Claudia's Library

Claudia's Library - Rec List #1

I've been accumulating my own little library for about ten years now. As a literature enthusiastic and future English teacher, I've kind of made it my duty to read as many published (and unpublished in the case of Fan Fiction) as possible. I now have roughly 4 bookshelves worth of novels and the greatest thing about every book that I own is that they must meet two requirements before I will purchase them:

1. I refuse to buy a book I haven’t read because of rule number two:

2. I only buy books I enjoyed.

I could throw you in the deep end with about 25 amazing novels/series or authors but I want to start off small with some of my absolute favourites.

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 496 (shorter than Goblet of Fire but longer than Prisoner of Azkaban)
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Brief Summary: Almost too magical to describe. Follows the lives of two people connected to a mystical circus filled with remarkably unique performers. Small element of romance and murder but mainly focuses on the magic and mystery of the circus. Twists and turns and an ending that will leave you breathless.
Review: This quickly became my favourite novel the second I finished reading it. I adored it so much I had my 18th themed by this book. It filled me with a sense of awe that rarely touches me these days, except for when I read spectacular fics. It’s definitely an adult book but it appeals to the childish dreamer inside you. Can only be described as utterly enchanting.

Title: Size Twelve is not Fat
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 343 (First book in a series of 5(?))
Genre: Murder Mystery/Slice of Life
Brief Summary: Follows former teen pop star Heather Wells as she works in administration in a college dorm when oops students start dying and it’s up to her to find out who’s to blame. Features super hot landlord Cooper who is a private detective, a shitty mother, a shitty ex boyfriend and body image issues.
Review: READ THIS SHIT. MEG CABOT IS A FUCKING GIFT AND HEATHER WELLS IS THE STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST WE DESERVE. THIS SHIT IS FUCKING HILARIOUS AND EMPOWERING AND IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU CAN READ IN A COUPLE HOURS THAT HAS MURDER AND MYSTERY BUT WILL MAKE YOU PEE YOUR PANTS AND GRIN SO HARD YOUR CHEEKS HURT READ THIS ENTIRE SERIES.

Title: Daughter of the Forest
Author: Juliet Marillier
Pages: 662 (font about size 8, this shit is long)
Genre: Fantasy
Brief Summary: A beautiful gaelic retelling of the seven swan sons. Sorcha’s father remarries after the death of her mother, only his new wife is a witch. Sorcha’s brothers are turned into swans and with the guidance of the Fey, she has limited time to weave shirts of thistles to bring them back to their human forms. She must suffer through this trial while mute and captured by Britons, only to have to find her way back to her homeland before time runs out.
Review: Let me tell you. This shit rocked my fucking world. I was about thirteen, reading all the Maximum Ride fan fiction I could get my hands on and then this puppy fell into my lap. This book is beautiful. It’s the epitome of elegant literature. The story has literally been WOVEN from the fabric of words. It is enthralling and captures your attention through both the characters and the world Marillier has constructed. If you want to lose yourself in a book – read this and consider yourself lost.

**Also the first in a series, although they’re loosely connected. The next book follows Liadan who is Sorcha’s daughter and after that it follows Liadan’s different children in different books. Every single one is worth the read. You can’t compare them. They’re unique and rich with Gaelic mythology and culture in each one.

Those are three very different books but they’re all fantastic. I have way too many more but I’ll start off softly.

Enjoy my little poppets.