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.

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.

Mockingjay Part 1 Review Plus Other Updates

By the way, there aren't any major spoilers for Mockingjay Part 1 in this blog post. I don't really even need to say that because 1. No one reads this blog and 2. Even if you are reading this, you have probably either seen Mockingjay or read the book.

Anyway, I saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 yesterday. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but that's not the point. It was an incredible movie, maybe my favourite Hunger Games movie so far. As always, this review is going to be short because I dislike writing reviews. I will say that Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in this film, as always, and the movie made me cry. I was worried that this movie would not be as good as the first two. Mockingjay was my least favourite book in the trilogy because the middle of the book dragged on a bit. I was really worried when I heard that they were going to be splitting the last book in two. Now that I've seen Mockingjay Part 1, I'm not as worried. It actually works quite well to have it split in two. The pacing felt right to me, but I've heard that some people disagree. I actually felt that the first two movies were too short. So, anyway, I'm excited for the final film. I'm hoping they don't ruin it. I'm not too worried, though.

As for other things, I am now caught up with Elementary. I finished the second series and have watched all episodes of the third series that are out so far. I also finished watching How to Get Away with Murder. THAT ENDING, THOUGH. I still can't get over it.

As for books, I finished reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue. After finishing it, it occurred to me that the Raven Cycle is so underrated. By me. It had never really occurred to me before how much I love it. I knew that I liked it, but I didn't really realize that it's actually one of the best young adult series I have ever read. I realized that it has very few flaws, and in my opinion, no large flaws at all. I often have problems with certain books. It's usually the characters (too boring, too good, too evil) or the plot (too slow, too fast, too normal) or the writing style (too short, too long, too confusing). But there isn't anything that really annoys me about the Raven Cycle. I sincerely apologize to the Raven Cycle and to Maggie Stiefvater for under-appreciating this series. I need to read the Scorpio Races.

I also read Clariel by Garth Nix which as the prequel to the Old Kingdom series, AKA, the best epic fantasy series ever. I liked the book, up until the very end when I started to love it. I've decided that Garth Nix is good at endings. Sometimes the endings of books leave me feeling unsatisfied *cough* Blood of Olympus *cough*. But Garth Nix never does this (unless of course the book ends on a cliffhanger, like the sixth book in the Keys to the Kingdom series). The ending of Clariel and the ending of Lord Sunday are two of my favourite endings of all time. They both kind of left me sitting there in shock with my mouth open. Maybe I should do a blog post on my favourite book endings.

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #10

I've written nine "Top 25 Favourite Characters" lists before, as it changes often. Here are the links to my first nine:

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #2

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #3

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #4

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #5

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #6

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #7

 My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #8

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #9

25. Tris Prior from Divergent
24. Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle
23. Clariel from The Old Kingdom Series
22. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano from The Heroes of Olympus
21. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
20. Liesiel from The Book Thief
19. Sabriel from The Old Kingdom Series
18. Katsa from Graceling
17. Guinevere from BBC Merlin
16. Donna Noble from Doctor Who
15. Martha Jones from Doctor Who
14. Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices
13. Annabeth Chase from The Heroes of Olympus
12. Amy Pond from Doctor Who
11. Adelina from The Young Elites
10. Sherlock Holmes from Elementary
9. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
8. Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
7. Joan Watson from Elementary
6. Merlin from BBC Merlin
5. Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
4. Clara Oswald from Doctor Who
3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
2. Sherlock Holmes from BBC Sherlock
1. The Doctor from Doctor Who

Shatter Me, Elementary and Other Updates

I read the first book in the Shatter Me trilogy.  It started off really well, but then I started to get bored of it. I will read the rest of the series, though.

I also read the first book in the Throne of Glass series. It was pretty good. The plot was paced well and it was interesting. The world sometimes didn't feel real, though. And most of the characters didn't have much of a personality.

