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If you love the Study Series what do you recommend in the same genre?
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Kristen
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Oct 17, 2008 06:43AM
I didn't even know you could do that, or how to do that! Thanks Alethea!
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Jane - Hunger Games looks good! BUT (of course there is a but) it sounds like a total rip off of Stephen King's book The Running Man.
Jeanne - you'll love The Hunger Games. It's a very exciting read. I don't know if anyone else has a gaping hole in their literary obsession lives since Harry Potter & Twilight has wrapped up, but I've found a couple series that I think are obession worthy that are still going on. The new releases give me something to look forward to.
Anyhoo, the series I'm loving now are -
*** Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games with two more books planned releasing fall 2009 & fall 2010
*** Kristin Cashore's Graceling with releases in fall 2009 & fall 2010
*** Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series - #1 City of Bones & #2 City of Ashes. Final installment in March 2009.
*** Melissa Marr's series #1 Wicked Lovely & #2 Ink Exchange. Next release coming April 2009.
And of course coming soon Maria V. Snynder's series starting with Storm Glass. I can't wait to follow that one!
Mod
That said, on the list of books I didn't like but really wanted to, there is also Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz. I had a really hard time getting through the writing--I kind of imagine that thick syrupy feeling Valek gets when surrounded by magic users--but I thought her vampire mythology was great!
Alethea--I had similiar issues with Blue Bloods. My sister had me read it--cause she loved it so much--but I was just sort of like 'Its been a week and I'm only two chapters in?'Scott Westerfield's Uglies,Pretties and Specials were all varying degrees of enjoyable. I think I liked Uglies the best, because the concept was so new sounding to me. Pretties and Specials expanded upon the concept, but took away some of the mystery and interest for me.
Alethea - I liked Ink Exchange more than Wicked Lovely. I'm not into Oh and I'm a slave to a good cover. I know it's superficial, but I can't help myself.
I like Marr because she's really invovled w/ her readership & posts good writing tips. Also, she was given a "major book deal" so I'm anxious to see if she'll live up the hype.
E and Alethea - Funny you mentioned about being drawn in by the cover. That is what captured my interested about Ink Exchange - the cover of the audiobook. I picked it up and found it was a "continuation" of a first book, Wicked Lovely, so of course I had to pick that up first. I liked Wicked Lovely but it wasn't great. I think it dragged on just a bit too much.
I do look foward to Ink and am glad to hear it is "better" than the first.
I liked wicked lovely. If Ink Exchange is better I can't wait to read it. I liked Aislinn too. She was pretty independant and spunky for someone raised that smotheringly. Another good book with the fantasy and politics and spying is Kushiels Dart.
Mod
Just placing a marker from where I've updated the bookshelf.
Mod
Tamora Pierce is great I own all her books and they are so good=D Lots of very positive girl power.
Oh I love Tamora Pierce. All I've read, though, are the Trickster books. Any suggestion on where I should start? I'd like to read about the female knight who is called the Lioness. But, I'll start anywhere if you have any suggestions!Jen
Jen: It's best to start with either of the two worlds, Tortall (country) or the Circle world Emelan.In those two worlds there are different quartets/groups. If you begin with Emelan read the Circle of Magic (Sandry's Book) quartet first and for the Tortall series The Song of the Lioness (Alanna: The First Adventure)would be a great starting point. Although it doesn't really matter where you start as long as you read the actual quartets/trilogies etc in order.
Mod
Bianca: I'm glad you wrote about this because I actually just got Trickster's Choice and The Will of the Empress. I started with Will of the Empress, but stopped after 1 chapter when I realized that the first book was Sandry's book. I'm midway through Trickster's Choice and I love it so far.
Tamora Pierce is great...probably one of my all time favorites! If you want to read her books in order I will post the listSong of The Lioness Series
1-Alanna: The First Adventure
2-In the Hand of the Godess
3-The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
4-Lioness Rampant
The next four books are connected through some main characters to the first four.
Immortals
1-Wild Magis
2-Wolf Speaker
3-The Emperor mage
4-The Realms of the Gods
The next four books are connected to the first eight by some main characters
Protector of the Small
1-First Test
2-Page
3-Squire
4-Lady Knight
The nest two books are connected to this first 12 by some main characters
Daughter of the Lioness
1-Tricksters Choice
2-Tricksters Queen
Then there is a different series...
