The items on these lists are in no particular order.

Top 5 Characters:

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
2. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass
3. Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle
4. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
5. Cassie Sulivan from The 5th Wave

Top 5 Side Characters:

1. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
2. Zu from the Darkest Minds
3. Ringer from The 5th Wave
4. Rue from The Hunger Games
5. Zuzana from Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Top 5 Antagonists:

1. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter
2. Sebastien from The Mortal Isnturments
3. President Snow from the Hunger Games
4. Queen Levana from The Lunar Chronicles
5. King Leck from Graceling

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Blue and Gansey from The Raven Cycle
2. Tessa and Will from The Infernal Devices
3. Magnus and Alec from The Mortal Instruments
4. Day and June from Legend
5. Adam and Ronan from The Raven Cycle

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Celaena and Rowan from Throne of Glass
2. Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices
3. Harry and Luna from Harry Potter
4. Annabeth and Piper from The Heroes of Olympus
5. Reyna and Nico from The Heroes of Olympus

Top 5 Parent/Child Relationships:

1. Sirius and Harry from Harry Potter
2. Remus and Harry from Harry Potter
3. Percy and Poseidon from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
4. Tris and Natalie from Divergent
5. Liesel and Hans from The Book Thief

Top 5 Sibling/Cousin/Close Family Relationships:

1. Fred and George from Harry Potter
2. Percy and Tyson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
3. Sadie and Carter from The Kane Chronicles
4. Katniss and Prim from The Hunger Games
5. Akiva and Liraz from Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Top 5 Enemy Relationships:

1. Harry and Voldemort from Harry Potter
2. Clary and Sebastien from The Mortal Instruments
3. Bitterblue and Leck from Graceling
4. Magnus and Cleo from Falling Kingdoms
5. Alina and The Darkling from Shadow and Bone

Top 5 Groups of Friends:

1. Harry, Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter
2. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank and Leo from The Heroes of Olympus
3. Blue, Gansey, Ronan and Adam from The Raven Cycle
4. Will, Jem and Tessa from The Infernal Devices
5. Ruby, Liam, Chubs, Vida, Zu (an others) from The Darkest Minds

Top 5 Characters I would Date: (Yes, I am bisexual.)

1. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass
2. Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle
3. William Herondale from the Infernal Devices
4. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
5. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

Top 5 Characters I want to be Friends With:

1. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
2. Hazel Levesque from The Heroes of Olympus
3. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices
4. Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles
5. Liam from the Darkest Minds

Top 5 Characters who would Probably be my Enemies/Frenemies:

1. Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter
2. Kestrel from The Winner's Curse
3. Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments
4. Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle
5. Magnus from Falling Kingdoms

Top 5 Characters I would Trust with my Life:

1. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
2. Frank Zhang from The Heroes of Olympus
3. Reyna from the Heroes of Olympus
4. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices
5. Chubs from The Darkest Minds

Top 5 Characters I would like to have by my side in a Fight:

1. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass
2. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
3. Reyna from The Heroes of Olympus
4. Hazel Levesque from The Heroes of Olympus
5. Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments

Top 5 Characters like Me:

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
2. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
3. William Herondale from The Infernal Devices
4. Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles
5. Chubs from The Darkest Minds

Top 5 Characters I would Love to have a Conversation With:

1. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter
2. Gansey from the Raven Cycle
3. Ringer from The 5th Wave
4. Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and the Olympians
5. Kestrel from The Winner's Curse

List of Books the Characters Featured in this Post come From:

• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
• The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
• The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth
• Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes
• Legend trilogy by Marie Lu
• The Young Elites trilogy by Marie Lu
• Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
• The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
• Graceling trilogy by Kristin Cashore
• The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix
• Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
• The 5th Wave trilogy by Rick Yancy
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor 
• The Winner's Curse Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
• The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken