Recommendations

I'm trying to find books with a female lead that deals with growing up or finding yourself, that sort of thing. I love The Virgin Suicides and Lolita and Sold. I guess I like a little bit of a sad/dark story line but with really elegant writing. Any recommendations? Thank you so much btw :)

Asked by Anonymous

Here’s some suggestions:

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
She Is Not Invisible
The Lost Daughter
Trouble
Picture Me Gone
Summer Sisters

Goodreads has an excellent 'Coming of Age' section, which I think is what you’re looking for.

I read a lot of YA so unsurprisingly ‘growing up’ and ‘finding your own identity’ tend to be apparant in nearly every book! 

(I’m struggling with these recs, which is why you may have noticed I’m only answering these three requests for recommendations now!).

Hello! Could you give me an advise on books about the concerns that dark-skinned people face with? I liked ''The Help'' & I'm really interested it this theme. Thanks!

Asked by Anonymous

I actually haven’t read many unfortunately. It’s a bit of a stretch, but Tankborn is a YA science fiction novel that addresses class and race.

 

Hello! I came across your blog and wanted to ask you if you could recommend me some good books with a female leading character but without a love interest? I was searching a lot online but i couldn't find one. Sorry to bother you :D

Asked by keshoii

I think most of the novels I read have some sort of love interest, but maybe Pretty Books followers can help!

edit: Yes! I’ve read Code Name Verity and that would count.

Hi, I've followed your blog for some time and I always enjoy seeing your recommendations and I was wondering if you could suggest any gay literature, I've never read any except for Allen Ginsberg poems and was wondering what you thought would be a good starting point as the subject is personal and interesting to me.

Asked by Anonymous

Thanks so much! I haven’t read many I’m afraid (and the ones I have read are YA), but I really enjoyed David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing and I own a copy of The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

I'm on a mission to find books about mid-twenty-somethings ladies trying to figure out how to be independent in life and love. I just want something that I can relate to at this point in my life and I'm finding it rather difficult to locate literature of this sort. Maybe something thematically similar to the HBO series Girls, perhaps? Any suggestions would be most appreciated! :)

Asked by Anonymous

How about Summer Sisters by Judy Blume?

Hi there. Do you know of any good mystery/crime books? I realised that my favourite film/TV genre was this and so I want to try out some more books in this genre too. I love BBC's Sherlock, for instance. Preferably non-YA books, please.

Asked by Anonymous

I really enjoyed Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None; Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca; Mary Horlock’s The Book of Lies; Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale; Rosamund Lupton’s Sister and Afterwards; S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep.

I’m hoping to read Donna Tartt’s The Secret History this month!

I love your blog as well :) and I'm wondering, if you know of any really well WWII/Holocaust or WWI books? I've read All Quiet on the Western Front and really loved it, and I'm getting around to Diary of Anne Frank and Night, so anything else is welcome for suggestion! (Mostly historical fiction please, but if you know of any good non-fiction, let me know!)

Asked by monsieur-blue

I do, actually! I’ve been mostly making a list of First World War young adult and children’s novels to post next month for the centenary (and because they’re harder to find).

WWI
Charlotte Sometimes
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave*
Poppy
Valentine Joe
War Girls* (and you can read my interview with one of the authors here)
Without Warning: Ellen’s Story, 1914-1918
War Horse
Remembrance

WW2
Code Name Verity*
Rose Under Fire
Between Shades of Gray*
The Complete Maus*
The Storyteller*
The Book of Lies*
Bomb Girls
Carrie’s War
The Book Thief*
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Resistance
Girl With a White Dog
Fly Away Home
That Burning Summer
Warpaint
Cross My Heart
The Things We Did for Love
Prisoner of Night and Fog

So yes, mostly YA though. I haven’t read them all, just the ones with an asterisk – the others are on my ‘to read’ list or ‘wishlist’!

And these are neither, but they’re brilliant historical non-fiction: Stasiland and Nothing to Envy. You can see reviews of historical books I’ve read here.

And thank you! :)

edit: Here’s others that I’ve bee sent messages about:
A Woman in Berlin, I Will Bear Witness, Fatelessness, Jakob the Liar, Every Man Dies Alone, Fear and Misery in the Third Reich, Eichmann in Jerusalem, The Tin Drum, Number the Stars, and For Freedom.

What are some really scary horror books? ? I don't get scared easily so I can't find a good horror book.

Asked by Anonymous

I actually haven’t read many horror books at all, so perhaps Pretty Books’ followers will be able to help! I’m reading James Dawson’s Say Her Name this week and I’ve heard it’s pretty terrifying, so it might be one for you if you’re a fan of YA :)

I've just re read one of my favourite books but I want to start something new. I'm thinking of buying Anna and the French kiss. I love romance books but nothing too soppy, could you tell me a bit about it?

Asked by Anonymous

I really loved Anna and the French Kiss. I think it’s a perfect YA romance and I didn’t find it too soppy, especially because Étienne and Anna get to know each other over the year.
Here’s a snippet from my review:
‘Anna and the French Kiss reminded me why I love reading — not so I can talk about it on the internet or add it to my Goodreads shelf — because I love that feeling of becoming completely absorbed in a story, caring deeply about its characters, and never wanting it to end.’

 

Hey! I am 12 years and LOVE reading! I have the reading age of 16.4. Is there any books that you could recommend to me that are reality-related? I just read The Fault In Our Stars and LOVED IT. I do not like myth/fantasy books at all. Thanks. x

Asked by jessrigbyxox

Hey! That’s amazing! There’s so many wonderful YA contemporary/realistic novels out there. I made a list earlier this year for fans of John Green, which you can read here. Here’s some that were missed off the original list, although I haven’t read the majority of them yet (they’re mostly on the original list)!

Love, Lies and Lemon Pies
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
The Worst Girlfriend in the World
Love Letters to the Dead
Lobsters
Open Road Summer
I’ll Give You the SunDon’t Even Think About It (it’s about a group of teenagers who have telepathy, but it’s essentially a fun, contemporary story!)
Suite Scarlett
The Key to the Golden Firebird
By Any Other Name
Boys Don’t Knit
Say What You Will
Life by Committee
Fangirl
Rules of Summer

Slightly younger:
A Boy Called Hope
Smart
Liar & Spy
After Iris
A Room Full of Chocolate
Bird
Wonder

It can be a bit overwhelming as there’s so many books and so little time to read them, but some of my absolute favourites are Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, Ketchup Clouds, Anna and the French Kiss, Geek Girl and Trouble.

Hi Stacey! I want to give horror books a try but I dont know any horror books that not really scary hehe (I'm such a coward :P) Love your blog! it is really help me to read more :)

Asked by kawaii-rage

Hey! I’d suggest Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children! It’s creepy/eerie, but not scary!

And thanks so much for your kind words :)

Hi, my name is Opal and I absolutely love reading! I am currently reading Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Legend by Marie Lu, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell!! Can you recommend anything like that?? Can you chose something that isn't on your first page??

Asked by therandomchroniclescat

Hey Opal! Here are few books with a little bit of action or adventure!

Dead Man’s Cove by Laura Marlin
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Angelfall by Susan Ee
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve

(You can also see my reviews of fantasy and science fiction books).

Hi hi! I'm just wondering if you know any books that has to do with Positivity and Meditation? Books like The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and 14, 000 things to be happy about :) Oh and teen fiction books that has to do with perfection on the surface. Thanks so much if you reply! xxx

Asked by lunasolem

It’s not my usual genre I’m afraid, but Popular popped into my mind. I’ve not read it yet, but it’s non-fiction written by Maya Van Wagenen when she was thirteen-years-old, after she decides to spend a school year following advice from Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide, published in the 1950s.

Can you share what are your favourite trilogies and series? I'd love to know. Have a great day xxx.

Asked by bluebird-in-my-heart

I actually MUCH prefer standalones these days. If I see that a book is part of a series or trilogy, I’m actually less likely to pick it up! I prefer self-contained stories and hate having to wait a year or more for a sequel, especially if it doesn’t live up to my expectations. I also have an awful memory. I quite enjoy companion novels, though, like Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door.

I’ve enjoyed The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, of course, as well as Vampire Academy and Bloodlines (much to my surprise as vampires aren’t really my thing!), Chaos Walking, Scott Pilgrim (although I’ve only read three), Geek Girl, Legend and Sesame Seade.

As a young teenager/child I enjoyed Sweep/Wicca, Balefire, The Princess Diaries (although I never finished it – I will one day!), Angels Unlimited (same here!), The Twins at St. Clare’s and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I’ve started loads though, like Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Shades of London, The 5th Wave, Uglies, Gemma Doyle, Insignia, Birthmarked, Ashfall, Blood Red Road, Darcy Burdock and want to finish these.