Top Ten Tuesday: The Books I Would Pile On You If I Taught YA Paranormal&Fantasy 101

Hey bookworms! I know it’s a few days late, but I really wanted to do this week’s Top Ten Tuesday which is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish where there is a weekly bookish question or theme for bloggers to answer with their top 10 bookish responses. This week’s theme was fitting for me especially because it was Top 10 (plus some extras) books if you were teaching a 101 class on that genre? Why do you ask, is that fitting? I just started my last semester of my Senior year of University. I’ve been thinking about maybe being a professor myself one day, so this topic will be a very good test run for me. So why did I cheat with two genres? I feel so many of the genres especially in YA have gone through an intermingling trend and with the books I’ve been reading and writing lately it’s hard to separate them lately. Anywho with all that said I’ll get started.

Paranormal&YA Fantasy 101

Werewolves 

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Honestly I may be biased because this is my favorite book. This book has the greatest strengths in a werewolf book. It shows a sense of pack. What happened in the disarray of not having an alpha. The strength of pack bonds as well as the carnal need for power. This book makes the distinction between puppy love and the strength of finding a true mate. For my other top Werewolf books I will leave the link to one of my first posts on this blog. The true sign of a good book with any use of wolves is being able to show the behavior as well as the sense of pack. Like Kipling said, “From the Strength of the Pack Comes the Strength of the Wolf, and From the Strength of the Wolf comes from the strength of the pack.”

Vampires 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 

Now yes I get that people see this book as hyped, but the mythology she used within these books were amazing. The twining with real every day life. I must take  notes on her research and writing skills. The books get more intricate in the myths as it goes on.

Fairies 

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

This is one of her lesser known books, but it reawakened my love of fairies. Her use of the mythology and that they are not at all sweet creatures, but quite deadly. For other books that use true mythology of fairies:

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

All though fairies are not the main characters they play a major role in this book. This book shows the nature of their obsession with humans and their weaknesses

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

The emphasis on this one is lovely although I need to finish the last book. It shows the differences of the courts. I am a major fairy lover with not enough fairy books too get my hands on.

Changelings

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Now this book totally changed my view of changelings which is usually a myth that occurs with fairies. Hocking takes a new twist with using trolls. I still have to finish both of her series, but if you like the tales of changelings I definitely recommend these books.

Dragons 

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

My first dragon book as a young reader and although I need to reread it and finish the series. I think this is a vital book for anyone interested in starting the dragon genre.

Angels

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Now okay okay most people see this as a vampire book, but I see it as an angel book. It is a story of redemption and finding a way back to heaven throughout multiple lives. I won’t say more for the people who haven’t read this series.

Magic Users

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Although this book has small uses of magic. Meadows does well to set out a balance for this magic system. This was one of my favorite books of the year. Although the beginning was rough for me after the first 50 pages I was enthralled and could not put it down.

Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

This book is all about using your gifts for good and that just because you want a different path than expected with such a gift. It doesn’t mean your gift can’t also benefit you or others.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

Every one knows this one witches and wizards plus a magic school. To most including myself this is an essential fantasy read.

Magic Creatures

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Another great use of a magic system! This book also brings about magical creatures I hadn’t read in YA. Chimera’s were pulled out of mythology and weaved just right into a YA fantasy.

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

The use of magical creatures definitely made it another favorite read of the year. If you haven’t read this yet go pick it up! I will try to get my review up soon, but it definitely makes you wonder if ever we can bring creatures of fantasy to life.

Well bookworms those are the books on my syllabus! I know it ended up being more then ten, but I kept thinking of more creatures! Once I started I couldn’t stop! So have I convinced you to read any of these? What is your favorite category out of the ones I gave you? What books have you read do you think are essential that I may have missed from them? Have you read any of these? Do you share my love or do you have an opposite opinion? Like always let me know in the comments below because I love to talk! Again sorry this post is so late, but I hope you enjoyed it! Happy reading and enjoy your week!