Friday, September 16, 2011

Blogoversary Guest Post: Erica from The Book Cellar

Today I'm happy to host our very first blogoversary guest post.  As future reference during this month, I will be posting in green for guest posts, and everthing in black is written by our guest poster.  Just so you know what's from me (Alyssa) and what's not.  Confusing, I know.  :)

Today's post is from Erica at The Book Cellar blog. (Isn't her blog button adorable?)  She chose to write about one of her favorite things, historical fiction reads.  I love historical fiction, and I think it's very overlooked in YA books, so I'm super excited about this post.  Some of these are fairly recent releases too, so if you like historical fiction too, maybe you'll find something you haven't heard of yet.  I've provided links to Goodreads so you can click through to read the plot synopsis if needed. So without further ado, take it away Erica. 

I want to wish Alyssa a huge congrats for five years of being super fabulous and running The Shady Glade, because it’s awesome! [Aww, thank you Erica!  *blush*]  I decided to write about my favorite historical fiction reads, as historical fiction is one of my favorite things to read ever!

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
This book is just cool. I love the concept and I love the writing. The characters were all so great, and I loved venturing through the story with them.

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray (first one is A Great and Terrible Beauty)
So this trilogy definitely mixes historical and fantasy, what more can you ask for? That alone is enough to make it full of win, but Libba Bray fills the pages with beautiful script and witty characters that you just can’t help but to love.

The Near Witch by Victoria SchwabThis book was pure love. I had no idea it had a historical element until I started reading, and it is just beautiful. Everything about The Near Witch is beautiful from its writing, the scenery, COLE, and so much more.

I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend by Cora Harrison
This book was so great – I am already obsessed with Jane Austen so I was very excited to read this one. There was a TON of characters in this one, so many that I did get a bit confused from time to time, but other than that this one is a #1 read.

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang
I definitely was not sure if I would like this one, I had NO idea about the time period this one was written in or its people. I found this great tale with a strong female main character.

Everlasting by Angie Frazier
I loved the idea of this book, I waited and waited for it and once I got it I absolutely loved it. I loved Camille as a main character right away, as she was strong and intelligent. Then shortly after, I totally fell for Oscar, and then the plot was just amazing too!

Fateful by Claudia Gray
This book had a slower start, but wowza was it a good read, so definitely don’t let that fool ya! Tess was super spunky, and I loved that. She just had an edge about her, and it was admirable. The plot was so intriguing, and Claudia Gray pulls it off quite well.

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
This book is historical and has witches – which is absolutely lovely. I fell for the charming story and its witty characters.

Thanks Erica for sharing some of your favorites with us.  I agree with quite a few on this list, and I've got some new favorites to try out too. 

Erica blogs at the YA Book Blog, The Book Cellar. When she is not reading, you can find her singing, dancing, or on stage in whatever show the local theater is currently doing. She is currently a freshmen in college where she is studying science education.

2 comments:

Bookish in a Box said...

I love, love, LOVE the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray and recommend it to *everybody* I can!

Anonymous said...

Wish you still had the Amazon link...I feel the need to fill a cart. Nice guest post to get the page turning fingers itching again.