Circle of Magic
1-Sandry's Book
2-Tris's Book
3-Daja's Book
4-Briar's Book
The next books connect to the previous four
Circle Opens
1-Magic Steps
2-Street Magic
3-Cold Fire
4-Shatterglass
The next two connect with the last eight
Circle Reforged
1-The Will of the Empress
2-Melting Stones
Then there are two more books
Tortall
1-Terrier
2-Bloodhound (not yet released)
Some other books that I really like...The Farsala Series
1-Fall of a Kingdom
2-Rise of a Hero
3-Forging the Sword
by Hillari Bell
and...
Crown and Court Duel
A Stranger to Command
Crown Duel
Court Duel
by Sherwood Smith
The Dragonlance books are great to1-Dragons of Autumn Twilight
2-Dragons of Winter Night
3-Dragons of Spring dawning
4-Dragons of Summer Flame
The next four are connected to the firts four by main characters
Twins
1-Time of the Twins
2-War of the Twins
3-Test of the Twins
Then comes....
1-The Second Generation
all by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis
I fell in love with the characters in these books. They were great!!!
Mod
I tried Dragonlance, read the first 3, but didn't like them as much as I'd thought. I might try the Twins ones though because I really like the world they've built.
Mod
Thank you so much. Its nice to know that there are other fans out there.
How about Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn series? I loved those, I'm currently reading her Legendsong Trilogy. I don't like it as much as the Obernewtyn series but it's still a great read.
OR
I'm so glad, Jane, that you're liking Trickster's choice - that's what I started with - and then the second. I wish there were further books of that realm, but Trickster's Queen sounded like it was an ending. Anyway - I got the first of the Lionness series, I believe, and will read it over Christmas break.You know what's good too - the series - A Great and Terrible Beauty is the first novel in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray. I've read two - I've got to get the third. It was exciting and magical and interesting. That's not an exciting review of it - but you've got to read it to appreciate it. Gemma Doyle goes to a girl's boarding school and finds she has magical talents - and there are those who would steal her away for those talents - and her circle of friends travel with her magically - and they have some struggles and even lose one of their friends to this magical dimension only Gemma can bring them to. It's really cool. Check it out.
Jen
I liked the first book in the Gemma Doyle series but I just couldn't get in to the second one, I won't say why because I don't want to give anything away.It does have great reviews though so don't listen to me, go read it and decide for yourself.
Jen...actually Alanna from the Lioness series is the girl (Aly) in the Trickster book's mom...and she (Alanna) plays a roll in all the books in The Immortals series and in The Protector of the Small series.I listed all the books in order up above...
There is a great website called Fantasticfiction.com and you can go thereto find all kinds of new books...when you click on a book it will also show you some similar books.
I realise I've already talked about Isobelle Carmody but I just realised that she is an Australian author so many of you won't have heard of her or her books. I thought I might give more info on the books. They're great reads, the Legendsong saga is a more adult series but I like the Obernewtyn series better, so far. Then again, I don't know if the books would be too 'childish' for you.
Elspeth Gordie is a Misfit. Raised in orphanages for most of her life, desperate to receive her certificate of normalcy, her only chance at survival is secrecy, and she vows never to use her mental powers. But her abilities seem to have an imperative of their own, and soon she comes to the attention of the fanatically religious Council, which condemns people of Elspeth's talents.
Unaware of the extent of her powers, the Council sends Elspeth to the remote mountain estate of Obernewtyn, where escape is impossible. Once there, Elspeth must come to terms with her abilities and throw off her safe cloak of concealment — for there are not only friends but enemies at Obernewtyn, evil people who intend to use the Misfits' mental abilities to resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse known as the Great White.
Only then will Elspeth learn what she is, and the destiny she must survive to fulfill....
After Glynn is transported to the world of Keltor, she is rescued by an Acanthan Windwalker named Solen, who despite his apparent indifference, is heavily involved in the complex politics of Keltor. Glynn pretends amnesia and slowly learns that the independent Isle of Darkfall and its sisterhood of soulweavers are falling out of favour with rulers in Keltor. Unfortunately, her athletic build, sense of honour and independence make her resemble the Myrmidons, amazon like women who are the sworn protectors of the soulweavers, who are also out of favour. Unbeknownst to Glynn, her twin sister Ember, in trying to save her from drowning was also transported into Keltor. She is rescued by the Soulweaver Alene and her Myrmidon protectors Feyt and Tareed, who harbours a nagging suspicions as to whether Ember is the "Unraveller" as predicted by Lanalor, the very first Holder(King) and the only male soulweaver. Ember is dying from a large tumour in the frontal lobe of her brain. She is half blind and does not have long to live.
