Recommendations Archives - Page 5 of 18

5 Beautiful Books You Could Give As Gifts

Sep 26, 2021

Hi, everyone! It’s Ely back again for my monthly post for you all. This month I thought I would share with you all some beautiful books you might like to get someone as a birthday gift. This is completely inspired by the fact my birthday is coming up in October, and then Angel’s in November.

So I have five here to tell you about and without further ado.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
I actually received this one as a gift myself, so I can tell you just how beautiful it really is. If the person you’re buying for is bookish and loves feeling cosy (I mean, who doesn’t?) then this is the perfect gift for them. Hygge refers to the Danish idea that translates into something like cosiness and this book teaches you all about how to get a little hygge into your life. It’s perfect for Christmas as well, especially if you live in the Northern hemisphere when it’s that perfect time of year to sit by the fire with a book.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This book isn’t going to be for everyone, but there’s a reason it’s one of the book communities darlings, isn’t there? We’ve all been having a pretty shitty year again this year, haven’t we? Well, if your friend or a family member hasn’t read this yet then this is such a perfect pick-me-up book for them. It’s sweet, it’s fun. I’m sure I don’t have to sell you too much on this one.

Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt by Rhiannon Williams
This is my absolute favourite book to gift to people. I think I’ve given it to three or four people now, but it’s just a really lovely book. This is middle grade and fantasy so perfect for your friends who need something like that, it’s also Australian and therefore seriously underrated so the chances they’ve already got this on their shelves is pretty slim. This is such a great gift for both the kids and adults in your life.

Am I There Yet? by Mari Andrew
Along with the shitty time we’ve all been having, I know a lot of us are feeling a little lost right now. This is the perfect book for that—this is filled with adorable illustrations and wonderful short essays by Mari Andrew that deal with feeling lost, grief, love and hope. It makes a beautiful gift and is well worth a read.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
This is another one I personally received as a gift, this time from Angel herself. And again this is another book community darling. I honestly don’t know anyone who hasn’t loved this so I feel like it’s a pretty safe gift to give to someone. There are so many great books you could pair this with if you’re looking to give a few books—Miller’s second book, Circe, any of Stephen Fry’s myth retellings, Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, the list goes on!

And there it is! What books do you love giving to people? What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

New Adult Books That Are Gateways into Reading Romance

Aug 12, 2021

Diving straight into romance from a young adult isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Or even the best option for you. Especially when you don’t read a lot of YA books with romance. So today I thought I would share some of the New Adult/Older YA books that I think are the perfect gateway to reading romance.

I read a lot of NA when I wanted to start reading more romances a few years ago. I think it’s one of the best ways to start reading romacne without jumping right into it. Romance is a massive genre and there are just so many different ways that they could go. But reading the wrong book and jumping in too quickly may put you off reading romance for a long time.

So today I’m sharing the New Adult books that I think are perfect when you want to start reading a little more romance. I have also included some books that are classed as young adult but I think could easily be NA. Anyway enough chit-chatting, let’s go. Like always these are in no order.

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry: I’ve always loved Katie McGarry and nearly all her books border Young Adult/New Adult. But I truly believe that series whole series could be NA. I also think it’s a great gateway to reading MC romances well. Things are a lot tamer in this series, but you get the feel of an MC. I seriously love this series so much.

Trust by Kylie Scott: I really enjoyed this one and again I think it’s a great way to get into romance. It’s a little bit darker, its themes and arc follow what most romance novels do. And it’s fantastic. This is also written by a romance author and that makes me love it even more. If you like this one you can go on to read some of her romances.

The Accidentals by Sarina Bowen: Romance authors know how to write NA. And this one is yet again another great book to pick up, especially if you love music. And while this was published as young adult, it could easily be categories as new adult. This one just has that feel.

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood: This is another one that was published as YA, but I think is perfect for people wanting to read NA. It explores that last year of school before going off to university and beyond.

The Deal (Off-Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy: You all know how much I love reading Elle Kennedy, so I couldn’t do this post without mentioning the Off-Campus series. It’s one of those series that just screams NA and I think is perfect for getting into romance. It’s spicy and sexy. But it won’t overwhelm you.

Undeclared (Woodlands #1) by Jen Frederick: This is another one like Elle Kennedy that is perfect for those looking for some college romances. It’s a little heavier than some of the other novels. But, it’s a great way to get into either more college or military romances.

Who’s Afraid? (Supernatural Sisters #1) by Maria Lewis: This is a fantastic urban fantasy new adult novel that is perfect for those wanting to move into reading fantasy or paranormal romances. It’s dark but won’t slam you in the face. And I think it’s absolutely fantastic.

Play On (Lewis Creek #1) by Michelle Smith: I don’t talk about this duology enough, but if you haven’t read it – get on it. Play on is fantastic and while it is set in high school, I do feel it gives off more of a new adult vibe. It has that sports romance vibe and I think it’s the perfect step even before you read some new adult novels if you are nervous.

Wilder (The Renegades #1) by Rebecca Yarros: I mean I had to put a Rebecca Yarros book on this list. Not one is she one of my favourite authors, this series is fantastic. It is still sexy and off the charts hot. But it’s a little bit tamer than her other novels. This is one I got my sister to read – who doesn’t read a whole lot.

Getting Lucky Number Seven (Taking Shots #1) by Cindi Madsen: This is another book that is perfect if you want to get more into sports romances. I read this years ago, and I have done a few re-reads since. This whole series is also fantastic and worth a shot.

And there we go, those are some new adult and older young adult books that I think are perfect books as a gateway to romance. Have you read any of these? What books do you recommend to people wanting to read more romance? Let’s Chat!

The Three Books I Need You To Read

Dec 19, 2020

Hi guys, it’s Ely from Earl Grey Books. Can you believe this is my last guest post for 2020? Since it’s the last one for the year I thought I would share with you three books that I read in 2020 that I really want YOU to read. And yes Angel, that means you too.

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

I’ve been talking about this book a lot on my own blog lately. But it’s just so good that I have to mention it on here too. This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read and it does not get the recognition that it deserves. If you like the sorts of things that Angel tends to read and review, particularly the YA contemporaries she likes, then you’ll probably like this one too.

Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese

You might’ve seen Angel talk about this one already because she was the one who made me read it, but it’s such a great read. I don’t read a lot of contemporary adult romance, and when I do, I often don’t like them. But this one has so much heart to it that I couldn’t help but love it. This is a cute sports romance, but it also features disability which you know Angel and I are both 100% here for.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

I will never, ever shut up about Shaun Tan. He’s an Australian-based artist and writer and everything he’s ever created is stunning. The Arrival is one of the books of his I read this year and I think it’s probably my favourite. It’s a picture book, almost a graphic novel, though it doesn’t have any words. The images are so beautiful and powerful that you don’t need them to understand the story. He also creates the most adorable little creatures. Seriously these things need to be real so that my cat, Percy, can have them as friends.

And that’s a wrap on 2020 for me here. If you’re interested in hearing about the other amazing books I read in 2020, pop over to my blog over the next few weeks to see my top books lists!