I finished the Old Kingdom trilogy. It is one of my favourite epic fantasy series that I have read so far. I'm really excited to read the prequel Clariel.

I read the first book in the Falling Kingdoms series. I really enjoyed it. I love books that are told from more than two characters' perspectives. I also love that no side or person in the book is truly good or evil.

After reading The Fault in Our Stars and An Abundance of Katherines I read John Greens two other books, Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. They were both good. Paper Towns is my favourite book by John Green.

I've started watching the TV show Elementary. At first I liked it, but now I'm starting to love it. It's interesting to see the differences between Elementary and BBC Sherlock. It's making me want to read more of the original stories.

I watched the Maze Runner movie. The book series was honestly not my favourite, but I actually did like the first book. The movie was pretty good.

I am now reading The Perilous Sea, sequel to The Burning Sky.

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #9

I've written eight "Top 25 Favourite Characters" lists before, as it changes often. Here are the links to my first eight:

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #2

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #3

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #4

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #5

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #6

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #7

 My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #8

25. Sadie Kane from The Kane Chronicles
24. Suzy Turquoise Blue from Keys to the Kingdom
23. Donna Noble from Doctor Who
22. Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices
21. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
20. Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices
19. Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings
18. Sabriel from Abhorsen
17. Tris Prior from Divergent
16. Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices
15. Katsa from Graceling
14. Guinevere from BBC Merlin
13. Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
12. Hazel Levesque from The Heroes of Olympus
11. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
10. Amy Pond from Doctor Who
9. John Watson from BBC Sherlock
8. Merlin from BBC Merlin
7. Martha Jones from Doctor Who
6. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter
5. Annabeth Chase from The Heroes of Olympus
4. Clara Oswald from Doctor Who
3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
2. Sherlock Holmes from BBC Sherlock
1. The Doctor from Doctor Who

Shadow and Bone, John Green and Other Updates

This post is basically just about what I've been reading and watching recently.

I read Four: A Divergent Collection. I thought I might find it difficult to get into because I read the rest of the series so long ago, but I actually really enjoyed it. Tobias is a great character and I am more than ever convinced he's an ISFJ.

I also finished the Shadow and Bone series. I liked it, thought it wasn't my absolute favourite. I was really absurdly happy about a random thing that happened in the last book. I'm planning on doing a "YA Epic Fantasy" post soon, once I read a few more series.

I have been reading the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix. I read Sabriel, which I enjoyed and I have also read Lirael, which I enjoyed even more (even though the end was a bit predictable). I am going to read Abhorsen soon.

I have also read a bunch more books by Agatha Christie. I don't know when I'm going to stop reading Agatha Christie, but it won't be soon.

I read Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead. The Vampire Academy/Bloodlines books aren't really the type of book I generally read, but my friend loves them so I read them. The fifth book (or eleventh, depending on whether or not you count Vampire Academy and Bloodlines as the same series) was okay. The ending (while exciting for Sydrian fans) was a bit annoying, in my opinion. I really enjoyed the re-education stuff, though.

I am currently reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. I finished An Abundance of Katherines the other day. I enjoyed Katherines, thought it's realistic fiction and that will never be my favourite. It had math in it, which was fun. Looking for Alaska is good too. I'm going to read Paper Towns next. I put all the John Green books on hold at the library and they all came at the same time.

I am very close to finishing the TV show Merlin. I have three more episodes left. I will post a lot of Merlin stuff once I finish.

Sabriel

I just finished Sabriel by Garth Nix. It was great. It had interesting characters and I really enjoyed reading a YA series written by Garth Nix. I will never love it as much as Keys to the Kingdom, though. I'm excited to read the rest of the books in the series and the new one that is coming out soon.

I'm in an epic fantasy mood this month. I'm really enjoying it. I think it is my favourite genre. I am, however, going to take a bit of a break from epic fantasy. Right now I am reading Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead and next I will be reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Cristie which I have been looking forward to reading for a long time. I will most likely go back to epic fantasy after that.