Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books For People Who Like Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Top-Ten Tuesday is Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Hey everyone! I’ve been known to post my own ‘Top-Ten” posts in the past, and I’ve seen this meme for a while, but kept forgetting about it and missing the chance to post in on a Tuesday. So I thought it was about time to take part.

This weeks theme as the post title suggests is Top Ten Books For People Who Like ‘X’ Book. The book I’ve chosen is Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris. Unravelling is a book with some really fun sci-fi moments of course. But, one of the things I really enjoyed about it, was its grounding in the real world, with the characters experiencing things that wouldn’t be out-of-place in a ‘contemporary’ novel.

So that’s the theme I’m going with, science-fiction, fantasy, & paranormal books, where the home/normal lives of the characters are just as strong and important as the ‘stranger’ goings on in their lives.

I’ve tried to pick a wide range and styles, from stuff for the younger end of the YA market, to stuff definitely aimed at the upper end and older readers.

So in no particular order:

Top Ten Books For People Who Like Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Clicking on the title will take you to Amazon.

Starseeker by Tim Bowler

A wonderfully compelling tale of loyalty, morality, mystery and discovery. Not only that, it was one which was filled with engaging and interesting characters.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

It’s not as it first may appear just a paranormal tale. Yes there is the mystery of the ‘gift’ both Delaney and Troy have, but is much more about the complexity of relationships and the importance of living life while you have it.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.

I like the dynamic of life-long friends as main characters, especially when an author nails it as well as Kimberly Derting does with Jay and Violet in The Body Finder. Their friendship just worked and informed their interactions just as much as events…

Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond

Aimed at the younger end of the YA market. Kit’s Wilderness, tells us the story of his family who have come back to live in Stoneygate in the north-east of England, and the events that take place as are they are settling back in to an area they call home. David Almond weaves a story about life and death with the folklore of the area.

Central Reservation by Will le Fleming

When is a ghost story not a ghost story?  When the metaphorical ‘ghosts’ are more important than the actual one.

This is really a story about, coming-of-age, and finding your place in the world. Set against a backdrop of grief and a countrywide crisis.

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

This is a story that draws it’s mood from the original European fairy tales from the likes of Grimm, you know from the start it probably won’t end well. It deals with some very dark and ‘real’ events in a brutal and honest manner as the plot reaches the climax. (The book does deal with some darker and more intimate subjects, it’s technically not a ‘YA’ book. But it would likely be okay for the older end of that market.)

The Radleys by Matt Haig

The main characters may be vampires,  but it’s suburbia, and a quintessential repressed, British, kind of suburbia that’s on show here. People trying to pretend they’re something they’re not, to keep up the right kind of image with the neighbours.

The Curious Mystery of Miss Lydia Larkin and the Widow Marvell by Joolz Denby

Whilst, Miss Lydia Larkin and the Widow Marvell, are not your ‘regular’ little old ladies. It  remains a story about, two strong women, standing up and fighting for what they believe in. (The book does deal with some darker and more intimate subjects, it’s technically not a ‘YA’ book. But it would likely be okay for the older end of that market.)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The integration of the Jack the Ripper mythology is an important part of the book, but at its heart is Rory’s story.

A ‘fish out of water’ in a new school and in a new country, isn’t necessarily the most original introduction to a story, so it needs to be done well, and it certainly is here, we’re quickly drawn in to the world of Wexford (the boarding school) and Rory’s new life.

A Bridge to the Stars by Henning Mankell

The story has a touch of the mystical about it, with Joel seeing a dog one night and following it, a dog he believes is on it’s way to the stars, this search continues on though the following nights. It is however, mainly, a coming-of-age story, with Joel, falling under the spell of a charismatic new boy in town, who just wants to cause trouble in the town and control Joel.

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So those are my ten. What science-fiction, fantasy, & paranormal books would you add where the ‘contemporary’ side of things is just as strong and important as the mythical elements?