Giving You the Book Wishlist Recommendations You Wanted!
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Hello to my favorite bookworms. It is Bookmas, Day 2, and on this day I bring you wishlist recommendations. We will be talking about things to add to either your book wishlist or something you want to gift to someone. Whatever you choose, I am just here to provide ideas. These will be personalized and very specific recommendations.
Bookmas Begins
So for this, I would say something definitely not popular. A book that is really underrated and everyone should check out and read. If they have read this then check out some of my other recommendations to add to your wishlist.
For this, I am going to say
In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey
This is a super atmospheric gothic thriller, all about the power of myths and memory.
Charles Hayden has been obsessed with the Victorian fairy tale, In the Night Wood, since childhood. He meets his wife, who is a descendant of the author – inheriting her ancestor’s house, making it their home.
While still reeling from the trauma of the recent death of their daughter, they decide to leave everything behind and seek the English countryside.
But when they arrive at the house dubbed Hollow House, they notice things are off-kilter. It is full of secrets and surrounded by an ancient oak forest and seems very much alive. Hearing the echoes of the stories in the house’s library, by sightings of their daughter, and by something else, as old and dark as the forest around them.
This story is really creepy and will have you immersed in the lush storyline and hair-raising writing.
P.S. I am jealous of your friend that could read 100+ books a year ?. If I could read that many books a year I would be able to read everything that I want to all the time.
Have a Holly Jolly Wishlist Bookmas
This might be cheating but I think for this wishlist recommendation, I am going to go with Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron.
While this may count as a smidgen of Christmas (the setting is the holiday time) this is more of a mystery book with a setting of the holidays. This is also #12 in a series. Here’s what it is about:
Jane is celebrating the holiday at a friend’s family home, reeling with the success of her recently published book, Mansfield Park. But the festive mood mars the scene when the lieutenant dies in an unfortunate accident…that Jane soon realizes is no accident at all.
This should get you into the holiday spirit. While this is set at Christmas Jane is more on a mission to solve this murder than involve herself with the holiday festivities.
Royal Wishlist
The Selection was a great series, I totally get the appeal. What I would say to go with is something really similar to that. The Selection has great royalty representation, along with some swoon-worthy romances.
For this wishlist wish I recommend American Royalty by Tracey Livesay.
This rom-com is sexy and heartwarming. It is about a prince who wants to live out of the spotlight, falling for a daring American rapper. She turns his life and not to mention the palace, upside down.
It gives you everything that you are looking for in a delicious romance, love humor, witty banter, and so much more.
Another Selection for your Wishlist
If you want a wishlist rec that is a little more leaning toward the YA genre then I would go with
The Four Kingdom series by Melanie Cellier.
There are eight books in the series with some novelettes. They can be read as a standalone, with each being a princess reimagining of a fairytale (i.e. book one is the princess and the pea, two red riding hood, etc.)
Here is what book one is about:
One dark and stormy night, Alyssa finds herself lost and alone. The only shelter is the castle. She has no choice but to knock on the door and seek refuge. Alyssa has spent a lifetime in the deep forest, coming out the other side she never imagined, and has no idea what to expect.
When the door opens she finds is two unruly young princesses and one very handsome prince. When Alyssa accepts the job of Princess Companion she knows her life will change.
What she doesn’t know is that the royal family is about to be swept up in unforeseen danger and intrigue and that she just might be the only thing standing between her kingdom and destruction.
The story is a clean romance that is full of adventure and intrigue.
Bookmas with a Twist
This was a no-brainer for me. Adding this book to a wishlist was the obvious answer! The book with a plot twist that is so explosive you will still be thinking about it days later would have to go to The Silent Patient by Alex Michealides.
Alicia’s life is perfect from the outside looking in. She has everything she could ever want, she’s a famous painter, married to an in-demand fashion photographer, and she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas.
One night when Gabriel, her husband, returns home late from a fashion shoot, Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a tragedy into something far grander, it starts to encapsulate a mystery, one that of course captures the public imagination and throws Alicia into further bits of notoriety.
Theo a psychotherapist takes on her case, this is the big break he has been looking for. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations?a search for the truth that threatens to consume him….
This was such a wild ride! It is full of suspense, and that ending ? you won’t see it coming. I know I didn’t. It should be on everyone’s wishlist!
Take 2 if you need them for your wishlist!
Another book that has a good twist is
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
As First Daughter, many expect Lia to have the revered gift of sight. Lia doesn’t, and her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance.
She is set to marry but decides that isn’t what she wants. So, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—chaos ensues.
This story follows the assassin sent to kill her and the prince she was set to marry. The twist is you don’t know which is which until the very end.
Easy like Bookmas Morning
I also love an easy-to-read fantasy. Don’t get me wrong give me a super involved fantasy any day but sometimes my brain needs a break and fantasies that are smooth like butter while reading are just the ticket. For this I would recommend:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is a book that I flew through. It is full of sparkly purple prose and is just an easy relaxing read that you can immerse yourself into.
It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. The circus is full of magic, arriving without warning. There are never announcements preceding it. It is simply there, when the day before it was not. Within the striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
If you want more information you can check out our review The Magic of The Night Circus.
I will buy anything this woman writes, her other book The Starless Sea is one of my absolute favorites and I recommend it every chance I get.
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