TTT- Books I loved out of my comfort zone

Hi! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana @ thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme was born out of a love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Our topic for this week is Book you loved out of your comfort zone. My comfort zone is Contemporary YA, Historical Fiction, and the classics.

Fantasy

1- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (series)

This series is fantastic, and I absolutely devoured it last year. The first book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling but then it goes in all kinds of crazy directions. I love all the characters and the crazy directions it takes in this series. This was a gateway to fantasy as a genre for me and I am so thankful I read the books.

2- Folk of Air by Holly Black (trilogy)

This a fantasy series I read this year. I followed the hype, and I was so happy I did. Jude is a fantastic character and I love her world. If A Court of Thorns and Roses was my gateway to fantasy, this was these are the books that kept me reading the genre. I am hyped for Queen of Nothing this coming November.

Science Fiction

3- Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston (duology)

This duology was my gateway to Sci Fi as a genre. I love Anastasia as you all probably know. This is an Anastasia retelling and I am so here for this story. How Ashley Poston crafts these characters, and this world means that she is one of the best writers I’ve read. The main character Ana is fantastic and fierce she is a badass.

4- Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (trilogy? series?)

Truthfully I don’t know if this is a series or a trilogy but I think it’s more than a duology. This is a Les Miserables retelling set in space. The novel follows Chatine (inspired by Eponine), Marcellus (inspired by Marius), and Alouette (inspired by Cosette.) What the authors do perfectly is have the essence of the original characters and story and made it their own. I rated this 4 stars because at times the pace was clunky and I felt like I missed something because the story was so dense. This is not a quick read, at least it wasn’t for me, it’s one of those books where you take your time and read the text carefully. You need not read Les Miserables to read this novel as it really is a different story entirely.

Nonfiction

5- All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher (memoir and advice)

I have talked a lot about this book this year. When I say this is perfect for those that don’t like nonfiction or memoirs I mean that. While the book is more geared towards young people, and I still really enjoyed the read and became engrossed in Carrie Hope Fletcher’s story. I say this is half memoir because it talks about her growing up in England and how she got where she is today. The other portion is advice to fans and readers, such as, how she handled a certain situation.

6- White Hot Grief Parade by Alexandra Silber (memoir)

You all have heard me talk about Alexandra Silber here a lot. I had a lot of respect for Alexandra Silber before I read this book. What this book did was solidified my respect for Alexandra Silber as a performer and a writer. This story follows Alexandra Silber losing her father at 18, and the year that followed. The topic is not light at all, but only Alexandra Silber could tell this in her signature style with wit and heart. I recommend this for people who have had a similar situation with the loss of a loved one. If you’re familiar with Alexandra Silber through her theater work or After Anatevka, this is a must read.

7- The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport (history)

I don’t even know what to call this book so I just put history. This an in-depth look at the Romanov’s and follows their lives at certain points in history. Friends recommended the book to me because I wanted to know more about The Romanov’s. I did not understand going in that this was more of a historical look at what happened and what the family was like. If you’ve read Romanov it lists this as a reference in the back of the novel. What impressed me the most was the research that went into crafting this book.

Middle Grade

8- Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (series)

Greek Mythology is fantastic to me and this series couldn’t get any better. I read the series as an adult but I fell head over heels for the books because of how Rick Riordan crafts the characters and stories. This weaves mythology and finding yourself and your purpose.

Graphic Novels

9- The Adventure Zone by Clint McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Griffin McElRoy. Illustrated by Carey Pietsch

I was so late to getting into The Adventure Zone Podcast and I’m behind so I’m planning on catching up. The first one was one of the first graphic novels I read and I loved it. The characters I had heard talked about in the fandom and I knew the names but I did not understand what the story was. The stories are heartfelt and the characters are witty and fun. These are light novels and ones you can read rather fast if you don’t want to extend the story out.

10- Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Treciero and Bre Indigo (Illustrations)

If you were following me earlier this year, you know that I read this graphic novel quickly. This was Little Women with a blended family and it was everything. The characters had the same personalities as the sister’s in the original story. The modern take was welcome because it was more relatable to me. If you read this the story stops before they’re all grown adults. Also, you will not find Jo and Laurie in a relationship here.

What stories have you enjoyed outside of your reading comfort zone?