So without further ado, lets start the countdown...
15. 'Kensuke's Kingdom' by Michael Morpurgo:
'Kensuke's Kingdom' was my favourite book as I was growing up! The story revolves around a young boy named Michael, who goes on a round the world trip with his parents by boat. One stormy night things start to go wrong, and he ends up washed up on an island where he meets Kensuke. Its a wonderful story of unlikely friendship and survival, and I'd recommend it to anyone from age 8 upwards!
14. 'Divergent' Series by Veronica Roth:
I'm one of those people who HAS to read the book before watching the films - to me the books contain so much more depth that the films can never match due to their short length. I read the 'Divergent' series way before the first film even came out, and I loved it! I loved the first book in particular, which sets up the world perfectly, and introduces the two main characters, Tris and Four. In the 'Divergent' series, the society is broken up into 5 factions - Erudite, Abnegation, Amity, Candor and Dauntless. When children reach the age of 16, they attend their Choosing Ceremony, where they must choose which faction they wish to belong to. Before they make their decision, they must take an aptitude test which helps them decide which faction they are best for. However, when Beatrice takes her test, the results are marked as inconclusive. Her and her brother Caleb have to make the heartbreaking decision about whether to stay with their parents in Abnegation, or leave their faction and never see them again. After Tris makes her decision, she realises that the world might not be as perfect and clear cut as it seems, and grows closer to Four who shares her suspicions. Anyone who loves the Hunger Games will love this series as well! I recommend it to anyone aged 13 upwards!
A Note on the Films - I really enjoyed the first Divergent Film - I think it remained very true to the book, and I was thrilled with the casting choices. However, since the film series has progressed I have had to start treating the books and the films as completely different stories - while I really enjoyed the films, I feel they have strayed slightly from the story line, which is why I always suggest that people read the books before watching the films!
13. 'Me Before You' by JoJo Moyes:
I only read 'Me Before You' very recently - EVERYONE was talking about the film, and so I had to see what all the fuss was about!! Sticking to my rule, I read the book first! The book is centred around a very difficult subject - assisted suicide. Louisa Clark - the main protagonist - is in desperate need for a job. She goes for a job interview to care for Will Trainer, who was severely paralysed two years previously. She unexpectedly gets the job, and gets to know Will Trainer, eventually bonding with him. The book follows their time together, with Louisa trying to convince Will that his life is still worth living. I think this book gives a very honest view on the difficulties all parties involved in assisted suicide go through, and is full of surprisingly sweet moments for a book based around such a difficult subject. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15, bearing in mind that it's based on such a difficult subject.
A Note on the Film - I haven't got round to watching the film yet - comment below if you have and let me know what you thought!!!
12. 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green:
Like 'Me Before You', 'The Fault in Our Stars' is certainly not a laugh a minute. The book is centred around cancer, which I'm sure has an affect on everyone in the world in one way or another. Hazel Grace Lancaster suffers from a rare form of cancer. Being only 16 years old, she is a very young cancer sufferer, and has struggled with depression as a result. The book starts with Hazels parents convincing her to go to a cancer support group for young people. She goes in an attempt to make them stop worrying about her, and meets Augustus Waters, who is there supporting Hazels friend Isaac. Augustus himself is in remission from cancer. Augustus and Hazel grow close, and Augustus helps Hazel to realise that she doesn't have to separate herself from people in order to keep them safe from pain a relationship with her may cause. The book is an example of how cruel cancer can be - it's not picky, it can affect anyone. I recommend this book to anyone aged 15 upwards!
A Note on the Film - Once again, I made sure that I read 'the fault in our stars' before watching the film, although I think the film remained fantastically true to the book! I believe that the casting choices were spot on, and the film was raw and emotional.
