Books like Shifter Wars — picked by fans

This is my all-time favorite of the Twilight series. The fantasy in this book was mystical, and I did not put the book down. I wanted to know more about Edward and how he eventually expressed his love for Isabella.

The descriptions in the book really allowed your imagination to flow. The love expressed between two people was to die for. 

I originally picked up this book because it was about wolves and a girl who is captivated by them. I greatly enjoyed the depth of Ms. Stiefvater’s characters.

This story is a young adult paranormal romance with a twist of humor and a dash of adventure. It captivated me until the very end, and I immediately downloaded Book 2. For anyone in search of a sweet, beautiful romance, this book is for you.

For me, one of the best parts of a shifter romance story is a character who finds his/her “fated mate.” The idea of a fated mate is kind of like a prince charming, one true love, and soul mate all rolled into one. It’s the ultimate love story. The idea that there’s that perfect person for you out there and oh, look, destiny just brought you to their doorstep. I am a sucker for that storyline and I know, if you love shifters and romance, you are too. One True Mate has the fated mates theme perfected. It also has a storyline with secrets, friendship, family, overcoming a painful past, and a main character who has to find a way to heal herself enough to love someone else. Basically, this one has it all. 

One of the reasons I read this genre is because so many of these stories include strong, fierce heroines and Calla Tor from Nightshade is one of the strongest. In a society and culture that imposes rules and oppression on their people, Calla is forced to test the limits and figure out who she really is and what she’s made of while still being a strong leader to her pack. This story is on my top 5 list because Calla is an unforgettable character, but so much of why you’ll love her is thanks to the world this author creates. Nightshade is another unique, fresh take on werewolves that you won’t want to put down.

The horror and the humor! This book reminded me of just how absurd the life of an addict is. I found myself laughing out loud at unexpected turns. Of course, we’re talking very dark humor.

The story of his obsession with Candy also reminded me of my own doomed love affairs, the sick love that often mingles with addiction. I’ll never forget the story of his cats, though. Davies’ observations on the behavior of his cats are as compelling (and horrible) as his observations of the behavior of addicts.

All addiction stories are sad in their own way, but as comic John Mulaney has shown, they can also be hysterically funny. And Candy proves it. 

I’m a sucker for a great ending, and this book offers the best. Though the beginning is pretty great, as well. Paige is a fish out of water when she heads from Chicago to Sydney, Australia to work for a mega-church even though she’s become jaded against organized religion. She doesn’t realize the guy she’s instantly attracted to on the flight overseas is the pastor’s son. To make things worse, Josh has an ex who abused alcohol, so when Paige barfs on his shoes, he suspects she’s inebriated even though she’s simply airsick. When forced to work together, they assume the worst of each other in spite of grudging respect and growing attraction. These characters are absolutely enjoyable, though be prepared to go through some tough stuff with them too.

This is such a great book! I loved it even more than the author's first (which was also very good). Though be warned you might get some side eyes if you read this one on the actual beach as it will have you laughing out loud one minute and swallowing back tears the next. I adore it when books are able to give me a wide range of emotions. This one might be a little heavier than the other books on my list, but the author does a fantastic job balancing humor and heartbreak. I recommend this book to those who love romance mixed with laughter and lots of heart.

Dyschronia is strange, complicated, overwhelming, frightening, and occasionally enervating – just like climate change. Jen Mills tells the story of a young woman in a small, dying town who can’t stop seeing horrible futures; or, perhaps, the story of a young woman who compulsively lies. You won’t forget the compelling and sickening scene of a town waking up to find the ocean has disappeared. This one is worth wrapping your brain around.

I love this book so much it made me want to write books. Seriously. This is the book that inspired me. Until I read this book (way back in 2000), I didn’t know non-fiction could be so informative, compelling, AND funny—all at once. But Bryson showed me it’s possible. Sure, he’s a witty writer. But I think Bryson’s real weapon is that he does his research.

He digs up the fascinating, bizarre, and downright unbelievable facts about his subject—in this case, the continent of Australia—then seamlessly weaves them into a compelling narrative that keeps readers looking forward to each intriguing nugget of information waiting for them to discover next. It wasn’t until the end that I realized I’d learned as much as I’d laughed.

Back in the early ‘90s in Melbourne, I talked my way into a temporary job typesetting Explore Australia, a mammoth full-colour guidebook. I ended up staying several years, undertaking desk-based research, managing the photo library, and editing text and maps. I spent my days poring over cartographic proofs, sifting through glorious photos of rust-red mountain ranges, cobalt-blue skies, and dense tropical rainforest abutting white-sand beaches. I spoke to those manning the tourist information offices around the country: at Coral Bay, where the Ningaloo Reef is just a metre from the beach, at Healesville, when the cackle of a kookaburra interrupted my call, and at Cossack, a gold-rush-era ghost town with a population of one man and one dog. Some years later I sold my home, bought a 4x4, and set off to see all those places that I had visited vicariously…