Friday, January 30, 2009

What to read after Twilight

It's a topic this blog has addressed before, and no doubt will again.  But here's a list, compiled at the end of 2008, of some titles to consider:

 
IF YOU LIKE TWILIGHT, THEN WHAT COULD YOU READ NEXT?

Here's a list (in no particular order) of some of the books the Twilightery fans at school have also enjoyed. They are not all vampire romances, but some are; some involve faerie/magic/science fantasy in a similar kinda sorta way:

Libba Bray: The Gemma Doyle trilogy
  • A great and terrible beauty
  • Rebel angels
  • The sweet far thing

Suzanne Collins 
  • The hunger games (first of a series, the only one out so far)

James Pattinson: Maximum Ride series

  • The angel experiment
  • School's out - forever
  •  Saving the world and other extreme sports
  •  The final warning

Justine Larbalestier: Magic or Madness 
  • Magic or madness 
  • Magic lessons
  • Magic's child

 Justine Larbalestier

  •  How to ditch your fairy

Robin McKinley

  • Sunshine (my personal favourite vampire book)
  • Beauty
  • Chalice
  • The blue sword
  • The hero and the crown (both these last two set in Damar, but standalone rather than sequential stories)

 

Scott Westerfeld: Uglies series
  • Uglies
  • Pretties
  • Specials
  • Extras
Scott Westerfeld
  • Peeps

Richelle Mead: Vampire Academy series
  • Vampire academy
  • Frostbite
  • Shadow kiss

 Melissa De La Cruz: Blue bloods etc
  • Blue bloods
  • Masquerade
  • Revelations

Melissa Marr: Wicked lovely etc
  • Wicked Lovely
  • Ink Exchange

Holly Black: Tithe etc series
  • Tithe
  • Valiant
  • Ironside

Shannon Hale

  • Book of a thousand days 
Kristin Cashore

  • Graceling

Catherine Murdock

  •  Princess Ben

Juliet Marillier

  •  Wildwood dancing

Cornelia Funke: Inkheart series

  • Inkheart
  • Inkspell
  • Inkdeath

 Two other series that I find poorly written and shallow - a few kids like, but not as many as the books above. They read like try-hards, written too fast so they can exploit the trend:

 
  • PC Cast and Kristen Cast: House of Night series
  • Alex Duval: Vampire Beach series (just reissued in doublebook format with covers that ape the Twilight's white/red/black style - snort!)

 Also of course Stephenie Meyer has written a separate science fiction/fantasy book, The host.

 
Some of the above are in UK and US editions, some only US editions.  Any good independent bookshop can indent titles for you, or The Book Depository is another option (free shipping worldwide). 

 
But of course, first ask at your school or local library!! (That's what my kids do...).

2 comments:

Josette said...

Yes, the Gemma Doyle trilogy makes good reading. I like the books. :)

Becca said...

I love the Sookie Stackhouse novels--those will keep you busy for a while, but they are more adult geared. Someone told me about the Vampire Academy novel, and that seems good for YA, but wasn't my thing.

I am a writer myself, though my book isn't published (guess that makes me a dreamer, not a writers) It's still a work in progress, but you can read the first few chapters here for free:

http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=15535

Pitch:
A witch attempts to silence a curse, discovers her ancestor was hanged, and must uncover a missing body to save those she loves from genocide.

There are vampires in there too, but not in the opening chapters (Sorry vamp-lovers!)

I would love feedback from readers--what you like, what you didn't like, all would be great. (if you want to sign up and let me know, or drop by my blog and tell me)

I also have a blog, and I'd love comments on the guestbook from readers telling me what they want to read about. I'd like to set up a section on my blog geared toward readers, and what better what to do that than ask what the reader wants?

I also do book reviews on my blog, so you can check it out and see what books I like and why.

http://rebecca-hamilton.com/