My first mistake was to get, not one, not two, but three delicious novels all on the same day. Each has exactly the kind of lyrical, sweep-me-off-my-feet writing I’m in the mood for. Each features a fabulous opening passage and is highly recommended.
Now for my quandary: Which novel do I read first? Fellow bibliophiles, you haven’t steered me wrong yet. The nominees for first book to read are:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater – Though I’m not usually a reader of werewolf stories, Stiefvater’s artsy tweets tipped me over the edge.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman – I’ve read so many fabulous reviews of this book, just had to get it.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood – Can you believe I’ve never read a Margaret Atwood book? Not even the Handmaiden’s Tale. It was time.
I’ve only read Oryx and Crake out of the three so i guess i’ll recommend that xD. I really liked it though despite the fact that Handmaiden’s tale will probably always be my favorite atwood.
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Thanks for the recommendation!
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I haven’t read the first two. I love Atwood so it gets my vote.
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Ah, that’s two votes for Atwood. 🙂
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I’ve read Shiver and it was quite unique and intruiging. You’ll find out that it completely different than the usual ‘werewolves’ books.
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You’re totally making me want to start with Shiver.
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It is also well written and you can easily relate to the characters.
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No idea! Maybe you sent me some brain waves–I got kind of tired of being online and watching stuff on my Ipad and got super “thirsty” for books. I picked up 7 at the library today 🙂
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Haha, “thirsty” for books – I totally get that. 🙂
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Shiver! It was a book that I took on my holiday and Maggie Stiefvater is an amazing writer. Definitely recommend(:
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Shiver it is then.
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Really enjoyed both oryx and crake and seraphina. O and c is gorgeously written but can be kinda heavy (but if you’re in the mood for that it’s super thoughtful and has some rly interesting morality themes going). Seraphina has like hands down some of the best fantasy worldbuilding I’ve ever read and left me with a serious book hangover. Never read shiver but if her other raven cycle series is any indication it’s probably pretty great! Honestly I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the three! 🙂
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Right you are, Claire, all three look fantastic.
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This won’t help your dilemma, but I haven’t read any of these yet… but they all look good! Choosing at random, I’d go for Seraphina.
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Thanks, G.A.!
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Shiver! You’ll never regret reading anything by Maggie 😊
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I am so starting with Shiver, Susan. 🙂
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Read Seraphina! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! xoxo
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I’d be happy to let you know what I think of Seraphina. Just started Shiver last night, and Seraphina is up next, so it’ll probably be a while before I report back. Alas, the truth will be out re: how slowly I make my way through books. (:
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Well, Shiver is a book I’d also like to read! I’m curious about it. What do you think of it so far?
And take your time! Enjoy the books as much as possible! xoxo 😄
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Hey there, Josie. I’m reporting in to say that I really enjoyed reading Seraphina. Feisty, smart, talented MC, compelling romance, outstanding world-building, and a fascinating twist on dragons taking human form. I highly recommend it.
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Shiver was somewhat entertaining, especially the first two gorgeously written chapters. The concept was alright, and the love interest was pretty scrumptious, but I have to admit I speed read through quite a few paragraphs that didn’t really further the story much.
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I have to say, the opening chapters are haunting and exquisite. Then the prose feels a bit too kid-like, but I think it’s because Stievfater is trying to convey multiple facets of the characters, including the mundane.
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I’ve only read Shiver out of these three books, so I guess I recommend that one! Though I’m definitely interested in seeing what you think of the other two, especially Seraphina. 🙂 Enjoy your reads! ❤
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Analee, just to let you know, I started reading Seraphina and, boy, is it intriguing and sparklingly well-written.
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