I like to think of the paranormal sub-genre as containing all sorts of "magical" creatures (vampires, werewolves or shifters, faeries, and/or angels) that are said to walk among us.
Paranormal, as a fantasy sub-genre, has been prolific over the past few years. Walk into any bookstore and you'll find the shelves and table filled with books containing paranormal elements.
For this list, I pulled out some books that stood out to me and that I've noticed have been circulating well at my library. Following each book is a list of more books that deal with the same paranormal being. I only chose books that have been published in the last three years or so, please feel free to let me know if I have forgotten any important titles.
Faeries:
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: February 1, 2010
Find my review here.
Meghan Chase never quite fit in anywhere; she always felt different, but didn’t know why. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face.
Sequels:
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
Other books with faeries:
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
Vampires:
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 20, 2009
Contrary to popular belief vampires are not sexy or powerful. Vampires are dead: Nina has been dead since 1973, the only excitement in her life is the series of novels she writes and the weekly support group meetings she attends. But then one of the group is mysteriously murdered. Now with all of her friends under threat, Nina is out to prove that there is more to vampires than being weak.
Other books that show a different side to vampires: (There are so many vampire books out right now that deal with how romantic and beautiful they are, that I wanted to look for titles that had a different spin on the current view of vampires)
Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantasky
Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Weres:
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: June 8, 2010
Bryn was taken in by a pack of werewolves after watching her parents’ gruesome murder. Adhering to pack rule has always been hard for Bryn and when she goes exploring against the Alpha’s wishes, she finds a new Were locked in a cage. Soon, it’s all Bryn can do to stay away, since she believes he has the key to unlocking the pack’s secret.
Other books about weres:
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
13 to Life by Shannon Delany
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Angels:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: October 9, 2009
Nora Gray was cautious about life in general. Still grieving the death of her father, she is more focused on getting into a good college than on anything else. Then Nora meets Patch and her life seems to get much more interesting. Soon however, Nora isn't sure if she should give into her conflicted feelings for Patch or run in the opposite direction. What Nora doesn't know is that an ancient battle between immortal Nephilim and fallen angels is being played out in her small Maine town. Soon, she'll have to choose which side she's on.
Sequels:
Crescendo (2010)
Tempest (2011)
Other books about angels:
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Additional paranormal books:
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Now that we've looked at so many current titles, what are some older titles along the likes of The Silver Kiss or Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, that I should be on the lookout for?
I noticed that no zombies, dragons, or unicorns made your list :)
ReplyDeleteI usually prefer wolf fiction over vampire fiction but I do love the Vampire Academy series.
One of my favorite new paranormal books this year was Firelight by Sophie Jordan which is about a girl who is a draki (descended from dragons) and she can shift into human form. I think we might see more dragon romance soon...
Oh no! How could I have forgotten Firelight! I've actually read it and really liked it. The Zombies do make an appearance on my class handouts, even though sometimes I wonder if they should be under dystopian.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm going to edit this post to include Firelight!