I love the Gemma Doyle series. I read the first two books and I'm starting the third one. I just haven't gotten enought time to read it though. I admit the second one took a few chapters to get into but once it got good, I couldn't put it down.
Mod
they're not as YA but have you tried the weather warden books? They're fantastical (high magic), contemporary (florida, I think), romantic adventures.luna, the publisher for my copy of poison study (though it looks like my fire study is mira...) has a fairly good roster though I tend to prefer a little less romance. Darn, I can't find a way to search by publisher here, I'll have to dig a bit to look up a proper list.
Kris: That sounds interesting, I've put it on my to-read list.
A couple of suggestions:Ilona Andrews' "Magic Bites", "Magic Burns" and a new one coming out in March, "Magic Strikes".
The Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. "Storm Front" is the first in the series.
Dawn Cook's "The Decoy Princess", then read "Princess at Sea". (Tess and Yelena would get along well, I think.)
If you haven't tried Robin McKinley, you should! Start with either "The Blue Sword", "Beauty", or "Hero and the Crown" which are most similar too the Study series. Also wonderful by her are "Sunshine" and "Dragonhaven".
I have a profound fondness for Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. Be warned, they have a very different world/setting to the Study books however. (England, Napoleonic wars using dragons as an "air force"). Wonderful books!
Kage Baker has an absolutely smashing series "The Company". They incorporate Science Fiction, History, time travel, and Cyborgs in amazing ways. They are both heart-breaking and hilarious at times. Wonderful!
Everyone should try Lois McMaster Bujold. She has 3 series going--2 fantasy, and 1 sci fi. Not to be missed!
Sharon Shinn's "Samaria" series is very good. Try "Archangel" first. Her "Twelve Houses" series would be a good match for Study Series lovers to try.
Joan Aiken had a wonderful series for young adults. The first book is "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase". (They are well worth reading by adults too.)
Diane Duane's "Young Wizards" series is smashingly good, especially the first 3 books. Start with "So You Want to Be a Wizard". (These books are too good for children only.)
Adult readers who are up for a heavier/longer/more intense read should try Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series as well as Suzanne Frank's 4 time-travel novels.
All of Neil Gaiman's books are wonderful! Try "Stardust" or "Neverwhere", "The Graveyard Book" (on the lighter/younger side) or "American Gods" (heavier reading)first.
Robin Hobb has 3 series. Start with "Assassins' Apprentice". They are similar to the Poison series only much darker in tone and with a male protagonist.
Mercedes Lackey has some great things happening with her Luna series "Tales of the 500 Kingdoms". The first one is "The Fairy Godmother". (It is still my favorite!)
Audrey Niffenegger's book "The Time Travelers Wife" is amazing. (Younger readers should probably stay away from this book for now because it is intense.)
Terry Pratchett's books are wonderful! (Don't know if Study Buddies would like or not...people either love, love, love them or hate them--it seems to be a personality thing.) Try "Nation" first before you jump into the Diskworld series. If you liked "Nation", then try "The Wee Free Men" or "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" before trying the Diskworld series.
All of Dianna Wynne-Jones books are wonderful. (As good or better than the Harry Potter books.) Everyone should try them once. There are a few adult books, most are children's/YA but all are worth reading by adults too. (I certainly read and re-read them ).
Okay that's all for me for now I'd love to hear what you think of these recommendations or if you have read any of them already--what you thought! FYI: In these recommendations, I went by personality/feel more than by genre figuring that Study lovers may possibly like these books/authors as well.
Mod
MB I would kill to find a copy of Frank's last time-traveler novel. I have the other 3, but for the love of pete I can't find the last one...but I have more then half that list XD and most are on my keepers shelf...
Lexie wrote: "MB I would kill to find a copy of Frank's last time-traveler novel. I have the other 3, but for the love of pete I can't find the last one...but I have more then half that list XD and most are..."
