I wanted to make a post of book recommendations using the popular: If You Like this… Read This prompt. My goal was to pick well known works and to recommend less known books or series. This list was a lot of fun to create. Also, I cheated a bit because there are more than ten books recommended. Truthfully, I’m surprised I haven’t cheated before now on one of these lists. Hope you find something to pick up.
1. Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones ➡️ The Vermillion Emporium by Jamie Paxton
~ What interested me in this book first were the comp titles being a mixture between Radium Girls and Howl’s Moving Castle. I will forever be a sucker for a book that is described as having a fantastical world similar to Howl’s Moving Castle. The idea of a shop that moves from place to place was an excellent idea. This does make me think of Howl’s world and the magic system with the starlight. Though, it is not as lighthearted and is a darker story.
2. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland retellings ➡️ Adult: The Insanity Series by Cameron Jace and MG: The Lost Wonderland Diaries and Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage
~ The Insanity Series: I am a big fan of retellings as you will see from this list and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland retellings are some of my absolute favorites. One of the best I have found is Cameron Jace’s series. These books are part mystery and horror. They are very dark reads that are quite thrilling. I love what Cameron did with the Wonderland characters and world.
~ The Lost Wonderland Diaries and Secrets of the Looking Glass: This has become a new favorite for me in the last couple of years. Savage does an incredible job adding to the world of Wonderland and creating a voice that feels reminiscent of Carroll’s but also so unique. I love the wordplay, puzzles, and riddles throughout both books. They are incredible and I hope he will continue on in this world in some way.
3. “All Too Well (10 Min version)” by Taylor Swift ➡️ Honesty by Seth King
~ A couple of years ago, I was working on an Bookstagram project where I found lyrics from a song which fit perfectly with plot points in books. My first one was for “All Too Well” and Honesty. This is probably the best example of lyrics fitting so well with a book. Honesty fits the vibes that Taylor is giving with her relationship in this song.
“Underneath it all, I was the same as anyone else: I was dreaming for the love of someone who wouldn’t give it to me.” from Honesty by Seth King
~ Seth King has a stunning writing style, which had me connecting with Cole from the beginning of the book. This is a beautiful story that encapsulates first love and heartbreak. I highly recommend this book.
4. Heartless by Marissa Meyer ➡️ Malice by Heather Walter
~ I read Heartless years ago and fell in love with Cath’s story. To this day, I still vividly remember this book. I’m always looking for other villain origin stories that will make me think of this one. Heartless is about the Queen of Hearts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and what caused her to become the queen we know from the original. Malice is an adult queer origin story for the enchantress from “Sleeping Beauty.” I love Heather Walter’s writing style and this story is one I highly recommend. Its sequel is also very good. I love a story with a morally grey character so much!
~I will be picking up Heather’s new book The Crimson Crown which is an adult queer mix of the Evil Queen from “Snow White” and is loosely inspired by Anne Boleyn’s rise. She has been talking about this book for years and I cannot wait to read it soon! I’ve been lucky enough to get every one of Heather’s books as an ARC copy.
5. New takes on Fairy Tale retellings ➡️ Lava Red, Feather Blue by Molly Ringle
~ Lava Red, Feather Blue starts as a “Sleeping Beauty” retelling and expands into it’s own story. One of the main characters, Prince Larkin is forced into being put into a magical sleep as one side of a truce between the humans and fae on the island of Eidolonia. He is awoken over 200– years later by Merrick by accident and their adventure continues from there. I love how Molly blended fairytales, fae stories, slow-burn romances, and familial bonds in this story. This is an adult fantasy story, I highly recommend. I will be picking up the companion novel in May.
6. Found Family stories ➡️ Castle Waiting Volume 1 & 2 by Linda Medley
~ I’m a big fan of found family stories and I’m always looking for new ones to read. A great example that I read years ago is the Castle Waiting graphic novel series. It focuses on an isolated castle and the zany inhabitants. I love how cozy it feels and just following along with these characters in their everyday lives in a fairy tale world. It’s one I will be rereading very soon.
7. Hamlet and Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories ➡️ To Be or Not To Be by Ryan North
~ To Be or Not To Be is a brilliant book that I adore. I have read through the book three times over the years and I am sure I have not found all of the storylines. Growing up, I was a big fan of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books and was excited when I saw there was a Shakespeare version. One of the paths through the book is the one that “Shakespeare chose” as Ryan says in the book. This is hilarious and such a journey.
~ I hope one day Ryan will write a version of this for Macbeth. I would buy it in a heartbeat.
8. Hate to love Fantasy Romance ➡️ To Poison a King by S.G. Prince
~ My favorite book of last year was To Poison a King by S.G. Prince. I was asked by the author on Instagram to read her book and I’m so glad I decided to do so. From the beginning of this book, her atmospheric writing had me falling in love with the story. Character-driven stories have become many of my favorites over the years. I’ll always be a fan of a rich fantasy world and characters you thoroughly know. Selene’s (the main character) arc is one of the best parts of this novel.
~Selene and Elias’s relationship was wonderful. Hate-to-love romances are some of my favorite stories. Elias has rough exterior when he is first introduced, but throughout the book, you realize that he is not that way at all. He was a refreshing take on a royal character who was just as fleshed out as Selene. I enjoyed watching Selene and Elias’s romance play out but also enjoyed their friendship. They were sweet together.
9. Fans of Shel Silverstein’s Poems ➡️ Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe by Tim DeRoche
~ I love poetry so darn much and was very interested in picking this up when I heard the premise. It’s a book of children’s poems with illustrations, that is very reminiscent of those of Shel Silverstein. Great for children and for anyone looking for a good time when reading poetry. Made me nostalgic.
10. Classic lover who wants a queer version of their favorite book ➡️ Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore and Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
~ I have only read two of the Remixed Classics series but I adore each of them so much. Two of my favorite books ever are The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, so I went into these two beauties hoping they would be favorites. I’m pleased to say they were both incredible takes on their classic counterparts. Both deal with trans boys and romances that are perfect. There are reviews for both on this blog and I highly recommend picking them up. They are perfection!
~Also, I want to mention how beautiful these covers are. Absolutely stunning in every way.