11. 'If I Stay' by Gayle Forman:
I must admit that I broke my rule on this one!! I couldn't resist watching the film before I got the book! I really enjoyed the film, but it didn't include the depth of the book! I loved the raw emotion that Gayle Forman managed to include by writing the story in 1st person. Mia Hall, the main protagonist, lives with her parents, and little brother Teddy. They have a horrific car crash while driving in the snow, and Mia has an out of body experience - she sees and hears everything that is going on whilst remaining on life support. We follow the events from just seconds after the crash, all the way up to the moment where she makes the decision whether to wake up or not. I recommend this book to ages 15 and above!
10. 'Holes' by Louis Sachar:
Holes remains one of my favourite ever birthday presents! I think I was probably about 10 years old when my parents gave this book to me on my birthday! I had never heard of it before but mum and dad thought that I'd like it! They were most certainly right!! Holes follows the life of Stanley Yelnats after he is wrongly wrongly accused to stealing a pair of very expensive trainers from a homeless shelter. Instead of being sent to prison, he is sent to Camp Green Lake for boys, where they dig holes to build character. At the camp he befriends 'Zero', one of his fellow campers. They soon both become mixed up in the past of their ancestors, and find out some shocking secrets that for over a hundred years had remained buried - literally!!!! This is one wonderful book, and I believe anyone would enjoy it, no matter what their age!!
A Note on the Film - I LOVED the film! We actually studied the book in year 8 after I had already read it, and watched the film as a class! I ended up buying the DVD afterwards because I loved it so much and because it was so true to the book!
9. The 'Slated' Trilogy by Teri Terry:
Firstly...yes, very stupid name!! She actually admits this herself - she unfortunately married into a surname that just happened to be the same as her first name!! Anyway...I had to read the first 'Slated' book a couple of times before I became really hooked on the series, but once I got hooked, it couldn't put it down!! The series is centred around a Great Britain where the government are in full control - anyone classed as a teenager who has committed a crime has their mind 'slated'. This means that everything is erased - they don't remember anything about their previous life. They are given a new family, and a new 'second chance' at life. The series is written from the point of view of Kyla, who has been very recently slated. It soon becomes clear that Kyla is remembering more than she should be about her previous life, and throughout the series it becomes clear that the system of slating isn't as perfect as it seems.
I love the style of writing in this series - when Kyla first 'wakes up' as a new slated in the first book, her thoughts are more childish and less meaningful than the ones that she has as the series progresses. She reminds me a bit of a young child in the first book - its a bit like she's been reborn, and her brain is as fragile as that of a 2 year old, not a 16 year old girl. As the series progresses, her thoughts and feelings also progress along with it, and the whole world she lives in becomes a lot more complicated.
8. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee:
I first read 'to kill a mockingbird' in year 10 as part of my English GCSE. I'm not going to lie - before we even start reading a book in class, I get a negative opinion about it. It seems that every school child automatically hates any books they read as a class - I have no idea why, it just seems to be a fact!!! So lets just say that I was less than enthusiastic when I was told we would be reading 'to kill a mockingbird' in class! However, as soon as we started reading, I was hooked! As it was part of my GCSE course, I had to read it multiple times to get a good understanding of it...but even after reading it 5 times in a year (!!), it is still one of my favourite books ever!!
Scout Finch is the main character. She lives with her father Atticus and her brother Jem. She befriends Dill, a young boy living next door to her, early on in the book. They then start exchanging stories about a young man named Boo Radley, who is somewhat of a mystery in their town - he hasn't been seen for many years. The take to trying to coax Boo out of his house. Atticus is a lawyer, and has taken on the case of Tom Robinson, a black man who has been wrongly accused of rape by Bob and Maella Ewell. The story focuses on these two main story-lines and gives an honest take of the racism that occurred in those times.
'To Kill a Mockingbird' is packed with lots of serious issues. However, it is also packed with humour and plenty of sweet moments. I dare anyone to try and read this book without falling in love with the Finch family!!
A Note on 'Go Set a Watchman' - I must admit I have not yet read 'Go Set a Watchman'. Frankie bought the book the day it came out, and I was planning on borrowing it after her, but after hearing parts of the story-line, I am unsure whether a want to read it or not. I would love to hear people's views on it, but please be mindful and try not to post any spoilers!
