[VampireMessageNinja]

Name of Book: 'Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side' by Beth Fantaskey
Reason why it stuck with you: I'm usually the first one to roll my eyes at vampire romance. But this one... Made me laugh (and aww) several times. You have a very headstrong American girl who has no idea vampires are real and that she is betrothed to an equally headstrong Romanian vampire prince whose upbringing was entirely different and who definitely expected a different welcome (not spoiling particulars, because that is one of my favorite parts lol)
The way these two clash again and again, yet gradually get close to each other is so sweet and there is a bit of an unexpected plottwist that is very nice. My favorite part about this book is that, while it is written in Jessica's perspective, Lucius gets his say via letters he writes to his uncle. 99% of them are complaints about her, her hippie vegan family, basically everything. It's horribly amusing to get his perspective. The other 1%... Dear god, the heartstrings. The heartstrings. Forget Twilight, just throw it away. Edward's got nothing on Lucius Vladescu.
Also, there are horses. They don't play a major role, per se, but are vital for a particularly important scene.

[Folmes]

Name of Book: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Reason why it stuck with you: This was the series that brought me back into reading during adulthood. It has some great characters, I felt everything along with them, every battle; every win; every loss. I absolutely love the world that was built and the magic system was understandable and was still every bit as whimsical. The romance in the story isn't the driving factor in the story, but it adds so much more to it.

[Sunniedew]

Name of Book: The Centaur's Wife by Amanda Leduc
Reason why it stuck with you: A recent read that I had to study for one of my English courses. Normally assigned readings don't have much of an impact on me, but ever since I finished every page I've been thinking about the events of the novel. It is about Heather, living in a post-apocalyptic world with her newborn twins and husband. But she begins to get visited by a Centaur named Estafjan, who is a secret from the entire town. The centaurs live in the mountain, and the humans are forbidden from going there. But every day Heather walks with her twins around the mountain, and she does this since she was a child. As the story progresses things get worse for the town, and Heather is forced to choose between a life with her human husband or centaur.
The novel is written half in modern language, and half in fairy tale language. It then turns into a fairy tale- finding it difficult to discern what's real and what isn't. It sticks with me because of how hard hitting the themes and story are, and I find myself absentmindedly picking up the book occasionally, flipping to a random page, and rereading and analyzing what's happening. It has brought a new life to reading for me, and I will be looking for more dark romance in the future!
It's a great read I really recommend it.

[stabbrielle]

Name of Book: Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass series)
Reason why it stuck with you: This whole series is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion, but the final book in the installment is by far my absolute favorite between the way we see every string the author has laid out come together. The battles and the grief. The love each character has for each other. It absolutely shredded me inside, but it’s so worth it. The main character we follow throughout the whole series has taught me to be strong in the face of opposition and that little acts of kindness always find their way back to you.

[The Mean Kitty]

Name of Book: Warriors: Blue Star's Prophecy
Reason why it stuck with you: So I'm not a reader. I've never been a reader- but because of this very site about 15 years ago (and some Youtube animators!) I kept hearing about the warriors series. Specifically the character Bluestar kept grabbing my attention. I loved watching people's animations and fanart featuring her and learning about her backstory. After sometime I finally got my first book, and of course I had to get her super edition. Basically this book has stuck with me because it was my first book that I myself bought and freely chose to read. The book that got me hooked on the Warriors series as a whole growing up. (But it does have forbidden love as requested.The cat she falls in love with is from another clan, something forbidden by the code the cats of the series are meant to follow.)

[FireIceHeart]

Name of Book: Jurassic Park
Reason why it stuck with you: It stuck with me because it still kept the dinosaurs scary and really made you see where some things had been removed/altered for it's movie counter-part XD

[opti-mism]

Name of Book: House of Hades (Percy Jackson series)
Reason why it stuck with you:
When I read this as a teen, this was the book that tied so many storylines together. The angsty teenage drama, the harsh feelings of dismissal, the elopement into the unknown over a very real and valid fear of rejection. This series, if you haven't read it, is about children of gods who are attempting to complete quests to save the world from destruction. Percy (son of Poseidon) is the main character, however a large cast of other important characters include his girlfriend (daughter of Athena) , another camper Nico (son of Hades), Jason - a son of Zeus and a friend to Percy, and a whole host of others.

