Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Happy Tuesday! November has officially kicked off and I am already super busy at work. But I will try to be here to celebrate and talk about books as much as I can!
Today’s TTT is dedicated to my non-reading friend who I actually have given most of these titles to over the years. And he has read them (hallelujah!). Tim, if you’re ever reading this, tell people this list of titles isn’t too bad, will you?
With that said, let’s begin!
1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Probably my favourite book of all time, I started off with this book for my friend because it’s well balanced in action, romance and world building so there is something there for everyone depending on what you love more. I loved the exploration into humanity at its core, the good and the bad, and what people would do when the end of everything we know seems near. It’s a definite must-read that I’d recommend to anyone.
2. Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman
This series is to this day still one of the most thought provoking worlds I have had the pleasure to dive into. When humans have reached immortality, what do you do in order to preserve the limited resources of our Earth? Hence the need for reapers. But what happens when they go rogue? I loved the kinds of questions that I had to ask myself as I read, as is typical with Neal’s writings, and these reflections make for great discussions with said non-reading friends.
3. The Illuminae Files series by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Sci-fi galore written in the most creative format I have ever seen, I’m sure this series is no stranger to a lot of you but is a wonderful introduction to non-readers. With a mix of text messages, sarcastic and wholly entertaining video surveillance narration, and pretty diagrams/maps, these books are a work of art in more than one way. It may look big and long, but these stories really suck you into the action-packed storyline (evil AIs! Corporate espionage! Space chase!) and can easily be read in one sitting.
4. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
While I’m not the biggest fan of the author himself, this debut I will admit was the catalyst book that got my friend into reading (like 1 book a year but that’s still a win!). A thriller written in a way that makes you question what is reality through the eyes of our agoraphobic protagonist and what is not, this book throws curveballs and suspicion everywhere. Who killed the neighbour’s wife? And why won’t anyone believe her?
5. Renegades series by Marissa Meyer
I will admit, this is the only book/series I recommended without having read it myself, but as Marissa Meyer’s on my list of auto-buy authors from her debut series, I trusted it was up the alley for most non-readers, especially those with interest in the superhero genre that is now so prevalent everywhere. While it too may be a bit long for non-reading enthusiasts, the plot I hear picks up as the series goes on.
6. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson
This series has been absolutely everywhere in the reading community, and for GOOD reason! Written (and narrated in the audiobook) with a true crime podcast format in some areas of the books, this fascinating series follows a young, brilliant girl who’s always been considered “good” in her hometown as she tries to solve cases that have been unjustly pushed aside by the local police. With different crimes focused in each book that are more interrelated than meets the eye, this is THE high bar for YA mysteries.
7. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Historical fantasy may not be for absolutely everyone, but I would find it hard that this lush world set in the early 1900s Manhattan wouldn’t draw people in. Our time-travelling protagonist has to go back in time to find a lost item that would change the fate of all magical people in the present day. But changing history is always harder than it seems, especially when infiltrating a crew that’ll help her steal the item she’s looking for. Filled with magic, adventure, and romance, this is a riveting read that may be an exception to any excuses that “history is boring”.
8. The Gilded Wolves series by Roshani Chokshi
Of course, I have more than one historical fantasy recommendation. Similarly, this series has a brilliant world building history built in, describing the origin of magic. But where it truly intrigues is the found family crew who set about on artifact hunts and solving riddles for spectacular treasures that makes this truly fun and riveting for fans of this genre from TV or movies. Who said a book can’t do it better?
9. The Infernal Devices / The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
If one can get the past the sheer LENGTH of these novels, then a non-reading friend may be able to find just how wonderful it is to dive into the Shadowhunting world. I love how interconnected all the series are, and how well thought out even the tiniest details about characters become significant at a later book. The storytelling is full of adventure, realistic characters to cheer for and plenty of action between good and evil. There’s a reason so many people globally love Cassandra Clare.
10. Caraval series by Stephanie Garber
Last, but not least, the beautiful world of Caraval is a place to introduce non-readers too. It’s magical, mysterious, and you never know what may be part of a show or something else entirely. I loved the gorgeously described setting and the characters we can’t help but fall in love with as they discover the special place known as Caraval and the players attached to it. It’s hard to describe but that’s what makes it a wonderful place to invite people to explore themselves.
That’s it for me this week! I hope you found some interesting reads from here you can potentially introduce to a non-reading friend like I did. While some books and their subject matter may need to be catered to the interests of the person you’re thinking of, I hope most of these are universal enough in their storytelling and world building that gives a little something to most people to enjoy.
Down the Rabbit Hole 