7. 'Where Rainbows End' by Cecelia Ahern:
'Where Rainbows End' is a twist on the classic love story! The whole book is written in the form of emails, letters, newspaper articles, etc! The whole story revolves around Rosie and Alex, best friends since childhood. They are both in love with the other, but for years neither is sure how the other feels. On Rosie's 18th birthday, they go out drinking and end up kissing. However, Rosie falls off her bar stall and ends up in hospital having her stomach pumped. After a confusing conversation the next day, neither Alex nor Rosie realise the others true feelings, and this leads to years of confused feelings and moments that never quite work out for either of them.
This is a nail biting read until the very end, and recommend it to young adults!
Note on the Film - A laugh out loud, feel good film! Again, not as much depth of detail and characters as in the book, but I still enjoyed it! In fact, I have the DVD!
6. 'Beautiful Creatures' by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl:
Like with the 'Slated' series, I had to read the first book of this series a couple of times before I got into the series. However, there are so many lovable characters in this series, my favourite being Amma. I recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy books!
Ethan Wate is popular in school, and has a generally normal life. However, his mother has sadly died in a car crash, and his Dad has taken to locking himself in his room to write his book. Ethan main carer is Amma, who has been with his family since he was very young. One day he goes to school, and sees Lena Duchannes for the first time. It is unusual for anyone new to enter their tightly knit town, and Lena is a subject of great interest, not necessarily just for being new. She is living with her creepy Uncle, and rumours start growing about her and her family. While everyone else starts being suspicious of Lena, Ethan becomes closer to her and starts to wonder who she really is. He soon starts to unlock many secrets, not just about Lena, but also about Amma and his parents.
A Note on the Film - While I enjoyed the film, I treat it as a completely different story to the book because the story-lines are quite different.
A Note on the 'Beautiful Darkness' Series - I haven't read the Beautiful Darkness Series yet - I'd love to hear your reviews on it below if you've read it!!
5. 'The Host' by Stephenie Mayer:
'The Host' is my absolute favourite stand alone book!! While there has been talk for many years of a possible sequel, I must say that I love this book on its own! I think this is because there are so many lovable characters within the book that I'm worried may get killed off if any more books are written!!
'The Host' is written from the point of view of 'Wanderer', a member of an alien species that has taken over the planet earth. They believe that they are making the Earth a better place by controlling the humans into being non-violent and peaceful with one another. Wanderer takes the body of Melanie Stryder, a member of one of the last remaining pockets of human resistant. Melanie is still only a teenager, but is strong enough to start resisting Wanderer's hold over her body. The two spend a long time battling for control over the body, but after seeing snippets of Melanies life, Wanderer starts wondering if her race was wrong in taking over the human bodies and minds. A very sci-fi, fantasy based book, the Host is perfect for a YA audience!
A Note on the Film - I must say that I really enjoyed the film! However, in this film more than most, a lot of detail was left out, and some of the main characters from the book are left out from the film. Even so, I think the film is worth a watch...after reading the book first, of course!!
4. Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments, Clockwork Devices and The Dark Artifices):
I love these books!!! Once again, it took me AGES to get into these books, but when I got hooked I couldn't stop reading!! Recommended to anyone who loves fantasy!
The Mortal Instruments - There are various different series that Cassandra has written based within the world of the nephilim. The Mortal Instruments series is about Clary and Jace along with Isabelle, Simon and Alec. This series introduces the nephilim world to the readers along with Clary, who believes she is human. She lives with her mother, but on her 18th birthday, everything changes. She finds herself in the world of the nephilim, dragging her best friend Simon along with her. She meets Jace who helps her try and find out who she is and what she can do. It turns out that she may just be the most powerful nephilim in existence.
The Clockwork Devices - The Clockwork Devices is set in Victorian times, and is about some of the more minor characters that appear in 'the mortal instruments'. Tessa Gray gets a letter from her brother telling her to up with some friends of his - it turns out that his 'friends' may not be human...and there's a chance Tessa may not be either. When Tessa meets Will and Jem, Shadowhunters (nephilim) at the London institute, they help her shed some light on what she is, and a love triangle forms. This is my favourite 'Shadowhunter' series by Cassandra Clare.