In this 9th novel of the series, Jason and Nico are whisked away by the god Cupid, who torments Nico into admitting a great love of his. Nico is horrified, torn, and embarrassed, but finally admits his hidden feelings towards Percy Jackson, someone he admired who had saved him and yet been held responsible for the death of Nico's sister and a factor in his estrangement from a lot of the other campers. Jason is just a witness to this, however he is supportive of Nico and his feelings, allowing him to express everything he is feeling without passing judgement or pushing him.

This scene hit me like a ton of bricks, as these characters had been interacting for multiple books and other characters had speculated these feelings of romance not towards Percy, but towards his girlfriend, Annabeth. Suddenly, so many interactions made sense. The betrayal when Percy told him his sister had died, when he treated him like a kid to be saved (which let's be real, he was a kid). Nico has clearly been wrestling with these intense feelings and represses them, releasing them by lashing out in anger and denial.

This novel specifically brought this prompt to mind because it tied together so many situations from previous books in the series, and while it confirms the previous interactions of unrequited love, it pulls even more out into the open. This kicker is that Percy is so unbelievably in love with Annabeth, that he had no idea Nico ever thought that way about him, and he doesnt learn about the situation at all for an additional novel. He never leaves Annabeth for Nico, and the love Nico has for Percy turns to just appreciation and somewhat begrudging friendship.

[Mavi]

Name of Book: Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Reason why it stuck with you: This series is a very hard read, not in that it is overly graphic(though definitely not recommended for anyone under the age of 13) but in the way that it challenges everything I personally grew up with. It a book that heavily criticises our current society, because of that it changed my way of thinking as a whole. The series challenges the reader to think critically about our capitalistic society. How we think of other people, and how much we value, truly value, the cost of a life and points out how easily it is for us as a society to completely look past the horrible underbelly of how we treat our fellow man, and how quickly we will throw away lives if it makes our lives easier.
This book is not a fun book, but it is one that I personally feel like everyone should have to read at least once.
It reminds us how important it is to be kind to our fellow humans and to think critically about the things we find normal.
Personally I believe that this book saved me. I grew up in a not very good environment but this book as well as others(Kite Runner and Animal Farm to name a few) reshaped me as a person. And I am very grateful for the lessons taught.

[-s-i-n-]

Name of Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Reason why it stuck with you:

I first picked up this book because of my two sisters recommending it since we have our own little “book club” where we share and discuss books together. This book in particular captivated me and I’ve read through every single book in the series more times than I can count.

From the very first page, you're introduced to Lissa and Rose. Their deep, unbreakable bond draws you in. Their connection is tested when they are hunted down and brought back to St. Vladimir’s Academy by the composed and formidable Dimitri Belikov. Though he initially appears distant and disciplined, beneath his hardened exterior lies a kind hearted man with a love for classic literature.

Richelle Mead creates characters that are impossible to forget -- flawed, strong and deeply compelling. Some, like Jesse Zeklos, are easy to dislike from the moment they appear, while others, like the charming Adrian Ivashkov, steal your heart instantly.

The series blends together both fantasy and forbidden love. The fantasy element immerses you in to a world of Moroi, Strigoi, and Dhampirs, each with their own unique abilities. The forbidden romance between Rose and Dimitri adds more depth. Their love is first off limits due to their student-mentor dynamic, then later because of their duty as guardians, making every moment between them feel like stolen time.

To this day, Vampire Academy remains a story that I return to time and time again. I definitely recommend reading it if you haven't!

[IceFire]

closed for judgement