It’s October and we’ve officially hit my favorite time of year. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and I’m neck-deep in a pile of scary books to set the mood right. With Halloween on the horizon, it’s got paranormal goodness on the mind, and so I’m back with another round of book recommendations based on your favorite paranormal monster.
Without further ado!
Vampires
Love Dracula? Can’t get enough of Vampire Diaries? Who can blame you? Their vampires have the swagger, the charisma, and an aversion to sunlight that, frankly, I’m super down with. Yeah, there’s the whole sharp teeth and “I want to suck your blood” thing, but you just know they’ll make it good for you, so why not live on the edge?
Vampires are great because they cross such a range. Depending on the author, you can find them as villains, as seductive heroes and heroines, and as butts of endless jokes. They’re definitely not one-size-fits-all and that’s one of the things I love most about them.
Books you’ll love:
Once Burned (The Night Prince series) – Jeanine Frost – Dracula as you’ve never seen him before
Vampire Academy – Richelle Mead – Badass dhampir girl finds love and fights evil vampires
Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs – Molly Harper – Hilarious take on accidentally becoming a vampire
Shifters
Is the Wolfman more your speed? Teen Wolf really get your engine going? Shifter books are the way to go! This lover will be protective, rough and tumble, and alpha to the core. Yeah, you might have to get a special brush for all the hair, but it’s totally worth it to be part of your own personal wolf pack. Or hyena pack. Or bear-lion hybrid pack. The sky’s the limit!
I love shifter books because the sky really is the limit. Within this category, you’ll find lone wolves, family units with unique quirks that reflect the animal they morph into, and even fun freaky hybrids.
Books you’ll love:
Gunmetal Magic– Ilona Andrews – Two hyena shifters must solve a paranormal mystery
Beast Behaving Badly– Shelly Laurenston – Hybrid wolf-African wild dog shifter + hybrid bear-lion shifter = shenanigans
Cry Wolf – Patricia Briggs – Two werewolves must come to terms with their new relationship and hunt down a witch
Fae
Sometimes you’re looking for something a little more…otherworldly. I mean, can anyone really blame Aragorn for losing his mind over Arwen? I can even get down with the idea of Prince Nuada from Hellboy II. There’s just something about fae characters that draws (and sometimes repels) in a way I can’t leave alone. Sound familiar? I have recommendations for you!
Sometimes they’re icy. Sometimes they’re downright fiery. Sometimes they even have poison blood that only you can drink. I didn’t make the rules, I just report them. The fae category is just as wide and varied as both vampire and shifter, and you can definitely find something to make your heart happy within it!
Books you’ll love:
Heir to Sevenwaters– Juliet Marillier – A woman must work with a man she doesn’t trust to recover her infant brother from the fae realm
Sweet Ruin – Kresley Cole – A fae with poison blood encounters a woman who is immune
Moonshadow– Thea Harrison – A woman becomes entangled with a fae intent on finding a way back to his realm
Miscellaneous Paranormal Goodness
Looking for some kind of supernatural creature that isn’t quite so easy to define? Witches and water monsters and maybe even a cursed human or two! The paranormal category is only as limited as your imagination. I’ve read sirens and dragons and even gargoyles. Seriously, there is no limit. If you’ve ever wondered about immortal Vikings? I have the books for you!
Books you’ll love:
Sawkill Girls – Claire Legrand – A trio of cursed/gifted girls must work together against an ancient evil
Caressed by Ice – Nalini Singh – a mostly-sociopathic Psy falls for a traumatized changeling in the midst of a spree of murders
Viking Warrior Rising – Asa Maria Bradley – Immortal Viking Leif becomes bonded with a human woman who wants nothing to do with his ancient war with Loki.
Seriously, though, this list is anything but exhaustive. Most of the authors listed have extensive backlists that fit every single category on this list, so I highly recommend delving into them if you’re looking for something specific (or just want to immerse yourself in a magical world). Kelley Armstrong, Kresley Cole, Ilona Andrews, Shelly Laurenston, and Nalini Singh, in particular, have massive backlists that are just waiting for a good binge read!