Hi Lexie! It looks like you can find it on Alibris. Here's a link: http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?bin...
but it's kind of pricey. :-( I was lucky enough to grab it when it was first published. For some reason the last 2 books in the series have the author's name listed as J. Suzanne Frank (instead of Suzanne Frank). I'm not sure why, but it does make them harder to find.
Wow. Thanks all for the great recommendations, except I must admit I feel a bit overwhelmed and am not sure where to start! Haha, I'll manage, though. If I read one book a week I just might finish this decade... j/k! :-D
This is a little different than the Study series genere but I think that if you like MVS's books you'll like these too. Charlaine Harris may be known best for Sookie Stackhouse, but she also writes about a girl named Harper Connely. So far there are three books: Grave Sight, Grave Surprise and An Ice Cold Grave.
Harper was struck by lightening as a teen and since then has become like a dead body barometer. Since her sister went missing years ago, she has been looking for her with her 'gift' but hasn't been able to find her. Making a business out of what she calls a handicap, her step-brother Tolliver Lange as her manager/best friend/keeper and her go across the country helping the cops and other people find those who have never been found.
This is a very general representation of what the books are but I have read them and I've read the Sookie Stackhouse books and I find that I'm dying for the next one of this series while Sookie's I look forward to but don't mind waiting for.
I like Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly series as well! Very different than the Sookie series, but just as good in a different way.
I'm really excited for the next Kim Harrison book to come out this month. It's called White Witch, Black Curse. She is starting a new series, which is coming out in a few months called Once Dead, Twice Shy which is actually going to be a YA series. I'm super excited. So if you have not read her yet, you should.The first book in her current series is called Dead Witch Walking.
Dead Witch Walking is the first book in the adult series. They're pretty hefty books - about 400 hundred pages or so, depending on the book. Or if you want to wait, you can try out her new YA series in June, the first one is called Once Dead, Twice Shy A Novel.
Well, I'll see what's available at the bookstore...
WOOT! I'm happy you're interested and I really hope you like the series. There's some interesting characters and some mature themes, I just really loved the main character and the plot twists.
Kristen wrote: "Dead Witch Walking is the first book in the adult series. ..."I was going to reply to the first Kim Harrison book - but I'm so excited - I had no idea that she was venturing into YA fiction!!! Yeah! This gives me something to look forward to beyond reading all of Tamora Pierce's books - and right now Fire Study - and then A Certain Slant of Light. My boyfriend is reading Slant right now and says it is awesome - and he doesn't often read my books - he's into war and spies and history and anything mechanical - trains, planes, automobiles... :)
Jen
I'm also looking forward to reading Tamora Pierce. I have a few of her books on my TBR pile, but haven't started because I want to read them in order.Stephanie, thank you for posting that list. I didn't know that many of her books were related.
Tamora Pierce is AMAZING... I'm not completely caught up with her. But I only think I have her most recent set of books to read.. the one set before Alanna. Jen, I'm so glad I could bring you good news! I gasped and oohed and ahhed when I heard the news. I check up on my favorite authors on Amazon to see if I'm ever missing anything and was SOOOO happy to see a new series coming out by Kim.
Kristen wrote: "Dead Witch Walking is the first book in the adult series. ..."You know that story actually looks interesting. But why do they have such scary lame cover art? At least to me it's a bit garish.
I think maybe because they're all pulled from movie titles... Not too sure. Most of her covers have a woman from the back with a fun outfit. You'll understand a bit more when you meet the main character I think.
ha ha. Maybe... I just sometimes wish fantasy covers weren't so loud. : )
But then how would we ever tell if it's fantasy? haha. Jk. But really, some people do judge a book by its cover. It could have a fantasy cover and be a thriller and people would riot I think.
No Kidding! Although I prefer if the garish fantasy cover actually has something to do with the story. One of the covers from The Magicians' Guildis silly and has zero to do with the story.
Study Buddies
Books mentioned in this topic
Cast in Shadow (other topics)Time of the Twins (other topics)
The Graveyard Book (other topics)
New Moon (other topics)
Breaking Dawn (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kristen Britain (other topics)Tamora Pierce (other topics)
Kim Harrison (other topics)
Kim Harrison (other topics)
Melissa Marr (other topics)
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