Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly thing hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. You can find more information about past and upcoming topics in the GoodReads group. I’m going to have to cheat a little bit, because I don’t have enough books for just one creature. So instead, I’m sharing my top five books featuring mythical creatures in general. Before I bore you too much, let’s get into the list.
5 — Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The first book in the Dresden Files series is not the best book in the series according to most reviews I’ve come across. It is, none the less, a good supernatural crime mystery novel, which sets up the characters and the world that’s expanded upon in the rest of the series. The main character Harry Dresden is a wizard. He offers his services for a living, which mostly consists of helping out Detective Murphy, the head of Special Investigations at the Chicago PD. This first book has magic, mystery, vampires and demons. Basically all of the stuff you expect from an urban fantasy novel. The reason this series speaks to me, is because it sucks you in and makes you forget your troubles. I do think Harry’s view of women is a bit chauvinistic, but if you can look past that, then it’s a great series to start reading at this time of year.
4 — Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy
Death and mystery shrouds the town of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s deliciously dark and mysterious. Although it has mixed reviews, I found it enchanting in its’ exploration of the darkness in us all. I’d watched a couple of episodes of the first season of the Netflix show of the same name, when I found the book by chance. I’ve since abandoned the show without completing that first season, it didn’t grip me like the book did. There are a lot of secrets in Hemlock Grove, which only adds to the atmosphere of the story.
3 — Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe
This phenomenal graphic novel takes place in a fantasy world that has goblins, elves and lots of other magical creatures. I just read the first volume a couple of days ago and I absolutely adored it. It follows a group of badass females who laugh in the face of danger. All of the Rat Queens are fantastic, but my favorite of the four is Hannah. She’s sassy, violent and she gives no fucks. She’s basically how I would be without self control (yes, I realize that I complemented myself. Deal with it). I’m glad that I have the next three volumes already, because if they live up to the first one, I can honestly say that this is my new favorite graphic novel series.
2 — Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I love the Sookie Stackhouse books. During the years where I didn’t read much, this series was the only thing that could get me to finish a book. It’s highly addictive, it’s filled with vampires and romance. I’m not a big romance reader, and there were a couple of times when it was a bit much, but I still love this series with all of my heart. There’s also a TV series adaption, which is one of my all time favorite shows. You probably already know which show it is, but I’m going to tell you regardless. It’s of course True Blood starring Anna Paquin as southern mindreader Sookie Stackhouse and everybody’s favorite Swede, Alexander Skarsgård.
1 — The Diviners by Libba Bray
I’ve talked about The Diviners before, but it’s so good that I can’t talk about it enough. It’s set in 1920’s New York City, a place of glamour but also of horror. The main character Evie comes off as superficial with a devil-may-care attitude. That changes the more you get to know her as the story progresses. She might enjoy the material things in life, like a lot, but when push comes to shove, she really is a genuinely good and caring person. I love this book. I flew through it in just a couple of days despite the 600+ page count. I’m very excited to continue with the series, although it pains me that the fourth and final book may not come out for a long time, if one looks at the publishing schedule of the previous books.
That’s all I have for this week’s top 5 Wednesday. I’d love to know what some of your favorite books with magical creatures are!
Now I need Hemlock Grove and The Diviners!
YES!!