The Dark Artifices - This series focuses on Emma and Julian, who are introduced to us at the end of Clary and Jaces's story. Emma is the best shadowhunter since Jace and Clary, and huge things are expected from her. Her Parabatai is Julian Blackthorn, and they are as close as you can possibly be. However, there is one rule of being Parabatai - you can't fall in love...which is exactly what is happening with Emma and Julian.
A Note on the Film and TV Show - I must say that I am not a fan of the film, although that doesn't mean it isn't good! However, I have been really enjoying the TV series, although there have been a lot of story-line changes to what happens in the books!
3. 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins:
Who doesn't love the Hunger Games?! I'm not sure I really need to give you a plot outline for this one - if you haven't read the books, you must have watched the films!! Katniss is a truly inspirational, strong female character, and I love her for it! The series is full of wonderfully strong characters - Peeta, Haymitch, even Madge! If you haven't already, I implore you to read these books!!!!
A Note on the Films - I love all the films! They are so true to the books, and they couldn't have cast Katniss better!
2. 'Vampire Academy' by Richelle Mead:
I was introduced to the Vampire Academy by my best friend Chloe! As soon as I started reading I was completely hooked!! The lead protagonist is Rose Hathaway - if you are looking for a series with a strong female character, this is the one for you! Rose is strong, clever and deeply caring - as a reader I was willing her on from the minute I started reading!
Don't judge the books by their name - I know a lot of people hate vampire books, but they are not the traditional vampire books! While the name characters are vampires, the series is more about fighting for the people you love and the things you believe in...the characters just happen to be vampires!
Rose Hathway is on the run with her best friend Lissa. After two years, they still haven't been caught...until one evening when a mystery man starts watching them. When Rose spots him they try to run, but to no avail. They meet Dimitri Belikov for the first time, who escorts them back to their boarding school - the place from which they have been running from. Rose will protect Lissa with her life - they were being hunted when they were at school, but the problem is, their not sure who is trying to hurt them. Rose soon grows close to Dimitri - a man that is totally off limits. However, she soon learns to trust him, and learns to share her problems with those who what to help her. Together, they try and keep Lissa safe.
A Note on the Film - The first VA film was a bit of a flop in the box office! I can't say I was impressed the first time I saw it, but since then it has grown on me a bit. However, compared to the book it was very disappointing (in my opinion)!! When you love a book as much as I love the VA series, I think it is impossible for the film to match it! I think the casting for Rose was brilliant, however, I never wanted a film in the first place - I knew it would be a disappointment compared to the books!!
Bloodlines Series - The bloodlines Series is a stand alone sequel series written by Richelle Mead about some of the more minor characters - Adrian, Sydney and Eddie! It is a complete contrast to the Vampire Academy books, which are written from Rose's viewpoint. Bloodlines is written from Sydney's viewpoint, who is the polar opposite of Rose's character!! She is sensible and professional, unlike Rose! However, the 'bloodlines' series is just as good as the VA series, but in a completely different way!!
1. 'Harry Potter' Series by J.K. Rowling:
I don't think I really need to write a plot line for this one either!! I have lost count of the amount of times I have read Harry Potter - it never gets boring and it never will!! Hermione is the perfect example of a REAL girl. Not beautiful, just NORMAL. The magic never dies in the Harry Potter books, and Harry Ron and Hermione remain some of my favourite ever characters...however, I've always had a soft spot for Luna and Neville!
Speaking about Luna and Neville...what the hell were they thinking by making them a couple in the last film?!
I have just finished reading the Cursed Child, and me and Frankie were lucky enough to get tickets to the play next year!!
What did everyone think about the Cursed Child?! Comment below and let me know - but NO SPOILERS!!!
Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to tell me what your favourite books are...!
Becca xxx
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