Recommending books is like revealing your newly discovered worlds where books play role of opening keys to one magical place after another. A blogger from A Thorne of Books asked her BookLikes friends to show her their favorite bookish words with a list of 60 book categories/themes, all waiting to be filled up with literary keys to finally create a Master Reading List. We love visiting new literary lands so we've gathered some of the recommendations she received.
Also, if you'd like to add your own recommendations, recommend away! Create a post and tag it with recommend away (a full list of categories to fill up is listed below).
It started all here:
So I'm always looking for books to read. Below I think I'm going to list some different categories and feel free to recommend any number of books for that category. I was going to make a limit of 1-3 but I'm not going to complain when given more awesome books to check out! :D Seriously it's going to be a ton of categories so just pick and choose the ones you have awesome recommendations in. If a book you recommend fits multiple categories feel free to list it again. Please and thank you, also don't bother trying to pick things you think I would like. I have very varied tastes so I'm sure some of your recommendations will make it to my TBR... read more
And here's what happened later:
Recommendations from book bloggers:
- Favorite books in all categories: The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman - I know you've heard it before but I can't recommend this book enough!
- Start to a series: Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
- By an author who's written over 5 books total: The White Hawk (I): Revenge by David Pilling
- That you paid over $15 for (and was worth every penny): A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman
Read full list of book recommendations on Carpe Librum's blog->
- Male Main Character: Memories by Mike McQuay
- Female Main Character: Nazareth Hill by Ramsey Campbell
- Retelling of another story: Grendel by John Gardner
- Book with a Gorgeous Cover: The Steerswoman's Road by Rosemary Kirstein
Read full list of book recommendations on Tigus's blog->
- Non-fiction: we could be here all week, as I read a lot of it: Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count by Jill Jonnes
- Middle grade novel: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- Includes sword/knife fighting: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
- Something mysterious is afoot: Sabriel by Garth Nix
Read full list of book recommendations on Susanna's blog->
- Realistic Fiction: Precious (Push) by Sapphire
- Dystopia: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Time Travel: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- Books with murder in them: The Murder Room by P.D. James
Read full list of book recommendations on The Fish Place's blog->
- Featuring an assassin: A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
- In a world with Dragons: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Male Main Character: The Martian by Andy Weir, Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Read full list of book recommendations on Lillelara's blog->
Retelling of another story: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Debut book of any author: Soulless by Gail Carriger
Memoir: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Favorite incomplete series by you or yet not finished by author: Overwinter by David Wellington
Read full list of book recommendations on Midu Reads' blog->
Libromancer's Apprentice recommends:
- Elf or Dwarf Main character: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
- A long book (Let's say at least 450 pages minimum): The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- Young Adult book in general: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
- Adult book in general: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Read full list of book recommendations on Libromancer's Apprentice's blog->
Lora's Rants and Reviews recommends:
Sci-fi in general: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Paranormal Main Character: Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
Horror: High Moor by Graeme Reynolds
Set in a time of war (real or fictional): Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Read full list of book recommendations onLora's Rants and Reviews' blog->
- A Good Zombie Book - Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne
- A love story - Persuasion by Jane Austen
- Set in space - The Paradox Trilogy by Rachel Bach
- Multiple POV - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Read full list of book recommendations on The Open Book's blog->
Join the ride and add your recommendations!
Here's a full list of categories for your recommendation book list, make sure to tag your post with recommend away to make it searchable for other bloggers and readers, you can also add your list in the comments below.
A Throne of Books recommendation list:
1. Favorite books in all categories
2. Start to a series
3. By an author who's written over 5 books total
4. Classic Literature
5. Banned Books
6. Featuring an assassin
7. In a world with Dragons
8. Male Main Character
9. Female Main Character
10. Retelling of another story
...
11. Book with a Gorgeous Cover
12. Debut book of any author
13. Fantasy in general
14. Finale for a series
15. Graphic Novel
16. That you paid over $15 for (and was worth every penny)
17. Published after 2010
18. Featuring a Pricess/Prince or Queen/King
19. Thriller
20. You read because it was a bestseller
21. Involving drugs
22. Memoir
23. Favorite completed series as a whole
24. Book with witches/warlocks
25. Historical Fiction
26. Ugly Cry book
27. Realistic Fiction
28. Dystopia
29. Time Travel
30. Elf or Dwarf Main character
31. Favorite incomplete series either by you or not yet finished by author
32. Literary Fiction
33. Non-Fiction (Anything, cookbook, self-help, etc)
34. Middle Grade Novel
35. Includes sword/knife fighting
36. Something mysterious is afoot
37. Diverse Reads (main character non-white/non-straight)
38. Wanderlust book
39. Unreliable Narrator
40. Character with mental illness
41. Sci-fi in general
42. Paranormal Main Character
43. Horror
44. Books with murder in them
45. Set in a time of war (real or fictional)
46. Set in the place you live
47. Book with servants in some manner
48. Book eventually adapted to a movie
49. Book you've read more than once
50. A Good Zombie Book
51. A love story
52. Set in space
53. Multiple POV
54. Erotic for people who don't read erotic novels
55. Written by an author who has died (recently or a very long time ago)
56. Written by an author who is still living
57. Childhood favorite
58. A long book (Let's say at least 450 pages minimum)
59. Young Adult book in general
60. Adult book in general
Susanna recommends
