Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Guest Post with Em Lehrer: Top Ten Books/Series



Top Ten Books/Series  

Hi everyone! It’s Em from Keystroke blog. I love to read, so when Bunnita asked if I wanted to make a list of my top ten books and series, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.  
Narrowing down my list was the hardest part. There are so many amazing books I have read over the years that choosing just ten was a special kind of torture. For this list I decided to stay away from the very well-known books and series such as Harry Potter, Divergent, Percy Jackson, and so on. This made my list a bit easier to make.  
So, without further ado, here is the list! 

1.  Unraveling Series by Elizabeth Norris 
There is something about this book that keeps me coming back again and again (seriously I have read this more times than I can count). Janelle is brought back from the (almost) dead by Ben, a boy she hardly knows. While trying to find out what caused her accident and how he saved her, she uncovers the truth: not only is Ben from a different planet in the multiverse, but their planets are about to collide and kill them all.  

The race to save their worlds keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the chemistry between Janelle and Ben is beautiful. Elizabeth Norris really does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life, and making you wonder if maybe (just maybe) the multiverse really does exist. 

 
The sequel was just as captivating as the first book. Months after the first book ends, Janelle and Ben must face another challenge; stopping an inter-world human trafficking ring. There are twists and turns throughout the book that are surprising, breath taking, and heart breaking. By the end, you are left wanting more. 


2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake 
Cas is not your ordinary teenager. He is a ghost hunter, carrying on the work his father died doing, and hoping one day to avenge him. He ends up in Thunder Bay, going after a ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood.  

This is one of my favorite books for several reasons. 
Kendare Blake has a way of bringing her characters to life that is captivating. They all have so many dimensions and emotions, even the characters that don’t play a large part in the story.  



 


The book is a perfect blend of horror, romance, and mystery; which is why it scored a place on my top ten list. 

3. I Was Here by Gayle Forman 
If this list was longer, all of Gayle Forman’s books would be on it. There is something magical about the way she writes. I Was Here is about Cody, a girl who’s best friend, Meg, committed suicide. When Cody goes to pack up Meg’s college dorm she finds out there is a lot she didn’t know about her friend; and that maybe the suicide was about more than she thought. 
 
Overall, the book was an emotional rollercoaster, and I teared up more than once. Cody not only finds the truth about Meg’s suicide, but finds herself for possibly the first time. Every scene in the book is perfectly written, and keeps you hooked until the very end. 

4. I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff 
This book follows Boy Nobody, a trained killer with a hidden past. As he follows his orders, he begins to question how he became the killer he is, and why he does what he does.  

I couldn’t read this action thriller fast enough. There were surprises around every turn, and a huge twist at the end of the book that nobody could see coming.  
5. The Duff by Kody Keplinger 
The book version of The Duff is much different from the movie; and much better in my opinion. Bianca lives with her dad while her mom is away on book tours (which have grown longer and longer, until eventually she is never home). While dealing with her father’s drinking problem and trying to keep up some semblance of a social life with her best friends, she is called a duff by none other than Wesley Rush, the *ahem* hottest guy in school (I promise that’s where the clichés end).  
One day something in Bianca snaps. She needs a release. Something. Anything. And there is Wesley Rush. The book was definitely a fun, sexy read; and something that I have gone back to read again. Kody Keplinger is an amazing author and has a way of creating extremely complex yet relatable characters that seem to real not to be. 

6. Asylum by Madeleine Roux 
Asylum started out slowly, but by the fourth or fifth chapter it was impossible to put down. It is riddled with mystery from the second Dan steps onto the campus of his summer program. As the story progresses, you begin to realize that Dan is connected to the old Asylum in more ways than one, and he’s not the only one who knows it. 
This book does an amazing job of keeping you guessing until the end.  

7. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass 
This story follows a girl named America, a girl in love who has no interest in climbing the caste system that controls the country. However, her life is turned upside down when she is chosen to compete for the prince’s heart. 

In this unconventional love story, America is torn between her new life and her old one; and the men in them. Does she love the prince, who is too sweet to be true, or her old flame who shows up in the palace as a guard, showing up everywhere she turns. 
The second I finished a book I was scrambling to get my hands on the next one. The characters are all full of surprises, and America keeps you guessing until the very end. Who will she choose? 
8. Faking 19 by Alyson Noel 
Faking 19 follows two best friends, Alex and M, who seem to have it all. When they decide to fake being 19 their lives turn upside down. They grow apart and find themselves on a path of self-destruction. Is faking 19 really worth it? 

Not only is the book full of captivating twists and turns, it lets you see inside a could be 17 year olds mind. Alyson Noel’s characters are realistic and her story is beautifully written.  
9. The Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter 
The Gallagher Girls are spies; and good ones at that. The series follows Cammie as she learns about being a normal girl, and finding herself amongst the chaos.  
Every book is a new adventure, and they are impossible to put down.  

10. Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier  
The Ruby Red books were originally written in German. The one’s I read were translated by Anthea Bell.  
Gwyneth thinks she is a normal girl. Nothing could have prepared her for being thrown back in time. The book follows her as she learns about her family’s history, and her ability to time travel.  





The books are beautifully written and bring you into a world where time travel is possible, but more dangerous than you could imagine. Just remember, you can’t trust anyone, and sometimes things are more complicated than they seem. 

Well, that’s my list! Which of the books have you read? Which do you want to read? Be sure to check out www.keystrokeblog.com for more from me!

Thank you Em for your list.  I have heard of most of the books on the list but have only read #7. 



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